Here you will find all kinds of herbal crafts other than soap, incense and oils. If you do anything crafty with your herbs, please post to the list. I, for one, love working with natural things in any way, shape or form.
[pagancrafts] Lovers Sachet Bag
Date: Thu, 03 Dec 1998 15:06:51 -0800
From: Crone
Organization: Mama Yasmini's Place
Using pink or red cloth, tie up equal parts of sage, rosemary and thyme. Moisten the bag once a week with 7 drops of Bergamot oil and keep in your dresser drawers, under your pillow, or wear near your heart.
[pagancrafts] Money Gris Gris Ball
Date: Thu, 03 Dec 1998 15:07:22 -0800
From: Crone
Organization: Mama Yasmini's Place
To keep money and gifts flowing into your home, put some skullcap onto a saucer and moisten with Money oil. Take green cord or yarn and wind it around the moistened skullcap until the herb is completely covered and secure. Tie the cord so that you have a langer for the ball and so that the herb will remain secure in it's cover. Hang this above the doorway and everyone who enters will be taken with a desire to bring gifts and/or money to your home. Every 7 days, anoint the ball with a little more Money oil so that it will retain its power.
[pagancrafts] Money Drawing Sachet/Bag
Date: Thu, 03 Dec 1998 15:08:02 -0800
From: Crone
Organization: Mama Yasmini's Place
Place a bit of money, each different, in the sachet/bag and sprinkle liberally with lavender. Carry the sachet/bag with you for 7 days and your money should multiply 7 times over or just maybe, if the powers that be are really in a good mood and smiling graciously at you and your needs, 7 times 7. If you were to put one each of penny, nickel, dime, quarter, half dollar, one dollar and five dollar in your sachet/bag, then 7 times would give you $41.46 and 7 times 7 would be $338.50. Not bad and definitely worth trying.
[pagancrafts] Old Voodoo Better Business Custom
Date: Thu, 03 Dec 1998 15:06:20 -0800
From: Crone
Organization: Mama Yasmini's Place
Custom states that you take a pint of water and soak 1.2 cup basil in it for 3 days. On the fourth day, strain the herb out. The water is then used by sprinkling at the entrance to the business and through the aisles to attract customers and to keep away thieves and vandals. Repeat the procedure daily and make new basil water as needed.
[pagancrafts] Business Wash
Date: Thu, 03 Dec 1998 15:05:26 -0800
From: Crone
Organization: Mama Yasmini's Place
Washes are used to sprinkle on or to wash down the floor of either your office or your home. The following is one that I used to use all the time. This is used on the floor, especially in the doorway customers enter your vusiness, as well as the aisles and even the door handle. If you have a mail order business, then you can wash your mailbox both inside and out. I haven't figured out how to make it work for a computer/internet business. When I was able to go to check my mailbox in the US myself, I used to take a small bottle of this wash and then using a washcloth or small rag or even a paper towel, I would lightly wash the inside of the box as well as the door. Since I haven't figured out how to wash my web page with it, and since I can't get down to the US to get my own mail except perhaps once every three months when Nancy takes me down to pay the bill, this could explain (well, magickally, anyway) why my business has been going nowhere fast. (grin)
Business Wash
1 ounce powdered squill root
1 ounce powdered yellow dock
1/4 ounce cinquefoil
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp salt
1 pint fresh water
Store the herb/water blend in a dark place for 3 days before using. On the 4th day, strain and use.
Magickal Meanings of Herbs
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1998 16:00:40 EST
From: Lynda
Crone wrote: All plants, and as a result their dry herbs and oils have "magickal" purposes. So if you want a protection candle, you would "fix" the candle with herbs or oils for that purpose.
Carole, this is so interesting. Is there something that I could read to find out more about the "magickal" purposes using herbs and oils?
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1998 13:27:49 -0800
From: Crone
Organization: Mama Yasmini's Place
Lynda, there are 2 books - among the many I have - that I use regularly for magical purposes. Both are by Scott Cunningham and are available from Llewellyn Publishing.
