In this garden you use a separate candle for each of your
goals. A Garden of Ambition that is focused on work might,
for example, include candles for a raise, a promotion,
recognition, better assignments, and so on. If the garden
also included personal goals, there might also be a candle
for being more organized, one for getting into shape, one for
keeping on budget, or whatever your individual goals might
be.
Purple, silver, and dark green, for ambition, are appropriate
candle colors for this garden; so are red for advancement
and orange for success. Ogun is a god who helps with
achieving goals. His colors of black, dark blue, light green,
and red are also appropriate for the candles in this garden.
Appropriate charms for a Garden of Ambition include
eight bay leaves or traditional offerings to Ogun, such as
hot peppers, small bags of salt, and palm fronds. His
customary altar furnishings of an iron cauldron and small
metal objects, such as chains, wires, nails, and miniature
tools, could also be incorporated in the garden.
Focus on moving forward when you activate this garden
and on your action plan for reaching each goal. It would be
unreasonable to only rely on magick, so also try to take a
concrete step, however small it might be, toward each goal
each day.
Garden of Thanksgiving
Count your blessings, and notice that your cup is at least
half full. What are you thankful for? In this garden you
include a candle for each of your blessings. Each person’s
garden will be unique, but your blessings might include
things such as good health, your family, your friends, your
career, and the roof over your head. Items that relate to your
blessings, such as pictures of friends or family members, are
appropriate additions to this garden.
To whom will you be giving thanks? Images of a matron
goddess or patron god are also appropriate for this garden,
as are more general images such as those of the Lord and
the Lady. You might instead incorporate images of gods and
goddesses who have specific dominion over your blessings.
If you are
giving thanks to the Universe rather than to deities, images
of stars, planets, or constellations would be good charms for
your garden.
You can double the magick of your Garden of
Thanksgiving by focusing on maintaining your blessings, as
well as on giving thanks for them, when you activate your
garden.
The Urban Herb Garden
The Window Box
Even the city apartment dweller has room for herbs.
Take clutter off the kitchen windowsill and replace it with an attractive planter, filled with fresh, growing herbs.
The following herbs and small plants are attractive and easy to grow, and are the staples of
most love spells.
Window Box for Love and Attraction
Basil, Violets, Parsley ,Rose, Tarragon,
Cardamom, Thyme, Rosemary ,Yarrow ,Lemon balm,
Dill ,Endive ,Daisy ,Dulse ,Bleeding
heart.
The Patio, Balcony, or Porch Planter
Terra cotta strawberry pots are ideal for the urban gardener.
When they are grouped together in varying sizes, they make an attractive addition to any balcony or porch.
The main portion of the planter, located in the center, is usually filled with tall and bushy herbs, and the side pockets usually hold small or trailing plants.
The following herbs and plants thrive in strawberry pots and make welcome additions to attraction and prosperity spells.
HERB MAGICK
Herb Protection Pouch
Use this spell to protect your property or a loved one you may feel is in danger. Items needed.
One black candle, one small stone from a cemetery, black cloth pouch filled with a pinch of each of the following herbs and plants:
Vervain,
Wormwood,
Thyme,
Oak bark,
Spanish moss,
Window Box for Attraction and Posterity
Marigolds ,Marjoram, Green bean, Goldenrod, Dill,
Fenugreek, Woodruff ,Tomatoes, Irish moss, Poppy,
Alfalfa ,Cinquefoil, Clover
The Magick Of Flowers
Anemone: Healing and protection.
Aster: Love, patience, healing, variety, peace.
Baby’s Breath: Innocence, happiness, love, pureness of heart. Peace and unity.
Bachelor’s Button: Celibacy, attracting love.
Birds of Paradise: Increases spiritual awareness and intuition, boosts metaphysical abilities. Intuition, insight, and protection.
Bleeding Hearts: Love, positivity, divination.
Bluebell: Strength, luck, constancy, truth, attracts faeries.
Buttercup: Happiness, love, prosperity, healing.
Cactus: Chastity, protection, strength, and banishing.
Camellia: Prosperity and gratitude. Brings riches and luxury.
Carnation: Protection, strength, and healing. Enhances magickal powers, balance, creativity, and energy.
Cherry Blossom: Femininity, love, strength.
Chrysanthemum: Protection, mental health, and warding off evil spirits.
Crocus: Love and visions.
Cyclamen: Fertility, protection, happiness and lust.
Daffodil: Love, fertility, and luck. Keeps negative energy away.
Dahlia: Dignity, elegance, and positivity.
Daisy: Luck, love, innocence, purity, faith and lust.
Foxglove: Protection, vision, and immortality. Attracts faeries and assists with communication between worlds.
Gardenia: Love, peace, healing and spirituality. Promotes peace, repels strife, and protects from outside influences. Attracts love and friendship.
Geranium: Fertility, health, love and protection. Helps to overcome negative thoughts & attitudes. Lifts spirits and balances mind and body.
Gladiolus: Strength, faithfulness, and healing. Attracts love.
Goldenrod: Money and divination.
Heather: Protection, luck, immortality. Brings rain and increases physical beauty. Protects against violent crimes.
Hibiscus: Attracts love, lust divination, and dreams.
Honeysuckle: Money, love, protection, and binding. Assists psychic and mental powers. Draws money, success, and quick abundance. Aids persuasiveness and confidence and sharpens intuition.
Hyacinth: Love, happiness, and protection. Promotes peace of mind and peaceful sleep. Attracts love, luck, and good fortune. Guards against nightmares.
Hydrangea: Fidelity, binding, and hex-breaking. Draws love and brings back a lover.
Iris: Attracts wisdom, courage, hope, and faith. Good for purification, blessings, and consecrations.
Jasmine: Love, sensuality, divination, meditation, sleep, and prophetic dreams. Draws spiritual love and attracts a soul mate. Draw wealth and money. Promotes new, innovative ideas.
Lady’s Slipper: Protection against hexes, curses and the evil eye.
Lavender: Love, protection, sleep, longevity, purification, happiness, peace. Helps to heal from depression. Attracts love and harmony. When used with rosemary, can represent chastity.
Lilac: Exorcism, banishing, and protection. Wisdom, memory, good luck and spiritual aid. Attracts beauty and love.
