Making My Own Approximation Of Four Thieves Vinegar Out Of What I Have Laying Around. Also Made The Leftover

making my own approximation of four thieves vinegar out of what I have laying around. also made the leftover herbs into a little sachet.

four thieves vinegar was used by grave robbers to protect against bacteria and fungi and disease. it had a blend primarily of cloves, lavender, Rosemary, and cinnamon. nowadays there are many variations on this, my version has juniper berries, frankincense, cinnamon, cloves, and lavender. it is great for protecting against germs

Daily Magick

Today we will be looking at Obsidian

Obsidian Associations

Chakras - Base Chakra

Zodiac - Scorpio, Sagittarius

Element - Earth/Fire

Typical colours - Black, silvery or brown

Meanings - Purification, transformation, fulfillment, metamorphoses, manifestation, practicality, psychic ability

Obsidian is truth-enhancing. A strongly protective stone, it forms a shield against negativity. It blocks psychic attack and absorbs negative energies from the environment. Obsidian draws out mental stress and tension. It stimulates growth on all levels, urging exploration of the unknown and opening new horizons. Brings clarity to the mind and clears confusion. Helps you to know who you truly are. Obsidian dissolves emotional blockages and ancient traumas. Promotes qualities of compassion and strength.

Obsidian aids the digestion and detoxifies. It reduces arthritis pain, joint problems and cramps. Warms the extremities.

Different Types

Black Obsidian. Base Chakra. Black Obsidian is a very powerful and creative stone. It increases self-control. It forces facing up to one’s true self. Releases imbalances and negative energies. Black Obsidian is protective and provides support during change. It repels negativity and disperses unloving thoughts.

Golden Obsidian. Sagittarius. Golden Obsidian, also known as Gold Sheen Obsidian, is a strongly protective stone. It is particularly effective for scrying, and balancing energy fields.

Mahogany Obsidian. Libra. Mahogany Obsidian has a gentle energy, resonating with the earth it grounds and protects. It is a stabilizing stone that strengthens a weak aura.

(Note: This being said, if you are suffering from a condition or are in pain please consult a doctor or mental health professional.)

Fern Seeds in Celtic Folk-Magic

“We have the receipt of fern seed: we walk invisible”

(Shakespeare, Henry IV Part I, Act 2, scene 1)

In Celtic magical and folkloric traditions (among others,) one piece of botanical magic was so widely known that it made casual appearances works like Shakespeare’s Henry IV: the mystical properties of the fabled Fern Seed. Ferns themselves are attributed with a vast array of magical and medicinal capabilities throughout different cultures, such as healing, protection, fertility, and weather magic, but they are, in particular, associated with Faeries and the Faery Realm. However, within the context of Brythonic, Gaelic, and Breton folklore (along with various other cultures across Europe,) there are magical practices specifically associated with Fern Seeds. As put by Thomas Jackson in A Treatise Concerning the Original of Unbelief, 1625:

“It was my happe since I undertook the Ministrie to question an ignorant soule… what he saw or heard when he watch’t the falling of the Ferne-seed at an unseasonable and suspitious houre. Why (quoth he) … doe you think that the devil hath ought to do with that good seed? No: it is in the keeping of the King of Fayries and he, I know, will do me no harm: yet he had utterly forgotten this King’s name until I remembered it unto him out of my reading of Huon of Bordeaux.” (i.e. Alberich/Oberon)

The magical qualities of Fern Seed are recalled even into the modern era, with mainstream representations of the practice recounted as recently as Madison Julius Cawein’s 19th century poem, The Spell:

“St John hath told me what to do

To search and find the ferns that grow

The fern seed that the faeries know;

Then sprinkle fern seed in my shoe,

And haunt the steps of you, my dear,

And haunt the steps of you.”

In other traditions, the seed was said to be capable of disclosing the location of lost things and secreted treasure. This particular belief gave rise to a custom known as “Watching the Fern,” which involved observing ferns (particularly those known as moonworts) on Midsummer Eve in hopes that, if lucky, one would witness the blooming of a rare blue flower that shed seeds which, if properly collected, conferred the collector with the ability to discover lost items and hidden treasures. It was also thought that drinking the sap of these “Blossomed” ferns on Midsummer Eve granted extended longevity or perpetual youth. Elsewhere, they have been used to bring luck, converse with animals, and protect against harmful magic, however, Fern Seeds are probably best known for their purported ability to empart invisibility upon those who obtain them. During the Middle Ages especially, it was widely believed that if one could successfully collect Fern Seeds in the proper manner, they would gain the gift of moving unseen through the world.

