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Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Book of Shadows Binding

Merry Meet All,

I'm assuming that some of you own a Book of Shadows. In our age of technology, some witches even keep a Disc of Shadows. For anyone who has ever longed for a deeper, more personal hand bound Book of Shadows, read on...

Yes, I own a Binder of Shadows, if you will. I stumbled across a book one day that outlined how to bind your own Book of Shadows. There is nothing wrong with what everyone already owns. There is just more than one way to do this.

It is helpful and a time saver to assemble all the materials prior to undertaking this project. However, depending on how personal you want the project to be, it can take a long time.

This is what I did. I bought nice durable green twill material for the book covers from a fabric store. I purchased parchment paper from Staples and thought out ahead of time what I planned to include in the book then printed that all out on the parchment paper. I bought PVA glue, good for book binding, from an arts store. This was all affordable! Then, with the printouts-with magical fonts, that are easy and free to download, I stacked up all the pages in a neat pile.

I cut the green twill to size. The fabric should be larger than the book. It covers the book and there has to be some remaining. The davy board-hard board for the book covers- is available at an arts store. I went to the Nova Scotia Community College art store. I had the davy board cut to size at the Deserres art store. So, line up the fabric and the davy board. Decide now how big you want your spine to be. Lay down the davy board and leave a space in the center. Glue the davy board to the fabric and bring the fabric over the davy board. Let dry. Smooth out the wrinkles. Ensure everything is neat and even. Add the pages and add lots and lots of glue on the spine of the stacked pages to your book. Let dry. Adding plenty of glue now saves the exasperation later when you hear that ominous crack of the spine when opening your book. Pages can fall out. Add more glue. Be patient.

Now, with your book made, you can make it pretty-and witchy. I added dried herbs and flowers to my pages. Flat heads of flowers are best. Herbs such as sage can be added for protection, lavender, shasta daisies and petunias are lovely. I dried and pressed flowers in a thick volume first then added them. I also added borders, pictures, photos, spells and whatever else my heart desired. The Book of Shadows feels so personally mine. I glued bleeding heart leaves because in the fall, they turn a beautiful color. It is amazing what you can come up with when you let your imagination go.

I also am studying on my family ancestry. The Celtic Triquetra reflects my ancestry. Personalizing a hand bound Book of Shadows is endless fun.

I embroidered a triquetra patch and glued that to the cover. I added ribbons, bookmarks and tassles to the spine. I sewed a beautiful deep green velvet pouch for my book of shadows. I embroidered a triquetra patch in a matching color to the pouch. I added a frog for closure and added a gold unicorn pendant to the pouch.

To make your spells have that antique look, print out on a computer,again using a fancy font or art, and set your oven to a low temperature. Pour warm coffee on the pages on a cookie tray and swirl it around. Bake in the oven for 6-7 minutes. Remove from oven. Now you have that cool antique aged look to the spell page.

What could be more witchy? Have fun!

Here are some more suggestions. Celtic art, if you have a Celtic background, as I do, is easy to get. It can be downloaded or studied from anywhere. If you are a Strega witch or into Asatru, then add that in some way to your book of shadows. Smudge it with sage and consecrate your book.

A Book of Shadows reflects what is important to you and in your heart. A card, letters, photos important to you can be stored in an envelope or pouch and that all added to your Book. You may even begin a new tradition!

Once a book is bound, it is hard to add new pages. I got around this by gluing new pages to the pages already in the book very neatly. It is a permanent journal and cumulation of your spells and magic thoughts so once bound, forever captured. You can make it something you may hand down to your children someday.

Also, storing your Book of Shadows in a special protective pouch with a protective symbol can add power to the Book. I can tell it's working. What witch could resist that? I also had the fortune to let my Book of Shadows rest while we did a full moon spell on her altar. The Book resting on her altar gave my Book even more power.

The sky is the limit! I have been considering binding a second Book of Shadows by hand. Perhaps I will go with something more along the lines of a Book of only spells and enclose it in a lovely amethyst color. Anything is possible!

Mabon

Mabon is upon us. It is a time of equal opposites being in balance and the second harvest of the year. The fields are clear and the crops are sowed. The trees shed colorful fiery leaves and pumpkin soup warms the stomachs and hearts of everyone around.

Mabon falls at the Fall Equinox, or when the sun enters Libra. The Welsh name Mabon means "great son" and refers to the Son of the Great Mother. This Celtic mythological figure, who has many names and figures in many tales, was identified by the Romans as Mercury or sometimes as Apollo. In Christian Britain He was superseded by St. Michael, to whom churches on many sacred Pagan sites were dedicated, and the Fall Equinox became the Christian feast of Michaelmas. In medieval times, rents fell due and contracts were settled at Easter and at Michaelmas.

