Sunday Surprise - Hestia's Cleansing Meditation

Hestia's Cleansing Meditation
By Hestia

This is a mediation I wrote a number of years ago for an Imbolc ritual. I suggest taping it or finding someone to lead you through it. It doesn't take you down so you will have to use your own method for finding alpha. Let me know what you think.
Hestia

Take a candle and place on your right, close to hand

Earth.

You see a large depression about the size of a large hot tub, of soft, wet earth that reminds you of the mud puddles you may have played in when you were younger, or perhaps you still do. Sit and kinda roll in it. Feel it squish up between your fingers and toes. Feel it softly scrubbing away all worries about finances, work, responsibilities, commitments that you no longer seem to have the energy to face. Quiet your inner thoughts and listen carefully to the heartbeat of the mother. Let the sound help you renew your sense of foundation. Feel yourself become even more centered, your sense of balance greatly improved. Do you hear other sounds? Perhaps the sounds of things stirring in the veins of the mother? Sap running? Seeds sprouting? The much needed rest of the winter is loosening her grip. You must avoid becoming stagnant.

Air

Feel a gentle breeze blowing through your hair, tugging at any clothing you may be wearing, pulling gently at it, becoming stronger until it is a whirlwind tearing at your flesh. The dirt that was still clinging to you is "blown" off. The wind slowly rids you of all your negative thought patterns that you've been carrying with you this year. It also cleans your system of the impurities that cause sickness, giving your body the much needed health and vitality to enter this fast paced time. Your mind is clear, no longer held back with old "proven" ideals. You see things as they really are, not as you have been led to believe. New creative ideas are given the space needed to flourish with a greater capacity to remember, but also you must remember that others may not have the capacity to do as you do. Learn to communicate without demeaning others.

Fire

You see a great tower of fire, that, while you can feel heat, does not burn. Somehow you know it will not hurt you as you step into it. At first things feel uncomfortable, your blood has been very sluggish with the cold of winter, but as your blood moves faster it no longer bothers you. In fact it invigorates you. Your energy level knows no bounds. You begin to see the underlying reason, motivation of the things you are doing as well as the motivations of those around you. You no longer want to sit and think. You want to do! And then something else occurs to you, fire is hard to control. You must use this energy wisely.

Water

A large, deep lake stands before you. The water looks cool and inviting after the heat of fire, so you slowly wade in, relaxing your emotional muscles. You begin to swim around. Noticing how clean the water tastes, you cup your hands and drink your fill. Your connection with the Lady is now complete. Your psychic eye is open. You are open. You see the flow of energy around you, connecting everything together as if a giant spider had caught the world in its web. You see the relationships between you and your loved ones and notice the emotions that flow back and forth along those lines. The water your skin is drinking in feeds your creativity, giving support and encouragement to your ideas. Allowing your dreams to be fulfilled. Before you leave the water, visualize your shields. Remember that your subconscious mind needs those shields to protect itself outside of your sacred place.

Center

Move back towards the center of your sacred place. Remember the candle that was beside you and to your right as you entered this state. Pull all the sensations, thoughts, energy and feelings you experienced together into yourself and send it into the candle. When you have finished, remember to ground any excess energy and recenter yourself. When you are ready, return to the circle. Take the candle with you and use it anytime you feel that you need to reconnect with this state of mind. Also use it to clean your crystals, tarot cards, home, anything that may need extra special attention.

Disclaimer: No one involved in this blog or its contents may be held responsible for any adverse reactions arising from following any of the instructions / recipes on this list. It is the reader's personal responsibility to exercise all precautions and use his or her own discretion if following any instructions or advice from this blog

Wednesday What Herb is This - Mistletoe

 

* The Magic of Mistletoe *
by M.L. Benton, © 2002, Echoed Voices: December 2002
   

Blessed be this mistletoe,
    With all the charms it may bestow.
    Cut the stem with the gold boline,
    As energies rise, its magic is thine.
    Never let it hit the ground,
    Or evil shall within abound.
    Herb of Apollo, Freya and more,
    Their will be done as we implore.
    With all thy healing properties,
    Grant your Blessings; hear our pleas.
    Legends and lore of old exist,
    Under the mistletoe we still kiss.
    Harvest at the Solstice and on time,
    During the festival the bells will chime.
    Bring us blessings from under the Sun,
    As this is our Will, So shall it be done.

