June 28, 2013

DIY First Aid Salve

Over the past year I have been making a lot of my own health and beauty products. Today I thought I would share how I make a great First Aid Salve. using Calendula, Lavender, and Peppermint.

First let me explain why I used the herbs.oils that I did.
Calendula - Can be used to heal wounds - acne - varicose veins - inflammation - dry skin - eczema - sunburn - scalds and burns - sore nipples from breast feeding - diaper rash
Lavender - Can be used as an - analgesic, antiseptic, anti-fungal, antispasmodic, antiviral, decongestant, sedative - Treats - headaches - eczema - burns and scalds - muscle pain - insect bites and stings - chest congestion - sunburn - diaper rash - acne - cramps - insomnia
Peppermint - Can be used as an - analgesic, antispasmodic, anesthetic, decongestant, insecticide, Treats - insect bites and other skin irritations including itching
First you need to start with making an infused Calendula oil, you'll need Olive Oil(I use EVOO) fresh or dried Calendula(I get mine from The Green Eyed Owl) and a clean dry mason jar with lid.


You want to fill the mason jar with your Calendula, then cover that on the olive oil, close the lid tightly and shake. next set the jar in a sunny window sill, you should let your herb/oil mixture infuse for 4 to 6 weeks, shaking it up daily.


Making Your Salve

For this part you will need - Your infused oil, lavender essential oil, peppermint essential oil, beeswax, cheese cloth, a bowl, a pot, wooded spoon, and a clean jar/container for storing your salve.


First drain your herb/oil infusion through the cheese cloth, squeezing out every bit of herbal goodness.


After you done straining your oil, put the bowl into a pot with enough water in it to create a double boiler effect. heat your oil *DO NOT BOIL* when oil is hot add 2tsps of beeswax and stir I use the bottom of a wooden spoon for this.


When melted together thoroughly do a few test drops to see if it's the consistency you want. When it's the consistency you want, remove from heat and add 15 to 20 drops of each essential oil, then carefully pore it into your clean dry Jar.


Allow to cool thoroughly without the lid, then you can add your lid and label( I made this cute label)



This salve works wonderfully! Do you make your own salves? What types do you make, I would love to know.

Blessings

Ash-Lynn


June 22, 2013

The Super Moon & a Frog!!!

So the clouds parted and the youngest witchlett, the dog, and I went out to enjoy the Full Super Moon.


As always the Moon was simply gorgeous and so full of energy, we danced in circles and giggled. While dancing and giggling we stumbled upon a little friend.


We decided to call him/her "Luna" in honor or the Full Moon, then our dog decided to check Luna out and play with him/her.


We let them play for a few minutes then tried to get the dog to come inside with us, I finally had to pick him up and take him inside; silly dog. I hope all of you have had a blessed Full Moon and soaked up some of it's marvelous energies, I know I did.

Many Full Moon Blessings

Ash-Lynn

June 21, 2013

Happy Litha/Summer Solstice!!!

Today is June 21st the Summer Solstice. The calendar says it's the first day of summer, however it is actually Mid-Summer. The dates for our modern seasons/sabbats are based on the Gregorian calandar, but if you look back to pre-Gregorian calendars, you'll see that the dates that are currently used for beginning/end of the seasons were actually the middle.

The beginning for each season were Samhain (October 31), Imbolc (February 2), Beltane (May 1), and Lammas.

The middle of the seasons are Yule(Winter Solstice), Ostara(Spring Equinox), Litha(Summer Solstice), and Mabon(Autumn Equinox)

This beautiful pic was discovered on Google
Today was supposed to be spent in the sun and soaking up all the yummy rays the God had to give, but instead it's raining here and I stuck inside with a summer cold. I will still be doing a few small things to celebrate this wonderful day, I have candles lit, have planned a yummy salad for dinner, and will spending time in meditation later tonight.

I hope all of you have a very blessed Litha/Summer Solstice and I am truly hoping for clear skies or the 23rd so I can see the Super Moon.

