When you’re a new Witch and you’re learning about herbs and their magickal uses one of the big things that you have to be careful of is falling into the trap of baneful herbs.  There are a lot of herbs that you hear about in connection to Witchcraft, like belladonna, that are highly toxic and extremely dangerous to work with when you don’t know what you’re doing.  I’m not going to tell anyone what to do with their herbs; I would certainly be telling a lie if I said I never experimented with baneful herbs in my magick so I’m not going to tell you that you shouldn’t do it!  But you do need to know what you’re doing.

Atropa Belladonna

First let’s talk about what a baneful herb is.  These are plants that are toxic or poisonous.  The herbs we think of most when talking about baneful herbs are those that are connected to the flying ointment recipes of ancient Witchcraft.   Most modern flying ointment recipes have removed any of the baneful herbs and replaced them with herbs that are safe for ingesting or applying to the skin but that might have energetic properties that would be favored in this kind of recipe.  Yet, there are still those Witches practicing in a traditional magickal path that learn to work with the baneful herbs safely and who still use herbs like belladonna in their recipes.

Many herbs have a variety of different folk names that they are known by.  For example belladonna is also known as deadly nightshade or Devil’s berries, among other names.  Here are some of the baneful herbs who you might be familiar with.

Datura
Foxglove
Hemlock
Henbane
Mandrake
Mistletoe
Wolfsbane
Pokeroot
Wild Lettuce
Lily of the Valley
Castor Beans

This is obviously not a complete list, but an example of some of the ones that you may come across a lot in books.  There are some, like wormwood, that are baneful but that we have learned how to work with over time and have discovered that have limits that can be safely worked within.

Aconite

It’s highly advised not to burn these herbs since their fumes are possibly toxic to inhale or to use oils or ointments made with them since the toxins can be absorbed through the skin.  And it should go without saying not to ingest them either.  But if you’re not willing to test the bounds of these herbs, you can still work with them in ritual and meditation through using the herb itself as a talisman or learning to connect with the plant spirit.

I think a lot of people forget that the plant, even the dried leaves of a plant, have a familiar spirit.  We can learn to connect with this spirit in the same way that we connect with the spirit of an animal or crystal in order to work with.  While the depth of how to do this and how to work with these herbs go far beyond what I am going to cover here now, I will say that if you have an interest in learning how to work with plan familiars, including learning how to work with baneful herbs, I would recommend reading “The Plant Spirit Familiar” by Christopher Penczak.

You can start with working as simply as having the herbs safely contained within a bottle or jar on your altar and connecting with energy of the plant by holding the jar or just having it in your space.  I recently made a “Flying Witches Bottle” filled with traditional flying ointment herbs that are baneful herbs and often avoided today.  This is something I’m planning to put up in my shop very soon.  But when I made the bottle I sealed it with silver wax and placed a skull on the top.  The point of this bottle is just to have a way to connect with the essence and energy of flying herbs without having to test the bounds of taking them in through your skin.  You can call on the specific properties of one of these herbs to work with you in whatever magick you’re doing.

My fly agaric bottles.

In the case of many of these baneful herbs they produce toxins that are hallucinogens and they aid in things like astral travel, visions, journey work, and other similar works that takes us off to another plane.  I have two bottle of fly agaric  my altar.  The smaller one with the silver pentacle on it is actually fly agaric in oil and the larger bottle is just the dried mushroom on their own.  I use them when I do journey work the most.  The shamanic aspect of my practice as increased a great deal in the last few years and I have found that working with plants like this one, which is highly toxic and can be quite deadly, can be safely partnered with when used in this way.

Now comes my inevitable warning/lecture.  Do not use these plants and herbs if you don’t know what you’re doing.  That should go without saying but it amazes me just how much it DOES need saying.  I have talked to people over the years who want to know things like “how much mandrake can I use to get high without getting sick” and “how can I make a safe tea with wormwood to have hallucinations?” I just have to shake my head at these.

When I was living in San Diego this really cute herb shop opened up a few blocks from my house called Happy High Herbs.  The shop is actually one of over 30 shops through Australia, the US and the UK.  They focus on herbal alternatives to drugs as well as health and healing herbs, recovery assistance, and aphrodisiacs.  But among those things there are also herbs for spiritual work and spiritual healing.  The shop I would go to had a series of shamanic herbal tinctures for use in meditation and healing.  I was there one night, actually my last trip over there before moving back to Salem, I went to take a look at a these tinctures to buy a few that I knew I wasn’t going to find around here.  I specifically wanted to get a bottle of Peyotl, which does not contain peyote but is a vibrational essence of that plant family, and it’s used for shamanic journey work, as you would imagine.

As I was talking to the woman that owned the shop about line of essences this typical SoCal college wannabe stoner guy comes over because he heard us talking about peyote.  He asked “So will that stuff get you high?  I took peyote once and it made me really sick so I’m not sure I want to do it again but I want to get the high from it.”  While I know it probably wasn’t my place to do it, I couldn’t help but go off the guy a little bit.  I explained to him that despite what he may think, peyote is not a plant for getting high.  It’s a highly spiritual plant that is meant to be taken for specific things.  It’s toxic and that’s why it makes you sick.  But if you approach the plant with the right intention you’re less likely to have a lot of problems with it because the spirit of the plant knows you’re coming to it with respect and the right intention.  When your spirit is not in alignment with the spirit of the plant, you’re not going to be able to work well together.  “So in other words,” I said as he began to get a glazed look come over his face, “if you’re using a sacred plant like peyote, salvia divinorum, or any of these other shamanic herbs to just ‘get high’ you’re not using the plant the way it was meant to be used and you’re not going to get the results you hope for.”  He looked a little surprised and confused all and the same time and the woman that owned the shop looked a little impressed.  She immediately asked me if I lived locally and if I would be interested in teaching classes there but since I was leaving in less than a week that wasn’t going to happen.  Which is a shame because I love being able to talk to people about things like entheogens. (I’m hoping to have time later this year to do some blogging specifically on entheogens.)

