I found this article on a couple of websites, but it was a fairly decent article.

To be honeset, though the only real way you can work with elementals is to spend a lot of time and to develop a relationship with them. It takes a lot of time and effort to develop the ability to see, feel and work with them. Eventually you will be able to do so. It is something you were able to do so as a small child and forgot to do over time. You only have to re-remember how to do so again. You are just re-developing the relationship and they will come to you again. I would never open the relationship if you are not a good friend to the earth, though. You are opening yourself up to some not so happy elementals. You might find some things going missing or wrong in your home or your property. An unhappy earth elemental is a brownie.


http://www.themystica.com/mystica/articles/e/elementals_nature_spirits.html


Elemental Spirits

Elementals are spirits that have only one element to their nature, usually air, fire, water or earth, but there are also elemental spirits of akasha. These are the nature spirits, that interact with the natural world, but have their existence in the ethers. The ethers are a plain of existence beyond the upper and lower worlds of shamanism, and beyond the astral plane, but lower than the level of the Gods.

Let us now consider the many levels of existence. From the oneness, divine consciousness divides into 50 archetypal energies, which are at first pre-conceptual, but are then conceptualized into the archetypes of the Tarot and the basic energies of the 50 Sanskrit letters. As these differentiate further, they give rise to the gods and goddesses of all the different traditions. These then create a plane of infinite potential, out of which all possibilities are created. This field of infinite potential consists of the void at its highest level, and then the other four elements. Out of this realm of potential is created function, then form, and then physical matter. Our reality is not the only manifestation of the ethers. A different function and form creates the faerie realm, which shares the Earth with us, but in a parallel dimension. There may be many parallel Worlds co-existing with the human World, each having its own upper and lower Worlds.

Divine consciousness descends into the various realms of the created Universe. The same consciousness that becomes a human being when it settles in our World may become a faerie if it settled in the faerie realm, with a different set of boundaries, or it would become an elemental if it settled in the ethers. It would become a different kind of elemental according to the element it forms in: In earth it becomes a gnome; in water it becomes an undine, in fire it becomes a salamander; in air it becomes a sylph. In the void or akasha, there are lesser known spirits with a deeply mystical nature; the imps that exist in pure chaos, the dark elves that guard the deeper mysteries and can destroy any impurities, and others not even named. Each of these elementals has an important roll to play in the creation and maintenance of life.

The earth spirits or gnomes absorb from the ethers and release the energy into matter to give it life. They are formless, but take the form of whatever they interact with. Thus, when they meet a human, they take a human form, though short, stocky and thick-set, due to their earthy nature. They give us the basic energy of life in its rawest form. They can help us attract money and fulfill our material needs.

The water spirits or undines govern magnetism and chemistry. They stimulate and feed our various emotions and spiritual impulses, create attraction between people, and nourish our psychic faculties. They appear as a blur of colour, but as we get closer they take form from our imaginations, and often take mermaid-like forms, or sometimes animal forms. They can help us heal, develop psychically or attract love.

The fire spirits or salamanders provide passion, motivation, will and are the cause of most impulses. They enter adolescents at puberty to develop the will and sex drive, and cause them to rebel against authority so that they can discover their individuality. They appear as sudden bursts of heat, but as we encounter them they take form from our own minds and most often take the form of the lizard of the same name. They can help us develop will, courage, authoritative bearing, passion, sexual prowess, and provide us with raw power. The same will more highly developed gives us our magickal power.

The air spirits or sylphs are sources of light that produce inspiration and feed the mind. They appear as very ethereal light beings, very much like the traditional children's book faeries, although real faeries are something quite different. They can help us with our spiritual and mystical development.

Spirits of akasha do not normally take a form, but those that live in a mustika pearl may take the form of the animal they lived in. Imps can free us of any limitations in our consciousness; dark elves are powerful protectors and can destroy any invading energies or entities. There are other akasha spirits that are sources of pure magickal energy. Akasha spirits are the hardest to find in nature, and the only way we have them as allies is when they form a mustika in an animal or plant.

Elementals are present whenever magick is worked.

They can be invoked and encouraged to temporarily inhabit some object prepared by the magician, so that they stay and help the magician in some specific way. The most permanent house for an elemental will be a Mustika. These form in the body of an animal when the elemental spirit has been living in that animal for some years, forming a symbiotic relationship, in which the animal is strengthened, and the elemental also learns some unique powers from the animal. These elementals that choose to work outside there own world to form such relationships are most useful to us. When the animal dies, the spirit wishes to continue to work and learn and so becomes a willing partner to its human keeper. Possessing a Mustika Pearl opens a person to all kinds of spiritual help. The elementals may or may not have names in their own language, but once they chose to work with a human, they take on a name, often of a well known saint or master.

Working with elementals

Once you have the help of an elemental, it is easy to work with. You only have to hold it and request its help. During rituals you may hold the elemental and talk to it about what you are doing, and then let it work with you in the ritual. When carrying it, you can tell it what you need and it will work with you quietly. For example, if you are about to enter a meeting and need your authority activated, you can just tell the elemental, and it will blend with you and give you more authority at that time. Or you may be meeting someone you have a romantic interest in, and you tell the elemental to increase your magnetism and attract that person. It will then do so while you are talking to the person.

For mystical development, you should hold the elemental while meditating. Ask it for help, and allow it to blend with you while meditating. It can be used alongside mantras, or any other method of development.