Litha Blessing

Ash-Lynn



June 16, 2013

Pareidolia and Scrying

My Good friend and favorite Hippy Witch Joanna DeVoe did a fabulous blogtalk radio show this past week on  Pareidolia and Scrying. I found it to be very interesting, especially because I myself see faces and various other objects, in many different mediums such as carpet, wood grain, tile, etc.

What do you see in this Pic?
I'll post what I saw at the bottom of this post.

I have experienced this phenomenon for as long as I can remember and it fascinates me, I have not attempted to use this technique in scying but I do think I am going to give it a try after listening to what Joanna had to say about her experienced.

I was wondering if any of you have experienced Pareidolia? I would also love it if you would check out Joanna's blogtalk show and blog post on the subject and let me know your take on the subject.

What I Saw: I saw a Death Eater from Harry Potter, a Flying skull, and a womans face.

June 13, 2013

Runes - How To Cast and Read Them

Much like any divination method there are many ways to read your runes I am going to tell you how to do the two I use most.

The One Rune Pull

This is a good way to start your day, and is also a good way to learn and get familiar with your Runes. With your runes in their bag mix them around with you prominent hand, while mixing them concentrate on what you are seeking a answer about. When you feel like you have mixed them enough draw out one single rune. Hold it in your hand, study it, look at it's meaning. What does it mean to you and about the question you ask?

It's a good idea until you know your runes and what they mean to you and your readings to keep a journal of your results.

The Five Directions

Select five runes one at a time and lay them face down in front of you. (Use the chart below)


The three horizontal runes represent your past, present, and future. It is usually best to turn over the center rune (1) first. This is the rune of the present and will show your problem as it is now. It can also show your state of mind.

The rune in position to left of the center (2) signifies the past and will tell you what in the past caused you to be in your current situation.

Next read the rune laying above the center (3). This indicates the help that you can expect to receive with the issue at hand.

The rune below center (4) indicates what aspects of the issue you must accept and cannot be changed. .

The rune to the right of center (5) is the results rune. This rune indicates the final outcome.

Again it is always a good idea to journal your results so you can compare them and learn from them.

Previous post in the Rune Series
Runes - How To Make Your Own
Runes and Their Meanings

I hope you enjoyed this series on Runes, I am looking forward to your input and learning how Runes work for you.

Blessings

Ash-Lynn


June 12, 2013

Runes and Their Meanings

The most popular kind of runes are the Elder Futhark, there are 24 runes in this set; below is what they look like and the meanings.

I found this picture via Google a few years ago


Fehu

Sound: “f”
Stands for: Cattle
Color: Green (Brown)
Casting meaning: Fehu is a rune of power and control. It represents new beginnings and “movable” wealth such as money and credit. It is a rune that gives us the power we need to obtain wealth as well as the power we need to hold on to it.

Uruz

Sound: “oo”
Stands for: Auroch (like a wild ox)
Color: Orange (Dark Green)
Casting meaning: Uruz is also a rune of power, but unlike Fehu, it’s a power that we can neither own nor control. In a casting it can mean that personal success is near. For charms and talismans use Uruz for its healing powers.

Thurisaz

Sound: “th”
Stands for: Thorn (or Giant)
Color: White
Casting meaning: This rune represents the ability we have to resist unwanted conflicts in a passive manner. It is a rune of protection and can tell us of a possible change that would have otherwise come without warning. You can use the protection aspect of Thurisaz as a defense against adversaries.

Ansuz

Sound: “aa” as in “aah”
Stands for: Mouth (or Divine Breath)
Color: Purple
Casting meaning: Ansuz is a rune that symbolizes stability and shows us order. It is also a rune that indicates intellectual activities and directly represents the divine breath of all life and creation.

Raidho

Sound: “r”
Stands for: Wheel, Cartwheel (or Riding)
Color: Blue (Black)
Casting meaning: This rune allows us to focus our energy so that we may obtain our goals. However to do so effectively we must be “in the right place at the right time.”

