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Post by Joxcenia on Nov 11, 2004 17:05:33 GMT -6
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prmystic
Whooshite Apprentice
Posts: 225
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Post by prmystic on Nov 11, 2004 20:26:56 GMT -6
<ahem>
Alright class....
This is Wicca basics. If you are here for Dragon Branding, that was cancelled due to fire regulations. If you are here for Time Travel, that has already taken place several times today, and tomorrow and will meet again last week. If you're stuck in this time period, you need to go back to the middle ages and meet your teacher at Scarborough faire, 3rd booth on the left from the East entrance...don't forget your wands.
All right. Looks like this is us then....
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Post by Phalon on Nov 11, 2004 20:37:49 GMT -6
Hi Prmystic. Apple for the teacher? I made it all nice and shiny.
Dixie - I finally found the reference to the catching a leaf on Halloween night good luck charm...now if I can only remember where I put it. Something about the ancient Celtic harvest celebration in August, I think, along with traditional Samhain rituals, and it seems like the two leaf traditions were meshed into the current Halloween leaf catching one. Darn, I'll have to find it again.
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Post by Scrappy Amazon on Nov 11, 2004 21:06:19 GMT -6
Wow! This is going to be fun.........what's first gang? ;D
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Post by dixielandyankee on Nov 12, 2004 8:15:10 GMT -6
<pulls up a toadstool and opens her notebook> Hi everyone...Think I might ask for the Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs for Christmas as I'm actually reading Cunningham's 'Wicca - A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner' at the moment. We don't have a garden at home but I'm hoping to plant up some pots and flower boxes in our little courtyard
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Post by irenetheserene on Nov 12, 2004 10:07:37 GMT -6
Are you going to get into any of the Druidic stuff with herbs. pmystic do you have the book "21 Lessons of Merlyn"? I'd be interested in some of those herb lessons and how to use them. Irene
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Post by Phalon on Nov 12, 2004 22:45:52 GMT -6
The Magic of Falling Leaves on Halloween
Just to clarify the tradition which I posted in Cyrene’s about the bit of magic held in leaves falling on Halloween. No one seemed to have heard of the tradition, so I dug up the book where I’d first seen it. It is from “the Little Big Book of Chills and Thrills” by Lena Tabori and Natasha Tabori Fried. A neat book filled with spooky tales and poems from the likes of H.G. Wells, Bram Stoker, Poe, Shakespeare, and Irving, along with a few curses, spells, superstitions and lore.
The “Halloween Spell” says that if, on Halloween night, you catch a leaf as it falls from the tree before it hits the ground, you and your family will have a year of good fortune. Let it drop, and the leaf’s magic is forever lost.
I wrote in the Tavern, that the tradition stemmed from the Samhain festival. That may have been incorrect, I’m not sure. The Celts and Druids considered the Oak tree as sacred, as did many other religions and cultures, (the Greeks considered it to be the tree of Zeus), because of the tree’s strength, attainable size and age. I know that our own native White Oak can grow to 150 feet tall and live to be 800 years!
Among the many superstitions surrounding this sacred tree, I found the Celts believed that by catching a falling oak leaf as it wafted to the ground, it would keep one protected from illness during the winter - and perhaps that is where the root of the Halloween tradition lies.
I also read that Mabon, or the Autumn Equinox, is one of the Wiccan Sabbats, usually celebrated in late September, (correct me if I’m wrong, Prmystic and Dixie), and among the rituals during this celebration, is the sprinkling of autumn leaves around the altar.
Either way, it seems autumn leaves hold a particular kind of magic, don't they?
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Post by Scrappy Amazon on Nov 14, 2004 0:30:00 GMT -6
Phalon..... Mabon is definately the Autmnal Sabbat. Held on the Fall exuinox. Usually around September 21. Although I have never heard of the leaf sprinkling. I have always been told that corn is best choice for Mabon since it's technically a harvest Sabbat and corn is the last thing to be harvested before winter. But I could be wrong I'm still a newbie.
