Mardi: Herbal-Wise

Slippery elm, also known as red or Indian elm, is a species of tree native to most of North America.  Its use in all modern magickal and medicinal practice probably originated with Native American tribes of both the north and south.  The tree, which has a reddish bark and a gooey, sappy interior, has been used for years in preparations to ease upper respiratory congestion.  The bark of the tree is generally the preferred magickal catalyst.

In Pow-wow, slippery elm bark is mixed with gag root and carried to stop gossip.

Wiccans burn the bark as an incense to stop gossip and malicious tales being told about the residents of the home being treated.  Scott Cunningham notes that charms carved from the bark can be worn by children, particularly around the neck, so that they develop a “silver tongue” as they grow to adulthood.

In hoodoo, the dried bark is sprinkled in the corners of a home or workplace to rid the area of evil and put down harmful gossip that may be affecting those who live and/or work on the premises.  A mojo against slander can be made using dried rue, slippery elm bark and a turbo or “cat’s eye” shell.  Carry this with you to keep the jealous tongues of enemies and false friends from wagging.  A third trick for the same issues is to put a pinch of slippery elm bark in each of your shoes.  Bonne chance ~

Header: British poster from World War II via Mid-Century

Dimanche: Swimming

Marilyn on the beach via Mid-Century

Vendredi: More Shapes in Your Cup

Today, Friday the 13^th no less, more shapes you might find in your cup of tea leaves and their general meanings:

Cabbage ~ curiously, an indication of jealousy either by the petitioner or against them

Cage ~ a longing for a life other than what one has

Car ~ travel; if a journey is not indicated, this symbol may hint at acquisitiveness on the part of the petitioner

Castle ~ the petitioner is coming into a position of power; alternately, they are favored by a person in power

Chain ~ authority currently has sway over the petitioner; a possible loss in a court case.  If the chain has a broken link, the court case will go in the petitioner’s favor

Chair ~ rest after hard work

Church ~ the petitioner is on an amoral path and should look deeply at their behavior with an eye to correct it; petitioner’s actions are hurting others

Clock ~ delays and barriers cause frustration

Crown ~ the petitioner will succeed in their current venture; if this reading is not appropriate, the crown might indicate an unexpected gift or inheritance

Cup ~ thoughtfulness; a time of quiet self-evaluation

Cymbal ~ good news

Dagger, Knife or Sword ~ the petitioner needs to get hold of their temper and/or possible danger – a dagger pointed to the rim of the cup indicates danger to the petitioner; pointing to the bottom, danger to others

Door ~ an obstacle is on the horizon; the petitioner will need to use his wits to break through or get around it

Drum ~ gossip

Egg ~ good fortune is smiling on the petitioner

Engine (train) ~ like a furnace, the petitioner is full of energy that needs a creative outlet

Thus we’ll close for today.  Be safe out there or, if you’re like me and find nothing the least bit worrisome about any specific day of the year, Vendredi heureux ~

Header: Elevation drawing of St. Genevieve Catholic Church in Slidell, LA; the church suffered heavy damage in Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and will finally reopen this weekend (image via Thanks, Katrina)

Jeudi: Curios

In hoodoo, the unspoken mantra is keep it simple.  Since most root workers and hoodoos from the origin of the practice have been enslaved, impoverished and/or “just gettin’ by”, what they might term “fancy” ingredients have come into the lexicon only recently.  Today’s curio is a good example of the wisdom of the mundane made magickal.

Needles are common objects that have been used in hoodoo since before anyone can remember.  They are often referred to in older texts on the subject as “golden eye needles”, probably because those pretty needles with the gold colored tips became affordable during the first part of the 20^th century.  Needles are used in many forms of root work, particularly but not exclusively in jinxing and throwing tricks.

It probably goes without saying that needles are used to carve names and symbols in candles.  This practice, along with dressing the candle with oil, helps to focus the root worker’s attention and ensure a better outcome for the candle burning ritual.

Needles can be used singly or in groups in “doll baby” magick where a doll is used as a representation of an enemy or lost or potential lover.  The needles are used not only to sew up the doll (what in Wicca is often referred to as a “poppet”) but also to spear it in strategic places.  Done correctly, this practice will bring either physical pain to the enemy or heartache and longing to the wished-for lover.

If a root worker is sewing up a mojo bag, they will of course use a needle and hand sewing is always preferred.  The needle can be dressed with a specific oil that goes along with the intended use of the mojo.  In the antebellum South, rumor had it that slaves who were employed as tailors and seamstresses might empower their needles for harm or good, depending on what they were sewing, and for whom.

Small sharp and potentially dangerous items, including needles, are also key ingredients in the protective working known as a witch bottle.  We discussed the making of these very effective personal guardians last March.

Don’t underestimate your needles; they are tools not only for creating beauty but for bringing – and keeping – harmony in your life.  Bonne chance ~

Header: Girl at a Sewing Machine by Edward Hopper c 1921

Mercredi: The Art of Beauty

I think that, in our “modern” age, most of us can agree that beauty is not just about looks.  “True beauty comes from within” may sound cliché or even hackneyed but it is the truth of the matter.  More succinctly, I think, beauty is much as Forrest Gump noted about stupid: it is as it does.  And I personally find it very hard to do the right thing – to be beautiful – when my environment is dragging me down.

