The following is a description of how I cleanse my crystals. There are plenty of methods out there and you are welcome to research more into it. Everyone has their own way of doing things, as it should be. This is the method that works for me and you should find one that works for you. 

I use crystals in a lot of my healing rituals. In the past, I've also used crystals as my shields.

For both uses, I cleanse my crystals before and after use. First, I will explain how I cleanse them. Then I will explain how I use them in healing and shielding.  

I collect crystals. At the moment, I don't have very many. But my goal is own 50-100 by the end of this year. I get them from various sources: Ebay, Etsy, local metaphyscial shop and even in trades/swaps. Before I use them, I cleanse them of any negative or stagnant energy that may be attached to them. I actually have 2 processes that I use, depending on the sitution. If the crystal is new to me, I use a month long cleansing ritual. If I've had it, and want to reuse it, I have a simple ritual that I use. 


For one that I aleady have and have gone through the month long cleansing, I place them in a bowl of sea salt overnight. The next morning I flush the salt in the toilet. For me, the salt absorbs any old, stagnant energy. The flushing of the salt symbolizes flushing of the old energies. If you want, you can also place it in the Earth over night. The Earth will absord the energies just like the salt. The next day, the crystal is cleansed and ready to use. 
 

For newly obtained crystals, my cleansing ritual is a bit more involved. No matter when I get it, I wait until the night of the Full Moon to start. I dig a hole in the Earth and place the crystal inside then cover it up. The hole doesn't have to be huge--just big enough to fit the crystal.I leave it in the ground until the next Full Moon.     Be sure to take the crystal out the morning or early in the day of the next Full Moon. Place it in a bowl of salt water in the sun. Be sure it's not directly in the sun--in the sun light is good enough. If left in direct sunlight, a bad reflection can start a fire. Leave it in the sun light all day. Also leave it under the light of moon that night. The next day, the crystal is ready to use!! 
 

 
 

How I use my crystalsFor healing, I use crystals in 2 different ways. I rub the crystal over the part of the body that is bothered while visualizing it absorbing any negative energies. I've used to it help clean out muscle aches and pains, headaches, cramps, general body aches, etc. Another way to do it is to visualize healing energies into the crystal. I then give the crystal to the person who needs it (or if it's for myself). I instruct them to place the crystal on the area of their body that is bothering them. Then they are to visualize the crystal absorbing the negative energy.   

For shielding.

This one may take a little practice to do. It took me about a month to finally get a good shield in one. The shield can be used for anything-- negativity, bad work being used against you etc. To work a shield into a crystal, I get myself into a meditative state while holding the crystal in my dominant hand (the hand you write with). I visualize a white light going directly into the crystal. (you can use any color you want) I usually do this for about 15 minutes. Sometimes, one ritual is enough. Sometimes it take a few more tries. Once  I feel as if my shield is strong enough, I then keep it on myself at all time. You can carry it in your pocket or out it in an amulet bag. Or if you want a more permanent type, you can wrap it in wire and wear it as a necklace!! 

The Alkyonides

The Alkyonides are Greek nymphs of fair weather. They were the daughters of Alkyoneus, King of the Giants, who was killed by Herakles after he had killed a number of the latter’s men. In their grief, they threw themselves into the sea, where they were transformed by Amphitrite, Goddess of the sea, into kingfishers. The Alkyonides became associated with a period of time at the end of December and beginning of January that traditionally has had good weather in Greece, with calm seas and fair sailing. While some ancient authors said that there were as many as eleven Alkyonides, seven have been clearly identified. Their names are Alkippa (also seen as Alcippa; means “strong horse”), Anthe (means “bloom”), Asterie (also seen as Asteria; means “starry”), Drimo (means “piercing”), Methone (means “of Methone,” a town in Thrace), Pallene (means “brandishing”), and Phosthonia (means “light”). The name Alkyonides itself, which is also seen as Alcyonides, means “of Alkyoneus,” and the seven sisters were also known as the Alkyonis or Alcyonis, which means “kingfishers.”

Alexirhoe (pronounced ah-leks-IR-oh-ee) is one of the Greek Naiades. The Naiades were generally thought to be daughters of an Okeanid mother (the 3000 daughters of Tethys and Okeanos, Goddesses of fresh water sources) and a Potamoi father (the 3000 sons of Tethys and Okeanos, Gods of the rivers); in Alexirhoe’s case, her father was Grenikos, God of the River Grenikos near Troy. By King Priam of Troy, she was the mother of Aisakos, who would later be turned into a bird when he tried to kill himself after losing his love, the nymph Hesperia. Alexirhoe’s name, which means “averting flow,” is also seen as Alexiroe or Alexirrhoe.