Sometimes you might want to develop a clearer communication with the elemental spirit. This can be done while meditating with it. Just focus on the spirit and allow your mind to be drawn into it. Be patient. As you relax and empty your mind, the spirit will begin to give you impressions. With a little practice, it will be talking to you and showing you images.

You can speed up this process by creating a place between the worlds to meet the elemental in. All you have to do is imagine a place in nature where you are sitting, and invite the spirit to come and talk with you here. This can be done with the elemental in a Mustika pearl or bezoar stone, or out in nature, where you just sit where you feel the presence of an elemental spirit and open up communication with it.

Another method that often works with Mustika Pearl is to sleep with it and ask it to communicate with you in dream. Of course this depends on you learning to remember your dreams.

This article has alreay helped me. I read his book a couple of times, but it iwas such a good reminder of some some basic concepts.

Last night I picked up an entitity from a buidling visiting someone. I have so many holes in my astal energy field it is so sad. I do daily protections, cleansings, yet I still seem to draw in the odd elemental or energy from just walking around. I could not pass up passing on this article. If you get a chancde, pick up his books. They are great.

Author: Kerr Cuhulain
Posted: May 18th. 2008


Ward: To avert, repel, or turn aside danger, harm, an attack or an assailant. From the Middle English “warden”, Old English “weardian”, German “warden”.

A ward is an active psychokinetic shield. When energy is thrown at you, a ward will divert this energy, making it veer away from you. The magick Circle used by Wiccans is a type of ward: A unidirectional defensive “bubble” that we can use to protect a location or ourselves. Yet a magick Circle is not a solid wall. Those who have cast magick Circles know that you can walk through them. They will also probably realize that by doing so they will disrupt the energy of the Circle.

If you can walk through it, how does a Circle stop the in coming energy? Many of the old texts talk of surrounding yourself with the correct vibrations or light of a certain color, and this is a clue to the process.

Wards like this protective energy sphere, which is the Wiccan Circle, have a particular resonance. When the negative energy with a different vibration comes at you, it can’t get in because when it contacts this sphere it is disrupted. The interference caused as the negative energy reaches the protective sphere causes it to change frequency as it entrains with the frequency of the sphere.

I talk about this principle of entrainment in detail in my new book, Magickal Self Defense. In effect, your protective sphere filters out all frequencies other than its resonance.
Schrödinger’s Wave Equation tells us that reality is the result of interactions of waves of probabilities of different outcomes. Think of your protective sphere as a wave surface that you create to intersect with the waves of probability that your assailant sends at you. Thus the surface of this sphere is a place were these waves interacting to create a reality that you control.

In Magickal Self Defense, I describe several techniques that you can use to create wards. One of my favorites is what I call Pushing the Sky: If you are a novice, it may assist you at first to trace out the perimeter of the ward on the ground around you. This will help you visualize how far to let the energy ball expand.

Stand relaxed, feet shoulder width apart with your arms hanging relaxed at your sides. Turn your hands so that the palms face down and the fingers of each hand are turned inwards. Your hands will now be at right angles to your arms. Keeping the arms straight and hanging downwards, swing the hands inward so that the tips of the fingers are almost but not quite touching. Pause and sense the currents in the earth beneath you. Imagine yourself putting down roots and connect with these currents.

Now, with your hands still at right angles and your arms straight, swing your arms in a continuous arc upwards. As you do so, breathe in and imagine the energy flowing up into you. Pause with your hands over your head, fingers almost touching, hands still at right angles at the end of your straight arms, your head tilted slightly back. Hold your breath for a second. Then push upwards, as if pushing the sky. Feel the energy release and flow out of your hands, as if you are pushing it out. Imagine it cascading down around you like a fountain, forming an energy sphere that envelops you.

Once you have released the energy, let your arms fall in an arc to your sides, hands now relaxed and hanging normally. As you are doing this, you are focusing your will on this ward, causing the quantum potentiality to manifest this energetic sphere. Thus you are using your imagination to define the ward and your will to create it. If you have set a spherical ward like this up properly, you will notice that the temperature inside the ward seems to increase slightly.

To close the ward down, stand in the middle with your arms spread wide. Release the focus of your will, causing the energy to return to the unified field of quantum potentiality. Imagine the energy sphere collapsing in on itself. Gather the energy in, encircling it with your arms as if bringing it in to the position in front of your chest.

Absorb it into the dantian energy center in your abdomen (behind and below the navel), pressing your hands over this area for a moment. Let the surplus energy run out into the earth beneath you. Then take a moment to breathe deeply a few times, letting the chi within you come back into balance. When you take your shield down for any reason, prepare yourself for a sudden inrushing of energy. Be prepared to ground out the surplus so that it doesn’t build up inside of you and make you ill.

There is any number of ways to imagine this spherical ward when you are creating it. When creating your ward it may help if you imagine the surface of your shield as being a sort of grid or cage that captures the incoming negative energy and grounds it into the earth where it touches the earth under your feet. Alternatively you can visualize being surrounded by a “net” or a sphere of energy.

Another way of thinking of this form of defense is as a filter that protects you from unwanted energy. Your will selects what passes through the shield, because your will is setting the resonance of the sphere that surrounds you.

When you create this ward, imagine it to be capable of diverting incoming energy from all directions at once. Some authors recommend creating two layers: A tight core around your body and a secondary level about ten feet from your body. This secondary shield is intended to redirect objects before they can reach the inner core shield. I don’t find this necessary myself, but if it makes you more comfortable to do it this way, go right ahead. Actually, you needn’t create a very large personal ward. It can be just outside of the surface of your skin.

