Prayer Bowl

A Prayer bowl is used to listen to your prayers, wishes, and thoughts, and carry them into the other the astral dimension. They can be used to make any room more spiritual, without causing to much attention. They are good for the workplace, because to co-workers, it is just a decoration, and for you, it is a magical tool. The feather would be one that means something to you, perhaps a feather of your power animal, and a feather of a power animal that you relate to. The crystals can be anything, from clear quartz for focusing energy, to hematite for healing. These things can be looked up in various books.

A Prayer bowl is a fairly simple object to make. Take a small bowl that you like, a feather that means something to you, some crystals, and some dirt. Put the dirt into the bowl, put the crystals on the dirt, and place a feather in it.

After it is put together, empower it to listen to your prayers. In a dim light room, preferably candle lit, gaze at the feather. Concentrate on what this prayer bowl is going to do for you. Think about the bird that the feather came from, the views of the world that it must have seen. Thank that bird for giving of itself so that you may have this prayer bowl. Next, think about the crystals, and what they mean for you. Visualize them in their natural environment, deep in the Earth, and thank them for coming to you for this prayer bowl. In the Americas, crystals and gemstones are known as "stone people".

After the prayer bowl is empowered, place it in an appropriate spot. A good place is near a window, so the bowl can get sunlight. Also, the feather can hear the calls of the birds.

Open Post: Anyone Else?

Anyone else out there have the same dilemma that I do?

I'm a very open minded person ... I don't judge people based on their beliefs or lifestyle choices. I make no secret of my spiritual beliefs ... that is, I never had until I met my fiance's family.

They're very conservative Born-Againers who believe that anything that strays from the teachings of Christ is devil worship. They came to visit us just after Yule - his two aunts, uncle and cousin. Now, the cousin is young and very open-minded about things, so I had no trouble talking freely with her. But ... the aunts and uncle ... whew! - talk about walking on eggshells! I had to put all of my books away, take the 'questionable' items off of my altar and keep my fingers crossed that I hadn't missed anything. And that was just in appearances, let alone keeping my trap shut about unacceptable things.

What have been your experiences dealing with intolerance? How did you handle it?

Heal Your Pet With Crystals

Amber - Improves vision and the throat, kidneys and bladder. This soothing stone will calm nerves and enliven the stick-in-the-mud pet to be a bit cheerier, while calming a hyperactive one. As well, amber is an excellent stone to hold while in the company of a pregnant or birthing animal.

Amethyst - This is a powerful all-around healer, improving hearing and the nervous and skeletal systems predominately. It also aids the digestive tract, heart, stomach, skin and teeth. It is a great help if your pet battles arthritis.

Aventurine - If you and your pet have just moved to a new location, aventurine is perfect for both of you. As it helps to strengthen your blood, lungs, heart and adrenal glands; it will also strengthen your desire to explore and get out. Aventurine will hearten your indecisive pet, and increase muscle tone.

Citrine - If your pet is moody, fearful or always awake while you wish to sleep, citrine is the stone of your dreams. This energetic stone will aid his/her digestive tract and alleviate fears, depressions and insomnia.

Jade - This is a stone traditionally held to increase one's lifespan, and to facilitate maximum comfort while the end is near. Jade assists the immune system, kidneys and heart, insures a healthy sheen to your pet's coat - all through his long life.

Lapis Lazuli - This stone protects, relieves and stimulates your pet. An all around "good vibe" stone, it also strengthens the throat, bone marrow and immune system; as well as relieving dizziness and occasional insomnia. Lapis is the strongest stone your can use to relieve the pain of leukemia and bone cancer.

Quartz Crystal - When you place a quartz crystal around your pets neck, not only will it increase his immunities, stimulate his thyroid, and decrease respiratory problems; it is also an excellent training stone. Quartz crystal amplifies communication between human and animals, and strengthens mental clarity. This stone increases capabilities of learning from one's master and teacher.

Rose Quartz - Use a rose quartz for your pet when it has been wounded, or recently undergone surgery. If your pet is aloof, lonely or isolated, rose quartz will help him/her learn the powers of love and gentleness. As well, if you are inviting a new pet into a full household, this stone will help spread the love equally, and facilitate harmony with all your animals.

Hearth Folklore

For ancient cultures, the hearth was the center of the home. It was the provider of warmth through the harsh winter months, and also provided heat for cooking all meals. It was the gathering place of the household. Fire has a special attraction for all of us. Within its smoke and flame lie the origin of many religions. Fire, the element of transformation, causes change to occur. It can be destructive, but through destruction comes creation. The fire in the house was never allowed to die. It was considered unfortunate if the household fire went out during the night. If this occurred, hot coals would need to be borrowed from neighbors. If the coals died while being transported home, it was an omen that the family would have an unlucky future.

Today, the fireplace is viewed as the heart of the home, as well as an altar to natural forces that shape our work. Because the chimney is regarded as a "magical entrance" to the home, it has been magically guarded. Plants can be utilized for this. Olive branches hung on the chimney serve to ward against lightning strikes. Pine needles scattered in the fireplace work in a similar manner.

