Sacred Self Care: Uplifting Essential Oils

A German study conducted by Ruhr University found that “essential oils may affect a number of biological factors: heart rate, stress levels, blood pressure, breathing, and immune function." 

Essential oils are unique in that they can be both a stimulant and soothing for us humans. The same oil can have cause a different response based on the application as these oils are adaptogens, as they truly adapt to the your individual needs. If you are feeling down in the dumps, for example, bergamot can be a major pick me up and one I have depended on for years. My clients and I have come to depend on the power of these natural healers for dealing with stress, anxiety, worry and woe.

Stress-Busting Essential Oils and How to Use Them:

Put simply, essential oils have aromatic, fragrant molecules that can actually pass right through the blood/brain barrier, having a direct effect on the areas of our brain in charge of controlling feelings of stress and anxiety and even panic and depression. 

1.      Breath in deeply: Rub 1-2 drops in cupped palms and take a long, deep breath

2.      Apply to your skin: Rub 1-2 drops of oil into your temples, wrists or anywhere, for full body relaxation

3.      As a quick pick me up: Put a few drops on a handkerchief, cotton pad or on a scarf and inhale as needed. You'll get instant calming support throughout your day.

4.      As a shower infusion: Immerse yourself in an essential oil steam by adding a couple of drops in your shower. Remember to plug or cover the drain and inhale deeply.

5.      In a diffuser: To get long-lasting benefit, use a diffuser

Power Up: Ritual Tools then Need Charging

You will need a symbol of each of the four elements—air, earth, fire, and water—such as: a candle for fire, incense for air, a cup or water, a bowl of salt.

One was to design your own ritual is to work with the four elements. Choose a symbol from the information here. Also let your instinct guide you to choose as you wish or what you are inspired by.

Take the new ritual tool and pass it through the scented smoke of the incense and say:

Now inspired with the breath of air.

Then pass the tool swiftly through the flame of the candle and say:

Burnished by fire.

Sprinkle the tool with water and say:

Purified by water.

Dip the tool into the bowl of salt and say:

Empowered by the earth.

Hold the tool before you with both hands and imagine an enveloping, warm white light purifying the tool. Now say:

Steeped in spirit and bright with light.

Place the cleansed tool upon your altar and say:

By craft made and by craft charged and changed, this tool [fill in the actual name: boline, Book of Shadows, etc.] I will use for the purpose of good in this world and in the realm of the gods and goddesses. I hereby consecrate this tool ______.

Other tools you will use in ritual are more intangible. These include your breath, your intuition, your psychic powers, and your ability to focus your mental powers and spiritual intentions. Because they are intangible, only your intention can purify them. From time to time, you will use colors, herbs, oils, crystals, and numbers. Many of these ritual correspondences and associations have been passed down through the centuries, whereas many of them were invented by modern authors. Information on them can be found in the appendices.

Crystals can also be charged. However, tools that come from nature and are not “manmade,” but are of divine design, such as flowers, feathers, and herbs, already contain an intrinsic magic of their own and can be used as you find them.

Your tools will collect and hold the magic that lives inside you. They will become instilled with your energy and stored at your altar or in your sacred space. They will become your power source and will magnify the strength of your ritual work. Your altar should be a place of peace and meditation where your spirit can soar. Adorned with your treasured objects and the tools of your practice, it is a place of focus where you can enrich your life through ritual. You can create a wellspring of spirit so you can live an enchanted life every single day.

You can also perform rituals and make magic without any tools or implements at all. Your intention alone is extremely powerful. This simple approach could be called “zen magic.” When you perform ritual in this way, you are one step closer to the methods by which early men and women created ceremonies.

The Healing Power of Flowers

For centuries, flower essences have been used to heal many ills.

While the health food shop versions are handy, they are also very spendy. You can make your own flower essences at home. Start by making a mother tincture– the most concentrated form of the essence – which can then be used to make stock bottles. The stock bottles are used to make dosage bottles for the most diluted form of the essence, which is the one you actually take.

What you will need to make a sun-infused essence:

★ Fresh pure water or distilled water, 3 quarts

★ Clear glass 2 ½ quart mixing bowl
★ A dark green, blue or green glass 8 ounce sealable bottle
★ Organic brandy or vodka
★ Freshly picked flower specific to the malady being treated

★ Clean, dry cheesecloth for straining.

