Food For Thought

Is this the world we are allowing to be created for ourselves..? The legacy we will leave for our children and grandchildren..? Is it really so far from incorrect..?

Thursday This Is Your Spell - A Smattering of Midsummer Spells

A Smattering of Midsummer Spells
Melanie Fire Salamander, at Widdershins

 

As a pagan, you may well light a bonfire Midsummer night and jump it, for Litha is a fire festival. Likewise, you may stay up to greet the Midsummer dawn. If you do, keep a pair of garden shears handy. Midsummer's Eve at midnight, Midsummer's Day at dawn and Midsummer noon are prime times to collect plants sacred to the sun or special to the fey. In fact, any magical herb plucked at Midsummer is said to prove doubly effective and keep better. Divining rods cut on Midsummer's Eve are said to be more infallible, too. You can charge your charms, depending on their purpose, at midnight, noon or in dawn's first light.

 

Charms traditional at Litha include those for courage, dream divination, fertility, invisibility, love, luck, protection, wealth, the restoration of sight and the ability to see the fey. Midsummer is a fey time, both by tradition and observation. The scent of the air is thick, green and juicy; it's lost its spring astringency and is simply lush. The whole world is stretching its limbs and frolicking. The fey are big on that. Especially for charms of love, gardening and magical abilities, the fey are a great help in herb collecting. In exchange, they like gifts of milk and honey, cookies, sweet liqueurs, or any sweet food, drink or liquor. They also like baubles, particularly pretty or shiny. Or cold hard cash - but in coin, not paper, and it's best if shiny. To stay in good with the fey and the herbs you collect from, leave enough of the plant or other plants of the type that the herb survives in the spot collected from. Remember too to always ask the plant before taking a cutting, and to wait for an answer. A quid pro quo usually works: a shiny dime, some fertilizer, or a bit of your hair or clothing - whatever you think the plant most wants.

Courage: Tuscans use erba della paura (stachys) collected on Midsummer's Day as a wash against fear. Steep the herb in hot but not boiling water, then rinse the limbs with long strokes moving outward from the torso. You might substitute wood betony, a relative more common in North America.

Dream Divination: Litha is a good time for foretelling things in dreams. Specifically, to induce dreams of love and ensure them coming true, lay a bunch of flowers under your pillow on Midsummer Eve. That's what the  girls of old Scandinavia did. For effective dream divination, remember to keep a notebook beside your bed. At bedtime, relax, ground and center, then clearly define your question. Meditate on that question until it's firm in your mind, and assure yourself you will remember your dream on waking. Then go to sleep. As soon as you wake, record your dream. One trick is to set an alarm clock so you're wakened artificially, which can help dream recollection. Dreams dreamed on Midsummer's Eve are said to be more likely to come true.

 

Fertility For Your Garden: For a lush garden, mix ashes from the Midsummer bonfire with any seeds yet to plant. (You still have time to plant cosmos and a handful of fall-blooming flowers.) Likewise, for fertility sprinkle bonfire ashes on any flowers or vegetables you have growing.

Fey Charms: To see the fey, pick flowers from a patch of wild thyme where the little folk live and place the flowers on your eyes. A four-leafed clover not only grants you a wish but also, carried in your pocket or a charm, gives you the power to see fairies dancing in rings. A good place to look is by oaks, said in Germany to be a favorite place for fey dances. To penetrate fey glamour, make and wear an ointment including four leaved clovers. St. John's Wort, also known as ragwort, has a strong connection to the fey and transportation. You might add it to charms to travel quickly. The Irish call the plant the fairy's horse, and the fey are said to ride it through the air. But beware: The Manx say if you step on a ragwort plant on Midsummer's Eve after sunset, a fairy horse springs out of the earth and carries you off till sunrise, leaving you wherever you happen to be when the sun comes up.

Invisibility: Collect fern seed on Midsummer's Eve for use in charms of invisibility. To become invisible, wear or swallow the seed (that is, the spores) you have collected. Such spores also put you under the  protection of spirits. The fern is said to bloom at midnight on Midsummer's Eve, either a sapphire blue or golden yellow depending on your source.

Love: Plant two orpine starts (Sedum telephium) together on Midsummer Eve, one to represent yourself, one to represent your lover. If one withers, the person represented will die. But if both flourish and grow leaning together, you and your lover will marry.

Luck and Human Fertility: As at Beltaine, leap the Midsummer bonfire for fertility and luck.

