Lil' Witchy's Challenge

Write

Write a scene in which a woman is fired after only a week on the job. Just a week earlier, the same person who is now firing her was very persuasive in convincing her to take the job. 

Draw

An ironing board

Mushroom!

Common Names: Powder-scale Pholiota; Hedgehog Pholiota

Width of cap: 3/8 - 1 1/2 inches

Cap: Hemispheric to convex at first, becoming broadly convex to nearly flat; surgace dry, densely covered with dark reddish brown erect scales or granules, fading to yellow-brown with age; margin often ragged with remnants of a partial veil; Flesh yellowish

Gills: Adnexed, crowded; whittish at first, becoming ochraceous to tawny; gill edges crenulate.

Stalk: Equal, densely covered from base up with scales that terminate in a slightly flaring fibrous ring near the apex; colored like the cap or paler on teh scaley portion, whitish and lacking scales above the ring. 

Spore Print: Cinnamon Brown

Occurrence: Solitary or in small groups on decaying logs, stumps, and fallen limbs of broad-leaved trees; saprobic; early summer-fall; occasional

Edibility: UNKNOWN

Of the Birthday Jan 31

Crystal

Magnetite

Black, Brownish-gray

Dark and grainy, magnetic (iron-ore)

Easily obtained

US, Canada, India, Mexico, Romania, Italy, Finland, Austria

Magnetite is magnetic and has a powerful positive-negative polarity. It can be used as magnetic therapy, working with the body's own bio-magnetic field and meridians, and with that of the planet in earth healing. It acts as a grounding stone. 

Herb

Condurango 

Parts Used: Dried Bark

This bitter may be used in a whole range of digestive and stomach problems. It is best known for its appetite-stimulating actions, common to all bitters. However, in addition it will relax the nerves of the stomach, making it of use in the settling of indigestion where this is affected by nervous tension and anxiety. 

Infusion: pour a cup of boiling water onto 1-2 teaspoonfuls of the powdered bark and leave to infuse for 10-15 minutes. This should be drunk three times a day.

Birthday

Aquarius (January 20- February 18)

Element: Air
Ruling Planets: Saturn, The teacher and Uranus, The Visionary
Symbol: The Water Carrier
Tarot Card: The Star (Hope)
Number: 4
Favorable colors: Blue, Turquoise, Yellow
Key phrase: I express my original ideas
Love matches: Gemini, Leo, and Aquarius

January 31

"I have a mission and I choose to accept it."

The birthday of the bright spirit.

Your greatest challenge is to stop losing interest quickly if others don't give you their heartfelt support.

On the Dark Side: Uncertain, suspicious, groveling

At Your Best: Appealing, original, strong.

Birthstone

Crystal Ball Gazing- Ways of Seeing

When doing this blog, I skipped through quite a bit of the book I was reading and using for it. It explains connecting with a ball and entering into a meditative state while doing that. Here's the thing.... a lot of that information is opinionated (though the author does a great job at remaining unbiased and informative on different ways and admitting there is no right and wrong way to do this) and I find that we all have our own forms of meditating. I also left it out, because in this section it picks up and is more informative on the "how to read" and still includes that you should be in a meditative/trance like state using your minds eye and not your actual eyes. 


There are also many ways to see into a crystal ball. In fact, the word "see" is misleading. Rather, what we perceive is more like having strong visual and non-visual impressions, or seeing pictures in your minds eye, even if those pictures seem to originate in the crystal ball. You may even hear sounds or have a sense of sounds. You may experience temperature changes.

Another way of seeing is to use the crystal ball as your doorway to an inner seeing, continuing to use the crystal energy to keep you focused. Here is this method: First, fix your focus in the crystal ball until your vision diffuses or grows indistinct. Then close your eyes (or they'll close naturally), and envision the crystal ball in your mind's eye, sitting in front of you on the table, just as it was when last you viewed it. Visualize that crystal ball getting larger and larger, until all you see before you is the ball. It continues to grow larger until all you see is a wall of crystal in front of you. There are no edges, it's so big. Then, as you look, imagine a door opening in front of you. In your mind's eye, walk through this doorway and close it behind you.
Now you are in total crystal environment. Look around and notice that parts of the crystal look like landscapes or other objects, or even clouds up in the sky. Visualize a crystal chair before you, and sit down in it. Let your self go into this infinite crystal space. You may feel like you're floating or flying. Or you may feel as if you're sitting comfortably at home in your chair, or on some other surface. You may find yourself in other worlds--that is, in worlds that seem unfamiliar to you.
Don't try to analyze what's happening at this point. Let yourself be, just as when you're outside, sitting in your chair at home, reading your crystal ball. Let yourself just be inside this world. Begin to record your impressions or what you're seeing and experiencing. Begin to ask your questions. If you are having trouble getting an answer for your questions, picture that a large crystal book opens in front of you, and turn the pages until you find your answer.

