Honeydew Melon Properties

Honeydew Melon Cucumis melo

To my surprise, there is not much information on the magical properties of honeydew melon.  So I’ve took it upon myself to get some information out there on this delicious melon, because I’ve found it has a host of magickal benefits.  This is taken from my personal herbal grimoire, and I hope you enjoy!

Magical Properties:  fertility, love, beauty, youth, longevity, abundance, lunar magic

Element: Water

Planet: Moon, Venus

Energy: Receptive/Yin/Feminine

Day of the Week: Monday, Friday

Magickal Uses

• Place a whole honeydew melon on the altar to represent the moon during Esbats.  At the end of the ritual, a portion can be eaten as communion/cakes and ale, and the rest given as an offering to the Goddess.
• The seeds are plentiful and attract abundance.  They can be used in conjure bags, talismans, or placed on the altar  Alternately, you can take a handful of seeds and throw them into the air, asking the wind to turn in your favor and blow in an abundance of whatever it is you want.
• The honeydew can symbolize the pregnant belly of the Goddess, and can be eaten to ensure fertility and a healthy pregnancy.  If you are allergic to honeydew and cannot eat it, you can bury some seeds at the base of a tree for this purpose.
• Seeds can be strung together to make a necklace to draw in beauty, youth and longevity.
• To ensure a happy and loving relationship, place in a red conjure bag a seed for each letter of your lovers name plus each letter of your own.  
• To draw in love, cut a honeydew in half and scoop out the contents (which can be eaten or given as an offering).  Write your wish on a piece of paper and stick it inside the bowl.  Cover with other love-drawing herbs and float the rind in a body of water.  (Note: if it sinks, there’s too much fruit left on the rind, but it doesn't lessen the potency of the spell, so don’t be discouraged.)

Hopefully you found this useful! If you have any other uses for the honeydew or have any questions, comment below!

Here is my other site that is a major work-in-progress: Radioactive Grimoire

And here's a link to my shop, another major WIP!: Radioactive Muse

Thanks for stopping by, I hope to have another herb up for you next Thursday!

Witches' Salt

Witches Salt  is also known as black salt, sal negra (which means..black salt..in Spanish), hoodoo salt, and a host of other names.

It is prepared by burning a sacred blend of herbs with protective, banishing and jinx removing properties.

Sal Negra has a wide variety of uses, but it is most famous for its strong ability to keep one safe. 

Black salt is used for protection, purification, banishing negative influences, removing jinx and curses, bindings, exorcism and dark moon magick.

It is easy to utilize the power of black salt, because in its most simple use, it can be sprinkled around the       home to keep unwanted energies (or people, for that matter!) out.  

Here are some other ways to use Witches Salt:

• To rid your home of negative energies:  Mix salt into a floor wash to clear out negative energies and unwanted influences.
• Sprinkle some salt under the doormat or porch to keep unwanted people out of the home.
• To break a hex or a curse, add a pinch to the bath water and ritually cleanse yourself.
• Cleanse and purify new ritual items with a pinch of black salt added to water. Wash or anoint the tools.

If you are looking to purchase Witches Salt, look no further!  I offer my handcrafted salt at radioactivemuse.etsy.com!  Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you found this article informative! Blessed be!

Fire Cider

A few weeks ago I found a recipe for Fire Cider by Rosemary Gladstar.  I was inspired to create my own version, both because I didn't have some of the ingredients she called for, and I wanted to add others for my own magical and medicinal purposes.

What exactly is Fire Cider?

The version of Fire Cider I'm going to be making today is one I use for several reasons.  I put ~2 tbsp in my water bottle each day and drink it to keep my immune system working well, and as an added benefit, it also encourages weight loss! Despite the ingredients, it actually tastes yummy, too!  You'll see what I'm talking about when you see what it calls for!

The first time I used Fire Cider was as a medicine for my terrible cold.  I brewed some over the stove top (which is NOT the recommended method,by the way, unless you want your kitchen to smell like feet that have never once seen a bath tub).  Anyway, this worked wonders!  It soothed my poor throat, and I believe it encouraged me to heal much more quickly - and I didn't take any other medicine, to boot!  (If you need to take medicine, do so, I'm not a doctor, insert legal junk here).

