Samedi: Herbal-Wise

The herb known as Grains of Paradise is extremely versatile. Used in hoodoo, Voudon, and Wicca for everything from getting a job to protecting one's home, Grains of Paradise are also known as African or Guinea pepper grains.

Scott Cunningham says that Grains of Paradise can be used for the simplest kind of magick: wishing. Take a handful of the herb and hold it in both hands while you make a wish. Visualize your wish coming true; take your time here and really see the thing/change you desire. When you are certain your wish has been firmly grounded in future reality, send it off to the Universe by throwing a little bit of the herb to the four directions, starting in the North and ending in the West. This type of magick is a wonderful way to grow your powers of visualization. Start with something small and work your way up to more serious wishing.

In hoodoo, Grains of Paradise are mixed with frankincense and myrrh to encourage spiritual pursuits and protect a root worker during conjuration. The mixture is burned on charcoal and some workers add rue as well. It is said that this mixture added to Crown of Success Oil can make a powerful dressing for mojos intended to help one rise to the height of their profession and/or to draw fame. I would caution, however, that one be careful what one wishes for here.

For piece of mind and spiritual health, one Grain of Paradise should be disolved into a cup of hot water (tea or coffee will work just as well) and drunk daily. This mixture is also said to elevate the mood and make one capable of facing whatever life may bring.

In the early 20th century, Grains of Paradise were recommended for job-seekers. One was instructed to put nine of the grains in each shoe and then to hold another nine grains in the mouth while asking for a job. The grains were then spit onto the ground outside the employer's property as one left. This may not be the best way to approach this working today; try carrying the extra nine grains in a mojo bag and then - perhaps wrapped in a tissue - deposit this into a waste basket on the employer's premises.

New Orleans voodoo root workers would make a pair of protection packets filled with Grains of Paradise. Generally made of red or yellow flannel, a prayer card of Saint Michael was then sewn onto the outside of each mojo. These were secreted near the front and back doors of a house to keep both the structure and the inhabitants safe from all manner of ills. Bonne chance ~

Header: Harrods catalog cover - once a wish book to end all wish books - from the early 20th century via A Harlot's Progress

Jeudi: Curios

Amber, as Scott Cunningham notes in his Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem & Metal Magic, is quite possibly the oldest form of adornment in the world. The solidified sap of now extinct coniferous trees, amber ranges in color from a deep reddish-orange to sunny yellow. And, of course, there are sometimes little bugs and leaves permanently captured in the stones.

Amber has a myriad of magickal uses and is certainly the jewel of choice for Wiccans and particularly High Priests and Priestesses. Considered a source of energy, amber is believed to represent the so called fifth element or Akasha that binds the four visible elements - fire, air, earth and water - together. Thus wearing of amber, usually in silver settings, is thought to increase the power of the worker and the efficacy of his or her spellcraft.

Viking children were often given simple amber necklaces to protect their health. This habit is still common today in colder areas of the world where amber is most plentiful. In Siberia, Canada and here in Alaska, natives wear amber and ivory together to bring prosperity and turn away the evil eye.

Wearing amber has for centuries been thought to improve the wearer's looks. Cunningham notes the irony of this: during the Renaissance, women wore amber in order to gain weight while in our times it is worn to assist in healthy weight loss. The efficacy of both these approaches may be a little spurious, but I have found that wearing amber regularly does lift one's mood which in turn makes one more attractive.

If you feel you are under psychic attack, or perhaps just having a run of "bad luck," add a few amber beads to a warm bath, settle in and soak. Then wear or carry the beads with you until your next bath. Taking loose amber or wearing a piece of amber jewelry to a job or other interview will also increase you confidence and by turns your chances of landing that job.

A bit of powdered amber added to any incense is said to increase the intended purpose of same. In Ancient Sumer, Babylon and Phoenicia, amber dust was burned during labor to ensure a safe birthing for both mother and child.

When buying amber, be sure to do your research. Items labeled amber are sometimes nothing more than glass or resin. Know your dealer and choose wisely. Amber is not cheap by any means so you will want to purchase the best quality you can afford. I have found that the right piece of amber will often find you rather than you finding it. You may receive it as a gift, stumble upon it at a flea market or run across an ad in the paper or online. For instance, I found the amber ring I now wear regularly at a local art store that was reducing their inventory. I knew the store owner well and therefore had no concerns about quality. The real kicker was when the ring fit - which I did not at all expect given my unfortunate "man hands," to use a "Seinfeld" reference. Reduced price, trusted source and it slipped on perfectly; ring me up, if you'll pardon the pun. Bonne chance ~

Header: Amber pendants via Wikipedia

Mardi: Herbal-Wise

I talked a little bit about sailors' use of tobacco at sea today over at Triple P, so I thought I'd cross-pollinate and talk about the magickal uses of this uniquely American herb here as well.