Ideally, you begin early in the morning with your chosen flowers picked by 9 am at the latest. This all ensures three hours of sunlight before the noon hour, after which the sunlight is less effective, even draining.

Fill the bowl with the fresh water; to avoid touching them, gingerly place the flowers on the surface of the water, using tweezers or chopsticks very carefully add until the surface is covered. Let the bowl sit in the sun for three to four hours or until the flowers begin to fade.

Now, delicately remove the flowers, being careful not to touch the water. Fill your colored glass bottle with the strained flower essence water and top the other half off with the organic brandy or vodka (40% proof is advised to prolong the shelf life to three months if stored in a cool, dark cupboard.). This is your mother tincture; label it with the date and the name of the flower such as “Rose Water, July 14^th, 2018.” Use any remaining essence water to the water the flowers you’ve been working with and murmur a prayer of gratitude for the beauty and healing power.

To make a stock bottle from your mother tincture, fill a 30ml dropper bottle 3/4 with brandy and 1/4 with spring water, then add three drops of the mother tincture. This will last at least three months and enable you to make lots of dosage bottles which are the ones you actually take.

To make the dosage bottle for any flower essence just add 2 or 3 drops of the stock bottle to another 30ml dropper bottle of 1/4 brandy and 3/4 distilled water. Anytime, you need some of this gentle medicine, place 4 drops of this under your tongue or sip in a glass of water 4 times a day or as often as you feel the need. You canʼt overdose on flower remedies, though more frequent, rather than larger, doses are much more effective.

Flower essences mixed with 30 millimeters distilled water can also be used as the following remedies:

Addiction: skullcap, agrimony

Anger: nettle, blue flag, chamomile

Anxiety: garlic, rosemary, aspen, periwinkle, lemon balm, white chestnut, gentian

Bereavement: honeysuckle

Depression: borage, sunflower, larch, chamomile, geranium, yerba santa, black cohosh, lavender, mustard

Exhaustion: aloe, yarrow, olive, sweet chestnut

Fear: poppy, mallow, ginger, peony, water lily, basil, datura

Heartbreak: heartsease, hawthorn, borage

Lethargy: aloe, thyme, peppermint

Stress: dill, echinacea, thyme, mistletoe, lemon balm

Spiritual blocks: oak, ginseng, lady’s slipper

Lavender Chamomile Tincture: Herbal Healing

Wise women elders were making a varation on this recipe centuries ago:

Herbal tinctures, which are concentrated reductions of the herbs, are more expensive but last longer and provide a higher dose of the herb.  We keep a tincture of echinacea and goldenseal in the house year round.  At the first sign of a cold or cough, a few drops go into herbal teas and hot lemon and honey toddies.  A hot toddy is traditionally made with hot water, lemon, sugar or honey, and liquor such as brandy, but it doesn’t have to be alcoholic to be medicinal.  Fresh ginger and garlic are great for adding to home remedies, particularly for colds; just chop finely or grate and add to teas and toddies.

This powerful healing curative should be kept on hand at all times for soothing the skin, the stomach and anything in need of comfort. I have even seen it be used to stanch bleeding in small cuts.

 You need the following:

Dried lavender1 1.2 cups

Dried chamomile 1 ½ cups

Clear quart jar with lid

Cheesecloth

Dark glass for storage

2 cups distilled water

1 cup clear alcohol such as vodka

Fill your clear quart jar to the halfway point with the dried lavender and chamomile. Pour in the alcohol also to the halfway point, Add in the water and seal with the lid securely and shake for a few minutes until it seems well mixed. Store in a dark cupboard for one month, shaking once a day.  After 30 days, strain with cheesecloth into the dark glass storage jar and screw the lid on tightly. The lavender and chamomile leavings will make lovely compost and the liquid tincture will soon prove itself indispensible in your household.

All We Need is Love Magic

Love is what makes the world go 'round. right?

Any metaphysician will tell you that the most common request for help involve matters if the heart. Witchcraft is based on the knowledge that our destinies lie in our own hands, even where love is concerned. So why suffer the slings and arrows of love gone wrong when you can do something about it? Why spend a Saturday evening alone when you already know the object of your desire? And why doubt your own power to attract love when a little herbal chemistry can make you virtually irresistible. Magic not only influences desired outcomes, but empowers one’s self and foster personal growth. What better way to begin this process than with spells for love: spells that create the potential for love, draw the attention and devotion of a lover, strengthen the union between an existing couple, invoke sexual magic, heal a broken heart, and perhaps most importantly, fill your own heart with love and compassion for yourself. Inside this book are secret recipes for aphrodisiacs, ritual celebrations for the high holidays of love, and insight into the mysterious realm of the moon and the stars.