I really enjoy the taste - it's sweet and spicy, and has a little sour kick to it!  This cider really does pack a punch, and I LOVE it!

The Recipe

2 tbsp powdered Ginger
1 tbsp Red Pepper
1/2 Onion
5 Cloves Garlic (not entire bulbs of garlic, mind you, just the segments)
1/2 tbsp Orange Peel
1 tbsp Hibiscus Flowers
1/2 tbsp Caraway Seeds
5 Cinnamon Sticks
Apple Cider Vinegar
Honey (eventually)

(Hibiscus can be substituted with Turmeric if you're having trouble acquiring some - turmeric can be found in the spice aisle).

First you need a clean and sterile mason jar (to sterilize a mason jar, wash it and stick it in the oven for a time to let it dry).  Chop up the onions and garlic, and toss them into the jar.  Then break up the cinnamon sticks and add all of the other ingredients to the jar.  Pour apple cider vinegar over the top, and shake shake shake!!

Store it in a cool, dark place for at least two weeks.  A month is better, but if you're impatient I don't blame you.

After the time is up, strain it through cheesecloth into a clean jar or bottle.  Be sure to squeeze all of the goodness left in the herbs! Then add honey until it tastes good to you.  Honey has amazing properties to it that makes it perfect for colds and flu, so it's not just about taste!  This will still be a very strong mixture, because you're going to add it to water.

For colds/flu, take 2 tbsp in a glass of hot water as needed throughout the day.  I know I always had a glass of this by my side.

This is also good even if your healthy and would just like a boost!  I love it, and drink it almost every day!

The Stinky Feet Method

This requires the same ingredients and proportions as above, but use 2 cups of apple cider vinegar and place in a pot.  Let simmer for 30-60 min, then let cool.  Pour into a bottle, and squeeze out all of that goodness left in the herbs!  Add honey after it's cool (boiling honey breaks down its medicinal properties), and add to water.

This reeks.  This method seriously sucks.  How could a beverage taste this good, but smell sooooo bad when  you're cooking it?  Phew.  (You can tell I have a pot brewing myself because I'm too impatient to wait for my mason jar to finish!)

Breakdown of Ingredients

For all of you kitchen witches out there, below are the reasons why I added each ingredient into the mixture!

Ginger:  Ginger enhances the magical properties of all the other herbs.  It is a protective herb, and since one of the uses for Fire Cider is as a preventative measure, I thought it was appropriate. Ginger also brings success.  Medicinally, ginger settles an upset stomach.  It helps with diarrhea, nausea, gas pains, and helps soothe a sore throat.  It also aids in digestion.

Red Pepper:  I used this herb to banish illness from my body and give me strength when I'm not feeling 100%.  It strengthens the digestive system, helps with sore throats, and will rapidly break up a cold.  It also helps regulate the appetite.


Onion: Onions are good for healing, protection, and cleansing. Medicinally, the onion relieves congestion in the lungs/throat, and is able to draw out infection and colds.  It also relieves stomach upset and will help you be able to keep down food.  They're antibacterial and anti-fungal as well, and are great for relieving coughs.

Garlic:  Magically speaking, garlic brings good luck, and luck is always helpful when combating illness!  So is strength, which is another characteristic garlic contributes to this medicine.  Medicinally speaking, garlic is an antibiotic.  It kills many different types of viruses, bacteria, and parasites.  It might even help reduce heart disease, so thats a plus!

Orange Peel: Attracts good fortune, is emotionally uplifting, and invites love.  I have added loving properties into this cider, because love is a good medicine, and I want people who I share this cider with to know that I care about them and want them to get better.  Orange peel contains lots of vitamin C, which is perfect for driving away colds.

Hibiscus:  The properties are very similar to Orange Peel, in the fact that hibiscus contains lots of Vitamin C and invites love.   It also helps improve digestion.

Caraway:  It is magically used to keep away sickness and disease, and its medicinal uses are similar.  It is used to relieve gas and aid digestion, as well as settle stomach upset.

Cinnamon:  Power, success and love are the main properties I was drawn towards while choosing this spice as an ingredient.  That, and the fact that I love cinnamon!  Medicinally, cinnamon helps stop vomiting (it works for me!) and diarrhea, and to calm the stomach in general.  