Lily: Fertility, renewal, rebirth, marriage, happiness, purity, protection, and prosperity. Breaks love spells.
Lily of the Valley: Soothes, calms, draws peace and tranquility, and repels negativity. Assists in empowering happiness and mental powers. Use in magickal workings to stop harassment.
Lotus: Lock opening and protection. Love, psychic opening, and spiritual growth. Aids in psychic abilities and meditation.
Magnolia: Love, fidelity, health, beauty, loyalty, and peace. Calms anxieties, promotes marital harmony, and assists in overcoming addictions & obsessive behavior.
Marigold: Draws respect and luck in legal matters. Protects and promotes prophetic dreams, psychic powers, passion, and creativity. Attracts love, possibly a soulmate, and enhances relationships.
Morning Glory: Binding, banishing, and promoting attraction or affection.
Orchid: Concentration, focus, love, and will power. Strengthens memory.
Pansy: Love, divination related to love and relationships, and rain magick.
Peony: Protection from hexes and jinxes, banishing, and exorcism. Brings good luck, good fortune, prosperity, and business success. Attracts faeries and promotes happy marriage.
Poinsettia: Represents purity, celebration, and Christmas.
Poppy: Fertility, money, love, luck, sleep, invisibility, and abundance.
Rhododendron: Peace and strength.
Rose: Love, healing, luck, and protection. Aids psychic powers and divination. Promotes close friendships, domestic peace/happiness, and lasting relationships.
Snapdragon: Protection, exorcism, and purification.
Sunflower: Energy, protection, power, wisdom, and wishes; fertility, health, and money magick.
Sweet Pea: Friendship, courage, strength. Attracts friends and draws the loyalty and affection of others.
Tulip: Love, prosperity, happiness, dreams, and protection.
Violet: Love, lust, wishes, luck, healing, peace, and sleep. Calms the nerves, draws prophetic dreams and visions, stimulates creativity, and promotes peace and tranquility. Protection from all evil.
Wisteria: Raises vibrations and promotes psychic opening. Helps to overcome obstacles and draws prosperity.
Yarrow: Courage, love, protection, and healing. Aids divination and psychic powers. Draws love, banishes negativity, wards off fear, and promotes courage, confidence, and psychic opening. Brings happy marriage and strengthens relationships.
Ylang Ylang: Increases sexual attraction and persuasiveness. Draws peace and love. Aids faerie magick. Promotes calm, peaceful relaxation and relieves anxiety and depression.
Zinnia: Love, lust, strength, and affection.
Evening Garden
An Evening Garden should face West, where it bids farewell
to the Sun each night. In it you place candles for things that
you want to end or go away, such as problems, hardships,
illnesses, stresses, bad habits, negative patterns, toxic
relationships, and so on. You also include candles for things
that are ending, such as phases, relationships, situations, or
life stages, to encourage their satisfactory completion.
Black, dark blue, dark plum, and dark gray are appropriate
candle colors for this garden. Sprigs of rosemary and images
of deities who have dominion over the sunset, such as Baal,
the Hesperides, Janus, Nephthys, Sekhmet, and the Zorya,
are also appropriate additions. This garden should be
activated in the evenings.
Herbs for Your Spring Garden
Try these herbs for spring planting. Spring herbs can be some of the most satisfying plants in the garden. They typically germinate quickly or leaf out fast from their winter dormancy. They are also some of the signature flavors of our favorite warm season foods.If you live where it starts to warm up fast in spring, it pays to get a few of them started indoors and then out into the garden as soon as you’re sure frosty conditions are a thing of the past . . . for a few months anyway.10. Cilantro. This tasty little herb looks delicate growing in the garden and is a signature flavor in many South of the border and Asian dishes. It’s very easy to start from seed. If you’d like to try your hand at making salsa, stir-fry vegetables or fish tacos, having some cilantro growing by your back door is a great beginning. Quick to bolt, start this one early and keep pinching back the blooms to increase your harvest of leaves.9. Chives. One of my personal favorites, chives don’t demand much and come back year after year. I’m in Zone 5 right now and don’t give them much attention, but the same patch has been supplying me winter and summer for years. Just keep them watered, give them some afternoon shade in super-hot locations and watch them go.8. Parsley. I like using parsley in cooking. It adds color, some flavor and makes me feel a little virtuous for all the nice nutrients it contributes to prepared dishes. It’s also a go-to garnish when you’re in a hurry. I grow it from seed, but there’s a trick to getting parsley to germinate. Soak seeds in very hot water (not boiling) and let them rest in the water for two or three days before planting. If you can plant four or five parsley seedlings, they’ll keep you supplied for the season. Next year your plants will set seed for a whole new generation.7. Basil. Up in plenty of time to serve with those homegrown tomatoes you’re laboring over in the vegetable patch, basil really delivers fresh flavor and a Mediterranean ambience that’s effortless. Whether you’re using it in your own fresh pasta sauce, blending it into pesto or serving it on bruschetta, basil is a very nice herb to experiment with when you want to expand your culinary horizons.6. Thyme. This must have herb is as useful in the garden as it is in your spice rack. It has tiny leaves that are delicious in sauces of all kinds. It’s available as a shrubby plant and also as a ground cover. You can find silver, lemon, lime, variegated and other tasty/pretty varieties. Most need similar growing conditions, but keep them separate so they don’t cross-pollinate.5. Marjoram. Oregano’s mild cousin, marjoram has a delicate flavor that’s made for hot summer evenings. Use it in your chicken dishes, with lamb and as a flavoring for salad dressing. If you’d like to try making your own sausage, marjoram is a perfect herb for that little project too.4. Mint. What can you say about an herb that rewards you every time you brush past it? It smells wonderful in the garden, makes a nice addition to casual bouquets and is an absolute essential for mojitos and mint juleps. If you love lamb dishes you probably have some mint growing in your yard already.3. Oregano. You can employ oregano in lots of dishes where you use basil. It’s also a basic flavoring ingredient in moussaka, an eggplant dish. If you’re planning on starting some eggplant over in the veggie patch, add some oregano to your garden for good measure. I love it with clams and as a flavor enhancer for prepared pizza sauce.2. Lemon balm. Great in fruit dishes and wonderful in hot or cold tea, lemon balm has an amazing aroma that you have to experience for yourself.1. Dill. If you enjoy fish, do yourself a favor and grow your own fresh dill. It tastes more robust than anything you can get dried, and it’s very easy to grow. It bolts quickly in hot weather, though, so consider successive plantings.
