Quick (kinda) Tip: Are Your Crystals Dirty??

 Tomorrow is the full moon and a lunar eclipse!  The full moon is a great time for meditation, spell work and ritual, but it's also a great time to cleanse your crystals (and anything else that needs a good cleansing).  With the added umph we're getting from the eclipse, I decided it's a good time for a massive crystal cleansing. I've been meandering through the apartment for the last hour, digging out all my crystals, rocks and seashells.  These guys are getting a good bath whether they like it or not!  But first, there are a lot of different ways to cleanse crystals:

• Earth Cleansing ~ If you're lucky enough to have a yard or a bit of earth that won't be disturbed dig a whole and bury your crystals. Once buried, visualize the old, stale, negative energy being drawn out and away from your crystals. Then visualize them being filled with new, positive energies.  Leave them in the ground for at least 24 hours, allowing Mother Earth to cleanse and restore your crystals. This method is especially good for geodes. Just make sure you remember where you buried them!

• Rain Water ~ Leaving crystals outside in the rain is a great way to cleanse them.  Put them in a secure spot or in a bowl and just let them hang out in the rain.  Spend some time visualizing the old energies dripping away from them.  Don't be afraid to put them outside in a storm.  Storm energy is a great cleanser but will also give crystals a powerful charge.  Just make sure, if the storm is accompanied by strong winds, the crystals are secure and won't get blown over. 

• Running Water ~ Holding your crystals under lukewarm, running water is a quick way to cleanse them.  If you have access to a body of water like a stream or lake, you can hold your crystals in the water (hold on tight!). Visualize the stagnate, old and negative energies flowing down the drain or down stream.

• Smoke ~ Cleansing with smoke, or smudging, is another easy way to cleanse crystals.  There are a variety of cleansing herbs and incenses that can be used but I stick with sage.  Hold the crystal in the smoke and visualize the old energies being carried away in the smoke.  If possible, have a window open so the smoke can travel out and away.  

• Full Moon & Sunlight ~  This is the method I use most often, especially when cleansing a lot of crystals (I'll discuss this method in greater detail below).  Place your crystals on a windowsill or outside. Make sure they are in a spot where they will get full moonlight and sunlight.  The full moon light will cleanse the crystals and the sunlight will recharge them. Allowing crystals to spend some time in sunlight is especially beneficial for clear quartz but can cause crystals, such as rose quartz and amethyst to fade over time.  

My Crystal Cleansing Method

     I'm a city girl and can't readily perform all the cleansing practices I mentioned above.  I can't bury my crystals in the ground because I'm surrounded by concrete and the NYPD frowns upon burying things in Central Park.  Holding crystals in a stream or river isn't a possibility either, putting my hand in water around here might send me to the doctor for a tetanus shot.  Rain water is also a bit iffy, I'd rather not know what's dripping off the building along with the rain.  That leaves me with smoke cleansing and Full Moon/Sunlight.  Since I'm basically cleansing every crystal in the apartment, smoke cleansing is out the question. It will take too long and I'd like to avoid having to explain myself to the fire department (although, the firemen in my neighborhood are pretty cute, hmm...?).  So, cleansing with Moon and Sun it is!!  As long as the sun and moon are in the sky this method is pretty easy. 

What will you need?

• a bowl large enough to fit your crystals (the bowl should not be made of metal)
• salt for cleansing (not required, just my personal preference)
• rosemary (not required, just my personal preference)
• water  - I use filtered water but tap water is just fine. 

Place the salt and rosemary on the bottom of the bowl

     Why salt? Have you ever had a cyst, blister or sore throat? (I know it's gross but stick with me, there's a point, I swear.) What did your mom and grandmother tell you to do? Add salt to warm or hot water and gargle your throat or hold it on the cyst/blister with a clean cloth.  Salt draws out the impurities. It helps purify and cleanse the crystal.  A little salt is all you need, to much and it could scratch and alter the surface of the crystals.  Rosemary is included when I cleanse crystals because it has the ability draw out the negative while simultaneously drawing in the positive.


