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SMUDGING
Smudging has been used since ancient times by many people as a ceremony of purification.
It can be made of a variety of fragrant plant materials. Among the plants used for smudge are tobacco, sweetgrass, calamus, red willow bark, red osier dogwood, cedar needles and probably the most popular amongst witches - sage.
The chosen plant material should be dried and tied into bundles with cotton string or any other natural plant fiber. Perhaps use four colours of string to honor the four directions or three colours to represent trinity, or just black to represent banishing. Or the material can be crumbled, cut or coarsely ground and stored in a container that prevents the loss of the aromatic oils that give sage its characteristic fragrance.
If you are using the herb loose a natural container is needed to hold the mixture as it burns or smolders. Some prefer a large shell, others use an earthenware bowl or a hollowed rock or your cauldron.
You will need a way to fan the embers to keep them burning. In some traditions, it is considered disrespectful to blow upon the smudge with one's breath. You can use your hand to sweep air into the embers, but a feather or a fan are much more effective. If you are using a smudge stick, bound with string you can hold it in your hand.
You can use this ceremony to purify and cleanse people, places and things. Smudging brings an awareness of the sacred and should be performed with sensitivity and respect.
Offer the smoke to the four directions--East, South, West and North. Cleanse yourself by drawing the smoke over your head, over each shoulder, and over your heart. If you also want to, with the help of another, you can be cleansed under each foot, along your legs and across your back. Sacred space can be smudged before it is entered by others or at the beginning of the ceremony. Pass through the smoke whatever ceremonial instrument you wish to use - a wand, an athame, your hands.
When the ceremony is complete, the ashes should be totally burned (avoid using more than you will need) and respectfully returned to Mother Earth, perhaps at the base of a tree, a shrub, or rock. Never dump the ashes into the rubbish or trash.
I regularly smudge my house with a sage smudge stick, I start at the heart of my home and work my way around each room, wafting the smoke into each corner, giving a blessing and asking that all negativity be removed and replaced with happiness and love.
Sage
Salvia officinalis
Folk names - garden sage, red sage, sawge
Gender - masculine
Planet - Jupiter
Element - Air
Powers - immortality, longevity, wisdom, protection, wishes.
MAGICKAL USES - Sage has been utilized to ensure a long life - sometimes even immorality. This is done by eating some of the plant every day, or at least in May, for:
He who would live for aye
Must eat sage in May
Sage is carried to promote wisdom, and the leaves are used in countless healing and money spells. To guard yourself against contracting the dreaded evil eye wear a small horn filled with sage.
If you desire to make a wish come true, write it on a sage leaf and hide it beneath your pillow. For three nights sleep upon it. If once your dream of what you desire your wish will be materialized; if not, bury the sage in the ground so that you do not come to harm.
Tansy
x
Source: my-spiritual-path.blogspot.com
Herbal Magic:Analysis, Correspondences, correlations, magical attributes, abilities and powers ofThyme, the Herb of Courage
THYME (Sci. Name: thymus vulgaris) is one of the best examples that indicate HOW INVALUABLE THE TREASURE OF NATURE IS. Thyme from a THERAPEUTIC perspective acts as an excellent LUNG CLEANSER and will help to clear your lungs from PHLEGM and calm your COUGH. In addition, thyme is A NATURAL ANTISEPTIC and has been repeatedly used TO TREAT WOUNDS AND FALLING EYES. Thyme tea will RELIEVE EXCESSIVE GAS FROM THE STOMACH and both the aroma and the tea of thyme will help you against HEADACHES and believe it or not it will do miracles after a HANGOVER (in case you regret your party last night :-). In Greece, HONEY made by the pollen of thyme is considered of very good quality and is used as a natural antibiotic, as it will help you boost your immune system.
