Calm Emotion Potion: Spell for Serenity and Strength

This remedy is an excellent way to recharge  and refresh  after a hectic week. This tincture is most potent right after the sun sets, by the light of the moon.

In a small ceramic or glass bowl, gently mix together the following essential oils with a small amount of base carrier oil:

2 drops bergamot

4 drops carrier oil (apricot or sesame, ideally) 

2 drops  vanilla

1 drop amber

2 drops lavender

Take off your shoes so you can be more grounded. Walk outside, stand on your deck or by an open window. Now, close your eyes, lift your head to the moon, and recite aloud:

Bright moon goddess,  eternal and wise, give your strength to me now.

As I breathe, you are alive in me for this night.

Health to all, calm  to me.

So mote it be. 

Gently rub one drop of Calm Emotion Potion on each pulse point: on both wrists, behind your ear lobes, on the base of your neck, and behind your knees. As the oil surround you with its warm scent, you will be filled with a quiet strength.

Plenty of Thyme: Your Herb for Physical and Spiritual Strength

You could say that thyme is a classic herb, so much so that the venerables Virgil and Pliny sang the praises of this medicinal mint relative over 2000 years ago. While thyme loves Mediterranean weather, it can grow elsewhere from seeds and cuttings. Good for the stomach and especially effective as respiratory relief, thyme induces sweats to remove toxins and reduce fever.  Thyme honey tea is truly a sweet way to make the medicine go down so much so you will drink it even when hale and hearty. Thyme is also a culinary plant, making a delightful additive to savory dishes. When I lived in a warmer clime about ten years ago, I planted wooly thyme in among the flagstones of my front yard and let it spread as much as possible. When I came home from work, the sunny 80-plus degree sunny weather had warmed the thyme, creating a perfumed walkway; coming home was a heavenly experience.

It has been believed for centuries that thyme brings courage and both inner and physical strength. Even when your are facing seeming insurmountable odds, spells and smudging featuring thyme can get you on track and bring you to your goal. I think the greatest of all aspects of thyme is to rid your home and family of melancholy and overcome despair after extreme difficulty and loss.  If your loved ones have experienced a catastrophe, try thyme for rituals of magic and restitution. I have no doubt that practitioners of green witchery will be singing the praises of thyme for at least two thousand more years.

Sleepy Thyme

This herb abets your quality of sleep gather and dry thyme it to use in sachets so the divine fragrance freshens linens and laundry. A little bag of this dried thyme tucked in your pillowcase makes for sweeter sleep. As if all that is not enough, it also repels bugs and pests but attracts honeybees! As we all know, deep sleep is a great healer.

Garden Your Way to Happiness: Planting Positive Energy

The moon is now in Scorpio, a perfect time to head to the nursery and get these witchy wonders:

For dispelling negative energy, plant heather, hawthorn, holly, hyacinth, hyssop, ivy, juniper, periwinkle and nasturtiums.

For healing, plant sage word sorrel, carnation, onion, garlic, peppermint and rosemary.

Farming and working with plants is guided by the moon and should take place during the waxing moon in the signs of Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces, Capricorn and Taurus.

Grow Your Own Healing Garden: Green Magic

I have lived in homes where my only gardening options were containers on a deck or planters on the front stoop. This taught me you can do a lot with seed packets, pots and an open mind. When selecting space for your kitchen witchery garden you can have something as simple as a set of containers; this can be planned as with any other garden space. If you are lucky to have a backyard or land, I suggest you begin the designing process by incorporating all the plants you know you want to use in your magical workings, your cookery, and always allow yourself to experiment. Trying new veggies or seeds that are new to you can be enormously rewarding. I agree with Londoner Alys Fowler, who is one of England’s top gardeners. She says there is no earthly reason why roses and cabbages can’t go side by side and veggies can nicely nestle in among florals. Once you have tried a few such painterly plantings, you can give yourself a free hand in your creative approach. 

Lawns are very high maintenance and unless constantly mowed and manicured, can greatly reduce your curb appeal. Besides wasting water and taking up a lot of time, grass in your yard doesn’t offer you anything back for all the demands on your time and pocketbook. They also tempt many lawn keepers to use chemicals which are bad for all of us, especially the birds and the bees. Get creative and go at least a little wild. My next door neighbor overturned and tilled their front lawn and planted potatoes, beets, asparagus and squash. They love going into the front yard and harvesting fresh veggies for their daily meals. The squash and pumpkins actually have beautiful foliage and the flowers are stunning and edible, as well. Last year, one of their crops grew to “Giant Pumpkin” size and it became the talk of the neighborhood as we watched it grow and grow. Needless to say, they had the best jack-o-lantern on the block and some fantastic pies to boot. I am heartened to see the new gardening philosophy of growing veggies, roots stocks, herbs and berries right beside the roses and lilies. It is gorgeous and supports the bee populations to whom we owe so much.

