Sunday, June 30, 2013

Herbs for Smudging

Friday, June 28, 2013

Thyme Magical & Medicinal Properties

Photo: Thyme Magical & Medicinal Properties
Planet: Venus 
Element: Air 
Main magickal uses: clairvoyance, cleansing, consecration, courage, divination, dreams, exorcism, faeries, happiness, healing, love, money, prevents nightmares, protection, psychic development, purification 
Other magickal uses: compassion, confidence, contacting other planes, grieving, magic, meditation, Midsummer, passion, release, renewal, rituals for the dead, Summer rituals, wishing Lore: Thyme has strong ties to faery lore.
Thyme is a favorite with the spirits, it encourages positive vibrations and actions.  Used for protection (especially from the negative energy of others), for courage and for cleansing.  
Medicinal Properties
Thyme-aids digestion, contains high levels of antimicrobial compounds that combat colds and flus as well as expectorant properties that can help tame coughs - Listerine & Vicks VapoRub both contain thyme for its antibacterial/antifungal properties
It is said that Thyme is to the trachea and bronchitis what peppermint is to the intestines and stomach. It contains an aromatic oil called thymol that is responsible for many of its excellent properties. Anthelmintic, antispasmodic, carminative, diaphoretic, expectorant, sedative, anti-fungal, anti-septic.
~Citrine~
Photo by Citrine Waters

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Crystals for Mercury in retrograde

Mercury Retrograde in Cancer - June 2013

Photo: Mercury Retrograde in Cancer
 Mercury goes retrograde at 24* Cancer June 26–July 20
A lot of people ask, “What is Mercury Retrograde?”:
This happens three to four times per year, when the planet Mercury slows down, and appears to stop (station) and move backward (retrograde). It's an optical illusion, since there is forward movement, like speeding by a slow-moving train -- as it recedes, it appears to go backward.
When Mercury is retrograde, remain flexible, allow time for extra travel, and avoid signing contracts. Review projects and plans at these times, but wait until Mercury is direct again to make any final decisions.
Some people find that their computers go on the fritz or phone lines go down. If you're at all jittery about it, go ahead and back up your important files.
There can be delays, so give yourself plenty of time to get places. What happens in those down times? Mercury retro is known to be a time of 'fated' events -- who will you meet? What will be revealed? Consider it a time-out to catch up & reflect. The Mercury retrograde is a time for review, when the underlying patterns come to light.
With Mercury retrograde in Cancer, our emotions are suddenly front and center.   Watch out for miscommunications which turn into hurt feelings.   It's time to express what you're feeling, but try not get caught up in your own or other people's dramas.   Cancer will turn the mind toward things like family, home and the invisible emotional bonds that connect us.
Also when in Cancer: Expect annoyances at home with baking, gardening, and household duties under domesticated Cancer. Complete repair projects that weren't finished or done correctly.
Multiple planets (Mercury, Venus, Moon, Sun, Jupiter and later Mars) having been moving through Cancer since June, each making up the third leg of a grand water trine along with Saturn in Scorpio and Neptune in Pisces.   While trines (having a planet in each of the three same elemental signs) offer us gifts and talents, because of the closed nature of a trine, they can sometimes be hard to access.   But this grand trine feels different, especially because it flows with so many planets moving through the dance.   And with a water trine, our boundaries are also fluid, making us more "psychic' and open to each other.  This healing trine brings us wisdom and greater consciousness.   Stay open so your dreams and feelings can guide you in reshaping your life. 
Find new ways to communicate how you're feeling rather than being taken over by your emotions.   You might find yourself being cranky…   It's time to learn how to listen to the emotions behind the words.   Sometimes we're saying one thing but really want to say another.   So have patience.     With cosmic blessings flowing now, give people a break and try not to project the worst onto what they're saying.
Why would the Universe give us Mercury retrograde? Because to move forward it is sometimes necessary to backtrack and reconfigure our paths in life. It is important to reconsider, repair, reflect, and reconnect. Mercury forces us to slow down and fix what's broken, and in so doing, rethink things. It also gives us time to get to projects we have put on the back-burner.
A little history ~
Mercury comes from the Latin word merx, or mercator, which means merchant. Mercury is the name given by the ancient Romans to the Greek mythological god Hermes.
Mercury is depicted as a male figure having winged sandals and a winged hat, indicating the ability to travel quickly. He was the official messenger of the ancient gods and goddesses and, as such, governed communications.
In 1782, Mercury became the first symbol of the United States' postal service. Today, he is the Icon of an International floral delivery service.
In astrology, Mercury influences travel, literature, poetry, merchants, and thieves. He is cunning and witty at a moment's notice. But he is also recognized as a trickster and prone to misbehavior.
This year, all the retrogrades are in water signs. This foretells times of tracing emotional memories to the roots and picking up lost threads of meaning. The emotional dimension is recovered, with the wisdom that goes with it. A lost idea or person can return, especially someone has a mysterious pull on the soul or psyche.
• February 23–March 17 in mystical Pisces
• June 26 to July 20 in responsive Cancer
• October 21 to November 10 in super psychic Scorpio
When Mercury starts turning in an apparent backward motion, we will start to feel the effects of this event days or even as far as two weeks earlier. When the planet normalizes we will see the tempo of events pick up in our lives as the planet becomes "stationary" and then speeds forward.
Just observe and see what happens, and be open to the past returning for review. If it's coming back, there's likely something more to learn or release from it. This can be a good (and productive) time, in its own way.
By ~Citrine~
Resources:
astrologyzone.com
wisdom-of-astrology.com
almanac.com
astrology.about.com

