Sleep Protection Bags
Every year at Samhain time, on the closest full moon, I make sleep protection bags for each member of my family. These bags contain items for restful sleep, happy dreams and protection.
I start by gathering all my supplies:
Herbs (I will have a list of the herbs I use at the end.), any stones that I might be using, needle and thread, pre-made pouches or material to sew into pouches, and any items that you might need for blessing/cleansing your items or finished pouches.
I like to use colorful Halloween material to make small pouches. I always hand sew them, concentrating on my intentions with each stitch. Just turn the material wrong side out and sew up, leaving a small opening for the filling.
Next comes mixing up the herbs.
If you are like me, and don't live that close to an herbal shop, an easy way to find herbs that you don't grow is to get them in capsule form - that's how I got my St. John's Wort for these bags.
I like to give the mix a few swipes with my pestle, but I do most of the mixing with my hands while I concentrate on peaceful sleep and happy dreams.
When I add the herbs to the bags, I also add any singular addtions -- seeds or stones or the like.
When they are all filled, I sew up the last corner and place them on my pentacle to charge until Halloween, when they will get passed out, one per family member.
This year I also made an extra pouch for a friend. This one was done with the focus on preventing nightmares. I made it out of black material, for banishing. I made a slightly different mix of herbs and added another stone. I also added a ribbon loop, so that it could be hung by her bedside if that was preferable to putting it under her pillow. I covered up the hand stitching with ribbon as well.
That one will go out in the mail tomorrow, after it sits a night on my altar.
A few notes on making sleep protection pouches:
Remember that you can work with full moon energy the night before the "real" full moon, and the night after.
If you miss the full moon, use the waning moon and change your intention to increasing restful sleep and happy dreams; use the waxing moon to decrease bad dreams and restless sleep.
You can coordinate the colors of your charm bags and thread towards your intentions, or just use your gut feelings for what to use. I tend to use patterns or colors suited to the person I am making the bag for, when it comes to my family.
Picking a sabbat to recharge or create new charm bags helps you to remember exactly when they were made and need replaced. Make it a tradition! Samhain is a great time to do protection magic.
Here is a list of the ingredients I used for each kind of pouch, and the attributes that I chose them for. Many herbs have many attributes. I listed the ones that were relevant to each bag. I try to work in sets of threes. (3, 6 or 9 herbs; 3 "additions" such as herbs or stones, or 3 of each addition).
Family Sleep Protection Bags:
For my friend's Nightmare Provention/Peaceful Sleep Bag
I start by gathering all my supplies:
Herbs (I will have a list of the herbs I use at the end.), any stones that I might be using, needle and thread, pre-made pouches or material to sew into pouches, and any items that you might need for blessing/cleansing your items or finished pouches.I like to use colorful Halloween material to make small pouches. I always hand sew them, concentrating on my intentions with each stitch. Just turn the material wrong side out and sew up, leaving a small opening for the filling.
Next comes mixing up the herbs.
If you are like me, and don't live that close to an herbal shop, an easy way to find herbs that you don't grow is to get them in capsule form - that's how I got my St. John's Wort for these bags.
I like to give the mix a few swipes with my pestle, but I do most of the mixing with my hands while I concentrate on peaceful sleep and happy dreams.
When I add the herbs to the bags, I also add any singular addtions -- seeds or stones or the like.
When they are all filled, I sew up the last corner and place them on my pentacle to charge until Halloween, when they will get passed out, one per family member.
This year I also made an extra pouch for a friend. This one was done with the focus on preventing nightmares. I made it out of black material, for banishing. I made a slightly different mix of herbs and added another stone. I also added a ribbon loop, so that it could be hung by her bedside if that was preferable to putting it under her pillow. I covered up the hand stitching with ribbon as well.
That one will go out in the mail tomorrow, after it sits a night on my altar.
A few notes on making sleep protection pouches:
Remember that you can work with full moon energy the night before the "real" full moon, and the night after.
If you miss the full moon, use the waning moon and change your intention to increasing restful sleep and happy dreams; use the waxing moon to decrease bad dreams and restless sleep.
You can coordinate the colors of your charm bags and thread towards your intentions, or just use your gut feelings for what to use. I tend to use patterns or colors suited to the person I am making the bag for, when it comes to my family.
Picking a sabbat to recharge or create new charm bags helps you to remember exactly when they were made and need replaced. Make it a tradition! Samhain is a great time to do protection magic.
Here is a list of the ingredients I used for each kind of pouch, and the attributes that I chose them for. Many herbs have many attributes. I listed the ones that were relevant to each bag. I try to work in sets of threes. (3, 6 or 9 herbs; 3 "additions" such as herbs or stones, or 3 of each addition).
Family Sleep Protection Bags:
- lavender (protection, love, restful sleep)
- chamomile (easy sleep and peaceful dreams)
- rosemary (love, protection during sleep)
- cloves (love and protection)
- dried orange peel (love and cleansing)
- angelica (exorcises negativity, and for divine protection)
- thyme (averts nightmares)
- coriander (protection during sleep)
- St. John's Wort (averts nightmares and for peaceful sleep)
- amethyst (soaks up negativity, brings peaceful dreams, and for healing)
- pumpkin seed (helps attune the bag to the season, honors Hecate, protects the living from baneful spirits)
- sunflower seed (helps attune the bag to the season, increases happiness)
For my friend's Nightmare Provention/Peaceful Sleep Bag
- St. John's Wort (peaceful sleep and to avert nightmares)
- Thyme (averts nightmares)
- Rose (protects emotions)
- Chamomile (easy sleep and peaceful dreams)
- Rosemary (protection during sleep, to heal emotional pain)
- Lavender (protection and restful sleep)
- Pine (for a peaceful mind and strength)
- Coriander (protection during sleep and to relieve emotional pain)
- Angelica (to exorcise negativity, for protection during sleep, divine protection and female strength)
- Turquoise (3) (for inner strength and healing)
- Amethyst (3) (to soak up negativity, for healing, peaceful dreams and protection against nightmares)
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