MINDFUL MONDAY

 Merry Meet, friends!

Blessed Be!

~ Rain

TOOL SERIES - Cleansing

 Merry Meet, friends!

Cleansing is the topic for this week. I thought this was appropriate as we begin Fall cleaning for Mabon. I hope you took time to enjoy Mabon however you chose to celebrate.

Mabon is all about balance. No wonder we Libran's thrive during this time! This is also the time to think about finding balance and cleansing your spaces. But what is cleansing? Why is the ritual important?

While a cleansing can help us center ourselves in preparation for spell work, cleansing of our tools and space is also important. The last thing you want to do is bring tools into a space full of negative energy. Keep that in mind when you purchase items for your space at thrift stores or estate/ yard sales.  Eee gads! 

Think of cleansing as preparing for company, but on a more relaxed scale. 

First, you want to use your besom to clean your space from top to bottom. Hearthwitch just posted a great video for this.

Once your space is cleared, use a smudge stick bundled with Sage or Rosemary. If you're not sure what a smudge stick is, it is a bundle of herbs used to create smoke for spiritual cleansing, healing, protection and purification of spaces, objects and people from negative energy. You can tire your bundle with coordinating colors of fabric strips, or string to match your intention.

Some also refer to this as SMUDGING. The practice has been around for centuries. The Native Americans as well as Egyptians and other countries have been smudging their entire existence and often cleanse themselves by using a sweat lodge with a center fire consisting of woods and herbs.

After using your besom, you can walk from room to room, letting the smoke get into corners and over objects. If smoke of any kind bothers you, a bowl of the herbs sat in the room can also help though IMO not as affective. You can also light incense, such as Myrrh, then walk away. The smoke will do the work and dissipate. Better Homes & Gardens  has Sea Salt & Sage wax melts. I also purchase 'back flow' incense cones in White Sage from Walmart. 

Cleansing tools such as athames, charms, singing bowls, chimes, cups, etc can also be cleansed in the same way. Stones, too, though I prefer to put them out on Full Moon nights. They'll cleanse then absorb all the good energy.  Remember, from Full Moon to New Moon is the perfect time to cleanse anything you don't want the negativity to return or re-attach. Then, use the New Moon to Full Moon period to attract all the positive energy into your tools. I do this with my crystals.

AMAZON

This takes some planning. If you know what workings you're going to want to do, which tools/ crystals you'll want to use then cleanse them ahead of a New Moon then let the Full Moon charge them for your spell work. I'm still working on my book connecting to this planning but you can use the Llewellyn Calendar, the Farmer's Almanac or The Real Witches' Year by Kate West.

By the way, that link to the Llewellyn calendar is for the 2026. Order your copy then spend some time thinking ahead to rituals in the new year. Remember, our New Year is Samhain... just over a month away. Where does the time go?!

Also, there may not be a post on the 30th. I will just be home from a 3 day crafting retreat, followed by a 6 day writing retreat. Trying to finish Book 2 in my Planned to perfection series. If you like Hallmark movies and sweet contemporary romance then I think you'll enjoy An Ozarks Christmas - set in Eureka Springs Arkansas. 

Blessed Be!

~ Rain

MINDFUL MONDAY

 Merry Meet, friends!

Blessed Be!

~ Rain

TOOL SERIES - Athames

 Merry Meet, friends!

Thank you for your patience yesterday. By the time I found my pillow, the storm front had passed through. Leaving me without the migraine but tired. I'm used to the pattern by now but when I want to accomplish stuff, it really irritates me.

This week, we're taking a look at athames and their uses. First off, what is an athame? Well, an athame by any other name is still an important tool in your supplies. Whether it's a knife, a boline or an athame, you still need one. The athame symbolizes the god or masculinity. Any style will work, as long as it fits your needs and budget. 

The key to finding one (or several) is to look for one that you feel a connection to, has a personal string to someone or something in your life or that just feels 'right' when you hold it. 

For example, I have a couple that my husband gave me. I told him what I wanted a knife for and explain their uses in my practice, he brought out a wooden box full of all styles, shapes, and sizes and told me to pick what I wanted. That is the 'personal string'. For the connection, I have one that was given to my by a police officer over forty-five years ago. He wanted to make sure when I was walking alone at night, I had protection when he couldn't be there. He taught me how to use it if I had to. Then I have one that just feels right, comfortable in my hand. That one is a smaller version of this one:

While not a fan of the handle itself, which we'll talk about next, I do love a double-edged athame. Just seems so sleek to me; elegant even. While I don't like the open-air handle, you could incorporate wraps of some type; particularly if you are using it for a specific purpose where ribbon/ cloth colors could bring more ump to your workings.

This one is a great utilitarian style. You can use a single blade for any spell work.  

So, what do we use an athame for?

As I mentioned earlier, they can be carried for protection. Careful of the 'harm non', factor. But if you are in mortal danger, know how to use one correctly. 