Mabon is primarily a harvest festival; it falls either during or at the end of the European grain harvest, depending on latitude. The Fall equinox is the mating season for deer, and marks the beginning of the hunting season in many places. In British folklore this time of year is associated with Herne the Hunter, who leads a wild phantom chase through the forest, heralding confusion and change. In one Craft tradition the Fall Equinox is called "the Night of the Hunter," when weak livestock which will not survive the winter must be slain. Mabon in some traditions marks the death or departure of the God in His yearly life-cycle; in others, however, this may occur at Lughnasadh or at Samhain. The Fall Equinox has also been identified as the "assumption of the Crone," when the dark face of the Goddess assumes the sway over the world which She will hold until the return of the Maiden at Imbolc.

Lammas

Merry Meet all,

Lammas

Lammas, or Lughnassad, occurs in late July and early August. It is marks the middle of Summer and the beginning of the harvest. Canning goes into full swing, and magickal cabinets are stocked with herbs before the onset of fall. This is also a time to prepare your household for fall and the upcoming Winter months. It is the first of three harvest festivals and is usually associated with ripening grain. It is time to celebrate the fruits of the harvest but also to be aware that summer is passing and winter is on its way.

We honor the weakening Sun God and give thanks for the seeds and the plants that went through the death process (harvest) in order to be reborn next season. The Sun God is waning, but the Goddess is full of abundance. Even as he wanes, he lives on inside her as her child. The Goddess manifests as Demeter, Ceres, Corn Mother, and other agricultural Goddesses. The God manifests as Lugh, John Barleycorn, and vegetation Gods. Colors are Golden Yellow, Orange, Green, and Light Brown. It is a festival of plenty and prosperity.

Decorate the altar and house with grains such as barley, oats and wheat -- also fruits and veggies. Begin gathering and drying herbs, flower, grains or seeds for spellworking in the next year. Make magickal oils now with fresh herbs.Braid onion and garlic charms. Onion is sacred to the sun -- because of its shape, and its dye is a golden amber to burnt apricot.When the onion is cut, it reveals the symbolism of the moon. Garlic, too, is sacred to the moon -- the crescent shape of the cloves. It exorcises evil and protects. Collect rain and storm water for use in spellwork or to empower objects, add dried mugwort and store in glass bottles. Make a corn wheel. Bake a loaf of bread on Lammas. If you've never made bread before, this is a good time to start. Honor the source of the flour as you work with it: remember it was once a plant growing on the mother Earth. If you have a garden, add something you've harvested--herbs or onion or corn--to your bread. If you don't feel up to making wheat bread, make corn bread.


Corn Dolly -Another way to honor the Grain Goddess is to make a corn doll. This is a fun project to do with kids. . She's your visual representation of the harvest. As you work on her, think about what you harvested this year. Give your corn dolly a name, perhaps one of the names of the Grain Goddess or one that symbolizes your personal harvest. Dress her in a skirt, apron and bonnet and give her a special place in your house. She is all yours till the spring when you will plant her with the new corn, returning to the Earth that which She has given to you. Make a corn dolly to save for next Imbolc.

HERBS to use in your magic at Lughnasadh: goldenrod, peony, nasturtium, clover blossom, yarrow, heliotrope, boneset, vervain, Queen Anne's lace, myrtle, rose, sunflower, poppy, milkweed, Irish moss, mushroom, wheat, corn, rye, oat, barley, rice, garlic, onion, basil, mint, aloe, acacia, meadowsweet, apple leaf, raspberry leaf, strawberry leaf, bilberry leaf, blueberry leaf, mugwort, hops, holly, comfrey, marigold, grape vine, ivy, hazelnut, blackthorn, elder, bee pollen.

STONES: Cat's-eye, citrine, aventurine, golden topaz, obsidian, moss agate, rhodochrosite, clear quartz, marble, slate, granite, lodestone.

Foods appropriate for Lammas are breads, berries, crab apples, and any locally ripe produce.

At this time, witches cast spells for connectedness, career, health, and financial gain. Spells for abundance are completely appropriate now. As the sun is growing weaker, it is a good time to do grounding and sun meditations, then use the golden rays of the sun (gathered during meditation) in spellcasting.

This is the perfect holiday to honor the prosperity and generosity of Mother Earth. It is a season to throw away useless thoughts and habits and to form new ideas which bring renewed strength. Reflect on these topics alone in the privacy of your journal or share them with others around a fire. Lughnasad is one of the great Celtic fire-festivals, so if at all possible, have your feast around a bonfire.