Protection: Herbs traditional to Litha (also know as St. John's Day) in England include St. John's Wort, Hawkweed, Orpine, Vervain, Mullein, Wormwood and Mistletoe. Plucked either at Midsummer's Eve on midnight or noon Midsummer Day and hung in the house, they protect it from fire and lightning. Worn in a charm on your body, they protect you from disease, disaster and the workings of your enemies.

Sight: Dew gathered Midsummer Eve is said to restore sight.

Wealth: The fern also has a connection with wealth. Sprinkle fern seed in your savings to keep them from decreasing. The alleged golden-yellow fern flower, plucked on Midsummer's Eve at midnight, can be used as a dowsing tool to lead to golden treasure. Alternatively (the Russian version), you throw the flower in the air, and it lands on buried treasure. Or, if you're Bohemian, you pluck the flower and on the same Midsummer Night climb a mountain with blossom in hand. On the mountain, you'll find gold or have it revealed in a vision. If you wait patiently till midnight on Midsummer Eve and see no such golden fern flower, perhaps invisibility will have to do.

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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.

Friday Form A Circle – Beltane Fertility Ritual To Have a Child

Fertility A Child Born To Us
This ritual requires both parents participation

Materials Needed:

• a small apple shaped bowl
• A starfish
• Soil from Mother Earth
• Milk (preferably fresh, unprocessed.. but store bought will do if you can't obtain fresh milk)
• A seed (any kind)
• Wooden Matches
• A pink candle if you wish for a girl, a light blue candle if you wish for a boy

Cast your circle and invite Goddess to join you.
The woman say aloud: (add each thing to the apple as you speak it)

To the image of the sacred apple I add the following:
A starfish from the waters of life
Soil from Mother Earth
Milk to symbolize the nectar of a mother's breast
A seed for growth, new life and fertility
(light a match and touch it to the contents)
A flame for the fire that burns within and the spark of creation

Place the pink/blue candle in your cauldron, as you light it say aloud:

Within my cauldron I light this (pink/blue) candle
To represent the Maiden, the Mother, the Crone
And the (daughter/son) of my heart.
Goddess, I ask of thee
Grant to us fertility
Sperm join egg and blessed it be
(man's name)'s babe to be born from me
With harm to none
New love to many
So mote it be

Allow the candle to burn, gaze into the flame and visualize yourself holding your child in your arms as long as possible. If the candle goes out, the man should relight it, if not, allow it to continue burning on its own. When you are ready, have the man take the apple bowl & matches in his hands. Open a doorway in your circle and proceed outside. Both the man and woman should kneel in a private place on the property as the woman digs a small hole into the ground. The man then says aloud: (as he places the contents of the apple into the hole)

Goddess please join us here in this place
From the image of the sacred apple,
I place the following within Mother Earth:
A starfish from the waters of life
Soil returning to Mother Earth
Milk to symbolize the nectar of a mother's breast – May it also feed the land
A seed for growth, new life and fertility
(he lights a match and places it in the hole)
A flame for the fire that burns within and the spark of creation
Within the cauldron burns this (pink/blue) candle
To represent the Maiden, the Mother, the Crone and the (daughter/son) of my heart.
Goddess, I ask of thee
Grant to us fertility
Sperm join egg and blessed it be
(woman's name)'s babe to be fathered by me
With harm to none
New love to many So mote it be

(the man then replaces the removed soil to refill the hole)

He should now thank Goddess. Return to your circle, both of you again giving thanks to the Goddess. Allow the candle to burn out. Close the circle and make love.

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- How To Plant Your Garden

How To Plant Your Garden

First, you Come to the garden alone, 
While the dew is still on the roses... 

 

For The Garden of Your Daily Living,
Plant Three Rows of Peas:

 

1. Peace of mind 
2. Peace of heart
3. Peace of soul

Plant Four Rows of Squash:

1. Squash gossip
2. Squash indifference
3. Squash grumbling
4. Squash selfishness

Plant Four Rows of Lettuce:

1. Lettuce be faithful
2. Lettuce be kind
3. Lettuce be patient
4. Lettuce really love one another

No Garden is Complete Without Turnips:

1. Turnip for gatherings
2. Turnip for ritual
3. Turnip to help one another

To Round Out our Garden We Must Have Thyme:

 

1. Thyme for each other
2. Thyme for family
3. Thyme for friends

Water freely with patience
And cultivate with love.
There is much reward from your garden because
You reap what you sow. 
Happy Ostara

Thursday This Is Your Spell - Floromancy

* Floromancy *
Unknown source

Floromancy means Divining with Flowers, btw, and is a fun activity for Ostara.