      

    Once the salt and rosemary are in the bowl you can begin placing the crystals in the bowl.  If your a crystal hoarder like myself, you may need to use multiple bowls.  When the sun sets I'll place the bowl holding the crystals, salt and rosemary outside on the fire escape.  Next, I'll add the water (this should be the final step. Walking around with a bowl full of crystals and water is a bad and messy idea. Trust me!). Now the crystals can be left to their own devises until morning, allowing Mother Moon and Father Sun to do the rest. Or, once the moon has risen, you can spend some time focusing on the crystals.  Visualize the energies that are no longer needed being pulled out of the crystals and drawn away from them.  Leave them out for the entire night and the following morning.  Transparent or brightly colored crystals (ie. rose quartz, amethyst, citrine) are at risk of fading from direct sunlight. Consider keeping them separate and bringing them in early to prevent fading.  The next morning, drain the water out of the bowl and bring all the crystals inside.  Rinse them off, removing the salt and rosemary.  Dry them and place them back where they belong in your home. The energy should feel lighter and the crystals are now cleansed and charged.

No water for these guys (except the 
coral in the middle.... oops!)

     Placing crystals in water is not always necessary and sometimes should not be done. There are crystals that will dissolve when placed in water for extended periods of time.  An easy way to remember this is 'ite'.  Most water soluble crystals end in 'ite'. You can also do a scratch test with a steel knife.  Try scratching a small area of the crystal, if the knife easily leaves a scratch avoid putting it in water.  Selenite, calcite, fluorite, sodalite, gypsum and lapis lazuli are some crystals that are water soluble.  Holding these crystals in running water for a short period of time is fine but they should not spend hours soaking in water.  Research your crystals before placing them in water or leave out the water altogether.  They will still be cleansed and recharged if placed outside without water.  




     This is the cleansing method I'm using today but remember there are multiply ways you can cleanse your crystals.  Cleansing and recharging your crystals is vital to keeping them clear and working at their highest ability.  Think about how you feel after a long shower or bath. You're cleansed, energized and ready to work and your crystals will feel the same after a good cleansing.  Don't forget to include seashells, coral and other rocks you keep around. These guys carry energy too and also appreciate a good cleansing.  Some crystals need to be treated like a Mogwai: no food after midnight and absolutely no water!  Always cleanse a crystal when you first bring it home and before working with it in a healing capacity.  Crystals hold memories and energies and we have no idea what they go through before they find their way to us.  Clearing that energy and giving the crystal a clean slate is very important.  Remember to use visualization and make sure your crystals get good and cleansed on a regular basis (whatever schedule works for you).

Happy crystal cleansing!

Bright Blessings,
~Amethyst~

Outside waiting for the Moon to rise

The Harvest Mocks Me

     My tarot cards certainly aren't timid.  This morning, before the sun came up, after a night of violent tossing and turning, I sat bleary eyed and shuffled my deck.  Before I could complete my usual regiment of shuffling and cutting, shuffling and cutting, shuffling and cutting...  a card flipped out of the deck and landed in my lap.  It was this guy.... 

Harvest  ~  The Green Witch Tarot 

    .....and at first I was confused.  I haven't exactly been in a harvesty mood (my cup runneth over but there's a bug in my drink).  Yeah, things have been murky and the last bit of tarnish on my silver lining just won't come out no matter how much I scrub.  This card represents so much... happiness, positive abundance, renewal, reward etc.  It mocked me. It reminded me of everything I've wanted and worked for and how far I still am from attaining so many of those things. You sir, with your smiling face and bountiful vegetables mock me.  As I was shoving the cards back in their bag I heard a soft message that made this cards presence in front of my face this morning make sense.  Work....

    I pulled the card out and looked at it again.  This man with a smiling face, this happy pair and their overflowing harvest.  How did they arrive in this place? What was the work behind the harvest? If I want to arrive at this place of positive abundance what is the work I have to do to get my ass there?


