I’ve been doing a lot of things with beads lately, and I wanted to make something for my Hermes altar. So here’s a necklace I made, this one fits over my head too, so it’s actually wearable ʕ •ᴥ•ʔb⋆·₊˚☆
I used tiger’s eye beads, because I asscoiate it with luck and prosperity and Hermes is considered a bringer of good luck and fortune. I also made some of the tiger’s eye beads into the pupils of four eye charms with wire and string.
The eyes are meant to represent Argos, the many-eyed giant that Hermes slew. They also represent an epithet of Hermes I’ve read about that I really like, which is Euskopos (Ευσκοπος), meaning watchful or keen-sighted. (There are also so many other epithets of his that I like a lot, but this one was easier to represent in this project.)
I used some black agate beads too, mostly because I like how they brought some contrast to the whole look. The alternation actually kinda reminds me of the stripes of a bee, a very active and always-moving creature which reminds me of another one of his epithets, Poneomenos (Πονεομενος), which means busy one 。⋆·₊˚ᕕ( ─ v ─)ᕗ
I also incorporated the number four in this necklace as much as I could, since that’s a symbol if his as well. With four eyes in total and four smaller beads in between the bigger ones.
To finish it off and add more of a central point, I made a tassel out of black string, added some beads onto the top string and attatched it at the middle point with two eyes on each side.
I am very pleased with the overall look of this necklace, I’m epsecially happy with how the eyes turned out since they were kinda fiddly to make. I terms of shape and how I built the necklace, I kinda just went with what I felt like and didn’t really base it off of much else. But yeah, I really like how it turned out! <|:^)
Goddess Cookies
Hello friends! I’m back again with another delicious recipe but this time it’s a dessert! These sugar cookies are delicious and perfect for a small offering to the God and Goddess during Litha or anytime really. The edible flowers on top make them really stand out!
Ingredients
2 cups of softened Sweet Cream Salted Butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tablespoons of vanilla
4 teaspoons of baking powder
6 cups of flour
Optional
Your favorite edible flowers, dried and chopped into bits
Sun and moon shaped cookie cutters
Directions
Cream the butter and sugar together in a mixer until all the way combined. Be careful not to overmix
Add vanilla and eggs and let thoroughly mix
Add baking powder and mix
Add flour but two cups at a time
Roll a hand fulls of the dough out at a time and cut out into suns and moons (if you chose to do this)
Bake cookies at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 6-8 minutes
Sprinkle with your cookies with your favorite edible flower bits
Enjoy how pretty they look and how delicious they are!
This recipe was borrowed from:
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Upright: Innocence, freedom, originality, adventure, travel, foolishness, carelessness, idealism, youth, spontaneity, lack of commitment, new beginnings Reversed: Recklessness, carelessness, negligence, stupidity, distraction, apathy, irrationality, lack of fun, hope or faith
Upright: Power, influence, willpower, resourcefulness, skill, ability, logic, intellect, concentration and psychic powers Reversed: Manipulation, greed, unused ability, untrustworthiness, trickery, conniving, cunning, lack of mental clarity
Upright: Desirability, unattainability, mystery, sensuality, spirituality, thirst for knowledge, mystery, subconscious, higher power, creativity, fertility Reversed: Repression of intuition, blocked psychic powers, unwanted attention, uncontrolled outbursts and sexual tension, lack of self-belief, fertility issues
Upright: Pregnancy, fertility, motherhood, sensuality, nurturing, creativity, beauty, femininity, nature, harmony, art Reversed: Insecurity, infertility, lack of confidence, lack of growth, overbearing tendencies, disharmony, negligence
Upright: Older man, stability, dependability, fatherhood, father-figure, structure, protectiveness, authority, logical, practical Reversed: Abuse of power, excessively controlling, rigidity, stubbornness, lack of discipline, lack of control, absentee father, paternity issues
Upright: Traditional institutions, traditional values, conventional, conformity, marriage, commitment, religion, beliefs, knowledge sharing Reversed: Challenging tradition, unconventional lifestyles, unconventional relationships, reversed roles, non-conformity
Upright: Love, soulmates, kindred spirits, perfect unions, partnerships, relationships, major choices, romance, desire, sexual connections, shared values Reversed: Disharmony, trust issues, imbalance, conflict, disconnection, lack of accountability, disunion, detachment
Upright: Victory, overcoming obstacles, success, ambition, determination, willpower, control, self-discipline, hard work and focus Reversed: Forcefulness, lack of direction, lack of self-control, powerlessness, aggression, coercion, being blocked by obstacles
Upright: Inner strength, courage, bravery, confidence, compassion, taming, control, overcoming self-doubt Reversed: Vulnerability, self-doubt, weakness, low self-esteem, lack of confidence, feeling inadequate
Upright: Spiritual enlightenment, soul searching, self-reflection, introspection, contemplation, inner guidance, solitude Reversed: Loneliness, paranoia, isolation, reclusiveness, withdrawal, anti-social, restrictive, paralyzed by fear.