Once you get good at this, creating a ward like this becomes an unconscious process: You can create and sustain the field without consciously thinking about it. As your shield becomes self-sustaining and self-propagating it will become much stronger.

These shielding techniques take advantage of the principles of karma. You’ll notice that they are designed to not reflect anything back to the source. Your assailant will see nothing happening to you and will get the impression that their efforts are having no effect, which will hopefully be disheartening for them. At the same time they are setting themselves to get back the karmic consequences of acting in this anti social manner. Likewise, you will be doing nothing negative or destructive, which leaves you with no karmic debt.

Various ritual methods have been devised over the years to allow people to walk in and out of magickal Circles. The most common technique for creating a portal in a Wiccan ritual Circle through which you can pass without upsetting the balance of the rest of the Circle is commonly called “cutting a doorway”: Using your hand, or the Magickal Weapon that you used to cast the Circle, you outline an archway at the perimeter of the Circle. As you do so you imagine that the energy draws back around it so that it creates a portal. If this technique or something similar works for you, then go ahead and use it. You’ll find it easier working with the familiar in stressful situations.

Remember that as you create this portal you should focus your will on this portal to make the quantum potentiality coalesce into this portal. If you used a Magickal Weapon assist you to do this, lay it on the ground across the threshold and step out of the Circle. When you re-enter, pick up the Magickal Weapon and retrace the archway in reverse. Imagine the portal closing in on itself and sealing once again. Let the portal collapse back into the unified field of infinite probabilities once more.

The only problem with this “door cutting” technique is that while the portal is open, anything and everything can pass through it. This defeats the purpose of the ward. That is why I prefer to use a method that I call “slipping through” to get in and out of Circles. Instead of cutting a “doorway”, you allow yourself to shift into resonance with the energetic ward sphere briefly and slip through the matrix without disturbing it. To re-enter the Circle you simply do this in reverse.

Stand next to the part of the Circle that you want to leave or enter through. Reach out with your mind and sense the energy of the Circle that you’ve created. You may find this easier if you reach out with your hands until you encounter the perimeter of the energy sphere that is the Circle. Let the vibrations of the energy of the Circle entrain with your own. As soon as you sense that entrainment, simply step through to the outside of the Circle. You simply repeat this process to get back in. This doesn’t disrupt the energy of the Circle and it doesn’t create an opening to let negative energies get in.

Don't let fearful people, mentally or emotionally unbalanced people or intensely negative people work with you in Circle. Their energy can disrupt the defenses that you are trying so hard to erect. Here you are trying to block out negative influences with your ward and the interior is filled with negative influences from the people that you brought in with you.

If you have to bring such people into the Circle, for example, to protect them, then monitor the energy around you carefully. Have some emotionally stable and energetically strong people in there with you to help keep the energies in balance.

http://www.kansascity.com/238/story/773432.html

If they had used amber they would have had better results!

We do it because it works, you know.




Incense shown to relieve anxiety in mice
By ANDY NEWMAN
The New York Times


Frankincense and myrrh is a best-selling aroma blend for Kansas City’s Indigo Wild.




From the Holy Land comes a fragrant revelation as modern as it is ancient: Frankincense, burned for millennia to sweeten and purify the air, does not just smell good. It does not just, arguably, drive off demons or make a nice gift from a Wise Man. It may very well be good for you.

Pharmacologists in Israel have found that frankincense, a whitish resin tapped from the veins of a shrubby tree, relieves anxiety and depression, at least in mice.

In an article in the Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and elsewhere report that the active ingredient in frankincense lights up brain receptors that play a role in the perception of warmth on the skin and might help regulate emotion.

In New York, where the dark, churchy, musky, earthy scent issues in thick plumes from countless street-vendor tables and is a fixture in ceremonies as mainstream as Sunday Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral and as exotic as exorcisms, spiritual adepts greeted the news with knowing nods.

“I’m not surprised,” Stacy Rapp and Cat Cabral said in unison from behind the cluttered apothecary counter at Enchantments, an occult supply shop in New York’s East Village, where they grind the pebbly chunks of frankincense to make incense with names like Fiery Wall of Protection.

“Any kind of magic you’re doing,” Cabral said, “frankincense would be great for any kind of happiness, or success, or attention, even.”

Rapp, the store’s owner, noted that frankincense is also a “solar scent” and therefore linked to joy and to life-giving forces.

So far, though, science hasn’t shown incense’s effect on species higher than rodents. For the latest study, posted in May on the federation journal’s Web site, www.fasebj.org, the researchers injected mice with incensole acetate, the active ingredient in frankincense, and put them through various behavioral paces.

The mice exposed to frankincense were willing to tarry longer in open spaces, where they generally feel vulnerable to attack, indicating a dip in anxiety. When forced to swim in a beaker from which there was no escape, they paddled longer before giving up and floating, a behavior associated with anti-depressive compounds. The study’s lead author, Arieh Moussaieff, now at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, said the findings resonated with prescriptions that go back to the Talmud, where it is written that “the prisoner condemned to death was given Boswellia in a cup of wine so as to benumb the senses.” (Boswellia is the genus to which frankincense trees belong.)

A leading medieval commentator, Rashi, explained that frankincense was given so that the convict would not worry.

The study appears to be the first one to test the psychoactivity of incense ingredients, several psychopharmacological experts said, though studies on aromatherapy have found modest benefits from a few essential oils, including lemon, which elevates mood, and lavender, which reduces agitation in dementia patients.

