Herbal Wish Candle

 Being on the Pagan pathway, pretty much life long,  I've learned its all in the attitude.

 That's why wishes do come true....

My most favored way of working a little Magic is by Candlework.

I'm an Aries, Fire is my friend!

Working with Herbs and their associations, Magically or Medicinally, 

creates a calming influence in My Life.

So when someone I know seems like they need a little boost of happiness, 

I do one of two things:

*make Corner Cheesecake Brownies

or

*an Herbal Candle

I peruse the Herbal Almanacs and Books that I have,  

selecting what feels like the right ones.

I try to limit it to 5 herbs because those Candles can get pretty heavy.

{and fire hazardy}

A friend was down recently, due to a fall out over a home purchase.

To cheer Him up, I put together a Herbal Wish Candle.

Using one large White jumbo candle,
I used melted wax to stick the herbs.

One of the Bettie Bloggers that I follow used 

a Heat Gun to place her objects to the candle.

SWEET idea....but alas, too late for this project!

Place a sprinkle of Herbs on the Candle
and dribble some melted wax on it. 

Try not to cover the herbs too much with melted wax, 

because it dries white and hides them. 

Also makes the candle very heavy.

These throughout history have powerful vibrations, or reputations, or what you will...

and they smell so Delightful! 

{smells different when burning, more like an outside fire}

Frankincense ~ positive high energy, blessing, consecration

Myrrh ~ raises the vibrational level

Sandalwood ~ making wishes

Juniper Berry  ~attracts healing energy

Rosemary ~ Cleansing and positive energy

Make sure the wax/herbs/candle are completely cool before wrapping in brightly colored tissue paper.

Add a note explaining:

what each Herb is representing,

not to leave candle burning unattended, 

burn in/on appropriate holder like a large plate or a small clay pot with dirt/sand in it

but most importantly

To take a deep breathe, 

clear your mind, 

concentrate on your wish, 

visualize it into your candle, 

and Light!

If you put the candle out, make sure and do
your visualization every time you relight it.

I leave the spent wax and herbs outside, in the back corner of the yard.

Mother's Day Classroom project ~ Herbal Soap balls

 

  Herbal Soap balls

Project with The LittLe Ones!

By now You probably know,

I LoVe to do projects with The Blu Man's class.

This project has been on the shelves of my brain grooves quite a while.

I remember doing them while in Brownies.

Perfect chance to try them out.

Easy.

Supplies:

*************

Plain Ivory soap 

{especially since you don't know which Child may have allergies}

                             approx. 1 large bar per child. 

                             I used the small bar and it barely made two, Small,

                             soaps, per bar per child.

Fresh and/or Dried Herbs  {I bought Chamomile, and we picked fresh   

                                      rosemary and Chocolate Mint from the 

                                      school  garden}

Large plastic bowls ~ {one for the chopped soap, and one to mix        

                                the chopped soap with the herbs}

Bowl of water

Food processor

Ice cream scoop

Foil or wax paper for work area

Coffee filters {optional}

*************

I used the food processor to chop the soap the night before the project.

If you're doing a group activity, I highly recommend this.

 

It does two things:

*saves time when you're rushing the next day to make it on time
*lets' you gauge for the right amount

Another good reason to use Ivory is its softness.
I had three bars of a plain DIAL? soap, and it wouldn't chop for nothing!

the soap nice and fluffy after choppage.

The next day.....

I don't know why I never thought of this but we did the project outside.

Duh!

Most of the kids LoVed it.

Some complained about it being to "messy".

When i asked those kids what they like to do, the response was video games.

Nothing wrong with video games unless that's all you do!

This is the fresh Chocolate Mint that I used.

The main picture is made with these. It really was lovely.

Mix your Herbs in with the Chopped Soap and mix it well.

Using the Ice Cream Scooper, scoop a nice full round, 

and put it on the work sheet.

 

Let the kids wet their fingertips

and begin shaping the Mixture.

I used the Coffee Filters for the Kids to place the soap balls on and dry.

They made decorated paper bags with the teacher later.

There you have it.

Happy Mothers Day!

FuLL mOOn ~ January ~ Wolf Moon

  Wolf Moon

Tonight is Januarys Full mOOn also known Wolf Moon. Native Americans refer to this winter moon as Wolf Moon for this is when the wolves are close, hungry, and howling, outside the warm homes of the villagers.