With all the mystical legends and lore of the herb mistletoe, unfortunately the origin of its name is not so magical. The common name of this herb is derived from the belief that mistletoe comes from dung or bird droppings. The principle of this ancient belief stems from the appearance of mistletoe on branches where bird droppings had been splashed. "Mistel" is the Anglo-Saxon word for dung and "tan" is the word for twig, so in translation, mistletoe means "dung on a twig."

Botanically, mistletoe is considered a parasitic plant, It grows on branches or the trunk of trees and will bore and root into the tree for its nutrients. Mistletoe is however very capable of living and growing prosperously of its own accord and providing its own food and nutrients through photo-synthesis. As the plant spreads however it seems to be perfectly content growing as a parasitic plant.

There are two types of mistletoe. The first is found in North America, (Phoradendron Flavescens) this type is better known as the parasitic plant and is most common for harvesting for the Christmas and Yule celebrations. These can be found on the East Coast regions from Florida to New Jersey. The second type is found in Europe, {Viscum Album} This version of mistletoe is grown as a green shrub with tiny yellow and white flowers, and sticky berries which are considered poisonous. It is known to grow on the apple tree but believed not to grow on an oak tree.

The virtues of mistletoe come from the earliest of times and are just as mystical and mysterious, as they are magical. The Greeks believed that mistletoe had mystical powers and through the centuries it became associated with many folklore customs. In European history, mistletoe is one of the most sacred plants. With the many properties of this sacred herb, it was believed to bestow life and fertility would be prosperous. It was considered a protector against poisons and a passionate aphrodisiac. The ancient Druids considered the mistletoe their most sacred herb. They believed that mistletoe growing on oak trees possessed magical properties and considered it an all-heal, which would protect against all forms of evil. In Celtic traditions, on the sixth night of the moon white-robed Druid priests would cut the oak mistletoe with a golden sickle or boline. They would then sacrifice two white bulls while reciting prayers that the recipients of the mistletoe would prosper. As time went by, the ritual of cutting the mistletoe from the oak came to symbolize the emasculation of the old King by his successor. Mistletoe symbolized both a sexual emblem and the "soul" of the oak. Because of this sacred belief, the herb was gathered at both mid-summer and winter solstices.

The custom of using mistletoe to decorate houses at Christmas is a survival of the Druid and other pre-Christian traditions. In the Middle Ages and later, branches of mistletoe were hung from ceilings to ward off evil spirits. In Europe they were placed over the house and stable doors to prevent the entrance of witches. It was also believed that the oak mistletoe could extinguish fire. This was associated with an earlier belief that the mistletoe itself would come to the tree during a flash of lightning. The traditions, which began with the European mistletoe, were rationalized with the North American plant with the process of immigration and migrating. Today the belief is, in order for the mistletoe to be effective in magical spells, the herb must be cut with a single stroke of a golden sickle or boline on the Summer Solstice, Winter Solstice or the sixth day after a new moon. However you must take care not to let the herb touch the earth or the herb will lose its magical potency.

