The Threads That Bind Us

Successful magick is founded on four basic principles. These valuable skills are known as the “Four Powers of the Magus” or the “Witches’ Pyramid.” Each of them is based in one of the Four Elements:

Air (East) Noscere “To Know”

Knowledge is the first key to successful magick. You have to know what you are doing and how to do it. You have to know how to express your desires clearly in a way that the Universe will comprehend what you are asking for. You need to know that you will never know everything and seeking knowledge is a lifetime’s quest. You also need to know yourself!

Fire (South) Audere “To Dare”

Magick is an act of courage. It takes a great deal of courage to ask the Universe for what you want/need, and expect to get it! We are told our whole lives that magick is impossible, or if it is (such as in the form of miracles,) that we are not worthy. You must, if you wish to succeed at magick, dare to ask, and dare to receive as well! You must also dare to proceed even if you feel that your knowledge is less than perfect. How can anyone, including the Divine, know what you need unless you ask for it?

Water (West) Velle “To Will”

Focusing your Will is essential. In order to do this, you have to be able to know what your Will actually is! Then, you have to be able to concentrate that Will to manifest your desires, without getting in your own way. Since focusing your Will is both a conscious and an unconscious exercise, you must learn to master your subconscious mind through visualization, meditation, and self-exploration, maybe even therapy. You must not allow obstacles to stop you. As Doreen Valiente said, “Keep pure your highest ideal; strive ever towards it; let none stop you or turn you aside.”

Earth (North) Tacere “To Keep Silent”

Once it was believed that speaking about your magick reduced its power. Certainly, exposing your desires to others who may have desires that conflict with yours will cause interference, and exposing magick to those who doubt it means that your Will with have to contest with their doubt as well as your own! For this reason I don’t tend to speak about my magick until it has been achieved. Also, bragging, boasting or threatening others is ill-advised, and the true Magus/Witch recognizes that speech itself is a form of magick. Don’t wish harm on to others or spread gossip, and be careful what you wish for; you just might get it!

Spirit (Centre) Ire "To Go"

Together, the Four Powers create the ability "to go"; that is, to go forth with magick that moves and acts (though some systems do not include this fifth element, especially the traditional ones based in ceremonial magick, though it is implied.) If you Know what you need to do, Dare to do it, Will it into existence, and Keep Silent so that no one can interfere with your desire, and your magick will flow freely without any additional effort on your part, and you will achieve your magickal goals!

Blessed be,

True Will should spring, a fountain of Light, from within, and flow unchecked, seething with Love, into the Ocean of Life.

- Aleister Crowley, “Little Essays Towards Truth”

With Midsummer fast approaching, I am reminded that this is the traditional time for most herb gathering.  Witches tend to believe that herbs gathered on the Summer Solstice have the most magickal power.  I am sure that the practical reason for this is that the herbs are at the fullness of their growth right now, and therefore contain the best possible combination of their healing properties.  It has been warm for long enough now that most of the plants are fully developed, but the heat and dryness has not leached those healing properties and natural juices from them.

Like anything in nature, this isn't a firm rule.  I am refering only to the majority of plants, especially anything where the leaf is the relevant part, or the flower and the flower is in full bloom.  Plants I have been gathering include sage, chamomile, rose petals, marigolds, red raspberry leaves, plantain, and most culinary herbs (like the oregano and basil I have growing in my garden.)  If the plant typically blooms earlier and it's the flower you want (like, perhaps, violets,) you will obviously have to gather the flowers at the time in which they bloom!  Some herbs, like the feverfew and the mullein, have not reached their full growth yet and so I should wait until they do.  The lavender flowers have yet to bloom, so I must wait for those, but I have gathered some leaf to use in sage bundles.  Gather fresh flowers by "deadheading" the plant before the flower is actually withered; it may make your plant look less pretty, but withered and wilted flowers have less of their herbal healing properties.

Roots, on the other hand, are best gathered in the spring and fall, when the plant has either yet to expend its energy creating big leaves and stalks, or when the plant has given up on that effort and is now concentrating on making strong roots to survive the winter.  So dandelion roots, for example, are best acquired when you can see the distinct leaves in your lawn, but before the flower blooms (which actually is a good excuse to go weeding, when you think about it.)  This is also true of plants in which you want the rhizomes (like oregon grape.)

