Seasonal Yule Ritual

This is a very sweet, simple, and quiet little ritual. As we wrap up the year passed and approach the beginning of the new year, take a moment to reflect on your humble life.

What you'll need:

incense (frankincense or frankincense resin, pine needles or pine resin, cedar chips, juniper berries, cinnamon)

a censer

a charcoal block on which to burn the incense

a large sheet of paper

a pen

a white candle

To make the incense:

2 parts frankincense

2 parts pine

1 part cedar

1 part juniper berries

a pinch of dried cinnamon or a small piece of fresh cinnamon stick

Grind all ingredients together until well blended. You can say a small incantation over them if you'd like, holding your power hand over them as you do so. Remember to always grind in a clockwise motion to infuse your incense with positive energy.

Place your censer and candle on a heat-proof surface and light them both. Begin to burn your fresh incense when your charcoal block is ready. Take the sheet of paper and draw a circle on it. Visualize this circle as a shield for all the good things you have or desire to have in your life. Write down within this circle everything that brings you joy: the material and mundane things of your everyday life, spiritual things you hold dear, nature, beloved animals, the people who make your heart sing, traveling you'd like to do, experiences that make you happy, anything and everything you'd like to draw closer to you. By writing all these lovely things within your circle you are setting up a boundary that will allow in only that which brings you happiness. This creates a shield, protecting who and what you are and sends this positive energy out to the world on a subconscious level. Outside this circle, write down everything you wish to remove from your life: bills, people you would prefer to have move on, bad habits and behaviors, and any other troublesome aspects of your life. Outside the boundary you can also write down those good things you'd like to draw to you only when you personally invite them into your life such as a visit from the in-laws or criticism from a friend.

Spend a few minutes meditating on all you have written and then give thanks for the many blessings in your life. Snuff your censer and when it has cooled, scatter the ashes on the earth.

Photo courtesy of stellaretriever on flickr.

Boneset Ghost Spell

Boneset: : any of several composite herbs; especially a perennial of central and eastern North America with opposite perfoliate leaves and white-rayed flower heads used in folk medicine. The first known use of boneset was in 1764.

As we all know, this is the time of the year when the veil between the worlds is at its thinnest and those who practice necromancy, or just wish to contact the spirits of loved ones passed, are paying tribute to ancestors, honoring them with offerings of food, and engaging in various necromantic practices of divination. It's also the time when hungry ghosts, or those with no family or friends to remember them or feed them, restlessly wander the earth. It's traditional to place barley and milk outside as an offering to those wayward spirits, thus easing their hunger and preventing their mischief. Alternately, you can keep them away completely with a small bouquet of flowers and herbs.

Boneset will chase away the nastier spirits while drawing to your home benevolent spirits who have only the best intentions. Hang a bouquet of boneset (with sprigs of white pine and any other protective herbs you'd like to incorporate into your bundle) over your front door, as well as any other entrances that are used regularly. Tie the bouquets with black satin ribbon. Keep in mind that folk tradition believes that the most potent boneset is found growing on or near graves (though I am in no way condoning any indiscriminate picking of a person's grave). You can burn small boneset branches or twigs in a cauldron to drive away any existing ghosts, and should you be a little too involved with the practice of necromancy this Samhain season, boneset can also be used in small bundles hung over the beds of anyone deemed to have "ghost sickness," an illness believed to develop after engaging in extended contact with the dead. If your pets have been actively engaging in necromancy, this will protect them too!

Photo courtesy of gmayfield10 on flickr.

The Nurturing Bath

There's nothing quite so relaxing as a nice hot bath, accompanied by the gentle glow of light from a bathroom full of lit candles. In addition to bathing the body, baths can be ritually cleansing to prepare for the sacred circle, emotionally cleansing to free the mind of stress and troubles, and physically healing to free the body of toxins and negative conditions. Aromatic remedies are among the most ancient. Old herbal texts prescribed the calming scents of thyme and sage leaf to ease the terror of nightmares (known as "night ghosts") and bald men were told if they washed their heads with sage tea they could be assured that their hair would indeed grow back. While this last one may not be true, herbal bath remedies can cure much that ails us.

Basic Bath Time Herbal Tea Bags

1/2 cup fresh grated ginger root

2 tablespoons of one or more of the following herbs (or use your own favorites):

lemon verbena (dried)

rosemary sprigs (fresh or dried)

peppermint or spearmint leaves (fresh or dried)

chamomile (dried)

lavender blossoms or sprigs (dried)

lemon balm (dried)

sweet marjoram (dried)

grated goldenseal root (dried)

plaintain leaves (dried)

rose petals (fresh)

You may use a small cheesecloth bag tied with a string, or make small folded rice paper packets (in the style of a store-bought tea bag), stitched closed. Combine the ginger root with the herbs of your choice and place in the sachet style of your choice. Run a very hot bath, add a few small bags, allow them to steep while the water cools a bit, then remove the bags and climb on in. Made as small tea bags with strings, these make wonderful gifts to give to someone who loves herbal baths (just be sure to label your ingredients so your recipient knows what's in them and let them know these aren't to be consumed internally).

