An Abundance Spell

This simple abundance spell requires an aventurine stone, a heat resistant plate or candle holder, and matches. I like the aventurine because it's used for prosperity, success, money, abundance and luck. I'm using a green candle because green is the color of growth and we want to grow our abundance. I use a 6" pillar candle as a dedicated abundance candle. You can use any kind of candle though. If you use the pillar candle make sure to trim the wax occasionally so the flame's light can still reach the aventurine.

If you can, it is best to begin this on a Thursday, the day of prosperity and abundance, and on a New Moon is preferable. I realize we can't always use the proper time, day and moon, but every little bit does help.

In a quiet place where it won't be disturbed, place a green candle on a heat resistant plate large enough to also hold the green stone or a candle and holder with enough space around it to set your stone next to it. Place your aventurine on the plate or next to the candle holder so that when the candle is lit, the flame will shine on your aventurine.

Once the candle is lit, sit in front of it for at least 5 minutes visualizing that which you need most to come into your life. If it's money, see yourself writing out checks and grocery shopping. Whatever it is that you are trying to grow in your life, see yourself already having it. The key to this is simple: you can bring into your life those things which you can imagine yourself having. Don't think "Seeing is Believing" think "Believing is Seeing".

Light the candle everyday for 5 days because 5 is the number of expansion, increase, richness and propagation. Do this in the morning as soon as you wake up.

It is important to remember with abundance spells that if the thing you need is money, you should imagine getting a raise or more work instead of dollars just falling from the heavens. Remember to work your spell for the good of all and harm to none.

If you like, you can chant this simple charm or something else similar to it as you sit in front of the candle.

"Glowing, growing, flaming one
Bring abundance and you’re done
For the good of all to come
Bring it forth, an’ it harm none."

After the 5 days are up, trim any dripping wax off of the candle and bury in the earth. You can use this candle at another time as long as you are going to continue using it in this way and for the purpose of abundance only.

Take your aventurine outside and leave it as a gift or offering.

Candle Magic

Candle Magic History

Candle Magic has been around for many, many years, being traced as far back as
the Paleolithic era. It is a very powerful form of sympathetic magic. There are many factors that play into the art of candle magic. Keep in mind that some candle magic has to be repeated over a period of days. Therefore, you will want to place them in an area that will not be disturbed. Do not choose a place where there is a TV, radio noise or disturbances of any kind. Keep in mind to not put candles near curtains and such, as you would not want to burn your house down. Candle magic should always be performed in a low traffic area.

Any type of candle can be used for candle magic as long as it has been cleansed and consecrated prior to use. Cleansing removes any negative energies that the candle has picked up along the way. As with all supplies you want your candles to be as free of psychic debris as possible. The candles you use for any type of magical use should be unused.

Under no circumstances use a candle which has already adorned a dinner table or been used as a bedroom candle or night-light. Vibrations picked up by second-hand materials or equipment may disturb your workings and negate their effectiveness. Once you have purchased or made your ritual candle it has to be oiled or 'dressed' before burning. The purpose of dressing the candle is to establish a psychic link between you and it through a primal sensory experience. By physically touching the candle during the dressing procedure, you are charging it with your own personal vibrations and also concentrating the desire of your magical act into the wax.

Dressing a Candle

Chose an appropriate candle color for the ritual at hand. Cleanse the candle prior use. You may use water, salt, pure soap, or baby oil (all previously blessed and consecrated).
Bless the anointing oil to be used, appropriate to ritual. State and engrave (if you wish) what the candle is to represent. Anoint the candle with oil and focus on desire (purpose of ritual).

For ritual of achievement: anoint oil from the top of the candle to the middle in a
downward motion, then from the bottom of the candle to the middle in an upward
motion.

For ritual of banishment: anoint oil from the middle of the candle to the top in an
upwards motion and then from the middle to the bottom of the candle in a
downwards motion.

Bless the candle and then meditate on the desired outcome.

Some do not use matches to light candles, the sulphur is considered unclean. If
you feel this, use an incense starter or stick to light your candles. Others feel that lighters are not natural enough - choose the method that you feel comfortable with.
To extinguish a candle, snuff it out, do not blow it out. Blowing a candle out blows desires away and is considered by some to be an affront to the element of fire.

