Merry Mabon and Autumn Equinox!

It is the time of the autumn equinox, and the harvest is winding down. The fields are nearly empty, because the crops have been plucked and stored for the coming winter. Mabon is the mid-harvest festival, and it is when we take a few moments to honor the changing seasons, and celebrate the second harvest.

Depending on your individual spiritual path, there are many different ways you can celebrate Mabon, but typically the focus is on either the second harvest aspect, or the balance between light and dark.

On or around September 21, for many Pagan, Mabon is a time of giving thanks for the things we have, whether it is abundant crops or other blessings. It is also a time of balance and reflection, following the theme of equal hours light and dark. Here are some ways you and your family can celebrate this day of bounty and abundance.

Some things to do on Mabon!

1.  Find a Time of Positive and Negative Energy for Balance

Mabon is one of those times of year that affect people in different ways. For some, it’s a season to honor the darker aspects of the goddess, calling upon that which is devoid of light. For others, it’s a time of thankfulness, of gratitude for the abundance we have at the season of harvest. No matter how you see it, Mabon is traditionally a time of balance. After all, it’s one of the two times each year that has equal amounts of darkness and daytime. Because this is, for many people, a time of high energy, there is sometimes a feeling of restlessness in the air, a sense that something is just a bit “off”. If you’re feeling a bit spiritually lopsided, with this simple meditation you can restore a little balance into your life.

Setting the Mood

Now that fall is here, why not do an autumn version of Spring Cleaning? Get rid of any emotional baggage you’re dragging around with you. Accept that there are darker aspects to life, and embrace them, but don’t let them rule you. Understand that a healthy life finds balance in all things.

You can perform this ritual anywhere, but the best place to do it is outside, in the evening as the sun goes down. Decorate your altar (or if you’re outside, use a flat stone or tree stump) with colorful autumn leaves, acorns, small pumpkins, and other symbols of the season. You’ll need a black candle and a white one of any size, although tealights probably work best. Make sure you have something safe to put them in, either a candle holder or a bowl of sand.

light both candles, and say the following:

A balance of night and day, a balance of light and dark
Tonight I seek balance in my life
as it is found in the Universe.
A black candle for darkness and pain
and things I can eliminate from my life.
A white candle for the light, and for joy
and all the abundance I wish to bring forth.
At Mabon, the time of the equinox,
there is harmony and balance in the Universe,
and so there shall be in my life.
Meditate on the things you wish to change. Focus on eliminating the bad, and strengthening the good around you. Put toxic relationships into the past, where they belong, and welcome new positive relationships into your life. Let your baggage go, and take heart in knowing that for every dark night of the soul, there will be a sunrise the next morning.

2) Go Apple Picking!

-Apple Divination

Apples have always been popular tools for foretelling the future. There are a number of traditional methods in folklore for seeing who one’s lover might be.

• Peel the apple, keeping the peel in one long piece. When the peel comes off, drop it on the floor. The letter it forms is the first initial of your true love’s name.
• Wait until midnight and cut an apple into nine pieces. Take the pieces into a dark room with a mirror (either hanging on the wall or a hand-held one will do). At midnight, begin eating the pieces of apple while looking into the mirror. When you get to the ninth piece, throw it over your shoulder. The face of your lover should appear in the mirror.
• If a girl has more than one potential lover, peel an apple and pull out the seeds. Place a wet seed on your cheek for each boyfriend. The last one left stuck to the skin represents the suitor who is the true love.

Because of its associations with the harvest, the apple is perfect for Mabon magic. Try the Apple Harvest rite, or honor the goddess Pomona at the harvest.

• Mabon Apple Harvest Rite: This harvest ritual is designed with solitary Wiccans and Pagans in mind, and uses the apple and its five-pointed star as the focus. Honor the ancient gods at Mabon with this harvest ritual.
• Pomona, Goddess of Apples: Pomona was an obscure Roman goddess, but she still has significance when it comes to the blooming of orchards and fruit trees in the fall.
• Magic of the Apple Blossoms: The apple is associated with immortality, but is also considered a food for the dead, which is why it often makes its appearance at Mabon celebrations.

3) Apple Crafts

In addition to being tasty and sweet, apples are perfect for craft projects.

Try one of these to decorate your home with magical apple energy.

• Apple Candle holders: Make a set of decorative candle holders by coring out the top of a pair of apples. Here is the quick DIY Apple Candlestick Holder instructions:

Naturally, you’ll want to put candles on your altar to celebrate this Sabbat. Why not use vegetables and fruits symbolic of the season to make a candleholder? These easy candleholders are perfect for holding a taper-style candle.

First, you’ll want to select some firm fruits. Red apples, early acorn squash, even eggplants work well – apples seem to last the longest. Rinse and dry the fruit or vegetable thoroughly. Polish the outside with a soft cloth until the apple is shiny. Stand the apple up on its bottom, and use a knife or a corer to make a hole in the top where the stem is located. Go about halfway down into the apple so that the candle will have a sturdy base. Widen the hole until it’s the same diameter as your candle. Pour some lemon juice into the hole and allow it to sit for ten minutes. This will prevent the apple from browning and softening too quickly. Pour out the lemon juice, dry out the hole, and insert a sprig of rosemary, basil, or other fresh herb of your choice. Finally, add the taper candle. Use a little bit of dripped wax to secure the taper in place.

• Apple Garlands: This easy-to-make craft not only looks pretty, but will leave your home smelling delicious and welcoming! Here is a quick how to DIY Apple Garland instructions:

An apple garland is really easy to make. You can make it any length you wish, and it makes your house smell good in the process and magical apples are everywhere by the time Samhain rolls around! You will need: several large apples of any color, lemon juice, dried bay leaves, scraps of fabric, cinnamon sticks, raffia and florist’s wire. Start by peeling and coring the apples, and then slicing them horizontally into circles about 3/8” thick.

Fill a bowl with the lemon juice, and place your apple slices in it. Allow them to soak for about ten minutes – this prevents them from turning brown and discolored. Remove the apple slices from the bowl and pat them dry with a paper towel. Bake your apples for about six hours at 200 degrees. If you like, before baking you can dust them with a mixture of cinnamon and nutmeg. Once your apples are completely dried out, the fun really begins. Using the florist’s wire, begin stringing the apples. The wire should go straight through the apples, but if you have trouble, make a hole with a toothpick. Between every few apple slices, string some bay. You can also alternate the apples and bay leaves with bows made from your fabric scraps. Make your garland as long or as short as you like – or until your kids get bored – and then knot each end around a cinnamon stick. Tie a piece of raffia around the ends as well, and then drape your garland on your wall, across your mantel, or over your front door. A variation on the apple garland is to make a smaller length and then bend it into a circle, forming an apple wreath (see photo). Tie a piece of fabric – or bend a leftover bit of florist’s wire – to the top so you can hang it on a nail or hook.

• Apple Butter: Brew up a pot of delicious apple butter to celebrate the harvest. You can buy apple butter at any grocery store or farmers market but, it is especially delicious when it is home made!

4) Count Your Blessings

Mabon is a time of giving thanks, but sometimes we take our fortune for granted. Sit down and make a gratitude list. Write down things that you are thankful for. An attitude of gratefulness helps bring more abundance our way — what are things you’re glad you have in your life? Maybe it’s the small things, like “I’m glad I have my cat Peaches” or “I’m glad my car is running.” Maybe it’s something bigger, like “I’m thankful I have a warm home and food to eat” or “I’m thankful people love me even when I’m cranky.” Keep your list some place you can see it, and add to it when the mood strikes you.

5)  Honor the Darkness

Without darkness, there is no light. Without night, there can be no day. Despite a basic human need to overlook the dark, there are many positive aspects to embracing the dark side, if it’s just for a short time. After all, it was (you can choose your own goddess of night for this but most people use Demeter’s story) Demeter’s love for her daughter Persephone that led her to wander the world, mourning for six months at a time, bringing us the death of the soil each fall. In some paths, Mabon is the time of year that celebrates the Crone aspect of a triune goddess. Celebrate a ritual that honors that aspect of the Goddess which we may not always find comforting or appealing, but which we must always be willing to acknowledge. Call upon the gods and goddesses of the dark night, and ask for their blessings this time of year.

6)  Get Back to Nature

Fall is here, and that means the weather is bearable once more. The nights are becoming crisp and cool, and there’s a chill in the air. Take your family on a nature walk, and enjoy the changing sights and sounds of the outdoors. Listen for geese honking in the sky above you, check the trees for changing in the colors of the leaves, and watch the ground for dropped items likeacorns, nuts, and seed pods. If you live in an area that doesn’t have any restrictions on removing natural items from park property, take a small bag with you and fill it up with the things you discover along the way. Bring your goodies home for your family’s altar. If you are prohibited from removing natural items, fill your bag with trash and clean up the outdoors!

7)  Tell Timeless Stories

In many cultures, fall was a time of celebration and gathering. It was the season in which friends and relatives would come from far and near to get together before the cold winter kept them apart for months at a time. Part of this custom was storytelling. Learn the harvest tales of your ancestors or of the people indigenous to the area in which you live. A common theme in these stories is the cycle of death and rebirth, as seen in the planting season. Learn about the stories of Osiris, Mithras, Dionysius, Odin and other deities who have died and then restored to life.

8) Raise Some Energy

It’s not uncommon for Pagans and Wiccans to make remarks regarding the “energy” of an experience or event. If you’re having friends or family over to celebrate Mabon with you, you can raise group energy by working together. A great way to do this is with a drum or music circle. Invite everyone to bring drums, rattles, bells, or other instruments. Those who don’t have an instrument can clap their hands. Begin in a slow, regular rhythm, gradually increasing the tempo until it reaches a rapid pace. End the drumming at a pre-arranged signal, and you’ll be able to feel that energy wash over the group in waves. Another way of raising group energy is chanting, or with dance. With enough people, you can hold a Spiral Dance.