So just remember that if your intention is in alignment with the herb and you take the time to connect to the herb you can work with any baneful herb safely either as a talisman or as a plant spirit ally.  Knowing the uses of the herb and the possible dangers of it when it’s ingested is important.   Remember, just because you’re working with the herb energetically doesn’t mean you’ll never run into a problem.  So take your time to study your herbs and know how to work with it.  Developing a relationship with a plant spirit is like developing a relationship with an spirit guide in that it takes time and respect.

Oh…and now that Incubus Sukkubus song. 

I’m working on an article for the premier issue of The Modern Witch Magazine on crafting and working with moon cords.  I love moon cords and I teach cord magick to my students as a standard method of spellwork right after teaching candle magick techniques.  However, I’m always a bit surprised at how many people don’t know anything about it.  It’s so simple and quite effective; personally I find the results to be pretty much like using simple candle magick, which any Witch will tell you with the right level of focus and intent can be quite powerful.  So I make a point to intentionally teach this work.

After working up my quick outline and did a Google Book search to find what books I should go pull from my shelves to look read through.  I ended up grabbing “Earth Magic” by Marion Weinstein (a favorite of mine because it’s an old brown and gold covered book, 4th edition printing, and it just feels nice to hold).  I also got out “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Wicca Craft” by Miria Liguana and Nina Metzner as well as “Lady of the Night” by Edain McCoy.

Marion Weinstein’s book was first published in 1980.  The editions that are out now are called “Earth Magic: A Book of Shadows for Positive Witches”; my edition is “Earth Magic: A Dianic Book of Shadows, a Guide for Witches”.   I did a quick double check with Google Books to make sure my edition was the same as the stuff that was on the site coming from the current edition, and it was.  So I read the chapter eight, “Cord and String Magic”.  It sounded really familiar to me.  I had searched for some cord magick stuff online and found a few websites (here, and then to this site which the previous one sites as a source, and here as well).  What I was reading in “Earth Magic” sounded identical to I’d see over and over on these sites.

Then I pick up the next book, “Wicca Craft”, and turn to page 59 and I almost threw the book to the floor.

Now, first, let me share the first paragraph of the chapter on cord magic from Marion Weinstein’s book.

[box type="shadow"]The idea behind Cord Magic is to embrace and preserve specific attributes of Moon Power which are available during a specific phase of the Moon. These attributes are directed into a length of cord and held there by knots; thus the attributes are available to the Witch at any time. For example, you may want to perform some magic which is appropriate for the Waxing Moon, such as drawing something into your life. Ideally, you would be wisest to wait until after the Moon is New to utilize the most compatible energies for your work. But what if you have good reason not tow wait, and what if -in linear times- up in the sky, the Moon is actually waning? No problem, if you have prepared a New Moon cord! By placing the cord on your altar as you work, you can actually draw upon the New Moon Power at any time of any month.”[/box]

[box type="shadow"]“You can prepare a cord during each phase of the Moon, and thus have available to you the Power of each phase. However, I strongly suggest that you use the cords only when absolutely necessary, and try to work with the phases of the Moon in the sky whenever you can.[/box]

If you’ve looked at those links up above this will sound really familiar to you.  Now look at the first two paragraphs of “Wicca Craft”.

[box type="shadow"]“The idea behind moon cords is to embrace and preserve specific attributes of moon power that are available during a specific moon phase. These attributes are directed into a length of cord and held there by knots; thus the attributes are available to a witch at any time.”[/box]

[box type="shadow"]“For example, you may wish to perform some magick that is appropriate to the Waning Moon. Ideally, you would be wisest to wait until three days after the moon is full to utilize the most compatible energies for your work. But what if you have good reason not to wait, and what if it’s the time of month when the moon is actually waxing? No problem! If you have prepared a Waning Moon cord, you can draw upon the Waning Moon power at any time of any month. You can prepare a cord during each phase of the moon, and have available to you the power of each phase. However, Liguana strongly suggests that you use the cords only when absolutely necessary and try to work with the phases of the moon in the sky whenever you can.” [/box]

Soooo…yeah.  The whole rest of the piece in “Wicca Craft” is essentially the chapter from “Earth Magic” with some words added and others changed around.

Like I said, this doesn’t surprise me.  It’s not as though it’s the first time I’ve been doing reading and research on a topic and come across this kind of plagiarism, but it annoys the crap out of me.  Especially given that in the Craft there are so many books out there and so little new information to be had.  It’s because it’s just really one book that people keep regurgitating and putting back out into the market with a prettier cover and nicer paper.  It’s horrible.

So I just had to point that out because it caused me to stop what I was doing and just have a moment of not only being annoyed but also wondering why so many publishers are so happy to keep putting out rehashed material.  This is why I have the concerns I do about getting my next book project published by a “real publisher” (like I talked about a little while ago after Devin harassed me about it) because it’s not a rehash which means it could be a risk.  Is anyone willing to take a risk anymore or is it seriously just all about the mighty dollar and what sells?

I think part of why absent healing felt like a good place to go is because of the other conversations that have ensued over the last week that have dealt with the idea of magickal ethics.  This is one of those ethical areas that I have a very strong opinion about (we’ll get there in a minute).  In the end I thought it might be a great way to share some of the absent healing techniques that I use when I do healing for someone at a distance.