Supposedly, it's also the brightest and biggest of this years line up. 

Alas, due to cloudy weather, I won't be able to see it. Sigh.

All my womb fruits have an admiration and love of the mOOn.

As do I.

According to The G~Man's working co~horts, yes, pEEps do act a
Little Bit Crazier crazy on a Full moon.

I like to think more on an Amorous~Crazy~for~You kind of mOOd

You won't even need candle light!

Full moon rituals are my favored and most pleasant rituals I ever do. Much of it has to do with the simplicity of it. Full moons are also a time for letting go, cleaning house, Soul or otherwise.
{and who wants negativity any day, especially if its going to be a Holiday}
This is a grand time to do Wolf magic also.

Burning bits of paper~ Write down on pieces of paper the things You want to cleanse from Your life. Close eyes, take a deep breath, and burn it,
Burn baby Burn.

 

Smudge Smudge~ a big fat smudge stick is needed here. Make sure you carry around some type of container to catch the ash as you walk through your house and smoke it out. I leave my windows and doors open for this also. Nothing like chasing out the Negatives with some blessed smoke. Start in the furtherest corner of your house and walk through. I open up cabinet doors and closets also and make sure the Smudge smoke gets in. If your gonna clean, clean it right! What ever Spiritual or Religious philosophy you associate with, there is always a prayer or chant for purging, cleansing, and healing. {these are really good smudge sticks>

Salt bath by Candlelight ~ Sea salt and candles. The Salt purifies and the Flames from the candle burn away the bad energy. Just to clarify, You bath with the Salt, and burn the candles! Make sure You have enough time to relax and  think about what You want to get rid of and change.

Candles ~ a simple lone white candle can have some pretty powerful energy. Especially if placed in or near a window in the mOOnlight.

If You have the time, A nice cleaning of the Humble House~ a good wipe down, vacuum, 

mop the kitchen floor; 

Open up some windows and doors, even if its just for a few minutes 

{I am totally aware of you all who live in snow, but You too!). 

The attic fan that was put in our house when it was built in 1953 still works, and you can bet i use it to my advantage!

In honor of this years Wolf mOOn I have some music selections for your enjoyment!

Wolf mOOn ~ Type O Negative
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ew9Rb1BrMAU









Crazy on You ~ Heart { I ♥ Heart}
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5PKULglde8

hmmm, Interesting Article on Salt benefits:
http://www.health-benefit-of-water.com/sea-salt.html

Smudge Stick
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smudge_stick

Full Moon
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full_moon

Full Moon Names for 2010
http://www.space.com/spacewatch/full-moon-names-2010-100127.html

Yahoo News Article ~ Biggest and Brightest Full Moon of 2010
http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/20100129/sc_space/biggestandbrightestfullmoonof2010tonight

PS: PLEASEPLEASEPLEASE~ BE CAREFUL WHEN WORKING OR USING FIRE OR CANDLES.

Patchouli

 

patchouli ~ Hippie perfume...smells like Forest, Pot, and Snuggling.

yeahhh, That about sums it Up! (grin)

Its also My "Signature" scent. Its basically all I wear.

And you can surely bet, that after years of wearing it, I've got the hang of it.

I've learned NOT TO GO BY SMELL!

That's a REAL quick way to over~do it, 

and send the Crowds packing.

Remember, Your Scent-sors get used to scents and smells.

So, I've got it down to a Small drop on the Wrist, 

Rub and Swish over body and neck.

99.9999999999999% of the time, I get great compliments.

Apparantly, Patchouli suits my Chemistry.

During different times of the year, I will layer it with other Scents.

Autumn maybe with a Chocolate/Brownie body wash/gel...

Winter with a soft Vanilla ...

{I do mean soft, Vanilla is another scent that can get CRaZy~

too much, real quick}

Spring and Summer with a Rose Water rinse in my hair..

Its a great layering scent.

I shower with Kiss My Face 

Peaceful Patchouli Shower Gel,

which is a really great way to get a soft 

(but not invisible) Patchouli scent.

I was lucky enough to find a Patchouli plant at Whole Foods this year (pictured above).

I waiting for the flowers to come through because I haven't seen those yet.

The Familia and I are planning square~foot gardens next spring, 

and I definitely will be planting more.

Because, naturally I'm going to have a Beauty Garden! 