They can be used as a wand - an extension of yourself in any ritual. Remember, the power of any tool comes from within you. You can use an athame to open or close or circle, to draw and point. Whatever you would use a wand for, an athame is a perfect substitution. As Melanie Marquis points out in her book, The Witch's Bag of Tricks, often times the athame is preferred over a wand for cutting negative energy. You can also use it in the kitchen when doing a little kitchen witchery.

In her book, Everyday Witch A to Z, Deborah Blake offers up fun info from the web on why you should have a black athame. She also has the Everyday Witch Book of Rituals where the athame is used.

So tell me in the comments. Do you have an athame? Do you have more than one; one you favor over another for certain things? Inquiring minds. 

In the mean time, I invite you to check out this beautiful Selenite athame at 13moons

Blessed Be!

~ Rain

TOOL SERIES - Delayed to Wednesday

 Merry Meet, friends!

I have been battling a migraine since Sunday evening. I think it's weather related. The front should move through tonight and I can write the post later today and have it posted on Wednesday.

Thank you for your patience.

Blessed Be!

~Rain

MINDFUL MONDAY

Merry Meet, friends!

Blessed Be!

~ Rain

 

TOOL SERIES - Charms

 Merry Meet, friends!

Seems Tuesdays roll around more frequently. I thought today's topic fell right in line with Besoms and Ribbons/ Threads/ Yarns.

I love to add charms to all of my junk journals as well as my besom, wands, and anything else I can attach them to, adding significance to how I intend to use the tool or art piece.

For this post, when referring to charms, I'm talking about pieces of metal (usually) that are either in a representative shape of something or have inscriptions on them. You'll find a wide variety in jewelry making supplies. I usually shop for  mine in either Hobby Lobby, Amazon or Etsy. Even Pandora charms hold a significance for the person wearing the bracelet; each chosen to represent a memory.

THIS particular 100 pack bulk charm set has a wide variety of charms representing all kinds of things from eye glasses to musical notes. 

If your tastes run more to the 'fun' aspects of Halloween, then you might like THIS SET from NIHAO Jewelry.

The Charmed Hare on Etsy

But when it comes to all things witchy, one of my favorite shops on Etsy is TheCharmedHare. I've purchased from them a couple of times. You might also check out TwinCharms66 on Etsy.

So, what do you do with charms?

*Add to your besom twinning

*Add to wands (either by permanent attachment or dangle with fibers)

*Add to a spell bag

*Create your own pendants

*Small windchimes for your altar

Select a charm that best matches your intention, whether it be a protection spell, money spell, etc. 

I do want to caution that anything you purchase, please cleanse before adding to your magic. Impart your intention into the charm by holding it in your hand and envisioning what you want the charm to represent and it's purpose. 

Blessed Be!

~ Rain

MINDFUL MONDAY

Merry Meet, friends!

Blessed Be!

~ Rain

TOOL SERIES - Color

 Merry Meet, friends!

Welcome to a new installment of the Tool Series. Today, I want to talk about color.

For as far back as I can remember, I've been in love with color - all colors of the spectrum. I didn't understand the passion until I realized I was a witch. As I began my study of the craft, color melted into every aspect of the practice. 

My favorite way to spend a Saturday was to wander the isles of JoAnns Fabrics looking at all the colors of fabric, yarns, ribbon, papers, inks, and threads. The colors drew me in. I have a warehouse of fabrics and a studio full of yarns, ribbon, and fibers to attest to my addiction. 

When I learned that those colors had correspondences to magic and the things I could create, I was enamored with the concept that color and energy created a strength, a binding, for my spell work. 

If you're new to the craft, colors have different meanings and correlate with whatever intention you want to impart into a spell or candle magic. I purchased THIS digital from Etsy to include in my Book of Shadows as a quick reference guide. The cool thing with purchasing digitals, is I can print this as an entire sheet to put in the BOS, and I can also print a copy to punch out each color individually for single pages.

Here is a great article from Witch and Wand on different ways to use color magic. 

To incorporate colors into your magic, you can use ribbon, yarn or thread into a binding spell, decorate a besom handle, braid a bracelet (remember those friendship braids?), or bind a smudge bundle. You can use specific colors of candles for whatever your intention is for a spell. 

Ms Deborah Blake uses colors in various spells in her Everyday Witch A to Z , Everyday Witch A to Z Spellbook, as well as her Witchcraft on a Shoestring. The Witch's Bag of Tricks by Melanie Marquis also has a substantial amount of information. One last reference is Sew Witchy: Tools, Techniques & Projects for Sewing Magic by Rachel Henderson. I've not read this one but it is available on Kindle Unlimited so I'll be checking this book out soon. 

Another great thing about working with fibers and ribbons is if you are not yet out of the broom closet, you can incorporate intentions to anything without anyone around you being the wiser! Who knew something as simple as color could pack such a punch?

I hope you're finding this series helpful and if you have thoughts to add, please leave them in the comments.

Blessed Be!

~ Rain

MINDFUL MONDAY

 Merry Meet, friends!

Welcome to what I hope is the beginning of a long stretch of fall-like temperatures!

Blessed Be!

~ Rain