Magick Garden
Witches have been growing herbs for centuries, so they have amassed a wealth of procedures for effective magical gardening. Sometimes these make more sense than a pile of gardening books.When the seedlings are well-established, other uninvited plants will probably poke through the ground. Let some of these grow provided that they don’t crowd your herbs, for many will be useful in magic.There are specific pruning rules. All pruning should be carried out in the decrease of the Moon. Hedges (such as the hawthorn, which at one time every Witch had in her garden) should always be trimmed from East to West, which follows the course of the Sun. Prune trees in a clock-wise direction as you walk around them.Thistles can be a bit of a bother in the garden. If you cut them after Midsummer two will grow for every one you cut. Be sure to cut them well before June 21 unless you want a lot of thistles.You may wish to share your herbs with friends.
.Once a month after the herbs are fully grown, on the night of the Full Moon if possible, walk out to the garden and draw a circle in the dirt around each plant, using your knife. Make sure that the ends of the circle meet. Draw clockwise. This helps to seal the powers inside the leaves and roots.Then, too, go out at night when the herbs are rejuvenating and basking in the Moon’s light and talk to them. Never neglect this, for it creates a bond between you, a merging of your energy and the plant’s energy. If your neighbors overhear your nocturnal conversations, don’t worry. Many people talk to their plants today and many psychiatrists believe that it is excellent therapy.One last note: to ensure that the destructive insect population is kept down, have a large frog or toad in the garden. Dub it with a good ‘toadish’ name, like Gick or Trog, and talk to it whenever you walk in the garden. Give it a mate, and plenty of water, and it should stay.
Morning Garden
A Morning Garden should face East, where it greets the
rising Sun each day. In it you place candles for things that
you want to help grow, such as plans, projects, children,
gardens, and businesses. You also include candles for
things that are beginning, such as healing, artistic
endeavors, enlightenment, new friendship, and new love, to
encourage their growth and success. Yellow and rose-pink
candles are appropriate for this garden. Good charms for it
include bells, gongs, and conch shells.
Images of deities who have dominion over the dawn and
auspicious beginnings, such as Aurora, Aya, Bast, Eos, Isis,
Janus, Ushas, or the Zorya, are also appropriate additions.
This garden should be activated in the morning
Flower Names and Their Meanings
If you want to express your deep feelings to someone special in your life, in a thoughtful and unique way, check out the list of flower names given below, and find out what message you can devise using the special language of flowers.A
Acacia Hidden love, Beauty in withdrawal
Ambrosia Love requited
Amaryllis Pride
Aster Symbolizing love, Delicacy
Anemone A love that is diminishing, Vanishing hopes
Almond Blossom Symbolizing hope, Delicacy, Sweetness
Apple Blossom Good fortune, Harbinger of better things, A strong liking
Arum Intense feeling of love
Arbutus I love only thee
Azalea A symbol of womanhood in China, Passion, Fragility, Take care
B
Baby’s Breath Purity of heart, Innocence
Begonia Be cautious, A fanciful mind
Bachelor Button Celibacy, The blessedness of being single
Balsam Fervent love
Balm Compassion, Empathy
Bittersweet Truth, Loyalty
Bird of Paradise Given by a woman to a man to symbolize faithfulness
Bluebell Gratitude, Constancy, Humility
Buttercup Riches, Childishness
Black Bryony Be my support
C
Caladium Immense delight and joy
Camellia Perfection, Gratitude
Carnation (Red) Aching heart, Admiration
Christmas Rose Allay my disquiet
Chrysanthemum Joy, Optimism, Perfection
Crocus Good cheer, Happiness, Do not treat me badly
Cyclamen Good-Bye, Resignation
Clover (Four-leaf) Will you be mine?
Clover (White) Think of me
Clematis Ingenuity, Artifice
Cornflower Refinement, Delicacy
D
Daffodil The sun is bright when I am with you, Respect, Sunshine, Unrequited love, Regard
Dahlia Elegance and Dignity, Forever thine
Daisy Beauty, Innocence, I will never tell, Loyal love, Purity
Day-Lily (Yellow) Coquetry
Dandelion Love’s oracle, Happiness, Faithfulness
Date-Plum Resistance
Delphinium Fun, Big-hearted
Dog Rose Pleasure and Pain
Dogwood Am I indifferent to you?