If you haven't the time or motivation to make yourself bath time tea bags, a simple herbal bath will also work wonders and feel great. You can add sprigs of fresh rosemary to your bath for a pine-like fragrance. Actual pine needles can be used as well which are said to relieve nervous tension. Rosemary is not only invigorating, but will ease physical aches and pains and can rejuvenate a tired, sallow complexion. Ginger root will break a fever, induce sweating, improve your circulation and will also ease sore joints and tired feet.

Native Americans took sponge baths decocted with verbena leaves to combat nervousness and tension. Calendula, comfrey and chamomile used separately or together will also calm nerves and are an excellent choice as an astringent bath for oily or blemished skin. Chamomile is also an effective cure for soothing hemorrhoids.

Elder flowers steeped in hot water will make a gently cleansing and sweetly floral scented bath that will help induce sleep and relax the nerves, as will lemon balm, which in addition to being a sleep aid can also help to relieve cramps.

To soften the skin and counteract both hard water and some of the stronger herbs, add some milk to your bath (Cleopatra bathed regularly in camel's milk and she had men falling at her feet).

Please note that if this is the first time you'll be using any of these herbs, it is best to perform a 24 hour skin test beforehand for each plant. Take a small amount of the herb to be used, pulverize it and if it's in dried form add a few drops of water to moisten it. Dab the paste onto your forearm just inside your elbow, cover with a band-aid and let it sit untouched for 24 hours. If any redness, itching or swelling occurs, do not use that herb. As always, use common sense when working with herbs. Take nothing internally without being absolutely sure it's edible and safe and use nothing that you feel you may be allergic to.

Photo courtesy of floraleads.com

More on Mabon

Thinking about working a little magick for Mabon? This is an especially appropriate time to work spells for protection, wealth and prosperity, security and self-confidence. For a simple ritual incense burn freshly dried and ground sage, or if you're a little more motivated, use this wonderful incense recipe which will help you become attuned with the changing of the season and the darkening of the light:

2 parts Frankincense
1 part Sandalwood
1 part Cypress
1 part Juniper
1 part Pine
a few drops Oakmoss essential oil
1 small pinch of pulverized, dried oak leaf

Grind all ingredients fairly fine, add the essential oil, mix well, and burn on a charcoal in a censer.


If you prefer to work with gemstones, there are a few that are associated with this sabbat. Use them on your altar, wear them as jewelry, or carry them in a sacred medicine bag while you walk in the golden yellow woods and honor the aging Goddess.

Carnelian. A red form of chalcedony, carnelian has been worn since ancient Egypt. Worn by those who tend to be shy, it bolsters courage and instills the wearer with self-confidence, as well as protecting them from negative outside influences.

Lapis Lazuli. Another ancient stone, lapis is an uplifting stone that promotes spirituality and enhances psychic awareness. This stone also confers protection to its wearer, keeping them safe both physically and psychically.

Sapphire. Used by those in ancient Greece, the sapphire is potent in aiding meditation, in spells for defensive magick and in attracting money. Wear a sapphire to expand your wisdom, promote a sense of peace and well-being within you, and to keep evil spirits at bay. A necklace or bracelet made of sapphires will attract money to its wearer.

Yellow Agate. Agate is a stone of quiet courage and strength, as well as protection. In ancient Rome, an agate ring was worn on the left hand to ensure the favor of those deities responsible for a bountiful harvest. Wear agate or use it on your altar in protection spells and rituals to be free of negative energy.

Incense recipe courtesy of the late, great Scott Cunningham.

Photo courtesy of Markles55 on flickr.

Happy Birthday to Me!

Hunter's Moon

August 11 - September 10

Unlike western astrology which uses the sun and planets to determine a person's personality, Native American astrology uses the moon and elements of the earth in their belief system and I find it very accurate. As someone who loves the earth and all she offers us, I find this very appealing. Having been born under the sixth moon of the year, I am a child of the Hunter's Moon.

Children of the Hunter's Moon vibrate to the element of water and their direction is the west. My animal totem is the wolf, my plant totem is the pine and my mineral totem is turquoise. Although I was obviously born in the summer, my season is autumn as this moon represents the waning light of summer and the very beginning of the darker days of fall. My color, like my stone, is turquoise.

