Taurus: Chestnut Bud Benefits for Bulls

Home, prosperity, and security loving Taureans prefer safe harbor and no surprises. This routinized life can lead to getting into a bit of a rut and sameness. Freshen up your day-to-day with Chestnut Bud.

Aries: Impatiens Renewal for Rams

High energy Aries often race forward as they blaze new trails. Patience is not their strong suit. When the going gets tough, they just race forward, never stopping, However, this can also be a major source of undue stress and strain; try impatiens flower essence and you’ll discover a wellspring of fortitude.

Lavender Aromatherapy: The Sweet Smell of Serenity

The time you take to restore yourself is precious. Morning is the optimal time to perform a self-blessing, which will help you maintain both your physical health and provide an emotional boost. Today, lavender oil is the most popular essential oil the world over, but the benefits of lavender were actually discovered over three thousand years ago. Because of its deeply powerful calming and soothing effect as well as antioxidant, antimicrobial, sedative, tranquilizing, and antidepressive properties, lavender oil is simply wonderful—even the scent brings joy. When King Tut’s tomb in Egypt was opened in 1923, a faint perfume of lavender remained after three thousand years. In the Bible, lavender was beloved for anointing and healing. Lavender, let us count the ways we love you:

• Anxiety reduction and lessening emotional stress
• Protection against diabetes
• Improved brain function
• Healing burns and wounds
• Better sleep
• Brightens skin health and circulation
• Slows down aging with powerful antioxidants
• Pain relief
• Alleviate headaches

Rosemary Restores You

Rosemary is another of the herbs that thrive best in warm Mediterranean climes but can weather the cold. Tough to grow from seed, cuttings are an easier way to start your row of rosemary plants in your garden. Pots of this bushy plant can enjoy being outdoors in spring and summer and then come in from the cold to a sheltered porch or inside by a sunny window. As a bonus, it requires little water. Rosemary is fantastic as a seasoning for potatoes or roast chicken and makes any Sunday supper taste better and brighter. You can pinch off the aromatic needles to dress plates or sprinkle into soups and stews. Beyond all of what it can do to enhance your cookery, this is a primary plant for rejuvenation. It is prized for how it restores after lingering illness; elixirs and essential oils made from rosemary stimulate, raise mental alertness, and energize as they comfort. In Greco-Roman times, rosemary was believed to help the memory. An excellent kitchen witchery practice is to take dried or fresh rosemary and add it to a steam for an easy infusion where it aids breathing, muscle aches, and anxiety. You can accomplish the same by adding rosemary to a hot bath, either in a fresh sprig or wrapped in a little cheesecloth to keep the rosemary from scattering. Lie back and relax, remembering happy times in your life and those that lie right ahead of you.

Daisy and Echinacea: Healing the Heart and Body

This faithful flower’s name is derived from the Anglo-Saxon daeges eage, “day’s eye,” since it closes in the evening. The daisy has been used in one of the oldest of love charms. To know if your true love will return, take a daisy and intone, “He loves me, he loves me not” until the last petal is plucked, and the answer will be revealed. This flower is not just a boon for romance, however; it also useful in herbal medicine for aches, bruises, wounds, inflammation, and soothing eye baths. As a flower remedy, it is quite helpful with exhaustion and is a highly regarded remedy in homeopathy. Echinacea, also known as purple coneflower, is a member of the daisy family that has become wildly popular as a healer for colds and as a powerful immune booster; it both increases your T cell count and helps to fight off illnesses both minor and major. Echinacea is an herb of abundance that attracts abundant prosperity, but it can also be used in magic workings to amplify the power.

Angelica, the Digestive of the Heavens

Angelica, said to first bloom on the Archangel Michael’s name day, is part of the carrot family and is a tall, hollow-stemmed plant with umbrella-shaped clusters of pale white flowers, tinged with green. Candying the stalks in sugar was an old-fashioned favorite; angelica was also traditionally used to cure colds and relieve coughs. Nowadays, seeds are used to make chartreuse, a digestive and uniquely tasty liqueur. This heavenly guardian flower is a protector, as one might expect for a plant associated with archangels, and it is used to reverse curses, break hexes, and fend off negative energies. An angelica root, dried and cured, is a traditional talisman that can be carried in your pocket or in an amulet to bring long life. Many a wise woman has used angelica leaves in baths and rituals to rid a household of dark spirits. If the bad energy is intense, burn the angelica leaves with frankincense to exorcise it from your space. While you are protecting yourself and your home from negativity during this angelica smudging session, you will also experience heightened psychism. Pay close attention to your dreams after this; important messages will come through.