Dragon Root Ardor
E
Edelweiss Noble purity, Courage, Daring
Endine Frugality
Elderflower Symbolizing Zeal
Eglantine Poetry
Everlasting (Immortal Flowers) Never ending memory, Unfading remembrance
Euphorbia Persistence
Eupatorium Delay
Epigaea Budding
Eucalyptus Protection
F
Forget-Me-Not As its name suggests – Forget me not, Memories, True love
Forsythia Expectation, Anticipation
Fuchsia Good taste
Fern Fascination
Filbert Reconciliation
Flax Symbol of domesticity
Flora’s Bell Without pretentiousness
Flowering Reed Confide in heaven
G
Gladiolus Strength of character, Love at first sight, Generosity
Gardenia Secret love, You are lovely
Galax Encouragement
Geranium Folly, Stupidity
Gerbera You are the sunshine of my life
Gloxinia Love at first sight
Goldenrod Be cautious
Goats-Rue Reason
Goosefoot Insult
Globe Amaranth Unfading Love
H
Heliotrope Devotion
Hibiscus Delicate beauty, Consumed by love
Holly Am I forgotten, Domestic happiness, Defense, Domestic Happiness
Hollyhock Fruitfulness
Honeyflower Secret love, Sweetness of disposition, Sweet, Affection
Honeysuckle Bond of love
Honeysuckle (Coral) I Love You
Hyacinth Flower dedicated to Apollo, Rashness
Hyacinth (Yellow) Jealousy
I
Iris Wisdom and Valor, Faith, Promise in love, Hope
Iris (German) Flame
Iris (Yellow) Passion
Ivy Affection, Friendship, Fidelity, Wedded love
Ivy (Sprig of white tendrils) Affection, Anxious to please
Indian Cress Resignation
Ipomen Scarlet Embrace
Indian Cane Rendezvous
Ipomoea (Morning Glory) I attach myself to you, Affection
J
Jasmine (Indian) Love, Attachment
Jasmine (Yellow) Elegance, Grace, Modesty
Jasmine (Spanish) Sensuality
Japonica Symbol of love, Sincerity
Jerusalem Oak Your love is reciprocated
Jonquil Sympathy, Desire, Affection returned, Love me, Affection Returned
Juniper Chastity, Eternity
K
King’s Spear Regret
Kennedia Intellectual beauty
L
Laburnum Blackness
Lady’s Slipper Capricious beauty, Win me
Lucerne Life
Larkspur Lightness, An open heart, Levity
Larkspur (White) Happy-go-lucky, Joyful
Larkspur (Purple) Sweet disposition
Lantana Rigor
Lily Purity of heart, Majesty and Honor
Lemon Blossom I promise to be true, Fidelity in love
Lilac Pride,
Beauty
Lily of the Valley Humility, Happiness, Tears of the Virgin Mary, Sweetness
Lotus Forgetful of the past, Estranged love
Laurel Glory
Lavender Devotion, Love
M
Marjoram Happiness, Joy
Madder Calumny
Magnolia Perseverance, Nobility
Marigold Sorrow, Jealousy, Caress, Pretty love, Affection, Sacred, Affection
Maidenhair Discretion
Manchineel Betrayal
Mimosa – Secret Love
Mugwort Happiness
Mulberry Prudence
Mallow Sweetness, Delicate beauty
Mandrake Scarcity
Myrtle Hebrew emblem of Marriage, Love
Maple Reserve
N
Nasturtium Victory in Battle, Conquest
Narcissus (White) Selfishness
Narcissus Stay as sweet as you are, Formality
Nightshade Truth
Nettle Cruelty
Nosegay Gallantry
O
Orchid (Cattleya) Mature charm
Orchid Symbol of many children in China, Refinement, Beauty, Love
Orange Blossom Eternal Love, Innocence, Marriage and Fruitfulness
Oak Hospitality
Osmunda Revere
Ophrys Spider Dexterity
Ophrys Fly Mistake
Olive Peace
Oleander Caution
Orange-Tree Generosity
Orange (Milkweed) Deceit
P
Phlox Harmony, A good partnership
Passion-Flower Belief
Peppermint Warmth of feeling, Cordiality
Periwinkle Sweet remembrance
Poppy (General) Imagination, Oblivion, Eternal sleep
Primrose (Evening) Inconstancy
Petunia Your presence soothes me, Anger, Resentment, Anger
Pansy Merriment, Thoughtful reflection
Peach Blossom I am your captive
Q
Quaking Grass A symbol of agitation
Queen Anne’s Lace Fantasy
R
Rose (Red) Passion, Love
Rose (White) Purity, Virginity
Rose (Yellow) Infidelity, Jealousy
Rose (Coral) Desire
Rose (Pink) Grace and Sweetness, Secret love, Perfect happiness, Secret Love
Rose (Dark pink) Thankfulness
Rose (Pale pink) Joy, Grace
Rosebud (Red) Pure and Lovely
Rosemary Remembrance
Rhododendron I am dangerous, Danger, Beware
S
Sunflower (Tall) Pride, False riches
Sunflower (Dwarf) Adoration
Snowdrop Consolation, Hope
Sage Great respect, Wisdom, Female fidelity
Snapdragon Strength, Gracious lady
Satin-Flower Sincerity
Spider Flower Elope with me
Sweet-William Gallantry, Grant me one smile
Sweet Pea Thank you for a lovely time, Blissful pleasure, Departure, Good-by
Star of Bethlehem Reconciliation, Atonement
T
Tulip (General) Fame, Perfect lover, Flower Emblem of Holland
Tulip (Yellow) Hopeless love, There’s sunshine in your smile
Tulip (Variegated) Beautiful eyes
Tulip (Red) Declaration of love, Believe me
Thornapple I dreamed of thee
Tuberose Dangerous pleasures
Teasel Misanthropy
Trumpet Flower Separation
V
Valerian Accommodating disposition
Verbena Sensibility, Pray for me
Violet Modesty
Violet (White) Let´s take a chance
Violet (Blue) Love, Faithfulness, Watchfulness
Virgin’s-Bower Artifice
Venus Flytrap Caught at Last
Viscaria Will you dance with me?
Veronica Fidelity
Vervain Enchantment
W
Water Lily Purity of heart
Water Lily (Yellow) Growing indifference
Water Lily (White) Eloquence
Wallflower Lasting beauty, Fidelity, Faithful in adversity
Wisteria Welcome
Windflower Sincerity, Love, Abandonment
Witch Hazel A spell
Wild Rose-Tree Poetical person
Wood-Sorrel Joy
Whortleberry Treachery
X
Xeranthemum Cheerful in adversity
Y
Yarrow Healing, Health
Yew Sadness
Z
Zinnia Thoughts of absent friends
Zinnia (Yellow) Daily remembrance
Zinnia (Magenta) Lasting Affection
Zinnia (White) GoodnessSome of you may even want to understand the symbolism of each flower to be able to get a tattoo representing the symbolism. Whatever the reason, this list should help you find out what each flower means, and use its symbolism to express exactly how you feel.
Hedgewitch: What’s Growing in Your Belief Garden?
In a physical garden, you need to test the soil to ensure the chemical balance is right for
what you wish to produce. Indeed, you can buy all manner of kits and products to determine the integrity of what you’ve got in that physical garden of yours. Your mental garden
also requires specific elements for harmonious balance; the problem is you can’t buy them
(although we often try)-you gotta make this mix yourself. Just as in a real garden, where you
have to dig nice and deep to see what kind of soil you’ve got down there, so, too, will you have
to be willing to test your mental soil, which consists of the totality of your beliefs. Only when
you understand the fullness (or lack thereof) of your own beliefs can you plant anything and
expect it to grow. Only by testing the contents of what’s hidden in your brain can you determine what fertilizer you’ll need for a bumper crop of a full and harmonious lifestyle.
