Seasonal Protection Magick

Life is uncertain. If you turn on the news, you will be subjected to a constant barrage of All the Horrible Things. But even beyond that, there are always things that can harm us, whether they are acts of nature, acts of man, or just bad luck. There is no way we can keep bad stuff from happening once in a while, but it never hurts to do a little protection work to give yourself and your loved ones a bit of a boost in that direction.

I try to do serious protection work for my house and property at least once a year, in the fall as I am shutting things down and closing up the house for the winter. The coming week, leading up to Samhain on the 31st, is a perfect time for these kinds of rituals and spells (although they will work any time, of course). The darkness is closing in as the days grow shorter, and with the veil becoming thinner, it is always a good idea to reinforce your defenses.

I have full protection rituals in Circle, Coven & Grove (that one is focused on making a protection charm for your home) and The Witch's Broom, but if you want to do something simple and subtle, you can try this.

Take a bag or bowl and place in it some salt (sea salt is best if you have it, but even table salt will do), dried or fresh rosemary, basil, and sage (you can also use bay, juniper, and garlic--although I'd save that one for outside work!). If you want to, you can place a protective stone like red jasper or black onyx in the middle of the bag/bowl, and reclaim it afterwards. For extra oomph, you can leave the mixture out under the full moon beforehand, or bless and consecrate it for magickal work, but that isn't absolutely necessary, since most of the power from this mini-ritual comes from your focus and intent.

If you are in an apartment or don't want to make a mess, you can always dissolve the salt in water and put the entire thing into a spritzer instead (you can even use essential oils instead of the herbs if you like).

I walk around the outside of my house and the perimeters of my property, paying special attention to any entrances (including the mailbox). As I walk, I sprinkle small amounts of my protection mixture and say something along the lines of this: My home is protected. My property is protected. All those who live within are protected, from all acts malicious and accidental, from any who would cause harm or damage. My home is protected. I am protected. With the aid of the god and goddess, with the power of the earth, air, fire, and water, my home is protected. So mote it be. (Repeat as you go.)

There are no "right" words. Just say what comes from your heart, and focus on your intent to wrap your home and all those who live within in a cone of magickal protection. Then put the rest of your mixture away until the next time, feeling just a little safer and more secure in a dangerous world.

The Herb Harvest: Basil Uses, Magical and Mundane

We are in the midst of harvest season now. The Fall Equinox (also known as Mabon, and the 2nd of 3 harvest festivals on the Wiccan Wheel of the Year) is either the 22nd or the 23rd, depending on which calendar you look at. Either way, in most parts of the country, the harvest is in full swing, and most gardens are beginning to slow down as the nights grow cooler and the days grow shorter.

One of my favorite things to harvest at this time of year are herbs, so I've going to do a short series on a few of the ones I use the most. I tend to grow herbs that have multiple purposes: culinary, medicinal, and/or magical. Many herbs fall under this category, and they often have lovely flowers that attract bees and other beneficial insects. They're usually easy to grow, and you can harvest smaller pieces all through the growing season simply by snipping off the amount you need.

One of my basil patches in the garden.

 Basil is one of the herbs that tastes immensely better fresh than it does dried, and although it can be grown in a pot on a windowsill, I've always found it does much better outside. It's very sensitive to frost, so once it gets cold, you need to do something with whatever basil you have left in the garden. For me, that means PESTO!

Pesto is a simple sauce made from a few ingredients. There is no cooking required--just put them all together in a food processor or a blender and whir them together until you get the consistency you like. If you don't have a machine, you can do it by hand, but this involves a lot of chopping...

Pesto freezes extremely well, so you can grow or buy fresh basil, and put up a big batch at the end of the season. When you pull a container out in the middle of winter, it is like having a little bit of summer on your plate.

Basil's magical properties are love, protection, and prosperity, which means that it pairs well with the other ingredients in pesto. The traditional recipe calls for pine nuts, which are actually the seeds from inside a pine cone. (prosperity, love, strength) and they impart a nice creamy taste that helps to cut the strong flavor of the basil. But pine nuts are expensive and can be hard to find, so you can either mix them with or substitute walnuts (protection, intellect). Along with these you will use olive oil (sacred in many cultures, and used for health, peace, and spirit), garlic (protection and health), grated Parmesan cheese, and salt. (I also use a tablespoon or so of lemon juice, although I've never seen a recipe that calls for it. It's my secret ingredient, so shhhh...)

All the other ingredients for pesto. Just add fresh basil.

Various recipes will call for different proportions of these ingredients, but I never measure. I just start off with a lot of basil and a little bit of everything else, then tweak it as desired. If you are working a little love, protection, or prosperity magick with your cooking, remember to focus on bringing out these qualities as you blend and stir.

The finished product, ready to toss with pasta, put on top of little red potatoes, or, anything else your little heart desires.

A Herbal Harvest

Most of the garden has been put to bed now, other than one last batch of lettuce and spinach which will last until it snows (or maybe beyond, if I cover them). So this weekend I took care of the last harvest: clipping various herbs and bringing them inside to dry.

This is the small new herb patch by the back door. Most of the herbs are grown in a larger section off to the left of the main garden. They don't have to be fenced in because very little bothers them.