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Catmint Magical & Medical Properties

Catmint & Catnip


So I've found tons of info on catmint & catnip & it says its the same... but why does it look different???
I've kept all the random info I found on here cuz most of it was worded differently - even tho some was the same.. the best I will put on the next post by my pen name - Citrine...


Catmint (aka catnip) grows almost everywhere. The leaves resemble those of garden mint and it has small white flowers. If you love your cat, you should plant some for his sake, because cats love it.

Catnip is bound to Venus and Water. In magic, it is thought to be related to animals, love, luck, happiness, and beauty.

The Romanies always added catmint to the rinsing water after washing their hair. It was said to increase the growth and ease any irritation of the scalp.

Dose yourself with catmint tea when you feel a cold coming on, it will help perspire it out of your system. It also eases tummy pains whether they are caused by indigestion or menstruation.

Grow Catnip for your cat to create a psychic bond. Carry it with you in sachets to attract good spirits and good luck. Use larger leaves as bookmarks in magical texts to increase spell powers. Use in a sachet combined with rose petals to attract lovers. Inhale the steam from teas for beauty and happiness spells. For love, luck, happiness, and beauty, try Catnip Cookies or Candied Catnip

A tea is made from the fresh leaves in a ratio of 1:1 boiling water and herb. Add honey and sip slowly as an aid to sweating out a cold or for unwinding and insomnia. Together with a number of other herbs, it was an ingredient in a late Saxon medicinal ale prepared to expel the Devil and "all madness." Consider catmint as a protective plant around your home and for use in exorcisms and for evicting negative spirits..

Protection Spells
Exorcism
Air Herb



Catnip or catmint (Nepeta cataria): Catmint is a good herb for cooling fever and promoting sleep. I find it works especially well if you’re the kind of person who can’t sleep well with a fever. Catnip really helps here. It’s a great herb to calm down overtired kids. It also makes a really good pesto. Simply substitute it for basil in your pesto recipe. Catmint is a little bitter as a tea, so for the kids I give them plenty of honey with it or make a glycerite with it. I’ve raised enough this year to make catmint honey with it. Dry it, make a glycerite with it or preserve it in honey. You can make an insect repellent of a tincture of catmint with 100 proof vodka.It grows well from seed or you can get a potted plant. Kitties do love it, though!


Catmint is one of the traditional cold and flu remedies. It is a useful diaphoretic helpful in any feverish condition, especially acute bronchitis. As a carminative with anti-spasmodic properties, Catmint eases any stomach upsets, dyspepsia, flatulence and colic. It is a perfect remedy for the treatment of diarrhoea in children. Its sedative action on the nerves adds to its generally relaxing properties.

It is possible to obtain a very mild intoxication when Catmint is mixed in equal parts with tobacco. The euphoria produced is reported to be significantly weaker than that of marijuana. But, it is possible that catmint's effect is produced merely as a result of enhancing the intoxicating properties of the nicotine found in the tobacco.

Research from the Iowa State University has found that the oil extracted from catnip (Nepeta cataria) containing nepetalactone has been found to be nearly 10 times more effective at repelling mosquitoes than DEET.