Some researchers are skeptical, though, that rodent behavior is a good proxy for human emotion.

“There’s no such thing as depression in mice,” said Jerry Cott, a psychopharmacologist on the advisory board of the American Botanical Council. “They’re measuring some simple behavior that they’ve somehow correlated. I’m a believer in alternative treatments in general and I’m anxious to see positive data, but animal studies don’t get me too excited.”

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Frankincense and myrrh is a best-selling aroma blend for Kansas City’s Indigo Wild.

Another author of the study, Raphael Mechoulam, who helped identify THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, as the active substance in marijuana in the 1960s, defended his results. “There is a complete parallelism between this test and human tests in other drugs,” Mechoulam said. “Valium will do exactly the same.”

On the sprawling Middle Eastern bazaar along Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, where shop windows boast “Black Seed Oil: a Cure for Every Disease Except Death,” stands Madina Industrial Corp., where Rapp and a slew of other vendors get their frankincense — most of it imported from India and stored in 20-pound sacks in the warehouse.

Elsewhere on the strip, shopkeepers testified to frankincense’s versatility.

“In my country they eat it like gum,” said Ali Ahmad, a Yemeni immigrant working behind the counter at New York Croissant Food, a deli and body-oil emporium down the block from Madina. “It cleans the teeth.”

But frankincense is not for everyone, even those who make their living from it.

“I hate frankincense by itself,” Rapp said. “It’s OK from across the room, maybe, but it’s too perfumy. Also it makes me think of church, which is not a good association.”

As for Moussaieff, the lead author, he confessed that he got no particular kick from frankincense smoke.

“The effect is mild,” he said. “I think it works more on a subconscious level. When I smell frankincense, I like the smell, but that’s all I can say.”

i just love these books

Turns out the author was from the same area of England from where I lived.

The artist was from the local area, too, which is cool.

It is hard to find them in the US, though.

I have alrady learned a lot from reading just few pages of the book sprits of the Aether. I cannot recoment the books enough, if you can get hold of them.

I think I bought all the books from 13moons already.


I also love her book the chaos monkey.

I am getting to the point where I have to read so many books that it takes a lot for me to be really impressed and to learn something almost page to page. I constantly am thinking about each section I read in these books.


Oh, it looks like they got more of the books in. Good job!


"Spirits of the Aether by Jaq D. Hawkins
Spirits of the Aether
by Jaq D. Hawkins
In this final volume of the Spirits of the Elements series, the various aspects of the spirits of the basic four elements are brought into focus as a whole, as we delve into the worlds of Spirit itself. Ghosts, Angels, demons, fairies ... all have their place in the world of Spirit. The definitions of these spirits may surprise some, almost as much as their respective uses in magic are seen from a new perspective, surmounting the limitations which superstitions have traditionally attached to some forms of Aetherial spirits. Whether poltergeists or divine interventions, the 'things that go bump in the night' will never sound quite the same again after reading this."



http://www.jaqdhawkins.co.uk/
http://www.jaqdhawkins.co.uk/Books.php

Lotus Tarot [ http://lotustarot.com ]
THIS WEEK'S CARD: THE DEVIL

When someone makes your heart beat faster or a favorite
pastime makes you feel high, it can be tremendously
difficult to resist.

Yes, we are talking about The Devil card and all the
temptation it can represent. This card is not entirely
bad, although it does mainly represent destructive forces
and unhealthy attachments.

On a positive note, The Devil can represent strong and
a unbreakable bonds, so when it appears in a reading
concerning a love relationship, surrounded by positive
cards, it can be a good sign for marriage or a serious
commitment.

However, that is about the only positive aspect of the
card! Usually when The Devil card shows up in any of your
readings you need to question your motives. The card
represents addictions of all sorts, and seeking pleasure
and physical satisfaction even when you know or suspect the
experience may prove destructive for you.


When The Devil appears in your reading, stop and ask
yourself whether you feel in control, whether the emotions
and sensations you have concerning a particular person or
issue are positive and nurturing or negative and
destructive.

If you choose to ignore the warning The Devil card
represents, then you must accept the consequences of
indulging in relationships or passtimes that are unhealthy
or destructive. Perhaps you truly desire love, marriage and
your own child, yet you continue to have an affair with a
married person who won't commit to you.

Or perhaps you spend money you can't afford on shopping or
indulge in partying too much, which is causing financial
and health problems.

Whatever 'addiction' The Devil card may represent for you,
try to recognize it for what it is, and accept the
consequences of your actions should you choose to continue
with it or give it up.

Anyone need any- or cinquefoil? I have a ton of it growing allover the almost 4 acres wild and I was going to harvest some and dry it for myself and a few friends.




Magickal Use:

Luck
Love
Money
Health
Power
Wisdom
Protection
Dreams




My husband has been learning to never use any pesticides or to kill ANY bugs or plants. I do tend to freak out a little bit. We were in lowes and he had picked up a bottle of spray? I asked him, not so politely, what the hell he was going to do with that. He wanted to spray the weekds in the front area of the yard where people could see. He didnt care about the rest of the area where no one else walked.

I started to explain to him that those weeds were my best crop of chammomile and I would have been VERY upset if he had sprayed it. Killing the grass, however, was not really a bother for me. As long as it was not sweetgrass, lemongrass, etc, I did not really care what he did with it.

I also got upset when he pulled out the chemicals to kill off the bugs. Instead, we went out and bout a bunch of citronella plants and put them allover the property, along with calundula (marigolds). He has not been bitten or stung once while on OUR property this summer. He works on a resort and he has been trying to get them plant the citronella plants, but the landscape guys won't go for it. They are not attractive enough for the guests. Go figure!!


