Sunday, June 20, 2010

Coffeetable Terrariums

As some of you will remember, I have changed the colors in my living room over to green.  I thought a great addition to that would be a group of three terrariums for my coffee table.  I am kicking myself now for not taking pictures along the way but I will try to describe the steps without pretty pictures.

First, I chose a set of three apothecary jars.  I got these on sale at Home Outfitters.  They are a little smaller than regular jars but they serve my purpose well. 

I cleaned the jars with hot water and placed an inch or two of stones in the bottom.  The stones are just ones that I found in the bottom of my magick storage trunk.  I am sure most any pebbles will work. 

Then I went searching for plants.  These can be purchased, of course, but I decided to gather them in a wooded area near my apartment.  I don't know a whole lot about the local plants but I picked out some moss, clover and grasses.  I brought my trowel with me and dug the plants up by the roots, placing them in ziplock bags for transport.

Back at home, I place a couple inches of soil in the bottom of the jars then planted my new plants.  I had to trim the moss and the grasses to make them fit.  I decided to stick with just one plant per jar because mine are small but may attempt a larger terrarium in the future and use different types of plants. 

Finally, when everything was planted, I water them with a small amount of water and placed on the lids.  I have read that the terrariums will be fairly self contained and will only need water when condensation stops forming on the inside. 

Here is the finished product:


And a few close ups:

Monday, June 14, 2010

Stone of the Week: Merlinite

Merlinite is a black and white stone that is found in New Mexico and is becoming more and more readily available.  It is said to hold the wisdom of all those who have worked magick before us, whether they be Alchemist, Magician or Shaman.  It is an excellent stone for connecting with nature.  The blending of two colors in each Merlinite stone lends itself to blending and connecting the different realms.  This can be a particularly useful stone for those who are interested in exploring past lives or astral realms.  It also useful to use Merlinite during meditation. 
Merlinite's balancing properties can be used to bring harmony into one's life.  It can also help heal old hurts and aid the user in getting over issues from their past.

Spell to Heal the Gulf

Over at The Witches' Path (formerly The Wandering Witch) we have started The Circle, and will be doing at least one group spell per month.  For the month of June, the members voted for a Spell to Heal the Gulf and I was asked to create the spell.  I thought I would share it here for anyone who is interested.

Find a pond or stream where you will not be disturbed.  You may wish to use a place that has particular meaning for you.  Place your hands in the water and picture white light streaming from your fingertips.  Watch as it grows to fill the water then imagine the light winding its way through steams and groundwater, eventually reaching the ocean.  Picture it cleansing the water, soothing the plants and animals and destroying all traces of black sludge.  When you are ready, recite the following:

I bless all creatures with water pure.
Cease the pollution,
so all may endure.

Bless the environment with your love and will,
So that Mother Earth may prove to be healthy still.


*words adapted from Llewellyn, Spell of the Day


NOTE: If you absolutely cannot reach a body of water, pour your energy into a bowl of water and then pour it outside and picture it flowing into the groundwater. 

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Merlinite and Amethyst and Celestite, Oh My!

Last week I picked up my layaway from Little Mysteries.  It was a big one, and means that I probably won't be able to do any shopping there for a while, but it was WAY worth it.

First, a nice piece of Merlinite.  Pretty sure this one will end up as Stone of the Week pretty soon


Then two gorgeous amethyst bookends.  The colors on these are just STUNNING!


And, Drum Roll Please......

The Most Beautiful Hunk of Celenite I have ever seen!


It is big and beautiful with gorgeous crystals.  Here is one with a Pepsi can for size comparison

Saturday, June 12, 2010

A Bracelet Job Spell

Recently, I asked your help to get a good job at Job Fair.  I am now ready to tell you about the working I was doing for myself. 

I used to make friendship bracelets as a kid.  Even though I haven't attempted to make one in close to ten years, I have always kept the craft box with multitudes of embroidery floss arranged by color.  I felt pulled to do something with them and to put some real effort into getting a job this year.