Occasionally, certain plants get a sudden "boost" of healing properties and/or flavour when the first frost comes.  Rosehips and grapes are common examples of this, but wormwood, mugwort and mullein are also so affected (which is probably why they are associated with Crone goddesses and Samhain.)

In the case of some plants, it's the buds you want, like balm of gilead, so you must gather those when the buds are out but before they open.  And from some you want seeds, fruits or nuts; late summer to early fall is the obvious best time to find those.  Make sure you gather them before they fall from the tree to ensure a minimum of mold and rot.

Some plants you can continue to gather in the winter, like any evergreen leaf, and anything in which you want the sap (the maple tree is perhaps the most obvious, but you can also gather bits of pine sap to make incense.)  Also, many mosses and parasitic plants continue to grow throughout the year (like Irish moss, Old Man's Beard, and the famous mistletoe.)

Wood can be harvested almost any time of year, but please try to avoid it in the spring when the sap is flowing, because you may harm or even kill the tree.  Some Witches will tell you never to cut a tree, but only take any deadfall or already cut pieces.  I don't think this is entirely practical; obviously avoid harm whenever possible, but some projects require wood to be green and then dry in order to work.  Just don't destroy the tree and take the wood respectfully and with an eye to not harming the tree, and if a dead stick will do, don't take a live one.

Always gather plants at the fullness of their growth, before withering and decay has set in.  Gather plants, especially ones taken for magick, with mindfulness and purity of intent.  Do not decimate a whole sagebush to make sage bundles; this would be very disrespectful and likely offend the spirit of the plant, making it ineffective for its intention of clearing energy.  Don't rip up the whole chamomile plant if you can avoid it, just pull off some flowers.  Ask the plant's permission and whenever possible, leave an offering.  (Some people have very strong ideas of what constitutes a proper offering.  Something intended to lend a plant spiritual energy, that is not toxic to it, is generally appropriate in my opinion.  I often leave pure water, or milk and honey for the fey spirits of a tree.)  Also, do not gather plants in the rain or excessive damp because it encourages mold growth, or in the excessive heat because it withers the plant and leeches its healing properties.

Many Witches use a dedicated tool - often a white-handled knife, or white-handled knife with a curved blade - called a bolline to gather herbs. In some traditions, these knives are made entirely of wood to avoid offending a plant's faerie spirit and not harm the spiritual energy of the plant. I find that sometimes you need a metal blade to cut through things like huge mullein stalks or dig up burdock roots! But select your bolline according to your preference and consecrate it to the task of sacred harvesting. I have a larger bolline that was handmade by my friend that is shaped roughly like a small khopesh with a bear's jawbone as its hilt, and what I call my "working bolline," which is a small white-handled jackknife with a curved blade that I keep in my purse for those spontaneous wildcrafting moments.

Herbs intended to be used fresh should be used immediately.  Herbs intended for drying can be hung upside down in a place that is not directly exposed to the sun (which, again, will leech healing properties) or damp (which will cause mold.)  You can also cut them up and put them in a food dehydrator or maybe even a sun-drying rack (generally a better option for small flowers like chamomile and lavender, or fruits and their peels, which are thick and damp and usually mold and rot before drying if you just leave them to their own devices.)

Herbs intended for tinctures are actually best dried and then placed in the alcohol, because drying concentrates the active ingredients, but oil infusions are better with fresh herbs because oil has a more difficult time taking the healing properties from a plant.  Make sure you cover the plant completely with oil or alcohol to prevent mold from taking hold.  You can even freeze fresh herbs in freeaer bags and they will maintain most of their healing and flavouring properties for up to about six months.

Always store your dried herbs, tinctures, oil infusions, ointments, and so forth in a cool and dry place out of direct sunlight.  This includes your kitchen spices!  Also, replace them whenever possible each year.  They will lose their healing properties (and flavour) with each passing year.  Keep them in a closed and sealed container to prevent infestation by insects or rodents.

Last, but not least, remember that anything left on the field or in your herb garden after Samhain traditionally belongs to the Fair Folk, and I certainly would not incur their wrath by stealing their share!  So make sure all your harvesting, except what winter gathering you intend to do in wild places, is completed by then.

Happy gathering!

Blessed be,

An aura is the three-dimensional energy field that surrounds the bodies of all beings and things. The healthier you are, and/or the more you work to develop your healing abilities and your spirituality, the further the aura will extend out from your body. We don't really understand the nature of the aura. Some believe it is a separate "emotional body" that exists in the same space as our "physical body." Some believe it is a representation of our spirit, and others believe that it is a representation of our life-force. Probably it is all of the above and neither.

