And so it begins ....almost!

Well- yesterday I spent the morning with my Dad and we went to the bank and he gave me the loan for the business its a small loan so I have to be careful and I'm just going to stick my toe in for now and see who's biting lol .  The account is set up and I am waiting on the debit card to begin my purchases and blending. If you know of anyone who is interested in hand blended perfumes and wellness products send them my way- will have room sprays, tub teas, bath salts, and oils, perfume (solid and oils ) body oils, and other things - and the items will be created upon request so bear with me!
I had a wonderful morning with my dad and totally enjoyed spending time with him and am so so grateful for his confidence in me! It is a memory I will always have and forever will tuck into my heart of him. I feel very blessed and am taking baby steps to create (hopefully) a successful home based business!

Prayer for The Sick

Seems of late- lots of beloved friends and relatives are unwell...this is a wonderful prayer to say while you lite a white candle to send healing vibes their way....

PRAYER FOR THE SICK
Crone, Mother, wise woman, you have given us all sorts of herbs, barks, flowers and roots that can heal us. Please grant me the knowledge and wisdom to best use your energies to heal this world, especially *(name of sick person )-(in my case= John Mann.)

Dear Father, healing physician, please send forth your healing energies and put an end to the suffering of the world's sick, especially *(name of sick person) -( John Mann.)
Thank you for you endless compassion.
So Mote It Be.

Prayers/ Meditaions

Evening Devotion

O God, my Father, I now ready myself for sleep. The day has been long and hard, but there have been many blessing I am very grateful for. If you decide to call me to the Summerland this night, I will have no regrets about my life here on Earth, for I have done my best to please you.
O Goddess, my Mother, I am now ready to place myself in your loving care as I sleep. I find comfort and sanctuary in your arms. Please grant me peace in this life and the next.
So Mote It Be.



**From: The Wiccan Book of Prayer - Mark Ventimiglia

Chakra Clearing Therapy

*taken from Secrets Of Modern Witchcraft Revealed~ Lady Sabrina


Sit quietly and relax, as in your general relaxation excersize. Breathe in to a count of 5 and then exhale to a count of 5. Do this several times, until you are completely relaxed.
Focus your consciousness on your Root Chakra. Continue your rhythmic breathing. Now breathe in from the Root Chakra. Visualize the area glowing red as you breathe.
Take a moment and rest, but continue the rhythmic breathing. Move your attention up to your Spleen Chakra. Breathe in and out thru this chakra as you visualize it glowing bright orange.
Rest and continue. Move your attention up to the Solar Plexus Chakra. Breathe in and out thru this chakra as you visualize it glowing a bright yellow.
Rest and continue. Move your attention up to the Heart chakra. Breathe in and out thru it as you do, visualize it glowing a bright green.
Rest then slowly move on. Breathe in and out thru your Throat Chakra as you visualize it glowing turquiose blue. Rest, continue breathing and proceed to the Brow Chakra and visualize it glowing a bright violet/indigo .
Take a moment to rest, make sure your breathing is controlled, and then continue. Relax and force all of the energy you have gathered, working up the ladder of your chakras, out -thru the top of your head (Crown Chakra) in a stream of white/violet light. Feel the energy flowing out and away from you, taking any negative or unclean energies with it.
When you feel all the energy has stopped flowing, visualize the Crown Chakra closed. Take a few moments to realx and then stand up. Position your hands over the top of your head and slowly move them down, palms inward, as you close each of the other chakras. Complete the excersize by taking a shower or bath to physically rinse away any leftover negative energies.

7 Chakras

ROOT CHAKRA: Red
-the root chakra is located at the base of the spine and it is the root, the foundation of consiousness.
-here are the survival instincts and desires for pleasure and procreation
-the root level of consciousness deals with all the issues of the material world and the struggles of life that go along with physical existance.
-Tells you what you need for survival as an individual. Problems will occur when you arent grounded, often this occurs when you are trying to take care of another persons welfare and neglecting your own.

SACRAL/NAVAL (BELLY) CHAKRA: Orange
-the first center of emotional consiousness, where you reach out and build relationships with others
-associated with intimacy, trust, sexual relationships and how you communicate basic feelings
- the center of creativity
-problems here often occur when you are too open to the feelings of others, this can cause you to enter into a sypathetic state of complicity with them and to duplicate their emotions, when this happens youre acting off their data, not your own - therefore, you need to learn how to distinguish between the emotions of others and your own.

