Healing recipes

(please note that many of these recipes come from the book Incense Oils and Brews by Scott Cunningham. Also everyone is welcome to share their own recipes in the comment section…) Please feel free to contact me, or leave a comment/question below!

This month we will focus on healing blends.  Always remember first off, that each person will smell the fragrance differently. To some it might make a headache go away and leave them feeling euphoric. For others the scent could give them that headache if they might be allergic to it. Always go with what works for you, or the person in question. Don’t make yourself go through a headache when there are so many other things to try out there.

There are oils for everything. But let’s just “say” that you have insomnia and you know that chamomile really helps. The problem is that, you can only find the herb, not the oil. Go ahead and create a tea using the little flowers to use in conjunction with your oil scent. Also remember, if you are using an oil to help you sleep, don’t use burning as your way to get the scent. We wouldn’t want to leave a tea lite candle burning as we slept right?

A recipe for healing that you could wear or bathe in: (herbs or oils would work)

3 parts Rosemary

2 parts Lavender

2 parts Rose

1 part Peppermint

1 part Cinnamon

Here is a recipe for insomnia that you can anoint your body with to help you sleep;

2 drops Rose

1 drop Mace

Or

2 drops Rose

1 drop Jasmine

1 drop Chamomile

More Healing recipes (this first one is a favorite)

#1)

4 drops Rosemary

2 drops Juniper

1 drop Sandalwood

#2)

3 drops Eucalyptus

1 drop Niaouli

1 drop Palmarosa

1 drop Spearmint

Scents for your Sensibilities: Aphrodisiacs

Happy Mid Spring;

This time we are going to concentrate scents that can put you in the mood, or put a partner into a romantic frame of mind. There are a whole host of scents and different ways you can use them, but we will concentrate on the most easy. Of course, you can always plan to double up on “affect” by using food support, a meal of differing tastes and sensations, while burning a ritualized candle, (red for power and sexuality, runes or images that court to your intuition that will aid the intent.)

With of without anything else, there are oils that you can burn, rub into a candle or object, or place on the actual skin, depending of course on what scent you are using. To burn, I personally have always found Patchouli to be extremely affective in bringing a romantic mood into a room.  Other simple incenses to use might include, and new incense to burn called “Sensual”, (created by “Nu Incense), there is also an incense powder called “Love Honey”, and you can easily go through the stacks of packaged incense and grab ones titled “Love, Sensuality, Attraction, Seduction, at a local store to help create the mood.

#1) (a) Flowery Love Bath (this is an oil you would bathe in to attract your lover’s attentions.

3 parts Palmarosa

2 parts Lavender

1 drop of Rose (burn a pink candle while in the bath

#2) Sexual Energy Oil

2 drops Ginger

2 drops Patchouli

1 drop Cardamom

1 drop Sandalwood

#3) Fire Oil (Elemental for passion)

3 drops Ginger

2 drops Rosemary

1 drop Clove

1 Drop Petitgrain

As you can see from some of the ingredients above, many of the same scents are used. If you really wanted to be inspired, you could try burning one of each scent in different rooms, to see what affect you might be able to generate, saving the most potent to you for the “event room (s) so to speak.

Enjoy, and don’t be afraid to experiment, but do remain cautious with how oils might react to bare skin.

Now we are going to have a little fun with some recipes. Most of the ones we will discuss  were discovered or created by Scott Cunningham in his book titled Incense, Oils & Brews. I have always found this book to be a priceless tool when trying to figure out what to blend with what and by how much technically. Though I always go by what my intuition tells me, Mr. Cunningham gives me an excellent base to start off with.

Many of his scents or recipes for scents have worked really well for just about every person I have ever spoken with about it. They say this book is “the” book, so if you have a limited budget and would like a great book that covers almost everything, grab this one.

So okay, I didn’t receive any recipes form readers who were in love with their results, however, I have one for prosperity that I creates and love, and I will include one from the book.

