As it is nearly October, I felt it is a fitting time to talk about Poppy. It is the flower representing firstly the lives lost in WWI and in succeeding wars. It is a talisman to spark the memory of others to pray for our troops in the here and now, and to buy a Poppy these days means you support those troops and their families. No matter how you feel about war, be grateful we have trained men and women who will protect us come what may.
End of my Poppy Appeal. Let us move on to the magick. Poppies have long been associated with death and sleep. It was once believed that Poppies would grow where men died in battle. Was it coincidence that so many men died in the brutal battle in Flanders Field full of Poppies? For Poppies have represented the dead long before we adopted them as our official remembrance flower.
In the Victorian Language of Flowers, Poppies symbolise sleep, and imagination. Red Poppies mean pleasure, white Poppies are for consolations, and yellow Poppies mean success.
In the World of the Gods and Goddesses, Demeter loved a youth named Mekon. When he died, she turned him into a poppy. And, Hypnos, Greek God of Sleep and Dreaming, sometimes carried a Poppy stalk or a horn filled with Poppy juice. The Minoan culture featured a Goddess wearing a garland of Poppies in her hair, and Poppies in Christian art can represent both the blood of Christ on the cross and Christ’s death prior to his resurrection.
Magick
Poppy is a useful ingredient to put into loose incense for love spells or any kind of love working. It is also used in Moon incense and in any incense for prophesy, fertility, psychic awareness, dream magick, and spirituality.
Poppy seeds ~ Google images
I have heard from people who practise HooDoo magick that they mix Poppy seeds with Inflammatory Confusion Oil [which I’ve never heard of] and rub the mixture on black Mustard seeds which are also widely believed to disrupt the activities of troublesome people.
Poppies are a flower favoured by Hecate and any magickal work you do using Poppy when you evoke Her name should go favourably with you.
Sleep with a sachet under your pillow stuffed with Poppy seeds to bring relief from insomnia.
The dried leaves and flowers of the Poppy can be used just as the seeds are if you don’t have the seeds.
We put Poppy in our Love Witch Bottle Necklaces to help people attract love and to learn to love themselves.
Healing
White Poppy ~ whiteflowerfarm.com
Historically the white Poppy has been and probably still is used for creating narcotic medicines. And, they are still very much in use for creating heroin, unfortunately. I’m afraid I can not speak to healing with Poppy as I am not at all familiar with it and a bit afraid to lead anyone else to dabble with it unless you only use it in sympathetic medicine. Of course, using Poppy seeds in small amounts or even dried Poppy probably would not harm anyone, however, I do hear that ingestion of Poppy seeds can make a urine test positive for narcotics so if you think you may be tested in future, don’t eat the buns with Poppy seeds!
An interesting fact – Roman surgeons used an anaesthesia made from Opium [morphine for numbing pain and limiting movement], Henbane seeds [scopolamine for inducing sleep], and Mandrake [for slowing heart rate and deadening pain]. Please do not try this at home.
Nicholas Culpeper in his 17th century tome, Culpeper’s Complete Herbal and the English Physician has much to say about Poppies, although for our purposes nothing which can be used. He recommends “the garden poppy heads with seeds made into a syrup, is frequently, and to good effect used to procure rest, and sleep, in the sick and weak, and to stay catarrhs and defluctions of thin rheums from the head into the stomach and lungs, causing a continual cough, the forerunner of a consumption; it helps also hoarseness of the throat, and when one has lost their voice, which the oil of the seed doth like-wise.”
No doubt the patient was at the very least, quite happy!
Powers: Calm Energy, Communion with the Infinite, Invisibility, Overcoming Addiction, Making Peace with Death, Perspective, Relaxation and Sleep, Surrender and Release
Other Names: Corn Poppy [red], Corn Rose, Opium Poppy [white], The Black and White of the Garden, Erratic Wild Poppy
Many thanks for reading and wishing warm blessings to all whom this way wander x
Sources
Witchipedia
The Encyclopaedia of Magical Herbs, by Scott Cunningham
The Complete Herbal and English Physician, by Nicholas Culpeper
The Old English Herbals, by Eleanour Sinclair Rohdes
According to ancient flower vocabulary, Jasmine means “amiability”. So, it is no wonder that the Moo-le-hua, a fragrant Jasmine, is employed in China and other Eastern countries in forming wreaths for the decoration of ladies’ hair.
In Thomas Moore’s ‘The Light of the Haram,’ the Enchantress Namouna, who was acquainted with all spells and talismans, instructs Nourmahall to gather at midnight—“the hour that scatters spells on herb and flower”—certain blossoms that, when twined into a wreath, should act as a spell to recall her Selim’s love. The flowers gathered, the Enchantress proceeds to weave the magic chaplet, singing the while—
“The image of love, that nightly flies
To visit the bashful maid;
Steals from the Jasmine flower, that sighs
Its soul, like her, in the shade.
The dream of a future happier hour,
That alights on misery’s brow,
Springs out of the silvery Almond flower
That blooms on a leafless bough.”
Jasmine is considered a birth tree according to a Druidry website. When given this tree sign, one can almost always show an interest in politics or some form of public relations and communications or social interests. They enjoy getting their thoughts across.
Magickal
Jasmine flowers are believed to attract emotional love and are associated with beauty, kindness and romance. Jasmine is also believed to bring prophetic dreams and enhance psychic abilities.
In some places, the following mode of floral divination is resorted to. The lover, male or female, who wishes to ascertain the character of the beloved one, draws by lot one of the following flowers, the symbolical meaning attached to which will give the information desired. There is a quite large table of flowers and their meanings, if drawn. However, in a bunch of various kinds of flowers, if the woman or man chooses the Jasmine flower it means their intended will be cheerful. Likewise, for all the other flowers on the table, each has its own one-word correspondence.
yellow Jasmine ~ mailordertrees.co.uk
Yellow Jasmine is the flower of the Epiphany. To dream of this beautiful flower foretells good luck; to lovers it is a sure sign they will be speedily married.