Aphrodite, Kallipygos

Aphrodite was the Greek Goddess of beauty, sexuality, lust. The Romans knew her as Venus. Wikipedia notes that her feast day was known as the Aphrodisiac (also referred to as Aphrodisia), which was celebrated all over Greece but particularly in Athens and Corinth. In Corinth, intercourse with her priestesses was considered a method of worshipping Aphrodite. She was sometimes referred to as Aphrodite, Porne, meaning: Aphrodite, the Temple Prostitute, although, as noted above, temple prostitutes were priestesses who helped worshippers to find communion with Aphrodite, so the expression was one of sacredness.

She was also known as Aphrodite, Kallipygos, or Aphrodite of the Beautiful Buttocks. It is in this form that I worship her, as she shows how healthy it can be for women to love their bodies and to enjoy themselves. There are several famous statues of Aphrodite, Kallipygos. Wikipedia tells this story to explain how she came to be worshipped:

"The people of those days were so attached to their sensual pleasures that they even went so far as to dedicate a temple to Aphrodite of the Beautiful Buttocks, for the following reason. One upon a time a farmer had two beautiful daughters. One day these girls, getting into a dispute as to which one had a more beautiful backside, went onto the public street. And by chance a young man was passing by, the son of a rich old man. They showed themselves to him, and when he saw them he voted in favor of the older girl. And in fact, falling in love with her, when he got back to town, he took to his bed and told his younger brother everything that had happened. And the younger brother also went to the country and saw the girls, and he fell in love with the other daughter. And so when the boys' father tried to get them to marry someone of the upper classes, he couldn't persuade his sons, and so he brought the girls in from the country, with their father's permission, and married them to his sons. And so these girls were called fair-buttocked by the citizens, as Cercidas of Megalopolis says in his Iambic Verses: "There was a pair of beautiful-buttocked girls in Syracuse." And so these girls, when they got wealthy and famous, founded a temple of Aphrodite and called the goddess the Fair-buttocked, as Archelaus tells us in his Iambic Verses."

The fact that there was a religious cult of Aphrodite Kallipygos at Syracuse is also mentioned by the Christian author Clement of Alexandria in a list of erotic manifestations of pagan religion. Clement cites the poet Nicander of Colophon, and generously quotes the alternative term (kalligloutos, "with a beautiful bottom") that Nicander used.

Hail Aphrodite, Kallipygos!

History of Imbolc

Imbolc is a holiday with a variety of names, depending on which culture and location you’re looking at. In the Irish Gaelic, it’s called Oimelc, which translates to “ewe’s milk.” It’s a precursor to the end of winter when the ewes are nursing their newly born lambs. Spring and the planting season are right around the corner.

The Romans Celebrate:

To the Romans, this time of year halfway between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox was known as Lupercalia. For them, it was a purification ritual in which a goat was sacrificed and a scourge made of its hide. Thong-clad men ran through the city, whacking people with bits of hide. Those who were struck considered themselves fortunate indeed. This is one of the few Roman celebrations that is not associated with a particular temple or deity. Instead, it focuses on the founding of the city of Rome, by twins Romulus and Remus, who were suckled by a she-wolf -- in a cave known as the "Lupercale".

The Feast of Nut:

The ancient Egyptians celebrated this time of year as the Feast of Nut, whose birthday falls on February 2 (Gregorian calendar). According to the Book of the Dead, Nut was seen as a mother-figure to the sun god Ra, who at sunrise was known as Khepera and took the form of a scarab beetle.

Christian Conversion of a Pagan Celebration:

When Ireland converted to Christianity, it was hard to convince people to get rid of their old gods, so the church allowed them to worship the goddess Brighid as a saint -- thus the creation of St. Brigid's Day. Today, there are many churches around the world which bear her name. 

Purification and Light:

For Christians, February 2nd continues to be celebrated as Candelmas, the feast of purification of the Virgin. By Jewish law, it took forty days after a birth for a woman to be cleansed following the birth of a son. Forty days after Christmas – the birth of Jesus – is February 2nd. Candles were blessed, there was much feasting to be had, and the drab days of February suddenly seemed a little brighter.

