Blessed Water and House cleansing…….

Merry Meet again friends.  We are having such beautiful weather here in Ohio.  It’s going to be in the 70’s the next few days!  Quite warm for this time of year.  Windows were open and fresh air allowed to blow in and clean out the stagnant air that builds up when the house is all shut up and the heat is on all the time.  I thought I would take advantage of this and do a thorough house cleansing and blessing before the house is shut up all winter long.

During a Full Moon, I always make up a batch of Moon water or Blessed Water.  For Moon Water, I just mix sea salt and spring water in a bowl and set it out all night in the light of the full moon.  I then consecrate it and bless it and bottle it.  My Blessed Water is actually a ritual I found  from Silver Ravenwolf years ago.  I really like making it this way.  I feel the water is truly blessed and it smells great too!  Here is the ritual to make it…..

Gather these supplies…..

1 tsp of Rose Water
3 tbsp sea salt
1 small bowl of spring water
1 clean glass container
1 storage bottle (small)

Time: Midnight during a Full Moon phase.
Place: Out of doors under the moon, or near a window that will reflect the light of the moon.
Set out your work cloth and all ingredients upon it.
Take five or six deep breaths to relieve the stress of the day.
Cast your Magick circle if you wish to do so…

When you are ready  Say:

“In the cloak of the midnight hour
I call upon the Ancient Power
I seek the presence of the Lady and Lord
To bless this water that I will pour.”

Add the rose water to the spring water. Pick up the bowl of water, hold it toward the light of the moon, and say:

 “In my hands I hold the essence of the Gods.

I hereby cleanse and consecrate this water to Divinity,

 that it may be used for positive acts only,

 and may aid me in my Magickal work.”

Imagine a silver light from the Moon Goddess coming from above into the bowl of water and giving it Her energy.

 Set the water down and pick up the salt.   Say: 

“In my hands I hold the essence of Earth Mother;

She whose bounty sustains all living creatures.

 I hereby consecrate this salt to Divinity,

 that it may be used for positive acts only,

 and may aid me in my Magickal work.”

As with the water, imagine the energy of the Moon Goddess empowering the salt.
 Pour a little into the bowl of water, and stir clockwise three times. Repeat this process twice more.
With both hands raise the bowl towards the moon to reflect the light of the moon into the bowl. After a few moments say:

 “This liquid is now pure and dedicated to the Lord and Lady.

It is free from all negativity in any time and any space.”

Set down the bowl and hold out both of your hands, palms down, over the bowl, about one inch above the water.
Take a moment to feel the energy from your body and send it into the water..giving it your power as well the power from the Moon Goddess….imagine a bright light coming from the water showing it has received the energy and power.  Then say:                                                                       

“As I will
So mote it be
With the free will of all
And harm to none 
 This formula is done!”

 You may ground your energy in two ways. Either place your hands physically upon the ground and feel the energy drain into Earth Mother, or imagine your energy as a force field around you, and quietly step back out of the skeleton of energy and watch it collapse in upon itself and melt into the ground.

Transfer the water to your storage container and store it away until you are ready to cleanse and consecrate your sacred space.

I just love this simple beautiful ritual.  I have a lovely colored glass bottle I keep my Blessed Water in..and I make a new batch every full moon or every other.  Now for a simple house cleansing.  First you make sure your house is physically clean.  Yes, this is the part most of us don’t love..but it doesn’t make sense to cleanse and bless a house magickally if it isn’t clean physically.  It just won’t work!  Declutter and dust, sweep, mop…light candles and put on nice music..really make your home sparkle and smell great!

To do the cleansing there are different ways to do it.  One simple way is; Starting at your front door and moving clockwise..sprinkle the Blessed Water ..which is salt and water…or the elements of Earth and Water….all around the outside edges and around the doors and windows of your home.   Then you can light incense…which is Fire and Air….and use the incense smoke and do the same thing you did with the water.  You can also use a smudge stick instead of incense. This is a simple and easy way to do.  Keep in mind that while you are doing this…you are putting your intention out to the universe that you are clearing your home of all things negative and making room for positive energy in your home.  Another way to cleanse the house that I love is this ritual that I use often!