Herbal Amulets: Handmade Gifts of Caring and Curing

You will experience years of enjoyment from tending your garden, as Voltaire taught us in his masterpiece, Candide. You can share that pleasure with your friends and those you love by giving gifts from your garden. Your good intentions will be returned many times over. I keep a stock of small muslin drawstring bags for creating amulets. If you are a crafty person, you can make the bags, too, sewing them by hand before stuffing the dried herbs inside.

• For courage and strength of heart: Mullein or borage
• For good cheer: Nettle or yarrow
• For fellow witches: Ivy, broomstraw, and maidenhair fern
• For safe travels: Comfrey
• For fertility: Cyclamen or mistletoe
• For protection from deceit: Snapdragon
• For good health: Rue
• For success: Woodruff
• For strength: Mugwort
• For youthful looks: An acorn

Amulets should be kept on your person at all times, either in a pocket, in your purse or book bag, or on a string around your neck.

Coltsfoot Cures Coughs

Coltsfoot, also called Butterbur, is so named for the leaf’s resemblance to a horse’s hoof. Viewed as a weed, except by those who know, this spiky flowering plant grows wild along creeks, wetlands, or loamy fields. Tussilago, its Latinate botanical name, means “cough dispeller,” and this is a powerful aid to those with asthma or bronchial conditions and is very good medicine for colds and flu. In folklore, young maidens would use the leaves in a simple spell to see their future husband off in the distance galloping toward her. Truly knowledgeable hedge healers have a herd of coltsfoot in the shadiest, dampest part of their property. Coltsfoot’s medicinal mojo can be unleashed by infusing its leaves and/or flowers as a steeped tea. It is also commonly used as an ingredient in non-tobacco smoking blends; though naturally smoking of any sort is stressful to the lungs, if someone is determined to smoke in any case, smoking a little coltsfoot is thought to be a lung tonic.

Basil Bliss

This sweet tasting herb is excellent in savory dishes. Basil truly grows like a weed, and you should cultivate it right on the kitchen windowsill so you can snip basil leaves to add to your Thai or Italian-inspired dishes. Give your basil plants plenty of sun and lots of water and you will reap a mighty bounty to share with the neighbors. Old wives and hedge witches claim basil protects while it brings prosperity and happiness to any gardener’s home. Basil helps steady the mind, brings happiness, love, peace, and money, and even protects against insanity. (What more can you want?) The benefits of this plant are as plentiful as the plant itself; it can be used for manifesting and attracting love and on the highest vibrational level for abetting psychic abilities, even astral projection.

Edible Flowers

Organic pesticide-free posies are tasty additions to salads, cake décor, and even savories such as fried squash blossoms. Florals add a stunning beauty to any dish. Grab your basket and add a bouquet to your culinary creations: impatiens, marigold, gladiola, daylily, cornflower, daisy, carnation, and viola. My favorites are peppery, fresh-flavored nasturtiums, which are so easy to grow, have a lovely aroma, and their yellow, red, and orange-bright blooms are the color of happiness.

Cheer Up with Chives

Allium, also known as chives, is blessedly easy plant to grow anywhere and everywhere—on the kitchen windowsill or in the garden patch. A member of the onion family, this is a lovely case where the entire plant—bulb, leaves, and flowers—can be eaten. Plant the bulbs six inches apart, water them, and you can pretty much ignore them after that as all they require is water. A plus is that this relative of onion has insect repellent properties, so you can plant rows of this beside veggies and fruits and the bugs will stay away. They propagate quickly, so you can dig up mature bulbs, separate them, and replant them. One tip to remember is that chives do lose their flavor when dried, so use them fresh. The flowers are a lovely surprise to add to salads for their edible beauty, and many a kitchen gardener uses chives in all manner of dishes as it is good for weight management and is a plant of protection for both home and garden. Chives were used by healers of old in amulets to ward off evil spirits and mischievous fairy folk. Fresh cut bunches were also hung beside the sickbed to speed healing, especially for children. If you see a home surrounded by rows of allium, you know they hold to the “old ways.