The books are "Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs" and the other is "The complete Book of Incense, Oils & Brews" The first is a listing of herbs and plants and their magickal meanings and uses. The second is the book where a number of the recipes I've posted to the list are found. Both are excellent for newbies. The second book even has a list of "substitutes" in case you can't get a specific herb a recipe calls for.
Both my copies are fairly old, but they were $12.95 each. Your local bookstore should be able to order them for you if they don't have them in stock. Or, check the library and see if they may have them.
[pagancrafts] question
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 1998 12:17:02 -0800 (PST)
From: Ronda Eikenberry
Is there an herb or something to hang in the house, or something that will help us out with our current financial crises and help to keep us all calm?
Thank you in advance!
I also need something that will allow the "good feelings/vibes/whatever" to flow through the house!
[pagancrafts] Herbal Handmade Paper
Date: Fri, 13 Nov 1998 18:35:04 -0800
From: Crone
Organization: Mama Yasmini's Place
From a friend on another list.
Herbal handmade paper:
We can glean many treasures from our garden even when it is no longer actively growing. Making your own handmade flower, leaf and herb paper is a beautiful and enjoyable way to bring the garden into your home in the cold days of winter.
Supplies:
Wood framed drying screen ~ this can be an old window screen, or you could make one using a wooden frame and hardware cloth
A tub or sink large enough for you to lay your screen flat
Blender
Assorted paper ~ tissue paper and papers with out hard colored inks will work
Flowers, herbs, or leaves form your garden ~ they can be fresh or dried from a frost
Dish towel
Sponge
Blotter paper ~ you can use large brown paper grocery bags for this. Cut them open along one seem and cut the bottom off. You can use the scraps in future paper projects.
Rolling pin
Gelatin ~ this step is optional
Place the screen in your container. Hold it down and fill half full with water. Fill your blender 2/3 full with tepid water. Tear your paper into small pieces, place in the blender and stir. You will need to let the paper sit in the water for a minute to absorb some of the water. Blend the paper on high for 10 seconds. Add the plant material and pulse on high after each addition. This can be done fairly rapidly.
Hold the screen down below the surface of the water and pour the pulp evenly over the surface. If you are using a large screen you may need several blenders full of pulp. If this is the case blend your pulp and pour it into a large bowl. When you think you have enough pulp to cover the screen then you can hold the screen down and begin pouring it over the surface of the screen.
Gently swirl the pulp around until it is evenly distributed.
Using both hands lift the screen straight up, allowing it to drip over your tub for several minutes. Place the screen on the dishtowel, and gently press out the water with a damp sponge.
Place a large sheet of blotting paper over the herbal paper and flip it over. Using the damp sponge to gently press out more water.
Turn the paper over onto a dry sheet of blotting paper and remove excess water with a rolling pin.
Repeat this with dry blotting paper several times.
Gently lift the herbal paper and set out to dry in a warm place.
To use the herbal papers for writing dip the dry sheets into a solution of gelatin. Combine 1 Tbs. Of gelatin with a 1/ 2 cup hot water, stir until dissolved. Dilute with 3 cups cold water. Set aside to dry then write a letter on your beautiful handmade herbal paper.
*Note~ it is possible to write on the paper with out the gelatin wash but you will get different effects. Try writing on a piece with both finishing treatments and see which one suits your needs.
[pagancrafts] Samhain Potpourri
Date: Mon, 26 Oct 1998 18:56:46 -0800
From: Marilyn Warren
Organization: Crone's Network
Her is one for Samhain. I frequently replace the Apple Blossims with any kind of fall flower, such as strawflowers, calendula or that sort of thing. Actually, I have never used Apple Blossoms - I want the blossoms to turn into apples!
Samhain Potpourri
45 drops patchouli oil
1 cup oakmoss
2 cups dried apple blossoms
2 cups heather flower
1 cup dried and chopped apple peel
1 cup dried pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup dried and chopped mandrake root (otherwise known as MayApples)
Mix the patchouli oil with the oakmoss, then add the remaining ingredients. Stir the potpourri well and store in a tightly covered ceramic or glass container.