Another way to read a crystal ball is to work with the veils and inclusions in the crystal ball. Once you have attuned and aligned yourself with the crystal ball, look at the details formed by theses inclusions or veils. Once you find something that interests you, look at it in more detail. Look and see where it leads you. Once you're in the trance state, these details will begin to suggest things to you--faces, landscapes, outer space, or situations that answer your questions. If you see a landscape, find a pathway that you can follow inward as you look more closely. Follow this pathway through your landscape deeper and deeper into the ball until your vision diffuses and what you're seeing grows less distinct and you're seeing mainly with your mind's eye. Your eyes may or may not close.

It really doesn't matter which of the above methods you use. Over time, you will probably develop a style of your own.

One of the most valuable lessons- and one that you have to learn over and over again- is there is no right or wrong way to see. What matters most is that you enter the trance state. This is important, because you need to free your mind from linear thinking so that you can access other ways of knowing.

Wheel of the Year-Imbolc Edition :D

Some lovely excerpts from Llewellyn's Sabbat Essentials- Imbolc Edition-
You can order this book for around 10-11 dollars from Booksamillion.com
As usual, I'm only including my favorite parts. So, to read the whole thing and fully understand all the traditions (not just the ones I favor) you'll have to purchase or borrow the book from somewhere :)

Old Ways

When the dark days of winter seem to have gone on forever, the first sign of spring refreshes out souls. It is a promise that winter will not last forever and that warm and fertile days will come again soon. 

Also known as "Imbolg," "Oimelc," and "Feast of St. Brigid," Imbolc is the sabbat midway between the winter solstice and the vernal equinox. It is celebrated on Feb 1 and precedes the more recent Christian reinterpretation of Imbolc called "Candlemas" Which is celebrated on February 2. 

Imbolc is a time when  new plans are made and new ideas are "planted." It is also traditionally a time to examine the people, objects, and philosophies in our lives. It is an opportunity to discard the things we don't need or that are holding us back. 

Imbolc as a sabbat grew from the celebration of the first milk from the pregnant ewes in the hinterlands of Ireland, Scotland, and other parts of Europe. To truly understand the roots of Imbolc and why it has been incorporated as a sabbat for modern Wiccans and Neopagans, you have to imagine what life was like in Europe in antiquity. 

Although, spring planting represents an important step in survival, those seeds won't yield food immediately. On the other hand, if you take care of your animals through the winter, they can start producing food for you long before the first plants. Imbolc marked that point in the year for ancient Celtic peoples.  

On the Celtic Wheel of the Year, Imbolc represents the beginning of spring.Animals could be put out to pasture and were no longer dependent on stored hay. Barns and homes that had been shuttered throughout the long winter could be cleaned or at the very least aired out. There were newly born animals in the pens which also meant a fresh flow of milk. In many ways, this point on the calendar represented a time of cleansing, renewal, and rebirth. 

It is simply impossible to talk about Imbolc without talking about the very powerful Celtic Goddess, Brigid. She is also called "Brighid," "Brigit," "Bride," and "Brigantia," among other names but is mostly widely known among Wiccans and Neopagans as Brigid. She is the goddess of many forms and has presented herself as all three aspects (maiden, mother, and crone) of the Earth Goddess. Over many generations, she has proven to be not only powerful, but also a very durable goddess. Although most closely associated with Ireland (She is often called goddess of Ireland.) Brigid was also an important goddess in Scotland, Wales, and many parts of Western Europe. 

Brigid is the goddess of fire and flame, change, poetry and inspiration, transformation, wisdom, metalworking and the fire of the forge, healing, creativity, water, prophecy, education, and learning. She is credited with giving the written word to humanity. Brigid is also a goddess of childbirth, and she can be called upon for help during delivery to keep mother and child safe. In many places it was a tradition on Imbolc to open all the doors and windows in the home and for the women of the house to stand at the threshold in order to receive Brigid's blessings. 

Called the Goddess of the Eternal Flame, Brigid is charged with its protection; her shrine in Kildare, Ireland, held the Eternal Flame, where it was guarded night and day. It is said that for its safety, the sacred flame was surrounded by a hedge that no mane could penetrate; only Brigid and her priestesses could pass through it. As a goddess of fire, Brigid is often called upon to protect homes from its destructive power. Brigid's crosses and corn dollies are often hung in kitchens to entice her protection over hearth and home. She is also called the "Great Teacher," and might have been one of the earliest advocates for women's education.

Brigid is also called the Goddess of the Sacred Well; in this capacity, she protects its healing waters. While some say the well was also hers to protect within the shrine at Kildare, others point to her sacred well at Liscannor in County Clare, Ireland instead. In fact, the utter domination of Brigid and her shrines and legions of followers resulted in the area around Kildare often being called the "City of Brigid."

If you have any doubt about Brigid's ability to transform herself, you need only look at her fate after the Christian suppression of the Celts' native religions. Even after Christianity's arrival in Ireland, the cult of Brigid was simply too strong for proselytizing Christians to dismiss. If Christianity was to take hold in Ireland, the goddess Brigid had to be included. In so many instances when Christianity displaced local deities, the latter were often relegated to being characters in fairy tales and completely forgotten, or even transformed into demons or monsters. No such fate would befall the Goddess of the Eternal Flame, however. Instead, we find the sudden (and virtually inexplicable) appearance of Saint Brigid. Although no longer described as a "goddess" her credentials as a saint were undeniable. 