Furthermore, in Asia Catmint is being used in zoos for years to calm down lions and tigers.
Medical use

The flowering tops are the part utilized in medicine and are harvested when the plant is in full bloom in August. Medical qualities of this plant: carminative, tonic, diaphoretic, refrigerant and slightly emmenagogue, specially antispasmodic, and mildly stimulating. It will relieve painful swellings when applied in the form of a poultice or fomentation.

Controlling fevers

Stress

Digestion

Inflammation

Sleep

Pain & headaches

Stimulating appetite

Arthritis

Anxiety



Colds & flu
http://blacktoadherbals.com

Common Names: Catnip, catmint
Latin Name: Nepeta Cataria
Parts Used: Leaves and flowering tops

Magickal Properties: Animal magick, beauty, happiness, love. Catnip is a feminine plant associated with Venus and the element of Water.

Magickal Uses: Use with rose petals in love sachets. Catnip enhances beauty and happiness. Grow it near your home to attract good spirits and great luck. Press a leaf and use it as a bookmark in your spell book to enhance the power of your magick.

Medicinal Properties: Anti-spasmodic, astringent, carminative, diaphoretic, sedative.

Medicinal Uses: Catnip is used as an tranquilizer, sedative, digestive aid, and treatments for cough, colds, colic, diarrhea, flatulence, fever, and insomnia. Extract of catnip has been found to be cytotoxic to HELA-S3 cancer cells in cell culture. Catnip tea is used to treat everything from colds to cancer. Common uses are: as a digestive tonic, and mild sleeping aid. Catnip eases upset stomachs. It is good for treating children's diarrhea.

Digestive Aid: Catnip may soothe the smooth muscles of the digestive tract (making it an antispasmodic). Have a cup of catnip tea after meals if you are prone to indigestion or heartburn.

Women's Health: Antispasmodics calm not only the digestive tract but other smooth tracts as well, such as uterus. Catnip's antispasmodic effect supports its traditional use for relieving menstrual cramps. Catnip is also used as a menstruation promoter.Pregnant women should avoid using this herb.

Tranquilizer: Catnip is a mild tranquilizer and sedative.

Infection Prevention: Catnip has some antibiotic properties. It is used for the treatment of diarrhea and fever.

Dosage: A catnip tea can be made by adding 250 ml (1 cup) of boiling water to 1-2 teaspoons of the herb; cover, then steep for ten to fifteen minutes.
Adapted from gypsymagicspells

Sunday, June 23, 2013

Honeysuckle Medicinal & Magical Properties



Honeysuckle Medicinal & Magical Properties

Magical Uses
Honeysuckle - devoted love - said to protect your garden from evil. It is known as the 'love bind' - symbolizing a lover's embrace in its clinging growing habits. The heady fragrance of the flowers was believed to induce dreams of love and passion. If the bloom is brought into the house a wedding is said to follow within the year. 

Honeysuckle has been burned as incense since ancient times within homes and dwellings for prosperity. It is said that burning honeysuckle can attract and maintain financial blessings into the home. The sugary and lemony scent of honeysuckle sweetens the thoughts of those who smell it, therefore triggering generosity.Since ancient times, it is said that the sweet scent of honeysuckle works to clear the mind and work to strengthen psychic powers. Some believe that crushing and placing the honeysuckle flowers next to the forehead can boost the psychic powers within the mind. The scent of honeysuckle can sharpen intuition when used as a plant, when burned as incense or when dried and placed around the room in sachets.

It Draws money, success, and quick abundance and aids persuasiveness and confidence. 
Ring green candles with honeysuckle flowers or use honeysuckle in charms & sachets to attract money. 

Medicinal Uses
The flowers of this plant contain 12 antiseptic compounds that are active against many microorganisms that cause not only respiratory problems but sore throat, flu and pneumonia.

Honeysuckle (Lonicera Japonica) has got some medecinal uses. In China it is used extensively to treat sore throats, colds, flue, tonsillitis, bronchitis, pneumonia.

Honeysuckle flower extracts are strongly active against several bacteria causing respiratory problems, including those that cause TB.

But beware the honeysuckle's berries are poisonous.

Overall a wonderfull addition to any garden & the little birds love it surrounding their house!! <3
~Citrine~
Photo by - Citrine Waters
Resources - thewhitegoddess.co.uk, themagickalcat.com, ehow.com

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Spiderwort Magical & Medicinal Properties


Friday, June 21, 2013

The Witches' Ballad

Star Anise

Litha, Summer Solstice Incense and Oil Recipes

Midsummer Spell

Bees & honey

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Windchime Home Blessing

Sunday, June 16, 2013

Horn of plenty oil