Healing with the Aid of Ancestors {Ritual and Herbal Powder Recipe}

I had been inspired by two events and two plants this year to finally do an Ancestral healing ritual this past Samhain. This is something that I had been wishing to do for a few years now, and had worked my way towards it on some counts, but also had been avoiding doing so, not ready to face or let go of some pain and anger. 

The first event of inspiration happened when I was at Tlachtga/Hill of Ward this past Bealtaine, after hearing the story of Tlachtga, I knew that I had wanted to do something on Samhain to honour her. In her story she is deeply betrayed by her jealous father, which lead to her rape and impregnation, causing her to birth three sons, which also ultimately lead to her death. But instead of her last words being of vengeance and hatred, they were of hope and love, the naming of her three sons: Cuma, Muach and Doirb. And as long as those names are remembered, Ireland and her people shall be safe from catastrophe. To me Tlachtga is a figure of strength and sovereignty; not necessarily encouraging forgiveness and most certainly not forgetting, but urging one forward to live their full potential, irregardless of what life throws at them. Also while at the Hill of Ward, I had my first of many experiences during my time in Ireland of communing with various nature spirits, this time being with Stinging Nettle. Already an ally, I was reminded of the many lessons that this plant can teach. One of them being that just like the pain one can get through harvesting them, it could be well worth going through the experience for the potential of nourishment and healing that both the plant and painful experience can bring. For only through such experiences can we truly gain the insights needed to heal ourselves and help others with the same. 

The second event of inspiration came this past summer during a get together up north, while visiting our family cemetery in a small village. The whole place was carpeted by beautiful Selfheal/Heal-all, another beloved plant ally. I harvested some, knowing that it would be perfect for helping heal family and ancestral wounds. 

While I did initialize the healing on Samhain, it is a work in progress, so this is something that I continue to do. I suppose it could be said that this has been incorporated into my devotional work with my Ancestors, hopefully that is mutually beneficial for both the living and the dead. 

I've decided to share some of that here, in case others are looking to do similar work with the aid of their own Ancestors.

Ancestral Herbal Healing Powder

A powder like this could easily be used in charms, in an incense, or as I have done and made it for adding to candles for ritual use. *Wearing gloves would be a good idea while making this, as some of the ingredients can be toxic. This was made on the full moon before Samhain, which happened to be a Sunday, to me a great time for healing work. I spent a good long while grinding everything in a mortar and pestle, in a meditative state focusing on healing. The mixture was then left under the light of the full moon to be blessed for nine days.

Stinging Nettle

Selfheal

Ancestor Graveyard Dirt

Ancestral Rose Thorns

Wild Rose

Cedar

Tansy {can be toxic}

Apple Leaves

Meadowsweet

Thyme

Bleeding Hearts {can be toxic}

Mullein

Heather

Linden Leaf and Flower

Forget-Me-Nots

Ancestral Healing Ritual

I carved on a black candle in Ogham down three separate sides "Clann" {Family}, "Shinsir" {Ancestors} and "Leighgeas" {Healing}, and over each carving placed three personal effects to consecrate the candle within the Three Realms: blood {Talam/Land}, saliva {Muir/Sea} and breath {Nem/Sky}. Then on each carving I rubbed some of the herbal powder from above, three times on each.

The candle was then placed in a silver bowl of Ancestral graveyard dirt, surrounded by three poppy pods, one at each point of the Ogham carving. Under this is kept names and situations being focused on for healing. Before being lit, the candle was anointed with nine drops of a healing oil, and sprinkled with more of the herbal powder. This is something I do every time before the candle is lit for a working.

Of course before beginning the ritual, I always leave offerings to those who I am asking help from, which I encourage everyone to do. During the ritual there are prayers, meditation and often divination as well, which I also encourage others to do, tailored to their own needs and personal practices. 

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It's never an easy thing, the process of healing. For those on that same journey, I hope that this post might be of some use to to you. 