Light a white candle in the main room of your home.  With your Blessed Water, sprinkle it all around the doors and windows of your home.   Make certain you get each and every one. Next, choose the room that has the strongest negative feel to it.  In a cauldron, light a piece of charcoal. 

Then add:                                                                                                        

1 tablespoon powdered garlic

1 tablespoon peppermint

 1 tablespoon ground clove

 1 tablespoon dried/powdered thistle

handful or two of sweetgrass, sage or dried oak leaves

  Carefully light the mixture so that it smolders, giving off an aromatic smoke. Leaving the candle lit, carry the cauldron in to each room and repeat the following:

“With Lord and Lady and elements of Earth, Water, Fire and Air

 I clear this space of the darkness I cannot bear
                                           

  I consecrate this space with salt and herb’s scent

Bring in joy and love with my consent

May these rooms be cleansed of negativity

As I will it, so mote it be!”

  When you have done each room, return to the first, set the bowl beside the candle and wait for the remaining mixture to burn out. Take the ash outside and sprinkle it over the grass/flowerbed/etc, thereby returning it to the Mother.

You should feel a huge difference in the energy of your home after doing this.  The New Moon is a great time to cleanse your home very month too.  I do it during that time often.  Also, the house cleansing loose incense can be made up anytime and kept in a jar just for this purpose!  You want to do this excellent cleansing before your house looks like this! 🙂

So how is your home feeling…a little stagnant?  You feel tired or lethargic?  Maybe appliances are breaking down?  Your pets and kids are acting crazy?  Well try cleansing your home.  I bet it’ll help alot!  I wish you all a home filled with love, joy, health, and good positive energy! When you are done with all this hard work, you can enjoy the beautiful weather…or if your weather is cold and getting snowy, go sit by the fire with a cup of something warm, your kitty, and a good book!

Blessings to you all, Autumn

3 Comments

Filed under Loose incense recipe, Ritual, Spells

My favorite things…..

Merry Meet again my lovelies….

“We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.”  ~Thornton Wilder

This is a beautiful quote…it is indeed the moments that we are appreciative of our “treasures”  that make us feel happy,  joyful, and grateful.  I have so much going on right now in my life..some of it very stressful indeed…that I am physically feeling the effects of my emotions.  I don’t feel well and I’m sooo tired and I know it’s that I feel my life is out of my control right now and I’m worried about my loved ones who are going thru some trials right now in their lives.

But I have lit a fire, I have my candles going and my crystals are out and I have quieted enough to comtemplate what is good in my life.  So I’m listing some of my favorite things..just little things that make me happy!

* A fire in my fireplace  *The smell of my pumpkin spice candle    *my new flannel jammies..pink!   * Old Black/White Classic movies   *The sound of the heat kicking on ..on a cold night      *A good book to curl up with     *My red tartan plaid wool blanket         *Looking at my cats curled up with me or at my feet      *A glass of red wine     *Oatmeal with brown sugar and raisins for dinner      *A fresh swept floor    *The Full Moon shining bright in the sky   *Soft instrumental music    *Holiday music!    *a stack of magazines and catalogs to look thru      *an extra hour’s sleep      *A misty morning sunrise          *A pink glowy sunset  *The comfort of knowing I’m a child of the Goddess    *The pleasure of being a Witch and all that life entails     * Dried herbs hanging in my kitchen      *The smell of fresh laundered towels     *A long soaking hot bath with oils and lit candles         *Crocheting a blanket for my Lily    *My hubby who keeps checking in on me and my daughter…asking if we need anything      *Knowing I have nothing I HAVE to do tomorrow     *My Spirit Sisters          *My facebook friends         * Talking on the phone with Daughter #2 while Daughter #1 snoozes on the couch          *Hearing my little granddaughter Lily saying “Hi Nana” on the phone  The chilly drizzly night   *The deer I’ve been catching in my yard lately     *A new piece of jewelry    *An old piece of jewelry     *The New Moon dark nights      *The smell of patchouli incense       *A card from a friend in the mail     *puppy breath    *Chili cooking in a crockpot    *Football Sunday     *Online Holiday shopping     *A compliment   *A hug    *an I love you     *The chiming of my grandfather clock     *Lavender lotion   *A great pen    * Journaling 

 LOL..I could go on forever…”these are a few of my favorite things”…the song..rings in my head right now!  What do you love?  Make a list…I am nowhere near done, could have listed 100 more!  But I wanted to show the things I could list just in my view or happening to me while I was writing this post.  There is so much about life to be thankful for….Life is about the little things, after all, there is way more little things packed into a day then the big things.  I believe the more we focus on the sweet small things, the less the big not so great things won’t bother us so much. 

