Vendredi: Chthonian Histories

The cousin or, perhaps more correctly evil step-brother, of the dream lover that we talked about last Friday is the incubus. Known of old as a demon to be feared and especially battled against, the incubus was envisioned as a sometimes handsome but in true form grotesque creature who either raped women or enticed them into sexual liaisons in the very dead of night. This demon is generally thought of in our modern, scientific world as a result of psychiatric disease brought on by the overly repressed cultures of Medieval Europe and Puritanical New England, to name two. In fact, the incubus may be a much older presence than a passing glance would have us believe.

Certain scholars, including those who study such diverse histories as Hebrew beliefs and Arthurian legends, access that the original incubus may have been one of that famous trio of Sumerian demons that included the previously discusses Ardat-Lili. The lili, a male demon, was said to trouble women's sleep, bring them erotic dreams and, in some cases, sire children of a changeling nature upon them. This would make the lili/human hybrid at least somewhat akin to a fairy child.

Fast forward to those days of Medieval tension and the stories of incubi accosting women - particularly innocent maidens and sequestered Brides of Christ - abound. In this period, incubi were said to be clever shapeshifters who could take on the appearance of anyone their chosen female prey might be attracted to. Demons, having no particular corporeal restraints, could pass as smoke or mist under a door or through the cracks in a wooden or stone wall and materialize on the other side. No woman, it seemed, was safe; but the incubi had their favorites.

Nuns were a decidedly popular conquest and, in the reverse, incubi were usually blamed for any convent indiscretions. Until well into the Gothic period, the accusation that an incubus, and not a human man, had gotten a nun pregnant was taken almost for granted.

When one Archbishop Sylvanus, who was the particular confessor of a large convent of Dominican nuns in what is now Bavaria, was accused of sexual assault by one of the good sisters - a particularly young and pretty good sister it is said - he simply turned up his silk-gloved hands. It could not be me, he protested; I would never break my vow of chastity. Surely Sister so-and-so (needless to say her name does not appear in the record) was visited by an incubus who had taken my form. What other explanation could their be? The 15th century inquisitors before whom Sylvanus appeared nodded thoughtful and then agreed with him. Case closed.

Telling an honest (or dishonest, in the case of the aforementioned Bishop) man from an incubus was surprisingly simple. When the list is ticked off, in fact, it is a little surprising that these demons troubled themselves with a disguise. The incubus had an unholy odor, either of sulfur, the barnyard or the rotting corpse that he had picked up as a skin. He had the power to paralyze anyone near his chosen victim, putting them into a trance-like sleep so that, even if the person in question lay right next to the woman, they would not be disturbed from their slumber. Worst of all, the incubus - regardless of what form he took - was said to be endowed with a huge, ice-cold member that was sometimes reported to be two or even three-pronged.

Anomolies of birth were often whispered to have been the result of rutting with an incubus. Woe to the woman who gave birth to an unfortunately harelipped, club-footed or otherwise "different" child; twins or children with red hair were also said to be the sons or daughters of incubi. The wizard Merlin is told to have been such a one and even in the Romantic era certain unkind types talked of George Gordon Byron, who had a club-foot, being the son of an incubus.

With all this, there were some ladies who willingly welcomed the incubus as a steady lover. Franciscan Ludovico Sinistrari, operating in the late 17th century and author of Demoniality, became somewhat of an expert on incubi and ways to exorcise them from the lives of such deluded women. He noted that these demons were particularly difficult to clear out as they "have no dread of exorcisms, show no reverence for holy things [and]... sometimes even laugh at exorcists." He goes on to give the example of a wife and mother so infatuated with her demon lover that she hardly blinked when, in retaliation to Sinistrari's exorcism attempts, the incubus built a wall of roofing tiles around her bed so tall that she needed a ladder to climb in and out.

A troublesome situation indeed... Next Friday, the yang to the the incubus' ying: the succubus.

Header: Incubus by Charles Walker c 1870 via Wikipedia

Jeudi: Curios

The beautiful, deep blue stone known as lapis lazuli has been used for magickal purposes since the most ancient times.  In fact, it may have been one of the first precious gems actively sought by our ancestors.