9)  Celebrate Hearth & Home

As autumn rolls in, we know we’ll be spending more time indoors in just a few months. Take some time to do a fall version of spring cleaning. Physically clean your home from top to bottom, and then do a ritual smudging. Use sage or sweet grass, or asperge with consecrated water as you go through your home and bless each room. Decorate your home with symbols of the harvest season, and set up a family Mabon altar. Put sickles, scythes and bales of hay around the yard. Collect colorful autumn leaves, gourds and fallen twigs and place them in decorative baskets in your house. If you have any repairs that need to be done, do them now so you don’t have to worry about them over the winter. Throw out or give away anything that’s no longer of use.

10)  Welcome the Gods of the Vine

Grapes are everywhere, so it’s no surprise that the Mabon season is a popular time to celebrate wine making, and deities connected to the growth of the vine. Whether you see him as Bacchus, Dionysus, the Green Man, or some other vegetative god, the god of the vine is a key archetype in harvest celebrations. Take a tour of a local winery and see what it is they do this time of year. Better yet, try your hand at making your own wine! If you’re not into wine, that’s okay — you can still enjoy the bounty of grapes, and use their leaves and vines for recipes and craft projects. However you celebrate these deities of vine and vegetation, you may want to leave a small offering of thanks as you reap the benefits of the grape harvest.

Lammas- The First Harvest Festival!

Lammas: August 2, July 31st/Aug 1st

Frey Fest/Lughnasa/Lugnasad/Lammas

This is an Irish Gaelic name for the feast which commemorates the funeral games of Lugh, Celtic god of light, and son of the Sun.  In the mythological story of the Wheel of the Year, the Sun God transfers his power into the grain, and is sacrificed when the grain is harvested.  So we have a dying, self-sacrificing and resurrecting god of the harvest, who dies for his people so that they may live.  Sound familiar?

The power of the sun goes into the grain as it ripens. It is then harvested and made into the first new bread of the season.  This is the Saxon hlaef-masse or loaf-mass, now lammas.  Seed grain is also saved for planting for next year’s crop, so the sun god may be seen to rise again in Spring with the new green shoots, as the sun also rises in the sky.  There are many traditions and customs all over the country that are still carried on at harvest-time today.

Lammas is a festival celebrating the first fruits of harvest, the fruits of our labours, and seeing the desires that we had at the start of the year unfold so rituals will be centred around this.  Lammas is an early Christian festival, “lammas” means loaf mass and represented the first loaves baked from that years crop. These were taken to church and laid on the altar.

It’s a time for bread-making and corn-dollies. Goddesses celebrated around this time include Demeter and Ceres. Trees associated with lammas are Hazel and Gorse and herbs are Sage and Meadowsweet. Colours associated with lammas are golds, yellows and orange for the God and red for the Goddess as mother.

Lammas is traditionally first harvest. Look around you and you will see various trees namely Rowan yeilding bright red berries and brambles showing ripening fruits alongwith apple and pear trees. In this day and age when food is mass produced and imported so we get fruits and veg and corn no matter what time of year it is, it is easy to loose touch with the natural cycle of things.

Suggested Activities:

Creating and or decorating ritual items such as a Stang.  Walk through the woods to spend some time meditating in beautiful surroundings.  Making bread, make a wicker man and put all of your bad habits that you want to be rid of inside him and throw him in the bonfire. Making corn dollies.

Simple ritual ideas for Lammas or First Harvest

August 1 in the northern hemisphere marks the great First Harvest, known as Lammas or Lughnasadh in Celtic traditions (down in the southern hem, you lovelies are celebrating Imbolc, or first hint of spring). You know that I love ritual and ceremony and as a working mother, I also need my rituals to be simple. Let me tell you about the holiday first and then recommend some easy ways to celebrate this special day with friends, fellow magicians, loved ones, or as a solitary practitioner.

Lammas, the festival of light and first harvest, falls technically when the sun reaches 15 degrees Leo. This tends to happen on or around August 1, so we use this as a catchall date for celebration. Like all celtic or pagan holidays, this one honors goddesses whose crafts and legends align with the work we’re doing at this time of year. Ceres and Tailtiu (mother of Lugh) are honored now as great forces of agricultural abundance, their blessings manifest in the bounty of food and growth we are about to enjoy in autumn. Our spiritual and emotional crops are ready for first harvest, too – the fruit of those sacred intentions we set in the darkness of winter and early spring.

Lammas is also a holiday of remembrance and releasing, a time of acknowledging the crops that didn’t survive the winter. This day asks us: What do you need to let go of right now so that you can be fully present to the abundance that is ahead of you? We are reminded that not everything survives in the grand cycle of life.

Here are some simple ritual ideas for ways to honor this day, the first turn of the Wheel of the Year toward fall:

1. Gather wheat, stones in colors of the harvest (think oranges, reds, deep umbers) and create a wheel on a round plate or table like you see in the photo. As you place each item, give thanks for what lies ahead. You might offer a few releasing stones as well, like apache or golden obsidian, for those things you are needing to leave behind.
2. The most traditional Lammas practice is the baking of bread (the name Lammas comes from the Old English hlafmaesse or loaf-mass). When we bake bread we use the grain around us to sustain our bodies, honoring and consuming nature’s sacred gifts.
3. Since Lammas is also a festival of light, celebrating the last long days of the year, your ritual can be as simple as lighting a candle. I made one in the shop in shades of yellow, wheat, and white. I recommend you burn a candle in those shades.

Since Lammas is the first of three harvest festivals you can save some of your decorations for the next two celebrations the first is Lammas, then Mabon and last but not least Samhain.

EVERYTHING ABOUT GEMSTONES! Every kind and type explained!

Semi Precious Stones Taken at a craft shop in Mingora, Pakistan (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

From ancient times to civilized times precious and semi-precious stones have always held our fascination. Their beauty is natural and everlasting. Natural Magickians have recognized this beauty and fascination and have used stones in their magick for centuries. They give an extra push of energy onto your desired goal.

Stones are used for many purposes including Meditation, Divination, Healing, magickal oil blends or even crushed in some incense recipes. All gems,stones, crystals hold their own energies or “vibrations”. They respond instantly to the expressed intent of your will. Gem properties are easy for a beginner to master and help build both self confidence and self esteem. There are no rules that you must follow and don’t let anyone tell you that there is! It is a personal journey within yourself and you can learn to use stones in just the right way for you.

You can carry them, burn them, add them to your favorite magickal oil blend, place them around the home, in the car, at the office , anywhere you feel the energies are wanted. We ourselves are still learning all about the wonderous ways of gems and stones. A journey that we hope will never end! Stones predate humans by centuries and can show us our true selves because of that fact. They are symbols for forces far beyond words or cold-hard facts. They are there to show us what is already there within and around ourselves.

There are various uses for the beautiful stones. It is up to you how they are used. This is a mystical journey, no magick is needed other than that of your possession of whichever stone you choose. Get to know each stones properties, learn how these stones can enrich both your personal and spiritual life in unlimited wondrous ways.

CHOOSING YOUR GEMSTONE

One of the most often asked questions about gemstone magick is:
“How do I choose my stone/gem/crystal?”

And the most common answer is:
“Don’t worry. They choose you”

As stated before, stones and gems have their own particular vibration and energy.When you are really serious about finding your stone you will understand this. If you have a chance to plunge your hand into a large barrel of different stones, you will know which ones just “feel” right. Some people experience a feeling of heat when holding a certain stone, others say they feel happy or safe when holding a certain stone. Sometimes its: “It just caught my eye and no matter what I did I couldn’t get it out of my mind.” That’s what is meant by a stone finding you.

A good start in finding the right stone is if you have a goal in mind for the stone. Since there are such a great number of stones available this helps limit your choices. Know the properties of each stone and you will find the one you are looking for; the right shade and shape will become important to you too.

If there is no goal in mind, you just want or need a “special little stone”, see which one jumps out at you, or pass your hand over several stones and feel the energy that comes to you. Try meditating for the right one. Again, knowing the properties of stones may help you in this. The different shapes of the stones will be an impotrtant factor in choosing your stones.

ROUND

Round shaped gems and stones are a symbol of magick and its workings. The means for the opening of psychic awareness and spirituality. Receptive to all powers. Used in all attraction wishes such as love, money and spirituality.

SQUARE

Square shaped stones are masculine in nature and generally considered to be used for building or creating something new or altering something old. A form of stability and endurance.

TRIANGULAR

Triangles are a sign of the three points of humankind; the mind, body and spirit. Able to discern between the four elements. Used primarily for repelling and neutralizing negativity, and for gathering and releasing of all the energies for your intended desire.

PEAR

Pear shapes are a combination of both the round and triangle. Used primarily in associations with the element of Water, it is both receptive and projective. A great shape for balancing of emotions or any wish dealing with psychism or Faerie Magick.

ROD

Rod shaped or Wand shaped are a sign of masculinity. Also commonly referred to as “phallic”. Projective energies, used primarily for a wish for someone, for the intent to be projected towards another.

PROGRAMMING YOUR STONE

Now that you have chosen your stone, it is time for programming it. Programming involves implementing your energy and will into the stone of your choice. However, it is very important to first cleanse the stone. The stones and gems are extremely receptive to vibrations and that includes negative ones. The stone you have chosen may have passed through other hands before reaching you. You must get rid of any other energies the stone may have picked up and make it “yours”.

There are many different methods for cleansing a stone and again it is important to know all you can about your particular stone as some methods may be destructive to some soft stones and gems. The most frequently used method seems to be the one using water and sun.