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Post by Phalon on Nov 14, 2004 0:36:16 GMT -6
And I'm just reading - not practicing, so I most definately could have it wrong. Another interesting thing that I read though, is that the pomegranite is also used in reference to Persephone leaving this world and beginning her stay in the Underworld. Interesting story, that of Persephone. I remember doing it in Mything Persons.
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Post by Scrappy Amazon on Nov 14, 2004 0:40:14 GMT -6
I meant no offense. I just thought the leaf thing was interesting. I learned something new. I will definately look that one up. Thanks Phalon. ;D
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Post by Phalon on Nov 14, 2004 0:42:46 GMT -6
Scrappy dear. No offense taken. I just meant you can't believe everything you read, and I wouldn't know if the information was right or wrong in this area.
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Post by Scrappy Amazon on Nov 14, 2004 0:45:23 GMT -6
Good point......however, you are known for your vast knowledge of things..........I trust you. Kinda. ;D
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Post by dixielandyankee on Nov 14, 2004 7:52:11 GMT -6
You are kind of both right on the Mabon thing...personally I don't scatter leaves but I do have autumn foliage and berries decorating the altar for this sabbat, which is kind of the same thing. But Scrappy's right too...it is a harvest festival, primarily and I usually make a corn doll for the altar, its a little talisman for a fruitful harvest. Don't take this as gospel or anything because its just my own practice adapted from several traditions.
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prmystic
Whooshite Apprentice
Posts: 225
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Post by prmystic on Nov 14, 2004 23:38:20 GMT -6
Blessings!
Hey, traditions vary so none of this is about right or wrong.
For myself, Lammas or Lughnasagh is the corn holiday (August 1). This year I made the cutest little individual corn breads for our feast and for the last few years I've taken corn meal and made pictures on the sidewalk leading up to the house, to welcome the corn maiden.
Mabon I celebrate as the Feast of the Goddess Descending, in honor of a number of myths of the Goddess retreating to the underworld, the myth of Persephone is best known and I do get a pomegranate for that.
I think that Pagans generally grace their altars with bits of natural stuff that is timely so autumn leaves during that time of the year is very appropriate. After all, the point of the faith (well one of them any way) is to reconnect us to the Earth and Her cycles so it's appropos to have items on the altar that do that.
Right now I'm looking forward to Yule/Winter Solstice. It's the holiday that I dedicate my home to so it's a pretty big deal to me.
What about moon gardening? Anybody doing that? According to my Lunaria the moon is just waxing and in Capricorn, a good time to plant root crops. Well, a friend of mine thinks that for rooting, it's best to plant during the waning moon. Any thoughts? References?
mystic
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Post by Scrappy Amazon on Nov 15, 2004 15:03:32 GMT -6
Age-Old Moon Gardening Growing in Popularity
John Roach for National Geographic News July 10, 2003
More gardeners today are turning to the moon for sage advice on the best time to plant, prune, weed, and harvest. The practice, known as moon or lunar gardening, is cultivating a cult following. "Lunar gardening is the oldest form of gardening known to man," said RJ Harris, the head gardener at a private estate near Cornwall, England, and author of a book on the subject.
The practice centers on the moon's gravitational effect on the flow of moisture in soil and plants and, to a lesser degree, the effect of moonlight on seed germination.
Harris has gardened in tune with the lunar cycle since the 1950s, a practice he learned from his father and grandfather.
"Ever since prehistoric times, long before man ever had a watch on his wrist or a calendar on his wall, everything was governed by the phases of the moon," said Harris.
He notes that the moon not only controls ocean tides but influences the groundwater tables beneath our feet. Understanding the latter effect, and timing gardening chores accordingly, is the basis of moon gardening.
Harris gives the example that the best time to turn over a garden is during the last quarter of the moon because that is when the water table has dropped to its lowest point. "It means less moisture is within the soil. It is far easier to turn soil over when there is less moisture in it," he said.
