Garden Witchery (17 page)

Pick-me-up:
Orange or yellow; bergamot, dried orange, and lemon peel, and mint to refresh you; carnation petals for energy; tiger's-eye and carnelian for passion and courage.

Prosperity:
Green or gold; cinnamon sticks, cinquefoil, mint, and pine to attract money; aventurine and malachite brings fortune and prosperity.

Protection:
Black or purple; periwinkle vine, garlic, morning glory vine, and dill for protection; sea salt to banish bad vibes; a hematite stone for grounding and destressing; an obsidian for protection and courage.

Psychic Power:
Purple or silver; cyclamen, violets, a rowan leaf, and lilac leaf or flower to promote psychic abilities; a black feather for mystery; a quartz crystal for power; and a moonstone to encourage empathy.

Safe Travel:
Blue or white; yarrow for courage; lavender for its calming influences; sea salt to break up negativity; moonstone is a safe travel stone.

Study and Knowledge:
Orange, lily of the valley, lavender, fennel, dill, and sage for wisdom; clematis for mental beauty; carnations for stamina; and quartz crystal for power.

Gently steep our spirits, carrying with them dreams of flowers.

William Wordsworth

Yarrow Love Charm

The following is an adaptation of a flower spell from the 1800s. To perform this enchantment you must gather an ounce of yarrow blossoms and sew them into a small flannel bag. I would cut the fabric no larger than a three-by-five-inch piece. Either sew it up on a sewing machine or whipstitch it together by hand. Red or pink would be the fabric color to use for this charm bag and for the ribbons to tie it closed.

The entire spell, the gathering of the herb, and the sewing of the charm bag should be worked on the night of the full moon. After tying up the bag, place it beneath your pillow. Repeat this incantation, while gazing at the full moon, before bedtime.

Thou lovely herb of Venus' tree,

Thy true name is yarrow;

Now who will my true love be?

Pray tell thou me tomorrow.

In olden times this was said to ensure that a maiden would dream of her future husband. A creative, clever witch would take one look at this old charm and then wonder how they could further enhance it. There are all sorts of ways to spice this spell up!

How about burning a spicy-scented pink votive candle dressed with rose oil to ensure a little passion? You may try jasmine or ylang-ylang oil. Add a rose quartz stone to effect love and a carnelian to encourage desire. For information on impending romantic possibilities or even a glimpse of your future spouse, carve a question mark and a heart on the sides of the candle. Sweet dreams!

It is in society as in nature not the useful, but the ornamental, that strikes the imagination.

Sir Humphry Davy

Tussie-Mussie in a Teacup

Take an old, castoff teacup and some colorful dried flowers, and turn them into an enchanting little gift for a friend or for yourself. In chapter 4 we discussed the tussie-mussie. Now, armed with the knowledge of the language of flowers and using dried flowers, you can turn that inspiration into a fun little magickal project.

Pick out some pretty dried flowers and get started. These bouquets are meant to be diminutive, so you don't have to go crazy and purchase tons of dried flowers. Small amounts will do very nicely. Try using different colored dried roses, fragrant lavender, and hydrangea blooms. Work with golden yarrow, poppy pods, and nigella. Brightly colored cockscomb, purple statice, and tawny-colored wheat stalks will add texture.

Supplies:

Dried flowers of your choosing

Small bag of green sheet moss

An old castoff china teacup

Floral foam cut to fit the teacup

Knife

Floral pins

Scissors

Hot glue gun and glue sticks

1. Cut the foam to fit down snugly into your teacup.

2. Use a thin sheet of the moss to completely cover up the foam. Secure with a floral pin or two. Make tiny clusters of dried blooms and then, using the scissors, trim the stems of dried materials to same length. Insert the stems of the first little bundle into the center of the foam.

3. Working out from the center of the cup, continue adding flowers in clusters, positioning shorter flowers and stems near the edges so that the arrangement rolls over the rim. Some flowers may require a bit of hot glue to help hold them into place. Keep the bunches of flowers close together. You want the flowers in this arrangement to be packed tightly together.

Note: Don't be afraid to use an old teacup or creamer that is less than perfect. If it is chipped or cracked, so much the better. It adds character. Watch flea markets and garage sales for inexpensive old teacups, saucers, and creamers. Dried flowers are to be found at most arts and crafts stores. Try checking with an herb or potpourri shop for more exotic options. If your garden isn't producing anything or you need more supplies, check the arts and crafts store.

I have had a good many more uplifting thoughts, creative and expansive visions
while soaking in comfortable baths,
than I ever had in any cathedrals.