Take time everyday to find the sweet little things in your life.  Just sit and look around.  If you don’t find them, then you are really not in a good place and I hope that isn’t true for any of my readers.  If that is the case..then find just one thing…I know you will find just one thing.  Then find the 2nd thing….if thats all for today, that is fine!   Tomorrow, try for 3!~ 

I wish you all a life filled with YOUR favorite things, joy, love, blessings, peace and the ability to recognize that you have those things!  Blessed Be and Blessed New Moon!

2 Comments

Filed under Family, My Favorite Things, Quote

Giving Thanks…..

Merry Meet my friends!  I hope you all had a wonderful Samhain..I know I did.  It was a gorgeous weekend weather wise for us..cool and crisp and sunny!  Just perfect.  We spent Beggar’s night at my daughters so we could pass out candy for them while my little granddaughter went out trick or treating with her mommy and daddy.  She is almost 2 and only made it to 6 houses before she had enough and wanted to go home!  She wanted to be with me and her grandfather and Auntie!  We had great pizza and ate candy and visited…it was a nice night.  Samhain night was just for me at my altar..quietly honoring my loved ones and ancestors and yes, my pets, who have passed on.  It was a beautiful experience and I believe that some of them came for a visit.  On Nov 1 night, I shared a beautiful formal circle celebration ritual with my sisters in spirit…it was magickal also.  While I was outside doing my ritual…two gorgeous Does decided to walk across our yard..not far from me…stopped and checked me out and then walked on their way!  It was so amazing as I have always felt that Deer are one of my totem animals.  I find them so mystical and I think it was a message from my ancestors!  For me, a perfect Samhain..and I hope yours was too.

Now, its November and it is the month of Thanksgiving.  For this month, via my facebook page and here on my blog, I will be talking about thankfulness and gratitude and random acts of kindess.  As a Witch, and a daughter of the Goddess,  I believe that Love is why we are here…what the world is all about..What Goddess and God, however you see them…want for us.  I found this quote and I thought I needed to post it here….

“It is literally true, as the thankless say, that they have nothing to be thankful for.  He who sits by the fire, thankless for the fire, is just as if he had no fire.  Nothing is possessed save in appreciation, of which thankfulness is the indispensable ingredient.  But a thankful heart hath a continual feast.”                  ~W.J. Cameron

I totally believe this quote to be true.  If we live without gratitude…then we have nothing…because we don’t notice it, don’t appreciate it, take it for granted.  If we aren’t grateful for what we have…then it might as well not be there!!

 I learned of the book “Simple Abundance” by Sarah Ban Breathnach about 16-17 years ago on a tv show.  I was struck by the idea of finding something to be thankful for every day.  I bought the book, read it, and it really did change my life.  I started a journal right then and to this day, I keep a journal and write in it; sometimes everyday, sometimes once-twice a month.  In these journals (I have about 20 now), every day that I write in it, I write what I am grateful for on that given day.  Sometimes, it’s hard to find something…but with practice, I learned that it got easier and easier.  Finding gratitude in the small things has changed my life for the better.  I am happier with what I have and who I am.

What are you grateful for today?  It could be big stuff…like the birth of a child, buying a house, money coming your way, a marriage.  But most days..it could be that it wasn’t raining, that the baby slept thru the night, that you didn’t burn dinner, that your mother was in a good mood, or that your husband helped you clean up dishes after dinner.  But even those mundane everyday things, noticing them and appreciating them makes your life better!  Soon you will notice, the sun shining in the window onto your breakfast table, the pretty pitcher that was your grandmothers that you serve your OJ in, the smell of your kids fresh from their bath, the feel of your cat curled up next to you,..I could go on and on.  But you get my point.  Everyday make a point to NOTICE something to be thankful for.  Maybe you would be inspired to keep a notebook or a journal and jot them down…soon that list will grow and grow.  Something bad happen to you or you had a bad day?  Find the silver lining…it’s there I promise.  I have been thru alot of sad and terrible things in my life and yet, I have found the silver lining in almost every situation.  This wasn’t always the case I promise you..I’m not Mary Sunshine…but finding a way to find grace in every day…made my life lovely.

