Thriftcrafting: Witching on a Budget
Dream Pillows
Merry meet.
As we approach the second harvest, one thing you might consider doing with nature’s gifts is to use them to make a dream pillow. They cost about $9 retail, but you can make them for much less if you have access to some of the herbs. Another reason for making them yourself is so you can customize the blend to your liking. There’s also a variation that requires no sewing.
First select a small piece of fabric – a favorite shirt that no longer fits, vintage handkerchiefs, the silk pajamas you never wear, scarves or bandanas – and some thread. Wash and dry the fabric.
Cut out a piece bigger than a credit card, but smaller than a tarot card. With right sides together, sew up three sides, leaving a short side open. The top can be folded over twice to form a casing for a drawstring, or upon stuffing, the open end can be stitched shut.
Sew your pillows on a machine or by hand, alone or in a group. (I’m hoping to make this a group project on a full moon, perhaps as a part of a ritual.)
The herbs you select for your pillow will determine its use: an aid for sleeping or to encourage dreams – or both. The herbs can be harvested from the wild, gathered from the garden or purchased. When thinking thrift, be creative. You can take some dried catnip from the jar you bought for the cat, dump out the contents of two or three chamomile tea bags and get rosemary from the spice rack, maybe even use the rose petals you dried from your last bouquet.
Research as much or as little as you wish. You can combine the dried botanicals in almost any combination or ratio. Recipes can be found that give precise amounts of ingredients, but in the end, it’s always smart to trust your instincts. (For instance, if you reach for your jar of dried chamomile and find it’s empty, consider it a sign to make your blend without it.) If you feel stuck, you can try using a pendulum to make selections.
Some herbs that can be used to soothe you to sleep include catnip, chamomile, hops, lavender, lemon balm, passion flower, rose petals, rosemary, woodruff, valerian and ylang ylang.
To encourage dreams, try clary sage, damiana, lavender, lemongrass, lemon balm, lilac, mint, mugwort and wormwood. It is said mullein and anise ward off nightmares while jasmine flowers will enhance erotic and romantic dreams.
Tuck the pillows in or under your own pillow, or keep it next to you. If it still smells pleasant, it’s still useful. (Figure 4-6 months.)
Variations abound.
Other formulas can also be made, such as a fiery blend for strength in battle or something to help release pain and grief – to be kept in a pocket or tucked inside a bra.
For a no-sew version, use small, purchased small drawstring bags or cut a circle of cloth and place the herbs in its center. Gather up the outer edges and use a strip of matching fabric, lace, embroidery floss, yarn or string to tie and knot it.
You can add drops of essential oil and gemstones to the contents.
Turn a dream pillow into an eye pillow by making it longer and wider (about 10 inches by 4 inches) increasing the amount of herbs proportionately while adding rice or small beans as filler and to provide a flexible weight that will conform wonderfully to your eyes.
Mix up blends for pet pillows. The Mountain Rose Blog I stumbled upon after a Google search stated that cats like catnip, chamomile, pennyroyal and valerian, while dogs like eucalyptus, lavender, pennyroyal, rosemary, thyme and wormwood.
Sweet dreams.
Merry part.
And merry meet again.