 Your Shrine to Love

An altar is a place of power- your personal power- where you can make magic. It should be an expression of your deepest self, filled with artifacts that hold personal resonance. Allow your altar to be a work-in-progress that changes with the seasons and reflects your inner cycles.

To create your altar, find a small table and drape it in richly colored, luxurious fabrics- perhaps red satin or a burgundy velvet scarf. Take one red and one pink candle, and arrange them around a sweet-smelling incense such as amber, rose, or jasmine. Decorate your altar with tokens that represent love to you: a heart-shaped chunk of ruby glass, potpourri made with ROSE and AMETHYST, a photo of your lover. Fridays are the time for spelling love, right before dawn. Before you light your candles, anoint them with a love oil you select from the following pages. 

Scent your wrists, your throat, and your left breast over your heart with the same oil. Jasmine and rose have very powerful love vibrations to attract and charm a lover. If you desire sexual results, look into the flame of the red candle; if your desire is affection or flirtation, look at the pink candle instead. This simple spell, said aloud, will create loving magic:

Venus, cast your light on me,

A goddess for today I’ll be.

A lover, strong and brave and true,

I seek as a reflection of you.

Morning Spell for New Beginnings

This spell can be used to meet someone new or to bring on a new phase in existing relationship. On any morning before dawn, light one pink and one blue candle. Touch each candle with lily, freesia, or jasmine oil. Lay a lily on your altar with some catnip. Place a lapis lazuli stone in front of the lily, and a glass of water atop a mirror. Chant:

 

Healing starts with new beginnings.

My heart is open, I’m ready now.

Today, a new Love I will meet.

Goddess, you will show me how.

So mote it be.

Drink a cup of hot honeyed cinnamon tea that you stirred counterclockwise with a cinnamon stick. Sprinkle the powdered version of this CHARASMATIC SPICE on the threshold of your front door and along your entry path. When the cinnamon powder is crushed underfoot, its regenerative powers will help you start a fresh chapter in your love life.

Sweet Heart Herbal Amulets: Love and Healing

These  simple homemade gifts have big magic:

If you create amulets to share with your friends, your good intention will be returned many times over. I keep a stock of little muslin drawstring bags, but the amulet will be even more powerful if you sew them by hand and stuff the dried herbs inside.

For courage-mullein and borage flowers

As an aid to depression-nettle and yarrow

To recognize other witches-ivy, rue,

Agrimony, broomstraw, and maidenhair fern

For safe travel-comfrey

For fertility-mistletoe and cyclamen

For protection from deceit-snapdragon

For good health-rue

For success-woodruff

For strength-mugwort

For youthful looks-an acorn

You and your friends should keep these amulets with you at all times, in a pocket, a purse, or on a string or chain around your neck.

The Ties That Bind: Your Friendship Altar

Friends are some of the great loves of our lives.

 

To prepare the way for letting new friends enter your life or to focus your attention on existing friendships, set up an altar where you can concentrate your energy and clarify your intentions. If you already have an altar in place, incorporate some if the following elements to enhance your relationships with others as well with yourself. The more you use your altar, the more powerful your spells will be.

Your altar can be a low table, the top of a shelf, or even a shelf. First, purify the space with the smoke of a lit sage bundle. This is called “smudging” and is an essential part of witchcraft. You can use wild sage or purchase it in any herb store. Once you have smudged the space, cover your friendship altar with a  pink-colored scarf or cloth, and place pink and white candles in each of the four corners. (Pink is the color of affection and White represents purity.) Place rose quartz and calming fluorite stones around a vase of fresh flowers often with poppies, daisies, whatever connotes fun and friendship to you.

As a centerpiece, place on the altar a photograph of your friends or an image that represents companionship in your life.

Light the candles, kneel before your newly created altar, and say:

I light the fire of loyalty

The heat of heart and the flame of friendship.

Brightest blessing, Great Goddess bring,

The spirit of friendship will surely sing.

