O is for Orange – A Pagan Blog Project Post

In the studio

This week I thought I would write about the color Orange.

Magically, orange corresponds with the following: prosperity, encouragement, abundance, justice, luck, legal matters, charm, kindness, encouragement, stimulation, optimism, success, abundance, feast and celebration, achieving business goals, investments, success in legal matters and change or zest

As you can see from the list above, Orange is a pretty great color to work with.

I’ve found that color is an important part of my magic. When I am working on a spell I like to put as much oomph in it as I can, let’s face it, when we are doing spell work, we want it to succeed, so using color, whether it be in the form of stones, candles, paper, ribbon, clothing, etc., adds to the power and is such an easy thing to do!

In my studio I have yellow and orange flowers, yellow for creativity and orange for its correspondence to success and achieving business goals. When I am working on my Art I like to have that success swirling around me.

For my Etsy shop Beneath The Witch's Moon ( I know, imagine that) I create spell bottles (among other things). They are beautiful little works of art that are also magical. Currently, orange is featured in two different spell bottles in the shop - the Luck bottles and the Aiding in a Job Search bottles(the orange in inside these bottles), both have orange accents and as you can see above, orange is definitely appropriate for both.

Well, that is my tribute to the color Orange. It is one of my favorite colors and one that I work with often. 

N is for Goddess Nike - Pagan Blog Project

This week, due to some time constraints, work reports and other projects, I am doing a short (very short) piece on the Goddess Nike.

Nike is the Greek Goddess of Victory. She is the daughter of Pallas and Styx and often associated with Athena. She is a winged Goddess who helps guide the horses of conquering heroes and is a fast runner, swift flyer and a charioteer.

During the War of the Titans, Nike was the personal Charioteer to the Gods and even though her father is a Titan, she fought against the Titans with the Olympians.

Nike has several symbols associated with her: The shield - where she wrote the names of the victors in battle, her wings - which are a symbol of her speed and her ability for flight, the Laurel Wreath – which was given to the victor in athletic competitions and the Palm Branch – which is a symbol of victory and triumph.

Lastly, the founder of the Nike company used her name due to its association with victory in athletics!

Sources:

http://www.talesbeyondbelief.com/greek-gods/nike.htm (Picture is from this site - linked above as well)

http://www.gods-and-monsters.com/nike-greek-mythology.html

http://www.goddess-guide.com/nike.html

http://gogreece.about.com/od/greekmythology/a/mythnike.htm

http://www.getty.edu/education/kids_families/do_at_home/artscoops/winged_goddess.html

http://www.theoi.com/Daimon/Nike.html

http://goddessnike.com/nike_goddess_of_victory.php

N is for Nettle - Pagan Blog Project

After a lengthy hiatus I am finally back to the Pagan Blog Project and this week I am writing about Nettle.  An amazing herb full of power and potential, Nettle can be eaten, brewed into a tea (or wine or beer!), used for protection and so much more!

Common Folk Names: Stinging Nettle, Common Stinging Nettle, Ortiga Ancha, Devil’s Apron, Devil’s Leaf

Botanical  Name: Urtica dioica

Gender: Masculine

Planet: Mars

Element: Fire

Powers: Exorcism, Protection, Healing, Lust

Animal: Serpent

Gemstone: Ruby or Fire Opal

Some Associated Deities: Thor, Pluto, Hades, Horus, Osiris, Vulcan, Yama

Habitat: Nettle grows all over the world in moist, shady places as well as in gardens, along fences, walls and roadsides. It is a bristly plant growing from 2 to 7 feet high with pointed leaves and small greenish flowers which bloom from July to September.

While you can easily grow nettle yourself it will quickly take over an area so it is probably easier to purchase it from a local herbal store or if you must grow your own, grow it in a large pot to keep it from invading the entire yard!

Medicinal Properties: Histamine, astringent and diuretic. Nettle has been used to treat gout, painful joints, anemia, urinary tract problems, hay fever, insect bites, as an expectorant, a laxative and more.

Nettle is high in iron, vitamins A and C and also rich in protein which is one of the reason they are used to treat anemia.  Nettle can be used to make wine or beer as well as many different food items.