At the end of the year I dry the citronella plants, use it smudge, make it into oils and dry the leaves for herbs sachets, etc. I love the stuff.

It is great for purification. It keeps away insects, negative energies and negative spirits.

Plus it smells great!

Those candles you buy contain such a small percentage and it is synthetic. If you can get the real plant from a nursery, do so. You usually have to ask for a "Mosquito Plant."

Original meaning: Harvest
Ending and renewal. A change bringing future growth. Events will unfurl at their own pace.
The rune géar is the rune of the harvest, the reaping of one's labors. It is also a rune of divine aid or the cooperation from the forces of nature. It is the marriage of the sky and the earth, the rains and the soil that along with Man's labors brings about fruits from the soil. This line of thought goes beyond mere agriculture however, and can be applied to nearly any undertaking in life, a project at work, a relationship leading to marriage, the birth of a child. On an esoteric level, Géar represents the completion of a project and the labor that went into it. It also represents the cycles of nature, and reflects the cycles we go through to accomplish great deeds. Géar can reflect gradual growth or change, development of something from beginning to end in a slow process.

Géar also reflects the natural cycles of Wyrd, the laws of Wyrd that governs the growth of plant life, the endless cycle of death in the fall and rebirth in the spring. The lesson of Géar is that no state is eternal, the world is ever changing, and there is no set uniform universe, only the uniform laws of cyclical change that govern it.

In divination,Géar can indicate a project is about to come to fruition, or that it may take a cycle to complete. In spellwork it can be used to reap the benefits of hard labor.

David sees spirits and has been starting to see some of my guides and the house guradians around the house now that he has overcome the fear.




Recently he spotted something that sounded very much to me like Morrigan.

I have been hearing a lot of things lately with sound auras with the migraines, so it is frustrating to know the diffence between what are my guides/visions and what are migraines, so I think they have been coming to hims sometimes, or being more assertive.

I have been hearing Ravens lately. I thought this was an aura, so the Raven Statue, the metal one, fell in front of me the other day. This one I could not mistake. IT is not a light statue and could not easily topple over!. Then, the other night, David spotted a Dark haired woman who was clearly not human but was way to big to be what he thought was a fairy.

We ended up getting into a discussion about sidhe, etc and we really got lost for a while about who/what the visitor was. He only saw her so breifly, peeking around from the bedroom where I do my night work from. He did not see the full body, etc. David is still learning SO MUCH.

The next morning I was wondering what it could have been I saw and I started hearing Ravens or crows again. While it may have not been Morrigan herself, it may have been the spirit of a raven or crow, one of my guardian and totems. I see both Raven and Crows around my house. 


I have been worried about my brother who seems so depressed today. I fear the message is a warning about my brothers path, but it is his path to choose and I must not interfere. The Raven choose the dead, for they are wise and they know when it is their time.

When I started this path, I always thought I would end up with Freya as my patron deity, I think partly because of my dear little familiar Spike. I misss him so, and look to have another familiar some day. For now, with 4 dog and 2 other cats, it will be years before I can have a familiar who can live in the house.


He are links/info to Raven

The Raven has been dreaded as a bird of ill fortune; distruction and darkness; but in the spiritual world he is a bird who brings protection. He warns the forces of light of oncoming destruction and battle therefor giving us the power to guard and time for preparation. These destructive forces are a natural and necessary facet of life even though they are painful; but the raven's relationship to the forces of destruction does not mean he is the bringer of the destructive forces yet better considered the messenger.

 The Raven is a bird of protection by warning the forces of light of upcoming destruction or battles; so they may prepare themselves. His association with destruction does not make him the bringer of it; but better yet the messenger. By heeding his warnings one is able to possibly change the impact of a situation even though they may not be able to change the inevitable. Like the Druids you can learn to read of the type of warning or message the Raven is sending you by learning to understand his flight behavior and even the sounds he makes. With The Raven as my totem I can tell if it is a betrayal; a death; a legal complication; or struggle with emotional issues by simply watching him when he comes to me. The Crow is also considered to be similar to the Raven in his qualities and energies.

 The Raven brings powerful healing qualities by a process known as the resolutions of opposites. This meaning in darkness there is light; and in light there is darkness- death is necessary for rebirth- destruction is necessary for renewal. There must be death in order to make room for birth. By using this process of resolution of opposites we learn to resolve conflicts that have long lain buried in our unconscience or our past. There must be darkness if we are to emerge into the light. By his association with death he is also associated with depth.

 

The Raven is a bird of the Underworld; he has the ability to see into the past, the future, and beyond the veil of death. He has the great ability to travel from this world to the next; accessing the darkest regions bringing back visions and oracle instructions for the seeker and the healer. It is believed that the Raven is given as a gift from the Gods for the Seeker and the Healer. This totem guide was one of my biggest battles to accept as I was taken to these dark regions and saw many things in the Underworld that I did not care to see. I fought the Raven's knowledge in the beginning and this created a great fear for me; I prayed not to travel with him as I did not want to know of the destruction and death. I finally accepted the Raven and his gift and have learned to accept all knowledge good or bad. We must not be afraid of the darkness if we are to gain knowledge; take the plunge with the Raven into the dark depths and know that in doing so you are protected.

