Daily tarot spread.

What was on my mind -my job and what to do. Too many hours and yes the money is worth it but its taking me away from my family and home responsibilities. My young daughter needs me.

7 of pentacles (upside down)- don't overburden yourself to make ends meet. Be patient.

Ace of cups- (up) don't rely on others opinions to be the voice of reason. Know when to say no and say no.

The world (down)- put faith in yourself and pamper yourself sometimes. Seek happiness in what you do. If you don't know what that is remember that it takes time. Resolutions come slowly but when they arrive it will be worth the wait.

My Thoughts on the spread- 

Basically if I'm not happy with my job do something else. Find something else you would rather enjoy.

 I keep hearing whispers in my ear saying child care. Which makes sense. I would be able to take my daughter with me to work and shed be able to learn and grow and be with other kids. 

In the mean time before I make the switch.... learn to say no when something is becoming overwhelming. My job can be very demanding and overwhelming and don't overburden yourself. If you can't do something or are not willing to then don't. Also be patient with clients

Life Update.

So its been 5 years since I wrote in this book of shadows.

My life hasnt been easy and has been full of shadows and changes.

I got my heart broken again around that time I stopped writing and practicing. Part of me died because the person I loved the most was ripped from my life because of my own doings.

I've spent a long time recovering and feeling dead... I'm still recovering but I want to start practicing my faith again... I'm tired of feeling dead. I want life back in my spirit again.

My faith has changed. I've rediscover the Christian path but still believe in many of the earth based religious practices. I will post a blog about this later.

I'm basically a christopagan and witch.  I also have undergone alot of changes. I was under the season of maidenhood when I started this book of shadows.

I now have an almost 2 year old daughter and a husband. So I have crossed over to the season of motherhood.

This next stage of life has really changed me. I'm changing and growing in ways I didnt even know I could. My life is not all about me anymore.

The level of selflessness I have come to know tries my patience and I often have failures and melt downs. I am so thankful my husband can help me pick myself back up.

I feel like such a biginner at all of this. Starting a new faith...starting a new blog and basically a whole new life. Anywho. I thought I'd post an update about me. I may be changing my blogs name or starting a new blog under a new account.

However I'm mostly thinking of just revamping the old. It has alot of my stuff already in here that I can reread for my new beginner status.

Homemade Pendulum

I made myself a pendulum with Hemp and various mini stones and glass beads. It works great. It also kind of works as an amulet. I never knew how much you can do with these things until you look it up :D

So far the things I have found it to do on my own is

A) answer yes or no questions
B) Become a talisman
C) Checking your chakras
D) Scrying
E) Find Items such as car keys and stuff.
F) Contact spirits (or so I'm told, not sure how to do this though)
G) Contact spirit guides and angels.
H) Astral Projection (I suppose this depends on the stone you have and what kind of programming you give it but the night I made it I had an astral projection dream from a former lover of mine, was quite intense.)

It's quite fun to play with as well. I also kind of sometimes hold on to it/ play with it when I feel really stressed out. Its like a stress ball :D


It took 5 hours to make it. Mostly it took so long making the holes bigger in the small little gem holes for the gems I put on it. Anyways... hope you like this crafty piece :)

Healing Prayer/Incantation

Healing prayer/incantation to Brigihd

To Brighid I call

My hearts secrets unvieled

the goddess of healing

I invoke you

I send up my bleeding heart 

Encase it with your healing power

I ask for help to heal the wounds

that have been marked upon me

If it is your will

so non one is harmed

so shall it be,

and let your will be done~!

The Wonders of Garlic

So its basically cold/flu season. Right now as I am typing this I am sick with one of the two. I would love to tell you the beautiful wonders of Garlic from the book The Complete Medicinal Herbal by Penelope Ody.

      "...Garlic has long been known to reduce blood cholesterol levels. Even orthodox medicine acknowledges that the plant reduces the risk of further heart attacks in cardiac patients; it is also a stimulant for the immune system and an antibiotic," (Ody 33)

From this you can gather that Garlic helps the heart, as well as help the immune system, and is an antibiotic. It can help cure colds and such. Other uses can also be put on warts and corns in order to kill off the warts. It is also an expectorant.

