just peachy

Guess what my sister did today? Her and her fiancee went to Knotts Island North Carolina and picked peaches. No fair I want peaches. I want to make THIS:

Peach Cobbler
Filling
1/2 c brown sugar firmly packed
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 20 oz. pk. frozen peach slices-thawed
1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Topping
1 c all purpose flour
1/2 c granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 c butter
1/2 c. milk
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
Heavy cream, Optional

Prepare filling
In a 2 qt, saucepan combine brown sugar, cornstarch and 1/2 c. water. Bring to a boil over medium heat stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in peaches and lemon juice. Spoon mixture into 1 1/2 qt round backing dish. Heat over to 350º

Prepare Topping
In a medium size bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in milk until well blended. Spread dough over peach mixture in backing dish. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Bake 30-35 minutes until golden

Happy Friday

Happy Friday Everyone.
It is my long weekend to work. Tonight until ten. Back in the morning for breakfast with the managers. (I got invited to this but not sure why since I am not a manager..and no I don't think I'm getting promoted, nor do I want to. I like being little old me hanging up clothes and ringing up sales) Work tomorrow until 6ish, and then back first thing Sunday until 6. Then again Monday night till 9, with another day off finally coming on Tues. Whew...
I'm sure I will find time to blog in between, but until then enjoy your day.

Hanging around

Ok, so maybe I was being a bit melodramatic earlier about the shed, but it really ticked me off that maintenance can just come and go as they please expecting me to jump up and move stuff around. After I published the first post I took a couple of deep breaths and went outside to try and make room for everything without blocking the breaker box. I had several things that needed to either be throw away or given away and I quickly separated them and placed everything else back in there. I took a few minutes to hang these



The second photo was from last year, but I wanted to use it because it shows more detail. Wow notice how the pink has faded. Time to replace that one I think.
One thing I did find in the shed is my huge witches broom. I brought it a couple of years ago at a thrift store and have used it at Halloween time to sit out next to pumpkins. Since I don't have a "real" front stoop....I live on the basement level. I put it away and forgot about it. It was fun seeing it again

Sorry it isn't a better photo. I was in a hurry and just snapped it while putting stuff away.
Oh well, I need to get the rest of my house work done and out of the way, then I will have some time to just hang around and enjoy my day..Kinda like this bottle blowing in the breeze

One of those days

This is one of those days where I can see why Thelma & Louise drove a car off the cliff. I would like to do the same, To the car that is (as I quickly jump out). Let me start at the beginning. I'm not sure if I mentioned it or not but about three weeks ago my husbands car died. The main belt broke and we had to have it towed in. Since we don't have a credit card we had to wait until we could get cash to have it fixed. We shuffled back and forth for over a week until payday, finally getting it done and out of the way. So I thought. About week or so later the hubby calls my cell phone. leaving me a message that he had gone back to the garage where the work was done because the car was "making a noise". Another hundred dollars later it is "fixed". This morning he calls me and wakes me up *on my day off* to inform me that the car is sitting at the 7-11 across the street from where he works with what appears to be a dead battery. Damn the bad luck. We are broke, busted, poor!. Rent is due and so is the car insurance. I don't have ANY extra money for car repairs this week. It looks like we are going to shuffle back and forth for another week at lest until we can find out what is wrong THIS TIME. It wouldn't be so bad, except last week the check engine light came on in MY car, and I have no idea what is causing that.
To top it off I'm in a bad mood anyway because I HATE living in this apartment complex. The management here sucks. They just waltz in and out any time they get ready. Last week we got a notice that they were going to come check the smoke detectors and air filters. So I run around cleaning like a maniac, making sure everything is in order .I happened to be off on the day they were doing my building. They did all the apartments except for the six n our side. They still haven't come back! Then last night they show up at my back door, telling me I have to take everything out of my shed (which is only about the size of a linen closet) becaue I have to much in there and they can't get to the breaker box. It seems the apartment above me has no airconditioning and they need to run a new line beside of mine which has to for some reasn go into my area (shed). So now I have about 10 boxes sitting in the middle of my living room floor.