Brewing Wormwood Bitters {Absinthe Inspired} for Ritual Use

{***Please be sure to do your own research, find out if it is safe for you to use plants such as wormwood, and that you use proper dosages. There are several health conditions and situations where wormwood and related plants are not safe for folks to use. And please, for the love of all that is sacred, dilute before using and use responsibly.***}

This morning I started a brew of absinthe-inspired wormwood bitters, which I am looking forward to using to aid in travelling and divination during the upcoming dark half of the year. This is my first time making absinthe, so it is a bit of an experiment. In my own brew I added the following herbs, after giving them a good going over with a stone mortar and pestle:

wormwood

fennel

anise

hyssop

peppermint

lemon balm

coriander seed

dandelion root

I then added in some 80 proof vodka, enough to cover the herbs and then some. Most of the ingredients are traditionally found in absinthe recipes, and many have the delightful associations of what I plan to use it for. I added dandelion root as a extra, for it's association with seeing, ancestor work and the Otherworlds. 

I will brew it for at least a week, shaking it every day, saying a little charm as I do so. While it sits, I will have it covered in black, with a pendant that I wear during some rituals, to inform the brew of its intended use. 

It will then be strained and bottled, and use diluted. Below is the video I got inspiration from to make this, which I encourage people to check out.

Calendula Infused Oil

Calendula is one of those staple herbs for my garden, and even after downsizing from a decent-sized yard to a balcony, I still insisted on growing it this year. I like to use it in magic of course, but I also like to make an infused oil with it.

The oil of calendula is great for many things, but I like to use it in both salves and bars for chapped skin, minor cuts, bug bites and I find when used with other herbs, it is quite effective on sore muscles.

Before starting the oil infusion I dry the flowers so there is a lesser chance of the oil going funky. For the actual oil I used grapeseed oil this year, but olive oil or perhaps almond oil work fine as well. My calendula oil is still infusing, and I will let it sit in a cool, dark spot for about a month. I shake it about every other day.

Once it is finished infusing I will strain it through cheesecloth to separate the flowers from the oil and bottle up the oil again until it is ready to use.

To a see a great herbal infusion tutorial, head on over to the Mountain Rose Herbs blog. They also have some great recipes on how to use your calendula oil once it's ready.

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Sláinte!

Laurel

Recipe for Herbal Vinegar Hair Rinse

Lady Lilith  by Dante Gabriel Rossetti

This is a herbal vinegar hair rinse that I like to use a few times a week after shampooing my hair. After shampooing I apply the rinse on my scalp and throughout my hair and let it sit for a few minutes before rinsing and applying conditioner to the bottom half of my hair. I find it makes it soft and shiny.

Herbal Vinegar Hair Rinse

To start, make a herbal tea with a handful of the following:

Peppermint

Garden Sage

Lavender buds

Chamomile flowers

Birch bark

Lemon Balm

Comfrey root

Raspberry leaf

Steep in boiled water for about an hour. Once cooled, strain herbal debris and add 9 drops {or to person preference} of each:

Patchouli essential oil

Bergamot essential oil

Lavender essential oil

The combine 4 parts tea to 1 part white or cider vinegar. Store in a clean glass bottle or jar {I use a mason jar with a plastic lid} and store in the fridge for up to 3 months. 

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Sláinte!

Laurel

Gaelic Folk Healing: Staunching Blood

This is my first entry on Gaelic Folk Healing, this one covers some of the traditional lore and practices to stop bleeding. This post is for the sake of exploration and is not intended to give medical advice!

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Blood Drop by Mattia Belletti

Is beannuighthe ainm an fhir a sgoilt croidhe an làoigh ghil ;

Is maith an nidh thainic as, fuil, fion, agus fioruisge.

An ainm a n-Athar, stop an fhuil ; Sancti, taraidh dà chobhair.

Spiritus Sancte, stop an fuil ta ag teacht go treun.

