BANISH BAD LUCK

Merry Meet to All of You!

Welcome back to the Herbal Chalice, after a short sabbatical due to family visiting, I'm back in the swing of things. I hope you all had good times while I was gone, I am glad to be back with you :D.

As today is Friday the 13th, I thought I share with you a little bit of protective Magick, to ward off any bad luck, which might befall you on this, as some say, 'unlucky' day.

Its a really easy bit of 'Kitchen cupboard Magick', as you probably already have 90% of the ingredients in your household supplies.

To protect yourself from bad luck, simply grind the following constituents together and wear them in a mojo bag on your body and/or place them around your home as a protective potpourri.

Frankincense

Juniper Berries

Cloves

Dried Dill

Dried Fennel

Dried Tarragon

Dried Bay Leaves

Use the ingredients in quantities of nines, sevens and fives, as these numbers possess protective qualities too, for example nine bay leaves, five cloves, etc.

With this, I wish you all a good Friday the 13th, free of bad luck :D!

Warm Blessings,

Ilona

PS. For a comprehensive list of herbs and their properties/use in Magick, click here

A MAGICK BREW

Merry Meet to All of You!

Hope you are all enjoying the sunshine, well at least until recently, lets hope it returns soon. :)

I know, lovely wheather makes you crave cold drinks more than anything, but I found this tea recipe I would like to share with you regardless.

It's called 'Magical Working Tea' and helps you with your preparation and entering the right mindset before undertaking, well, magickal work.

It is dead simple, just make an infusion out of:

2 teaspoons rosemary

1 teaspoon lavender

grated peel of 1 orange

let it infuse for 10 minutes and drink about an hour before your magickal workings.

Rosemary stimulates the brain while lavender relaxes you and orange is linked with solar energies, thus this tea can help putting yourself in the required mindset for your purposes.

(Recipe taken from: 'The Real Witches Kitchen' by Kate West, page 141; see:

http://richmondchalice.blogspot.com/2009/05/tip-of-day-good-book.html)

So, even in the hopefully returning warm weather, the right cup of tea can still work wonders.

Enjoy a lovely summer and make the most of it outdoors, hopefully in the returning sunshine.

Sunny Blessings,

Ilona

KITCHENCUPBOARD MAGICK - HERBAL BATH SATCHETS

Merry Meet to All!

You don't need to buy expensive and exotic ingredients to add a little bit of natural magic and holistic approach to your lifestyle.
Just have a good look in your kitchen cupboard (and garden, if you have one) and you'd be amazed what you can do with the 'everyday things' in there.

Here, for example, is a really nice recipe for herbal bath sachets, which are very simple to make and will give you an invigorating, 100% natural bath experience, which puts the spring back in your step.

All you need is:

4 cups of dried lemon verbenna *
2 cups of dried thyme
1 cup of dried peppermint
fabric, like muslin or organdie, which can be easily penetrated by water

*lemon verbenna is a common garden herb (see picture), but if you can't get hold of it, you can use dried lemon rind

Take to needle and threat and make little sachets of the fabric, which you fill with the herbs - that's all there's to it!

When running a bath, hold the sachets under the tab or simply float in the water. A filled sachet can be used twice, and the sachets themselves can be refilled with fresh herbs again and again.

Enjoy!

Summer 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