Category Archives: Sacred How-To

How to Make Homemade Florida Water

June 5, 2013 by Miss Bri
Posted in Herbal Allies, Sacred How-To, Spirituality, Working the Roots

florida_water

Florida is Spanish for “flower” so florida water basically means flower water.

The company Lanman and Murray has been making a commercial version of Florida Water since the 19th century. There are hundreds of recipes for florida water and it is used in all kinds of spiritual activities-from cleansing, blessing, and protecting, to offerings for the ancestors, to healing and removing negativity.

I make my own Florida Water and each batch is slightly different because I use whatever aromatic flowers and herbs are available at the time. Florida water is quite commonly made with alcohol-which adds to its cooling effect.

 

Below are two recipes that Momma Hen and I recently worked with to create our Spring/Summer batches of Florida Water:

 

Momma Hen’s Rose-a-licious Florida Water:

Florida water making

3-4 bottles of a commercial Florida water of your choice

3 cups roses (we prefer strongly scented antique roses and have over 200 varieties to choose from in our gardens)

3 cups Jasmine flowers

3 cups aromatic greens like mint, lemon balm, lemon verbena, basil, Mexican mint marigold, thyme)

3 cinnamon sticks

You can use fresh flowers and plants for this recipe. Combine all ingredients together on the new moon and allow to sit for a full lunation. Strain out plant material, add any essential oils you like,  then bottle, spritz, sprinkle, and go to town!

 

A recipe for Florida Water than involves cooking:

Florida Water Spring 2013This is a recipe that I created and involved cooking the ingredients on low either at the stove or crockpot.

5 cups of Vodka

9 cinnamon sticks

18 all-spice berries

one orange peel (preferably dried)

3 cups rose petals (fresh or dried)

3 cups Jasmine flowers (fresh to get the scent)

three bay leaves

1/2 cup dried angelica root

1 cup aromatic green herbs

Add dried ingredients and cook for about 10 minutes on low. Be careful inhaling the fumes–at this point it will be very Vodka-y. Then add fresh flowers and greens. Cook for 30-45 minutes on low/med-low or even longer. Stir occasionally and then sniff test. You want the botanicals to start outweighing the vodka in your sniff test.

Take off stove, cool, and add any essential oils you like! Bottle, spritz, and sprinkle away!

 

cooking rosewater

And while we were at it-we decided to make homemade rosewater! Usually rosewater is clear and is actually rose hydrosol (the fragrant water created during the process of extracting essential oils from plants and flowers), but there are old recipes for making rosewater using roses (of course) and alcohol (we worked with vodka).

The result is a beautiful dusky rose liquid that smells HEAVENLY. Rosewater is used in blessing work and in love drawing rites.

Sacred Waters and Washes have been used throughout time and are especially loved in climates where its hot for much of the year-nothing cools you down like a quick spray-but if the spray smells good and its magical even better!

Its my hope that with a few recipes you can now experiment making your own flower waters. But if you don’t have the time or inclination, I do have a few extras from our day in the kitchen for sale. You can find them here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

How to bring Divination & Ritual together forever

May 8, 2013 by Miss Bri
Posted in Divination, Sacred How-To, Spirituality, tarot, Things that are true

tarot_500x250

 

There are some things that are just mean to go together: peas and carrots, peanut butter and jelly, ketchup and fries and…divination and ritual.

 

Most people know what divination is-and a growing number of individuals are using tools like tarot cards on a regular basis to gain insight and clarity and where they are now and where they are likely to head in the future.

 

This makes me so happy. I believe that divination tools like tarot cards assist us in tapping into the well of our own inner knowing-a well that goes back to ancient times when divinatory arts were considered sacred and powerful because intuition was recognized as a force that could improve our lives, lead us to better decisions, and ultimately increase our chances for happiness.

 

And yet…if you do play with a divination tool like tarot cards, have you ever found yourself in this situation: you pull some cards for yourself or a friend and the cards you receive indicate that the situation may be blocked or delayed or that the dreams and goals in question may be unlikely to manifest at this point in time?

 

At this point in a reading the question is always the same: what can I do? A skilled reader may be able to point out a few practical tweaks or modifications for you but the cards are what they are. Perhaps its time to throw up your hands-let go and let God OR perhaps its time to get familiar with divination’s twin sister-ritual.

 

Ritual, especially magical rituals have a dubious reputation at best. On one end of the spectrum are our ancient memories which recognize on some level the vitality of performing a ritual act-as a way to change one’s immediate circumstances, as a way to empower oneself, as a way to connect to the Divine, and to honor specific seasons, events, and beings local to where we live, love, and work. On the other hand, magic ritual is all too easily dismissed as a fringe element or even a Satanic practice.

 

We should pay heed to our ancient memories-ritual acts can be simple, straightforward and incredibly powerful reminder of the cosmos and our place in it as well as the divine purpose that Spirit has laid out for us. I like thinking of ritual as a specific act, performed with a set intention, that seeks to attract the attention of Spirit and say “hello, I’m here and trying to nail it-please help!” And ritual and divination have always gone hand in hand.