How to read the Aura

Find a place where there isn't any harsh light. Focus on one part of your body, preferably your hand. Relax and concentrate on your hand lines. If you’re relaxed enough, you’ll first see a shade, either dark or light, surrounding your hand. Eventually you will notice a single colour on the edges of your peripheral vision, which is likely to be the predominent colour in your aura or a reflection of any powerful moods you may be experiencing while you do this exercise. With time you might be able to see several colours.

Auras can be seen physically, or sensed psychically. One way to see someone's aura is to have the subject stand in front of a white background. If you look at the person for a while you’ll see some sort of wavy lines of energies, and also maybe a couple of aura colours. Try the following exercise:

Stand in front of a mirror at a distance of about half a meter, with a wall of neutral colour some distance behind you. Alternatively, get a friend to stand about 1 meter away from you and 2 meters from a neutral wall. Dim the lights. Relax, and breathe deeply and evenly. Focus your eyes on the wall behind the head.

Gently sway your body from side to side (or tell your friend to if looking at someone else). As you stare past the outline of the head, you should be able to see an envelope of light - that's the aura! Keep trying if you are unsuccessful immediately. Like anything else, it takes practice.

Another thing to note is that not all of us sense things best with our eyes. Some of us are very tactile, others are auditory, and still others are olfactory. I "feel" auras, and subtle changes in them that indicate problems, much more easily than I "see" them. Others might "hear" vibration or ringing, something like a finger on a wine glass or a singing bowl. Others might "smell" pleasant or unpleasant odours that they associate with feelings and memories. None of these is superior to any other! Remember that in any case, this is your sixth sense that you are using to perceive the aura, and any effect, be it visual, auditory, or whatever, is your mind's interpretation of that sixth sense. Don't be discouraged if you find one method difficult; learn to work with the information you are receiving.

Common Aura Colours

The following is a list of aura colours that are associated with various physical, mental, emotional and spiritual states.

• Red: The colour of strength, passion, impulsiveness and will.

• Orange: colour of affection, kindness, and creativity. The muddier shades denote vanity, while golden orange represents self-control. Muddier colours may also indicate kidney or bowel troubles.

• Yellow: Mental activity, optimism, perfectionism, responsibility, sometimes shyness.

• Green: The colour of sympathy and reliability. The person may be an effective healer and is likely deeply concerned about the well-being of others. Dark shades of green however indicate one who is jealous or hesitant.

• Blue: The colour of calm, and spiritual and material contentment. May sometimes represent a tendency to moodiness and depression.

• Indigo/Violet: The colours of the seeker who has inborn psychic and intuitive abilities. Darker shades may show that the person often feels misjudged and misunderstood. May indicate heart or stomach trouble.

• Black: The colour of self-protection. The person is good at ‘wearing masks’.

• Pink: A compassionate person who is fond of the arts. Darker shades of pink may point to immaturity and irresponsibility.

• White: Purity and honesty. A colour associated with spiritually evolved persons.

• Silver: The person might be pregnant or is going to be soon! However, this is not always so. Seeing this may indicate a person who is allowing great creativity in their life. I often see shades of silver when one is Drawing Down the Moon.

• Gold: I tend to see this colour when someone is Drawing Down the Sun.  I suppose that's probably why it is associated with spiritual enlightenment and "God" energy.

Sometimes you experience the interplay of an outside energy field upon your aura.

You can tell this is happening to you in the following circumstances:

• When you are around some people and you feel ‘drained’ and weak.

• When you feel there is someone staring at you intensely.

• When you have an instant liking or disliking for someone you’ve just met.

• When you sense someone’s presence before you saw this person.

Generally if you find it intrusive, there are methods of "psychic self-defense" that you can undertake to protect yourself. The simplest one is to cover your heart chakra. The typical method of doing this is to cross your arms across your chest, but this body language is sometimes interpreted as hostility so it may not be appropriate. You will sometimes see me protecting my heart chakra in the store by leaning on the counter with my hands on my chin and my arms in front of me. I find this creates a pose that implies that I am listening, without allowing the person I am speaking to to drain my energy. You may also find it helpful to protect your base chakra, which you can do by crossing your legs. Even crossing them at the ankles is helpful, and you can do that standing or sitting without most people taking offense.

Blessed be,

Cord Magick (knot magick) is simply doing magick by making knots in a cord!