Before we begin, I’m going to tell you straight up: this isn’t easy. We have so many thoughts
zooming around in our heads at any given time it can be hard to follow a single thread,
especially if your subconscious mind wishes to pull that fast bait-and-switch. I think this
thought about my past-whoops! I’m having tuna tonight. Wait. Where did that come from?
Your subconscious mind will volley the strange and bizarre to center court just to keep you
off-guard and away from ferreting out the boogie-bird that resides in the recesses of your
deepest troubles. Then, too, it might be that rabbit … therefore, a concerted effort on your part
is required if you truly want to accomplish the good riddance of your woes and create better
days ahead.
Let’s take a few general examples to help you on your way. First, meet Marissa: age twentyseven; career okay; health general; attractive (she’s got great eyes and knockout legs)-and
she has a history of broken romances that would prove enough fodder for at least two fulltime romance writers (without the happy endings). She goes to the gym and buys expensive
makeup. Yet the love fairy has completely forgotten Marissa exists. For the purposes of this
example, the main question we are always going to ask is: what did your parents say to you
about love, relationships, and marriage when you were growing up? Or what did your primary
caregiver say to you about these things, and what comments did they always make when the
subject arose? Here is Marissa’s reply:
“My father died when I was ten. My mother constantly talked about how he abandoned
us. She would say, ‘Good men never live long,’ or ‘There aren’t any good men around like your
dad.’ Even her offhand comments were negative when discussing any male (family or friends)
in almost any situation, from politics to spirituality, let alone a serious relationship. To her, the
day my dad passed away, all good men abandoned the planet and ascended into heaven-the
biblical rapture, only for males. I’ve said repeatedly to myself that her beliefs are her own, but
now, thinking about it, I realize that I absorbed those very same beliefs subconsciously and
have been sabotaging my own relationships. You know, this is my life, not hers! My mother
was not a bad parent-she treated me extremely well and loved me very much-but I realize
now that I’ve been living her fears.”
Let’s move on to Harvey, fifty years old, general health with a few nasty bouts of this or
that over the years, particularly during a financial crisis, a product of the Great Depression
babies. “I grew up listening to how my grandfather and grandmother lost everything except
their home during the Depression; about how my father was ignored and treated badly by
his siblings; about how rotten the government is and how they (politicians) hurt and cheat
people. How our family name screams that we’ll always be lower middle class-that there was
:10 bright and glorious future for people like us. You know, come to think of it, I never heard
L:-clling nice-nothing about love, or caring, or sticking up for each other. Just the same old
=.l? In fact, my father is eighty-nine, and I’m still listening to the same garbage. He doesn’t
_ -ingle story (and he has a ton) that doesn’t end on a depressive note. A Yank with a
broken pickup, a dead dog, and a deceased wife. You know, I was doing really well for a while,
and then I let my father move in with us. I just realized that the moment that happened, his
beliefs brought our whole family down and kept us trapped for twenty-five years because we
subconsciously believed his repeated negative comments about life and personal finances. As a
parent, we treated him with respect and didn’t argue. Don’t get me wrong, the man had golden
credit and still does to this day, yet I allowed his acid thoughts to almost completely destroy
my career. I expected what he predicted about how I would be treated, and that’s exactly what
I got. They aren’t my beliefs anymore!”
Julia, age thirty, has repeated health problems. Married, one child. Both she and her husband are overweight. Both have a terrific sense of humor. “My grandmother raised me. She
was all about God smiting the sinner, especially when it came to health problems of congregational members-always said God made you sick to teach you a lesson, even for the
most minor infraction. We used to make jokes about God doing overtime in our parish, and
how with Him around, who needed the devil to blame your troubles on? Growing up, I truly
thought she was just being loony. She was skinny as a rail and always this side of sickly, trying
every wacky cure by a compendium of snake oil salesmen; but, you know, now I’m wondering
how much of her insecurity, terror, and fear I absorbed as a kid, because she repeatedly told
me that I was lazy, and that God made lazy people fat as they grew older as a punishment for
not doing a hard day’s work. I’m a writer by trade, working at a desk for a newspaper, and even
though I work long hours, my job isn’t physically exhausting. Like, I’m not out in the fields
or anything, and I’m not up at dawn canning, baking bread, or washing laundry by
hand. I suddenly realized I’ve been living her terror and fear. Not anymore!”
In these three examples, we followed the issue to the source, and it wasn’t
easy for Marissa, Harvey, or Julia to go back there. They had to sit and
think about the question for a while, and in one case (Harvey) it took him
several days to work through all the negative programming he heard as a
child. Every time he thought of another comment his father used to make
(and evidently still does), his mind would flip to something else-from what
time he needed to pick up his son to trouble with a new insurance company
dropping the insurance on his house. The light finally dawned on Harvey when
he drove his father to a doctor’s appointment and once again sat through the
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same string of worldly complaints. Finally, light bulb: Harvey deftly switched the subject and
from then on endeavored to keep changing the subject every time his father began to work
through the same verbal scenario and depressive soap-opera yarns. Harvey also discovered
that some of his father’s newer negative ideas were actually coming from a klatch of seniors
that had lunch at the same establishment as Harvey’s father (all Depression-era babies). Then
Harvey started looking at the unsolicited mail his father was receiving, shocked to discover
that many of the advertisements were targeting Depression-era mentality seniors, focusing on
their fear to solicit money and sell products. Harvey made the comment, “What you create in
your mind, you bring into your life. Sadly, my father is living proof”
Granted, going back in time and dragging original fears out into the light of day isn’t going
to solve all your problems. However, now that you know where the negative programming
may have come from, you can adjust how you think and in what you choose to believe, as well
as reprogram what you are saying to (and around) your own kids (should you have any). With
your conscious and subconscious minds now in agreement, there is nothing you can’t accomplish. Take this exercise further and pay close attention to what you are listening to on the
news, what you are reading, even the conversations you hear at work. Weed out what you don’t
believe and let the boogie-birds stay where they belong. With a fresh look at the universe, all
you have to do is …
Believe!