To begin you need to choose the right color.

WHITE: Spiritual truth and strength; purity and purification; meditation; attract benevolent spiritual forces; break curses; feminine principle (in alchemy).
PINK: Love and friendship; harmony; entertaining; morality; domestic tranquility; the sign of Cancer.
RED: Sexuality; strength; physical health and vigor; passion; protection; the signs of Scorpio and Aries; masculine principle (in alchemy).
ORANGE: Courage; communication; solving of legal problems; concentration; encouragement; the sign of Taurus.
YELLOW: Persuasion; confidence and charm; aid to memory and studying; the signs of Virgo and Gemini.
GREEN: Healing; money and prosperity; luck; fertility; the sign of Sagittarius.
BLUE: Psychic and spiritual awareness; peace; prophetic dreams; protection during sleep; the signs of Aquarius and Virgo.
PURPLE: Ambition; ruling authority; reversing a curse; speeding healing in illness; extra power; the sign of Pisces; lavender for the sign of Libra.
GOLD: Protection; enlightenment; masculine principle; the Sun; the sign of Leo.
SILVER: Intuition; subconscious; feminine principle; the Moon.
BROWN: Protecting pets; solving household problems; attracting help in financial crises; the sign of Capricorn.
GRAY: Stalemate; neutrality; cancellation.
BLACK: Loss; sadness; discord; releasement; negativity.

Anointing Oils

This is a short list used just as an example of the different types of anointing oil and there uses.

Camphor: Use to draw down the Moon.
Cedar: Use to invoke the planetary energies of Jupiter for great good fortune, good luck and success.
Cinnamon: A Solar oil that can be used to draw money. Be careful with this one if your skin is sensitive. It may burn a little.
Clove: Use to bring wealth, career advancement.
Eucalyptus: Use for healing spells.
Frankincense: Use to draw Solar influences and as a holy anointing oil for objects and candles.
Jasmine: Use for dream magic.
Lavender: An all purpose oil for well-being and also to draw the planetary influences of Mercury.
Myrrh: Use for protection and purification.
Patchouli: Use in prosperity spells and for Earth magic.
Rose: Use to invoke the Goddess of Love.
Rosemary: Use for Woman's power and to remember.
Sage: Use for purification.
Wormwood: Use for divination.

This is just a simple generic candle spell that you can adapt to most anything you need. If you use it, please use it wisely. Don't use it to interfere with anyone else's life.

Find a spot where you will not be disturbed for awhile, and will have reasonable quiet. Use a flat level service, such as an altar. If you don't have an altar, you can use a coffee table or dresser. You can perform this spell during the day, or at night. If you do it at night, you can turn the lights off, but if it makes you uncomfortable, leave them on.

You will need a candle, oil for anointing the candle, one or more herbs corresponding to the spell. You will also need your athame, or straight pin if you don't have an athame. You can also use stones if you want. Check herb and color correspondences for the appropriate color, herb and oils. The shape of the candle does not really matter. Taper or Votive candles will work. If you can't find the color you need, use plain white.
Carve what you wish to accomplish into the candle with the athame or pin. If you are using a taper, carve the words from top to bottom, for increasing and bottom to top for decreasing. If you are using a votive candle, carve it around the candle clockwise for increasing, counterclockwise for decreasing.

Anoint the candle with the oil. A drop is enough. Rub from wick to end for increasing and end to wick for decreasing.

Put the candle in the holder. Sprinkle the herbs in a circle around the base of the candle, a pinch is more than enough. If you are using stones, set them in a circle around the candle holder. If you are using just one stone, set it beside the holder in the direction that corresponds to the purpose of your spell. For example, if you were doing a spell to increase your physical energy, you might set the stone in the south.

Light the candle. As you light the candle, visualize what you want to accomplish. To do this, think of what you need and hold a picture of it in your mind. You can also use a chant at this point or just say what you want to happen out loud. This is optional, in my opinion, visualization is the most effective.