Burn some dried jasmine in your bedroom as you sleep to help with divinatory dreams. It is also useful to burn in loose incense when performing any kind of divinatory work such as pendulum dowsing, tarot readings, runes casting, and ogham readings. Burning Jasmine is also very useful in lucid dreaming, astral travel / riding the hedge, and contacting the Divine and Guides in dreams and dreaming [including prophetic dreaming].
Jasmine also attracts money. It is useful for connecting with others emotionally, for wisdom, as well as creativity, particularly in the creation of something that will touch other’s emotions. Use the Jasmine flower or even use finely ground Jasmine wood in your loose incense for money or love spells. Personally, I would use the Jasmine wood in the money incense and the flower in the love incense. You can also use the Jasmine flower in poppets for money or love.
Jasmine can be used for wands and I look forward to finding some to create them from!
Health
A native of the West Indies and Central America, night-blooming Jasmine is now cultivated in India, where the Malasar people use its juice for cataracts.
Helvetius [real name: John Fredrick Schweitzer, alchemist, 1625-1709] has left a list of classified herbs and plants which in his time were considered by experts in herb craft to exhibit peculiar marks and signatures by which they could be identified with the several parts and members of the human body. This may be said to have formed the basis of the system embraced in the Doctrine of Plant Signatures, and as it epitomises the results of the protracted and labourious researches of the old herbalists, who may fairly be said to have laid the foundations of our present system of Botany, it has been thought worthwhile to give an abbreviation of it. From this table we find that Jasmine is good for the kidneys.
Apart from that, I can’t find much else which Jasmine can be used for in healing. However, it can be brewed into a tea which may be how it helps kidneys.
*** Revision
I must not fail to inform you that certain Yellow Jasmine can be lethal. The “Carolina Jasmine” [Gelsemium sempervirens] which grows in both the UK and in the US, is toxic. One flower from it can kill a child, if eaten. Other names are Yellow jessamine, Carolina jasmine, Jessamine, Woodbine, False jasmine, False jessamine, Evening trumpet flower. Please be mindful of this in using it.
“With Hyacinth and Jasmine her perfumed hair was bound,
A posy of sweet Violets her clustering ringlets seemed;
Her eyes with love intoxicate, in witching sleep half drowned,
Her locks, to Indian Spikenard like, with love’s enchantments beamed.”
“Moonlight of the Grove” By Anvár-i-Suhailî
Many thanks for reading and warmest blessings to all whom this way wander.
Sources
The Light of the Haram, by Thomas Moore
Plant Lore, Legends, and Lyrics. Embracing the Myths, Traditions, Superstitions, and Folk-Lore of the Plant Kingdom, Volume and Lyrics, by Richard Folkard, 1884
A penny for every time I have been asked this! I can’t tell anyone whether they are a witch or not just by looking at them. Nor can I tell them if they are a witch because “their grandmother was one”, or “my very first spell worked!”, or “I feel drawn to the occult”. It is something you will just know is all I can really tell you. I do think all people have the propensity to be magickal. I do believe if we all let down all the old notions what hold us back we can truly work great magick. But can I tell you if you are a witch? Not really. However, don’t despair…. There may be ways round that!
One of the things I have studied in my very long “witchy career” is a bit of palmistry. I am not a master of palmistry by no means, but I do enjoy learning about what all those lines in our hands mean. It’s like reading tea leaves… I have dabbled in that as well but no Master of It. I’m more about tarot readings and dream readings. Still, I have picked up enough knowledge that I may be able to help you realise the answer to your query by just looking at your own hand!
Witch’s Mark / Secret Cross
witches marks ~ photo by i.macy
Firstly, there is the Witch’s Mark, or the “Secret Cross”. Simply put, it is an “X” mark on either or both hands, located between your head and heart lines on your palms. In the photo I took of my left hand, you may struggle to see, but there are three Witch’s Marks there. And on my right hand, there are three as well. What this means is, according to palmists, that the bearer of one or more of these have known about their magickal powers from a very young age. For me, this is true, for I knew – instinctively – at the age of 5. Those of us bearing this cross or crosses have a natural inclination toward the occult. And, according to studies, only 3% of people have the Secret Cross on their palm[s]. I’m still wondering how I got three of them! I have also read somewhere, although I haven’t found this information as I write, that the number of crosses you have relate to how many times you have been on the earth as a witch. I might be inclined to think this a possibility as I have always felt I have been here as a witch before… but not only that, whilst doing a past life regression once, I had the vision of myself being buried in a very shallow grave near a roadside inn where I think I may have lived, in a wooded area in Essex. I wasn’t completely dead; I remember looking up through slitted eyes and seeing the late afternoon sun beaming down through the tall trees and smelling the tannin in the leaves being shovelled over me. I felt at peace, no longer being hunted and tortured for something I did to help others… as if I were a healer of sorts. There are other past life regressions in which I have felt it possible that I was, or was at the very least, accused of witchcraft. But do not take this as actual proof of how many times you’ve lived as a witch. I could be wrong because I don’t know everything about this.
Psychic Crosses
Moving along to other marks on your palms that might prove you are a witch. You may also find other small crosses on the mounds of your inner knuckles at the base of each finger. These are called “Psychic Crosses”. Now, if you look at either hand, palm facing you, your little finger is ruled by Mercury, your ring finger is ruled by Sun, your middle finger is ruled by Saturn, and your index finger is ruled by Jupiter [your thumb is ruled by Venus, but the Psychic Crosses, to my knowledge, are only found on the four mounds at the base of each finger]. Roughly speaking, having a cross imprinted on one of these mounds means that that planet blessed your birth. Now, here is a table of what finding a cross below whichever finger[s] means:
Index Finger This is the finger of Jupiter. Therefore, the psychic cross on this finger means that good luck of the Jupiter is by your side. The magical opportunities will arise which are going to help you reach for success. It also means that you have an uncanny capacity for magical wisdom. You can become very powerful as you can absorb powerful knowledge. Wise Teachers are attracted by you. Later in your life you are destined to become a magical teacher.
