Acbal's Moon: Six Steps for Self-Hypnosis

Step One

Find a quiet place where no one will disturb you during your self hypnosis session. Dim the lights and take the phone off the hook. You may play soft music in the background if you wish. Sit in your favorite chair and get in a comfortable position. I do not recommend laying down because this is often associated with going to sleep and the purpose here is not to take a nap. Leaning back in a recliner is fine if you do not associate this with taking a nap. Once you are comfortable, go to step two.

Step Two

Focus your attention on a single spot. Turn your eyes up about 15 degrees as you focus on this spot. This spot can be an object in the room, a door knob, a corner of a picture frame, a light fixture, etc. Try not to blink your eye lids. As your eye lids start to get heavy, when you are ready, go ahead and close your eyes.

Take a deep breath and hold it for about three seconds and exhale very slowly through your mouth. As you exhale, mentally say the number 3 (three-e-e-e) until you expel all or most of the air from your lungs.

Take another deep breath and hold it for three seconds and again exhale very slowly through your mouth. As you exhale, say the number 2 (two-o-o-o) until you expel all or most of the air.

Take a third deep breath and hold it for three seconds and exhale very slowly through your mouth. As you exhale, say the number 1 (one-e-e-e) until you expel all or most of the air.

Step Three

Now, imagine yourself in a totally relaxed state. To reinforce this state, relax each of your body parts. Start by saying, "My scalp is relaxing (pause), my forehead is relaxing (pause) my eyes are relaxing (pause), etc." This is easy to remember and do. Imagine your body starting at the top of your head and going down to your forehead, nose, mouth, face, neck, shoulders, upper arms, fore arms, hands, fingers, chest, stomach, waist, hips, buttocks, thighs, knees, lower legs, ankles, feet, and toes. "I am totally relaxed from the top of my head to my toes." Now, go back again and relax your major body parts. Saying, "My head is relaxed (pause), my upper body is relaxed (pause), my arms are relaxed (pause), my lower body is relaxed (pause), my legs are relaxed (pause), I am totally relaxed from the top of my head to the tip of my toes (pause). Each time I do this relaxation, I become more and more relaxed."

When you are doing this relaxation technique, do not just say the words, "My arms are relaxing, etc." Actually feel each part loosening up, releasing the tension and going limp. This will help you totally relax.

Step Four

Count backwards from 10 to 1, very slowly. For example, 10 (pause) "deeper" (pause), 9 (pause) "deeper" (pause), 8 (pause) "deeper" (pause), 7 (pause) "deeper" (pause), 6 (pause) "deeper" (pause), 5 (pause) "deeper" (pause), 4 (pause) "deeper" (pause), 3 (pause) "deeper" (pause), 2 (pause) "deeper" (pause), and 1 (pause) "deeper" (pause). Each (pause) should be about one second long. This will help deepen the hypnosis and make your subconscious mind ready for receiving suggestions.
Step Five

Now that you are ready for receiving suggestions, give yourself these or other appropriate suggestions:

1 - Whatever my mind can believe, it can achieve.
2 - I am focused toward achieving my goals.
3 - I easily achieve my goals.

Step Six

Now it is time to end your self hypnosis session. Slowly count up from 1 to 5. For example, 1 (pause), 2 (pause) "Coming up.", 3 (pause) "Coming up.", 4 (pause) and 5 "Eyes open, alert, refreshed and feeling good."

When you give yourself a suggestion, repeat each suggestion three times. The first time, just say it as you would normally speak. The second time, put a little more emphasis on the key points of the suggestion (i.e., "Whatever my mind can believe, it can achieve."). The last time, say the suggestion with conviction and determination (i.e., "Whatever my mind can believe, it can achieve.").

Do not give yourself more than two or three suggestions at a time when you do a self hypnosis session. Also, keep your suggestions within a specific theme (i.e., goal achievement, weight reduction, smoking, etc.). For example, do not mix goal achievement with weight reduction suggestions. Keep it simple. You will get better results from your sessions.

Lastly, do your self hypnosis sessions at least once every day. Remember. You are changing a habit pattern. To effectively do this, you must practice every day until you achieve the desired results.