I have no idea what to do with them since they said its a fire violation to put them back in front of the breaker box. Hey I know. Maybe I can put them in my husbands car as I roll it off a cliff.
There is only one problem. the darn thing wont start to get it there!!

The Kitchen

The Kitchen

This is the room where we not only prepare the food that nurtures body & soul – we also concoct potions & elixirs, dip candles, dye eggs in Springtime, and where many of Life's Little Problems are discussed and resolved over such mundane tasks as washing the dishes.Such a special room deserves special blessings and protections.

In mine, I have made and hung a braided strand of garlic. For extra protection, I include bay leaves, for peace – a few sprigs of dill ,some chili peppers to keep things exciting, marjoram flowers for love, and dried orange peel for prosperity. It looks lovely!

Simmering Potpourris are a good way to fill your home with "Instant Magick". Say, for instance, the dog is harassing the cat, the kids are fighting, your spouse is grouchy and every few minutes a salesman is calling on the phone. Toss some herbs in a little pot along with a few drops of fragrant oil and put it on to simmer .As the properties of the herbs and oils are released through out the house, just watch the atmosphere change! Since this is a "Quick Fix" most of the recipes include ingredients readily at hand – just grab and go!

Simmering Peace: vanilla extract, almond extract, lemon balm, apple slices and/or apple oil or simply use apple juice or cider in place of the water you would simmer the herbs in. Toss in a bit of cloveor cinnamon as a catalyst to kick the whole thing off.

Simmering Prosperity: chamomile flowers, lemon slices, basil, bayleaves, pine needles, ginger,

Simmering Love: pink rose petals, rose oil, cardamom.

Simmering Romance: red rose petals, coriander seeds, patchouli, andred wine to simmer it in.

Simmering Creativity: yellow rose petals, star anise, orangeslices, peel or oil, instant coffee.

Simmering Protection: 3 bay leaves, peppermint, rosemary, elderflowers, hyssop, lavender oil.

Apple Peel Divination: This was passed on to me many years ago bya delightful old Mormon friend: The next time you are peeling apples, try to remove the peel in one long single strand. Using your right hand, toss the strand over your left shoulder. The letter of the alphabet that it forms will be the initial of (a) in old folklore, your future husband or (b) for teenage girls, your next boyfriend.

Divination by Pancake: Some Sunday morning when the family is gathered round, have each member try this: Scoop some pancake batter in a ladle and, with your eyes closed, drizzle it onto the pan. Then see what shape it forms (rather like seeing pictures in clouds or tea leaves). Children are especially good at this.Of course, afterward, everybody must eat his or her fortune!

Love in the Kitchen…… why is it a man always seems more aroused by the sight of a woman busy in the kitchen than any other time or place? It seems that the busier you are, the less he can keep his hands off you! You, barefoot, in jeans, T-shirt and an apron, up toyour elbows in suds is more seductive than high heels, plunging neckline and diamonds over a candlelight dinner! Go figure! But for those of us who aren't complaining (!) try this: Dab a bitof vanilla extract at the nape of your neck and throat, behind your ears - and don't forget your cleavage... especially if your man is a Taurus, Pisces or Cancer!

Bake a Friendship Cake: Start with a regular, golden vanilla cake mix. Follow the instructions on the box and add a teaspoon of almond extract. Pour the batter into your pan then lay fresh Rose Geranium leaves in a random design on the top. As the cake bakes, it becomes delicately infused with the flavor of the herb. Instead of frosting, a thin transparent glaze over the top is much more effective. Steep orange zest and rose geranium leaves in some hot white wine (you can also use apple juice) – about 1/3 of a cup should do. Strain and add ½ tsp vanilla and then enough powdered sugar to make a thin glaze. Spread over the cake while both are still warm. Decorate the edges, if you like, with fresh rose petals and fern leaves. Serve with a delicate sorbet on the side and ligh ta pink candle, even if it's daytime.

A lovely cake to begin or strengthen a friendship.Raspberry Vinegar… Although I've never seen a man go into paroxysms of orgasmic ecstasy over chocolate the way most women do, it stillis an excellent aphrodisiac.