Middle Finger This is the finger of Saturn. Thus, if a psychic cross is found there you are blessed by Saturn – the planet of Witches. You can learn through both the easy and the tough way. Moreover, you have been blessed by a hard and strict teacher, but you learn Magic through your experiences. You will discover your extremely great power capacity once you’ve found some quality time for yourself. Meditation works miracles for you as well as Dream Magic!
Ring Finger This is the finger of the Sun. Therefore, if you spot a cross there, you are blessed by Sun and Apollo, the God of Magic and Prophecy. You have the power to attract what you need in your life. You are an enchanter / enchantress. This means that your love life can become an inspiration in your magical activities. When you are sexually active you find enlightenment – through the pleasure. Tap into the Solar Power.
Little Finger This is the finger of Mercury. Mind, this changes everything. Mercury is the planet associated with all magical works and divination. Since early age, you’ve met the magical world. Therefore, if you are blessed with this sign you are born to love magic and be good at it. It means, my darlings, that Mercury – Hermes, the wise god, has blessed your birth making you a powerful mage / witch. Use your brain and your heart to develop your magical abilities.
In case you are curious, my Psychic Cross is under Saturn… which makes sense in light of my knowing I’ve been a witch since an early age 😊 And, it is amazing how spot on it is!
Psychic Triangle
Next, in the palm, you may find you have a small triangle located below your ring finger. This is called “The Psychic Triangle”. This is neither a good or a bad thing, depending upon how you wish to view it. Look closer, this sign may not be that obvious. The palm signs might be pale and hard to notice. This means that for some reason you have – intentionally or unintentionally blocked your powers. Sometimes, we – our higher selves to be exact – block our magickal powers when we have committed “magickal crimes” in our past lives, or we used our magick for dark purposes. This is a defence mechanism so that we don’t hurt ourselves more. The key to unlock our powers is love and acceptance of ourselves and others. We can easily become powerful witches once again when we forgive the others and ourselves. Of course, a spell breaking ritual, cleansing, and a power awakening spell will help!
The Healer’s Mark
If you have four or more parallel lines underneath your little finger [on the mound just underneath the finger] this is an indication that the bearer of these marks is a powerful healer. In many cases doctors, nurses, and life coaches have these marks, then so do successful Reiki and Pranic healers as well as witches whom heal. The bearer of the Healer’s Mark has the great ability to touch the hearts of people and find ways to heal their scars, both emotional and physical and can heal through most any method they choose. As one who bears these marks, my method of healing is generally through candle magick.
Astral Travel Lines
Under the Mount of the Moon, these palm signs indicate a natural ability to transcend time and space. The Mount of the Moon is located, with your right or left-hand palm facing you, a fingertip in from the outside of your palm inward between the ends of your head and heart lines. Hold your fingertip there and let your eyes follow down your palm and see if you have several thin lines running horizontally below. If so, you are an Astral traveller! You can Astral travel without knowing it. Some say that every dream is a trip to the Astral plane but that isn’t necessarily true. I’m sure you, like most of us have had a very strange dream and your mother or friend tells you it “must have been something you ate”. Well, that can be true sometimes. If you already practise Astral travel, then you know when you have been to the Astral plane in a “dream”. You can even plan to go where you wish in a dream. A very good friend of mine and her husband would plan where they wanted to meet up and spend time together before falling asleep at night and be able to do so through Astral travel. It was a wonderful thing to be able to do because, you see, he was dying, and he could no longer take her on dates, but this way they could meet in the Astral plane and he was whole and healthy there, so they could fully enjoy their “nights out”. It is a beautiful way to use this wonderful technique.
This is only one of many reasons to use Astral travel or as some call it, Astral projection. I call it “riding the hedge” because I am a hedge witch. I use riding the hedge to correspond with my ancestors and others. It doesn’t matter what you prefer to call it, nor does it matter if you have a lot of lines on your palm to say you are an Astral traveller, because, anybody can practise Astral travel. Just learn how to safely and responsibly. Perhaps I’ll blog about that soon!
So… are you a witch? Probably 😊
Many thanks for reading my blog. Warmest blessings to all whom this way wander x
Hag stones or “holey stones” aren’t really classified as “crystals” but magickally they do a power of good for those who connect well with natural stones and crystals. They have a bit of a violent birth, most of them, being tossed and turned in oceans and sent swirling around and down rivers, clashing with other less moveable rocks in their paths. And some merely erode over a very long time from a steady dripping of water onto the same spot. It seems to me these poor hag stones get quite tortured over a great period. Most likely, many were created during the Great Flood after the ending of the Ice Age. And many were made by a burrowing bivalve mollusc called Pholas dactylus. There is no telling how old the Hag Stone you find might be. Which reminds me, you don’t find Hag Stones, they find you.
Magickal:
My Hag Stone, Bottom side ~ by i.macy
In the days of cunning folk – not that they no longer exist, they do, for I am one, myself – the Hag Stone was given to people seeking to protect their children, homes, and livestock. My grandfather kept one rather large Hag Stone tied above his barn door to keep his cows safe from being made to give sour milk. My mother remembered having a necklace her father fashioned with a hag stone for her to wear as a wee girl. The reason they are called “hag” stones is that during these olden times, there was great fear of the “Night Hag” and apparently, she was responsible for the theft of horses and children at an alarming rate. If you have occasion to wander round old barns in the UK or anywhere in Europe, you will most likely see evidence of the Hag Stone still at work, protecting cows, horses, and any other animals kept.