SOLAR PLEXUS CHAKRA: Yellow
- is the center of power, ruling a basic fight or flight response
-the issues of self-image, self esteem, the loss of power, creating fear and anger
-associating with issues of control - how we control ourselves, how we control others or how we let ourselves be controlled
-problems can occur here when you constantly give in to the demands of avaricious people: the kind of folks who want your energy, money, property and support with no strings attatched. When you habitually give in to the demands of others you deplete your energy reserves and sense of self.

HEART CHAKRA: Green
-is the realm of love and connecting to others on an emotional level without need or control being the motivating factor
-at this level, we explore empathy and relationships (family, friends, romance, spiritual and unconditional love)
- the bridge between lower and higher chakras
-problems occur here when you are out of affinity with your higher self, if you cannot look at yourself with love, you cannot give or recieve love.

THROAT CHAKRA: Blue
- is the chakra of communication and expressing your ideas, the energy center for speaking also the power of listening
-here we express the will of our lower chakras, giving word and form to things that are often seen as intangible, the expressed will is the power of the magic word.
-problems occur here when your communicationwith others is not clear, direct and honest. We all communicate and grow thru our words and emotional expressions. Let go of unfinished conversations, unspoken thoughts and try to focus on the present.

THIRD EYE/ BROW CHAKRA: Indigo/Purple
-the realm of psychic sight, seeing images of both past, present and future and projecting magical concepts of what you wish to create
-the image of ourselves in action and as a spiritual center and represents trancending the dualities of the world and finding one-ness.
-thru this chakra individual consciousness is expanded into Universal Consciousness and allowed to merge with Universal Mind.
-problems occur in two ways- first- when people want you to see the world their way, whic is considered social conditioning. Second, is when people plug into your personal consciousness and try to see where you are thereby forcing validation. It is the " I want you to see me the way I want to see you" this creates and enormus amount of personal tension- its best to clear your life of people who are incapable of recognizing your individuality.

CROWN CHAKRA: Violet/White
- divinity, spirituality and connection to the Source are all in the realm of the crown chakra
-described as a blinding light, brighter than a million suns or a thousand petaled lotus, the totality of the crown chakra, in many ways, is beyond most human understanding
-located at the top of the head and above and outside the body, this chakra is the idea of unconditional spiritual love and connection to all that we aspire
- it is the soul, the higher self, the divine consciousness
-problems here come from people trying to own or manipulate you. Such situations block communication between you and your higher self. Dont allow others to manipulate you in to a situation where you feel incompetent and without a thought of your own.

PLANES OF EXISTANCE~

Physical plane- root chakra responds to the gross plane of matter - the physical realm- because its needs are of the physical world. Caring for the physical body by getting the food, sleep, shelter and sensation is needed.

Etheric Plane-is the primal pattern which material reality is built, it is like the energetic structure, skeleton or grid.  The elemental planes and nature spirits are said to reside in this realm, close to the material realm, helping to build it- but not a true part of the physical. This is the first layer of the aura, often viewed as a white light around the body. Breaks and injuries can be sensed in the etheric body as weaknesses and escaping energy, even if the physical body has healed.

Astral Plane- is a more fluid and symbolic pattern of the physical. Everything has an astral double, but not everything astral- such as many spirits and entities - has a physical body.  The astral is more maleable to our will, so our self-image is often the appearance of our astral self, not our literal image. Dreams and visions can often occur on the astral level.

Emotional Plane- sometimes referred to as the upper astral, containing the highest and purest of the astral plane.  Here, are the astral connections we build through relationships, empathy and love. Here are the powers of higher creation, where in order to manifest magic, emotion and ideally- love.

Mental Plane- is the realm of ideas and design. Here is where creation is first expressed as a concept, word or form. It is said that the clearer more detatched, spirit teachers- exist on the mental plane, above the more distracting realms.

Psychic Plane- has many alternate names, including the higher mental plane. Here is the realm of psychic energy, where divine power becomes light- the inner psychic light that connects us all. This light radiates thru the planes below and becomes the light of our visons and creations.

Divine Plane- encompasses and permeates all things, in Hermetic Magick - an axion known as the Principle of Mentalism says: "We are all thoughts in the divine mind. We are all divine creations, made of divine energy." On this plane of exisitance, we are all connected and all one. Our divine bodies are all connected and understand eachother implicitly, seeing the pattern of all planes below.