Here is a little "potion" that will enhance that effect- especially for women: Add a bit of raspberry vinegar anytime you're baking something chocolate. It will boost more than just the flavor – though it does that too! To make raspberry vinegar - fill a bottle ¾ full with fresh raspberries (okay, frozen works also) then add a good apple cider vinegar to the top. Set this in a sunny windowsill for 2 weeks(besides the warmth helping to "cook" the concoction, the lights treaming through the ruby red potion is beautiful!). Strain; add more raspberries and set it back for another couple of weeks. Add about 2 or 3 Tablespoons to a chocolate cake batter or a batch of brownies; a teaspoon or two to frosting, hot cocoa etc.Sweetened & combined with sparkling water, this also makes a refreshing, old fashioned summer drink.

Fresh mint leaves (slightly bruised) added to this also taste wonderful! – but don't use them ifyou are making "the Potion". Mint does nothing for the libido -it's more "cerebral"

.A pot of basil in your window sill will attract prosperity to your home...

Off to the races

Naked baby!

My grandson it going to hate us one day for that one, but I couldnt resist. If he doesn't hate us for it. Then I know this next one will be the reason. My daughter found a box of her baby clothes at my moms over the weekend and when she saw the dresses she just had to see what my grandson would look like as a girl. I don't think he was impressed *giggle*

Happy Fairy Day

Today is Fairy Day and what better way to celebrate than to show off some beautiful fairies that I found while surfing the Internet.
May your day be filled with magic and wonder!




Buried at PhotoCasket.com




Buried at PhotoCasket.com




Buried at PhotoCasket.com


Buried at PhotoCasket.com



Buried at PhotoCasket.com


Buried at PhotoCasket.com




Buried at PhotoCasket.com




Buried at PhotoCasket.com




Buried at PhotoCasket.com



Buried at PhotoCasket.com


Buried at PhotoCasket.com

Grumbing post

I work in a large department store in ladies clothing forty hours a week. Its a good job, and the only thing I really have to do other than ring the customer and a bit of light straightening is clean out the fitting rooms. That is a constant all day job.

I've decided that in a past life I must have been a really lazy bossy bitch who had a staff of housekeepers that picked up after me all the time. I must not have given a thought to throwing my clothes on the floor and never picking up after myself. That has to be the reason that now in this life I work retail and I am constantly cleaning out the fitting rooms, picking up clothes off the floor, hang them up and then smile and bite my tongue and try and be polite to my lazy customers, I swear I wonder what they must live like at home.
Seriously some women are PIGS. Nasty Pigs. You can not imagine how messy I find things when I go to clean out the fitting rooms. Now don't get me wrong. I don't expect people to put things away. It's a large store and chances are they wouldn't find where they got them from anyway. But is it asking to much just to put things back on a hanger and hang it on the hook inside the door. Is it asking to much to take only TWO sizes of jeans into the room. Must they take 6 pair of jeans and leave them all on the floor? Do you reallly need to try on 15 different things. After all the store is open seven days a week. There will be new things to buy. We are not in a clothes shortage. You will find plenty to choose from! All I know is that Karma is kicking my butt. I just remind myself every time I check the rooms and bring out arms full of clothing that what goes around comes around that someday these pigs will get paid back.
Oink oink.

Photo Hunt (Shiny)

This weeks theme is shiny, and I wanted to share this photo of the water as the sun sets across it. Look how shiny it is.

Make Your Own Cool Shower Gel

Inspired by Home Enlightenment, by Annie B. Bond (Rodale Press, 2005).
Now that the heat is on, we can cool off in the bath or shower with this easy-to-make, all-natural gel. Even after overexposure to the sun, it will leave your skin feeling dewy and smooth, tingly and refreshed--a great warm-weather treat!
SIMPLE SOLUTION: Make some for yourself and your friends; poured into a pretty bottle, this would be a great gift, too. Read the simple formula here:
INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup herbal shampoo (look for one that is detergent-free; avoid labels that list any variation of "sodium lauryl sulfate")
1/4 to 3/4 cup water
3/4 teaspoon salt
8 drops peppermint essential oil
2 tablespoons aloe vera gel

1. Blend all the ingredients thoroughly, adjusting the amount of water to get the desired consistency.

2. Pour into a bottle or jar.

3. Place a dab of this cooling gel in your hand to use instead of soap.

HELPFUL HINTS: Formula may be doubled or tripled to make extra for gifts.
And please be sure to use pure peppermint essential oil, not a fragrance oil.

