Pleasant SUNday

Let the fires burn tonight

Milenrama

MILENRAMA

Genero: Femenino. 

Planeta: Venus. 

Elemento: Agua.  

Usos mágicos: Valor, amor, poderes psíquicos y exorcismo. Si se lleva encima protege a su portador, y cuando se sostiene en la mano, frena el miedo y confiere valor. Proporciona amor y atrae a los amigos o parientes lejanos con quienes se desea entrar en contacto. Llamará la atención de quien más deseas ver. Con las flores se hace una Infusión y el té resultante se bebe para aumentar los poderes psíquicos. Igualmente es utilizada para exorcizar el mal y la energía negativa de las personas, lugares o cosas.

Enciclopedia de las Hierbas Mágicas, de Scott Cunningham 

Pink Yarrow on the far left

YARROW

Gender: Feminine

Planet: Venus 

Element:Water 

Powers:Courage, Love, Psychic Powers, Exorcism 

Folk Names: Achillea, Arrowroot (although yarrow is not what is commonly referedto as arrowroot), Bad Man's Plaything,Carpenter's Weed, Death Flower, Devil'sNettle, Eerie, Field Hops, Gearwe, Hundred Leaved Grass, Knight's Milfoil,Knyghten, Lady's Mantle, Milfoil, Militaris,Military Herb, Millefolium, Noble Yarrow, Nosebleed, Old Man's Mustard, OldMan's Pepper, Sanguinary, Seven Year's Love, Snake's Grass, Soldier's Woundwort, Stanch Griss, Stanch Weed, Tansy, Thousand Seal, Wound Wort, Yarroway, Yerw. 

Magical Uses:When worn, yarrow protectsthe wearer, and when held in the hand, it stops all fear and grants courage. A bunch of dried yarrow hung over the bed or yarrow used in wedding decoration sensures a love lasting at least seven years. Yarrow is also used in love spells. Carrying yarrow not only brings love but it also attracts friends and distant relations you wish to contact. It draws the attention of those you most want to see. The flowers are made into an infusion and the resulting tea is drunk to improve psychic powers. Washing the head with a yarrow infusion will prevent baldness but won't cure it if it has already begun. Yarrow is also used to exorcise evil and negativity from a person, place or thing.

Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs, Scott Cunningham

Images: Tanzdreamer; serenity; Holly Tompkins; katiacambia; moonflowersarah

Verbena

VERVAIN

(Verbena officinalis)

Gender: Feminine.

Planet: Venus

Element: Earth

Deities: Kerridwen, Mars, Venus, Aradia, Isis, Jupiter, Thor, Juno

Also known as Enchanters Herb, Holy Herb, Verbena, Blue Vervain, and Holy Wort.

A Druid sacred herb, common in their many rites and incantations, this hardy perennial has deeply cut lower leaves and smooth upper leaves with small dense spikes of pale lilac-pink flowers. An ancient sacred herb of purification, visions, and love potions, it was included in liqueurs and aphrodisiacs. Vervain was so highly regarded by the Druids that offerings were placed on altars.

"Vervain" is a derivative of the Celtic fer (to drive away) and faen (stone), given to it because of its ability to purge calculi (gravel) from the bladder. A tea of the herb helps to increase breast mild and is helpful in lowering fever, especially of the intermittent type. It will benefit eczema and other skin eruptions, as it is a kidney and liver cleanser. Jaundice, whooping cough, edema, mastitis, and headaches fall under its sphere. To make the tea, steep one tablespoon of the herb per cup of water for twenty minutes. Externally, vervain is used in poultices for ear infections, rheumatism and wounds. Vervain is an emmenagogue (brings down the menses) and soothes the nerves. It is reputed to have aphrodisiac properties. It is a powerful lymphatic detoxifier and has a cleansing effect on the female organs. Blue Vervain (Verbena hastata), the American variety, is a natural tranquilizer and is helpful with colds and fevers, especially when the upper respiratory tract is involved. It will eliminate intestinal worms and is used externally for wounds. It is distinguished from the European vervain by its deeper blue flowers and denser, bristly flower spikes. Blue vervain is also prepared in a standard infusion or tinctured in alcohol. 

Parts Used: Above ground portions of the herb.

Magical Uses: Vervain is a profoundly magical herb belonging to the sphere of Venus. Roman priests and priestesses used it as an altar plant - it was tied in bundles and used to ritually "sweep" and purify the altar. Druids placed it in water that was sprinkled on worshipers as a blessing. Vervain was picked at the rising of the Dog Star, at the dark of the moon, just before flowering. It was taken from the earth with the sacred sickle and raised aloft in the left hand. After prayers of thanksgiving were spoken the Druid or Druidess left a gift of honey to recompense the Earth for her loss. Vervain was once infused in wine and worn on the body to ward off the stings of insects and serpents.
It is used in the bath as a protection from enchantments and to make dreams come true. Wearing or bathing in vervain places one under the influence of Diana. After washing your hands in the infusion, it will be possible to engender love in the one you touch.
To dispel fears, light a candle daily and surround it with vervain. Speak aloud a prayer to the Gods and Goddesses asking for release from your fear. Do this as long as necessary. On the night of the full moon, go outside with a chalice filled with water, vervain and salt. Take also a candle and a piece of petrified wood. Dip the stone into the water mixture and then pass it through the candle flame. Touch the stone to your feet, hands, shoulders, and head. As you do this ask for the blessings of youth and beauty. Repeat the process seven times.