The most prominent tradition surrounding the collection and employment of Fern Seeds states that they are shed from their fronds on Midsummer’s Eve at midnight (also venerated as the Eve of the Feast of St. John the Baptist.) It was thought that one could harvest the cryptic fern seeds by stacking twelve pewter plates beneath a fern frond. At midnight, a brilliant blue blossom opened, producing a single golden seed. The seed would then pass through eleven of the pewter plates and come to rest on the twelfth. Aside from this, various other requirements for successful harvesting of the Fern Seed have been observed, such as the need for the seeker to go collecting bare-footed, and in a spiritual state of mind. However, even adhering to any and all of these conditions, the seeker still often found their Fern Seeds stolen by wandering Faeries, who also relied on the magics of the Midsummer Seed. Other myths stated that the flower was bright crimson, and would light up the darkness when it unfurled its petals at midnight. At this point, if the seed wasn’t harvested immediately, the Devil was said to claim the flower for himself.

As attested to by Richard Bovet in his 1684 treatise on demonology, Pandaemonium:

“Much discourse about the gathering of Fern-seed (which is looked upon as a Magical herb) on the night of Midsummer’s Eve, and I remember I was told of one that went to gather it, and the Spirits whistlit by his ears like bullets and sometimes struck his Hat or other parts of his Body. In fine: though that he had gotten a quantity of it, and secured it in papers and a Box besides, when he came home he found it all empty. But probably this appointing of times and hours is the Devil’s institution.”

In many regions, great precautions were taken to protect would-be-collectors with charms and spellcraft as well. An account by English author, Samuel Bamford, describes incanting and rituals meant to accompany all attempts made to gather the Fern Seed, as well as the grim consequences that could befall any seeker who blundered in their supplications, or was judged as unworthy by the Resident Wights. The fern was said to be located in a Faery Clough (Narrow Valley,) and the collectors traveled there armed with multiple items, including a pewter platter, an earthenware dish, and a skull lined with clay and moss, adorned with a tress of the hair of a loved one. Numerous orisons were recited whilst the seed was gently scraped onto the plates through use of a Hazel Rod.

Now, it is worth noting that, while societies of antiquity believed that all plants must reproduce by seeds, Fern’s are actually one of a few extant plant spieces that reproduces through the process of sporulation. This misunderstanding led many people to believe that fern seeds were merely invisible, since the plants still managed to reproduce despite having no visible means of reproduction that lined up with the contemporary botany of the time. However, given that many varieties of fern do produce spores visible to the naked eye, despite their diminutive nature, many people did claim to have seen the elusive “seeds” at one time or another. All of this lent itself then to the belief that, if a person obtained one of these invisible seeds, they too could become invisible. That said, the practice lives on to this day, with those who partake in the tradition of “Watching the Fern,” observing to see if any of these spore should form at midnight on midsummer Eve—bringing with them the magic of the Faeries.

Common Desk Supplies in Witchcraft

📎 Paper clips - Paper clips are made of steel, which is mostly iron, so it can be used as a substitute for iron or iron shavings. Cut one up and put it in a protection powder. Or, you can bend it into a shape (like a sigil) for a simple window protection spell. Paper clips are known for their elasticity and tension, making them great for change spells, friendship spells, or even curses. They can also connect certain things, or make chains. On a practical note, paper clips can be bent into mini candle holders.

💌 Tape - Tape can obviously be used for bindings. It can also be used for invisibility spells or glamors, if you cover a certain word or object with tape. Using tape on a poppet may help protection or healing, but only for a little while.

✏️ Pencils/Pens - These uses change based on color. However, all of them can be used as wands, or to amplify a spell. You may bless or enhance a pen by washing it with a soap or tea, or cleansing it in incense smoke.

📑  Staples - Also made of steel, staples can be used for wards and bindings. Any spell involving pain can include staples. When you staple, you instill pain; when you remove a staple, you heal. They can also connect certain things, and are good for knowledge or love spells. 

📌  Thumbtacks - These are great for protection jars, banishing spirits and, of course, curses. To see through certain situations, you may use a thumbtack to poke through a paper or bag, representing clarity. However, be aware that clarity obtained this way may not come pleasantly.

📝 Sticky notes - Sticky notes have more flexibility than regular paper, in that you can attach them. Use sticky notes for sigils on the go, or stick several sheets of sticky notes together in order to represent layers. If you would like to expand your knowledge, reveal a secret, or even divine, you can write on the top sticky note with a colored pen that matches the intent. Then place a drop of essential oil or moon water on the top note, and see what shapes it forms in the bottom notes.

✒️ Highlighters - Highlighters can be used similarly to pens. They also add extra light and glow to a design, which amplifies a spell’s power.

🔗 Rubber bands - You’ve probably used rubber bands before to wrap up baggies and such. In magic, they can represent tension, flexibility, binding, or releasing emotions. Stretch a rubber band between two poppets (or other symbols of people, like apples) to represent tension between two persons. In the same way, you can also use rubber bands for love, passion and lust spells.

