Medicine Bag

I've decided to make myself a medicine bag, not only to honor my Native American ancestors but to aid me in my on-going spiritual quest as well. Last year I wrote about a small glass talisman bottle I had purchased and the uncertain plans I had for carrying some spiritual items within it (see Talisman Bottle, September 25, 2009). What could be carried within it proved difficult given the bottle's very small size, but I have managed to put within it some special (albeit tiny) gemstones and some powerful dried herbs. And while I am extremely happy with my little bottle, I had numerous other items that I had considered wearing within it but couldn't due to its size, or lack thereof.

And that's when I got to thinking about creating a medicine bag. While it is usually a tribe's medicine man or shaman or who carries such a bag and I most certainly am neither, I will be carrying it for the same purpose as they would: to make contact with and feel the power of the natural spiritual forces that will aid me in reaching my own personal spiritual potential. The basic items within my bag are pure loose tobacco, dried corn, found feathers and unusual shells which represent the four elements: fire, earth, air and water. I'll also now be able to carry my watai (see Stone Spirits, November 27, 2009) in something meant for it rather than just in a pocket, and even some other very spiritually powerful items that are personal to me and me alone.

The beauty of having such a bag is that it not only allows me to carry a constant physical reminder of my journey here on Mother Earth as well as that of my forebears, but also provides me with a very tactile spiritual experience. The size of it, while small enough to appear to others as nothing more than a tiny woven shoulder bag, will allow me to add additional spontaneous items that might speak to me while I am out hiking in the woods or walking on an empty beach.

The Spiritual Nature of Trees

"The groves were God's first temples."

- William Cullen Bryant, "A Forest Hymn"

"When you enter a grove peopled with ancient trees, higher than the ordinary and shutting out the sky with their thickly intertwined branches, do not the stately shadows of the wood, the stillness of the place, and the awful gloom of this doomed cavern then strike you with the presence of a deity?"

- Seneca

Holy Vale, St. Mary's, Isles of Scilly and Beech Roots, Avebury, Wiltshire both courtesy of Giles C. Watson on flickr.

Elemental Power

The witch's pyramid (also referred to as the Four Pillars) is represented by a four-sided pyramid that promotes those qualities and abilities a witch must nurture and become proficient with before she can create truly powerful magick.

To Keep Silent. This is represented by the element of earth and is the base of the pyramid. This is the energy that allows one to work with their hands, to feel the tactile sense of magick. It's a feminine energy, methodical and patient. This power comes from plants, flowers and crystals, those objects that are of the earth, quietly beautiful yet potent.

To Will. This is represented by the element of water. This power is associated with the moon, psychic abilities, one's subconscious, visions and clairvoyance. This energy denotes love, sensitive souls, empathy, and compassion for all living things. Artists tap into this energy regularly, as do healers and mystics. This power comes from oceans, lakes, rivers and the rain.

To Dare. This is represented by the element of fire. This is the power that enables one to transform themselves, to change one's life, to illuminate that which is not easily seen. This energy denotes compassion, courage, the divine spark of the God and Goddess that one feels in their soul. To feel this energy at work is to feel one's intelligence, one's power (without abusing it) and to feel the strength to lead when needed. This power comes from the deserts, rocks, candles and fires, the hearth, volcanoes and the sun.

To Know. This is represented by the element of air and is at the top of the witch's pyramid. This power embodies freedom, ideas and inspirations, new life and new beginnings, the divine spirit, and endless space. To feel this energy at work is to feel intelligent, creative and to have a sense of humor. Those who use this power will be great communicators, gentle of spirit and always rational. This power comes from the wind, the vast expanse of the great sky above, clouds, birds and mountaintops.

And like the deepest earth, when one travels towards the sky there is mostly silence. The pyramid begins and ends with silence, with first and foremost looking within and knowing oneself clearly. To fully hear the divine and to truly hear nature, one must first be silent so as to allow spirit and earth to be heard within one's soul.

Photo courtesy of Bart Bonamie on flickr.