From Occultpedia:A type of divination, this time by omens taken from flowers. Floromancy is based on the belief that flowers radiate vibrations, react to a sympathetic or hostile environment and are affected by electric shocks.

One of the most popular uses for Floromancy is for love divination. In Victorian England, two flowers that had not yet blossomed would be paired, and the initials of certain lovers’ names would be placed on the stems. After placing the flowers in a secret place for 10 days, the diviner would then observe certain portents, such as, if any flower twined the other, it would indicate that the man and the woman whose initials were used were going to be married. 

The term Floromancy os sometimes also used for the belief that flowers have the power to cure disease.

 

From The Mantalogue:

Derived from Latin flor-, combining form of flos flower.

1973 Gibson Complete Illustrated Book of Divination & Prophecy (1989) 317: FLOROMANCY: Any interpretation of future prospects through the study of flowers or plants, including their colors, petals, time of planting, and where planted. Many omens concerning the gathering of flowers at Midsummer's Eve have survived to modern times; and the "good luck" commonly attributed to the finding of a four-leafed clover falls in this category.

1985 N. Drury Dictionary of Mysticism & Occult 90/2: Floromancy. Belief that flowers radiate vibrations and have curative properties in healing disease. According to practitioners of floromancy, flowers are said to respond to a sympathetic or hostile environment and are affected by electric shocks. Professor Jagadish Chandra Bose of Calcutta's Presidency College experimented with the effects of electrical currents on plants around the turn of the century and was convinced that plants possess a life-force or soul.
The most recent proponent of floromancy is American lie-detector specialist Cleve Backster, who wired three philodendrons to galvanometers on different occasions to see how the plants respond to nearby trauma. Backster monitored the plants as he placed a brine shrimp in boiling water nearby, resulting in its instant death. ..Backster's galvanometer reading showed significantly higher electrical resistance when the brine shrimps were being killed, than on other occasions - suggesting that the plants were responding "emotionally" to the traumas occurring nearby. Unfortunately, attempts to reduplicate Backster's experimental results have so far proved unsuccessful.

It is said that in the spring, if you happen to find the first flower of the season on:

• Monday - it is good fortune for the season
• Tuesday - your greatest attempts will be successful
• Wednesday - denotes a marriage
• Thursday - a warning of small profits
• Friday – wealth
• Saturday – misfortune
• Sunday - excellent luck for weeks to come

Take a question to your garden and randomly pick a petal off a pansy, without looking at it. When you examine your petal, the following information may be divined...

• If the petal has four lines in it, it is a sign of hope.
• Five lines coming from the center branch is hope founded in fear.
• Thick lines bent to the right means prosperity.
• Thick lines bent to the left mean trouble ahead.
• Seven streaks is consistent love.
• Eight streaks means fickleness in either you or those around you.
• Nine, a changing heart.

It was believed that wearing the blossom associated with your month of birth would bring exceptionally good luck. So here are the flowers and there month associations:

• January - Snowdrop, a symbol of purity.
• February - Violet, for kindness and faith.
• March - Daffodil, an emblem for sincerity.
• April - Primrose, for the new love springing up in the world.
• May - White Lily, for strength.
• June - Wild Rose, for healing.
• July - Carnation, for protection.
• August - White Heather, for good luck throughout the year.
• September - Michaelmas Daisy, for happiness.
• October - Rosemary, for kind thoughts.
• November - Chrysanthemum, for truth.
• December - Ivy, for fidelity and faithfulness.

And then there is that old "he/she loves me, he/she loves me not..." thing that you can do while pulling petals off flowers. :-)

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.

Thursday This Is Your Spell – Winter Love

* Laurie Cabot's Winter Love Spell *

Winter can be a lonely season. Sometimes, in desperation, we might say things that are filled with drama and emotion. We cry out for love. It is fine and sometimes healthy to get feelings and thoughts that are bottled up out of your system, but it is also important to neutralize them so that they don't bring harm to you or others. In the following spell we yearn to be loved, but also ask that this is for the good of all.