 

It only makes sense when you think about it-there are many, many ritual forms in every specific cultural and linguistic tradition. There are different forms because rituals address different areas of life-there are ritual acts to bring back a lover, to bless a child, to increase one’s personal wealth, to make a person magnetic, to honor the land, to devote oneself to a spiritual path and on and on. Divination is an art form that for ages was used primarily as a diagnostic tool and part of what a good diviner was able to diagnose was what specific ritual would be appropriate for a given situation.

 

This entire system is predicated on the belief that every one of us has a unique and coherent being-ness and that our beings, while they do have much in common, also greatly partake of nuance and particularity. For instance, two women who come to me suffering from heartbreak are quite unlikely to walk away with the same ritual recommendations because they are two different people, dealing with two very different situations that in turn involve equally different individuals-see what I mean about nuance?

 

This is where the worker who is familiar with both divination and ritual can come in handy-a reader who is also a proficient magical worker can use her tools (whatever they may be) to “diagnose” your specific situation and, if she knows how to work her system correctly, it will give her the information she needs to recommend specific ritual acts to bless, honor, and move things along.

 

Within the world of Sacred Arts divination is one entire branch of study and ritual magic is another-but perhaps because I have seen the benefits personally of bringing these two powerful modes together I advocate for their integration. Its my passion to teach ritualists more about divination and readers more about magical ritual. There are courses you can take (hint, hint, I’m offering one this summer!) But you can also start the practice of integrating ritual with divination at any time.

 

Try this:

Pick an area of your life where you are feeling stuck and pull a tarot card on it. Before you pull a card ask yourself or Spirit “what can I do about this situation?”then pull the card.

Now, study the card, pay attention to the colors, images, and symbols of the card. What do they immediately bring to mind? Are the colors cool and calming or warm and active? Do they bring to mind a specific element like earth, air, fire, or water?

If you are having a hard time write about the card for 10 minutes (set a timer and do not go over this amount of time). Study what you have written. Do you see a pattern emerging? Words, ideas, or an image that you keep circling back to?

Now, create a ritual based off of this card…it could be as simple as lighting a candle or more complicated like taking a spiritual bath. Maybe you walk away feeling that you need a charged talisman or charm bag-build up a ritual for yourself based on the card.

Once you have the ritual in mind procure the items you will need and pick a special day-here is a calendar of notable days this year-and then perform your ritual act.

Note how you feel before, during, and after the ritual. Pay special attention to what you are hoping the ritual will help augment or change and note if and when those changes occur.

From these few simple steps you are well on your way to creating a life full of magic and possibility!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two Valentine’s Day Recipes

February 14, 2013 by Miss Bri
Posted in Ritual of the Week, Sacred How-To

chocolate+cardamom truffles with a magical kick!

Valentine’s Day is here! You can always write a love letter to your beloved, but consider serving them a sexy cup of coffee in the morning and ending your day with decadent truffles. Here are two recipes from my magical cupboard to get your day off to the right start and end it sweetly.

Caffe de Amore

Ground coffee for press pot or automatic coffee maker

1 small-medium sized vanilla bean

4 whole cardamom seeds

3 pinches ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon cacao nibs

Sugar, honey, agave nectar and rose or orange water to finish

Combine ground coffee and the next 4 ingredients and brew coffee as normal. While coffee is brewing pray the 1st 3 verses of the Song of Songs, call out the name of your beloved and pray that when they drink this coffee they are filled with warm and loving thoughts of you and your relationship with them. When coffee is ready add a splash of rose or orange water and sweetener as desired. Serve with a smile-clothing is optional!

 

Touch Me Truffles

12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 cup heavy cream

1 vanilla bean

splash of rosewater

4 cardamom seeds

1 cinnamon stick

1 teaspoon dried lavender flowers

1 teaspoon fig juice and meat

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine vanilla, cardamom, cinnamon stick, lavender flowers, and fig juice/meat with cream. Cook, stirring constantly for 3 minutes, add chocolate and cook until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in rosewater. Pour into a small dish and refrigerate until set, but not hard, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Use to fill candies or form balls and roll in toppings.

As you are cooking pray from your heart that the sweetness your beloved experiences when they eat these candies be the sweetness they are filled with for you.

Topping ideas:

cacao powder

cinnamon powder

candied rose petals

ground cardamom and cinnamon combined

sweet red pepper (ground)

Feed to your beloved between sips of icy champagne and some Shakespeare sonnets, you will get lucky!

Holiday Gift Giving-Give Love+Avoid Stress Part One

December 4, 2012 by Miss Bri
Posted in Sacred How-To, Spirituality, Things that are true

I’m kicking off the December blog with my no stress guide to gift giving! If you follow these 10 steps you will rediscover the joy and deep, profound meaning in giving gifts-I guarantee it.

 

1.) Choose wisely. Gift giving is about honoring those who touch our lives through the year-so who has touched your life? Of course we all have family members that we “have” to get something for-but gift giving is an exchange of energy…so put your energies into the people that feed+nourish you.

This year I am sending wee gifts to all the teachers and wild collaborators I have been blessed with this year-it feels so good.