 

If you have embraced, accepted, and know Raven; you find affinites with his qualities and energies; an introduction to the Raven at a phase in your life may be an indication that he is urging you to hear his message; To accept destruction or death in your life as an opportunity for renewal or rebirth. Sometimes our lives may go through difficult dark times in order for better and brighter things to come. Our fear of the darkness is worse than anything we may find there.

 

"The true definition of magic... does not center around spells or incantations, or the mysterious waving of arms... As it is recorded in the Blue Book of our forefathers, true Magic is 'The art and science of changing states of mind at will.' And as we have learned by experience, action follows thought."

From The 21 Lessons of Merlyn, A study in Druid Magic & Lore by Douglas Monroe:

I found this on the lucky mojo website.

I think it is thoughtful to send money to your departed ones.

I prefer to call it spirit money as I don't really believe in hell in the traditional sense.

http://www.luckymojo.com/hellmoney.html





HELL BANK NOTES
(HELL MONEY) 



When i was child, growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, a friend of mine's family ran a grocery store. They were Chinese, and although almost everything in their store was exactly like the stuff in all the other small groceries in Berkeley, they also carried a few Chinese specialty items up by the counter. One of these was Hell Money. The word Hell was introduced to China, my friend's parents told me, by Christian missionaries who claimed that non-converted Chinese folks were all "going to Hell" when they died -- and the Chinese, thinking "Hell" was the proper English term for the afterlife, adopted the word. Thus, Hell Bank Notes are simply Afterlife Monetary Offerings or Spirit Money.



As they explained it to me, when people die, their spirits or ghosts go to an afterlife where they continue to live on, doing the same sort of things why did while alive, eating, drinking, wearing clothes, playing with their children, and so forth. In order to ensure that they have lots of good things in the afterlife, their relatives send them presents, and one of the best things to send them is Hell Bank Notes -- money to spend in the afterworld. In addition to Hell Bank Notes, some Chinese grocery stores also sell elaborately-made and multi-coloured paper watches, clothes, cars, Hell Credit Cards, and even refrigerators for the purpose of burning in the belief that doing so sends their essence to the afterlife world, where the recipient will be glad to receive such material goods.

Turn the Negative away from me

Turn it back onto he

Who turned the anger towards me



Let them see it is unjustified

See that karma is done right




This was a dream spell I wrote

Some of the herbs I thought of when I woke up in my dream journal. I looked up the description in luckymojo.

I am not really sure who this is for or what I am to do with this. Maybe it will strike a cord with someone?







Name of Herb: CEDAR WOOD CHIPS
Use in Magic: Used to draw a two-armed cross on the ground to peacefully cause an unwanted person to move.



Name of Herb: CHIA SEED
Use in Magic: To stop gossip and back-biting; may be added to Slippery Elm Bark for this purpose.


Name of Herb: EUCALYPTUS
Use in Magic: To drive away pestiferous people and also for personal cleansing after contact with evil.



Name of Herb: MUSTARD SEED, BLACK (BROWN)
Use in Magic: To disrupt the activities of unwanted associates or troublesome, meddling people.




Name of Herb: PEPPER, BLACK
Use in Magic: To get rid of evil or to cast evil onto someone; to make someone move out of your way.


Name of Herb: PEPPER, RED flakes
Use in Magic: To make problems for someone, cause a break-up, make them move out; also for cleansing.


Name of Herb: PEPPER, RED whole pods
Use in Magic: To make problems for someone, cause a break-up, make them move out; also for cleansing.

Name of Herb: SENECA SNAKE ROOT (MILKWORT, RATTLESNAKE ROOT)
Use in Magic: A magic herb to protect from liars, false friends, backbiters, and "snakes in the grass."

PRINCIPLE. Magick is the richest, most fertile ground for truth-seeking that I know. Real Magick challenges the individual to take responsibility for what they choose to believe and how they will apply those beliefs. Real Magick is not a process of following a prescribed checklist like a cooking recipe. Real Magick requires a unique contribution as can only be made by the individual who is practicing. The nature of real Magick dictates that no two spells (that work) would or should or could ever be the same. – Introduction, Seasons of the Witch Primer

No two spells would or should or could ever be the same as, according to the wisdom of ancient Greece, no one ever crosses the same river twice. Two identical spells, cast minutes apart by the same person would render different results no matter how slight. In the time it took you to read these two prior sentences, you have changed; physically due to aging, intellectually because of the acquisition of new information, experientially because of the reading of the lines, and psychologically because of the impact the concept made upon your psyche and perhaps in myriad other ways as well. This perpetual change is part of the beauty and excitement of living in a physical body, but it is also what makes Magick elusive and tricky.


From Seasons of the Witch. I love my planner.

I have been doing Seasons In Avalon. I love the planners, primer and grimoire so much from the site, I had good feeling. I have to say it has been a good growth tool for me.
http://www.witch-school.com/index.html

The moon was beautiful last night.

This morning before sunrise, the moon was a rich golden color with glowing with a huge bright aura extending into the tree line. The moon is promising bad weather soon, but for now, she is glowing warmly and protecting the earth below.

Last night was shadow work. We worked chasing the shadows as the were revealed slowly by the earths umbra.


Photography By Ann Strober
For Nelson County Life Magazine
Lunar Eclipse Over Nelson County
Nellysford, Virginia



http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/080220-eclipse-news.html

From Lucky Mojo.

I love their site and info.