St. Brigid was put forth as a midwife to Mary when Jesus was born. That reconstructed history provided a clever way for the church to let her keep her deep connections with childbirth. In other stories, she healed lepers using the water from her well, and she blessed the baby Jesus with three (there's that trinity again) drops of water on his head. She was also said to bring "bright weather" with her, thus maintaining her connection to spring and the end of winter. 

Finally, it was said that St. Brigid was born on February 1 (sometimes called Candlemas Eve). Some stories day that she was born at dawn in a pillar of fire. Others say that her mother gave birth to her at dawn as her mother crossed the threshold into her home. All of these stories put a strong emphasis on symbols of change. 

New Ways

Imbolc is the light at the end of the tunnel, the birth of the new spring. It is a small light, like a candle seen in the distance, because spring is still some distance away. It makes it only right to celebrate Imbolc with candles rather than torches or the blazing balefires that will mark our summer celebrations. 

For Wiccans

 (** Side note from Holly** I loathe this word, but the book constantly uses it. I've seriously considered changing it to witch. Don't get me wrong there's nothing wrong with the word Wiccan or people who refer to themselves as Wiccan. I just don't personally relate to the term. Witch- don't you ever, ever refer to me as Wiccan. I'm simply not.) 

For modern Wiccans in particular, Imbolc is often a celebration of the goddess Brigid. Many identify this sabbat so strongly with her that they actually call the sabbat "Brigid" rather than Imbolc. 

An annual tradition many of us might consider "purely American" is in reality (like so many other things) a practice deeply rooted in history. IN some such traditions, weather forecasting is based on an animal seeing its shadow. Shadows are often powerful magical objects and are sometimes considered entities unto themselves. In the US, it has been an annual tradition for more than a hundred years that every February 2, a hapless groundhog becomes the center of grand celebrations in Punxsatawney, PA. Should the groundhog see its shadow as it would on a clear, sunny day, then according to the tradition, there are still six more weeks of winter weather. (In these parts, we only trust French Creek Freddy Yo!)

Things You Can Do Today

 In addition to the many ancient and modern traditions honoring Imbolc, there are plenty of things you can do without any need for complex rituals or specialized magic tools. Remember that the key element of Imbolc is emergence from the darkness in preparation for the coming spring. Imbolc is the perfect time to create new plans and make new connections, and prepare for the dramatic change in weather that's on the way. It is also the perfect time to remove obstacles and clear out the energies standing in the way of your life's blossoming spring. 

There is no reason to wait for the vernal equinox to start on a good cleaning of spaces that have become cluttered with the trappings of a long winter. While in some regions you may not be able to put away your snow boots, you can still clean out the clutter both physical and magical. Even the happiest homes can become cluttered with the day-to-day, accidental accumulation of objects like magazines, unopened mail, books that were never replaced on the shelf, etc., in addition to the perhaps more subtle accumulation of negative energy from such sources as unexpected bills, arguments about curfews, and other sources of stress in our daily lives. We have more opportunity to air out our homes in warm weather so they are less cluttered in many ways. Months of closed doors can leave layers of unwanted energy, and cluttered spaces can actually cause physical stress in some people. 

The act of cleaning a single space in your home can bring in a breath of positive energy that will bring peace of mind and soul. You can use a besom or an ordinary broom. It's really wonderful to start by dusting near the ceiling and working your way to the floor. As you work visualize all those accumulated energies clinging to the dust. And when you sweep away the dust, the negative energy goes with it too. 

Although Imbolc falls before outdoor planing is safe in many parts of the world, in the British Isles this sabbat marked the start of spring, and planting was often possible around this time for the ancient Celts. Imbolc is often a great time to start seedlings indoors to later transplant into your garden when warmer weather arrives. In some climates the soil is warm enough that you can actually plant seeds directly into the ground at Imbolc.

Imbolc is not only about emerging from hibernation; it is also about making plans for the future. While sometimes the wises decision to continue with out plans from the previous year, Imbolc is a time to review those plans and make changes as needed. While "staying the course" like this can be a good decision, it is also very easy to fall into habits this way. As you examine your plans for the coming year make sure you remain open to new ideas and different approaches. One great way to do that is to use Imbolc as your time to do something you have never done before. 

Doing one new thing can easily inspire you to see things in a new light. You might think of it as a cleaning for your brain. 

Imbolc is a trans-formative sabbat, which is why there is focus on considering new ideas and freeing yourself from old ideas that hold you back. While some might describe this as stepping outside of your "comfort zone," the concept is that speaking to someone that you may only know by sight or a person whose discussion with you have always been "just business" is doing something new. You may be anxious about speaking to this person, but even if the encounter lasts only a moment you will feel the energy of taking a step down a new path. There's also the possibility that a positive, new friendship will emerge. 