 

~ Ortha Coisgthe Fola

 

{Irish charm to staunch blood found in Gaelic Incantations, Charms and Blessings of the Hebrides by William MacKenzie}

 

There were healers who reported had the gift to stop bleeding, through the use of prayer or words of power. These gifts were sometimes thought to be passed through blood line or taught from one person to another. In some parts of Scotland, it was thought to be most effective when a male taught a female and a female taught a male these incantations. {Survival in Beliefs Among the Celts by George Henderson}.

 

In the Third Manx Scrapbook there is an instance of a Peel man named Gawne who was on a boat with a man bleeding to death and Gawne "saved his life without touching him, merely using a spoken formula." This gift was not only used on humans, but animals as well.

 

Also found in the Third Manx Scrapbook are accounts of a man named Jack Corlett of Ramsey who was thought to be especially gifted in staunching the bleeding of animals. Of this the author says:

 

"A friend of mine when about 11 years old watched a farrier cut a tumour out of the vaginal passage of a neighbour's cow near Leodas in Andreas. It was a serious operation, and the farrier refused to begin it until Jack Corlett came. As soon as the growth was cut out Corlett muttered his charm, and the bleeding ceased. This my friend saw, he says, with his own eyes."

 

There are few other accounts of people who supposed had this gift in the book which can be read here.

Some lore insists that to be able to stop bleeding on an individual, the healer must know the name of the person. An example of this is found in a story from Aultbea, Scotland where a blood-charmer named Ian Ban had trouble stopping the bleeding of a man injured at a wedding. It wasn't until another blood-charmer present spoke the victim's true name that the bleeding had stopped.

Not everyone was lucky enough to have someone around who supposedly had the power stop blood on command. Those people would turn to other means to staunch bleeding.

In Transactions of the Gaelic Society, Vol. 14 a cure to stop bleeding that was used in the Scottish Highlands was boiling a bowlful of blood into a powder, which was then given to the bleeding victim to swallow.

 

A cure reportedly used to stop bleeding in Ireland was cobwebs:

 

"This knowledge about cobwebs can be traced back to a medical manuscript that was transcribed from Latin into Irish by an Irish Liaig, T.Ó Cuinn in 1415. This manuscript is a compilation in Irish of various Latin works that were in general use by medical people in the middle- ages. The Tadhg Ó Cuinn manuscript has this to say about cobwebs:

 

Tele rania: i.e. the spider’s web; cold and dry; it has the retentive virtue; it stops the bleeding of wounds, and it heals as we have said.’ " {The Thread that Could Not Be Broken: Overview of Irish Traditional Medicine by Rosari Kingston}.

Lady Augusta Wilde cites in Ancient Cures, Charms and Usages of Ireland a prayer that is used in conjunction with scarlet coloured yarn to stop bleeding. The yarn was tied tightly around the neck and wrists {definitely not recommended!!!} while this prayer was said:

"There came a man from Bethlehem to be baptized in the river Jordan ;
 but the water was so muddy that it stopped flowing.
So let the blood ! So let the blood !
 Let it stop flowing in the name of Jesus, and by the power of Christ !"
 

Frogs and toads were used to stop bleeding in Scotland; living toads were brought face-to-face with a person to stop a nose bleed, and the ashes of a frog were administered to stop more serious bleeds {Healing Threads by Mary Beith}.

 

A charm called a "toad-stone" is noted in Scottish Charms and Amulets by Geoffrey Black that apparently was used to stop bleeding. It was a small black oval-shaped stone that was placed on a wound and the following incantation was said:

 

"The water’s mud [?wud] and runs aflood,
And so does thy blood.
God bade it stand and so it did.
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, stand blood!"

 

Many different herbs were also used to stop bleeding, and there are a few named Lus na fola/Lus na fala {"herb of blood/blood weed"} including Yarrow{Achillea millefolium}, Shepherd's Purse{Capsella bursa-pastoris}, and Saint John's Wort {Hypericum perforatum}. Often these herbs would be used in ointments to be applied to wounds to stop bleeding and to promote healing in general.