"....With a sense of revelation and insight comes renewed energy, but also a time of accountability or reckoning resulting from actions taken, choices made, and opportunities ignored. There may be a need for self assessment as to whether one's decisions have been beneficial or detrimental to personal growth and spiritual peace.  Some form of atonement for past actions may be initiated or forced upon oneself through the judgments of others. Along with this evaluation is the potential for a rebirth, with new insight as to direction or possible changes in one's life, and even an influx of psychic awareness and understanding through an altered state as the second harvest is celebrated with the wine of life. With revelation and insight comes renewed energy for further transformative action."  -The Green Witch Tarot Companion 


What aspect of your life needs to be reevaluated?  
Does a hard decision need to be made and, if so, are avoiding making the choice?
Have you made a bad decision and now a course adjustment is required (don't beat yourself up, shit happens)?
Your efforts will be rewarded but only if you get off your ass and get started.
Do you hold yourself accountable for all actions, both good and not so good?
Are you afraid of rebirth? If so, why (if there's something in the shadows holding you back turn around and look it dead in the eye)??
Self care/Restorative care is important. Don't be afraid to take a time out and do you.

    Nothing lasts forever, including the smile on that guys face.  His harvest was bountiful but inevitably his table will be empty and the work toward an abundant harvest will begin again.  The cycle...  Constant hard work and attention is required of the farmer to ensure this bounty and constant work and attention is needed to continue moving forward positively, creating a bountiful life.  And it seems greater challenges and obstacles find their way into our path the more we grow and our spirit expands but with each cycle through we acquire more tools to deal with the hard work that comes before the harvest.   I may not be at that table today but I'll be there again because I've sat there before. 


Work, Work, Work, Work, Work....
~A

It's Harvest Time!

     The produce aisle at the grocery store is overflowing with colorful treats from mother earth and people trying to pick a good piece of fruit.  The days are hot and steamy and

farmer's markets are sprouting up in empty parking lots and city side walks.  Sweet corn signs are everywhere, the line for fresh baked bread goes on for days and sunflowers the size of your head are sold by the bushel. We've reached the halfway point between summer solstice and the autumn equinox.  It's time for Lughnasadh, the first harvest.  Pronounced loo-nah-sa, the Celtic Sun God Lugh (Loo) is honored at this time. There are many spelling variations and different names for this sabbat.  Lunasa is the Gaelic word for the sabbat and the month of August.  Other names for the sabbat are August Eve, First Harvest and Lammas. Lammas is a common name and it means "loaf-mass" most likely because of the grains harvested at this time and subsequent bread making.  Native American traditions refer to this time as the Festival of Green Corn and honor the Corn Grandmother.

     The first of three harvests (followed by Mabon and Samhain), a major theme for this sabbat is abundance.  It's a hard trend to miss because it's everywhere you look.  Gardens are teaming with bright flowers, farms head into overdrive to bring in the harvest and there is a lot to choose from. Grains, corn, fruits and veggies, abundance is everywhere.  At this time of year, we also begin our farewell to the sun.  Nights have come earlier since the summer solstice and the shorter days are more noticeable now.  Despite the raging heat we experience now, this is the beginning of the end of summer. 

     

Lughnasadh Colors 

Gold 

Green

Brown

Orange

Yellow

White

Themes

Abundance 

Fertility 

Gratitude 

Harvest 

Renewal 

Regrets and Farewells

Not that Sirius...

...This Sirius

     Random Fact:  I'm sure you've probably heard the term Dog Days of Summer, right?  Ever wonder where it came from??  It's all Sirius' fault.  Sirius is part of the constellation Canis Major or Big Dog and it's one of Orion's hunting dogs.  At this time of year, when Sirius rises with the sun, ancient Romans and Greeks believed Sirius (from the Greek word seirios meaning scorcher or glowing) added fuel to the sun's fire causing more heat to beat down on them.  Ancient Egyptians recognized that the Nile's flooding season began when Sirius showed up and this marked the beginning of the fertile season in the valleys.  