Happy Summer Solstice

Happy Summer Solstice Everyone

The Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year falling this year on June 21 when the Sun enters Cancer.

In addition to the four great festivals of the Pagan Celtic year, there are four lesser holidays as well: the two solstices, and the two equinoxes. In folklore, these are referred to as the four 'quarter-days' of the year, and modern Witches call them the four 'Lesser Sabbats', or the four 'Low Holidays'. The Summer Solstice is one of them.

Litha, also known as Midsummer and Summer Solstice, is traditionally seen by many Pagan beliefs to be the time when the reign of the Oak King gives way to the Holly King. It is a time when the power of the sun is at its strongest and summer is at its peak.
Litha marks the birth of the Holly King, just as Yule marks the birth of the Oak King. The Holly King will rise to power at the fall equinox (Mabon), when we enter the dark half of the year. But today is the day to celebrate the Lord, as represented by the Sun


Because Litha is a fire festival it has some rites that are also performed during Beltane, such as lighting bonfires and handfasting. It is a time for rededication, healing, purification and, of course, a good dose of fun. Being the longest day of the year, it can be the perfect day to spend outdoors enjoying the Sun God in all his glory.

A fire lit and kept alight until midnight brings good luck to the house and its occupants.


Many ancient traditions begin the day's celebration by rising early enough to greet the rising Sun.

There is still a famous summer solstice celebration at Stonehenge, the ancient stone circle on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire. On the night before midsummer, a group of white-robed Druids gather at Stonehenge to watch the sun rising. As it comes up, the sun rises exactly over the Heel Stone, one of the stones that lies outside the main circle at Stonehenge



This is also a very good time to perform blessings and protection spells for your pets or other animals. You may want to choose to include your pet within your cast Circle at this sabbath celebration, and even present him or her with a special gift such as a tiny pentacle to attach to his or her collar.

Go to the beach at Litha, and gather salt-water. you can bring offerings of flowers and nuts, and 3 pennies or 3 dimes for prosperity and throw these into the waves before taking the water. You can honor Aphrodite and Yameya as the Goddesses of the Sea by taking some jewelry as an offering. It can be simply a broken silver chain, a ring you used to wear, one half of an earring set, things like that. You will find that doing this means that when you visit the beach anytime at all, you won't have to worry about losing any of your "good" jewelry to a jealous Goddess!

If you don't live near the sea, another excellent source of magickal water, is rain water from a thunderstorm, and there are plenty that occur at this time of year. The more electrical energy the storm puts out, the more energized the water is, so the fiercer the better! Collect in a glass jar, or porcelain, avoid metal containers. Store on a shelf, and don't leave the jar on the ground, or the energy will ground. Use the water for 6 months, after that return the water to the source, and collect fresh. The energized water really only lasts about 6 months. If you add shells, rocks from the sea, or other non-perishable sea items such as coral, the energy of the water will stay higher during the 6 months. This water is not for drinking, but only for magickal use.


The following are some ideas of ways that you, your family and friends can celebrate Litha.