Garlic can be found in any food stores. However, if you want to purchase fresh garlic and eat it for getting rid of a cold, it is recommended you eat 6 cloves a day. You can make it into a juice or just eat the cloves. An alternative is to get Garlic supplement pills. It will work just as well but have the daily amount of  garlic juice/ powder you need to combat infections and reduce heart problems. You can get the pill form at wal-mart, target, or any health food store.

Now I just went out and got the pill form and I just took it about an hour ago. I can already feel a difference. My sinuses are draining a lot faster and a lot easier and I can breath a hell of a lot better than I did an hour ago. According to Ody garlic is also an expectorant much like mucinex is. Ha no wonder I feel a difference.

Anyway, I love garlic.. so should you.

Sea Salt water bath ritual

I have been gone awhile. Mainly because things in my life are changing so I'm sorry to my readers for not keeping this blog as updated as I have been in the past. So here I am returning!

Sea salt baths have been around basically forever. A friend of mine who has some experience in massage therapy was massaging my back and realized how tense I was. She told me about sea salt water bath rituals so this is the one I am constructing. After work last night I did a general sea salt water bath within a protective circle. I blessed the water and lit lavender incense. I wish I had lavender oil. That would actually be best for it but I had no way of getting the oil so I just used an incense stick. It still worked lol. Anyway I put  in the sea salt, lit the incense, lit a white candle, made the sacred circle, and hopped in. Then I called to my goddesses Dianna and Isis to bless the water and that they were invited to join me in the sacred circle. I imagined the full moon light energizing and blessing the water. Then  I just let myself soak, and bathe myself and relax for like nearly an hour. I'm definitely doing this again, but I'm writing down a more concrete ritual to follow for myself and for who ever wants to read this lol.


Supplies needed, White candle, a cup or two of Sea Salt, White sage, Any bath oils or cents, or incense you would like to use, and wand/atheme,

Run the water and use whatever temperature you feel most comfortable with.

Light the white candle, light the incense, burn some white sage over the bath tub,

Cast the circle

Put in the sea salt, and whatever oils you want. Below are some basic mixes you can put in it that I got from another website. but you don't have to put tons of different oils in though. Put in what feels right. This is more of a guideline.

For a calming and relaxing soak, add 2-3 drops of French Lavender, 2-3 drops of Peppermint, and 2 drops of Roman or Yellow Chamomile to the water.

To alleviate aches and pains, add 2-3 drops of Peppermint, 2-3 drops of Eucalyptus, and 2 drops of Wintergreen to the water.

For a spiritual soak, add 2 drops of Frankincense, 2 drops of Myrrh, 2-3 drops of Sandalwood, 2-3 drops of Davana, 2-3 drops of Oakmoss to the water.

For a detoxifying soak, add 2 drops of Oregano, 2 drops of Parsley, 2 drops of Hyssop, 2 drops of Eucalyptus, 2 drops of Turmeric, 2 drops of Juniper Berry and 3 drops of Tea Tree oil to the water.

Call to your patron deity and ask them to come in to the circle and bless the water. If you want you can even invoke them if you want to and are able to do it.

Bless your third eye by anointing it with the bath water.

Hop into the bath water and relax and meditate. You may even recite an incantation before allowing yourself to relax a little.

Here is an prayer/incantation I got from  http://www.susunweed.com/herbal_ezine/October05/healingwise.htm that I feel would be the best to use in monthly lunar rituals, and can even change this around for daily bath soaks or weekly bath soaks. Depends on your preference.

“The end is the beginning.
All the outdated beliefs,
old hurts and little deaths of the past month (day/week), I now cleanse away.
All the disappointments, stale ideas, unfinished business and unfulfilled dreams,
I cleanse and purify.
I am renewed.
The way is now made clear for fresh beginnings.
By the power of the Living Goddess
I give thanks for the lessons of the past
And clear the way for the lessons of the future.”


So this is something I plan to recite in later bath rituals. However in time I might make some of my own prayers and meditations later on depending on the purpose of the bath. Sometimes ritual baths can be for cleansing before going to another ritual, sometimes you can just do this for relaxation and meditative purposes, sometimes it can be for recharging yourself. Either way Sea Salt Baths have been proven to enhance health as well as spirituality because it eases achey and sore muscles, helps cancer patients etc.