Today, I will thank each of you who come to visit my blog.  I appreciate you and am thankful for you.  I have a lot of readers but not alot of subscribers.  Sign up to follow me..I’d love to have more of you as subscribers.  It just means you’ll get an email when I write a new post.  Thank you so much for those who leave comments too.  I am also grateful today for being an American and having the right to vote!  I voted..did you?

Until my next post, thank you and Blessed Be, Autumn

2 Comments

Filed under Books I'm reading, Family, Granddaughter, Quote, Ritual, Samhain, Thank You!

Blessed Samhain……

Merry Meet friends!  It’s Here!  Samhain weekend!  The world is full of busy happy witches right now. 

There are feasts and bonfires, cooking and brewing, trick or treating and costumes, spells and rituals, Dumb suppers and quiet time with our loved ones who have passed.  The veil is thin, the quarter moon shines, and it’s the Witches New Year!!  My post is short as I will be a very busy witch the next few days also!  I fell in love with this poem and thought it says how we are all feeling at this magickal time of year.

The wheel has turned, the wheel of light,
 stoke the fire and make it bright…
Samhain call, samhain come,
 feel the rhythm , hear the drum..
.The veil it thins, the veil it shrouds,
 the spirits rise upon darkened cloud…..
The time of orange , time of black,
 time to move forward and not look back…
.Pumpkin lit , with candle burn,
 away dark spirits this guardian turns…..
Night of the ancients, night of the olds,
 remembered in stories now to be told…..
The Crone doth rise upon this night,
 look into the shadows without a fright…..
Rituals and rites across the lands,
 empowers the soul where they stand….
 Trick or treat, heal or curse ,
 the hand should be crossed from a silver purse…….
The Wheel begins its time anew,
 the release of the old for the knowledgeable few….
The time to scry to see the path we must take,
 and of the choices we need to make….
She comes to us in many guises
 the Crow and the owl her favourite disguises….
The Earth gives us her last to give,
 the bountiful harvest so we can live…
We feast and drink in a sacred space,
 behind samhain masks to hide our face…..
Through darkened day and moonlight night
 All hallows Eve is a beautiful sight…..

(C) Copyright Phiona Hutton July 2010

My wish for all of you is that you be a Happy Blessed Witch at this Most special time of Year.  Hugs and love to you and your families!
Blessed Be, Autumn

 

7 Comments

Filed under Poem, Samhain

The Dumb Supper……..

Merry Meet my friends…Samhain draws ever nearer and I find myself thrilling to it.  Darkness falls earlier each night…the wind is brisk and leaves are falling…jack o’lanterns are showing up on porches…the veil in thinning…Magick is afoot!

Samhain is about honoring our ancestors; our loved ones who have passed beyond the veil.  One way to do this is to have a Dumb Supper.  This year, my family will be having one.  A Dumb Supper or Silent Supper is just that..everyone present stays silent during the meal.  There are a few particulars about the meal too….it should be held in sacred space.  You can accomplish the sacred space in your own kitchen or dining room simply by casting a circle, cleansing and consecrating it.  All table service should be black..this includes the tablecloth, plates, glasses, napkins etc.  I don’t have black dishes so I accomplish this with a visit to a party store and I buy the heavy plastic dishes.  Third, I only use candles for lighting or oil lamps…this gives the space the beauty and somberness it deserves. Lastly, each guest should bring a prayer for their loved ones who are being honored and they may bring their divination tool of choice also.

The chair at the head of the table can be shrouded in black…now the Spirit chair.  Then you may leave other chairs empty to represent the loved one you’ve lost or your ancestor.   When setting the table, place a black votive candle at each empty chair that represents a deceased loved one or ancestor and a white votive candle at the Spirit Chair.  Light each candle. Place your hands on the shrouded chair and ask for Spirit to be with you. Walk to each ancestor’s chair touch it, explaining that the ritual is being done in the ancestors’ honor.