So first, the basics.  Absent healing is exactly what it sounds like, healing for someone that isn’t present.  A lot of people call this distance healing as well and it’s a very common practice within Reiki.  My traditional Reiki degrees and attunements are in Usui Reiki and there we are attuned to symbols that aid in healing those at a distance, most specifically the second degree or level two symbol of Hon-Sha-Ze-Sho-Nen (as seen over on the right).  The shape is said to be designed to resemble both a temple or house as well as the human body.  This symbol is used for other things too, including viewing the Akashic Records and past, present, future healing.  It can be used for channeling energy into a past life or past situation for healing, working on someone in the present at a distance, and working to send healing to a situation that is expected in the future (I’ve used this for a friend who had an impending divorce among other things).

The general idea with working with absent healing is that, regardless of space and time, energy can go anywhere, including the past and the future.  If someone is half way around the world you can still work healing on them by directing your energy, charged with your intent, and have it work on them just as though they were present in your own room.  While I believe very strongly in the idea of energy has no bounds, I am also still a bit of a cynic and a skeptic at times.  When I do healing work on someone at a distance I always wonder what is or isn’t going to happen for them when they have that experience.  And I’m often amazed at the things friends or clients will tell me.

Those pesky ethics.
So, let’s talk about the ethics part.  This is the part that I’m really big on because healing isn’t always the positive magick that people often think it is.  The first and most important part of a healing spell or ritual or any kind is getting the person’s permission.  Healing and illness/injury is about far more than the obvious on the physical plane.  These are healing and transformation opportunities for the individual.  If the person is a magickal person or someone that is just in tune with the spiritual, they most likely know this and they will be able to tell what the illness or injury has manifested.  If you ask someone like this for permission to work on them they will be very specific in their answer (most often).  However if you’re looking at someone who is not aware of these things as you are and you see them suffering and you want to help, again, ask for permission.  Most people will say yes, but on the off chance that someone said no, depending on your ethics in general with spell work, you’re going against their free will.  Even though it’s for healing and you may see this is a good and positive thing, if they don’t want it done, don’t do it.

My reasons for being so big on this is that there are lessons to be had in sickness and healing.  Some people are not meant to be healed from an illness or injury; this may be their last trial before entering the next life.  It may also just be that there is something for them to learn in this experience that they might otherwise not discover.  I have likened this to the workaholic who ends up getting carpal tunnel and can’t work for a month because of treatment, surgery, and recovery.  This person may have been so addicted to work that they hadn’t taken a day off in a year and their family was feeling neglected.  By having this month where they can’t work, or at least not to the extent that they have in the past, they are somewhat forced to focus on other things.  This can lead to a huge turn around in how they view their work-home life balance.

We could also be dealing with someone who has fallen suddenly ill and is in the hospital with a bad prognosis and it’s just not looking like they’ll make it.  Just because you will miss them or you’re not ready for them to go doesn’t mean they aren’t.

This also brings me to a question that I get asked (and many, many years ago asked one of my teachers myself).  “What about if the person is in a coma or otherwise unresponsive?”  If you’re advanced enough in your psychic skills you can do a journey to have your Higher Self meet with that person’s Higher Self and ask for permission that way.  You will always get some sort of answer.  But I do make this caution, if the person is able to respond you must do as they have instructed, even if you disagree.  Just because someone turns down your offer for help doesn’t mean you should run to their Higher Self for a “double check”.

Working absent healing.
Working on someone who is absent is not terribly difficult.  As Witches we have many different tools at our disposal for this, and you don’t need to be attuned to Reiki to use them.  If you have Reiki skills then by all means, use them as part of your magick!  But you don’t have to feel that you can’t work absent healing if you are not a Reiki initiate.

The first thing you will need is the person’s name, location, age, and a synopsis of the situation.  You want to know what is wrong with them, how they fell ill, any medical diagnosis, and any projected prognosis.  Remember that magick is not a substitute for medicine!  Always work healing magick with someone who is getting the proper medical treatment too.  Of course, if you’re working on healing someone with a cold, that’s one thing, but if the person is telling you they have a major illness like cancer and they aren’t seeing a doctor and coming you to instead, advise them on seeing a medical doctor and then coming to you.  Knowing the prognosis will be able to help you work more effective magick.

The focus of your magick should always be on the final outcome and not a generic “feel better” sort of thing.  You may very well help them feel better but that may just mean they feel a bit better than yesterday but they’re still sick.  See them 100% healthy, relieved of all their medical issues, up and walking about, doing the things they love with ease.

Long term illnesses need long term magick.  Whatever method you decide to use, know that you may need to repeat what you do.  Be sure to take notes and keep records, and determine ahead of time if your work will need to be repeated daily, weekly, monthly, etc.

Aside from Reiki, which we talked a little about, there are three other ways of doing absent healing that I do (and one of these actually applies to how I work my Reiki healing as well).  These are sending light, working with candles, and working with poppets or proxies.

Sending Light
This is a simple method that anyone with a basic level of meditation and visualization skill can do.  Here you want to pick a color most appropriate to the healing that is needed.  You can use a general healing color such as green, blue, gold, or white.  You can pick a color that is related to the chakra that is either located in the area of the injury or that is related to the organs that may be affected by the illness.

Get into a meditative state and visualize the person standing in front of you.  See them completely and see them in their natural state (i.e. if they are always sick, see them sick…if they are usually healthy see them healthy).  Then begin to visualize a light above them, like a sun that is sitting about two or three feet above their head.  See this ball of light glow in your chosen color and see it get bigger and bigger with each breath as you exhale.  When you get to the point where the ball is big enough that it is, width wise, as large as the person, visualize it springing a leak.  As it leaks it rains down light in the color you have chosen.  See this light absorb into their bodies and their aura.  Begin to see their aura starts to glow and reflect this color as well.  See it become part of them.  When you get to the point that they are completely surrounded in this color, see the rain stop.  Watch them for a few moments and visualize the color of their aura and the healing light becoming one.  The healing light absorbs into their body and starts to work on the inside.  You can release your visualization with a prayer or blessing.