[pagancrafts] Dried Fruit Garland
Date: Mon, 02 Nov 1998 10:27:51 -0800
From: Crone
Organization: Mama Yasmini's Place
This is a great way to make a natural decoration for the kitchen or ??? Got it from another list.
Dried Fruit Garland
Hang this garland in your kitchen.
You'll need:
36 cinnamon sticks, each one approximately 4" long
One large orange
2 apples
30" piece of crochet cotton
Needle with a large eye
White glue or hot glue gun and glue sticks
How to make your garland:
Slice the apples and the orange into 1/8" slices. Lay the pieces on a baking sheet - do not overlap. Place them in a 250 degree oven for about 30 minutes. Turn the slices over and bake for another 30 minutes or until they are dried out. Watch so that they do not turn brown. Cool completely.
Form twelve cinnamon stick triangles. For each triangle, arrange three cinnamon sticks into a triangle, overlapping the sticks quite a bit so that the hole in the middle is very small, about 1/4". (You will string the cinnamon sticks up by passing the crochet cotton through this hole. If the hole is too big, the triangles will flop around.) Glue the sticks in place. Let Dry.
Make a small loop in one end of the crochet cotton and knot it. String the needle through the other end.
Make the garland: Start by passing the needle through one of the apple slices, then an orange slice, another apple, then a cinnamon triangle. Keep repeating this pattern until all the fruit and cinnamon triangles have been used up.
Tie a knot in the end leaving some crochet cotton left over to form a loop. Loop the end back to the knot and tie it.
Hang your garland by the loops.
[pagancrafts] Processing Herbs from Selene
Date: Sun, 25 Oct 1998 09:30:38 -0800
From: Crone
Organization: Mama Yasmini's Place
Here's a great on line reference for processing herbs naturally:
Selene
She Who Watches and Waits
[pagancrafts] Drying Your Own Herbs
Date: Wed, 28 Oct 1998 20:05:27 -0800
From: Crone
Organization: Mama Yasmini's Place
Annie, here's what I posted a few days ago to another list about drying herbs. Different types should be dried differently, especially when using them for magickal purposes. :) Also, don't forget to give back to Mother Earth when you harvest. It doesn't have to be for every plant, but it should be for every time you are out there. If you are near water, leaving a seashell in your garden each time you cut a plant works fine. And, as far as what part to take, it all depends on the herb. If it's an annual, you can take the whole plant, root and all. If it's a plant where you need to use the root, then of course you would have to take the whole plant. With others, it's just the leaves, or flowers, and with those, you can either cut them a little at a time - especially if they are perennials - and then dry them as described below.
I know others have different methods and would love to see them shared on here.
When I dry my herbs, I always wash them in clear water after gathering and then pat them dry. This makes sure that there is no dirt, no dust or, horrors, are no buggies on them. :) I always make sure to dry them away from direct sunlight. Dark helps preserve not only the colour of the herbs, but also the potency.
If what I'm drying is large branches, whole plants or large leaves, I tie them in small bunches and then hang them upside down to dry. And, if there is the danger of them becoming dusty or infested, I cover them with a brown paper bag.
When you are drying leaves or flower petals only, they should be spread out to dry. A good way to do this is with the sweater dryers that you can find that fit over your bathtub to dry sweaters. But, please, don't put the herbs in the bathroom over the tub to dry. :) Or you can use an old window screen. The important things to note here are to keep them out of the sun and to make sure the air can circulate around them.
Roots, well now, they are a different matter again. Again, wash and pat the roots dry. You can cut small roots in half but anything larger than 1/2 inch you should quarter. They should then be put on a screen - similar to what you would use for the herbs and petals - to dry.
Date: Sat, 24 Oct 1998 23:35:48 -0700
From: Endora Aphrattos
Organization: PHOENIX RISING OCCULT MAIL FORUM
There are many great ways to dry herbs, the method you mention is fine. Some place the herbs loosely in a warm oven to speed up the process, but I think natural drying is the best. You may also use a food dehydrator as well. You may lay them out flat on newspapers making sure not to bunch them too much or hang each plant individually from the ceiling in a airy room. If you use the newspaper method you definitely want to turn them often to assure proper drying. I recommend the hanging methods personally. Proper spacing and circulation is the key really, Hanging them upside down insure that less of the plants essence is lost through the cut, at least that is what I have been told, but I don't see that as a major issue really.
