Beltane

Beltane 

Beltane is the last of the three spring fertility festivals (the others being Imbolc and Ostara) celebrated approximately halfway between the Vernal (spring) Equinox and Midsummer (Summer Solstice) usually on May 1st. Festivities typically begin the evening before, on the last night of April. However, depending on your tradition, it is also celebrated on May 4th or 5th, when the sun is in 15 degrees of Taurus.

I've made up my Beltane altar in my sacred space on a smaller table than I normally set my altars out on. I wanted this altar to be more intimate and to be able to incorporate it into my Beltane ritual.

Beltane and its counterpart Samhain divide the year into its two primary seasons, winter (dark part) and summer (light part). As Samhain is about honoring death, Beltane is about honoring life. It is the time when the sun is fully released from His bondage of winter and able to rule over summer and life once again.  Beltane, like Samhain, is a time of "no time" when the veils between the two worlds are at their thinnest. No time is when the two worlds intermingle and unite and magick abounds! It is the time when Faeries return from their winter respite, carefree and full of faery mischief and faery delight.  Traditionally, on the night before Beltane, it was customary for folks to place Rowan branches at their windows and doors for protection as many other-worldly occurrences could transpire during this time of "no time". On the Isle of Man, the youngest member of the family would gather Primroses on the eve before Beltane and throw the flowers at the door of the home for protection. In Ireland it is believed that food left over from May Eve must not be eaten, but rather buried or left as an offering to the Faery instead - much like the tradition of leaving whatever is not harvested from the fields on Samhain, food at the time of "no time" is treated with great care.

Beltane is a time of fertility and fire and this is often reflected in the magick of the season. In some, but not all, traditions of Wicca and Paganism sacred sex is part of spiritual practice which takes place in the 'Great Rite' which is a ritualized connection between the God and Goddess and is often performed symbolically with an athame and chalice  Beltane is a time to celebrate the union of the God and Goddess and to welcome the abundance of the fertile earth. Depending on your tradition, there are a number of ways you can celebrate this Sabbat. There are also many crafts that can be incorporated into your celebrations including making a May Pole for you altar.  I'll be celebrating Beltane beginning the evening of April 30th by doing a ritual to honor the 'Sacred Feminine. Then on May 1st I'll plan on some little celebration - maybe I'll plant some herbs that will go into my herb garden this year, and if the weather cooperates, I may even work out in the yard preparing it for the great abundance of flowers, shrubs and trees that surround my yard with beauty.

Whatever way you celebrate Beltane, be sure to include the God and Goddess in your celebrations, for without their union and blessings on the Earth, the abundance that we enjoy would not 'spring' forth. Happy Beltane!

Beltane Sabbat

Beltane is the great spring holiday of the Goddess. Halfway around the year from Samhain, when we honor out beloved dead, Beltane is the festival that celebrates all of the living world: plants, animals, and human beings. On both occasions, the veil between the worlds is said to be thin, and is no more unusual to see the fairies near Beltane, than it is to see the spirits of the dead at Samhain. Beltane is a time of Faerie Magic and the Queen of faeries is represented by the Queen of the May. Along with her consort, she rules over the festivities and serves as representative of the Goddess.

In most temperate climates, flowers are now in bloom, trees are in blossom or in full leaf, and gardens are beginning to grow. All of the hibernating animals are fully awake. The birds have nested and settled down to raise their brood.

Beltane is the Holiday of fertility. For Pagans, one of the great gifts of the Goddess is the power of the earth to grow wonderful flowers and fruits and all the things we eat. We are thankful fu the fertility of the earth, and our job is to keep the land and the soil healthy, to protect the animals and plants and trees so that fertility can continue. The earth is a living being, and all of her creatures are part of her body. Each has a place, a purpose, a special part in the great dance of life.

On Beltane, we also celebrate all the different kinds of human fertility and creativity. We give thanks for the power women and men have to make babies, to bring new people into the world. But people can create in other ways as well. When we paint pictures, make up songs, tell new stories, plant a garden, or cook a dinner, we take part in the fertility of the Goddess.

Beltane is also the time when we celebrate the joys of being alive. We give thanks for all the different kinds of pleasure our bodies give us, for without our bodies we couldn't see, hear, touch, taste, smell, run, dance, jump, sing, dance, or swim. Adults celebrate sexual pleasure at Beltane. For Pagans, the good, loving feelings that people can give each other with their bodies are special gifts of the Goddess. When we give each other love and pleasure, the whole earth is pleased.

But sexual pleasure, like anything of power, must come at the right time and in the right way, when we have grown ready for it. Children's bodies are constantly growing and changing and they need time to get to know them to enjoy the things they are able to do as they mature. So, Beltane is a good time for children to celebrate all the things they can do that they couldn't do before, and to run, jump, play games, climb trees, dance, turn somersaults and cartwheels or do anything that makes them glad they have a body.

Of course, bodies are different. People come in all shapes and sizes and colors. Not everyone can leap or dance, walk, see or hear. Beltane is also a time to admit that sometimes our bodies let us down. We get sick or hurt. Sometimes we well sad and angry about the things we cannot do.

Pagans believe that, just as the different plants and animals each have a special purpose in the web of life, so do the different kinds of people. That's why we should never mock people because of how they look or what they can or cannot do. People who cannot walk or see or hear or who have some other difference, have been given a special challenge in this life by the Goddess. Many things may be harder for them, but other things may be easier. And the harder the challenges we face, the more we can grow in our inner power.

In ancient times Bel-fires were lit on hilltops to celebrate the return of life and fertility to the world. Jumping over the fire could ensure safe delivery of a pregnant woman, spring spouses to young people, grant traveling a safe journey, ensure health, and bring about conception for a barren woman. Beltane is a time of chaos, of the wild energy and passion found in the Greenwood. Be careful when you walk abroad on Beltane night - you never know when you're going to encounter.