Kenaz

Sound: “k”
Stands for: Torch
Color: Yellow
Casting meaning: Kenaz is a rune of knowledge, understanding, learning and teaching. It allows us to view situations with more clarity than we normally would.

Gebo

Sound: “g” as in “gift”
Stands for: Gift
Color: Gold & Silver (Red)
Casting meaning: Gebo represents the honor and connection that is created between people when they exchange gifts. The connection and honor is similar to the connection and honor that a person has with the gods for giving them life.

Wunjo

Sound: “w”, “v”
Stands for: Joy
Color: Pink (Blue)
Casting meaning: This rune shows us the balance between all things even when in a chaotic world. It is also a rune of fellowship, common goals and well being to all things. If you come across this rune in a reading you can expect good news to come your way.

Hagalaz

Sound: “h”
Stands for: Hail, Hailstone
Color: Blue (White)
Casting meaning: Representing a hailstone we can expect time and situations to be constricting if Hagalaz turns up in a reading. But much like a hailstone will eventually turn to water, which flows smoothly, these situations and times will eventually flow smoothly for us.

Naudhiz

Sound: “n”
Stands for: Necessity (or Need)
Color: Black (Blue)
Casting meaning: This rune represents how our need or want of something can put a restriction on us. It restricts our possibilities but also contains the power we need to break free from those restrictions.

Isa

Sound: “i”, “ee” as in “east”
Stands for: Ice
Color: Brown (Black)
Casting meaning: Like an icicle formed at the start of winter, with this rune we can only wait until the warmth of the sun allows us to be free from a constricting form. Isa represents a halt in activity until a change is made.

Jera

Sound: “j” like the “y” in “year”
Stands for: Harvest (or Year or Season)
Color: Brown
Casting meaning: Jera is a rune that represents the cycle of life. With this rune we see that we must go with the flow of nature to obtain the goals we want.

Eihwaz

Sound: “eo”, “æ”
Stands for: Yew Tree
Color: White (Green)
Casting meaning: Eihwaz is a rune that can be used as a magical protector and facilitator. It shows us that in the event of an ending situation we find the start of a new situation.

Perdhro

Sound: “p”
Stands for: Dice Cup (there are many variations)
Color: Blue (Red)
Casting meaning: Perdhro reminds us of the uncertainties in life and represents freewill and the connection of the restrictions we have due to our circumstances. It is viewed as a rune of memory and problem solving.

Elhaz

Sound: “zz” as in “buzz”
Stands for: Elk (or Protection)
Color: Black (Purple)
Casting meaning: This is a rune of great restraint power, defense and protection. Use this rune in charms and talismans to protect yourself as well as your property.

Sowulo

Sound: “s”
Stands for: Sun
Color: Yellow
Casting meaning: With the help of this rune we tend to be able to see things more clearly. Like the sun sheds light on dark times, with Sowulo we too can find the light during dark times.

Teiwaz

Sound: “t”
Stands for: Creator
Color: Green (Red)
Casting meaning: Teiwaz can promise us success in our actions but this time without personal sacrifice. It also means success in “legal” matters but only if we were in the right to begin with.

Berkana

Sound: “b”
Stands for: Birch Tree (or Birch Twig)
Color: White (Blue)
Casting meaning: Like the birch tree coming to life from a seed planted in the earth, Berkana represents a new beginning and is also a powerful birth rune.

Ehwaz

Sound: “e” as in “every”
Stands for: Horse
Color: Red (White)
Casting meaning: Ehwaz reminds us that in order for success there must be a natural flow in the task at hand. With this rune to give us power as well as it making use of our good intentions we can surely achieve such success.

Mannaz

Sound: “m”
Stands for: Man (as in human, not gender)
Color: Blue (Purple)
Casting meaning: Mannaz has many powers. First it is a rune that lets us know we can achieve our fullest potential. Secondly it reminds us that we, as humans, all have shared experiences in life. Lastly we can use the power of this rune to gain the upper hand in disputes and arguments.