The first is a ritual oil I rub on a candle for spells designed to bring prosperity.

Prosperity Ritual Oil
(Kerry A Morgan)
You really don’t need a ton of this but I do not measure things traditionally. I use my nose and intuition to know if I should add more or less of something and you should do the same when working with oils. It IS for you, whatever it is you’ve decided you need the oil for, so it should speak to you. Using your own senses for this is always best.

For me- Patchouli Oil works wonders in the money department. So I use this as my main scent. Using an amber colored bottle to keep it safe from the sun, I fill it with at least 1/3 of your basic, but good quality patchouli oil. The next scent that I add is chamomile by adding an actual little crushed budded flower. Depending on how the scent works at the time, I add 1/3. Then I top off the bottle with one of two scents. Either a mint/peppermint, or I’ll use cedar wood. Sometimes the chamomile doesn’t want to work under my nose so to speak, so I’ll use basil oil instead, but even if it squinches my nose a bit, I try to stick with chamomile. I try to do this close to a full moon so it can set overnight, then I use the oil on a green candle to ritualize it before burning it. To bring money quickly to you, rub in a twisting motion, the candle from the bottom – upwards in a clockwise motion, until it feels like it is ready. Then light and let burn until all gone in a safe environment.

The recipe for fast money inside S.C.’s book is this;

Seven drops of patchouli, 5 drops of cedar wood, four drops of vetivert, and two drops of ginger, again in a dark colored bottle. Wear, rub on your hands, on ritualize a green candle with this recipe. Also bless and anoint any money you receive to ensure its quick return.

Oils can be extremely useful for spells. It is actually one of my personal favorite ways to include the power of the scent or plant, in the working. Some would say that an Essential oil works better for magical purposes. I will agree to some extent. If you are using the power of Rose the flower, the scent, the color, everything about “Rose” then you will probably want the actual essence of rose. Blends and synthetics are good for their purposes as well but they are created by taking other scents and a base oil being mixed together so there would technically be other vibrations mixed in with your rose scent.

Essentials should be diluted if you plan to wear it on your person as they tend to be extremely strong. Other ways of using an oil in spell work might be, drawing a ritual bath, and using a drop or two of your essential there. That would count as diluting the oil obviously. Other times the practitioner will rub the oil on a candle. This is called ritualizing the candle.

Other times an oil will be used to consecrate a magical tool, or alter piece. By rubbing the piece with the oil, the magical properties of the plant used in the oil, will fuse with the tool, thus giving it the vibration and other metaphysical properties to the tool. This action would be repeated for continued use or need of the plant, or changed by using a different oil the next time, depending on the work being done.

Oil burned can give the same qualities to the air thus within you by breathing in the scent. If you are doing meditation or transcendental work, burning the scent can be extremely helpful in reaching the most relaxed state for visualization or enlightenment.

The next few articles will include different scents for different spells. If you have a favorite oil for working a certain type of spell, I would love to read about it, and will include your recipe with the others, giving you credit for your recipe/blend. Sends suggestions to km@kerryamorgan.com with “oil blend” in the subject line.

Well, I thought we would start things off with Oils. But as we discuss this wonderful art of making, using, as well as the different ingredients that can be used; we are also going to delve into why these things can be used to truly help lift our spirits, bring us money, open our heart to love and magic and a whole bunch of other wonderful things. Oils are not “just” scents, they truly can change and help our “sensibilities” to keep us grounded and happy.

I will be using a number of different references but I’d like to make it clear right off, that other than the internet, and the years of personal experience I’ve had with creating specialty oils, I will also be utilizing many of the recipes and techniques from Scott Cunningham’s book titled, Incense, Oils and Brews.  The man was a genius and not to take advantage of the information he left us would be a great folly.

So to start things off, let’s put ourselves inside a store in front of endless rows of little amber bottles. Some say, blend. Some say essential, some are called an essence. What’s the difference and why does it matter? There is a difference (obviously or there wouldn’t be different titles) and we are going to discuss those.

