Category: Spell Casting
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Harvesting your Magickal Herbs!
Harvesting and storing your magickal herbs!
Whether you’re an apartment dweller with a few small containers on the patio, or a rural gardener with an entire patch of magical goodies to choose from, harvesting homegrown herbs is a gratifying experience. You can either harvest a few bits at a time, as you need them, and use them fresh, or you can gather entire bunches at once to dry and preserve.
Harvesting Your Magical Herbs
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Gather fresh herbs from your garden for magical uses. Helen King / Fuse / Getty Images Although there’s no hard and fast rule about what to use when cutting herbs, some magical traditions recommend the use of a boline, or ritual cutting tool, for herb harvesting. If your tradition doesn’t require this, you can use any pair of garden snippers.
Keep in mind that the best time to harvest your herbs is early in the day, after the morning dew has dried away. Harvesting them early, before the sun has had time to dry them out, allows the plants to maintain their essential oils, which is an important part of herb use. The oils are what .
Basic cutting: if you’re only going to collect what you need for a ritual or working, simply snip off the leaves or stems that you’re going to use that day. Some herbs, like basil, are easily stripped of leaves just by sliding your fingers along the branch. Others, like rosemary, have a woody stem that is easier to snip off in its entirety. During the summer months, snipping off leaves and stems will encourage new growth in your plants.
If it’s the flowers you’re after, such as chamomile or lilacs, collect blooms after they’ve developed fully and opened up. If you’ve got a plant whose seeds are the main focus, be sure to wait until the seeds have fully developed and begun to dry and turn brown on their own. An easy way to gather seeds, such as on the dill plant, is to place a paper bag over the head of the plant, and shake it into the bag. Any dry seeds should fall easily into your paper sack.
Bunch cutting: If you’d like to gather entire bundles of herbs to hang up and dry, snip off the stems where they branch off from the main plant. This not only encourages new growth later in the season, it also makes it easier to hang them up in a bunch.
How to Dry Your Magical Herbs
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Maximilian Stock Ltd. /Taxi / Getty Images When you dry herbs, you have a couple of options as to method. A bundle or bunch of herbs can be tied together with string–use about a dozen stems tied together to make a nice fat bundle–and hung in a dry, airy place. It’s generally not a good idea to hang them in direct sunlight, because they can burn and become over-dry. You can hang them from a drying rack in a warm spot in your house, and let them sit for about three weeks. This is usually enough time to dry most herbs – you’ll know they’re done drying because the leaves will crack when you pinch them.
Again, if you’re harvesting the seeds or blossoms, use the paper bag method. Secure the bag over the head of your drying bundle, and as the plant dries, the seeds and flowers will fall off into the bag.
Another method that some people like to use–and it works well if you’re in a hurry–is to lay the gathered herbs flat on a cookie sheet and place it in the oven at a low temperature. This will take a few hours, and it makes your house smell amazing. Be cautious, though; you don’t want to overbake your herbs, because they’ll be useless if they burn.
If you have a dehydrator, you can use that in a similar manner as the oven method. Fortunately, a dehydrator works at a lower temperature than your oven, so the risk of burning your leaves is lower. Be sure to check them periodically to see if they’re done drying. Again, when the leaves crumble to the touch, they’re ready to go.
Storing Your Magical Herbs
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Store your herbs in glass jars for long-term use. Cavan Images / PhotoLibrary / Getty Images To store your herbs, there are a variety of methods you can use. While a plastic Zip-loc bag works well to keep air out, it doesn’t keep out the light, and that’s something you want to be sure to do. Use colored glass jars, or ceramic containers with an airtight lid to store your herbs. Be sure to label each jar with the herb’s name on it–and if it’s something that might be toxic, make sure you indicate this on the label, particularly if you have children in your home. Keep your herb jars in a cool, dark area; don’t store them over the stove or in an area that is known for high heat.
Source: learnreligions.com
learnreligions.com/harvesting-drying-and-storing-magical-herbs-2562025
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Rosemary Magick!