The host of the feast sits in the chair opposite the shrouded chair. As each guest enters the room, he or she should go to the Spirit chair, touch it, then go to each of the ancestors’ chairs and place a prayer under each plate or say a simple prayer silently. The guests then take their seats, join hands and pray a wordless blessing of the meal and for all present. The host serves the empty chairs, beginning at the head of the table. Then the host serves the living guests from oldest to youngest.

After the feast is done and all have finished eating, all join hands, silently asking for the blessings of Spirit on the living and the dead. Now is the time to gather each prayer left under a plate and burn it in the flame of the candle by that plate, catching the ashes in a container. On the sign from the host, the guests leave the area, stopping by empty places or ancestral altar on their way out.

After the host thanks Spirit, the guests return to share any impressions they received during the feast. The table is cleared, and divination can be done. Allow the candles to burn until all have gone home, and then snuff each candle. Throw the candle ends and prayer ashes into a moving body of water, or bury them off the property.

I find this to be just a beautiful way to honor our loved ones…the meal should be simple, delicous and beautiful.  Even if its just your immediate small family, this ritual can be very touching and magickal.  While you are silent, or during divination after the meal, listen to see if anyone has a message for you…do you feel their presence? 

My paternal grandmother was a christian woman whom I loved dearly…and whom I believe gave me my early understanding of the witch in me!  She was a witch and didn’t know it!  She had a huge garden that she loved spending time in..she taught me to know when veggies were ready to be picked..how to shell peas and snap green beans and make homemade apple sauce and apple butter.  She made her own home remedies..she taught us to lay in a hammock and look at the starry sky…taught us to listen for the birds, how to make a doll from hollyhocks..she was wonderful!  A meal at her house ..even breakfast..was a 7 course meal full of things made with love from her garden.  I often feel her near to me…and I know she is aware of our lives and whats going on with us.  I will celebrate her at my Dumb Supper..along with other grandparents, a good friend and yes, even my two little dogs.  And this year, I have a baby grandchild who was lost in early pregnancy but I believe I will know in another life. 

Beggar’s night in my area, is on saturday night the 30th.  My family will celebrate that as well!  We live on a windy country road and pretty far from the road and we don’t get trick-or-treaters here, so we head over to my daughter and son-in-laws house for the evening.  She makes chili, cornbread and an apple dessert.  This year my nearly two year old granddaughter Lily will be going out to collect her candy in her darling lady bug costume while us grandparents and Auntie will pass out candy at their house.  Then we have a nice casual meal and just enjoy being together!  I can’t wait!

I send my wishes to you all for a Blessed Samhain..and my your ancestors and loved ones come thru the veil to spend some time with you.

Blessed Be, Autumn

2 Comments

Filed under Family, Ritual, Samhain

Blood Moon……..

Merry Meet my friends and a Blessed Blood Moon to you.  Yes, this is a day late..but I believe the energy of the Full Moon lasts for 3 days before and 3 days after.  The Moon still looks full and bright tonight in my neck of the woods!  Last night I only sat and communed with the Moon Goddess.  I prayed, absorbed Her energy and reflected on the blessings She has given me.

The October Full Moon is called the Blood Moon, the Hunters Moon, the Harvest Moon, the Cold Moon, the Shedding Moon or the Falling Leaf Moon. Coming right before Samhain,  it comes in the Autumn, when nights are colder and darkness arrives earlier each night.  The harvest is over and the Earth is turning brown, animals are gathering food and making their winter homes ready, birds are gathering to fly south, and families are starting to think about the holidays and the winter months. 

Moon lore talks about the Blood Moon or Hunters Moon being named so because  hunters  tracked and killed their prey by autumn moonlight, stockpiling food for the winter ahead. You can picture them: silent figures padding through the forest, the moon overhead, pale as a corpse, its cold light betraying the creatures of the wood.  It was the final harvest…the sacrifice of livestock. 