Mistletoe is known to have several names including, "all heal, devil'sfuge, golden bough, and Witch's broom. This magical herb also is believed to be sacred to the gods and goddesses, Apollo, Freya, Frigga, Odin and Venus. The mystical powers of mistletoe have long been at the center of much folklore. One is associated with the Goddess Frigga. The story is told that Mistletoe is the sacred plant of Frigga, goddess of love and the mother of Balder, the god of the summer sun. Balder had a dream of death that greatly alarmed his mother, for if he died, all of life on earth would end. In an attempt to keep this from happening, Frigga went at once to the four elements air, fire, water, earth, and every animal and plant seeking a promise that no harm would come to her son. Balder now could not be harmed by any deed from this world or below it. Balder did however have one enemy. Loki, the god of trickery and confusion. Loki knew of one plant that Frigga had overlooked in her excursion to keep her son safe. It grew neither on the earth nor under the earth, but on apple and oak trees. It was the beloved mistletoe. Loki made an arrow tip of the mistletoe, he then gave it to Hoder, the blind God of winter, who shot the arrow striking Balder dead. The sky paled and all things in earth and heaven wept for the sun god. For three days each element tried to bring Balder back to life. Frigga, the goddess and his mother finally restored him. It is said the tears she shed for her son turned into the pearly white berries on the mistletoe plant and in her joy Frigga kissed everyone who passed beneath the tree on which it grew. The story ends with a decree that who should ever stand under the humble mistletoe, no harm should befall them, only a kiss, a token of love. It is believed that this was the core for the translation of the old myth into a Christianized way of thinking and acceptance of the mistletoe as the emblem of that Love which conquers Death.

Its medicinal properties, whether real or imaginary, make it a just emblem of that Tree of Life, the leaves of which are for the healing of the nations and draws parallels to the Virgin birth of Christ. Kissing under the mistletoe is first found associated with the Greek festival of Saturnalia and later with primitive marriage rites. They probably originated from the belief that it has power to bestow fertility. It was also believed that the dung from which the mistletoe grew possessed "life-giving" power. In Scandinavia, mistletoe was considered a plant of peace, under which enemies could declare a truce or warring spouses kiss and make-up. Later, the eighteenth-century English credited with a certain magical appeal a device called a kissing ball. At Christmas time a young lady standing under a ball of mistletoe, brightly trimmed with evergreens, ribbons, and ornaments, could not refuse to be kissed. Such a kiss could mean deep romance or lasting friendship and goodwill. If the girl remained unkissed, she could not expect to marry the following year. In some parts of England the Christmas mistletoe is burned on the Twelfth Night lest all the boys and girls who have kissed under it never marry. If a couple in love exchanges a kiss under the mistletoe, it is interpreted as a promise to marry, as well as a prediction of happiness and long life. In France, the custom linked to mistletoe was reserved for New Year's Day: "Au gui l'An neuf" (Mistletoe for the New Year). Today, kisses can be exchanged under the mistletoe any time during the holiday season.

Bibliography
Holiday Spot
Herbal Magick by Gerina Dunwich, New Page Books
Botanical.com

Disclaimer: No one involved in this blog or its contents may be held responsible for any adverse reactions arising from following any of the instructions/recipes on this list. It is the reader's personal responsibility to exercise all precautions and use his or her own discretion if following any instructions or advice from this blog.

Sunday Surprise - Elemental Magic

Along with magic itself, one of the most fundamental abilities of a magician has been to attempt to control the four raw powers of the elemental system. The four refer to Fire, Air, Earth, and Water. The ability to feel these energies, understand them, and to move them is the study of the Elemental Mage. Throughout their practice different casters will experience different degrees of success no matter which art is practiced, but Elemental Magic is often considered one of the most difficult arts to progress in and thus there are few practitioners. It is also difficult because of the nature of the magic itself: it deals purely with the real and tangible facets of the four elemental powers, not with the ethereal correspondences of the elements. As such, it tends to be seen as an "all or nothing" art where you clearly succeed or fail every time. Also, as a matter of practicality, few have a real need for this kind of power anymore (due to many of the necessities being provided for by technology) and thus the practice tends to be left behind, to a certain extent. Regardless of this fact, however, many have felt the call to gird themselves with elemental knowledge and harness the natural powers around them.