Edmund Wilson

Bedazzling and Bejeweled Bath Salts

Bath salts are a pleasant project for a beginner. Some sea salt or Epsom salts, a little essential oil, some dried herbs, and violà! Place your salts into some funky glass jars that you can purchase at a home interior store, or sterilize and then use old baby food jars. Add small seashells to the salts or embellish the jars by tucking in a few tumbling stones—be as crafty as you like! A basic recipe for bath salts is as follows:

1 cup sea salt or Epsom salt

Several drops of essential oil (any kind)

A few drops of food coloring

A resealable bag

Put salt, oils, and food coloring in the resealable bag, and press air any out. Seal the bag and massage the contents until they are well blended. Place into airtight, nonporous container and store in a dark, cool place for three days. After the salts have cured, place into a glass jar. Use 2–3 tablespoons per bath. When using food coloring to tint the salts, less is more. You could turn the bathtub or your skin colors if you use too much.

Bath salts will cause your pores to open up and you may perspire. If you use too much salts in the bath, it may make you lightheaded. Be conscientious of skin allergies, and if you are pregnant or nursing you may want to avoid using bath salts altogether. Try sprinkling the water with a small amount of fresh rose petals or lavender buds instead.

Sea siren:
5 drops of jasmine oil, 1 tablespoon of powdered kelp (available at health food stores), a few drops of blue food coloring to tint the salts. Add a few tiny seashells to your jar when finished for a charming gift.

Garden Witch
2 drops of rose oil, 3 drops of lavender oil, and 1 drop of orange oil. Add 3 tablespoons of dried lavender flowers and sprinkle in some dried pink rose petals. This bath salt would be pretty tinted a soft purple or pink.

Clairvoyant Cleansing:
4 drops of lilac oil and 3 drops of lavender oil. Tuck into the jar a few amethyst tumbling stones or sprigs of dried lavender. Tint a soft purple. Good for a cleansing after a lot of psychic work, or for when you just have had one hell of a day. This will help clear the aura and clean off any negativity that you are still carrying around.

Magick Man (just for the guys):
4 drops patchouli oil and 3 drops rosemary oil; add a few drops of green food coloring. This has a resinous, pine-forest-type scent.

Wizard's Blend (for guys and gals):
3 drops of orange oil, 2 tablespoons grated, dried orange peel, and a fresh sage leaf, chopped fine. The sage is for wisdom and the orange for purification. Add a quartz crystal for power.

Passionate Practitioner:
With this recipe, you should blend or adjust the amounts to your preference. Omit or add more drops of any of these oils to suit: 2 drops rose oil, 1 drop lavender oil, 1 drop ylang-ylang, and 2 drops jasmine oil. A rose quartz crystal or two would be nice. Finally, add red rose petals for romance and tint these salts pink.

Rhiannon's Refresher:
3 drops of orange oil, 3 drops of mint oil, and 1 drop of neroli oil. You may add 1 tablespoon of grated, dried orange peel to this mixture for texture and color. Add a small piece of moonstone or citrine to these salts. You can figure out what color to tint the salts.

You can't use up creativity.
The more you use, the more you have.

Maya Angelou

Magickal Herbal Wreaths

Wreath making is an ancient practice. The ancient Romans used wreaths to celebrate Saturnalia, a winter solstice celebration, and the wreath has been employed since the Middle Ages to celebrate the changing seasons and holidays. Creating an enchanted herbal wreath is an enjoyable process. There are three basic elements to wreath making: the base, the materials used, and the method of attachment. It's not expensive or difficult to do. Many of the necessary items you may either have on hand, could grow yourself, or can be found easily at your local arts and crafts store. Basic supplies you will need include:

A glue gun and glue sticks

Florist wire, 20 gauge

Floral picks

A base wreath (try a grapevine, straw, pine, or a moss wreath)

Dried or fresh flowers, seed pods, nuts, small twigs, and feathers

Ribbons in assorted widths and colors

First, take a walk around the yard and see how you can use the bounty that your garden has to offer. The garden has much to provide: herbs and flowers, changing autumn leaves, acorns, pine cones, twigs, and fallen feathers. Often a lazy hour spent outdoors scavenging yields more organic material than any trip to the store. Please recall those gathering guidelines from
chapter 2
, and get permission if you are harvesting natural materials on someone else's property. Be a courteous gatherer.

When you begin to assemble the components for your own wreaths, you may want to refer to the correspondence chart listed at the end of the chapter. Don't forget your intuition, though. Let your instincts guide you.