As the fates do dance, I welcome the chance

To share my love and my life.

So mote it be.

Your Love Grows Daily: Magical Garden

A great relationship can be cultivated, literally. 


By planting and carefully tending flowers that have special properties-like night-blooming jasmine for heightened sensuality, or lilies for lasting commitment – you can nurture your relationship along. During a new moon in the Venus-ruled signs of Taurus or Libra, plant an assortment of flowers that will surround you with the beauty and energy of sweet devotion. A few of my proven favorites are listed in the garden of Indra that follows.

Before you place your hothouse posies or seeds into pots or flowerbeds, bless the ground with a prayer of health for your plants, yourself, and your relationships.

Light a black candle to absorb and dispel bad energy, and place it in the middle of a circle you have drawn with a stick. Dip your hand into a clay bowl of water and sprinkle drops behind you and before you. Sing out:

Great spirit, I offer you this petition.

Please cleanse this land-you are the greatest magician.

With my hands, I will plant and sow.

Here, a healing garden will now grown.

Blessings to you and to the Guardians of the Earth.

Power Crystals for Pisces

The soul gem for the very end of the zodiac is kunzite.

 It is a very lovely lilac-rose-colored stone that was discovered at the very beginning to the twentieth century, about one minute ago in geological terms. Before the planet Neptune was discovered, Pisces shared its former ruling planet, Jupiter, with Sagittarius; kunzite is Jovian (relating to Jupiter) gem. It is a sensitive stone, which befits a sensitive people. Kunzite will help you face this pressure-filled world and stay above the fray with grace.

The power stone for our beloved fish is the chrysoprase, a gem that has been revered throughout the ages. Chrysoprase was assigned sovereignty and utilized by high priests of nearly every era. This crystal is perfect for the sign that can attain the highest level of spiritual evolution. With chrysoprase, you can help others and yourself through soul attunement.

Pisceans can count as their heart stone the all-purpose fluorite, which comes in a rainbow of colors corresponding to the rainbow gills of fish. This stone is found all over our planet and is so universally helpful that it presents a solid foundation for gentle Pisceans. Fluorite at home and work will add comfort and grace to your space.

Magical Crystal 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.

Now, enjoy your sacred stones.

Stress-reducing Stones: Calming Coral

Coral is another stone formed from organic material. 

In this case, it is the skeletons of many sea creatures. Coral can be found all around the world in our oceans. Ancient cultures revered coral for its medical benefits and its beauty. The ancients attributed much religious significance to coral as well. Coral comes in a nearly infinite number of shapes, and the colors range almost as widely—from white to black. The different colors of coral have different properties:

-pink is comforting;

-red is invigorating;

-gray brings accord;

-black absorbs energy;

-white brings constancy.

Coral abets the bones and the blood and is a cleanser, good for inner organs and mental processes. Edgar Cayce used it to pacify and soothe. Since coral is made up of many generations of organisms, it is a gateway to the past. Because it was so readily available—by washing up on shore and being easily harvested from the seas—ancient man believed sailors could calm the waters with it. It was commonly worn as an amulet or pendant, with the most powerful coral having been freshly taken from the ocean unbroken. The ancients believed the living being remained inside the coral until it was broken, giving it enormous power. Moonlight is supposed to intensify the healing power of coral. Use the color guidelines above to help you choose the coral you need at any given time. You should provide yourself with an entire wardrobe of corals in all shades. Wear a red coral necklace to rid yourself of a chest cold; wear gray if you are squabbling with your mate. Wear white if you need more “Zen” in your world.

Amethyst: Crystal of Healing and Love

If ou can only have one stone, this is one to consider for its healing and calming  power.

Amethyst is a purple quartz found most commonly in Brazil, Canada, and East Africa. The color can range from light violet to deep purple or can be nearly colorless. Amethyst has been prized for jewelry for hundreds of years, and before a huge cache was discovered in South America, it was valued as a precious gemstone. It is now classified as semiprecious.

It is one of the stones most esteemed  by healers. The legendary American psychic Edgar Cayce recommended it for control and temperance. Amethyst is believed to aid in the production of hormones and regulate the circulatory, immune, and metabolic systems. Amethyst is treasured for its centering and calming properties and seems to connect directly to the mind, fighting emotional swings and depression. Aquarians and Pisceans can count it as their birthstone, and this might be a very good thing because the Fishes frequently struggles with substance-abuse issues, and amethyst can conquer drinking and other sensory indulgences, such as out-of-control sexuality. Amethyst also helps with metal focus, intuition, meditation, and memory.