2.) Avoid malls. Need I say more? No, I didn’t think so.

3.) Support your local, independent, stores and vendors. Go to your farmers market and see what goodies are on display-who makes art that feeds you? Who makes music that inspires you? $20 for these indie artisans is the difference between a mediocre meal and a good one-pay up proudly+loudly.

4.) Learn a craft and give it away. This year part of my gift giving includes home made preserves and felted soap with roving wool from a local wool producer. Best part about it? My kiddo can do the crafting with me.

5.) Support artists who nourish you. Two of my faves? Rima Staines has fantastic greetings cards and Terri Windling does magical prints.

6.) A well-written, sincere, card is worth a thousand gifts.

7.) Experiences are immeasurable. Want to splurge on a special someone? What about concert tickets, a gift certificate with their airline of choice or a yummy virtual program like Danielle LaPorte’s Desire Map.

8.) Get magical. Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab has fantastic & sublime scents. My friends at Candlesmoke Chapel have beautiful magical goodies which I blogged about here. Lucky Mojo Curio Co has gorgeously packaged & presented items that are inexpensive and authentic. And of course I have my own in house brand of ritual anointing oils, sachet powders, bath crystals, and floor washes that are perfect for ringing in the New Year.

9.) Play good music. Maybe its Christmassy, maybe its not, but surround yourself with good music during this time of year. I like Loreena McKennit, The Medieval Baebes, and Annonymous Four-they all have great holiday albums.

10.) Give time. Sometimes the most important thing you can do for someone is give them an afternoon of your time. Consider that.

 

 

 

 

St. Expedite: How to work with & Honor an ancient-modern folk saint

August 29, 2012 by Miss Bri
Posted in Divine Figures, Sacred How-To, Spirituality, Working the Roots

Saint Expedite is one of my most beloved spiritual aids and allies so who better to kick off the spirits and saints category of the blog? Now Saint Expedite (pronounced Ex-peh-deetee or in some cases by my older clients who really know their stuff, Es-pee-dee) is an “unofficial” Catholic Folk Saint best known in magical communities for his ability and willingness to provide luck in a hurry.

 

A New-Old Saint?

Most Saints have been venerated over time-whether they are officially recognized by the church or not, but St. Expedite has a reputation for being a more “modern” Saint-this is dead wrong.

Veneration of St. Expedite most likely dates back to the Middle Ages where he was honored in Turin among other places. Records indicate that he was petitioned by devout Catholics is the 1700’s for aid with court case work-with records specifically coming from both Germany and Sicily. Because of the age of these records it was once widely assumed that St. Expedite’s veneration first originated in these two countries-though later records were found placing veneration in Turin. Though he is not recognized by the Catholic church as an official Church Saint-he was mentioned in Martyrologies dating from the Middle Ages and his iconography has been consistently stylized as a young man dressed as a Roman solider, stepping on a black raven with a banner inscribed with the word “cras”-Latin for “tomorrow”, coming out of its beak while he holds a cross with the word “hodie”-Latin for “today”, inscribed upon it.

This raven-cross symbolism springs from a story in which the Devil appeared to St. Expedite as the Devil, tempting him to put off conversion to Christianity until tomorrow (cras)-in part, one assumes, to avoid martyrdom. Expedite replies by crushing the raven under his foot and holding forth a cross with the word for Today emblazoned upon it-indicating that he will not put off till tomorrow what needs to happen today. While veneration of St. Expedite is quite old, the Catholic Church issued an attach on the Saint and was successful in removing him from the official list of Church Saints in the 1960’s.

 

Origin Myths

Two popular stories contribute to Saint Expedite’s status as a “modern” saint. One dates from 1781 when remains of a Saint from a french catacomb were shipped to a Parisian convent in a crate with the words “Expedite” on the side of the crate. Tellers of the story insist that the nuns misunderstood the shipping imperative and took it for the name of the Saint. A similar tale comes from New Orleans’ Chapel of Our Lady of Guadalupe-with the same device-a crate with a statue of a Saint and the word “Expedite” on the side was taken for the Saint’s name. However-whether these stories are true or not they are not valid as reference points for when worship and devotion to St. Expedite began-as he is recorded in various Martyrologies from the Middle Ages under the name Expeditus-which may be a misspelling for the more common Epeditus.

 

Veneration Today

Today St. Expedite is honored in various places around the world. Reunion Island, in the Indian Ocean, has a widespread cult worship of St. Expedite. Roadside altars devoted to him can be found throughout the island, even though worship of him is illegal. It is unclear why St. Expedite has such a profound effect on Reunion islanders but one story attributes it to Expedite’s aid in delivering harsh and vengeful curses at some point in the island’s history. Devotions to him are largely syncretic and combine devotions to deities known in Indian and Madagascar as well.

He is honored widely in the country of Chile where a church was built in his honor after a woman brought an image of him into the country. In the summer months especially pilgrims petition him for aid and his followers come from all socio-economic levels.

In Voodoo the image of St. Expedite may be used to represent Baron Lakwa and in New Orleans he is often associated with Baron Samedi.