Lapis lazuli has always been associated with kingship, possible because of its almost purple color which is sometimes flecked with golden pyrite.  It was highly prized in ancient Middle Eastern civilizations such as Sumer, Assyria, Egypt and Phoenicia.  In Sumer, the adornments of the gods were said to be made of lapis lazuli.  Rulers had their cylinder seals, spool-like, carved seals that would be rolled over soft clay to leave a recognizable mark, made from the stone.

Phoenician pirates admired lapis as plunder.  In Ancient Egypt it was used in not only jewelry but household items and even furniture for the royal and wealthy elite.  Physicians ground lapis lazuli into a powder and mixed it with various ingredients to cure everything from headaches to aging.  Thanks to the Egyptian’s funerary rituals, we are blessed with a wealth of beautiful objects inlaid with intricate designs of lapis lazuli such as the bracelet shown above.

Warriors favored the stone as well and carried it into battle to allow them to be courageous unto death.

In modern magick, the stone is still used for healing.  It is said that holding, carrying or wearing lapis can calm nightmares, ease anxiety, reduce fever and improve eyesight.  The stone is often used by psychic healers when performing rituals for people who are physically removed from where the healer is.

Lapis lazuli is also thought to increase psychic awareness.  Wear, carry or hold a piece of lapis before and/or during a reading of your chosen divining medium such as runes or cards.  The stone is thought to break the dominant conscious mind’s hold on the subconscious, allowing for more accurate use of the divining tool.

According to Scott Cunningham, lapis is also a love-drawing stone.  He recommends using a raw, unpolished stone that has a point or sharp edge.  This along with a pink candle should be empowered with your need for love.  While still concentrating on love, etch a heart into the candle wax with the lapis.  Light the candle and place the stone close to the candleholder.  Relax, and continue to envision love entering your life as the candle burns down and out.  Bonne chance ~

Header: Ancient Egyptian bracelet of gold and lapis lazuli c the 22^nd Dynasty via The Ancient World

Mercredi: The Art of Beauty

I am officially old.  I just had one of those “milestone” birthdays and now I finally have a good excuse for my behavior: I’m old.  That said, it was nice when the (young) lady at the pharmacy told me yesterday that I have “pretty skin”.  It reminded me that I do.  Part of it is genetic but part of it is keeping to a simple, effective regimen, preferably one started early in life.  So, because I am now old, here’s my advice for pretty skin.

Wash your face twice a day and moisturize after every washing.  I don’t care what the makeup companies say; sleeping with that stuff on your face is not good for your skin.

SPF 30 every day.  Until the sun disappears from the sky, there is nothing you can use topically that is better for your skin.

Two cups of green tea daily will keep free radicals from aging your skin, even later in life.  The good news here is that, like quitting smoking, you get almost instant benefits no matter whether you start drinking green tea when you are 2 or 102.

Also, don’t smoke.  If you do (and I did) quit now.

A nice warm – not hot – bath once a week (preferably on your day off and in the evening) with a calming essential oil like lavender or clary sage added to the water (15 to 20 drops) will help you relax and de-stress.  If you can enjoy a bath more frequently, so much the better.

Yes, you do need 8 hours of sleep a night.  Your tween or teen daughter needs 10.

A cup of nettle tisane every two weeks will gently flush your system of skin-ruining gunk.  If you can’t find nettle (health food stores usually carry it), try chamomile tea every other day, or nightly to help you sleep.

Exercise.  Reward yourself with something (like maybe that bath) once a week or so if you stick to your schedule.  Remember, beauty is a lot deeper than your skin.  A healthy heart and lungs make your face glow.

If you drink alcohol, take three consecutive days off the juice per week.  This cleansing ritual will help your body banish the negative side effects of a few too many now and then.  The exception here is one glass of red wine with your largest meal every day to help maintain a healthy cholesterol level, if that is an issue for you.