Devil's Shoestring is the common name for several plants that grow in North America. When found as an ingredient in mojo hands made by African-American hoodoo doctors, the name refers to various species of Viburnum, usually Viburnum alnifolium (alder-leafed viburnum or hobblebush), but sometimes the related species Viburnum opulus (cramp-bark) or Viburnum prunifolium (black haw). These plants are in the honeysuckle family and all of them grow in the woods. The roots of all three are used medically as anti-spasmodics, especially to ease menstrual cramps. All three species are more or less interchangeable medically and magically, as far as i know, but if you order cramp-bark from a medicial herb company, you'll probably get cut-and-sifted chunklets of root bark, and for hoodoo you want the whole long roots, so you will probably have to order Devil's Shoestrings from an occult supply company.
The "strings" of Devil's Shoestrings are not string-like at all, rather they are long and flexible, sort of like rattan or honeysuckle vine, only they are roots, not canes. The big ones are smooth and thicker than pencils; the little ones are wiry and thin, like St. John's wort roots. In old oral histories of hoodoo, some folks call them "twigs," because they somewhat resemble sucker growth on a fruit tree ... only without the leaf-buds. Many spells call for nine pieces, so when buying, you should try to get nine pieces that match in size and length, no matter whether they are thick or thin.
Devil's Shoestrings are used for protection, to "trip up the Devil" or "hobble" him so he can't get in a house. They are also carried for gambling luck and for job-getting. Some folks drive them into the ground around the front door or place a bundle of them above the door lintel or mantelpiece. In past days, it was not uncommon for folks to wear an ankle-bracelet made with nine pieces of Devil's Shoestring and a silver dime to prevent being "poisoned through the feet" by stepping in Goofer Dust. I put them in several of my formulas, such as Law Keep Away, which is traditional, and i sell them in nine-packs for use as gambling charms and to stick in the ground to keep evil people off the path or to tie around the ankle to protect from being crossed or goofered.
Here's a popular recipe for a spell that uses Devil's Shoestrings for good luck:
Get nine Devil's Shoestrings roots and wrap them nine times around with white thread and each time you wrap the thread around, tie a knot, so you end up with nine knots. Put the bundle in a tall narrow medicine bottle and fill it with whiskey or Hoyt's Cologne. Leave the bottle to sit for nine days, and after that when you go to gamble, apply for a job, or do anything that requires luck, dip your fingers in the liquid and run them through your hair nine times, like you would with hair oil. You can also use this liquid to dress a mojo hand or lodestones. Keep the Devil's Shoestrings in the bottle topped up with whiskey and use the liquid as a dressing any time you want more luck

I keep thinking I need more Rue. I used to grow it, but i have used up everything I grew last past fall.


I started growing it years ago because it wards off fleas.

Also wards off the evil eye.


It is one of the ingredients in the 'Vinegar of the Four Thieves.'


At one time the holy water was sprinkled from brushes made of Rue at the ceremony usually preceding the Sunday celebration of High Mass, for which reason it is supposed it was named the Herb of Repentance and the Herb of Grace. 'There's rue for you and here's some for me; we may call it herb of grace o' Sundays.'

The legend of rue lives on in playing cards, where the symbol for the suit of clubs is said to be modeled on a leaf of rue.


http://www.luckymojo.com/rueandcimaruta.html

I am addicted to sweetgrass, lately. I smell it when I am driving home, in anticipation of lighting a little and smudging my house. I find it peaceful and relaxing. I sleep better afterwards.
A friend grows it and sells it - we have been in paranormal investigations before. This spring I am going to plant it in my garden.

I am exciting. I have been working all day and night on the designs. I am thinking of starting an on line shop carrying my homemade oils, baths, spell candles, etc. I also want to make some nice products like a pendulum board as well. Someday my plan is to make my own tarot cards - but my artistic skills are rusty.

Phillip Stine is an expert in the art of witching wells. He uses a willow branch as a divining rod to find water. People as far away as Bakersfield and Martinez have requested his services. (Bart Ah You / The Modesto Bee)

By TY PHILLIPS
tphillips@modbee.com

The High Five

WATERFORD -- Phillip Stine gripped a forked willow branch tightly in his hands and set out across a freshly plowed field. He traversed the area for quite a while, with no result. To motorists driving past the field, Stine was a curious sight: just a man out walking with a stick.

Then something strange happened.

The tip of the willow branch quivered and, like a magnet drawn to metal, started to pull. Stine tightened his grip as the sudden force threatened to yank the wood from his hands. "OK, there it goes," he said.

He smiled broadly, youthfully, his face suddenly lit with all the excitement of a child opening a present. Even at 76, finding water is a thrill that never grows old for him. As Stine continued to walk, the tip of the branch bent backward and headed for his face. He turned his head to the side and the branch thudded against his shoulder. Had he not been in the way, the tip would have twisted until it pointed directly toward the ground. Right where the water is.

"It's crazy," he said. "I have had some good success finding water over the years, but really I don't know how or why it works. I've never found any scientific reasoning that explains it. Maybe it's the proportion of lead you've got in your butt."

That last sentence is one of Stein's trademark lines, and he delivered it with a gleam in his eye. It's easy to tell he really does get a charge out of this. As he talked about the odd -- and mildly controversial -- art of witching wells, Stine stood near a patch of ground marked by a couple of red flags. It's the precise spot where in a few weeks workers will drill hundreds of feet to put in a well to tap the network of streams that flow hundreds of feet below the earth's surface.

"I'll be the first one to tell you it's amazing," Stine said. "It's still amazing to me, and I've been doing it for a long time."

