LITHA - A REFLECTION

Merry Meet to All of You!

Here's a lovely video from You Tube as a reflection on Litha.



Hope you all had a great Midsummer's Eve/Day!!!

Summer Blessings,

Ilona

P.S. For another great clip click here

MAGICKAL LITHA

Merry Meet to All of You!

Midsummer is here!

Wishing you all a happy and magickal Litha and a great summer to come!

Midsummer Blessings,

Ilona

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM

Merry Meet to All of You!

With Midsummer rapidly approaching, the best night of the year for connecting to the Faerie Realm is nearly upon us.

Here is a lovely spell you can perform to encourage the appearance of Faeries in your dreams.

'A Midsummer Nights Dream Spell'

To perform this spell to connect to the Rock Faeries on Midsummer Eve, you will need:

A lantern, a tea light, four rose quartz crystals (or any other stones will do if you have none to hand, even normal pebbles you have collected, as they still fall under the dominion of the Rock Faeries), a saucer of milk

Go in the garden on Midsummer night's Eve at dusk and cast a circle, marking the four cardinal points with the crystals.Sit in the middle of the circle, light the tea light, placing it in the lantern before you.

Now say:

Faeries I call you,as dusk follows light,

Walk into my dreams on midsummer's night,

Teach me your secrets and fill me with light,

And lend me your gift of second sight.

Stay in the circle as long as you like, enjoying the beauty of the summer evening around you. Then carefully leave the circle, leaving the crystals and lantern undisturbed and the saucer of milk as an offering to the fairies.

Go inside and go straight to bed. The rock fairies should be visiting your dreams within the next three nights.

I hope you will all have a great Midsummer and pleasant, faerie-blessed dreams.

Summer Blessings,

Ilona

PS. For Midsummer events, click:

http://www.ukpaganlinks.co.uk/articles.php?n=29&page=1&sort=readed_m&direction=
and

http://www.pfnw.org/News.php

RECIPE OF THE WEEK - MIDSUMMER GOODIES

Merry Meet to All of You!

Midsummer and the festival of Litha is nearly here, as I pointed out in my blog over at the Richmond Chalice ( http://richmondchalice.blogspot.com/2009/06/wheel-of-year-litha.html)!

Here are some easy made goodies you can take along if you are planing an outside picnic or such - kids approval guaranteed!!

1. Home-made Lemonade

3 lemons

6oz sugar

1,5 pint water

Wash the lemons and peel the rind thinly. Put the rind and the sugar in a heat-proof pitcher. Bring the water to the boil and pour over. Cover and cool, stirring occasionally. Then add the juice of the same three lemons. Strain and serve chilled.

2. Honey and Ginger Ice Cream

170g (6oz) sugar

430ml (3/4 pt) double cream

60g (2oz) stem ginger, finely chopped

Whip the honey and cream together until thick, fold in the stem ginger. Pour into a rigid, plastic container. Freeze for one hour or until almost frozen, then whip or blend in a food processor. Return to the freezer until ready to serve. 10 minutes before serving, put ice cream in the fridge to slightly soften it. Ice cream keeps in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.

Have a great Midsummer celebration!

(To find more background and tips, go to the link above or look up Midsummer: Magical Celebrations of the Summer Solstice

Summer Blessings,

Ilona

THE FULL MOON SPREAD

Merry Meet to All of You!

As the Full Moon is here, Lisa and me thought about what we could do to harness its power magickally (our first ever proper ritual - exiting!).

I also devised a new Tarot spread for the night of the full moon, hence 'The Full Moon Spread'.
The aim of this spread is to see what you would like to manifest in your life and how you can go about it physically and spiritually. It also pays attention to the long term effects of such manifestation.

This is a sixteen card spread, which goes as followed:

1. The current Inner You - where you are right now in yourself
2. The current Outer You - how you are perceived by and project yourself onto the world
3. Desired outcome - what you would like to manifest in your life

4. The South Node - roots in the past, how your current status came about
5. Inner Influences - your own contributions
6. Outer Influences - contributors/-ions from the outside world

7. Western Shores - physical manifestation
8. Outer Influences - what you can harness from the outside world in order to physically
manifest your desired outcome
9. Inner Influences - what you can do in yourself to achieve manifestation

10. Wisdom of the East - spiritual manifestation
11. Higher Pathways - positive steps toward manifestation
12. Lower Pathways - inner blocks to overcome

13. North Node - the projected outcome
14. Manifestation in yourself - how the outcome affects you on the inside
15. Manifestation in the world - how the outcome affects the world around you

16. The North Star - how this manifestation may affect your further life path / long term future

The layout goes as followed:

*****************************************************16*

************************************** *13*

***********************************14*******15*

******************************8******************11*

***************************7**********(1)3(2)********10*

******************************9******************12*

**********************************5**********6**

****************************************4*

Lisa and me tested the spread for each of us and it worked really well, both of us didn't even ask a specific question, so you may use it for general guidance as well as specific needs.

So if you like to celebrate the Full Moon, feel free to use this spread and have as much fun with it as we had (feedback on how you got on with it would be very welcome!)!!!

Full Moon Blessings,

Ilona

KITCHENCUPBOARD MAGICK

Merry Meet to All of You!