Let the candle burn out completely if possible. DO Not leave it unattended. If you have to leave or go to sleep, put the candle out and re-light it as soon as you can. No matter how safe you think your candle holders are, accidents can happen. I have had wax catch fire and cause a glass candle holder to split. If I hadn't been watching it, my altar would have caught fire. ALWAYS monitor your candles, and use fireproof holders.
When the candle has burned out, dispose of the wax and herbs. Bury it if possible.

Candle Magick Anointing


Candles at the Sacred Oak Store


http://www.llewellyn.com/journal/article/477
http://www.scribd.com/doc/3905531/Candle-Magic-eBook
http://www.starbreezes.com/candle.html

Creating your Sacred Space

This is just a generalized way without having to get into all the different paths and how each path sets up there space.

Setting up your Space:

Before any spiritual even can occur, you should create or designate a place that
can act as your "Sacred Space". Your personal area where only spiritual work and
interaction will be conducted. Once you have designated an area, inside or
outside, you will need to cleanse the area, energize it and create a "gateway"
for spiritual communication and work.

Selecting a Space:

Designate an area in your home or outside where your sacred space will be. This
should be a place that is undisturbed by other members of your household. If you
don't have the space in your home to designate a room as your spiritual area,
then set aside a corner or portion of a room. You can use curtains, an
attractive room divider or just a special arrangement of furniture. If you
decide to create a space outside, the same considerations apply. You want this
area to be undisturbed by other people. A place where your ritual objects will
be safe if you leave them outside.

Decorating your Space:

Decorations add to the "essence" of your spiritual space, but they also serve as
symbolic reminders and tools for your work. If you have a close affinity to the
energy of a particular animal, then add a statue or picture of that animal in
your area. If you have a particular connection to a pentacle or medicine wheel,
then give that object a prominent location in your space.

Some people like to set all natural materials in their space. A solid wood table
and chair(s) with natural fiber coverings and so on. These additional practical
items are entirely up to you. But if you feel that natural objects help you
connect with the natural forces around you, then add these specific items to
your space.

Some things you may want to include in your space are:

Table and at least 1 chair
A small table for a permanent altar
Candles of varying color
Crystals and stones for future rituals
Incense for cleansing and clearing (don't forget the matches)
And any other magickal tools you wish to use.

Preparing your Space:

Before you begin any ritual or ceremony, you should clear and cleanse the area
where the work is to be done. This is especially true when you're first
consecrating your sacred space. You should re-cleanse this area each time you
begin a ritual or use of this space, but these later efforts will all be
affected by how you first set the intent and use of energy in this space for the
first time.

Creating your Altar:

An altar helps a Witch centralize her personal power and focus. This space
should be alive and teaming with energy. In other words, don't use it for
decorative items, only those items that are used in each ritual should be
maintained on this space. This is your work space and it should be large enough
for you to create many spiritual objects as well as conduct your spiritual work.
And lastly, the altar should be geared toward your personal beliefs. This is a
spiritual altar and you will want to honor your beliefs and the Divine energies
that are present in your space, whether you there or not.

Sacred Clothing:

Many Witches will not enter or use their sacred space unless they are cloaked in
a special garment created by their own hands and consecrated for spiritual use.
This robe is unique and special to each Witch who desires to honor their beliefs
in this fashion. A robe is more then just material that dresses up a ritual. It
is symbolic of the love, devotion and honor of spirit and purpose.

Self clothing isn't the only garments you want to consider for your space. An
alter cloth is also called for. You can use more then one cloth in varying
colors and patterns, depending on the work at hand. But consider the use of the
cloth before you cover the altar. If you are going to be mixing herbs or
creating spiritual objects such as handmade candles, smudge sticks or spiritual
tools, then you want the cloth to be inexpensive and practical. If however, you
are conducting a ritual to celebrate a holiday, then you might use a more formal
cloth, anything from crushed velvet to black satin. The cloth should reflect
your personality, your beliefs, and one that you feel comfortable using.

