{"id":1884,"date":"2009-06-01T01:10:10","date_gmt":"2009-06-01T06:10:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/paganpages.org\/content\/?p=1894"},"modified":"2009-05-28T12:12:41","modified_gmt":"2009-05-28T17:12:41","slug":"new-to-the-craft-8","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/2009\/06\/01\/new-to-the-craft-8\/","title":{"rendered":"New To the Craft"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Magic of Herbs <\/strong><\/p>\n

There has always been a natural association between the Craft and herbal work.\u00a0 Before the advent of modern medicine, it was typically the village wisewoman or midwife whom people consulted when they were in need of cures for their ailments.\u00a0 Witches learned the properties of the plants growing in their environments and put them to good use.\u00a0 Brews and potions were used to extract the essence of each herb for consumption, while poultices could be created to apply to wounds or rashes.\u00a0 Many modern Wiccans and witches draw on this tradition in their own practice, as a more earth-centered alternative to pharmaceuticals.<\/p>\n

Of course as a magical tradition the Craft sees more in herbs than just their medicinal qualities.\u00a0 The choosing of herbs for spells and magical work is based on the idea of \u201cvibrational resonance.\u201d\u00a0 Most systems of magical correspondences are derived from similar theories.\u00a0 Basically, all matter is acknowledged to vibrate at a particular rate specific to its composition.\u00a0 An amethyst crystal would vibrate at a different frequency than, say, the petals of a sunflower.\u00a0 If it seems strange to think of inanimate objects as vibrating, consider the amazing properties of quartz which allow it to be used as a time-keeping device in modern-day watches.\u00a0 While unseen by our basic senses, the effects are indeed visible.\u00a0 Resonance is the principle of harmony between different substances.\u00a0 If two separate objects vibrate in a harmonious pattern, they can then be brought together to amplify their effects.\u00a0 This is the basis of using certain stones, herbs, colors etc. when designing a spell.\u00a0 If the different elements vibrate at similar rates, they enhance the working.\u00a0 To use herbs in magic, one typically uses the dried or fresh forms to be burned with incense or within the cauldron.\u00a0 Bundles of sage are one example and are burned to purify sacred space.\u00a0 Small sachets can also be made to carry herbs with you for a specific purpose, much like a talisman.\u00a0 There are many published books listing the properties of various herbs and to what purposes they are best suited.\u00a0 My particular favorite is Cunningham\u2019s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs.\u00a0 These are wonderful guides, but it\u2019s important not to discount one\u2019s own intuition in choosing herbs for your purpose too.\u00a0 After all, if it doesn\u2019t feel right for what you are doing, you will just be working against your own intent.<\/p>\n

Learning the uses of every herb out there could fill a lifetime.\u00a0 Though it can seem tempting to skip the reading and dive right in, it is important to learn about each herb you use thoroughly before doing so.\u00a0 This is especially so if you plan to use any herb medicinally.\u00a0 \u201cNatural\u201d does not equal \u201charmless\u201d as the existence of countless poisonous and toxic plants demonstrates.\u00a0 A smart witch researches the herbs s\/he plans to use and knows how to identify the plant, what parts are to be used, what it is suited for, and what it is not suited for.\u00a0 A medical professional or licensed herbalist should be consulted if taking herbs internally to avoid interactions with medication.\u00a0 Wicca calls for the utmost respect of Mother Earth and for all of nature, which includes our own bodies.\u00a0 Learning the proper use of herbs in both healing and magic is a wonderful way to honor that commitment.<\/p>\n

Journal for the Month of May: <\/strong><\/p>\n

Beltane was a wonderful day!\u00a0 I had the opportunity to attend a local festival held in the park, complete with May Pole dances and a potluck feast!\u00a0 I think I\u2019m starting to feel less like an outsider as I attend public events.\u00a0 When I\u2019m at home reading I feel like I am only scratching the surface of the knowledge available, and that everyone else must be light years ahead of me.\u00a0 But we all have to start somewhere, and it\u2019s not like it\u2019s a race.\u00a0 Plus it\u2019s hard to feel unwelcome when everyone I\u2019ve met in a public setting is so open and friendly!\u00a0 I think maybe we all share a sigh of relief knowing we are in a place with like-minded folks and we don\u2019t have to put up the walls that we may have to in our daily lives.<\/p>\n

I made the discovery of a Wiccan congregation in my area.\u00a0 They offer classes and I\u2019m seriously thinking of attending some to meet more folks.\u00a0 I still plan to remain a solitary in practice if only because to me my spiritual and religious ideas are a very personal matter and I don\u2019t necessarily think I want to pursue them with a group.\u00a0 It\u2019s hard to explain, but when I attune with the God or Goddess, I want it to be just me and them.\u00a0 I want to talk to, study with, and meet others on these paths, but I think I\u2019ll always practice on my own.\u00a0 It\u2019s all a personal choice and we all have different paths to walk in order to grow as we need to.<\/p>\n