You will need:

• 1 pinch of wolf hair
• 1 quartz crystal
• 1 red, 1 white and 1 black candle
• 1 magic wand
• 1 Peyton
• a few sprigs of mistletoe and evergreen and a twig of holly
• 1 white porcelain bowl
• 1 red magic bag
• 1 green magic bag
• 3 silver stars
• 1 silver paper moon
• Winter Solstice incense (see below for recipe)
• 1 thurible and instant light charcoal
• Bran's Yuletide Philtre (see below for recipe)
• Yule Oil (see below for recipe)
• Love Oil (see below for recipe)
• 1 piece of parchment paper, 6 inches square
• matches

The night before the full moon before Solstice, set up your altar facing east. Put the black and red candles on the left side of the thurible and the white one on the right side. Place a few sprigs of evergreen, holly, and some wolf's hair around the white porcelain bowl. Fill the bowl with fresh snow or ice from your freezer. Place the moon and the stars on the left side of the altar. Place the Peyton in front of you and the two oils to the right of you. Light your charcoal. Wear a black, red or white robe or dress. Take off your shoes and socks to feel the cool floor or ground. Cast your circle deosil, or clockwise, with your magic wand, saying:

"Circle white, circle perfect,
Show your light, through this cold and winter night."

Cast a second circle and say:

"Circle red, circle perfect,
Show your light, perfect ring of power and light."

Cast a third circle and say:

"Circle black, circle perfect,
Show your light, draw me to my heart's delight."

Anoint your candles with Winter Solstice Oil and Love Oil. Sprinkle incense on the charcoal and write these words on the parchment:
"The moon shadows the hawk as it flies over the snow-covered hills.The bright moon lights the silver fur of the wolf, and the wind carries his wail. Could my screaming heart be heard so clearly! Shall the moon's light strike lightness into your mind, love, and heart. You are my life! My last reason for living. I ask the Gods and Goddesses that what I ask is to their liking and correct for all. I neutralize anything that is harmful. So mote it be."

The spell is ended.

Recipes for the things called for in this spell:

~ Winter Solstice incense ~

Ingredients:

• Pine needles
• Cinnamon
• Frankincense
• Myrrh
• Dried apple leaf or wood

Blend all ingredients. To charge it place it in a bowl in your magic place before you use it in a ritual.

~ Bran's Yuletide Philtre ~

Ingredients:

• Crushed Holly berries
• Dried mistletoe
• Gold
• Comfrey
• Elder
• Balsam
• Fir
• Pine needles
• Cinnamon
• Apple leaves or wood

Mix together in a special bowl, place in a red magic bag. Use Frankincense, myrrh, sandalwood, or orrisroot as possible fixatives to retain scent. The gold can n be a piece of jewelry (a ring or perhaps an earring).

~ Yule Oil ~

Ingredients:

• 1 dram pine oil
• 1 dram fir oil
• 5 drams almond oil
• 1 cinnamon stick
• handful of cloves
• 1 drop musk oil
• apple wood pieces

Mix in a glass or an enamel cooking pan. Warm the oil mix over low heat, when it reaches the right strength, strain and store the oil in sealed containers.

~ Love Oil ~

Ingredients:

• 1 dram Jasmine oil
• 1/2 dram orange oil
• 1/2 dram apple oil
• 5 coriander seeds
• 5 dried rose petals

Mix in a glass or an enamel cooking pan. Warm the oil mix over low heat, when it reaches the right strength, strain and store the oil in sealed containers. (From Celebrate the Earth: A year of Holidays in the Pagan Tradition by Laurie Cabot with jean Mills)

 

 

 

* Scott Cunningham's Cherry Ice Love Spell *

Have two small glasses; a larger, freezer-proof bowl; water; and some unsweetened cherry juice. Place the glasses and the bowl in your working area. Fill the glasses with water. Fix in your mind and image of yourself enjoying a mutually satisfying relationship. Once again, don't visualize your cute neighbor in your arms. Simply feel and see yourself in a loving relationship. Place your hands over the two glasses of water. Say these or similar words:

"Northern Wind;
Chilling breeze;
Rise up now;
Make this freeze.
Manifest
Love for me
As my word;
It must be!"