Faces of the Holly King
Names
Janicot, Woden, Odin, Gwyn ap Nudd, Arawn, Iuan, Krampus, Hod, Hob, Basajaun, Lucibello, Iu-Hu, Old Nick, Misrule, Pan, Baphomet, Scratch, Puck, Buccos
Station of the Wheel
Northwest, Yule, December, Glass Castle, Cold Moon
Totems
Goat, Holly, Wren
Tools
Glass Orb, Druid’s Egg or Glain y Nidir
The Holly King is a speculative archetype of modern studies of folklore and mythology which has been popularized in some Neopagan religions. In his book The White Goddess, the author Robert Graves proposed that the mythological figure of the Holly King represents one half of the year, while the other is personified by his counterpart/adversary the Oak King: the two battle endlessly as the seasons turn. At Midsummer the Oak King is at the height of his strength, while the Holly King is at his weakest. The Holly King begins to regain his power, and at the Autumn Equinox, the tables finally turn in the Holly King’s favor; he later vanquishes the Oak King at Yule. Graves identified a number of paired hero-figures which he believes are variants of this myth, including Lleu Llaw Gyffes and Gronw Pebr, Gwyn and Gwythr, Lugh and Balor, Balan and Balin, Gawain and the Green Knight, the robin and the wren, and even Jesus and John the Baptist.
Wōđanaz or *Wōđinaz is the reconstructed Proto-Germanic name of a god of Germanic paganism. Woden probably rose to prominence during the Migration period, gradually displacing Tyr as the head of the pantheon in West and North Germanic cultures.
Testimonies of the god are scattered over a wide range, both temporally and geographically. More than a millennium separates the earliest Roman accounts and archaeological evidence from the 1st century from the Odin of the Edda and later medieval folklore.
The name of Woden is connected to a Germanic root *wōd-, preserved in Gothic wôd- “possessed” and Old High German wuot “rage”. Old English had the noun wōþ “song, sound”, corresponding to Old Norse óðr, which has the meaning “mad furious” but also “song, poetry”. Modern English preserves an adjective wood in “dialectal or rare archaic use”, meaning “lunatic, insane, rabid”. The earliest attestation of the name is as wodan in an Elder Futhark inscription. For the Anglo-Saxons, Woden was the psychopomp or carrier-off of the dead, but not necessarily with exactly the same attributes of the Norse Odin.
A celebrated late attestation of invocation of Wodan in Germany dates to 1593, in Mecklenburg, where the formula Wode, Hale dynem Rosse nun Voder “Wodan, fetch now food for your horse” was spoken over the last sheaf of the harvest. David Franck adds, that at the squires’ mansions, when the rye is all cut, there is Wodel-beer served out to the mowers; no one weeds flax on a Wodenstag, lest Woden’s horse should trample the seeds; from Christmas to Twelfth-day they will not spin, nor leave any flax on the distaff, and to the question why? they answer, Wode is galloping across. We are expressly told, this wild hunter Wode rides a white horse.
Horned Women
In Irish legend, 12 horned women,
all witches, who take over the household of a rich woman
and bewitch her and her sleeping family. No reason for
the bewitching is given in the story—perhaps, in times
past, no reason was necessary, for witches were believed
to bewitch simply because they were witches. The legend
tells of how the distressed woman breaks the spell.
The bewitchment began late one night, as the woman
sat up carding wool while her family and servants slept. A
knock came on the door, and she asked who was there. A
female voice answered, “I am the Witch of the one Horn.”
The woman thought it was a neighbor and opened the
door. She was greeted by an ugly woman from whose forehead
grew a single horn. The witch held a pair of wool
carders. She sat down by the fire and began to card wool
with great speed. She suddenly paused and said, “Where
are the women? they delay too long.”
Another knock came on the door. The mistress of the
house, who seemed to be under a spell by now, felt compelled
to answer it. She was greeted by another witch,
who had two horns growing from her forehead, and who
carried a spinning wheel. This witch also sat down by the
fire and began to spin wool with great speed.
The house soon was filled with 12 frightful-looking,
horned witches, each one having an additional horn, so
that the last witch bore 12 horns on her forehead. They
worked furiously on the wool, singing an ancient tune,
ignoring the mistress, who was unable to move or call
for help.
Eventually, one of the witches ordered the mistress to
make them a cake, but the woman had no vessel with
which to fetch water from the well. The witches told her
to take a sieve to the well. She did, but the water ran
through the sieve, and she wept. While she was gone, the
witches made a cake, using blood drawn from members
of the sleeping family in place of water.
As she sat weeping by the well, the mistress heard a
voice. It was the Spirit of the Well, who told her how to
make a paste of clay and moss and cover the sieve, so that
it would hold water. It then instructed her to go back to
her house from the north and cry out three time, “The
mountain of the Fenian women and the sky over it is
all on fire.” The mistress did as instructed. The witches
shrieked and cried and sped off to the Slivenamon, “the
mountains of women,” where they lived.
The Spirit of the Well then told the mistress how to
break the witches’ spell and prevent them from returning.
She took the water in which she had bathed her children’s
feet and sprinkled it over the threshold of the house. She
took the blood cake, broke it into pieces and placed them
in the mouths of the bewitched sleepers, who were revived.
She took the woolen cloth the witches had woven
and placed it half in and half out of a padlocked chest. She
barred the door with a large crossbeam.
The witches returned in a rage at having been deceived.
Their fury increased when they discovered that
they could not enter the house because of the water, the
broken blood cake and the crossbeam. They flew off into
the air, screaming curses against the Spirit of the Well,
but they never returned. One of the witches dropped her
mantle, which the mistress took and hung up as a reminder
of her ordeal. The mantle remained in the family
for 500 years.
The legend of the horned women appears to be a blend
of pagan and Christian aspects. The well is inhabited by
a spirit, a common pagan belief. The horns of the witches
symbolize the maternal and nurturing aspect of the Goddess,
who is sometimes represented by a cow. The horns
also symbolize the crescent moon, another Goddess symbol.
In ancient Greek and Babylonian art, the Mother Goddess
often is depicted wearing a headdress of little horns.