 

To stop nose-bleeds Mary Beith mentions two folk cures used in the Scottish Highlands: a Broom{Cytisus scoparius} bundle was tied around a patient's neck or a seaweed called Linarich {Ulva lactuca ? } was placed on the forehead and temples. She also raises Stinging Nettle {Urtica dioica} poultices being used for minor bleeding, as well and Puffballs {Bovista nigrescens} and fresh Plantain {Plantago major} to staunch small amounts of blood flow.

 

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If any readers happen to know of other Gaelic folk cures and lore for staunching blood, please feel free to share them!

Sláinte!

Laurel


Harvesting & Giving Thanks for Healing Herbs

 

Hello dear readers, I hope that everyone is having a lovely summer so far!

 

One of the most exciting times in my garden for me is when I get to harvest herbs in early summer. Last year I did a more in-depth post on some of the rituals that I do around this time for those who are interested. This post will just mostly be photos.

 

The lovely bounty.

 

My Midsummer shrine dedicated to Airmid & honeybees.

 

Offering stones, double pink columbine and hand-rolled beeswax candles.

 

 

Bee artwork done by Amanda Clark.

 

A vessel I made for healing.

In other news, I am getting everything together for a Lughnasadh giveaway, so stay tuned for that.

Sláinte!

Laurel

Bontanical Beauty...

I will appreciate the beauty of plants over stylish, sparkly trinkets any day!

Herbs & Prayers for Bed Time

royalty free photo

Recently I have been looking into traditional Gaelic methods that help to promote sleep, good dreams and to keep nightmares at bay. One book that has been particularly helpful is Healing Threads by Mary Beith, which I highly recommend to anyone who is interested in traditional Scottish folk healing and magic.

 

In it the author mentions various different herbs used to help with sleep; heather was used for bedding and later on put under pillows, and thyme was also put under pillows to ward off nightmares. Nettle, chickweed, oats, apple, and poppy were also used, mainly to deal with insomnia.

 

 

With this in mind, I decided to create some herbal sleeping charms to be placed under pillows. In them I put heather {to promote sleep}, thyme {to keep away nightmares}, mugwort {to promote dreaming}, rowan leaves {for protection} and a few drops of lavender essential oil for a soothing smell. The herbs were sewn into wool plaid squares that are 3 by 3 inches each and stitched with red thread for extra protection.

 

In the Carmina Gadelica {Vol I} there are a variety of prayers and blessings for a restful and protected sleep. The prayer that I say every night is an adaptation of two of them: A Resting Prayer  and Sleep Consecration:

 

May the Three shield this house tonight,

And all who dwell within.

Preserve us from all danger and harm,

From disaster and foe.

Protect my loved ones in this place

And where ever they may sleep,

This night and every night.

　

Tonight I will sleep in peace and protection

With the blessings of the Gods

With the blessings of my Ancestors

With the blessings of the Good Folk.

And tonight I lay down with the blessings of

Macha, Airmid, Flidais, An Callieach, and Brigid.

May I always have the blessings of Them and the Great Three.

 

There is quite a bit more lore for me to go over, so I will likely do a more in depth post on this topic in the future.

 

Sláinte!

 

Laurel

Spiritual Land Stewardship

Restoule, Ontario

For those of us magical practitioners and Pagans that work closely with the land and nature allies, we are likely to also be passionate about conversation and environmental issues. We may be members of environmental groups, grow some of our own food, buy local and organic, and take other steps to tread lightly as possible; others may feel that they are obliged to protect certain ecologically sensitive and sacred areas through more spiritual means.

Over the last little while I have been happy to note that there are others in my region who act as spiritual land stewards or are interested in doing so. With that in mind, I thought that I would share some resources that I have found very helpful, as well as a few posts that I have done in the past that might give folks some ideas.

Some of these resources are specific to my region, while some are for any region. I also think that any of the resources of a spiritual nature could be adaptable to just about any faith or magical practice.

