Jeudi: Curios

The form of green chalcedony commonly called bloodstone, because of the dark red flecks that run through it, has a long history in both common and ritual magick.  It has been used as a Christian symbol, a focus of Templar ritual and a curative.  Since ancient times, the bloodstone has been prized for various uses.

In ancient cultures, bloodstones were thought to quite literally stop bleeding.  Though the Ancient Egyptians used it in rituals for opening locks and bonds, its use by Roman soldiers and gladiators is the most familiar.  Bloodstones were carried by these men to increase their strength and help them to avoid being wounded in the first place.  If they were cut, the warriors would apply their bloodstone directly to the injury in the hope of halting the hemorrhage.  Reliable sources from the era say that this procedure often worked.  As Scott Cunningham notes, though, much of this success was probably due to the coolness of the stones – which were usually large – and the application of direct pressure.

In the Middle Ages, bloodstones were carved as medals with pictures of the crucifixion or the martyrdom of saints.  This gave the stone its alternative name: martyr’s stone.  According to the Inquisition, the Knights Templar had an enormous bloodstone carved with the image of the Devil which figured in their Satanic rituals.  It probably goes without saying that nothing even vaguely resembling this has ever been located.

Meanwhile, further down the class ladder among wise folk and old wives, small bloodstones were carried as pocket pieces or tied onto the body for specific benefit.  Gripping a bloodstone was thought to calm anxiety and promote courage.  Pregnant women tied a bloodstone around their left arm to prevent miscarriage.  When labor was imminent, the stone was moved to the left thigh where it was thought to encourage a quick and easy childbirth.

In the Renaissance era, the bloodstone began to be associated with legal issues and money.  Carrying a bloodstone into court was thought to ensure victory; better results could be achieved if the stone was worn as jewelry set in gold.  This type of personal adornment was also thought to keep a prudent man’s coffers well padded.

This idea trickled down as well.  By the 18^th century, merchants kept a bloodstone in their purse or lock box to promote monetary increase.  In modern times, bloodstones are slipped into purses, wallets and cash registers for the same reason.

In the romantic era, when the high Gothic style of poetry and literature reigned supreme, the bloodstone became popular in jewelry.  At first, it was used as a symbol of mourning but its popularity continued into the Victorian and Edwardian era even after this association appears to have been forgotten.

Header: Bloodstone set in gold c 1865 via Facets of History

Mercredi: The Art of Beauty

Two weeks ago we talked about a base for making bath salts. I promised more on the subject so today we’re going to discuss adding essential oils to your bath salt base not only for aromatherapy but also for magick.

As you can see, the following combinations call for two or more essential oils. If you are planning on adding more than one scent to your bath salts, you should always mix the essential oils separately and let them stand in a container, preferably glass, that you can gently shake once or twice a day. This will mix the oils and the scents so that they distribute more evenly once they are combined with your bath salt base. It’s also a great time to actively empower them for magickal purposes.

Once the process of letting the oils blend is done, mix up your batch of bath salts and incorporate the oils as the last step before you package the bath salts. A big spoon that you can use just for bath salts and oils is a great tool for this step.

Here are a few suggestions to help you relax, smell great and add a little empowerment to an otherwise simple indulgence.

For restful sleep: 6 drops lavender, 4 drops jasmine, 4 drops violet

To draw affection: 8 drops rose, 4 drops vanilla, 2 drops patchouli

To draw money: 8 drops pine, 4 drips cinnamon, 2 drops cloves

For peace at home and among family: 6 drops rosemary, 4 drops sandalwood, 4 drops basil

For physical and mental health: 4 drops allspice, 4 drops rosemary 2 drops myrrh

These are just a few suggestions. As you work with herbs and essential oils, you can experiment with other combinations for love, luck, prosperity, protection, wishes and sleep. Or just pick scents that lift your mood, relax you and enhance the experience of a warm bath. A votre santé ~

Header: The Lady of Shalott by John William Waterhouse c 1888

Mardi: Herbal-Wise

As the cold settles in (it was 14 degrees Fahrenheit when I took my daughter to school at 8:45 this morning) I turn to the warm fragrances and tastes of what is generally referred to in European influenced societies as “Holiday food”. The spices used in things like pumpkin pie, turkey stuffing/dressing, gingerbread and so many other end of the year celebratory foods are also quite magickal in their own right. But that, of course, comes as no surprise.

