Candle Making!

Candles are an integral part of any spiritual  ritual and especially useful in magic.  I decided to craft some of my own to make the use of candles in my ritual that much more powerful because I have placed my own energy not just on the candle but within the candle at the making of it.  I bought some high quality paraffin that is specially designed for making candles within glass or ceramic containers.  I did not want to purchase molds and decided instead to utilize some very small canning jars and some ceramic cups that I already had as containers.

I fixed wicks within the jars, cut the paraffin into small chunks and placed them into a double boiler. (You can make your own double boiler by placing one stock pot within another).  One tip:  I used one of my regular cooking stockpots and the wax is difficult to clean completely out of it so I am going to try to find a cheap used stock pot at a thrift store to dedicate to this purpose.

The wax melts very quickly so this process does not take long.  When the wax was melted, I added some candle colorant and essential oils to the wax.  I made two batches.  The first batch I colored green and added cedar, juniper, and rosemary oils.  The second batch I added brown coloring and sandalwood, patchouli, and palmarosa oils.  One mistake I did make and that is I poured the wax at too high of a temperature.  This caused the wax to sink in at the center of the candles.  The directions said to pour the wax at 125 degrees and my wax was closer to 150.

I had a lot of fun making these candles.  When I picked the colors and oils, I did not have a specific ritual in mind.  I picked colors and fragrances that I love.  If I did want to do a ritual for a specific purpose; for example: love, money, protection, ect... I would use colors associated with those purposes and fragrances that would support that. (This information can be found in any book on the magical use of herbs such as Scott Cunningham's).  I started with 4 lbs of paraffin and ended up with 24 candles!!  The warm glow and fragrances are wonderful!

A Night of Tarot and Fun!!

Last evening was spent with a group women that I celebrate the wheel of the year with.  It is a diverse group ranging in age from 24 to 74, all with a vast array of experiences and talents.  We share a love of the Goddess and a commitment to rituals celebrating her many faces.  So last night we had a light hearted evening of fun talking and playing with tarot decks.  We shared our different decks, pulled cards for ourselves, and gifted cards to others.  It was a wonderful evening!!
Pictured above are 3 decks that I shared--some of my favorites!  TheFaerie Tarot by Brian Froud, The Wildwood Tarot with art by Bill Worthington (my current favorite!) and the Tantric Dakini Oracle by Nik Douglas.  I have to admit that I have an addiction to tarot cards.  There are probably about 25-30 in my collection right now (I hate to get an exact count because it may be more than that!!).  Many of them I love for the art work alone.  I go through phases with many of them and some seem appropriate for certain readings or moods.  One that I have not yet come to terms with is my Faerie deck pictured above.  The faeries seem to be little tricksters to me and the readings have been confusing!!  :-)

Pictured above are some of my tarot bags.  I love to make an elegant bag to hold my cards and each deck has a unique bag.  I line them so there are two beautiful fabrics back to back, then I use a lovely satin cord to tie them closed and add a tassle of real stones and beads for decoration and nice energy.  I am considering making a few for my Esty site!

Witchy Kitchen Brews!

Every good witch should be able to make a magical brew!  In my kitchen right now I have a new experiment along with a tried and true process going.  First is my new brew:  home made Grand Marnier orange liquor.   I got this recipe from James Green's book "The Herbal Medicine Maker's Handbook", one of the best books for learning how to make herbal products yourself.  You need a half gallon jar--wide mouth opening.  Into that jar pour 250 ml of good brandy (a little over a cup).  I used a bottle of excellent Cognac that I had been given but don't really like.  To that you add 2/3 C sugar.  DO NOT mix or stir!!! (I don't know why!) Then take a juicy organic orange (make sure first that it easily fits thru the mouth of your jar--mine almost didn't!)  Stick 4 tooth picks into it, one on each side and level with each other.  Tie strings to each toothpick to suspend the orange in the jar.  You want the orange an inch or two above the brandy.  Have holes in the lid to run the string thru and tie so it stays in place.  This will have to sit for 10 days and the liqour will evaporate, catch on the orange, collect the essential oils and drip back down!!  YUM!!  Each day you are suppose to carefully turn the jar one complete 360 degree turn---DO NOT lift up or shake or jostle the jar, just turn it while it sits on the counter.  I turn mine clockwise to bring in positive energy (counter clockwise drives out negative energy which is not needed) .  I say a little incantation to the kitchen gods and spirits while I do it and will give them a taste as an offering when it is done!!! The sugar can be mixed up with the brandy when the orange is removed, then enjoy!!!

My other brewing is homemade Kombucha.  Kombucha is a bacterial colony that you put into sweetened tea to make a very healthy drink.  It is very expensive to buy at the natural food stores but very easy and cheap to make yourself.  The process is lengthy so follow the link below (given to me by a wonderful friend who is also a witch and an herbalist!) to learn the process:
This link shows you how to start your "mother" (the bacterial colony)
http://www.foodrenegade.com/how-to-grow-a-kombucha-scoby/

This link shows how to do the double fermentation to add fruit juice and flavor!
http://www.foodrenegade.com/how-to-brew-kombucha-double-fermentation-method/

The picture above shows my canning jars waiting with organic black cherry juice to have the fermented tea added.  It also shows the pitcher of tea that has already fermented and the "mother" removed to a bowl while I pour the tea into the jars.  It is kind of a slimy mess but fun to make!!!  I have experimented with many flavors of juice.  In the summer, when my herb garden is up and going, I put fresh herbs in. Thyme, basil, lavender, and ginger root make good additions. Never add herbs or ginger to the main pitcher of tea--herbs have anti-bacterial properties and could kill your "mother".  Add them to the jars of fruit juice!  Below, the jars with juice and tea ready to ferment for a couple of days!!  Enjoy!!  Have fun and experiment!!

