Broken Mirror Magick

Is it really bad luck to break a mirror or is that merely an old wives' tale? There has been much in the way of superstition in regards to looking glasses, even predating the invention of the "modern" mirror. Primitive man used water sources to gaze at his reflection: ponds, woodland pools and even rain puddles. If his image was found to be distorted, he believed that disaster was imminent, be it of the larger natural kind or even personal to his own self. Early metal mirrors used by Greeks and Egyptians were believed to be very powerful magickal tools and as such were highly valued. But what of glass mirrors and how did the curse of seven years' bad luck begin? We can thank the Romans for this. Ancient Roman culture not only believed that one's soul was held within a looking glass, but that the human body physically rejuvenated itself every seven years, completely recycling itself and creating a whole new person. If one's mirror was broken, and their soul shattered into tiny fragments, it would take that seven year cycle for one's health, luck and prosperity to return.

If you break a mirror, don't despair! There's still plenty of powerful magick in that glass to repel any negative energy from your home. Carefully pick up all the broken pieces and place them in a lidded clear glass jar or bottle big enough to hold them. Be sure to sweep up all the tiny pieces and even the glass dust and add them to the bottle as well. Not only does each and every fragment act as a tiny mirror on its own, but you've also just created a makeshift witch ball. Just as the sharp tendrils of blown glass within a witch ball lure and trap all manner of uglies, so do the sharp pieces of mirrored glass in your bottle. Close the lid tightly, place your mirror bottle on a sunny window sill and be sure to keep it well dusted. Its magick will serve you well.

Photo courtesy of MrNobody97 on flickr.

Leaf Lore

There's powerful magick in the fallen leaves on Samhain, but in order for that magick to manifest the leaves must be caught in the recipient's hands as they fall from the trees and before they hit the ground. According to folk tradition, once a leaf has touched the earth, its magick is forever lost. The tradition of catching fallen leaves began in England centuries ago and it was believed that catching a fallen leaf would not only empower the lucky grabber with great magick, but would also ensure that that person would have profound happiness for the next year and would suffer no sorrows (if only it were this easy). Upon catching a leaf, you could also make a wish and be sure by your lucky catch that it would come true. Another folk belief says that the catching of a falling leaf will bring a year of health to the recipient.

An old witch's spell states that for every leaf caught between Michaelmas on September 29th and Samhain, the lucky catcher will be granted one day of pure happiness. But once these leaves are caught, be sure to keep them outside, for an ancient belief states that you will bring very bad luck to your family and all who dwell within your walls should you bring the leaves indoors with you. Dead leaves that may blow into your house on their own through a doorway on a blustery day are perfectly safe though!

This gorgeous photo of falling leaves courtesy of Jooliree on flickr.

Midsummer

Like every other sabbat, Litha comes with its own beliefs. Besides the well-known and traditional rituals of lighting a bonfire (or building a smaller fire to be jumped over), as well as drinking, dancing and making love, there are many lesser known rituals linked to the celebration of midsummer.

To honor the culmination of the Oak King's rule, men traditionally wore wreaths of woven oak leaves on their heads and women wreaths of midsummer flowers. Pick some blossoms and place them under your pillow on Litha night and you will dream of your future husband.

Want to be healthy throughout the coming year? Then be sure to be up to see the sun rise on the solstice. If you're in need of healing, the calendula (marigold) plant was believed to possess miraculous healing powers when picked on Litha. The traditional healing plants to be picked on the sabbat for the coming year are fennel, rue, rosemary, lemon verbena and st. john's wort, among many others.

Place a swag of summer greenery over your front door for a year of luck and prosperity.

And despite the joy and abundance associated with midsummer, there is always at least one festival that flies in the face of love, health and prosperity. Fortunately, the medieval French ritual of burning cats on midsummer's night has long since disappeared (especially if you happen to be a cat).

A blessed Litha to you all and safety in all you engage in that night.

Photo courtesy of mermaiden creations on flickr.

Outdoor Home Protection

Today I accidentally stumbled upon a few very old and rather unique traditions to ensure your home's protection from the outside rather than the inside. Some may be familiar, some may not.