Gardening, even it is a hanging basket of cherry tomatoes and a windowsill filled with herb pots, is a much more human way to live, grounded in nature and connected to Mother Earth who provides all. It will definitely add pleasure to your life and a sense of calm. When I feel stressed, I go out back and do some weeding. It is my therapy and I can immediately see the profit of my labors. The bigger my compost piles grows with weeds, the happier I am.  I intend the same for you. With your garden, you are quite literally growing a bounty of blessings.

Feng Shui Secrets for Peace of Mind

Stones placed in strategic places around your home can help accelerate the 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.

Crystal Power:

Citrine for a better ability to communicate

Lace agate for happiness with your job

Lapis lazuli for mental brilliance

Moonstone for self-love and self-expression

Red coral for good health and physical strength

Rose quartz or opal to make you appealing to others

Turquoise for calmness and protection from the earth

Steeped in Wisdom: Teas Calm the Mind and Heal the Body

Different kinds of tea can combine to make a powerful concoction. A pot of your favorite grocer’s black tea can become a magical potion with the addition of a thin slice of ginger root, a pinch of dried chamomile and the same amount of peppermint tea. This ambrosial brew can calm any storm at home or at work.

Herbal tea nourishes the soul, heals the body and calms the mind. Try these:

Blackberry leaf tea reduces mood swings, evens glucose levels aiding in weight management. This miraculous herbal even helps circulation and such issues as inflammation and varicose veins. It is helpful to cancer patients and is believed to be a preventative.

Cardamom is a favorite of expectant mothers everywhere as it calms nausea and morning sickness; this East India fragrant is excellent for digestion, clears and cleans your mouth and throat. Anyone who likes cinnamon will love cardamom.

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

Fennel is excellent for awakening and uplifting and is excellent for digestion and cleansing. Fennel also is a natural breath freshener.

Catnip is one of the witchiest of teas and is not only grown as fun for your feline familiar. At the first inkling of a sore throat or impending cold, drink a warm cup of catnip tea, and head off to bed and you will awaken feeling much better. Catnip soothes the nervous system and can safely help get a restless child off to sleep. Catnip is a gentle but potent sleep-inducer

Echinacea lends an increased and consistent sense of well-being and prevents colds and flu. It is a very powerful immune booster.

Ginger Root calms and cheers while aiding digestion, nausea and can also fend off coughs and sore throats.

Dandelion root grounds and centers, provides many minerals and nutrients. This wonderful weed is also a cleanser and a wholly natural detoxifier.

Plant Infusions That Heal and Help

Many enthusiasts enjoy several cups a day of their favorite herbal infusion which is a large portion of herb brewed for at least four hours and as long as ten. I recommend placing one cup of the dried herb into a quart canning jar and filling it with freshly boiled water. After the steeping, strain with a non-metallic method such as cheesecloth or bamboo. 


Herbal infusions can be made with the leaves and fruits which provide  healing aspects of this comforting brew. Many of the favorite kitchen garden herbs contain minerals, antioxidants and phytochemicals including the list herein. 

What do you need to attend in your life now? This list of herbs and associations can be your guide; one of the smartest ways to approach this methodology is to brew right before bedtime and you will awaken to a freshly infused herb. Some of the most popular herbs and fruits used to create infusions are as follows:

Anise Seeds & Leaves: soothes cramps and aches
Caraway Seeds:  aids in romantic issues, helps with colic
Catnip Leaves:  makes women even more attractive
Chamomile Flowers: helps with sleep, good for abundance

Dandelion Leaves: makes wishes come true
Echinacea: makes the body strong
Ginseng Root: increases men’s vigor
Nettle Leaves:  lung function, hex breaking
Peppermint Leaves: rids tummy discomfort, cleansing
Pine Needles: increases skin health as well as financial health
Rose Hip Fruit: packed with vitamin C and can halt colds and flu

Sage Leaves:  purifies energy, antibiotic
Skullcap Leaves: prevents insomnia and soothes nerves

 St. John’s Wort: antidepressant
Thyme Leaves: antiseptic, a protectant
Yarrow Flowers: reducse fever, brings courage and good luck

Psychic Protection Herbs: Guarding Your Personal Energy

We have all encountered them, those people who drain your energy. They are usually quote unaware they are doing it but you still need to counteract. Above all, it is important to make sure your home is a safe haven where you can live in harmony, rest, enjoy yourself with your loved ones and, above all, recharge and refresh so you can go out and conquer the world at work. 