*BLESSING FOR LAMMAS FEAST*
Now is the Time if the First Harvest,
When the bounties of Nature give of themselves
So that we may survive
O God of the ripening fields, Lord of the Grain,
Grant me the understanding of Sacrifice
As you prepare to deliver yourself
Under the sickle of the Goddess

And journey to the lands of Eternal Summer
O Goddess of the Dark Moon,
Teach me the secrets of rebirth
as the Sun loses its strength and the nights grow cold...

(Crumble grains of wheat and let them fall on your altar or table. Take a bite of the ritual fruit and continue...)

I partake of the First Harvest,
Mixing its energies with mine
That I may continue my quest
For the starry wisdom of Perfection
O Lady of the Moon and Lord of the Sun,
before Whom the Stars halt their courses,
I offer my thanks
For the continuing Fertility of the Earth.
May the nodding grain loose its seeds
To be buried in the Mother's breast
Ensuring Rebirth in the Warmth of next Spring...

(Consume the rest of the ritual fruit and merry meet!)
It is appropriate to plant the seeds from the fruit consumed in ritual. If they sprout, grow the plant with love and as a symbol of your connection with the Goddess and God.

Wands

Merry meet all,

Sorry i haven't posted in a while. I have been busy. But here I am. Ok so for all you practicing pagans and witches out there, here is a little crafting magic for you. I am in the midst of crafting a tree faery wand for myself.

I cut a 16-inch (roughly) branch from an apple tree. I cleaned off the extra small branches and leaves. I washed the branch and let it dry. I brought the branch indoors and then consecrated and cleansed the wand with incense, a candle (remember: safety) and rosemary water. I painted the branch in gold and added a citrine crystal to the point of the wand. Also, if you paint the wand with gold paint from the base of the tip to the point, you seal in the faery protective energies. Basically, if you put a lot of your energy into the wand, you will add more power and energy to the wand and in everything else that you do. I plan to add bells and ribbons and tie the ribbons to the bells. Then add the ribbons to the wand. The colors you choose are up to you. The wand could be painted silver as well if you so choose. Let the paint dry between coats and when dry, rest the wand on your altar. Crystals could be glued to the wand or you could inscribe symbols to the wand (i.e., runes or other significant symbols to you on the wand). Let the wand dry near sunlight to get solar energies.

Also, since a tree is kind enough to let you take a branch, leave an offering for the tree and tree spirits. I buried a stone I tumbled at the foot of the tree as an offering. Remember to thank the spirits.
This ensures they help you in the future with your wand and other endeavors.

Try to enjoy the last of summer. September may be a warm month. If you look closely, some plants are starting to store their energies for spring and winding down. There are lots of spider webs, dragonflies, busy bees and other critters out. Some leaves are already falling. Fall is coming but it's a slow arrival. Get out to enjoy the sun while you can. Blessed Be!!

Spiderwitch

Gardening 2

Merry Meet All,

I don't know about any of you, but I am suffering from severe heat exposure in my tiny apt. I have a window open but what difference? I love the sunny weather though.

Soon fall will be here (gasp) and it will be time for us to harvest the plants, vegetables, and fruit or herbs that we tend to faithfully in our gardens. My garlic, peas and beans and tomatoes are growing fast. Overnight it seems.

I hope all of you are tending to your own gardens. I would love to know if you saw a bee or a hummingbird in your garden. Bees are declining and we need to plant flowers that will attract bees to save them. Bees are the main pollinators of the world and without them, we may not exist so put away your pesticides! Hummingbirds are traveling farther for food. For some environmentally friendly gardening strategies, try making your own compost tea, putting your used coffee in the garden. Egg shells add nitrogen to the soil. Save your used water from the house to water the garden for water conservation. All of these tips barely cost nothing. But the positive effect on your garden may pay dividends on your plants!!

So work hard on your gardens. Add peat moss for some nutrients to the soil! Have fun too.

Blessed Be,
Spiderwitch

Manifestation

Merry Meet All,

Today's topic deals with the power of the Law of Attraction and Manifesting what we want to attract in our lives. I realize some may scoff or feel skeptical but there is something to this. I will provide some examples to prove that works.

I had a dream one night of a butter dish. Ok maybe that's a small thing and rather dull-but I felt a bit spooked when upon entering a dollar store, the very dish I had dreamt about was right there on the shelf! I bought it and it serves me well.

Dreams can help with attracting our desires to us but dreams are just part of the whole picture. Scrying, tarot, pendulums and using the steps to wish for what we want can be included.

