Clearing the Decks for the Brand New Year!

Cast Out the Bad Energy: Community Gathering

Here is an ancient way of casting out demons and bringing new tidings for your friendships and family. Buy a big bag of dried beans and invite all your friends over. In ancient times, many pagan people—from the Greeks to the Incan Indians—believed that beans contained evil spirits.

Ideally performed during an eclipse when that which is hidden is revealed, procure bags of beans and invite your tribe over.  Go to your roof, a hill or wherever you can “get high.” Give everyone a handful of beans and start throwing them down one at a time, with each toss calling out whatever you want to kiss goodbye—a job, a bad relationship, whatever your personal demons may be. After you have discarded all the discord from your life, you and your friends can celebrate the lifting of your burdens. this is a fantastic way to clear the decks for new energy in the New Year. 

Bright blessings to you and Happy New Year!!!

New Year's Ritual Bonfire

In addition to your personal New Year’s ritual with the significant people in your life, I recommend the Mayan Fire Ceremony as a powerful way to bring positive change of the New Year into your life.

The Mayan Fire Ceremony was considered to open a door or portal into the spirit world that held the promise of receiving the blessings of spirit—love, healing, prosperity, peace, and anything you need for personal transformation. This ritual is also an opportunity to pay respects and make homage to your ancestors and loved ones you have lost. For this reason alone, I suggest enacting the Mayan Fire Ceremony: our culture is losing the important connection to the older people in our lives. Involving them in the rituals, ceremonies, and passages of our lives could heal a cultural rift and bring deep wisdom to all. Mayan shamans could “read” the fire in a divinatory fashion, and I hear that some modern metaphysicians can do the same. If you are fortunate enough to know anyone with such skills, invite them to your fire ceremony to share what they divine from the flames.

January 1—Mayan Fire Ceremony

What you need:

Candles in the following colors: red, yellow, green, blue, white, and black

Herbs: tobacco, rosemary, lavender, cedar, sage, and rose petals

Incense: copal, myrrh, or any resin-based incense

2 cups sugar

1 chocolate bar per person

Bells, rattles, drums, and other noisemakers

A firepot, fireplace, or safe place for an outdoor fire, paper for your intention

The candle colors represent the six directions: north, south, east, west, up, and down (or sky and earth). They also represent the different people of the world.

Gather your friends together at dusk on New Year’s Day and ask them to bring a colored candle (assign them a color), a noisemaker, and an open mind. Ask them also to write out what they want to purge from their life and bring the paper into the circle. The Mayan Fire Ceremony serves to bring positive new influences into our lives and also to dispel what no longer serves for good. This “letting go” can be anything. For me, one year ago, it was cancer, and this year it was too much clutter. For you, it could be an unhealthy relationship, a job that makes you miserable, or a cramped apartment.

Here are the steps to the ritual:

1.     Build a fire at 5:00pm and have it burning brightly as your guests arrive. Place a big bowl of herbs, flower petals, and incense near the fire.

1.     Create a circle around the fire and ask the eldest in the group to slowly draw a circle of sugar around the fire.

2.     When the elder has moved back into place in the circle, each person should light his or her candles from the fire and place it in the sugar circle, creating a mandala.

3.     Ask the youngest person to lead the group in this chant:
My life is my own
I must but choose to be better,
Vital breath of life I breathe
No more pain and strife!
Wise ones, bring us health and life
Bring us love and luck
Bring us blessed peace
On this our New Year’s Day.
Into the fire, we toss the old
Into the fire, we see our future
On this, our New Year’s Day.
Harm to none and health to all!

Everyone should rattle and drum away, making merry and rousing the good spirits. The spirits of the wise elders will join you.

After the drumming, start around the circle, beginning with the eldest. Allow people to speak about what they want to release from their life, and have them toss their “letting go” paper into the fire. Then the eldest person should lead the group in a prayer for collective hopes for the coming your, and anyone who wants to add something should also speak out wishes for positive change, for themselves and for the world.

Thank the wise elders and ancestors for their wisdom and spiritual aid by throwing some chocolate into the fire. Be sure to keep some for members of the circle to share and enjoy. The Mayans held the belief that a plentitude of offerings to the ancestors would bring more blessings. They also believed that fire ceremonies helped support the planet and all the nations of the word. Gifts to the fire signal to the elders that they can return through the door and to the other world, until you call upon them for help in the future.

Solo Spells for Busy Witches: 5 Minute Magic

Sun Moon Spell

Many of us have jobs, relationships, hobbies, children to raise, friendships, houses to clean, classes to take, beautiful things to Instagram and much more How do you incorporate your spiritual practice into a very busy life? Solo spells can be done when it works for you. First thing in the morning and last rite of the night are prayerful times to perform these spells. If you can only do spells on occasion, I suggest New Moon and Full Moon. Light a candle that will conjure the energy you desire in your life and hold it in your hand as you say aloud:

Daughters under this sun

Sisters under this moon

On this day, we receive your blessings

Sun God, bold and bright

Moon  goddess great and good—

We thank you for the days to come.

Harm to none, blessings to all.

Place the candle on your altar and let it burn for at least five minutes. When you tamp out the candle flame, visualize the blessings to come.

Heal Yourself by Letting Go: A Releasing Ritual

Taking the Waters—a Releasing Ritual

Sarasvati is a Hindu goddess of the arts, and originally a river goddess. She is invoked by individuals seeking to improve the flow of their creativity and self-transformation.

A bath blessing that will both relax and purify you is a rare and wonderful thing. To prepare yourself, place 1 quart of rough sea salt or Epson salts in a large bowl. Add the juice from 6 freshly squeezed lemons, 1/2 cup of sesame oil, and a few drops of rose and jasmine oils. Stir until the mixture is completely moistened. You can add more sesame oil if necessary, but do not add more lemon because it will make the mixture overly astringent and potentially irritating to your skin.

When your tub is one-third full, add one-quarter of the salt mixture under the faucet. Breathe in deeply ten times, inhaling and exhaling fully before you do this recitation. You may start to feel a tingling at the crown of your head. The water should still be running when you proclaim:

Sarasvati, O Harmonious One,

Goddess and mistress, I ask your guidance.