Hunter's Moon children are more likely to be influenced by female energy, with deep insights and intuition. They are very good at organization, bringing all they undertake to fruition and completion, just like a wolf on the hunt. Hunter's Moon people are also, unfortunately, rather smart-mouthed, flippant people who could learn to exercise a bit more tolerance of others. They tend to be solitary people, though they do enjoy the company of others as well.

I have adored turquoise since I was a little girl, so it's no surprise that this is the stone I vibrate to. Turquoise is one of the greatest of all the healing stones and brings clarity to those who carry it. It brings balance (which is often much needed by Hunter's Moon children who are known for going overboard a lot of the time), and it purifies and cleanses.

Pine is a strong tree, providing wood for the lodge and fuel for the fire. It is a tree of life and of strength, yet complementary to this is the color turquoise, the color of water and tranquility.

My great great maternal grandmother was a full-blooded Native American, and while I know very little about her (as the unspeakable stigma attached to a white man marrying a person of color back in the late 19th century caused my family to permanently disengage from them both), I feel her blood coursing through my pagan veins. Much of what I believe and what I engage in on a spiritual level is directly related to traditional Native American beliefs and always has been. And as I celebrate yet another birthday, I honor my ancestors who through their own lives here on this earth, helped to shape and make me the person I am today.

Blessed Be to all my family through the ages, Blessed Be to my readers, and Blessed Be to everyone else who is celebrating their birthday today. By honoring where you come from, you honor the person you are today and the person you will become through your years on this journey.

Happy birthday to me! (and my cake made by David and Griffin was delicious)!

Help for the Spring Cleaning Blues

Uh-oh! Here we go: it's time for spring cleaning once again. I tend to take my sweet time doing it and often find that I end up not finishing it by Beltane, which is a big no-no. I mean, who really enjoys cleaning out their cupboards and drawers? Yes, it feels good afterwards to be truly clean and organized, but let's be honest here. The process that gets you to that point of perfect squeaky-clean joy is not very pleasant. Still, since it must be done, here are some herbs and oils that make for a really clean home to welcome the young God to manhood.

Whether you choose to use homemade scrubs and oils or just clean the traditional way with modern products from your local market and then burn incense to purify when you're done, Mother Nature offers a wealth of herbs that can make your home both physically clean and rid it of any negative energy that's accrued over the dark winter months.

There's a reason why pine is used in so many supermarket cleaning solutions and it isn't just because it smells so good. It has been known for millennia as a plant that purifies, heals and cleanses, as does cedar, which also has the additional benefit of promoting spirituality as well. You can also use in a pinch, from your kitchen cabinet, clove, cinnamon, thyme and sage, all of which protect, heal and purify. These herbs, and many more, can be quickly ground down in a mortar and pestle to make simple incenses that can be burned over charcoal. And don't forget lemons. Lemon juice mixed with warm water makes a simple wash that cleanses all negative vibrations from your home: from the house itself as well as individual personal objects such as jewelry and small items you use regularly. Cleansing with this is most potent at the full moon as the lemon plant's ruling planet is the moon. I always like to add a little lavender to any mixtures I whip up, especially in incense recipes as it not only smells glorious, but in addition to its cleansing and purifying properties, it also adds an element of peace and calm to a home (and who doesn't want to be relaxed?).


AN ALL PURPOSE CITRUS CLEANSING OIL
(can be rubbed onto a candle for burning or a talisman or stone)

1/8 cup extra virgin, organic olive oil as a base
3 drops orange essential oil
2 drops lemon essential oil
2 drops lemongrass essential oil
1 drop grapefruit essential oil
1 drop lime essential oil

In a small glass container with a well-fitted lid, add to the oil base by dropper each of the essential oils. Gently swirl in a clockwise motion between each addition. Cover tightly and store in a cool, dark place. Use only genuine, 100% pure essential oils, not synthetics, as they contain none of the real plant's magickal properties.


A HOUSE PURIFICATION INCENSE
(this is especially potent when burned during the full moon)

3 parts rosemary
2 parts sandalwood
1 parts dragon's blood
1 part wood betony
1/2 part dill
1/2 part basil
a few drops of essential rose oil

Grind all the herbs individually into a fine powder, cleansing your equipment between each, then mix them all together in a clockwise motion in a glass, ceramic or wooden bowl. Lastly add the oil and gently mix once more. Store in a tightly lidded glass container in a cool, dark place. Try to use both of these mixtures before they get too old as the herbs lose their potency the longer they sit.


One small caveat: Please remember that some herbs stain fabrics and surfaces and some herbs are also skin irritants. Make sure you know what you are using and what you are using it on before you leap in and start slathering mixtures all over yourself or your precious belongings. Do your research first and you'll be a happy witch whose clothing and skin stay lovely despite your magickal workings! Happy house cleaning!