Greetings and Happiness to you all!
Louisa Lolly is prepping the potato bags to plant this year's crop. When the daffodils bloom? Its safe to plant the potatoes! We'll actually bury those spuds on the 3rd quarter moon in April.
This morning Louisa Lolly and I started prepping my little shed out back in anticipation of this year's growing season. We counted how many starter pots I have, cleaned and sanitized garden tools, and generally straightened up the mess that seems to accumulate by itself over the winter. Last fall, I stored a lot of the stalks, roots, and dried leaves from harvested plants and herbs to be used in our ritual bonfires. That collection of dried herbs got into somewhat of a tumble, so I consolidated what was left into a single bag.
We got our potato bags together and measured out the soil mix we will use. We won't actually plant until the moon is in the 3rd quarter (best for root crops). I pulled out my lunar calendar out and marked either the 8th or 9th of April for the burying of the spuds ceremony. If the weather gives us a break this week, I'll start digging the garden beds, and I've been toying with putting a bed of marigolds mixed with lobelia around the ritual circle. That would be a lot of digging....lol.
The Power of the Potato!
In Braucherei and other methods of folk magick, the potato is considered a powerful magickal tool. One of the most well-known uses is to force a wart, or other medical maladies to diminish and dissipate by cutting the tuber in half and laying the cut portion on the skin, over the problem area. It was believed that the potato, due to its nature, has the ability to "suck in" the disease and then dismantle the energy pattern of the disease as the potato rots. Dishrags were used in place of the potato if the practitioner didn't want to waste food. I was also taught to use bacon if a potato wasn't at hand.
The conjuration for the removal of the disease uses a moon-call, wherein you activate the power of the moon to lend her aid. "Servant of the moon, I conjure thee to take on this disease (name it) from (name the person) and dissolve (name the disease) with your luminous power." This call is to be said 9 times on 3 occasions in one day. The equal-armed cross is made in the air with the thumb over the potato to seal the disease into the vegetable. The potato is then placed where it will "surely rot".
One variation is to place the disease-filled spud under the downspout of your property when the moon is waxing (opposite of its favored time). It was thought that as it rained, the steady pour of the water would help the potato to rot quicker. As the potato decomposed, so the disease was destroyed.
In this type of folk magick, the potato functions as a "servant of the moon" because its planting and growth are governed by the moon phases. It also grows underground, in the dark, and has connections to the water element. Never underestimate the power of the spud! Did you know that a potato can charge a cell phone battery because its phosphoric acid reacts between some zinc and copper to generate power? The potato conducts electricity and can be used for all manner of healing and banishment workings because it holds the "charge/intent/imprint" well.
All potatoes are made up of two primary ingredients -- water and starch. When cooking potatoes, the cells expand, separate, and burst -- which is why some practitioners imprint a potato -- and then boil the spud to banish the negativity around a person, animal, or situation. Due to the exploding process that occurs within a boiling potato, the resulting action is "in sympathy" with the concept of destroying the issue! In essence, to boil a problem away -- use a potato. Choose a high starch potato, like a russet, for the best results.
When allowing potatoes to rot for magickal purposes, they are always taken outside as decaying spuds actually leave off a noxious, poisonous gas. The potato is, after all, a member of the nightshade family! Do treat her with respect!
Today's Challenge! Learn Something New -- and then share it by posting below. If you are too shy to post here, share with family or friends. Be excited and exuberant when you talk about what you have learned -- the world is making too many haints in response to pandemic news. (I was taught that haints are nasty thought-forms created by unhappy emotions that fly over hill and dale, looking to attach themselves to unsuspecting folks who refuse to laugh). Better start giggling!
Today's Secondary Challenge! Write your own potato spell! Share if you like by posting below!
Summary -- 126 possible stars
Give or throw one thing away -- 1 Star Today's Main Challenge -- Learn Something New -- 25 Star Perform a Potato Spell! 25 Stars and if you share here -- 50 Stars! Do 5 Three-Minute Dashes - OUTSIDE! 25 Stars
Until Tomorrow! Big Hugs!
Peace with the Gods Peace with Nature Peace Within Silver!