The Aura Part 1

The human is the energy field that surrounds the physical body. It surrounds you in all directions. It is three dimensional. In a healthy individual, it makes an elliptical or egg shape about the body. It is said that the auras of the ancient masters could extend outward from the body for several miles. It is often believed that this is one of the reasons they could draw such large numbers of followers in any area where they traveled. It is worth noting that a common depiction of many masters included the halo, a portion of the aura that is most easily seen by the average individual.

Everyone has an aura. Everyone has already seen or experienced the auric fields of others. The problem is that most people ignore the experience or chalk it up to something that it is not. Mystics from all parts of the world speak of seeing lights around people's heads, but you do not have to be a mystic to see the aura. Anyone can learn to see and experience the aura more effectively. There is nothing magical about the process. It involves recognizing it for what it is and not ignoring the experience. It simply involves a little understanding, time, practice and perseverance. Children are very good at seeing and experiencing the aura. Those experiences are often translated into their drawings. Around the figures, they will shade in unusual and different colors. These colors often reflect the subtle energies they have observed around what they are drawing.

Have You Experienced the Auric Energy Field?

1-- When you are around some people do you feel drained?
2-- Do you associate certain colors with people?
3-- Have you ever felt when someone was staring at you?
4-- Have you ever had an instant liking or disliking for someone?
5-- Have you ever been able to sense how someone is feeling, in spite of how the person was acting?
6-- Have you ever been able to sense another person’s presence before you actually heard or saw this person?
7-- do certain sounds, colors and fragrances make you feel more comfortable or uncomfortable?
8-- Do electrical storms (thunderstorms) make you nervous or edgy?
9-- Do you feel that some people excite or energize you more than others?
10-- Have you ever walked into a room and tightened up, fidgeted or felt angry? Do some rooms make you want to stay or leave?
11-- Have you ever ignored or shoved aside a first impression of someone, only to find that it bears itself out eventually?
12-- Are some rooms more comfortable or enjoyable to be in then others? Do you notice the difference from one room to the next? Did you ever notice how your brother’s/sister’s room felt different than yours? How about your parent’s or children?

If you can answer yes to any of these questions, you have experienced the interplay of an outside energy field upon your own aura.

From Ted Andrews’ How to See & Read the Aura

What is a Circle?

What Is A Circle ?
An exercise for your Book Of Shadows.
On a spare pice of paper write these questions down and then think about your answers.

 How many of you cast Circles when doing rituals?
 If you don't cast one, what do you do to set aside sacred space, if anything?
 If you *do* cast one, how do you visualize it spatially?
 A sphere?
 A cone?
 A column?
 Completely enclosed, or open?
 Do you use a certain color, sound, smell, etc., when visualizing your Circle?
 What's it made of?
 Is it rigid or flexible?
 If it's rigid, what will break it, and what happens when it's broken?

What people see when they "look" at a circle is very personal. It has
been my experience that everyone sees energy differently. This is one
reason I recommend finding a teacher near you if possible or in some cases a coven. You have someone to call when you need to say "Something weird happened!" And usually someone to guide you during your first time, it is very easy for the inexperience to accidentally do something wrong. They may not be meaning to but accidents happen.  If you never casted before make sure to read plenty about it before casting. And remember if something does goes wrong you can always e-mail us and we can explain how to fix it :)

What Is Balance?

Willow recently posted this question on the Cupwa Facebook page. I refrained from answering it there and decided to do it here instead. She asked the question and this answer is not anyone else’s but my own. This is what is true for me.

Balance, for me, is equilibrium. It’s the whole coin, not just heads or tails. There’s more to life then just one side of things and without the balance of dark and light, moon and sun, yin and yang, Goddess and God, I feel that all is lost. That may sound dramatic and it should. We’re here to try to be the best that we can be. We keep coming back life after life to work through whatever we need to work through, for however long it takes, until we get it right or as right as we want it to be.

Years ago I had a friend of mine that loosely followed a Lakota Indian tradition. However, he refused to do any spiritual work at night. He believed that all spiritual work should be done by the light of day. He thought the stars were evil and that they hid from the sun in the night sky. If he had taken the time to go out into the night he would have seen the beauty of the starry night and learned mysteries untold from them. Instead, he worshipped only the sun, never the moon, and became very unbalanced and eventually stopped his spiritual work all together.

