Finishing Amulets and Priest Crown Tincture

Merry Meet Everyone!

OK well I thought that firstly I'd say a big hello to all of the new followers - It is great to have your support and I look forward to getting to know you all!

So lets get to it... Yesterday I finished making the Acorn Luck and Protection Amulets (See the last post!). You will remember that I left string in the dye that I made from Rosehips. Firstly, I thought that I would explain the reason behind using the hips (there are 3!)

1. Rosehip dye is a shade of Red. Initially, this is important because one of Red's properties is that it is a protective colour!
2. Rosehips are currently in season. This is perfect because it ties in with the Wheel of the Year - it seems very fitting that we use the gifts of the Earth.
3. Roses have their own magical properties - 2 of which are both Luck and Protection.

When you make these for yourself, bear in mind that the longer you leave the string in the dye, the stronger the colour will be - on that note, I left mine overnight. Next, just leave your sting to dry and then you can use something sharp to pierce your acorns and thread it through....

You can then wear your new amulets as bracelets, necklaces, on a keychain or simply hang it indoors to bring luck and protection - SIMPLE :)

ALSO...

As many of you will know, I am a big believer in using the magic around you. On that note, I visited my garden yesterday to see which naturally growing herbs I could utilize. One of my favourite garden herbs is the Dandelion which is in HUGE abundance, and so I decided to make Priest's Crown Tincture.

YOU WILL NEED:

• Priest's Crown (Dandelion Leaves)
• Jar
• Water
• Vodka
• Book of Shadows

I'm a big fan of easy crafts, and this is one of the most simple! Firstly just go out and harvest your Priest's Crown (Dandelion Leaves). They are easy to find at this time of year because they have gotten quite big by now - They're practically smothering my lawn! However, don't rely on looking for the flowers because they generally have finished flowering by now.

Fill a jar with as many of the leaves as you can. Rip them and bash them up a bit, because it will help in extracting the herbs properties! Next, pour water into the jar. I use a Jam Jar, so just for your reference, I fill it half way :)

Also, for those who made Moon Water, this is the perfect opportunity to use it!! Once the jar is half full of water, top up the rest with Vodka - THAT'S IT!

I told you it was simple, just stick it in a dark, cool place for about a month for the mix to macerate - shaking it at least once a week. When this has happened, strain the leaves out of the liquid, and hey presto, Priest's Crown Tincture.

Dandelion is naturally a very good body de-toxifier, so you can take a teaspoon of this a day (mix it in water), and it wil clean you out - in particular your liver, so be prepared for clearer skin!! Also, you can use this tincture to mix into a base cream (Aqueous Cream) or salve mix and it is a perfect skin treatment! In it's magical sense, Dandelion is mainly used in Divination and working with the spirits, so you can also use the mix to annoint in your magical workings.

PHEW! Loads of stuff today!!! Anyway, have fun with this, and until next time, Blessed Be x

Acorn Protection and Luck Amulets and Leaf Collecting

Merry Meet everyone.

First things first! There have been a few (minor) changes to the blog, just to make navigating it a bit easier! Hopefully, it won't confuse anyone!!! Also, over the next week or so, please take a look in the navigation panel (to the right) as there will be weekly polls for you to answer - just for some feedback :)

OK, lets get to it - It's Autumn (or Fall) so the most noticeable change to us (aside from temperature) are the leaves that are falling all around us. This is the perfect time to brush up on our knowledge of the trees and plants around us, and the best way that we can utilise them. Why don't you take a walk in your neighbourhood and collect some?

There are several things that we can do with the leaves that we find. Initially, you can add to your witchy stores - as long as you know which leaves you have collected of course. But another idea, is to collect the leaves that have fallen and press and dry them. I often collect leaves from my garden which i dry and press before they eventually get stuck into my Book of Shadows... Beautiful!

The other thing that this time of year gives us is the last of the harvests, and these include Acorns. Acorns are the fruit of the Oak tree and amongst other things are very powerful Luck and protection charms - so I thought that I would show you how I make Acorn Amulets...

YOU WILL NEED:

• Acorns (or Hazel nuts?!)
• Superglue
• String
• Rosehips
• Muslin
• Cauldron or Saucepan
• Something sharp to pierce the nuts
• Book of Shadows

As always, this is simple, as long as you have the ingredients, you can't go wrong!

Firstly,  Collect your acorns, and select the ones that you are going to use in your amulets - make sure you also collect the cup that goes with the acorn. Next, Stick the Acorn to it's cup with Superglue. This is important because as the nut gets older it will shrink!!

Then, I take a length of string (I wear my amulets as bracelets, so the length needs to correspond to your wrist!) and I soak it in Rosehip Dye. Rosehips are the fruit of Roses and are also readily available at this time of year - and they are perfect for colouring your string as magically, they represent Luck and Protection (the same as the Oak!).

To make the Rosehip dye, collect your hips and boil them in your cauldron in twice as much water as hips. Once they have reached the boil, reduce the heat, and simmer them for an hour before straining them off and then putting the dye and a good helping of salt to a jar. Next add your string and leave it overnight.

Eventually you will have something that resembles this:

I did mine today, so tomorrow it's just a case of putting a hole in the acorns and threading through the newly coloured string. Then just wear it for luck and protection!! EASY!

Until Next Time, Blessed Be x