I use this method a lot and it’s one of my absolute favorites.  Simple, easy to do anywhere or any time, and ideal for absent healing work.  If you’re working healing on someone over a period of days, weeks, or months and you know that you want to send a little energy to them each day, this is a great way to do it.

Candles
This is a favorite among Witches for healing work; we do so love our candles!  You can get quite elaborate with this if you wish or you can keep it simple.  I like to use a figure candle in either green or blue and mark X’s on the spots affected by whatever is happening.  I’ll then carve their name in the base, anoint in a healing oil, and burn over time, usually about 20 minutes a day until it burns down.

Another way to do this is to use just a votive or taper candle, carve the person’s name in it and what needs healing.  Anoint with oil as desired.  Here I like to add a picture of the person; I use a green marker and draw over them an equal armed Solar Cross and then place it under the candle.  I then use a blend of herbs, usually designed for the specific illness or problem, and create a circle of herbs around the whole thing.  This I let burn straight down.

In either case, while the candle is burning, I do working to create a Cone of Power (that will be coming in a C week…*grin*) and then direct it to the person while the candle burns for them.

Working With A Proxy
This is probably one of the biggest aspects of absent healing for a lot of people.  We often need something to see or touch to do our work and using a proxy is the way to do this.  One form of magickal proxy that many are familiar with are poppets, also called Voodoo dolls.  Despite what horror and thriller films of the 1960s tried to teach the world about Voodoo, these dolls were not created with the intention of causing harm to anyone.  They were originally used for this very purpose, for helping to heal the sick.  The idea is that the doll is crafted to represent the person that needs healing and then through the use of sympathetic magick the healing work and acts of healing are performed on the doll so as to effect the person.

Making a poppet requires a little sewing skill (though you can also use wax, clay, dough, or other molding mediums if you wish).  Sew together a generic gingerbread man figure in a color for healing, most commonly white will be used but use the color you feel called to use.  Stuff with a cotton stuffing and then add herbs for healing (I have a doll someone made for me that is ONLY stuffed with herbs; certainly you can do this too if you wish).  Then add to the doll what are called “personal concerns”.  These are also sometimes called tags or taglocks; they are things belonging to the person the doll is designed to represent which carry their energy such as hair, nail clippings, or a piece of handwriting or clothing.  Place these into the doll and sew it closed.

The poppet can then be used in a great number of ways.  The most popular and probably most common is to stick blessed and charged pins in the areas of the body that need healing.  These pins are meant to send a very direct and purposeful dose of healing energy to the absent party.  When placing the pins do it with power, intent, and love.

You can also use these poppets in a proxy form for Reiki or sending light.  I have also used stuffed animals for proxies as well.  I had a friend who had a four foot tall teddy bear that she used as her Reiki proxy when doing absent Reiki sessions or people.  In this case, like with Reiki, you would name the proxy for the person, visualize them and the proxy as one, and then work the hand positions and healing work on the proxy with the intention of affecting the actual person.

Absent healing is a really great and wonderful skill that can be really useful.  There are a few other forms I use too but I’ll talk about them in future weeks (like crystal healing and how to use that for absent healing). It can be used on people, pets, situations, and places.  But again, I can’t help but stress the need to get permission before doing work.  By connecting with your Higher Self you can also connect with the spirits of a place, of an animal, and of a situation or people in the situation, to get guidance as to how you should proceed, or if you shouldn’t do anything at all.  Always take those permissions as sacred orders.

All the details can be found on The Pagan Blog Project page here on the site.  I have also established a Facebook group in order to help facilitate a place for discussion, community, and support.  This is especially great for those who are new to blogging and might feel they need a little encouragement or help with the technical side.  You’ll also find that by being part of this group and learning about what other Pagan bloggers are participating you’ll be able to find new blogs to read and meet other Pagans who may be exploring and walking a similar path. And there is also a weekly newsletter to give you ideas and inspiration along the way while keeping you on track with your posts.

I highly encourage those who participate in this challenge to let the world know by displaying a badge on your page (found at the bottom on the PBP page) and following those who are doing this as well.  On Friday’s when people are making their posts as part of the Project, visit their pages and comment on their posts!  You may find that the person’s post that week is a reflective one with questions or seeking help or advice and you may know just what to suggest.  You may find that they did a research post that week and you learned something you never knew and you want to thank them for their work.

The idea with this year long initiative is to spend the time researching, studying, exploring and reflecting on our paths while taking the time to express our spirituality in a written form.  But don’t let that make you feel limited!  You’re welcome to express yourself in photos, videos, art, and audio as well!  The point is that it’s Pagan and it’s your expression of your path.

Let’s make 2012, a year that many feel will be a spiritual turning point for the world, a time for the Pagan community to come together and encourage one another while deepening our own connection to our magick and the Gods!

This year I thought that for the blog I would share a ritual, well really part of a ritual, that I write for my coven for Yule in 2005.  We did this ritual in the dead of winter.  It was so cold and snowy that winter and I remember it just being freezing as we stood in the living room of my 1940s cottage home that lacked insulation.  But the ritual was beautiful and the Yule feast afterward was fantastic.  I have noted all the steps that we took in the ritual but haven’t outlined them all with specifics so that you can add your own personal twists to it if you like.  Everyone has their own ways of setting their sacred space (casting circle, calling the quarters/Watchtowers/Wards/etc) and I wanted to honor that here by leaving these steps open.