Cloves have been used extensively as a winter spice for hundreds of years. They have a warm aroma that calms but with just enough bite to give one the energy they need to face cold, dark days. In hoodoo, both whole cloves and clove oil are used for gambling luck, money and friendship-drawing and to stop malicious gossip.

Gambling halls in southeastern Louisiana were “smudged” with an incense made of cloves, wintergreen, cinnamon and camphor to bring in good trade. Whole cloves were carried by gamblers to bring luck. Cloves burned as an incense by themselves are said to draw in wealth, purify the air and drive off crossed conditions. Scott Cunningham says the scent can also comfort the bereaved.

Pushing whole, dried cloves into a red candle while concentrating on stopping malicious gossip against you, then burning the candle until it goes out is said to be a fool-proof charm against other people’s lies. Some workers even say that doing this ritual will bring your enemies closer to your circle of friends.

Bringing in and keeping friendships is another use for cloves. To keep a friend for life, make two necklaces with small flannel bags filled with cloves and tied to strings. You and your friend should each wear a necklace until the strings break. You will always be good friends.

To make an attractive pomander ball which can be given as a gift and will encourage ongoing friendship, select an unusually beautiful orange and then wrap a lovely ribbon around it twice, like a gift box. Tie that in a knotted bow with long tails for carrying or even hanging. Now stud the orange with dried cloves all around in as even and pretty a pattern as possible. Give the pomander as a present and as the fruit begins to desiccate (a good number of cloves will keep it from actually rotting) it will release the scent of orange and cloves while cementing your friendship with the lucky recipient. It’s a perfect project for the Holidays (and, as an aside, an inexpensive and inconspicuous way for the kids to get in good with their teachers).

Prior to the dawn of antibiotics, clove oil was used as an antiseptic with surprisingly favorable results. Clove oil was also used as an anesthetic; dropped onto a decaying tooth, it would ease the pain for a time. My great grandmother, who never lived in town but always “out on the farm”, would drop clove oil on a rotten tooth in preparation to kill the root, which she did with carbolic acid. I am not making that up. Just so you know, this last paragraph is chock full of uses for clove oil (and carbolic acid for that matter) that I do not recommend. See a dentist s’il vous plait. Bon chance et subsistence chaude ~

Header: Landscape with Ice by Hendrik Avercamp c 17th century

Mardi: Herbal-Wise

Plants, roots, flowers and herbs are used a lot in American hoodoo. Uses for these natural objects have come down to us as a mixed bag of African, European and Native lore. After all, unless you are a Native American you came from someplace else – either voluntarily or involuntarily. My ancestors did both and, since I can claim no Native heritage, it was all new to them when they showed up in the Caribbean and North America. They found some things that were familiar, of course, but there were many new items as well. Thankfully, they had the good sense to learn from the people who were already here and knew the land and its bounty very well.

On Tuesdays here at HQ we’ll be talking about plants and their properties. Feel free to comment and add in your thoughts and/or experiences. The only exception to out Tuesday herbal will be, or course, Fat Tuesday when we will just be cookin’ up a storm.

Fenugreek is favored in hoodoo for the magickal properties of its seeds. Because beans are considered particularly lucky, and fenugreek seeds look and can be used like legumes, they fall into the “money drawing” category. Neopagans and Wiccans also use fenugreek seeds for wealth. Scott Cunningham, a noted pagan authority who has sadly left this world, mentions this use in his definitive Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs.

It’s advisable to keep a few fenugreek seeds in a bowl, plate or open jar in your kitchen. Add seeds every day or so until the container is full. This will draw money and bring financial fortune.

In hoodoo, the full container is emptied and the seeds are steeped in the solution used to mop the kitchen floors, which in turn attracts more luck. Cunningham recommends returning “ …the spent herbs to the ground”. Either way, start the process of filling your container over with fresh fenugreek seeds to ensure that your luck continues.

Header: "Europe Supported by Africa and America"