Seider: The Gate is Open

I downloaded this book to my Kindle when it was on a 'free to download' day and I have to say I am very impressed, I will be purchasing the 'real' book to go in my collection.


Published by avaloniabooks.co.uk  Seider: The Gate is Open is written by Katie Gerrard.


Book description from the Avalonia Books website:

Seidr is the intriguing and powerful early Norse system of shamanistic trance practices. In Seidr: The Gate is Open, Katie Gerrard has contributed a major work on the practices of seidr and trance prophecy, providing a practical manual full of dynamic group rituals and techniques based on known Seidr practices. Foremost amongst these techniques is the prophetic rite of the High Seat, where the Volva (seer) sends her consciousness to the underworld realm of Hel to gain answers to the questions posed to her.

Combining more than a decade of research and experimentation, this book is characterised by both its scholarship and its accessibility.

It has a lot of really interesting history and facts about Seidrs and also some wonderful journeys/pathworkings for you to take.  


I am not usually very good at sticking to 'historical fact' books but this one was written in an easy to read and understand way that kept me interested.   I will definitely be trying some of the journeys she has included in the book and am looking forward to the results.


If you are interested in Seidr work then I highly recommend you add this book to your collection.


Tansy
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Follow the signs!

In the past week or so the Universe has been literally throwing messages at me...and have I listened?  Nope.   Too busy wrapped up in exciting projects, I didn't listen to the Goddess, the Universe, my instincts, Oracle cards and my friends.  


Each message got stronger, until the final one which was a nasty accident involving a slip of a screwdriver and the side of my face.   I'm OK, just lots of blood, panic and tears!


My daily Oracle cards were saying "slow down, take a break", my Akashic records said "you need a retreat"  (brilliant experience having your Akashic records read by the way, take a look at thepeacefulhealingtree.com for more information).   My body was telling me - I popped my knee last week so I haven't been able to exercise.


I ignored all of it.  The screwdriver accident could have been a whole lot worse and that in itself is a very scary thought.


So I am reminded (from all angles) that following the signs, following your gut, following the wisdom of the Goddess and the Universe should not be ignored!


Our bodies are wonderful things, I am still amazed that we can actually create human beings within them, and I am always amazed at how complex the workings are.  But they are also very clever in telling us when to slow down or when something isn't right - you just have to remember to listen.


So I have spent some time at the beach, just me, the surf and the stones.    I have spent some time meditating in the garden.  I have stepped away from the computer, I have switched off the phone for several hours at a time to give myself some peace and relaxation.  Sometimes it's not easy to do, I have a job (albeit part time) and a family, a house to run, meals to cook, school runs to do, the usual mum stuff.  But I am also an individual, a person, a woman that needs time occasionally to recharge and regroup - I'm just not very good at listening and following the signs - a lesson that I need to learn.  I've still got some recouping to do, but I'm getting there!


So...my words of wisdom today...don't forget to follow the signs, your gut, your instincts, the messages that the Goddess and the Universe leave out for you (or in my case throw at me), and look after YOU.   


Tansy
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The Kitchen Altar

The Kitchen Altar


The kitchen in most houses is the centre of the home, a place of power.


Having an altar in your kitchen gives you a focal point to connect with, it is a reminder that your kitchen is a sacred and powerful place.  It says that you have an ability to nourish yourself, your family and also connects you to the divine.


And I never need an excuse to create a new altar in my house!


Each and every altar will be different and will be tailored to your own personality and the space and money you have available.  It doesn’t need to be large, costly or grand.  Have fun with it, make it your own, allow your inner child to come out and play with it.


So what do you put on it?


Well, a good starting place is a statue or representation of a goddess or god, one that connects as a kitchen deity would work well.   If no one particular kitchen deity springs to mind, do some research or meditation and see what comes up.  Your kitchen will become a place to honour that deity and they in turn will honour you and your kitchen creations!


Once you decide upon the deity, find a statue or something that represents her/him.  It can be a likeness or you could make your own if you are handy with clay or papier mache, or even something created out of natural items – twigs or fabric.  The other alternative is to find a picture on the internet and print it off, although you might like to laminate it to keep it clean or pop it in a photo frame.


