yogibe:

chakras - this is beautiful.

thebeginnerwitch:

AMBER

A powerful yet gentle healer and cleanser, Amber draws out and transmutes negative energy of all kinds on all levels.  Amber aids in physical self-healing, emotional healing of depression, and environmental clearing.  One of its most unique characteristics is that Amber never needs clearing.  Amber opens and cleanses all of the Chakras.

Highly protective, mber also aids in the manifestation of ideas to reality.  The life force trapped within Amber promotes fertility, and its protective and environmental clearing properties make it a good stone to use to prepare a healing or birthing room.  Use Amber with the Solar Plexus Chakra to increase confidence, mental clarity, and creative self-expression.

Physically, Amber helps with the organs of elimination, including the liver, kidneys, bladder, and stomach.  Amber can be used for kidney and bladder stones.  Also a stone of the Throat Chakra, Amber can help with laryngitis and goiter.

In very simple terms, in order to qualify a piece of resin as true Amber, a couple of things need to have happened. First, the molecules must have polymerized or formed a polymer (a compound where two or more molecules have joined together) and secondly, the specimen must be at least 100,000 years old.

Copal or Copalite is the term given to organic resins that are not old enough (ie YOUNGER than 100,000 years) to have fossilized and hardened sufficiently to become Amber.

Amber is often imitated by plastics, colored glasses and some modern tree resins. True Ambers have a low specific gravity (amber can float on salt water) and inclusions can distinguish it from plastics and glasses.

In Africa, Copal is found in the coastal countries of East and West Africa, but especially on Madagascar. This so-called Madagascar Amber is solidified resin of the Amber Pine but is only 1,000 - 10,000 years old.

Most Amber from Columbia is less than 250 years old and in fact is not Amber at all, but the softer, younger version called Copal.

Amber from the Baltics has been dated to average between 35-50 Million years old

Amber from the Dominican republic is up to 40 million years old. Dominican Amber differentiates itself from Baltic Amber by being mostly transparent and often containing a higher number of fossil inclusions.

In summary, here are a few facts about Amber and Copal:

• - Amber is defined by geologists as fossilized tree resin
• - Amber is tree resin (not tree sap).  Sap is the fluid that circulates through a plant’s vascular system. Sap to a tree, is like blood flowing through the veins of you or me. Resin, on the other hand, is a semi-solid amorphous (no crystal structure) organic substance that is secreted in pockets and canals through epithelial cells of the plant. It’s the really sticky stuff that after time will fossilize and harden.
• - Hardened tree resin that is less than 100,000 years old is called Copal.
• - Copal becomes Amber when it has finished fossilizing.
• - Copal is still in the process of turning into a fossil.
• - Copal can “craze” or crack on the surface as the volatile oils (or turpenes) evaporate. 
• - Copal will dissolve in acetone, but Amber will not.
• - Copal from Madagascar and Columbia are 250 to 10,000 years old
• - Amber from the Baltics and the Dominican Republic are 25 to 40 million years old.

Metaphysical:

• Chakra(s): All
• Astrological sign(s): Leo, Aquarius
• Vibration: Number 3

Geological:

• Stone Type/Family: Fossilized Tree Resin
• Crystal System: Amorphous (meaning there is no type of ordered crystal structure)
• Chemical Composition: (C10H16O) Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen
• Hardness: 2-2.5

Physical:

• Color:  Ice Tea to Golden Amber to Orange, sometimes with a red or blue tint
• Location: Asia, Burma, Columbia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Russia, Romania, Venezuela, Wyoming, USA and the Dominican Republic.
• Rarity: True Amber (at least 100,000 years old) is high in demand but low in supply

Fun Fact:  Amber from the Baltics was used as a form of currency for a very long time.

Source: healingcrystals.com Image found on Google Images.

thebeginnerwitch:

NAME: LAVENDER

GAELIC NAME: Labhandar

LATIN NAME: Lavandula Vera or L. officinalis.

COMMON / FOLK NAMES: Elf Leaf.

MEDICINAL PART: Flowers / Leaves 

PLACES OF ORIGIN: Around the Mediterranean, but cultivated in the U.S. and Europe.