Remove from me any impurities

Of heart, spirit, and mind. I open myself to you.

My wish is to once again become whole,

Free of pain, sadness, and all that is better in me.

When the tub is full, it is time to step inside and breathe deeply ten more times. Repeat the prayer to Sarasvati, and use the rest of the salt to gently massage your body. Rest and rejuvenate as long as you like, allowing yourself to feel refreshed and renewed by the ministrations of this Hindu goddess of harmony and artistry from whom eloquence, inspiration, and blessings flow.

Make Your Own Magic Wishing Box

Keep a magic wishing box on your desk. Every so often look at it and make a wish upon your heart’s desire. It’s easy to make: Take a bowl or empty box and fill it halfway with sand. Place these suggested wish stones in any arrangement you find pleasing. When need something, hold the stone relating to your hoped for outcome, close your eyes and visualize your wish coming true. 

-agate for a new home,

-amethyst for spirituality,

-carnelian or lapis lazuli for a job,

-coral for wanting children

-fool’s gold for money, an

-rose quartz for love.

What is Your Power Flower?

Potpourri went out of fashion for a long time and I am so very glad it regained popularity some years back. Potpourri was a medieval tradition revived by the Victorians, who used the symbolic meanings and powers of flowers. Grow them in your kitchen garden or buy cut flowers. Dry them; then place them in a pretty container. Choose flowers that you are drawn to or connect with your personal energy.

Choose flowers that connect with your astrological sign and personal energy from the following list:

Aries, ruled by Mars: carnation, cedar, clove, cumin, fennel, juniper, peppermint, and pine

Taurus, ruled by Venus: apple, daisy, lilac, magnolia, oak moss, orchid, plumeria, rose, thyme, tonka bean, vanilla, violet

Gemini, ruled by Mercury: almond, bergamot, mint, clover, dill, lavender, lemongrass, lily, parsley

Cancer, ruled by the Moon: eucalyptus, gardenia, jasmine, lemon, lotus, rose, myrrh, sandalwood

Leo, ruled by the Sun: acacia, cinnamon, heliotrope, nutmeg, orange, rosemary

Virgo, ruled by Mercury: almond, cypress, bergamot, mint, mace, moss, patchouli

Libra, ruled by Venus: catnip, marjoram, mugwort, spearmint, sweet pea, thyme, vanilla

Scorpio, ruled by Pluto: allspice, basil, cumin, galangal, ginger

Sagittarius, ruled by Jupiter: anise, cedar wood, sassafras, star anise, honeysuckle

Capricorn, ruled by Saturn: mimosa, vervain, vetiver

Aquarius, ruled by Uranus: gum, almond, acacia, cypress, lavender, mimosa, peppermint, pine

Pisces, ruled by Neptune: anise, catnip, clove, gardenia, lemon, orris, sarsaparilla, sweet pea

Protection Magic: A Spell in a Bottle

To ensure that your kitchen is peaceful, secure and grounded in “good vibrations,” gather a teaspoon of clean, dry soil from outside your home and put it into a bottle with smoky quartz crystal, or brown jasper any dark, earthen-colored semiprecious stone. Place the bottle in a potted herb on your windowsill and think about the sanctity of your space every time you water your plant. As your plant grows and thrives, so will the tranquility of your space.

For Love:

A bottle with a rosebud or rose petal, rose essential oil and rose quartz next to your bedside will help with love. For six days, rub oil from the bottle onto a pink candle and burn it for one hour. On the seventh day, your romantic prospect will brighten.

For Luck and Abundance:

For luck with money, place three pennies and some pyrite, green jade or peridot in a bottle and put it on your desk or workspace.  At least three times a day, visualize a lot of money and shake the magic money bottle. After three days, your fortunes will improve.

Create a Healing Altar: Crafting Well-Being

Creating a healing altar will safeguard your physical health and that of your loved ones. Your altar is your sacred workspace. It is charged with your personal power. Set up your healing altar facing north, the direction associated with the energy of manifestation. North is also the direction of the hour of midnight, the “witching hour,” and an altar set up facing north at midnight promises potent magic.

To ensure healthful beginnings, find a pure white square of fabric to drape over your altar to make a tabula rasa, or altar equivalent to a blank slate. Take two green candles and place them in green glass holders or votive glasses and position them in the two farthest corners of the altar. Place your incense burner in the center between the two candles and light the incense. Sandalwood, cinnamon, camphor, and frankincense are all powerful purification incenses that are perfect for the creation of a healing altar. Burn one or all of these purification essences to consecrate the space. Adorn your altar with objects that symbolize healing energy to you. You may perhaps choose a candleholder carved from a chunk of amethyst crystal, which contains healing properties; an abalone shell with the iridescent magic of the oceans; a sweet-smelling bundle of sage; a small citrus plant bursting with the restorative power of vitamins; or a bowl of curative salts from the sea.

These symbolic items, and any others that you select, will energize your altar with the magic that lives inside you. It is also important that the altar be pleasing to your eye and makes you feel good when you look at it so that you want to spend time there each and every day. After you have been performing rituals there for a while, a positive healing energy field will radiate from your altar.

DIY Ambrosial Brews: Healing Herbal Teas

Become An Alchemist: Lunar Libation

No matter what sign or moon  phase,  witch’s brews can improve your life. Tea conjures a very powerful alchemy because when you drink it, you take the magic inside. For an ambrosial brew with the power to calm any storm, add a sliver of ginger root and a pinch each of chamomile and peppermint to a cup of hot black tea. Before you drink, pray:

            This day I pray for calm, for health,

            And the wisdom to see the beauty of each waking moment.

            Blessings abound.

            So mote it be.

Herbal teas can also nourish the soul and heal the body:

Blueberry leaf tea reduces mood swings, evens glucose levels, and helps varicose veins.

Nettle raises the energy level, boosts the immune system, and is packed with iron and vitamins.

Fennel awakens and uplifts, freshens the breath, and aids colon health.

Echinacea lends an increased and consistent sense of well-being, and prevents colds and flu.