Visualize your goal or desire in your mind. Picture it clearly-be it a cute pet, healthy garden, new job or new love. Clearly visualize it.

Believe that the goal or desire is yours or soon to be.

Have faith that you can achieve your goal. Here is the tricky part: Try to do this when you feel positive. To some, and I know from being there, it is easy to say and not do. But it actually is. I have had times when I had no money to buy food. We all need food to live on. It nourishes our bodies. I felt quite negative and unhappy. Yet I would try as hard as I could to believe that I could attract to myself what I wanted or needed. The second that you let go, you are telling the Universe to not send you what you wished for. It is a direct counter approach to positivity. Sometimes, the harder I tried, the better results I got and also felt happier.

Patience is the next step. Also, in case your goal does not materialize, try to have a backup strategy-a friend, to help you achieve a goal or manifest a desire. What you want may not appear spontaneously or be what you really wanted. Time is needed for things to happen.

Pay attention to the world around you. You may wish to have a better apartment to live in. Signs come to me and I have learned to recognize them. For example, I envisioned a house on a hill in a teacup by chance. Before I moved in to my current house, I wrote down a list of what I desired in the new residence. The place I live in now has everything I wanted. I can't find the list now but I no longer need it.

That is what I mean by the law of attraction and visualization. It does work. I look forward to seeing your success stories of what you achieved.

Blessed Be
Spiderwitch

Gardening

Merry Meet all,

If you're like me, you can't resist the garden centers. I have potted up 2 sages, a cilantro, parsley, chives, thyme, and bay laurel. I did have the herbs in my garden but thanks to rain and ugh-slugs, I had to pot up the less fragrant herbs. The rosemary is in the garden as well as the marigolds-they repel slugs. I have learned a lot lately in my gardening adventure. Remember the golden rule- Don't use pesticides to rid your garden of unwanted insects or you also keep away the beneficial insects. THose guys will keep away from the garden and not eat the slugs and snails. Even slugs and snails have a job to do, but if you don't have bees, butterflies or other kinds, then your garden may not thrive as well.

I hope you're all up to your elbows in soil, clearing away weeds and poking for flower buds. Look for healthy plants at the garden centers and be kind to your houseplants too. I misted, fed, watered and added fresh soil to my two big spider plants. Spider plants rid the air of toxins and so they deserve some extra treatment occasionally.

Even weeds are useful. I pick lots of dandelions for my 2 guinea pigs, Minerva and Snowball. They love the dandelions and get lots of vitamins from them. Dandelions are good in salads, wine, and whatever else you can think of. I own an old copy of a weed cookbook. So the next time you mow the lawn, think twice when you see dandelions. The vitamins are high in protein, calcium phosphorus, iron, riboflavin, niacin and Vitamins A and B1. Wow! My piggies are pretty smart, since they get the vitality and vitamins from the dandelions.

Well happy gardening! Blessed Be
Spiderwitch




Post #2
You wroteon June 18, 2009 at 2:32pm
Here are some more gardening tips!!

Before you throw out your coffee filters, get a bowl and store your used coffee grounds in it. Then toss your coffee grounds into your garden. Why? They deter slugs and act as natural mulch and compost for your garden. Also, earthworms love coffee grounds. Earthworms aerate the soil. They are beneficial insects. A sign of good soil is soil that contains lots of hard working earthworms.

Slugs also don't like sharp eggshells. So save and add those to your garden, too. There-compost, bug repellent and mulch-from your own kitchen.

blessed be,
Lady Spiderwitch

Fun in the Kitchen

Invest in a good blank journal. Add your own recipes and write them out by hand into the journal. This act allows you to put your energies into the book and bind the recipe to memory.

Get into the habit of bringing cloth bags with you when you shop, cutting down on plastic.

Share recipes with loved ones and try theirs. Maybe you can give a bland dish some spice.

Grow your own herbs from heirloom seeds, organic seeds
Support local farmers markets and push for fresh free range food at the local grocery stores

Buy one or two classic cookbooks. Throw out old papers with recipes on them but copy the recipes in to your blank journal first

Don't throw out glass jars-store grains or teabags in them. Make neat labels for the jars.

Try something new. Experiment. Paint the kitchen. Put a goddess shrine on top your fridge. Tie up dried bundles of herbs on hooks and have herbs within your reach at all times.

Reduce, reuse, recycle. Cut down on plastic. Clean the kitchen with lemon, pine or other citrus mints. Use vinegar, a more environmentally friendly alternative to the cleaning supplies, for cleaning. Invigorating scents make cleaning less of a chore.