Love & Courtship:

February is known as a month when love begins anew, in part to to the widespread celebration of Valentine's Day. In some parts of Europe, there was a belief that February 14th was the day that birds and animals began their annual hunt for a mate. Valentine's Day is named for the Christian priest who defied Emperor Claudius II's edict banning young soldiers from marrying. In secret, Valentine "tied the knot" for many young couples. Eventually, he was captured and executed on Feb. 14, 269 C.E. Before his death, he smuggled a message to a girl he had befriended while imprisoned -- the first Valentine's Day card.

A Celtic Connection:

Serpents in the Spring

Although Imbolc isn't even mentioned in non-Gaelic Celtic traditions, it's still a time rich in folklore and history. According to the Carmina Gadelica, the Celts celebrated an early version of Groundhog Day on Imbolc too – only with a serpent, singing this poem:
Thig an nathair as an toll
(The serpent will come from the hole)
la donn Bride
(on the brown day of Bride (Brighid)
Ged robh tri traighean dh’an
(though there may be three feet of snow)
Air leachd an lair
(On the surface of the ground.)
Among agricultural societies, this time of year was marked by the preparation for the spring lambing, after which the ewes would lactate (hence the term "ewe's milk" as "Oimelc"). At Neolithic sites in Ireland, underground chambers align perfectly with the rising sun on Imbolc.

The Goddess Brighid    

Like many Pagan holidays, Imbolc has a Celtic connection as well, although it wasn’t celebrated in non-Gaelic Celtic societies. The Irish goddess Brighid is the keeper of the sacred flame, the guardian of home and hearth. To honor her, purification and cleaning are a wonderful way to get ready for the coming of Spring. In addition to fire, she is a goddess connected to inspiration and creativity.
Brighid is known as one of the Celtic "triune" goddesses -- meaning that she is one and three simultaneously. The early Celts celebrated a purification festival by honoring Brighid, or Brid, whose name meant "bright one." In some parts of the Scottish Highlands, Brighid was viewed as Cailleach Bheur, a woman with mystical powers who was older than the land itself. Brighid was also a warlike figure, Brigantia, in the Brigantes tribe near Yorkshire, England. The Christian St. Brigid was the daughter of a Pictish slave who was baptised by St. Patrick, and founded a community of nuns at Kildare, Ireland.
In modern Wicca and Paganism, Brighid is viewed as the maiden aspect of the maiden/mother/crone cycle. She walks the earth on the eve of her day, and before going to bed each member of the household should leave a piece of clothing outside for Brighid to bless. Smoor your fire as the last thing you do that night, and rake the ashes smooth. When you get up in the morning, look for a mark on the ashes, a sign that Brighid has passed that way in the night or morning. The clothes are brought inside, and now have powers of healing and protection thanks to Brighid.

Pendulum Divination

A pendulum is one of the simplest and easiest forms of divination. It's a simple matter of Yes/No questions being asked and answered. Although you can purchase pendulums commercially, ranging from about $15 - $60, it's not hard to make one of your own. Typically, most people use a crystal or stone, but you can use any object that's got a bit of weight to it.

Make Your Own Pendulum

If you decide to make your own pendulum, you'll need a few bacic supplies: 

   Use a pendulum to determine Yes or No answers.
Image © Patti Wigington 2009

• A crystal or other stone
• Jeweler's wire
• A lightweight chain

Take the crystal and wrap it in a length of jeweler's wire. When you're done wrapping it, leave a loop at the top. Attach one end of the chain to the loop. You'll want to make sure the chain isn't too long, because you'll probably be using it over a table or other surface. Generally, a chain between 10 - 14" is perfect. Also, be sure you tuck in any poky pieces of wire so you don't jab yourself later.

Charge Your Pendulum

To charge your pendulum, place it overnight in water or salt. Remember that some crystals will degrade in salt, so be sure to check before you do this. Another option is to leave the pendulum outside overnight in the moonlight.

Calibrate Your Pendulum

To calibrate your pendulum simply means you're checking it to see how it's working. To do this, hold it by the free end of the chain so that the weighted end is loose. Make sure you keep it perfectly still. Ask a simple Yes/No question to which you already know the answer is Yes, such as "Am I female?" or "Do I live in California?"
Keep your eye on the pendulum, and when it starts moving, note whether it goes side to side, forwards to backwards, or some other direction. This indicates your "Yes" direction.
Now, repeat the process, asking a question to which you know the answer is No. This will give you your "No" direction. It's a good idea to do this a few times with different questions, so you can get a feel for how your pendulum responds to you. Some will swing horizontally or vertically, others swing in small or large circles, others don't do a whole lot unless the answer is really important. Once you've calibrated your pendulum and gotten to know it a bit, you can use it for some basic divination.