Books

Animal Tracks of Ontario by Ian Sheldon
Art of Conversation With the Genius Loci by Barry Patterson {I don't agree with all of this book, but I think that it is still worth a read}
At Home in Nature: Modern Homesteading and Spiritual Practice in America by Rebecca Kneale Gould
Birds by Roger Tory Peterson 
Discovering Rock Art in Ontario's Provincial Parks by Thor Conway 
Mammals of Ontario by Tamara Eder
Mushrooms of Ontario and Eastern Canada by George Barron
Native Trees of Canada
Old Man's Garden by Annora Brown
Ontario Weeds: Descriptions, Illustrations and Keys to Their Identification
Ontario Wildflowers: 101 Wayside Flowers by Linda Kershaw
The Book of Swamp and Bog by John Eastman
The Forest Trees of Ontario by J.H. White
The Woodland Way: A Permaculture Approach to Woodland Management

Articles

A Well-Intentioned Celt’s Guide to Non-Celtic Bioregions by Raven nic Rhóisín and Kathryn Price NicDhàna
Caring for the Land by John Scull
Cornerstones of Wisdom: Poetry, Permanence and Wildness in Gaelic Polytheism by Treasa Ní Chonchobhair
Green Witchcraft and the Virid Road by Angelina
Grow-It-Yourself by Yan Roberts
 How to Create a Genius Loci Profile by Sarah Lawless
Land Guardianship by Sarah Lawless
 

 Websites

Ancient Forest Exploration and Research
Andy's Northern Ontario Wildflowers
Bealtaine Permaculture Cottage
Bioregional Animism
Greater Nipissing Stewardship Council
Greening Nipissing
Native Plant Database
Nipissing Environmental Watch
Nipissing Naturalists Club
North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority 
Northern Ontario Plant Database
Old Farmer's Almanac
Ontario Ferns
Ontario Grasses
Ontario Trees and Shrubs
Ontario Wildflowers
Ontario's Species at Risk
Ontario Visible Heritage Project
Plants for a Future
Primitive Ways
The Plant Encyclopedia
Transition Towns North Bay

Previous Posts

A Wee Funeral
Gifts for Birds

No Man's Land: Keeping a Piece Wild
Some Thoughts on Offerings
Wildcrafting Etiquette

If you know of any resources that are not on here, please feel free to share them in the comment section. :)

Sláinte!

Laurel

The Herb-Leech

I have gathered luss {foxglove}
At the wane of the moon,
And supped its sap
With a yewen spoon.
I set a spell
By the carn of Medb,
And smelt the mould
Of the red queen's grave.
I have dreamed a dearth
In the darkened sun,
And felt the hand
Of the Evil One.
I have fathomed war
In the comet's tail,
And heard the crying
Of Gall and Gael.
I have seen the spume
On the dead priest's lips,
And the "holy fire"
On the spars of ships;
And the shooting stars
On Barthelmy's Night
Blanching the dark
With ghostly light;
And the corpse-candle
Of the seer's dream,
Bigger the girth
Than a weaver's beam;
And the shy hearth-fairies
About the grate,
Blowing the turves
To a whiter heat.
All things on earth
To me are known,
For I have the gift
Of the Murrain Stone!

~The Herb-Leech by Seosamh Mac Cathmhaoil {Joseph Campbell}

European Mistletoe {Viscum Album}

{originally posted on the nefaeria blog in 2008, with a wee bit of updating}

photo by Rupert Ganzer

Along with conifers, poinsettias and holly, mistletoe is one of the plants most associated with the Yuletide season, so it is a perfect time to post about it I think.

There are other types of mistletoe, but for this post, I am focusing on the European or Common variety.

Other Names: Herbe de la Croix, All-Heal, Birdlime, Devil's Fuge, Mistletan.

 

Description: The European mistletoe is native to Britain, as well as to much of Europe. It is a hemiparastic evergreen that lives in mostly deciduous trees, and is compatible with at least 200 different host species.