--Candle Burning Etiquette--

Keep a few things in mind when using candles. Candles are often used to light other candles. When doing this you should take care to minimize wax from one candle mixing with the wax of others. The mixing of different candle waxes can be a fun and useful magic technique, but only when done intentionally. Candles are obviously impacted by breezes and should be protected from them as much as possible.

Many Wiccans and Neopagans consider it the height of disrespect to blow a candle out, as the act is seen as using the element of air to defeat the element of fire. To avoid showing such disrespect it is generally considered proper to extinguish candles by pinching the wick or using a candle snuffer. 

Spells and Divinations

Brigid Candle Divination

Here is a very simple exercise in divination using the emblem of Imbolc: the candle. If you have no experience with divination, this simple technique is a great introduction to this art. You can think of it as being the divination equivalent of a multiple choice question, or almost as simplified Ouija board.

You will need:

• A small white taper candle (not a "drip-less" candle- a small birthday cake candle will work well for this exercise.)
• A piece of white card stock or thick paper (a white index card is a good choice)
• A permanent marker or ink pen
• A heat and fireproof surface (like concrete, brick, or ceramic tile--you could even use an old ceramic plate)
• A question to ask and possible answers
• A lighter or matches

As is often the case with divination, the most difficult part is creating the perfect question. make certain your question is specific and clearly defined. A question like "What's the weather going to be like tomorrow?" is not as clearly defined as "Will it rain tomorrow?" Creating the answers to the first question would be difficult because there are so many possibilities. 

Write the possible answers to your question on your card or stock paper and mark off a section of the paper for each answer. Observing how the wax melts onto the card will determine which answer is indicated. It is easiest if you plan to as a "yes" or "no" question, although you could provide many more possible answers. Try to have no more than four possible answers to make interpretation easier. 

Using the marker, create one section on your paper for each possible answer. You want each section to be equal size and all connected to the center. If you are asking a yes or no question, this could be as simple as a single line down the center of the paper and writing "yes" on one side of the line and "no" on the other. If you have four possible answers, divide the paper by marking a cross in the center and writing one answer in each of the quarters created by your marks. The question does not need to be written on the paper, so you can reuse those papers if the same answers will apply to other questions as well. 

When selecting possible answers, keep in mind that the answer to your question might not be one of the choices you have listed. If that's a possibility then make one of the possible answers "something else" or "other" to allow for those answers you didn't consider. When you have all of the answers marked in equally sized areas you should attach the candle to the paper or card. The simplest way to do that is to put one or two drops of melted wax (from the bottom of your divination candle or from a different candle) onto the exact center and quickly push the base of the candle into the melted wax. Wait a few moments for the wax to cool, and it will have "glued" your candle to the card.

Your divination candle is ready to use. Place it on a fireproof surface and sit or stand facing it. Make certain that the space you are using has no drafts that might blow the flame around and change the results of the divination. Relax and clear your mind, then very clearly offer your carefully worded question. Begin by calling to Brigid: 

Goddess Brigid, Goddess of Flame, Healer, and Keeper of the Sacred Well, I ask that you honor me with your presence today and show me the answer to my question. 

Read or state your question aloud, then light the candle. Use matches or a lighter rather than a second candle (which might drip wax and skew the results) 

As the candle burns, focus your attention on the candle's flame, watching as it dances and jumps. As you watch the flame, think about your question. Try to visualize it in your mind's eye. Slowly drop your gaze to the candle. Sometimes the wax runs down one side of the candle and continues on that line the entire time it burns but at other times it can take unexpected turns.  Because of this, you should allow the candle to completely burn out. Until the candle has burned out, the results from the wax may not be accurate. If you absolutely must extinguish the candle before it burns out. leave it in place and relight it as soon as possible. Never leave a candle burning unattended.

Take care not to let it burn the card stock or paper. If the paper starts to scorch you should extinguish the candle immediately. Otherwise allow it to go out on its own. Once the candle is out, allow it to rest for a bit to cool. If there is a "nub" of candle left on the card, gently rotate and remove it if you can do so with out disturbing any of the rest of the wax. 

With the wax cooled and "nub" removed (if possible), you can read and interpret the results. most of the time you will be able to clearly see which one of the answers on your card is covered with the most wax, indicating that answer is the correct one. At other times the wax may flow and pool onto many different parts of the card. The answer with the most wax is the one you should go with. If it is too difficult to determine which has the most wax, you can use a sharp knife to divide the melted wax along the lines between the possible answers. then peel the wax from the card and compare it (or even weigh it). When it is difficult to decide between two answers with similar amounts of wax, it could be an indicator that there is truth in both of those answers

(OK so all of the spells/divinations are that long..... ugh I'm trying to right a nice blog here not a book! LMAO for more spells and and divinations for Imbolc - http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Imbolc/Carl-F-Neal/9780738745411?id=6858089879892 There is even an eBook of it you can find that http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Imbolc/Carl-F-Neal/Q302462320?id=6858089879892 😃) 

Recipes and Crafts

Soda Bread

This simple and traditional Irish bread requires no yeast and is tasty way to enjoy the cheese and butter recipes also included in the book  (but not in my blog bahaha) 

Ingredients: 

• 3 Cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda (recently opened container, stale won't work as well)
• 1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
• 2 teaspoons salt (optional)
• 1 cup buttermilk

Thoroughly mix the powdered ingredients and stir in the buttermilk. Mix with a spoon for one to two minutes and then knead with your hands for another thirty seconds. If the mixture is to dry, moisten it with a little more buttermilk but don't handle the dough any more than is absolutely needed. This dough should be a bit lumpy and wispy, so don't try to make it smooth.