Raven’s Hearth Coven 2005 Yule Ritual  by Rowan Pendragon
- Grounding Meditation

- Besom Sweep

- Challenge and Anointing
(for those unfamiliar with this step, this is presenting each participant with a spiritual challenge before allowing them into the ritual space and then anointing them as they enter.  This is often something to the effect of “Do you enter this sacred space with an open mind and an open heart?”  Or it can be specific to the traditions, ritual, or event.  After the person responds in the affirmative they are anointed in whatever manner you choose with either blessed water or a ritual oil.)

- Circle Casting

- Calling the Quarters:

- Blessing the Water and Sealing the Circle
(During this portion the salt and water are blessed and combined and then the whole circle is aspurged with the holy water in order to set the circle and seal the space.)

- Deity Invocation
Goddess
Great Mother Goddess,
As you prepare to give birth to the Sun God,
We call to you!

In the depths of winter when all seem lost in slumber,
We call to you!

With trust that from your holy womb of night
The Sun God will return once again,
We call to you!

Mother Goddess, your children call you forth!
We seek your guidance in our rites
And your blessings on our work.
Hail and Welcome!

God
Great God of the Sun,
You shine dimly now and your children long for your return.
We have watched your time grow short
And now we await your rebirth.

From the Mother’s dark womb and wintery earth
We know you shall return as you have many times before.
God of the Sun,
We call to you!

We hail your rebirth and call you back to us!
Bless us with your return!
Hail and Welcome!

- Sabbat Observance

(Light the Sun candle and walk around the circle deosil raising it higher and higher until it is overhead, then continue to walk lowering it until it is waist height while saying:)

The God was born and grew in strength.
He joined with the Goddess and provided the harvest
And granted His children a sacrifice so that we may live.

(extinguish candle)

It is mid-winter, the shortest day of the year, and we know that the sun is gone from us.
We all die like the Sun God.
And like him we shall be reborn again and again.

(light the Sun candle)

Let us call back the Sun and rejoice in His rebirth.

(Everyone take candle from the basket that is passed and takes a moment to change the candle with blessings for the return of Sun and the returning light and warmth to the earth.)

(Starting in the east each people, moving deosil, comes and lights their candle from the flame of the Sun candle and places it on a spot around the Sun candle.  Ideally each person should place their candle in front of their position in the circle so they know which candle is theirs to light from for the next portion of the ritual.)

Chant – Infinite Sun

We are one with the infinite sun
Forever and ever and ever

(After all candles are lit and the energy is sufficient, the chant stops but the energy raised is now redirected towards the cauldron in front of the altar.)

As we have called for the rebirth of our God and the Sun,
We too shall each be reborn in at least on aspect we have chosen tonight.

On your parchments you have each placed something that you wish to return to the Goddess to be taken within Her cauldron, a symbol of the Mother’s womb, and ask that She make way for new growth in your life.

You need not tell anyone what you are giving back to Her, for She knows what is in your heart.

Light your parchment from the candle you placed on the Sun Wheel and toss it into the cauldron, adding a few pinches of the releasing herbs on the altar to the flames.

Know that as the parchment burns in the cauldron with the herbs placed upon it,

The smoke that rises carries your wishes to the Gods and the Spirits of the Universe to do what is most correct for you.

Chant – Cauldron Chant

Cauldron of Changes
Blossom of bone
Arch of Infinity
Hole in the stone.

(Once everyone has tossed their parchment into the cauldron and have taken their places back in circle, everyone joins hands and continues to chant until all the flames in the cauldron have died down and the energy has been properly raised.  Everyone, while hands raised, reaches up to the sky and releases the energy by letting go with their palms facing up…seeing the energy being set free to the Universe.)

- Cakes and Ale
(cakes and ale are blessed.  A libation made to the bowl for the Gods)

“We have come together today and given our blessings to Sun God as He beings His return.  As we wait in darkest, on this the longest night of the year, we know that the Mother will keep us warm in Her embrace and that the God will awaken the earth with His light once more.”

(cakes and ale are then passed to those in circle with the blessing “May you never hunger.  May you never thirst.”)

- Farewell to the Gods:

Goddess
Great Mother Goddess,
We thank you for being with us this night
And we thank you for aiding in our rites and
Hearing our prayers.
As you return to your realms
We ask you keep us close and safe through this mid-winter.
Stay if you will but go if you must.
Hail and Farewell!

God:   
God of the Sun
We have begun to sing you back home
And we await the arrival of the light once more.
As you make your journey
Know that your children always trust in your return.
Carry with your our blessings of love and peace.
Stay if you will but go if you must.
Hail and Farewell!

- Releasing the Quarters

- Release the Circle

At this time of the year we’re celebrating and honoring the return of the Sun (and the Son in the form of the God). While there are several cards in the tarot that are appropriate for this time of year, there is none more-so than The Sun card.  In the Rider Waite Smith version of the card we see a baby, often said to represent the Child of Hope and Light, riding a white horse carrying a red flag with a bright and glorious sun in the background.  The stone wall with the sunflowers that he is seated in front of traditionally represents the blocks and hurdles that we have had to climb over and reach beyond in order to get to our spot in the sunlight.  How wonderful as an affirmation of the Winter Solstice!

When we place The Sun card on our altars and make it part of the focal points of our Yule rituals, it can help us to find a focus for the energy that we are calling back.  During the winter, especially if you live someone that really lives out that cold, winter weather, it can be hard to imagine the sun at all.  When you don’t see the sun too often and you don’t feel its warmth or see its light it can be hard to feel that energy to call it back.  This card can help with that a bit.