HABITAT:

• DESCRIPTION: The stems, growing 1 to 2 feet high, are gray-green and angular, 
• with flaking bark. The gray-green leaves are opposite, sessile, downy, and lanceolate to oblong-linear
• FLOWERING PERIOD: The lilac-coloured, tubular flowers are arranged in successive whorls up the stem. Flowering time is July to September.
• PROPERTIES: Antispasmodic  Carminative  Cholagogue  Diuretic  Sedative Stimulant  Stomachic  Tonic 
• USES: Lavender is normally taken or used in the form of an oil derived from the flowers by distillation with water. It is used for flatulence, migraine headache, fainting, and dizziness. It also has antiseptic properties and is 
• useful against putrefactive bacteria in the intestines. Lavender oil also makes a stimulating, tonic embrocation. In the absence of the oil, an infusion of the leaves can be used instead: and a decoction of the leaves is a useful
• remedy for stomach problem, nausea and vomiting.
• Preparation: Gather the leaves before flowering.

MAGICAL PROPERTIES

• GENDER: Masculine. 
• PLANET: Mercury.
• ELEMENT: Air.
• POWERS: Love  Protection  Sleep  Chastity  Longevity  Purification  Happiness Peace 

MAGICAL USES

Lavender has long been used in love spells and sachets. Clothing rubbed with the fragrant flowers (or Lavender placed in drawers with clothes) attracts love. A piece of paper on which you’ve rubbed Lavender is excellent

for writing love notes. The scent of Lavender particularly attracts men, and Lavender water or the essential oil was worn by prostitutes several centuries ago to both advertise their profession as well as to attracts (through magic)

customers. Lavender also protects against cruel treatment at the hands of a spouse if worn.

The flowers are also burned or smouldered to induce sleep and rest, and are scattered about the home to maintain its peacefulness. The plant is so powerful that, if when depressed, one gazes upon the plant all sorrow 

will depart and a joyous will settle upon the observer.

The odour of Lavender is conducive to long life, and should be smelled as often as possible.

Lavender is also used in healing mixtures, carried to see ghosts and worn to protect against the evil eye. It is added to purification baths.

Despite Lavender’s love associations, in the Renaissance it was believed that lavender together with rosemary, if worn, would preserve a woman’s chastity.

A wish divination: Place Lavender under your pillow while thinking of your wish. Do this just prior to retiring for the night. In the morning, if you have dreamt of anything relating to your wish, it will come true. However, if you did not dream, or if they were unconnected with your wish, it will not manifest.

Source: shee-eire.com Image found on Google Images

thegrimoire:

White Magic Spells - Different Types Of Spells

From the name you can guess that white magic spells are performed purposes of good, not evil. Luckily, white magic actually has greater power than black magic cast for evil. Casting white magic can prevent, protect against, or even destroy any type of black magic, curses or hexes.

White magic spells are also cast to help solve problems with love, money, health, fertility, to counteract attacking incantations or protect against the evil eye amongst many other things.

Love spells
The most popular branch of all white magic, is love spells. These are cast to bring back lost lovers, to attract someone new, to strengthen an existing love and other requests.

Love spells can also be used as protection. For example, to protect a marriage, or prevent divorce or separation. There are many dedicated spells to deal with individual and specific romantic situations, including break up, breaking love, marriage protection, lost love, soul mate, lust and even anti-lying spells.

Money spells
Second in terms of popularity to love spells, the other most frequently requested type of magic are money spells. Usually invoked specifically to solve financial problems, with proper spell casting money spells are very effective in drawing money towards you. Not only can money spells help you gain more money, but they can help you manage and organize the money you already have so it doesn’t disappear.

Healing spells
Healing spells deal mainly with situations related to health, illness, injury, pain and other health problems. They are used to help anyone suffering from illnesses that affects the person physically, mentally or emotionally.

For example, they act on people who have undergone much stress, strife and trauma in the past but who cannot seem to come out of the other side. This type of magic invocation is amongst the most powerful magic available to white witches and wizards.

Fertility or pregnancy spells
For women who have lost all hope of having a baby, you can try a fertility spell to bring new hope. There are also incantations to help protect a pregnant woman from harm during her term and the birth itself. There are also further magic spells to which are used for the protection of young children after birth.

Evil eye protection
There will always be people who are jealous of you. As such, the jealous people don’t want others to be happy. They carry negative energies with them and they can harm you with those energies either by just being around you, or by deliberating casting negative spells against you. Fortunately real magic spells can counteract these attacks. There are also spells for removing curses or hexes that may have been aimed at you.

thegrimoire:

Magic Spells: Common Myths & Some Truths

Myth 1: Anyone who casts spells or practices magic must worship Satan.
For those who follow witchcraft and enjoy casting spells, good and evil is definitely relevant. But what is important, is that every spell is carefully cast to be sure it would not harm anyone. In addition to that, the idea of “Satan” is actually a Christian construct. While there are dark energies and spirits, Satan is not included in the witch’s pantheon.