Form the dough in a round shape about eight inches wide. Place it on a cookie sheet that has been covered with parchment paper, or more traditionally dusted with flour. Press the top flat and then cut the top with a sharp knife. Traditionally you would make two intersecting cuts of equal length across the dough and going about an inch into the sides of the dough in a cross shape. It looks more festive if you make three cuts that create more of a star or asterisk patter. 

Bake the dough at 400 F for 40-50 minutes. The top should be brown and the loaf should make a hallow sound when thumped. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for fifteen minutes covered with a towel. It can then be served hot or allowed to completely cool before cutting. This traditional bread is filled with tiny pockets and crevices that butter and cheese can fill, making it the perfect centerpiece for your Imbolc feast

In place of the books lengthy explanation on how to make Brigid's Cross I found this lovely easy to use photo from the Catholics that follows the books concept 😄

Prayers and Invocations

A prayer for Healing the Mind, Heart, or Soul

Those close quarters of the cold days can also cause rifts between us and those closest to us. Sometimes new beginnings are created, because something else has come to an end. Getting a new job is a type of a new beginning, but sometimes the new job came about after losing a previous job, or it means leaving behind coworkers with whom you had grown close. Starting a  romantic relationship with someone is a new beginning, but often new relationships come about after ending of previous ones. Just as old physical injuries can leave us with scars and chronic pain, old emotional pain can linger for a lifetime if left unaddressed. Light your candle and ask Brigid to use her immense power to help heal minds as well as bodies. 

Goddess Brigid, Keeper of the Flame, Tender of the Well, I come to you to ask for the healing of an injured soul.

Please look into deepest places within my/ (person's name) and find the injuries that lie beneath the surface.

I ask that you ease the pain within my/that soul.

Just as this candle shines, I ask that you shine a light on a path towards healing.

Shine a light so bright and clear that the path to healing is unmistakable.

Please send whatever assistance will be needed to make this soul whole once again. 

I'm leaving these out because its just so much- ( I still have another blog to do today and my wrists hurt and I'm a big whiny baby) I also want you to invest in the people who provide all this knowledge and support those who do the research and create the art that helps us practice and partake and learn with ease <<<see what I did there  👼

• Rituals of Celebration

• Correspondences for Imbolc

• Further readings 

Spellwork- Dreamtime Courage

Today's Spell is brought to you by Llewellyn's 2017 Witches' Spell-A-Day Almanac

Monday, January 30

Color of the Day: White
Incense of the Day: Neroli

Dreamtime Courage

Here is a spell to thwart the shadows of the dream world. Just before bed, gather three glasses of water, three pennies, and three sugar cubes. Place the glasses in a row under the center of your bed, then drop in the pennies and finally add in the sugar cubes. Crawl into bed, and as you drift off to sleep, recite the following rhyme:

"Pennies three, sweetened for me, cast a refractive security."

IF the spell was successful, a series of safe dreams will prove the affirmation. The glasses will keep for up to three nights and provide the astral body with a shield for the dream world. To help redirect the flow of your body energy as you sleep, true copper pennies minted before 1982 will work best. Avoid our modern copper-plated zinc impostors, as, sadly, not all pennies are lucky these days.

Superstitions - Stone the Toads

Pliny's Natural History tells readers that a magic toad's bone has many miraculous properties, including the ability to end quarrels and act as an aphrodisiac. This is probably the basis of the belief in toadstones. It wasn't easy to get one, so the effort involved had to be worth all of the trouble. Therefore, a toadstone was supposed to gran mastery over animals, people and witches, and prevent or mitigate pain during childbirth.

Belief in toadstones lasted from the sixteenth to the late eighteenth century. In fact, when toadstones were later examined, most were actually fossilized fish teeth.

Woah! Dude. Mushrooms

Common Name: Yellow Gymnopilus

Width of cap: 2-4 inches

Cap: Convex with an incurved margin at first; buff-yellow to yellow-orange or chraceous orange; surface dry, smooth, silky or downy, at times slightly scaly at center Flesh pale yellow, odor sweet and spicy

Gills: Adnexed to sinuate, close; pale yellow, becoming rusty red

Stalk: Equal or enlarged downward; colored like the cap, staining rusy yllow when handled; partial vail leaving a thin, firillose to membranous ring on the upper stalk that with age may  be reduced to a narrow but prominent annular zone.

Spore Print: Rusty Brown

Occurrence: Scattered or in clusters on decaying logs, stumps, and standing trunks of trees; saprobic; summer-fall; occasional

Edibility: Not Edible, Hallucinogenic

Lil' Witchy's Challenge

Write

Name the trees that stood in the neighborhood where you grew up.