     So it's Lughnasadh, what are you gonna do? Here are some ideas:

Corn Dolly 

• Go on a nature walk
• Wander through a farmer's market 
• Bake some bread
• Make corn dollies
• Volunteer at a local farm
• By some extra fruits and veggies for someone that may not be able to afford them
• Bring home some sunflowers
• Throw a potluck dinner party
• Get your hands dirty with some gardening
• Reflect on where you are in life: what have you been working on? Is it flourishing or do you need to rework your plans?  
• Take time for gratitude and count your blessings. You're probably way more blessed than you realize. Here's a simple gratitude exercise for Lughnasadh.

• You'll need a candle (preferably one of the colors mentioned above), a pen and paper or journal, a jar and some kernels of corn (You can use anything related to the season. Kernels are just a suggestion.)
• Light the candle and spend some breathing deeply and reflecting.
• Then, count your blessings.  Really go deep and express everything you are grateful for. Say them out loud. Each one counts as a kernel and should be added to the jar.  Eventually the jar will begin to fill up and you'll start to see there is much more in your life to be grateful for than you may have realized.  Keep the jar and continue to add to it during the harvest season.
• Once you're done with the jar spend some time journaling, focusing on the themes of Lughnasadh. 
• You can do this with your family, group or alone.

For more information check out these books: 

• The Wiccan Year  by: Judy Ann Nock
• Seasons of Witchery  by: Ellen Dugan
• Sabbats  by: Edain McCoy 

     Enjoy the remaining days of summer and the first harvest. Remember, all that dies shall be reborn.  

~Blessed Be

We All Come From The Goddess/Hoof and Horn

This is one of my favorite chants for this time of year. 

I find myself humming/singing it all the time during the harvest season.

~BB~

Amethyst 

PS ~ If the title of this post reminded you of a certain 90's movie then my work here is done.  **Cackles and drops her book of shadows**

Decisions, Decisions

Sitting at work, so early in the morning and I want to be anywhere but here. This work isn't my passion. Work doesn't fill my heart or ignite my imagination. Suddenly all the things that do fill me up and set me aflame rushed into my mind. I felt pulled toward my cards (I always have a deck in my bag obvs) and drew a card while no one was looking. Of course, the card that jumped out is the 7 of cups. The fairies are literally pulling her hair toward the answer or begging to make a decision (shit or get off the pot/cauldron witch).

When you are lost in daydreams where do you go and is that where you really want to be?

If so, what does the map to that place look like?
What choice do you make for yourself in this moment?

Prioritize. What comes first? What can wait?

Don't spend so much time staring at the choices before you that you forget to make a decision.

Summer Solstice ~ Litha

  

    


     Summer Solstice or Midsummer is much more than just the longest day of the year.  This day has deep, magickal roots all over the world and has been celebrated by a myriad of cultures for centuries. A solar/fire festival, Midsummer is a celebration of light, the powers of the Sun and the coming abundance of Mother Earth.  Summer Solstice (I tend to interchange the terms Midsummer and Summer Solstice) occurs around June 20th - June 21st when the Sun enters the zodiac sign Cancer. The longest day and shortest night happens on Summer Solstice day, bringing the Sun to the height of its power.  Although the hottest days of summer are still ahead of us, the Summer Solstice marks the end of the light half of the year and the beginning of the dark half of the year (the days slowly start to get shorter as the sun sets earlier each evening).  Midsummer has many names including:

• Summer Solstice and Midsummer 
• Litha
• Feast of Epona (ancient Gaul)
• All Couple's Day (Greece)
• Vastalia (ancient Rome)
• Gathering Day (Wales)
• Feill-Sheathain (Scotland)
• Thing-Tide (Scandinavia)

  

    Because of the power this day (and the days surrounding the Solstice) holds, it's a great time to perform spell work for protection, fertility, abundance, renewal, love and cleansing.  Nature is growing and blooming at every turn.  The Summer Solstice gives us wee mortals a chance to revel in the beauty of nature and celebrate all that Mother Earth gives us.  Midsummer is generally a time to party, feast and get down with your bad self at a community or family gathering (these ancient gatherings took place at Midsummer and are the root of what we now know as family reunions which usually take place in June.) Mother Earth likes a good a party too. Use the power of the Summer Solstice to:

•  Honor and commune with the fairy kingdom (Leave the fairies an offering of food ie. milk, honey, butter, wine, bread etc)
• Garden witchery (make a fairy garden and kill 2 birds with 1 stone)
• Herbal and garden magick
• Invite a bunch of pagan folk over and make the most of the sunshine with outdoor ritual followed by a rowdy picnic/bbq
• Gather fresh herbs and hang them to dry (Vervain was traditionally gathered before dawn on Midsummer and pine cones gathered on the day are considered powerful protection amulets.)
• Harness the protective power of the sun and make protection amulets.  Next year, bury the amulet on Midsummer Eve and make a new one on Midsummer Day.