At this time of year, the God is dying and returning to the Underworld, awaiting to be reborn at Yule.  The Goddess is a Crone, wise in her years, mourning the loss of her love,  leaving the world in darkness during her time of despair.  On this Full Moon, reflect on your sacrifices, your losses.  How have they affected your life in the last year..was it positive or negative?   What would you change if you could?  How does the coming dark time of the year affect your mood, your life?  

I know many people who have SAD..Seasonal Affective Disorder.  It’s a form of depression that happens in the dark months of late Fall and Winter.  They feel sad, moody, lazy, grumpy and un-motivated.  I am the total opposite.  I love Fall and Winter.  I think of it more as a time to rest, nest, catch up on projects and organizing INSIDE…catching up on reading, hanging by the fireplace, cooking up great comforting meals, taking walks on a snowy night..wearing sweaters and scarves and hats and big warm coats.  Knitting blankets, working on my Book of Shadows, making herbal concoctions from the herbs I grew, harvested and dried.  Yule happens in the Winter..whats not to love about this time of year.  If you have SAD, try to be more active, use light therapy, peruse garden books dreaming of spring, start a new hobby….these can help you to get thru the months that you don’t feel well.

So go out tonight and enjoy the bright Blood Moon and think about the coming cold dark winter.  How are you going to live your life during this time?  Ask for guidance, clarity, energy….listen quietly for an answer.  Listen to your inner voice.  You can lament the loss of warmth and light or you can find joy in darkness.  Your choice my friend!

Blessed Be, Autumn

6 Comments

Filed under Autumn, Full Moons, Goddess

Samhain incense recipe……

Merry Meet friends…thought I’d post a quick post on a Samhain loose incense recipe and a “how to” make loose incense.  I really enjoy making and using loose incense.  I feel so witchy choosing my herbs, grinding them using my stone mortar & pestle,  lighting the charcoal and placing it red hot in my cauldron, and carefully  placing the incense on the charcoal, a bit at a time,  and watching it smoke.  The smell is incredible..more potent then the sticks or cones.  Its great for smudging your home, blessing your altar, or for meditation and time spent at your altar.

First the recipe….

2 parts Cinnamon

1 part ground cloves

1 part Dragon’s Blood resin

1 part Hyssop

1 part Patchouli

2 parts Rosemary

1 part Sage

A dash of sea salt

Loose incense recipes are most often written as parts…parts can be a tsp, a Tb, a 1/4 cup…just depends on how much you want to make.  When I’m trying a new recipe I will just use a tsp..enough to see how it smells, see if I like it or want to make adjustments, such as more of one herb, or leaving one out totally, or adding something different.  This recipe is just a guide..you most certainly can adjust this to your liking..you are the maker..make it as you like it!!   Once I get the recipe the way I like it..I may make up the 1/4 cup size and store it in a tightly closed jar..well labeled. 

Now for the how to….

—You want to find the best ingredients to use in your incense. Start with scents you find intriguing on their own to use in your incense. The best mixtures make use of either a wood or resin as a base.  Herbs alone  will  burn way too fast  and smoke a bit too much.

—To make the best smelling incense, use fresh ingredients and  grind them yourself with your mortar and pestle.   You can buy ground herbs and powdered resins if you wish of course.   Woods and resins are take some elbow grease to grind.  Some witches use electric coffee grinders to do this…if you do, I would have a coffee grinder just for this purpose..you don’t want the scent of coffee in your incense or pathouli in your coffee! 🙂  I worry the grinding this way can release some of the scent..but it does save on alot of work.  If you have an antique coffee grinder..hand cranked..that would be an even better way to go! 

—Grind the woods, then the herbs, and lastly, the resins.   The resins are sticky and will absorb the woods and herbs from the mortar. Grind each ingredient separately and place in a bowl for mixing. 

                                                                                                              

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

—Once everything has been well ground, you can start to mix everything together. Mix the dry ingredients together (woods and herbs)  and the resins together if you are using more than one.  After both are well mixed, you can add the dry ingredients to the resin

—Now for the fun part..burning your incense!   To evenly distibute and disperse the heat, fill your incense burner with sand.  I know some who do this and some who don’t..your choice.  Then light your charcoal.  To light it, you may need to hold it with tweezers til it is well lit.  I actually use a pair of cheap scissors…works just as well.  Light it and hold it with the scissors/tweezers until the brick is well lit and turns blue.   After it is lit well, place in your cauldron or fireproof dish.  Then,  simply sprinkle your incense on top. Put about a tsp at a time on the charcoal..don’t put all of it at once on the charcoal…it’ll smoke nice that way and last longer!