Focusing only on the physical manifestations of the four elements, each has unique uses and capabilities when properly applied. "Heat" energy, as we know it, is not perfectly synonymous with Fire Magic. Though to an Elemental Mage the two are very similar, there is a missing aspect in the concept of heat which restricts it to this level. For the Elemental Mage, all things which produce heat are also giving off the mystical equivalent of heat energy. In this way, Fire energy can also be used to metaphysically detect things which produce heat, and even, in extreme circumstances, to focus the ethereal form of heat into a physical manifestation of flame itself, thus creating pure flame from seemingly nothing. Keeping in mind the physical principles governing combustion it becomes readily apparent why feats of this nature are rare, at best. Through enough practice and concentration, however, the Elemental Mage learns how to absorb heat energy from all things around them, as a unified action, and bring it to bear against a target. This can be to warm the caster, to warm an inanimate target, or a friend. It can be used to find things generating heat, and to control preexisting sources of heat such as flames and mirages.

Air is another of the elemental manifestations, and is usually the first element an Elemental Mage finds control of. Due to its already volatile nature and tendency to change the Elemental Mage can find their first successes, usually, in attempts to change wind direction. Breezes can carry smell, keep away noxious fumes, cool the caster or something targeted by the caster, and may be the edge required to start a fire that just will not light. There are far too many uses of wind and air to be listed here; truly, we see the effects of wind every day, as even now we breathe the air and can describe what the wind conditions in our area are like. It can be used to regulate heat, it can affect our senses in various ways, and is an overall good place to start. Wind constantly moves, constantly changes, and in that spirit we may influence them without much resistance.

Earth, however, is the difficult counterbalance to Air. It is firm and resists all kinds of change, hence the Elemental Mage must exert themselves to a rare degree to find anything more than a nominal skill with this element. Earth is the foundation of most life, and by this merit it can be used to lend aid to dying plant life, choke out undesired plant life, sense creatures within the caster's spell range, and to basically know that which the earth would be able to relate (not as an intelligent entity, but as an extension of one's own senses, such as feeling the tremors of other animals, feeling the stability of a certain area to step on, etc.) Some Elemental Mages claim the ability to predict and cause certain events such as earthquake, famine, drought, siroccos, frost, snow, hail, sleet, fog, and other types of natural manifestation by making full use the the Earth element to gain knowledge and control of the environment.

Lastly, there is the practice of controlling the water. Water can be used in much the same way as Earth in that the tremors it carries can be interpreted by the Elemental Mage to extend their range of sensation and know things they would normally be oblivious to. Water abides in many of the things that we see daily. The air contains some, the ground contains some, and various materials or substances (including human flesh) have quantities in them. Elemental Magic concerning water can be seen in a great deal of cultures which still rely heavily on agriculture, and in the history of cultures which did. The "Rain Dance" is a prime example of water elemental magic at work. To cause rain to fall at will, or conversely, as the Biblical characters of Moses, Elijah, and the Two Prophets of Revelation 11, to cause it to stop is the bailiwick of the elemental magician.

The abilities of the Elemental Mage vary greatly, and intimate knowledge of the elements gives intimate knowledge of the physical world around and its innermost mechanics. To truly understand the world around us is only a matter of learning and harnessing the ways of nature.

AIR

Mastering the element Air

The elemental Spirits of Air are the Sylphs.

Air is the element of the intellect, and is concerned with the realm of thought. Air magic rules spells involved with travel, instruction, freedom, obtaining knowledge, discovering lost items, uncovering lies, and can also be used to develop the psychic abilities. Performing air magic can be as simple as dropping something off the side of a mountain or other high place. Air is associated with with the East (North in my world...), the color yellow, and the season of spring, and is considered to be masculine, dry, expansive, and active. The element of air excels most in places of learning and is at work whenever we theorize, think, and ponder.