From Legendary Dartmoor: “If ever you happen to be around any old Dartmoor farm buildings you may possibly notice a small holed stone or pebble sat on a window ledge. Occasionally if the building has a lock with a key still in it there may well be a similar-looking holed stone tied to the end of it. These are known as Hex, or more commonly elsewhere, as Hag Stones and their tradition dates back to the time when witches rode along the hedgerows at night.”
Not only did farmers employ the Hag Stone, or Holey Stone, for protection, but so did sailors. In the UK, Dorset fishermen also adopted the Hag Stone as a protective charm against malevolent witchcraft and still use it today according to Dr H Colley-March in his article on “Witched Fishing Boats in Dorset”, 1906.
“It was “…not uncommon for rowboats at Weymouth to have ‘holy stones’ tied to nails or staples in the bows…” [Colley-March] As well as holed stones attached to fisherman’s small boats, Hag Stones were also fastened to the bows of large fishing boats to protect them at sea.
Holed stones were found having been put inside of walls in many old homes whilst being built; years later during restoration and renovation, they are discovered. They were installed there by the builders of those homes to prevent malevolent spells on their families and protection against Pixies [or “Piskies” if you lived in Cornwall]. Often, they used the Hag Stone on a rope to which their front door key was kept.
And, talking of Pixies, Faeries and such, in Italian Witchcraft the holed stone is associated with faeries, and often referred to as the “holy stone”. It is considered a doorway, or key to the doorway, into the faery kingdom. In Italian folk magic, it is believed these stones have the power to bind a fairy to one’s service for a length of time. There are other legends to this end, but another popular one is that if you hold a holey stone up to your eye and look through it you can see creatures that you cannot normally see, such as Faeries.
Lastly, the Hag Stone has been used since around the 15th century to prevent “Night Mares”. Holed stones were often hung on bedposts to deter demons, including the night-hag, the nightmare, or a succubus.
“Some the nightmare hath prest,With that weight upon their brest,No returns of the breath can passe,But to us the tale is addle,We can take of her saddle,And turn the night mare out to grasse.”
And, if you want to wear one, it is said to be a useful amulet for protection from the “evil eye”.
Healing: It was often thought that rheumatic pains could be eased by placing a hex stone under the mattress. I have never given this a try, so I could not possibly say if this is helpful or not.
Correspondences: Planet: Moon Element: Water Powers: Protection, Healing, Anti Nightmare Sabbat: Samhain Other Names: Holey Stone, Odin Stone, Hex Stone, Witch Stone, Fairy/Faerie Stone, Eye Stone, Wish Stone, Nightmare Stone, Witch-riding Stone, Witch Hammer, Ephialtes Stone, Holy Stone Where to find: Beaches, dried river beds, streams
Many thanks for reading and warmest blessings to all whom this way wander x
Peach Quartz comes from Brazil. The peach colouring is the result of Haematite inclusions within the Quartz. Because of the Haematite in the Peach Quartz, it has grounding qualities, though not as strong as pure Haematite. These crystals are wonderful for grids, meditation, and energy work. Best of all, they are very affordable.
Peach Quartz can help one to transcend the mundane aspects of life, to open yourself to the Divine, and to discover your true intent that is for the highest good. Using Peach Quartz also helps to promote an understanding of how to connect one’s dreams to their reality, therefore they are very useful for helping one to set and achieve goals.
In meditation, Peach Quartz is wonderful for releasing energy blockages within the Sacral and Higher Heart Chakras. The clearing of these blockages can help one to recover self-respect, independence, creativity, and sociability. Carrying a piece of Peach Quartz that you have charged/enchanted for the purpose will also help to sustain the period afterwards of which these chakras will remain in better function.
Peach Quartz can support those who work in public service by keeping their focus on the needs of others. I believe they significantly help those in highly stressful public service employment, whether that is as a waitress or a firefighter…you may think one is not as bad as the other but unless you’ve been a waitress, don’t be quick to judge. You are constantly putting out fires – of a different kind! Wearing a Peach Quartz necklace or bracelet can do wonders, gently grounding you whilst encouraging your personal power and keeping your emotions in check.
Working with Peach Quartz can help regulate and balance one’s sex drive and encourage one to focus on their partner during sexual intimacy. It will raise your self-esteem and that alone can help many people’s sex life. Carry Peach Quartz with you when you find it difficult to express yourself emotionally or when you feel that you are lacking in personal power.
As Peach Quartz has a very high numerical vibration, it is a wonderful stone to do magick with. If you are a Tarot reader or do any kind of divination, keep a Peach Quartz near you as it heightens your psychic powers.
Correspondences: Numerical Vibration: 55 Chakras: Sacral, Solar Plexus, and Heart Astrological Sign: Sagittarius Planet: Sun Colour: Orange Powers: Attracts luck, attracts success, raises self-esteem, personal power, meditation, psychic powers, positive energies, cleansing, healing, balancing
Many thanks for reading today’s blog. I hope you have gained some useful knowledge from this writing and if you have enjoyed it, please let us know by liking the blog and leaving a comment, or sharing via the handy buttons below! Warmest blessings to all whom this way wander x
Sources: Experience The Crystal Bible, by Judy Hall Cunningham’s Encyclopaedia of Crystal, Gem, and Metal Magic, by Scott Cunningham
Another fabulous wort you can use for free if you’re a mind to go wild-crafting is the wonderful Mullein. Yes, I know, any herb can be wild-crafted if you know what you’re looking for and if it is in somewhat plentiful supply where you live, but not all plants are. Mullein is easily found in Asia, Europe, and is a naturalised citizen of the United States when it was brought…as many plants and trees were…over on the ships of the early European and British settlers. Do be certain to ask permission if you find Mullein growing all around in your neighbour’s lawn…as it is a weed, after all, he or she may not mind, but don’t go helping yourself unless they say it’s alright.
photo by Sihiri Magical Market ~ sihiri.co.uk
Mullein has a very shallow root therefore it will be easy to pull out of the ground. Tie up by the roots and hang in a cool, dry place to let it dry out appropriately, but place something underneath to catch the seeds. Either use them or dispose of them properly or you’ll find your lawn overrun with Mullein in time should they get swept outdoors. The little fuzzy hairs which cover every inch of a Mullein plant are very irritating to the skin and mucus membranes. Use care when collecting, and always strain liquids with Mullein in them very well to remove the little hairs before ingesting.