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Maximilian Stock Ltd. / Getty Images Rosemary was known to ancient practitioners. It was an herb known for strengthening the memory and helping the brain and was often cultivated in kitchen gardens. Roman priests used rosemary as incense in religious ceremonies, and many cultures considered it a herb to use as protection from evil spirits and witches. In England, it was burned in the homes of those who had died from illness and placed on coffins before the grave was filled with dirt. For magical use, burn rosemary to rid a home of negative energy, or as an incense while you meditate. Hang bundles on your front door to keep harmful people, like burglars, from entering. Source: learnreligions.com
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Yarrow in Magick!
Another popular herb during fall and Mabon is Yarrow! It's autumnal colors and readiness for harvest make it a natural addition to Mabon altars and spells!
Yarrow
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Chris Burrows / Getty Images Yarrow was often called Woundwort or Knight's Milfoil, thanks to its use in treatment of battle injuries. Scotland's Highlanders use it to make a healing ointment, and in the Orkney Islands, yarrow is used to make a tea that "dispels melancholia." Maud Grieve tells us in A Modern Herbal that the Romans referred to it as herba militaris, the soldier's herb. French workmen in the Middle Ages knew that yarrow worked well on injuries to fingers and hands – in fact, in some areas it was known as "the herb of carpenters."
In addition to its uses in soft-tissue injuries, yarrow is well known as a combatant against fever. A number of Native American tribes used it in teas that were given to the sick, to bring body temperatures down. In India, a tea called gandana is given to the ill to induce sweating, thus lowering the fever.
Yarrow can be used in magical workings related to healing, love, and courage. Wear it on your person to boost your self-esteem and courage, or carry a bunch of dried yarrow in your hand to stop fear. A sprig hanging over the marriage bed guarantees at least seven years of passion and love. Taking a ritual bath with yarrow can help increase your psychic abilities. It can also be used to exorcise negative energies from a place or person.
If you're working on a healing ritual for someone who is ill, consider burning dried yarrow as incense, or place a sachet of yarrow under the person's pillow to bring about restful sleep.
Other Names: Achillea, Lady's Mantle, Woundwort
Gender: Feminine
Element: Water
Planetary Connection: VenusYarrow has a fairly bitter taste, but you can use both the leaves and flowers in cooking. The leaves themselves, which are flat and paddle-shaped, can be chopped up, seasoned with some lemon juice and salt and pepper, and served either in a salad or with a light summer seafood dish. If you'd rather not eat it, try putting some yarrow flowers in a bowl and adding boiling water to it — then put your face over it and let the yarrow steam open your pores.
Note: pregnant women should not take yarrow internally, and it should not be used for undiagnosed bleeding.
Source: Learnreligions.com
learnreligions.com/magical-herb-correspondences-4064512
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Learning/Study Charms!
These charms are hand made by myself, then consecrated by both Mambo Sam and Parran Matt (That is right – they are triple consecrated!) to help the wearer get the most of their study time and prepare their best for test taking. Also helpful for test taking anxiety! They are easy to obscure – wear them on the included necklace around your neck under your shirt, or put them in the included carry case and keep it in your pocket (Or ladies – perfect to fit inside your bra!) Have it with you while studying at the library and also on test day. A great back to school gift for your favorite student! Only $15.95 BEFORE the sitewide 25% sale discount is applied at checkout! www.spellmaker.com/amulets
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Happy House Omelette! – Enjoy this recipe from Mambo Sam’s cookbook !
RITUALISTIC COOKING
Ritualistic cooking is an extremely ancient form of spell casting. Food has been linked with love, nurturing, and caring for centuries. Many people cook to show how much they care for their partners, families, friends, etc. Cooking takes on a ritualistic twist when any kind of magick ritual is added to boost the spiritual energy that cooking already has! In Reverend Samantha Corfield's cook book Cajun Voodoo Love Cookin', her Cajun family recipes for food and magick are shared with you. Detailed explanations of the rituals and the recipes are outlined for you. Here is a sample recipe from the book!
