Festivals Of Fire In Time

כ"ו בכסלו תש"ע
Shamash 28

In follow-up to Through the Fires of Time (as posted on my blog Walking on Fire), there are four festivals of fire in stellar time. These are the Greater Sabbats, the High Holy Days, of traditional Celtic witchcraft.

The four Fire Festivals can occur anywhere between 29-59 days following the preceding solstice or equinox. Apices of feminine power in time, these sabbatot are Imbolc (between Yule and Ostara), Beltane (between Ostara and Litha), Lughnasadh (between Litha and Mabon) and Samhain (between Mabon and Yule).

The Lesser Sabbats of the solstices and equinoxes (namely - Mabon, Yule, Ostara and Litha) are yearly lunar power points linked to the earthly feminine biological cycle. While times of imbalance in the solar cycle, they are times of power for the feminine Earth.

The Lesser Sabbats ground us with the full feminine power of the Earth Mother. The Greater Sabbats, the cyclical Fire Festivals in the wheel of the pagan year, expands our consciousness into the otherworlds of the heavens, and fill us with the full power of Goddess.

Fresh Mistletoe

י"ח בכסלו תש"ע
Shamash 20

Fresh Oregon mistletoe for Yule can be found at Zoo Loo Naturals. Mine arrived today.

Gold Pentacle Ring Box

י"ג בכסלו תש"ע
Shamash 15
This handcrafted 40mm diameter hand-pyrographed pentacle ring box is perfect to protect my onyx witch ring when I'm not wearing it. The natural finish birch wood is accented with gold highlights, a small ivy leaf pattern, and power points for the Four Directions & Four Elements rim the outer edge. It's so cute!

Lemurian Inner Earth Mystery

כ"ח ברמחשון תש"ע
Phasma Priscus 29

In follow-up to my entry In The Cauldron Of Inner Tradition on my blog Walking On Fire, an interesting synchronicity of note - also Wednesday of this week I received my Lemurian seed crystal pendent. On the ancient Lemurian race of occult legend:

It is believed that these Lemurian Seed Crystals were left by the Lemurians, an ancient race that seeded our planet eons ago; who departed from earth when conditions became too inhospitable and life could no longer be sustained. The legend goes that the vast majority of Lemurians left planet earth for other star systems while others elected to remain and continue to dwell in other dimensions of our "inner" earth's system, acting as guardians and protectors for the seed of our human race. It is these "inner" earth dwellers who are thought to be responsible for the discovery of these Lemurian Seed Crystals at this time. It is also thought that the Lemurian dwellers of "inner" earth continue to maintain a clear and conscious telepathic connection with their fellow Lemurians who traveled eons ago to other star systems through the crystals.

Read more about the Lemurian race in Cosmic Memory: Prehistory of Earth and Man

How To Make Offering Stones

כ"ה בתשרי תש"ע
Blodlessing 26



Base Recipe 1:

2 cups organic flour
2 cups warm spring water
1 cup sea salt
2 T organic oil (extra virgin olive oil)
1 T cream of tartar

Combine and mix in non-stick pan, cooking on low heat until mixture stops sticking to walls of the pan as wet ingredients evaporate and mixture becomes a clay-like dough (approximately 5 minutes). Remove from heat and let cool. Add creative magical ingredients (herbs, glitter, food coloring, etc.)

Base Recipe 2:

2 cups organic flour
1/2 cup corn meal
2 cups warm spring water
1 cup sea salt
2 T organic oil (extra virgin olive oil)
1 T cream of tartar

Vintage Witch Art Tags

כ"ג בתשרי תש"ע
Blodlessing 24

I've ordered some really cool limited-supply vintage witch digitally collaged art tags to adorn custom-crafted spell potions and brews for WITCHCRAFTS by Liorah Lleucu. These are just awesome!

Divine Paradox Spell Pouch

י'ו בתשרי תש"ע
Blodlessing 17

My new exquisitely handcrafted Divine Paradox dark goddess spell pouch was acquired under the powerful blessing of the full harvest moon. It's a truly magnificient treasure which has found me.

Measuring 5 inches wide by 9.5 inches long, this bag is made from black dupioni silk shirred at the top and the bottom. The inside is fully lined with a mystically magical cotton cabbage rose print of red and black. There is a very Victorian frill of black lace with spider webs and bats along the top. The bag is tied with a deep, blood red velvet ribbon. The seams are stitched and serged, adding a beautifully endurable strength to the bold loveliness of the pouch.