Here are some links for more resources.

 http://www.anisoptera.com/grimoire/salt.htm

http://dherbs.com/articles/sea-salt-soak-219.html

http://www.gateways-to-inner-peace.com/salt-water-bath.html

http://www.bookofshadows.ca/bath-salts.htm

Dreaming of Deceased pet

Last night I had a dream about my cat that died over a year ago. I really loved this cat. He was white with orange tint, and the biggest most beautiful blue eyes you ever did see. He was a beautiful cat along with a gentle kindness to him. My whole family misses him. He died Feb 2011, from some sort of liver failure. I tried to save him but it was too late. Anyway in the dream, I had a dream that he had been found after not seeing him for so long, and he was a playful little kitten in the dream and had some sort of armor type thing on him, and some sort of Guardian seal on the forehead, he looked like he was trying to talk to me but I couldn't hear him

Honestly I think it means Tidy (cats name) is still watching over me as a guardian. The whole family was close to this pet. It wouldn't surprise me if hes a family guardian, however I think he mainly comes around me because he knows I'm sensitive enough to feel him around me, and sometimes can hear him.

In any case I just wanted to share this :D

Amber Alert Dream

So I had this dream… warning… its kinda morbid. So for all those who are sensitive to gore please do not read any further. I had this dream where an Amber Alert buzzed in my head and then all of a sudden I was watching this store owner take out the garbage. I had watched him find the body of a girl that was wrapped up in rags, or sheets or blankets. Looked like she had been raped, but she was decomposed as she had been there for awhile.

The details I wrote down upon waking were: Amber Alert, Found wrapped in sheets or Blankets, Decomposed, dead, had been raped, allyway, Dumpster by a store, Stone walls, Stone Tunnel, Dark Stone Tunnel, Been there awhile.

I remember her body being found by stone walls around a dark stone tunnel or in the tunnel, by a dumpster, The body was wrapped in rags and looked like to be the size of a 12-14 year old girl. It could be slightly younger or slightly older, but in the dream that is what I judged to be the age of the victim.

The area of the dream felt/looked French and American at the same time. Probably an area where it was heavily influenced by the french in the past, such as New Orleans, but there are many areas that are heavily influenced by the french though in America and Possibly Canada. I have a lot of details but yet I don’t seem to have enough details. Maybe those details are the only important ones? Who knows. I been looking, and searching for cases similar to this and I am sure there are many.  If I get any more information I will gladly share.

Spell Stone

 So I have acquired a Crystal Quartz Geode, and Omg its amazing! I love it lots! I can already feel my room have a lighter air to it as if the weight of the whole atmosphere is lifted off of my shoulders. It is a very powerful stone, and I am blessed from the Goddess that I was able to afford it as a b-day gift to myself. :) Here is some pictures of it.

The Gift of the Goddess

So Today I had walked home from work, and what do I see? A bundle of branches and twigs laying on the side of the road. There was a few good specimens there for wand making so I decided to grab them. I plan to make wands out of them and they were long enough to get about 2 wands each out of each stick I picked up. So I am hoping to post some for sale on Etsy.com once they are made. I hope to sell them for about 10 dollars each. If I get 8 wands out of my supplies it would be an awesome gift because then I can pay some more bills with the money. :) I'm excited!

Thank you goddess for the gift you gave me today! My Craft Store is growing thanks to you! Amen (not sure if I should put that at the end but I guess it works).

Making Protection Amulet

So for those that need a simple way to make a necklace or an item you already have to make it into an amulet here is the blog for you.

Supplies: White Candle,  protection herbs (Basil, fankincense, dragons blood, angelica, myrrh, cinnimon, garlic, or bay leaves), Wand or Ceremonial atheme, and  the item that will be turned into the amulet/ protection thing. Which could be a necklace, a stone of some type or even a bracelet. Any protection incense you would like to use.

You can choose which herbs you want from the list. I personally go with bay leaves, basil, garlic or dragons blood.

Best done on full moon or when the moon is in waxing. Cleanse, ground, and center first before preceding.

Call out the 4 elements or whatever you call/invoke to do the sacred circle or protection barrior against negative influences.