 

Working with St. Expedite

In the Hoodoo-Conjure tradition of the American South, St, Expedite is seen as a strong, supportive, and caring ally who can aid in brining about luck and change in a hurry. However, his iconography and at least two of the religio-magical traditions associated with him also speak of his role in relation to death and cursing, and then there is the court case veneration from both Sicily and Germany in the 1700’s. So who is Expedite really and what role(s) might he fill?

A champion for the persecuted: In my own work with St. Expedite I see him first and foremost as a strong champion for the persecuted. Its important to remember that claiming to be a Christian during the Roman Empire was a very dangerous thing to do and often led to persecution, torture, and death for the new converts. When we consider this along the record of Expedite being petitioned for aid in court cases and his veneration on Reunion Island for aid in placing down a vengeful curse (obviously to correct some injustice) we start to see him reveal himself as one who stands strong for persecuted people from around the world. On a personal note I find it interesting that one of the origin myths surrounding St. Expedite also indirectly involved Our Lady of Guadalupe-another syncretic Spiritual ally who also stands in defense of persecuted people around the world. These two Saints truly make a powerful pair!

 

Yet another Dying God: The story of the Dying God circles back again and again, like a snake circling back on itself. From death springs life, from life springs death. St. Expedite’s association with cursing, Baron Lakwa and Baron Samedi, as well as his iconography of being caught in the act of a killing a crow all point to his association with death & dying. Yet Expedite’s vibe is so positive and cheery most of the time-so what’s up with that? What I have found in working with St. Expedite myself is that he is a Death God but the death he brings about is very specific-he will kill hesitation, root out irrelevance, and destroy blocks and obstacles that stand in your way-the death he brings about makes room for the here, the now, and the needed.

Fast Luck: Today St. Expedite is most commonly petitioned to aid in luck, money, and love situations. I work with St. Expedite on behalf of clients and also on behalf of my own business and family-he is dear to me. I have successfully petitioned him many times concerning money and business for myself and for others. I have witnessed wonders in love situations that need to turn around fast but possess a relatively stable foundation on which to stand. I also have worked with him to great success in court case work. He is know to be very picky about offerings. I have found that he loves the colors red, green, and yellow. According to some of Hyatt’s work, a popular day to invoke him is Wednesday-and that is the day that I choose to leave offerings out to him. Flowers, water, and chocolate are all acceptable. In Hoodoo-Conjure there is a strong tradition of leaving out poundcake after you have successfully petitioned Expedite and it is believed that failure to properly thank the Saint can result in bad luck and even death.

In closing, I hope that this sheds a bit of light on the fascinating story behind St. Expedite. Due to his somewhat modern sounding name and a conflation of myths he will no doubt continue to be seen as a modern day Saint-but his roots reach far back into time and his power has been sought out for thousands of years. Approach him with care and humility and you will find his blessings everywhere.

sheaves of wheat van Gogh

Charms & Enchantments A Lammas Divination technique & What it Really Takes to Get What You Want

August 1, 2012 by Miss Bri
Posted in Charms & Enchantments-Ritual Magic, Sacred How-To, Spirituality

Blessed Lammas!

It is August first and today those who follow the Celtic Wheel of the Year celebrate the first of three harvest festivals. This celebration focuses mainly on the cereal crops that have been ripening in the full sun throughout the summer. Wheat, corn, and all matter of grains now await the sickle. They have flourished, ripening in summer’s sun and are now ready to be cut, winnowed, and prepared for storage and bread baking.

Harvests are traditionally times of great celebration-hard work has come to its full fruition and the fruits of one’s labors are now ready to be enjoyed. When people relied on their own small crop production to feed them throughout the year harvest time was also a time when the community could take a collective exhalation and relax-another season passed, another field that flourished-vagaries in weather and pestilence have not yet won the day.

As I was working on this post I wanted to be bright and shiny but the truth is that harvest time is also a time of death-its one of life’s little ironies I guess, but just as the fruit is at its fullest and ripest-now is the time when we cut it from the stalk, the branch, the root-in effect killing it.

For me this time of year carries its own weight and shadows because my beloved grandfather died right around this time a year ago-though we initially lost him to a debilitating stroke on Samhain in 2005.

My fiery Leo grandfather is the one who taught me the names of plants and how to sing to crystals, how to be very still and very quiet so that a wild creature might come to my hand-in trust and curiosity. He taught me a core lesson of nature and the harvest:

Bounty from Death.

And when we look at ancient harvest traditions from around the world we find sacrifice is often a core theme. Whether its the symbolic straw man being burned in the fields (of which our modern day Burning Man and Zozobra festivals are part) or the very real sacrifice of the dying God to make the earth fecund and fertile once again as well as to give thanks for the bounty currently reaped-the harvest is a time for blood. And if you have ever seen a field harvest you know that it can be a bloody affair.

Death for Bounty. 

True Confession time: I really do believe that you can get exactly what you want-but I also believe that getting what you want does come with a price-a sacrifice of some kind must be made. If you are ready to dive deep and give whatever is required to manifest your dreams and turn them into realities then the following divination will help.