Black Mirror Charged In The Light Of Union

ט' בתשרי תש"ע
Blodlessing 10

On this day preceding Yom Kippur, during the High Holy Days, in advance preparation for Samhain, in follow-up to Heikhalot, The Nine-Tenths Gate, my mystically magical dream including the rite of water skrying and the full moon through which my art is divinely charged (and divinely blessed through the the black skrying bowl ever filled with fresh spring water on the southern corner of my altar), is my expertly handcrafted skrying mirror consecrated in the light of our otherworldly union. My stunning spiral Goddess skrying mirror is kept safely tucked away within my altar space within a beautifully handcrafted crocheted deep black pouch specifically designed for the mirror.

Moonlight Mystery Smudging Feather

ד' בתשרי תש"ע
Blodlessing 5

Words fail to describe the stunning elegance of my new one of-a-kind handcrafted Moonlight Mystery smudging feather.

Measuring 13.5 inches long and made in honor of the Great Spirit, "this smudging feather includes the energies of the Spanish Turkey, the Guinea Hen, and the Gray Peacock Pheasant (feathers in fan), the Rabbit (trim), the Cow (handle), the Deer (lacing), the Tree of Knowledge (handle—Cocobolo wood), the Guinea Hen and the Gray Peacock Pheasant (dangles), and Black Onyx gemstone (dangle—relieves fear of unknown and increases confidence, facilitates happiness, enhances emotional balance and self control), and Amethyst gemstone (dangles—attracts love, and affection, helps assimilate new ideas, and promotes calm, peacefulness and contentment)."

Simply wow!

Handcrafted Pentacle Spell Locket

ד' בתשרי תש"ע
Blodlessing 5

This exquisite handcrafted pentacle spell locket is among my newest ritual treasures. The silver pentacle is mounted upon an ornate antiqued silver engraved locket and measures approximately 1.25 inches. A silver sparrow adorns the 18" chain made from a vintage inspired rosary connector. It's simply gorgeous!

Power Of Life And Death

ג' בתשרי תש"ע
Blodlessing 4

We all have heard the cliche - the greater the power, the greater the responsibility. So it is among witches as well. With greater magical power, comes greater magical responsibility. To remain ever mindful of this obligation and to create a sense of magical alertness, I have added a wolfsbane talisman to my collection of sacred altar tools. The glass vial containing the baneful herb is fully sealed.

Sacred to witches, wolfsbane is a classic witch's garden herb. It is also deadly poisonous - and a medicine. Medicines derived from it come under Table 1 of the poison schedule.

Wolfsbane is used to reverse shapeshifting spells and for powerful focused protection. One scratch from a magically created elf-bolt is fatal to an enemy.

Though extremely poisonous, wolfsbane has controlled medicinal uses as a diuretic, diaphoretic and pain reliever. Medicines derived from it are used to treat heart failure, high fever and to relieve pain associated with neuralgia, rheumatism, pleurisy and aneurism. It has also been used to treat acute tonsilitis in children.

In wolfsbane is both the power to heal and the power to destroy contained.

Mother Of Manifest Blessing

ג' בתשרי תש"ע
Blodlessing 4

In follow-up to earlier entries (Times of Judgment And Blessing and She Who Named Him Adam), complementing the Fehu rune and the three Hebrew triplets inscribed on my Rosh Hashanah-Mabon ritual candle as previously described, I also inscribed the mother of manifestation rune, namely, Uruz (pronounced ooo-rooze, like the 'oo' as in boo!). Uruz, with the phonetic values of 'u' and 'v', means drizzle, rain and horns of blessing. It is a force which patterns and formulates reality, natural order and tradition.

It rained here today.

Related entries:

Runes 1-3: Transmission of a Sacred Secret
Rune 4: The Wholiness Code
Rune 5: Mysteries of the Staircase
Rune 6: The Ship of Safe Passage
Rune 7: The Ætheling
Rune 8: Communication
Rune 9: The Nature Of My Work
Runes 10-11: Wyrd Shema
Rune 12: The View From My Room
Rune 13: Thurisaz On The Falling Man
Rune 14: Power To Do It
Rune 15: Wyrd Preparation

Season's Blessings!

The Witch's Herb

ב' בתשרי תש"ע
Blodlessing 3

Basil, also know as American dittany, is commonly called the witch's herb. Dark opal basil is a spectacular variety of basil with dramatic deep purple, sometimes mottled leaves. A ancient member of the mint family, there are over 150 species of basil. I have a small stock of this gorgeous deep purple variety of the witch's herb!

In the late 1600's, in Salem Massechusetts, basil was planted as a protection against witchcraft. In ancient Greece it was believed that basil could prosper in chaos, especially when it was aligned with misfortune, poverty and hate. Magically, basil has also been planted on graves, used in love potions and flying ointments, and to banish harm, soothe tempers and attract abundant prosperity. It is a classic multifunctional protection, prosperity and love herb.

"Where Basil grows, no evil goes!" and "Where Basil is, no evil lives," the old adages go.