Pour enough of the cherry juice into each of the glasses to dye the water a light pink. Then, still visualizing, pour the two glasses of water into the larger vessel. With the index finger of your projective hand, sketch a heart on the surface of the water. Place the bowl outside (or in the freezer). Wait several hours. If the water doesn't freeze, try again. As soon as the water has solidified, your rite has ended. The power has been released. (The ice can now be melted. This in no way affects the spell.) (From Earth, Air,
Fire and Water by Scott Cunningham)

 

 

 

* Midwinter's Eve Love Divination *
Unknown

Like the eve of most holidays, this is an opportunity for love divination. Find an Elder tree and shake it, saying:

"Sweet Elder, I shake, I shake!
Tell me, ye dogs that wake,
Where is my lover tonight?"

Then listen carefully. The goddess Holle will send her white dogs in the direction from which your future lover will come. If you are quiet and patient, you will hear them barking.

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.

Thursday This Is Your Spell - Russian Divinations for the Solstice

* Russian Divinations for the Solstice *
from 1001 Christmas Facts and Fancies, by Alfred Carl Hottes

Five piles of grain are placed on the kitchen floor. Each pile is given a name, such as Hope, Ring, Money, Charcoal, and Thread. We girls went to the henhouse and roused a drowsy hen. She is allowed to walk around the kitchen and choose a pile of grain. If she chooses Hope it means a long journey or the fulfillment of a great wish. The Ring, of course, means marriage; Money is wealth; Charcoal portends death in the family; and Thread means a life of toil. How the conversation flows when these divinations are made. Old songs were sung, and the old women and country girls could devise entire stories from the action of the hen.

Sooner or later one of the girls would slip outdoors, and standing just inside the gate, but with her back to it, she would kick her slipper high over her head into the road behind her. Then she would run to see in which direction it pointed, for that is the way from which a lover will come or the way she will go to be married. And, alas, if the slipper points toward the gate she will not be married this year. [Note from Honor: this is not necessarily a bad thing...]

Some girls sit in a room alone with the doors closed. Two candles are lighted and two mirrors are used so that one reflects the candlelight into the other. The point is to find the seventh reflection and look until one's future is seen.

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.