This method involves holding the stone under running water (spring or well water preferrably) and with the use of visualization, banishing all negative and foreign vibrations and leaving the stone clear with it’s own energies. Instead of drying it with a cloth, place it to dry in the sun. If at night place in the full light of the moon. Both the sun and the moon are powerful sources of natural clear energies.

For stones that are too soft to put under running water, cleanse by passing through the smoke of sage or any other appropriate herb while meditating and focusing on banishing the negative energies and replacing with your own energies.

Another way is to bury the stone of your choice in the earth. Since the earth is the origin of the stone, the natural energies of Mother Earth will cleanse the stone of all negativity. Some say for three days, some say for a week…..you do whatever feels right to you. Also be aware of the moon when burying your stone. The phase of the moon can play a large part in the effectiveness of the cleansing. Still another way of cleansing a stone is to immerse it in salt water, salt being the symbol of the earth’s energies, and let it dry naturally in the sun.

CHAKRA STONES

CROWN (Sahasrara) White Consciousness
THIRD EYE (Ajna) Pure Mind
THROAT (Visuddi) Ether
HEART (Anahata) Air
SOLAR PLEXUS (Manipura) Fire
SACRAL (Svadisthana) Water
ROOT (Muladhara) Earth

The Chakras – meaning wheels in Sanskrit – each relate to different points & are associated with different colours, crystals & gemstones. There are seven primary Chakras, as shown in the above diagram. Place the relevant crystal or gemstone at the Chakra and meditate on that particular point of the body so as to restore or enhance the attributes related to that particular area.

The Crown Chakra is related to spirituality & enlightenment. It is usually used to help with spiritual problems. Colours associated with this Chakra are Clear, White & Purple. Suggested stones to use are Clear Quartz or Amethyst.

The Third Eye Chakra is related to intuition & generosity. It can help heal problems with sight, loneliness, dizziness & uncertainty. Colours associated with the Chakra are Violet, Indigo & Dark Blue. Suggested stones are Amethyst, Lapis Lazuli & Sodalite.

The Throat Chakra is related to communication & harmony. It can help with self expression and, of course, sore throats. Its associated colours are light green and light blue. Suggested stones are Amazonite & Bluelace Agate.

The Heart Chakra is related to love & compassion. It can help with feelings of anger and/or resentment. Its associated colour is green but pink is also sometimes used. Suggested stones are Aventurine and Rose Quartz.

The Solar Plexus Chakra is associated with confidence & self-esteem. Its attributes are for ego, intellect & digestion using the colour yellow. Suggested stones are Calcite & Yellow Jasper.

The Sacral Chakra, sometimes known as the Spleen Chakra, is associated to physical outlet & creativity. It is used to help healing regarding impotence, frigidity, restlessness, jealousy, guilt, bladder & kidneys. Its associated colour is orange and suggested stones are Carnelian & Citrine.

The Root Chakra, sometimes known as the Base Chakra, is realated to sex and stability. It can help with healing problems associated with constipation, fear & low back pain. Its associated colours are black & red and the suggested stones are Haematite, Jasper & Red Garnet.

CRYSTAL AND GEMSTONE POWER

Why do Crystals & Gemstones have power? There are many theories but one of the most popular is that all crystals have the capacity to absorb energies, emotions & knowledge. The variety in their composition means that each type absorbs different powers & these powers are then naturally imparted to the user or wearer.

How do you use Crystals & Gemstones? Firstly it is very important to cleanse your newly acquired crystal or gemstone even if you found it. This is basically to remove any influences from anyone else who has handled the stone. There is no right or wrong way to cleanse your stone & its best to experiment with different methods until you find one that is right for you.

To cleanse your stones wash each stone separately. If you plan to leave them to soak then use a separate container of water for each stone & please be sure to use clean water for each stone. This may seem obvious to some but you’d be surprised how many people acquire several stones at once & just put them all to soak together in a single container. It’s also important to use a natural container not one made of plastic!
You may then wish to recharge your stone and this involves using the power of the earth, sun & moon. I rinse my stones under running tap water then bury them in some earth, (a plant pot will do) for at least a day, so that they may receive earth energies. I then soak them overnight in tap water with a sprinkle of sea salt followed by placing them outside in sunlight so that they may get re-charged or re-energised by the sun. EVERY full moon I place my stones outside so that they may also receive energy from the moon. Obviously, if I’ve acquired a new stone & the next full moon is a long way off, they don’t get placed outside for moon energies immediately.

It is then important to personalise your stone & get to know it. Take the time to hold each stone and feel it with your hands so that you may become attuned with it.

Should you share your Crystals & Gemstones? Many people do not allow anyone else to touch or handle their stones and I too have some some ‘special’ stones that only I touch. However, I have a large wooden bowl on my coffee table and it always attracts attention from visitors who are often drawn to picking up a stone and rolling it in their hand, like a stress ball. I don’t have a problem with this as I like to think that they may ‘need’ something form whatever stone they’ve chosen.

Should you share your Crystals & Gemstones? Many people do not allow anyone else to touch or handle their stones and I too have some ‘special‘ stones that only I touch. However, I have a large wooden bowl on my coffee table and it always attracts attention from visitors who are often drawn to picking up a stone and rolling it in their hand, like a stress ball. I don’t have a problem with this as I like to think that they may ‘need’ something form whatever stone they’ve subconsciously chosen. My children are also constantly ‘playing’ with my stones and sometimes ask to take a certain stone to bed with them. This is why I periodically repeat the cleansing process and recharge my stones. Having said that, it is important that you treat your stones with respect, care and consideration.

Tumblestones and smaller pieces are great for carrying with you each day or make excellent gifts for friends and loved ones. I have a selection of stones that I change and carry according to my feelings or requirements on a particular day. I also have several pieces of jewellery containing different stones and again change these to suit my needs. For example I may wear a particular stone, or have one close by, whilst writing my E-Books but if I’m planning a romantic evening with my husband then I’ll be sure to change the stones later in the evening.

There are numerous ways to use your stones – You can place them under your pillow or on a bedside cabinet so you can absorb their influences whilst you sleep. If you have an ailing plant place some crystals around it or soak a stone in water overnight and use it to water the plant the following day. Talk to your stones, carry them with you, get to know them and feel their energies working for you and then use them however you feel is most appropriate.
Crystal Wands can be used to recharge your whole body. Hold one in your transmitting hand (left if you’re left handed or right if you’re right handed) with the point pointing towards your fingers. Take the second wand and hold it in your receiving hand with the point facing towards your wrist. You now have a complete circuit and after a short while you should feel a flow of energy passing through your body. You can also use a pair of male & female stones in the same way.
Healing with stones is something that’s been going on for centuries although there is now an increasing interest in Crystal healing. Most healers have their own methods and techniques, which they have developed over a period of time to suit them. I stress again, there is no right or wrong way to use crystals and over time you will develop your own rituals for cleansing and using your crystals.

I also stress again that crystal & gemstone healing cannot replace medical treatment and you should always consult a doctor. Crystal & gemstone treatment is a complimentary therapy and should be used as such – complimentary to any other medical treatment you may require.

Diagnosis can be achieved by holding a wand or point in your receiving hand and moving it slowly over the body. With time you will learn to sense an area that needs healing. There is no need to remove your clothes and most healers will not ask you to remove them. If a healer does ask you to remove your clothes then please bear in mind whether you are comfortable with this as it is in no way necessary but some prefer it.
Treatments are numerous and again vary from healer to healer. Some will choose a set of crystals for you to carry with you day & night, others may use a wand or point. In this case the wand is held lightly, as for diagnosing, but usually in the transmitting hand and pointing towards the area to be healed. However, if something needs to be ‘brought out’ from the area the wand will be held pointing away.

Another, fairly common, method is to surround the affected area with appropriate crystals. If the crystals are pointed they will generally be placed with the point towards the area requiring healing for at least 10 minutes.
Chakra healing is also a method used by some healers.
Choosing your Crystal or Gemstone – Actually, they’ll probably choose you. They pop into your life in mysterious & magical ways. They’ll ‘speak’ to you and sparkle like crazy. Crystals respond to thought & feelings so take your time in looking at them and just see if any ‘jump out’ at you.
Just look, don’t touch and see if you’re repeatedly drawn back to looking at the same one. Try not to let logic decide for you – biggest isn’t always best! Let your intuition guide you & trust that feeling.
What about the facets? Well 1 is the number of beginning, initiating, inspiration, ideas & confidence so a Cabochon would be ideal.
2 symbolises mothering & caring. 2 crystals joined represent partnership & sharing.
3 is for communication, expression & creativity. The holy trinity.
4 = mind, body, spirit & feeling.
5 is for freedom & curiosity.
6 = balance & harmony.
7 is for the mystic and seeker of truth.
8 = Power
9 is for helping to learn the lessons of life.
10 represents the whole – it contains the 1 of I am and the circle of completion.
11 A master number that emphasises the meaning of two 1s but also 1+1=2 which symbolises an ability to care for others.
12 completes a cycle – 12 signs of the zodiac, 12 hours of day and night.
13 is the number of divination.