Laguz

Sound: “l”
Stands for: Water (or Lake)
Color: Black & White (Green)
Casting meaning: Laguz represents the power of water and its easy flowing nature. We must learn to “go with the flow” when this rune shows up in a reading so that we can take full advantage of our powers.

Inguz

Sound: “ng” as in “long”
Stands for: Fertility
Color: Brown (Black)
Casting meaning: This rune allows us to spread our energy out far and wide. It is a protective rune mainly for the protection of our homes. To use Inguz effectively we must learn to build up our powers over time and then release the power all at once.

Dagaz

Sound: “d”
Stands for: Day
Color: Yellow
Casting meaning: Dagaz represents a stability between opposites, such as light and dark. It can stop harmful energy from getting to you but at the same time allow the good energy to slip through so that you can make good use of it.

Othala

Sound: “o” as in “old”
Stands for: Home (or Odla – sacred ancestral land)
Color: Copper (Brown)
Casting meaning: Much like Fehu this is a rune of wealth. But unlike Fehu, Othala represents a wealth that cannot be sold. This is wealth like family, friendships or our culture and heritage that is passed down to us. It represents an enclosure and maintains the existing state of things as they presently are.

Next Up in the Rune Series - How to Cast and Read Your Runes

The Information in this post is from my BOS, however it is not my original work, the information has been gathered from around the net and other sources.


June 11, 2013

Runes - How To Make Your Own

You can go to pretty much any new age or witchy shop and buy a set of runes, but that can be costly. I myself like to make as many of my witchy tools as I can, because I like being able to infuse my energy into whatever I'm making; and there is something magically satisfying in making my own tools.

There are several ways to make your own Runes, I will be going over a few of them in this post, and showing you the ones I just made.

Wood Runes - You can cut a wooden dial into 25 pieces and Paint or Use a sharpie to write a Rune on each one - you could also carve the rune symbols into the wood.

Beans - Grab a bag of butter/lima beans, go through the beans in the bag and pic out 24 that are not cracked or open. then simply use a sharpie to write a rune on each one.

Clay - Use an oven bake polymer clay(sculpey) mold 1in circles or squares it's your choice, now you can either carve the runes into the clay then Bake or you can bake then paint or use a sharpie to draw the runes on.

The clay method is the way I went with mine, I used sculpey/clay in a bright pink and purple (just my taste) I formed them, baked them or 15 min, let them cool completely then drew on the rune symbols with a black sharpie.


Next up in the Rune Series - Runes Symbols and What They Mean.

June 10, 2013

Book Of Shadows, What Are They, And Other Questions


All over the web lately I have been seeing a ton of questions from new Witches/Pagans about "Books Of Shadows" I thought I would give my take on a few of these questions.


Q. What is a "Book Of Shadows"? The basic answer to this is a BOS is your personal journal of your magical life.

Q. What kind of BOS should I have? It can be anything from a spiral notebook to a leather bound book, however for me it has always been easier to use a 3 ring binder. using a 3 ring binder makes it easy to move rearrange and add information to your BOS. I recently made the BOS in the picture above, I made a how to post here.

Q. What Information should I put in my BOS? Well that is completely up to you, but I will give you a basic list as to what you can put in it.

Table of Contents:
Title Page
Book Blessing
Dedication
Tenets, Basics, Ethics
Correspondences
Crystal Magic
Herbal
Divination
Sabbats
Esbats
Incense & Oils
Recipes
Rituals and Spells
Glossary Of Terms

This is just a general list you can add more or less it is your BOS and it is your decision as to what goes in it.

Do I have to hand write my BOS? No not necessarily, some pagan/wiccan/witches keep a digital BOS on their computer, or if your like me and can't read your own handwriting you can type up, then print out the pages you want in your BOS.

Here are two pages from my personal BOS, a Spell page and a blank for future use.

However you decide to do your BOS, have fun with it decorate the cover and the pages make it personal to you.

I hope you have found this helpful. if you have any questions about making your own BOS, please feel free to ask about it.

Blessings

Ash-Lynn