Lemon Balm Soothes Those Aches and Pains (Including Heartbreak)

 

Balm also goes by the equally lovely Latinate name Melissa. From Greco-Roman times, this relative of the mint family has been held to be a significant medicinal. You can grow lemon balm with ease from seed packets in almost any kind of soil, but it likes shade in the afternoon to prevent wilting. This is one of the happy plants that will “volunteer” to spread in your garden, and it can be used in your home to bring love to you and to heal after a breakup or divorce. It can also be employed as an aphrodisiac. Infusions and teas made from lemon balm make good on the offer the name implies as it can soothe the heart and any lingering upset, blue moods, or aches and pains from trauma, both physical and emotional. I suggest we all grow as much as possible and let some go to seed for those new plants that will pop up in unexpected places in your herb garden. An herbalist never complains about a plentitude of balm; anyone who makes much use of lemon balm in brews and cookery will enjoy an abundance of love.

Plenty of Thyme—An 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 two thousand 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 find you drink it even when hale and hearty. Thyme is also a culinary plant, making it 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. By the hour when I came home from work, the sunny eighty-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 you are facing seemingly 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 improves 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, the plant itself also repels bugs and pests but attracts honeybees! As we all know, deep sleep is a great healer.

Twenty-Two Healing Herbs: Mother Nature’s Medicine Cabinet Part III

Marshmallow (Althaea officinalis)

While it may seem like this is another “candy as medicine,” marshmallow is a time-tested plant long employed in field medicine rather than a sugary pillow. It is highly valued as it contains a lot of mucilage, the same substance which coats our mouth and throat as well as the stomach and gut. Minced fresh, dried root, or the leaves are equally healing in quarter cup quantities; an infusion of the leaves may be drunk after it has steeped for four hours covered. Strain out the stems and drink hot, cool, sweetened, or however you like this gentle herb. If you choose marshmallow root, simmer low covered for twenty minutes, then let cool; the brew may be taken at any temperature you prefer.

Milk Thistle (Silybum manianum)

Healers love milk thistle for its ability to protect the liver from toxins, harsh medicines, alcohol, and unseen environmental pollutants. It can be obtained as either an extract or in standardized capsules at any health food store or upscale grocery or pharmacy. There is some evidence it can also help heal the kidneys. If you want to get the most bang for your buck, find a source of organic milk thistle seed, then thoroughly clean out a coffee grinder as the seeds must be broken open in order to be bioavailable via digestion. The milk thistle seeds need not be ground to powder; instead, grind them small enough that when sprinkled on a soup, stew, or salad it isn’t too chewy—their taste is pleasant. A tablespoon or two a day can be a real lifesaver!

Mullein (Verbascum Thapsus)

Here is an herbalist’s favorite for healing any respiratory ailment involving congestion, coughs, sore throats, and supporting lung function and clear breathing. Take one heaping tablespoon of the leaves and steep in one cup of boiling water covered for no more than ten minutes. Once you take mullein as a tea, you’ll feel better soon. Mullein flowers infused in oil are also used to aid earaches.

Nettle (Urtica dioica)

Nettle has been used as a healer for untold centuries; it relieves allergies, it is an immune booster, and it can even help with a distended prostate. It is also a superfood and beloved for its nutrients. If you are working with fresh nettles, wear gloves to avoid the stinging. Cooking or drying removes any irritant. Any herb or health food store will have dried nettle both in bulk and capsule form. Make nettle tea by steeping two teaspoons of leaves for ten minutes covered or take the capsules in recommended doses of 300 to 500 mg twice a day.

Sage (Salvia officinalis)

We know sage is great for as a smudge or incense for clearing spaces as well as a savory for soups, roasts, dressing, stews, and much more, but it is also a highly regarded treatment at European spas for sweating, menopause, hot flashes, night sweats and accompanying discomfort. It is also an excellent remedy for colds, coughs, and sore throats. Simply make sage tea with one teaspoon of the dried leaves which you can drink or gargle to amend a sore throat.

Note: Pregnant women should not use this.

Slippery Elm Bark (Ulmus rubra)

Slippery Elm Bark has even been approved by the FDA as a remedy for the irritation of sore throats and other sighs of an impending cold, including coughs. This herbal can also help with stomach upset and help with heartburn. A powdered version of the bark can easily be obtained at any health food store or upscale greengrocer, which can be made into a tea; use one to two teaspoons of the powdered bark, and you can drink it twice a day.

St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum)

This is one of the most relied-upon of all herbal treatments for mild to moderate depression, PMS, perimenopause symptoms, and general immune and mood boosting, It is so popular now that you can find the extract in capsules at most pharmacies, grocers, herbal supply stores, and the like. Take three to six hundred milligrams per day to brighten your days. You can also find St. John’s Wort as a tincture if you prefer a liquid extract.

Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)

Thyme has so much to offer, including relief for colds, coughs, and congestion; above all, it is an antimicrobial and antispasmodic. One cup of tea made from a teaspoon of dried thyme leaves steeped in boiling water will bring much healing energy to you and your family.

Twenty-Two Healing Herbs: Mother Nature’s Medicine Cabinet Part II

Garlic (Allium sativum)

We have all heard that the Chinese praise garlic for health benefits. It is a powerful antimicrobial, often employed to combat colds, ease sinus congestion, and stave off digestive problems that accompany traveling. It has even been shown that regular use can help gently lower blood pressure. One to two fresh cloves daily are the dose.

Ginger (Zingiber officinale)

From tummy troubles to colds and flus, ginger is beloved for its curative powers. Any greengrocer or herbal apothecary will have plenty or ginger root in stock, and you should always have some around. When anyone in your family feels nauseous or senses a cold or fever coming, slice and mince a tablespoon of the root into two cups of hot water and simmer it low covered for tea. Sweeten to taste and drink twice a day for a surprisingly swift end to your suffering. It also makes a wonderful spicy iced tea when cooled, though for a respiratory or tummy bug, drink it comfortably warm.

Ginseng (Panax quinquefolius; P. ginseng)

Many people rely upon ginseng to relieve and avert mental and physical fatigue. This herb has been shown to reduce the occurrence and acuteness of colds. Some even claim it can help with issues of male virility. It can help to light the fire of vitality within your body; for this reason, if you have spells of feeling too warm, limit your intake of ginseng. Either dried or fresh will do, three times a day simmered in a cup of freshly boiled water for eight to ten minutes. (Note that Siberian “ginseng” is a different plant entirely and is in fact a distinct species from another plant family, Eleutherococcus senticocus; it is also useful as a nutritive and grounding adaptogen, but should not be confused with Asian or American ginseng!)

Hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa)

Beloved for the heavenly sweet perfume of its flowers, hibiscus is also a powerful diuretic and can lower blood pressure. As if that is not enough, it can also help sore throats and colds. Similarly to other herbal applications, steeping a tablespoon of the dried flowers in a cup of freshly boiled water for ten minutes and drinking this infusion twice a day is the desired treatment.

Hops (Humulus lupulus)

As we all know, hops are used for beer-making and excel as a tincture used as a sleeping aid and stress-reliever. Women healers also claim it is very useful to calm hot flashes in menopause. The ideal dosage is forty drops before sleep. It is said it can help anxiety. Lower your dose if you wake up extra sleepy in the morning after using hops.

Kava (Piper methysticum)

This root is also said to be highly effective as a muscle relaxer and for reducing anxiety. Kava can be handled the same as ginger, with one tablespoon of minced root or dried root simmered low and taken as tea. I recommend seeing how it affects you before you raise the dose to two or three cups of tea per day, which is recommended. If you take it as a supplement, when considering taking more than 250 mg. per day (a fraction of the weight of a US penny) or for longer than a week, make sure you are under the care of a qualified health professional. As with many, many powerful remedies, if you take it all the time without breaks, it won’t work anymore right when you need it most.

Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra)

This revered candy classic is also a wonderful anti-inflammatory which relieves the discomfort of colds in the sinuses. It can soothe sore throats and coughs and is a curative for gastrointestinal issues. Treat licorice root exactly as you would ginger with one minced teaspoon of fresh or dried simmered low covered in one cup of water twice a day to make a naturally sweet tea. Also, you can add licorice root to other herbal teas as it will sweeten them, besides adding its medicinal virtues, which tend to combine well with those of many other basic remedies.

Twenty-Two Healing Herbs: Mother Nature’s Medicine Cabinet Part I

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera)

Gently simmer one tablespoon of dried and minced ashwagandha root in one cup of water for eight to ten minutes. Strain and sip once or twice a day as a rejuvenating pick-me-up, anti-inflammatory, anxiety reducer, and immunity tonic.

Black Cohosh (Actaea racemosa)

Make a tincture or use the flower essence method in this book and take twenty to forty drops three times a day to relieve menstrual cramps and arthritic pain. Black cohosh can also help perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms.

Calendula (Calendula officinalis)

Boil one cup of water and pour over two teaspoons of calendula petals. Steep this for eight to ten minutes and strain. Once it has cooled enough, you can drink it as a tea, use it as a mouthwash, or gargle with it to reduce any swelling of the mouth or throat. If you make an ointment with calendula, apply it to your skin three times during the day and it will calm irritation.  