Yet the horned women of the legend are not maternal and
nurturing but hags who cast an evil spell, fly through the
air and shriek curses—the portrayal of witches spread
by the Church. The cardinal point of north is associated
with power, darkness and mystery in paganism, but in
Christianlore it is associated with the Devil.
Goblins
In French folklore, wandering sprites who
attach themselves to households and both help and
plague the residents. Goblins live in grottoes but are
attracted to homes that have beautiful children and lots
of wine. When they move in, they help by doing household
chores at night and by disciplining children—giving
them presents when they are good and punishing
them when they are naughty. Goblins have an unpredictable,
mischievous nature, and instead of doing chores at
night will sometimes keep everyone awake by banging
pots and pans, moving furniture, knocking on walls and
doors and snatching bedclothes off sleeping persons.
Goblins who become tiresome can be persuaded to leave
by scattering flaxseed on the floor. The sprites get tired
of cleaning it up every night.
Goblins are the equivalent of brownies in England
and Scotland, kobalds in Germany, domoviks in Russia
and other sprites in other countries. They have become
associated with Halloween and are said to roam the night
when the veil is thinnest between the world of the living
and the world of the dead.
Bells
Bells Repellers of witches and evil spirits. Bells are
associated with the divine: their sound is symbolic of
creative power, their shape a symbol of the female force
and the celestial vault. The sound vibrations created by
the ringing of bells have been believed for centuries to
possess magical and/or spiritual power. Bells are used in
many religious rites. In Wicca and Paganism, small
hand bells may be rung in rituals to enhance harmony
and augment power. In African religions and Vodun,
bells and dancing are used to invoke the gods and loas
(see African witchcraft). Shamans have long used
magical bells in their rituals to chase away evil spirits.
In folk magic, the ringing of bells drives away evil
spirits, witches and the Devil himself, and wards off the
evil eye. Bells have been attached to clothing, worn as
amulets, tied to children and hung from the necks of
horses, camels, cows, asses and other animals important
to a community.
As fertility charms, bells have been worn on human
phalluses in certain rites. Bells are sometimes said to
have curative powers; medicine is drunk from them. In
the Middle Ages, bell ringing was believed to clear the
air of disease and was prescribed by some doctors. Bells
also have been used to raise the spirits of the dead and
fairies.
Since the fifth century c.e., Christian church bells
have been ascribed a special magical potency to combat
evil and chase off the wicked spirits that lurked on every
church threshold. In the Middle Ages, on nights when
witches were believed to be about, such as Samhain (All
Hallow’s Eve) and Beltane (also known as Walpurgisnacht),
church bells were rung to keep the witches from
flying over a village. The townspeople also turned out
and added to the noise by banging on pots and pans and
ringing their own bells. In witch trials, accused witches
bells 19
testified to being transported through the air to sabbats
on the backs of demons or the Devil, and to being thrown
off to fall to the ground when a church bell sounded in
the night.
Thunder and lightning storms were believed to be the
work of witches and demons, and church bells also would
be rung at an approaching storm in an attempt to dispel it.
At someone’s death, the tolling of the church bells helped
the departing soul on its way to heaven and prevented
evil spirits from interfering with the journey.
Church bells were baptized, named for saints and in
some cases, ascribed human characteristics. Some were
said to talk, ring on their own and sweat blood at the invasion
of their community. Medieval Europeans believed
that their church bells traveled to Rome on Good Friday;
everyone stayed inside so as not to witness their flight
from the belfries. A bell that missed the Good Friday pilgrimage
brought bad luck to the community.
Shopkeepers hung bells over their thresholds, not so
much to alert them to the entry of customers but to keep
evil spirits from entering their premises.
The Necromantic Bell of Giradius. Bells have been used in
rituals for summoning the dead. One such necromantic
bell is that of Giradius. Eighteenth-century French instructions
specified that the bell be cast from an alloy of
gold, silver, fixed mercury, tin, iron and lead at the exact
day and hour of birth of the person who intends to use
it. The bell was to be inscribed with various astrological
symbols and the magical words of Adonai, Jesus and the
Tetragrammaton (see names of power).
The bell was to be wrapped in green taffeta and placed
in the middle of a grave in a cemetery. It was to be left for
seven days, during which time it absorbed certain vibrations
and emanations. At the end of a week, the bell was
properly “cured” for necromancy rituals.
Folklorists, Thoughts & Festivals
Folklorists believe that the first festivals arose because of the anxieties of early peoples who did not understand the forces of nature and wished to placate them.
The people noted the times and seasons when food was plentiful or not and reacted accordingly.
Harvest and thanksgiving festivals, for instance, are a relic from the times when agriculture was the primary livelihood for the majority.
Festivals also provided an opportunity for the elders to pass on knowledge and the meaning of tribal lore to younger generations and give them the opportunity to let off steam in an acceptable yet controlled way.
A general agreement exists that the most ancient festivals and feasts were associated with planting and harvest times or with honoring the dead.
These have come down to us in modern times as celebrations with some religious overtones.
Harvest festivals are still carried out in many Christian churches and celebrate the fullness of the harvest.
Among the most attractive are the harvest-home festivals in Britain where, in the autumn, parish churches are decorated with flowers, fruits and vegetables.
Harvest suppers where a community joins together to celebrate the bountiful harvest have their beginnings in the pagan beliefs of the three harvest sabbats (Lughnasadh, Mabon and Samhain) belonging to the Wheel of the Year.
Herbal Folklore & Old Fashioned Tips
Anise
Romans paid taxes with anise, and it was used in cough drops.
Basil
Precious to lovers in Italy and considered sacred in India. Many years ago, Italian men wore a sprig of basil to indicate their intended marriage. A cup of basil tea after dinner helps digestion. Ease a headache by drinking tomato juice blended with fresh basil.
Borage
The Romans believed the herb to be an antidepressant, and ancient Celtic warriors took it for courage.
Caraway
Caraway was used to scent perfumes and soaps. The Greeks used it for upset stomachs.
Chervil
Eating a whole plant would cure hiccups; chervil was said to warm old and cold stomachs.
Chives
Bunches of chives hung in your home were used to drive away diseases and evil.