You cannot only pray in the night or in the day. You need both. They both have Their lessons to teach you as do the Goddess and God.

I grew up in a Christian family. My grandparents went to church every week to listen to the word of God. Old and New testament. I never heard about the Goddess, only the God. I left early looking for something else. I had no problem with the idea of a God, but for me something was missing. We had God the father, but where was the mother figure? Where was the Goddess? This wasn’t a question I was actually consciously asking myself. I think like most people who are led to this path, I didn’t really know what I was looking for until I found it.

What I found was this: a religion that took the God and Goddess, added all the Elements of life (Air, Fire, Water, Earth) and mixed them all together into a cohesive balanced whole. No one part out-weighing the other in importance. I needed the Goddess to give birth to my spiritual side, but without the God who planted the seed of hope in the beginning I may not have found Her. The truth is that even if I had found Her, She would not have been enough.

It is my belief that we need both, equally important beings to guide us and show us the way. We need them both to balance us out, from masculine and feminine points of view.

It is not my intention to disrespect anyone else’s views or beliefs as far as their religion goes. I believe whole heartedly that we are all free to believe as we see fit. I also believe that it is our differences that balance us on this Earth Walk.

Tools of The Trade

This is a simple list of the tools that a practitioner might use, we also have done a video and placed it at the end of the post.
There are many tools for each different tradition but these listed are the most commonly used.








Primary Tools

ATHAME or SWORD
This is the black-hilted Witches' Knife also knows as Seax or Yag-dirk used for commanding and manipulating power. It is always a double edged knife with a blade usually from five to six inches long and is never used to 'cut' anything on the physical plane (some paths see no need for this restraint). The athame is a witches primary tool for rituals and circle magic. It is the instrument we use to draw magical circles and other diagrams, in the midst of which many of our spells are cast and stands for intellect, right thinking, and calculation. Highly coveted, once consecrated, this tool is extremely precious to Wiccan folk indeed!

CUP or CHALICE
The witches cup is a variant of the cauldron of Ceridwen. The cup is also known as the chalice, bowl and cauldron. It is used to contain the salt water of exorcism or, alternatively, the wine of libation and is usually made of brass, animal horn, crystal, glass or ceramic...but can be of anything of the earth (no plastic or man made compounds). This is the sacramental wine which is consumed in some ceremonies, and also used to consecrate things at times. Some paths use both the cup and cauldron where as we believe both are identical in function, symbolizing The Goddess, a symbol of emotion and fertility. In ritual the chalice represents the female where the athame represents the male. Both are very important in magickal works and rites.

CORD or CINGULUM
The cord is also know as the girdle, cingulum, or cable tow. The latter name derives from its use in various initiation rituals. The cord is basically used to measure the radius of our circles, for binding things - and even on occasion, for binding one's self!

THURIBLE or CENSER
The thurible, also known as the censer, is used for burning incense during ritual, whether it be Mercurial, Saturnian, Sabbat, or standard incense. Its function is to purify the ritual space or area you are magickally working in. Many varieties and styles are available from the highly complex to the simple 'ashtray filled with sand' type. All are extremely adequate. Incense helps the Witch reach an altered state of consciousness and comes in cones, sticks and powdered form (we highly recommend powdered and grinding your own is better yet).

BOOK OF SHADOWS
To us the last of the five major tools, also knows as the workbook or spellbook. This is the book where all rituals, spells and magickal recipes are written before use. Traditionally bound and covered in either leather or other animal skin, even a standard book of high quality drawing paper will suffice. I recommend any 'natural bound' book with unlined parchment (virgin parchment is optimum). Some believe the more important works should be translated in magickal language for either secrecy (coming from the theory of necessity in The Burning Times), empowerment (as in the more you put into something, the more your receive in return), or simply desire. A magickal translation table for various alphabets can be found in the Ritual Area.



Secondary Tools

BURIN or BOLLINE
A minor tool, a white hilted knife, is used for cutting herbs and any other use save magickal ritual in which the athame is implemented. Many paths differ on the need for the Burin. Gardnerian Wicca absolutely forbids the use of the athame for any purpose other than rituals. Seax-Wica on the other hand finds no need for it. It is a tool either abandoned or accepted by the various paths.

