Today's Challenge -- Take Care of Your Peeps
Hail and Welcome to you! This is day three of our Mini-Release Program. Why not sit down and have a cup of tea with me -- or coffee, if you like. Take a seat in this rocker here. I've just pulled the cushions out from the shed in preparation for the summer season. Yep. It is a little early, but I think right now, amid all this fuss and bother over that corney virus , that welcoming the solace of nature is a good thing. Don't you?
Sugar? Cream? I'm going to take a moment to enjoy several deep breaths and welcome your delightful energy. I'm cuddling my cup. This one is decorated with moo-cows. I don't think I have a matching mug in the house, and that's just fine by me -- I love a colorful jumble.
See straight out there? That's my Wish Tree. Right out there in the yard and filled with bird feeders. She's getting ready to bloom. See the creamy buds growing heavy on the branches? The air is still a little crisp. But, oh, how those birds are singing! Can you hear them?
Oh, heck! And there's my squirrel. There were three of them in the autumn; but, it looks like two moved on, and I've just got Calico here. I named him that because he ran off with one of my calico fabric squares from a quilting project I left on the porch last month. That day when it was so warm? Almost to seventy degrees? In February! Anyway...Calico has his own lunch box out there on Andy's tree. It was the only way I could keep him (the squirrel, not Andy) from destroying my bird feeders. When he's bored, Calico still mozzies on up here to chat with the birds. They don't seem to mind.
Speaking of fabric squares, a popular charm that takes no great effort are blessed pieces of fabric held to your clothing with a safety pin.
This past weekend we placed a stack of these colorful fabric charm squares on our altar and empowered them as Healing Shields. Using bits of cloth (or pieces of clothing of old clothing) was a widespread folk practice and is still used by practitioners today to both bless and curse.
You can use the chant "Sickness yield into the lake, from the lake to the river, from the river to stone -- come no more into my home!" while working with the fabric. This bit of magick is a variation of a Braucherei charm originally used to protect family and livestock. In general, "yield into the lake" means activating the water element to work on the illness. Pushing the sickness to the river demands that the illness or negativity flows away from you (or the sick person) and at the same time the water is charged to disassemble the negative pattern of the sickness. The third act, directing that flow into stone, pushes the energy, now a dismantled pattern, into the earth. The sealing statement is: Never to return. Please understand that this is my interpretation, and how I would explain the charm to a student. If you do not agree, that is fine, feel free to post your ideas below. I often see and interpret the charms as a direction of energy movement.
As you chant, wash the fabric squares in soap and water and wrap the wet cloth around a stone until the fabric dries. Throw the stone into the woods. Wear the blessed material close to your heart.
The Protective Sock Spell
One interesting protective practice that we have used here for years is a sock spell. It works particularly well on children for a variety of purposes from warding off sickness to ensure they get caught by a parent or caregiver if they are doing something that might harm them. Why just the other day, a father who used the spell, caught his twelve-year-old son talking to a stranger at 2 in the morning on a chat app. Busted!
Take the dirty socks of a person, and cover the socks in salt. Please note the socks must be worn for several hours to ensure a good energy imprint. Put both socks and salt in a plastic bag. Seal the bag. Draw an equal-armed-cross over the bag to "lock-in" the protection. Place the bag in the back of a dark cupboard. Renew every month at the dark of the moon.
What Herbs Can You Wildcraft Today? If the weather is half-decent, why not spend some time outside. Check out the weeds! What's blooming? What can be used for protection or good health spell? This is what I found today:
Persian Speedwell Veronica Persica found in South Central Pennsylvania -- sometimes called GypsyWeed
this plant has “remarkable medicinal powers out of proportion to its size”1.
used by gypsies as a blood purifier.
removes excess mucus, soothe internal tissues, treat coughs, asthma, pleurisy.
a tea made of speedwell is used to clear sinus congestion, help eyesight and ease sore eyes.
Read more on Speedwell by clicking this link Julia's Edible Weeds
I will be drying the herbs and using them to make SpeedWell candles for healing this weekend.
I'd like to thank you for spending some time with me today! Here's your summary for Day 3 Activities:
Summary -- 41 Possible Stars -- When ya get to 100 -- really whoop it up!
1. Take Care of your Peeps -- what can you do today to "take care of your peeps?". -- 10 stars
2. Work the Charm Square Spell. 10 Stars 3. Work the Sock Spell. 10 Stars 4. Give or throw one thing away today. 1 star 5. Go wildcrafting! - 10 Stars
Big Hugs Peace with the Gods Peace with Nature Peace within!
Silver!