The Goddess at Beltane

We have known the Goddess as Mother and as Daughter. At Beltane, She becomes the Lover of all living things. We could call her by some of the ancient names of the Love Goddess: Aphrodite, Astarte, Flora, Maia, Oshun. Many circles especially like to call her Queen Maeve, the Faery Queen, who comes riding forth from the Otherworld, the realm of dreams, imagination, spirits, and visions, to teach us how to move between the worlds.

In Irish mythology, Maeve was a fierce and beautiful Goddess, who honored her husband, Aillil, because he was generous, brave, and not jealous. She was associated with the sacred hare, which brings both magic and inspiration.

The God at Beltane

At Beltane the God is the Green Man, God of all growing things. He too is the lover of all that lives, the protector of the wild things and the guardian of the forest. Often he is depicted as a leafy face peering out from the branches and foliage. He even appears in many old Christian churches, carved on pillars or decorating the altar screen.

One of the Green Man's ancient names was Robin Hood, the huntsman who lives under the Greenwood Tree. You may be familiar with the stories of Robin Hood, bud did you know that he took his name from our ancient Pagan God? Robin Hood means "Rob in the Hood" - the hood worn by the Good People, the Faeries. He dressed in green and lived in the wilderness with his companions, who protected the poor and taught some hard lessons to the selfish and greedy.

The Altar

The altar for Beltane can be a simple arrangement of flowers in bloom at this time. May baskets can be made of paper strips or created from existing baskets. Branches of Hawthorne (the May tree) or oak leaves and branches (sacred to Robin Hood) can form a green background. You might also want to include pictures of the Fair Folk. And be sure to set out a bowl of milk or cream for them at night. Don't worry if the cat drinks it - she's probably a Faery in disguise!

The Colors of Beltane

Bright colors abound at this time of year. Some especially connect the colors of purple and green with Beltane - the deep plum of grape wine, the peridot and hunter greens of the forest - and the gold of the sun shining through the trees are natural choices for Beltane

Incense, Herbs and Woods

Incenses used for Beltane should be intoxicating, heady, and erotic. Rose, jasmine, ylang ylang, peach, musk, and vanilla are all appropriate. If you want to use herbs to make an incense or spell powder to throw on the fire, woodruff, fern, rose, chamomile, wormwood, and galangal are good choices.

Often you will read about the nine sacred woods used in kindling the balefire. Obviously, the trees should all have strong connections to magick, but substitutions can be made depending on where you live. Oak would be the first choice, the backbone of the fire, so to speak. To that add eight other types of wood. Any and all of these are acceptable: apple, Hawthorne, birch, elder, ash, thorn (blackthorn), grape vine, rowan (mountain ash), holly, willow, cedar, yew and hemlock.

The Fae Goddess

• ○ ★　° :.　 . • ○ ° ★° . ● .° °☆ 　¸. ● .★..　　
★ °  ☆ ¸. ¸ :.★The Fae Goddess ★ . • ○ ° ★ ¸. ¸ 　
★° :. . • ○ ° 　° ★°° . ● .° °☆. • ○ ° ★°° :. . • ○.

The Fae Goddess is always with you, she is here to help. The FAE were known as the Fair People, due to their Wisdom, Knowledge, Understanding and love for all.
The power of the Goddess of the Fae is seen when you least expect it. She is the one who most would call fate, but this is not her name. When different aspects of life come together that eventually cause a special scenario it is her that is behind it.

I.E. When one thing leads to another to another causing some kind of special outcome. She can also be seen in Death when the fates conspire.

☆*•Dandelion •*☆ 
★*•.¸¸¸.•*☆ º ♥`•.¸.•´♥ º ☆*•.¸¸¸.•*★
The scientific name of dandelion is Taraxacum officinale. It is normally not found in the Southern hemisphere. It is the north temperate zones, that are home to the dandelion root. More often than not, dandelion root grows in pastures, meadows or on waste grounds. It grows in plentiful, annoying the farmers. Many times it is dismissed as weed, but there are people, who value it for the health benefits the dandelion root tea has to offer. It is used to treat a wide range of health problems. Many of us are not aware of the culinary uses of dandelion.

Benefits

Some people call dandelion, "the tooth of lion" and use it as a springtime healer. Not only are the roots of dandelion useful, but the other parts are also used either for food or medicinal purposes. The leaves and crowns are used for salads and cooked greens, while the flowers are used for making wine and the juice is used against warts and blisters.
• Dandelion root tea is known as a blood and kidney cleaner.
• It is also used as a tonic. Dandelion root is rich in vitamins, minerals and micro-nutrients.
• Diuretic uses of dandelion tea are also well-known.
• It is used as a general cleansing stimulant for the liver and can also be used to treat any malfunction of the liver.
• It is also said to be beneficial for people suffering from diabetes, as it contains inulin, which plays an important role in controlling diabetes.
• Dandelion can also be used in the treatment of hepatitis.
• It is also said to be useful to clear obstructions of the spleen, pancreas, gallbladder as well as the kidneys.
• Dandelion root tea is also beneficial for the stomach and intestines and also for balancing the enzymes, which also help in digestion, assimilation and elimination.
• Not many people are aware of the fact, that regular consumption of dandelion root tea decreases the amounts of cholesterol and uric acid in the body.
• It is said to be especially beneficial for women in their menopausal phase.
• It can also be used to treat abscesses, boils, breast tumors, etc.
• It is an excellent tonic to treat anemia.
• Liver cirrhosis can also be treated with regular consumption of dandelion tea.
• The leaves of dandelion are eaten to reduce excess acidity, oxygenate, purify and build blood.
• It is also used to regenerate cells.
• There are also known benefits of dandelion in treating metabolic disturbances, bone disorders, low blood pressure, etc.