 

Materials:

Your favorite tarot deck. For this I used the Steampunk Tarot by Barbara Moore which I am LOVING right now.

Pull the Hanged Man from the deck and also pull out a card that represents where you ultimately want to be-your ultimate dream and vision. I used the Empress to represent my ultimate dream and vision because I am a mommy, involved in several different creative projects that I want to manifest like crazy, and I am a wife who is totally committed to her beloved so this card resonates strongly for me.

 

Process:

1.) After you have pulled the Hanged Man from the deck set it up in the center of your reading space, place the second card you picked-the one symbolizing your goal or dream directly underneath the Hanged Man.

Now you will have two open positions-numer one and number three, its time to fill them!

 

2.) Shuffle your deck with the following question in mind:

What does my present situation say about the sacrifice I need to make and the dream I wish to realize.

The card that you pull will go in the first position.

 

3.) Shuffle again and ask the following question:

What sacrifice must I make in order to realize my deepest dream right now?

The card you pull in response to this question goes into the third position.

 

It will look something like this & you can listen to my interpretation of this reading right here.

 

 

 

Remember:

Sacrifice means to make sacred-when you think of sacrifice merely as loss it is hard to grapple with. When you recognize sacrifice as a part of yourself going into a part of something else-dying to make way for living-and to remind us that we are all connected-it becomes a privilege, even in its pain. When you recognize that sacrifice allows room for better and brighter dreams to thrive then you are one step closer to manifesting!

Are you uncomfortable with the notion of sacrifice? Its an essential aspect of getting your mind/body/heart & spirit into alignment and creating more wealth, health, and happiness in your life.

If you are ready to confront your fears and live up to your full potential then its time to register for the Miracle Tree Sessions!

 

 

 

 


gypsy_fortuneteller_print

10 Tips for Developing & Improving Your Intuition

July 25, 2012 by Miss Bri
Posted in Sacred How-To, Spirituality, Working the Roots

Often we hear the word intuition thrown about and petty much everyone in my audience either is already in the process of developing a relationship with their psychic intuition or would like to begin developing one. Here are ten tips to help you start (or continue) the right way! But first, what is intuition? I believe that intuition is an innate ability that we all possess. Some of us have been trained or in some cases forced to become intimate with our intuition from an early age. Others have experienced events that encouraged them to hide from or ignore their own intuitive gifts. Platonist that I am, I believe that intuition is not so much about psychic tapping in as it is about recollecting what we already know in our souls with clarity and accuracy. Now…check out these 10 tips and if you have questions or comments post them below!

1.) Frame it in prayer-if you are working with a divination tool then begin and end each session with a prayer or mantra. One that I often use is: “Blessed Lord, touch my eyes that I might see with your vision, touch my hands that I might heal with your grace, touch my lips that I might speak with your truth, Amen.” Prayers or mantras from whatever tradition you practice in are perfectly appropriate.

2.) Pick a divination tool and stick with it. Are the Tarot cards calling your name? Is the pendulum your thing? Are you itching to read tea leaves? Now more than ever there is a wide, wide variety of divination tools available. I recommend that you pick one to start with and work with it to some extent every day. Take a class or read up on how to work with your chosen tool-again, get creative as there are many good sources for information on the net. I also recommend that you set aside the same chunk of time in the day—preferably in the early morning-to practice your intuitive art.

3.) Get familiar with memories-try this exercise-recall the way you felt about your mom, sibling, father or another important person in your life during the summer of your 12th year. What was going on, what kind of a relationship did you have, what were the best things, what were the challenges, was there anything that the person was especially excited or unhappy about?-reach back and see what cues you pick up on that were non verbal-if you do this exercise on someone who is still living call them and check in to check your accuracy.

4.) Notice your breathing-your breath can clue you into the places where you get stuck or scared as well as the places that flow more freely. Learning to improve your intuition is like developing any set of muscles through exercise—you want to go far enough out of your comfort zone that you work the muscles but you don’t want to injure yourself either. Go slowly and pay attention to the cues your body gives you.

5.) Practice with a friend-read for someone else and have them read for you then check in on accuracy.

6.) Don’t Edit! Accept whatever impressions you initially get. Sometimes, especially when we are first learning to access our psychic centers we get confused by the words and images that come in-they can feel disjointed or just plain weird. Learn to sit with the weirdness before trying to put it into a nice and neat narrative. You may want to keep a journal to help you notice patterns in how you intuit information.

7.) Check in with your body-some people have a physical response when they are either on target or missing the mark intuitively. Sometimes when I know I am hitting on correct information that is deep down in the querant’s mind I will get a sense of something locking into place at the base of my neck. Check in with your body and notice if you experience physical signs of accuracy.

8.) Pay attention to the moon. It has long been believed that Lunar phases affect our psychic abilities-especially in women, but I believe in men as well. Pay attention to the phase of the moon and your own intuitive cycles. Is there a time when you find yourself to be more or less accurate? Note this.

9.) Wake up before the sun rises. Many studies show that between 3-5am your pineal gland is at maximum function. Many believe that the psychic activity of the third eye is directly related to the physiological activity of the pineal gland. Getting up before the sun might give you more access to your own intuitive self.