Upright: Good luck, destiny, change, karma, soulmates, decisive moments, cycles of life, fate, fortune, upheaval, chance Reversed: Bad luck, upheaval, disorder, external forces, lack of control, disruption, unwelcome change, delays, set backs, karma
Upright: Justice, karmic justice, consequences, legal disputes, law, truth, honesty, integrity, cause and effect, life lessons Reversed: Injustice, karmic retribution, dishonesty, corruption, lack of accountability, dishonesty, unfairness, karmic avoidance
Upright: Feeling trapped, confined, self-limiting, uncertainty, lack of direction, needing release, letting go Reversed: Discontentment, apathy, disinterest, stagnation, impulsiveness, negative patterns, detachment
Upright: Spiritual transformation, new beginnings, letting go, endings, change, transition, sudden or unexpected upheaval Reversed: Inability to move forward, fear of beginnings, repeating negative patterns, resisting change, dependency
Upright: Balance, peace, patience, moderation, inner calm, perspective, tranquillity, harmonious relationships, soulmates Reversed: Imbalance, self-indulgence, excess, clashing, lack of perspective, discord, antagonism, recklessness, hastiness
Upright: Addiction, depression, mental health issues, secrecy, obsession, cheating, dependency, bondage, materialism, sexuality, powerlessness, hopelessness, abuse, violence, assault Reversed: Detachment, independence, overcoming addiction, freedom, revelation, reclaiming power, reasserting control
Upright: Chaos, destruction, sudden upheaval, trauma, unexpected change, disaster, loss, tragedy, revelations, confusion, pain, divorce, abuse, violence, bankruptcy, natural disasters, inevitable endings Reversed: Resisting change, averting disaster, avoiding tragedy, delaying the inevitable, avoiding loss, lack of insight, codependence
Upright: Hope, inspiration, creativity, calm, contentment, renewal, serenity, spirituality, healing, positivity Reversed: Hopelessness, despair, focusing on the negative, lack of faith, lack of inspiration, lack of creativity, boredom, monotony
Upright: Intuition, illusion, dreams, vagueness, instability, deception, anxiety, fear, misconception, subconscious, insecurity, clouded Reversed: Releasing fear, unveiling secrets, subsiding anxiety, truth, regaining composure, self-deception, blocked intuition
Upright: Positivity, freedom, fun, success, optimism, vitality, joy, confidence, self-expression, good luck, enthusiasm, happiness, truth, openness, pregnancy Reversed: Lack of enthusiasm, excessive enthusiasm, sadness, pessimism, unrealistic expectations, ego, conceitedness, oppression, infertility
Upright: Judgement, self-evaluation, awakening, renewal, composure, decisiveness, homesickness, snap judgements, apportioning blame, forgiveness, judgemental Reversed: Indecisiveness, self-doubt, malicious gossip, lack of self-awareness, unwillingness to learn karmic lessons, unfair blame, false accusations
Upright: Success, achievement, accomplishment, travel, completion, fulfillment, sense of belonging, wholeness Reversed: Lack of success, stagnation, lack of achievement, disappointment, burden, lack of completion
inspired by @curseworm and her love of dirt
(all associations are my own, this is just a personal guide)
Garden mud- hard work, growth, health, grounding
Pathway mud- obstacles, cursing, travel
Graveyard mud- spiritual communication, banishing, memory
Woodland mud- secrets, animal communication, invocation, peace
River mud- change, cleansing, blessings
When you clean the mud off your boots, let all the negativity you’ve picked up along the way go with it
Get a jar of pathway mud and put someone’s name in it. This will make it harder for them to achieve their goals (ahem, ahem, Trump)
As usual- don’t take anything from private private property (unless you have permission) and don’t trespass. that’s just illegal and id like you to be safe
and it might be wise to leave a gift when you take something from nature, but that’s a personal choice
Red Thread - protection against enemies, malefica, gossip, evil spirits, afflictions of health. Serves well to overcome enemies, against the evil eye, invite love, luck, joy and auspiciousness.