In early Renaissance, amethyst was held to have the power to prevent evil, at least evil thoughts, and to offer protection in time of war. The lovely purple gem continues to reign as one of the most popular of all stones. Little wonder, since it is such an aid to our physical and emotional health.

Birthstone Blessings: Crystal Magic In Your Daily Life

Birthstones are very special stones that have been correlated with every month of the year.

Hallmark didn’t invent the concept of birthstones, however; it came from the Bible! In Exodus chapters 28 and 39, there is much discussion about a burnished and stone-set breastplate of the High Priest of the Hebrews. Here is the biblical description of the breastplate:

And he made the breastplate, artistically woven like the workmanship of the ephod, of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and of fine woven linen. They made the breastplate square by doubling it; a span was its length and a span its width when doubled. And they set in it four rows of stones: a row with a sardius, a topaz, and an emerald was the first row; the second row, a turquoise, a sapphire, and a diamond; the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They were enclosed in settings of gold in their mountings. There were twelve stones according to the names of the sons of Israel: according to their names, engraved like a signet, each one with its own name according to the twelve tribes.

(NKJV, Exod. 39:8-14)

These twelve stones from the famous breastplate became linked with the twelve signs of the zodiac, resulting in our cherished modern tradition of birthstones. The long history of birthstones has many more chapters, but an important point to know is that your birthstone is yours by divine right and birthright. I know I was thrilled when I found out amethyst was mine, even though it was ranked as semiprecious. All I knew was that it was purple, my favorite color.

What you need to know about your birthstone is that it is a major power source for you. You should have at least one piece of jewelry made from your birthstone, and treat it as the special stone it is. You should also keep this sacred personal stone around in other forms as well. I have a candleholder made of a large amethyst geode on my mantelpiece surrounded by candles. Just lighting the candle immediately calms and centers me. I realize you can’t do that with diamonds, although Herkimer diamonds can be substituted nicely. If you are a January Capricorn, for instance, and your birthstone is garnet, you can have an entire set, or parure, of garnet jewelry—rings, earrings, bracelets, necklaces—for the fullest expression of birthstone power. Surround yourself with your birthstone energy and you will feel at peace, filled with well-being from your gem-fired glow.

Here is the classic list of birthstones by month.

-JANUARY: garnet, a stone symbolizing a light and loyal heart and lasting affection

-FEBRUARY: amethyst, a sexy and sensitive stone; Cleopatra’s royal ring

-MARCH: aquamarine, long known as a soothsayer’s stone, and bloodstone, long known as the martyr’s stone

-APRIL: diamond, the traditional engagement ring, which represents the power of love

-MAY: emerald, a lovely green stone of protection

-JUNE: pearl, moonstone, and alexandrite—all moon and sea stones powered by water

-JULY: ruby, the most highly prized gem of all and a symbol of the essence of life

-AUGUST: peridot, the ancient symbol of the sun, and sardonyx, an intelligence-enhancing stone

-SEPTEMBER: sapphire, a true blue gem that represents the purity of the soul

-OCTOBER: opal, said to contain the beauty of all other gems, and tourmaline, a stone of inspiration

-NOVEMBER: topaz, a stone of royalty, named for the Sanskrit word for fire

-DECEMBER: turquoise, which brings luck, and zircon, the traveler’s stone

One Easy Secret for a True Magical Home: Color!

Use color magic on your walls for real house mag

If you are going to paint your walls, fences, furniture and she-sheds, you should be very considered in your choice of color.  Every aspect of your spell craft can be enhances using colors that amplify your intention. Here is a simple guide to color magic for your explorations:

Red is for action, passion, vitality, strength, survival, fertility, courage, sexuality, conflict, independence, assertiveness, competition and standing out.

Orange brings joy, creativity, expressiveness, intellect, releasing addiction, business success and ambition, vitality, fun, new ideas, and sharing good times with others.

Yellow is used for enjoyment, inspiration, success, happiness, learning, memory and concentration, persuasion, imagination, charm, confidence and travel.

Green is great for prosperity, abundance, money, physical and emotional healing, growth, luck, marriage, plant magic, acceptance and counteracting envy and possessiveness.