This commonly used herbal aid is popular for relief of gastrointestinal issues including oral and throat inflammation. It can also be made into a salve to heal the skin and soothe rashes, itching, irritation, and wounds. Remember that any herb can be made into a salve following the Calming Balm: Bay Leaf recipe in Chapter Four. Your family will probably request the comfort of the calendula salve often, so keep it handy.

Catnip (Nepeta cataria)

Dry a palmful of catnip leaves and allow them to steep in a cup of boiling water for five minutes, then strain as you would any loose tea. Honey helps even more, and a cup or two of catnip tea per day will have you in fine fettle, relaxed, and ready. This herb is not just for kitties! We humans can also benefit from it as a remedy for upset tummies as well as a way to diminish worry, anxiety, and nervous tension.

Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon)

How many times did your mom tell you to drink your (usually unsweetened) cranberry juice? Turns out she was right on both counts as straight cranberry juice is very good for bladder health and benefits men’s prostates; two half cups a day, mom’s orders!

Echinacea (Echinacea spp.)

Every herb store or organic grocer will have dried echinacea root for fighting colds and negating respiratory infections. Just mince by the teaspoon and simmer low covered in two cups of boiling water. Sweeten to taste and drink at least a couple of cups a day, echinacea also makes an excellent tincture you can make by following the how-tos herein. It is an amazing immune booster, too!

Elderberry (Sambucus nigra, S. canadensis)

This time-tested medicinal has long been used for guarding against colds and flu. Elderberry flowers have been valued as a tonic for fever for centuries; such fruit extracts have been proven to be noteworthy antivirals, especially to support immunity. Two teaspoons of dried flowers and a cup of boiling water three times a day does the trick. Sweeten with local honey to taste. Or consider cultivating elderberry and making a syrup.

How We Lost Our Connection to Nature and How We Can Get It Back

On woodland walks, my Aunt Edie pointed out nettles, wild mint, Queen Anne’s Lace, and other herbs which grew by creek beds near my home. We picked, steeped, and sipped concoctions we made together as she imparted her homely wisdom. Little did I know at the time I was being gently schooled as an apprentice kitchen witch. Lately, I have been called upon to craft spells for peace of mind; so many of us are overwhelmed due to the fragmented lifestyles requiring long hours at work, zillions of emails, texts, tweets, and all the demands that don’t stop coming.

How often do you see a panicky pagan or stressed out herbalist? Rarely, I assure you.

We all have to keep pace with the modern world, but our connection to the earth and the cycles of nature help maintain balance and harmony, despite the hurly-burly of these tech-driven times. This chapter is aimed at conjuring wellness so you can stay centered, grounded, and healthy. When our grandmothers and elders who came before us “tended cuts, bruises, colds, flus, fevers, and other illnesses their family suffered, they didn’t have a corner drugstore. Instead, these wise women relied on simple wisdom, common sense, and pantries well-stocked with herbal remedies. These preparations were made from plants that grew in the kitchen garden or wild weeds gathered in the fields and woods surrounding their homes. This stash of kitchen cupboard cures combines the wisdom of our elders with a modern sensibility. Yes, you will save money, but more importantly, you will begin to learn what works for you and master the art of self-care as you bring much comfort to your loved ones.

Crystal Power

With crystal power, you can improve your life in ways large and small. You’ve discovered the stones that are special to you, and how to fully utilize these birthstones and karmic crystals. You have received advice for crystal healing and stress-dispersing. You’ve heard how gems and statues positioned in strategic places around your home or workspace can help accelerate the positive vibrations you are activating in your life. Using what I have called crystal feng shui, you can place a crystal, geode, or appealingly shaped rock in the appropriate position in your home or workspace to facilitate change. Having different gemstones or crystals within easy reach can bring you clarity, patience, and inspiration when you need it the most.

Yes, through the power and positive energy of crystals, anything is possible. With the information in this book, I hope you can gather together the stones and crystals that sing the loudest to you and integrate them into your life. May this glittering and magical realm make you welcome, and may you and your loved ones enjoy the many blessings of these sacred stones!

Seven Sacred Stones Bracelet

Take any silver chain-link bracelet and add “charm” to it! Bracelets act as protection jewelry, and, well, they look simply divine on our delicate wrists, do they not? Of late, the trend has been to layer bracelets, but, with gem magic, there’s a danger that jeweled pieces worn together could cancel each other out because they have conflicting energies. So, I’m going to recommend that you wear this bracelet alone, without other magical wrist wear.