Dandelion Tea – for the Birds!
Early European settlers so valued the versatile dandelion plant as a food source and a medicinal herb that they introduced dandelions to the Americas. Wonderfully nutritious — more beta carotene than carrots, more iron than spinach, an abundance of vitamins, as well as magnesium and zinc — dandelion leaves contain 15 percent protein. One cup of dandelion greens contains 112% of our daily recommendation of vitamin A, 32% of vitamin C, and 535% of vitamin K, a magnificent 218 mg potassium, 103 mg calcium, and 1.7 mg iron. The whole dandelion plant has nourishing, healing properties for us – and for birds! The dried herb is used in manufacturing bird food, as it is good for their health and digestion. Water is also good and healthy. Dandelion and water, hmmm…
Dandelion Tea – A Recipe for the Birds!
Heat two cups of water in a pot on the stove. Drop in a tea bag; dip it up and down a few times to get it good and wet. Cover the saucepan 10 minutes or so to steep and cool. Uncover the saucepan, dip the tea bag up and down a few more times, and then squeeze the water out of the tea bag. Let it cool. Make sure the temperature of the tea is not higher than 100 degrees Fahrenheit; ten degrees Fahrenheit hotter will burn their crop. Simply pour it in a water bowl after it cools down, and offer it in addition to plain water.
Or, harvest dandelions from ground not treated chemical fertilizers, herbicides, or pesticides for the past few years. The whole plant can be picked or pulled; wash well to remove any dirt. Boil a quart of water on the stove. Reduce heat; add two tablespoons of cleaned and chopped fresh dandelion roots to the water; cover and let simmer a minute. Remove the pot from the burner. Add two tablespoons of freshly picked and chopped dandelion leaves and – hopefully – flowers; let steep forty minutes. Strain and “serve”.
You can drink 2 cups of this herbal dandelion tea a day – especially if using the flowers. Dandelion flowers are good for your heart. Dandelion flower tea can help relieve pain from headaches, menstrual cramps, backaches, stomachaches, and depression.
Note: some seed companies sell “Italian Dandelion” seeds that are really chicory, a plant with milder leaves similar in appearance to dandelion; however, this does not offer the benefits that real dandelions give.
Cellulite is of cosmetic concern to women and is not associated with any health risks. Poor circulation of the lymph which carries waste products and toxins from the different tissues to the blood contributes to cellulite formation. There are many natural methods for getting rid of cellulite, herbs being one of them. Herbs are medicinal plants, used to strengthen weakened body systems and boost the body’s own healing powers.
Here are some herbs that have been used in the treatment of cellulite removal:
1) Gotu kola is a herb with stimulant properties. It helps the body to produce substances that strengthen the collagen fibers and improve the circulation of blood. Gotu kola reduces and slows down the process of hardening of connective tissues below the skin surface. It strengthens the vein walls, thereby preventing damage and leaking veins. It improves the flexibility of the connective tissue. This in turn improves the skin tone and firmness. The extract of Gotu kola can be used in cream, supplement, and as mesotherapy injection forms for cellulite treatment.
2) Horse chestnut is a herb with anti-inflammatory properties. One of its components, Aescin, decreases the poresize of the capillary walls and improves their tone thereby improving blood flow. This improvement in the tone of the capillaries under the skin reduces the appearance of the cellulite and smoothens the skin. This makes Aescin in the horse chestnut a valuable component in hand creams, lotions, and other cellulite products.
3) Grape seed extract reinforces the fibers of collagen, is an antioxidant and helps to maintain the elasticity of the blood vessels. It also contains flavonoids and tannings that strengthen the walls of small veins and lymphatic vessels – it improves circulation from the legs thereby preventing cellulite development.
4) Ginkgo biloba is a vasodilator which boosts circulation. It acts as an antioxidant and reduces the formation of damaging oxidized cholesterol on the vessels and thus helps in the smooth passage of blood.
5) Kelp with its high iodine content boosts the body’s metabolism and helps to burn more calories. It also contains mucilage, a natural compound that prevents fluid retention. It is often used in cellulite treatment as body wraps.
6) Green tea is a plant extract that has antioxidant and blood thinning effects. One should have atleast one cup a day of green tea.
7) Some herbs like dandelion enhance the livers ability to break down waste products and toxins. It also aids the kidneys to filter blood of these waste products and toxins. Dandelion leaves can be added to salads or cooked like spinach. A cup of dandelion tea each day containing 50 Gms of fresh dandelion leaves to half a liter of water.
Sweet clover, sea-weed, lecithins, evening primrose oil, lemon, ivy barley, strawberry, algae etc are also some of the herbal methods to reduce cellulite and improve the skin texture in the affected areas. They are to be rubbed in the affected areas three to four times a day daily.
Herbal remedies help improve the flow of blood and tone the capillary walls under the skin surface thereby improving the skin texture and reducing the cellulite.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ryan_Englishhttp%3A%2F%2FEzineArticles.com%2F%3FEffective-Herbs-For-Cellulite-Removal&id=1153811
Technorati Tags: cellulite removal, dandelion, dandelion tea, dandelion tea benefits