     

     Although all Sabbats are associated with fire in some way, this element is most important and honored at Midsummer because of the hot sun.  Balefires have been a prominent component of Midsummer for centuries and continue to be lit today.  Traditionally, a balefire was lit on the eve of Midsummer, burned/tended to throughout the day of Midsummer and then allowed to burn out. Summer Solstice activities (feasting, spell work, etc.) took place around the balefire making it the focal point of the day (symbolic of the sun's extended stay in the sky).  In some traditions, all lights in the home were extinguished and re-lit using torches lit from the balefire to bring the power of the sun into the home.  Farmers sometimes lit two fires side by side and walked their livestock between them. This practice had two purposes: 1. the smoke purified the livestock while the fire offered symbolic protection. 2. the heat from the fire caused pests like ticks to fall off the animals.  Once the balefire has gone out the ashes that are left behind are sprinkled in the fields to bless the crops and bring fertility.  The most important thing to note about fire during Midsummer is its similarities to the sun. Fire can cook your food, heat your home, light the way, burn you, and purify.  The sun provides warmth, provides plants with energy to grow and thrive, lights the way, heats you up and can give you one hell of a burn if you're not careful.  There are countless activities that can be done during Midsummer that include fire/sun:

• Light a bonfire. If a bonfire is too extreme, make a fire pit. If you're like me and don't have access to a yard, then use your cauldron. Light a few gold and green candles (gold represents the sun and green represents nature) in your cauldron.
• A simple spell to release that which no longer serves you: write down what you want to release on a peace of paper and throw it into the fire. 
• Place votive candles in a dish with some water.  The floating votives are pretty, provide some ambiance, and can also double as a scrying tool.
• Do some candle magick
• Practice safe sunbathing and work on your tan a bit
• When the sun begins to set, light sparklers and dance with the fireflies.

Summer Solstice folklore: June is a popular month for people to get hitched.  Ancient societies believed it was bad luck to marry in the month of May because this time belonged to the God and Goddess (Beltane). May is the month of sacred marriage between the Goddess and God, so people waited until June to walk down the aisle.  A nursery rhyme/old poem reflects this belief in its lyrics: 

"Married when the year is new, he'll be loving, kind & true,

When February birds do mate, You wed nor dread your fate.

If you wed when March winds blow, joy and sorrow both you'll know.

Marry in April when you can, Joy for Maiden & for Man.

Marry in the month of May, and you'll surely rue the day.

Marry when June roses grow, over land and sea you'll go. (or and happiness you'll always know)

Those who in July do wed, must labour for their daily bred.

Whoever wed in August be, many a change is sure to see

Marry in September's shrine, your living will be rich and fine.

If in October you do marry, love will come but riches tarry.

If you wed in bleak November, only joys will come, remember.

When December snows fall fast, marry and true love will last."

Summer Solstice/Midsummer is a powerful time during the wheel of the year. Work on your tan, reflect on the light half of the year, make plans for the dark half or have a few rowdy companions over for a bbq, fire pit and sparklers.  Spend some time thinking of all that Mother Nature provides and the harvest that is still to come.  Create a fairy garden or an amulet to protect your home, property, animals or yourself (these could be good projects for the kids).  It doesn't matter what you do as long as you enjoy the longest day of the year!! 

Brightest of Blessings to you all, 

~Amethyst~

Sources:

Sabbats: A Witch's Approach To Living The Old Ways   by: Edain McCoy    (great book!)

Seasons of Witchery: Celebrating The Sabbats With The Garden Witch   by: Ellen Dugan