Rachel Patterson
@TansyFireDragon
Sunday, December 17, 2017
On the seventeenth day of Yule the Goddess gave to me...
December 17, 2017
On the seventeenth day of Yule the Goddess gave to me...
The Tower
Upheaval and sudden change, crisis, releasing all emotion, suffering a blow to the ego,
revelation and seeing through illusions.
17th December
The tarot deck used is Shadowscapes by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law & Barbara Moore
www.shadowscapes.com
revelation and seeing through illusions.
17th December
Change happens...FACT...sometimes you don't like it, quite often it turns
out to be for the best...whatever way you've got to deal with it.
Part of change can also be about seeing through illusions and
gaining clarity about a situation and then making those changes yourself.
We can all get caught up in the illusions that life creates around us, it is
beneficial to clear rub your eyes and see things as they really are...it can
help you to make decisions and move forward. It might be an illusion
created by another but we are also very good at creating illusions for ourselves...
Candle spell to dispel illusions
A white candle is excellent for this one, you can dress the candle with herbs
such as eyebright or rosemary and use any crystals that you are drawn to such
as amethyst or clear quartz.
You will also need a small piece of paper, draw four open eyes, one in each
corner of the paper (it doesn't have to be a perfect drawing).
Place the candle on top of the paper and light the candle.
Focus on the candle flame and ask that any illusions are dispelled and
that truth and clarity are shown to you.
When you are ready thank Deity, the Divine or the Angels and allow the
candle to burn out safely.
The tarot deck used is Shadowscapes by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law & Barbara Moore
www.shadowscapes.com
Yule Sachet - Make an Herbal Sachet for Yule
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Herbal sachets are a great way to use up bits of scrap fabric, and they have the added bonus of making your home smell amazing! A sachet is simply a cloth pouch or bag stuffed with aromatic blends of herbs, flowers, or other goodies. Believe it or not, there's a rich history behind the use of herbal sachets.
Kirsten Schilling of Arabesque Aromas says that Queen Isabel of Spain had a specific sachet recipe which was used to scent her elaborate brocaded dresses that she wore at Court. Schilling writes, "Isabel’s recipe was much more than a casual fragrance to make her dresses smell sweet and pretty. Indeed, this recipe is closer in nature to a magical prescription, a concoction if you will, carefully and intentionally designed according to ancient folk meaning and symbolism, even invoking the influence of the stars."
You can place herbal sachets in your dresser drawers to give your clothing a soft seasonal scent, or tuck them under your pillow, so you can breathe in the aromas of Yule as you fall asleep.
During Europe's medieval period, sachets were hand-stitched and held herbs and spices such as cloves, marigolds, rose petals, and other fragrant plants. These weren't just used as air fresheners, though - people often carried them when they went about town, or wore them on a cord around the neck, because they were believed to stave off illnesses, including the plague.
Some sachets were used for medicinal purposes, especially to help the user sleep. Novelist Susan Wittig Albert, who writes a series of mysteries centered around herbalism, cites a recipe from the 1606 publication of Ram's Little Dodoen: "Take drie Rose leaves, keep them close in a glass which will keep them sweet, then take powder of Mints, powder of cloves in a grosse powder. Put the same to the Rose leaves, then put all these together in a bag, and take that to bed with you, and it will cause you to sleepe, and it is good to smell unto at other times."
MAKE YOUR OWN YULE SACHETS
During the Yule season, the scents of the holidays tend to stand out. Whether you associate winter with the pine of your grandmother's Christmas tree, the fresh cinnamon of a pot of wassail, or the light aromatic notes of an orange pomander, scents bring out the best of the holiday season. Why not bring those sensations indoors, and enjoy the fragrances of winter?
These simple sachets are easy to make, and you can either use them as ornaments on your holiday tree, or give them away as gifts. You'll need the following:
- Bay
- Cloves
- Juniper berries
- Orange peel, grated
- Orris root
- Peppermint
- Pine
- Rosemary
- Squares of your favorite holiday fabric - use red, green, gold, and other colors of the Yuletide season!
- Colorful ribbon, yarn, or string
- Scraps of lace or vintage doilies (optional)
- Cinnamon sticks
- Small bells
Mix the herbs together in a bowl, or with your mortar and pestle. Blend varying proportions of each until you've got the scent you want. (Here's a hint: start small!)
Use a spoon to place the blended herbs into the center of a square of fabric. Pull the corners up and tie with the ribbon. Tie a cinnamon stick and a couple of bells in place as well. Use a second piece of ribbon to create a loop so you can hang the sachet if you like. For mine, I used not only a bright red fabric, but also a scrap of lace as an outer layer before I hung my sachets up on my Yule tree.
Timesaver tip: You can buy small tulle bags in holiday colors and spoon the herb blend into them. Pull the drawstring closed and tie shut, then hang up on your tree, or give them to a friend.
For a great gift idea, blend together some of your favorite magical aromatic combinations. Blend herbs together that are associated with money, health, good fortune, or love, and give them to those who might be in need of some holiday blessings this year!
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