Until next month, blessed be! )O( <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Magic of Herbs There has always been a natural association between the Craft and herbal work.\u00a0 Before the advent of modern medicine, it was typically the village wisewoman or midwife whom people consulted when they were in need of cures for their ailments.\u00a0 Witches learned the properties of the plants growing in their environments and put them to good use.\u00a0 Brews and potions were used to extract the essence of each herb for consumption, while poultices could be created to apply to wounds or rashes.\u00a0 Many modern Wiccans and witches draw on this tradition in their own practice, as a more earth-centered alternative to pharmaceuticals. Of course as a magical tradition the Craft sees more in herbs than just their medicinal qualities.\u00a0 The choosing of herbs for spells and magical work is based on the idea of \u201cvibrational resonance.\u201d\u00a0 Most systems of magical correspondences are derived from similar theories.\u00a0 Basically, all matter is acknowledged to vibrate at a particular rate specific to its composition.\u00a0 An amethyst crystal would vibrate at a different frequency than, say, the petals of a sunflower.\u00a0 If it seems strange to think of inanimate objects as vibrating, consider the amazing properties of quartz which allow it to be used as a time-keeping device in modern-day watches.\u00a0 While unseen by our basic senses, the effects are indeed visible.\u00a0 Resonance is the principle of harmony between different substances.\u00a0 If two separate objects vibrate in a harmonious pattern, they can then be brought together to amplify their effects.\u00a0 This is the basis of using certain stones, herbs, colors etc. when designing a spell.\u00a0 If the different elements vibrate at similar rates, they enhance the working.\u00a0 To use herbs in magic, one typically uses the dried or fresh forms to be burned with incense or within the cauldron.\u00a0 Bundles of sage are one example and are burned to purify sacred space.\u00a0 Small sachets can also be made to carry herbs with you for a specific purpose, much like a talisman.\u00a0 There are many published books listing the properties of various herbs and to what purposes they are best suited.\u00a0 My particular favorite is Cunningham\u2019s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs.\u00a0 These are wonderful guides, but it\u2019s important not to discount one\u2019s own intuition in choosing herbs for your purpose too.\u00a0 After all, if it doesn\u2019t feel right for what you are doing, you will just be working against your own intent. Learning the uses of every herb out there could fill a lifetime.\u00a0 Though it can seem tempting to skip the reading and dive right in, it is important to learn about each herb you use thoroughly before doing so.\u00a0 This is especially so if you plan to use any herb medicinally.\u00a0 \u201cNatural\u201d does not equal \u201charmless\u201d as the existence of countless poisonous and toxic plants demonstrates.\u00a0 A smart witch researches the herbs s\/he plans to use and knows how to identify the plant, what parts are to be used, what it is suited for, and what it is not suited for.\u00a0 A medical professional or licensed herbalist should be consulted if taking herbs internally to avoid interactions with medication.\u00a0 Wicca calls for the utmost respect of Mother Earth and for all of nature, which includes our own bodies.\u00a0 Learning the proper use of herbs in both healing and magic is a wonderful way to honor that commitment. Journal for the Month of May: Beltane was a wonderful day!\u00a0 I had the opportunity to attend a local festival held in the park, complete with May Pole dances and a potluck feast!\u00a0 I think I\u2019m starting to feel less like an outsider as I attend public events.\u00a0 When I\u2019m at home reading I feel like I am only scratching the surface of the knowledge available, and that everyone else must be light years ahead of me.\u00a0 But we all have to start somewhere, and it\u2019s not like it\u2019s a race.\u00a0 Plus it\u2019s hard to feel unwelcome when everyone I\u2019ve met in a public setting is so open and friendly!\u00a0 I think maybe we all share a sigh of relief knowing we are in a place with like-minded folks and we don\u2019t have to put up the walls that we may have to in our daily lives. I made the discovery of a Wiccan congregation in my area.\u00a0 They offer classes and I\u2019m seriously thinking of attending some to meet more folks.\u00a0 I still plan to remain a solitary in practice if only because to me my spiritual and religious ideas are a very personal matter and I don\u2019t necessarily think I want to pursue them with a group.\u00a0 It\u2019s hard to explain, but when I attune with the God or Goddess, I want it to be just me and them.\u00a0 I want to talk to, study with, and meet others on these paths, but I think I\u2019ll always practice on my own.\u00a0 It\u2019s all a personal choice and we all have different paths to walk in order to grow as we need to. Until next month, blessed be! )O(<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":1,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1884","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1884","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1884"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1884\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1884"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1884"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1884"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}