Sage Ash

Witchery Wednesday

One of the signs that you might be a little witchy is that you tend to save everything. It’s not hoarding if it’s useful, right? And when it comes to spellwork, everything can be useful. If your pockets are currently full of bits of stray string and your shelves full of glass jars (that may or may not actually contain cobwebs on purpose) then you know what we’re talking about. But here’s something you’re probably not saving that you should be.

Burning white sage, whether as a smudge stick or loose, is almost a witchy right of passage. Some people will insist that you should discard of any loose sage or sage ash that is “used up” after burning so as to avoid “contamination”. But we disagree. Sage ash is incredibly useful, and should not be wasted.

Processed with VSCO with f2 preset

How to do it? If you are using a smudge stick, roll…

View original post 191 more words

Cave Trolls

Awakening

As Autumn Approaches…

Good Witches Homestead

As autumn approaches, it brings with it shorter days and cooler nights. This makes it the perfect time to experiment with warming essential oils, such as cinnamon, clove, ginger, cardamom, and black pepper. One of my favorite combinations contains cassia (cinnamon), clove, and sweet orange essential oils. It just smells like autumn to me! You can diffuse this blend or add a few drops of each oil to an oil burner and let the scent fill your home. You can also mix these oils into a water-based spray. When doing this, I like to add some Moss Agate chips or small tumbled stones to the bottle. Moss Agate is a stone of rebirth and is great to use during seasonal changes.

Autumn also means the start of the school year for those with school-aged children, or for those who recently returned to school as students or teachers. This can usher…

View original post 191 more words

Muses

Eleven Traits of Witches and Wizards

The Mystique and Lore of Sapphire’s

Good Witches Homestead

Amulets, Talismans, and Religious Beliefs

Sapphires figure prominently in numerous beliefs and traditions, both past and present. For centuries, sapphires have been used for alchemy, magic, healing rituals, and astrological prognostication.

Early priests and scholars believed that precious gemstones, including sapphires, had specific “virtues” that could be used to benefit man if their powers were properly harnessed. According to legend, Helen of Troy (c. 12th century B.C.) owned a large star sapphire, which was believed to hold the key to her desirability. The famous “seal” of King Solomon (c. 1000-931 B.C.) was legendary, not only because it was an inscribed sapphire, but also because it apparently gave him power over spirits in the air, earth, and underworld.

During the Hellenistic period (400-100 B.C.) when gemstones were associated with specific deities or occult powers, sapphires were routinely inscribed with the head of Jupiter (Zeus), the god of the sky. During this…

View original post 1,912 more words

Larimar: The Atlantis Stone

Good Witches Homestead

Larimar or blue pectolite is an extremely rare gemstone. It has been found only in one location: a mountainous, relatively inaccessible area in the province of Barahona in the Dominican Republic. The first mention of the stone is in a request to mine Larimar in 1916, however, it wasn’t until 1974 that the stone really made an appearance.

About Larimar

In 1974, Norman Rilling, a member of the U.S. Peace Corps, and Miguel Méndez, a Dominican found pieces of Larimar on the seashore. The word Larimar was created by Mendez, who combined his daughter’s name Larissa with the Spanish word for sea, Mar.

Before Mendez and Rilling, local inhabitants of the region and their ancestors had long been aware of the stone. Early theories suggested Larimar was produced by the Sea, later by the earth’s volcanic movements. Island legends said that the stones could be collected easily on the beach, but…

View original post 1,680 more words

Higher Self

Sapphires and Vedic Astrology

Good Witches Homestead

The History of Indian Gemology

The cultures of the Indian subcontinent have studied gemstones for millennia, and many ancient texts detail the medicinal, spiritual, and supernatural powers of various gems. Evidence, dating as far back as 5,000 years ago, that Indian architects used gemstones to decorate and protect the palaces of kinds can be found in the Manasara, a classic architectural manual.

The Vedas, the oldest Indian scriptures, contains several references to the use of gems in ceremonial rituals and everyday life. They describe the powers of precious stones to influence subtle energies and connect the Earth to the rest of the universe. Because precious stones were closely associated with the gods, they had the power to heal and influence destiny.

Sapphire Vedic Astrology The Vedas

According to ancient Indian texts, sapphires were grouped into four ‘varnas’ or classes. Hindus were only allowed to wear sapphires with the color designated for their caste. The Brahmins’…

View original post 1,886 more words