This herabl recipe will safeguard you and your family from psychic vampires and from outside influences that could be negative or disruptive.

Timing:

Simmer this mixture whenever you feel the need to infuse your home and heart with the energies of protection.

Supplies:

¼ cup rosemary

4 bay laurel leaves

1 tablespoon basil

1/8 cup sage

1 teaspoon dill weed

1/8 cup cedar

1 drop garlic oil

1 teaspoon juniper berries

Directions:

1.     Mix the herbs, oil, and berries together by hand. While you are doing this, close your eyes and visualize yourself and your space protected by a boundary of glowing white light. Imagine that the light runs through you to the herbs in your hand and charges them with the energy of safety, sanctity, and protection.

2.     Add the mixture to a pan filled with simmering water. When the aromatic mist and steam start to rise, intone aloud:

By my own hand, I have made this balm;

This divine essence contains my calm.

By my own will, I make this charm;

This precious potpourri potion protects all from harm.

With harm to none and health to all, blessed be!

Growing Joy: Your Herbal Healing Garden

Here are a few of my favorite  herbs and,  as springtime suggests, now is the time to plant!

Basil is beloved because it’s so delectable and versatile. It is easily grown in pots. Take care to remove the growing tip when the plants are 15cm high for bushier growth. Plant out in the garden when the weather gets warmer. Basil prefers full sun and a sheltered spot.

Chives come from the onion family and have slim, pointed leaves. You should sow seeds directly in the ground in early spring, late March or April. Chives grow best in a sunny spot with rich soil, so keep the plants watered. Chives produce pretty purple or pink and perfectly round flowers. Gorgeous in the garden and palatable on the plate Sage is a marvelous cooking herb and is truly easy to grow.

Coriander is a very versatile herb for the kitchen and grows well in the garden or in pots. Seeds can take weeks to germinate and the plants are fairly short-lived, so sow seeds every few weeks to get you through the season. Coriander is a bit fussy and can “bolt” when stressed, which means it produces flowers and seeds and not enough of the flavorful leaves. You need to make sure it is well watered and reap regularly before it goes to seed.

Mint is a marvel. It spreads beautifully once it has really taken root. If space is a concern, plant your mint in pots to contain the roots and stop it taking over. Keep it in full sun or partial shade and pinch out any flower buds to encourage more leaf growth.

Make Your Own Lavender-Comfrey Cure-All Salve: Healing Comfort

Comfrey is beloved by kitchen witches and is one of the best-known healing herbs of all times. It has even been referred to as “a one-herb pharmacy” for the inherent curative powers.  Well-known and widely used by early Greeks and Romans, its very name, symphytum, from the Greek symphyo means to "make grow together," referring to its traditional use of healing fractures. Comfrey relieves pain and inflammation. Comfrey salve will be a mainstay of your home first aid kit. Use it on cuts, scrapes, rashes, sunburn, and almost any skin irritation. Comfrey salve can also bring comfort to aching arthritic joints, and sore muscles.

3/4 cup comfrey-infused oil

1/4 cup coconut oil

4 tablespoons beeswax

10 drops lavender essential oil

Combine comfrey and coconut oils. Heat the oil and wax together until the wax melts completely. Pour into a clean, dry jar. When the mixture has cooled a little, but not yet set, add 10 drops of lavender essential oil which is also an antiseptic. Seal the jar and store in a cabinet  to use anytime you scratch yourself working in the garden or want to renew and soften your hands and feet after a lot of house and yard work.   One note, use it on the outside of your skin and it will work wonders but if a cut is deep, don’t get it inside the wound. Let your physician handle that. Comfrey is a miracle plant for healing; in combination with the lavender, this power duo will restore your spirit along with your skin.

