Acbal's Moon: June 2011

Our path is not an easy one to take. It is filled with many obstacles, some within ourselves, others from the intolerance from people around us. However, it is how we handle these stones that makes us wiser as we grown within our path as we are individuals who seek knowledge, balance, and peace. In our never-ending task of self-discovery, our life becomes one filled with wonder, joy, passion, and fire to live our lives as witches that we are.

Being aware of our feelings is the essential key to master our soul and thus reach the point of self-loving we need in order to counsil others on this path. Remember that witchcraft rituals are ruled by the principle of "in perfect love", which means that if you cannot love yourself you'll never generate a feeling of perfect love for a ritual; and just as they say that if you cannot love yourself how do you expect others to love you, it is also true that if you cannot love thyself you cannot expect to feel the love back from the God and Goddess around you. Love yourself in order to love others; respect yourself in order to respect others and their views. Take responsability for your words, thoughts and actions for they are powerful tools that can either create or destroy the energy of those around you. Self-awareness stimulates a desire for respect and self-esteem.

Have love for life. Laugh. Have a good sense of humor. The world is a place of wonder and magic.

Source:
The Inner Temple of Witchcraft
by Christopher Penczak

From: Sticks and Stones, Roots and Bones

by: Stephanie Rose Bird

No other plant is as intimately linked to love as the rose (Rosa spp). When working with roses, seek out the old-fashioned scented types, such as those listed below, rather than the more neutral tea roses. Roses are beautiful, and like the lotus, they suggest female genitalia en the hight of passion. The blush of the rosa is often linked to the blush of a bride or a sexual partner during orgasm. In parts of Africa and the Middle East, holy temples are spiritually cleansed entirely with highly potent Bulgarian Rose water. Rose water enhances the sacred environment.

A little-known fact is that roses are a systemic nervine (tranlsation: they calm and soothe your nerves). Only your imagination sets the limits when it comes to using roses in love-drawing potions and tricks.

Old Fashioned Shrub Roses for the Hoodoo's Garden

Apothecary's Rose -- This is a richly fragant, medicinal rose with a spicy scent. It has been used since medieval times to treat a variety of health disorders. Rose water can be creqted from this species , although Bulgarian and Damask roses are used most.

Belle de Crecy --This is considered the purest rose scent.

Bulgarian Rose and Damask -- The sweet, fragant roses from which quility rose water and attar is made.

Celestial -- This contains the aroma of clean skin.

Kazanlik -- In Bulgaria, rose oil (attar of roses) ismade from this rose.

Madame Isaac Pereire, Guinee, and Souvenir de la Malmaison -- These are stunning and fragant.

Maiden's Blush -- This is considered to be refined.

Romantic Rose Projects

1. Buy fragant red or pink roses. Peel the petals away from the core and stem. Float them in a bath for two. Light vanilla-scented candles for a pleasant accent.

2. Sprinkle rose petals on your mattress, under your bed, on your bed, in your closets, in your purse, or any place else where the compassionate spirit of the rose is desired.

3. Add 1/4 cup of rose water to 1 cup of milk. Stir in 1 teaspoon of rose hip oil. Add this blend to your bathwater for a soothing, romantic bath.

4. Put a fragant rose in your hair before going out to a party or on a date.

5. Spritz your wet body after a bath or shower with fragant rose water.

6. Spritz your face and hair with rose water before leaving home, especially if inhibitiions and tension are coming between you and finding love.

7. Before company arrives, set out 7 to 9 lit scented with a relaxing essential oil such as neroli, sandalwood, chamomile, or lavender in the room where you will be entertaining. Spread rose petals aroound the base of the candleholders.

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!

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