Using self hypnosis will enable you to achieve amazing results. You will dramatically increase your ability to accomplish the successes and happiness you want and deserve in your daily lives.
by Michael Setunsky

Herb of the Month

Frankincense

(from Book of Shadows: Journey of a Solitary Witch Blog )

This is an aromatic resin from any of the four main species of deciduous trees in the Boswellia genus. They come in the form of small bushes and trees of moderate size with compound leaves and grow in a wide variety of environments, though the most aromatic varieties come from more arid regions. The flowers are yellowish-white with five petals. The resin comes from cuts in the tree which allow the sap to bubble out and harden . This is done when they are about 8 to 10 years of age. It has been a valuable trade item for thousands of years and used in rituals for just as long.

Latin Name:
Boswellia Carterii

Folk Names: Olibanum, Olibanus, Olibans

Element: Fire

Gender: Masculine

Planet: The Sun

Deities: Ra, Baal

Magical Uses:

Frankincense is often added to other magical mixtures in order to increase their potency due to the powerful vibrations of energy that are released from it when it is burned. These intense energies drive away negative energies and evil so it has been used throughout the ages for purification and exorcism. With this in mind we can see that it also an excellent choice for preventative measures such as that of protection. The strong vibrations produced by frankincense make it an excellent choice in meditation incenses and also in mixtures used to promote spiritual growth as well as to induce visions.

Medicinal Uses:

The resin has long been used in the Ayurvedic medicine of India and the bark has been used in Africa to treat fever, gastrointestinal distress and rheumatism. Studies are currently under way to test the resin, and its chemical derivatives, for treating chronic inflammatory diseases and one study claims the incense may work similarly to a psychoactive drug to reduce depression and anxiety, a correlation to its magical uses that cannot be easily ignored.

Folklore:

The resin was once burned as an offering to the sun god Ra in ancient Egypt on a daily basis at sunrise. As many people know, this was one of two magical resins presented to Jesus in the story of his birth by the Magi or “wise men”, who were traditionally wizards from the east. It has also been in use by the Catholic church as an incense, probably for this reason. It is also used in the Jewish tradition. Its appearance in these stories, and its current use by the church, is obviously influenced by its extensive use for thousands of years before they were written.

Spell - A - Week

Blowing Darts

(from Gypsy Magic Blog)

This is a spell to break and remove all the bad energy, negativity, bad luck, hexes, and etc. that others have put on you, or that you have inadvertently collected or allowed.

You will need:

1 white candle
1 smudge stick OR 1 generous handful of dried sage leaves (not the powder)
1 lemon (lemon essential oil - or pure lemon juice will also work)
1 paper plate
black marker or pen
13 straight pins
1 black cloth - the size of a large handkerchief
1 egg
1 potato

Making the spell:

Gather your supplies
Get centered
Draw an "eye of protection" on the paper plate with the black marker or pen.
Cut the lemon in half and rub it briskly over the candle until the candle is coated with the juice, wipe your hands on the black cloth.
Now, light the candle.
Next light the smudge stick, OR if you are using dried sage, place the leaves into a fireproof container and light them so that they begin to smolder and smoke.

Once you have some good smoke, take the potato and submerge it in the smoke using a circular, counterclockwise motion.
When the potato seems well fumigated, set it down on the paper plate and cover it with the black cloth.
Insert the 13 stick pins through the cloth into the potato.
Crack the egg over the cloth covered pinned potato and let the egg slide off of it and onto the plate.
Blow on each stick pin and into the potato. As you do this, recite the incantation, saying it louder each time, until you feel the negative energy has left you and transferred into the potato.

The Incantation:

Thirteen pins in the poppet,
Hex be broken. Now I stop it.
Curse be over. Curse be done.
I succeed. I have won.
Bad luck stays within the black.
I am not under attack.
Curse be buried and destroyed.
My life it is now filled with joy!

Dispersing the bad energy:

Unwrap the cloth, being careful to keep the pins intact. If a pin does not come out with the cloth, but stays embedded in the potato, you'll have to re-do the spell.

This is important. The potato and the black cloth with the pins in it must be disposed of separately, far from your home. The paper plate should be burned, along with whatever remains of the sage. It's also important to dispose of the lemon (if you used one) and the shell from the egg.

Ideally, the black cloth with the pins will be dropped at a crossroads NOT near your home; the paper plate and the sage burned - their ashes scattered to the four winds; and the potato tossed into a river or sent out with the tide.

Alternatively, the items could be buried near a crossroads (just be sure that the potato and the black cloth are buried separately and at a good distance from one another). Do not bury any of the items in your own back yard!