Moon Boom
Seeking to preserve knowledge about moon-gardening techniques before they were eclipsed entirely by modern gardening practices, Harris wrote RJ Harris' Moon Gardening with the help of journalist Will Summers.
But since the book's September 2002 publication, Harris said he learned he need not have worried.
Harris says he has heard from people in New Zealand, Austria, Germany, and the United States who use the lunar cycle as a guide for their gardening chores. And the Internet is sprouting with Web sites dedicated to the practice.
On her Web site Gardening by the Moon.com (www.gardeningbythemoon.com), Caren Catterall writes, "Plants respond to the same gravitational pull of tides that affect the oceans, which alternately stimulates root and leaf growth. Seeds sprout more quickly, plants grow vigorously and at an optimum rate, harvests are larger and they don't go to seed as fast."
A monthly calendar highlights the best days for planting and other gardening activities.
Harris said the current boom in lunar gardening reminds him of the time organic gardening began to find a niche during the "hippie craze" of the 1970s. "They were the first…people to bring in organic gardening. Everyone laughed at them," he said. "Now people will pay a premium for organically-grown produce."
What the moon gardening movement currently lacks is a body of modern scientific work that validates its benefits.
Scientific Validation?
John Teasdale, director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Systems Laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland, said he is not aware of any research on the lunar influences on agriculture, though he said an experiment could be established.
"We know that the moon influences some natural phenomena such as tides," he said. "I would guess that a simple hypothesis would be that lunar cycles could influence meteorological cycles which in turn could influence crops."
Michael Jawson, another researcher at the facility, said the reported benefits of moon-gardening practices are most likely indirect effects that stem from gardener's attentive care. "The indirect effect could be one simply of overall better management because of being careful to do good practices at more optimum times in relation to plant growth cycles," he said.
One tangential relationship between the moon and agriculture was investigated by researchers at the Agricultural Research Service's National Soil Tilth Laboratory in Ames, Iowa.
In 1995 Douglas Buhler and colleague Keith Kohler conducted experiments that showed weed seed exposure to light enhances germination for select species.
Kohler said their findings indicated that till soiling (which brings buried weed seeds to the surface) in complete darkness, such as that under a new moon, hinders the germination of certain weed seeds—resulting in fewer weeds in one's garden.
"Certain species, even if they receive only a flash of light, tend to break dormancy and basically turn on the sequence of germination and establishment," he said.
Kohler cautioned that the research implies any light source, not just moonlight, could produce this effect and only indirectly relates to the lunar cycle. Kohler also noted that scientific research directly related to the lunar cycle is sparse.
Meanwhile, Harris said he conducts his own experiments. Each year he cultivates a selection of crops in opposition to the best practices of moon-gardening methods. Crops planted according to the lunar cycle fare much better, he said.
"I've got a large area in potatoes. We've got some planted at the right time of the moon and some crops at the wrong time of the moon. The difference is so obvious and there for everybody to see," he said.
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Post by marysgurl1 on Nov 15, 2004 19:36:42 GMT -6
Ok, I know I'm just jumping in here, but I'm just trying to learn.....
I've been reading all along. I know the thread is "wicca gardening" but the more I read & the more info that is posted here, the more it sounds like the stuff that my great-grandfather & my grandfather used in just everyday farming. They both raised tobacco, corn, soybeans, & my grandmother's garden that was right beside the house was approx. 1 1/2 acres. The Farmer's Almanac was in just about every room in Papa's house & he did all his planting & harvesting by the moon, the amount of rainfall -for not only that growing season but the previous, the texture of the soil, which way the hens roosted in the henhouse.....etc....
I don't think Papa was a practicing wiccan......I guess I'm curious as to how what he practiced with his almanac as a semi-guide corresponds to what I'm reading in this thread?? Do wiccans put any value on the almanac? Dixie? Prmystic?
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Post by Joxcenia on Nov 15, 2004 21:23:54 GMT -6
I had a neighbor farmer who did the same thing... even weened the baby farm animals by his Farmer's Almanac. Some families even ween their young'uns by that book.