Ginger root calms and cheers while aiding digestion, nausea, and circulation.

Dandelion root grounds and centers, provides many minerals and nutrients, and cleanses the liver of toxins. 

Ions and Eons of Contentment: Salt Lamp Spell

Your entry way is where things cross the threshold into your realm. Energy management starts right at the front door. One way to keep a constant vigil on this is by having a Himalayan salt lamp in front room. Salt is one of Mother Nature’s greatest protectors as it cleanses your environment of ill-omens and bad spirits. These lovely blocks of rosy-hued salt produce negative ions when warm; the very thing that makes a beach day by the ocean so cheering are those ions. A simple DIY way to have your negative ions and enjoy them, too, is to buy a batch of rock salt chunks at your nearby new age store or even a gourmet shop. Making sure you are nearby an electrical socket, take a metal or wire bowl and place a small light bulb in the bottom center of the basket, Genltly stack the rock salt over the bulb and plug it into the socket.  The rock salt crystals will have the glow of an early morning sun. You’ll immediately enjoy the gentle soft pink glow of light and as the rocks warm up, your mood will begin to lift. As a double benefit, the salt will constantly cleanse the energy in your home and keep it light and bright. 

To consecrate your new energy management center, hold one of the rocks and speak this spell:

 I  hold this salt, beauty of the green earth and the ocean,

I hold this wish for a happy and peaceful home to come soon.

May all be merry and bright far and near.

 May all find contentment who enter hear. Blessed be!

Celebrating Abundance: A Thanksgiving Ritual

This day of giving thanks denotes the high point of the year; the crops are in their fullness, weather is warm and the countryside is bursting forth with the beauty of life. Pagans know we have the heavens above to thank for this and the gods of nature must be acknowledged for their generosity with a gathering of the tribe and a feast, ideally in the great outdoors.  Ask  invitees to bring harvest-themed offerings for the altar: gourds, pumpkins, bundles of wheat stalks and corn, fresh pickings from their garden and food to share in thanksgiving made from the same- pies, tomato salads, cucumber pickles, green beans, corn pudding, watermelon, lemon cakes, berry cucumber, apple cider and beer brewed from wheat, hops and barley. This celebration of the reapings from the summer season should reflect what you grown with your own hands. Fill your cauldron or a big beautiful colored glass bowl half-full with freshly-drawn water. Get packets of tiny votive candles for floating in the water. At the feast table, make sure to have a place-setting for the godly guest Lugh who watched over the plantings to ensure this bounty. Place loaves of home baked bread by his plate.

When all guests have arrived, everyone should add a food offering to the plate of the god and light a candle to float in the cauldron.  Cut a slice of the loaf of bread for Lugh and begin the ceremony with this prayer of thanks:

Oh, ancient Lugh of the fields and farms,

We invite you here with open arms,

In this place between worlds, in flowering fields of hay.

You have brought the blessings we receive this ThanksgivingDay.

Begin the feast and before the dessert course, everyone should go around the table and speak to their gratitude for the gifts of the year

Blessing Bowl Ritual

While a bowl is not a tool in and of itself, you can utilize bowls in your spellwork often and anytime you are inspired to do so. Three simple ingredients, a red rose, a pink candle and water can bestow a powerful blessing. The rose signifies beauty, potential, the sunny seasons, love for yourself and others. The candle stands for the element of fire, the yellow flame of the rising sun in the east, harmony, higher intention and the light of the soul. Water represents its own element, flow, the direction of the west, emotions and cleansing. This ritual can be performed alone or with a group in which you pass the bowl around.

Float the rose in a clear bowl of water and light a pink candle beside the bowl. With your left hand, gently stir the water in the bowl and say:

These waters cleanse my soul and being,

Now, with a clear mind and heart, I am seeing,

I am love; my heart is a big as sky and earth.

From the east to the west, love universal gives life its worth.

Blessings to all, so mote it be.

Keep the blessing bowl on your kitchen altar for three days and three nights, Dry the red rose and keep it on your nightstand or desk where it will always fill your heart with love,

Manifesting the Positive In Your Life

Sowing the Seeds of Change

Nature is the ultimate creator. Get an array of seed packets, and plant newness in your life. If your thumb is not the greenest, I suggest nasturtiums, which will grow in any soil and seem to thrive on neglect.

On a new-moon day, draw a square in your yard or planter with a natural wand—a willow branch or an oak stick, for example—and mark each corner with a candle and a stone:

-orange candle and stone for higher intelligence (onyx or jasper),

-green candle and stone for creativity and growth (jade, peridot, or malachite),

-blue candle and stone for serenity and goodness (lapis lazuli, turquoise, or celestite),

-white candle and stone for purification (Herkimer diamond, quartz, or limestone).

Repeat this chant as you light each candle:

“Great Gaia, I turn to you to help me renew,

Under this new moon and in this old earth. Blessed be.”

Poke the seeds under the soil with your fingers and tramp them down with your wand. Gently water your new-moon garden, and affirmative change will begin that very day.

Crystals and Gems for Pain Relief: Pretty and Pretty Darn Effective!

Pain Relief Prisms

When you feel pain somewhere in your body, it is a small voice that needs to be listened to. It could be old energy that needs to be released or a blockage or imbalance. I was in a hit-and-run auto accident where I was hit by a drunk driver who plowed through a red light and totaled my car, and very nearly me. As I hit the brake, my foot and ankle were shattered, rather like a porcelain teacup thrown with great force. The doctors wanted to amputate my leg, but I managed to talk them out of it. I had to learn to walk again, but I can walk and even dance and run again after lots of physical therapy and healing. But nowadays whenever I hit the brake too hard, I feel pain because my body remembers. The tissue and bones old the memory imprint of that awful day and the terrible trauma.

Crystals have very mild and serene ways of tranquilizing negative energy and releasing the pain. In my case, I ever so gently rub the crystal across my ankle. (Carnelian works well because it is said to be good for healing bones, but quartz can also serve the purpose.) The stone feels cool and calming as the pain dissipates. I can also visualize the pain going into the crystal, and the crystal forming a prism that contains the pain. At first, this was very frightening for me, but I found that rose quartz helped me deal with my fear. I placed the rose quartz over the heart area, the solar plexus, and as the crystal touched upon the heart chakra, I felt the fear dissolving while the pain gradually lessened. Turquoise and carnelian are also good for this.