Growing Mullein is easy enough and its little yellow flowers attract butterflies and bees. The flowers can also be boiled to make a bright yellow dye for fabrics. If you add sulfuric acid, it will turn the dye green and if you add an alkali it will turn the dye brown.
Mullein can be used in candle crafting as well. You can use it as the wick! According to Indian lore [I am assuming this is regarding Native Americans] Burning a stalk of Mullein protects against evil and magic.
Magickal Uses: Whereas a spell calls for graveyard dirt and you are not able to procure dirt from a graveyard by any reason, you can grind and powder Mullein as an excellent substitute. Despite the many folk names for Mullein, it is, in magick, known as Hecate’s Torch or Lucifer’s Torch, as well; it is representational of the Crossroads. It is one of the nine herbs and resins we use in our Necromancer’s Witch Bottle Necklace which I originally created to use in my travels as a hedgewitch, because of its encouragement of manifestations of spirits, to see into Otherworld, and likewise commune with those who dwell there. If you like to create your own candles for your spell work, you could truly enhance riding the hedge by creating a candle using either a stalk or the leaf of Mullein as the wick.
Mullein can also be used for prophetic dreaming and astral travel whilst asleep, drink a cup of “Dreamer’s Tea” before going to sleep which is 2 parts Mullein flowers, 1-part Poppy flower, 1-part Mugwort, and 2 parts Spearmint. To aid divination by tarot, runes, ogham, or pendulum, you can either drink the Dreamer’s Tea or you may use a loose incense with Mullein. We have been working on a Necromancer’s incense blend recently which we’ll sell in our shop soon.
Mullein is also useful in preventing nightmares and is always protective of the dreamer. I love a sachet of Mullein and Lavender under my pillow for such a purpose. I don’t think I have nightmares, as such, but there are the odd nights when I have dreams that are not prophetic, nor astral travel-related…they are just unpleasant things that must be coming from my subconscious for some peculiar reason or other. I find the sachet quite relaxing and protective on those nights.
Medicinal Use: Mullein is an excellent colds and coughs medicine as it loosens phlegm, is an expectorant whilst soothing the cough at the same time. The tea is also mildly sedating which helps you to relax and rest – which is one of the main things needed when you have a bad cold. If you are using fresh Mullein, be sure to strain through a cloth or cloth bag before drinking so the tiny hairs won’t go into your tea. Not to advocate smoking, but…I have read many times that smoking Mullein is excellent for sufferers of asthma and chronic cough. It’s best to roll it using a cigarette machine so you can use the filtered paper. Once again, you don’t want the tiny hairs getting into your throat and lungs making things worse. For earache or any inner ear troubles, it is recommended to make a tincture of Mullein and garlic then use a few drops in each ear. It can also be used to treat ear mites in animals. Make an infusion of Mullein for treating frostbite and burns.
Thank you for reading and if you enjoyed this blog and find it useful, please share it on Facebook, Pinterest, or by any of the useful buttons below. It’s my pleasure to share this with you! Warmest blessings to all whom this way wander x
Sources: Witchipedia.org Experience The Old English Herbals, By Eleanour Sinclair Rohde
I can’t remember the first time I saw a Faery Cross stone, but I knew I must have one. At the time it was a terribly expensive stone, so I knew I would need to save my pennies or win the Lottery – the latter being a long shot to say the least – so saving pennies it was. All I knew was – I needed to have it!
Not only is it beautifully made by Nature, but it has so many attributes that suited me down to the ground. It’s a stone that looks as though it must be man-made…but it is not.
My Faery Cross ~ photo by i. macy
“Staurolite is best known for its distinctive, cross-shaped penetration twins, where two rectangular crystals intersect each other to form a perfect cross. However, its most common twinning habit is in bisecting crystals with a 60° angle that can appear in the shape of an “x” when the crystals are elongated. Although Staurolite does form in single, non-twinned crystals, the twinned habit is much more prevalent.” ~ minerals.net
Folklore
The twin crystals found on staurolite are sometimes referred to as ‘Fairy crosses’ / ‘Faery Crosses’ – as it was once believed to be created by the tears of the fae who could not help but cry when they heard of Christ’s crucifixion. Staurolite is often called “faery stone” or “faery cross”. Since the first time it was worn, it has been considered a good luck charm as well as a charm that would protect children from evil spirits.
They also have healing attributes in the physical body. From historical tales, they were said to have been used during the crusades, to aid Richard the Lionheart to heal.
What Can Staurolite Do?
Firstly, it is a tremendous “grounding” stone. If you feel in need of grounding before spell work or during meditation, or for any reason, the faery cross is a perfect go-to crystal. They are an aid to spirituality and making a stronger connection to Faery, the natural world, and with animal and plant spirit. The Faery stone is so calming and reassuring, you will feel it the first time you hold one. It is said they can aid in helping to put away unpleasant habits…mainly, I believe because of how de-stressing and calming the stone is. Staurolite works well with Amethyst to aid in breaking addictions. And, by keeping a Staurolite/Faery stone, not only will it benefit your own life but will also benefit the lives of those you are closest to.