Oshun's Love Salts

Oshun's Love Salts

 

ConjuredCardea is sponsoring the first Homespun Hullabaloo giveaways! Look at this beautiful medley called Oshun's Love Salts, keep reading to learn how to enter and win.

About Oshun's Love Salts

"These salts are sensational! They are visually beautiful, smell delicious, and feel wonderful! Indulge your senses and feel alive!

Oshun is the Orisha of love, who is always seen in a yellow dress with a hibiscus flower behind her ear.

These salts promote love, marriage, fertility, laughter, fun, abundance, and protection from false love. Gold, wealth, beauty, creativity, dancing, and love are Oshun's domain and she is happy to grant all of these to you for some attention and honor. She is all about life's pleasures-indulge a little bit; when was the last time you did something for yourself?!

Once you work with oshun, don't forget about her. If you ignore her, she'll assume you are content with your life. Leave her an offering of honey as well, but TASTE IT FIRST! Oshun was poisoned using her favourite food, honey, and she will not trust you if you do not taste it first.

Nothing makes Oshun happier than granting her children mates and lovers but be patient and never take love for granted, it is a special gift and should be appreciated.

Oshun can see things we can not and if the relationship is not right, she won't have you in it. So listen to her-she's your mother!

This luxurious salt is created from the finest Himalayan pink salt, rose petals, damiana (an aphrodisiac;), tiny sea shells, hibiscus flowers, anise seed, rose absolute, and epsom salts. The hibiscus flowers will colour your bath a lovely shade of pink-another way to indulge your senses!"

Conjured Cardea's Shop Announcement

"Conjured Cardea offers authentic, hand made, hand harvested, spiritual supplies for Voodou, Hoodoo, Santeria, Folk Magic, Spiritualist, Wicca, and all forms of The Craft. I live by the principle that we all overlap and inspire one another with our beliefs and practices. Religions have done this for tens of thousands of years. As Pagans we strive to learn and develop as humans and practitioners and, as Pagans, we believe that developing spiritually means following our hearts- not a doctrine, not a guru. Whether that means we choose a conglomerate of practices or choose to become an initiate of one specific path, we are all equal. You will not be judged for dabbling in something new and exciting here! We are here to support each other on our chosen paths and celebrate the diversity that teaches us and inspires us to grow.

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My supplies are created from the highest quality, organic, ethically harvested ingredients, following authentic, tried and true family recipes. I offer custom spell kits, paquets, oils, and prayer luminaries. I love custom work, so just convo me if you need something special! Want some details? Check out my profile, feedback, and policies."

More on Oshun

"Oshun, or Ochun in the Yoruba religion, is an Undergoddess who reigns over love, intimacy, beauty, wealth and diplomacy. She is worshipped also in Brazilian Candomblé Ketu, with the name spelled Oxum.

Ọṣhun is beneficent, generous and very kind. She does, however, have a horrific temper, one which she seldom ever loses but which causes untold destruction whenever she does. Oshun is said to have gone to a drum festival one day and to have fallen in love with the king-dancer Shango, Undergod of lightning & thunder. Since that day, Shango has been married to Oba, Oya, and Oshun, though Oshun is said to be considered his principal wife." Wiki

To enter to win, go here domesticwitch.blogspot.com/2011/01/oshuns-love-salts.html

SOME MOJO HAND COMBINATIONS YOU CAN MAKE

Here are a few representative mojo hand combinations, to which it would be customary to add a name-paper or wish-paper signifying the person for whom the work is being done:



To draw money:
A silver "Mercury" dime, a pinch of sugar, a lodestone, and a John the Conqueror root wrapped up in a $2.00 bill, fixed in a green flannel bag with a metal money bag charm and dressed with Van Van Oil.

To attract love:
A matched pair of lodestones covered with magnetic sand -- or the less traditional but equally effective pair of Magnetic Scotty Dogs -- fixed in a red flannel bag and dressed with red Fast Luck Oil or Love Me Oil. (For a variant of this conjure bag, created by a couple to preserve faithful love during absences, see the page of Love Spells.)