Tobacco was cultivated and used in various ways in both North and South America long before Europeans showed up. Ritualized, made into medicines and used for relaxation and bonding, tobacco's utilization by various Native cultures has influenced Wicca, Druid, hoodoo and Pow-Wow. Variously associated with protection and healing as well as jinxing, tobacco has known a myriad of uses in different magickal systems.

The ritual drinking of tobacco juice to induce visions remains a staple of some shamanic traditions. The plant has been considered sacred by many Native American cultures, and continues to be treated as such in some areas to this day. Tobacco was smoked to encourage communion with spirits and the use of tobacco as an offering was common all over the Americas. People of importance were sometimes buried with pipes and tobacco.

Tobacco was also used as an incense and burned, much like sage, to smudge both living areas and people. The smoke was thought to do everything from driving away evil spirits to curing common maladies such as upper respiratory infections.

Nightmares could be carried away by offering tobacco to a running stream immediately upon waking, according to Scott Cunningham. He also notes that tobacco can be used as a substitute for harder to find herbs such as nightshade and for curios like sulphur. The plant is considered less harmful, but that is only in the immediate. Both smoking and chewing tobacco have been proven to cause cancer; don't make the mistake of starting a habit that could potentially kill you outright.

In hoodoo, tobacco is a favorite additive to jinxing and court case workings. Generally speaking, people use chewing tobacco for such things. A simple mojo to win a court case consists of equal parts salt, deer's tongue leaves and tobacco carried into court in one's the pocket. Tobacco is burned as incense along with black candles to bring harm to an enemy.

Tobacco is also believed to draw love and in particular past lovers. Burn an incense made of tobacco and myrrh near your phone or computer for 9 days; it is said that you will be contacted by a lost love on the 10th day. Bonne chance ~

Header: The Widow of a Chief Watching His Weapons by Joseph Wright of Derby c 1785 via Old Paint

Mardi: Herbal-Wise

Purslane, which is basically a weed in mild to warm climates and – at least to me – has a very Medieval ring to its name, is used in hoodoo, Wicca and Pow-Wow.  We’ll call this dainty herb purslane for the purposes of this post because that sounds so much better than pigweed.

In Wicca, the flowers, stems and roots of purslane have broad uses.  The flowers are carried as pocket pieces to bring luck in love and keep evil away.  Dried purslane is sprinkled in the corners of homes and workplaces to keep things peaceful and running smoothly.  Old wives advised their daughters to lay  a sprig of purslane on a restless child’s pillow, as it was thought to ward off nightmares.  They also sent their sons into battle with a handful of purslane to guard them against harm.  I wonder, did Saint Jeanne’s mother press a sprig of purslane into her little girl’s hand before she went off to free Orleans?

Pow-Wow and hoodoo treat purslane similarly, which is a fair hint that this use of the herb came to both disciplines through American Natives.  Dried purslane is combined with patchouli leaves and anise seeds.  This herbal mix is steeped in oil and then the oil is used to anoint the forehead before engaging in divination.  A little dried purslane sprinkled in the box or bag in which you keep your fortune telling cards is thought to enhance their effectiveness as well.

Hoodoos also burn dried purslane for protection against evil spirits.  The effects are said to be enhanced when purslane is combined with a premixed warding or blessing incense.

Ingesting purslane is not recommended, particularly for pregnant women; frequent dosing can cause or exacerbate kidney stones.  In other words, use this stuff externally.  Bonne chance ~

Header: St. Jeanne d’Arc statue in New Orleans via NOLAFemmes

Mardi: Herbal-Wise

Rowan trees, also known as European mountain ash, are indigenous to Northern Asia and Europe and now grow all over the northern areas of North America.  Because the trees – which are really bushes and not relation to the North American ash or to the birch – cannot thrive where temperatures do not dip below freezing in winter, they are not a fixture in hoodoo practice.  They are used in Pow-Wow, according to Silver RavenWolf, but their use is most notable in modern Celtic, Druid and Wiccan disciplines.