(grin,wink)

I wear the Now brand oil. In all the years I've worn it
(Ummm, 15?) 

only one time have I gotten a bottle that wasn't up to par. 

I actually got some complaints on that one.  

 So I poured it into the Extras bottle 

(I put all my oil endings into one bottle to let them continue aging,

so far so good)

Lorann Oils is a good place to get oils, 

although I haven't ordered from them in a while.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patchouli

http://www.lorannoils.com

http://www.kissmyface.com/

While gOOgle-ing Patchouli, I found this pleasantly pleasant surprise.

A band named PATCHOULI

I only got to listen to a few songs, and I liked them.

Folksy, guitar type music; Make a really good Studio CD.

http://www.patchouli.net/default.aspx

PumP Start My Heart Herbal Candle

My Herbal candles are more for Beauty and Magic

as opposed to Scented.

There's a Beauty to a candle that is thick and chunky,

with a myriad of colors and textures the Herbs provide.

WARNING!!!!!

HERBAL CANDLES CAN BE A BIG FIRE HAZARD!

NEVER LEAVE CANDLES BURNING ALONE!

I Love my Herbal candles, but I never leave them to burn if I'm not home.

I would recommend a Large plate~type candle holder

or

Sand in a Bowl candle holder.

When the wax melts, the herbs do too,

so you have to watch to make sure the glob

of wax and herbs don't go ablaze.

This candle is for those cool Autumn nights,

when The Heart desires some PaSSion.

**************************************************************

1 White Jumbo Candle

Cinnamon sticks

Cocoa

Crushed Chili Pepper

Olive Oil (a dab will do ya)

Bees Wax

Parchment Paper

Grinder

First I melted some of the bEEswax 
in the microwave (I used a glass votive) and then placed the glass on my stove griddle, low heat, to keep it warm.
Electric cup warmers also work well.










I placed the CiNNaMoN stick in the grinder to
grind into small chunks. You want the small chunks
not powdered.





Cover your work surface with the Parchment PaPer.
The paper is really fantastic because You can peel
the wax and herb bits off to put back on the candle.
Less Waste!






Using a DAB of Olive Oil, rub the candle with it. 
The original purpose of the Olive Oil was to help the Herbs stick to the Candle. It does help a bit with the smaller pieces, 
and really well with the powders.
This is where I learned that You should do the 
powders first and then the Herbs. I reversed it, putting the powder last and it ended up covering the pretty Chili PePPers and CiNNaMoN bits.
 
So, sprinkle the CoCoa Powder on the Olive Oil for a light covering.

Lay your candle on the parchment paper, and sprinkle some of the chili pepper and cinnamon bits on the jumbo candle. 

Using a straw, dip the straw into the wax, use your finger to cover the top of the straw (which keeps the wax inside the straw) and after placing the straw over the candle, move the straw down the length of the candle while drizzling the wax on the herbs. Try not to let to much puddle in one spot or you will have a big blob of wax showing instead of the herb.
You will have to do this a few times to get the 
length of the candle.

Continue this process, giving a minute or two for
the wax to dry before turning the candle, until You
have covered the candle completely around. 

When I make Herbal candles, before burning Them, 
I empower Them with
a Wish, a Prayer, or a Thank You 
(coinciding with what I would like the candle magic for)
This is one, You'd want to empower with PaSSion, Hot KiSSeS, and Lovin.

and Voila! A PumP Start My Heart candle.
***********************************************


Here are some of the meanings that go with the Herbs and Colors that I 
chose:

White ~ Peace, Purity, Sincerity, Protection, HaPPineSS, Spirituality, Strength, Ritual,mOOn, GoDDeSS.

Chili pepper ~ Fidelity, Hex Breaking, Love, Fire , PaSSion

Cinnamon ~ Spirituality, Success, Healing, Power, Lust, Love,
High Spiritual Vibrations

CoCoa ~ Let's face it, lol, Cocoa is chocolate and Chocolate just makes EVERYTHING better!

Chocolate is dark, sweet, dense, soft, and sensuous.  It's not only a wonderfully sweet treat, it's also reputed to be composed of magical properties believed by some to assist in the acquisition of power, love and money.

Many people throughout history have believed that chocolate is a very intense and powerful aphrodisiac. Modern Science has actually confirmed that chocolate does contain a natural substance that is reported to stimulate the same reaction in the body as falling in love.

Fire It Up! muah!