WAND
Used for various magick in rituals. Deemed necessary in some paths, we do not believe in this necessity. The wand is usually a replacement of the athame for one reason or another and is considered much more empowered when the acceptance of the tree in question is received (never assume the tree will sacrifice this..always ask 'permission'). Wands are typically made of hardwoods such as Oak and Maple but may be of any desired tree-type and are usually adorned with a crystal of one form or another. They represent communication in its entirety.

BELL
Used by some in magickal rituals employing the vibrations of sound. For centuries it has been thought to have certain magickal properties.

BESOM or BOSSUME
The Witch's Broom is used for decoration, ritual 'sweeping' away of negativity, and as inanimate familiars. Look in the Craft Group for how to make your own!

Nammu and Enki

I am going to begin doing the God and Goddess of the week. I will start with the Sumerian Pantheon since that is where Rain Dove left off.

Nammu is the goddess of the primordial ocean. She is the mother who gave birth to heaven and earth. She is the Creator of all things. She is also called Namma, Mother of Everything, Mother who gave birth to Heaven and Earth and Primordial Mother.

Enki is the lord of the abyss, the earth and the underworld. He is the god of water, creation, fertility, wisdom and magic as well as the lord of the Apsu, the sosmic sweet waters under the earth.

From the Farrar's The Witch's Goddess and Peter Clayton's Great Figures of Mythology

To Know, To Will, To Dare and To Keep Silent

This phrase contains the successful ingredients for a good spell. It is borrowed from Ceremonial Magick. But what does it mean?

To Know – means to know what you are doing, intellectually and practically. To have knowledge of spellwork, magick, what may work best in your situation, what you are able to handle, are comfortable with, how to execute what you want. Most importantly, to know what you want to accomplish. The more concise you can make your statement of purpose, the better and more effective your spell will be. To gain world peace, is a noble goal, but one which is beyond the scope of most practitioners. To keep drug pushers off my block, is a more realistic goal which can be accomplished. Avoid "not" or "can't". Rather than "a workplace which is not abusive and harassing", try "a workplace which is healthy, pleasant and happy." You have to filter all spells through your younger self, which has the attention span and intellect of a three-year-old. Often the words not or can't get filtered out, and a spell can backfire because the message received was workplace, abusive and harassing. Keep books on spells as idea books, read through them and adapt. 75% of the work in a spell comes before you start putting up the circle. Research and assembly of materials take up most of the time. If it's worth doing a spell, it's worth putting in the time to do it right. Good preparation is certainly part of To Know.

To Will – refers to the magickal will. What is that really? It is to be able to generate enough emotional and psychic energy to accomplish your purpose. You can be very learned and have all the spell work lore in your head and be perfectly practiced, but you have to put your own emotional energy into the thing, or it won't go anywhere. We all know people who have the ideas and talk a blue streak about doing this and that project, but when it comes down to it, they have little enthusiasm for actually accomplishing anything. The will is the energy battery you draw from when you raise the power for the spell. If that battery is drained, or never got charged in the first place, the thing won't go. Simple as that. That's the Will.

To Dare – means to have the gumption to actually get off your couch and do it. You can be learned, and burn with intensity, but until and unless you actually go get the stuff, do the research and preparation and do the spell, nothing will happen. Sounds pretty basic, doesn't it? Well it is, and this is where many spells die. Talk is cheap. Action and investing time and energy are what count. Until you act, the spell will be nothing more than a particularly vivid daydream. Yes, thoughts are real and can have an effect upon the world, but for an effective spell, you have to go through the motions. You don't have to wait until you have your own private temple and the bestest altar and a perfect relationship with your Deities. You can make do with a few basics. Intent is the key here. Intent comes under Will and Dare. Are you making the best of your time, energy and resources? If you can't afford actual granulated Frankincense, charcoal and a brazier, a stick of frankincense incense will do. If you don't have your own permanent stone altar, a nice altar cloth spread over a convenient surface will suffice.

