Sapphire: The Corundum Conundrum

Good Witches Homestead

Blue Sapphire likely derives its name from the Sanskrit word sanipriya meaning “dear to the planet Saturn,” and is considered one of the few precious gemstones. By definition, a gemstone is a rare, beautiful and durable stone, and since Sapphire has a beautiful blue hue, a Mohs hardness of 9 out of 10 and no cleavage planes it is considered one of the most precious gemstones.

In addition to its physical traits, Sapphire has considered precious because of the belief that it makes one “favorable to God” according to the ancient Greek historian Damigeron and is said to protect against envy and regulate all bodily functions. A great stone for meditation, Blue Sapphire guides one in spiritual endeavors. Judy Hall states in The Crystal Bible that it “facilitates self-expression and speaking your truth.”

Did you know that Sapphire occurs in a rainbow of colors?

To provide some disambiguation Sapphire can occur in many colors and…

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All About Birthstones – GemSelect Newsletter September 2019 — Good Witches Homestead

What is a birthstone? A birthstone is a gemstone which has been designated to a specific month of the year, in some cases, there are multiple gemstones which can belong to one specific month; your birth month determines which gemstones apply to you. But a birthstone is more than that… it is a way for […]

via All About Birthstones – GemSelect Newsletter September 2019 — Good Witches Homestead

Transformative Dreaming – Dream Analysis 101, 202 and 303

Building with Cob, Part I: Project ideas and Honoring Earth

The Druid's Garden

Making some cob!

Connecting with the earth can mean a lot of things–and today, I want to talk through how to create a simple building material that can be used for a wide variety of purposes: cob. Cob is an ancient building material that is a combination of sand, clay, and straw (or other strengthening materials) mixed with water. Cob, the synthesis of water and earth, becomes the passive forms through which we shape anything from a small earth oven to a whole living space. In this post, I’ll introduce cob and offer some different kinds of projects that you can do with it. This post compliments last week’s post, where I shared how to make ecobricks from waste plastic materials. Cob is certainly one of the more sustainable and local construction materials to use in conjunction with ecobricks, so I thought it would be a nice time to…

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New Moon in Virgo Moonthly Energy Reading Harvest Moon Cycle

Spirit de la Lune New Moon in Virgo | Energy Reading Harvest Moon

This New Moon in Virgo brings us a fresh burst of energy to help us make clear cur decisions so we can achieve our goals and step into our full potential.

Since April we have endured retrogrades and eclipses that have brought up past wounds, lessons on forgiveness and reasons for us to let go and finally heal. It feels like we have been torn down, rebuilt and torn down again.

This New Moon in Virgo will help give us the needed push or missing piece to finally pull everything together in a lasting way.

We had a series of Eclipses, and Jupiter, Pluto, Neptune, Mercury, Chiron, Saturn and now even Uranus retrogrades affecting us this year. Like a caterpillar before it enters it’s cocoon, we must shed and shed and shed again. A caterpillar doesn’t just shed it’s skin once before it becomes a butterfly… It spends most of its time shedding and rejuvenating itself.

All of this non stop astrological energy has tried to help us shed our old ways so that we too can step into a better future and a new us. It is safe to say, we have had a roller coaster of a year, but there has been purpose to the lessons.

This New Moon is welcoming in the Virgo season. Virgo seasons is about reassessing our lives, taking charge, and making the changes needed so that we can move where we want to go.

This New Moon joins the sun in Virgo on the 30th of August.

Virgo energy is one of organization, attention to detail, new beginnings and making room for a fresh start. If you have a lot of Virgo in your chart, you might be one to collect stationary or hoard notebooks.

Virgo loves to see an organized plan with all the little details mapped out. This is a great time to get serious about your intentions for the moonth ahead!

Virgo energy has a “back to school” feel to it, where we want to take charge of our lives, prioritize our time and be more efficient.

Allow this New Moon in Virgo to give you the push you need to reevaluate your life, then reorganize it in the way that is needed so you can move forward.