Nettle can be used to make a hair rinse which will leave hair super shiny and strong without stripping the natural oils from the hair. It restores color as well as the health if the scalp.

Before flax, Nettle was used to make thread, yarn and cloth; Nettle is supposed to be stronger than flax and resemble hemp in appearance. 

Magically Nettle is used to ward of ghosts and spirits, keep evil out of the home and facilitate a quick recovery.  Brooms made of Nettles are used to sweep evil out of an area. To keep evil out of the home, sprinkle Nettle around the house and to ward off ghosts, carry nettle in your hand.  To help a sick person’s recovery place a bowl of freshly cut nettle under their bed. To keep negativity away wear Nettle in an amulet and to remove a curse and send it back stuff a poppet with nettle or carry nettle in a sachet. To consecrate an Athame, heat the blade and then put it into an herbal bath made of nettles.

According to Scott Cunningham, Mexican spiritualists recommend Nettle in purification baths because it is “more carnivorous” that other herbs and will work more efficiently.

Interesting Nettle Lore: According to Maurice Zigmond in his book Kawaiisu Ethnobotany, children of the Kawaiisu tribe of Southern California who wanted to study witchcraft had to walk through nettles in preparation for the practice (of witchcraft). (The first areas of study that I was passionate about, which I explored in depth while attending Arizona State, were Archaeology and Native American studies so the above lore was one more reason for me to write about Nettle).

Sources

Books:

Scott Cunningham: Encyclopedia of magical Herbs

Maurice Zigmond: Kawaiisu Ethnobotany

Websites:

http://complete-herbal.com/details/nettle.html

http://www.witchipedia.com/herb:nettle

http://www.janih.com/lady/herbs/magick/N.html

http://www.merciangathering.com/nettle.htm (recipes for Nettle Wine and Beer are here)

http://www.pagansworld.org/tag/stinging-nettle/

http://www.alchemy-works.com/urtica_dioica.html

http://www.magialuna.net/n.html

http://dallia.hubpages.com/hub/interesting-facts-about-stinging-nettles

Pagan Blog Project: G is for God(s)

When someone first finds out that I am Pagan the questions I get can range from silly to offensive to serious. Most of the people who know me are very supportive and will send me silly witch related things as signs of support and acceptance. I loved it when a friend sent me a little picture of a broom with the subtitle “Yes, I can drive a stick”.  She gets me.

One of my very good friends has an on again off again relationship with her church. It is a Christian based group and while she will not discuss my beliefs with me she did ask me the following: Do you believe in God?

In my practice I work with many Gods and Goddess and while I knew that is not something she would understand I was able to tell her with certainty that I do believe in a Devine Spirit. I don’t however believe in a cruel and vengeful God, nor do I believe that my image of the Devine is the only one.

This is something that many people I know who are not pagan have a difficult time with. Growing up in the Catholic faith we were taught that there is only one true God and that was the Catholic version. This is one of the many reasons that I never felt comfortable there.

As a young child I just could not believe that God was so cruel that all of the people who came before Catholicism was founded were in purgatory. This made no sense to me. Then, as I got older and discovered and explored many other, different religious beliefs it made even less sense.

My spiritual path is very personal. I have a strong connection to nature and a definite need to create. I work mainly (but not only) with Goddesses and when I think of the Devine I usually think in feminine terms though I believe that the Devine is both masculine and feminine in nature, that all of the different faces that we put on God are part of the whole and that each person relates to the Devine in the way that is most meaningful to them.

I am very comfortable with who I am and what I believe and yes, I believe in God, though I prefer to refer to her as Goddess!

BB

Pagan Blog Project: F is for Fire

Fire is one of the 4 elements that make up all of creation, the others being Earth, Air and Water. Fire is a profound tool, used, among other things, in candle magic, for offerings, and of course for the more mundane (though no less important) purposes of cooking and warmth.  Fire is truly one of the most important tools that early man learned to use.  

As I stated previously, in my practice, Fire corresponds to the South, Noon, the Summer, Adulthood, the Mother, the Sun King, Manifestation and Action.