Hell itself is another product of Christianity and Wiccans do not believe in it. Wiccans and pagans cast good spells not evil ones because they know that evil is evil and what goes around eventually comes around. They do not want to hurt people, they want to love and protect people, and bring success to themselves and others.

Myth 2: Spells have visual and sound effects like in movies.
For Wicca followers and pagan believers, spells are like prayers for Christians. They are a way of communicating your intents and desires with the forces of nature in the universe. Spells are also a way of communicating with the gods and goddesses that inhabit our world so they can help us with our problems. 

Spells do not have noises of flashing lights like in movies. In fact, spells do not even have instant or obvious visual results. Usually it takes days or even weeks before you start to see effects of the spells you have cast. Spells could be about wealth, health, energy, peace and even love and all these things take time to happen.  

Myth 3.  Casting spells requires rare (or bizarre) materials.
You do not have to use rare and weird materials to cast spells. Witches and wizards would usually use natural materials like herbs, incense, candles, oils, flowers and leaves.  What is important is the emotion and the intent or you and your spells, not so much the physical objects you use. Using physical aids when casting your magic spells helps direct your energy towards your intended outcome.

Myth 4.  Spells backfire. 
Wiccans and pagan followers believe strongly in the Law of Threefold: this is basically, “whatever is done would return back in threefold”. In this sense spells do not backfire, it just means that whatever is done will come back. Positive thoughts and wishes, and good intentions cannot create negative effects. 

Myth 5.  Spells can make things possible out of thin air. 
Spells help you turn possibilities into reality. They do not make miracles happen out of nowhere. A love spell cannot make a superstar singer fall in love with you, and a money spell will not turn you into an instant millionaire. But they will help you to get what you want over time, sometimes a very short time (a few days) and sometimes longer.

thegrimoire:

Faery/Faerie/Fairy/Feri Witchcraft

First paragraph graciously provided by Kelesyn Greenleaf
Victor and Cora Anderson are the original teachers of the Feri Tradition. Victor is universally recognized as the Grand Master of his order of Feri. He was initiated in 1926 by a priestess from Africa. He is also one of the last genuine Kahuna. His book of poetry, _Thorns of the Bloodrose_, isconsidered a contemporary Pagan classic. In 1959, Victor initiated the late Gwydion Pendderwen (age 13 at the time), who later became a leading voice in the Feri Tradition. Gwydion concentrated on the Welsh Celtic aspects; whereas Victor and Cora still practice the tradition as it was originally, with Huna and African diasporic influences, primarily Dahomean-Haitian. The Feri Tradition honors the Goddess and Her son, brother and lover (The Divine Twins) as the primary creative forces in the universe. The Gods are seen as real spirit beings like ourselves, not merely aspects of our psyche.
 

 It is an ecstatic, rather than fertility tradition, emphasizing on polytheism, practical magic, self-development and theurgy. Strong emphasis is placed on sensual experience and awareness,including sexual mysticism, which is not limited to heterosexual expression. This is a mystery traditionof power, mystery, danger, ecstasy, and direct communication with divinity. Most initiates are inthe arts and incorporate their own poetry, music and invocations into rituals. The Tradition isgender-equal, and all sexual orientations seem able to find a niche. According to Francesca De Grandis, founder of the 3rd Road branch: “Faerie power is not about a liturgy but about one’s body: a Fey shaman’s blood and bones are made of stars and Faerie dust. A legitimate branch of Faerie is about a personal vision that is the Fey Folks’ gift to a shaman.” Initially small and secretive, many of the fundamentals of the Tradition have reached a large audience trough the writings of Starhawk, the most famous initiate. Some secret branches remain. While only a few hundred initiates can trace their lineage directly to Victor Anderson, many thousands are estimated to practice neo-Faery Traditions.

observedintoexistence:

Within the human body there are thought to be hundreds of chakras that are key to operating our being. These chakras are pools of energy that, when aligned, can allow us to perceive and interact with the divine energy of the Universe.

There are seven main chakras:

Sahasrara: The Crown Chakra

Sahasrara, which means 1000 petalled lotus, is generally considered to be the chakra of pure consciousness, within which there is neither object nor subject.

It deals with the right to aspire, dedication to the divine consciousness/trusting the universe and learning about one’s spirituality. This chakra is located on the crown of your head and is associated with the color violet.

Stimulants: focusing on dreams, writing down visions/inventions.

Ajna: The Third Eye or Brow Chakra

The third eye chakra influences our ‘clairvoyance’ or capacity to see things that are yet to come into being. It is the foundation of our psychic powers.

It deals with intuition, imagination, concentration, insight and self-realization. This chakra is located on the forehead in between the eyes and is associated with the color indigo.