Power Tools: Obtaining a Wand You Will Love

Making Wonderful Wands

Most likely, you will use a wand fairly often. And you should! I recommend making your own wand, though you can find beautiful pre-made wands in metaphysical shops. One of my favorites, I bought from a homeless wizard on Haight Street in San Francisco; it is beautiful in a humble way, made of well-worn wood with a gorgeous chunk of quartz at the end, all wrapped in coiled copper. It is quite powerful, too.

To make your own wand, you should find a tree branch that has fallen to the ground on its own (no pruned branches!). Sand and polish the rough edges of the stick. The smoke of burning sage will nicely smudge the wand if you pass the stick through the smoke. You’ll need a variety of crystals to complete your wand. Affix large quartz near the handle. You should then find crystals with properties that will complement your magic to the wand. I recommend using citrine as the pointer for the wand, as it aligns your self-identity with your spirit. Refer to the list below for more on stones you can use to harness various powers. Use your powers for good!

Stones for Your Wand:

Amber—Grounding

Amethyst—Balance and Intuition

Aventurine—Creative Visualization

Bloodstone—Abundance and Prosperity

Calcite—Warding Off Negativity

Fluorite—Communicating with Fairies and other Unseen Beings

Garnet—Protection From Gossip

Geode—Getting Through Periods of Extreme Difficulty

Hematite—Strength and Courage

Jade—Wisdom to Interpret or Realize Powerful Dreams

Jasper—Stability

Lodestone—Bringing a Lover Back into Your Life

Mahogany Obsidian—Feeling Sexy and Emanating Sensuality

Moss Agate—Powers of Persuasion and Healing

Quartz Crystal—Divining Your Dreams

Rhodochrosite—Staying On Course With Your Life’s True Purpose

Rose Quartz—Love

Turquoise—Safety When Traveling

Watermelon Tourmaline—Help with Planning Your Best Possible Future

Rose Hips: Mother Nature’s Multivitamin

A rose is a rose is a rose hip!

Once a rose has bloomed and all petals have fallen away, the hip is ready to be picked.   Ground rose hips are the best source of immune-boosting vitamin C; they contain 50% more vitamin C than oranges. One tablespoon provides more than the recommended daily adult allowance of 60 mg. The pulp from rose hips may be used in sauces or made into jelly. What a delicious way to ward off colds and ailments!

Solvency Stones Spell: How to Turn Your Luck Around Quickly

Another charm for prosperty and fast money luck is my "Solvency Stone Spell."  Gather seven tiny turquoise stones and put them on your window sill during a full moon for seven hours. These are available at any new age shop for a very affordable price; I got mine for a total of $3.00 and it was worth it when my rent was raised a lot and I was in dire need of money by the first of the month!

Pick up the stones and, while holding them in the palm of your hand, speak this wish-spell aloud:

Luck be quick, 
luck be kind, 
and, by lucky seven, 
good luck will be mine.
Blessings to all. 

Carry these lucky stones with you in a bright blue bag and be on the lookout for blessings to shower down upon you. You will probably receive gifts, win free services, and you might literally find money in your path. 

Very Vanilla Sugar Scrub: The Perfect Gift

Sugar scrubs exfoliate the skin while helping it stay nourished with moisture. This recipe could not be simpler yet is a delightfully decadent DIY scrub in the tub.

All you need are four simple ingredients:

¼ cup brown sugar

¼ cup white sugar

¼ cup organic olive oil

6 to 8 drops Vanilla essential oil

Grab a small bowl and measure out equal parts white sugar and brown sugar. Start with 1/4 cup of each type of sugar. Mix sugars together thoroughly using a wooden spoon. Now, add in the olive oil — the amount used depends on your taste. Do use enough oil, though, to coat the sugar well and create a pliable texture. Lastly, add in a few drops of vanilla; I go with at least 6 drops. You can also try variations on the recipe with all brown sugar and other essential oils. My absolute favorite is equal parts vanilla oil and amber oil which I call “vamber.” It is great to get ready for a date night out on the town.  You will look and feel like the goddess of love herself.

This also makes a spectacular gift in a pretty lidded jar. Your mother would love it!

Make Your Own Body Healing Bath Salts

Since the time of the ancients in the Mediterranean and Mesopotamia, salts of the sea combined with soothing oils have been used to purify the body by way of gentle ritualized rubs. From Bathsheba to Cleopatra, these natural salts have been used to smooth the skin and enhance circulation, which is vital to overall body health since skin is the single largest organ in the human body.  Dead Sea salts have long been a popular export and are readily available at most health food shops and spas. You can make your own salts, however, and not only control the quality and customized the scent, but save money, too. The definitive benefit that is far and above the cost savings is that you can imbue your concoction with your intention, which is absolutely imperative when you are self-healing.