Fire is a masculine element which has both creative and destructive qualities. Fire can be used to burn a paper on which we have written a magical purpose, intent or thing we wish to release, thus destroying the paper and sending the magic imbued on it to the universe for action, fire can be a tool to creativity, as an artist, I use heat to cure my sculpture, flame to sear edges and add details - thus Fire aids in my creative endeavors.

Even when fire is viewed as destructive, as when it ravages a forest, it serves a purpose. Fire cleans away the old and makes way for new growth. Some seeds, such as those from the Lodgepole Pine, require fire in order for them to germinate.

Some additional correspondences for Fire:

Color: Red

Stones: Jasper, Quartz Crystal

Tool: Athame

Goddesses: Brigit, Vesta

Gods: Horus, Vulcan

Rituals: healing, purification, sex, banishing, courage, strength and also for Candle Magic

Creatures: Snake, Dragon, Phoenix

Elemental: Salamander

Fire is featured in many a fairy or folk tale. My favorite is the Russian Folk Tale of Baba-Yagaand Vasilisa the Fair. In this story, young Vasilisa is sent into the forest by her evil step-mother to get fire from the Baba-Yaga, which after completing many difficult tasks Vasilisa obtains and brings home the fire. Unfortunately for the step-mother and her daughters, the fire that Vasilisa brings home purifies the home, killing the step mother and her two evil daughters quickly.

In this tale, the Fire was both destructive and purifying, releasing Vasilisa from the influence of her step-mother and ultimately leading her to a much more pleasant life.

I will leave you with Wendy Rule’s song about Vasilias (yes, I am totally on a Wendy Rule Kick right now)!

Some sites I visited during my research:

http://www.thewhitegoddess.co.uk/the_elements/fire.asp

http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/bookofshadows/a/Fire-Folklore-And-Legends.htm

http://www.wicca.in/the-wiccan-elements/

http://paganroots.com/information/elements/fire-element/

http://www.angelfire.com/la/redwitch1/elements.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_ecology

Pagan Blog Project: E is for Elements - Earth

This week, rather than talk about the elements as a whole I am going to write a bit more about Earth.

When we speak of the Earth people think many different things, they may think immediately of Mother Earth and Nature, or Gaia, they may think of the Crone or of winter or they may just think of Earth as the ground under their feet. Earth is, of course, all of those!

As I wrote in my previous post, in my practice the Earth corresponds to: North, Night, Winter, Old Age, the Crone, the Sorcerer, Wisdom and Integration. Earth is also a sensual element and relates to the cycle of life; birth, life, death and rebirth. We see this repeated over and over as the seasons change on this wonderful place we call home.

Earth is a feminine element and is solid, strong, stable and full of life. As a Pagan, I try to pay tribute to mother Earth as well as to Earth as an element through my magical practices and the life I lead. 

Some additional Correspondences for Earth:

Season: Autumn

Planetary Correspondence: Saturn

Elemental Being: Gnome

Colors: Brown and green

Altar tool: Pentacle

Strength, Stability and Abundance.

Spells for manifestation, fertility, wealth and growth

Herbs/plants: patchouli, sage, mandrake

Incense: Patchouli, white sage

Zodiac: Capricorn, Taurus and Virgo

Stones: Moss Agate, Malachite, Jasper

Goddesses: Gaia, Cybele and

Scott Cunningham has a wonderful book called Earth Power which has simple spells for working with the elements. Here are a couple of ways listed in his Earth power book to use the power of Earth:

Tie some fresh, rich soil into a small green square of cloth, make sure the knot is strong and the earth will not fall out. Then carry this little charm with you if you have troubles with stability, security and self control or if you tend to let your emotions rule you life, are angry or nervous. This amulet of earth will help you.

According to Scott Cunningham, people used to believe that the earth could confound evil spirits and demons, who would have to count every grain of earth in a bottle before they could enter a dwelling so he also included information on an Earth protection bottle.