We are going to start with blends. A blend is pretty self explanatory. It means the creator of the oil took several different scents and mixed them together to create the scent you are inhaling when you pop the cap. Personally, I absolutely adore blends and it is one of my highest selling products on my online store. Highest selling because you can personalize a blend for a person. To create a blend there are a couple of things you have to have. The first being a base. Usually a light base such as almond oil is excellent because it is light enough to not stain materials but it also mixes well with other oils. Corn, vegetable, or better yet, olive oil works as a base as well.

Once you have your base, as well as an amber bottle to put your blend in, start smelling. Depending on your need, or the need of your client in my case, find other scents that promote that. Say your client or self, needs more prosperity in their lives and by wearing the scent it will help create a state of mind that will open the doors to accept money. Fill your amber bottle 1/3 with your base oil. (Let’s note this is my recipe which has proven itself by sales.) Just pour it into your bottle.

I would be amiss if I didn’t say that of course you can do this by magical times, say maybe under a full moon, or facing north, or whatever ritual you want to attach to the creating of the oil as there are some great ones out there. But for right now, we are just talking about creating a blend without the tradition that might be behind it. After you have your base, connect to your client, or self through touch or other means, and then start smelling other scents conducive to bringing money into your life. Some of these scents might be,  another blend for Prosperity previously made, it could include Tonka, Patchouli, Basil, Heliotrope, even Honey Suckle. There are a whole host of scents just for prosperity.

Take some of these scents and choose one to add to your base as the second base. This will be the scent that is underneath the others. Smell your bottle and continue to add by your own sense of smell what needs to be added. When the bottle is pretty full, say a chant or prayer of blessing over the scented blend you’ve created, label it, and there you have your own blend of prosperity oil designed by you, for you, using your own magical abilities as well as those vibrations inherent in the oil to bring a person, wealth.

Enjoy your project. Smell it often and trust yourself. Know that your nose will tell you what scents you need in your blend. Smell the scent you want to add then smell your blend. Add more as needed because your intuition knows what you need and will tell you which scents to add to your blend by how it makes you feel when you smell it. If you cringe that’s not going to put you in the state of mind to accept wealth into your life. If you smell your blend and it makes you hmmm in anticipation of wearing or burning it, you are on the right track.

This month we get to celebrate Imbolc on February 1st. It is and has been since ancient times one of the major Sabbats to celebrate the impending return of Spring. It also could be considered in those ancient times, a celebration of the New Year. For pagans with a Celtic lean, it was a time to celebrate Brigit which also means “bride”. Though now she is considered a Christian Saint, she began as a Celtic Goddess, meaning “Light-Bringer.”

The bringing of Light, the return of Spring, the return of flowing this after the thaw. The flow of water, of milk from mother giving birth, it is a celebration of what is coming, as opposed to what has happened. Spring is the time for rebirth and is celebrated with fire, which in many themes of celebration represents fire.

Imbolc back in the day, was an important time, for the beginning of February meant you were in the heart of winter, though the days were beginning to stay brighter longer. Soon you could look forward to planting and tilling the soil. Warmer days and warmer nights, and the end of dark times. Bon fires were erected and lit and danced around for the knowledge that soon, crops could be planted and the cold would retreat to further lands.

Also, way back during those ancient times, The Catholic Church adopted the Imbolc day of celebration and changed it for their members to a celebration on February second called Candlemas. It was dedicated to Bridgit the Saint and celebrated with processions of flames.

There were other interesting ways the day/night was celebrated that were used back in ancient years. Many writers believed her name meant “fiery arrow” which was incorrect, but supported the smith craft or one who returned the fire, creativity and growth of the land. It was also believed that Brigit had two sacred oxen each with a red ear which was common back in the day of the Celts. Legend tells that her mother would bathe her in milk where as she couldn’t eat anything else, she was fed the milk of these oxen. Later, Brigit performed a miracle by increasing the flow of milk for her peoples so they would not starve.