Saturday Special Stones - Peridot

Picture from The Mystic Eye

The name of the gemstone peridot is believed to come from either the Arabic word faridat meaning "gem" or the French word peritot meaning "unclear." It is also claimed to be derived from the Greek word 'peridona', which means something like 'to give richness'.  The peridot is one of the few gemstones which comes in one color only. The rich, green color with the slight tinge of gold is caused by very fine traces of iron - the intensity of the color depends on the amount of iron actually present. The color itself can vary over all shades of yellowish green and olive, and even to a brownish green. Peridot cat's eyes and star peridot are particularly rare and precious. The most beautiful stones come from the border area between Pakistan and Afghanistan. However, the peridot as a gemstone also exists in Myanmar, China, the USA, Africa and Australia. Stones from East Burma, now known as Myanmar, have a vivid light green and fine inclusions with a silky shine to them. Peridot from Arizona, where it is popularly used in native American jewelry, often has somewhat yellowish or gold-brown nuances. The earliest recorded production of peridot was in about 70 A.D. from St. Johns Island in the Red Sea, about 54 kilometers off the coast of Egypt, which was "lost" for centuries and rediscovered about1900. Almost all of the earliest known peridot gems came from this location and small amounts of material are still being produced from there today. Peridot was mined for over 3,500 years on St Johns Island, and It has now been mostly exhausted.  Having said that, the peridot is also a thoroughly modern gemstone, for it was not until a few years ago that peridot deposits were located in the Kashmir region; and the stones from those deposits, being of an incomparably beautiful color and transparency, have succeeded in giving a good polish to the image of this beautiful gemstone, which had paled somewhat over the millennia.
Peridot has been adored since ancient times and has been valued for centuries - the peridot is a very old gemstone, and one which has become very popular again today. It is so ancient that it can be found in Egyptian jewelry from the early 2nd millennium B.C., and ancient papyri record the mining of these stones as early as 1500 BC. Ancient Egyptians knew it as “the gem of the sun,” although they believed its seekers might not find it in sunlight. (Because of their brightness in the desert sun, the stones were supposedly invisible by daylight.) The ancient Romans too were fond of this gemstone and esteemed its radiant green shine, which does not change even in artificial light, but rather the stone glows a brilliant green. For that reason they nicknamed it the 'emerald of the evening' and rings of peridot were worn to relieve depression. People in the Middle Ages wore peridot to gain foresight and divine inspiration. Legend has it that pirates favored peridot to protect them against evil. It was greatly prized by Egyptian Kings, and some of Cleopatra's emeralds were in fact peridots. Anciently, large chunks of peridot were found in Hawaii, where peridot symbolizes the goddess Pele's tears. (Some Hawaiian beaches are packed with tiny grains of peridot that are too small to cut.) These large chunks found their way to the the Egyptians, who made small drinking vessels out of them. They were used in rituals, and the priests would drink soma from them. The soma would put them in touch with the nature goddess, Isis. (Legend has it that King Solomon traded many cedar trees from Lebanon for 12 soma drinking cups and 144 liters of soma. The Egyptians made this trade for ramp logs to build their pyramids at Gisa. King Solomon was said to have been made wise and enlightened by the drinking of soma from the peridot cups.)
In the middle ages, Europeans brought peridot stones back from the Crusades to decorate church plates and robes. and it can be found in Europe in medieval churches, where it adorns many a treasure. An example - one of the shrines in Cologne Cathedral, where one famous large peridot gem adorning the shrine of the Three Holy Kings in the cathedral was for centuries, believed to be an emerald. It was only identified as peridot late in the last century.) Once upon a time, ecclesiastical treasures in European cathedrals included some fine, large peridots, but wars and pillage have dispersed many of them. Peridot was also known to ancient Hebrews and is listed both as one of the stones used by Aaron and found in the text of the apocalypse (Revelations). Several experts believe that the second gemstone in Aaron’s breastplate was a peridot. (The breast plates of Solomon and the High Priest Aaron were said to carry them among them 12 stones to protect them from wounds and death in battle. These 12 stones were credited with the showing of true spiritual teaching by creating miracles of healing performed by the high priests.) During the baroque period, the rich green gemstone once again enjoyed a brief heyday, and then it somehow faded into oblivion.
This beautiful stone is worn or carried for general healing purposes, and is said to bring healing and vitality to the whole body. Peridot increases strength & physical vitality, protects against nervousness and aids in healing hurt feelings. Because of it’s yellowish green color, peridot has been believed to cure diseases of the liver and difficulties with digestion as well as protect lungs, sinuses, and wrists from illness and injury. Ground peridot, taken internally, was once used as a treatment for asthma. As with other gemstones, the color of the peridot stone is directly related to parts of the body that it can be of aid to. It aids in physical detoxification and helps problems with the kidneys, bladder, gall bladder, and the stomach. Peridot heals such illnesses as ulcers, constipation, and irritable bowel syndrome. It is also useful in helping to heal insect bites. Peridot has a tonic effect- it heals and regenerates tissues, strengthens the metabolism and benefits the skin. It aids the heart, thymus, and spleen. If placed on the abdomen, it aids in giving birth by strengthening the muscle contractions while lessening the pain. Peridot is also helpful in treating skin diseases and difficulties associated with the adrenal glands and endocrine systems. It is also used to treat fevers. Legends credit peridot strengthening the eyes, and several sources say that in ancient times, cups or other vessels made of peridot were used in healing because medicinal liquids drunk from them were more effective.
Peridot is also very beneficial when it comes to treating psychological afflictions as well. It is a wonderful stone to help someone who is going through depression. It is a stone of lightness that counters the effects of negative emotions. It has the ability to balance the process of emotional release and detoxifies negative emotions, bringing them to comfortable levels. Peridot fosters emotional balance, security, and inner peace. It soothes nervousness, heals emotional and physical pain, and lightens suffering. Because it is calming to the nervous system, peridot is also useful in promoting sleep. Peridot banishes lethargy, which can attack someone who is experiencing depression. The stone’s energy balances bipolar disorders. It also brings about necessary change, which is much needed to someone who is depressed. Peridot also has other psychological effects and uses. It can help one overcome hypochondria. It can greatly improve difficult relationships. It treats phobias, particularly those associated with fears of the dark, becoming like a security blanket to a small child.
It is used to stimulate the heart and solar plexus chakras allowing openness and acceptance in the intellectual pursuit of matters of the heart. (For specific chakra work, because it acts to seal the aura, it is suggested that peridot be removed while working on chakras other than the heart and solar plexus.) Peridot opens, cleanses and activates the heart, which can help one to release old baggage. All burdens, guilt and obsessions become cleared and a new psychological clarity and feeling of well-being begin. Peridot teaches that holding onto the past is counter productive. It shows you how to detach yourself from outside influences and how to look to your own higher energies for guidance. It assists in moving forward rapidly in therapeutic situations. It also helps you understand your destiny and spiritual purpose, helping you attain your full potential. All in all, the stone sharpens the mind and opens it to new levels of awareness.
Throughout history, there have been many legends that state the strong magical power that peridot possesses. Legend says that if the gem is set in gold, it will develop its full potential as a talisman and will have the power to dispel terrors of the night, fears and bad dreams. However, according to Pliny The Elder, the Great Roman authority on such matters, for peridots to work their strongest magic, they must be worn on the right arm. He also wrote that peridot is "dull during daylight hours but will glow like a hot coal by night." Peridot represents wealth and financial success (think of its green hue) and also attracts romance. It has been long considered to be an aid to friendship and supposedly frees the mind of envious thoughts. It is also supposed to protect the wearer from the evil eye and with bringing happiness, good cheer and attract lovers. A piece of peridot upon which was carved an ass was believed to assist a person with a skill or prophesy, and the engraving of a totem of a vulture allowed the stone to have control over various demonic spirits as well as the winds. It assists in finding what is lost, and strengthens ESP abilities, and has been said to make a shield of protection around the body of any wearer. According to folklore, peridot brought power and influence to its owner, as well as bringing good luck, peace, and success. Its powers include health, protection, and sleep. Peridot is said to attract love while also soothing nerves and dispelling negative emotions, and it is believed to promote sleep when worn to bed..  Peridot, further, helps to heal a bruised ego by assisting in the lessening of jealousy, anger, (it will calm a raging anger) and fear, by inspiring happiness with oneself and delight in ones own nature. Peridot is used to help dreams become a reality. The deep green hue of the peridot also suggests a connection in wealth-attracting.
The stone emits a warm and friendly energy and can be used to magnify the inner aspects of any situation. It helps one to understand ones own inner life changes, and helps a person see their own light and recognize that they are deserving of love. It also helps those who feel they have little personal power, as working with the stone, or keeping one with you, will give you that extra boost you might need. If you want to start a growth period, meditate with peridot in your left hand (the receiving one). Visualize the bright color (and the energy that accompanies it) coursing through your chakras, clearing and grounding them. Then see it clearing and grounding your aura. Tell the universe that you are ready for growth, and trust the universe to do the rest. It's ok to then visualize your chakras returning to their normal colors, it is just more intense this way! (The brighter, and more yellow the color, the more intense the experience. This is the stone of adventure. We never know what we will find, but it sure is a heck of a ride!)