Date: Sat, 24 Oct 1998 18:41:18 EDT
From: Mary Ann/Blossom
My aunt who is in her 90's hung everything to dry (even green beans), but now she has jumped in to the "90s" and loves drying with her microwave. It is quite easy and very quick..... Place herbs on a paper plate and place in the microwave on high. Depending on the herb she checks them every 30-45 seconds....I have tried this on several herbs and find it works great :) Oh and the house smells wonderful too :)
Herbal Potpourri
Date: Mon, 26 Oct 1998 18:18:16 -0800
From: Marilyn Warren
Organization: Crone's Network
Christmas Essence
Chop the peels of 1/2 large orange and 1/2 large lemon. Mix with 1 large stick of cinnamon, broken into bits, 6 cloves, and 2 large bay leaves. Wrap in a bright colored square of cloth or a tiny tin. To use, simmer mixture in 2 cups of water to create a Christmas scent all through the house.
( I know that christmas is far off but this is part of the miscellaneous)
[pagancrafts] Sachets
Date: Sun, 25 Oct 1998 20:59:49 -0800
From: Crone
Organization: Mama Yasmini's Place
Anybody got any great combinations for sachets? Other than Scott Cunningham's, that is. :) I have a bunch of sachets sewn up, and would like to stuff them and finish them off.
Date: Mon, 26 Oct 1998 01:56:39 -0800
From: Endora Aphrattos
Organization: PHOENIX RISING OCCULT MAIL FORUM
Hmmm? Ok, I see how you are you sneaky gal you. Alrighty, I'll break down and dig through my shadows...Magnolia petals and lavendar flowers make a lovely combination! I use the mix for a peace sachet! You can include a bit of cinnamon or orris, I prefer the latter. You have to snip the magnolia petals don't to a size which you like, but it works wonderfully!
Date: Mon, 26 Oct 1998 18:47:33 -0500
From: Angie Ahearn
Hmm, I'm always game for Patchouli and Lavendar... I love that sweet, yet earthy scent.
[pagancrafts] Herbs and the Future
Date: Sat, 24 Oct 1998 12:26:00 -0700
From: Crone
Organization: Mama Yasmini's Place
This was sent by Selene - she's on digest and probably hasn't gotten her first one yet - to another list. It's something we should definitely think about and probably take action on. I'm not sure just how much effect Canadians (I am one) would have on US government procedures, but I thought it was worth posting since a lot of what we do depends on herbs and other plants.
The USDA is licensing internationally a technology that can put our herbs at risk, reduce biodiversity and cause widespread famine or expensive food crops. Montsanto's Delta and Pine Land subsidiary is applying to license a genetically altered technology (developed with US tax monies!) that will cause sterility in second generation seeds. Farmers would be forced to purchase seeds from Montsanto every year instead of saving seeds. National applications for this technology are moving forward - or have issued - in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Japan, South Africa, most European countries, and probably more jurisdictions.
Scientists warn that, under certain conditions, the trait for seed sterility will flow, via pollen, from Terminator crops to surrounding plants, making the seeds of neighboring plants sterile. This has two implications. First, farmers who do not purchase Montsanto seeds may find that their saved seeds are sterile, causing widespread famine and die off of annual plants. Heirloom strains could die off, by picking up the inability to reproduce through cross pollination. Secondly, weeds and wild plants which are growing adjacent to Terminator crops may also pick up the sterility characteristics.
Secondly, the seeds will have tetracycline residues, which can alter the probiotic balance of our bodies, those of wild animals which feed upon the crops and soil bacteria. Since it is unlikely that such crops will be identified in grocery stores, people will harm their bodies unsuspectingly.
Please visit the site to stop Montsanto's genetically altered seeds with "terminator " genes. You can easily send off letters to:
The Honorable Dan Glickman
Secretary of Agriculture
200-A Whitten Bldg.
1400 Independence Ave., SW
Washington DC 20250
and
admars
bob smith
senator lugar
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