The most important thing to remember, is Brigit was associated with fire, regeneration, the return of life basically. Here are ways to celebrate her either as the Celtic Mother Goddess, or the Christian Saint.

The time for purification! Clean your house, little areas of clutter that have
taken residence in the recesses of your home…

If you still have a tree in your home, this is the time
to burn it…

Create your own Brigit’s crosses and put them inside your home,
the kitchen is a great places where her presence will bless your food…

Make cakes and sweets to place outside your door with a glass
of  milk for Brigit and her cows as they walk past your door.

Leave a silk ribbon on your door for Brigit to bless as she walks by, then
use it for healing purposes.

You can also meditate on things you’d like to leave in the past be it old habits,
old “things”, ways of thinking or doing things that are best left in the past for growth.

References: http://www.chalicecentre.net/imbolc.htm
http://www.worldspirituality.org/imbolc.html
Celtic Magic by D.J. Conway

The Winter Solstice was important to many different cultures in times past. It really marked the passage of seasons and marked a time of celebration for the winter months, it was finally the time to rest at least in the Northern Hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphere it marked the time of summer and sunshine filled days.

The Solstice celebrations are a hard thing to put a time line on without knowing the exact date the Earth was born. But as far back as recorded history goes, the Winter Solstice, no matter which hemisphere you lived in, was an important event. For our purpose here, we will focus on what many pagans will participate in or have participated in for their celebrations around the world.

For many cultures of pagans, divination is a fun way to celebrate the Solstice. This was a popular activity in years past. Some of the methods of divination in years past might include scrying. With so many lakes and ponds freezing, they acted as a perfect “mirror” back in the day, especially when scrying under a full moon in the dead of night.

Many cultures used fire or candles to celebrate the coming of Winter. Once mirrors were created, two candles could be set to reflect their flames and enlightenment could be found by sitting and observing the reflections. Another way to celebrate the return of Light to the world, after the first early days of Winter, was to light a Yule log which was brought in from the woods many months ahead of the celebration. It was believed to help bring protection from harm to the family that had a Yule log within their home.

Some cultures would put their shoes lined up in a row together to signify harmony throughout the year. Others still would created an alter to their gods and goddesses and look for guidance for the coming year in dripping wax, or the drifting smoke of candles or bon fires. Some considered it bad luck to allow the candles or fires to burn out.

In the most ancient of times, the changing of seasons became a beacon of hope. During the winter cold it was a bleak hard time for peoples living so long ago. When the sun came up on the day after the Solstice it was a signal for hope that warmth and the growing of plants and foods would indeed return after the time of rest.

How did you celebrate your Solstice this year? Did you mark the day with presents? Did you celebrate the sun returning? Have you stored enough to last through the winter months? For pagans, it is an important time to recognize the need to relax and rest and celebrate the seasonal changes but also the time of rebirth. For magical practitioners of all cultures, it was and continues to represent a time to let go of old ways of thinking and living, and start new ways. Many celebrations will incorporate magical ritual to help people change their old ways and adopt new, more enlightened ways.

I hope everyone had a truly wonderful, loving holiday time with family and friends, without stress and worry, with good health and prosperity for all.

History of Irish Myths

Well this author was thoroughly impressed to discover that Ireland has a rather rich historic mythological background. I also suspect that it wouldn’t be considered “myth” had Christian monks not been the ones recording everything. The fact that they are of a tradition, caused me to hesitate, but then again, if it had been my own tradition doing the recording, then, maybe I wouldn’t feel that way. This will mark the beginning of a series of articles studying the different periods of the history of Ireland. If you would like to read about the history of your own tradition please feel free to email me the suggestion.

The monks of the time listened to elders telling their families of the history. As they recorded what they heard, they intended to entertain the royals and thus decided to tweak the stories just a bit to a Christian lean.  They did this by removing the divinity of key players and rewrote epic events into simple tales. Despite this discovery there are a couple of manuscripts we can look back and read such as The Book of Invasions. With that in mind, let’s go back in time, and visit what the history of Ireland may have entailed.