Here are a few other Sun cards from other decks…

Pick out The Sun card from your favorite deck of tarot.  If you don’t have a deck print out one of the images above or find a Sun card from a deck that you find appealing and print that out for your altar.  Place your card in the center of your altar along with a candle of a fire/sun color (yellow, gold, orange, or red).  Take a few moments to look at your card and really put yourself into the scene in the card.  Feel the rays of the sun shining down on you, warming your skin.  Breathe deep and smell the scent of warm grass and dirt on a summer day after the rains have come and gone and the sun is drying things again.  Feel the power of the sun and the life it creates and supports.  Then bring yourself back to this cold and dreary winter season and know that you will once again feel that sun on your skin again soon as now is the time that it is reborn to the earth.

Light you candle and chant the following:
Return O Sun
Return O Lord.
Bring back the light
And light restored!

Let your candle burn down through the night of Yule to help guide the Sun and the God back through the cold and dark earth.

This is one of those things that I have always considered part of the Mysteries, part of learning to know and understand the Goddess on a deeper level.  We often think of the Goddess in a triple aspect, as being Maiden, Mother, and Crone.  We see her as the Maiden at spring, Mother in the fullness of the summer, and then Crone during the dying season.  But in the heart of that dying season, during the time when things are as barren as they can be, the Goddess becomes Mother again, but she is the Dark Mother.  She is the Mother Goddess who holds deep within all the knowledge and wisdom of the Crone and has risen from the Underworld to give birth to that wisdom and light manifest as the Young God.  She only comes to us during this dark night, a night that in some traditions is called Mother Night to honor the powerful and essential role that the Dark Mother plays in the solstice.

So while we see the Crone at Samhain she hasn’t left us yet.  It’s not until after her final sacrificial act, the act of giving birth to the Child of Light, the Young God, do we see her fully depart for a time to rest.  While the Goddess is still with us she is far removed from us for a time to gather her strength and to become full of life once again.  We will see her return at Imbolc when it’s time for her to help usher in new life in a different way, by helping the first animals and first flowers begin to stir with life from within.

If this all seems somewhat confusing and a little head-trippy, consider this.  The Mysteries of the Craft are not things that you an learn from a book.  In fact, the Craft itself can only be partially learned through study since this is a path of experience.  In order to truly experience the path of the Witch and to truly walk with Gods one must connect and experience things.  This Yule might be the time for you to step back and take time to connect to and experience the Dark Mother in her short time here.

Here is a small candle rite you can do to honor the Dark Mother and the return of the Young God for Yule.  This is something you can add and adapt to your existing ritual work since it is only a small act of honoring for the Goddess.  It is something that I wrote a long time ago and have done at Yule with my own coven for a number of years as part of a greater Yule ritual.

You Will Need:
1 small black candle
1 small white candle
1 small gold or yellow candle

If you wish to dress the candles you can do so with Yule ritual oil that is made with the intention of honor the return of the Sun God.

Place the candles in holders or fixed to a plate or other surface with wax in the following order:  black to the left, white in the center, gold or yellow to the right.

Before lighting the candles take a moment to center and think about the implications of this night.  Think of the Goddess in a state of heavy pregnancy and ready to give birth.  She is in labor and all the world stands still and quite, watching over her and waiting with bated breath for the moment of birth to occur.

Light the black candle and say:
As we wait for the return of the light, we are surrounded in a shroud of darkness.
As we watch vigil over the Dark Mother on this night, we await the birth of the Sun God.
As we breath in the cold air we feel the pains of the Mother’s labor.
As we hold our breath waiting for the moment of birth to arrive we shun the darkness.

Blow out the black candle and contemplate the release of the darkness in favor of the light.  Then light the white candle and say:

Arise Dark Mother and give birth to the Child of Light!
Come and bring the Sun back to our lives!
Let the earth once again feel warmth of the God!
The light is returning!
The light is returning!
The light is returning!

Chant these last few lines over and over until you feel the energy has risen to a fever pitch.  Imagine as you do this that you, and anyone else that you may be working with, are surrounding the Goddess as she is about to give birth and this is the chant that you are reciting to both sooth and urge her on.  Your voice is strong, positive, reassuring, and it reminds her of why she is enduring this pain; to bring the light and the life back to her children.

When you feel you have reached the moment of the God’s birth throw your hands up in the air, let out a wail or a scream.  If you’ve really raised the energy with this chant you wont be able to help it and changes are it will happen naturally without you having to think about it.  When this happens YOU have given birth!  You have helped give birth to the energy of the God and the Sun!  That scream was a birth from within your Goddess self to the world.

Now light the gold or yellow candle and say:
Behold!  The God has returned!
The Goddess has birthed the Sun God, the Child of Light!
Let the world sing, let the stars shine!
The God is once again alive and within the earth!

SO MOTE IT BE!

Let your white and gold candles burn down and leave an offering for the Goddess to refresh herself with before she returned to her slumber until Imbolc.  Offerings of nourishing foods, cold fresh water, and even snow if you have some at your disposal, are perfect to be placed on the altar before the candles.  Now is a great time for drumming and celebration as part of your rituals.

When a full moon and an eclipse happen together the powers of rebirth are especially strong.  Considering that we’re also coming into a time of year where rebirth is part of our magickal themes this is a good time to also consider some magick of that sort such as re-dedications and renewal to your path and spirituality as well as personal projects.

This is also the Full Oak Moon in Gemini which brings a time for healing, uncrossing, and working with communication issues.  With the eclipse energy it would be a great time for the uncrossing work especially, but it’s also a good time to try and put issues to bed and really just prepare to move forward in a positive manner.  What a wonderful affirmation for those who, during this holiday season, might be dealing with some of the common family tensions that come with this time of year.