Apple Cider Vinegar:  It's antiseptic, and has a plethora of uses, including weight loss.  It's made from apples (shocking), and an apple a day keeps the doctor at bay...0. right?

Honey:  is just all around fantastic.  It is used to sweeten up any situation and for healing.  It's also antibiotic!

And there you have it!  Hopefully you've learned something and are on your way to trying something new! It's worth it, I promise!  

With love and light and all the blessings in the world, 

Delanie

Color Correspondences

Basic Color Correspondences are written below to help aid you in your magical workings.  These apply to candles, cord magic, and even artwork.  It is always best to meditate upon each color and come up with your own set of colour correspondences, because colour is personal to each individual.

These are my personal correspondences from my Book of Shadows and are copyrighted to me.  If you wish to put them on your personal site, state where you got it and provide a link back to this page.  Thank you!

Red

Planet: Mars
Element: Fire
Energy: Active/Yang

Red is the color of blood and therefore, of the life force.  It represents all things that get the blood pumping, such as passion, anger, war, love, lust, sex, courage, vigor, respect, strength, power and exercise.  It is a colour of authority, strength of will, and brute force.  While red does represent love, it represents more the physical manifestation of any kind of love (instead of, say, emotional love).  The "negative" qualities of the color red include acting without thought, anger issues, impulsive decisions, etc.

Pink is associated with the heart and romantic love, since pink is the combination of red and white.

Orange

Planet: Sun
Element: Fire
Energy: Active/Yang

Orange is the color of abundance, happiness, thankfulness and creativity.  It is also a colour of change.  Light shades of orange represent joy, happiness and creativity.  Sunset orange is connect to change, time and to new experiences.  Pumpkin orange is associated with autumn, Mabon, Lammas and Samhain.  Pumpkin orange also represents change, as well as abundance and gratitude.

Yellow

Planet: Mercury, Sun
Element: Air
Energy: Active/Yang

Yellow is the color of communication in all forms, travel (particularly in airplanes), creativity, writing, intelligence, mental health, artistic pursuits, knowledge, study and the mind.  Yellow symbolizes the wind that is easily blown through all parts of the world, which is why it is connected to travel, swiftness, thought and knowledge.

Green

Planet: Venus
Element: Earth
Energy: Receptive/Yin

Green is the colour of the plants and trees, and therefore represents growth, nourishment, responsibility, abundance, prosperity, wealth, beauty, physical health, strong foundations, compassion, stability, and motherly love.  Green also represents rejuvenation, growth and rebirth.  Stubbornness and envy are also linked to the colour green.

Blue

Planet: Neptune
Element: Water
Energy: Receptive/Yin

Blue is the colour of the expansive ocean, and symbolizes the fathomless depths of our mind, intuition, and emotion.  Blue helps expand our mind, not through what we see or hear in the world, but through how we feel.  This is a very emotional colour.  Lighter blues are connected with tranquility, inner peace, solace and grace, where indigo and darker blues are associated with deep, personal feelings.  These feelings can be a deep sense of connectedness, or a deep sense of being alone (depression).  Blue is the colour of healing and the emotions.

Purple

Planet: Moon, Neptune
Element: Spirit
Energy: Receptive/Yin

Purple is the color of royalty and respect.  Respectable pursuits are connected with the color purple, such as mind expansion through spiritual means, religion/spirituality in general, psychism, divination, intuition, the deep mind and selflessness.  Purple is connected to outer space and the unknown.

White

Planet: Moon; All
Element: All
Energy: All

White is pure like freshly fallen snow.  It is used for purity (of mind, body and spirit), protection, weight loss, cleansing the body of toxins and unhealthy habits, and exorcism.  White contains every color, so it can be substituted for any color.  White is a blank canvas upon which you can paint a beautiful life.

Black

Planet: Saturn
Element: All
Energy: All

Black may be the absence of color, but is not the absence of magic.  Black represents the Mysteries, secrets and infinite wisdom.  From nothing all things come, and so it is with the color black.  Black is creation out of nothing.  Black is also used to banish anything from unwanted habits to unwanted circumstances.  It rids you of negativity and can help you when you feel stuck in life.

Silver

Planet: Moon
Element: Spirit, particularly Water
Energy: Receptive/Yin

Silver is a colour that is representative of the Goddess.  It represents the illumination of the Mysteries, divination, lunar magic and gifts of the Goddess.