Mix together the herbs that you choose. Light the white candle and incense. Place some herbs in a circle around the candle, but make sure there is enough room for the object of your choosing to be placed inside the circle. Now raise as much energy as you can.  I suggest to do the first part of the lesser banishing ritual of the pentagram where you imagine yourself bigger than the universe and you are getting divine energy light flowing down through you to earth. Then use that energy to Imagine a shield or protection bubble around you that is impenetrable and strong enough to withstand any attacks while touching amulet with your hands, or transfering the energy with wands or an athame.

Recite:

Goddess (god, parton, diety) with the light

I cast this barrier

let no evil (harmful energy) pass through

Protect me day and night

Protect me while asleep or awake

Let no misfortune come or befall me,

keep all harm away,

so that harm comes to no one,

So shall it be

Then release all energy you have gathered into the said item. Then close up shop. 

Some alternative ideas if you don't have an item to use as a protection amulet, you can put the herbs you used into a paper white packet or a cloth sachet, and put the energy in there and carry it around in your pocket or purse. If you don't have any herbs but you have an object in mind, Just use the power from the incense if you have incense, or imagine protection herbs in your head and draw the energy from the earth. Or you can just use the white candle and let the candle burn down like it is done in candle magick. The energy will be put into the item either way or you can make an item. There is a- lot of ideas for alterations of this spell.

making Card bags for tarot and oracles

First the materials you need are material, Sewing material Sissors, some rope/string/cord, and either a hand sewing kit or a sewing machine. what you want to do is choose your material. You can find some decent cloth at Wal-mart for cheap, or find it at any fabric store or online if you can't find something you like.

Cut out a two Rectangle/square like pieces that are  6 inches by 9 inches. It will turn out to be standard 5x7, you just need some extra room to sew. If you cut it out as 5 by 7 it will end up being 4 by 6. With sewing as a general rule, you usually cut out an extra inch in order to have enough room for the sewing line. But also include an extra inch at the top, because that is going to be used as a channel for the cord.

Anyway, you look at the cut out fabric to see which side is the good side (as in which side of the fabric is meant to be on the outside when ur done showing) and the bad side (as in which side is the fabric meant to be on the inside so no one sees it) You put the two good pieces together so the bad side is facing the outside. 

Then the next step is creating the channels for the string or cord you are going to use to close up the bag with. Do this by folding down an inch off of the top, and sewing as close to the bottom edge as possible so that there is this hole/channel. Do this with both pieces. 

Then the last step is sewing it up. Put the two good sides together so the bad side is facing the outside again. Sew the sides except, keep the holes open in the channel. Do Not sew all the way up the sides. Then Sew the bottom so that there is no holes. Then turn the whole thing inside out kind of like how you turn a shirt inside out or right side in. You will see that the two right side of the fabric is on the outside. 

Cut the rope/cord/string to size and send it on through the channels. To close the bag just close it similarly to a drawstring bag. 

The picture on top I had embroidered the pentagram on it. It takes extra work but you can find the basic stitch how to's online by doing a google search.

 http://www.needlework-tips-and-techniques.com/basic-embroidery-stitches.html

Or you can leave it as is :)  Takes me about 5 or 10 minutes to create a bag. 

Weight loss Spell

Spring time is a time for growth and of life. For most people it is a renewal of energy. I did this weight loss spell awhile ago but never got to write it in the blog. It's not a cure all. Its just a spell where you basically make an amulet to remind you of your weight loss goals, and to help you to believe in yourself. I feel with the changing of the seasons that this spell may be helpful for those who are trying to become healthier this spring!

The supplies: A green stone such as jade or moss agate, green candle, herbs for heath such as Garlic,Cinnimon, Ginger, Lavander, Mandrake, Marjoram, Nutmeg, and sage. A Wand or ritual dagger to transfer energy. Also an empty satchet or small baggie to put the stuff in after completing the spells.

Call out the 4 corners, Angels, Elements, or the 4 directions to cast your circle.

Submerge the stone into the herbs and sprinkle some herbs around the green candle, making it a circle as well.

Light the green candle, and Imagine the power/energy of the herbs are being soaked up by the stone. Then gather up and raise energy to put that into the stone too.