Some suggestions for magick tonight:

• banishing and releasing work to rid yourself of bad habits and things that are holding you back from reaching your goals
• adding that last boost to existing magick you may have been working on (it’s a good time to send added energy and an extra push toward your goals)
• divination work to try and see answers to particularly cloudy situations
• meditation work to connect to and commune with the shadow self
• drawing on triple strength and power for change
• re-dedication to your path and the power of positive forward motion

There is no Moon Void of Course times for today so you’re free to work your magick on 10th when you need to.  The moon will go VOC on Sunday the 11th from 2:41am until 2:11pm eastern time.  So be sure to work your magick on Saturday with the moon phase and the eclipse!

One of these forms is one that many of us could utilize in every ritual or even on a daily basis through a simple act that many of use do regularly.  It’s called Libanomancy, also sometimes called livanomancy, livanomancy, or knissomancy,  the act of divination through the observation and interpretation of incense smoke.  The signs of messages and information are drawn off of the pops, flares, crackling sounds and the various patterns found within the rising smoke.  Manuals detailing the signs and their meanings and well and the methods employed to do this form of divination date back to about 2,000 -1,600 BC and originated from Mesopotamia eventually traveling to Egypt and Europe.

In one of these original transcripts giving such information, “Three Collated Libanomancy Texts” (which was translated by Irving L. Finkel in 1983-1984) lists some of these recommended ways to read the incense.

1. If when you sprinkle the incense, its flame burns smokily, your army will defeat an enemy.
2. If when you sprinkle the incense, it stops short, and afterwards its flame burns smokily, an enemy will defeat your army.
3. If when you sprinkle the incense, (the smoke) goes to the right and does not go to its left, you will prevail over your adversary.
4. If when you sprinkle the incense, (the smoke) goes to its left and does not go to its right, your adversary will prevail over you.
5. If when you sprinkle the incense, (the smoke) goes to the east and does not go towards the crotch of the diviner, downfall for your adversary.
6. If when you sprinkle the incense, (the smoke) goes towards the crotch of the diviner and does not go to the east, your adversary will prevail over you.
7. If when you sprinkle the incense, (the smoke) goes equally in all directions: equal weapons.
8. If when you sprinkle the incense, (the smoke) clusters: success: the man will enjoy profit wherever he goes.
9. If the top of the incense(-smoke) is fragmented: there will be financial loss and loss of cattle in the man’s estate. (Next line 9a too damaged for translation)
10. If the top of the incense(-smoke) is cleft (in two): madness.
11. If the top of the incense(-smoke) is cut off: the man will experience hard times…
12. If the top the incense(-smoke) (looks) like the brickbasket of Šamaš: there will be di’u disease in the man’s household.
13. If the top of the incense(-smoke) gathers like a date-palm and is thin (down) at its base: hardship will seize the man.
14. If the incense(-smoke) after a while is constricted: hard times will befall the man.
15. If the incense(-smoke) after a while pushes through and gets out: the man will pull through hard times.
16. If the incense(-smoke) pushes through to the east and gets out: the man will pull through hard times.

While many of these specific translations might not pertain to us today (I’m sure many of us aren’t too worried about whether our armies are going to defeat an enemy, we can certainly modify these meanings, taking their essence, and rewording and reworking them to make them more relevant.

The best kinds of incense to use for this sort of divination is loose incense that is cast on burning coals.  Using incense that includes seeds, especially hemp, fennel and coriander seeds, and salt peter, also known as Vesta Powder, allows for more than just divination based on the smoke itself but allows for the pops and flames of flame to be interpreted as well.  When you use cone or stick incense you can always work with any changes in burn patterns, if the incense goes out suddenly etc.  When using loose incense that uses just herbs you may occasionally get some pops or flares but you can instead utilize the patters in the smoke as well as any images that you may see in the pile of herbs as they burn on the coals utilizing the same techniques often used in water, fire or mirror scrying.

If you enjoy creating your own incense you can pick herbs and seeds that might either pertain to the specific type of question that you have or one designed specifically for divination.  Take a few moments to focus on your question or questions while the coals warm, asking for the Spirits, Guides and Gods you work with to guide your divination.  Then when you’re ready toss a good amount of incense on the coals.  You want to be sure to use enough to allow it to burn for a few minutes to give you time to divine from it; a small pinch will not be enough for this, and because of that it is advisable to work in a well ventilated area but being careful not to be working right by a window or outdoors since the wind can play a factor.

Some interpretations used today include:

1. One pop for “yes”.
2. Two quick pops together for “no”.
3. Silence (no pops if you have incense with seeds that should pop) for “answer unclear”.
4. If the smoke quickly moves away from you it can indicate either a negative outcome or things moving away from you.
5. If the smoke quickly moves toward you it can indicate either a positive outcome or things moving toward you.
6. If the incense goes out before it should it can indicate that now is not the time to  ask this question.
7. Look for shapes in the smoke and interpret them much like in tea leaf reading.

Try using this method of divination at your next Esbat or Sabbat rituals.  It’s a simple method that you can customize and personalize to your own needs, working with your chosen Gods and Spirits, and making part of your personal tradition no matter what your spiritual practice is.

What is an amulet?
Amulets are one of the oldest magickal items that we know of.  For thousands of years they have been used to help protect individuals, the homes and even other objects.  Amulets are objects, often worn as ornamentation or used to appear decorative in the home, which have been enchanted with spells or charged with energy, with the specific purpose of protecting someone or some place from evil, harm or negative forces and energy.

An amulet for protection from the Evil Eye.