HAPPY HOUSE OMELETTE
by Mambo SamUsage: To smooth out problems after a fight
Ingredients:
1 dozen eggs
1 dozen raw, fresh oysters, drained
1 cup cooked crabmeat
1/8 pound unencased hot sausage, fried and drained (reserve drippings)
6 tablespoons cream
1 very finely chopped onion
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1/4 cup minced celery
Tabasco® sauce
Salt and pepper
Butter
Rum for flaming (optional)
Spiritual Gifts:
2 white tapers (candle)
1 glass (8 oz.) of water
1 serving of grits (or oatmeal, etc.)
1 paper bowl
2 small paper plates
1 pair women’s inexpensive sunglasses
1/2 cup of regular (plain) water
Before beginning your cooking:
- Line up your candles one before the other (in a vertical line) anywhere in the kitchen.
Put one candle in the rear, and the other in front of it, about 6 inches apart.
Put the grits in the paper bowl.
Put the grits and glass of water between the candles.
Set the sunglasses up around the grits and water
(The candles, sunglasses, grits and water are to remain in place overnight.)
- Go to any corner of the kitchen with the 1/2-cup of water.
Sprinkle some water from your fingertips in the corner three times.
- Go to the candles. Stamp the floor three times. Light the rear candle and say:
“Hey, Legba. Open the gate and let my words carry to the other side.”
Pause a moment, then light the front candle, clap your hands three times and say:
“Mademoiselle Florida. Florida. Florida, I am upset. You, my dear, truly the queen of luxury, may be of service to me. Listen to this. My man and I have had a fight. I want to smooth out the problems, Florida. And I want all women to have a soft life with their men. Mademoiselle, I ask this of you: Give me some of that luxury. Make my man and I relate to each other in a fashion smooth as silk, soft as satin, sweet as sugar. Do this for me, Florida, do it now.”
- Begin to make your omelet with your desire in mind.
Keep that desire in mind and honor Mademoiselle Florida during the preparation.
Start cooking:
In a large, nonstick frying pan melt 3 tablespoons of butter; add in sausage drippings, onion, parsley and celery. Cook about ten minutes or until tender. In a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs adding in the cream, a couple of dashes of Tabasco®, salt and pepper. Beat until frothy. Fold in the crabmeat, sausage and oysters. Pour into pan with the onion mixture. Fold from one side to the other, letting uncooked egg fall to the sides, then folding in. Do not overcook.
Slide out of pan onto warmed platter. If desired, pour a small amount of rum over the omelet and flame briefly.
Serves 10-12.
Serve for Sunday or holiday brunch with hash browns, buttered grits, and hot biscuits.
After cooking:
- Put out the front candle and say:
“Thank you, Florida, for hearing my cry and making my desire come true. If it pleases you, you may now depart.”
Pause a moment. Put the rear candle out and say:
“Thank you, Papa Alegba. If it pleases you, you may close the gate.”
- Cut out 2 small pieces of omelet and put each one onto a paper plate.
Before you eat (if not possible, then afterwards):
- Take the 2 paper plates with the omelet pieces outside and go to the base of a tree, telephone pole, lamppost or fence post.
- Stamp the ground three times with your foot. Put one plate down and say:
“Papa Alegba, this is for you.”
Put down the other plate and say:
“Blessings and thanks to you, Mademoiselle Florida.”
- Turn your back and walk away, leaving the omelet servings there overnight.
The next day:
- If the omelet is still by the tree or pole, place it on the ground and trash the plates.
- Take the candles, sunglasses, grits and glass of water and set them out on a street corner.
Do not be noticed doing so. Leave quickly.
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Happy Birthday, Marie Laveau!!!
