Spring Cleaning Magic

Beltane marks the halfway point between Spring and the beginning of Summer. May is a great time to do a magical spring cleaning. Jacob Anderson shares a recipe and tips for cleaning and clearing the energy in your home to protect from negativity and to invite in prosperity, love, luck, abundance. A great technique for magical cleansing involves using a special mixture of Florida water, Chinese wash, Holy water, and Cascarilla, combination that’ll clear and cleanse anything in your space.

You will need:

Florida water, a citrus based cologne that cleans an area and heightens the energy of the space. Based on the idea of the fountain of youth being in Florida, Florida water contains alcohol and citrus & floral scents.

Holy water, water blessed by an ordained priest/priestess. Holy water cleanses and purifies any surface and/or solution. A great way to strengthen any cleansing wash.

Chinese Wash, a liquid mixture of herbs and spiritual salts  for cleaning, purification, and unjinxing. Chinese floor wash is a great way to cleanse any surface in your space.

High John Floor sweep, a dry mixture of herbs used for purification, protection, and unjinxing.

Cascarilla, created from powdered eggshell, is a versatile cleaning tool that has been long used in Santeria. Used solid like chalk to write or draw symbols on a surface or dust around the home for protection or warding off spiritual entities, and to aid in psychic protection. When water is added to it, it can be used as a paint on surfaces. Cascarilla is a potent repellent of negative energies and a purifier of space.

Steps:

Make a magical-cleaning wash.  With a bowl or bucket of warm water, add in the above ingredients. Trust your intuition of how much of each ingredient to add or which ones to eliminate. The super magical part of this creation, activating the purification properties of the materials. Call upon the deities and ancestors, of your choosing, to charge the mixture with your intent.

Prepare the rooms for cleansing. Sweep the floors of all rooms that are to be cleaned, (you can use some of the dried floor sweep for this step too).

Cleanse. After the rooms are ready use the cleaning solution and wipe down all walls, floors, surfaces, doors, windowsills( you can even include the ceilings). As you are cleaning focus on your intent for the cleaning, what you are removing and what you are calling in.

Finish. A great way to finish off a magical cleansing is to open the windows and doors and burn incense, herbs, or an herb bundle throughout the space, ensuring that that it is cleared and purified.

This magical cleasing wash can also be used on magical and ritual items.

Now that your space is cleansed, you’re ready to bring in new positive energies.

 

Beltane is a Fire Festival celebrated on April 30-May 1.  The word 'Beltane' originates from the Celtic God 'Bel', meaning 'the bright one' and the Gaelic word 'teine' meaning fire. Traditionally all fires in the community were put out and a special fire was kindled for Beltane. People jumped the fire to purify, cleanse and to bring fertility. Couples jumped the fire together to pledge themselves to each other. Cattle and other animals were driven through the smoke as a protection from disease and to bring fertility. At the end of the evening, participants would take some of the Teineigen to start their home fires anew. (From Sacred Celebrations by Glennie Kindred)

Colors of the Season

Green for growth, fertility, health, abundance.

White for purity, power, protection.

Yellow for solar energies, happiness, communication.

Plants of the Season

Woodruff for protection, victory, and wealth.

Daisy for attraction, love, and youth.

Lily of the Valley for desire, peace, and protection.

Mugwort for lust, fertility, communication with spirits.

Violet for fertility, prophetic dreams, love.

Traditions and Symbols

Flowers for fertility, love, and joy.

Maypole symbolizing fertility.

Green Man, Lord of the Wild Wood.

Earth Goddess associated with plants and animals.

Suggestions of ways to celebrate.

Light a Beltane fire – Light a fire in your garden to energize your plans and dreams by speaking to them aloud before tossing them into the fire. Invite friends and family to do the same. If you are in a relationship, Beltane is an excellent time to renew your intentions or vows to one another, and to leap the fire hand in hand. (Carefully of course)

Go camping – Being outside at this time of year is energizing and restorative. Lie on your back and gaze at the stars. Stay up and watch the sunrise.

Dance – around the Maypole if you have one or just put some music on and have a dance. Find some open spaces and let the kids run wild. Jump up and down, laugh out loud, and chase one another about.