Staurolite stones resonate strong energy within the heart chakra and bring through powerful energy of unconditional love for others and for the earth. And, of course, they are a base or “root” chakra stone for grounding but are also very effective with the third eye chakra.
If you have lost something and want help to find it, faery stones are known to be able to help you to find lost objects, so this is a helpful aspect of their energy. They may also help you to make better use of your time.
Faery stones allow you to choose where you want to travel in meditation, and with whom you want to make contact. This is because they seem to have a specific energy, which I refer to as “helping your inner compass”. This means they help you to know where you are going in meditation and you will more likely end up there. They help to give greater clarity to what you see when in meditation.
Faery stones may be placed under your pillow if you would like their help to induce lucid dreaming, or to assist with astral travelling.
“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.” Albert Einstein.
Many thanks for reading and warmest blessings to all whom this way wander x
Hawk’s Eye, also known as Blue Tiger’s Eye as it is sometimes referred to, is a very beautiful crystal. It is blue-grey to blue-green in colour. It is so-named for its “chatoyancy” which reminds one of the eyes of the hawk. Hawk’s Eye is a variety of macro-crystalline quartz. Hawk’s eye is a pseudo-morph of quartz. A pseudo-morph is one mineral that changes into another mineral over time and in the case of Hawk’s Eye, it began its life as crocidolite and was later transformed into quartz. Crocidolite is a fibrous blue mineral belonging to the riebeckite family of amphibole silicates. It is one of the several forms of asbestos. The transformation of Hawk’s Eye begins as quartz slowly becomes embedded between the fibres of crocidolite, eventually completely replacing it while retaining the fibrous shape of the original mineral.
Hawk’s Eye is not a blue Tiger’s Eye, although very closely related to it and Pietersite, as well. Tiger’s Eye is formed from Hawk’s Eye. As blue crocidolite is dissolved by quartz, traces of iron oxide remain; less iron tends to result in the blue colour of crocidolite and if more iron is present, colour tends to result in the brownish golden colour of Tiger’s Eye.
Enough of the facts, yes? What about what can Hawk’s Eye do for you? Hawk’s Eye is believed to help those with a fear of flying. It is thought to be good for sight and vision, enhancing our ability to focus. Physically, it is often used for problems with eyesight, but it is also helpful for sinus congestion, as well as spine and neck problems.
Hawk’s eye is believed to be a stone of protection, often used by travellers. It can also be used to help protect against the negative energy of others. Its energy is known to help balance the brow chakra.
Use it to expand your horizons at work. It will help bring new opportunities at work or the possibility of transfer to a new location. Hawk’s Eye is an excellent crystal for business owners.
Hawk’s eye is the best stone for astral travel, clairvoyance, and remote viewing. Anyone, such as I, who is a Hedge Witch or learning Hedge Witchery would do well to have these crystals on hand as we are considered travellers – of another kind. It is also an excellent crystal for past-life regression. Although I have not tried it for this purpose yet, I would imagine that it would be superb for lucid dreaming, as well.
With their ability to work well together with Angelite, I would believe that Hawk’s Eye would be a perfect crystal to use with Angelite when meditating to correspond with or “find” your Spirit Guide/Guardian. And equally, as Sapphire is an excellent crystal to use whilst practising necromancy as in contacting the spirit of a loved one, Hawk’s Eye would be a perfect addition to this working for its ability to enhance the spiritual Sapphire.
Although for many years my main focus of interest has been on crystals and how they help heal as well as how they can help advance my magickal practise. Funnily enough, I have only recently learned about [and owned] Hawk’s Eye. My little handful, as pictured, sends a wild amount of electrical charge pulsing through my hand when holding them. I always lay them down feeling much more optimistic than before. As a small-business owner, that can be a very helpful feeling, indeed!
Correspondences:
Associated Crystals: Angelite, blue quartz, and Sapphire
This one could prove to be a bear to write, especially when you realise that there is no one school of thought, or belief system alone, to write about. There are too many! Still, I shall endeavour to give the best synopsis of it all – interspersed with my own beliefs, as you do – so that those confused by the Planes of Existence, Summerland, and Spirit Guardians will hopefully not be so much…hopefully not worse, anyway! It’s a bit of a quantum physics nightmare, really.
Planes of Existence
In esoteric cosmology, a plane other than the physical plane is conceived as a subtle state of consciousness that transcends the known physical universe. Yes, first sentence in Wikipedia, because it is the only way to say it. There are thought to be seven planes of existence, at the very least [Thirty-one planes of existence in Buddhism]. More worrying is that there are ten different concepts or theories of the planes of existence: Theosophy, Rosicrucian, Thelema, Hermeticism, Surat Shabda Yoga, Jainism, Sufism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Gnosticism, Kabbalah, and Fourth Way. I won’t try to explain them all or even point out the differences and similarities; this would become a book instead of a blog.
from Google Images, author unknown
Let’s just keep it simple for our purposes. The Seven Planes of Existence are:
Physical Plane
Astral Plane
Mental Plane [or Causal Plane] also called Elemental Plane by some
Buddhic [or Mental] Plane
Spiritual [or Unity] Plane
Divine Plane
Logoic [or Monadic] Plane
The Physical Plane is what it sounds as though it would be and that is the World we know, the physical “reality”. The Astral Plane is believed to be where we go immediately upon physical death. It is also believed to be where we reside when awaiting birth into a new body, as well. Occultist George Arundale wrote:
“In the astral world exist temporarily all those physical entities, men and animals, for whom sleep involves a separation of the physical body for a time from the higher bodies. While we “sleep”, we live in our astral bodies, either fully conscious and active, or partly conscious and semi-dormant, as the case may be, according to our evolutionary growth; when we “wake”, the physical and the higher bodies are interlocked again, and we cease to be inhabitants of the astral world.”