Blue Thread - protection against evil words, evil eye, healing melancholy, subduing fiery aspects that detriment the person (such as harsh tempers and excessive work), dark blue aids in spirituality and legalities.
Green Thread - in correspondence to my previous posts on the colour green. Darker greens seem to help more strongly with works relating to love and herbal medicine. Mixing it with red thread combines the aspect of Fauna and Flora essentially combining two aspects of the forces of Nature. Aids healers.
Black Thread - good for saturnine spells, wards off malefica, enemies, evil spirits. Bringing good fortune, honours, dominating enemeis and incredibly strong protective spells.
White Thread - protection, blessing, peace, healing. Good in combination to red in spells to remove evil and protect the person against inauspiciousness. Strengthens lunar qualities in the person.
Yellow Thread - I can't help but think of pestillence when I think of Yellow so I would view this as a colour for protection against sickness, bestowing good fortune and healing pestillence. I remember Backwoods Shamanism making reference to the colour yellow being used to petition the spirits related to the sickness to either inflict or leave the person afflicted.
latin: eucalyptus globules
properties: protection, purification, money, healing
duality/gender: passive/feminine
elements: air, water
planets: moon, mercury, venus
day of the week: wednesday
astrology signs: pisces, cancer
WARNING: Eucalyptus can not be consumed. Taking 3.5 mL of undiluted oil can be fatal. Even applying too much to the skin and absorbing large amounts is dangerous. (Use it very lightly, dilute it, or use a humidifier.) Signs of eucalyptus poisoning might include stomach pain and burning, dizziness, muscle weakness, small eye pupils, feelings of suffocation, and some others. Eucalyptus changes how many medicines break down in the liver. Eucalyptus should not be applied to the face, especially the nose, of infants and young children. Avoid using it in infants.
Eucalyptus will: Help with all forms of healing, protect your home, enhance your financial success
The plant: Eucalyptus is native to Australia, Africa, India, and southern Europe. It is a very fast-growing tree with leathery leaves that contain an aromatic oil. When the flowers bud, they’re covered with a cup-like membrane, which drops off when the flowers open. The fruit are also cup-shaped and contain numerous tiny seeds.
Magical properties: The dried flowers make a powerful stuffing for poppets to be used for healing, emotional, spiritual, and physical ailments. Sprinkle the oil around the inside of your home to raise the spiritual vibration and dispel any residual negative energy. If you’re feeling financially strapped, rub the oil on your money to ensure abundance. To ward off illness, hand the dries leaves over your front door. If you sleep with the leaves under your pillow, they will induce sweet dreams and prevent colds.
Medicinal uses: Eucalyptus oil is one of the most powerful antiseptics. It’s also believed to increase cardiac strength. When the oil is added to boiling water, the steam helps break up a chest cold.
sources:
The Complete Illustrated Encyclopedia of Magical Plants, Revised: A Practical Guide to Creating Healing, Protection, and Prosperity Using Plants, Herbs, and Flowers, page 188 https://www.groveandgrotto.com/blogs/articles/magickal-uses-of-eucalyptus https://vayas-witchcraft-and-spiritual.tumblr.com/post/111340109875/herbplant-eucalyptus https://witchygypsymomma.com/2021/01/20/digging-deeper-into-eucalyptus/ https://plentifulearth.com/day-week-magickal-correspondences/
Grow one plant for each area of your life (mental health, physical health, friendships, etc). Every time you care for that plant, check in with yourself and see if there’s any way you could be helping that part of your life flourish.
Prune/harvest to cut out old issues Water/fertilize to encourage growth Repot/add soil for change and new beginnings
Quick Witch Tip! 🎃🕯 If you are in the Broom Closet but want to add sigils to your Jack-o-lantern, write them discreetly in the tea light base. I’ve written a sigil for protection and comfort in mine. And to make sure no one finds it, melted the bottom of the tea light just for a quick second to seal it to its base. When the light is burned up by the end of the night, toss them away and no one will be the wiser! Be safe the Samhain and have fun!
