Imbolc 2017

I woke this morning to a valley full of fog, listening to the eerie echo of the ravens croak through the thick, moist air. Even though the days are getting longer, there is a chill to the air that hints at distant snow-capped mountains & the vast expanse of the southern oceans. And it is almost lunch time & still no rays from Father Sun have penetrated the thick grey-white clouds that are hanging so low overhead.

In this way I contemplate the coming turn of the Wheel, Imbolc. This festival is called the Festival of Awakening by the lovely Glennie Kindred & is the gateway to Spring. It falls at the exact midpoint between the Winter Solstice & the Spring Equinox, August 7 at 5:40pm according to the Spheres of Light website.

For me, this festival is a time of hope, a time when the deep dreamings of Winter’s dark catch the light of the lengthening days & spark into action my body & my heart & my soul. This transition reminds me of the journey of the Cailleach to the Well of Youth, where she imbibes of the magickal waters there & returns to her maiden form, waving her white wand to bring the Earth back to her green state.

This time heralds my great annual Spring clean, which I hope to have done by the time the Wheel turns again at Ostara. The greens of Yule will be burned, items will be boxed up to send to the local charity opportunity shops, curtains will get a wash & the besom will come out of the closet for a big sweeping cleanse of the entire house. This year I will be making a potion with basil, bay & myrrh that I will use to mop the floors & wipe the surfaces of my house, adding purification, consecration, joy, peace, healing & blessings to the space. The sills will get the usual wipe down with methylated spirits & there will be a pot of lavender, apple, yarrow & rose boiling on the stove top to fill the house with love. A large white candle will burn brightly to its end on the kitchen table & salt will be sprinkled into the corners to capture anything that I may have missed.

The Hedgewitchery festivities usually involve a mass candle blessing, a huge feast & the reading of poems. This year I want us to make Inner Child Dollies to gift our youngest aspects with something special. I want to fill mine with herbs & dried corn & oats. I also want to try divining using ceromancy- the pouring of melted wax into a bowl of water. Wish me luck!

Whatever it is you do to tap into this very special time of year, may it be blessed with much peace & love & happiness.

Alison xxx

MOON Virgo SUN Aquarius

The Full Moon in Leo was a big time for many people that I have crossed paths with, & for myself it became a time to stand firmly in my Emotional Body & clear anything that was fogging it up. This clarity has been ground breaking. My Emotional Body is clear & crisp & now whispers to me, ‘No longer accept the external expectations of others.’ I am so grateful for this wisdom.

And now I look to this Virgo Disseminating Moon feeling my body, my flesh & blood, my fluids & filaments. I search my body for the answer to undying questions. I hold my body to this ever-present Earth. I learn from my body as it speaks to me. I learn from this Earth as She speaks to me… Their needs are not very different really.

As Lammas approaches I prepare to seek out the best of my harvest, the most loving & most joyous of all that has been growing around me. I will send their seeds with Lugh on His journey into the Shadow Realms where they will be blessed with the richest & deepest of love, & when they return to me with the Dawning after Yule, I will relish in their Spirit & the hope that they will bring to my future.

)O(

 

MOON Pisces SUN Scorpio

It has been quite some time since I have been able to write here; web gremlins have been playing games with my IT Fairy. It has been an interesting time, this journey from Ostara to Beltane. I have been birthing something new, something deep & something that will change my life forever…

There is a part of me that was uninterred at Dark Moon in Leo. I was in the loving sacred circle of my Shamanic mentor & we took a great leap into the Underlands. I feel so safe & comfortable traveling in my mentors held space.

The parts of me that linger under the surface were gathered around a grave, her grave whose name I cannot yet share. Together we dug deep & pulled her from her earthly cocoon & ran with her in our arms to the ocean’s shore. Wading in with her submerged, she was taken swiftly by the Mere People, my Ancestors. They returned her later, alive, cleansed & fire in her eyes.

She is here now, always, influencing all that I do & how I do it. Now I am she & she is me. Together we are reshaping the world.

)O(

Winter Solstice Incense Blend

On the Longest Night a blend of herbs was channeled & grounded up for burning during the Moonweavers Arcana Coven Solstice of Winter workshop. It was gentle & powerful. It was able to raise consciousness, deepen awareness, clear the energies & hold the space, all the while keeping us focused & tuned into the festivities of Yule.

Juniper berries

Frankincense resin

Bay leaf

Wormwood leaf

Bloodroot

Dragon’s Blood

Myrrh resin

Sandalwood

Orange essential oil

Amber resin

Please note that this blend is strong so keep a bit of distance from the smoke & have a small flow of air through the space.

)O(

Simple Water Cleansing Rite

This ritual will clear the energy field of emotional build up, whether yours or other peoples. If conducted every day you will stay on top of the normal daily interactions that can leave a residue in our energy field & potentially disrupt your sense of emotional stability.

It may be necessary to conduct a deeper cleansing ritual if this process is not enough. Always seek out the root cause of emotional issues & work towards removing them or learning sufficient coping techniques, either on your own or with the support of a professional. This ritual is perfect for working in conjunction with these processes.