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Post by Phalon on Nov 15, 2004 21:44:25 GMT -6
Yep, the Farmer's Almanac is a wealth of interesting information. That's where I learned about when to plant what according to the moon. It stated that you plant seeds that have fruit or vegetables above the ground during the waxing of the Moon. Root crops should be planted when the moon is waning.
The way I remember this is...when the moon is waxing - or growing more full - plant things that you can watch grow full. When the moon is waning - or fading out of sight - plant things that grow out of your sight. Stupid, I know, but I like to use visual associations to remember things.
I've never planted according to this, but ocassionally will have customers ask about it. I plant when I have the time, and count myself lucky to get the vegetable garden in the ground at all before July.
Just a sidenote...Moon gardens are a growing fad in the landscape business, and they have nothing to do with vegetables, Almanacs or the waxing and waning of the moon. People are beginning to plant gardens strictly for how they look at night, when the moonlight or strategically placed landscape lighting hits them. Lots of silvery colored and varigated foliage - lambs ears, artemesia, dappled willows and such and things flowering white. Very striking - almost surreal looking if done correctly. The trick though, is to get a balance of colors and textures so that in the daylight you don't end up with a whitewashed looking landscape.
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Post by Scrappy Amazon on Nov 15, 2004 22:02:12 GMT -6
I just loved the Almanac.....My grandpa was never without a copy......It's one of the first things I learned how to read as a child. And it was always right on the table next to the family bible.......interesting mix don't you think.
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Post by Joxcenia on Nov 15, 2004 22:09:32 GMT -6
So Q... Were you ever a stripper or a hoer?
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Post by marysgurl1 on Nov 15, 2004 22:28:23 GMT -6
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prmystic
Whooshite Apprentice
Posts: 225
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Post by prmystic on Nov 15, 2004 22:32:40 GMT -6
Hello!
Well, yeah, they're the same...sort of.
I mean, wicca is all about the Earth and the seasons, herbs, rocks, trees...
...but it's also all about the spirits within them, about the spiritual value and implications they have.
What makes it special, to me, is that you can take the rituals out of context...put fake leaves on the altar in the fall for instance, but primarily the rituals connect you back to what is going on, like walking through the woods to gather the leaves for your altar.
Also, like the article says, perhaps the gardens benefit from simply paying attention to them, well, that applies to everything. I like that my faith is about waking up to the experience of the senses, being fully in the body and in the world.
That's my 2 dinars.... mystic
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Post by Scrappy Amazon on Nov 15, 2004 22:35:39 GMT -6
And an excellent two dinars it was. For me it's about balance. Finding the natural balance in everything and not trying to always have control. Because Nature knows what she's doing better than I.
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Post by Gabbin on Nov 15, 2004 23:03:01 GMT -6
My Dad read The Almanac, too. I liked to thumb through it.
The real reason that I am posting here is to say how mesmerized I am by Mary's money pick. It never ends. Why is that?
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prmystic
Whooshite Apprentice
Posts: 225
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Post by prmystic on Nov 17, 2004 6:51:47 GMT -6
Hey,
I'm working in a different city, and couldn't figure out if my new balcony was facing...well, couldn't figure it out at all. I work during just about all hours of light and it's been pretty overcast.....
Hey, guess what they've come out with now? A pentacle compass! It is sooooo cool. I can't wait to get one.
Anyway, thought I'd pass that on.
mystic
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Post by Scrappy Amazon on Nov 18, 2004 23:03:46 GMT -6
*grabs a seat on a soft piece of grass under the tallest oak tree. Opens old leather bound book* Well ladies shall we start alphabetically? Pick one plant and talk about it, share what we know…..maybe learn something.
I’ll go first:
Disclaimer...information contained in this post is not intended to be a replacement for actual medical care. Always consult your doctor first. (just covering my butt here)
ALOE (Liliaceae): G/P/E: Feminine, Moon, Water. Magical attributes: Beauty, protection, success, peace. Uses: Aloe has always been known for its healing qualities. For treating wounds and maintaining healthy skin. It may be applied right from the plant or in gel form for burns, sunburns, and can relieve poison ivy rash and helps to combat a variety of bacteria that commonly cause infections in skin wounds. It is also an excellent additive for soaps and creams as a conditioner.