"Ole' Conjure Man's" Hand for luck and protection:
The advertisement shown above depicts a popular mojo bag consisting of two lodestones and two horseshoe nails in a red flannel bag that was sold nationally during the early 1930s by King Novelty Company (the occult supply branch of Famous Products, about which see below). The text reads in part: "An old Conjure Man or Trick Doctor of the South used this Curio Charm consisting of a Red Flannel Bag filled with Lodestone, Nails, and Hair. This has been claimed to ward off the Devil, to be a Good Luck Charm against HANDICAPPING and to PROTECT against other 'HANDS.' PROTECT aginst other 'HANDS' means, we believe, to ward off evil intended by someone else..." In place of the owner's hair, the use of this mojo for magical protection against witchcraft would also rendered quite powrful by the inclusion of a pinch of salt, which has a long history in this regard.

To remove a jinx, stop crossed conditions, or drive away evil:
A broken length of chain; a broken ring; a rat bone or toy plastic rat; a catseye shell; a miniature metal, bone, or plastic skull; a pinch of five finger grass; and a miniature dagger; fixed in a red flannel bag and dressed with Stop Evil Condition Oil, Jinx Removing Oil, or Uncrossing Oil.

For luck in gambling:
A Lucky Hand root, a pinch of five-finger grass, a miniature pair of dice, and a John the Conqueror root, fixed in a red flannel bag and anointed with red Fast Luck Oil or with the urine of your lover. An added dried bat heart and an alligator tooth or badger tooth is good here too, as are a rabbit foot or alligator foot.

For the return of an estranged lover:
A black cat bone wrapped in cotton wool, fixed in a red flannel bag and dressed with Follow Me Boy Oil or Reconciliation Oil.



For peace in the home:
An Angelica root, a hair-charm made of family members' hair, a metal dove-with-olive-branch charm, balm of Gilead buds, flax seeds, rosebuds, lavender flowers, and basil leaves, fixed in a pale blue flannel bag and dressed with Peaceful Home Oil.

For a wish to come true:
Seven wishing beans, a rabbit foot, and a piece of parchment upon which the wish has been written in Dragon's Blood ink (or other red ink), fixed in a red flannel bag and anointed with Van Van Oil. Some people write a different wish for each bean, seven wishes in total.



"Root Doctors' Hand" for good luck:
Another combination sold during the 1930s by King Novelty is shown in the above advertisement. It contained Sampson's snake roots, devil's shoestring roots, a piece of brimstone (sulphur), and a magnetic lodestone in a red flannel bag. As a bonus, the buyer received a good luck ring bearing the image of a horseshoe and a four-leaf clover, plus a copy of the then-popular "Witch's Dream Book," one of a number of similar dream books used by players to predict lucky numbers when betting on illegal lottery games such as policy. The text reads in part: "A HAND made by an old-time Conjure Man contained the following: One piece of Sampson Snake Root and a piece of 'Devil's Shoe Strings.' This was wrapped in a piece of Black Cloth folded always toward the maker and sewed with White Thread and then incased in a Red Flannel Bag. The Conjure Man said that the whole should be thoroughly wet with Whiskey or Camphor [camphorated oil] at regular intervals and should always be carried with you. It was said that such a Bag brings things to you and the twine-like roots of "Devil's Shoe Strings" ties them close and the folding of the cover towards you brings you GOOD LUCK in Gambling..."

For steady work:
A John the Conqueror root, a metal clock charm, devil's shoestring roots, gravel root, salt, and pyrite crystals, fixed in a green flannel bag and dressed with Steady Work Oil. A simpler version, employed by day laborours, consists of carrying salt and gravel root in one's pocket. A bit of the mixture is sprinkled inconspicuously where the hiring boss will step in it.

To keep a man at home:
A detailed desription of this form of woman's mojo hand appears in the page on nation sacks.



LUCKY MOJO

Toilet paper spell ( inspired by Ellen Dugan)

Toilet paper spell ( inspired by Ellen Dugan)

Items needed
Toilet paper
toilet
marker or pen

The idea is to write down on the paper anything that is bothering you, anything that you want out of your life. You then fold the paper up and flush it down the toilete while saying.... " I can't beleive you bothered me so much, you are out of my life with the sound of a flush."
The spell is done!

 

THE LEMON CURSE
Items needed:
1 lemon
1 black candle
9 nails
Cursing Oil
Picture of person (to be cursed)
Athame Black bowl
Light the candle.
Cut a slit into the lemon.
Place the picture of the person inside the slit.
Take one if the nails and feel your anger rise.
Visualize your anger.
Pierce the nail into the lemon.
Do the same for the remaining nails.
With each nail your anger should rise for this person getting blacker and blacker.
When you reach the last nail, place the lemon in the bowl.
Pour cursing oil onto the lemon filling the bowl until the lemon is half covered (with oil.)
Let the lemon rot in this bowl on your alter.
As the lemon rots, so too will the life and luck of the person!