 

It forms 'bushes' on the branches of trees, that are anywhere from 1.5 to 6 feet in diameter. The leaves are shaped like a tongue and they have white, round berries whose sticky juices have been noted to resemble semen.

 

Warnings: As with all herbs, one should make sure to be thoroughly informed before ingesting them, and is best to do so under the guidance of a qualified healer.

 

According to the National Centre for Complimentary and Alternative Medicine:

"Raw, unprocessed mistletoe is poisonous. Eating raw, unprocessed European mistletoe or American mistletoe can cause vomiting, seizures, a slowing of the heart rate, and even death." 

As well, they point out that in countries such as Germany have mistletoe that is available for therapeutic injection. There are potential side effects such as

"itching or redness in the area of the injection. Less commonly, side effects may include more extensive skin reactions, low-grade fevers, or flu-like symptoms. There have been very rare reports of more serious allergic reactions, such as difficulty breathing.'"

Also, avoid while pregnant, as it is known to cause contractions of the uterus.

 

Cultivating: Germination for the mistletoe usually begins once a bird's business is dropped on a its new host; the seeds sprout from the pile of bird poop, and then takes root in the bark of the tree.
 

The mistletoe mainly uses its host as a source of water and mineral nutrients, while its leaves do some photosynthesis. It usually bears fruit around the Winter Solstice.

 

According to Mrs. M Grieve, one could quite easily cultivate their own mistletoe simply by

"rubbing the berries on the smooth bark of the underside of the branches of trees till they adhere, or inserting them in clefts made for the purpose".

It is hardy to about a zone 5, and grows best in dappled shade. Brother Aloysius suggests that it be gathered in Autumn or Winter and that it should be dried and stored in sealed containers.

 

Medicinal/Remedial Properties and Lore: Antispasmodic, cardiac, cytostatic, diuretic, emmengogue, haemostat, hypotensive, narcotic, nervine, stimulant, tonic, vasodilator.

 

Culpeper said that

"misselto doth molify hard knots, tumours, and imposthumes...is a cephalic and nervine medicine, useful for convulsive fits, palsy, and vertigo."

Brother Aloysius recommended it for a variety of ailments including watery gall, jaundice, internal sores, convulsions and whopping cough.

 

Today mistletoe is mainly used for headaches, to lower blood pressure, to relieve anxiety and sleeplessness, and there are studies being done in it's effectiveness in combating cancer.

 

a holiday postcard, circa 1900

Magical/Spiritual Properties and Lore: It is said that Cesar saw Druids five days after the new moon following the Winter Solstice, climbing into oak trees and cutting mistletoe with golden sickles for ritual use. There are disagreements as to whether it was actually mistletoe or holly that they were cutting down.

 

According to Paul Beyerl's Master Book of Herbalism mistletoe is good for fertility, protection and visionary workings. For a Yule ritual in his book, people should toss a mistletoe berry into the hearth-fire to represent those personal things that one desires, as the sun comes back.

 

In some traditions, mistletoe is associated with solar deities because it bears fruit as the sun it at it's lowest point , and also lunar deities because of it's round, white fruit.

 

Once gathered, many sources say that it should not touch the ground, and it does indeed have many potential uses.

 

For protection, in Culpeper's Complete Herbal, he says that is can be hung around the neck to remedy witchcraft. Also, sprigs can be hung on doorways to protect houses from lightening and evil spirits; it can be placed by a cradle to avoid faeries {careful that little hands can't reach it!}; hung in a barn to protect a herd of cattle and buried in a field to protect a crop.

 

For this time of year, string up some mistletoe to get some kisses ;)

 

Where this custom actually originated from I am not sure, but there are a few that I have seen:

 

One involves the Norse God Baldr, who is killed by an arrow made of mistletoe, that is shot by Loki. After Baldr dies, Frigg cries and her tears become the white berries. In one version of the story, Baldr comes back to life, and Frigg is so happy that she blesses the mistletoe and says she will bestow a kiss to anyone who stands underneath it.