Light Blue represents spirituality, tranquility, peace, protection and growth.

Blue is used for communication, will power, focus, forgiveness, good fortune, truth, patience, harmony at home, orderliness, removing bad vibrations, sincerity and true blue loyalty.

Indigo is ideal for spiritual guidance, mindfulness, psychic ability, divination, meditation, ambitions, dignity and overcoming depression.

Violet is the color of spirituality, connection to higher self, insight, clarity, tension and the divine feminine.

Purple is  for wisdom, cronehood and elders, influence, driving away evil, changing one’s luck, independence, breaking habits, and spiritual power.

Lavender is the color to use aspirations, for knowledge and accessing intuition.

Pink is the color of love, compassion, nurturing, femininity, friendship, romance, partnership, spiritual and emotional healing, protection of children and personal inner work. 

Brown is good for house blessings, animal magic, material goods, stability, food and forests.

Grey is best for   contemplation, and removing negativity in your environment.

White connotes newness, cleansing, purity, peace, balance, healing, truth, and spirituality,

Black stands for grounding, wisdom, learning, protection and security, reversing hexes, removing negative energy, transforming, defense, scrying, and secrets.

Silver is used for feminine divinity, psychic awareness, intuition, dreams, victory, communication, luck and moon magic.

Gold represents masculine divinity, great fortune, abundance, prosperity, understanding, divination, fast luck, positive attitude, justice, health, attraction, luxury, and magic involving the sun.

Copper brings business success, passion, money, fertility, and career growth.

Lunar New Year Soul Tribe Ritual

Gather your favorite people for this most auspicious time of the year:

The new moon is the absolute best time to make big changes and start a new project or to do a deep clean and energetic shift of your home. First, clean your book from top to bottom, wash sheets and towels and rugs and tablecloths. Sweep and wash floors, recycle old newspapers, sort through those piles of paper on your desk, and get rid of things you don't need to keep; file everything else. Gather up toys and games and put them in baskets for easy storage. Any further decluttering or tidying up, go for it Once your entire house is clean and lemony fresh, take the next step of the new moon ritual with a gathering of your fellow pagans.

Ask each guest to bring  food to share along with a small token to bless your house – crystals, flowers, sea shells, candles and other suitable altar offerings. Gather these items:

A blue bowl filled with fresh water

A saucer of sea salt

One white candle and one blue candle

Lemon essential oil and rose essential oil

Sage for smudging and lavender incense

Greet your guests and ask them  to help you by smudging  each room with the salt, sage, candle flame and  sprinkles of water. While incanting:

 By the power of water,
Though the cleansing  breath of air,
With  the purifying heat of fire,
And the grounding energy of earth
We cleanse this space.

As you pass from room to room, anoint each door and windowsill with the oil his prevents anything negative from crossing into the home with this prayer to the goddess:

May the goddess bless this house,
making it sacred and safe,
so that nothing but love and happiness
shall enter through this door.

Finally, once you've gone through the house, ask each of your guests to deposit their blessing token on your altar.. Gather around the  table and dig into the potluck dishes and pour hearty glasses of ale, wine or mead.  Give thanks for the abundance of blessings and enjoy a feast with your tribe!

Clearing the Way for Lunar New Year Energy

Now is the time to make way for positive new energy in your life:

                                  

To clear and purify your space with as much of your own personal energy as possible ,perform a ritual sweeping  with a favorite broom or “besom.”  I use a sweet-smelling cinnamon broom, These are actually made of pine straw coated with divine-smelling cinnamon oil and set aside to dry for three weeks.  Many a grocery store sells them in the fall and holiday season. My favorites are the tiny Trader Joe’s whisk-brooms which are adorable. These make lovely gifts and also altar adornments.  I ornament mine with cleansing crystals by taking a colored silk cord and stringing quartz beads on them or gluing them to the base of the handle.

These gems and crystals are superb for space-clearing and purification:

Amber for positivity and happiness

Blue Lace Agate for serenity and a peaceful home

Coral for wellbeing and good cheer

Jet absorbs bad energy from your environment

Onyx is a guardian stone and protector

Petrified Wood for tranquility and a sense of security

Clear quartz is wonderful for peace of mind and space-clearing

Tiger’s Eye protects from “psychic vampires,” energy-draining situations or people

Turquoise creates calm and relaxation.