After all that, you may not be able to stay out of your kitchen
Blessed Be

Harmony at Home

"Happy Home Incense"
Blend frankincense, myrrh, and liquidambar (storax)- an item even I can't find, resins. You need a cauldron or bowl with sand and a charcoal disc. Burn them to clear away negative energy and encourage happy spirits, in all senses of that word."

You could try to asperge -or sprinkle special water blends into corners of your home. Our ancestors used all these techniques.

If you have lavender growing in your garden, don’t hesitate to pick some, dry it and burn it in a bowl with sand and charcoal. The scents will restore peace to the home.

Using an oil burner, add essential oils of sweet orange, lime, and pink grapefruit to a base of jojoba oil. Dress candles with this oil and burn throughout the home to instill joy and laughter. I have a citrus-scented essential oil and trust me, it works. Soak a cotton ball in the oils blend and carry that with you.

Chant “ganymai”- greek word for “I am joyful”.

Make a charm bag and hang it over an entrance door for protection and happiness. Blend garlic powder, salt and pepper in a bottle and sprinkle at the door. Hold up your hand as though to protect + banish and say out loud: Love and light only. All bane or evil be gone” or something like that.

Pour olive oil into the exact spot where an argument occurred. Let it soak up the negative energies before cleaning it up. Use herbs or the herbs’ essences in your mix of floor washing waters for harmony-citrus, mint, sandalwood, or sage, or lavender.

Burn a white candle or pink or blue and fill it with your intent and let it burn down. Dress a candle with an oils blend and snuff out the candle to preserve the energies within- never blow out a candle. That does not keep the energies within the candle. You could ring a candle with crystals for extra impact. Clear quartz and rose quartz would be a good choice. Amethyst as well. Carve your intent into the candle. Take a sharp knife and carve in the word peace. Then light the candle and allow to burn as usual.

There; many ways to encourage happiness within the home. Save and store or print this and keep in a special place. Good luck

Blessed Be
Lady Spiderwitch

Psychic Defense

Greetings all

Hope you're enjoyng the weather. Today's post is about defending yourself from other people's negativity. This is a vital and very useful tool to have as a sensitive person.

Ever walk away after talking to someone and feel drained or lightheaded? or totally exhaused and unhappy? Chances are, they were not your feelings or emotions but someone else's. A person you were in contact with has robbed you of your energy. Mainly your positive energy. Some of the time, this is purppsefully done and sometimes, it isn't. However, here are some tips to help shield you to keep your own positive spirits high:

Wear a protective amulet, pendant or tailisman when in contact with someone who drains you Useful for deflection

Use a protection spray available at Sarahs Spiritual Treasures to help shield you

Carry tiger's eye, smoky quartz, or rose quartz on your person

Try to be as positive as possible

Visualize a shield of whatever form you please around yourself

Stay healthy Helps big time to deflect negative energies The healthier you are the stronger you are

Good luck
Hope this helps
Blessed Be
Heddy

Rock Salt

Rock Salt is an amazing help to Sensitives. ROck salt can come in a solid form and can be placed on a windowsill or near plants in your house. It contains negative ions which can purify the energy and atmosphere of your living space.

I own a rock salt candle holder and am getting quite attached to it. Crystals such as clear quartz, amethyst, red jasper, agate are protective.
Smoky quartz, hematite and rose quartz ground and ease communications between people and spread good energy.

The rock salt and crystals, when placed in auspicious corners or spots of your home, can soften a negative atmosphere and purify it too.

They are all available at Casaroma Wellness Center as well as the other local metaphysical shops, Sarah's Spiritual Treasures, Little Mysteries, Into the Mystic as well as the Farmers Markets

Blessings
Heddy

Sunshine

Hello All,

An important part of being a sensitive is recieving enough Vitamin D. On windy and rainy days, that can be difficult. Sunshine, or Vitamin D, rejuvenates the spirit and enables people to feel more positive and cheerful and more energetic. Mood lamps or lights provide an alternate light source on darker days when there is no sun available. Mood lights are available at stores. Genuine sunshine is better at providing the necessary vitamin d to help a sensitive flourish and be a healthy and active highly sensitive soul.

Sensitives

Hello All

Welcome to the group. I am glad to see such enthusiasm. Today's topic is a list of items that benefit sensitive people

tealights
epsom salts
essential oils
bath salts
dead sea bath salts
candles
chakra baths
rock salt
fresh healthy food provides more energy

I have experiemeted with all these things and found them to be very helpful. The items are easily found at Casaroma Wellness Center or the local farmers market. Plants are also good at removing toxins from an environment and work wtih your natural energies

That's all for today. Tomorrow or very soon I will cover another topic.

Blessed Be