 Garden of Eden Bath Salts

This simple recipe recalls the scents and primal memories of that Edenic paradise.

3 cups Epsom salts

½ cup sweet almond oil

1 tablespoon glycerin

4 drops ylang-ylang essential oil

2 drops jasmine essential oil

Mix well and store in a colored and well-capped glass bottle. Prepare for the ritual rub by lighting citrus and rose-scented candles. Step out of your clothes and hold the salts in the palms of your hand. 

Gifts from Mother Earth to Give Your Mother: DIY Crystal Charm Choker

This “floating” crystal choker seems magical because the gems appear to hover around the lovely neck all by themselves. And maybe sometimes they do! The secret, aside from the magical gems, is the invisible thread, easily obtained at any craft store. The purpose of the Crystal Charm Choker is to make you the wearer simply irresistible to whomever you wish to attract. You may well want to craft one for yourself while you are at it, Wake your boyfriend up with this enchanted choker, or hit the town with your friend and notice how a crowd develops around YOU!

You’ll need these ingredients: twenty-one crystal beads, 22 inches of invisible thread, a lobster-claw clasp, and glue.

First, tie one end of the invisible thread to the loop in the lobster-claw clasp, also readily available at any craft store and most jewelry stores. Knot the thread twice, add a drop of glue, and allow the thread to dry. Clip off the extra thread after the glue has dried. Then, string three beads onto the thread about three-quarters of an inch from the clasp and tie a knot in the thread beside the beads. Repeat until you have used all the beads. There will be seven groups of three, and each group of crystals should be evenly separated. At the last bead, tie the end of the thread to the clasp ring.

Here are a few irresistible crystals to consider using in your choker:

-Amazonite makes you hopeful.

-Amber boosts your spirits—you will feel good!

-Aventurine creates good opportunities.

-Banded agate attracts a lover of strength and courage.

-Brown jasper makes you confident and emotionally secure.

-Opal enhances beauty and makes you more psychic.

-Pearl augments femininity.

Announcing Middle Earth Magic!

I am thrilled to let you know that I wrote my first blog post for PaganSquare so plesae check it out!

http://witchesandpagans.com/pagan-culture-blogs/middle-earth-magic/rings-of-power.html

Anxiety Reduction Spell: Ocean of Calm Essential Oil Blend

No doubt about it, we live in anxious times. Here's something you can do about it. Pour 4 ounces of  almond, sesame ir any unscented base oil into a blue bottle. Now add two drops each of neroli, chamomile, and rose, preferably Turkish rose. Shake together. Take an orange and place it beside a lit lavender candle you have anointed with the potion. Chant aloud:

By my own hand, I made this balm.

This divine essence contains my calm.

By my own will, I made tis charm;

This precious potion protects from all harm.

With harm to none and health to all.

Blessed be.

Anoint your pulse points –your wrists, throat, and heart, behind the ear lobes and behind the knees – with the unguent and bask in a sea of calm.

For reducing anxiety, or if you need a quick pick-me-up, these essential oils are excellent:

Frankincense-marjoram-hyssop

Neroli (Orange Blosson) – Jasmine- nutmeg

Lemon-rose-lime—valerian

Mandarin-ylang-ylang

Chamomile Calm

I hope you have a patch of chamomile growing in your witch’s garden. This lovely, aromatic herb will reward you many times over by “volunteering” to grow in every crack and crevice once you’ve given it a start. The delicious tea from this plant will inspire sweet dreams, calm your nerves, soothe and tone your skin, and ease a tummy ache. A symbol of energy and patience, sacred to the Saxons, and treasured by both Egyptians and Romans, this most loyal of garden herbs is “The flower of equilibrium.”

While brewing this mildest of teas, chant this medieval charm:

With bounteous hand and the healthful balm,

Oh scentful chamomile, most verdrous herb,

Bring me health and heart.

Drink in the scented steam and look for increased insight the rest of the day.

Quartz Crystals: The Secrets to Thomas Edison's Genius

Thomas Edison carried quartz crystals with him at all times and called the stones his dream crystals. He believed they inspired his ideas and inventions. Literary legends George Sand and William Butler Yeats also relied on crystals to help spark their considerable creativity.