If the weather is good then bring your family on a picnic and enjoy the warm, uplifting sunlight. Bring fruits and vegetables that are in season in order to honor the Mother’s abundant blessings.
If you or anyone in your group has a fire pit, have an evening bonfire ritual for purification and protection. Traditional herbs to be tossed into the bonfire are wild thyme, chamomile, sage, mugwort and lavender. Other herbs and plants associated with Litha are mint, rose, daisy, yarrow, oak, elder, heather and St. John’s Wort.
This is a good time for pet blessings so you may want to have a special family ceremony to bless your beloved pet or pets.
Have an outdoor or indoor feast with foods that are symbolic of Litha such as corn cakes, berries, seasonal vegetables, honey cakes, fruit salad and freshly baked bread.
If you have young children, let them draw or color pictures of dragons, fairies, butterflies or images of the sun. Then hang their works of art in the windows of your home or display them on a large bulletin board or display board.
But don’t let the children have all the fun! Create your own works of art depicting anything that symbolizes Litha for you and even make it part of a ritual of healing or inspiration if you wish. If you’re having a large gathering of people, buy a roll of butcher paper and have everyone bring their own art supplies such as crayons, markers or color pencils. Unroll the paper on a large table or any hard surface and everyone can take part in a Litha work of art.
Have family or group craft projects such as making a Solar Wheel, a Witches Ladder or dream pillows filled with lavender and rosemary.
Create an outdoor or indoor altar as a group or family project. Some traditional items to place on the altar are flowers such as iris, honeysuckle and sunflowers, summer fruits, bundles of heather, herbs that represent Litha, honey cakes and orange, gold or yellow candles.
Use your imagination and intuition to think of other ways that you, your family and friends can honor the God and Goddess at this sacred and uplifting time of year. The sighting of Fairy have been reported more often during
Midsummer than at any other time. Leaving out a little food for the fairies is a common practice at Midsummer. Milk, water, butter, honey, wine and bread are their favored foods.

My grandson and I took an offering outside before he went to bed tonight of milk and cookies for the fairies. I loved the look on his face as he looked around trying to understand what a fairy was. They say that young children and animals can see things that we as adults can not...So...who knows. Either way it was fun for both of us.

Have fun and let the magick of the day fill your heart with light.

Mid-Summer Eve

Tonight is Mid-Summer Eve and I have to work until 9. I will be back later and post some information on Mid-Summer, The Solstic and Litha..In the mean time don't let the Faries spirit you away.

Wordless Wednesday

Grandson on the beach

Ritual for the Bees

This was posted on the Covenant of the Goddess discussion e-list, and I found it while surfing the net. I wanted to share it with everyone

To all Energy Workers, Shamans, Pagans, Faeries, New Age Visionaries, Healers, Lightworkers,Tree-huggers, Bambi-lovers, Gardeners, and other custodians, caretakers and Stewards of Mother Earth:

For any of you who are concerned about the recent flight of a significant percent of the world's honey-bees through the veil and away from our Earth, then please consider joining one of your number in the following ritual to encourage the return of our Beloved Bee-friends -- those joyously industrious pollinators and fertilizers, builders of hive, colony, community, and makers of sweet honey who dance so devotedly to the buzz of their own passionate flight.
To be performed on the Eve of the Summer Solstice
Wednesday, June 20, 2007.

As the longest day fades into night, light a candle. Let the candle be of beeswax. If you don't have a beeswax candle (or prefer not to use one) then dab a bit of honey on the candle of your choice. If you have no honey or beeswax -- or even if you do -- feel free to choose a bright yellow candle, or other candle that reminds you strongly of the energy of Bees. You might like to decorate it with images or symbols that make you think of Bees and the role they play in our lives. You could even prepare a special place for it -- make an altar or a spot on your altar --dedicated to the Bees. Perhaps have some fragrant flowers near by. (These things are not necessary, just good to do if you desire.)

As you light your candle, think of the Bees. At this point, if you are aware of any fear or distrust you have of Bees because of their stings (a purely defensive weapon that carries the heaviest penalty for use), then consciously release it now. Send it into the flame and watch it go up in smoke.

Think of all the good that Bees bring to our planet and to each of our lives through their work of pollinating the plants and flowers. (Do you like almonds? Did you know that bees pollinate 100% of California's almond crop?) Think of their buzzy-hoppy
fertility dance and the determined, hardy fragility of their industrious, interconnected, community-based, hive-minded uniqueness. Think of the taste of honey. Be in appreciation. Let your heart fill with love for our Bee-brothers.

See, sense, feel the Bees flying -- singly, in pairs, in small groups -- through an invisible gateway into the blue sky of earth. Imagine them greeting, and being ecstatically greeted by, the flowers who have longed for their delicate touch, the
encouragement of their voices, and the stimulating buzz of their presence.