It also doesn’t have to be a human representation, it could be  a dragon or an animal, the choice is yours!


Placement of your altar is up to you, but will ultimately be where you have the space and a safe place away from direct flames, and where it won’t be knocked over or bumped into.


My own kitchen altar is a small green man that has a flat top making it into a small shelf so he hangs on the wall above the sink.  I have representations of the four elements on it and a tiny vase that I put fresh flowers in.


The other items you put on it are your choice, I chose to represent the elements but it is entirely up to you.  It could include items that represent you, it can also have seasonal decorations, pentacles, herbs and pictures.


Candles are good, they represent air and reminds us of the hearth.  Food works too, I sometimes put a couple of nuts on my altar for prosperity, if you use perishable items remember to replace them regularly.   Items from nature work too – shells for water, pebbles for earth, crystals (I have a piece of goldstone to represent fire).  Seasonal flowers and herbs also look good.  


To keep with the kitchen witch theme you could also put a tiny cauldron on your altar, and even tiny household utensils, dolls house furniture is excellent for this.


I have an incense holder in my kitchen that not only works to put me in a particular mood but also works as an air freshener after I have been cooking.
Don’t forget to bless and consecrate your items as you place them on the altar, to add to sacred space you have created.


Tansy
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~ Kitchen Witch School of Natural Witchery opening soon ~

www.kitchenwitchhearth.com

Kitchen Witch Cleaning

Kitchen Witch Cleaning


Now we don’t all have to be complete domestic Goddesses, but a kitchen that is tidy and smells clean helps with energy I think.


When you are cleaning how about singing a song or playing some music? Singing a Goddess or pagan song as you clean can really help raise the positive energy in your kitchen. Doesn’t even have to be a pagan song, it can be one of your favourite disco ones if that’s what makes you happy and fills you with the energy to clean!


I always like to put on an apron when I am in the kitchen, it is somehow a mental switch that puts me into kitchen witch mode. (Especially as I have a fantastic apron with a picture of Columbo on ;-0).


There are so many chemicals on the market now for cleaning, and yes they all work pretty well. But, you can make safe, effective household cleaners from simple and natural ingredients. Check out the usefulness of lemon juice, baking soda and white vinegar for cleaning. In fact some of the supermarkets even stock eco friendly cleaners now although these tend to be a bit more expensive.


Don’t forget the compost heap to, a lot of your kitchen scraps (no meat) can go into the compost bin to recycle themselves.


When I wash the floor in my kitchen I always add a few drops of essential oil, or even drop a herbal tea bag into the cleaning bucket. Basil is good for protection, chamomile is excellent for purification and calm, try cinnamon for a happy and protected home, clove promotes love and purification, fennel is good for protection and lavender is wonderful for peace and happiness. Rosemary works for cleansing and protection as does sea salt and sage is brilliant for purification. Try some out and see what works best for you.


Once you have done the normal cleaning routine, give the room a sage smudge. Let the smoke waft into all the corners, if you don’t like sage use your favourite incense instead.


I have the sort of cupboards that once in a while need a good clear out – usually when I open the doors and everything falls out I find is a good time to do it! I put it off for a while as it seems boring, but once you have done it, and the cupboards are sorted and neatly arranged you get a wonderful feeling of achievement.


Once your kitchen is all clean, cleansed and tidy – enjoy it! Make yourself a cup of tea maybe even grab a slice of cake and just sit there, feel the spirit of your kitchen. Usually it is the hub of any home, and if you have the space to put a chair in there it can also be a wonderful place to meditate or to ground and centre before you start your day.


Tansy
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~ Kitchen Witch School of Natural Witchery opening soon ~

www.kitchenwitchhearth.com

School of Natural Witchcraft

COMING SOON!! Kitchen Witch School of Natural Witchery.


Lessons in natural witchcraft written by a team of experienced witches who have backgrounds in Kitchen Witchery, Green Witchery, Wicca, Druidry, Hedge Witchery, Traditional Witchcraft and Hoodoo.