To make an Earth Protection Bottle:

In a small bottle pour fresh clean soil. Fill it to the top and cap it. Place this bottle near the entrance of your home, preferably near a window to guard against evil entering into your home.

http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/wiccaandpaganismbasics/a/elements.htm

http://peperonity.com/go/sites/mview/wicca.wisdom/15451612

http://www.magicspells.in/ 

Earth Power by Scott Cunningham

E is for the Elements - Pagan Blog Project

Wendy Rule: The Circle Song (Elemental Chant)

The very first song I ever heard from Wendy Rule was the Elemental Chant. This of course made me immediately rush to itunes and buy her album The Wolf Sky - I was hooked! The above video is similar to the song I heard.

This week I wanted to write about the Elements. As a Pagan with serious Wiccan leanings I am very in tune to the elements. I am referring to Earth, Air, Fire and Water. These four elements along with Spirit make up the foundation of my magical practice. The elements are thought to be the building blocks of all of creation and not just of the physical realm. The properties of these four elements encompass emotion, thought, and much more.

Since it is currently very late on Thursday night I am going to write just a brief overview of the Elemental Correspondences, next week I will write a more in-depth post about the elements.

In my practice, Air represents inspiration, Fire action, Water reaction, and Earth integration. I build my spell work around their properties and I work with each element at different times depending on the result I am working towards.

Here are some  additional elemental correspondences that I recognize:

Earth: North, Night, Winter, old age, the Crone, the Sorcerer, Wisdom and Integration.

Air : East, Dawn, Spring, Youth, the Maiden Goddess, the Young God, Thought and
Beginnings
Fire: South, Noon, Summer, Adulthood, the Mother, the Sun King, Manifestation and
Action

Water: West, Dusk, Fall/Harvest, Parenthood, the Queen, the Judge, Emotion and Reaction

I apologize for the briefness of the post. It's been a very long and trying week but I have been thinking about this topic since we started and I didn't want to miss a day.

Next week I'll have a much more detailed post about the elements.

BB

Autumnwind

Pagan Blog Project: D is for Dandelion

Dandelions are the bane of existence to many a suburban yard, they sprout up almost overnight and can easily take over if you are not diligent. Of course the fact that it is so fun to blow the seeds of the dandelion into the wind doesn't help, especially if you live in a neighborhood full of kids - or adults like me who are just big kids in disguise!

My back yard is big and full of all sorts of things including trees, shrubs, grass, flowers, clover, rocks and of course, dandelions.  Fortunately for me, no one seems to mind that we don’t have a pristine back yard.  The dogs and kids have run wild there for 17 years so it has served us well!

The past few seasons have been interesting for my family as I have slowly introduced them to more magical fare in the kitchen. I am blessed with a loving family who just go with the flow, so when I toss dandelion greens into a salad or send the kids out to fill a bucket full of dandelion flowers so I can make Dandelion wine, no one even blinks. It makes me smile just to write that because there really isn't much I could say (or do) that would surprise my family.

This week I chose to write about the Dandelion and hope that the information here will cause people to think a little more kindly of this versatile little plant.

Many people don’t realize that the dandelion is edible.  It has a high concentration of Vitamins A, B, C and D and is also high in Iron, Calcium and Potassium. Who knew? The greens can be tossed into a salad, blanched or steamed like spinach and eaten as a vegetable, the root can be dried (or roasted) and ground up to make tea (which can taste very similar to coffee) and the flowers can be used to make a lovely wine.  When picking dandelion leaves for a salad, be sure to use only young leaves, older leaves can become bitter.

 

Magical Correspondences:

Gender: Masculine

Planetary Ruler: Jupiter

Elemental Ruler: Air

Deity:  Hecate

Magical Properties: Divination, Wishes, Calling Spirits

According to Scott Cunningham you can use the dandelion to send a message to a loved one. To do this you visualize your message and blow the dandelion head that has gone to seed in the direction of the person to whom you want to send you message.

He also writes of some other fun things to do with a dandelion head that has gone to seed:

To see how long you will live, blow the seeds of a dandelion, the number of seeds left on the seed head indicates how many years you will live and to tell the time, blow three times on the seed head, the number of seeds left is the hour.

According to the Real Witch’s Garden by Kate West, tea made with dandelion root is used to aid the liver, kidneys and bowels as well as to cleanse the system.