Gold

Planet: Sun
Element: Spirit, particularly Fire
Energy: Active/Yang

Gold is a pure colour that represents the God.  It is symbolic of illumination and clarity of thought, insight, solar magic, and gifts of the God.  It represents knowledge, abundance and physical wealth.  

My Path

I am a very spiritual person.  I always have been.  This is just a little bit about my spiritual path.  I think if you know what a person believes in and why, you know something that is very personal, and very awesome.

You don't have to agree with what I'm saying, because I'm not claiming to have the ultimate truth. I'm still searching for that myself.  Disagreements are perfectly healthy, and it's great to read things you disagree with, because it helps you grow in your own faith.  However, I am not looking to receive hateful comments.  I am a very respectful person, and I will treat you with respect, so I would greatly appreciate the same courtesy.  

And here's a quick note: I'm definitely not saying that if you disagree, you can't comment.  I would love to hear your comments about what you believe in, just be respectful, please!  Not just to me, but to anyone else who comments here.  Thank you!

-x-x-x-x-x-

I do not belong to any particular religion.  I find religion highly fascinating, but something about the way I was raised as a Christian (which was blindly follow and you'll be okay) just really didn't sit well with me.

I was very young when I first learned many things about Christianity, and to this day they don't make sense.  I didn't know why women couldn't marry other women because if they were happy, it should be okay.  Right?  And I didn't know why God would have sent me to Hell if I didn't know who Jesus was (but luckily I wasn't born in a tribe in the Amazon that didn't know anything about Jesus, cause then I'd be screwed).  I didn't know why God would create animals without souls, because they live, breathe and bleed just like we do; and they raise families and can feel pain like us - they even have lots of the same things we do, like eyes and noses!  And what about those dinosaurs, how come they're not in the Bible?

From the age of four to around age nine I had these burning questions - and these are just a few of what I remember.   There was lots I couldn't figure out, and a lot of things seemed a little fishy. I asked questions that no one had the answers to; some would say good question, but not give me an answer; others would admit they didn't know; and some told me that it's wasn't important, to have faith like a child - but I was a child! I did have faith, and I wanted a freaking answer!

But no answers came.  Finally, around age 11 or 12, I began looking elsewhere for my answers.  And I'm so glad I did, because I have never felt more at peace or more close to the one who gave me life.  I am happy.  But it took me a long time to finally feel that way, to shed my old skin, to become renewed.

When I first began looking at all of the other religions out there, I was frustrated, confused, lost - even angry, depressed and I felt really helpless.  How did I know which was right, which was wrong?   Was I abandoning God or meeting Him for the first time?  It was really hard for me to find something I felt was true.  And then I found Wicca.  Things began to click for me then.  I abandoned everything I didn't really believe anyway and went straight into it, not questioning a darn thing, because questions were hard and everything was making sense so far.

But Wicca wasn't right for me either.  I'm thankful that Wicca was part of my journey, and I still follow the Rede, which is "An' it harm none, do what ye will" - but it's not my Truth.  Wicca seemed a little shady, too, like every other religion out there.  The more I read about its history is what turned me off the most, I think.  It claims to be an Old Religion, but it's a relatively new one.  It follows old traditions, but Wicca in and of itself is not old.  I know it's a little detail, but it bugs me.

From Wicca came Paganism - which is a word I feel best describes what I practice and believe, but I'm also not entirely happy with it.  I guess I just like the word Spiritual.  I love having a personal relationship with the Creator despite what names other people call him/her.  I do call upon the Lord and Lady, but I know that they're one and the same, and they go by thousands of other names.  Gods and Goddesses are like a disco ball - every deity is a mirror, and every mirror makes up the the One Thing, the source of all that is. But every mirror reflects light, and everyone's light shines at a different frequency, so each God looks a little bit different to everyone.  Hopefully that makes sense - if not, I can elaborate.

Anyway, that's where I am on my path now.  I still love learning about all different types of religions, because I think they all have some truth, and they all have some bullshit. And I don't want any of the crap in my life that I don't need - I just want the truth, and one day I'll find it.  But for now, I know I'm in the right place in my life.

Where are you in your path?  What do you believe in? Comment below, I would love to hear!  Have a wonderful day :)