Data has also been gathered to show the effectiveness of quartz in certain healing techniques, such as chakra therapy, acupressure, and light-ray therapy, as we will discuss in depth later. But the simplest way to promote healing with crystal is to wear a stone.

Quartz can take the form of great hexagonal stones or of crystals so small that only a microscope can see them. Quartz can appear in clusters or singly. It can also appear in every hue of the rainbow. The gorgeous and varied hues of quartz come from electrostatic energy, which now can be altered through technology. I, however, prefer the simple beauty provided by Mother Nature herself.

Quartz is the largest of the crystal families, and we can be grateful for that since it is such a powerful healer. Moreover, it is an energy regulator for the human body, affecting the vibrations of the aura, or energy field that surrounds all living beings.

Quartz is made up mostly of silicon dioxide, making it the salt of the earth. Crystals of quartz can be found in every imaginable shape and shade and quite often even have other minerals encased inside them. Quartz is one crystal embraced by the scientific community and is used in a lot of technology and the manufacturing of products from computers to clocks to power tools. Rock crystal, or white quartz, is commonly available and is a truly terrific healer. Light passes through this stone quite easily, making it a balancer and purifier.

Rock crystal has the amazing ability to vibrate with all of the colors of the spectrum and all frequencies, so it can be healing to all seven chakras. Rock crystal will also facilitate personal growth by amplifying whatever energy is already there. Any problems that need to be worked out will present themselves for fixing. Rock crystal clears away blockages that lead to health problems, as well.

Rock crystal is really great for meditation and can guide you on your quest for greater enlightenment. This rock will help you tune into your own vibration and help exclude any interference, so you can reach a deep level of consciousness.

The following stones are members of the quartz family: agate, amethyst, aventurine, basanite, bloodstone, blue quartz, carnelian, cat’s-eye, chalcedony, chrysoprase, citrine, dendritic agate, flint, fossilized wood, hawk’s-eye, jasper, moss agate, onyx, opal, rose quartz, rutilated quartz, sard, smoky quartz, tiger’s-eye.

Birthstone Blessings: Rejuvnating Rings

Sit in a comfortable position with your birthstone placed in a bowl or dish in front of you. Think about the blessings in your life and gifts your particular stone offers. What are you grateful for at this moment? There is a powerful magic in recognizing all that you possess and in having an attitude of gratitude. Breathe steadily and deeply, inhaling and exhaling slowly for twenty minutes. As you meditate, send the positive energy into the bowl containing your personal gem. Now, the birthstone blessings are there any time you need them.

Tips ’n’ Tricks: Rings of Rejuvenation

Gemstones and crystals have transformative powers and magic that has been worked with since olden days. Bring birthstone blessings into your life by using these Rings of Rejuvenation.

Sapphire has violet energy. Worn on the first Saturday of the month on the middle finger of the right hand two hours before sunset, the stone is said to be a curative for kidney ailments, epilepsy, tumors, and sciatica.

Diamond, which contains rays of indigo light, is good for maintaining the health of the eyes and nose, managing asthma and laziness, and maintaining sobriety, especially if worn on the right pinkie on Friday during the waxing moon.

Emerald has green light rays and can help with the heart, ulcers, cancer, asthma, and influenza. Wear emerald on the right pinkie on Wednesday two hours after dawn.

Pearls radiate orange rays and operate as a curative if worn on Monday morning by the individual afflicted with insanity, diabetes, colic, or fever.

Topaz has blue rays and helps with laryngitis, paralysis, hysteria, scarlet fever, and assorted glandular disorders if worn on the right ring finger on Thursday mornings

Lavender Love Massage Bars: Sweet-scented Herbal Healing

Massage bars should look, smell and feel luxurious. Cocoa butter is beloved for the delicious chocolate scent. I also recommend shea butter or mango butter  as other options for they are also sumptuous.

·        3 ounces cocoa butter

·        3 ounces beeswax

·        3 ounces  almond oil

·        1 teaspoon of lavender essential oil

·        soap bar molds (available at all craft stores)

Slowly heat the  beeswax, almond oil and cocoa butter in a double boiler over low heat until just melted. Remove from heat. Add essential oil when mixture has cooled slightly. Pour into soap molds and cool until hardened, approximately 2 hours. Place in freezer for a few minutes before popping bars out of molds. To use, rub massage bar onto the skin — the warmth of the skin immediately melts the bar. Package your handmade massage oil in a pretty bottle and give it as a thoughtful gift.