—Storage for loose incense is best done in a glass jar with a tight-fitting  lid.  Store it in a dark, cool, dry place.  Label it well!

Making loose incense is easy, really.  It takes a bit more time than just lighting a cone or stick.  But the rewards are well worth it.  Play around with recipes….find a list of woods, resins, herbs in your witchy books or online…choose something from each list..then add more herbs..and you have a mix!  Do you love spicy scents like clove and cinnamon?  Woodsy like pine and cedar, Earthy like patchouli and sandalwood, Floral?  Sweet?  ..so many choices and 100’s of mixtures!

I hope you’ll give it a try if you don’t already make your own….you won’t be sorry.  I grow my own herbs which make it even more fun.  Planting, growing, harvesting, and grinding my own homegrown herbs….makes for a very happy Witch!

Blessings and good scents to you all, Autumn

7 Comments

Filed under How to make loose incense, Samhain

My Samhain Altar………

Merry Meet my witchy friends!  Today I finally got my Samhain Altar ready…my favorite altar I think for my favorite time of year!  I had so much fun choosing the fabric for the altar cloth..and I found the perfect one.  It is in indigo, black and orange..the colors representative of Samhain…it has Jack O’Lanterns, witches hats and witches brooms…just cheerful and fun.

My Samhain altar is about fun and seriousness at the same time.  The fun stuff is the owl, the pumpkin and raven, black roses, skulls etc.  The serious stuff…the pics of my ancestors who have gone on before and I will be calling on on Samhain night!  The witchy stuff..an orange Goddess candle to represent the last harvest festival, and the black God candle, to represent him dieing and waiting to be reborn in the spring.  Other harvest reps are the pumpkins, indian corn, acorns and leaves.  Crystals are jet, obsidian, black tourmeline, red river carnelian, orange carnelian and orange jasper.  There is a large piece of obsidian that could be used for scrying..as diviniation is very powerful at Samhain.  I have the reps for the quarters as always, one change is my cauldron is representing Air as I  will be burning loose incense rather than a cone or stick.  My atheme and wand are always on my altar of course.

My ancestors pictures are precious to me…these are mostly pics taken when they were young.  My maternal grandfather, both grandmothers, both sets of great grandparents and a great great grandmother.  An aunt who died when she was 2 years old..all mean much to me.  I call on them often and I can’t wait to visit with them again on Samhain night!  There is also pics of my two chihuahuas..Pepper and Charlie…my girls are in the pics too..but thank Goddess they are still with me!!  The thinning of the veil is a very magickal mystical night for all witches.  Who would you like to hear from that night? 

I just had to post this pic too..this is my male cat Jasper…1/2 of my familiars…coming to bless and approve my altar.  He does this everytime..the minute I’m done setting up…here he comes..he jumps up..sniffs around..bats the crystals around..plays with my wand and then jumps down.  He is a very witchy cat and I love him!

I mentioned that I would be burning a loose incense recipe on Samhain night…my next post will be about that..the recipe and the how to’s….I’ll post in the next day or so.

Merry Part until then..Samhain Blessings to each of you, Autumn

9 Comments

Filed under Altars, Samhain

Samhain……

Merry Meet friends!  Yes, I am writing a bit more this month than I normally do…I feel so inspired this time of year!  Thought I would post some info for those who may be new to paganism, wicca or witchcraft…and some of you who have been around awhile..might like the info too!

     Samhain is one of the Greater Wiccan Sabbats and is generally celebrated on Oct. 31st.  This Sabbat is the  third harvest festival. It marks the end of Summer and the beginning of Winter.  The God has died, returning to the Underworld to await his rebirth at Yule; the Goddess is the Crone, mourning her lost love, leaving the world for a time in darkness.    “Samhain” means “End of Summer” and its historical origin is The Feast of the Dead in Celtic lands.   It is believed that on this night, the veil Between the Worlds is at its thinnest point, making this an excellent time to communicate with the Other Side. It is a time  when the Dead are honored.  Pagans, Witches and Wiccans  honor their loved ones who have passed on to the Summerland.  Customs of this Sabbat are ancient and include the “Dumb Supper,” setting a place for the silent souls of departed loved ones at your table and lighting their way to your hearth with carved pumpkins and candlelight.