These are the things my Gran assured me would see me through to old age and so far she’s been right.  Remember though, if you have any health issues, ask your doctor before you start drinking herbal teas or training for a marathon.  Better safe than sorry.  A votre santé ~

Header:  Two Ancient Egyptian ladies who clearly drank their green tea and got enough sleep; I think I went to high school with the one on the left

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

Mardi: Herbal-Wise

When our family first moved to the frozen North almost twelve years ago my daughters were three and one.  It was over that first winter here that I discovered a disturbing reality about my youngest.  If she caught cold – or something more serious – and developed a fever she would often suffer night terrors.  She would scream at the top of her lungs in the middle of the night and waking her up from her horrifying dreams often took several minutes.  I puzzled over what to do, short of dosing her with too much ibuprofen, and then I hit on a plan.  After stuffing her favorite pillow with a handful of hops, the awful night terrors subsided and – as an added bonus – she began to sleep better when she was well, too.

Hops are an old remedy for nightmares and fitful sleep.  Regardless of what magickal discipline you consult, it is universally believed that a pillow stuffed with hops and slept on nightly will bring sweet dreams and ensure restful sleep.

For moms with young children, a handful of hops in their child’s pillow can also bring a small blessing to Mom: a full night’s sleep.  Don’t forget to make a smaller pillow for travel and/or sleepovers.  The work is worth it for everyone’s well being.  Bonne chance ~

Header: The Sleeping Gypsy by Henri Rousseau c 1897

Mercredi: The Art of Giving

It happens to be that time of year again.  The one where pretty much all of us, regardless of background, creed or faith, start to think about the giving of gifts.  The problem is that we in the Western world are bombarded by the media blitz of “only the biggest is best”.  If you don’t buy her a diamond, you don’t love her.  Only the largest, most plugged in, most HD-iest TV will do for him.  And as for the kids? iPod, XboX, new phone, laptop…  what is your problem Mom and Dad?

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: no.  You have to put a stop to it at some point and yet – despite the withering of our economy here in the U.S. and elsewhere – we still insist on buying, buying, buying.

But that’s not the point of this post.  Everyone needs to do what’s best for them.  I maintain, however, that something handmade tucked into a stocking or waiting on a breakfast plate is one of the kindest things anyone can do for someone they love.  So I’ll kick off the season with a dream mojo.  Easy to make, easy to use, and full of sweet dreams.  Here’s what you’ll need for four bundles:

5 tbsp dried lavender

25 whole cloves

5 tbsp dried rosemary

1 amethyst bead for each mojo

Four fabric squares about 5” x 5”; your choice of color

Ribbon or thread to tie up your bundles in either matching or coordinating color

Take some time away from your worries to concentrate on putting these dream mojos together for family and/or friends.  Light a candle, put some music on, immerse yourself in a dreamy atmosphere so that you can infuse your work with wishes for pleasant, prophetic dreams.

When you’re ready, combine the herbs in a bowl or cup.  If possible, use your fingers for this and concentrate on the magick of sound sleep.

Next, lay out your fabric squares.  I like to use a soft fabric like silk, satin or velvet in dreamy, night time colors like dark blue or violet but white muslin will work perfectly well.  Distribute the herb mixture evenly into the four fabric squares.  Place a little amethyst bead on each of the piles of herbs; this is to keep away nightmares and restlessness.  No semi-precious stones to hand?  No worries; use a pinch of salt or a large seed such as a pumpkin or sunflower seed to do the same job.

Now you are ready to tie up the bundles with your ribbon or thread.  Remember to use three knots for each before finishing with a bow if you like.  Don’t forget to continue to focus throughout the process.

Give these right away or tuck them into a safe, quiet place for presentation at your holiday celebration with instructions for them to be placed under the receiver’s pillow at bedtime.  And please don’t forget to make one for yourself; you deserve beautiful dreams, too.  A votre santé ~

Header: Dante’s Dream by Dante Gabriel Rossetti c 1871

Mardi: Herbal-Wise

Dittany of Crete is an edible herb that is not much mentioned in modern recipes.  In southern Europe it was often used in stews and fish dishes and old recipe books – journals of receipts as they were known prior to the mid 19^th century – often featured tips on how to grow this fat-leafed herb.