10.) Learn to read and intuit for banal, low stress, non emergency situations—if you read for yourself everyday then you build a practice just like if you exercise everyday you build a foundation for a strong body. Then when a dramatic, emergency situation arises you have the know how in place to deal with it calmly and clearly.

Finally, I highly recommend that you work with a trusted intuitive-have them read for you in whatever style you are hoping to learn. I encourage my clients to learn to work their intuitive muscles and if they tell me that they are trying to learn I will teach them as I read for them-many other readers do this as well—check in with yours.

And…a special announcement:

The Miracle Tree Sessions are OPEN for Autumn registration! If you like what you have read about intuition & magic then come join me for three months of premium and highly custom training in both of these arts!

lemongrass

Herbal Allies: Lemongrass-how to grow, harvest, and work with the herb in magic, cooking, & medicine

July 4, 2012 by Miss Bri
Posted in Herbal Allies, Sacred How-To, Working the Roots

What better way to celebrate independence than to kick off a new series for the blog? Introducing the first post in my Herbal Allies series—each post in this series will document the healing, magical, & when appropriate, culinary uses of a specific herb. July 4th is the perfect day for debuting this new series because intimately understanding the herbs we use in magic, medicine, and cooking fosters our own independence. These profiles are not going to be bookish but rather will detail my own experiences in growing and cultivating the herbs I write about.

How to grow lemongrass: Our first player is Lemongrass or cymbopogon citratus. I purchased my lemongrass plant a little over a year ago and planted it in a strip running along the side of my house that gets full sun and has dry, well drained soil. A year later my plant comes up to mid thigh (I am 5’8) and another established plant in the neighborhood comes up to my shoulder—read—without proper pruning lemongrass can get huge! So you probably only need one plant unless you are planning to use or sell A LOT of lemongrass! The plant looks like a clump of green grass and the ends can get a bit ragged and brown up with it gets too little water or once the weather gets cold. If you are fussy in your garden’s appearance or simply not a fan of grasses then you might want to hide this one as it can grow large and appear a bit ungainly. In researching growing tips on Lemongrass I found that its native to a tropical Southeast Asian climates-but it does very well in San Antonio, Texas which is climate zone 8—and a blend between a more humid, tropical climate and a more meditteranean climate. From early March and throughout the fall my lemongrass does very well, gets big, bigger, biggest, and gives me lots of stalks and leaves to harvest. In cooking harvesting the stalks from the base up is important, in magical preparation any part of the plant may be used and what is often sold is cut leaves. I water the strip where my lemongrass is planted every evening with a sprinkler for about 10 minutes and it does beautifully, even in 100+ degree heat. In milder winter climates where temps rarely if ever dip below freezing you can just leave your lemongrass out and not worry too much. It shrinks back some in the cold and the leaves go brown—even to the point of the plant looking dead, but then it will pop back up as soon as the weather warms. In climates where freezing temps are the norm you can try covering it and see what happens but you may have to buy a whole new plant in the spring. My method of gardening is pretty hands off—I pop my babies in the ground and let them do their thing. This works well for certain things like antique roses, lemongrass, and many other herbs.

Magical Uses of Lemongrass: Lemongrass is a popular herb to work with for magical purposes in both Hoodoo and Mexican Folk Magic traditions. I have received limpias in San Antonio where after wards I was given a cup of lemongrass tea to facilitate with the purification process. Cleansing is one of the primary attributes of lemongrass which is why we find it—along with other members of its family like citronella and palmerosa, in products meant to cleanse like Van Van oil. The cleansing action of lemongrass is two-fold—it clears up any obstacles standing in your way and as such has developed a reputation for being an important ingredient in Road Opening magical work, and it also is known to help in changing bad luck to good-making it especially popular with those who have been afflicted by negative conditions. Because of its ability to foster cleansing and open conditions, lemongrass is sometimes used in Love Magic. I have done much experimenting with lemongrass and a combination of other herbs and roots when it comes to increasing, clarifying, and in some cases sweetening communication between people and have found it to be very effective for those conditions too. In magical uses every part of the lemongrass stalk including the blade of grass may be used. Lemongrass may be dried and cut up into smaller chunks for use in herbal mixes, spiritual preparations like baths or anointing oils, and may be left in slightly longer pieces for use in ritual containers like honey jars and doll babies.

Medicinal Uses of Lemongrass: Lemongrass possesses antiseptic & preservative qualities. The essential oils is one of the more easily obtained and current studies are investigating possible anti-fungal properties as well. Citronella grass in the same family is of course used for insect repellants. Tea made from lemongrass stalks can be used medicinally to help settle stomachs and soothe a sore throat.

Culinary uses of Lemongrass: Lemongrass is used in both Thai and some Indian cooking-especially for flavoring curries, sauces, and Tom Yum Soup where it is a principal ingredient. If you are into Thai food like I am you can make Lemongrass part of a culinary Thai garden that includes Thai basil, Thai peppers, and Cilantro/Coriander. In cooking & medicine the white/yellow part of the lemongrass stalk is worked with and the grass top is disposed of. This is because the greatest concentration of essential oil resides in the stalk of the plant.