THYME is classified in literature as a herb of SUN and/or VENUS and it is used for MULTIPLE MAGICAL PURPOSES. If placed in your pillow or above your bed it is said that will help you have A RELAXING NIGHT SLEEP AND WILL PROTECT YOU AGAINST NIGHTMARES. This is why thyme is considered one of the ingredients of a MAGIC DREAMING PILLOW. Thyme was also sacred to the DRUIDS and a place WHERE WILD THYME GROWS WOULD HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED A POWERFUL PLACE, BLESSED BY THE GODS. If burnt, thyme will help PURIFY the area and Ancient Greeks and Romans burnt thyme in their temples and sacred places TO WARD OFF NEGATIVITY and RAISE THE SPIRITS, as thyme brings an aura of active TRANQUILITY. By the phrase "ACTIVE TRANQUILITY" I mean that the smell of burnt thyme will help you RELAX but will lift your spirits as well, as it is known as a herb that promotes courage. A MAGICAL SACHET WITH SOIL FROM THE EARTH, THYME AND BORAGE WILL GIVE COURAGE TO THE PERSON WHO CARRIES IT.
THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THYME AND THE PASSAGE TO OTHER WORLDS can be traced through history as it was placed in COFFINS to ensure that the person will have a SAFE PASSAGE TO THE OTHERWORLD and will also make the spirit of the GHOST more courageous in order to face the challenges of the AFTERLIFE. In addition, thyme was carried by family members and friends TO HELP THEM OVERCOME THE DEATH OF A LOVED ONE and gain the courage to combat DEPRESSION. Furthermore, thyme is also known as one of the herbs that allows THE WITCH TO CONTACT ENTITIES FROM OTHER WORLDS and according to my experience it is a good herb to use if you would like to communicate with the FAERIES as it will help you combat your INSECURITIES. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO CONTACT THE FAERIES BLOW DRIED THYME LEAVES IN THE WIND. In France, it was a common practice to plant thyme in the garden if you would like the faeries to pay you a visit, while in SHAKESPEARE'S play "A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM" OBERON, KING OF THE FAIRIES states that "I KNOW A BANK WHERE THE WILD THYME BLOWS" potentially referring to the bed of TITANIA, QUEEN OF FAIRIES.
In addition to the above, thyme IS CONSIDERED TO BRING GOOD FORTUNE IN FINANCIAL, GAMBLING AND LOVE ISSUES AS IT WILL HELP YOU BOOST YOUR SELF-CONFIDENCE. Thyme is a basic ingredient to the famous HOODOO recipe THREE JACKS AND KING OIL (and YES! we will give your the RECIPE! stay tuned) which was widely used by GAMBLERS especially in CARD GAMES (that's where the oil got its name from).
USE THYME :
o FOR PURIFICATION AND CLEANSING o TO PROMOTE COURAGEo TO CONTACT THE FAIRIES ( AND ENTITIES FROM OTHER WORLDS)o TO WARD OFF NIGHTMARESo IN RITES OF PASSAGE (CAN BE BOTH USED IN BIRTH AND FUNERAL RITUALS)o IN GAMBLINGo TO TREAT YOUR HANGOVER
The Easy Witch ( in all possible ways :-)
"support the" FREE ONLINE MAGAZINE ON WITCHCRAFT,MAGICAL RECIPES ONLINEDiscover, Play, Love!
Source: about-world-religions.blogspot.com
Use this bath to bless and protect yourself from all evil and those who wish to harm you.
When using Hyssop bath oil, as you are bathing and soaking imagine yourself protected from all harm that can come to you and that no negativity can breach into your aura, imagine your aura as a shield that completely surrounds you. The more you focus on this the stronger the potency of this bath oil.
Normally in raw form the hyssop (Hyssopus) is a genus of about 10-12 species of herbaceous or semi-woody plants in the family Lamiaceae, native from the Mediterranean east to central Asia. They are aromatic, with erect branched stems up to 60 cm long covered with fine hairs at the tips. The leaves are narrow oblong, 2-5 cm long. The small blue flowers are borne on the upper part of the branches during summer. By far the best-known species is the Herb Hyssop (H. officinalis), widely cultivated outside its native area in the Mediterranean.
Despite being widely used as a spice for cooking, hyssop has powerful spiritual uses as well and is used frequently in rituals and spells within the craft.
Green Hyssop Bath Oil Specifications:
8 Oz.
Plastic Bottle
Reference: animals-and-shamanism.blogspot.com