Indeed, we can visit the Astral Plane either by Astral Projection, meditation, near-death experience, or in lucid dreaming. It is my personal belief that not all dreams are a result of what you had for supper the evening before but an Astral visit where you may be given clues to what may be happening next in your life and how to prepare for it. It can also be a place in lucid dreaming where you can spend time with dead friends, family, even pets. Their energy still exists, the same as ours, only no longer in the same body as before. And, as a practitioner of Astral Projection it is a place where you can do nearly anything you wish. Still being tethered to your Earthly body, you can fly, you can speak to your ancestors, go to different countries, if so desired.
In Hinduism, Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami wrote:
“The Causal/ Mental Plane is the world of light and blessedness, the highest of heavenly regions, extolled in the scriptures of all faiths. It is the foundation of existence, the source of visions, the point of conception, the apex of creation. The causal plane is the abode of Lord Siva and His entourage of Mahadevas and other highly evolved souls who exist in their own self-effulgent form–radiant bodies of centillions of quantum light particles.”
This is what some Occultists call The Elemental Plane…it is here where the thoughts of the Physical Plane spirit in a human being becomes imprinted in the Mental Plane or Elemental Plane, then created and sent back to the Physical Plane. The blueprint for all ideas, all things, is cast in the Elemental Plane, then becomes reality in physical existence at some future point in time.
The Buddhic Plane is said to exist to resolve all problems with the Ego, to become unselfish, and is a realm of pure consciousness. The Spiritual Plane is split into many sub-planes and that on these planes live spiritual beings who are more advanced in development and status than ordinary man. The goal is to gain spiritual knowledge and experience. According to some occult teachings, The Divine Plane is where all souls are born and then descend through the lower planes; however, souls will work their way back to the Divine Plane. On the Divine Plane souls can be opened to conscious communication with the sphere of the Divine known as the Absolute and receive knowledge about the nature of reality. Rosicrucianism teaches that the Divine Plane is where Jesus dwelt in Christ consciousness. As I believe in a Mother and Father “God”, this is where the Divine Parents would reside. I would also believe this is where the Gods and Goddesses, the original children of the Divine Parents would have been born and reside between reincarnations. Of course, everyone has their personal beliefs of whom resides in the Divine Plane and that is quite as it should be, for we all have much we can learn from each other. The Logoic Plane is the highest plane, it has been described as a plane of total oneness, the “I AM Presence”. Joshua David Stone describes the plane as complete unity with God. The Monadic Plane (hyperplane) or continuum/universe, enclosing and interpenetrating grosser hyperplanes, respectively is the plane in which the monad or holy spirit or oversoul is said to exist. Could this just be the “Universe” we refer to when we say, “The Universe isn’t ready to bless me with more money [insert desire of choice]”? I don’t really know. To be fair, until recently I have only been familiar with the Physical, Astral, Elemental, and Divine Planes. Perhaps because my meditations rarely result with me feeling as if I have achieved virtual enlightenment.
Summerland
My idea of Summerland ~ reed beds, Essex
In Theosophy, Summerland is thought to be a part of the Astral Plane. It is the place where souls whom have been “good” go to await new incarnations and some believe it to be the Heaven similar to the Christian view of afterlife. Those whom have been bad go to Hell. And there was me thinking Hell was entirely a Christian concept! Apparently, the Norse of Viking times believed in such a place as there are nine realms under Yggdrasil, with Hell or Hel being much further under the more favourable region to be after death, namely Valhalla, but certainly not Niffleheim, realm of the dishonoured dead which is distinct but closely connected to Hel. Hel is actually a place of not necessarily dishonoured dead, but not honoured, either. Must be pretty boring!
It is also believed by the Theosphians that each religion on Earth has its own area in Summerland to fit that religion’s concept of afterlife. If you are Jewish, you go to the Jewish Summerland, if you are Christian, a Christian Summerland….but! What about people who interfaith marry? What about your friends of different faiths? Would you no longer be able to see them in afterlife because of a difference in practised religion? I think differently. My belief is that religion does not supersede ones’ acceptance into one place, whatever you wish to name it. I don’t believe in division of religions or colours. In fact, in Summerland or Heaven or Valhalla, or wherever, I think we won’t be in need of religion. We will be without the things which caused us to fight here on Earth. It is to be a place of peace, after all, and one where we can be with our friends, family, and pets, regardless of what religion they ascribed to in the Physical Plane.
Spirit Guardians / Guardian Angels
Which brings me to Spirit Guardians, Guardian Angels…call them what you wish, but do call them! Many people of different religions believe we are each assigned a Guardian Angel at birth. I believe so and all with the exception that we are assigned our Guardian from first birth and he or she is with us throughout each reincarnation until such time we become whatever it is we are to be in afterlife. My belief is also that your Guardian will not go out of their way to advise you on any matter – unless you form a relationship with him or her first. It’s simple enough to do but requires a length of time where you can remain undisturbed by anyone or anything. You may use various crystals/stones to help facilitate your experience such as Angelite or Petalite – both excellent for helping with conversating with your Spirit Guardian. You must be able to let go of all Ego, all expectations, and do not force anything to happen. Simply be. From this point on I could only relate my personal experience but that would be of no use to you and it is, after all, my personal and private experience. Yours will be the same for you, so just let it flow and listen.
from Google Images ~ VanPraagh.com
Once you have established a rapport with your Spirit Guardian you can talk about many things together. It’s a little like when we had our “imaginary” friends as children [in my case some were not so imaginary] …but with your Guardian you will know the difference as he or she is very real. Mine is absolutely wonderful. Not only has my life been saved numerous times by my Guardian but my Guardian also helps me to meditate and do chakra cleansing. And, a little-known fact is that your Guardian is an accomplished Reiki master. As I am in chronic arthritis pain with my spine, knee, and hips, my Guardian has relieved my pain on many occasions so I could carry on with work. Your Guardian will have a name as does mine, but it’s my decision to not share that with anyone. What you do is up to you, of course. But whatever you do, once you have met your Guardian and form a relationship, do remember they have always been here for you and have already kept you out of harm’s way for many years. Do respect and listen to their advice. As a matter of fact, it would be in all our best interests to heed our Guardian’s advice. And do speak to him or her often, thank them for what they do…they are after all, the best friend you’ll ever have.