Witch-bottles
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✰ ღ ¸.•*¨*•)♥( Witches bottles )♥(•*¨*•.¸¸ * ✰ ˚•。* ✰。ღ 。˚** ✰。ღ 。 ˚ ˚* ✰ ღ ˚ 。✰ •* ˚
Witch-bottles are probably quite familiar to many Pagans, at least as a concept. Witch-bottle isn’t a poor little Witch in a bottle, or hold something Witches drink in their gatherings. They are more akin to a “bottled spell”. The tradition originates from British folklore, traveling with British immigrants to the Americas, if not further. Many modern Pagans have included Witch-bottles in their collection of spells, widening and diversifying this old tradition – and making it more comparable with their personal ethics.
A Bit on the History of Witch-bottlesThe history of Witch-bottles goes back hundreds of years. The origins of this tradition has been dated to the 1500′s. They were used most actively for a couple of hundred years. This is the same time when the Witch-hunts were going on. After this period, the tradition slowly waned. The last historical Witch-bottle was found in a cabin built in mid 19th century, in Pershore, Worcestershire (UK).
The actual bottle of a traditional Witch-bottle during the 16th and 17th century was a German stone bottle called “bartmann” or “bellermine” bottle. Similar bottles of stone material were manufactured in Holland and Belgium. The technique wasn’t mastered in England before the 1660′s and bartmann bottle manufacturing was rare in Britain.
The bottle got its name from a cardinal called Bellarmino only after the Witch-bottle tradition had already begun. These bottles had a round belly and they were decorated with a facial image of a grim looking bearded man and a medallion of stylized floral or natural imagery.
Even though these bottles were being manufactured actively in Germany long before the time of Bellarmino – who was against the Reformation – these bottles were given their familiar name as a satirical comment on the Cardinal. His bearded figure resembled the typical bearded man depicted on these bottles.[1] Later on, the bearded image was taken to represent the Devil, which suited well for Witch-bottles, after all — witches were considered as people allied with the Devil.
Glass bottles were also used, but according to my sources they were never as popular as Witch-bottles as were the bartmann ones.
Old Witch-bottles contained things like bent iron nails, human hair (head hair and pubic hair) and urine. Urine as an important ingredient of a Witch-bottle has been long known in folk traditions, but actual findings with the bottle still containing urine have been rare. However, all of the Witch-bottles found in England which were tested for urine, did prove positive. Other traditional items contained in Witch-bottles include small bones, thorns, needles, pieces of wood and in some cases heart-shaped pieces of cloth.
The bottles were most often found buried under the fireplace. Other sites include under the floor, buried in the ground there, and plastered inside walls. The fireplace is, from a magical point of view, a security risk as it has a straight connection with the open skies above. It was believed that the curse of a Witch or even a Witch herself in a shape-shifted form could get into a house through the fireplace. Another security risk was the doorway, as doors are opened and closed several times throughout the day. In addition to the fireplace, the bottles were often hidden near the doorway.
On the Original UsesThe most active period of Witch-bottle usage and the Witch-hunts don’t coincide by accident. The fear of Witches produced ways of protecting oneself against them during times when slightest misfortune was easily interpreted as being caused by a curse put on one or another member of the family. From the point of view of a present day Witch, the original purpose for building a Witch-bottle wasn’t that pleasant: they were intended to keep Witches and Witches’ curses away. The contents of a Witch-bottle was designed to not only divert an attacking Witch, but also to cause her to suffer the agonies brought on by all the nasty things inside the bottle. To put it simply: to turn the curse back to the curser.
The urine in the bottle symbolizes the target of the curse. The curser and the target of the curse were believed to have a strong connection and the curse was believed to target not only its intended victim, but also the bodily fluids of the target. When the bottle was placed in a way that made it easier for the curse to meet with the urine (in the Witch-bottle) before the actual target, the curse hit the bottle and not its intended victim. This is why the bottles were usually hidden where they were. The importance of pubic hair and hair was similar to that of the urine.
Witch-bottles are very much a part of age-old traditions of sympathetic magic with its intentions of causing pain for the Witch with the contents of the Witch-bottle. According to folk beliefs, the use of Witch-bottles sometimes brought the Witch herself, writhing in agony, knocking on the door – begging for somebody to break the Witch-bottle and promising to reverse the curse.
The Witch-bottle was believed to be active as long as the bottle remained hidden and unbroken. People did go though a lot of trouble in hiding their Witch-bottles. Those buried underneath fireplaces have been found only after the rest of the building has been torn down or otherwise disappeared.
Modern-Witch-BottlesVery generally speaking, the modern day Witch-bottles are very similar to historical Witch-bottles in their basic structure, even though their intended purpose has changed. The most common purpose for constructing a Witch-bottle today is capturing negative energies targeted at the constructor of the bottle, her family or her home. Even though some bottles are “mirroring” in nature, they aren’t normally built to cause agony to the sender of negative energy/caster of curses. Some Witch-bottles are intended to change negative energy into positive one and then release it into the surrounding area. This kind of bottles could be classified as “guard and protect”-bottles.
The basic structure of Witch-bottles can be used for purposes other than protective: for financial gain, for helping with artistic creativity, to call forth positive energy (instead of “just filtering out negative energy”), for improving health, etc.
One could say that the basic principle is the following: practically speaking, a Witch-bottle is a container of some sort, usually a jar or a bottle, which is filled with objects and often also liquids which fill a given magickal purpose. The person making the Witch-bottle, or in other words, the one casting the bottled spell, can charge the objects magickally beforehand and build the bottle to work on this charging until the need of renewing the spell arises. Witch-bottles can also be built to recharge themselves by the energy they ‘capture’ for as long as the bottle stays unbroken, whether it be years or centuries.
Instead of magickally charging the items, one can build a bottle whose the powers are based on its contents, but cumulatively so, resulting with powers stronger than the sum of its parts. Also this version can be designed to be seasonal or “one time lasts a life time”.
What Do Modern Witch-Bottles Contain?The typical contents of the basic protective Witch-bottle today is quite similar to that of the traditional one: bent iron nails (some say they are better if old and rusty while others say clean and unused are best), thorns, rusty razor blades, broken glass or pieces of broken mirror (some say breaking a mirror for Witch-bottle use causes bad luck, others claim that breaking a mirror for this particular use will not cause bad luck except for people sending negative energies to the bottle builder), or other sharp and dangerous “nasties”, urine of the bottle’s builder, often also menstrual or other blood. One could use semen as the masculine counterpart for menstrual blood. The bottle is often a common tight-lidded glass jar, or a bottle with a rather wide mouth.
Other types of Witch-bottles may contain sand or different colored sands, crystals, stones, knotted threads, herbs, spices, resin, flowers, candles (no, you won’t burn them inside the bottle), incense (you won’t burn it either), votive candles, salt, vinegar, oil, coins, saw dust, ashes etc etc. Actually, everything used in “normal spells” can be used in this bottled version of a spell, the Witch-bottle.
Additional materials include candles and/or wax to seal the bottle/jar with. The rest of the materials depend on the ritual in question (if any) and the religion of the builder of the bottle.
On the Hiding PlaceA Pagan living in their own house may be able to hide the Witch-bottle in the traditional way under the fireplace, under the floor, or in the walls. However, it is more common to bury the bottle in the yard in a place where nobody will accidentally break it while digging in the garden. One such place is behind stones under the stairs. For a Pagan living in a terraced house burying the bottle in the garden should work well – as long as you are careful not to attract too much attention to yourself while burying an odd object (the bottle) during the correct phase of the Moon, at night, with just candle light, wearing suspicious looking ritual garments.