You will need

  • A small bowl of spring water
  • A teaspoon of rock salt
  • A sprig of rosemary

Ritual

  • Add the rock salt to the spring water, stirring 3 times anti-clockwise & then 3 times clockwise
  • Take the rosemary sprig in your left hand, gaze into the bowl of water & say

Gentle water cool & clear

Salt of Earth & herb so dear

I call upon your cleansing power

To clear me so that love can flower

  • Dip the rosemary into the water & flick it all around you, starting with your head, then your trunk, your arms & then your legs. Be sure to do the front & back. Be sure to get your palms & the soles of your feet.
  • Pour the water down the drain or in a large body of water saying

I give thanks for your support,

Flow now to Mother Ocean

Take all that is negative from me

Let it be cleansed in Her body

  • Store the rosemary sprig in the bowl for the next day (replace when necessary)

 )O(

FLORIDA WATER

My introduction to Florida Water came through a wonderful journey by Silver Raven Wolf into the mysteries of Hedgewitchery1.  In this instance, it was used as a cleansing tool at the beginning of one of the rituals. Preparing the Florida Water for this ritual was amazing as the smells filled my kitchen & lifted the energy of all who walked through. (See below for one of her recipes)

A quick internet search revealed to me that Florida Water was formulated in America in 1808, consisting of lavender, clove & bergamot. It was said to be used for offerings & purification, particularly in spells used “to remove unwanted thought forms & heavy vibrations, to encourage the display of emotions, to suppress those who talk too much & to calm places where an excess of energy is present”2.

The name of this formula comes from the myth that there is a Fountain of Youth in Florida3, indicating that there may be rejuvenating properties associated with Florida Water as well.

Florida Water became a casual member of my witch kit, until I met Rebecca Ryan4. I discovered that she makes a wonderfully powerful version of Florida Water that I now use almost every day as part of my morning cleansing ritual. When I spray Florida Water to the directions, above, below & all around, it sings the melodies to honour Air, Water & Fire, creating a balance of these elements within me. When I asked Rebecca about her connection to Florida Water, this is what she said:

“Florida Water is a mix of ingredients such as cloves and lemon juice that is suspended in a clear liquid and then bottled. Florida Water can be a spritz or can be added to a bath like an oil or dabbed onto the body like perfume. I find it a very easy and very good smelling way to clear and focus and hold a steady intent. Florida Water is one of the staples of my metaphysical cabinet. Whenever I want to

1. Clear the energy in and around me or one of my clients,

2. Clear geographical spaces or large areas – houses, cars, offices, hospitals, etc

3. Dedicate special time to focus on specific duties or specific journeys (ie to find a solution to a question, to locate something lost along the way, to make or get a precious work for someone or myself)”

When I asked Rebecca about the energetic process she uses when creating her particular blend of Florida Water, she said:

“To take this versatile compound from just a mix of (delightful) ingredients into actual Florida Water requires breath – a turning process. This is the energetic intent and the blessing that mixes the substance and forms it as a specific carrier of Spirit. I like to breathe over each individual ingredient as I use it, often I say something like: you, cloves, in your original potency, carrying the best, cleanest, clearest and most accurate vibration, bring yourself into the mix now. I repeat that for each ingredient and then dedicate the whole mixture to the harmonizing, blessing and tender caring for every piece of water or light it will ever come into contact with (animate and inanimate, seen and unseen). After that I ask for a particular blessing from Spirit then leave my Florida Water to rest and bind.”

I highly recommend the use of Florida water as a clearing, purifying, harmonising substance in any ritual, sure to bring a new dynamic to your magickal work. Create your own using the recipe below (or any number available on the internet), or if you would like to try Rebecca Ryan’s own blend of Florida Water, just email her at rebecca@rebeccaryan.com.au for details on purchasing.

Sliver Raven Wolf’s Florida Water recipe:

You will need:

Spring water                  Orange slices                                Lemon slices

Lime slices                                      Fresh mint*                                      Fresh lemon balm*

Fresh rosemary*                            Fresh basil*                                      Fresh hyssop*

A heat-proof glass jar                             A glass jar with an airtight lid

(*alternative herbs may be used, check their significance & toxicity before adding)

Creation steps:

  1. Fill the heat-proof jar with hot water; tip it out when the jar is warmed
  2. Bring the spring water to the boil
  3. Place all other ingredients into the heat-proof jar
  4. Pour boiling spring water into the heat-proof jar to fill it
  5. Allow to cool
  6. Strain & pour into the other glass jar
  7. Seal & store in the refrigerator
  8. The energy of this potion will be strong for 3 days

)O(

 

 

REFERNCE LIST:

  1. Raven Wolf, Silver, 2008, Hedge Witch : spells, crafts &rituals for natural magick, Llewellyn Publications, Minnesota USA.
  2. Yronwode, Cat, http://www.arcane-archive.org/occultism/magic/folk/hoodoo/florida-water-1.php
  3. http://www.luckymojo.com/floridakanangawater.html
  4. www.rebeccaryan.com.au