Stimulants: star-gazing.

Vishuddha: The Throat Chakra

Vishuddha may be understood as relating to communication and growth through expression. Physically, Vishuddha governs communication, emotionally it governs independence, mentally it governs fluent thought, and spiritually, it governs a sense of security.

It deals with communication, expression, the ability to trust, organization and planning. This chakra is located at the base of the throat and is associated with the color blue.

Stimulants: singing, writing poetry, meaningful conversations.

Anahata: The Heart Chakra

The lower three chakras relate to personal energy and the higher three chakras relate to the self within the collective conscious of higher guidance. The fourth chakra is the place where these other six Chakras converge. It is the foundation of the astral body and the connection between our physical and our spiritual body. It is driven by love.

It deals with love, forgiveness, compassion, self-control and self-acceptance. This chakra is located in the center of your chest and is associated with the color green.

Stimulants: nature walks, spending time with family and friends.

Manipura: The Solar Plexus Chakra

Manipura is related to the metabolic and digestive systems; the conversion of food matter into energy for the body. It is the foundation of the mental body, and it enables us to pick up vibrations and essences from people, places and things.

It deals with balance of intellect, self-confidence and ego power. This chakra is located at the base of your ribcage and is associated with the color yellow.

Stimulants: taking classes, reading informative books, doing mind puzzles, sunshine, cleansing food and drink.

Svadhisthana: The Sacral Chakra

The second chakra is the foundation of the emotional body. It is the source of creativity and inspiration.

It deals with our ability to feel our emotions, sensations and atmospheres, as well as our ability to let go of our emotions. The key issues involving Svadisthana are relationships, violence, addictions, basic emotional needs, and pleasure. This chakra is located below the navel in the lower abdomen and is associated with the color orange.

Stimulants: water aerobics, hot aromatic baths, massage.

Muladhara: The Base Chakra

The first chakra is the foundation of the physical body. It stimulates vital forces throughout our body and assists in keeping us grounded to the earth.

It deals with survival issues (basic human needs), instinct, security, sex and basic human potentiality. It helps to activate our energy and stimulates activity, exercise, action and vitality. This chakra is located at the base of the spine and is associated with the color red.

Stimulants: physical exercise, restful sleep, gardening.

Sources:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chakra
• http://www.mysticfamiliar.com/library/l_chakras.htm
• http://www.chakraenergy.com/intro.html

christowitch:

Correspondences for Imbolc

Other names for Imbolc:

Imbolgc Brigantia (Caledonni), Imbolic (Celtic), Disting (Teutonic, Feb 14th), Lupercus (Strega), St. Bridget’s Day (Christian), Candlemas, Candlelaria (Mexican), the Snowdrop Festival. The Festival of Lights, or the Feast of the Virgin. All Virgin and Maiden Goddesses are honored at this time. 

Deities of Imbolc: 

All Virgin/Maiden Goddesses, Brighid, Aradia, Athena, Inanna, Gaia, and Februa, and Gods of Love and Fertility, Aengus Og, Eros, and Februus. 

Symbolism of Imbolc: 

Purity, Growth and Re-Newal, The Re-Union of the Goddess and the God, Fertility, and dispensing of the old and making way for the new. 

Symbols of Imbolc: 

Brideo’gas, Besoms, White Flowers, Candle Wheels, Brighid’s Crosses, Priapic Wands (acorn-tipped), and Ploughs. 

Herbs of Imbolc: 

Angelica, Basil, Bay Laurel, Blackberry, Celandine, Coltsfoot, Heather, Iris, Myrrh, Tansy, Violets, and all white or yellow flowers. 

Foods of Imbolc: 

Pumpkin seeds, Sunflower seeds, Poppyseed Cakes, muffins, scones, and breads, all dairy products, Peppers, Onions, Garlic, Raisins, Spiced Wines and Herbal Teas. 

Incense of Imbolc: 

Basil, Bay, Wisteria, Cinnamon, Violet, Vanilla, Myrrh. 

Colors of Imbolc: 

White, Pink, Red, Yellow, lt. Green, Brown. 

Stones of Imbolc: 

Amethyst, Bloodstone, Garnet, Ruby, Onyx, Turquoise. 

Activities of Imbolc: 

Candle Lighting, Stone Gatherings, Snow Hiking and Searching for Signs of Spring, Making of Brideo’gas and Bride’s Beds, Making Priapic Wands, Decorating Ploughs, Feasting, and Bon Fires may be lit.

henhazel:

So this was the first thing on my dashboard and I’m taking it as a sign that this is going to be a good night.

Oh, a great big thank you to whoever created this.