See them joyously making their way home, flying eagerly into the doors of hives and colonies that have waited patiently for their return. Welcome the Bees back to their homes, their hives. Make Buzzing sounds. Don't be overly quick or perfunctory about this.

A friend of mine, who teaches shamanic drumming, says "risk boredom"; buzz for at least 3-5 minutes and really get into the feel if it. Dance around. Place a taste of honey on your tongue or in your tea and savor the taste extravagantly. Sensously rub
a salve or ointment containing beeswax into your skin. Do any or all of these things. Thank the Bees for their service to the Earth.

Thank the Melissa, the ancient Greek Bee-Queen, for the labors and blessings of her people to the Earth in any way that feels joyous and true for you.

If you like, you may use this chant:

Bzzzzz Bzzzzzz Bzzzzz Bees!
Bzzzzzz Bzzzzzz Bzzzzz Bees!
We call you home to the Hive.
We call you home to the Hive.
Striving, Thriving,
Striving, Thriving,
We call you home to the Hive.
We Light your Way.

On this longest day we Light your Way
Home to the meadows
Home to the skies,
Home to the Flowers
Home to the Trees.
We light your way Home.
Bzzzzz Bzzzzzzz Bzzzzzz Bees!

(If this chant doesn't work for you, feel free to make up your own, or do the ritual without one.)

If it is safely possible, burn the candle down during the night. (Be safety-minded. Do not leave candles insecure or untended). If it isn't possible, then re-light the candle on consecutive nights until it is burned through. If enough of us do this, the bright beacon of our focused Love, Will and Intention will guide the Bees safely back to their homes to the continued health and joy of Mother Earth.

Whether or not you feel drawn to perform this ritual yourself, please forward this to anyone and everyone you know who might remotely be interested. The more people who participate the more powerful it will be. I thank you. The Bees do too.

Bright Blessings to all. Blessed Bee!

Memories of Daddy

Happy Fathers Day to all the dads out there. I lost my dad in 2005, but my heart is with him today.

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

A Loss In Blog Land

It was with great saddness that I read this morning that Daisy Lupin of Cats In The Kitchen Fora In The Garden passed away after a short illness. I always enjoyed Daisy's blog and she will be missed here in blog land. If you read Daisy. Please stop by and let her family know you are thinking of them.

Photo Hunt-Hair

This weeks theme is HAIR.
This is a photo of my husband from the back showing how long his HAIR was when I first met him nine years ago.

This is how he looks now.

Better huh!

Summer Solstice Pie

With the Solstice coming up on the 21 I thought you might like to make this cool desert. I hope you enjoy it.
I found the recipe last year at Jaspenelle's blog.



Summer Solstice Pie

You’ll need:
A pie shell
Ingredients for the nectarine layer:
3 cups of nectarines or peaches (peeled and sliced)
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp butter or margarine

Ingredients for the nectarine layer
4 cups of blackberries or blueberries (I use 2 cups of each)
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp cornstarch
A dash of cinnamon
1 Tbsp butter or margarine

Instructions:
1. Bake pie crust at 350ºF for about 15 to minutes. Let cool on rack.
2. Mash the peaches with sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch and pour into a saucepan. Cook on medium for 5 minutes until it thickens.
3. Mash 2 cups of the berries with the sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Cook in saucepan over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Add in the butter with the rest of the whole berries and stir. Cool and pour it over top of the peach layer.
4. Chill and serve.

Wordless Wednesday

I know that this is WORDLESS Wednesday but I thought I would include this short explanation of the photo. My husband took this shot when him and I were in Utah.
The sculpture is called
Metaphor: The Tree of Utah
Also called the "Tree of Life," the sculpture is located on the north side of I-80 about 95 miles west of Salt Lake City (25 miles east of Wendover.

To view other worldless Wednesday site just click on the link on my sidebar

Weekend Review

It was the sperm Donor's weekend to keep my grandson (I call him this because he is a dead beat dad and I refuse to acknowledge this man as daddy instead calling him a sperm Donor) so my daughter and I took advantage of the time and went shopping. We headed to a a nearby town which has a great outdoor flea market. We had not been yet this year and we looked forward to finding some bargains. The first one came almost as soon as we got out of the car. At the first table I found these darling little fairies for just fifty cents each.