If you want to look stunning - and I mean head-turning, Helen of Troy, most-beautiful-person-they’ve-ever-seen stunning then do I have a spell for you. This spell was first made by the two of us, and it turned out far more successful than we could have imagined.
The primarily magical crux of the spell lies in the bath salt mixture, which should be made by (your) hand for best results.
Combine in a mortar and pestle:
A handful of sea salt
A handful of epsom salts
3 crushed up dried red rose petals
Essential oil of sweet orange
Essential oil of rose
Essential oil of jasmine
Some (body safe!) glitter
A dash of cinnamon
Grind together while envisioning your intent (which is to become a goddess incarnate).
For the spell itself, you will need:
The salts you just made
Several gold, pink or white candles
Items you find pretty
Dragon’s Blood incense
A small mirror
Lotion you like
A great, empowering, playlist (optional)
Keep reading
Plant spirits are the spirits of the trees and flowers, the grass and moss, the spirits of nature, in the truest meaning. While some take on humanoid appearances and wander about the forests and fields, such as the nymphs, most prefer to not leave their plant, and instead are content to simply bask in the sunlight and spend most of their time talking to the wind.
Communication
Depending on the species of the plant spirit, they could be adept at verbal or visual communication, or both. However, many of them do not understand the human concept of time, and it could take weeks to get an answer or it could take merely seconds. Those that prefer to take humanoid appearances do tend to communicate through words, though there are exceptions to this.
Appearance
A lot of plant spirits that leave their plant do tend to keep some physical attributes that are similar to their plant. For example, I work with a dryad from a dogwood tree, and she prefers to keep her hair the same color as the flowers. However, this is not always the case. It simply depends on the spirit and their preferences. Also, those that do not leave their plant take on the appearance of that plant more often than they take a humanoid appearance.
Offerings
pebbles
water
fresh mulch
cleaning up forests
making bee feeders
songs
talking to them
meditating with them
storytelling
sugar
biodegradable food
Ever seen another person’s herb garden and wanted one exactly like it? Want to buy loads of lovely herbs but don’t have the money? Or want to start a plant business don’t know where to start?
Well my friend, I have two words for you. Plant cloning. It’s natural, free and very easy to do.
This method works best for herbs such as
Basil
Broadleaf Thyme/Cuban Oregano
Mint
Oregano
Basically, what it does is allow you to take a cutting from one plant, and grow an entirely separate plant from it. This means that you could have an endless supply of herbs - you can take 20 cuttings from a single plant, and when they’ve all grown you’ll be able to take another 20 cutting from each of those plants!
So how do you do it? Well it’s deceptively simple. Here’s how:
1. Start with your parent plant. Due to my recent obsession with basil, that’s the herb I’ve decided to go for.
2. Take a cutting - about 4-5 inches long. Make sure you do it just below a node (the place where the leaves join the stem, just like above in the picture)
3. If possible, try and cut the stem diagonally. This gives it a greater surface area to suck up water with.
4. OK, so this is pretty much what your cutting should look like. Make sure you’ve removed at least the bottom pair of leaves, but it’s good to remove a few sets as the plant can then concentrate on growing roots.
5. Place the cutting in some water so that the stem is comletley submerged. I found old plastic shot glasses worked great for this, but you can also use pretty bottles or cups or whatever.
6. Make sure you’ve picked the bottom leaves off, and that the nodes are in the water. This is because the new roots are going to grow out of these nodes, so obviously they’re going to need to be in the water.
7. Put them in a sunny place where you can keep an eye on them. Above is a picture of the babies with their mummy! After about a week, roots should have grown out of the nodes.
8. That’s it, you’re done! Once the roots are well developed, you can plant your herbs in to pots. Keep the soil moist and the herb in a sunny place, and soon it’ll be as big as the parent plant.
You can use this method to get free herbs - instead of buying them all, why not just take cuttings from a friend or family member’s herbs and use them for your own garden? (with their permission of course)
Or, take a lot of cuttings like I’ve done, pot them up and sell them for a profit!
Good luck and happy planting! ^-^