In closing—Lemongrass is bright and sharp in nature and flavor. When you need to shed light on a situation, get the sword of your holy discernment sharpened and ready for action, or wish to speak clearly with mental facility-this is the herb to call on!

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How to Discover & Set Your Intention in 5 easy steps

June 20, 2012 by Miss Bri
Posted in Sacred How-To, Spirituality, Working the Roots

inspiring goodness from turahbird

 

I often use the phrase “set your intention” and those signed up for my email newsletter just got a nice chunk of information on why setting your intention is so critical whenever you are doing any type of magical, ceremonial, or ritual work. Setting your intention is also important in life, by the way. So…just how do you go about setting your intention? What do I mean by that? First, a definition: Your intention is quite simply the outcome you wish to achieve.

I am a verbal person so for me setting my intention usually begins with writing. I write down what I want to accomplish generally, and then I go through and consider the specific individual steps that need to happen in order for my petition to be realized. Next I create a visual board-either physically or now on pinterest that allows me to hone in visually on what my goal is and in what attitude I take on the work at hand. In order to help out those who are new or who need a bit of a break down of this process I created the following 5 very easy to follow steps:

 

1.) Define your goal generally. Do you need more money? More love? A better job where you are happy? You may write a sentence or an entire essay here-allow your mind to be general and take a sky’s the limit view on what you want to bring into your life.

2.) Drill it down. Look at your general petition and get more specific. Do you want more money from your current job or do you want a different (and higher paying) job all together? Do you want the ex boyfriend to return, or do you want him to return in a month, move back in with you, share the rent, and not see any other women? This is the time to include names, dates, and time frames in your request. Don’t worry about length-you will refine in the next step.

3.) Create a 1-2 sentence petition. Say that in the first step I say I want more money, I want to feel prosperous every day, I don’t want to live paycheck to paycheck any more, and of the money I have I want to save more and spend less.

In the second step I add that I want to have enough money for all of my bills and for fun stuff too by the end of the summer-without penny pinching or stress. I like my job and my officemates but I would like to get the promotion and pay raise that is being offered in July with a final decision made around August 15th. I have put in my application for it and I got George, one of my supervisors to give me a good recommendation.

My refined petition may look something like this: 

By August 30th I will have the promotion at ABC company and the subsequent pay raise. Carla, the deciding supervisor will be persuaded by my good work and the letter George wrote on my behalf. My co-workers will all speak highly of my accomplishments. The pay raise will be substantial allowing me to take care of all of my bills, fun stuff, and have money in the bank left over. Amen.

4.) Gut Check-consider how you feel once you have refined  your petition. Are you clear minded on what you are pursuing or does it still feel foggy. Including names, dates, and specific pieces of information help cut through the fog and give you specifics to focus on. If after adding in specifics you will do not feel clear-go back to step one and repeat the process. This is also the time to take your emotions into account. If you are working to get someone to pay you money that is long overdue there may be anger and righteous feeling to compel them to fork it over-that is fine-use that. Being clear and setting your intention does NOT mean always being calm-if your situation creates fiery anger or deep feelings of lust allows those sensations to work for you and your magical work.

5.) Get Sensual. For some of us the altar we create is our visual stimulation-in other cases we may need to collage or create a specific symbol that we can focus on daily to re-establish our intention and the goal we wish to achieve. Some of us may respond better to tactile stimulation-in that case we would work with a talisman, crystal, or special object that is designated to represent our specific intention.

 

So…how do YOU set your intention? Let me know in the comments below-happy ritual crafting!

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How to work with, feed, and care for a lodestone-nature’s magical magnet!

June 1, 2012 by Miss Bri
Posted in Sacred How-To
Lodestone is the folk magic term for a natural magnet formed from magnetite or magnetized iron ore. Magnetite is naturally attracted to magnetic fields but is not necessarily itself magnetic, in fact, magnetized magnetite is relatively rare and usually found only near the surface of the earth. It is not completely clear how pieces of magnetite becomes magnetized but many believe that the process occurs during lightning strikes when electro-magnetic fields are created.

Thales of Miletus was a 6th century Greek philosopher who is often credited with the discovery of lodestones and their attraction to all things magnetic including other lodestones. Ancient Chinese texts dating back to the 4th century mention lodestones and lodestone artifacts have been discovered in archeological digs in central and south America. The scientists Michael Faraday & James Clerk Maxwell both made use of lodestones in their laboratories and in so doing discovered the electro-magnetic field.