Karen Harrison of The Herbal Alchemist’s Handbook wrote that the magical uses for dandelion root tea are to bring psychic impressions and dreams and she also states that adding Dandelion to an herbal amulet brings abundance in “Financial Acumen” and opportunity.

Here is an easy recipes for turning the humble dandelion into wine:

Dandelion Wine

This recipe is from Allrecipes.com

Makes 4 quarts

 1 quart yellow dandelion blossoms, well rinsed

 1 gallon boiling water

  ¼ ounce package active dry yeast

 8 cups white sugar

 1 orange, sliced

 1 lemon slice

1. Place dandelion blossoms in the boiling water, and allow to stand for 4 minutes. Remove and discard the blossoms, and let the water cool to 90 degrees F (32 degrees C).

2. Stir in the yeast, sugar, orange slices, and lemon slice; pour into a plastic fermenter, and attach a fermentation lock. Let the wine ferment in a cool area until the bubbles stop, 10 to 14 days. Siphon the wine off of the lees, and strain through cheesecloth before bottling in quart-sized, sterilized canning jars with lids and rings. Age the wine at least a week for best flavor.

Notes: Be sure that you use only pesticide free dandelions and that you wash them well before you put them in the pot.

Dandelion Tea

I found a couple of great sites which had detailed directions for harvesting and roasting the dandelion roots. The links are below.

http://www.craftylittlegnome.com/2011/03/how-to-make-dandelion-root-tea.html

http://tupelohoneyteas.com/2012/03/16/dandelions-dandelions-in-my-tea/

http://rosesprodigalgarden.org/articles/how%20to%20make%20roasted%20dandelion%20coffee.html

Sources:

The Herbal Alchemist’s handbook by Karen Harrison

The Real Witch’s Garden by Kate West

Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs by Scott Cunningham

http://www.harvesthaven.com/healthaids/dandelion.html

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/dandelion-wine/

Pagan Blog Project: D is for Dragon’s Blood

One of my earliest memories of witchcraft was of a spell that I overheard on TV, I was very young and it was a typical or shall I say a stereotypical list of ingredients that of course all witches must have on hand (at least in the pop culture of the late 60’s), anyway, the list went something like this:

Eye of newt (of course – that is in all the good spells- right?)

Wing of bat

Graveyard dust

Coffin nails

Dragon’s blood

And a hair from a werewolf plucked at the stroke of midnight on a full moon (that sounds downright dangerous to me!)

Now, unlike many of my young friends, I was not afraid of witches, I was intrigued. Was this real? Did these types of ingredients actually go into a magical spell? Why? What did they do? Where could I get a real dragon and how much blood was called for? Fortunately, I soon realized that Dragon's Blood didn't come from a real dragon - much to my relief!

During the first 10 years of my life we moved a lot, we were gypsies, moving at least once and sometimes twice a year and the people my mother associated with were amazing. There were all gypsies as well as artists, musicians and magical people.  It was during this time that I was first introduced to magic, the Tarot, and herbalism, though I had no idea what I was learning then.

As I got older I learned more about magic, witchcraft and my own gifts and I also became more familiar with some of the more interesting magical ingredients. This week I thought I would write about Dragon’s Blood, one of the more romanticized ingredients in a witch’s cupboard.

Gender: Masculine

Planet: Mars

Elementary Ruler: Fire

The Dragon’s Blood we buy today is typically a red resin from the Daemonorops Draco tree which is a type of palm tree native to Indonesian islands as well as from the Dracaena Cinnabari  tree native to Socotra. It is found in resin and powder forms as well as in incense and added to red ink to make Dragon’s Blood ink.

Some of the many uses attributed to Dragon’s Blood are: curing diarrhea, lowering fevers, helping to heal ulcers in the mouth, throat and intestines, as well as for treating eczema. It was even thought to have astringent properties and used to treat wounds.

Magically, Dragon’s Blood is used to cleanse a space of negativity, for banishing spells, protection, to add a little extra power to a spell, for love and when mixed with red ink it can be used to create magical seals and to ink talismans.

Dragon’s Blood resin was used to create a varnish that violin used to give their violins their signature color, and it is still used in this way today.