Sources:

About.com

Mystical Sculptress

Encyclopedia of Gemstones

Jewels For Me

CrystalsandJewelry

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.

Thursday This Is Your Spell - Love - Sorta

"Love is a many splendored thing"- when it's good. And it should be good. But unfortunately reality tends to interfere with "should" and things change. Love should be intoxicating, exhilarating, fulfilling, and provide one with things like security and peace of mind. The reality is, love can be controlling, manipulative and petty. While this isn't really love, a large number of people think it is, and so it can become.
I am not a big proponent of love spells, I feel that something like love should come in it's own time, it's own way. But I decided to post these just the same. The first one is just about the best "love come to me" type of spell, very generalized and non-controlling if performed as directed. The second is for those already "in love" but having some difference of opinion, again, there is no control element, only a wish for peace. And then there is the last one. We all know that sometimes what we thought was love, isn't. It is simply a way of bringing about an amicable ending, by asking the universe to have the other person "go away." Not disappear, or be harmed in any way, just go somewhere else, out of your life & sphere. These spells all should be performed around Samhain, which I know is still a ways away, but that will give you time to really think about what you're planning and determine it is the right course for you.

So, here we go...

*The Love Apple Potion *
from "HALLOWEEN, Spells, Customs and Recipes" by Silver Ravenwolf

You will need:
7 apple seeds
Mortar and pestle
1 red candle
Spring Water
1 favorite clean decorative glass, chalice or cup
1 square red cloth (a napkin would work well)
cheese cloth or a coffee filter

On a piece of paper determine what love is to you. Double check what you have written to be sure that you have not written words that would be against another's free will. If you have please change the wording. Do not list any person by name. Warning: Your spell will backfire if you don't follow the rule on freewill. The day before Halloween Eve, crush the apple seeds into a fine powder using the mortar and pestle, chanting the following:

"Love, love love love
All I want is to be loved."