Crystals will create harmony wherever they are. For instance, if you have a child that can’t sleep at night or wakes from nightmares then try placing a crystal under their bed. Children are very receptive to crystals and their power and mine often pick one up and rub it over their tummy or head if hurting – they even instinctively use a clockwise movement.
If someone is sick try placing a crystal in the room with them.
Try placing crystals around your garden plants or in potted plants & see how much more beautiful & bright they bloom & grow. To specifically energise a garden try placing a crystal in each corner and another in the centre. This creates a type of energy similar to pyramid energy.
After you’ve recharged your crystal in water try pouring it over your houseplants or even give it to your pets to drink. Try putting a bowl of uncharged water out for your dog and one that is charged – after time the dog will ‘choose’ to drink the charged water.
To meditate with crystals try holding it in your left hand. Each time you use the crystal it will store the information form the previous meditations and will help your mind more quickly achieve the meditative state.
Crystals are tools to work with & help to create a harmonious environment but they can only assist and amplify what we can do with our minds, energies & willpower.
Crystals are an integral part of the Earth & the Earth and its inhabitants are crying out for love & attention. I believe the heart Chakra of the Earth is now opening and it is time to listen with our hearts rather than our heads. A time to trust and understand our feelings and intuition rather than logic. Crystals can help us reach this new point of balance. They are here to wake us up & remind us of whom we really are.
We are only just beginning to rediscover the power of crystals & gemstones. They will talk to you if you listen.

QUICK REFERENCE AREA FOR COMMON ISSUES

Anxiety Charoite, Amazonite, Celestite, Lepidolite, Verdite, Goethite, Alexandrite
Arguments Labradorite
Attraction Zoisite, Opal
Back Problems Unakite, Soapstone
Breathing Larimar, Turquoise
Circulation Ruby, Lodestone, Agate
Confidence Tourmaline, Gold, Sodalite
Digestion Obsidian, Jasper
Eyes Lapis Lazuli, Jade, Haematite
General Healing Peridot, Tourmailine, Clear, Quartz, Calcite, Fluorite
Good Fortune Angelite, Ruby, Tourmaline
Prosperity Diamond, Emerald, Jade, Malachite
Protection Angelite, Aquamarine
PMT Moonstone
Recovery Silver, Turquoise, Malachite
Travel Jade

HISTORY OF CRYSTALS AND GEMSTONES

Since the beginning of time, crystals, gemstones, rocks & mountains have played a vital role. Many have been found in ancient ruins & Pharaoh Tombs & it is said that the lost city of Atlantis used crystal power the same way we use electricity today. Hindu Puranas describe Krishna as living in a city furnished with rubies, emeralds, sapphires & diamonds. Many cultures believed that stones had a life giving force & this eventually led to them being used for healing.

Stones have also played a key roll in various religions. Islam says that the stones spoke to Mohammed and informed him that he was to receive the Quran from Allah. One of the five pillars of Islam says that every Muslim should try to visit Mecca and the Kaaba which is a huge black stone.

Moses received the Ten Commandments on tablets of stone which are believed to have been sapphires. In the book of Revelations describes Jerusalem as ‘the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth an emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eight beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh a jacynth and the twelfth an emethyst.’

The Egyptians engraved an eye on lapis lazuli as it symbolised Ra, the Sun God.
The Babylonians & Norseman engraved magical symbols on to stones & used them as Rune oracles – somthing which is still used today as a means of divination.
One of the prayers taught to Bulgarians is ‘The Disciple must have a heart as pure as a crystal. A mind as bright as the sun. A soul as vast as the Universe and a spirit as powerful as God and one with God.

Ancient priests believed crystals to be a God given force that defied all evil.
Aboriginals still use crystals for medicine and value the Rainbow crystals in particular as these hold the energies of the Rainbow Serpent & the Rainbow symbolises the bridge between the two worlds They also believe that a crystal that finds its way to you, that you haven’t bought, has been growing itself since the beginning of time especially for you and should therefore be especially valued.

Cherokee Indians consider crystal to be the most sacred & precious stone for healing purposes. They also still revere their crystal skulls which were also used by the Mayans, Aztecs, Egyptians, Tibetans, etc. They were placed on altars and the word of God was believed to be spoken by them. Many psychics consider these ancient crystal skulls as memory banks of information, much like we store information on computers today.

Precious gemstones & crystals have always exercised a magical influence over humanity including Kings & Queens, Smugglers, etc. – all have been lured & seduced by the beauty of gemstones.

INTERESTING FACTS OF CRYSTALS AND GEMSTONES

We often use the names of gemstones to describe certain attributes such as pearly teeth, ruby lips, clear as crystal, etc.
The largest diamond ever discovered is part of the British Crown Jewels – the Cullinan diamond.
Greed has often led man to risk everything for the sake of a jewel.
The most ancient jewellery was found in Queen Pu-Abi’s tomb at Ur in Sumeria and dates from the third millenium BC.
The Egyptians believed that an emerald would break if a marital infidelity occurred. They also ground malachite to wear as eyeshadow.
Julius Caesar was said to have been an avid collector of gemstones.
To drink from an amethyst encrusted goblet was believed to protect against drunkenness.
The Ming dynasty favoured semi-precious stones such as amethyst, agate, quartz and jade. White jade was the stone of divinity and symbolized heaven.
In the middle ages a ruby ring worn on the left hand was thought to protect its owner from seduction.
The Maoris handed down the jade tiki as it was believed to contain the wisdom of the ancestors.
Diamonds were used to cut stone as early as 4000BC.
Crystals are believed to be the connecting force between heaven & earth. Often used for scrying or crystal ball gazing to tell the future.
Remember, shapes & symbols of jewellery can affect you as well as the particular crystal or gemstone it’s carrying. Look at the symbols you wear and decide whether they are helpful and if not give them away! You may also find it beneficial to wear clothes of a certain colour, to match, the crystal or gemstone you’re wearing as colour also plays a vital role in healing – but that’s another book!

Colour is probably the most important factor & the more attractive the colour, the higher the value. Eg. Bright, rich coloured gemstones are valued high & those that are too dark, light or dulled are a lesser value as they are less desired. However, this comes down to personal choice.

Phenomena Some gemstones show unusual effects known as phenomena and this usually increases the desirability & value. Eg. Cat’s Eye effect or Chatoyancy is a reflection effect that appears as a single band of light across the surface. It is commonly found in Chrysoberyl, Tourmaline & Tiger’s Eye. Star effect or Asterism is a reflection that appears as 2 or more intersecting bands of light across the surface. This is commonly found in Ruby, Sapphire & Garnet. Colour Change gemstones are those that change colour when viewed under 2 different light sources. It’s commonly found in Alexandrite, Sapphire & Colour Change Garnet.

Inclusions are mostly microscopic & easily seen under magnification. These are natural features of the gemstones & as long as they don’t interfere with the brilliance, sparkle & fire of a gemstone they don’t affect the value.

Carat a gemstones weight is measured in Carats which originates from the traditional use of carob seeds to weigh gems. One Carat is = to 0.20 Grams. This is then divided into 100 smaller units known as Points. Large gemstones are always rarer than smaller ones, so the per Carat prices rise exponentially. Eg. A 3 Carat Diamond will always be worth a lot more than three 1 Carat Diamonds of the same quality.

ZODIAC CRYSTALS AND GEMSTONES

ARIES Citrine, Agate, Aventurine, Bloodstone, Jade
Mar 21 – Apr 20

TAURUS Jasper, Bloodstone, Carnelian, Jade, Satinspar
Apr 21 – May 21

GEMINI Aventurine, Unakite, Agate, Citrine, Apatite
May 22 – June 21

CANCER Chalcedony, Hematite, Sodalite, Moonstone, Carnelian
Jun 22 – Jul 22

LEO Labradorite, Amazonite, Carnelian, Jasper, Bloodstone
Jul 23 – Aug 23

VIRGO Amethyst, Jade, Amazonite, Carnelian, Jasper
Aug 24 – Sept 22

LIBRA Moonstone, Chrysoprase, Amethyst, Bluelace Agate, Sodalite
Sept 23 – Oct 23

SCORPIO Tigers Eye, Amethyst, Jasper, Unakite, Moonstone
Oct 24 – Nov 22

SAGITTARIUS Sodalite, Obsidian, Smokey Quartz, Chalcedony, Aventurine
Nov 23 – Dec 21

CAPRICORN Smokey Quartz, Opalite, Amethyst, Aragonite, Tigers Eye
Dec 22 – Jan 20