In Scott Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs he relates that a stick of Dragon’s Blood tree placed under the pillow will cure impotency.  A woman can burn Dragon’s Blood resin while seated in an open window to entice an errant lover to return. He also states that Dragon’s Blood is a “powerful protectant when carried, sprinkled around the house, or shouldered as incense.”

I like to keep Dragon’s Blood on hand, you never know when you are going to need to add a little extra oomph to a spell!

Here is a great recipe for a Dragon’s Blood Witch’s Ink that I found at www.mdidea.com: right here 

 Witches Ink:

 4 oz. Transparent Alcohol (vodka works well)
 2 tsp. Dragons Blood (powdered resin)
 1 tsp. Pure Vanilla (tincture)
 1 tsp. Lavender (tincture)
 1 cinnamon stick
 2 cloves (optional)

Mix all together in a tightly sealed jar. Shake until mixed well. Place in dark cool cabinet. Bring out once a day and shake up to stir for seven days. Test the ink by placing your pen, needle or toothpick in the ink, then test on paper. If color is dark enough for you it's ready to use. If you would like it even darker then add more resin and repeat the shaking. Test every day until you have the desired color hue.

Sources:

http://suite101.com/article/magickal-herbs--the-uses-of-dragons-blood-a291227

http://www.earthwitchery.com/herbsa-g.html

http://www.mdidea.com/products/proper/proper02706.html

http://voices.yahoo.com/a-guide-using-dragons-blood-magick-644329.html

Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs by Scott Cunningham

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Socotra_dragon_tree.JPG

Pagan Blog Project: C is for Cauldron

From the Merriam-Webster online dictionary:

caul·dron noun \ˈkȯl-drən\

Definition of CAULDRON

1: a large kettle or boiler

2: something resembling a boiling cauldron in intensity or degree of agitation <a cauldron of intense emotions>

This week I chose to write about the cauldron. This is one of those stereotypical symbols of the witch along with the broom, the wand and of course the black cat. Of course, aside from the black cat (mine is a torti) I have and use all of these in my craft.

My cauldron is very tiny. It is used for small items when I am working at my ritual altar. I do have a gigantic cast iron camp bowl that could easily double as a cauldron if necessary but so far, after many years of ritual work I haven’t felt the need to use anything else.

The Cauldron is typically a symbol of the Goddess and its element is water. It can be used as a container during rituals, for scrying, as a place to burn ingredients for a spell and is a place for magical transformation.

A cauldron is generally made of cast iron so that it can be used with high heat if necessary and often has three legs though some cauldrons do have four legs.  An article by Sheila Buck states that if a cauldron has three legs they represent the Maiden, Mother and Crone and if the cauldron has four legs they represent the elements of Earth, Air Fire and Water. 

Please forgive my brief post this week. I have unfortunately had way too much on my schedule. To make sure this doesn't happen again anytime soon I’ll be working harder to get my posts done a little early!

Sites visited during my research for this post:

http://www.examiner.com/article/pagan-tools-the-cauldron

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cauldron

http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/wiccaandpaganismbasics/tp/Craft_Tools.htm

http://www.paganlore.com/cauldron.aspx

http://www.lunasgrimoire.com/cauldron-magic/

Pagan Blog Project: C is for Catnip

Most of us are familiar with Catnip. It something that many cats LOVE! There is nothing cooler than watching your cat roll around on the floor with a catnip filled toy. My cat is all blissful when I give her catnip toys, she gets frisky and acts like she did as a kitten (16 years ago!). One of the benefits of giving your cat catnip is that is creates a psychic bond between the two of you.

Catnip is a fairly easy to grow perennial herb from the mint family. Common catnip can grow 3 - 5 feet high and has white flowers with purple spots.  It likes partial shade but grows well in full sun.  If you plan on growing this near your home it is recommended that you put chicken wire cages around young plants until they become established to protect them from cats. Also noted, cats will generally leave catnip plants alone unless the leaves or branches are damaged. Damage to the plant releases the chemical that attracts cats.

There are other uses for catnip, both magical and medicinal, and they aren't for kitty!

Before I get to those, here is some magical information regarding Catnip.