Dill
Romans made wreaths and garlands out of dill. Dill keeps witches away.
Fennel
Bunches of fennel were used to drive off witches. It was used in love potions and as an appetite suppressant.
Garlic
It was thought to give strength and courage. Aristotle noted garlic’s use as a guard against the fear of water. It’s also been widely used against evil powers.
Lovage
Chewing on a piece of the dried root will keep you awake. Lovage warms a cold stomach and help digestion. Added to bathwater, it was believed to relieve skin problems.
Marjoram
The Greeks believed it could revive the spirits of anyone who inhaled it. At weddings wreaths and garlands were made of marjoram.
Mint
It was believed to cure hiccups and counteract sea-serpent stings. The Romans wore peppermint wreaths on their heads. It was added to bathwater for its fragrance.
Oregano
Used for “sour humours” that plagued old farmers. Also used for scorpion and spider bites.
Parsley
Used for wreaths and in funeral ceremonies. Believed to repel head lice and attract rabbits.
Rosemary
Rosemary in your hair will improve your memory. It will protect you from evil spirits if you put a sprig under your pillow.
Sage
Thought to promote strength and longevity and believed to cure warts. American Indians used it as a toothbrush.
Summer Savory
It was believed to be an aphrodisiac. Some thought it was a cure for deafness.
Tarragon
Put in shoes before long walking trips to give strength. It has been used to relieve toothache and as an antifungal.
Thyme
Burning thyme gets rid of insects in your house. A bed of thyme was thought to be a home for fairies.
Jack-o’-Lantern
A phosphorescent light seen in marsh and swamp areas, which in folklore is either the manifestation of a malicious lost soul or a death omen.
Jacko’-lantern is known by various names, including will-o’-the-wisp and corpse light (England); fairy light, and fox fire (Ireland).
According to most legends, the jack-o’-lantern is a wandering soul who has been denied entry into both heaven and hell.
Clothed in a luminous garment or carrying a lighted wisp of straw, it drifts about at night, scaring travelers and beckoning them to follow it into the marshes.
Charms to protect oneself against the spirit include carrying an object made of iron, which is believed to repel evil spirits or sticking an iron knife into the ground.
In Ireland, children who are caught outdoors after dark are told to wear their jackets inside-out in order not to be lured astray by a jack-o’-lantern.
In Sweden, the spirit is believed to be the soul of an unbaptized child, who tries to lead travelers to water in hopes of receiving baptism.
The jack-o’-lantern also appears in American Indian and Appalachian folklore.
The Penobscot Indians call it the “fire demon,” who has lighted fingertips which it spins in a wheel, and skims the milk at dairies during the night.
In the Appalachians, mysterious, firelike balls of light appear in the hills at night and float, move and bob about the countryside.
Some are quite large and rise high into the air; others light up the surroundings like daylight.
In Africa, the jack-o’-lantern light is called a “witch-fire” and is believed to be the witch herself, flying through the air, or a light sent by the witch to scare wrongdoers.
As a corpse light, the eerie glow forecasts death in a household by hovering over a rooftop or even appearing on top of the chest of the person who is about to die.
Folklore & Spell Work
The majority of people who are new to spell working will acknowledge that for them common sense backed up by practical action is normally more productive than theoretical or mystical thinking.
In magical working, as in everyday life, when we have to handle a wide range of circumstances, common sense in dealing with them will normally produce the best results.
However, when we are confronted with the unusual or difficult or are faced with extreme anxiety, even the most practical-minded among us will theorize in order to make sense of what is happening.
We have not moved such a long way since those times, in the distant past, when our ancestors and people around the world routinely believed that if the crops failed then the gods must be angry.
Practices carried out then are still with us in the form of many of the festivals and feasts, which still have relevance in the societies where they began.
Some of you may choose not to use the spells in this section, but they do offer a return to basics and give fascinating insights into how our ancestors dealt with everyday challenges
Broom Folklore in Rural Cultures
The broom is one of those tools that most people have in their home – whether they’re a witch or not! In many rural cultures, the broom has become a source of legend and folklore. Here are just a few of the many beliefs people have about brooms and sweeping.
James Kambos says in Llewellyn’s 2011 Magical Almanac, “When misfortune was thought to have entered a home, one old German custom was to sweep the home, thus sweeping away any negativity. Each family member would grab a broom and begin sweeping. Starting at the center of the home, they’d sweep outward toward all exterior doors. As they swept, they’d open the front and back doors and sweep out the negativity.”
In the Appalachian region of the United States, many customs were brought over from Scotland, England and Ireland. It is believed that laying a broom across your doorstep will keep witches out of your house. However, be careful – if a girl steps over a broom by accident, she’ll end up becoming a mother before she gets married (this belief may have originated in Yorkshire, as there are similar warnings in that area).
People in parts of China say that a broom should only be used for household chores like sweeping because it is so strongly tied to the household spirits. It shouldn’t be used for playing or whacking people with, because that is offensive to the household entities.
There’s an old tale in the Ozarks that you should never sweep a house while there’s a dead body in it – although one would assume that if there’s a dead body in the house, you’ve got other things on your mind besides housecleaning.
Some African tribes believe that men should leave the house while women are sweeping. The reason? Because if they are accidentally struck by the broom, it could render them impotent – unless they take the broom and bang it on the wall three times (some legends say seven times).Edit
Baba Yaga
In Russian folklore, a female witch who loved to roast and eat people, preferably children.
She was as likely to pop a niece in the oven as she was a stranger.
She lived in a little hut beyond a river of fire in the “thrice tenth kingdom.”
The hut was ringed with stakes topped by human heads.
It stood on chickens’ legs and dogs’ heels and turned on command.
Those who were brave enough to enter the hut usually found Baba Yaga lying on the floor with her right leg in one corner and her left leg in another, sometimes with her nose growing into the ceiling.
The Bony-Legged One, as Baba Yaga often was called, would cackle at her guests, “Fie! Fie! I smell a Russian bone!” If she didn’t try to get them into the oven, she gave them advice.
Baba Yaga possessed a magic wand and flew in an iron mortar (cauldron) that she spurred on with a pestle as she swept away her tracks with a broom. She had two or three sisters, also called Baba Yaga.