Making my book.....

Ive been writing herbal, mythology, magical researching type tangents and notes to self on bits and pieces of paper but wanted to unify them somewhere so I can have a record all together. Something special I can bless and consecrate. So yesterday i gathered the materials and instuctions to make myself a book of shadows or grimoire.  As people have done since clay tablets and bone carvings were the page.

Its a 'post bound' type which is kind of like a fancy folder, in that you can add, remove and rearrange pages no worries. Ive tried using bought sketchbooks and journals but ended up tearing pages out with the inevitable stuff ups, and changes in ideas. With this kind of book I can write, draw and paint out of the book on a flat surface and then hole punch it up and add it. The cover is burgundy leather that I scored for free at a garage sale because the 'good' side was all marked, I simply turned it over and used the 'back' of the leather which has a lovely soft texture. The design I drew a while back with laundry markers onto another piece of leather

thats been looking for a home and now found it on the cover. 
The book will take about 300 pages, so I bought 100 parchement type A4 pages and figure that should keep me off the streets for a fair while. Now I'm looking at my reading lists, for me I have to take notes for information to sink in and now i have somewhere to put them.
 The things a girl finally gets up to when she's 2 weeks off the cigarettes....

Calling in the Elements

Its taken a while for me to get reasonably happy with my calling in of the elements when casting a circle, or preparing for spirit journeys, but Im finally getting there. My correspondances relate to the southern hemisphere and my own inclinations. I painted the images on small canvas that I can place at the directions to evoke my imagination and remind. When closing down Welcome becomes Farewell...


Welcome to East, Welcome to Air,
Like a breath or a thoughtform,
Ungraspable yet there....


Welcome to North, Welcome to Fire,
Like passion, or flame,
Warming hearth, lighting desire...


Welcome  to the West, Welcome to Earth,
Compostuous green cycles,
Of death and rebirth...

Welcome to South, Welcome to Water,
Ocean, river, blood within me,
As moons daughter....

Welcome Above,
Where spirit dwells...

Welcome Below,
Home of Ancestors of yore...

Incense, some ponderings.....

Picture a flaming hearthfire, on top a pot bubbles away with a soup, or stew, curry, or stir fry flavoured with herbs and spices. Smoke from the fire is mixing and blending with the scents of cooking, slightly tinged with the particular tree who gave of their wood to this scene. Perhaps some bread is baking, to dip into the meal. This picture is taking place all over the world, the localised herbs and spices varying what hungry noses are tempted by. What we are observing is highly likely the origin of incense...

Plants, and the scents they release when burned, have inspired, blessed, healed and comforted for eons. Be their form chunks of sap, branches or leaves straight from a tree, or the more processed mixtures of dried and powdered herbs burnt on charcoal, bound to a stick or swung in censors.

A newborn baby is held over a small fire, laced with leaves, be they spinifex or eucalypt, depending on what grows nearby, there is a blessing and welcoming into her new environment by passing through the smoke. A connecting to plants, and the hearth. For who is the bridge between earth and animals, even human ones, if not plants, it’s been thus since we were pondscum feeding on algae.

On the other side of the planet sage is rolled into a stick, bound in thread and allowed to dry like this, to be later lit and used to ‘smudge’ before a ritual dance, ceremony, or soul retrieval. The smoke brushed around the body using a cluster of eagle wingtip feathers it curls into where its needed, then rises high into the sky, and upper realms of spirit.

Incenses origins often reside in resins and barks. Sandalwood is so desired, that all the trees in Mysore, the place it occurs naturally are government property wherever they occur, and harvesting is watched over. There is also an Australian sandalwood, Santalam acuminatum, a interior species thats being used similarly as an alternative. The seeds of which were traditionally made into necklaces, not unlike the ones in india that saddhu’s wear and consider holy. They look like small round brains, interestingly enough considering the sacredness of them.

With such deep ancestral memories and associations is it any wonder that incense has been adopted by nearly every kind of faith, including atheism, on the planet. A precursor and codeveloper with perfume and aromatherapy, varying scent to mood and occasion. How blessed are we to have such a tool for shifting consciousness at our fingertips? It doesn’t have to be expensive, with a charcoal block any mix of dried herbs can be sprinkled on and encouraged to share its smoke. A pack of sticks is a couple of dollars.

Home feeling a bit stagnant? Setting a romantic or meditative scene? Taking a luxurious bath, got a candle going? Bit blue? Why not light up?

Circle drawing taster....

Starting this year with my lovely wemoon diary, which is northern hemisphere based, and wanting to connect some of the nature honouring rituals therein with southern hemisphere home, i felt it was as good a time as any to wrap my brain around the cycles of the seasons, sun and moon, as markers for potential times to get down in sacred space. Sanctuary and sacred spaces are a global phenomena, to ponder and encourage our earthsoul, what we are doing with our lives and where were headed. Many pagan  folks do this by creating a temporary circle outside time and space, to commune and hang with cosmos, spirit and goddess...
like a port-a-temple.
When I cast a circle, I visualise the circle forming, as I gradually invite in the four directions, with corresponding elements of life to support and bless it. For example, the sun always rises in the east and sets in the west, thats universal, but in Australia he moves in a northernly arc through the sky, so I would walk from East (place of beginnings) to the North and flow on. For us its hottest in the north towards the equator, hence we get the correspondance of North with Fire. So as I greeted and honoured the north of my circle I would invite in the element of fire with its energy and vivacity. Another example Ive already touched on is East as the place of beginnings, like the rising sun potential is alive, a babes first breath, a sprout emerging, fledgling taking flight. East Im associating with air, but could also associate with water, living on the east coast. So as u can see correspondances could vary...
East=Air
South=Water
West=Earth
North=Fire.
In terms of direction for opening out the circle, Id simply go in reverse, farewelling and thanking the elements as I go. Ending up back in the place that was east, beginnings but is now a circle open but unbroken.
Gotta say Ive made the mistake of doing ritual without casting a circle, and it can be messy. Edges tend to blur and the lines between realitys get blunderous, partially why Im revising and writing this! So heres a wee honouring to those whove shared their circle ways, thanx.
Its a bit of a mindbender translating northern hemisphere dates to southerly ones until you let go of the clock and sync in to the cycles of sun and moon, then it plain ol makes sense. For example the midwinter solstice celebrated in the northern hemisphere is at the same time as our midsummer but 6 months off our midwinter.
In Australia...
Midsummer Solstice = 21 December / 0 degrees Capricorn
Lugnasadh= 1st February / 15 deg Aquarius
Autumn Equinox= 21 March / 0 deg Aries
Samhain = 30 April / 15 deg Taurus
Midwinter Solstice = 21 June/ 0 deg Cancer
Imbolg = 1st August / 15 deg Leo
Spring Equinox = 21 September / 0 deg Libra
Beltane = 1 November / 15 deg Scorpio