MaGicaL MySTeRy ToUr InCeNse

MaGicaL MySTeRy ToUr InCeNse

This is by far, one of my all time Number One incense to make.

Everything about it just screams ME! lol

I've been mixing up batches of this incense since I first started practicing the Wiccan Path,

so it holds many a great memory for me, from a very important time in my life.

Not to mention, but Will!, it has a wonderful scent.

Not a burnt herb smell, but a really nice smell.

I found this recipe in Wylundt's bOOk of Incense.

Wylundt's is Absolutely my Darling for Incense Recipes.

It's full of Funky and grOOvy recipes that just call me Sweetheart....

When mixing up loose incense, I like to add a bit of Saltpeter/Potassium Nitrate.
It helps the mixture burn better AND
it adds this fantastic Sparkle when afire! 

I mix up small batches at a time, 
mainly due to the Dampness Factor
and Smoke Factor.

Saltpeter/Potassium Nitrate has a tendency to gather the damp
which can really throw the burn off. 
The two worst problems are 
1) difficulty in burning 
and 
2)clumping.

Its best to store in air-tight container to ward off the moisture
as best as possible.
When too much is added, You have Hella Smoke, too much smoke.
Small amounts people, small amounts.

Here are the ingredients for Magical Mystery Tour incense
(as found in Wylundt's Book of Incense)
************************************************************************
Bay 3/4
Frankincense  1/4
Sandalwood  1 1/4
Cinnamon  1/2
Dragon's Blood 1/4
Lilac Oil

mixing bowl
small grinder
saltpeter/potassium nitrate

Now, the numerical parts of the recipe do not stand for any specific type of measurement. It stands for the RATIO. What ever type of measurement device You use, follow the Ratio. Since I mixed up small batch, I just used My 1/4 tsp. spoon. So for 1/2 I filled it twice.
3/4 I filled it three times; and for the 1 1/4, I filled it 5 times. I know this may sound like common sense to a lot of pEEps, but recipes can be confusing enough for many.

One other potential problem is the "authenticity" of Lilac Oil.
Peeps, like Me, really like Their Potions & Notions to be as Authentic, as possible.

Apparently, "true" Lilac Oil is hard to come by and expensive.
Of course, I've googled and searched, and many say "true" (or in so many words)
Lilac oil. I used to use what was in the shop I worked at, now I usually just leave it out.
I plan to order some type of oil in the near future to add to the recipe anyway. 


After gathering My supplies, I added small amounts
to my mini electric grinder (small coffee grinders 
work really well) and measured the Herbs out.
When finished with the grindage and measuring,
I mixed all together really well.
If you choose to add the potassium nitrate, add now,
and mix again.
 







Store Your incense mixture in an air-tight container to help keep fresh.

I tried to get a great picture of the Sparkle affect, but alas, the camera, my self, and the flamage could not coordinate!

REMEMBER!!!
NEVER LEAVE BURNING OBJECTS ALONE!!
BURN INCENSE IN FIREPROOF, DEEP, BOWL OR CONTAINER!

Potassium Nitrate:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potassium_nitrate


 Wylundt's bOOk of Incense
 http://www.amazon.com/Wylundts-Book-Incense-Wylundt/dp/0877288690/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1259510891&sr=8-1

Chamomile Milk Bath

Chamomile is a very popular Beauty and Health product.
From Teas to Creams, to Soap to Sachets.



A simple way to enjoy Chamomile is to use it in a Milk bath.


Just mix up some dried powdered Milk (whole milk, not non-fat)
                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
with Whole Chamomile Flowers,

put in a pretty container
and Voila!
a piece of heaven right there ready for you to use.

I buy my Whole Chamomile Flowers from Mountain Rose Herbs, and have plans to grow Them next year
in Our garden. Verra Excited about that.

(apologize for crappy pictures, couldn't get the lighting right)

Mountain Rose Herbs, Darling!

 http://mountainroseherbs.com/

Mountain Rose Herbs

is

My absolute favorite place to buy

Herbs & Oils

Almond Oil

Pomegrante Oil

Castor Oil

Lavender

Chamomile

Roses

Green Clay

Rhoussal Clay

Cocoa Butter

These are just a few of the things that I buy from Them.

I use them for my Milk Baths, Herbal Candles, Bath Salts, Facials, ........

Any thing I need for a GoDDeSS Beauty Ritual;

And more, lol