After using gel from a leaf the opened leaf will seal itself so you can store it in a sealed plastic bag in the refrigerator for future uses.
I have stored Aloe this way. It keeps for quite a while as long as there is no air in the bag. Gotta watch for mold and rot. Maybe someone can jump in with some growing techniques.
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Post by ilb on Nov 19, 2004 13:14:52 GMT -6
aloe is also good taken internally. aloe juice is used in healing many stomah disorders... usclers, constipation, hemorroids and many digestive tract problems. taken regularly for 2 weeks is also a colon cleanser.
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Post by Phalon on Nov 19, 2004 21:51:52 GMT -6
Prmystic, I’ve never heard of a pentacle compass. How does it differ from a regular compass?
I found a bit of information about Aloe in one of my favorite books, “The Herb Society of America’s Encyclopedia of Herbs and Their Uses”, written by Deni Bown. It’s a great book, with over one thousand herbs listed, how to grow them, what their medicinal, culinary, and economic uses are, as well as their histories.
The Aloe genus consists of about 325 species; nearly all having somewhat the same medicinal properties, but it is Aloe vera, (also called Aloe barbadensis), that is mainly used. Interesting, the botanical or scientific name of the genus, Aloe, is also its common name, but pronounced differently. When referring to its scientific name, it is pronounced with three syllables; al-oh-ee. When using the name in its common sense, it is pronounced with two; al-oh.
Aloe vera’s use as a medicinal plant is centuries old. It’s been identified in ancient Egypt wall paintings, its use in ancient Greece dates back to the fourth century B.C., and in Chinese medicine it was recorded being used in the 11th century. It was once used as an embalming ingredient; the body of Jesus reportedly was wrapped in linen soaked in myrrh and aloe.
I have quite a large aloe plant, (or rather, a cluster of plants). It was given to me by a friend whose sister lives somewhere out west and has it growing outside in her garden. She gave him gobs of it, and he pawned some off on me. Here, it has to be treated as a houseplant as it must be kept above 50 degrees. The clumps he gave me sat outside next to my compost bin in a paper bag for a few weeks while I forgot about it. When I finally remembered it was there, it was pretty brown and shriveled. I potted it in a mixture of gravel, sand, and potting mix, took it inside and turned it over to Hub’s care. Anything crossing the threshold of the front door is his, because once it enters the house, I will kill it. He has nursed it back to health quite nicely. I think it’s a case of “I’ll scratch your back, you scratch mine”, between he and the aloe. Hubs is the reason we have boxes of bandaids strategically placed throughout the house…a bit accident prone at times. I’m thinking he and the aloe will become good friends.
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prmystic
Whooshite Apprentice
Posts: 225
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Post by prmystic on Nov 19, 2004 23:20:33 GMT -6
Also great is Aloes wood, a favorite incense of mine currently. It's actually the resin produced by an immune reaction of a certain tree to a fungus infection, at least that's what I recall. Some of the finest Japanese incenses use it as a base and it is called for in a number of magical recipes. About that pentacle compass, you can see a picture of it here: www.13moons.com/altar_tools/altar_tools.htmit's less useful than a good woods compass if you're trying to find your way through nature, however, if you are inside of a building or in a city where you've gotten yourself all turned around and you want to set up sacred space...you want to know where north is. This is just very cool looking and feels more sacred to me than your standard issue army/hunting gear. Check it out and let me know what you think... mystic
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Post by Phalon on Nov 21, 2004 21:10:37 GMT -6
Prmystic, I checked out that pentacle compass....very sleek looking.
Will someone explain the pentagram to me? All I know is the Hollywood image of occult worshippers up to no-good. I know this is incorrect, but I figure this thread is a good place to set things straight.
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