The rowan is particularly prolific in the British Isles, where the influences of not only ancient Druid but also Gardenarian practices are strong.  This makes rowan, along with trees such as oak and holly, particularly fond in these areas.  As an example, the so called Celtic Tree Calendar’s month of Rowan begins on January 21 and ends on February 17.  This calendar, though sometimes purported to follow an ancient Celtic method of time keeping, is in fact a latter day invention probably developed by Robert Graves.  For more on this, see Mary Jones’ excellent discussion here.

In modern magick, rowan wood is used to make dowsing rods and wands.  Scott Cunningham advises carrying a piece of rowan wood to increase psychic powers.  Rowan wood or leaves may also be burned on their own or added to incense to achieve the same result.

For the purposes of protection, rowans should be planted as close to a home as possible.  Rowan walking sticks are helpful for protecting those who must venture forth at night, while a rowan branch kept in a house will protect it from lightening strikes.  Rowan was also carried aboard ships to see them safely through dirty weather.  A rowan grave marker is said to ensure that the spirit of the deceased will not wander forth and trouble the living.

Scott Cunningham also recommends the use of rowan berries, particularly in workings for healing, success, power and luck.  Please note, however, that all parts of a rowan bush are potential poisonous and should never be ingested.

In Scotland, Wales and Cornwall, old wives tied two rowan twigs tied together with red thread to form a powerful protective amulet.  Bonne chance ~

Header: A rowan tree on the British coast via Wikimedia Commons

Jeudi: Root Work

Entertaining was one of the many things that my Grandmother excelled at.  She was notorious in small towns along the Washington coast such as Aberdeen and Hoquiam for her during-Prohibition-and-beyond cocktail parties.  So much so that the memory of them lingered long after Gran had joined the Ghede. 

I remember being approached by a quite elderly man in Ocean Shores when I was in my early twenties.  He asked me if I was “Helen’s granddaughter” and when I said yes he began to gush about Gran, perfectly dry martinis and a certain silk dress that evidently showed off rouged knees.  Right about then my Grandfather came around the corner.  The gushing ended abruptly; even in his 80s Grandpa could be threatening.

Since my own mother tends to loath entertaining – I suspect she loathes people in general so entertaining would naturally follow – I was always keen to hear what Gran had to say about the makings of a perfect get-together.  One of her favorite bits of advice involved the use of what we would now term “aromatherapy”.  She called in “incense magick” and gave the credit for her knowledge of the responses of the human olfactory system to her old friends, the Gypsies.

Accordingly, she wrote down a list that I’ve kept tucked in her old cookbook.  Some of these incenses are harder to find today than they were in the ‘30s when Gran was in her glory, but most can still be acquired if you’re willing to look.  Remember to always purchase the highest quality incense your budget will allow, regardless of your preference for stick, cone or loose varieties.  High quality ingredients, it goes without saying, result in high quality incense.  Here’s Gran’s list with a few of my own tweaks:

Amber ~ a fine choice for small gatherings, particularly those with romantic overtones

Cassia ~ sets a comfortable, homey mood

Cedar ~ calms men (Gran recommended this one if two rivals were bound to show up at your soirée)

Cinnamon ~ a purifier that is best to burn the day before you entertain to “clear the air”

Clove ~ stimulates the brain; great for meetings, book clubs, writing circles etc.

Frankincense or Myrrh ~ attunes the conscious mind to higher powers; the right choice for any spiritual gathering

Ginger ~ creates a warm, welcoming environment; perfect on cold winter nights

Lavender ~ a tension reliever that dissipates nervous energy; this is a good one for the hostess to enjoy in her private rooms while she prepares for her guests

Neroli ~ brings joy; a great choice for celebrations of weddings, baptisms, birthdays and a loved one who has passed on

Pine ~ this perfect holiday scent is like a combination – figuratively speaking – of Ginger and Neroli

Rosemary ~ much like a combination of Cinnamon and Clove – again in the figurative sense – Rosemary helps clear both the atmosphere and the brain; it is also a good choice for groups made up exclusively of women

Sandalwood ~ tends to make people drop their barriers and interact freely

Ylang-Ylang ~ “inspires beauty” and is perfect for gallery openings or gatherings of artists young or old; I find this scent is particularly good for children’s parties

Incense is a simple and inexpensive way to bring harmony, well-being and creativity into your home, and not just when you entertain.  Not all magick has to be concentration and sparks, after all.  If you’re like me and are not blessed with a local purveyor of good incense, I recommend Azure Green as a place to shop online.  They are reputable, have a large stock and ship to both the U.S. and Canada.  Bonne chance ~

Header: The Village Fête by Victor Nehlig via American Gallery