I once had a copper bracelet set with onyx, coral, and turquoise from a Cherokee reservation that was so effective at treating wrist pain that it finally disintegrated from overuse. Copper is unmatched for dealing with edema, the swelling and inflammation that can be caused by arthritis, repetitive stress injuries, sports-related soreness, and many other issues.

Malachite has a lot of the mineral copper in it, so a pendant, ring, or bracelet with malachite can be a great agent for pain reduction. Iron-rich magnetite is another pain absorber.

The Wonder of Wands: Think Gandalf, Not Harry Potter!

I see many gorgeous, crystal-encrusted wands for sale in metaphysical five-and-dimes, and I am sure they are super-powered. Bear in mind, though, that it is a wonderful thing indeed to make your own wand. Star with a tree branch that has fallen to the ground on its own. Sand and polish the rough edges, as it is a wand and not a weapon. Then give it a good smudging. Hot-glue a large quartz crystal onto the wand near the handle, and hot-glue on any crystals featuring properties that will complement your magic. Citrine makes an excellent pointer tip for your wand and aligns your self-identity with your spirit. And, after all, isn’t that the point? Here are stones I recommend for harnessing various powers with wands:

-amber for grounding,

-amethyst for balance and intuition,

-aventurine for creative visualization,

-bloodstone for abundance and prosperity,

-calcite for warding off negativity,

-carnelian for opening doors for you and helping you overcome any family problems,

-chalcedony for power over dark spirits,

-citrine for getting motivated and attracting money and success,

-fluorite for communicating with fairies and other unseen beings,

-garnet for protection from gossip,

-geode for getting through periods of extreme difficulty,

-hematite for strength and courage,

-jade for wisdom to interpret or realize powerful dreams,

-jasper for stability,

-lodestone for bringing a lover back into your life,

-mahogany obsidian for feeling sexy and emanating sensuality,

-moss agate for powers of persuasion and healing,

-quartz crystal for divining your dreams,

-rhodochrosite for staying on course with your life’s true purpose,

-rose quartz for love

-turquoise for safety when traveling, and

-watermelon tourmaline for help with planning your best possible future.

Gather the Angels to Help You With Whatever You Need

Calling All Angels

You can access your intuition and prophetic capabilities and also call for angelic assistance with this  ritual. You’ll need these ingredients: one celestite stone and one palmful each of ground cloves, dried sage, and amber incense. If you celestate isn't easily available at your nearest metaphysical shop, a light sky blue stone will substitute. When you are able, do get celestite which offers direction angelic connection and is simply lovely. 

With a mortar and pestle, mix the herbs together. Place the heavenly blue celestite in front of you and say aloud three times:

Calling all angels!
Come and play.
Be with me now
And show me how
To make my way.

Burn the herbs in your fireplace or in a dish while gazing at the celestite and concentrating on a question, such as whether to take a new job or end a relationship. Use this time to cleanse your mind of all concerns, worries, and thoughts, making way for pure insight. Answers will come, and angels always give you a sign that they have visited. It can come in the form of an amazing coincidence, a song on the radio, or some other sweet surprise.

How to Get More Good Luck in Your Life

 Your altar is the heart center of your home, your sanctuary. Yet the world is constantly coming in and bringing mundane energy over your threshold- problems at the workplace, financial woes, bad news from your neighborhood or the world at large. All this negativity wants to get in the way and stay. While you can’t do anything about the stock market crash in China or a coworker’s divorce, do not allow this bad energy to cling to you. That you can do something about with this homekeeping spell. The best times to release any and all bad luck, is on a Friday the 13^th or on any waxing moon. As you know, Friday the 13^th is considered a lucky day on the witch’s calendar. November 13th is coming right up, too!

Get a big black candle and a black crystal, a piece of white paper, a black pen with black ink and a cancellation stamp, readily available at any stationery store. Go into your backyard or a nearby park or woodlands and find a flat rock that has a slightly concave surface. Using the pen, write down on the white paper that which you want to rid yourself and your home of; this is your release request. Place the candle, the black crystal on the rock and light the candle near an open window so the negativity goes outside while the candle burns, intone:

Waxing moon, most wise Cybele,

From me this burden please dispel

Upon this night so clear ad bright

I release ___ to the moon tonight.

Go outside and place the rock altar on the ground and visualize a clear and peaceful home filled with only the positive as the candle burns for 13 minutes. Stamp the paper with the cancel stamp. Snuff the candle, fold the paper away from your body and place it under the rock. Speak your thanks to the moon for assisting you. If you have a truly serious issue at hand, repeat the process for 13 nights and all will be vanquished.

The Scent of Happiness

The minute you walk into someone’s home, you can almost immediately tell how happy a household it is. Much of that is determined by the smell. A home with the fragrance of sugar cookies or a freshly baked pumpkin pie is one you may well want to visit often. Similarly, a space redolent of the bouquet of lilies or tea roses is one where the residents take care to make their home beautiful to both the eye and the other senses. There are lots of small things we can do in regard to “energy maintenance” for our home. To sweeten any mood, this recipe works wonders on you or anyone in your environment that might need a lift. Combine the following essential oils:

Two drops Neroli                    four drops bergamot

Four drops lavender                two drops rosemary

                       

Add the mixture to a quart of distilled water, and spray the air while chanting:

            Gloom and doom begone.

            Bright energies abound!

            Welcome, sweet spirits, into this house.

            With harm to none. So mote it be.

Happy Celtic New Year!

Halloween stems from the grand tradition of the Celtic New Year. What started as a folk festival celebrated by small groups in rural areas has come to be the second largest holiday of today. There are multitudinous reasons including modern marketing but I think it satisfies a basic human need, to let your “wild side” out, to be free and more connected with the ancient ways.  This is the time when the veil between worlds is thinnest and you can commune with the other side, with elders and the spirit world. It is important to honor the ancestors during this major sabbat and acknowledge what transpired in the passing year as well as set intentions for the coming year.