Dark opal basil makes a beautiful pink-purpley vinegar. To make it:

In a glass jar with one quart of white vinegar, add one tightly packed cup of leaves and stems for an infusion - more herb will strengthen the taste, but not the color. If the jar has a screw top, put waxed paper between the jar and the lid. To hasten the infusion, place the jar in a sunny window. Watching the vinegar turn color is fun. The acid in vinegar breaks down the plant material and it will begin to look unsightly. After about a month, strain out and dispose of the basil. A dwarf form of purple basil makes a lovely low border.

Times Of Judgment And Blessing

כ'ג באלול תשס״ט
Belz 24

This year, astrological Mabon in my location falls on September 22, a day which actually begins the evening before on September 21 according to the Celtic reckoning of time. At Mabon, the sun enters Libra, the zodiac sign represented by the Scales of Justice. Just as the Jewish observance of Rosh Hashanah (September 19-20 this year) is a time of judgment, so too is the Celtic observance of Mabon a time of judgment.

Unity and multiplicity in balanced harmony. My handpoured autumn equinox apple candle is thickly scented with traditional Mabon essences including apple blossom, cinnamon and other woodsy Mabon spices. Inscribed with the Fehu rune (a directing expansive force with which to facilitate projection and distribution of magical power person to person among one's soul family) and three Hebrew triplets (for prosperity, success, healing, health, and protection from the evil eye), my Mabon-Rosh Hashanah ritual candle will be anointed with cinnamon bark oil and sprinkled with basil.

May the scales of justice this wholy season find us balanced and fit for abundant blessing. So mote it be, אמן.

Like A Walk Through A Witch's Garden

י'ו באלול תשס״ט
Belz 17

Wonderfully and exquisitely wicked is the newest addition to my witchy wardrobe - this skirt reminds me of a quiet walk through a witch's garden. I simply adore it! Now, I need to find the perfect vintage Victorian or Edwardian lace blouse to go with it.

Yummy!

Fire ... And Ice Water

י׳א באלול תשס״ט
Belz 12

Last night before bed I drew the rune isa - the rune of ice, stillness, concentration and rest. Interestingly, earlier in the evening, I had just purchased a handcrafted pentacle ritual bowl to complement my fehu gold fire pentacle ritual bowl.

My newest pentacle ritual bowl gleams with the irridescent colors of teal and green with copper. It's gorgeous and perfectly complements the gold fire fehu bowl.

The Mystery Of Gold

י׳ באלול תשס״ט
Belz 11

The mystery of gold, fehu, is a force which flows like fire. Shown above is my newest ritual acquisition - a handcrafted fire pentacle of gold ritual bowl. I received it just a few days ago.

Mystical Witch Jewelry

ב' באלול תשס״ט
Belz 3

To celebrate my recent pay raise and in timely anticipation of both Celtic and Jewish New Year observances (Samhain and Rosh Hashanah, respectively), I've purchased two pieces of wholy stunning fine mystical jewelry, an onyx witch's ring and an onyx-pentacle skrying pendant.

The two-toned ring features a large jet-black onyx crafted with a gleaming sterling silver band. Around the deep depths of gemstone shimmers 14-karat gold rope detailing. The oval onyx measures 17.5 mm long x 13 mm wide.



The onyx-pentacle pendant is crafted with sterling silver and a half-sphere (nearly 1/2 inch thick) of jet-black onyx with a silver pentacle on the back face. The beautifully exquisite cabochon, surrounded by a silver vine design, measures about 20 mm and the entire pendant measures about 1 3/8 inches in diameter.



Goddess! these are so beauuuuutiful!

Quietly Beneath The Apple Tree

י"ט באב תשס״ט
Lughnasadh 20

The traditional home of the unicorn is known to be beneath the apple tree. Legend teaches that if a pure woman sits quietly beneath the apple tree, the unicorn will come, lay his head in her lap and allow her to fed him apples.

In follow-up to my entry on Walking on Fire, Still Alive In Me, and in honor of my Celtic-Germanic ancestors, I now own a handcrafted stunning set of magical runes made in the traditional way from a single continuous length of wood from a fruit-bearing apple tree. My set also includes a (blank) wyrd rune. Each rune has the bark still attached and was sawn and sanded by hand, without the use of power tools. Each rune symbol was pyrographed into the wood (also without the use of an electric pyrography tool) by heating in a flame various metal straight lines of different lengths before applying them to the bare wood.

When the time is right - perhaps around Samhain - each rune will be traditionally consecrated and stained with drops of my own blood mixed with red ochre on a white cloth (which will be ritually burned after the runes dry).

I am making my rune bag in the traditional way as well - sewn by my own hand and fashioned from an article of my own clothing.

I invite all my ancestors to attend the ritual preparation and consecration of my mystically magical runes. We are alive. May we all be a blessing and be blessed.