In both ancient & modern magical systems lodestones have often been worked with by magicians, witches, and spiritual workers to attract & draw various things, people, situations, & events. Through the use of sympathetic magical theory (wherein like attracts like) lodestones are believed to be powerful, natural magnets that can magnetize objects like money or individuals-lending an undeniable charisma & attraction to them. Sympathetic magic emerges and/or influences the idea held in ancient Greece, China, India, and other parts of the Mediterranean and continental Europe that each stone, tree, rock, flower, and animal had a unique and vital spirit and that eros now most commonly translated as erotic desire was actually an animating force that encouraged each being to seek out that which made them whole. So a flower would seek out a particular spot of shaded wood in which to grow and a lodestone would seek out iron and other metals that respond to the electro-magnetic force. In Mexican folk magic traditions & Conjure cunning craft traditions lodestones are treated like living beings as opposed to inanimate minerals. The cunning man or woman speaks of “feeding” their lodestone with magnetic sand (magnetized iron filings that can be purchased commercially or found at a smithy near you!), and may also anoint their lodestone with condition oils, special colognes or waters, and in some cases bodily fluids such as blood, sweat, urine, sexual fluids, or tears.

a matched pair of medium sized lodestones

Often a special lodestone that is worked with again and again is given a name, just as a pet would be named. In contemporary folk magic practices single lodestones are advertised & sold as appropriate for drawing money, jobs, favorable decisions, and in some cases people or opportunities in a specific direction. Paired lodestones are most often two stones that were at one point an unity and either were intentionally or unintentionally broken apart. Paired lodestones are sold and worked with in all kinds of love magics-where 2 people are drawn close together-usually over a period of several days. In some cases the lodestone pair will be divided into “he” and “she” stones or “he” and “he” or “she” and “she” depending on the sexual orientation of those seeking or in a relationship. When determining the gender of a lodestone a few key points are examined-if the stone is rounder or has red rust spots then it is usually assigned the gender of female (due to a woman’s natural physical curves and the menstruation cycle). If a stone is pointier and has small white flecks on it then it is assigned the gender of male (due to the phallic pointy shape and the white spots which to some workers symbolize semen). Lodestones also come in a variety of sizes: small, medium, large & specimen sized. Specimen sized lodestones are often purchased both wholesale and retail according to weight as they are larger stones. Size does not correspond to magnetic pull however-I possess a specimen sized lodestone that has a very powerful magnetic but I have also seen smaller stones that can pack a big magnetic punch!

magnetic sand

Because they are natural magnets as opposed to synthetic-lodestones pull at each other much more gradually–although it is certainly possible to have a very powerful lodestone that pulls things quickly. This gradual attraction is preferred by many traditional workers because it allows the other magics surrounding the lodestone time to take effect. In some cases lodestones are worked with for a discreet amount of time or for a very specific purpose. In both Conjure cunning tradition and Mexican folk magic lodestones that have served their purpose are returned to the earth. If a lodestone does not possess magnetic qualities-or if the magnetic qualities leave, then it may also be buried and returned to the earth.

I have been taught that lodestones need to be cleansed and re-charged or consecrated once a year and that the time to do this is during the autumnal equinox. I have also been taught that a month cleansing coinciding with the full moon is appropriate. To cleanse and consecrate your lodestone you will need whisky, magnetic sand, anointing oils of your choice, and a special wash or water-this can be a traditional cologne like Hoyts, Florida, or Kananga Water or it can be holy water. If cleansing and anointing a matched pair of lodestones you might also want to have sexual fluids handy.

Begin by brushing any magnetic sand or iron filings off of the stone. I find that a strong bristled paint brush for children works well for this. You may collect the magnetic sand on a plate or dish and re-use as long as it is clean and still magnetized. Once your lodestone is completely clear you may then douse it well with whisky. Some witches will mouth spray whisky on their lodestones. Once the lodestone has been well doused with whisky leave it out for an evening. If you are cleansing the stone on a monthly basis (recommended for long working stones) then leave it out under the full moon light. If you are cleansing the stone during the autumnal equinox leave it out under the night sky.If you have not named your stone you might want to consider doing some dream magic so that the stone’s name appears. The next morning anoint your lodestone with appropriate anointing oils–if you are going to work with the stone primarily to draw money then use a money drawing oil, if you are going to work with the stone to primarily draw love work with love drawing oils. You may also add a splash of holy water or cologne to the stone at this time and your personal concerns. For business and money matters I recommend you set the stone on top of a few hairs from your head and fingernail filings, for romantic matters use sexual fluids and pubic hair.

single medium sized lodestone

Many cunning folk like to place their lodestone on a china plate. Money, images of desired objects, names of people, ventures, opportunities that the individual would like to draw to them go underneath the stone. It is then fed with magnetic sand. I was taught to light a candle the first night I set my lodestone working for me again after a cleansing-the candle “lights the way” and wakes the stone up so it can start working again. Lodestones that work hard should be fed every single day while lodestones that are less permanent may be fed once a week. Burial is the most popular way to defuse or honor a lodestone, but it is also popular to place smaller lodestones in mojo hands, charm packets, and magical containers like honey jars. These smaller stones may be used in altar work first and then added to their magical ritual container.

Because lodestones are seen as living, practitioners cultivate a relationship with them. You will need to listen to your lodestone, work with it consistently, and heed the messages you receive from it. Once you have established a good, working relationship with your lodestone you may use it to charge up smaller lodestones that can then be used in future ritual craft. The power of magnetism is one of the most ancient and profound-honor these natural magnets and see where they take you!