Apartments can be a difficult place to live in when you’re trying to find somewhere to hide a Witch-bottle. Or, at least it may seem like that! Digging a hole and burying the bottle in the yard may be not only difficult, but also quite likely not allowed. Nosy kids can dig the bottle up and hurt themselves on the contents. Not to mention that in the right (or wrong, to be more precise) neighborhood could cause lots of trouble for the Pagan attempting to hide a bottle in the yard.
However, the situation is not that impossible! The bottle doesn’t need to be situated near the home in order for it to work. If you are constructing a bottle intended to be a personal safety guard, it can be buried in a forest or sunk in a swamp. With a Witch-bottle designed to guard a given home and those living in it, you can use a large flowerpot by the front door or on the windowsill to bury the bottle in to. In this case, the bottle should be small enough to fit in the flowerpot – with the plant!
Another idea I’ve heard is putting the Witch-bottle into a closet next to the front door, where it could easily do its job as a guardian and protector of the home and its inhabitants. However, this solution might cause some trouble if the same thing that happened to one Pagan happens to you: the Witch-bottle she kept in her closet worked very well – until it one day literally blew up. The bottle was of the very traditional type, so cleaning up after this wasn’t that pleasant, as you can well imagine! While refining the idea further, we ended up putting the bottle in a covered bucket filled with soil and then putting the bottle inside the bucket in the closet.
For a Pagan still “in the closet” or living in something like student housing with a room mate these ideas may not be that usable. There’s still no need to panic, as Witch-bottles can be made in miniature size, too. One witch working with test tubes in her professional life worked out recycling methods for test tubes as miniature Witch-bottles small enough to fit in the flowerpots on her windowsill. If you want to use test tubes, make sure you can close them tightly. There are also miniature bottles and jars available at various gift shops which can be used as well.
It should be noted that not all Witch-bottles are designed to be hidden away. Some are intended to be left out in the open, for example on the windowsill, on your altar or on your (work) desk.
Some InstructionsThe next part contains some instructions for making Witch-bottles. I won’t be including any particular instructions for rituals. First, because the exact rituals used depend on the religion of the person crafting the Witch-bottle and rituals aren’t even always necessary. One doesn’t even have Pagan religious inclinations for constructing a Witch-bottle. One of the persons who has made a Witch-bottle with my instructions is completely unaffiliated religiously, doesn’t consider himself a Pagan, and is more or less an Atheist. He is, nevertheless, very happy with the results. Second, planning the ritual (if one decides to have one) can be considered an important part of constructing a Witch-bottle. As important as planning and gathering the objects used. Third, if you are using a pre-made ritual, you can easily end up repeating somebody else’s words and copying somebody else’s motions, without proper emotions. Finally, modifying things to suit you better is in this context not only allowed, it’s recommended!