Draw

A pickle

Of the Birthday Jan 30

Crystal

Magnesite

White, Gray, Brown, Yellow

Size and form varies widely, may be "brain-like", chalky and marbled, or crystalline

Readily available, crystalline is rare

Brazil, US

Magnesite brings a deep peace to meditation and relaxation. Placed on the third eye, the stone enhances visualization and imagery. It opens the heart chakra and stimulates heartfelt love, including love for the self, which is necessary before you can embrace love from other people. 

Herb

Comfrey

Parts Used: Root and rhizome, leaf.

Collection: The roots should be unearthed in the spring or fall, when the allantoin levels are the highest. Split the roots down the middle and dry in moderate temperatures of about 100-140 F

The impressive wound-healing properties of Comfrey are partially due to the presence of allantoin. This chemical stimulates cell proliferation and so augments wound healing both inside and out. The addition of much demulcent mucilage makes Comfrey a powerful healing agent in gastric and duodenal ulcers, hiatus hernia, and ulcerative colitis, Its astingency will help hemorrhages wherever they occur. It has been used with benefit in cases of bronchitis and irritable cough, where it will soothe and reduce irritation while helping expectoration. Comfrey may be used externally to speed wound healing and guard against scar tissue developing incorrectly. Care should be taken with very deep wounds, however, as the external application of Comfrey can lead to tissue forming over teh wound before it has healed deeper down, possibly leading to abscesses. It may be used for any external ulcer, for wounds and fractures as a compress or poultice. It is excellent in chronic varicose ulcers. It has reputed anticancer action. 

Decoction: Put 1 - 3 teaspoonfuls of the dried herb in a cup of water, bring to boil, and let simmer for 10-15 minutes. This should be drunk 3 times a day. 

Birthday 

Aquarius (January 20- February 18)

Element: Air
Ruling Planets: Saturn, The teacher and Uranus, The Visionary
Symbol: The Water Carrier
Tarot Card: The Star (Hope)
Number: 4
Favorable colors: Blue, Turquoise, Yellow
Key phrase: I express my original ideas
Love matches: Gemini, Leo, and Aquarius

January 30

"Today I will let go of expectations and let happiness in."

The birthday of assurance.

Your greatest challenge is coping with being left alone while others enjoy the companionship you long for. 

On the Dark Side: Driven, temperamental, untruthful

At Your Best: Generous, outspoken, creative

Birthstone

Lil' Witchy's Challenge

Write

A storm destroys your uncle's shed and kills his six-year-old son. Describe the color of the sky right before the storm.

Draw

Fangs

Of the Birthday Jan 29

Crystal

Lepidolite

Purple, Pink

Plate-like layers, slightly shiny, or grainy mass

Easily obtained

US, Czech Republic, Brazil, Madagascar, Dominican Republic

Lepidolite clears electromagnetic pollution and should be placed on computers to absorb their emanations. When Lepidolite takes it mica-like form its properties are greatly amplified, and this is the most efficient "mopping up" tool. It dissipates negativity. Lepidolite activates the throat, heart, third eye, and crown chakras, clearing blockages and bringing cosmic awareness.  

Herb

Coltsfoot

Parts Used: Dried flowers and leaves

Collection: The flowers should be gathered before they have fully bloomed (end of February to April) and dried carefully in the shade. The leaves are best collected between May and June. They should be chopped up before they are dried and stored. The fresh leaves can be used until the fall. 

Coltsfoot combines a soothing expectorant effect with an antispasmodic action. There are useful levels of zinc in the leaves. This mineral has been shown to have marked anti-inflammatory effects. Coltsfoot may be used in chronic or acute bronchitis, irritating coughs, whooping coughs, and asthma. It soothing expectorant action gives Coltsfoot a role in most respiratory conditions, including the chronic states of emphysema. as a mild diuretic it has been used in cystitis. The fresh bruised leaves can be applied to boils, abscesses, and suppurating ulcers. 

In the treatment of coughs it can be used in combination with White Horehound and Mullein. 

Infusion: Pour a cup of boiling water onto 1- 2 teaspoonfuls of the dried flowers or leaves and let infuse for 10 minutes. This should be drunk three times a day, as hot as possible. 

Birthday 

Aquarius (January 20- February 18)

Element: Air
Ruling Planets: Saturn, The teacher and Uranus, The Visionary
Symbol: The Water Carrier
Tarot Card: The Star (Hope)
Number: 4
Favorable colors: Blue, Turquoise, Yellow
Key phrase: I express my original ideas
Love matches: Gemini, Leo, and Aquarius

January 29 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE LOVELY GRANNY GOODWITCH <3

"My best relationship is the one I have with me."

The birthday of the mystic warrior.

Your greatest challenge is dealing with confrontation.
On the Dark Side: Withdrawn, unassertive, indecisive
At Your Best: Intuitive, generous, tactful.

Birthstone

Lil' Witchy's Challenge

Write

Describe an electronic device in the future that you won't know how to operate.