I’m also of the opinion that the Spirit Guardians inhabit the Astral Plane with us when we die. And I have actually enjoyed some adventures with mine in lucid dreaming. You really aren’t alone in the World, should you ever think so. And so, concludes my little thesis on Planes of Existence on through to Spirit Guardians. I hope it hasn’t been terribly confusing! There is truly so much more to be said but then, as I always say, there are books for that 😊 Many thanks for reading and warmest blessings to all whom this way wander x
PS…Would welcome comments from anybody wishing to share their experiences!
How many times have you heard a friend say, or have even said it yourself, “I never dream”. You must simply change the wording of your statement to “I never remember dreams” as it has been proven scientifically that everybody dreams. Dreams have been documented for centuries. Whether you have read the Bible or not, you will have heard stories of how angels visited prophets and others in their dreams. Nothing has changed, really.
There are almost as many theories as to why we dream as there are dreams themselves. The boffins (scientists) would have us all believe that dreams are just brainwaves and synapses and such, just firing away in our heads, putting forth all manner of gibberish. I never believed that for a minute. Dreams are much too important for us to excuse them so lightly. Please do not take me as knowledgeable about the Bible, nor that I believe everything written in it. It is a book written mainly by mere men, recounting the history of the World at that time and religious phenomena, family histories, stories, etc that have been told and re-told so often through so many different accounts that it really makes me wonder at times did much of any of it happen the way it is told. Especially since King James I got his paws on it. As many know, King James, back in 1600’s England was responsible for re-writing some of the original history of the bible as well as adding his select passages about not suffering a witch to live, etc. I rest my case.
Ah, well, I’m not writing this about King James, nor the Bible per se. I’m writing about dreams and why they happen. Many agree that we live on one plane of existance — the Earthly plane. There is, above us, the Elemental Plane, then the Astral Plane There are actually many planes of existance that quantum physics boffins are still investigating and proving, but I’m not a quantum physics expert, so let’s for the sake of our purposes, stick to the Earthly/Elemental/Astral planes. Most people will agree that we each have a soul, or spirit within us that, in spite of our brains appearing to do all the thinking, the spirit is what wills us to carry on. A saying I heard a long time ago describes us best, I think: “We are spiritual beings having a human experience”. In other words, I think we’ve been around a lot longer than the present, and will be around much longer than the bodies we inhabit now. Which brings me closer to the subject at hand…dreams.
Our bodies which we now inhabit on the Earthly plane are not able to keep pace with our Spirits, nor were ever intended to. Some believe that we were gods at one point in time and the Divine Spirit, or God [or God and Goddess as I believe], put us on Earth to learn. We kept our Spirits, our true selves, but are having to live out a human existance. Punishment? I don’t know. But, that is not the point, either. There are too many beliefs as to why we’re here to debate. I just want to give you the reason, to my belief, as to why we dream – and what they mean.
When our bodies sleep, our Spirits do not. It may be as well that some folk do not remember their dreams as there may be no telling what our Spirits get up to whilst they are free of “us”. In the Elemental Plane above the Earthly plane, it is believed that our Earthly, human thoughts print a pattern of what is real, but also imagined. If you think about how, for instance, anime artists, cartoonists, sci-fi writers and the like came up with mechanised armour for characters years ago and now those things are being built for actual use, perhaps you can see how the pattern for things is created in the mind of a person, then printed on the Elemental Plane and thus comes into being. I think it is a good case for the old adage, “Be careful what you wish for”! As Witches, you are all aware of how manifestation works, I am sure, therefore we won’t go into it here as that is a whole other blog in itself.
As you may be able to begin seeing, our Spirits are able to travel through the Elemental Plane and onto the Astral Plane. Those planes of existence do not merely waft around in some far-off dimension doing nothing. There is just as much happening there as here, perhaps so much more so. We can not only visit the Elemental Plane in our “sleep” but our Spirits are able to visit the Astral Plane as well. So, as you “dream”, you may find yourself in one World one moment, and another completely different World the next! You may visit another time, as well. Time has been proven not to be in a straight line as we might well believe (it looks that way, doesn’t it?), and I can attest that I have been in many different eras myself!
I think the most important thing to do, if you want to remember your dreams, is to write them down upon waking. I know you’ve heard it before, still, if you want someone who is able to help you sort out your dream, all the details you can remember are very important. Colours, numbers, writing, were there men and/or women in your dream? Was it day or night? Was it colourful and pleasing or was it dark and dreary? Were there animals, birds? What sounds did you hear? Even if you were having a drink in a pub or smoking a cigarette…it is all important!
Many people I’ve helped in reading their dreams tell me they had a “nightmare”. No, your Spirit had a scary experience possibly and scary experiences are not always (in fact hardly ever) harbingers of gloomy prophesy. Dreaming of death, seeing yourself in your own coffin…not to worry, it isn’t bad news. There are also certain days of each month when whatever you dreamed is not to be entertained according to those who follow Avesta, Globa, Vronsky, and Veda (I’ll explain those another time). And, in some rare cases, what you ate/watched/read shortly before retiring can influence some pretty strange things in your psyche during the night!
So, if you’ve had a dream that has you wondering whether you should pay attention to it or not, and would like to know what it means, feel free to email me at isabella@wytchencrafts.org.uk. Or, if you know someone whom you trust and has read dreams for you before, contact that person. Thank you for reading and if this has helped, please give it a “like”, Tweet to your friends, or share it on Facebook!
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