Basic Bottle for a Modern WitchThis is the tried and tested basic Witch-bottle, suitable also for modern day Pagans. The bottle is intended to be one that protects its maker, often also the maker’s home and family, from negative energies. Depending on how the bottle is made and on the maker’s Will, the bottle can be one that gathers the negative energies in itself (capturing), one that sends the energies back to where they came from (mirroring) or one that changes negative energy into positive (transforming). I would say, however, that this traditional Witch-bottle isn’t the best suited one for the last option.
Materials
Glass, earthenware or stone bottle or jar, with a tightly closing cap. Size depending on how big you can easily hide. Size doesn’t matter that much, so be reasonable.Protective gloves for handling items you’ll be putting in the bottle. A Witch-bottle won’t help you much if you manage to get a blood poisoning while constructing one.Wax or candles to seal the bottle. Black is a good choice.Another jar for “potty” if you don’t have one. Aiming isn’t that easy, especially if you’re trying to hit something like a Witch-bottle. So, you’ll need something to pee into – and of course you’ll need your urine.All kinds of “nasties”: Nails, rusty and bent (you can bend them yourself, too). Pieces of barbed wire, thorns, burrs, pieces of glass and/or mirror, needles etc.Some things to choose from: Menstrual blood (if you are female) or semen (of you are male). You can drain menstrual blood from your menstrual pads or tampons, in order to get semen. Well, you do know how to get it. Word of advice, though – if you are using sex magick as a part of your Witch-bottle building ritual, do try to remember that you were supposed to collect some of the semen to use in the bottle. It’s not that easy to collect it out of your partner, you know. Other blood – get a sterile needle from the pharmacist and remember to buy some band-aids as well. You can also add your pubic or other hair to represent yourself. An egg can also be included.Bandages should be readily available, in the case something happens. A lot of the stuff you’re putting into the bottle is sharp.Preliminary preparations
Gather all the necessary items, your bodily fluids being the very last ones as you don’t want to store them even for a day. You can collect other items intended for a Witch-bottle over a long period of time, storing them until you have all the necessary items and enough of them. Items found on the ground suit the purpose well. Cut metal items into smaller pieces if necessary so that they fit into the bottle you’ve chosen. If you’re using a very small bottle, remember that will need only a very very small number of each item or alternatively small items (broken needles, tiny nails etc).
Choose a date to suit your magickal workings best and plan your ritual, if these things are important for you. Waning moon is often considered a suitable time for building a Witch-bottle. The ritual can consist of just the visualization of the bottle’s intended use.
You can use the following to help with your visualization:
Your bodily fluids are intended to symbolize yourself, they are part of your essence and are traditionally used in magick. Instead of having the negative energies hitting you, they hit your “representative” in the Witch-bottle, the part of your essence.
For a capturing bottle: The “nasties” inside the bottle are intended to capture the negative energies – the metal captures them, the glass confuses and cuts them, the thorns puncture them and iron (and egg) dissolve them. You can visualize the negative energies drowning in the urine. If you are building a mirroring bottle, visualize the glass and mirror mirroring the negative energy back to its sender or to grounding it to earth. For a transforming bottle you can use colored glass and visualize the negative energy transforming into positive one before continuing on its journey forward to benefit you, your home or the universe.
Choose the place to hide your Witch-bottle before you make it. Be sure you have all the necessary equipment like a shovel. By the time the bottle is finished, it’s too late to start pondering “but where will I put this thing?” If you are going to bury the bottle in the ground, choose the place so that people or animals will not dig it up.
The Actual Making of the Bottle
Have all the necessary equipment and items at hand in a place you consider best suitable for the task, at a time most suitable for you. Cast a circle, if you feel one necessary. You can build the bottle and have your ritual at the site of where you will hide it or do everything else in one place and then take the ready bottle elsewhere to be buried.
Fill the bottle with items you’ve chosen until they form a disgusting mixture. Shake the bottle to mix the items, if necessary. If you are including an egg, don’t break it and add it as the last of the solid items. Remember to leave enough room for it as well.
After this, add urine, menstrual blood or semen, or prick your finger with the sterile lancet and add as the very last thing a few drops of your blood. You won’t need large amounts, blood and semen are considered potent, so few drops will do.
Close the cap or lid and seal the bottle. You can carve symbols of your choice (for example runes, a sigil), being careful not to break the seal. If this happens, remove the wax and start the sealing process again.
If you are going to go to another place to hide the bottle, clean up after yourself especially if there is any chance that somebody else will get to the place where you were building your bottle before you come back from hiding it! If you did cast a circle before starting, take it down. Remember to ground yourself (if you are creating the bottle at the place where you’re hiding it, you can do this afterwards).
Travel to the hiding place and hide your Witch-bottle in a suitable manner. Banishing words suit the situation well and if you don’t know how or don’t want to use traditional banishing spells or something similar, you can even swear like a drunken sailor! You can bury the bottle upside down, putting more nasties in the hole you buried around the bottle before covering it all up. If you are hiding the bottle somewhere inside your home, hide it the right way up.
Wiccan VersionThe Wiccan versions of the Witch-bottle which follow are more suitable for the Wiccan view of the world, magick and ethics. They are often intended to capture the negative energies or prevent it from ever arriving and – what’s important – prevent it to harm the home and its inhabitants. Many of these Wiccan versions are very much like the basic bottle described above, so it isn’t necessary to repeat everything over. However, you can use wine, (apple) vinegar or blessed (salted) water instead or in addition to urine. The nails used may be new, etc.
Many Wiccan Witch-bottles use herbs, with the herbs being chosen according to their magickal qualities. There are sometimes very specific instructions given for the gathering of each herb and other items, including correct phases of the Moon. The herbs and other objects may be put in the bottle the previous day, letting the bottle stand by the witch’s bed over the night. In the morning, you can add (morning) urine to the bottle, after which the bottle is closed and sealed utilizing Wiccan rituals. Some instructions state that the bottle will be placed in a cupboard or closet, so you don’t necessarily have to carefully hide it.
The following instructions are a basic version of a Wiccan version of the Witch-bottle, using herbs. You can do everything using a longer/more complex or a shorter/simpler route, depending on your own inclinations. You can for example start collecting the necessary items on a given phase of the moon (for example on the day before New Moon) and perform the ritual on the next Dark Moon. Or, you can collect the items when you have time for it and build the bottle at any phase of the moon (with protective spells, you don’t always have to wait for the right phase of the moon – you do it when you have to). You can utter a suitable spell with every item added to the bottle, summoning the spirit of the item/accessory and meditate for a while – or you can speak your chosen words after the bottle is filled. You can make the bottle as part of a ritual, or you can construct a ritual especially for this occasion. One reason why I’m being so vague with the instructions is that I’m not Wiccan myself.
Materials
Bottle or jar, with a tightly closing cap or lidSea saltCrystal or stone, for example turquoise, obsidian or black onyx.Herbs, for example acasia, aloe, lilies, lime, lotus, agrimony, corn, cayenne and black pepper, dried onion, salvia, frankincense, basil, mint, myrrh, garlic, rosemary, mistletoe, pine needles.A few nails or needlesWine, (apple) vinegar or urineThreadBlack candle for sealingThe usual tools used in the ritual sectionPreliminary Preparations
You can choose the herbs and crystals you are going to use according to their special qualities or use some of those I’ve listed. You can also use a drop or two of an essential oil instead of a herb. You can choose the number of herbs and solid items in general (in this case, essential oil is counted as “solid”) to put in the bottle on numerological grounds either so that the number of all solid items is a specific one, or that you will use a certain number of herbs. Suitable numbers are 7, connected to protection, or 9, connected with the Goddess.
Gather the necessary items. Clean the bottle you are going to use. Wash it with warm soapy water carefully (if you can use a specific soap made for protective purposes, so much the better) and dry it well. You can leave the bottle over night in the light of a full moon to charge it. Choose a place to hide the bottle. For a bottle to be filled as part of a ritual or ritually, it is a good thing to have all the necessary tools at hand, on your alter. You can also construct your ritual and spells and chants beforehand.
The purpose of the crystal (which isn’t absolutely necessary, the list is given as an example – including the liquid items) is to use it’s magickal qualities, the same goes with the herbs. The salt is there to purify and bless the target of the Witch-bottle (the person(s), home to be protected). The nails and needles ground the negative energy and you can also visualize it being then sent back to its sender, threefold. The thread tangles the negative energy in a knot similar to what you are tangling the thread into and to bend the energies away from the builder of the bottle. You can also visualize the negativity tripping over to the thread. The urine represents the builder of the bottle. When using wine or vinegar you can visualize the negative energies drowning in the liquid, with vinegar acting as a purifying element as well.
The Actual Making of the Bottle
If you’re constructing the bottle as part of a ritual, you can perform the ritual opening as usual.
Start filling the bottle with the salt. After the salt, add needles or nails, bent or straight. After this, it’s time to add the herbs. The crystals and the thread you’ve tangled into a “ball” can be added next. If you are adding liquids, that is done after the solid items.
When the bottle is otherwise finished, you can raise energies with a suitable chant (I’ve seen the traditional “Isis, Astarte, Diana, Hecate, Demeter, Kali, Inanna” recommended for this purpose) and directing it into the bottle, after which you close the bottle and seal it with the wax of the candle.
End your ritual as usual and bury the bottle into a suitable place or otherwise hide it. You can burn incense on the hiding place to seal the spell properly.
Witch-Bottle to Show OffWitch-bottles that are intended to be left out in plain sight are not usually made to that much protect their makers, but to bring the one who has cast this bottled spell something she or he wants. The usual reasons are the reasons so common with other types of spell as well: the wish the gain more love, material gains, happiness, creativity.
I won’t give any specific instructions, only basic principles:
Select the bottle or jar used according to its color, shape or the simple fact that it is pleasing to the eye. Go through the magical qualities of herbs, colors, essential oils, metals, crystals etc and choose the ones you’ll use in the bottle according to how well they suit your intended purpose. You won’t normally use any liquids (except for a few drops of essential oils) in bottles left in the open, they are “dry bottles”. Aim for a harmonious whole. That means: don’t try to squeeze in your bottle every single herb or crystal associated with, for example, wealth. Too much is too much!
Pick a few suitable herbs or oils, one suitable crystal, one suitable color. To represent the color you can add (silk) ribbon to the bottle or tie a ribbon around it, or paint a symbol representing your goals with the chosen color. You can also make a “hat” to cover the lid of the bottle, making it out of black cloth and painting a symbol on it with fabric paint or magic marker, or use the color of your spell as the color of this “hat”. You can use colors as colored sands or salts. Even metals have their own magickal correspondences, so you might want to use metal dust or chips.
If you are following the phases of the moon or other celestial objects in your magick, take them into consideration while constructing the bottle. It is up to the bottle’s maker whether to use a formal ritual or not.
As a basic principle, it could be suggested that sands (and metal dust/chips) usually go to the bottom, herbs and oils on the sand and the crystal in with the herbs.
Final WordsYou can easily develop a large number of versions of the basic Witch-bottle to suit your (and others’) needs and life situations. Even during the time historical Witch-bottles were in use, there were new versions being developed, so why not today?! There is no One True Witch-bottle (even though there probably are people who would like to claim so), only bottles more like the traditional ones and bottles of more modern variety. I have run into all kinds of bottles myself, some being love-raising bottles on the brink of going over the level of good taste and ethics (some actually going overboard) to bottles constructed to bind a given bad person very tightly. The many varieties speaks volumes for how effective this type of spell work can be and how versatile it is.