***as to giving credit- I am unsure of where alot of the info came from as I found it in one of my many BOS' and usually, I credit the book and the author at the top of the page (somewhere) and I did not in this case, but parts of the info are from the book: "Secrets Of Modern Witchcraft Revealed" by: Lady Sabrina a much battered and well loved book in my collection - I reccomend it to everyone!  tomorrow we cover a chakra clearing therapy .....
Blessings! E.M./R.A.H

Handmade Spring Incense

You will need the following fresh or dried herbs:
Basil- for love, sex, to purify and protect
Juniper-prosterity, to fulfill dreams
Rose-love, matters of the heart
Vervain-all purpose love, protect and purify
Yarrow-love, protection, to set boundries
Cedar-prosperity
Palm-strength, abundance
Mugwort-protective, psychic energies
Oats- money, prosperity
Vetiver-curse braking attracts money and luck
Myrrh-healing and protective, power booster
Dragonsblood- protective, psychic protection (when added to franincense and myrrh)power booster
Frankinsence-attracts happiness and good health, purifys and drives out evil
Poppy Seeds-dreamy effect
Valerian- protection and love
Ginger- lust
Clove- attracts money
Goldenrod- money
Parsley- love
Rice- luck and love booster
Hi John-booster for money
Flax- beauty
Rosemary- love and lust
Orange peel (dried)- love and money
Bay leaves- money
Sage- protective and cleansing, banishing

*I used  all dried  herbs and once all ingredients are spooned into mortar bowl grind with pestle in clockwise direction until all is finely ground, then lite a charcoal and spoon the incense /herb blend onto the charcoal- use in cauldron or fireproof container.
Obviolusly I was doing an Ostara and spell for love, beauty, romance, and money.
I was astounded at how wonderful the ingredients smelled even before I burned them!
The herbs all have many jobs. I used what I had on hand ( a small spoonfull or a pinch) to make this blend. I love playing around with the herbs and seeing what I can come up with. If you have any of the incense left over -seal it in a clean, labeled and dated (tightly closed) container for another time.
Also you dont have to use every single ingredient I did for this- use what you have. I used orange peel that I dried myself on newspaper after eating oranges in the house. Rose - is dried roses I recived awhile back. Etc. You also can use regular spices that can be found in the stores : basil, ginger, rosemary. etc

12 Steps Of Circle Casting

1) RITUAL MOOD:
set ambiance, self purification , easy lighting( if unable to take prior ritual bath, wash your hands and face under flowing water, then annoint the 3rd eye and wrists with Full Moon Blessed Water)
* full moon blessed water is rain /spring water that you collect and put in a clean tighly closeabe jar, you take the water outside -on the night of a full moon- and look thru the clear jar at the moon and ask Goddess if she will bless it. May or may not contain 3 pinches of salt that were added during ritual,with the tip of the athame scooping salt (3x) into the water ( rain/spring) in the chalice and stirring desoil ( clockwise)*

2) SET UP:
For a solitarty witch - 6 feet in diameter is/of the circle ( if that much space is avail, if not ( like me) work with what you have and try to make a circle around your altar and work /ritual area) ( I personally, don't have 6 ft in my living room because of furniture and such - so I do the best I can and my "circle" is more of an "oval" lol )
You can use a cord/ribbon ,stones,shells, flower petals- to define the circle on the groud in this pysical space.

-Select elemental representations

-Gather supplies for ritual and altar setup

3) Cleanse Sacred/Ritual  Space:
-Sweep with broom
-Smudge with smudge stick or smudge spray
-flick salt charged water - asperger salt charged water ( aspburgering is taking a small herb bundle, with a sitck handle and dipping it into the salt charged water and flicking the water clockwise around a space)
Say Blessing or chant as you cleanse
This is my favorite:
"With this sacred smoke (or whatever method -your choice- is), I cleanse and purify this space making it ready for magick and ritual'
With this sacred smoke, all negative energies are scattered and dismissed and this space is made sacred and holy for my rites."

4) GROUND & CENTER:
-in the circle,stand in the center ( in front of your alter, then turn and) face North.
-hold your hands at your sides or straight upward (in a V)
-hold up your athame/wand in your power hand ( the hand you use (ie: lefty or rightie). Some folks find/teach that the opposite hand of what you are, is actually the power hand. Its up to you- I am a righty and use my right hand for my power hand.
-breathe, clear your mind , ground ( feel your feet attatched to the earth ( even if you are inside-) grow/imagine roots like a tree to the earth from your feet, feel it... and you can also bend for a moment and put your hands to the ground, as well,  feel the vibration of the Earth and you becoming one with it.
-Slowly still breathing in and out - (in thru the nose and out thru the mouth) - feel the old or negative energies released from your feet, up to your genitals, your diaphram, your chest ( heart) and your throat and your third eye and finally,  out the top of your head , would have imagined the breath in was cleansing and the breath out would remove all and any negitivity from the area on your body you are at and working up from the feet- then one last cleansing breath to ensure its all cleansed. ( I like to envison the negativity coming out in a black  tiny particles cloud, but use what ever works for you) on each breath IN you want to breath in white light and when you get to the crown ( top of head area) imagine your whole body being filled/surrounded by white light and a cone (small at top of head and widening at area above you) of white light coming out of the top of your head - this is your openess to spirit. And you have removed all negative stuff that will enter your mind and mess you with - forgive and forget - you are about to do ritual to help with these things - know you're cleansed and ready- and don't stop this until you feel ready. White lite = positive energy!

