Spreading the Love

I know I am supposed to write about The Sacred Belly, & I really will...but lately, I am exhausted, so...here are some recent blogs & articles I've been thrilled to read:

An Introduction To Honey Jars from Sex, Magick & The City

Christopher Penczak's article on Calling the Quarters

The Trouble With Bright Girls


Exploring How We Connect & What It Means

Ok, that's enough for now.

Wild & Bright Blessings,

~*Rhi*~
    )O(

Shielding

Sorry I haven't posted in a while.  Very, very busy around here!  Basically, I've gone back to work full-time as a nurse, so I'm spending a lot of time in the hospital lately.

That brings me to the topic of Shielding.  Luckily (or magickally), just as I was ready to head back to work after a 6-month sabbatical, my witchcraft class moved onto the subject of shielding.

If you're unfamiliar with shielding, I highly suggest you get familiar!  Shielding is one of my necessary tools as a witch.  Being a strong empath, I tend to pick up a lot of energetic crap in my day-to-day travels, especially at work.

Because this is a complex subject, I recommend Christopher Penczak's

The Witch's Shield: Protection Magick and Psychic Self-Defense

It's a quick read, full of wonderful exercises & even a meditation CD.  If you can't afford to buy it, why not see if your local library has a copy?  Here are a few of my favorite shields so far:

Translucent Light - a great, all-purpose shield for filtering harmful energies while allowing in helpful energies

Translucent Crystal - same as above, but with a solid, crystalline outer edge - a bit stronger

Rose Bush - pick the color associated with energies you are welcoming & shield out all others with the thorns

Grey Mist - perfect for becoming un-noticeable & very neutralizing in gossipy situations

Well, that's it for now...busy, busy...

Later this week, I'll post about the Sacred Belly as the core of a female witch's power.

Wild & Bright Blessings!

~*Rhi*~

    )O(

Rose Glycerite

Valentine's Day seemed the perfect day for making Rose Glycerite.

Ruled by Venus & the Element Water, Rose has always been associated with love.  Deities associated with Rose are Hathor, Hulda, Eros, Cupid, Demeter, Isis, Adonis, Harpocrates & Aurora. 

Rose also has the power to heal & calm (along with increasing psychic strength, divination, protection & luck).

My Rose Glycerite was made with the intention to heal of past wounds inflicted by me & others, so it has been infused with the intention of self-love. 
First, I placed a handful of dried red roses into a small jar, then I covered them with vegetable glycerine & put in a small, rose quartz bead.

Next, I cast sacred space around the Love Altar that resides in our bedroom, placing the potion on the altar.  After lighting the candles, I placed a rose quartz generator on top of the jar.

To raise energy, I meditated on opening my heart chakra & then chanted Ohm with the jar nestled in my sports bra, between my breasts (sounds a little odd, but it's a great way to transfer vibrations!) & the generator in my lap.  Following my instincts, I then chanted my name, the word heart, the word, love & the word healing, over & over until the jar was warmed by my heat & the vibrations. 

Finally, I opened the jar & chanted these words directly into the potion.  With every inhale, I experienced the wonderful fragrance of roses.

Lifting the circle, at the end, I felt a deep peace.

The jar of Rose Glycerite will need to sit for 4-6 weeks under the generator quartz, in a dark place to mature.  Each day, I will open the jar, stir the mixture & chant love into the potion. At the end of maturation time, I will decant the concoction into an amber or blue vial, adding a tablespoon of brandy as an additional preservative.

Of course, on the 19th, I will be taking my new creation out under the Full Moon!

Once it is mature, Rose Glycerite has amazing heart-healing (emotional) properties.  It is especially wonderful for self-forgiveness & for overcoming childhood traumas.  You only need a drop or two & it can be taken directly on the tongue or placed into a bottle of water for sipping.

Wild & Bright Blessings!

~*Rhi*~

    )O(

A Marathon a Month

As part of my getting healthier in 2011, I've decided to commit to completing a "marathon" every month this year.

Sounds like a huge goal, huh?

Actually, a marathon is 26.2 miles. If I break it down over the month, that's less than 1 mile a day.

Wanna join me?

Wild & Bright Blessings!
~*Rhi*~

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I am...

I am

The woman 

Who held your father's hand 

As he died

Who offered her shoulder for your tears and grief

I am 

A friend

A mother

A teacher

A nurse

A wife

The one who saw you struggling

And shared your load

I am 

The friend who reminded your husband 

How precious you are to him

Who held your daughter 

When she contemplated suicide

Who offered a smile when you radiated anger

I am

The woman you regard highly

Who you call friend

And

I am 

A witch

If you knew

Would you

Be shocked?