Each lesson is taken at your own pace, in your own time and marked personally by a member of our Leadership Team, who are always on hand to help, support and answer any queries.


Also included are separate classes on a variety of subjects such as tarot and runes we will also host online rituals, chats and study classes, together with an online journal for documenting your journey.


More details will be released soon!


The school will be hosted within our online forum kitchenwitchhearth.com


Our Leadership Team is:

Tansy Firedragon

Sunchylde

Tintagel Moon

Bunni

Skylark Spiritsinger

Our online forum will remain the same as it always has been with our Forum Admin Blaiddwolf Mynddbrae keeping a wolfie eye on it.

Leap of Faith...

I have been doing regular card draws from the Goddess Guidance oracle cards by Doreen Virtue and all of them have been very interesting. Today's however really struck a chord with me.

Aine - Goddess Guidance card for today
Leap of Faith

"Take a risk and put your heart's true desire into action"

Procrastinating about your dreams won't make them go away. Neither will it make them happen. Indecision is the death of the soul's burning passion to improve, grow and learn. Don't worry about making a wrong decision. Instead, worry about making no decision at all. Then take time to pray, meditate, investigate, research, go on nature walks and make your decision.

Once made the universal energies will immediately support your decision, and doors will successively open as if by magic. The magic, you see, is that you have set your mind to accomplish something. And this intention is what sets you on your magical journey. Trust that the universe will support you in all ways. Trust that your intention is clear and right for you. And then take a leap of faith and jump fully and squarely into the midst of putting your dreams into action. Don't hesitate or delay a moment longer!

Doreen Virtue 

In the past I had a bit too much of this energy - leaping into things full pelt without really thinking them through (I can see my husband nodding as he reads this).   It is difficult for me to rein it in because it is in my nature.

However in the past few years I do think (or should that be hope?) that I have managed to temper it.  I do think things through now before I act and before I speak and it is wise advice to do so.  I have learnt that lesson the hard way.  But you do have to have some faith to be able to leap with it, sitting around thinking about things will not get them done!

When we turned into 2012 I knew that it was going to be a BIG year and it hasn't let me down so far, not just me but for close friends too.  Fantastic jobs have appeared, house moves to magical places, new and very exciting projects too - it's all going to happen this year.

And I am desperately fighting the urge to want to do it all and to do it all now LOL!

Kitchen Witch are working on a project and it is huge and it is exciting, the idea has bubbled for many  months, but it has only been this year that has kicked it into action...we have taken a Leap of Faith, we are taking that risk, we are putting our heart's desires into action!   We have meditated, we have investigated, we have researched and now we are working, working out little witchy butts off to bring you all something very fabulous, hopefully around Beltane.

So my advice?

Take that Leap of Faith, realise your dreams, 

they won't happen on their own!

Tansy
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Ostara Meditation

Ostara Meditation

Sit or lie down, somewhere comfortable where you wont be disturbed.  You may close your eyes whenever you wish if you find it easier to visualise that way, but whatever works for you is fine.   

As you sit concentrate on your breathing, feel how your breath feeds your body and expands your lungs, feel the air travel the length of your body before being expelled on the out breath. 

Concentrate on your breathing and as you exhale feel your body relax, feel the muscles get heavier and feel your mind release your thoughts, let them wander away as you concentrate on your breathing. 

I'd like you to visualise a meadow, it's Spring time and the meadow is awash with greenery, as you look round you see white amongst the green.  You move closer and see the white are small daisies, you can smell the grass and feel the grass tickling your feet as you stand there.  There is a slight breeze and you feel it against your cheek, you raise your head and see the blue sky.  Everything is still and quiet.

As you look around you notice a small, sandy track leading away from you, you start to follow the track as it meanders.  As you walk you notice small sounds like the chirpping of the crickets in the grass and the tweeting of the birds in the trees.  You can hear the humming of the bees on the flowers. 

You follow the track down to the edge of a lake, you can see the breeze ruffle the water, you look around you and see a woman sitting under a tree.  She has in front of her a deck of cards, She looks up and welcomes you with a smile.  