Create something - Beltane is a festival of fertility. Plant a garden, write a story, make honey cakes, and may wine to celebrate the magic of the season.

Beltane Floral Crown 

Flowers are prominent in Beltane traditions as symbols of fertility, beauty, and love. The Roman Goddess Flora is frequently depicted wearing a ring of flowers around her head, as are the May Queens in European May Day celebrations. Creating a floral crown adds a festive flair to your celebration and doubles as a wreath for your door or altar. The wreath included in your box will get you started. You can add fresh flowers found growing around your home or from a local florist, vines, ribbons while inviting energies of beauty and creativity to enter your wreath. 

Invocation to Flora

Lovely Flora, pretty lady, you whose beauty is brighter than the stars,

Shiner then the seas, more glorious than the moon itself.

Lovely Flora, pretty lady, grace me, embrace me, enter into me, amaze me!

May your spirit come into my heart!

May your love flow through me!

May your beauty and bliss embrace me!

You are the Queen of the Flowers.

You are the beautiful blossoming earth.

You are the sprout that pushes through the flat field to reach the sun!

All the flowers of the earth reflect your love.

All the beauty of the earth is but your song.

You are the rose that opens and closes.

You are the love that is only its own.

Lovely Flora, pretty lady, come into my heart!

I am a flower awaiting your presence, a blossom that is ready to bloom.

Come into my heart, lovely Flora, enter into me, grace me, amaze me!

Embrace me and cause me to bloom! 

Beltane: Rituals, Recipes & Lore for May Day (Llewellyn's Sabbat Essentials Book 2) by Melanie Marquis

A Love Spell for exploring self-love and/or creating the potential of a loving life mate.

You will need:
Red Candle
Oil for the purpose of the spell
Incense for purpose of the spell
Stones for the purpose of the spell
Sheet of paper and pen
Use the incense to cleanse the space, tools, and stones. Anoint your candle and stones with the oil. Dab some of the oil on the paper, and some on your heart. Ground and focus on the purpose of your spell. When you are ready write down your heart's intentions. For self-love write down all the things you love about yourself and what you would like to heal. For a partner write down all the traits you are looking for and want in a relationship. Focus and visualize all the hopeful outcomes of the love you wish for and deserve. Make sure to compliment yourself and even hug yourself while visualizing. See yourself happily in love with yourself and/or a partner. With these thoughts in mind hold the crystals tight and place them over your heart. When you are ready fold the paper and dab with more oil. Place the paper on your altar with the stones on top. Now just sit with love and loves potential. Once you feel your spell is complete leave the altar set. The folded paper should be held onto so later when the love comes you have a memory to keep.
It may take a day or many before the spell works but never give up hope. Repeat the spell as often as you like and remember gratitude grows the heart!
May love find and surround you!

Created by The Witch Behind the Cauldron

 

Self Love Honey Jar Spell

A great spell for self-love is to make yourself a sweetening jar. It is a simple working that you can do with what you already have on-hand. You will need a jar with a lid, a sweetener (honey, sugar, molasses, or syrup), a candle, a piece of paper, and a pen.

Begin by writing a petition about what you are seeking. Your petition can be brief, simple, or detailed. Try writing the petition without the pen ever leaving the paper. Fold the paper once towards yourself, rotate it clockwise, fold it again, then repeat once more. Fold three times total. Before placing the petition in the jar, taste the sweetener while speaking aloud your purpose.

Place the folded paper in the jar. You may want to include personal effects such as a strand of your hair, a piece of your jewelry, a small photograph of yourself, herbs related to your purpose, and a few drops of a conditioning oil you have on hand, or you can use olive oil that you have self-blessed.

Traditionally a candle is burned on the lid of the jar. Choose a candle color that relates to your purpose. White candles can be used as all purpose, tea light candles are small enough to fit, chime and taper candles burn longer. Light the candle and think or say aloud a few words about your intent that are easy to remember.

Burn a candle on the jar lid once a week, or as often as you like. Every time you light the candle, think, or say the same words as the first time. Don’t worry if some candle wax leaks over the jar, the wax seals your intention.
Keep the jar as long as you want. Do not open the jar until you are ready to dispose. If you see cracks in in the glass, leaks, or mold simply dispose of the old jar and make a new one, removing personal items that you want to keep.