In ritual magicks, dittany is much prized for its ability to make spirits appear and to aid in astral projection.  The dried leaves are burned alone to help spirits manifest.  It is said that they will appear as bodily formations in the blue-gray smoke.  When the dried leaves are mixed with vanilla, sandalwood and benzoin and burned as incense, the scent is reputed to allow the practitioner to leave their body and wonder the ether.

According to the old wives of Europe, extracting juice from dittany leaves and flowers and then rubbing it on skin would repel venomous snakes and insects.  In some cases a chant such as “Hax, Pax, Abodemax” was to be recited over and over while applying the dittany juice.  In most cases, such “nonsense” chants were a way of focusing the witch’s attention on their work, thus achieving a form of trance state to facilitate the working.  Some later day writers have tried to find tie-ins with ancient – or even alien – languages in these types of chants but the examples they give usually fall shy of the mark.  Though they may have had a connection to a now dead language at some point, to say the chants were originally Atlantian or Druidic is probably over-reaching at best.

Dittany of Crete came to hoodoo through the European tradition and was considered a love herb by French Creoles in and around New Orleans.  Putting the herb in a meal specifically prepared for a love interest was thought to spark a raging passion for the preparer.  Continued doses would need to be administered to keep the flame burning high.

This focus seems to have translated the use of dittany as incense into a love potion.  According to Catherine Yronwode, burning dittany mixed with myrrh, benzoin and sandalwood could induce visions of one’s future spouse.  This recipe is only one ingredient off from the astral projection incense previously mentioned.  Of course, this is how various forms of magick influence one another but it is a curious point nonetheless.  Bonne chance ~

Header: Medea by A.F.A. Sandys c 1868

Jeudi: Curios

I've talked about semi-precious stones and crystal before.  As noted, these were not common items in historical hoodoo.  This is most probably because their cost was prohibitive to the majority of root workers.  Times change and hoodoo, like all magickal practices, is a fluid discipline.  More and more root workers are availing themselves of the power of rocks and stones, myself included.

All that out of the way, one of my favorite stones to work with is jasper.  It is a relatively common stone and therefore quite affordable.  Jasper is a form of chalcedony, which is itself a form of quartz.  There are four different variations of this opaque stone, each of which has its own magickal uses.  This puts jasper high on the short list of the most versatile stones.

In general, jasper is said to protect its possessor.  It will keep a person from engaging in dangerous behaviors and is therefore thought to assist in recovery from addiction.  Women held a piece of jasper in one hand during childbirth to protect them and their child from pain, injury and/or death.  Any of the variations of jasper could be used for these purposes.

Brown jasper is often the color of sienna ink rather than truly brown like soil.  This is an excellent stone for grounding.  Hold a piece of brown jasper to return to a normal psychic state after spell work or divination.  Scott Cunningham also recommends wearing or carrying brown jasper for people who tend to day dream rather than take action.  Along those same lines, I find that it keeps me from falling into one of my worst habits: procrastination.

Green jasper can vary in color from a light gray-green to moss.  It is used in spells for healing and to bring calm to the psyche.  Wear green jasper to bed to promote restful sleep and chase away night terrors.  People who are empathic favor green jasper as an aid to opening themselves up to psychic vibrations while staying safe and grounded at the same time.  For this purpose, the stone should be held in the receptive hand (left if you are right handed and vice versa).

Mottled jasper often looks like those marbles we used to call “swirlies”, with two, three or even four colors intermingled in one stone.  This was a favorite stone among seafarers, who wore it for protection from drowning.  Depending on the most prominent color in the stone, it may be used as a substitute for red, green or brown jasper.

Red jasper ranges in color from orange to scarlet to a deep purplish-red.  This is a powerful healing and defensive stone that I highly recommend to anyone who regularly works on breaking jinxes.  It will ward off negativity and send such vibrations back to their originator.  In medieval times, red jasper was worn to guard against poisoning and fevers.  Women wear it to promote a youthful appearance.

Finally, jasper is an excellent substitute for more expensive stones.  Use green jasper in place of jade and red jasper in place of carnelian or coral without losing anything in the translation.  As with all tools of magick, stones should be cleansed either with holy water, salt or sunshine before use. 