One of the most well known curses, the Evil Eye, has had amulets employed to protect against it for centuries.  Believed to be nothing more than a look with biting ill intent, the Evil Eye is thought to cause injury, bad luck, even death.  Many feel that if someone holds a powerful feeling of jealousy, envy or dislike for someone they can easily cast the Evil Eye upon them with this look of ill will.  While the belief in the Evil Eye is strongest in places like the Middle East, parts of Asia, Africa and Europe, the belief came to the new world with slaves and immigrants and now you can find people all over the world using and wear amulets designed to ward off or even deflect the power of this curse.

In the case of the Evil Eye there are several symbolic items used and today we often find them together as a single amulet including the eye, the hand, and the horseshoe.  Often you will find two of these together, most commonly the eye placed within a hand.  It combines the traditional Turkish all-seeing eye charm, a symbol of protection from the Supreme Being, placed within a down facing hand, an Arab symbol known as the hamsa hand, hamsa meaning “five” and referring to the fingers on the hand.  The history of the hamsa hand is quite interesting and has been attributed to Jewish and Islamic traditions as well, however archaeological evidence seems to suggest that the down-turned hand as a protective symbol predates Judaism and Islam, suggesting that it is an ancient Middle Eastern symbol of the hand of a Goddess reaching out to offer protection and guidance.

So when we are talking about an amulet we are talking about an object that is mainly worn on the body, it can be in the form of a necklace, bracelet, pin, etc, and is charged with the specific act of protection.  It is means to protect and repel negative, evil and unwanted forces.

What is a talisman?
In the case of a talisman, we are talking about an object that has been crafted with the intention of drawing something to the user.  This can be an object charged and enchanted to draw power, good luck, improved health, or any other similar objective.  The main idea is that with a talisman you are working to draw something toward you. The other and somewhat less crucial piece here with a talisman is that it is an object believed to hold magickal power in and of itself.  This is often the definition seen related to talismans in fiction and even in some historical texts.  And while this may be part of the history of the talisman, and we certainly do see these objects as magickal, today’s modern use is mainly defined as an object created to draw a specific energy or quality to the user.

A talisman worn to draw money to the individual.

Another way that talismans and amulets differ is that while an amulet can be a more general item, like the mass produced and largely recognizable items talked about above (the St. Christopher metals that many people use for protection during travel is another example of a common amulet), a talisman is more person and is tailor made for the individual, or more likely by the individual themselves, for their specific needs at a specific time, such as during a full moon or with the moon in a specific astrological alignment.  Many times a talisman will be made using natural objects such as rocks, feathers, metals and woods, or they can be simply drawn on parchment.  Sigils are sometimes used as markings on rocks or parchment as part of a talisman.

Another form that a talisman can take, and one that many modern practitioners work with at some point, is what we often refer to as a sachet; a small piece of cloth or a small cloth “spell bag” that is filled with specific herbs, stones, parchment sigils or markings, and other meaningful objects, which have been cleansed, blessed and charged together for a specific purpose.  Love sachets are very common.  These often consist of a small red bag, a mixture of herbs related to love such as rose, jasmine, mandrake, and clove, a heart shaped piece of red silk, and a piece of parchment with your name, your astrological symbol and a drawing of two entwined hearts.  The items are all charged and blessed, placed within the bag and the bag is then sewn closed with red string while words of blessing and intent are chanted over the bag to seal and charge it.  The bag is then often carried with the person on their receptive side of the body (e.g. the left side for someone that is right handed).  It can be carried in a pocket or pinned to the inside of a jacket or pants.

The debate about amulets and talismans
There are a few other definitions for amulets and talismans and the two terms are often used interchangeably which can lead to confusion about what sort of object does what.  While in a roundabout way it can be argued that through the very act of protection and warding an amulet draws something to the user, this is not its main objective.  And the reverse can be said of a talisman; while a talisman is doing its job of drawing something to an individual, like in the case of a talisman for good luck, it does somewhat repel bad luck; but again this isn’t its main objective.

Raymond Buckland, in his book “The Complete Book of Witchcraft” has a very different take on amulets and talismans.  He states that an amulet is a natural object, such as a stone or crystal, especially the often talked about “Holy Stones” or “Hag Stones” which is simply a stone with a naturally occurring hole in the center.  Buckland states that an amulet cannot be created and can only be adopted and that if an amulet is engraved and consecrated (e.g. taking a stone from the ocean and carving a sigil for protection on it) it would then become a talisman.

With regards to a talisman, Buckland gives these the definition of a man-made object which has been empowered with magickal energy, especially for either warding off evil or drawing good luck.  He then states that the most common form of a talisman is that of a metal disc worn as a pendant which is often two sided; one side holds the objective of the talisman while the other is personalized by the wearer.

Definitions from Webster’s Dictionary state that an amulet is a charm worn around the neck to protect against evil while a talisman is something with an engraving of figures or symbols to bring good luck and keep evil away and can be a ring or stone.

So while some definitions will vary the essence of the objects are still the same.  An amulet is used to protect and repel negativity while a talisman is used to draw in energy.  Both can be object that can be worn or placed in the home or other space based on what or who it is meant to protect.  And, regardless of which you use or create, your personal interaction in key to the success of the object.

The importance of intention
Whether you’re working with an amulet or a talisman visualization, intention and energy are extremely important.  These objects all need to be given a specific charge and a specific magickal direction which is done through either the act of blessing and charging in the case of an amulet or during its creation in the case of a talisman. With a talisman, creating and working with a ritual to help set its intention is the best way to activate it.  A simple ritual cleansing, blessing and charging is usually all that is needed in the case of amulets.  However, as with all other magickal procedures, research and experiment with things that you feel drawn to but know that the purpose and goal here is to ensure that you are using clear visualization and intent with your objects.