AQUARIUS Rhodonite, Rhyolite, Garnet, Amethyst, Aventurine
Jan 21 – Feb 18

PISCES Turquoise, Bluelace Agate, Calcite, Carnelian, Amethyst
Feb 19 – Mar 20

FOLKLORE AND LEGENDS OF CRYSTALS AND GEMSTONES, A-Z>

ABALONE – Confidence, Spirituality, Heart, Muscles, Digestion
ACTINOLITE – Responsibility, Industry, Inflammations, Liver
AGATE – Competition, Eloquence, Fevers, Gums, Circulation. Particularly good for athletes.
AGATE BLUELACE – Composure, Growth, Infections, Inflammations, Fevers. When worn this stone invokes calmness, removing anger and irritation.
AGATE BOTSWANA – Understanding, Recovery, Toxins, Recuperation, Heart
AGATE DENDRITIC – Energy, Balance, Recuperation, Vitality
AGATE MOSS – Renewal, Assertiveness, Heart, Lungs, Skin
AGATE TREE – Coordination, Management, Chest, Stomach
ALEXANDRITE – Growth, Investment, Nerves, Luck, Joy
ALMANDINE – Affection, Inspiration, Heart, Eyes
AMAZONITE – Clarity, Insight, Nerves, Emotions, Growth, Joy, Success, Self-Expression. A great stone for students as it assists clarity or thought & insight.
AMBER – Career, Accomplishment, Chest, Depression, Uplifting, Optimism, Relief from Worry & Stress. This stone is said to carry the warmth of the sun. Like honey it is disinfectant, antiseptic & protective
AMETHYST – Moderation, Devotion, Insomnia, Addictions, Neuralgia, Acne, Peace, Tranquillity, Happiness, Purification, Healing. Softens negative feelings & also reduces electrical energies so is great for placing near your computer, TV or any other electrical appliances. Aids sleep & headaches. The colour contains the passion, truth & love of Christ.
AMETRINE – Resolution, Teaching, Teeth, Metabolism
ANDALUSITE – Moderation, Enlightenment, Memory, Sight
ANGELITE – Bravery, Fortune, Headaches, Infections, Balancing Emotions, Communication, Overcoming Challenges. Protects against worries.
ANHYDRITE – Coordination, Concentration, Lungs, Chest
ANTIMOANY – Intellect, Progress, Colds, Flu, Swellings
APATITE – Emotions, Business, Speech, Bones
APOPHYLLITE – Tranquillity, Honesty, Respiration, Skin
AQUA AURA – Influence, Arts, Dexterity, Throat, Healing
AQUAMARINE – Insight, Love, Growth, Allergies, Calms Nerves, Detox, Self-Expression, Peace, Purification. This stone is said to help you speak the truth.
ARAGONITE – Energy, Activity, Bones, Digestion
ASTROPHYLLITE – Confidence, Insight, Recovery, Reproductive, Intellect
AUGELITE – Contemplation, Justice, Muscles, Digestion
AVENTURINE – Development, Judgement, Eyes, Migraine, Tension, Insomnia, Prosperity. Stimulates healthy growth and assists the development of mental abilities.
AZURITE – Meditation, Spirituality, Suppleness, Liver, Divination, Concentration
BARITE – Decisiveness, Writing, Muscles
BERYL – Determination, Stability, Nerves, Stress, Energy. It is said that this stone brings those that are on a sea journey safely home. Adds potency to love spells & increases energy levels.
BLOODSTONE – Kindness, Circulation, Strength, Courage, Nature, Blood Toxins, Depression, Spine, Wealth, Confidence. Bloodstone is a variety of Jasper & is primarily associated with the bloodstream & is good for regulating a woman’s monthly cycle.
BLUE JOHN – Strength, Renewal, Vigour, Health
BLUE CORAL – Balances, Blocks Negativity. Helps to stop worrying.
BOWENITE – Intelligence, Leisure, Head, Scalp, Tension
BRAZILLIANITE – Sociability, Relationships, Nerves, Skin
CALCITE – Comfort, Inspiration, Cleansing, Bladder, Pancreas, Toxins. Provides comfort & refreshes the system when in emotional crises. Pink/Clear Calcite is especially good for bringing calmness & balance.
CARNELIAN – Passion, Focus, Arthritis, Rheumatism, Neuralgia, Cuts. Can also enhance sexual energy, assist motivation & benefit the bloodstream. Also, alleviates jealousy.
CASSITERITE – Endurance, Contentment, Cuts, Bruises, Menopause.
CATS EYE – Insight, Security, Headaches, Fingers
CELESTITE – Relaxation, Sympathy, Travel Sickness, Nerves, Stress. Use this stone for a soothing energy. Brilliant for meditation. A great stone if you’re prone to unnecessary worrying.
CERRUSITE – Confidence, Communication, Antivirus, Insomnia, Nerves.
CHALCEDONY – Stamina, Tiredness, Depression, Circulation. A great stone for opening new horizons.
CHALCOPYRIE -Perception, Restoration, Lungs, Hair.
CHAROITE – Assertiveness, Inspiration, Nerves, Cramps
CHIASTOLITE – Stability, Rheumatism, Veins
CHRYSOCOLLA – Expression, Awareness, Heart, Stomach, Blood.
CHRYSOPRASE – Passion, Renewal, Fertility, Ardour, Genitals. Adds fire to physical love! Intensifies friendship, brings prosperity & good luck. Beneficial as a healer.
CHRYSOTILE – Partnerships, Generosity, Veins, Arteries, Skin, Lungs
CINNABAR – Stability, Independence, Appetite, Heart

CITRINE – Renewal, Cleansing, Skin, Diabetes, Circulation. This stone is full of positive influences so is great for helping with anxieties & depression. Also increases psychic power, protects & brings sweet dreams. Opens the door between intuition & logic.

COLEMANITE – Loyalty, Lungs, Muscles
COPPER – Vitality, Purification, Blood, Muscles, Joints. Can amplify the thoughts & feelings.
CORAL – Integrity, Travel, Chest, Creativity
CORUNDUM – Awareness, Confidence, Skin, Eyes
COVELLITE – Communication, Renewal, Ears, Nose, Mouth
CROCOITE – Industry, Sex Organs
CRUPITE – Awareness, Teaching, Circulation, Bladder
DANBURITE – Sociability, Confidence, Muscles
DESERT ROSE – Perception, Commerce, Stress, Recuperation
DIAMOND – Prosperity, Business, Wellbeing, Senses, Bravery, Strength
DIOPSIDE – Love, Commitment, Heart, Lungs, Circulation, Trauma
DIOPTASE – Meditation, Partnerships, Stress, Headaches
DOLOMITE – Optimism, Sports, Limbs, Blood DUMORTIERITE – Patience, Skin, Sickness
EILAT STONE – Spirituality, Balance, Vitality, Wellbeing
EMERALD – Intellect, Prosperity, Headaches, Infections, Thyroid, Skin. Opens the Heart Chakra. The ‘Jewel of Venus’ reveals the truth of a lover’s promise & breaks if they’re false! Helps to develop clairvoyance.
EUDIALITE – Management, Recovery, Sex Organs, Recovery
FLINT – Abstinence, Science, Cleansing
FLUORITE – Caring, Bones, Teeth, Inflammations. A great stone for those in a caring profession such as nursing or healing. Develops spiritual awareness. Brings people together. Grounds excess energy.
FOSSILISED WOOD – Nature, Stability, Nerves, Sharing
FRANKLINIITE – Imagination, Security, Eyes, Hair
FUCHSITE – Productivity, Teamwork, Arteries
GALENA – Dedication, Insomnia
GARNET – Charm, Creativity, Anaemia, Infections, Insomnia. Worn to attract lovers & used by travellers as an amulet. Also has the ability to open the Crown Chakra. Often included in statues of Isis.
GEODE – Fertility, dreams, intensify psychic ability
GOETHITE – Perseverance, Competing, Nerves
GOLD – Generosity, Partnerships, Confidence
GOLDSTONE – Optimism, Development, Stomach, Tension
GRANITE – Stability, Determination, Skin, Hearing
GRAPHITE – Assertiveness, Achievement, Hearing, Spine
HEMATITE – Activity, Stamina, Tiredness, Calming, Travel Stress, Eyes, Blood.
HERKIMER DIAMOND – Stamina, Learning, Energy, Vigour. Special clear quartz that increases the power of other stones, opens the mind & good for dreams
HICKORYITE – Adventure, Flair, Boredom, Negativity, Imagination.
HORNBLENDE – Wisdom, Communication, Balance, Toes, Fingers
HOWLITE – Resilience, Competing, Bones, Teeth
IOLITE – Control, Management, Chest, Addiction
IRNAMITE – Emotions, Judgement, Strains, Muscles
JADE – Benevolence, Providence, Kidneys, Bladder, Digestion, Eyes. Attracts friendship, promotes long life & encourages prosperity. Also used as a travel amulet. Calms the mind & purifies the blood.
JASPER – Attraction, Comfort, Nerves, Blood, Digestion. An excellent energiser.
JET – Sympathy, Healing, Migraine, Negativity
KUNZITE – Vigour, Communication, Balance, Emotions, Skin, Heart. Hiddenite is a variety.
KYANITE – Energy, Finance, Hearing
LABRADORITE – Charisma, Relationships, Arguments, Inhibitions, Feet. Brings out the hidden qualities in the personality. LAPIS LAZULI – Mysticism, Wisdom, Protects Truth, Integrity, Spirituality, Bones, Heart, Eyes. Regarded as a ‘heavenly’ stone. Can enrich both health & wealth.
LARIMAR – Rapport, Meditation, Breathing, Neck
LAVAKITE – Learning, Achievement, Brain, Adaptability
LAZULITE – Purity, Serenity, Sunburn, Teeth
LEPIDOLITE – Restoration, Balance, Nerves, Pessimism, Peace, Insomnia. A relaxing stone
LEUCITE – Clarity, Energy, Nerves, Protection
LODESTONE – Communication, Teamwork, Circulation, Glands
MAGNETITE – Composure, Learning, Heart
MAGNESITE – Enlightenment, Emotions, Fevers, Bones
MALACHITE – Optimism, Recovery, Rheumatism, Asthma, Teeth. Excellent for bringing prosperity to a business. Favoured by gardeners as it makes plants bloom longer. Often used in spells concerning the hearth. Protects & strengthens the Heart Chakra. Clears illusion.
MARBLE – Compassion, Care, Fevers, Renewal
MARCASITE – Ambition, Rapport, circulation, Brain, Eyes
METEORITE – Benevolence, Adventure, Communication, Intuition
MOLDOVITE – Sensitivity, Insight, Hair, Fertility, Renewal
MOOKAITE – Responsibility, Machinery, Stable Health
MOONSTONE – Femininity, Devotion, Dieting, Swellings, PMT. A symbol of female power, attracts lovers, enhances beauty & bestows a long, healthy life. Often used in spells to ensure safe travel. Associated with the Goddess, Diana.
MORGANITE – Intellect, Commerce, Hearing, Vertigo