Because it is a common stone, perfectly good quality jasper can be found quite affordably at craft stores where jewelry findings are sold.  I recently bought a string which included all four varieties of jasper at Michel’s for $1.25.  You can’t beat that.  Bonne chance ~

Header: The Sailor’s Return by Toby Edward Rosenthal c 1880

Jeudi: Root Work

The potential for little bundles of joy has been hovering over my life for the last couple of months.  I just got past a scare in the pregnancy department and I call it that because, for a woman my age, being pregnant would quite literally be the stuff of horror movies.  Recently, though, a dear friend announced she was expecting which definitely is good news.

All this baby talk had me running back to my notebooks for a working that my grandmother taught me.  This one is to settle a sleepless child in for the night and it comes from Gran’s Roma friends.  The gypsies, like so many others who have a distinct magickal discipline, put a lot of store by the use of hair in spell craft.   Since hair was once part of a person or animal, it is thought to carry that creature’s essence with it. 

This working is one of those that requires the subject to be aware of what the worker is doing.  I have yet to see it work on sleepless infants; and believe me, I have tried.  For children two or older, however, who have a conversational vocabulary it can be a tremendous help to both mother and child.

Three strands of Mom’s hair

A little cotton or muslin bag, or a small square of either

Needle and white thread

A glass of your child’s favorite drink

Place one strand of hair into the muslin bag/square and sew it closed with the needle and thread.  Give this to your child to place under their pillow.  Now, sew the next strand into your child’s nightclothes so that it will rest close to their heart as they sleep.  Take the finally strand and break it down in a mortar and pestle or with the back of a spoon.  Add this to you child’s favorite drink and have them finish it before getting ready for bed.

Involve your child in the first two steps of this working, telling them that what you are doing will soothe them and help them sleep without trouble.  My Gran would remind me that she was always with me, even in dreams, as long as the “magick bag” was under my pillow. 

In my experience, it’s best to prepare the hair and put it in the drink before you start the other steps of the working.  That way it will be ready when you’re done and there won’t be any fussing about drinking something infused with hair.  The original recipe called for elderberries to be crushed and the juice given to the child.  Since elderberries quite notoriously ferment on the vine, I wonder if the Roma didn’t use the possibility of slight intoxication as their ace in the hole to insure this spell’s success.  Just speculation on my part, but… Bonne chance ~

Header: To This Each Night by Dorothy Bartholemy via American Gallery

Jeudi: Curios

I'm a bit of a semi-precious gem junky.  I love the way they look and the way they feel when you hold or wear them.  Knowing about their background historically and magickally only increases the intensity of the vibrations.  At least for me. 

Crystals and gems are not particularly big in hoodoo – obviously, they were cost prohibitive for the original practitioners – and their “New Age” underpinnings have made them a little less popular in other magickal disciplines as well.  I love ‘em though, and I will happily set them under the umbrella of “Curios”.  So today, a brief discussion on one of my favorites: the amethyst.

These glorious purple stones whose color can range from delicate lilac to deep aubergine are actually a form of quartz.  Amethyst geodes are not unheard of but are generally expensive and collector’s items.  Amethyst stones can be had at fairly reasonable prices at bead and even craft stores.  Make sure you’re getting the real thing by checking the fine print. 

Amethysts are traditional stones for banishing evil, protection and boosting psychic powers.  They are considered a highly spiritual stone that can lift the person holding one out of daily anxiety and fear into universal strength and courage.  Here are just a few uses for this versatile stone.

Amethysts are frequently kept by psychics in the box or bag that holds their tools, whether they be cards, bones, shells, sticks or what have you.  Resting an amethyst on one’s forehead while meditating, obviously in a reclining position, is thought to open up the psychic eye and make fortune telling not only easier but more accurate.  Many psychics wear amethysts while reading the future.

Putting an amethyst under one’s pillow or wearing an amethyst while sleeping is thought to help insomnia, stop nightmares and encourage healing sleep and relaxing, possibly prophetic, dreams.  This calming power is carried into the waking world as well.  Holding an amethyst is thought to sooth anxiety and help lesson social disorders such as panic attacks.  The same act in a quiet place can encourage meditation and trance.  Adding an amethyst to the water of just about any spiritual bath will increase its efficacy.