You move closer to the Lady and realise that She is reading the tarot cards, She asks  you if you have a question you would like to ask the Cards.  You think for a moment and then ask the question.  The Lady shuffles the cards and lays them down and smiles, and although you can't see the cards you know by her attitude that there will be a favourable outcome.  

The Lady then hands you something to remind you of your time together and points to a Path you hadn't seen before, heading in a new direction. 

You realise that this is your new beginning and you head toward the path with hope, and renewed energy.  

You bid the Lady farewell and as you walk you become aware of your surroundings in the here and now, gradually coming back to reality, refreshed, refocused and renewed.  Take a moment to stretch and fully focus into the present.  

... bunni 2012... 

An amazing Akashic experience...

I have this week had a most amazing experience...

I had some healing treatments from the lovely Trish at The Peaceful Healing Tree

I had a bit of a fusion treatment, and had a bit of everything (well I am worth it ;-0).

The chakra clearing and balancing was spookily spot on, I got a very detailed report on what chakras were blocked, open but blocked etc and what problems would be caused as a result and how to deal with it and complete details of what Trish did as well to clear them.

I also received some amazing Reiki too (yep I know I used the word amazing already but that's just what it is!!).

And then there is the Akashic records reading...I don't think I have the right words to describe just how awesome (see I didn't use the word amazing again...) a very detailed report on my past lives (well some of them at least, apparently I've been round the block more than a few times) and how they have impacted on my present life, my emotions and my health.  All of the details that Trish related to me were exact and on the nail, scarily so in some cases.  Information and details that there is no possible way Trish could have known about from any other source.  And all of the past life details made perfect, perfect sense and explained so many things about my experiences at the moment.

These treatments are a must, they aren't expensive and are definitely worth experiencing, I can't recommend the experience highly enough.

They have a website thepeacefulhealingtree
And a facebook page, pop over and 'like' the page www.facebook.com/ThePeacefulHealingTree1

The Peaceful Healing Tree also offers tarot, oracle and rune readings - again from my personal experience absolutely spot on too!

All the above services can be performed over the internet.

If you happen to be in the area they also offer a house blessing service.

Tansy
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Enchantments

enchantment [ɪnˈtʃɑːntmənt]

n

1. the act of enchanting or state of being enchanted

2. a magic spell or act of witchcraft

3. great charm or fascination

Enchant comes from the word ‘incantare’ which means to ‘sing over’ which is also the meaning of incantation.

It basically means to put a spell or charm on an object or a person.   You might enchant a piece of jewellery to wear as a talisman, you might cast an enchantment over a person for love.

If it is an item you are enchanting, the charm will usually stay in place until you remove it.

To enchant an item is to fill it with energy for your particular intent. 

You can make it fancy smancy and build a whole ritual around it, but you can also keep it simple. 

Using visualisation, control and gather the energy you need and send it into the item.   So if you wanted to create a talisman for protection, visualise yourself in a suit of armour or surrounded by a protective shield, once you have a clear image then visualise the energy being drawn into the item you are using as a talisman to be stored.

Once that is done you can either seal the item or you can add a trigger, this will allow you to turn the talisman on or off at will.   If you seal it the talisman will always be active, the only way to stop it would be to block the energy.  If you add a trigger this basically works as an on/off switch that can be activated by a spoken word or phrase.

The key to good enchantments is visualisation!

Tansy

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Garlic Mustard

Garlic Mustard

(Alliaria petiolata)

  

Garlic Mustard grows throughout the UK and in most of Europe.  In the USA it is abundant in the mid western and north eastern states, but can also be found as far south as Kentucky and North Carolina.

In early spring, the light green leaves start to show in the hedgerows and woodland.  The plants can vary in height from 5-8 inches up to 3ft.  The broad, heart shaped leaves are toothed, and at the base of the plant grow on fairly long stalks.  Near to the top the leaf stalks are shorter and the leaves have prominent veins.  The flowers have four tiny white petals that grow at the top of the plant in a cluster of tight green buds and white flowers.  Much smaller unopened flower heads spring from the angle of the leaf stalks and main stem.