 This is the ideal time to invite your circle; the ideal number for your “coven” is 13. Gather powdered incense, salt, a loaf of bread, goblets for wine, and three candles to represent the triple goddess for altar offerings.  Ideally on an outdoor stone altar, pour the powdered incense into a pentagram star shape. Let go of old sorrows, angers and anything not befitting of new beginnings in this New Year Bring only your best to this auspicious occasion.

Light the candles and say:

In honor of the Triple Goddess on this sacred night of Samhain,

All the ancient ones

From time before time

To those behind the veil.

Rap the altar three times and light the incense. Say this blessing aloud:

For this bread, wine, and salt,

We ask the blessings of Mother, Maiden and Crone,

And the gods who guard the Gate of the World.

Sprinkle salt over the bread, eat the bread and drink the wine.

Each of the celebrants should come to the altar repeating the bread and wine blessing. After this, be seated and everyone in turn should name those on the other side and offer thanks to ancestors and deities. This can and should take a long time as we owe much to loved ones on the other side.

All Hallow's Eve New Year Ritual: How to Bring Positive Change to Your Life

Here is a personal ritual I recommend for the New Year, whether it is Samhain (October 31, All Hallow’s Eve) or Saturnalia (December 17-24). It can also be performed any time you feel the need for renewal or personal reinvention.

Like a caterpillar, we can burst out of our old form and shed old skin. Old habits that no longer serve should be released. If drinking alcohol, for example, has become a problem for you, let go, find a Twelve-Step program, and let miracles happen in your life as you release the old and welcome the new. We must let go of the past in order to look to the future.

A well-timed ritual can be the process by which you let go of that past. It formalizes the act and marks the time of entry into a new present and new future.

Start with a ritual bath, or this Inspirational Immersion, to cleanse yourself.

Immersion

At the day’s last light, pour a bath. As your run the water, pour drops of bergamot, rosemary, vetiver, and eucalyptus oils into the steaming waters. Bathe in the gathering dark. As darkness begins to fill the room, meditate and pray for positive change in your life. Know that this is the day your life will surely change forever.

Metamorphosis Ritual

Choose a place in your home or wherever you feel secure to do this deeply personal ritual. Allow it to be dark. You are in the dark cocoon and about to burst out into the light. Cast your circle of change by moving clockwise around the room three times. Notice as you walk that you can feel the darkness increasing. You are creating a magical space in which you will work for your desired change.

Stand in the middle of the circle and speak aloud what you want to get rid of in your life. Speak the truth from the safe center of your sanctuary. Close your eyes and turn to the east. Now, using creative visualization, call up the element of air. Picture a piece of the day sky filled with clouds and the night filled with stars. This is the element of air. Wait until you feel its presence fully entered in the circle and speak aloud:

I face the east; I am air. I call upon the powers of the sky and the stars to aid me now.

Now turn to the south and visualize a flaming red ball of sun, which is fire, heat, and life. You will know the element of fire is present by the heat you feel in your circle. Speak aloud:

I face south; I am fire. I call upon the powers of flame and heat, the passion of fire to help me through. Burn away the old, my former self.

Now turn to the west and visualize the waters of the world, oceans, rivers, creeks, and lakes, all merging into a single drop of the holiest water. Speak aloud:

I face the west. I am made of water. I call upon the powers of water, more powerful than any stone. I ask the waters of life to cleanse me and purify me, ready me for total change.

Now face the north and visualize the green of the earth, the soil and seeds of change. Speak aloud:

I face the north. I am grounded in this earth. I call upon the powers of earth, our planet, to give me the strength to change.

Stand still in the center of your circle and feel the energies of the elements, the powers of the four directions, and the strength of nature’s helpers. Relax into this energy and allow visions, ideas, and inspiration to arise. Welcome new feelings and sensations. You should be open to experiencing new patterns of thought. Thinking in a new way is one way to shed your old skin. Now begin to move and stretch in your circle of magic. Reach up as high as you can, and bend and bow as you emerge from the cocoon of your old self. Breathe deeply, inhaling and exhaling slowly and fully. After ten breaths, you should being to feel a buzzing sensation at the top of your head. This is the signal that you have arrived at a new level of consciousness. You have shed your old limits; your transmutation is complete.

Walking counterclockwise, retrace the steps of your circle. As you walk, speak your gratitude to the elements and the directions, taking care to give thanks for all the help you have received during this circle of change. Your circle is now open.

As you go through the next few days, reflect on your new feelings and impressions. New people will come into your life. New opportunities will arise. You have given yourself the gift of new life. Enjoy this new post-metamorphic phase of change and treasure it.

Clearing the Decks for Health and Wealth

Prosperity and purification go hand in hand. One of the greatest tools for purification is sage. While every metaphysical store has it in quantity, I highly recommend gathering or growing sage yourself. Aromatic sage dries quickly and can be bound into thick “smudge sticks,” which you should keep at the ready in a fireproof clay dish. To make a smudge stick, take dried sage leaves and bind them with green and gold thread wound nine times around the bundles and knotted at each loop. Leave room for a handle at the base of the wand, where you wind and knot the green and gold threads thrice more. This will honor the three Fates who hold the thread of our destiny in their hands: Clotho spins the thread of life; Lachesis chooses its length and outcome; and Atropos cuts the thread.

Use your smudge stick at any time purification is in order, especially if you’ve moved, started a new job, bought a new car, or purchased any second-hand clothing or furniture. This will help remove any energy that might be clinging from the previous owner. If have just performed a big decluttering in your home or office, you can further cleanse your personal space by smudging it with sage smoke.

 Light your smudge stick and, moving clockwise, circle the area or items to be purified.

Speak aloud:

Great Spirit goddess so wise, with this smoke,

 your blessed protection I invoke.

 Out with the bad, in with the good.

 Harm to none and blessings to all.

Give a lot of thought about what constructive changes you wish to see in your life or what positive qualities you want to develop further in yourself.