MOSS AGATE – Identity, Meditation, Lungs, Glands
MOTHER OF PEARL – Providence, Modelling, Skin, Emotions
MTOROLITE – Serenity, Capability, Nerves, Backache
MUSCOVITE – Inspiration, Speech, Muscles, Energy
OBSIDIAN – Achievement, Perception, Stomach, Digestion, Stress. An excellent general healer as it helps create positive influences & provides inner tranquillity. Sends negative thoughts away.
ONYX – Harmony, Spirituality, Hearing, Ulcers, Heart. Used in rosaries as it allows peace of mind & general reflection. Said to strengthen one’s magic & protect against negative magic.
OPAL – Attraction, Theatre, Chest, Creativity, Beauty, Prosperity, Luck, Power
OPALITE – Invention, Management, Fatigue
PAUA SHELL – Versatility, Humour, Tension, Depression
PEACOCK ORE (Bonita) – Charm, Entertainment, Eyes, Brain
PEARL – Assurance, Painting, Tonic, Headaches, Tension
PERIDOT – Career, Whole body, Metabolism, Intuitive Power, Protector, Wealth
PETRIFIED WOOD – Renewal, Hearing, Cultivation
PHENACITE – Intellect, Insight, Stomach, Limbs
PIETERSITE – Organisation, Objectivity, Respiration, Sleep
PREHNITE – Confidence, Business, Mental Energy, Slimming
PURPURITE – Leadership, Prosperity, Finances, Wounds
PYRITES – Awareness, Honesty, Vitality, Recuperation
QUARTZ CLEAR – Purification, Refinement, General, Vertigo, Dizziness. This is probably the most popular of stones & has been used by healers for centuries. It purifies the air, the body, cleanses the system & mind.
QUARTZ ROSE – Love, Forgiveness, Migraine, Headache, Wounds. This is the stone of peace & is closely associated with Venue. It gives joy & happiness in friendship & love & radiates good rapport. Often used in love spells.
QUARTZ RUTILATED – Passion, Contact, Anxiety
QUARTZ SMOKEY – Vitality, Fortune, Depression, Abdomen, Spine. A good luck talisman for competitors. Its protecting & encouraging, provides energy. Often used in spell casting against negative energies.
QUARTZ SNOW – Relaxation, Serenity, Stress, Nerves, Therapy. A ‘soft’ stone for those seeking calmness. Also called Milky Quartz.
RHODOCHROSITE – Friendship, Love, Insecurity, Balance, Eyes, Solitude. A very comforting stone. Helps balance the Sacrum Chakra
RHODONITE – Communication, Restoration, Recuperation, Hearing, Amnesia.
RHODOLITE – Stability, Resolution, digestion, Glands
RHYOLITE – Stamina, Marketing, Chills, Skin
RUBELLITE – Prosperity, Recovery, Heart, Backache
RUBY – Contentment, Fortune, Circulation, Fevers
SAPPHIRE – Love, Partnership, Sleep, Depression, Protection, Power, Inspiration
SARDONYX – Forgiveness, Care, Neck, Hearing
SATINSPAR – Insight, Calm, Disputes, Anger, Spine.
SCAPOLITE – Achievement, Strength, Veins
SCHALENBLENDE – Fortune, Identity, Muscles, Eyes
SCHEELITE – Awareness, Relationships, Colds, Recovery
SCHORL – Practicality, Balance, Liver, Intestines
SEFTONITE – Relationships, Learning, Circulation
SERPENTINE – Meditation, Enlightenment, Stomach, PMT
SIDERITE – Intellect, Loyalty, Bones, Hands
SILICONE – Activity, Attraction, Vitality, Muscles
SILVER – Perception, Investment, Recovery
SMITHSONITE – Consideration, Harmony, Vitality, Digestion
SOAPSTONE – Loyalty, Cultivation, Back
SODALITE – Meditation, Assertion, Blood Pressure, Sleep, Chest. Gives confidence to those that are shy. Used in spells to relieve stress. Helps one to get a new perspective.
SPESSARTINE – Renewal, Confidence, Vitamin deficiencies
SPHALERITE – Integrity, Career, Nerves, Eyes
SPINEL – Energy, Intellect, Stress, Depression, Skin, Slimming
SPIRIT STONES – Vitality, Awareness, Energy, Cleansing
STAUROLITE – Focus, Personality, Spine, Whole body, Forgetfulness. Represents the four elements, bringing everything together.
STEATITE – Adventure, Communication, Digestion, Tendons
STICHTITE – Loyalty, Creativity, Muscles, Chest
STILBITE – Creativity, Understanding, Toxins, Sensory Organs
SUGILITE – Inspiration, Co-ordination, Headaches, Inflammations, Toxins. Used by healers to draw out pain. Brings peace of mind & aids inner vision.
SULPHUR – Intellect, Protection, Skin, Digestion, Arthritis, Rheumatism
SUNSTONE – Insight, Travel, Eyes, Depression. A wonderful re-energiser & health restorer. Used in spells where sexuality is the subject.

TANZANITE – Vitality, Athletics, Bones, Worries
TALC – Affinity, Modesty, Memory, Study
THULITE – Dexterity, Meditation, Hands, Tendons, Concentration. Brings mind & body together.
TIGER IRON – Clarity, Endurance, Movement, Vigour
TIGERS EYE – Insight, Integrity, Asthma, Limbs. A talisman to overcome deceit.
TOPAZ – Assurance, Legal, Infections, Appetite
TOURMALINE – Confidence, Success, General Healing, Good Fortune. Helpful in opening the Third-eye Chakra. This stone is full of joy.
TURQUENTINE – Consolation, Travel, Limbs
TURQUOISE – Environment, Comfort, Respiration, Recuperation, Throat. Expands friendships & protects the home – left in a room it can purify the atmosphere & spread tranquillity. Strengthens all the Chakras. Used in spells to encourage friendship
ULEXITE – Contentment, Industry, Teeth, Worries
UNAKITE – Stability, Enhancement, Muscles, Back-ache, Feet. Gives strength & stability.
UVAROVITE – Vitality, Joy, Throat
VANADINITE – Sociability, Friendship, Lungs, Stomach
VARISCITE – Meditation, Writing, Growth, Digestion
VERDITE – Friendship, Partnerships, Nerves
VESUVIANITE – Intuition, Partnership, Dieting, Depression
VIOLAN – Insight, Vitality, Muscles, Genitals
WILLIAMSITE – Tranquillity, Candour, Lungs, Inflammations
WOLLASTONITE – Moderation, Grounding, Bones, Glands
WULFENITE – Relationships, Invigoration, Digestion
ZEOLITE – Independence, Clarity, Addictions, Toxins
ZINC – Joy, Loyalty, Muscles, Bones
ZIRCON – Clarity, Teaching, Insomnia, PMT. Helps restore a flagging libido.
ZOISITE – Attraction, Entertainment, Fingers, Fertility

Acacia- A magical plant!

Acacia
	(Acacia senegal) Also known as gum arabic, gum senegal and gum acacia; produced by a tree that grows in North Africa. The species of acacia that produces gum arabic and gum acacia are so closely related that one can be used for the other. Parts Used – flowers, leaves, stems, root, bark, resin, seeds, and essential oil Magical Uses – (Herb and Oil) Burn for altar offerings or purification; aids psychic powers, meditation, platonic love, psychic awareness; purification; inspiration; wisdom; visions; anointing; protection; prophetic dreams; spirituality; money. A sprig place over the bed wards off evil.
Ritual Uses – In India, the wood is used as fuel in scared fires, and also in building temples. Acacia is an excellent choice to build a small chest or sacred box. It should be handmade and used only to store your ritual tools.. If unable to obtain enough to build the box, the powdered herbe may be used to consecrate the containers you use for sacred items. Other Uses – The dried gum can be burned as incense, the leaves and wood can be infused to create sacred water for aspurging. This gum is water soluble and when dissolved in boiling water, clarifies and makes a very good adhesive that is used, among other things, to make scented beads and pomanders. Acacia can be used for blessing any sacred space.

Merry May Eve To All!

I hope you all have a very merry May Eve and You have set away some time to dedicate your self to your Lord and Lady/ God and Goddess’ or Deities of your choice! To all the witches and twitches (Teen witches) learning about occult holidays Beltane is a great day to start! It is one of the three harvest Sabbats! Today and tomorrow is not about how much money you can spend to decorate your altar! Its about YOUR own path with your deities and doing what you can on this day! When I was younger I didn’t have money for candles so I would draw them and visualize! Its not the tools that you can buy but you and your inner strength! Decorate a lay out of dandalions! Or other Flowers!   Merry Meet and Merry Part and Merry Meet again!

Ten Beltane Decoration Ideas

The Witch of Howling Creek

Beltane’s not my favorite Sabbat, I’ll be honest. It’s a very group-centric holiday and as a solitary practitioner, I have trouble connecting to it. That being said, however, Beltane does offer many ways to beautify our homes and connect with others so I am trying to take it from a different perspective this year! To get me started, ten Beltane decoration ideas:

1. Decorate a wooden dowel with ribbons and place in a pot of moss as a small-scale maypole.
2. Floral wreaths are a lovely way to mix up the style of centerpieces. Simply place a small wreath of flowers around a candle or even something like a punch bowl.
3. For décor subtly reminiscent of the ribbons of the maypole, tie or pin wide ribbons of various colors to a curtain rod and hang over an altar, bed or other area in need of decoration. Make your May Day curtain magickal…

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Beltane Is Upon Us! Magic, History, and Traditions!

Beltane: (Bealtaine, May Eve, Valpurgis) – April 30th/May 1st

Incense: Lilac, Frankincense

Decorations: Maypole, Flowers, Ribbons, Reves, Floral Decor,

Colours: Green, Pastels

Spells best done: Fertility is the best! But Protection, Divination and fae magic can be done.

The Fire Festival of Beltane:

Beltane derived from the Irish Gaelic “Bealtaine” or the Scottish Gaelic “Bealtuinn”, meaning “Bel-fire”, the fire of the Celtic god of light (Bel, Beli or Belinus).