• Make a list of things which have the combined qualities of warmth and moistness. Practice this for one week. Be sure to record the results each day in your magical diary.
• Find a place where you can be alone, take a lounge chair along with you. Wear as little clothing as you can (if possible, nudity is best), and sit or lie in the chair. Begin pore breathing, this is started by doing the relaxation ritual***. Next, become very aware of your breath. Become aware of the slow in and out motion of the physical air. Notice the way the air feels as it enters your body. Now imagine that your body is nothing more than a huge breathing apparatus. Imagine that every part of your body only has the function of breathing. You should do this exercise daily for one week.
• Spend a period of up to three minutes (no more), once a day, imagining that you are the element Air. Feel the lightness, the giddiness, the warmth and moisture of Air. Feel how physical things don’t seem to matter. Do this exercise for only one week, NO MORE. If you wish to do it again, only do it once every month.
• Once you have learned to “be Air,” the next step is to control the element Air. Take a moment and imagine yourself to be Air. Bring the feeling from the previous exercise into your consciousness. Next, hold your hands 9-12 inches apart, palms facing each other. Imagine a bottle or box between your hands. Now, as you exhale, visualize all of the Air element which is in you going out with your breath and into the container between your hands. Three to five breaths should be enough to fill it. Then, with three breaths, inhale it back into you and go back to normal consciousness.

The Test

The next time you feel heavy, slow or lazy, do this exercise. If you feel relaxed and refreshed, you have succeeded, with the test and with mastering the Element of Air.

EARTH

Mastering the element Earth

The elemental Spirits of Earth are the Gnomes.

Earth is the stable, solid, dependable element. It is the realm of abundance, prosperity, and wealth, and is the most physical of all the elements. Whenever we walk, sit, stand, crawl, eat, sleep, work our jobs, tend our plants, balance our checkbooks, or taste salt we are working within the element of Earth. In magic, Earth rules all spells involved with business, money, employment, prosperity, stability, and fertility. Earth rituals can be done simply by burying an object representative of your need in a plot of virgin ground, walking over miles of countryside visualizing your need, or drawing images in the dirt. Earth is a feminine element because it is nurturing, moist, and fruitful. It's color is green, direction North (East in my world), and season winter.

• Make a list of things which have the combined qualities of dryness and coolness. However, don’t do this just out of your head. Rather, make a list of Earth things that you see each day. Practice this for one week. Be sure to record the results each day in your magical diary.
• Find a place filled with nature, such as a field or park. Wear as little clothing as you can (if possible, nudity is best), and sit or lie on the ground so that as much of your skin as possible is touching the ground. This is especially easy for women, as they can simply wear a flowing skirt with no underwear and sit on the ground with the skirt spread out. In this way there is nothing between the skin and the Earth. Spend some time contemplating, feeling the coolness and dryness of the Earth. You should do this at least three times within a week.
• Spend a period of up to three minutes (no more), once a day, imagining that you are the element Earth. Feel the heaviness, the slowness, the coolness and dryness of Earth. Feel the way you can absorb the pains and problems of the world (however, do not actually do so). Become Earth. Do this exercise for at least a week before moving to the next exercise.
• Once you have learned to “be Earth,” the next step is to control the element Earth. Take a moment and imagine yourself to be Earth. Bring the feeling from the previous exercise into your consciousness. Next, hold your hands 9-12 inches apart, palms facing each other. Imagine a bottle or box between your hands. Now, as you exhale, visualize all of the Earth element which is in you going out with your breath and into the container between your hands. Three to five breaths should be enough to fill it. Then, with three breaths, inhale it back into you and go back to normal consciousness.

The Test

The next time you feel lightheaded, overweight, just heavy and lethargic, do this exercise. If you feel lighter and better, you have succeeded, with the test and with mastering the element Earth.

FIRE

Mastering the element Fire

The elemental Spirits of Fire are the Salamanders.