Imbolc (Candlemas, Brigid’s Day) is traditionally celebrated Jan 31-Feb 2, the halfway point between the Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox.

Imbolc is a festival that honors Brigid (Brighid, Bride, Brigit), a beloved pagan Goddess who was woven into the Christian church as St Bridget. In Kildare, Ireland, a women's only shrine was kept to her where nineteen nuns tended her continually burning sacred flame. She is a Goddess of healing (healers, medicine, spiritual healing) and inspiration (poets, poetry, creativity, prophecy, arts). She brings fertility to the land and its people.

Colors of the Season

White for purity and the color of milk.

Green for spring and healing.

Red for fire and creativity.

Gold for warmth of the sun and the color of grain.

Plants of the Season

Blackberry is Sacred to Brigid; the leaves and berries are used to attract prosperity and healing. Dandelion “the little notched of Bride”, snowdrop, crocus, acorns, oak tree, oat, chamomile, broom, shamrock, rushes, straw.

Imbolc Symbols

Fire - flames, candles, hearth, Brigid’s cross.

Water - cauldron, springs, wells, snow.

Grains- corn & oat sheaves for making Brigid wheels, Bridie dollies, Brigid's bed.

Animals- white cow with red ears, wolf, snake, swan, lamb.

Suggestions for celebration

Bless candles for use in future rituals and workings during the upcoming year.

Make Brigid wheels, placing the wheel above or on the door to bless the home & burning last year’s wheel. Also known as a Brigid's Cross it is traditional fire wheel symbol of protection.

Make a Brigid Doll is an old tradition which can be included in a ceremony and or placed in 'Bride's Bed' to bring fertility and good fortune to the home.

Put out food and drink for Brigid on Her eve (buttered bread, milk, grains, seeds).

Remove Yuletide greens from your home & burn. 

Imbolc Ritual

Decorate your altar with the colors and plants associated with the festival. Include a symbol of the season, such as a representation of a snowflake, a white flower, a Brigid’s wheel, or dollies. If you live in a region with snow, put some in a container and place on the altar. The melted snow can used for the water during the circle casting

Anoint candles with the Brigid Oil.

Light the candles and incense and cast the Circle.

"This is the time of the feast of torches,

when every lamp blazes and shines

to welcome the rebirth of the God.

I celebrate the Goddess,

I celebrate the God.

All the Earth celebrates

Beneath its mantle of sleep."

Take one of the lighted candles and slowly walk around the circle clockwise. You may want to read or recite a favorite poem.

Stop before the altar, holding up the candle. Gaze at its flame.

Visualize your life blossoming with creativity, with renewed energy and strength.

Celebrate with a simple feast of bread, butter, honey, and tea.

The circle is released.

Blessed Imbolc 

 

References

Farrar, Janet & Stewart (1987). The Witches Goddess.

Green, Miranda (1995). Celtic Goddesses.

Weber, Courtney (2015). Brigid: History, Mystery, and Magick of the Celtic Goddess

Cunningham, Scott (1988). Wicca A Guide for The Solitary Practitioner (pages 130 - 131).

 

Yule is the festival of the Winter Solstice, on or about December 21, the shortest day, and the longest night of the year. Celtic pagan traditions celebrated with the symbolic  battle between the Oak King who represents light (summer) and the Holly King who represents dark (winter) , the lighting of large bonfires to keep evil spirits from their crops through the dark months, and feasting.

Traditions and Symbols

Decorating the Yule tree, representing the Tree of Life, with pinecones, berries, fruit, coins, and corn to represent the hope for abundance and prosperity in the new year.

Burning of a Yule log, anointed with wassail, to symbolize the continual hearth fire and prevent bad spirits from entering the home.

Lighting of candles to lure back the sun.

Harvesting and hanging mistletoe, representing the fertility of the goddess and the seed of the Oak King, above doorways for protection.

Hanging bells to banish the negative and call in the positive.

A ritual at sunrise to welcome the light and warmth of the sun back to the land.

