Thursday, April 30, 2009

The Truth About The Maypole



















In ancient Ireland the Bile was a Sacred Tree, the center of the Tuatha, or clan. Seen as a Tree of Life, the Bile Pole, represents the connection between the people and their three worlds.

The three worlds are the heavens or Skyworld, the human or Middleworld, and the Otherworld.

The forgotten Bile pole has survived as the Maypole, a tall pole decorated with long colored ribbons and flowers, around which young lads and lasses dance, interweaving the ribbons.

The dance represents the TRINITY. It can be seen as the intertwining of life, death and rebirth. Reflect on the many levels of the Trinity and you will see a great many secrets revealed to you in the dance.

The day marks the return of nature to a fertile state. The pole is a phallic symbol penetrating the earth, the feminine aspect that receives the seeds which grow into the food that feeds us all.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Love Spell Ritual Bath

The purpose of a ritual bath is to cleanse yourself and prepare yourself for the spell work at hand. A ritual bath is a rite in and of itself. This bath can also be done just prior to casting your spell to lend power to your magic.

The bath water should be infused with salts, herbs oils and colors that are harmonious with your love spell, such as rose, love attracting oils and pink colored salts.

To prepare for the bath, anoint a pink or red candle with love spell oil.
Have a censer and charcoal block ready to burn love spell incense on.
If you have an altar set up in your bathroom there should be a Goddess and God candle present.
A glass of wine, preferably red, is also needed for consumption upon completion of the rite.

Turn out the lights and light the candles and incense, fill the tub with warm water and add herbs, oils, salts. With your Athame, wand or hand, draw and visualize the symbol of Venus over the bath water.

Lower yourself into the water and visualize it cleansing you of all negativity and worries of the mundane world. Know that these energies are releasing into the water. Relax and enjoy the warmth of the water, the scents in the air and the feeling of being cleansed of all negativity, let yourself drift. Now concentrate and visualize attracting love and know that you are truly prepared for it to manifest in the perfect way you envision. After offering a drop of wine to your bath, drink deeply from your chalice. When you feel you are ready, pull the plug and stay in the tub until all the water has drained.


Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Love Spells: Magical Properties of Rose

Roses are primarily used in Love Spells to attract love or passion. Rose petals can be used in love spell incense or you can make a magic love attracting bath. The rose is sacred to both Venus and Aphrodite

"The Rose is the flower of love. It was created by Chloris, the Greek goddess of flowers, but of a lifeless body of a nymph which she found one day in a clearing in the woods. She asked the help of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, who gave her beauty; Dionysus, the god of wine, added nectar to give her a sweet scent, and the three Graces gave her charm, brightness and joy. Then Zephyr, the West Wind, blew away the clouds so that Apollo, the sun god, could shine and make the flower bloom. And so the Rose was born and was immediately crowned Queen of the Flowers." Quoted from Pickles, Sheila. The Language of Flowers (New York: Harmony Books, 1989).

In addition to love spells, roses are also used in beauty/glamor magic, harmony & peace spells and for good luck/fortune spells. Plant roses in your garden to attract faeries, to protect the house and those that live there.

Monday, April 27, 2009

Beltane Recipe: Faery Cakes

Elder is long regarded as sacred and is intimately connected with magic. It is a tree of Venus and is associated with the element of air. In its branches was supposed to dwell a dryad, Hylde-Moer, the Elder-tree Mother, who lived in the tree and watched over it. Many people would not cut down the tree to make furniture or to burn the wood for fear of upsetting the elder-mother.

Thought to ward off evil spirits, it was considered good luck to plant elder near one’s home for protection. The word elder probably comes from the Anglo-Saxon word “aeld” meaning fire.

The secret to anything made with elderflowers is to pick them on a hot sunny day. If you are using wild elder, make sure you correctly identify the tree with the help of a knowledgeable friend and/or an excellent identification book. Do not use elder that grows along a heavily traveled road/highway, and be sure the area has not been treated or sprayed.

Elder Flower Faery Cakes
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon white sugar
  • 1 1/4 cups milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 egg
  • 3 tablespoons butter, melted
  1. In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Make a well in the center and pour in the milk, vanilla, egg and melted butter; mix until smooth.
  2. Heat a lightly oiled (I use coconut oil) griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Sprinkle roughly half an elderflower head into the cooking pancake, snipping or hand stripping the flowerletts off the green stalks. Once bubbles have formed in the cake, flip over and brown on the other side. Serve hot with honey, syrup or jam.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Beltane Herbs


All flowers, especially Marigold, Elder flowers (pictured above) , Rose, and Primrose and the following botanicals: Agrimony, St Johns Wort, Frankincense, Hawthorn, Ivy, Meadowsweet, Orchid Root, Rowan, Sorrel, and Woodruff

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Libra Full Moon


April 9, 2009. 12:56am GMT

Use the Libra energies to add an extra boost to your spells involving themes of organization, , justice, education, communication and restoring
balance. In terms of balance, readjusting the polarities in your life (male/female, yin/yang, disease/wellness, poverty/abundance) can be done on a full moon in Libra. It is a good time to use opposing color magic in your ritual.

Monday, April 6, 2009

Astrology


There are a couple great astrology sites I check on a regular basis:

Susan Miller writes a great monthly forecast at Astrologyzone . She is consistently uncannily accurate. Her forecast are substantial in length and full of real advice, not superstitious speculation. The specific dates and windows of opportunity are particularly useful.

Lisa Dale Miller at Astrowidom writes great detailed reports, called Moon Messages, in the full moon and new moon phases.

Stephanie Azaria at Cosmicpath provides a daily weather report (retrogrades, moon transits etc) and a weekly sign horoscope.

The folks at Astro offer an amazing assortment of personalized free charts & reports, using your birth data. The astrocartography is one of the features that makes this site stand out from the others.

All of these sites offer great information at no charge. Detailed personal readings are usually available for a fee.

Friday, April 3, 2009

Spring Garden blessing


When you have your garden ready for planting, hard boil a brown fertilized egg.
Using a brown or green marker, draw symbols of growth, earth and fertility on the egg.
On the East side of your garden, dig a small hole with your bare hands.
Say a prayer to the Goddess over the hole, asking her to bless you garden.
Place the adorned egg in the hole and cover it.
Walk clockwise nine times around the perimeter of your garden, and say:
"Eostre, make my garden green this Spring.
I offer this egg to the giver of all things."

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Magical Properties of Alder Trees


The Alder Tree is the third tree in the Celtic lunar year. It's name comes from the Old English ealdoer, which means "chief,"as in alderman. The tree is known for helping those who must resolve disputes see the truth from falsehood and so be able to grant justice.

The Greek word for Alder is clethera, which means "I confine" speaking to the Alders' protective qualities. It is also a tree associated with "the sight"as it is considered to posses psychic qualities. The tree is a favorite of Bran The Blessed and his raven.

Alder wood is used effectively in weather magick. Wands of Alder wood may only be gathered as fallen branches, for to cut an Alder returns all of it's power to the ground. The Alder wand may be used to summon the winds, rain and storms to nourish the land or return balance to the area. You can make a whistle of Alder to summon the four winds.

Alder wood wands also help supplement the inner strength needed to overcome adversaries when challenged and frightened. It bestows courage and represents the evolving spirit.

A Wand or Staff of Alder is for the Warrior. In the Celtic Story Cad Goddau, the Battle Of The Trees, the Alder tooks it's position on the front lines. Since it is the tree of fire, it is the hottest in a fight. The Alder is also known as the "Battle Witch" of all woods.
Photo by halifaxlight