Fire is the element of change, will, and passion, and it's realm is that of sexuality and passion. Fire is both a physical and spiritual element, and it's magic involves spells having to do with energy, authority, sex, healing, destruction, purification, evolution, etc. Fire rituals may be done by the fuming, burning or smoldering of an image, herb, or other flammable objects, or with the use of candles or small blazes. Fire magic is usually practiced near the fireplace, beside a fire lit in a wilderness clearing, or simply beside the flame of a lit candle. Fire is thought of as being masculine, and is connected to the South, the color red, and the season of summer.

• Make a list of things which have the combined qualities of having heat and dryness. Be sure to record the results each day in your magical diary. Do at least daily for one week.
• Find a place that is extremely hot, such as a desert or a dry sauna (not a steam bath). If those are not possible, find a place where a roaring fire is going. Such a fire could be in a fireplace or a barbecue pit or grill. Remove all of your clothes, or as much as you can, and get as close to the heat source as possible without risking a burn. Once you are in a position where it is uncomfortably hot, but not painfully or unbearably, do the relaxation ritual***. Focus on your breathing, again, imagine that you are a huge breathing apparatus. Do this for a short while, usually ten minutes, do not spend any longer than that. Do this exercise at different times of the day or night for one week.
• Spend a period of up to three minutes (no more), once a day, imagining that you are the element Fire. Feel the heat and your ability to transmit the heat. Know what Fire feels like, what fire is. Do this for one week.
• Once you have learned to “be Fire,” the next step is to control the element Fire. Take a moment and imagine yourself to be Fire. Bring the feeling from the previous exercise into your consciousness. Next, hold your hands 9-12 inches apart, palms facing each other. Imagine a bottle or box between your hands. Now, as you exhale, visualize all of the Fire element which is in you going out with your breath and into the container between your hands. Three to five breaths should be enough to fill it. Then, with three breaths, inhale it back into you and go back to normal consciousness.

The Test

The next time you feel listless, or have a total lack of energy, do this exercise. If you feel energized and revitalized, you have succeeded, with the test and with mastering the element Fire.

WATER

Mastering the element Water

The elemental Spirits of Water are the Undines.

Water is the element of purification, the subconscious mind, it's realm being love and the emotions. The magic of water is involved with pleasure, friendship, marriage, fertility, happiness, healing, sleep, dreaming, psychic acts, and purification. Most water magic rituals usually end with an object being tossed or placed in or on a body of water. Mirrors, the sea, fog, or rain can all be used to perform water magic. Water is a feminine element, it's color is blue, it's direction is West, and it's season is Autumn.

• Make a list of things which have the combined qualities of being cool and moist. Practice this for one week. Be sure to record the results each day in your magical diary.
• Remove your clothes and enter a bath or pool where the water is cool. If you have access to a lake or river, this would be best. Also, it would be good if you could get a swimming snorkel so that you can breathe while completely submerged beneath the surface of the water. (Obviously, this world be difficult to do in a small bath tub or in a shallow pool, but if you have access to a snorkel and have a place where you can be totally submerged, you will have the quickest success.) Once you are submerged as much as possible, and if you are completely submerged, breathing comfortably through the snorkel, do the relaxation ritual.*** Next, become very aware of your breath. As you do this you will find that your breath will automatically slow down. Notice the way the air feels as it comes in through the nose, down the air pipe and into the lungs. Feel this. Once again, imagine that you body is nothing more than an enormous breathing apparatus. If you experience any sort of “drowning sensations”, stop immediately and try again later. You should do this exercise for one week.
• Spend a period of up to three minutes (no more), once a day, imagining that you are the element Water. Feel the fluidity, the coolness, the refreshing moistness of the elemental waters. Know what water feels like, what water is. Do this for one week.
• Once you have learned to “be Water,” the next step is to control the element Water. Take a moment and imagine yourself to be Water. Bring the feeling from the previous exercise into your consciousness. Next, hold your hands 9-12 inches apart, palms facing each other. Imagine a bottle or box between your hands. Now, as you exhale, visualize all of the Water element which is in you going out with your breath and into the container between your hands. Three to five breaths should be enough to fill it. Then, with three breaths, inhale it back into you and go back to normal consciousness.