There is no doubting that Stine's branch moved; the debate lies in what caused the branch (some use metal rods) to move. The phenomenon's explanations couldn't be more far reaching: everything from electromagnetic or other subtle geological forces to ESP and other paranormal explanations. Clearly, there is no definitive answer.

As with most any topic, the Internet is rife with debate about the merits of well witching. Some point out there's no way to prove well witchers are any better at

finding water than anyone else would be, and that drilling will prove successful in any area where water is geologically possible. Others point to experiments that reveal the rods or branches also move when above objects such as metal and golf balls. And there's no explaining why some have the ability while others don't.

But believe it or not, well witching is an age-old practice that has gone on throughout this area as long as people have been digging wells here. Even though many area farmers can't explain it, most wouldn't think of drilling a well without having someone locate the water first. And that's where people like Stine come in.

In the early 1980s, Stine spent several hours walking a ranch in Farmington with a man who used metal rods to find water. When the man offered to show Stine the technique, he gave it a try and it worked. He's been doing it ever since. Along the way, he gave up metal rods in favor of the forked branches of willow trees that grow in watery areas.

When Stine's wife, Myrna, learned about her husband's new hobby, she was -- like many -- rather skeptical.

"When he first started doing this, I thought he was crazy," she said. "I tried it and it didn't work for me. And then I held his hand while he was doing it, and that's when I felt it. After that, I was convinced."

Trace Thomas had a similar conversion. Thomas, 46, said Stine has picked out the placement of all four of the wells on the family's 900-acre ranch in Hickman. Still, Thomas had his doubts. That changed a couple of years ago when Stine was witching a well on a nearby property. After Stine located what he thought was an ideal spot, he handed the branch to Thomas and showed him what to do.

"The branch started twisting until it was pointing straight back at me," Thomas said. "Then it pointed straight toward the ground. It was pulling so hard I could barely hold onto it. I couldn't believe it.

"If you put a willow branch in the ground and keep a lot of water on it, it'll become a tree. To me, it felt like the branch wanted to go into that spot on the ground because that's where the water was. It was pretty amazing. I wasn't skeptical about it after that."

Stine never has charged for his well-witching services, but as the founder of Waterford Irrigation Supply, it served his best interests to help his customers avoid digging dry wells. He sold the business about five years ago but still offers his services to former customers and mostly anyone else who calls upon him (friendly notice: he's not actively looking for more requests). He doesn't keep track of the numbers, but he figures he's spotted several hundreds of wells over the past 25 years.

These days, Stine, a former Waterford mayor, mostly spends his time overseeing operations of his walnut and almond orchards, as well as helping organize various community-service projects. But to farmers in these parts, Stine's greatest gift is one that's imperative to growing crops: He's the man who finds water.

And in an area where water tables are slowly and steadily in decline, that's no small thing.

Bee staff writer Ty Phillips can be reached at tphillips@modbee.com or 874-5716.

Smudging involves burning certain beneficial herbs, primarily sage, and wafting the smoke gently all through a structure and all over your body. Be careful of sparks and embers! I can show you how in the parking lot after or before work if you want – and I can drop by the sage.
Crack a window in each room of your home so the air can move around.

You will need a metal dish or a large shell to hold the sage stick or wand. You will also need a cigarette lighter to get the thing lit , I use the a candle to keep it smoking

Make sure you have the windows cracked so you will not set off the fire alarm.

When you are done you can put the sage stick in a bowl of water or hold it under the tap for a minute or two.

You will want to use a hand-held fan or feather to push the smoke into every corner of the space you wish to cleanse. It is also a very good idea to fan the smoke across every area of your body to smudge people . This will help to cleanse you of negativity, to make sure that you are not adding to the problem.


Smudge every dark corner, under the beds and all closets all windows and doorways.
I say a prayer – sometimes just the Lords Prayer as I set about my Smudging.
When I smudge a room or even an entire house, I like to start at the main entrance and then proceed counter-clockwise through every part, into every corner, across every wall, and even around every piece of furniture. Closets must be opened and smudged do not neglect the bathroom. Smudge all kitchen cupboards, especially under the sink. Keep thinking "antidote," purpose in your mind to HEAL the situation and cleanse the negativity.
do not neglect the basement or attic and the attic vents, anything that is stored up or down there, especially antiques or anything you got from a deceased relative or friend...or former owner of the house.
Fear is how the ghost manipulates you into feeding it and starving yourself. In this respect, the ghost or spirit is a kind of a bully it manipulates you into obeying it, not because it is so powerful, but because it makes you Believe it is powerful.
Stay strong, you must not show a lot of fear.
I have found that it doesn't make much difference what variety of sage you burn it all works.



When every square inch of the inside has been smudged, and you have returned to the spot where you started, you need to mentally "seal off" your living space or house with the intention, saying out loud

"I have cleansed the negative energies in this space, and nothing negative can exist here. This is for my highest good, and for the greatest good of all." Tailor these words to your situation. You can then say "Amen"

If you are cleansing a freestanding house, you need to smudge the entire outside of the structure, too.

If you have properly smudged, the "feeling" or sense of the energy in the house is now changed.

If you can afford some kind of air purifier, with or without a negative ion generator, use this to help keep the air free of dust. It is hard to generate negativity in a room full of negative ions. The ghost will not enjoy being in the same room with that machine. I like using a salt lamp – I like it as a night light as well. I find it VERY helpful.

My hands are steady
and my work is true,
my skills are valuable,
a good job is due.
Fulfilling employment
with excellent pay,
A stable career, a rewarding stay.
The correct business to seek
and be given the time.
In very quick order
this job will be mine.