Happy Birthday, Marie Laveau!
by Sister BridgetMarie Laveau was born 9/10/1801 – which would make today her ……well, it's not polite to state a lady's age! Marie Laveau is the most well known American voodoo priestess to have lived to date. She is buried at St. Louis Cemetery #1 in New Orleans and is credited with almost single-handedly being responsible for the flourish of Voodoo in America today. Her unique powers caused her to be sought out by women and men of wealth and power in New Orleans, seeking her special brand of Voodoo magick. Today, her tomb is a focal point of special wishes and offerings by New Orleanians swearing that she still grants her favors even today. She is most famous for granting love wishes.So much has been written about Mistress Marie, there is little we can say here that will do her contribution to New Orleans Voodoo justice. We do wish her a Happy Birthday and much gratitude from the bottom of our hearts. Another way we honor Mistress Marie is to produce several products and articles in her honor!Marie Laveau Clean Sweep House Blessing Kit!
Mistress Marie Love Magnet Oil
Marie Laveau Hoodoo Love Incense
Marie Laveau Hoodoo Love Herb Pack
Make a Love Wish on Marie Laveau's Tomb
Presentation from Online Voodoo Convention
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Harvest Moon September 10th, 2022!
Harvest Moon – Things To Do!
by Sister BridgetThe Harvest Moon will shine bright this weekend! There are many ways to take advantage of this once-a-year energy! Here are just a few!1. Visit your local farmers market and stock up on fruits and berries a their peak of freshness. Make a batch of jam or jelly to get a jump on holiday gifts! Or, make a yummy apple-cranberry pie (see recipe above!)
2. Set out your magickal tools and crystals in the moonlight for a cleansing and recharging. Meanwhile, give your altar space a thourough cleasning and refershing for the upcoming Samhain, Ancestor, Fet Ghede season.
3. Open doors and windows and cense and sweep your home of old, stale energies, and usher in the fresh Fall air.
The Marie Laveau House Blessing Kit!
4.5. Get a jump start on your Mabon/Fall Equionox decorating.
6. Mix up a batch of Harvest Moon Oil!7. Create a bucket list full of ideas to celebrate Autumn
8. Journal- As summer comes to a close, is there anything else you’d like to complete before the cold and dark Winter months arrive? What accomplishments, skills, and creativity do you want to bring with you into the Autumn season? What bad habits, regrets, and negative thoughts will you release?
9. Follow the special energy as it moves through you! There is no wrong answer!
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Love potion #9!
At: http://www.spellmaker.com/potion9.htm
Love Potion #9
* 9 oz. sweet red wine (or use cherry soda, cherry Kool-Aid or cherry juice for non-alcoholics)
* 9 basil leaves
* 9 red rose petals
* 9 cloves
* 9 apple seeds
* 9 drops vanilla extract
* 9 drops strawberry juice
* 9 drops apple juice
* 1 ginseng root, cut into 9 equal pieces (or use 3 powdered ginseng capsules)
You also need:
* 9 pink votive candles
* Cheesecloth
* Wooden Spoon
* airtight contaner to hold the potion (big enough for at least 10oz fluid)
By the light of 9 pink votive candles, put these nine ingredients into a cauldron on the ninth hour of the ninth day of the ninth month of the year. Stir the potion nine times with a wooden spoon, each time reciting the following magickal incantation:
LET THE ONE WHO DRINKS THIS WINE
SHOWER ME WITH LOVE DIVINE.
SWEET LOVE POTION NUMBER NINE
MAKE HIS/HER LOVE FOREVER MINE.
Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat and let it simmer for nine minutes. Remove the cauldron from the heat and allow the potion to cool off. Blow nine times upon the potion, bless it in the names of The nine love goddesses: Inanna, Ishtar, Astarte, Hathor, Nephthys, Aphrodite, Venus, Freya, Arianrhod.
And then strain it through a cheesecloth into a clean container. Cover and refrigerate it untill you are ready to serve it to the man or woman from whom you desire love and affection.
**(Do not allow anyone other than your beloved to look at, touch, or drink the love potion.)
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A word of warning: This potion is extremely potent and should be used with caution. Its results have been reported to be very intense, long-
lasting, and often difficult to control or reverse. So please be absolutely sure before you give it to an intended lover that he or she is the right
one for you and vice versa.
WARNING: Webmistress accepts no responsibility for effects or consequences of casting spells found on this Website. Cast spells responsibly.