Read remaining article via: Spirit de la Lune ~ New Moon in Virgo Moonthly Energy Reading Harvest Moon Cycle

First Moon of Autumn 2019

Goddess of the Harvest: Virgo New Moon Crystal Ritual

By Krista Mitchell

One of the things I’ve had to really look at this summer is how often I fall in to “DOING”.

The “to-do’s” that kept me going from morning until night.

The daily tasks to run my programs and my business.

The laundry and the groceries and the washing up.

Even in downtime I had to be doing. I needed to be reading that book, playing with Gaby, deadheading the petunias.

I forget that I’m not alone when I’m in DOING. And that’s when things start to feel (and often become) more of an uphill battle: where I’m working harder than I should, and I’m losing my sense of purpose and direction.
And things start to not work out or not feel right.

I’ve had to unhook from DOING because it’s the the quiet moments, the still moments, of receptivity when I can hear my guidance and allow the Divine to flow through.

It’s after those moments that things get easier. The guidance or inspiration drops in. My intuition sharpens. Synchronicity happens. And the Muses speak to me in their melodious tones.

And all of a sudden, things shift: I’m inspired. I’m guided. I’m moving forward again in a way that feels joyful and right. And things happen!

Does any of that sound familiar?

If so, then this month’s simple ritual + guided meditation may be just the right thing for you.

Virgo brings order to chaos. She’s practical, grounded, sensible, and self-sufficient.

She takes the creative impulses and ideas we received while in Leo, and she helps make them happen.

She represents the goddess of the harvest, and is a signal that it’s time to shake off the vibe of lazy summer days, and start getting ready for the coming Fall.

This guided meditation is to help you prepare for the next steps, goals, projects, or visions you may be ready to achieve, by helping you to receive crystalline, Earth, and Cosmic energies of consciousness and support.

There’s only 3 things you need to do:

Clean up your space. Before inviting in higher frequencies or positive change, it’s always a good idea to clean, declutter, smudge. Set up your space as though a very special guest were coming!
Clear a piece of quartz crystal. Quartz is an obvious choice for this new moon ritual because, like Virgo, it brings clarity, focus, purpose, and amplified energy for action + intentions.
Hit the button below, lie back and relax, and allow yourself to receive.

Read article via: Krista Mitchell ~ Virgo New Moon Crystal Ritual Meditation

Deadly Delicacies from Emporium Black | Coby Michael Ward

Good Witches Homestead

I love introducing people to new things in the magical community. I love networking with fellow practitioners and pointing people in the right direction to help meet their needs because I know how difficult this labyrinth can be to navigate.

The chocolate was amazing and the subtle taste of the herb-infused honey was noticeable enough that you knew there was more than a trace amount of plant material in them. The exact amounts are a trade secret, and Seamus is always happy to answer any questions potential customers might have.

The rose flavor was pervasive, not in a bad way. You could taste and smell the roses long after eating the truffle, an interesting aromatic effect. The flavor was exactly like the smell of fresh roses, and not artificial at all. The effects of this truffle came on in about an hour as well.

The white chocolate coating of these…

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Who Knew That The Chicken Mushroom Could Have An Endangered Look-Alike?

Greetings!

Within the world of mushroom hunting exists a regionally-dictated and arbitrary list known as the “foolproof four.” Such an assemblage includes choice edible fungi that are easily identified.

Chicken Of The Woods, with its vivid colors and meaty texture, is one wild mushroom whose name is frequently included in “foolproof four” lists across North America. Ask any seasoned mushroom hunter, and he or she will tell you that few wild fungi resemble Chicken Of The Woods.

But few doesn’t always mean zero.

There are mushrooms that, at least from a distance, can certainly resemble Chicken Of The Woods, and featured in the following video (and pictured above) is one such look-alike that’s actually considered to be critically endangered in some forests around the world.

If you’re interested in learning more about this bright orange fungus that can indeed resemble Chicken Of The Woods, check out the brand new video!

And in case you missed it, I released another brand new video last week without sending an accompanying email.

This time, we’re talking about a common plant that undoubtedly lives an unconventional life. With names like Devil’s Guts, Strangle Weed, and Love Vine, this wild plant is despised by many people and surprisingly cherished by others.

Check out the video if you haven’t seen it already!