Have a good rumage through your kitchen cabinets and you will be suprised how many 'magickal' ingridients you already have at hand.

The most incongruous of herbs can be a powerhouse of healing properties and magickal abilities. Here is a a sample collection of common kitchen staples, with their magickal and medicinal uses as well as their relations to the elements, planets and star signs.

Basil
Jupiter
Sagittarius
Fire
Love, Wealth, Prosperity
Indigestion, Bloating, Inflamed throats

Bay
Sun
Leo
Fire
Success, Achievement, Divination, Dreamwork
Stomach disorders, Inflammation of the mouth, Mouth ulcers, Rheumatism, Aches and pains

Fennel
Mercury
Leo/Virgo
Fire/Earth
Courage, Fertility Spells, Protection Spells, Magickal Mastery
Digestive aid, Stomach problems, Babies and toddlers

Juniper
Pluto/Mars
Scorpio/Aquarius
Fire/Air
Purifies aura, Memory,Consecration, Mental Clarity
Urinary problems, Digestive problems, Muscle pains, Rheumatism

Marjoram
Venus
Libra
Air
Psychic enhancement, Love divination, Peace, Healing
Asthma, colds & flu, nervous disorders, Hay fever, headaches

Oregano
Mercury
Gemini
Air
Tranquillity, Protection, Happiness, Good Luck, Health
Abdominal wind, Stomach upsets, Bronchitis, Rheumatism, Headaches

Rosemary
Jupiter/Sun
All Fire Signs
Fire
Protection, Purification, Healing, Friendship, Positivity
Ear, nose & throat infections, Rheumatism, constipation

Sage
Uranus/Earth
Taurus
Earth
Purification, Crone Work, Protection Spells, Samhain Celebrations
Fatigue, Menopausal problems, Sore gums & throat

Thyme
Venus/Mercury
Libra/Gemini
Air
Rejuvenation, Overcoming Addiction, Psychic abilities
Coughs, Sluggish digestion, Aching muscles, Wound treatment

MAGICK USE

Divination Tea: 3 tsp rose petals, 1tsp jasmine flowers, 2 crushed bay leafs, 1 pinch nutmeg, 1pinch cinnamon
Drink this tea 1 hour before undertaking any form of divination (continue to sip it through, if you like)

Healing Tea: 1 tsp rosemary, 1tsp rose hips, 1,5 tsp sage, 1.5 tsp thyme
Drink this tea to promote healing or before undertaking healing magick

To remove negative influences bath sachet: 4tsp rosemary, 2tsp lavender1 tsp crushed juniper berries, 4 crushed bay leaves, 1tsp salt
Put the sachet under the tap while running your bath, you can also add a clear quartz crystal for added mojo

MEDICINAL USE

Inflamed Throats: Basil boil 2tsp of basil leaves in 250ml water for 10-15min, strain and leave to cool. Use as a gargle 2-3 times a day.

Muscle pains: Juniper make an infusion of 2g of berries and a cup of water, leave to infuse for 10min and add to your bath water

Ear ache: Rosemary 2-4g rosemary to 1 cup of boiling water, let infuse for 10min. Drink three cups a day after meals

Of course, this is just a brief sample of what's lurking in your cabinets, so if you want to learn more, there are some good books and websites around, e.g.:

http://www.gardensablaze.com/
http://www.alchemy-works.com/

http://www.herb-magic.com/

http://www.anniesremedy.com/astrology.php

Nature’ Medicines, Reader’s Digest 2006

Herbs in Magic and Alchemy, C.L. Zalewski, 1999

The Master Book of Herbalism, Paul Beyerl, 1998

The Real Witches Kitchen, Kate West, 2002

So, next time you are slaving away in your kitchen, why not whip up something magickal and/or healing while you're there? Have fun!!!

Warm Blessings,
Ilona

TIP OF THE WEEK - MAGICK ELDER

Merry Meet to All of You!

Have you been out yet, to start foraging for elder flowers?

Well, you really should this month, because apart from being really tasty in cooking (see Elderflower Champagne blog) they have many health benefits, which I have elaborated over at the Richmond Chalice blog:

http://richmondchalice.blogspot.com/2009/06/tip-of-day-elderflower.html

On top of that, elder is a plant steeped in magic and folklore, and is said to help opening the doors to the Faerie realm, especially on Midsummer's Eve.

If you would like to see the Fairies reveling, it is said you just have to stand under an elder tree at midnight on Midsummer's Eve (with it just being around the corner, test it out if you like). Alternatively, drinking wine made from elderberries is said to be a facilitator to see into the Faerie realm.

Elder also possesses the magickal power to cleanse and purify, so write your worries or annoyances on a piece of paper and bury it under an elder tree. The tree will absorb your worries and cleanse them out.

For all of you eager to get married, English folklore gives us a 'get engaged spell', for which you simply create an infusion of elderflower, add it to wine and beer (after its cooled down) and contrive your chosen spouse to take drink with you out of a shared cup.

Sprinkling elder flower around the corners of your house is also a protective charm.

So, why not go out there and get your dose of this magickal (and tasty!) plant this month?

Summer Blessings,

Ilona