A DAILY PAGAN DEVOTIONAL

A DAILY PAGAN DEVOTIONAL

I Believe

I believe-
that we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.

I believe-
that no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

I believe-
that true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.

I believe-
that you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.

I believe-
that it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

I believe-
that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.

I believe-
that you can keep going long after you can't.

I believe-
that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.

I believe-
that either you control your attitude or it controls you.

I believe-
that regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first, the passion fades and there had better be something else
to take its place.

I believe-
that money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I believe-
that my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.

I believe-
that sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down, will be the ones to help you get back up.

I believe-
that sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

I believe-
that just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have.

I believe-
that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do
with how many birthdays you've celebrated.

I believe-
that it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.

I believe-
that no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.

I believe-
that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.

I believe-
that just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other. And just because they don't argue, it
doesn't mean they do.

I believe-
that you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life forever.

I believe-
that two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.

I believe-
that your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you..

I believe-
that even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help.

I believe-
that credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

I believe-
that the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.

Amulet for Opening & Balancing the Third Eye

Author Unknown

(Brow) Chakra

Materials:

4 inch by 4 inch Indigo colored cloth (this is the best) OR 3 inch by 5 inch Indigo drawstring pouch.

A small piece of Lapis Lazuli (Lapis Lazuli is best) OR Blue Sodalite.

A small piece of Moonstone.

White yarn, twine or string.



Instructions:

Place the stones in your power hand.



Sit comfortably and do whatever meditation exercise you do that helps you ground and center.



Once centered visualize a beam of indigo colored energy radiating from your spiritual core and flowing from your center, down your arm to the palm of your hand and into the lapis lazuli or blue sodalite.



Once you feel the energy is into the stone, visualize a beam of white energy radiating from your spiritual core and flowing from your center, down you arm to the palm of your hand and into the moonstone.



Now focus on the energized stones in your palm and visualize the two color energies mixing and swirling together until they have become a pale shade of indigo.



Keeping this visualization of the colors swirling and mixing and moving, place them in the center of the cloth.



Visualize the colors flowing over and through the cloth, completely surrounding it.



Now gather the corners of the cloth to the center, making a small pouch. Bind the tops with the white yarn or string, leaving enough ends so that you can wear the amulet as a necklace if you so choose.



Place the amulet in your power hand and chant three times (or until you feel it is empowered):



"My third eye is opened and balanced.

I accept the gift of awareness.

I am able to see past illusion."



Place the amulet around your neck or in your pocket.

An Amulet for Peace & Reconciliation




On a piece of paper, trace your strong hand (the one normally extended in a handshake). In the center of the tracing, write the name of the person to whom you wish to extend peace. Wrap this carefully around a green olive (or olive leaf), and tie it with two circuits of white thread. Bless this amulet by saying, "I open my hand and heart so all anger can depart. Let peace now grow, between me and thee." Carry this to your next meeting with that individual to encourage resolution. Once the problem is reconciled, bury the amulet so the past remains buried.



If your words with this individual were unusually harsh you may wish to substitute a honey-flavored candy or honeycomb for the olive. In India, honey represents wise words. In this form the amulet stimulates discourse tempered with gentle speech.

DAILY PAGAN DEVOTIONAL

Witch, Please
(borrowed from GreenWoman then from moonfirewolf)


Here are the things I don't care about :

I don't care what the name of your religion is.
I don't care what the names of your gods are.
I don't care how old your religion is.
I don't care if your great-great-whatever grandmother passed down your famtrad Book of Shadows under the watchful eye of the Inquisition.
I don't care if an entire civilization worshipped your Goddess for ten thousand years.
I don't care if you made Her up based on manga or Tolkien or a dream you had.
I don't care where you place your altar.
I don't care which direction you call Earth.
I don't care how psychic you are.
I don't care if you're smarter than me.
I don't care why you eat meat, or don't.
I don't care how many shields you think you need.
I don't care how your childhood trauma made you a powerful magickian.
I don't care if you spell "magic" with a k.
I don't care if you were an Atlantean Magus in your last life.
I don't care if you're brand-spanking new.
I don't care how much you hate Christians.
I don't care how many degrees you have.
I don't care if people call you "Lady" or "Lord."
I don't care if you're King of all Londinium and wear a shiny hat.
I don't care if you can read minds or light candles with your breath.
I don't care how the world owes you a living.
I don't care if you've been studying the Craft for thirty years or thirty minutes.
I don't care what your totem animal is, especially if it's a wolf, raven, or unicorn.
I don't care if you can trace your lineage back to Gardner.
I don't care if you think I'm a moron, fraud, or basket case.
I don't care how many books you've read.
I don't care how much or how little money you have.