5) CREATE/CAST YOUR CIRCLE ( of energy):
-Start @North, hold wand/athame visualize the energy you are sending out thru your arem to the  tool (wand/athame) onto the ground as light white/electric blue ( like the bottom of a candle flame).
-walk the circle delsol ( clockwise) 3x. As you walk you will speak an incantation of circel casting.
-when back at North (after third trip around circle) seal the circle, put your arms to your chest (crossing them and laying flat against you)
-speak incantion affirming creation of circle.(repeat the circel incantiation, one last time)
*here are two that I like:*
"Three times 'round I cast my blade, that this circle shall be made,
First, white crescent from the Maiden's brow, Her strength and independance, be here now.
Second, red blood from the Mother's womb,As I weave my life on her starlit loom.
Third, black shadow from the Chrone's abyss, Teaches me with her underworld kiss.
Sacred space, withing the circle now lies, protected from unwelcome eyes.
Let no one enter here within, who has not been made welcome.
So mote it Be"
-OR-
"I conjure and create thee, O circle of power.
Be thout a boundry between the worl of men, and the realm of the mighty ones.
Be thout a sphere of protection to preserve and contain all powers raised withing.
Let now this circle be a place of peace, love and power.
So Mote it Be"
( you can cast the three times around with the firt incantation and then use the second as your afformation when youre back at N)

6) INOVOKE THE ELEMENTS -or- AKNOWLEDGE/CALL THE QUARTERS:
- you can also invoke angels, dragons, elementals( creatures that reside in that element)
- East ( Air -Yellow), South ( Fire- Red), West (Water- Blue), North (Earth- Green)
- Draw and invoking pentagram  A pentagram that is made in the air ( viualize it in that same blue/white lite as the circle, used to invoke the element- and performed a specific way can't be shown in words so plz look it up) ) at eatch point and lite the candle, for each point, as well (before invoke. pent.) lite while you say the incantation and hold the candle up high .
*here are 2 versions that I like:
EAST: lite candle, hold it up and say:
"I light the East, home of the moonlite and consciousness, the realm of Spirit."
( invoking pentagram after you set candle back down)
SOUTH: lite candle, hold it up and say
"I lite the South, home of Fire and inspiration, the realm of awareness"
( set candle down , invoting pentagram)
WEST: lite the candle, hold it up and say:
"I lite the West, the home of the waves of completeness, the realm of our waters beginnings"
(set candle down and invokeing pentagram)
NORTH: lite candle and hold up high say:
"I lite the North , home of all hat is green and fruitful, the realm of rememberance"
( candle down and invoke. pent.)
-OR-
 you will be doing the same actions, but saying something a bit different, still- hold up each candle after lighting it -while you say the incantation and set candle down and draw your invoking pentagram. Again, this will be done at each direction, every time!
EAST: " I call the ancient spirits of the East, powers of Air, where the Sun rises, powers of wonder and imagination, powers of a child's laughter, powers of music and dawn breaking, powers of breezes blowing and butterflies flying, I invite you to this sacred circle, Hail and Welcome!"
SOUTH: " I call the ancient spirits of  the South, powers of Fire, where the Sun is high in the mid-day sky, poweres of passion and determination, courage and devotion, powers of bonfires burning, powers of trial and transformation,powers of high sun and lizards leaping, powers of the desert lionand the phoenix rising,
I invite you to this sacred circle, Hail and welcome!"
WEST: " I call the ancient spirits of the West, powers of Water, where the sun sets powers of love and compassion, of feeling and dreaming, powers of waters flowing, powers of the Mother's womb, powers of deep oceans and gentle rains, powers of the whale and the dolphin swimming, I invite you to this sacred circle, Hail and welcome!
NORTH: " I call on the ancient spirits of the North, powers of the Earth, where mystery dwells, powers of fertility and creativity, of strength and groundedness, powers of the fertile field, powers ot the mighty mountains, powers of the verdant plaines and rich forests, power of the bear and the wolf, I invite you to this sacred circle, Hail and welcome!"
Return East : say " this circle is cast. I am between the worlds."