Dark Moon or the Balsamic Moon Phase

The Dark Moon or the Balsamic Phase of the Moon

 There are 3 days of the Dark Moon just as there are 3 nights of the Full Moon.  The Dark Moon is the complete opossite of the Full Moon, the Full Moon is 100% lumination and rises at Sunset, where the Dark Moon is 0% lumination and rises at Sunrise.

This Phase is most commonly called the "New Moon" instead of the Dark Moon.  Which does not make any sense to me, the New Moon should be considered the very first sliver of the Waxing Cresent, not when it is 100% dark. I don't understand why the Dark Moon is called the New Moon, it just does not make sense to me.  The New Moon occurs when the Moon is positioned between the Earth and Sun. The entire illuminated portion of the Moon is on the back side of the Moon, the half that we cannot see.

The Full Moon, occurs when the Earth, Moon, and Sun are in alignment, just as the New Moon is, but the Moon is on the opposite side of the Earth, so the entire sunlit part of the Moon is facing us. The shadowed portion is entirely hidden from view.  The Dark Moon is not visible because the side of the Moon that faces Earth is not being lit by the Sun.

                                                        Dark Moon Goddess

In the earliest societies they revered the Moon as the Goddess, in her three Aspects of  Womenhood Maiden, Mother & Crone.  The Dark Moon was seen as the Dark Goddes in the Crone Aspects...wise, mysterious, and compassionate with a Darker side.  