What do I care about?

I care that your religion has made you a kinder, more compassionate person.
I care that you can hold down a job.
I care that you're growing past whatever happened to you as a child or last year.
I care that your gods help you become stronger without coddling you.
I care that you are willing and able to adapt and change as your life does.
I care that you care about the Earth.
I care that you care about someone and something outside yourself.
I care that you practice your religion with devotion and reverence.
I care that you respect others' paths.
I care that you never stop learning.
I care that you can conduct adult relationships with respect and understanding.
I care that you get how hilarious life is.
I care that you know when to ask for help.
I care that you realize that someone will always be smarter, more powerful, and more together than you.
I care that you realize it doesn't matter, because tomorrow you'll be smarter, more powerful, and more together than you were yesterday.
I care that you have reasons for everything you do, even if those reasons are purely intuitive.
I care that you can admit when you're wrong.
I care that you know you're both a tiny speck in a vast universe and a rare, precious jewel in the darkened sky.
I care that you're making a difference.
I care that you know when to speak and when to shut the hell up.
I care that you are seeking a relationship with Deity and with Nature.
I care that you are healthy.
I care that you're contributing to your family and community.
I care that your capacity for love and joy increase with every passing year.
I care that you believe in yourself.
I care that you're doing the best you can.

Poppet magick, aka voodoo doll

Wax Poppets

This is an intriguing poppet. If you saw the movie "Witches of Eastwick", you saw Cher, Susan Sarandon, and Michelle whats-her-name make one of these.


Take 7 white candles (new candles, not used) and melt down in a double boiler on low heat. You don't want to melt them down to liquid, just soften them so they can be worked with. (If indeed you do liquidize them, just let them cool until they can be handled.) Remove wicks.

Rub lavender oil on your palms and fingers before working the wax. When the
wax can be easily shaped (don't burn your hands!), begin to shape your poppet. Oils, herbs, and personal effects (hair, nails) should be kneaded into the wax. Try to incorporate some of the features of the person. Are they thin? Stocky? Any distinguishing features will help.

When the figure is shaped, place a representation of the heart in the chest area. This can be a piece of copal resin, a small piece of tourmaline, or any other stone or item that represents the heart. Take a pin or other pointed object and draw your magickal representations on the figure.

A variation on this process would be to rub an oil that corresponds to your magickal intent on your hands as you shape the poppet. Rose if it's a love poppet. Patchouli for a prosperity poppet. Any oil that you would incorporate into the spell would be appropriate.


Cloth poppets

My favorite method. Cut two identical gingerbread shapes from fabric. (See
pattern). Felt, cotton, or muslin is suitable, but so is fabric from the subject's old shirt or any piece of clothing. Embroider, draw, or paint magickal symbols, words, anything meaningful to the spell on the right side of one piece of your pattern. Green eyes? Dark hair? This is where you add those details. Right sides together, sew the shapes together, leaving a good sized hole to stuff it with.

Prepare your herbal mixture. For those of you into numerology, one method is
to choose a number that corresponds with your magickal intent and add that number of herbs. I use multiples of three in my poppet blends. Using multiples of three, a prosperity blend might include patchouli, honeysuckle, and basil. If I'm adding honeysuckle flowers, I might add 6 or 9. I mix my personal effects with these herbs (hair, fingernails, a cut up picture, whatever I have.) For a money spell, I might shred a dollar or add three silver coins. For a healing spell, I might add a stone that represents the ailing body part and use herbs that would medicinally treat the sickness. This is where you can get entirely creative. I like to place representations of the heart inside cloth poppets. Again, a piece of copal resin or tourmaline would do nicely if stuffing inside. Some sew hearts on the outside in a color corresponding to the purpose of the spell.

You don't have to stuff the poppet entirely with herbs. You can include a small herbal mixture with other kinds of stuffing -- batting, shredded paper, whatever you have on hand. I just love the smell and feel of poppets stuffed entirely with herbs. Once you're satisfied with the stuffing, sew the poppet up and consecrate.


Paper Poppets

The easiest of all. Cut a gingerbread figure from a piece of clean paper. Write the name of the person for whom you're making your poppet on the paper. Draw your sigils and any other distinguishing signs. This is a very quick, yet surprisingly effective alternative to putting hours into poppet design. Anoint the paper with herbal oils corresponding to your spellwork. For the emergencies or impromptu spells.