Vervain is worn as a crown during Druidic initiatory rites and as protection for those who are working magic. Sprinkle throughout the home for protection and to bring peace. Keep some in the bedroom to bring tranquil dreams. Keep it in the home to attract wealth and to keep plants healthy. Sprinkle some on the garden as an offering to the elementals and other nature spirits. Drinking the juice of fresh vervain is said to cut sexual desire. Burn it to banish the pangs of unrequited love. Vervain is worn to recover stolen articles. Tucked into a child's cradle, the plant brings joy and a lively intellect. When burned, Vervain is powerful for warding psychic attack, but it is also used in spells for love, purification and attracting wealth. It is a powerful attractant to the opposite sex. Use for Anointing; Banishing; Gather and burn at Litha; Altar Offering; Creativity; Energy; Strength; Power.

Text: joellessacredgrove.com

Falling Star

Stolen Roses

ROSA
Genero: Femenino.
Planeta: Venus.
Elemento: Agua.
Deidades: Hathor, Hulda, Eros, Cupido, Deméter, Isis, Harpocrates y Aurora.
Usos mágicos: Amor, poderes psíquicos, curación, adivinación amorosa, suerte y protección. Las Rosas se han empleado durante mucho tiempo en mezclas de amor debido a su asociación con las emociones. Llevar un ramo de Rosas cuando se efectúan hechizos de amor (se deben quitar las espinas), o bien una sola Rosa en un jarrón colocado sobre el Altar, son potentes en la magia amorosa. El agua de Rosas destilada de los pétalos se pone en el baño de amor. Los escaramujos (el fruto de las Rosas) se ensartan o se llevan encima como cuentas que atraen el amor.
Beber un té hecho de capullos de Rosa antes de acostarse induce sueños proféticos. Los pétalos y escaramujos de Rosa se emplean también en inciensos y hechizos curativos, y si se coloca sobre las sienes un paño empapado en agua de Rosas, acabará con los dolores de cabeza.
También se ponen en las mezclas para la suerte y, cuando se llevan, actúan como protectores personales.
Esparcir pétalos de rosa por toda la casa calma la tensión personal y los cataclismos del hogar. Las Rosas plantadas en el hogar atraen las Hadas.

Enciclopedia de las Hierbas Mágicas, de Scott Cunningham

ROSE

Gender: Feminine 

Planet: Venus 

Element: Water 

Deities: Hathor, Hulda, Eros, Cupid,Demeter, Isis, Adonis, Harpocrates, Aurora 

Powers: Love, Psychic Powers, Healing, LoveDivination, Luck, Protection

Magical Uses: Roses have long been used inlove mixtures, owing to the flower's associations with the emotions. A chaplet of roses worn when performing love spells(remove the thorns), or a single rose in avase on the altar, are powerful love-magic. Rose water distilled from the petalsis added to love baths. Rose hips (the fruitof the rose) are strung and worn as love-attracting beads. A tea of rosebuds drunk before sleepinduces prophetic dreams. To discovertheir romantic future, women used to takethree green rose leaves and name each forone of their lovers. The one that stayedgreen the longest answered the question of "which one?" Rose petals and hips are also used inhealing spells and mixtures, and a rosewa-ter saturated cloth laid to the temples willrelieve headache pain.Roses are also added to fast-luck mixtures and, when carried, act as personalprotectants. Rose petals sprinkled around thehouse calm personal stress and householdupheavals. Roses planted in the garden attract fairies, and are said to grow best when stolen.

Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs, Scott Cunningham

images via tumblr

Fashion from a Fairytale

Audrey Grace

-Rapunzel, tu trenza deja caer.

La muchacha tenía un maravilloso y abundante cabello largo, dorado como el sol. Parecía de oro. Siempre que escuchaba la llamada de la bruja se soltaba el cabello, lo ataba alrededor de uno de los ganchos de la ventana y lo dejaba caer a la fina hierba. Entonces la bruja trepaba por la trenza dorada. Al cabo de unos años, el destino quiso que un príncipe pasara por el bosque y escuchara la voz melodiosa de Rapunzel, que cantaba para pasar las horas. El príncipe se sintió atraído por la hermosa voz y quiso saber de dónde provenía. Finalmente halló la torre, pero no logró encontrar ninguna puerta para entrar. El príncipe quedó prendado de aquella voz. Iba al bosque tantas veces como le era posible. Por las noches, regresaba a su castillo con el corazón destrozado, sin haber encontrado la manera de entrar. Un buen día, vio que una bruja se acercaba a la torre y llamaba a la muchacha.

-Rapunzel, tu trenza deja caer.