Recite this incantation out loud or to yourself while raising the energy.

"Healing energies of earth and water,
I call upon you this hour
so that I may begin to lose weight
Remind me everyday the choices I need to make
To become healthy, happy, free,
give me the power to change my body to my desire
Healthy, not fat or too skinny,
just right for me.
Melt this body fat
and to help me on this Journey
So no one is harmed
so shall it be"

Then transfer all the energy you have raised and put it in the stone too. You may recite the incantation again if you wish as well. Then when that is finished, put the herbs and stone in the sachet or small baggie. Hold it in your had, while visualizing all your body fat melting off your body, and also visualize a more healthier you!

Then say out loud,

"This spell is done" and proceed to dismiss the circle, four corners, etc. Then Carry this amulet/sachet with you at all times, either in your purse, in a pocket or wherever you can find to put it. Just as long as it is with you and around u it should help you to focus on making the right decisions for your weight loss goals.

Celebrating Yule/Christmas Late

Ok so here is the situation. My family Celebrates Christmas and just last night was Yule but unfortunately I have to celebrate late with my boyfriend. My family wants him to celebrate with us because we feel he is already part of the family, where his family is the complete opposite. Even though we have been dating for 10 months they feel its too soon for me to be invited to family gatherings, even though I was invited to thanksgiving with them.

I don't know the whole story of what happened, but the way he portrayed it to be was very hurtful and as you can imagine I got upset. So after fuming with anger and then later crying about it, I figured ok fine if his parents want to be that way then I will celebrate with my boyfriend later. So I am coming up with ideas on how to celebrate the holiday season late with your Significant Other and still make it memorable and special.  I personally want a memorable and special first Christmas with my significant other and sometimes we can't always get what we want when we want it, and that's when we sacrifice and compromise. 

Not only that but I did a Google search and found out I'm not alone in this, in the sense that I'm not the only one who celebrates Christmas late. Although my reasons are because of the differences in family values and opinions and not financial, but it still sheds light that if you celebrate before January 6th its still not considered late.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/story/2011-12-17/delayed-christmas-weak-economy/51924600/1
The part of this article I like the most is thus:

Postponing Christmas Day, originally a Christian holiday to celebrate the birth of Christ, is almost unheard of in some circles. About 95% of Americans celebrate Christmas — including 80 percent of non-Christians, according to Gallup polls.

But Bruce David Forbes, author of "Christmas: A Candid History," says those who delay Christmas festivities can take some comfort in the fact that Dec. 25 isn't the date of the birth of Christ.

When Christians started celebrating his birth in the 300s after the Roman emperor Constantine converted to that religion, they didn't know the birthdate, so it appears that they picked a day to coincide with Romans' midwinter celebrations of their own gods. Meanwhile, Christians in more eastern countries, like Turkey and Greece, were already celebrating on Jan. 6.

So, Forbes, who teaches religious studies at Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa, says if you're celebrating anywhere between Dec. 25 and Jan. 6, "you're not even doing it late."

So, I'm still hurt about being rejected at Christmas, but you know what there's a reason for everything and it's still not too late to celebrate with my man even if it has to be after Christmas.

Now comes the question how do I celebrate Christmas after Christmas? What Activities do I incorporate into the full day that we will be together?

The Things/ideas that I want to do is thus:

Baking Christmas Cookies! I know this will be a late Christmas but who says we can't bake Christmas Cookies after Christmas! Its a home only activity and can be very fun for couples to do together.

Making Dinner Together! Again Making dinner together for yourselves for Christmas is an Awesome way to spend time together. You can make whatever you want but it doesn't have to be a fancy turkey dinner like you just had on Christmas day. It can be as simple as Chicken and rice Hot dish and setting up Christmas Candles, and eat by candlelight.