Frightened?

Offended?

A Witch

Held your daughter!

Befriended your husband!

Consoled you!

A Witch!

Would you still

Love me?

I am

Still

Me

~*Rhi*~

)O(

Have you seen this theif?

Have you seen this thief? 

She is about 6 months old & steals pens, receipts, glasses, basically anything not nailed down. 
Her name is Luna, & she is also accused of waking her mommy up in the middle of the night with her tiny, sharp teeth.

If you have seen this criminal, please approach with caution, she has been known to attack feet!

Wild & Bright Blessings,

~*Rhi*~

    )O(

Connecting With Plant Spirits

As an eclectic, green witch, I am learning a lot about the power of our plant friends. This week, I am excited & honored to be teaching a workshop on Spiritual Herbalism to a wonderful group of witches here in Central Florida.  

Here is just a taste of our workshop:

Connecting With Plant Spirits

The best way to know our plant friends is to spend time with them.   

Plants have spirits, unique energy.   

Think of a child communing with a flower.  There is magick in that moment.  Spend some time with your plant friends, get to know them better.  It will drastically improve your herbal workings!

If this makes you feel silly, think about this - Plants and people, actually all living beings, have, at the very core of their being, within their very DNA, particles of light that can become coherent.  These particles of light are called biophotons.  Biophotons are ultra weak light rays, that do not break apart, but maintain a beam of light that radiates out & interacts with other biophoton rays in the surrounding environment. The theory, presented by Fitz Popp, German biophysicist, is that this light carries with it a certain intelligence that is the foundation for communication between living things.   So, when you’re with plants, animals, basically any living being, you ARE communicating!  Biophotons are only one method of communication.  We also know that everything carries with it a vibration from the movement of atoms & sub-atomic particles. 

Using these principles, it is pretty easy imagine our communication with any living being.

But, even if we acknowledge the possibility of communicating with flora & fauna, we are also conditioned by our upbringing & society to classify everything using a system of hierarchy.  

Typical Western Hierarchy:

One of the biggest barriers to our communication with plants, animals & even other humans is this notion of hierarchy.  

As soon as we start to classify one person or life form as being greater than another, we begin to distance ourselves from that living being.  

In order to open ourselves to the wonders of the world, we need to abandon our ideas of hierarchy & think less of food chains & higher levels of evolutionary development.  

We must begin to think In terms of the interconnectedness of all, the web of life.

We, mainstream Americans, have been disconnected with this web for many generations.  We have lost our ability to communicate with nature.  


So, how do we reconnect?

We build this relationship as we would build any relationship.  We spend time together with open minds & hearts.
 

A Few Activities to Connect with Nature

•      Take a walk in nature

•      Grow plants

•      Visit a local nursery

•      Taste fresh herbs

•      Head to a botanical garden

•      Meditate in a garden

•      Take a Wild Weed Walk

Once we are comfortable being away from our technology (leave the iPod at home, please!), we can begin to build a relationship with a particular plant.


Simply notice a plant in your surroundings that draws your interest, & start connecting:

Connecting With a Particular Plant 

• Abandon Hierarchy – remember the Web
• Spend Time & fully connect (lay directly on the ground)
• Maintain skepticism, but suspend disbelief
• Use all your senses
• Consider the automatic connection that occurs with respiration –   oxygen/carbon dioxide
• Be aware of the tendency to anthropomorphize – useful to a point
• Notice & Identify your feelings using words
• Observe aerial view of the habitat –  a clue to plant’s properties

Sun	Shade	Partial Sun/Shade
Drying	Moist	Balancing
Warm	Cool
Masculine	Feminine

• Use a 10x magnifying glass to observe the details
• Touch
• Smell – most stimulating to memory (genetic memory also)
• Taste
• Observe throughout cycles (day/night, seasons)
• Communicate 
• Meditation works nicely at first
• Verbal communication isn’t usually effective
• Use light, breath, sound, care
• When you get bored, stay! Only then will you open to the next level
• Record your experience
• Journal your feelings & finding
• Photographs
• Return & Repeat

Wild & Bright Blessings!