Gender: Feminine

Planet: Venus

Element: Water

Deities: Bast

Other than intoxicating your cat, catnip can be used in love spells, to attract good spirits and good luck, as well as in spells for beauty and happiness. All in all, catnip seems to be a good herb to have around. 

Fun: according to Scott Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical herbs, If you hold catnip in your hand until it is warm and then hold anyone else’s hand; they will forever be your friend as long as you keep the catnip used in the spell, also large catnip leaves have been pressed and used as bookmarks in magical texts and Book of Shadows. 

Other Magical uses:

When grown near your home, catnip attracts good spirits and luck. The nice thing about catnip is that is an attractive plant with pretty little flowers, the drawback, it is from the mint family so it will grow wild if you let it.

Add catnip in your love sachets, mojo bags, and poppets to attract love.

Medical uses:

(Please note that I am NOT a physician, nor am I providing medical advice, use catnip at your own risk)

Medicinally catnip has been used to treat respiratory infections, to reduce fever, as a decongestant, to help ease a cold of the flu, to reduce menstrual cramps and applied externally to cuts. It has also been used to treat colicky babies, headaches, indigestion and stress related conditions and even reduce red-eye.  Taken as a tea, catnip can be used as a sleep aid.

Caution: Catnip can cause uterine contractions and stimulate menstruation so do not take if you are pregnant!!

Basic Catnip Tea

Add 1 Cup of boiling water to 1-2 teaspoons of catnip

Steep for 10-15 minutes

I would add a teaspoon of honey.

If you would like more information on growing and harvesting catnip visit:

http://www.herbs2000.com/herbs/herbs_catnip.htm

Additional sources:

Encyclopediaof Magical herbs by Scott Cunningham

http://witchininthekitchen.blogspot.com/2008/05/catnip.html

http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/bookofshadows/ig/Magical-Herbs/Catnip.htm

http://cottageherb.tripod.com/herbalgrimoire/id10.html

http://www.gardensablaze.com/HerbCatnipMag.htm

http://www.cat-world.com.au/all-about-catnip

Pagan Blog Project – B is for Buckthorn

I love working with herbs. When I first started working with them I went to Ebay and bought a huge assortment of herbs to use in my work. While some of the small, carefully labeled packets are still unused I have never regretted that initial purchase. There is nothing worse than not having the right ingredients for whatever I am working on be it oatmeal cookies, a good luck amulet or a spell bottle.

This week I chose to write about Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica ) as I am working on protection amulets for my Etsy Shop and Buckthorn happens to be one of the necessary ingredients for these particular amulets. 

There are many type of Buckthorn, including both deciduous and evergreen varieties.  The Rhamnus cathartica species, also called Common Buckthorn, is one of the deciduous types.

This particular shrub grows up to 25 feet tall, has green leaves and gray/brown bark.  The black berries are slightly poisonous to humans but Buckthorn is still used to make an herbal laxative.

Buckthorn’s magical properties are: protection, wishes & good luck, legal matters and exorcism. Branches of the buckthorn, when place near doorways drive away the magical workings of others.

Element: Water

Planet: Saturn

Gender: Feminine

Parts used: Bark, branches, leaves and berries. Scott Cunningham notes that the bark must be aged at least two years before using internally.

Medicinally Buckthorn was used similar to Syrup of Ipecac is today, as a purgative for children however due to the severity of the reaction it fell out of use with humans. Buckthorn has also been used as a laxative in the form of teas, tonics or syrups with sweet ingredients added to make it more palatable. 

In addition to its magical and medicinal properties, Buckthorn bark and leaves are used to make yellow dye to color fabrics and if collect before they ripen its berries, when mixed with gum-arabic and limewater, form the pigment ‘Sap or bladder green” for water color painters.

Scott Cunningham relays the following legend in his Encyclopedia of Magical herbs:

It is said that if you sprinkle buckthorn in a circle and dance within it under a full moon, an elf will appear. The dancer must notice the elf and say “Halt and grant my boon!” before the creature flees. The elf will then grant one wish.  

Perhaps this will be part of my next full moon ritual, if I miss the elf at least I’ll have fun dancing and he’ll have fun watching from his hiding spot.