✉️  Envelopes - Envelopes represent anything that encompasses, compresses, or confuses a person. Open envelops or write inside of them for inner clarity. Seal the envelope for anything you want to forget, trap, or hide. You can also use envelopes to hold herbs as a discreet form of witchcraft.

❌ Erasers - Obviously, erasers can help banish or hide things. They also work for invisibility spells, and release a ton of energy through friction. You may want to consider writing a sigil on an eraser, and then erasing it until the sigil wears off. 

✂️ Scissors - Scissors can act as a magical knife for those who do not yet have one. Scissors can disconnect and cut off regrets, guilt, persons or memories. Scissors can also be used to carve into candles.

📏 Rulers - If you’re into number magic, a ruler is the tool for you. Imagine drawing a symbol in the exact dimensions of a number that corresponds to your intent! 

Feel free to add! .+(´^ω^`)+.

Pathworking and Astral Travel

In spirit work, we often connect with the spirits that have crossed over and are present in the physical world. However, there are also ways to cross over into the spirit world and connect with spirits in their home environment.

Pathworking

As I mentioned in a previous post, a pathworking is a specific type of meditation where you go on a psychic journey, but are still anchored to your physical body. It’s sort of like dipping your toes into the spirit world.

There are two important elements to a pathworking: a clear entrance/exit point and a way to retrace your steps. Pathworking journeys are typically cyclical — there is both a journey out and a return where you go back the way you came. This makes it easier to fully return your consciousness to your body, and failing to do so can cause you to feel disoriented upon the return.

Your entry/exit point can be absolutely anything, but common examples include a door, a gateway, a tree (or sometimes The World Tree), a cave/tunnel, or a natural landmark like a beach or mountaintop. What’s important is that it’s recognizable and easy to find your way back to.

If you want to try pathworking, make a rough “road map” of your journey beforehand. This doesn’t have to be super specific, but it should contain the following: a goal for the pathworking (such as to connect with a certain spirit), an entry/exit point, and a general idea for the route you’re going to take. If you’re worried about getting lost, author Thea Sabin recommends using “the Theseus trick.” Like in the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur, you can tie a golden thread or rope to your entry point and the other end to your astral body. If you get lost, you can follow the thread back.

Pathworking is fairly beginner friendly, and I highly, highly, highly recommend starting with pathworking and becoming comfortable with this method before trying astral travel. Even for more advanced witches, pathworking is often a better option than astral travel because it’s less involved and requires a little bit less effort. I personally prefer pathworking for most situations.

Performing a Pathworking

Before you begin, establish a clear goal for your pathworking and write out a rough “road map.” At the very least, you should know what your purpose is, where your entry point is, and how to find your way back.

Begin in a dark, quiet room. Cleanse the room by burning incense, diffusing or spraying essential oils, or using a ritual broom to sweep out old energy.

Find a comfortable place to sit or lie down and begin meditating. You may want to play meditation music, practice breathing techniques, or use some other method to help you reach a meditative state.

Once you reach a meditative state (you should know what this feels like if you have experience with meditation), see yourself standing at your entry point. This is your entrance to the astral realm.

Set out on your pathworking.

When you are ready to leave the astral realm, you will need to find your way back to your entry point. Once you reach your entry point, it should be fairly easy to return to your body.

Once you’re fully present in your physical body, use your favorite method to ground yourself.

Write down everything you experienced during your pathworking in a journal.

Astral Travel

If pathworking is dipping your toes into the spirit world, astral travel is diving in the deep end. Also called spirit flight and hedge riding, astral travel includes actually sending your soul/consciousness out of your body and into the spirit world. As you might guess, this is more complicated and requires more effort than pathworking. For this reason, astral travel is not beginner-friendly. If you are completely new to meditation, witchcraft, and spirit work, it’s best to learn to pathwork before you attempt astral travel.

A word of warning: you may want to avoid astral travel at times when you’re in a very vulnerable or volatile emotional state. Some days you just aren’t up for it, and that’s okay. On those days, a pathworking or another form of spirit work may be a better option.

Triggering Spirit Flight

In astral travel, a trigger of some kind is used to help disconnect the soul from the physical body. Common triggers include drumming, special music, shaking a rattle, chanting, and dancing.

You can find shamanic drumming tracks on YouTube that can help you achieve astral travel. If you find that repetitive motion helps you trance out, you may look into getting a small drum or rattle to play.

Animal Guides

In many cultures, those who travel into the spirit world do so with the guidance and protection of an animal spirit. From the Norse fylgja, to the shamanic power animal, to the witch’s familiar, history is full of examples of these types of guides.

Before you begin astral travel, do a pathworking to meet your animal guide. It’s important to note that you aren’t choosing an animal guide — only meeting one that has always been with you. Your guide may be an animal that you like or identify with, or it may not. When I first began experimenting with astral travel, my guide was a coyote — an animal I had never identified with before, but who I learned was deeply connected to my inner self.