To make this piece, you’ll need seven stones on small pendent settings, a silver chain-link bracelet, seven jump rings, and pliers. Plain silver chain-link bracelets are easy to obtain at any jewelry department or store, from Target to Tiffany. Jump rings are open rings onto which you can slide a pendant and then close up with small chain- nose pliers. They are readily available at any craft or jewelry store.

Before you choose your seven stones, decide what energy enhancement you desire. If you want lots of energy and zest, choose red jasper or pink clamshell. If you want to be uplifted, try jade. To become wiser, pick sapphire. To stay safe while traveling, pick dendritic agate. To remain calm and overcome stress, choose blue lace agate. For more mental clarity, choose malachite. For a self-esteem boost, try rhodonite.

Once you have pursued all the gem and crystal descriptions, you can and should experiment with all manner of combinations. However, I highly recommend the Seven Sacred Stones Bracelet with the following very beneficial stones and energies:

• 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

Friends of mine have reported wonderful results with this banishing and boosting bracelet. Where else can you find jewelry that will make you feel good about yourself, protect you from harm, and help you to look even prettier? You have to make it! You can find these pendant-set stones in any jewelry or new age store. The metaphysical stores have the best selection, however.

Labradorescence: Activate Your Third Eye

Labradorite is a stunning stone with a lovely iridescence. As a magpie who is attracted to shiny objects, it grabs my attention every time. It can look as dull as dirt until you give it a closer examination; then you can see the glow under the surface. When cut and polished, it is fascinating and gorgeous, with an impressive light show including yellows, oranges, blues, and violets. In fact, the special play of light and color across the surface is called labradorescence. The effect is caused by lamellar intergrowths, which were produced inside the crystal while the crystal formed during a shift of temperature from extremely high to very low. Named for the place it was first found, Labrador, this loveliest of shiny objects can also be found in India, Finland, Russia, Newfoundland, and Madagascar.

As you might guess, this bluish feldspar is a soul stone with a very powerful light energy. It abets astral travel, the higher mind, and intelligence and is a favorite of mystics. It brings up nothing but the positive for the brain and consciousness and excises the lower energies of anxiety, stress, and negative thoughts. It is an aura cleanser and balancer. Labradorite, which used to be called spectrolite, also protects against aura leakage. This is a crystal to hold and keep with your during meditation for psychic flashes, much like the flashes of light from within the stone.

I had no idea that it is also a stone that awakens psychic powers and activates your third eye until I learned this from the great teacher Scott Cunningham. Even a small piece of this special crystal will work. Take the crystal and hold it to the center of your forehead with both hands. Speak aloud:

Artemis, Astarte, Athena, Circe—fill me with your power, 

On this day, I ask you lend me your seer’s vision.

I stand at the threshold in this holy hour.

And so it is. Great goddesses; I am grateful.

Mystical Crystal DIY: Message in a Bottle

In use since Elizabethan times, magic bottles, or spell bottles, can function as guardians. Called witch bottles in the 1600s in England, they were originally used to hold objects for magical uses. They have largely fallen out of use, but you can customize magic bottles for yourself with crystal stoppers for a variety of reasons. You can put one in your garden for healthy plants, on the mantel to protect your home, next to your bed for love and happiness, and in the kitchen for good health. These magic bottles are mostly used for protection, but you can also place into them symbols of your dreams and desires, such as a flower for peace, rosemary for remembrance, and cinnamon for the spice of life.

Magic bottles are very easy to make, as you can easily glue the crystals of your choice onto the lid or cork top or place them inside. Here are a few to try:

For luck with money, place three pennies and some pyrite or jade into a bottle and put it on your desk and home or your workplace. Shake the magic jar whenever you think about your finances, and your fortune will improve in three days.

For love, place a rosebud or rose petal, rose essential oil, and rose quartz into a bottle and keep it at your bedside. Each night, burn a pink candle anointed with the oil from your love-magic bottle. On the seventh day, your prospects for romance will brighten!

For a peaceful and secure home, take a teaspoon of soil from outside your house (or the closest park) and place it into a bottle with some smoky topaz or brown jasper. Place the bottle into the pot of a plant near the entrance of your home. Every time you water the plant, think about the sanctity of your home. As your plant grows, so will the tranquility of your residence.