Sources for this article:

Scott Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs

http://www.paganlore.com

http://www.dragonherbarium.com

www.carolinadean.com

Pagan Blog Project – B is for Beltane

Maypole Dance, Qu'Appelle, 1919

Beltane is celebrated May 1^st in the Northern Hemisphere and November 1^st in the Southern Hemisphere.

This is another time when the veil between the worlds is thin though rather than focusing on ancestors as we do with Samhain, this time is when the Faerie are returning and the trickster Gods are around. Due to this it is not the best time for divination as your results may be convoluted!  

Beltane is a fertility festival. This is the time of year when the Goddess becomes the Mother, and the God sheds his irresponsible, youthful persona and becomes her Consort.  During Beltane we celebrate the union of the Goddess and the God; from which we receive the abundance of nature. It marks the return of life from the coldness of winter.

The Maypole is one of the most popular traditions of Beltane. The maypole is usually 9 feet tall and strung with colored ribbons which are twice as long as the Maypole is high. Traditionally two colors of ribbons are used, red and white. The Maypole dancers would weave the ribbons around the pole through their dance until the streamers were too short for them to continue. This weaving of the ribbons represents the joining of the God and Goddess.

Another Beltane custom is the bonfire which symbolizes the coming summer. Leaping over a fire during Beltane is thought to ensure fertility and circling a fire clockwise three times is thought to bring good luck. 

Beltane Correspondences:

Colors: Green, Bright Red, Silver, Gold, Blue, White and even Pink

Gods: The Green Man, pan. Artemis, Pan

Goddesses: Aphrodite, Diana, flora, Maia

Flowers: Thyme, Yarrow, Ivy, Marigold, Lily of the Valley, Honeysuckle,

Stones: Emerald, Orange Carnelian, Rose Quartz, Malachite

Tools: broom, Maypole,

Food: Bread, Wine, Dairy, Oatmeal Cakes

On Beltane my family enjoys warm oatmeal cookies. Here is my favorite Oatmeal Cookie recipe:

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 6 tablespoons butter, softened

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)

3 cups Quaker® Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)

1 cup raisins

Preparation

Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, beat butter and sugars on medium speed of electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well. Add oats and raisins; mix well.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.

Prep Time: 20 min

Cook Time: 8 min

This recipe is right off the Quaker Oats box. I love looking for recipes online but sometimes the oldies are really good! My family has been making these oatmeal cookies for as long as I can remember.

Sources:

Beltane by Raven Grimassi

Beltane – Holiday Details and History by Christina Aubin

http://witchery.wordpress.com/

http://paganpages.org

http://www.earthwitchery.com

Pagan Blog Project - A is for Aventurine

Photo by Michael Marcotte

Aventurine is one of my favorite stones to carry around. It has many properties, can be green, brown, yellow or even peachy colored and is relatively easy to find in my local gem and mineral shops. I am going to discuss green Aventurine since different colors of Aventurine can have different properties.

Some of the many magical properties of green Aventurine are:

Prosperity, promotes compassion and empathy, increases creativity, promotes calmness, success in your career, Luck (considered the stone of gamblers – which would explain why it is so plentiful in Nevada!), increases opportunities and self confidence, balance emotions and much more.

Element: Earth

Chakra: Heart

Planet: Mercury

An interesting historical note: Warriors in ancient Greece would sew Aventurine into their clothing to preserve courage and optimism. 

Chaco

While researching this stone I found a site (http://www.psychic-revelation.com) that suggested that you should use Aventurine for pets who are clumsy. This just made me giggle because my daughter’s cat Chaco is the clumsiest cat I have ever known. She is sweet as she can be but that cat could trip over her own paws standing still! I think I may have to make her a collar with bits of Aventurine sewn in it. 

Aventurine is said to balance energy and improve creativity. As an artist I am always looking for ways to improve my creativity. I have a bowl of stones that I keep on my desk which is both functional and decorative. When I am feeling low on creativity all I need to do is hold my Aventurine stone and meditate. This usually gives me the jump start I need.

Some other sites I visited while researching Aventurine:

http://www.shimmerlings.com

http://www.charmsoflight.com

http://www.jewels-empire.com/

http://crystal-cure.com

http://friendlycrystals.com