Amethysts are also linked to life success regardless of the pursuit.  Consistent wearing of an amethyst is said to make one more alert, focused and capable of sticking to a goal.  Amethysts can be kept on the desk at work or in a business’ cash register to keep clients and cash coming in.  While not a money drawing stone per ce, the amethyst will help its owner keep a clear vision for success in mind, and know what to do to achieve it.

As a stone of positive attraction, amethysts are said to help women look beautiful and men encourage fondness in “the right woman”.  Carry or wear amethyst on a date with that special someone to magnify your appeal.  Bonne chance ~

Header: Lilac by Edmund Blair Leighton c 1901

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

Frankincense, along with myrrh, is the quintessential “Christmas gift” in Christian culture. The Magi, those mysterious “wise men” or, if you prefer “kings”, who came to gawk at the Christ child on Epiphany, brought with them the two most expensive tree resins in the ancient East. And they threw in some gold to boot.

In fact, frankincense had a long history when the authors of the New Testament wrote down their tale. It had been burned by the Ancient Sumerians and particularly the Egyptians as an offering to the rising sun. The use of frankincense as a holy incense by the Jews is mentioned in the Old Testament. It is still used in the censors that smog the occasional Mass at Catholic Churches, although the burning of incense seems to have fallen out of favor with the Roman church. Frankincense is believed, in hoodoo and other magickal disciplines, to be an herb of power. By adding it to just about any preparation, whether it be incense, mojo bags or sachets, powders, oils or waters, one can increase the efficacy of any magickal undertaking.

Frankincense is, as stated before, hardened resin from a hearty little tree that originally grew wild in the dry conditions of the Ancient Middle East. Burning the resin to scent and purify the air is its most well known use and small chunks of frankincense burned on charcoal uplift the space and drive off crossed conditions. Frankincense is excellent for clearing any area after a negative incident (a robbery at a business or a fight in a home) and some magickal practitioners will not begin any working without it.

Add a small hunk of frankincense, while concentrating on your desired outcome, to any premade oil, perfume, incense or what have you that you buy for spell work. The preparation will be strengthened by the herb and your personal intent. Burn frankincense, which is frequently mixed with its close relatives myrrh and copal, to aid in vision work and meditation. Put some shavings of frankincense in a white cotton or silk bag while imagining a restful night’s sleep. Touch the bag to your forehead before you turn out the lights. You’ll sleep deeply and without rousing in the middle of the night. Moms: this works (to a lesser degree, sorry to say) on babies and toddlers, too.

Finally, consider giving the gift of frankincense and its mate myrrh (which we will discuss next Tuesday) with a small incense burner and some incense charcoals as a house warming or hostess gift. Almost universally, it will be gratefully received and hopefully put to good use regardless of religion or creed. If nothing else, it will make the house smell wonderful. Bon chance ~

Header: Adoration of the Magi by Albrecht Durer (note that Albrecht has featured himself prominently as one of the Magi; he’s the guy standing in the center with the flowing hair and beard)

Jeudi: Root Work

Lucid dreaming, spell work, astral projection, divination, cursing, healing and countless other ways of magick require one thing in common: the mindful and continuous shut down of the active conscious brain. I’m not saying that you have to be “unconscious” to make a mojo bag or read the cards for a friend by any means. That’s just silly. But that irritating, chattering, gerbil-on-a-wheel part of your brain that repeats the annoying commercial jingle while it reminds you to buy bread next time you’re at the store and keeps asking “did you unplug the toaster?” has got to be stopped.

The capacity to shut down that part of your consciousness is, for most of us at least, a life long struggle that requires practice. Well, in all fairness, it requires daily practice. Of course we’ve all read metaphysical authors who speak of “some people” who can “go into trance without thinking about it, as if they were switching off a light” or some other predictable metaphor. The reality is that who these people might be remains unstated and frankly, if they’re out there, only these authors seem to have met them. The fictional Merlin/Samantha/Harry Potter doesn’t exist. No amount of Latin or nose twitching is going to alter Newtonian physics or conquer millennia of evolution. Only dedication will. And the dedicated worker must practice.