Apparently there are four different historical cycles. The first historic cycle is called the Mythological cycle. This period of time is specifically called the Mythological cycle because it deals with many “Otherworld” type beings. The monks couldn’t exactly say these beings are completely real, and their tales true, because of their own tradition. I suspect this is one of the areas where they changed the characters from glorious powerful players, to regular human beings. This is also considered the time of the Invasions.

It is this time period where we learn about all the different types of beings that tried to rule the island. I found it extremely interesting to learn that the Partholonians were considered the first inhabitants of Ireland. This group landed on Beltaine, fought with the next group to try to rule and were said to be wiped out by a plague.

The next group to attempt to rule Ireland, were called the Nemedians, also said to have lived on Ireland for many years. They fought with the Partholonians who fought with the Fomhoire’. The Nemedians were also killed by the plague, and any left living were defeated and run off by the Fomhoire‘.

The Fomhoire’ were next and means “come from the sea.” These creatures were said to haave come from the “evil or dark fairy” race and were terribly misshapen. They were said to be the gods of death and cold. These creatures were said to be worshiped by the Fir Bholg or Men of Bags. The Men of Bags were also known as the men of the Goddess Domnu, a Goddess I hadn’t heard of before. Though they lived and worshiped the Fomhoire’ The Tuatha De’ Danann defeated them in battle and took over Ireland at that time.

The Tuatha De’ Danann were considered the race of the gods of the goddess Danu. They rules the powers of Light, life and warmth. According to the Book of Invasions this race came upon Ireland by surprise inside clouds. From the cities they settled in after battling the Fomhoire’ many sacred objects were said to have been created. The stone of Destiny, The Spear of Lugh, as well as the Sword of Naudhu, and the Dagda’s Cauldron. The Dagda being the God to Danu’s Goddess.

The Tuatha De’ Danann were defeated by the Milesians the first human ancestors of Ireland. Here the book of Invasions states that an agreement was reached between these two forces. The humans would get to rule the upper regions of Earth and the Tuatha the lower regions or underground. This is where the name Sidhe came from, eventually dwindling to the name of the Faerie Folk.

Source: http://www.sacredfire.net/peoples.html#Partholonians

In next months article we will study the second period called Fenian Cycle.

That was the usual way you were declared a witch. More sorry, usually the person accused was not in fact a witch. Most of the time, the person was a healing woman, a wise woman who knew of certain herbs simply because it had worked in her family and the information handed down from generation to generation. Does that make a person a witch?

It could. But what really makes a person a witch? Is it the certain religious path they take? Whether Wiccan, solitary, Gardnerian? These are all paths to practice the Craft, yes, but does following a path make you a witch? What actually makes a person a witch, what defines them?

I would offer, that what makes a person a witch, is what is inside the person’s heart. How they choose to “fix” things, heal things, what they choose to be important in their lives. Being a witch isn’t about how many crystals you have, or how many herbs you’ve decided to put in a tea, or even how many people you’ve healed. It isn’t even which school you attended to receive your witch degree.

No, to define a real witch, is to define a person’s heart. When your child comes to you ill with the flu, whether you know it’s the flu or not, what is your first reaction? Grab the Tylenol you just purchased at the store, or cleanse the child’s chakras? When your neighbor raises that awesome crop, full enough to last all winter, do you thank the store that sent you the seeds or do you look to the sky and whisper thanks be to the Sun, Moon, Weather and Earth?

A Witch is a Witch by what is inside their heart. Whether you lived in the 1600’s and had to hide it, or whether you live in the 2000’s and could openly go to your metaphysical store and buy hand made beeswax for the ointment you planned to heal the rash of your next door neighbor. It doesn’t matter, what matters is your first instinct. Where your heart goes and what your mind first thinks in times of decision making.