Common names are: Hedge Garlic, Sauce-all-Alone, Jack-by-the-Hedge and Poor Man’s Mustard. When bruised the whole plant has a smell of onion rather than garlic.

In 1657 William Coles wrote that is was eaten by many country people as sauce to their salt fish, and helped well to digest the crudities and other crude humours that are engendered by the eating thereof.

Early herbalists used the leaves for dropsy and to induce sweating.  The herbalist Sir John Hill recommended that they should be boiled with honey to make a syrup as a remedy for coughs and hoarseness.  The leaves were also believed to have antiseptic properties and were applied as dressings to open sores and ulcers.

Eaten as a fresh seasonal food it is good for the digestion and as a spring tonic for the whole body.

Sometimes you can find garlic mustard with exceptionally large leaves. These may have large, whitish, fleshy taproots, which taste like horseradish. They are good from late autumn to early spring, before the flower stalks appear. Use them like horseradish, grated into vinegar, as a condiment.

The pungent, mildly bitter basal leaves are good from late autumn to early spring, the plants seem to become more bitter as they mature. However the arrowhead shaped stem leaves are more pungent and less bitter in the spring along with the tasty white flowers, than the basal leaves.

Use garlic mustard raw in salads, mixed with more mild greens. It's also good steamed, simmered, or lightly fried. It can also be used in sauces. Cook no longer than five minutes, or the leaves will become mushy.

Garlic Mustard Pesto

4 cloves garlic

3 tablespoons garlic mustard taproot

¾ cup parsley

1 cup garlic mustard leaves

1 cup basil

2 cups pine nuts

½ cup stock

1 ¼ cups olive oil

Chop the garlic and the garlic mustard roots finely, preferably in a food processor. 

Add the parsley, garlic, garlic mustard leaves and basil and chop.

Add the pine nuts and chop coarsely.

Add the olive oil and the stock gradually and process until you create a coarse paste.

Magickal Properties: (use as you would garlic)

Gender: Masculine

Planet: Mars

Element: Fire

Powers: Protection, healing, exorcism, lust, anti theft

Tansy

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sources:

Cunninghams Encyclopedia

Hedgerow Medicine by Julie Bruton-Seal & Matthew Seal

Edible Wild Plants & Herbs by Pamela Michael and Christabel King

Image from wikipedia

Glenn Harrold Meditations

I was looking for a meditation to do,  I personally prefer to listen to guided meditations so I had a look on my iPhone to see what I could find in the apps.

I was pleasantly surprised to find hundreds of downloadable meditations for the iPhone, a lot of them for free.  I downloaded a few, some were OK some were pretty useless and then I found a Meditation for Inner Wisdom by Glenn Harrold and was hooked!

The meditation took me through a beautiful garden, into a forest and out into a sacred place and also included a set of affirmations with beautiful descriptions and narrative for the meditation itself.

I was actually almost put off by a couple of reviews for the app that said they didn't like his voice, turns out he has a London accent so for me being in the UK it made a change from most of my meditations which are read by USA voices!  I actually liked his voice, it is steady, calming and reassuring.

I have since downloaded several of his meditations onto my iPhone (for free) but he does have a huge catalogue of CDs and books on the market.

Glenn is a trained hypnotherapist and now has his own company Diviniti Publishing that produces self help books and CDs by himself and many other authors.

You can find more about him on his website glennharrold.com  he also has a facebook page  facebook.com/glennharrold and twitter @GlennHarrold

Tansy
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Pele - She Who Shapes the Sacred Land

Goddess Pele is a Hawaiian Volcano and Fire Goddess.  She is known as She Who Shapes the Sacred Land.

Pele is passion, purpose, dynamic action and eternal and profound love.

She originally came from Tahiti, where her sister Namaka, a sea goddess would send waves over Pele’s home to put out the flames.  

Pele travelled in search of a new home, carrying the egg of  her unborn sister Hi’iaka under her arm.  Throughout the journey Namaka made the water treacherous as Pele travelled in a canoe on the sea.