Exchange Gifts! This Economy sucks I know and maybe we can't afford gifts but if that is the case, a hand made gift can be great too. I make things all the time, and I think it would be cool to make my BF a winter hat that he can use :)  

Scrap Booking! I got this idea from a website. When you celebrate Christmas with your significant other you want to make memories with Each other. That is the whole point of the Holidays. So Why not get a bunch of Pictures of you and your significant other from through out the year or the last few months you have been together and put them in a scrap book. You can write down quotes and put on stickers, even write a letter to each other about how each other feels. Also put in all the little or big memories about each other.  Then when one person is down in the dumps or when you get angry at each other you both can be reminded of how much you love each other and remember the awesome times you spent together. :)

Watch Holiday Movies! Ok after dinner is made and cookies are made you can sit and relax. Watch your favorite Christmas Movies! Some of my All time Holiday favorites are Home Alone 1 and 2, Prancer, The Santa Clause 1 &2, A Charlie Brown Christmas,  The Polar Express,  Elf, A Christmas Carol, Jingle All The Way, A Christmas Story, How the Grinch stole Christmas, Jack Frost, Miracle on 34th St, and The Nightmare before Christmas. Pick a couple that you would really like to Watch and watch them. I really love snuggling up and drinking hot coacoa and watching movies. 

Go Outside and Play! I know this is a bit childish but you know what? Our inner Child also needs to be acknowledged at this time of year as well. Our most favorite memories of Christmas is from our Childhood so go out and make a snow man if you live in the wintery snowy areas of the world. Go have a snow ball fight, and make Snow Angels. It's also a great way to burn some of those extra calories after eating so much holiday foods. Also, Take lots of Pictures!

  

Plan a Ritual or spell and do it together! For those of us who are Pagan Yule is about celebrating a solstice, one where we celebrate the birth of the Sun and how it will now get longer days instead of shorter days. So burn incense, Chant, and do all the things you do for a Ritual of Yule. Honor the Sun's return and pray for a renewal of faith if it is needed or do a spell for it because even though its the darkest time of the year it is also about rebirth and renewal.

Disclaimer I know Christmas isn't a pagan holiday, but in order to appease Christian families I feel the need to celebrate it in addition to yule, because its a holiday I grew up on, and it still holds a place in my heart. I also  kind of look at it as another way to celebrate Yule since Christmas is Technically a pagan holiday in disguise anyway.

My Witches Bottle

Ok so I decided to do a Witches Bottle, but I altered it a bit to fit my purpose. Here is a website that will describe what it is so you can make your own. Witches Bottle

So this is what I did. I have a friend who has a kid and so I asked her to rinse out baby food jars so that I could use them for herb storage and such. But instead its been sitting in my room for awhile now going unused. I had an argument with my boyfriend about something and its my fault and I realized I needed cleansing. I took a cleansing shower, and since my parents are going to be gone for a long while I decided to turn the tv off and meditate cleansing every negative feelings or energies I had and let them be washed down the drain while burning myrrh incense or frankincense works good too. Then I decided to cleanse the whole house. I called upon the elements air fire water and earth, (in that order) casted a silvery circle around the house in my mind and asked them to help protect and cleanse my house during this ritual. I started smudging the whole house in sage incense. Then I had this thought to do a witches bottle.

My bottle is more to keep the house cleansed. I put in it an amathyst stone, a red banded agate, a piece or quartz crystal, a banded blue agate, and an earthly green colored stone that I have no idea what it is, but I put it in there for its earth energies. I put in it moon water from this past full moon, some of my pubic hair, and needles, then I put in black candle wax from the black candle I was burning to banish the negative/harmful energies that are in the house. I also put in a recently burned smudge piece of white sage in the bottle as well. I then asked for assistance from the elements and meshed my power into the bottle with thier's and their blessings. I said out loud,

I open my heart and my soul

To the Elements of life

earth, air, fire and water, spirit

I call upon you, to Bless this witches bottle,

infuse it with your power

so that all negativity and harmful energy

are banished and cleansed from my home

allow only positive energies to come through

and protect me from my parents negativity

In this time and in this hour

from this day forth

so shall it be!

I then imagined all the power that was raised and put it into the bottle, and imagined any negitity to be drawn to this bottle and once it enters the bottle the negativity with be cleansed and banished in a cycle. I then hid the bottle in the northern part of the house so that the earth energies from the earth can help and keep the cycle grounded and going.

I altered it to fit my needs at the time. My parents are very negative people. They are always yelling at me and making me feel bad about myself and they also make Each other feel bad as well so I hope this bottle spell helps me to protect and guard against their negativity and so that positive energy is flowing in here and negative energy is not.