Crossing fireplace tools in front of the fireplace is said to prevent sparks from popping out onto the floor. A jar of salt on the hearth can be used during any period of argument or tension: throw a pinch on the flames, and its cleansing powers will bless your home.

Three circles drawn in white chalk on the hearth will ban evil from entering.

According to folklore, fire must have at least thirteen sticks in order to burn properly.

When the fireplace was cold, witches would rake the ashes into a circle, then cast spells within the circle.

A fire is useful for transformative spells, such as those utilizing rosemary or rose petals, which are cast into the flames. Combining this with the proper visualization would bring love to the spell-maker. Nettles thrown into the fire will conquer fear.

The type of wood being burned can affect your spells. Use oak for healing magic, for instance, when someone in the home is sick. This wood helps to draw off the illness and protects the rest of the household. Ash logs promote energy, while pine brings money into the home.

Unlucky at Love?

According to the Gypsies, the following days are considered to be unlucky for Love. Dont start a relationship, get married, etc. on these dates:

January - 1, 2, 6, 14, 27
February - 1, 17, 19
March - 11, 26
April - 10, 27, 28
May - 11, 12
June - 19
July - 18, 21
August - 2, 26, 27
September - 10, 18
October - 6
November - 6. 17
December - 5, 14, 23

Divination: The Love Pendulum

The pendulum can be used for many things: finding lost objects, discovering hidden treasures, divining water, communicating with spirits of the dead, diagnosing illness and prescribing medicine...all these and more. Gypsies use the pendulum quite a lot. One of the uses to which they put it is in determining whether or not a particular lover is the right one for you.
The pendulum itself should be a ring suspended on a length of red silk thread or ribbon. Many girls use their mother's wedding band for the ring. The only other thing you need is a connection with the one you are wondering about. This can be an article of his or her clothing, a handkerchief, a watch, ring, or other piece of jewelry, a photograph, or anything similar that has a direct link with the person.

Simply sit with the object, photograph, or whatever in front of you and hold the pendulum over it. It doesn't matter whether or not your elbow rests on the table, but hold the thread so that the ring is suspended about an inch or so above the object. Allow seven inches of the thread between your fingers and the ring.

Concentrate your thoughts on the person you are wondering about. Is he/she the right one for you? Think of all their good qualities, and their bad. Then say:

Av, ml Romani mal,

Pawdel dur chumbas.

Av kitane mansa?

This little verse in Romanes (the Gypsy language) can be roughly translated as "Come my Gypsy friend, over the hills so far away. Will you come along with me?" Repeat it, saying it three times in all.

As you say the verse the pendulum will start to swing. If it swings backwards and forwards, towards you and away from you, then it means "yes," that person is the right one for you. But if it swings from side to side, across you, then it means "no," they are not right for you. With some people the pendulum may swing in a circle, rather than backwards and forwards. If it does, then clockwise means "Yes" and counterclockwise means "No".

~Source Unknown~

The Egyptian Benu

The Egyptians were the first to speak of Benu, which later became the Phoenix in Greek legends. Benu is mostly depicted as a heron, with a long straight back, a head adorned with two erect feathers, and its plumage red and golden. It was the sacred bird of Heliopolis, city of the Sun, where it stayed on the ben-ben stone or obelisk, inside the town's sanctuary. Its true home was however the Arabian desert, it only came back to Heliopolis to die/be born. Benu was associated with the Sun god Ra and with Osiris, god of the Underworld, who is said to have given the secret of eternal life to Benu. It symbolises rebirth, as it rises from its ashes like a new sun rises when the old has died. It also symbolises a new period of wealth and fertility, when the Nile flooded the earth each year.

It is said that Benu had created itself from the fire that burned on the top of the sacred Persea tree in Heliopolis. Another story says that the heron Benu was the first life form to have appeared on the mound which rose from the watery chaos of the first creation, which links Benu to the nile and its periodical floods. The mound was called the ben-ben, and was the origin of the town of Heliopolis. Benu is, one way or the other, the personification of creation and life-force. After 500 years, according to Herodotus, Benu flew to the Sun temple in Heliopolis to build its funeral pyre with incense twigs. It then climbed onto it and waited for the sun's rays to consume it, singing a song of rare beauty as it did so. According to Pliny, from the ashes emerged a small worm that the sun's rays turned into a new Benu at the end of the day. It is also said that a new Phoenix rose immediately from it's father's ashes and flew with it's predecessor's emblamed remains to Heliopolis, accompanied by a flight of turtledoves.

The planet Venus was called the 'star of the ship of the Bennu-Asar' (Osiris), and is mentioned as the Morning Star in this invocation to the sacred sun bird, Benu:

I am the Benu, the soul of Ra, and the guide of the gods in the Douat *,
Let it be so done unto me that I may enter in like a hawk,
And that I may come forth like Bennu, the Morning Star.

* the Douat is the Egyptian Underworld.

~Source Unknown~