For example, right now, I want to get even more organized, so I will get some lazulite. Crystals and sacred stones can be a great source of clarity and help process emotions.  Of course, getting organized requires some letting go and getting rid of belongings that have seen better days.  This used to be a real problem for me. As any of my friends can tell you, and my cozy cottage is lined with magazines, journals, and books, books, books! But, I really feel the need to declutter my life and streamline it—get a bit more Zen. So, I’ll have to get organized with lazulite power and then let go with lepidolite! Also, I have never really had any jade, but recently, I feel like I need the grounding and stabilizing effects of this stone. Additionally, I need to get more prosperity-minded. I need to be better about saving money and thinking in terms of my future security so I’m not reading tarot out on the sidewalk when I’m 90! So, I have been walking through San Francisco’s Chinatown and feeling very attracted to different jades. I’m sure you feel such urges and attractions, too. Often, this might be your subconscious giving you a gentle nudge about some growing you need to do. Listen to those inner voices, and you will reap the benefits again and again.

Change Your Life With Sacred Stones:

-amber for grounding

-aventurine for creative visualization

-bloodstone for abundance and prosperity,

-carnelian for opening doors for you your family

-citrine for getting motivated and attracting money and success

-geode for getting through periods of extreme difficulty

-hematite for strength and courage

-jasper for stability

-rhodochrosite for staying on course with your life’s true purpose

-watermelon tourmaline for help with planning your best possible future

Candle Magic Secrets We Can All Use

I don't know about you but lighting a candle immediately puts me at ease. Nowadays, the popularity of candles has reached an all-time high. Candles are used by folks of all walks of life for relaxation, meditation, and aromatherapy. This simple yet profound tool can make powerful magic. Notice how candlelight transforms a dark room and fills the air with the energy of magical light. Suddenly the potential for magic is evident.

Candles contain all four of the elemental energies:

Air—Oxygen feeds and fans the candle flame.

Earth—The solid wax forms the candle.

Water—Melted wax is the fluid elemental state.

Fire—The flame sparks and blazes.

How to Charge a Candle:

“Charging” a candle means instilling it with magical intent. A Candle that has been charged carries that intention through all four elements and up to the heavens. It fills the very air with your magic. Ritual candles are chosen for their correspondences, carved, and “dressed,” or anointed, with the energy of an essential oil.

Candle Color Correspondences

Black: banishing, absorbing, expulsion of the negative, healing serious disease, attracting money

Brown: home, animal wisdom, grounding, healing

Dark Blue: change, flexibility, the unconscious, psychic powers, healing

Gold: Solar magic, money, attraction, the astral plane

Gray: neutrality, impasse, cancellation

Green: money, prosperity, growth, luck, jobs, gardening, youth, beauty, fertility

Light Blue: patience happiness, triumph over depression, calm understanding

Orange: attraction, success with legal issues, mutability, stimulation, support, encouragement

Pink: love, faithfulness, friendships, goodness, affection

Purple: healing, ambition, business success, stress relief, power

Red: strength, protection, vitality, sexuality, passion, courage, power, love, good health

White: purification, peace, protection, truth, binding, sincerity, serenity, chastity, happiness, spirit

Yellow: mental power and vision, intelligence, clear thinking, study, self-assurance, prosperity, abundance, divination, psychism, powers of persuasion, wisdom, charisma, sound sleep

Clear Away Negative Energy Wth this DIY Incense

This incense will significantly aid the formation of the sphere of energy that is the ritual circle. A fine grind of all the ingredients is the key to good incense, so you should add a mortar and pestle to your list of tools if you intend to make a lot of incense. A blender or food processor is a more modern approach that may save on time and elbow grease, especially if you are making a large batch of incense for a group.

Clearing Incense:

1 part sandalwood

3 parts sage

3 parts copal

3 parts frankincense

This is an optimal mixture of essences to purify your home or sacred working space. Negative energies are vanquished and the path is cleared for ritual. Open windows and doors when you are burning this clearing incense so the “bad energy” can be released outside. It is also advisable to use this clearing incense if there have been any arguments or other energetic disruptions in your home. You can recreate a sanctuary with this incense.

Tranquility Meditation for Stressful Times

Let’s face it; we live in tough times. Even the daily news is very stressful. For this reason, I devote myself to tips and tools to help you navigate the rapids of 2017:

Tranquility Meditation

Sandalwood, lavender and clary sage create a deeply relaxing blend with a warm and soothing scent.  Here is what you need:

6 tablespoons almond oil
2 tablespoons jojoba oil
20 drops sandalwood essential oil
15 drops lavender essential oil
5 drops clary sage essential oil

Mix oils together in a tightly capped blue or brown bottle. Shake well  and pour a bit into the palm of your hand to warm before using. Rub it lightly onto your shoulder and neck as well as your temples and wrists. Sit comfortably and breathe deeply with your eyes closed. Chant aloud:

Remove from me all worry.

Remove all stress in a hurry.

No more will I lack sleep.

No more will I weep.

Tranquility and calm, come to me now.

With harm to none, so mote it be.

..

Pot of Gold: An Abundance Blessing

Cauldron magic is more about the act of brewing something new than it is about purification by water. To attract money, fill a big pot with fresh water and place it on your altar during the waxing moon. Pour into it an offering of a cup of milk mixed with honey. Toss handfuls of chamomile, woodruff, moss, and vervain into the cauldron. With your hands raised, say aloud:

I call upon you, gods and goddesses of old, to fill my purse with gold. In return, I offer your honey’s gold and mother’s milk. With harm to none and blessings to thee, I honor you for bringing me health and prosperity.

Place the offering bowl on your altar and leave the aromatic mixture there to imbue your space with the energy of abundance. When the magic has been fulfilled (or before the milk and herbs begin to spoil). pour it outside your home into the ground and bow in appreciation of the kindness of the gods and goddesses.

Moon Mojo: Clear A Space and Make It Yours

To purify your space with as much of your own personal energy as possible, a broom you have crafted by hand is best. You don’t have to wait until you are holding a circle or performing spellcraft, it can be after a squabble with a loved one, to rid yourself of a bout of the blues or any upset you need to sweep right out of your home. Many a kitchen witch begins the day with this simple ritual of a clean sweep to freshen surroundings and to make room for good energy in your life.  This is, of course, not a white glove-type cleaning; it is a symbolic act that is effective in maintaining your home as a personal sanctuary.