Pele tried to land on several different islands but jealous snow goddesses who lived in the high mountains sent blizzards to quell her flames.  Namaka also continued to harass Pele whenever she tried to land.

Eventually Pele found her home on Hawaii in a volcano called Kilauea.

Her story reminds her that once we know who we are we can honour our inner self, our true self.  It also reminds us that when we follow our true pathway, working through any problems along the way, and not to give up we will achieve our goal.  Dedication and perseverance will get us there.

Pele is also a shape shifter, she can be seen as a beautiful young lady, a crone or as a dog.   Her symbols are the Ohi’a lehua which is a beautiful tree that grows on lava flows, Lehua flowers and the Honey Creeper plant.

Volcanoes are destructive and violent, and Pele is often linked with them and her actions can be similar, but as with all destruction this can be good, it is cleansing and clears away that which is no longer necessary within our lives, even clearing away that which is destructive to us.  It is the never ending circle of birth, death and rebirth.  Destruction has to happen before rebirth can take place.   It is as She Who Shapes the Sacred Land that Pele achieves this.   She reminds us that we have the power and ability to create our own universe, our own lives are in our hands.  By using our own words, thoughts and actions we can create that which we desire.

Pele reminds us to believe in ourselves, to be who we are, who we want to be, to acknowledge our connection to the Divine and therefore to understand and accept the Goddess within.

Pele is a Fire Goddess, fire as an element is power, energy, motivation and strength.  She brings all those with her, she helps to manifest our desires to create positive intent and to clear out old and unwanted energy.  She helps us to create new ideas, new situations and new opportunities.  She brings with her feminine energy, the power of woman, dignity, courage and inner strength.

Pele will help to relight your own inner flame, to open us up to passion, purpose and meaning in our lives.  She will open us up to recognize our talents, she will stimulate our creative ideas.

She will bring with her love, passion, creativity, motivation, energy, cleansing, renewal, fearlessness and also protection.

Tansy

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Top image is Pele Honua Mea by Herb Kawainui Kane

Second image is Pele, goddess of volcanoes by Vedic Hawaii

The Magical Egg

Eggs symbolise the essence of life, rebirth and fertility.  Within that they also symbolise long life and also immortality.  An egg itself encompasses the mystery and magic of creation.

In legend faeries would consume eggs of mythical birds such as the phoenix. 

Throughout history people have eaten eggs for lots of different reasons.  Some to absorb the magical properties by eating them, others to ensure fertility. 

In the Slavonic and Germanic lands people also smeared eggs onto their hoes to ensure fertility for the soil.

In Iran brides and grooms exchange eggs for fertility.

In 17^th century France, a bride would break and egg when she entered her new home for the first time.

The idea that eggs were a symbol of fertility and life force compelled certain cultures not only to shun them as food but also to avoid destroying them at all costs.

Certain aborigional groups in Australia believed eggs descended from the emu, so strict taboos were placed on eating eggs of these ancestral birds.

Eggs were often used though, for divination.  This stemmed from the belief that eggs symbolised life and particularly life in the future.  One method involved painting the eggs, boiling them and reading the patterns in their cracks.  Another method involved tossing the eggs and divining the future, a system of divination known as oomancy.    Egg white can also be used, by dripping it into a bowl of water and reading the shapes that it makes. 

In Egypt eggs were hung in the temples to bring fertility, for birth and renewal. 

The Hindu description of the beginning of the world saw it as a cosmic egg.

The yolk in the centre of the egg has also been used to represent the Sun.

Cascarilla is made from egg shells that have been crushed and ground to a powder.  It is used in hoodoo and folk magic as well as other magical practices.   The powder can be dusted on the body to protect from spirit possession and also acts as a shield from psychic or magical attack.  It can be sprinkled around the perimeter of your home to create a peaceful environment and to protect from intruders.    It can also be used for drawing runes, sigils or other symbols in rituals and workings.

The egg is a complete set of elements in one handy pack:  The shell represents Earth, the inner membrane represents Air, the yolk is Fire and the white is Water.  

Tansy

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Cosmic egg image from fearedbumblebee.wordpress.com