Draw

Bubbles

Of the Birthday Jan 28

Crystal

Larimar

Blue, Blue-green, Gray, or Red, with white

Translucent, smooth, with whorls of color or white veins showing through the base color

Easily obtained

Dominican Republic, Bahamas

Recently discovered. ethereal Larimar is one of the "spiritual stones" that open to new dimiensions, stimulating evolution of earth. It radiates love and peace and promotes tranquility. 

Herb

Cloves

Parts Used: Dried flowers and oil

Collection: The flower buds are collected from this tree when their lower parts turn from green to purple, It grows all around the Indian Ocean

Cloves may be used to allay nausea, vomiting, and flatulence and to stimulate the digestive system. It is a powerful local antiseptic and mild anesthetic, which may be used externally in toothache. 

Preperation: Cloves may be used as a spice in foods or in teas by putting some cloves into a cup with boiling water and infusing them for 10 minutes. For toothache, put a clove near the tooth and keep in the mouth. Alternatively pour some Clove oil on a cotton ball and put this near the tooth. 

Birthday

Aquarius (January 20- February 18)

Element: Air
Ruling Planets: Saturn, The teacher and Uranus, The Visionary
Symbol: The Water Carrier
Tarot Card: The Star (Hope)
Number: 4
Favorable colors: Blue, Turquoise, Yellow
Key phrase: I express my original ideas
Love matches: Gemini, Leo, and Aquarius

January 28

"I am what I seek"

The birthday of the star performer

Your greatest challenge is managing your constant need to be admired.

On the Dark Side: Attention seeking, unrealistic, foolish

At Your Best: Curious, progressive, hardworking. 

Birthstone

Lil' Witchy's Challenge

Write

Describe something you wanted badly and, once you got it, never used. 

Draw

A Full House

Of the Birthdays Jan 26 & 27

Crystals

Labradorite also known as Spectrolite

Grayish to black with blue, yellow

Dark until it catches the light, then iridescent blue or gold flashes. Yellow form is transparent

Readily available

Italy, Greenland, Finland, Russia, Canada, Scandinavia

Iridescent Labradorite is a highly mystical and protective stone, a bringer of light. It raises consciousness and connects with universal energies. 

Yellow Labradorite accesses the highest levels of consciousness, enhances visualization, trance, clairvoyance, and channeling. It is beneficial for the solar plexus chakra and expands the mental body, bringing in higher wisdom.

Lapis Lazuli

Deep Blue flecked with Gold

Dense, veined, Lapiz Lazuli looks like the night sky

Easily obtained but expensive

Russia, Afghanistan, Chile, Italy, US, Egypt, Middle East

Lapis Lazuli opens the third eye and balances the throat chakra. It stimulates enlightenment and enhances dream work and psychic abilities, facilitating spiritual power. 

Herb

Cinnamon

Parts Used: Dried inner bark of the shoots

Collection: The bark is collected commercially throughout the tropics

Cinnamon is usually used as a carminative addition to other herbs. It relieves nausea and vomiting. Because of its mild astringency, it is used against diarrhea. 

Prep: The bark, usually powdered, may be freely used in mixtures or by itself to flavor teas.

Cleavers Also Known As Goosegrass and Clives

Parts Used: Dried aerial parts and the fresh expressed juice

Collection: The plant should be gathered before flowering and dried in the shade

Cleavers is a very valuable plant and is perhaps the best tonic to the lymphatic system available. As a lymphatic tonic with alterative and diuretic actions, it may be used in a wide range of problems where the lymphatic system is involved. Thus it would be used in swollen glands anywhere in the body especially in tonsillitis and in adenoid trouble. It is widely used in skin conditions, especially in the dry varieties such as psoriasis. it will be useful in the treatment of cystitis and other urinary conditions where there is pain and may be combined with demulcents for this. There is a long tradition for the use of Cleavers in the treatment of ulcers and tumors, which may be the result of the lymphatic drainage. Cleavers makes an excellent vegetable. 

Infusion: pour a cup of boiling water onto 2-3 teaspoonfuls of the dried herb and leave to infuse for 10- 15 minutes. This should be drunk 3 times a day. 

Birthdays

Aquarius (January 20- February 18)

Element: Air
Ruling Planets: Saturn, The teacher and Uranus, The Visionary
Symbol: The Water Carrier
Tarot Card: The Star (Hope)
Number: 4
Favorable colors: Blue, Turquoise, Yellow
Key phrase: I express my original ideas
Love matches: Gemini, Leo, and Aquarius

January 26

"Today I will be prepared to see life differently"

The birthday of the last word

Your greatest challenge is the inability to cope when your authority or ideas are questioned.

On the Dark Side: Inflexible, opinionated, dictatorial

At Your Best: Dynamic, enterprising, determined

January 27

"I will learn to finish what I start"

The birthday of early development

Your greatest challenge is learning to control your emotions

On the Dark Side: Immature, restless, undisciplined

At Your best: Gifted, enthusiastic, intelligent

Birthstone

OOO Mushroom

Common Name: Decorated Pholiota

Width of cap: 1-2 1/2 in

Cap: Broadly conical to convex with an incurved margin at first; surface densely covered with long, pointed, and recurved rusty brown scales; Flesh White

Gills: Adnexed, close; white; gill edges uneven.