You can make your own purification broom from straw bound together and attached to a fallen tree branch, or you can add mojo to a store-bought broom. Wrap copper wire around the bottom of your broom handle and also use it to bind straw to a sturdy stick or branch for the DIY kind. Venus-ruled copper lends an aura of beauty and keeps negativity at bay. Attach crystals to the handle with glue to boost your broom’s power. Recommended crystal for space clearing and purification are as follows:

Amber for good cheer

Blue Lace Agate for tranquility and a peaceful home

Coral for wellbeing

Jet absorbs bad energy

Onyx is a stone of protection

Petrified Wood for security

Tiger’s Eye will protect you for energy-draining situations or people

Turquoise creates calm and relaxation.

Enchanted Housekeeping: Wash Those Bad Vibes Right Out of Your House!

Floral Floor Cleansing:

I haven’t used store-bought cleansers since the year 2004 when  a health challenge awakened me to the importance of ridding my environment of any toxins or potentially harmful chemicals. I think it is a very good idea for all of us to consider as our health is precious and I know this made a difference for me and my loved ones. And the smell of a home freshly cleaned with lemons and scentful natural oils feels wonderful! In this case, you can do an energy cleansing of your home of any negative vibrations that might be lingering. If you had a squabble with a family member or someone just got over the flu, a bad breakup, a break-in or any upset needs to be removed from your space so you can live in peace and harmony. 

Gather the following:  1 quart of white vinegar, 4 lemons, lavender oil, cinnamon sticks, sage, mint and a new mop.

In a glass bowl, pour a cup of hot water, place mint leaves, half cup of lemon juice, 8 drops of lavender oil,  3 sage leaves, and three cinnamon sticks.  Let steep for a half hour.

Take a clean bucket and fill with two gallons of warm water and a quart of white vinegar. Using a kitchen sieve, strain the herbal mix into the bucket and give a star with a wooden spoon. Take your brand new mop and dip it into the bucket,  wring it out and clean the floor very thoroughly.  Speak this spell as you work:

Spirits ill and energy dark, I cast you out!

Sadness, anger, illness and doubt, I cast you out!

Welcome contentment and glee; this home is now happy and free.

So mote it be. 

Crystal Feng Shui Secrets

Stones placed in strategic places around your home can help accelerate change you are desiring in your home.  Using what I call “crystal feng shui,” you can place a crystal or a geode in the appropriate position of your home to facilitate specific results. For example, amethyst will promote healing and release any negative energy that is clinging. Clusters of jade or yellow “lemon quartz” will activate vibrations of abundance and creativity.

If you want to bring more money into your home or office, place a big chunk of citrine on the left side of your desk, and the money will begin to flow! If you have a dark hallway that feels spooky or an area in your home or office in which the energy feels very static or low, place an obsidian ball there, perhaps in a pedestal, to absorb this negative energy. If you want to have your bedroom be a place of bliss and unconditional love, rose quartz will create this all-important atmosphere.  Not only will these tips add to the buoyancy and joy of your home, it will also make it more striking and serene.

Harness The Magical Power of the Stones in Your Jewelry

 Charging Your Jewelry with Magic

Charging a gem or crystal imbues it with your intent. Upon charging your jewelry, you can use it in spell work or anytime you want to surround yourself with the magic you put into the gemstones. While picturing your truest wish and hope, and what you ultimately want to achieve through this process, anoint a candle with an essential oil that most expresses your energy. Perhaps it is rose or, as in my case, amber. Begin by lighting the candle and gazing into the flame. Then, place the piece of jewelry in front of the candle and say aloud, “Into this jewelry, I imbue my essence and the power of this blessed earth. This gem of great hue is charged until my magic is through. So mote it be!”

You can further empower the jewel by scratching your desire into the wax of the candle. Then, each time you burn the candle, place the gem before it and think upon your quest.

You can further empower the jewel by scratching your desire into the wax of the candle. Then, each time you burn the candle, place the gem before it and think upon your quest.

To enchant all of your jewelry, you need to create and altar for this express purpose. You can prepare the way for letting crystal and gem magic into your life, and focusing your desires and dreams, with a gem-magic altar. If you already have an altar in place, incorporate some of the following elements. The more you use your altar, the more powerful your spells will be.

Your gem-magic altar can be a low table, the top of a chest, or even a shelf. First, you must purify the space with the smoke of a sage bundle. This is called smudging and is essential in clearing energy to make way for magic. You can use wild sage or purchase it at any herb store or metaphysical five-and-dime.

Once you have smudged the space, cover your altar with your favorite fabric; I recommend the color white. Place a candle in each corner. I prefer candles of many colors to represent the rainbow array of gems. Place gems and crystals of your choice around the candles. Rose quartz is a heart stone, and fluorite is a calming crystal, so these are good choices for grounding yourself, particularly if your altar is in your bedroom, as many are! Add to the altar fresh flowers, an incense you simply love to smell, and any objects that have special meaning to you. Some folks place lovely shells or feathers they have found in their paths or on the beach, and others use imagery that is special—a goddess statue or a star shape. The most important point is that your altar be pleasing to your eye and your sensibilities. You should feel that it represents the deepest aspects of you as a person.

Ideally, you will bless your altar on a new moon. Light the candles and incense, and say aloud:

“Here burns happiness about me,

Peace and harmony are in abundance,

Here my happiness abounds.

Gems and jewels—these bones of the earth

Bring love, prosperity, health and mirth.

Be it ever thus that joy is the light

That here burns bright.
Blessed be!”

You have now consecrated your altar. It will ease your spirit anytime and become your power source. Your altar connects you to the earth of which you and all gems and crystals are a part. Your altar will connect you to the crystal magic that has now entered your life. Whenever you want to add a dash of magic or a supernatural sparkle to a stone or piece of jewelry, you can place it on your altar for seven days. On the seventh day, wear the jewelry and bewitch everyone you encounter! Remember that your level of clarity and concentration will be reflected in the jewel’s power.