The Test

The next time you feel hard headed, overly tense, or like your muscles are hard as a rock, do this exercise. If you feel relaxed and reasonable, you have succeeded, with the test and with mastering the element Water.

***Relaxation Ritual

1) Sit or lay in a place where you will not be disturbed for at least ten minutes. Remember to unplug the phone. Get comfortable. Keep your arms and legs uncrossed. If you're sitting, your back should be straight; rest your hands, palms down, in your lap. Close your eyes.

2) Visualize a golden ball of beautiful, warm light surrounding your feet. The ball of golden warm light always brings peace and total relaxation. Wherever the ball goes, tension departs. Let it go, and as it goes, feel your feet filled with the warm, golden glow of peace and total relaxation.

3) Now allow this ball of light to rise up your legs and up to your torso. Then allow it to go down your arms to your fingers, and finally up to your neck and into your head until you are completely covered with the warm, golden glow of total peace and relaxation, and all tension is gone. If you notice tension anywhere, send the ball there and the tension will vanish.

4) Stay in this state of deep relaxation for a few moments. (Don't fall asleep!)

5) When you're ready to come out of this state of deep relaxation, take three deep breaths and feel fresh life and energy coming into your body with each breath.

Know that you can return to this state whenever you like simply by doing this relaxation ritual. If you're having trouble sleeping, try this ritual when you lay down at night instead of suffering or taking sleeping pills. Be at one with yourself.

Sources: Although the basic "mastering" instructions are something I have had for years, (and as a consequence have no idea where they came from) I did add some additional information, which came from the following sites:

Raccoon Mask

The Library of Knowledge

Asiya's Shadows

Disclaimer: No one involved in this blog or its contents may be held responsible for any adverse reactions arising from following any of the instructions/recipes on this list. It is the reader's personal responsibility to exercise all precautions and use his or her own discretion if following any instructions or advice from this blog.

Sunday Surprise

Please keep in mind, as I stated in an earlier post I disagree with this layout, and FOR ME change Air & Earth, as that makes more sense TO ME, and works FOR ME. IF it makes sense to you, you could consider trying it during your next casting. HOWEVER, I wouldn't recommend this if you don't feel it is RIGHT...Magic works because we believe it works, and who knows how it may go awry if you don't believe every bit of what you are using is right..?

I have tried to link to information on as many of the Zodiac Signs/plants/Spirits/Jewels/Goddesses/Gods as I could find, for those interested in more information on any of them.

PS Sorry it's so late getting up...it took FOREVER to get it just right... *grin*

THE ELEMENTS

The Elements have been a part of man's ancient and arcane lore since its inception in pre-historic times. Different traditions associate them with various things. The following list of correspondences comes from Starhawk's "The Spiral Dance."

AIR:

Direction: East.

Rules: The mind, all mental, intuitive and psychic work, knowledge, abstract learning, theory, windswept hills, plains, windy beaches, high mountain peaks, high towers, wind and breath.

Time: Dawn.

Season: Spring.

Colors: White, Bright Yellow, Crimson, Blue-White.

Signs of the Zodiac: Gemini, Libra, Aquarius.

Tools: Athame, Sword, Censer.

Spirits: Sylphs, ruled by King Paralda.

Angel: Michael

Name of the East Wind: Eurus

Sense: Smell.

Jewel: Topaz

Incense: Galbanum.

Plants: Frankincense, Myrrh, Pansy, Primrose, Vervain, Violet, Yarrow

Tree: Aspen

Animals: Birds.

Goddesses: Aradia, Arianrhod, Cardea, Nuit, Urania

Gods: Enlil, Khephera , Mercury, Shu Shu, Thoth.

FIRE:

Direction: South.

