Merry Meet!
When I started to work the Craft, I thought you had to go to great lengths to get majikal tools. I thought that I could only get a cauldron from a metaphysical store, I thought I could only get herbs from an herbalist, I thought I could only buy incense from a religious shop.
The secret to being a witch is that majik is supposed to be about simplicity. My friend Celeste and I went to a flea market in my town and there was this dude selling all of this cast iron stuff. I noticed this little three legged bean pot about four inches high and about 12 inches around with a handle on it. Celeste pointed it out to me and told me that I should get it because I had been talking about buying a cauldron. I bought it for $10. My athame is an ornate letter opener that I used an electric engraving tool on. I bought it for three dollars. I buy fresh herbs at the grocery store and at health food stores, I buy oils and incenses from head shops and hippy stores and I have an alternative medicine shop that buy things from that really doesn't cost that much. True, there are times that you have to spend money, like some true essential oils are very expensive , but I know you can buy a big box of kosher salt at most grocery stores.
Dollar stores are also okay places. You can find small boxes to store things in, you can get candles fairly cheap and you can get many things like sacks of decorative stones to make into charm stones. You can also get things like little toys to use as charms. Majik isn't just about following a recipe, it's also about imagination.
And I understand about Wal Mart. For the socially conscious person, Wal Mart is a problem and I recommend care when buying things, especially food and medicine from there because it comes usually from China and India and may not be safe. If you have to shop from WalMart for things, ask yourself if you really need those things. If you do, buy these things and wear then over and over until they are literally worn out. I patch my pants and make them last a little longer, I take good clothes that I can't wear any more to Goodwill (not the patched stuff) If a garment is too ragged to wear anymore, I cut it up and put it in a rag bag and when I get enough, I braid and sew rugs and cloaks and bags out of it. I use a thing until it is absolutely used up.
So don't be afraid to buy second hand, don't be afraid to use non-majikal sources of goods, and if you have to patronize a box store, make sure you can't do without it and if you can't, make it last a long time when you buy it.
Brightest Blessings Be
Aslinn Dhan Dragonhawk
Saturday, December 15, 2007
A pinch here a drop or two there
Merry Meet!
My Old Goat and I are getting ready to have a Yule celebration at his little house with another Craft couple and their children. They are being raised in the Pagan way and are 13 and 14. One of them is already working simple potions and charms and was looking at my blog. She e-mailed me and wrote:
"Mother Aslinn, you have a great many spells and candle workings but you do not give the appropriate amounts to use with the spells." I was aghast! It simply did not dawn on me to add amounts. So, for the record, you should mix 3 drops of each oil into about three drops of sweet oil. It should be just enough to anoint a candle or to anoint yourself. If you are making a potion to decant, you should mix 13 drops of sweet oil with 13 drops of the essential oils you are using. add three drops of alchohol. If you don't have a grain "drinking" style of alchohol you can use rubbing alchohol or witch hazel. This will allow complete diffusion. The thing is, unless you are annointing a large group, cleansing a great amount of space or making gifts of charmed oils and potions, you simply do not need that much oil and with essential oils as expensive as they are, you need only a small amount. So, unless I say that you will need a bottle to decant the potion in, just make a small amount.
Another thing is that you should clean everything very well after use so that you do not contaminate the oils you have and the tools you have. Make sure you wash everything and swish a little alchohol in them and dry everything . And anything you use for majik should be reserved for majik, not just for majikal reasons but for safety reasons.
Brightest Blessings Be
Aslinn Dhan Dragonhawk
and thank you to Stargazer who asks the important questions. :)
My Old Goat and I are getting ready to have a Yule celebration at his little house with another Craft couple and their children. They are being raised in the Pagan way and are 13 and 14. One of them is already working simple potions and charms and was looking at my blog. She e-mailed me and wrote:
"Mother Aslinn, you have a great many spells and candle workings but you do not give the appropriate amounts to use with the spells." I was aghast! It simply did not dawn on me to add amounts. So, for the record, you should mix 3 drops of each oil into about three drops of sweet oil. It should be just enough to anoint a candle or to anoint yourself. If you are making a potion to decant, you should mix 13 drops of sweet oil with 13 drops of the essential oils you are using. add three drops of alchohol. If you don't have a grain "drinking" style of alchohol you can use rubbing alchohol or witch hazel. This will allow complete diffusion. The thing is, unless you are annointing a large group, cleansing a great amount of space or making gifts of charmed oils and potions, you simply do not need that much oil and with essential oils as expensive as they are, you need only a small amount. So, unless I say that you will need a bottle to decant the potion in, just make a small amount.
Another thing is that you should clean everything very well after use so that you do not contaminate the oils you have and the tools you have. Make sure you wash everything and swish a little alchohol in them and dry everything . And anything you use for majik should be reserved for majik, not just for majikal reasons but for safety reasons.
Brightest Blessings Be
Aslinn Dhan Dragonhawk
and thank you to Stargazer who asks the important questions. :)
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