It’s important to always have your animal guide with you when going on astral journeys, as they are an important source of protection and power. They may also literally guide you to the things you need to see and the spirits you need to meet.

Flying Ointments

Historical accounts describe witches using “flying ointment” to help them achieve spirit flight. These traditional flying ointments contained toxic and/or hallucinogenic plants like belladonna, datura, henbane, mandrake, and opium poppies. For obvious reasons, most modern witches do not use these herbs.

Please do not try to create your own flying ointment with poisonous plants. If you’re a true traditionalist and feel like you just have to try a historically accurate flying ointment, Bane Folk Apothecary sells several. Bane Folk is run by Sarah Anne Lawless, a kickass witch who knows her stuff and produces safe, medicinal products inspired by traditional flying ointment formulas. I am usually very pro-DIY, especially when it comes to witchcraft, but this is one case where it really is best to defer to a professional.

To create a modern, non-toxic flying ointment: heat eight ounces (or one cup) of poppy seed oil over low heat on the stove. Once the oil is warm, add 2 ounces (or ¼ cup) of beeswax into the oil. (Use carnauba wax for a vegan alternative.) Take the mixture off the heat, and allow it to cool off a bit. Once it has cooled (but before it’s begun to solidify), add nine drops each of mugwort essential oil, star anise essential oil, and peppermint essential oil. Pour the mixture into a mason jar and seal tightly. To extend your ointment’s shelf life, add a few drops of Vitamin E oil and store in the refrigerator. If you don’t have access to essential oils or prefer a more traditional method, you can buy dry herbs and infuse them into your oil instead — to do this, crush up 2.5 ounces (or 1/3 cup) each of dried mugwort, star anise, and peppermint and add them to a mason jar; add enough oil to the jar to cover the herbs completely, with about an inch of oil above them; seal the jar and place it in a sunny window for 2-3 weeks to infuse; and finally, strain the herbs out of the oil with a mesh sieve or a cheesecloth. You can then add your Vitamin E oil and beeswax to create an ointment.

This modern recipe does not contain hallucinogens, but it does contain plants that are commonly used in magic to increase psychic abilities and aid in astral travel. You can say an incantation over this ointment while making it to add some extra magical potency. Applying the flying ointment can also become a sort of ritual that prepares you for spirit flight by helping you slip into a more spiritual head space.

Performing Astral Travel/Spirit Flight

Before you begin, know why you are journeying to the spirit world. You should always have a clear goal for your astral journeys.

Begin in a dark, quiet room. Cleanse the room by burning incense (mugwort incense aids in astral travel), diffusing or spraying essential oils, or using a ritual broom to sweep out old energy.

Use your favorite method to ground yourself.

If you are choosing to use a flying ointment, rub it on your skin now.

Hold a protective item in one of your hands. I like physical items for protection during spirit flight, because they can ground you and help you find your way back to your body. Examples of protective items include a sprig of rue, a piece of iron, or a protective crystal like black tourmaline. If you ever feel scared or uncomfortable during your journey, you can bring this object into the astral realm to protect you. It will also keep your body safe while your consciousness is occupied.

Start up your trigger, whether this is drumming, rattling, dancing, etc.

Allow yourself to drift into a trance state, and then to disconnect from your body.

Call your animal guide to you.

Set out on your journey in the spirit world.

When you are ready, feel yourself returning to your physical body. Allow yourself to come back slowly — don’t rush it.

Ground yourself. One good way to ground after astral travel is by eating a snack.

Write down your experiences in a journal.

Resources:

Wicca for Beginners by Thea Sabin

Southern Cunning: Folkloric Witchcraft in the American South by Aaron Oberon

Hedge Riding by Harmonia Saille

“How to Make Herb-Infused Oils for Culinary & Body Care Use” and “How to Make Herbal Salves” from the Mountain Rose Herbs blog

Magical Properties of... Mugwort

Mugwort is a pretty affordable and very popular herb in the witch community. It grows in ditches and rocky soil, and holds a very bitter flavor (mugwort tea is not very appetizing). The Romans would put a sprig of Mugwort in their shoes to avoid getting tired on long journeys. It was associated with St. John the Baptist, and wreaths of Mugwort were worn to repel evil spirits. Mugwort has anticoagulant and disinfectant properties, and has a nerve-calming effect.

In witchcraft today, Mugwort is used as a visionary herb. Mugwort amplifies psychic vision and may induce prophetic dreams. People drink mugwort tea or burn it as an incense to help with lucid dreaming, astral projection, and meditation.

This is an herb of the Goddess as Crone, so Mugwort encourages wisdom and observation. When paired with a divinatory method of your choice, Mugwort is an excellent helper for confronting difficult truths.