Colors of the Season

Red for the waning Holly King

Green for the waxing Oak King.

White for purity and the hope of new light.

Silver for the Moon.

Gold for the Sun.

Plants of the Season

Bay Leaves represent prosperity, luck, and success.

Evergreens are brought indoors to symbolize life, rebirth, renewal.

Holly Leaves, symbolic of the Holly King, symbolize hope and the red berries represent potency. Mistletoe’s green leaves symbolize fertility and its white berries the seed of the Oak King.

The Yule tree represents the Tree of Life and traditionally was decorated with the gift’s pagans wanted to receive from the Gods. Seasonal fruits and nuts like acorns, pecans, walnuts, oranges, and apples.    

Yule Ritual

Yule is a time of reflection during the long nights of the winter. As the trees and flowers go through their cycles of death and rebirth it is an opportunity to examine are own personal cycles of letting go of the old and bringing in the new.

A suggested ritual to help you celebrate your rebirth this Yule.

Clearing is a way of taking out the old and making the space for the new to enter our lives. Begin by lighting the Yule incense (included in your box) in a heat proof container. Walk around your home, while burning the incense, requesting energies that do not belong to you to leave and stay away.

Once you feel your space is cleared of unwanted energies, begin at the entrance of the room, and with the bell (included in your box) in your right hand, slowly move around the room in a clockwise motion, ringing the bell in a light but quick rhythm. Allow the bell to sound as it will. Voice your intentions for what you want to bring into your life  loudly and joyously. Let the bell lead you around the house. Ringing a bell will quickly change the way your home feels and help to manifest your intentions.

Decorate your altar and home with symbols of the season. Make yourself a cup of mulled wine or cider and light your candle. Think of all your accomplishments and ways you plan to adapt to strengthen yourself in the upcoming months. Express your gratitude for your achievements and what is to come. Many pagans stay up on Winter Solstice to greet the rising Sun with the ringing of bells.

The pendulum swings: Learning the basics of the pendulum. 

The first step is to know what a pendulum is and what it could be used for. A pendulum is a weight suspended so it can swing freely back and forward. For our purposes this is a piece of metal or crystal on a string or chain with a small piece at the end to hold onto.  We will be learning how to use a pendulum for basic divination and finding lost items. 

Which pendulum do I use?  This can be the most difficult part because it is not as simple as picking one you like. The pendulum has a choice as well. Many of you may have tried to pick a pendulum with a metal or crystal you have an affinity to, but you received no response from the pendulum itself. This means that the spirit of the pendulum does not wish to work with you, at least not without a lot of work. When first starting out that it is better to choose a pendulum that already works with you to learn the basics. The use of a divination kit can be extremely helpful and is highly advised for beginners. This will help you get the in touch with the spirit of the pendulum.

How do we know if the pendulum will work with us? Hold the pendulum in your dominant hand, suspending it over the open palm of your other hand. If the pendulum moves on its own, it will work with you. If it does not move at all you may want to choose another. 

  The basics of using a pendulum for divination consist of answering yes or no questions. To do this determine what swing is yes and what swing is no. The standard rule is that forward and back (from oneself) is yes and side to side is no. This is not always the case. I will take a pendulum that is responding to me and ask it yes or no questions, that I know the answers to. This exercise will exercise will determine what yes and no is for your pendulum. This can be everything from side to side, front to back, swinging in a clockwise or counter direction.  

The second use of a pendulum is finding lost items. This can be a bit more difficult but with a moderate amount of practice is doable. Position the pendulum the same way as previously stated and think of the item that is lost. As you think of the lost item you will find the pendulum pulls in the direction you must follow. Stop from time to time to recheck the direction. 

This last section will be on troubleshooting your pendulum. If you have a pendulum that is not working correctly it needs to be reset. This is very simple but may require a few items. To start place the pendulum in a small bag and sleep with it under your pillow. This will help reset the pendulums connection. You can also apply divination oil to the chain and pendulum while in use. This will boost the pendulums strength and connection. Drinking a cup of divination tea will help you open up to the pendulum as well, which will allow you to reestablish the connection.    

Once you have become adept at these basics a whole new world of divination will open itself up to you. This will allow you to find the answers you seek.