Full Worm Moon

Tonight's full moon is called the Full Worm Moon because this is the time of year when the ground begins to soften and thaw after the long frozen winter and earthworms begin to reappear, providing food for the recently returned robins. This moon is also known as the Full Sap Moon as this is the time when the sap begins to flow and the annual tapping of maple trees begins.

This full moon is in Libra, and as such we'll find ourselves working on our relationships, embracing love and acceptance and becoming aware of our own needs within the relationships in our lives. Libra is the sign of love, balance and acceptance.

Other names for this moon are the Full Fish Moon, the Sleepy Moon, the Chaste Moon, and the Moon of Winds. Various Native American tribal names for it are the Full Windy Moon, the Big Famine Moon, and from the Dakota Sioux, the Moon When Eyes Are Sore From Bright Snow. Its neo-pagan name is the rather ominously named Death Moon.

Rowan Spell for Home Protection

After you've finished your spring cleaning, why not perform a rite to ensure your home is now not only immaculate but safe as well? This simple spell uses rowan, a tree that is known for its protective properties, to provide a shield and a blessing for your home and all who live within it.

What you'll need:

Two or three rowan twigs, about ten inches long

A Bottle of Ale

A piece of red ribbon

A small personal power chant (optional)

What you'll need to do with these things:

Gather the rowan twigs, but be sure to not cut them from a living tree. They should be found on the ground so as not to harm the tree and they also must be found at this length, not cut down to it, as that will diminish the power of the wood. When you find your twigs, pour the ale deosil (in a clockwise circle) around the base of the tree as an offering to thank it for its gift to you as well as to symbolize the potency of the spell you are about to work. With the red ribbon, bind the twigs into a cross or star shape (depending on how many twigs you use) and concentrate on the safety of your home and its inhabitants as you do this. If you've written a short and personal spell, this should be chanted here while you bind the twigs.

Place your rowan cross to your forehead as you focus on the power of your intentions, then to your heart as you feel your power, then to your lips. Seal the rowan's power in the cross with a kiss. Starting with those rooms furthest from your front door, carry your cross in your outstretched power hand, circling each room fully while feeling your intentions plainly and clearly. When you reach your front door, exit it backwards so that your cross leaves your home after you do. Secure it above your front door.

This ritual may be repeated every three to four months to ensure the potency of your talisman.

Photo courtesy of Floraworks (internet on...off...on...off) on flickr.

Vernal Equinox Weekend

To ring in the spring equinox and Ostara yesterday, I went for a long walk with David and our two dogs on a lovely trail that runs close by. The weather was simply gorgeous, perfect for a leisurely walk under a late afternoon sun that was just warm enough to leave the coats and sweaters at home. We observed the blossoms and buds on the foliage, all about to pop at any moment, the sound of the birds busily making nests for the babies soon to come, the squirrels playing tag with one another around tree trunks, the crocuses peeking out from under the bushes in our front yard, and as evening set the sound of peepers calling to potential mates in the wetland behind our house.

I gave myself the weekend off from the seemingly endless spring cleaning I've been doing every weekend for the last month or so (in my usual desperate bid to finish it all before Beltane) and instead, and with only a small amount of guilt for shirking off, did little more than enjoy the beauty of the new season. I did, however, make a multi-layered yellow cake, with buttercream icing and filled with a lovely lemon egg custard and since I normally eat very little sugar, managed to get quite hyper after eating a really large slice.

The only sad note to the weekend was when a sweet little brown marmorated stink bug that had been living in my kitchen for quite some time accidentally toppled off the ivy on my windowsill and into the sink while I was working on my lemon cake and became a very interesting bit of boiled sugar decoration (that, trust me, never made it onto the cake).

I hope everyone had an equally (or even more) lovely weekend and I wish a very happy Ostara to one and all. Blessed be.

Photo courtesy of TT_MAC on flickr.

Ostara Orange Custard

This is a very simple little custard that not only uses the traditional Ostara ingredient of eggs, but also is the color of the still-cool spring sunshine. Garnish them with fresh cut (non-toxic) flower blossoms or the candied violets seen here recently (Candied Violets, March 3, 2010).