Root or Wood Poppets

Several herbal roots and wood are very well suited for poppet magick. Of course, there is the mystical mandrake. This wo/man-shaped root has been used for centuries in sympathetic magick, especially love magick. To activate a dried mandrake, place it on the altar undisturbed for three days. Then place it in warm water overnight. The root will then be activated and ready for any magickal purpose. A human shaped mandrake root is going to be very expensive. Substitute ash roots, apples, root of the briony, or the American may apple if the cost is prohibitive. Ginseng root has a human shape, and is especially good for protection, love, and healing spells. Ginseng is expensive too, though!

Poppet shapes can be carved from wood. Apple wood is a great choice. This can be labor intensive unless you are a wood carver or just happen to find a nicely shaped branch or stick.


Clay Poppets

Buy clay or gather from the riverside. When your figure is formed, hollow out a hole in the heart area to place hair, nail clippings, herbs, or other magickal ingredients. Cover the hole with clay and proceed with spell. Clay poppets may crack if dried too quickly. If cracking occurs, wet fingers and smooth clay over cracks. Repeat daily, if needed, until poppet is dry.


Mr. Potato Head

Potatoes can be carved into poppets. Apples too. A carrot would make a good fertility poppet. Are you getting the idea that just about anything will work as a poppet? Focus and magickal intent are the keys.


CONSECRATING THE POPPET

As with all magick, it's best to perform it when the moon and other astrological signs are favorable. (For a list of moon phases, signs, etc and their magickal correspondences, go here.)

Gather your materials. Cast a circle. Construct a chant to use while making
your poppet. This can be as elaborate as a sigil or as simple as repeating
the name of the poppet's intended or a rhyme stating your magickal purpose.
Visualize your magickal intent as you work.

When the poppet is finished, lay it on the altar and repeat this or
something like it:


Though separate you were,
Now you are one.
The link of unison has begun.

Continue with your spell, visualizing what you intend to accomplish. Close the circle.


CARE OF YOUR POPPETS

After performing your magick, wrap the poppet in a white cloth and store in a safe place. You should keep the poppet safe until the magick has manifested. I've worked magick on the same poppet more than once. I'm one of those witches who sees no harm in repeating spells (as long as you don't obsess over your magick). Some witches are strongly opposed to this.


DISPOSING OF YOUR POPPETS

Take it apart and bury it after the magick has manifested. Be sure to sever the magickal connection between the poppet and the person it represented with this or a similar chant.


By the Moon and Stars
and Goddess above.
I now sever this link
with thanks and love.

To heal a friend or relative:

To heal a friend or relative:

You Will Need:
Purple paper.
White yarn or string.
A pair scissors.
Fresh violets (whole, with stems).
Black pen.
A purple candle.
A small vase or holder (for flowers).

This spell is for healing a friend or family member. It is best done when the moon is full, but you can do it whenever you feel it necessary. Light the candle and fill the small vase with water. Place the freshly cut violets in the little vase and say a chant, focusing on the well being of the person and the healing of their ailment. Cut a heart out of the purple and write the name of the person on one side, and a short but heartfelt "Get Well!" message on the other side. Poke a small hole in the top right side of the heart and thread the white string through it, tie it, and attach it to the vase. Give the little vase of violets to the target person and await their recovery.

Healing someone in your family:

Healing someone in your family:

Prepare an envelope from a square of paper that you have folded - If you do not know how to do this, you can use a very small letter envelope.
On the envelope write the word "Health". Then write the name(s) of the person you are directing the healing toward.Enclose the following herbs into the envelope:
Angelica, Burdock, Galangal, Horehound, Elder, Lavender, Lemon Balm, Mandrake, Root, Rose, Rue, Sassafras, and Yellowdock.

Chant the following:
I charge these herbs to aid my spell,
that ............. (name of person) will be well,
That by free will that can be blessed,
with total health and happiness,
I ask the Goddess to hear my call,
that it may be correct and for the good of all.Pass the envelope through your altar candle and catch the envelope on fire. Focus on the smoke and visualize the energy blowing with the smoke toward those in need. Allow the envelope to burn completely.

Chant the following:
I call upon a breath of wind.
Empowered by the Spirit of Air.
To carry my spell toward my kin, and gracefully deliver it there.
By all the power of three times three.
This spell bound around shall be.
To cause no harm, nor return on me.
As I do will, So mote it be!

Found on the internet