So here’s what I do. Every night. Regardless. Climbing into bed becomes a ritual in itself that leads, after a lot of practice, to the ability to be able to overcome the Mom voice in my head. At least long enough to accomplish the occasional working of real, honest, magick.

Lie down on your back. That really is the best position for this meditation; flat on your back. Ladies who are pregnant or those with other medical conditions that prohibit lying in that position should modify the meditation appropriately. I liked to lie on my right side back when. Now close your eyes and take in a few deep breaths. Breathe in and out through your nose; those of you who practice yoga probably already have that exercise down. Try to silence your thoughts completely. Concentrate only on your breathing for a moment.

Now begin to systematically relax the muscles in your body while fighting the urge to consciously think about what you are doing. Start at your feet, work up through your calves, knees and thighs, relax your butt, your pelvis, your abdomen. Work up to your chest and feel your breathing slow down. Now your shoulders, down your arms to your hands and back up to your neck. Sometimes this is the hardest part of all, getting your shoulders and neck to relax; keep breathing and stop thinking. Progress upward and relax your jaw, your tongue, your face, your eyes, your forehead, your scalp. By now your breathing should be deep and slow. Without allowing your “inner voice” to disturb your peace, sink into the mat or mattress beneath you, breath and allow your subconscious to go wherever it wants to go. Try to hang in this space without thought for as long as you can but, once you are thoroughly relaxed, don’t force it. When it’s time to come out of your meditation and go to sleep, do so. You can come back to the exercise tomorrow night.

That’s it. If you are willing to do some version of this exercise consistently, I can guarantee that you will have more success concentrating in all aspects of your life. The mind is a creature of habit. Force it into some good habits and the benefits are surprising. As an aside, this is also a great way to wind up a workout, allowing your body some moments to completely relax once you have finish. Just be sure to keep warm as you may feel a bit chilly during the meditation.

Give it a try. If nothing else, this exercise is a great sleep aid that has no ill effects. And that in itself is a bonus in our hectic, modern world.

Header: Girl Asleep by Johannes Vermeer

Mardi: Herbal-Wise

One of the simple joys of a warm climate is that it affords one the ability to grow a jasmine tree. There is nothing (well, almost nothing) in the world more delightful than the scent of fresh jasmine. It lifts the spirits and, particularly in the case of night blooming jasmine, opens up the more amorous receptors in our brains. No wonder jasmine is believed to enhance herbal mixtures intended to insight love as well as ready the sleeper for psychic dreams.

Alas, only fresh jasmine smells so sweet. Once the flowers are dried they have no scent whatsoever. Although they are still potent in workings to encourage love, the psychic component is gone. For that, essential oil of jasmine must be employed. Fortunately, the oil is easy to come by and the organic varieties in particular are pretty honest relative to content (no other essential oils are added for enhanced aroma, etc).

Use dried jasmine in any sachet or mojo you are putting together to attract love, particularly if you are looking for a more cerebral and less “straight to bed” kind of relationship. The flowers, though generally tagged by herbalists as “feminine”, can be used by men or women, gay or straight. Just carrying the dried flowers in a pocket or purse is thought to make one more attractive to both sexes. If you cannot obtain the dried flowers, use the essential oil. Many root workers suggesting adding a bit of dried parsley to your jasmine oil to up its sexual proclivities. I understand that a bottle of jasmine oil that has had parsley soaking in it for a while can be quite potent, and I’m not talking about the smell. You’ve been warned.

Put a fresh sprig of jasmine on your pillow to help you fall asleep and encourage your memory with regard to your dreams. You can also dab a piece of cloth or the corner of your pillowcase with a bit of jasmine oil to achieve the same result. At the very least it will help insomnia.

Finally, some workers swear by jasmine as an incense for money drawing. Burn the incense in your home frequently while concentrating on the amount of money you need. Alternatively, carry dried jasmine in your wallet to ensure that it never completely empties of cash. Bon chance ~

Header: Love’s Young Dream by Jennie Augusta Brownscombe