Rules: Energy, spirit, heat, flame, blood, sap, life, will, healing and destroying, purification, bonfires, hearth fires, candle flames, sun, deserts, volcanoes, eruptions, explosions.

Time: Noon.

Season: Summer.

Colors: Red, Gold, Crimson, Orange, White (the sun's noon light).

Signs of the Zodiac: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius,

Tools: Censer, Wand.

Spirits: Salamanders ruled by King Djin.

Angel: Ariel

Name of the South Wind: Notu

Sense: Sight.

Jewel: Fire Opal.

Incense: Olibanum

Plants: Garlic, Hibiscus, Mustard, Nettle, Onion, Red Peppers, Red Poppies

Tree: Almond, in flower

Animals: Fire-breathing dragons, lions, horses (when their hooves strike sparks).

Goddesses: Brigit, Hestia, Pele, Vesta,

Gods: Agni, Hephaestus, Horus, Vulcan

WATER:

Direction: West.

Rules: Emotions, feelings, love, courage, daring, sorrow, the ocean, the tides, lakes, pools, streams, and rivers, springs and wells, intuition, the unconscious mind, the womb, generation, fertility.

Time: Twilight.

Season: Autumn.

Colors: Blue, Blue-green, Green, Gray, Indigo, Black.

Signs of the Zodiac: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces,

Tools: Cup.

Spirits: Undines ruled by King Niksa.

Angel: Raphael

Name of the West Wind: Zephyrus

Sense: Taste.

Jewel: Aquamarine

Incense: Myrrh

Plants: Ferns, Lotus, Mosses, Rushes, Seaweed, Water Lilies, and all water plants.

Tree: Willow

Animals: Dragons (as serpents), dolphins and porpoises, fish, seals and sea mammals, water-dwelling snakes, all water creatures and sea birds.

Goddesses: Aphrodite, Isis, Mariamne, Mari, Tiamat

Gods: Dylan, Ea, Llyr, Manannan, Osiris, Neptune, Poseidon

EARTH:

Direction: North.

Rules: The body, growth, nature, sustenance, material gain, money, creativity, birth, death, silence, chasms, caves, caverns, groves, fields, rocks, standing stones, mountains, crystal, jewels, metal.

Time: Midnight.

Season: Winter.

Colors: Black, Brown, Green, White.

Signs of the Zodiac: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn,

Tools: Pentacle.

Spirits: Gnomes ruled by King Ghob.

Angel: Gabriel

Name of the North Wind: Boreas, Ophion.

Sense: Touch.

Jewel: Rock crystal, Salt

Incense: Storax

Plants: Comfrey, Ivy, Grains: Barley, Oats, Corn, Rice, Rye, Wheat.

Tree: Oak

Animals: Cow or bull, bison, snakes (earth-dwelling), stag.

Goddesses: Ceres, Demeter, Gaia, Mah, Nephthys, Persephone, Prithivi, Rhea, Rhiannon

Gods: Adonis, Athos, Arawn, Cernunnos, Dionysus, Marduk, Pan, Tammuz

SPIRIT/ETHER:

Direction: Center and circumference, throughout and about.

Rules: Transcendence, transformation, change, everywhere and nowhere, within and without, the void, immanence.

Time: Beyond time, all time is one.

Season: The Turning Wheel.

Colors: Clear, White, Black.

Tools: Cauldron.

Sense: Hearing.

Plant: Mistletoe

Tree: The flowering Almond

Animal: Sphinx.

Goddesses: Isis, the Secret Name of the Goddess, Shekinah

Gods: Akasha, IAO, JHVH

A slightly different view/version of this can be found at Spirit Lodge

Disclaimer: No one involved in this blog or its contents may be held responsible for any adverse reactions arising from following any of the instructions/recipes on this list. It is the reader's personal responsibility to exercise all precautions and use his or her own discretion if following any instructions or advice from this blog.