 

Under the Mistletoe, 1873

Another folktale says that if warring foes came under a tree with mistletoe on it, they would lay down their arms and kiss each other as a sign of peace.

 

I use mistletoe for various types of workings, including ones for protection, health/healing, divination, exorcism, fertility, romance, sexuality, and activities in the wild {hunting, camping, wildcrafting}.

 

Other Uses: It has long been thought that mistletoe is just a pest that not only kills off trees, but degrades entire habitats. But, according to a study done on the relationship between junipers and mistletoe, the mistletoe can actually play a role in protecting biodiversity.

 

Sláinte!

 

Laurel

Using Botanicals to Dye Magical Textiles

A few days ago I did some natural dyeing, so I thought that I would share a wee bit about that in case other folks would be inspired to give it a go. Please keep in mind that there are different ways that one can dye textiles with botanicals, this is just they way that I have been comfortable with.

 

There are a few things that all methods have in common:

1. Extracting colour
2. Fixing colour
3. Transferring colour

I would highly recommend people going through the resources that I will put at the end of this post to get more ideas to see what works for them.

The whole purpose of me doing this was to infuse the magical properties of the plants into the textiles, as well as obviously leave some colour on them as well.

  

For this batch the actual magical properties of the plants were of more importance to me than the colour. I wanted something that could be a good general purpose textile and wasn't quite sure how the colours would turn out. In one of the extra resources at the bottom of this post, there is a list of different plants and the colours they give off.

 

 

For fresh ingredients this is not necessary, but berries apparently benefit having a soaking in vinegar before simmering. This is a good time to do a blessing over the plant materials should you wish to, or to "charge" them with intent.

 

Using cold water is best to add for the vinegar, and after simmering giving the fabric a good rinse in cold water {water it runs clear} is needed. Other methods call for the fabric to be wet before putting it in with the dye wash, so this takes care of both the fixative and that step. Other fixatives are sometimes added to the actual dye wash or used to treat the textile afterwards. Learn more about fixative in the resources below.

 

 

Other methods call for a lower simmering time, depending on the materials being used. Sometimes fixatives, such as salt are added at this stage.

 

 

This is probably not a must, but it will make stage six a whole lot easier. As you will see in the follow photos, I did not strain all of the plant material out; some of it stuck to the fabric, which I just shook off outdoors once I was finished drying them out. I put the strained off bits into the compost.

 

 

The textile I used was a natural coloured cotton linen and I left it in the dye wash for a couple of hours. I shifted it around every once and a while with a pair of tongs. If handling, it is best to used a pair of rubber gloves so you don't dye your hands!

 

 

Before removing from the dye bath, carefully squeeze out as much of the liquid as you can. To get the concentrated veins of colours, I left my fabric bunched in a pile on a dish drying rack {made black rubber, no risk of it staining!} over night. Then I dried out flat on our clothesline.



Extra resources:

Using Natural Plant Dyes by Kate Aimson {from White Dragon Magazine}
Natural Dyes: Their History and How to Make Them by Varenya
Making Natural Dyes from Plantsfrom Pioneer Thinking {has a great list of plants and the colours they give off}

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a comparison of my linen before dyeing {top} and after dyeing {bottom}

It was exciting to see what the finished product would be and I am quite fond of the yellows, rusts and browns that came out in the linen. I will be using some of it in an upcoming project that I will post about later, as well as using some for charm bags and pouches.

 

For those who don't want to make your own, but would like some magical textiles, I will be listing some of this batch in the Unfettered Wood shop and I am happy to take custom orders.

 

Sláinte!

 

Laurel

A Few Irish Charms & Spells

{originally posted on the nefaeria blog}

Below are a few traditional Irish spells and charms; the first two I have changed to suit my personal situation, the last one is in its original form. All of these charms and spells are from Ancient Legends, Mystic Charms, and Superstitions of Ireland by Francesca Speranza Wilde.