   Samhain is the Witches New Year and a very powerful time for magick.   Rituals for this night include Divination, Past-Life recall, spirit contact, meditation, and astral projection.  Samhain is a good time to do  spellwork for protection  and  is considered to be a good time to boost your confidence and security.  The correspondences below will help you to make the most of your spellwork on Samhain night!

 Samhain Correspondences

*Element/Gender- Water/Male

*Threshold- Midnight

*Symbolism- Death and transformation, Wiccan New Year, wisdom of the Crone, end of summer, Honoring our ancestors, thinning of the veil between worlds, death of the year, time outside of time, night of the Wild Hunt, begin new projects, end old projects, Magick, knowledge.

 *Symbols/Tools/Decorations- Jack-O-Lanterns, Balefires, Masks, Besom, Cauldron, the  Waning Moon, black altar cloth, oak leaves, acorns, straw, black cat,   Crescent Moon, grain, bare branches, pictures of ancestors, candles.

 *Herbs- Allspice, broom, comfrey, dandelion, deadly nightshade, mugwort, catnip, ferns,  flax ,mandrake, dragon’s blood, sage, straw, thistles, oak, wormwood

 *Incense/Oils- Frankincense, basil, yarrow, lilac, camphor, clove, wood rose, wormwood,  myrrh, patchouli, apples, mint, nutmeg, sage, ylang ylang

*Colors- Black, orange, indigo,

 *Stones/Crystals- Black stones, jet, obsidian, onyx, carnelian

 *Customs/Activities- Carving jack o’lanterns, spirit plate, ancestor altar, costumes, divination, the  Feast of the Dead, feasting, paying debts, drying winter herbs, masks,  bonfires, apples, tricks, bats, cats, ghosts

  *Foods- Apple, pumpkin pie, pomegranate, pumpkin, squash, hazelnuts, corn, cranberry muffins,   bread, ale, apple cider and herbal tea.

*Gods- Horned Hunter, Cernunnos, Osiris, Hades, Loki, Arawn, Anubis, Gwynn ap Nudd

 *Goddesses- The Crone, Hecate, Cerridwen, Arianrhod, Caillech, Baba Yaga, Bast, Hel

 *Spellworking/Ritual- Honoring/consulting ancestors, releasing the old, foreseeing the future, power, understanding death and rebirth, entering the underworld, divination, dance of the dead, fire calling, past life recall.

 Contemplate the coming winter, and use this time out of time to let die old ways of thinking, outworn beliefs, and negative patterns.  Meditate, rest, and incorporate relaxation techniques over the next weeks to deepen your psychic awareness and to restore your soul.  And await your own rebirth at Yule, as the Wheel comes round full circle once again.

Samhain is many witches favorite time of year..and I’m no exception.  Not only is Mother Earth resplendant in her glorious color, but there is Beggars Night for the children, there is trips to apple farms and pumpkin barns, bonfires, harvest parties, spooky hayrides, barn dances…there is baking with apples, caramel apples, popcorn balls, mulled cider, hot soups in crock pots…there is carving pumpkins and picking out costumes…it is a joyous time indeed!!  Make the most of every minute with your loved ones!   And don’t forget…..Witches Fly on Samhain Night!!!  I’ll be flying with my sisters across the Moon…come and meet up with us!!

Samhain Blessings to all of you, Autumn

4 Comments

Filed under Samhain

Thank you!

Merry Meet friends!  This is just a quick note to THANK YOU SO MUCH!!   I have gotten over 1000 hits here!  I am so grateful and happy for it!  I enjoy writing it and often stop to think about those who may be reading it.  I know some of you and some I don’t.  Feel free to leave comments and please subscribe to follow me…you can friend me on facebook too…just leave me a message that you came from my blog!

Thank you again so much.  Blessed Be…Autumn

6 Comments

Filed under Thank You!