The story of the Dark Goddess begins thousands of years ago in a time before recorded history, when the Moon was worshiped as a primary Feminine Divinity.  The Dark Moon Goddess was loved and honored, and they accepted her wisdom and her mystery teachings of the dark.  In her wisdom, which arises from experience, she encompasses the season of Winter and the Underworld.  The Crone is the Grandmother who dispenses justice with both love and sadness.  The Crone knows the laws must be upheld, she does feel sorrow when the verdict and punishment seems to harsh to us.  She has no patience for injustice and imbalance, in whatever form are detested by her.  She rules over Magick, secret knowledge, oracles and all Witches.  Her Animal Totems are those which live below he Earth such as Snakes, Serpants, and Dragons, also the Owl, Ravens, Crows & Horses.  

By..

Cheyannh~Selene

DebrahAnna

Full Moon Names and Their Meanings

Full Moon names date back to Native Americans, of what is now the northern and eastern United States. The tribes kept track of the seasons by giving distinctive names to each recurring full Moon. Their names were applied to the entire month in which each occurred. There was some variation in the Moon names, but in general, the same ones were current throughout the Algonquin tribes from New England to Lake Superior. European settlers followed that custom and created some of their own names. Since the lunar month is only 29 days long on the average, the full Moon dates shift from year to year.  Here is the Farmers Almanac’s list of the full Moon names.

• Full Wolf Moon – January Amid the cold and deep snows of midwinter, the wolf packs howled hungrily outside Indian villages. Thus, the name for January’s full Moon. Sometimes it was also referred to as the Old Moon, or the Moon After Yule.  Some called it the Full Snow Moon, but most tribes applied that name to the next Moon.

• Full Snow Moon – February Since the heaviest snow usually falls during this month, native tribes of the north and east most often called February’s full Moon the Full Snow Moon. Some tribes also referred to this Moon as the Full Hunger Moon, since harsh weather conditions in their areas made hunting very difficult.

• Full Worm Moon – March As the temperature begins to warm and the ground begins to thaw, earthworm casts appear, heralding the return of the robins. The more northern tribes knew this Moon as the Full Crow Moon, when the cawing of crows signaled the end of winter; or the Full Crust Moon, because the snow cover becomes crusted from thawing by day and freezing at night.

The Full Sap Moon, marking the time of tapping maple trees, is another variation. To the settlers, it was also known as the Lenten Moon, and was considered to be the last full Moon of winter.

• Full Pink Moon – April This name came from the herb moss pink, or wild ground phlox, which is one of the earliest widespread flowers of the spring. Other names for this month’s celestial body include the Full Sprouting Grass Moon, the Egg Moon, and among coastal tribes the Full Fish Moon, because this was the time that the shad swam upstream to spawn.

• Full Flower Moon – May In most areas, flowers are abundant everywhere during this time. Thus, the name of this Moon. Other names include the Full Corn Planting Moon, or the Milk Moon.

• Full Strawberry Moon – June This name was universal to every Algonquin tribe. However, in Europe they called it the Rose Moon. Also because the relatively short season for harvesting strawberries comes each year during the month of June . 

 • The Full Buck Moon – July July is normally the month when the new antlers of buck deer push out of their foreheads in coatings of velvety fur.It was also often called the Full Thunder Moon,  for the reason that thunderstorms are most frequent during this time. 

 • Full Sturgeon Moon – August The fishing tribes are given credit for the naming of this Moon, since sturgeon, a large fish of the Great Lakes and other major bodies of water, were most readily caught during this month. A few tribes knew it as the Full Red Moon because, as the Moon rises, it appears reddish through any sultry haze. It was also called the Green Corn Moon or Grain Moon.

 • Full Corn Moon or Full Harvest Moon –September This full moon’s name is attributed to Native Americans because it marked when corn was supposed to be harvested. Most often, the September full moon is actually the Harvest Moon, which is the full Moon that occurs closest to the autumn equinox. In two years out of three, the Harvest Moon comes in September, but in some years it occurs in October. At the peak of harvest, farmers can work late into the night by the light of this Moon. Usually the full Moon rises an average of 50 minutes later each night, but for the few nights around the Harvest Moon, the Moon seems to rise at nearly the same time each night: just 25 to 30 minutes later across the U.S., and only 10 to 20 minutes later for much of Canada and Europe. Corn, pumpkins, squash, beans, and wild rice the chief Indian staples are now ready for gathering.

 • Full Hunter’s Moon or Full Harvest Moon – October This full Moon is often referred to as the Full Hunter’s Moon, Blood Moon, or Sanguine Moon. Many moons ago, Native Americans named this bright moon for obvious reasons. The leaves are falling from trees, the deer are fattened, and it’s time to begin storing up meat for the long winter ahead. Because the fields were traditionally reaped in late September or early October, hunters could easily see fox and other animals that come out to glean from the fallen grains. Probably because of the threat of winter looming close, the Hunter’s Moon is generally accorded with special honor, historically serving as an important feast day in both Western Europe and among many Native American tribes.

 • Full Beaver Moon – November This was the time to set beaver traps before the swamps froze, to ensure a supply of warm winter furs. Another interpretation suggests that the name Full Beaver Moon comes from the fact that the beavers are now actively preparing for winter.

 • The Full Cold Moon; or the Full Long Nights Moon –December During this month the winter cold fastens its grip, and nights are at their longest and darkest. It is also sometimes called the Moon before Yule. The term Long Night Moon is a doubly appropriate name because the midwinter night is indeed long, and because the Moon is above the horizon for a long time. The midwinter full Moon has a high trajectory across the sky because it is opposite a low Sun.