When doing cord magick, it is important to choose the right color. Generally you use a red, white or black cord, but use whatever colour feels appropriate or suits the symbolism of your purpose. Most of the time you dispose of the cord once you are done with it because it order to use it again, you would have to untie the knots which could release the spell. I like to toss my cords (biodegradable) into rivers and streams, letting the running water release the bound energy.

The knots are done in the following manner:

1------6------4------7------3------8------5------9------2

In other words, you tie the first knot, at the very end of the cord, then go to the other end of the cord to tie the second knot, then the center for the third knot, between the first and third knots for the fourth knot, between the second and third knots for the fifth knot, and so on.

An example of a rune spoken while tying the knots:

By knot of one, this spell's begun

By knot of two, my words are true

By knot of three, it comes to be

By knot of four, power in store

By knot of five, this spell's alive

By knot of six, this spell is fixed

By knot of seven, the answer's given

By knot of eight, I meld with fate

By knot of nine, the thing is mine!

Blessed be,

Hey everyone, just wanted to let you know that the May Metaphysical Services & Practitioners directory for The Threads That Bind Us is now available to download in pdf format from http://www.thethreadsthatbindus.net and we've updated our Horoscopes by Gayle page for Beltane to Litha!

Next weekend I personally will be doing a Pagan event in Vancouver for Beltane.  It's not the kind of thing you vendor at, so the store will not be there, but if anyone wants me to bring something specific down, I will do that.

The weekend after is our next Mini-Psychic Fair on the 22nd starting at noon, where we will be showcasing some of our metaphysical and healing practitioners; $2 admission and your donations go to support Okanagan Pagan Pride, and then for $5 you can get approximately 15 minutes of our services.  We'll have psychic readings, Tarot readings, Reiki, Thai massage, Healing Matrix, astrology readings, and more!

The weekend after is our second SCA event of the year, Midsummer in Appledore, in Summerland.  We do intend to vend there (though being a small event, we'll likely have a smaller table).  Our focus there will be medieval items, so if there is something specifically Pagan or metaphysical that you want us to bring, please contact us and let us know.

That sums up our weekends, but don't forget to check the calendar for our ongoing events on Wednesday nights; next week Meditation, the week after is our the Medium, the Witch and the Shaman Discussion Panel, and the week after is my next Practical Magick class, "Finding Fairies."  All these events start at 6 pm; the first two are by donation, and Practical Magick is $5 - $20 sliding scale per person.

Blessed be,

Sable

At this special time and place, deep in the woods of British Columbia, celebrants call the gods to join them in their festivities here on earth . . . and the gods answer!

The CWABC invites you to join us their first Pagan festival, Starfall PaganFest! This event will happen on the Canada Day weekend in the beautiful Okanagan Valley in Cherryville, the perfect place to bring together Northern and Southern BC, the Interior and the Coast, the Kootenays and even Alberta. The site is 45 minutes from Vernon along Highway 6, in the woods along a winding road; there is no cell phone service and not even any internet access; imagine that! The scenic terrain lends itself to lovely hikes, beautiful camping, and clear mountain views.

The site can accommodate about 30-40 people in indoor spaces, and the rest will be tenting space; priority on indoor spaces given to those with disabilities and families with small children. Overall capacity is 60.

Priority registration will be offered to CWABC and CWAA members, starting immediately at $125. Early bird registration opens May 1 at $150 per person; last minute registration starts June 1 at more or less $200 and will be on a first postmarked, first served basis. Children 6 and under free; children 7 - 15 and elders over 65 will be offered a discounted rate.

In the model of the Gathering, each person will be expected to volunteer for one 1-2 hour duty over the course of the weekend, setup and/or takedown.  Details on the registration sheet.

Participants are invited to contribute workshop ideas with registration.

Site is discreetly wet; it is also used as a treatment centre.

Please make cheques out to the "Congregationalist Wiccan Association of BC."

Event Location: 63 Begbie Rd. in Cherryville

Event TIME Details: site opens 2 pm Fri., closes 2 pm Sun.

Phone: (250) 540-0341 (Business Phone for The Threads That Bind Us)

Mailing Address: Starfall Pagan Festival, 5583 Silver Star Rd. Vernon, BC V1B 3P7

Website: http://starfallpaganfest.webs.com

Witches & Pagans Magazine, the successor to PanGaia and newWitch Magazines, published my article, "The Charge of the Goddess: A Wiccan Ethic" to their website!  Click on the link in the article title to read it.