To Keep Silent – is the last ingredient and just as important as the other three. You have to be able to understand what you want and what you're doing, have the energy to make it happen, have the gumption to get up and actually do what's necessary and then, once accomplished, Shut Up About It. I have seen wonderful spells executed, only to never come to fruition because the person couldn't keep quiet. There are a number of reasons. First you have to let the spell go to accomplish the purpose. If you are constantly talking and dwelling on it, you haven't let it go. You are still tied to it and are in effect calling it back every time you mention or brag or discuss it. Second, there are people who may not like the idea of your doing a spell, how you did it, what materials you used, what color robes you wore, which books you read, or who your grandmother was and where she came from. They may hinder your spell by either consciously or subconsciously trying to stop it. There are even a rare few people who will go home and actively craft a counter-spell and most of them think they are doing the world, and you a favor. Others may just pray against you or think bad thoughts about you or your spell. Any and all of these can blunt or deflect a spell's energies. Third, it's just bad form to talk about specific spells that haven't run their course. You can upset people generally. Many have antiquated notions about spells and what they are meant to do. You can give people an inflated idea of your opinion of yourself and your influence in the world. You never know who will hear about it through the grapevine and how it will be distorted. What is meaningful and important to you may be considered trivial by someone else, or it may just sound that way if you aren't clear and your audience not paying close attention to grasp your intent. You can talk about spells you did in the past if the occasion arises in a teaching or information sharing situation, but Keep Silent is otherwise the best maxim. If you say nothing, you are 100% assured your words will not be misunderstood.

© 1999, 2003 Estelle Daniels, all rights reserved.

Red Clover

As a child, I would pluck the heads of these tall clover and eat them like candy. The earlier you pick them the more they taste like honey. I continued this habit and eventually passed onto my daughter, who spent many a summer day hunting for fields of clover.

Most often thought of as an annoying, hard to kill weed, the dandelion is actually extremely beneficial when eaten. In the Spring I’m am often found picking and eating the dandelion heads from my yard.

Parts used- Flowers- seeds, leaves, flowers, whole plant
Seeds- crush and put in cereal; sprouted seeds are edible in salads and have a crisp texture and robust flavor.

Leaves- eat raw, steamed, boiled, sautéed. The cooking liquid may be drunk as a tea. Add raw leaves to salads, soups, stews, sandwiches and casseroles. Add to rice dishes. Dry the leaves and crush into flour. Leaves taste better boiled in salt and butter.

Flowers- eat raw, steamed, boiled, sautéed, fried, drink cooking liquid. Dry the flower heads for tea and use in wines. Full of sweet nectar. You may also French fry them using a batter you like. Use in salads, wild clover wine, chop with butter and serve on toast.

Whole Plant- dry the whole plant and put through a grinder when dry and crispy. Bake with clover adding a little at a time to your favorite recipes until you have a ½ and ½ blend of flour. Great way to make bread. The entire plant is also steamed or boiled and used in soups and stews.

Medicinal- as a tea: 1Tbsp. Of dry flower heads added to 1 cup of boiling water. Steep for 10 minutes, sweeten to taste. Drink warm for upset stomach and couch.

Nutritional- Vitamins- A, B1, B2, B3, C, K; Calcium, Chromium, Magnesium, Manganese, Molybdenum.


Magical- (from Scott Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs)
Added to the bath water, aids you in dealing with financial arrangements of every kind. Also used in lust potions and the infusion is sprinkled to remove negative spirits.
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Gender- masculine
Planet- Mercury
Element- Air
Deity- Rowen

From time to time I will be posting information on various plants, herbs, etc. As with anything taken medicinally, you should contact your doctor first to make sure it is safe for you. If you think you have an allergy to any of the herbs, plants, etc that I talk about you should stop using it immediately and contact your doctor.
If you are eating anything that you are picking or harvesting yourself make sure that you are properly identifying the plant. Many plants look very similar and are hard to identify. Make sure that you do your own research on an herb before consumption. Make sure that you are not eating plants that are growing by the side of the road (car exhaust and road dust is not healthy), near a swimming pool (chlorine can splash onto the plants), where you think an animal has defecated or urinated or anywhere else that is subject to fertilizers, weed killers or any other chemicals.