New Vessels!

I've been busy making some new double walled vessels that are inspired by Islamic architecture and Gothic ritual vessels. I have started using earthenware, both white and red, along with terra sig as a glaze to obtain old worn, crackeled surfaces.  So far I am excited with the results I have been getting on some smaller pieces so I have moved up to larger, more complex constructions!

This image shows a partially assembled piece.

Cut and carved, glazed and waiting for the kiln! (shown upside down)

Second Vessel:

A second vessel, assembled, carved and with added sprigs, waitng final cleanup and glazing!

May the Kiln Gods and Fire Spirits be kind and treat them gently!!

(finished photos will be posted after firing!)

Spider Woman: Weaving

Today I am taking a break from ceramics! I installed a new show a couple of days ago and need a break, but unable to be idle, I am playing with my weaving supplies!!  Shown above are some skeins of rug wool that I dyed using plants that I collected.  I used a alum/tartar mordant to fix the colors into a natural rug wool that I purchased.  The plants used from left to right: Black Walnut nuts and hulls, Red Sumac fruit, Dandelion Root, Red Sumac leaves, Beets, Ragweed leaves, the original natural yarn, Goldenrod flowers, Blackeyed Susan flowers, Teabags, Tumeric and Curry powders.  The colors will turn out quite differently than you expect. It was a lot of fun, though messy to do.  This is best done in late summer/early fall when there are lots of plants blooming.  Search the internet for how to---I found a lot of good info. 

So the question now is what do I do with all of it??  I have my tapestry loom warped and just need to decide on a pattern.  I am considering a Navajo rug pattern.  First the yarn will have to be "unspun" because it curled and became tighter during the dyeing process so I will need to use my drop spindle to loosen the tension, then after I have a pattern decided I can get started!!!

Above is  photo of a long scarf I made on my small table loom. It was done in a fine silky rayon.  The pattern is an intricate double diamond twill.  The colors ended up being similar in tone so the pattern is subdued  but very elegant.  Spider woman has been busy!!

Dream Pillows

Today I made myself a dream pillow to start the New Year!  I made a simple drawstring bag out of a rectangle of pretty floral fabric that I had and used a piece of green satin cording to draw it closed.  I filled it with mugwort leaves to help transition to dreamland and the astral plane, rose petals for love, lavender flowers for relaxation and sleep.  Then I added some herbal oils to the mix.  Sandlewood for the subconscious, cypress for understanding and cinnamon for memory.  The oils will help to hold and process information found in dreams and astral travel.  I plan to refresh and change out my herbal mix every few months which is where the drawstring comes in handy!  You can make your own dream pillow by finding a beautiful piece of fabric that you can make into a bag then adding your own special herbal mix. Grow your own herbs and flowers and dry them or buy them at a local herb store or health food store. Oils are often available at herb shops or natural food stores and internet sites. For information on what herbs you may want to use check out Scott Cunninghams book "The Complete Book of Incense, Oils and Brews". I also like to add several small stones to my pillow.  Pick stones that will work in a similar fashion to the herbs, ie: stones that are good for astral projection, sleep, relaxation.  Melody's book "Love is in the Earth" is one of the best references on stones.  Another quicker way to pick a stone is to match it to a chakra color.  For dreaming and astral projection I would do a deep blue stone to correlate to the third eye chakra.  For love I would pick a pink stone. Trust your instincts when mixing your dream pillow---sometimes that can be more effective than book knowledge!  When my pillow is mixed I like to talk to the plant spirits associated with the herbs I chose and ask them to work with me.  I do the same with the stone spirits.  I then like to place the dream pillow on my altar to consecrate it and let it charge up near the many stones and crystals I have placed there.  Then I place it under my pillow or on my nightstand where I can smell the wonderful scents and access the energy as I sleep! Sweet dreams!!

Happy New Year!

2012!!  So it begins.  Much mystery surrounds this year due to various interpretations of the Mayan calendar.  Will the world end?? I prefer to look at the many positive viewpoints of this time.  Jean Houston is one of my favorite thinkers and authors.  Her viewpoint is shared by many and she feels that we are entering a time when the human race has the option to reach its full potential, as individuals and as a society.  We have the capacity for much compassion and innovation.  It is our choice---each one of us.  Do you want to dwell in negativity, blame, mediocrity or do you want to move yourself to a higher level, use your abilities to their fullest, increase your compassion and better your own life and as a result of that, better your world?? There is much in our world that is very positive---dwell on that, add to it, strive to be your best, love yourself and the others in your life.  Wishing us all a New Year and a New Era filled with love, compassion, and abundance!!