~*Rhi*~

    )O(

We, The Witches

From the first moments of understanding

We are taught

Of our inadequacies

As humans

Our Nature is sinful

Our Desires are evil

Our Needs weakness

Our Intuition wrong

The Beings we see are not real

The Joy we find 

In the earth 

Is dirty

Our Instinctual behavior is unacceptable

We are taught of dangers

Of other humans

Of nature

Of ourselves

Taught to question 

Ourselves

But

Never authority

To conform

To disconnect

To hide our truth

We are taught

We are conditioned

And yet

Somehow

We learn

To sing

To dance

To see

To love

We learn

Interconnectedness

Beauty

We know 

Desire and fulfillment

We practice

Listening and seeing

Imagining and knowing

We open 

Doors

Sealed 

To us

By us

Now

We teach

We are the witches

We reclaim our birthright

We reclaim ourselves

~*Rhi*~

)O(

Honoring Your Body

Do you honor your physical form?  Accept & appreciate every cell (even the fat cells)?  Are you fully integrated mind, body & spirit?  Or, as many of you, do you look in the mirror & see the ravages of time, the "mistakes" you've made, the injuries inflicted upon your body by others?

This month, with the coming of Spring, is a good time to wrap up our focusing inward activities & prepare our bodies for the activities of the coming months.  Here is a ritual for honoring, healing, appreciating & reintegrating with your physical body.

Honoring Your Body

There are 2 options for this, one with oils & another in the bath.

Option One - Bath Ingredients:

Herbal sachet or a few drops of essential oils to assist in relaxation & cleansing (I particularly like Cunningham's Ritual Bath Sachet found in The Complete Book of Incense Oils & Brews)

Water

A natural & soothing soap, unscented (almond soap, oatmeal soap is nice & can be easily found at most healthfood stores for less than the cost of many commercial soaps)

A fresh washcloth & towel

Your ritual altar candles

Option Two - Oil Ingredients: 

Almond or other mild carrier oil

A few drops of Essential oil to assist in relaxation & cleansing (rose oil is beautiful here, because it is very healing to the soul, but other, less expensive oils, like lavender are also wonderful)

A ceramic container to hold the oils (heat them gently over a candle if you can, see pic below)

A quiet & private space

A cloth that you don't mind getting oily (I actually have a set of sheets & towels set aside for these types of rituals, they have only ever been used in ritual)

The Ritual

Create your sacred space in whatever manner suits you best.  Feel free to bring objects of power & healing with you into the bathroom or other private space where you will be working.  Make sure you are alone, comfortable & will not be disturbed by others, pets, phones, etc.

Draw your bath or prepare your oil, add the herbs or oils.  Spend a few moments settling in, breathe deeply & become as meditative as you can. 

Now, starting with your feet, observe & massage them, with either soap in the bath or your prepared oil.  Think about all that your feet do for you, everywhere they've taken you, the hurts & abuse your feet have been subjected to.  With each stroke, thank your feet for serving you, praise them for their attributes.  Notice scars or calluses.  Apologize if the desire arises.  Bless and thank your feet, they carry you on your path. Offer your unconditional love.

Move to your calves.  See their shape.  Massage the muscles, remembering all these muscles have done throughout your life.  Thank, bless & apologize as needed to these strong, muscular extensions of you.

Systematically, move to your thighs, your pelvis, your abdomen, your chest, your arms, every part of your physical body.  Let your intuition guide you as to how to massage each part.  Spend time meditating on the trials each part of your body has been subjected to, how each part has served your needs, how appreciative you are to have every part.  Pay close attention to areas you have spoken of harshly "my big, fat, a**", "I have my nose."  These areas require and deserve your love & appreciation.  What about areas of chronic pain?  Do you abuse or neglect these areas?  Ask them to carry heavy burdens, either physical or psychological? 

Your pelvic & abdomen area may need significant love.  These areas are often neglected & maligned, especially by women.  Is there an old hurt stored here? 

Each part of you is sacred.  Believe that.  No matter what has happened, by choice or not.  Your body is the physical vehicle through which you express all love and magic, all creativity.  Your body is the physical manifestation of divinity. 

Honor your own divinity, in every possible way.  Promise to take care or your physical body in gratitude for its support of all you do. 

Merge your mind & spirit fully into your physical being.  Feel golden light of love filling each and every cell, weaving together each part of you into a divine whole.  Notice the golden light radiating from your physical self as an aura of divine power and love.

Bask in the love you feel for yourself as long as you need.

You are beautiful!

Wild & Bright Blessings,

~*Rhi*~

    )O(