This festival is also known as Beltane, the Celtic May Day. It officially begins at moonrise on May Day Eve, and marks the beginning of the third quarter or second half of the ancient Celtic year. It is celebrated as an early pastoral festival accompanying the first turning of the herds out to wild pasture. The rituals were held to promote fertility. The cattle were driven between the Belfires to protect them from ills. Contact with the fire was interpreted as symbolic contact with the sun. In early Celtic times, the druids kindled the Beltane fires with specific incantations. Later the Christian church took over the Beltane observances, a service was held in the church, followed by a procession to the fields or hills, where the priest kindled the fire. The rowan branch is hung over the house fire on May Day to preserve the fire itself from bewitchment (the house fire being symbolic of the luck of the house).

This is a holiday of Union–both between the Goddess and the God and between man and woman. Handfastings (Pagan marriages) are traditional at this time. It is a time of fertility and harvest, the time for reaping the wealth from the seeds that we have sown. Celebrations include braiding of one’s hair (to honour the union of man and woman and Goddess and God), circling the Maypole for fertility and jumping the Beltane fire for luck. Beltane is one of the Major Sabbats of the Wiccan religion. We celebrate sexuality (something we see as holy and intrinsic to us as holy beings), we celebrate life and the unity which fosters it. The myths of Beltane state that the young God has blossomed into manhood, and the Goddess takes him on as her lover. Together, they learn the secrets of the sexual and the sensual, and through their union, all life begins.

Beltane is the season of maturing life and deep found love. This is the time of vows, handfastings and commitment. The Lord and his Lady, having reached maturity, come together in Perfect Love and Perfect Trust to celebrate the joy of their union. This is a time to celebrate the coming together of the masculine and feminine creative energies. Beltane marks the emergence of the young God into manhood. Stirred by the energies at work in nature, he desired the Goddess. They fall in love, lie among the grasses and blossoms and unite.

The flowers and greenery symbolise the Goddess and the Maypole represents the God. Beltane marks the return of vitality and passion of summer. Another common focal point of the Beltane rituals is the cauldron, which represents the Goddess. The Welsh goddess Creiddylad is connected with Beltane, often called the May Queen, she was a Goddess of summer flowers and love.

May Day

May Day has long been marked with feasts and rituals. May poles, supremely phallic symbols, were the focal point of old English village rituals. Many people arose at dawn to gather flowers and green branches from the fields and gardens, using them to decorate the village Maypoles.

The May Queen (and often King) is chosen from among the young people, and they go singing from door to door throughout the town carrying flowers or the May tree, soliciting donations for merrymaking in return for the “blessing of May”. This is symbolic of bestowing and sharing of the new creative power that is stirring in the world. As the kids go from door to door, the May Bride often sings to the effect that those who give will get of nature’s bounty through the year.

In parts of France, some jilted youth will lie in a field on May Day and pretend to sleep. If any village girl is willing to marry him, she goes and wakes him with a kiss; the pair then goes to the village inn together and lead the dance which announces their engagement. The boy is called “the betrothed of May.”

Spirits and Faeries

 

On certain nights, faeries and spirits roam the world.  Beltane is one time famed for faery rades and the Wild Hunt.  Ghosts and other spirits are also believed to travel freely on this night.  Some practices were aimed at attracting these visitors, most at driving them away. To celebrate the ethereal aspects of Beltane, consider creating a faery garden with plenty of things that sparkle and jingle, and plants beloved by faeries.  The traditional faery color is green, but they adore most bright colors.  Snapdragon, meadowsweet, hawthorn, and foxglove are good altar flowers.

To protect against unwanted entities, see the previous section on purification and protection; but also add that salt, iron, and the making of much noise are traditional for Beltane defenses.  Plan for an indoor observance in this case.

 

Fertility Charms, Potions & Spells for Beltane:

1. Solitary Beltane Ritual:

Preparation

Prior to this rite you should have made ready a wooden wand. This should be a branch from an Oak or Hazel tree. Remember, do not take the wood from a living tree!

The wood can be cut into the rough shape of a phallus in which case it should be of the appropriate size and shape. On the other hand, a simple branch, peeled of its bark, and about 13 inches long and half an inch thick is also acceptable. Place the wand upon your alter within the Circle.

Prepare a dish of earth and place it upon the alter beside the wand.

The Rite

Cast the Circle and invoke the Lady and the Lord. After the invocation, dance and chant to raise power for magical activities and then earth the power into an unlit candle, placed inside the cauldron, at the center of the circle. Chant the following (or make up your own!):

Beltane! I dance with delight on Beltane’s night. All senses freeing, I dance for being. The flower and the flame of love’s own rite shall blossom. Sun embrace Earth, bright.

Light the candle to the Sun. This is the Beltane fire, our modern substitute for the hilltop bonfires of our ancestors. The Bel fire is an invocation to the Sun God to bring blessing and protection for the coming year. This is sacred fire with healing and purifying properties. As you light the candle, be aware of its power and significance. Say:

I light this candle to the Sun. Now take up a dish of earth. Bless it in the name of the Goddess.

Lay your hands upon it and say:

I bless, consecrate, and set apart this earth, in the name of the Triple Goddess. May this be sacred earth, set apart for magic. For earth is of the Goddess, being her sacred body. Remember that the Goddess is not only of the Moon, but of the Earth and of the farthest stars. She is the Triple Goddess of the Circle of Rebirth, the Mother of All Life. Decorate the dish of earth with flowers.

Now, take a wooden wand and oil it with vegetable oil. Bless it in the name of the Lord of the Day, the youthful, ardent one, the Lord of Life, the God of the greenwood. Pass it swiftly through the candle flame, the Bel fire, so that it becomes magically imbued, ‘charged’, with power. Place the wand upon the dish of earth, saying as you hold it there:

As the wand is to the earth, so the male is to the female and the Sun to our blossoming world. Joined, they bring happiness. May the God of Life give ___ {something you want, for example, peace on Earth} May the Goddess bring it forth! Sit quietly for a while, and picture the blossoming of what you have desired in life. The spells and invocations of all of us, all working on themes like these, must eventually bear fruit, because life is on the side of peace. Leave the earth and wand upon the alter.

Walk deosil three times around the circle, then spiral into the center. Go evenly, with grace, meditatively. Sit beside the candle flame, allowing yourself to feel peaceful. Gaze into the flame.

The next part is different depending on whether you are man or woman.

For a Woman: visualize a red rosebud in your womb. Always your womb is the source of your creative power, whether you are pregnant with a child, an idea, a work of art or an intention. Close your eyes and picture the light from the candle streaming into your womb so that the rosebud blooms, unfolds. Hold the image for a while, feeling the silkiness, smelling the scent, the freshness, seeing the color of the fully open rose within you. Feel the strength and power of your own fully blossomed capabilities. Say:

I am woman, strong to conceive and to create, to give birth and to tend. As I am daughter of the Goddess, and blessed by the God, may I ___

{here name what you wish to bring forth in life. For example bring healing to others or write my book whatever matters to you}

Feel the strength and creative force within your womb, the center of your being. See the power being channeled, flowing into the desire you have just voiced. Open your eyes. Always, the rose is within you.

For a Man: Visualize a bright flame. This burns within your sexual center, a point at the base of the stomach, just above the pubic hairline. It is your own male strength and energy which may rise through your body to be released as giving, fertilizing power, in any form, or may be the potency which impregnates, creating a physical child. It is the force which blesses and bestows, a healing and creative energy, like the shining Sun. Visualize also that you are sitting in a garden and that a rose tree is in front of you, the roses in bud. Say:

I am man, and in my passion is beauty, in my warmth is life. As I am son of the Goddess, and blessed by the God, I offer my strength and vitality to ___
{name the area of life, the place, activity, or commitment you choose}

Visualize the light streaming from you to a rose upon the tree causing it to unfold, to blossom. Your flame is lowered by this effort. Much has gone out of you, the flame sinks down. Wait and watch, until a pink light streams from the rose towards your body. At its touch, just above the pubic hairline the flame resurges. It burns higher and stronger than before. Open your eyes. The flame is always within you. (Credit from Mae Beth)

Beltane Charms 

Fertility Charms:

 

-Carry a bagful of hazel nuts to ensure your own fertility.

 

-Other herbs to ensure fertility are basil, hazel, poppy, cucumber, apple, pomegranate, acorns, myrtle, and all other nuts.

 

-Men should carry a piece of mandrake root to ensure their won fertility and sexual prowess, while the jasmine flower does the same for women. The first seven herbs listed above can be added to food and take internally to ensure proper fertility, or they can be introduced into sachets, as can acorns, myrtle and nuts.

 

-Bull Amulet: To increase fertility in women and men, wear a bull shaped amulet, or place on under the bed before making love.

 

-Fish Amulet: An amulet shaped like a pair of fish and made of gold or mother of pearl will increase fertility and virility, bring prosperity and offer you protection from people you hate or who have evil intentions.

 

-Goat Amulet: The symbol of the goat (sacred to Aphrodite and the Horned God) increases fertility when worn or carried as an amulet, and is especially favorable for those born under the sign of Capricorn.

 

-Ram Amulet: An amulet in the shape of a ram will increase fertility in women.

 

-Unicorn Amulet: The unicorn is a ancient symbol of chastity and protection, and it’s fabled born was said to be used in medieval times as an amulet to detect poisons in the food or drinks of kings, queens, pontiffs and popes. To promote fertility or increase sexual magnetism, wear any type of amuletic jewelry shaped like a unicorn.

 

-Goddess Amulet: of course a lot of females in the early pagan years would wear the goddess to ensure protection and to ask to become a mother, as mother earth herself gives and takes life.