Carving protective symbols into the wood of your door jamb, especially of a pentagram, is a primitive and pretty way to keep your home safe from evil. However, if you rent your home, your landlord might not take too kindly to having your spiritual beliefs artistically gouged into the frame of their front door. Instead you could paint and/or carve a small rectangle of wood that could be gently attached to the jamb above the doorknob, or paint your doors in protective color combinations, thus keeping your house safe from negativity without damaging the actual door or angering the owner.

Ornamental roof finials (think gargoyles) can be attached to the corners of your home to erect a boundary of protection in all four cardinal directions. The finials need not be actual gargoyles (because man are those things ugly!), but can be any creature or symbol you find appealing or potent, perhaps even small versions of your power animal that only you and the birds that perch on your roofline would know are there. Even little decorative pieces of iron can be used (purchased at a garden shop or a salvage yard), as iron has long been considered the metal of the gods.

If climbing up onto a ladder and attaching things to your roof doesn't appeal to you, driving an iron spike into the ground in front of your house will keep the entire dwelling and all its inhabitants safe from evil spirits and intruders of the physical kind as well. Most people are familiar with hanging an iron horseshoe over the door for luck and protection and doing this will also keep your house and family safe.

And if you're building a new home, you can always place broken iron tools within your walls to keep your home protected, though you might want to avoid another ancient tradition for keeping a home safe from the outside in: burying dead horses' heads beneath your floorboards to ensure night after night of restful sleep and protection against the "Night Mare", the mythical horse that carries evil dreams to haunt the living while they sleep. Just a suggestion.

Photo of antique iron finial courtesy of Ontheway2it on flickr.

Photo of antique painted door jamb courtesy of jwoodphoto on flickr.

Candied Violets

Candied violets are one of the prettiest and most delicate garnishes for all your Ostara celebration custards and cakes. Very feminine, infinitely spring-like and impossibly sweet, they'll make even more beautiful all those inevitable egg dishes this sabbat calls for.

Violets offer protection, luck, promote love (and lust!), heal, and make wishes come true. Wear a chaplet of violets and you'll cure your headache, wear them in a sachet and you'll not only heal wounds but prevent evil spirits from making them worse. Mix them with lavender and violets become a powerful love stimulant. Pick the first violet that has bloomed in the spring and all your wishes will be sure to come true. Then pick some more and you'll have enough for some lovely edible Ostara decorations.

For this recipe you will need:

20 violet flowers (at least), in excellent condition with stems intact, not treated with chemicals

1/2 cup water

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract

caster or fine sugar for sprinkling

Wash the flowers carefully by using a gentle spray of cool water. It's helpful to have them in a sieve while doing this, and having the stems will make handling them much easier. Lay them out on paper towels on a cooling rack. Dry completely.

Heat the sugar and water until sugar is completely dissolved. Add extract and mix well. Dip each flower in the sugar syrup with a pair of tweezers. Dust each blossom with the fine sugar (be sure each flower is fully coated) and remove the stems with a pair of fine scissors. Set the violets on the cooling rack once again, only this time use wax paper to prevent sticking, and be sure they are laying flat.

Move the flowers to a cool, dry place to set completely. This will take at least 24 hours, possibly more. Do not dry them in the sunlight to speed up the process as you will only end up with a batch of soggy, wilted violets. Store in an airtight glass container. If you need to layer your flowers, use a piece of baking parchment between each layer to prevent sticking. Keep out of direct sunlight and use within one month of creating.

Photo courtesy of wendy flanigan on flickr.

Apple Lore

If you eat an apple on Samhain right before you go to bed, you won't have any illnesses during the next twelve months. Eat a slice from each of three apples on Samhain night and you'll have a year of good luck.

Bury an apple in your witch's garden, beneath the light of the moon on Samhain night, and it will feed the souls of those restless spirits wandering through the realm of the living that night. Living in the northeast, I wouldn't even attempt to dig into my cold hard earth at the end of October, but I do leave an offering of cakes out on the sundial in my garden to nourish the ghostly travelers who are out and about on Samhain night. It's far less back-breaking!

Photo courtesy of Aviana2 on Flickr.