I use my herbs for a number of purposes, primarily culinary (cooking) and magical. Luckily, most common herbs can serve both purposes. For instance, rosemary is great in chicken or lamb dishes, but it is also used in protection magic, or for remembrance. (We often throw it in the Samhain bonfire for that reason.)

 Here's this year's harvest: starting at the middle left, you can see parsley, thyme, rosemary, purple sage, common sage, lemon balm, and chocolate mint. There are some chives tucked in there too.

 Magic and Angus are investigating, but I believe they were unimpressed, since there was no catnip.

Here are the herbs hung up to dry in my mudroom, over the shelf holding the garlic, boxes of small potatoes, and a few lovely squash that my friend John grew.

I love rosemary (and garlic, which is used as an herb, although it is actually a member of the onion family). I have a great rub that I use on leg of lamb: combine 12 cloves of garlic (yes, really), some rosemary, thyme, and oregano with a couple of tablespoons of sea salt or Kosher salt and some pepper. Throw it into a food processor with enough olive oil to make a paste and smear it on your roast. It forms an amazingly flavorful crust, and keeps the meat really moist. (Thanks to my friend Bobbie, who gave me this recipe years ago.)

What is your favorite herb, and what do you use it for?

Fast and Easy Protection Work

Y'all asked for it, so here it is. Let me know if you have any questions.

Fast and Easy Protection Work

I think it is natural to feel a little more vulnerable as winter approaches. The nights grow longer and the days colder, and some echo in the back of our ancestral brainstem tells us that soon food with be scarce and predators will prowl. (Which explains why I suddenly want to eat lots of fattening comfort foods. Thank you SO much, hindbrain.)

This makes the fall a perfect time to do some fast and easy protection magick. You don’t have to do long and complicated rituals, or even be a full-time full-on practicing witch. Folks have been doing this kind of work forever.

First, put together a quick herbal protection mix. In the best of all possible worlds, you would grow the herbs yourself (I do). But not everyone has a garden, or the inclination to grow stuff. So feel free to pick these up at a local health food store, New Age store, or even the grocery store, if that’s all you’ve got. (Herbs tend to be fresher and more powerful if you buy them loose from bulk bins, rather than getting them from the spice section, where they have often been irradiated, and might been years old. The bonus—they’re cheaper when purchased loose, and you can use what’s left for cooking later.) I use dried herbs because it is easier, but fresh will work fine too.

Mix together these herbs: basil, rosemary, and sage, crumbling the leaves with your fingers or a mortar and pestle. Place them in a container with some sea salt (regular will do if that’s all you have). If you’re going to use the mix outside, add some garlic powder. For inside use, maybe just a token sprinkle, so you don’t stink up the place. You can stop there, or add a few drops of any magickal protection oil. If you want an extra oomph, you can bless and consecrate this mixture on your altar, or leave it out under the light of the full moon. But if you’re in a hurry, it will work just fine as is. Putting this together will take you less than five minutes, but remember to focus on your intention—protection—as you combine all the ingredients.

Then go around your home and sprinkle the mixture while repeating the following spell. You can do it inside or outside (you may have to vacuum if you do it inside, but wait a day or two), and you can use the same spell to protect your vehicle. Again—this doesn’t have to take more than about five minutes, but it is important to really FOCUS during those brief moments. Put all your energy and will into your intention of protecting those things and people that are precious to you.

House Protection Spell

(works for cars, too)

I call upon the gods above

To protect and guard this place [car] I love

Earth and water, air and fire

Keep it safe as I desire

*

Protect my home [car] and those within

From pest and illness, floods and wind

From any who would cause it harm

Protect it with this magic charm

*

Keep safe and sheltered this my place

With shining light and shining grace

Earth and water, air and fire

Keep it safe as I desire

So mote it be

Stay safe out there, people!

May Class: Herbal Magick & Kitchen Alchemy

Registration is now open for my next class at the Witchcraft & Writing loop--and this one is going to be FUN! 


Run and tell everyone you think might be interested, then go sign up. Or sign up, then tell everyone. Whichever works for you :-)

Hope to see you there! I'm off to stir up something magickal in the kitchen...

Herbal Magick and Kitchen Alchemy 
For: Anyone interested in the use of herbs and food in magick, whether for a witchcraft practice or a witchy character in a novel—or even just for fun. Recipes included!

When is a cup of tea not just a cup of tea? When it is magick! Herbs and food have been used for centuries to augment a magickal life. Whether it was the wife who “sweetened” her husband’s temperament by adding special herbs to his dinner, or the village herbalist/wise woman who cured the ills that beset body, heart, and spirit, herbs and food as an easy, inexpensive, and unobtrusive way to work magick into your everyday life.

The class will include suggestions for the safest, easiest ways to use herbs and food for magickal purposes, as well as simple recipes, reading recommendations, and more. So fix yourself a cup of tea and come join us!

Time: 3 days
Cost: $15
Date: May 21-23
Optional Texts: Witchcraft on a Shoestring

SIGN UP HERE
http://witchywritingwithdeborahblake.blogspot.com/