7) INVOKE GODDESS AND GOD: ( this can be youre chosen pantheon or what you choose corresponding to your ritual /spell work or just general)
*Here is a generalized fave of mine:
"Great Goddess, who dwells within and all around me, Goddess of the shining Moon and the fertile Earth, Goddess of the starry heavens and the infinate womb, Goddess from whom all blessings flow, Bless Your Child."
"Great God, who dwells within and all around me, God of the shining Sun and the fertile forest, God of the stars above and the seed of new life within, God from whom inspiration comes, empower me."

8) PERFORM MAIN RITUAL/SPELL. -or- ESBAT/SABBAT RITE/CELEBRATION

9) GROUND/RITUAL FEAST:
-Cakes and Wine( bless these items by setting them on the altar pentacle for a moment)  or
-Meditate (sit on the ground, breathe and visualize energy flowing thru the body into the hands and then into the ground. Cleanse yourself with a white light, peace and calm.

10) THANK DIETIES, RELEASE THE DIETIES:
- extinguish diety candles and make an offering (small item that the diety your working with would love and put you in that diety's favor - research comes into play here!)
*Thank Dieties, this is one of my fave thank you/release incantations:
"Lord and Lady , I thank you for participating in my rites tonight. As I open the circle and go about my daily life, remain in my heart, watch over me and guide my heart along the paths that are best for me. Blessed Be"*

11) RELEASE THE ELEMENTS:
- draw a devoking pentagram at each point (again look up the process of making invoking and devoking pentagrams)
-begin NORTH - proceed widdershins ( counterclockwise) around the circle: point athame/wand up and say:
*"Hear me, O mighty one, ruler of forest and field, guardian of the Northern portal. I thank Thee for Thy blessings and protection, I bid Thee Hail and Farewell" ( put out N candle and draw devoke. pent)
-move WEST- "hear me, O mighty one, ruler of the mysterious depths, guardian of the Western portal . I thank Thee for Thy belssings and protection. I bid Thee hail and Farewell" ( put out W candle, draw devoke. pent.)
-move SOUTH-say: "Hear me, O mighty one, ruler of the Solar orb, guardian of the Southern portal. I thank Thee for Thy blessing and protection and bid Thee Hail and Farewell" ( put out S candle and draw devoke. pent.) *
move EAST- "hear me o mighty one, ruler of the whirl-winds, guardian of the Eastern portal , I thank Thee for Thy blessing and protection, I bid Thee Hail and Farewell". (put out E candle and draw devoke. pent.)
-or-
Starting East and working your way widdershins ( counter clockwise) around the circle say:
"Thank you for your presence and your blessings, and 'ere you depart for your fair and lovely realms, I bid thee hail and farewell" ( repeat this at each direction: North, West, South, East- stooping at eash to say the incantation and to blow out the candle and draw the devoke. pent at eash spot ) *

12) RELEASE/OPEN THE CIRCLE:
- reverse step 5, stand at center, holding athame/wand to sky, move widdershins ( counterclockwise) and visualize the circles energy ( blue-white lite) being take up into your tool , or send the circle back down into Earth.
* (Carry and illumination candle along with you to seal up circle)Say: " Fire seal the circle 'round, let it fade beneath the ground, let all things be as they were, since the beginning of time"
-or-
"The circle is open, but not unbroken, Merry Meet and  Merry Part, until we Merry Meet again"
-or-
drawing energy up into your chosen too:
Say: " O circle of power that has been a boundry between the world of men and the realm of the Mighty Ones, that has served to protect and preserve, I now release all powers raised within and banish thee, O circle of power, So Mote It Be." *

TIP: if you find yourself in the circle and working ritual and you have to - for some reason-step out of the circle to go and get an item , you take your athame and cut a doorway (top to bottom) in the side of the circle ( make a rectangle that you can fit thru) step out go do what you need to do and once back inside the circle, take your athame and seal up the area you cut (from ground up) and continure your work inside the circle- try not to do this - it takes away focus to what youre doing and isnt reallyoptimal - but we all make mistakes and things happen so if you need to get out go ahead !

Just your basic ritual with some help from several sources that I cant even recall anymore - so you know and it is stated here- I did not make up any of the information - it is all from books and other authors.
This is your basic circle casting and procedure for ritual with a circle. Sme say you never do any type of magick without a circle , others feel that some magick is fine done without tall the ceremony. Its your call, if you arent' feeling well - dont work any magick at all. Your health and a foul mood will  bring those vibes to your work. Good luck and enjoy this step of The Path!