 

-Magickal soil; What to do: Relax. Put the pot on the table and take up some dirt. Play with it loosely, so it doesn’t clump. Then visualize your plant growing healthy and full. Visualize this for a few moments. If you can, bring up nurturing emotions. Place the soil in the pot and then get another handful and do the same thing. Do this until it’s at a good height in the pot. Then stick the Seed in and make it all neat and nice. Don’t compact the soil too much if you can help it. Pour some water in and visualize the energy within the earth immediately going to work and feeding energy into the plant. Don’t forget to water your plants! Nuture your plant see it grow as if it was your child. This plant will be your child, so take good care of it.

 

Fertility Spells:

Fertility Gris Gris Bag Spell:

Fill a leather pouch with one each of these stones: amethyst, clear quartz crystal, chrysoprase and aventurine/ Moonstone. Place fresh rosemary or Roses under the bed when trying to conceive, and wear the pouch around your neck each time you try. This will increase your chances of becoming pregnant. Also have a warm bath and use rose oil, or rose petals to help the blood circulation around the body to relax.

 

Once pregnant, keep the pouch until after you deliver to ease your labor pains and help ensure a safe delivery. Before your baby is one month old, give the stones away, particularly to a friend who is pregnant or who is also trying to conceive.

 

Fertility Spell for Both:

Go and find an Apple Tree, try to collect the Sapp from the branches, and rub it into your hands or face. Also collect an apple to share with your partner.

 

You ask a family member or friend who has not long had a baby, if you could have one of their baby’s nappy. After making love with your partner, you attach the nappy to your belly before going to sleep, and you dream of the child you want within your life. You do this until you conceive then rid the nappy once your pregnancy is safe.

 

Take a romantic shower or bath (preferably with your partner) and massage the Apple or Orange scented body cream into your skin, taking care around your tummy and pelvic area where the baby’s life will begin.

 

Imagine that you and your partner’s hands are glowing with a warm golden light, which is filling all this area with life and warmth. Visualize that you are pregnant as you gently place the pearls (fake if need be) around your neck and repeat these beautiful magic words:

 

“PRECIOUS JEWELS OF LUNAR, I OFFER THIS ADORNMENT IN HONOR OF YOUR POWER.  LET FERTILE LIGHT SHINE THROUGH ME. O SO LET IT BE DONE  BLESSED BE”

 

Egg wish spell for fertility:

“On an egg whose shell is brown or pink,

Sign these signs in grass-green ink.

[a simple sun, a male symbol, an encircled equilateral cross, a female sign,

then an upside-down 5-pointed star]

Bury it deep in an earth-filled pot,

Let this stand where the sun is hot;

Sow on its surface seeds of grass,

Water them well while nine weeks pass

Gather the crop, bind it with thread

Let it hang always above your bed

 

Getting Pregnant Spell

You will need the following:

–ace of wands, 10 of cups, the SUN,

–something for a baby you bought specifically for this ritual (a bib, a small blanket…etc…..),

–9 red candles.

Light the candles and lay out the tarot cards one by one.

Visualize yourself finding out your pregnant, staring at a positive pregnancy test. Repeat the following:

With these cards and with this spell- I call upon the good and helpful powers. I desire to start a family – I desire energy and love to continue.

This small item (hold up the baby item) is the token of the commitment we are ready to make. We are ready to love our children – we are ready to teach our children and we are ready to have our children. so it is – so it shall be!

Seal this spell with kisses and hugs followed by the actions necessary to start a family.

Seashells represent fertility. She can create a small seashell altar in her bedroom.

If she wants to add a deity, I’d use the Goddess of Willendorf.

Any round and fertile/pregnant goddess will work, and there are many!

Holed stones are also symbols of fertility.

Have her carry one her person or have her wear one around her neck as a charm.

Placing one by the bed or between the matters is also good. Eat healthy!

Diet plays an extreme part in fertility. Use visualization.

She must be relaxed. Also, studies show that when the man and woman climax together, the woman has a higher chance of conception. Full moons… In tribal times and pre-electricity, women would ovulate around the Full Moon and menstruate around the Dark or New Moon. One way to get yourself onto this cycle is to start paying more attention to the phases of the moon and also going out under the moon for even a minute or two.

 

Magic Fertility Potion:

For Men or Women to overcome infertility, increase sperm count and strengthen the sex drive,

burn one stick of musk incense as an offering to the fertility deity of your choice, and take twenty milligrams of royal jelly every day. –not only does royal jelly possess sexual rejuvenating properties, it is also reputed to increase the size of the male genitals is used often enough. and eat this! Globe Artichoke Cynara scolymus. Globe artichokes are under the Dominion of Venus.

 

Fertility and love spell for love – Prior to a love encounter, the body should be rubbed from head to toe with

powdered cinnamon. A small stick of cinnamon should be placed in the mouth before addressing the person desired. Oshun should be invoked during the encounter.

 

Fertility and love spell for Motherhood – A honeydew melon is bought in Oshun’s name. A short letter asking

Oshun for a child is written on a piece of brown paper, which is then placed inside the melon through a narrow slit made on its side. The fruit is then wrapped in a yellow handkerchief and a white candle is burned in Oshun’s name. At the end of five days the melon is brought to the river with twenty-seven cents.

 

Simple Pregnancy Spell:

Repeat to each direction (east, west, etc.)

“To you my child, my body is open,

To you my child, my mind is open.

To you my child, my heart is open.

By Earth, Fire, Wind, and Sea,

Into my arms you will be.”

(Last two lines are said while looking at your cradled arms)

So Mote It Be!

March 20th Est. Time Spring Equinox! Ostara is coming!

The Spring Equinox for all witch kind is on March 20th around 4:57 pm!

Taking in the importance of the spring equinox I will love to share some special things about what you should do for this amazing celebration! 

While Pagans and Wiccans are celebrating Ostara, and Christians are observing Easter, it’s important to remember that the dawning of spring has been observed for a long time in many other cultures as well. Traditions vary widely from one country to the next. Here are some ways that residents of different parts of the world observe the season.

 

The Festival of Isis was held in ancient Egypt as a celebration of spring and rebirth. Isis features prominently in the story of the resurrection of her lover, Osiris. Although Isis’ major festival was held in the fall, folklorist Sir James Frazer says in The Golden Bough that “We are told that the Egyptians held a festival of Isis at the time when the Nile began to rise… the goddess was then mourning for the lost Osiris, and the tears which dropped from her eyes swelled the impetuous tide of the river.”

Iran:

In Iran, the festival of No Ruz begins shortly before the vernal equinox. The phrase “No Ruz” actually means “new day,” and this is a time of hope and rebirth. Typically, a lot of cleaning is done, old broken items are repaired, homes are repainted, and fresh flowers are gathered and displayed indoors. The Iranian new year begins on the day of the equinox, and typically people celebrate by getting outside for a picnic or other activity with their loved ones. No Ruz is deeply rooted in the beliefs of Zoroastrianism, which was the predominant religion in ancient Persia before Islam came along.

Ireland:

In Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated each year on March 17. St. Patrick is known as a symbol of Ireland, particularly around every March. One of the reasons he’s so famous is because he drove the snakes out of Ireland, and was even credited with a miracle for this. What many people don’t realize is that the serpent was actually a metaphor for the early Pagan faiths of Ireland. St. Patrick brought Christianity to the Emerald Isle, and did such a good job of it that he practically eliminated Paganism from the country.

Italy:

For the ancient Romans, the Feast of Cybele was a big deal every spring. Cybele was a mother goddess who was at the center of a Phrygian fertility cult, and eunuch priests performed mysterious rites in her honor. Her lover was Attis (who also happened to be her grandson), and her jealousy caused him to castrate and kill himself. His blood was the source of the first violets, and divine intervention allowed Attis to be resurrected by Cybele, with some help from Zeus. In some areas, there is still an annual celebration of Attis’ rebirth and Cybele’s power, called the Hilaria, observed from March 15 to March 28.

Judaism:

One of Judaism’s biggest festivals is Passover, which takes place in the middle of the Hebrew month of Nisan. It was a pilgrimage festival, and commemorates the exodus of the Jews from Egypt after centuries of slavery. A special meal is held, called the Seder, and it is concluded with the story of the Jews leaving Egypt, and readings from a special book of prayers. Part of the eight-day Passover traditions include a thorough spring cleaning, going through the house from top to bottom.

Russia:

In Russia, the celebration of Maslenitsa is observed as a time of the return of light and warmth. This folk festival is celebrated about seven weeks before Easter. During the Lent season, meat and fish and dairy products are prohibited. Maslentisa is the last chance anyone will get to enjoy those items for a while, so it’s typically a big festival held before the somber, introspective time of Lent. A straw effigy of the Lady of Maslenitsa, is burned in a bonfire. Leftover pancakes and blintzes are tossed in as well, and when the fire has burned away, the ashes are spread in the fields to fertilize the year’s crops.

Scotland (Lanark):

In the area of Lanark, Scotland, the spring season is welcomed with Whuppity Scoorie, held on March 1. Children assemble in front of a local church at sunrise, and when the sun comes up, they race around the church waving paper balls around their heads. At the end of the third and final lap, the children gather up coins thrown by local assemblymen. According to the Captial Scot, there’s a story that this event began ages ago when troublemakers were “scoored” in the Clyde River as punishment for bad behavior. It appears to be unique to Lanark, and does not seem to be observed anywhere else in Scotland.

Happy Valentines Day Sisters and Brothers =]

Merry Meet! I hope your Day and Night is filled with the love of the Goddess and the full moon shines Making a perfect day to Cast and show your love to your deities! Nyx is my Goddess and I Have my alter decorated for her for giving me Love, Peace and happiness! I hope you are getting Peace and happiness as well!  Merry part! and blessed be! 

Calling the Elements for imbolic!

 

 

During the second day of Imbolc Here is how you can call the elements you can even click on the page and print it out for your book of shadows! Merry part and Merry Meet again! My goddess is Nyx, but her daughter is the Goddess that is celebrated during this holiday Gaia.