The post-holiday malaise that comes upon so many of us this time of year is particularly destructive.  For me personally, it does not so much stem from the “let down” most psychologists speak of but from the “hangover” of holiday interaction.  The constant demands from family and friends, either to be entertained or to entertain, often brings with it feelings of resentment and remembrances of slights past as well as new ones to cling to.  These things fester in ourselves and our living spaces, whether we admit to them or not, causing us to feel slow, disinterested, cranky, “blue”; in short, not very lovely at all.

So, allow me to offer a palate cleanser if you will to set us all on a positive course in 2012.  This incense, my take on Scott Cunningham’s Yule Incense from his book on the subject, can be used at any time but is particularly intended for the colder, darker months of the year.  It uplifts both spirit and atmosphere to get you in the mood to put on some Men at Work or Metallica, some Robert Palmer or RuPaul – whatever gets your blood pumping – and sweep the old year away to make room for the new.  Here’s my recipe:

2 parts nutmeg

2 parts peppermint or spearmint

1 part cedar

A drop or two of pine essential oil

Grind each ingredient (except the oil, of course) to as fine a powder as you can.  An old fashion mortar and pestle (I find an m & p made of marble or other stone works best when grinding resins and gums) works best for this process.  It is a bit of a chore to get the very finest consistency – think baby powder – but it is well worth it.

Mix the powdered ingredients in a bowl, preferably with your fingers, while intentionally thinking about cleansing both you home and yourself in preparation to receive the blessings of the coming year.  Add the essential oil one drop at a time to achieve a just slightly sticky powder that can be easily sprinkled on charcoal.  Store in a jar with a tight lid.

To use, ignite an incense burning charcoal in a fireproof censor and sprinkle your incense over it to smolder.  Add more as needed while you perform whatever ritual, housekeeping, meditation etc. you need to complete to get your home and yourself back.  A votre santé ~

Header: The Little Street by Johannes Vermeer c 1657

Mardi: Herbal-Wise

Agrimony, today’s surprisingly helpful herb, sounds like something bad.  Any word that manages to bring to mind thoughts of aggravation and alimony is getting off on the wrong foot, at least in English.  All that said, agrimony is a popular herb in hoodoo for not only deflecting jinxes, but sending them back to the person who threw them at you.  It has uses in other magickal disciplines as well, and a tie to witch-hunting.

Old wives used to plant agrimony around their homes to keep mischievous and bedeviling spirits such as goblins, sprites and so on away.  It is said that these same old wives would give their sons a wildflower bouquet to bestow upon their beloveds.  This was not a sign that Mom was happy about the potential daughter-in-law, but a test of the young woman’s character.  In among the blooms would be tucked some sprigs of agrimony, which was the bane of witches.  If the girl refused the bouquet – or worse yet dropped it – she was most probably a witch.

In modern Wicca, agrimony is used in protection sachets and spells to banish bad energy from a place or person.  As in hoodoo, the herb is thought to return hexes back to the hexer.  According to Scott Cunningham, in old ritual magick agrimony was placed under a person’s head to induce coma-like sleep.  Only when someone removed the agrimony from under the sleeping individual would they be able to wake up.

In hoodoo, dried agrimony is mixed with dried verbena and burned on charcoal to protect against a threatened jinx.  Sometimes dragon’s blood resin is added to increase the incense’s powers.  To turn away a trick that has already been laid out against you, brew a tea with agrimony and rue.  Use the strained water to wash your front and back door and stoop and throw any remaining water out your front door.

In the early days of trade with Europeans, agrimony was also brewed into a tea by some of the Great Lakes tribes.  This was then sprinkled on goods they had for sale or trade to make them attractive to potential customers.

As master herbalist Catherine Yronwode notes, agrimony is in the same family as the rose.  This herb should not be confused with cocklebur, hemp agrimony or water agrimony, which are all in the aster family.  Bonne chance ~

Header: Italian Garden Landscape by Gustav Klimt c 1913

Lundi: Recipes

The recipe today is an old time New Orleans favorite that adds the bonus of a homemade remoulade sauce.  I’m giving you my take on the shrimp remoulade recipe from the Roosevelt Hotel, originally published in the Times-Picayune.  Here’s what you’ll need:

2 large egg yolks

1 cup Creole mustard or your favorite course brown mustard

¼ cup champagne vinegar

Juice of 1 lemon

Your favorite pepper sauce to taste

Salt & pepper to taste

2 cups vegetable oil

1 bunch of green onions, minced (greens and whites)

1 stalk celery, minced

4 pounds medium Gulf shrimp, peeled, deveined, boiled and chilled

12 whole butter lettuce leaves or about ½ cup shredded iceberg lettuce per serving

In a large mixing bowl, blend egg yolks, mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, pepper sauce, salt and pepper.  While still mixing, add the oil in a slow stream as if making salad dressing.  When the sauce thickens, add the green onions and celery.

Combine the shrimp with the sauce and chill for at least two hours.  Serve on lettuce leaves or shredded lettuce for 12 medium or 6 large servings.

If you want a really spicy dish, consider adding a dab or two of horseradish to your sauce.  Bon appetite ~

Header: The Shrimp Girl by William Hogarth c 1740