I lit some incense and a green candle (from the batch I made this winter).  Then, I chose the following colors:



Blue - for opportunity
Green - for the job that is right for me
Purple - for intuition
Yellow - for happiness and learning

Each time I picked up a strand I concentrated on it's meaning and recited a line:

Blue for opportunity, for lots of jobs that I can choose from
Green for the job that is right for me, that will make me happy and further my career
Purple for inspiration, so that I will know the job when I see it
Yellow for happiness and learning, for both myself and my students

I know it isn't exactly poetry, but it was effective for me.  Here is the finished product:



I tied the bracelet and placed in around the candle as it burned out, then wore the bracelet to the job fair. 

Friday, June 11, 2010

Waging War on Ants



My apartment has ants.  In the last few days, hundreds of the little buggers are making the trek from my patio into my kitchen.  I called my building manager and he is going to spray the outside, but I am trying to get rid of them without poison inside.  I have two dogs and a cat, and am very wary about using any type of bug repellant in the house.  So far, I have dusted their trail with baking soda, then ran out of that so I tried Pepper (it was recommended).  The pepper didn't seem to be working so well so I then tried baby powder.  I THINK I found a small crack in the doorframe of the patio doors and that this was where they were getting in, so I doused it with baby powder.  Here's hoping they are gone for good.  Anyone else having bug issues?

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Stone of the Week - Pyrite


Pyrite is associated with the element of Fire and with Mars.  Also known as fool's gold, pyrite is often found near deposits of real gold.  As such, it is a particularly good stone for drawing money and luck to it's owner.  Pyrite is also an excellent addition to a money drawing altar or corner in the home.  Polished pyrite may have been used in the past as a divining or scrying stone.  In any form, it can help aid intuition and connect the left and right side of the brain to increase creativity as well as logical thinking. 
Pyrite is used to protect against infections and viruses.  It can increase physical stamina, remove negativity from the aura and was used to guard against crocodile attacks - though if you wish to avoid crocodile attacks I would recommend simply avoiding crocodiles.  Try working with a piece of pyrite this week!

Success!!

I want to thank everyone who sent energy or lit a candle to help me get a job.  It was a long and harrowing experience but I managed to get my old job back for another year.  This SHOULD set me up to get a contract next spring so I either won't have to go through job fair again, or I will have a much earlier appt time and, as such, less to stress about. Thank you again for all of your help, I truly feel that it has made a difference.

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Energy Request: For a Great Job

I don't normally ask others for assistance in my own life but this is a particularly stressful time of year.  I have to go through Job Fair again (Fair, sounds fun doesn't it? It isn't).  My appointment time pretty much sucks (there are appx 270 people ahead of me and very few jobs).  So, I need some help here.  I am putting out energy for "The job that is best for me, that will make me happy and will further my career"

I need as much help as I can get before Saturday afternoon.  So light a candle, some incense, meditate or just plain pray, I'll take anything!!!

P.S: I am definitely working the mojo for myself, I just feel like I could use an extra boost this year...

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Sweet Valley High Drinking Game

I just stumbled across a (fairly) old blog post involving the Sweet Vally High Series.  It struck my fancy because I have seen some of my grade 7 students reading this series and was transported back in time to my own obsession with these books (I think I was 7 or 8).  This, however, is where the nostalgia ends and the AWESOME begins.  The blog author has created the single-most fantastic drinking game EVER.  I give to you:

The Sweet Valley High Drinking Game

1 drink anytime the words “blonde,” “sun-streaked,” “blue-green eyes” or “perfect figure” are mentioned in relation to the Wakefield twins’ looks
1 drink anytime anyone goes to the beach, or talks about going to the beach
1 drink anytime Liz and Jess get to drive the Fiat
1 drink anytime Jess mentions the number “37″ (you guys, seriously, she does this a lot)
1 drink anytime they mention Steve, the eldest Wakefield child
1 drink anytime Bruce Patman shows up
1 drink anytime Jessica flakes on chores, Elizabeth talks to herself, or Todd or Enid are lame
1 drink anytime “Eyes and Ears,” the gossip column that Elizabeth writes for The Oracle, the student newspaper, is mentioned
1 drink anytime the fucking matching lavaliers are mentioned

The full post can be found at foreveryoungadult.com  Anyone want to play???