Hold the red candle in your hand and think about giving and receiving love in your life. Concentrate for a minute or two then light the candle saying:

"I invoke Venus, lady of love
I invoke Cupid, man of love
I invoke Aphrodite, lady of love
I invoke Spirit for universal love.
So mote it be."

Pass the mortar over the candle flame saying:

"I cleanse and consecrate this powder in the name of Spirit.
So mote it be."

Pour the spring water into a favorite clean decorative glass. Pour the powder into the cup, envisioning love and respect coming toward you from everyone in the universe. As you stare at the liquid, envision a blue flame of loving energy hovering over the cup and then descending into the cup, infusing the liquid with universal love. Seal the energy over the cup with an equal-armed cross in the air. Cover the cup with the red cloth. Let the powder steep for 12 hours. Let the candle burn until you have one inch left. On Halloween, remove the red cloth from the top of the cup. Set the cloth aside. Strain through cheesecloth or a coffee filter. Add powder to your favorite perfume or use alone. Dab at pulse points on neck, wrists, and behind knees. Imagine yourself surrounded by universal love. Sprinkle a little of the potion on your Halloween costume.

* A Modern Witches' Spell to Bring Reconciliation *
by Gerina Dunwich; From A Witch's Halloween: A Complete Guide to the Magick, Incantations, Recipes, Spells & Lore by Gerina Dunwich

In Druidic times, Samhain was a time to set right any matters that caused dissension between members of the tribe. In keeping with this tradition, many modern Witches and Pagans perform a spell on Halloween night, if necessary, to reconcile differences and heal anger between friends or lovers.

To perform such a spell you will need
a piece of parchment,
Dove's Blood ink (available in most occult shops and mail order catalogues)
a hallowed fire source such as a Sabbat bonfire, a sacred cauldron fire or even a candle burning within a Jack O'Lantern.

Begin by writing in Dove's Blood ink your intent upon the piece of parchment. After thrice reciting the following incantation, close your eyes and visualize your intent as being manifest, and then cast the parchment into the bonfire or blazing cauldron, or light it by holding it over the Jack O'Lantern's candle and then place it in a fire-proof container and allow it to burn away to ashes:

"Nicnevin, Nicnevin,
O Ancient Crone of Wisdom,
upon thee I call
on this darkest of nights.
Nicnevin, Nicnevin,
O Governess of Magick,
With love I beseech thee
empower this rite
My spell I do fashion
and cast it with passion
by Witches' Law of Three:
As I will, so shall it be."

*The Pumpkin Separation Spell *
from "HALLOWEEN, Spells, Customs and Recipes" by Silver Ravenwolf

Unfortunately, we all get into predicaments in which we feel trapped. This pumpkin spell has never failed us. You will need:

2 miniature pumpkins
A black felt tipped pen
1/8-teaspoon black pepper
1/8-teaspoon salt
14 tea candles

Seven days before Samhain, hollow out both pumpkins. Write your name on the bottom of one pumpkin and the situation (or person) you wish to be removed from on the bottom of the other pumpkin. Sprinkle the two peppers and salt in the bottom of the pumpkin of the other person or situation. Vent both pumpkins with a small-carved design (your choice). Set the tops of the pumpkins in an open plastic bag in you refrigerator. Set the two pumpkins three inches apart on a table where they will not be disturbed. Hold your hands over the pumpkins and say:

"Pumpkin light, Witches fright
Send (name the person situation or person) away this night."

Keep repeating the charm until the palm of your hands become warm or tingle. Put a tea candle in each pumpkin and light them. (Don't burn yourself) let burn for one hour. Do not leave unattended. Each evening change the candles, move the candles/pumpkins another inch apart, and repeat the charm.
On Samhain Eve, repeat the spell at midnight. Let the candles burn until 3:00 A.M. Do not leave the candle unattended. Put out the candles. Close up the candles/pumpkins with their respective lids. Bury one pumpkin on one side of the river, creek, or railroad crossing (please do not go on the tracks). Bury the other pumpkin on the other side of the river, creek, or railroad crossing. If you can't bury them throw them into a living body of water (not near each other). Do not throw the candles in the water. Throw them in a dumpster away from your house.
Note: If something strange happens with the pumpkins that would cut your spell short (like if the pumpkin collapses), don't worry about it. This means that the spell has been activated and you don't need to continue. Dispose of both pumpkins in the manner listed above. When my daughter does this spell, invariably one or the other pumpkins disintegrates in less than two days (which is why I warn you not to leave the little pumpkins unattended).

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.