Stalk: Equal or swollen at the base, often curved; colored like the cap and densely scaly from the base up to a flaring, shaggy ring zone, smooth and white above.

Spore Print: White

Occurrence: Solitary or in small groups on decaying logs, stumps, and fallen branches of broad-leaved trees; saprobic; fall; occasional

Edibility: Unknown

Lil' Witchy's Challenge

Write

Describe yourself in the third person-your physical appearance and personality-as though you were a character in a book. 

Draw

Bob Marley

Of the Birthday Jan 25

Crystal

Kyanite

Blue-White, Pink, Green, Yellow, Gray, Black

Striated, Bladed crystal, may be transparent or opaque and "pearlized"

Readily Available

Brazil

Kyanite is excellent for attunement and meditation. It is tranquilizing and a powerful transmitter and amplifier of high frequency energies, stimulating psychic abilities and intuition. 

Herb

Chickeeed

Parts Used: Dried Arial parts

Collection: This very common weed of gardens and fields can be collected all year round, although it is not abundant during the winter. 

Chickweed finds its most common use as an external remedy for cuts, wounds, and especially for itching and irritation. If eczema or psoriasis causes this sort of irritation, chickweed may be used with benefit. Internally, it has a reputation as a remedy for rheumatism.

Infusion: pour a cup of boiling water onto 2 teaspoonfuls of the dried herb and lave to infuse for five minutes. This should be drunk three times a day. 

For external use, chickweed may be made into an ointment or can be used as a poultice. To ease itching a strong infusion of the fresh plant makes a useful addition to bathwater. 

Birthday

Aquarius (January 20- February 18)

Element: Air
Ruling Planets: Saturn, The teacher and Uranus, The Visionary
Symbol: The Water Carrier
Tarot Card: The Star (Hope)
Number: 4
Favorable colors: Blue, Turquoise, Yellow
Key phrase: I express my original ideas
Love matches: Gemini, Leo, and Aquarius

January 25

"My goal is to love myself more today than yesterday'

The birthday of purpose.

Your greatest challenge is finding direction or a purpose in life. 

On the Dark Side: Nervous, self-defeating, impatient

At Your Best: Profound, altruistic, individual.

Birthstone

Lil' Witchy's Challenge

Write

Pick a small object to be given one day to your great-grandchild. Write a letter to that child explaining why you have chosen this object. 

Draw

Shrubbery

Of the Birthday Jan 24

Crystal

Kunzite

Pink, Green, Lilac, Clear

Transparent or translucent, striated crystal

Becoming more readily available

US, Madagascar, Brazil, Myanmar, Afghanistan

Tranquil Kunzite is an extremely spiritual stone with a high vibration. It awakens the heart center and unconditional love, producing loving thoughts and communication. 

Clear Kunzite assists soul retrieval work. It facilitates the journey back to the site of the soul loss and can be used as the receptacle for the soul until it is reintegrated into the body.

Yellow Kunzite clears environmental smog and deflects radiation and microwaves from the auric field. It aligns the chakras, restructures DNA an, stabilizes the cellular blueprint and the calcium-magnesium balance in the body.

Lilac Kunzite is a Celestial Doorway and a symbol of infinity. It facilitates transition for the dying, imparting the knowledge that the departing soul requires, helping it to move over into enlightenment. Lilac Kunzite breaks through the barriers of time into the infinite. 

Herb

Chasteberry

Parts Used: Fruit

Collection: The very dark berries should be picked when ripe, which is between October and November. They may be dried in sun or shade. 

Chasteberry has the effect of stimulating and normalizing pituitary gland functions, especially its progesterone function. It may be called an amphoteric remedy, as it can produce apparently opposite effects, though, in truth, it is simply normalizing. It has for instance a reputation as both and aphrodisiac and an anaphrodisiac! It will always enable what is appropriate to occur. The greatest use of Chasteberry lies in normalizing the activity of female sex hormones, and it is thus indicated for dysmenorrhea, premenstrual stress, and other disorders related to hormone function. It is especially beneficial during menopausal changes. In a similar way, it may be used to aid the body to regain a natural balance after the use of the birth control pill. 

Infusion: pour a cup of boiling water onto 1 teaspoonful of the ripe berries and leave to infuse for 10-15 minutes. This should be drunk 3 times a day. 

Birthday

Aquarius (January 20- February 18)

Element: Air
Ruling Planets: Saturn, The teacher and Uranus, The Visionary
Symbol: The Water Carrier
Tarot Card: The Star (Hope)
Number: 4
Favorable colors: Blue, Turquoise, Yellow
Key phrase: I express my original ideas
Love matches: Gemini, Leo, and Aquarius

January 24

"I joyously give to life and life joyously gives to me."

The birthday of the Idol.

Your greatest challenge is learning not to fear criticism.

On the Dark Side: Vain, insecure, aloof

At your Best: Energetic, exciting, stunning

Birthstone