Ostara Orange Custard serves 4 to 6

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup organic orange juice

1/4 cup sugar

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated orange rind

pinch of salt

fresh whipped cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 325f degrees. Combine all the ingredients and blend well. Pour mixture into individual custard ramekins and place the ramekins in a pan with an inch of hot water in it. Bake on the center rack for 40-50 minutes or until a silver knife gently inserted into the center of the custards comes out clean. Cool thoroughly and refrigerate until ready to eat. Top with a dollop of whipped cream and garnish with colorful flowers. Serve.

Photo courtesy of Delicious Desserts on flickr.

Trees 101: Rowan

The rowan is a tree of many mundane and magickal uses most of which revolve around its berries. Songbirds are attracted to them, thus giving the rowan a distinct association with music, poetry and the goddess Brigid. The berries are also used for incenses and spellwork as well as in a medicinal capacity. Rowan berry tea is used to treat intestinal disorders and being high in vitamin C, rowan is also used to fight respiratory ailments. The berries are used in jams, jellies and even wine and in ancient times were believed to grant those who consumed them a very long life.

In 15th and 16th century England, rowan berries were avoided by midwives and herbalists because to be caught with them was certain to get you branded a witch. Ever take a good look at a rowan berry? They have what appears to be a pentagram at their base, thus the belief that anyone who had them in their possession was surely practicing the dark arts.

Wear a sprig of protective rowan and faeries won't be able to kidnap you, despite the belief that the rowan tree originated in the faery realm. Planting a rowan near your front door will protect your home from evil spirits and lightning strikes. Rowan is one of the nine sacred woods of the sabbat fire and represents life.

The versatile rowan tree is excellent for protection rituals, safe astral travel, divination spells (its sticks were traditionally used to make runes) and to enhance psychic abilities, as well as in powerful healing spells. It vibrates with a feminine energy and to the elements of both earth and fire. It's ruled by the planets Saturn and Uranus, as well as the Moon and Sun.

Spring Days

It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light and winter in the shade.

-Charles Dickens

There is something truly beautiful in the straddling of two seasons at the same time. I find it incredibly energizing to feel the warmth and the chill simultaneously, to see the green in bloom yet still be wading through the last of winter's mud and to be aware, in a very visceral way, of the changing of the seasons and the earth's wheel always, always turning. It makes me almost giddy.

Photo courtesy of bubba2tish on flickr.

Eostre and the Hare

Once upon a time long, long ago, there wandered through the forest a little hare who was uncertain what gift to bestow upon his beloved goddess with which to honor her on her spring festival day. While wandering and pondering, he came upon a fresh egg laying on the woodland floor. The hare was absolutely delighted as eggs were a rare thing indeed and finding one was quite exciting. As much as the little hare wanted to eat the egg himself, he decided instead to gift it to Eostre. The little hare was very pleased with himself until it occurred to him that as Eostre was a powerful goddess, perhaps his plain little egg wouldn't be such a wonderful gift to someone such as her. After all, she could have as many eggs as she desired and as often as she liked. So the little hare decided to make the egg something truly special, and by making it as colorful as he could and as lovely as the beautiful goddess herself, he would show her how much she meant to him.

He took the egg to a secluded spot and began to color the egg with all the hues of springtime: the bright, vibrant colors of the trees, the grasses, the water and sky and all the flowers that were blooming. He drew many of the symbols associated with Eostre: hares and other animals, birds, all the lovely things that depicted life in all her abundance. The little hare poured all his love for his goddess into this tiny egg.

When he had finished, he presented his offering to Eostre and she was so pleased with the little hare's humble yet beautiful gift, that she asked him to go out and share this special little egg with all the world, especially the children who embody all that springtime stands for. And to this day, all the descendants of that first little hare honor Eostre's original request by bringing to all the children of the world decorated eggs to celebrate the arrival of spring and the equinox.

Photo of painted eggs courtesy of kellybielec on flickr.