Now, enjoy your sacred stones.

Herbal Clutter Busters

Send negative energy packing with this ancient herbal magic:

Sweetgrass: Native Americans have burned braided sheaves of sweetgrass for centuries. It is so scentful, it can also be wafted around as a wand to clear energy without lighting it. Native folks also brew a tea from it to use as an astringent body and hair rinse and also as an adornment woven into braids or as a crown. They go by the philosophy that “strong hair means a strong mind.”  This power herb cleanses both body, soul and your home but the highest use is for rituals when you burn it to call forth the ancestors and send away anything unwanted.

Copal: Meson American tribes and modern shamans gathered this tree resin to employ as a ceremonial incense throughout the year. You will still smell the sweetly pungent smoke of copal on Day of the Dead as it helps us connect with our ancestors and loved ones who passed to the other side.  While burning it is part of the ritual, it is also believed by shamans and healers to help tap into the spiritual realm. Copal also has the power to bring about total relaxation.

Palo Santo: This dried wood plays an important role in South American cultures where  it is burned to clear a space of bad energy activates a higher power in those who use it. Smelling the scent of Palo Santo clears out psychic clutter and purifies both you and your environment. It is said it literally burn away negative thoughts in your mind and is a deeply powerful experience.

Blowing in the Wind – A Charm for Releasing

We just had a full moon and what a moon it was! Now that the moon is on the wane, this is an excellent time for this rite of releasing. Now, positive new energy can enter your life:

                         

When the moon is waning, this is your opportunity to release anything that no longer serves in your life. We all need to embrace the winds of change in our life, clearing away the old and making room for the new. This charm helps overcome upset and can help release anger and grudges. And isn't this and important first step to happiness? What you’ll need: A blustery day, access to the outdoors, basil and sage.

Well, it's not mandatory that you have a hill for this, but you do need an open area outside for happiness spells like this. It does need to be windy.

Take your herbs to your spot of choice with your back to the wind. Take the basil and sage and throw them up in the air as you visualize your problems blowing far, far away. 

Repeat this charm aloud:

No more fear and doubt and pain

Nothing to lose and only joy to gain.

Now, turn around and face into the wind. Speak aloud:

May the winds of change be kind to me

And bring about happiness and glee.
Stress-free and happy I will be!

Close your eyes and feel the breeze on your skin and blowing through your hair. Stand still for a few more moments, focussed on the release of your problems and the acceptance of peace and the calm that lies ahead in your future.

Goddess Blessings

A form of magic handed down from antiquity is to have a domestic goddess figure in your home; archaeologists have found them amongst the most ancient artifacts. It is a wonderful energy generator to have such a figurine decorating your home altar. The most important consideration is to choose the divinity with whom you feel the deepest connection.

Which of these beneficent beings do you identify with?

Agnayi- For the Indian subcontinent, she is the equivalent of Vesta as a domestic fire goddess.

Aradia –The Italian “Queen of the Witches” and protector of women.

Artemis -This goddess of the hunt is also the ruler of the moon and can be invoked for lunar magic. Call Artemis to aid you anytime you are looking for something and she is also a great bringer of luck.

Ashnan- Here we have a Sumerian grain goddess and protector of the fields. She is depicted in Babylonian imagery from ancient times as a beautiful young woman handing worshipful men a single stalk of grain.

Athena – The wisdom goddess also rules over battle.  Call upon her to help resolve any disagreements. Under her domain is the owl and also olive trees. She stopped wars in ancient times with the offerings of an olive branch.

Bast – Egypt’s cat goddess who protected the lands. Bast has childbirth, healing, passion, pleasure, happiness and, of course, cats under her sphere of influence. Bast can come into your life in the form of a stray cat, a familiar, and can become a real guardian for your hearth and home.

Brigid- This Celtic solar goddess of poetry, smithcraft and healing existed long before the Catholic Church adopted her and canonized her as saint. She is a protectress of all animals and children. Brigid can be invoked to bless your kitchen tools- pots, pans, knives can all have the strength if this bright being, forged by the fire of the sun.

Cerridwen- I was named in honor of is aspect of the Triple Goddess, she of deep elder wisdom. In Welsh legend, Cerridwen represents the crone, which is the darker aspect of the goddess. She has powers of prophecy, and is the keeper of the cauldron of knowledge and inspiration in the Underworld. She is a mother goddess who makes sure to feed her followers and minds the fields.

The Eye Goddess- This most ancient of Mediterranean deities is depicted as an all-seeing eye and represents justice. No transgression can be hidden from the eye goddess. Dating back to 3500 B.C.E., she is often depicted as a single, unblinking eye. Anytime you need the truth brought to lights, call up her. She can also protect from thieves by hanging her eye in your windows and she is an excellent resident in your magical kitchen. She is mistaken for the “evil eye” but is a benevolent presence who will watch out for you and yours 24.7.

Hathor – This “Cow goddess” represents life, beloved in ancient Egypt for her ability to bring fertility. Hathor was also associated with royalty and her priests were artists, dancers, trained midwives and seers. As the celestial cow, she held the golden disk of the sun between her horns. Hathor’s other sacred animals include the lion, cobra, falcon and the hippopotamus. The sacred sistrum, a rattle used in ritual, was used to summon her. Mirrors were also her sacred tool, during spring rains and floods, you can stage a ritual dance for her to sanctify the joy of life and bless your newly planted gardens.

Juno – The Latin word for a female soul is juno and Romans depended on this generous presence to watch over the daughters of the earth; she is regarded as the mother of all women and can be invoked for any magical gathering of women. Her special domain is as a protector of brides. When preparing feasts and cakes for wedding nuptials, ask Juno to bring her brightest blessings.

Persephone- daughter of Athena, Persephone is bidden to spend half her time in the underworld with her husband, Hades. She is a harbinger of the change to the warmer series as she rises from the dark world after the winter seasons, bringing spring and the growing season with her. The pomegranate is her significator. Invoke her for rites of spring.