Just a heads-up on some upcoming shop events and related:

Tomorrow (March 17, St. Paddy's Day,) I'll be offering a Practical Magick class in the basics of Numerology.  Then on Saturday we're hosting the first of a series of 8 workshops in the Eight Paths of Power or the Eightfold Way of Wiccan magick.   The first is on "Intent," concentration, visualization, meditation and focus.  Cost of the workshop is $25 for non CWABC members, and members get it for free!  The CWABC Ostara Ritual will follow.  The second issue of our newsletter, "The Tapestry" will also be available on that date!

Next Wednesday the 24th we're having our second "The Witch, the Medium and the Shaman" discussion panel.  The topic this time will be "Walking Between Worlds: Incorporating Metaphysical Ability and Spirituality in Everyday Life."  These discussion groups then proceed from there as directed by the participants.  All are welcome; by donation.

Then on Saturday the 27th we're having our next Mini-Metaphysical Fair!  Noon to 5 pm, come and check out psychics and practitioners for a discounted rate!  This time we also welcome Astrologer Gayle Hunter to the team!  $2 door fee (donated to the Horse Rescue Society) and $5 for about 15 minute sample services!

On the 31st of April we'll be doing our last Practical Magick class in May, this one in "Directing Energy."

In April we have more Practical Magick, another Meditation Night, another Medium, Witch and Shaman Discussion Panel, and a couple of unique events; April 14 at 7 pm we welcome author and psychic Natasha J. Rosewood for a Soul Talk, some short readings for people and some book signings; $20 per person, all welcome!  And also, on the 17th of April we'll be organizing our Lower Mainland Beltane Fair to showcase the works of Pagan crafters in the community!  Vendors, your table will cost somewhere between $20 and $25 if you are interested.

Blessed be!

Over the past couple of days, in preparation for our Spiritual Discussion Panel, Victoria, Lois and I have been sitting down and putting our heads together to determine what kinds of skills and experience we have to offer in the metaphysical and alternative health fields.  Truthfully it's quite an amazing list!  This morning, I took that list and updated our "Metaphysical Services" page to reflect all the services we therefore offer here at The Threads That Bind Us.  It's really quite impressive, and I would encourage you all to have a look at it to see what might be of benefit to you.

When you come for a healing session, we will have a checklist available soon so that you can indicate which services you would like to benefit from at that time, and we will recommend a practitioner based on the services you request!  In some cases, two or even three practitioners may be needed.

We have also decided universally, in order to avoid confusion, to make our services available for a standard shop rate of $60 an hour, or $1 a minute; $1.50 a minute for couples ($90 an hour,) with special consideration given to the disabled and elderly.  No matter how many practitioners are working at once, this rate will not change (ie. it will not be doubled if you want both Thai massage, offered by Victoria, and crystal healing, offered by me.) The only exception to this is Tarot parties, which are available for $100 an hour.

We are also willing to work on an exchange or barter arrangement.

Since it is no longer needed, we have deleted our "Rates and Services" page.

And while I'm chatting about website updates, please note that in order to reflect the increased art focus of our shop, we have created a page called "Art & Artists" to detail our fine artists and showcase their works.

Our first Spiritual Discussion Panel went exceptionally well and a good time was had by all!  We look forward with eagerness and joy to the next one in March.

Speaking of events, don't miss Victoria's Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) workshop this weekend at 10 am at the store!  Learn how to use a natural system of accupressure to remove anxiety, combat addictions, relieve stress, reduce or remove chronic pain, and more.  Only $30 per person.

Blessed be,

Sable

By popular demand, we are starting to gather bulk herbs for sale in our store!  You will find them in the new cabinet in the back underneath all the crystals; please ask for assistance.  Most of our herbs are grown or wildcrafted by Sable and Rowean, though some more uncommon ones are purchased from suppliers.  At the moment, our beginning collection includes:

Agrimony

Bergamot

Blackberry Leaf

Cinquefoil

Comfrey

Damiana

Elder Flowers

Fennel

Heal All / Self Heal

Hyssop

Lavender

Licorice Root

Mistletoe

Mugwort

Patchouli Leaf

Raspberry Leaf

Rose Petals

Rosehips

Rue (Organic)

Sage (Culinary)

Uva Ursi

Valerian

Verbena

Witch Hazel

Wormwood

Yarrow

More will be available soon, and if you have any special orders, just ask and we can probably get it for you.