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To Attract Bees
 

photo by Umberto Salvagnin

Gather on Midsummer {the original calls for this on Bealtaine/May Day, so the change I made is due to the climate that I am in}:

 

foxglove

raspberry leaves

wild marjoram

mint

chamomile

valerian

 

Mix them in butter that is also made on Midsummer {original calls for Bealtaine/May Day}. Boil them altogether with honey. Rub the mixture on a small clay pot and place in the bottom of a bee box and the bees will soon come.

 

*********

 

Against Enemies
 

royalty free photo

 

The three things are of my evil adversary:

 

An evil gaze;

An evil tongue;
An evil mind.

 

The three things are of my Gods:

The merciful word;

The singing word;

And the good word.

May the power of these three sacred things be on all of those that I hold dear.

 

*********

 

A Charm for Safety



photo by Dan Zen



Pluck ten blades of yarrow, keep nine, and cast the tenth away for tithe to the spirits. Put the nine in your stocking, under the heel of the right foot, when going a journey, and evil will have no power over you.

*********

Sláinte!

Laurel

Mullein Candles & Torches

After collecting the seeds and leaves from my mullein plant I cut down the stalk as part of my on-going garden clean up, and instead of just tossing it onto my compost heap I decided to have a go at making mullein candles/torches. It's been a couple of decades or so since I made them at camp, which were used later in our stay around the firepit as rustic lighting.

The Witch of Forest Grove suggests that mullein torches can be used in necromancy rituals, and this would make sense as according to Maud Grieve in her A Modern Herbal says of mullein:

'Torches' is another name for the plant, and Parkinson tells us:

'Verbascum is called of the Latines Candela regia, and Candelaria, because the elder age used the stalks dipped in suet to burne, whether at funeralls or otherwise.'

My mullein stalk was already dried when I harvested it, and I tried to get as many seeds from it before chopping it up into 5 inch pieces. I decided to go for candles in lieu of a torch so I can use them indoors. I got four in total and they were dipped into approximately 50 gr of melted beeswax {with some pretty essential oil added too}.

Some lovelies for my Ancestor altar this Samhain. If you decide to try this please do let me know how you like them! 

Sláinte!

Laurel

P.S. According to this site mullein candles that are 6 inches long burn for about 50 minutes and have flames that are 2 to 4 inches in height; once lit they are to be burnt to completion. 

An Afternoon of Wildcrafting

Yesterday I went wildcrafting in one of my favourite spots, spending a couple of hours harvesting to replenish some of my herb supplies. It was a lovely day and I had equally lovely company with me too.

I like to wildcraft with others so I can have an extra set of eyes and ears, but I only go with those I completely trust to keep my spots a secret, so they are not over harvested {I talk a bit about this in my Wildcrafting Etiquette post}. This particular area is especially important to me because this is where I get a good portion of my rowan berries and sweetfern.

Before I got to harvesting I made my way to the spot where I make my offerings to the spirits of the area. After that we also spent some time just enjoying the beauty of the place. Below are some photos of our day.

The offerings.

One of the lovely rowans.

A place that I call Hagstone Rock.

All sorts of pretties, including golden rod.

Even though we came across all sorts of fungi, I didn't harvest any. That will be for the next trip.

Lots of signs of bears down this pathway.

Himalayan balsam {thanks Cathy for letting me know what they are!}

Harvest specimens: yarrow, milkweed pods, rowan berries, tansy, golden rod, staghorn sumac berries, and sweetfern.

Sláinte!

Laurel

Collecting Seeds

I spent a bit this morning collecting seeds from various of my flowers. Many of them will give off a bit at a time, so I will need to keep an eye out on them if I want to have any control over their scattering.

Once my shop is finally up and running I will also be selling seeds for plants that I use for healing and magical purposes, and perhaps some edibles as well. Pictured below are some of the types of seed that I will most likely be selling.

Sláinte!

Laurel

Opium poppy.

Swamp rose mallow, common foxglove, and blue columbine.

Light purple datura.