I scooped them up and we went into the first little shop. There I found a table just the right size to use for a new altar table. I had been wanting one for awhile but didn't want to pay the high price for a new one. At just twelve dollars this was a bargain. Look how cute it looks with the cloth my daughter found me for three dollars (she had bought it at a thrift store the day before)


I have several altars around the house. Most are on a shelf so I decided to make this one my elemental altar. Each item on it represents a direction
North =Earth The large crystal
South = Fire The candle
East = Air my wand, blown glass with a crystal on the end and bought at a festival I attended about three years ago.
West = Water A bottle of water that was gathered under the full moon by a friend of mine that passed away about a year and a half ago and gave to me as a gift. She put three small crystals in the water.
I put the little witch in the center because I really love her and she was made by my blog friend Carrie's mom.
I also got an old print of the Mona Lisa from the same shop, and a hearth broom (I forgot to photograph)
On to the next shop brought wonderful treasures. The owner was going out of business and offered us anything we could fit into a bag for ONE DOLLAR a bag. My daughter and I quickly filled five bags. We got an assortment of things including these


My daughter also got some nice glass serving dishes and bowls.
I got a bag of books

And we got some toys for my grandson.

Here are the photos of everything we got.



You'd think with all of that stuff we would have been happy, but we also went to a couple of thrift stores and found all of this:

Both of these are tablecloths. I love the Halloween one.








I love the carvings. They are done in real wood. My husband said they remind him of the trees from the forest in the Wizard of Oz.
Well as you can see I had a great time.
It's back to work tomorrow where I will stay for the next seven days until time for my next day off. Two of those days will be till 10 pm. Yuck!

Photo Hunt-SHOES

These are the SHOES that were on the cake at my daughters baby shower.
Enjoy the hunt and happy weekend everyone.

Morning Giggles

My husband is an early riser, and is usually up at lest a half hour before me every morning. He likes to take his time getting shaved and showed, so usually the water is running by the time I go in the bathroom. I went in there this morning still half asleep and instead of saying hello, I reached over and gave the shower curtain a little tap or two. I thought he knew I was in the room but he didn't say anything so feeling especially mischievous I reached my hand around the side of the curtain and touched the back of his leg. He squealed and yelled ohhh ohhh, worst than any woman. I laughed till my sides hurt..What did you do that for he asked. I just kept laughing..
Morning everyone

Pepperlady is hosting a scavenger hunt

Last spring my blog buddy Pepperlady
hosted a scavenger hunt. We had a fun time with it and I was excited to hear she is doing another one.
Please visit her site to sign up and join the fun.
Here is what she has to say about the hunt



Last spring I hosted an Ostara scavenger hunt and now I’m doing a Litha/summer solstice scavenger hunt.
Sigh up date is before June 11, 2007.
What is a scavenger hunt there is 7 items you’ll need to find for your swap partner and I’ll let you know shortly after the 11th, which he or she is.
The seven items you need to find for Lithus is:
1. Wind movement item
2. Something blue or blue in it
3. Your local sale add paper
4. Some triangle shape or 3 sided
5. Flower stickers
6. A rock (please consider the weight because this shipping cost)
7. A frame picture taken from you’re home areas looking toward the south.
Please pass the word about the summer time scavenger hunt."

Worldless Wednesday

Zapped

My daughter had to work from 9-11 last night at the bar, and when she got home realized she needed soda, milk and a few other odds and ends. It was thundering in the distance and she was a little leery about going out by herself. She called me about 11:30 when she got home and asked me if I would run to Wal-Mart with her. It is only about 3 miles from our house and even though I had worked till 9 myself and had had a hard time getting her son to sleep I didn't want her to go alone, so I threw my shoes on and headed out the door. No sooner had we got in the car and it started to sprinkle rain. At the corner she realized she needed gas so we stopped and got it. As we headed down the road the wind came up and it started raining harder. We got about a quarter of a mile down the road and out of no where came a ZAP!. Lightening hit a building across the road. It light up like the fourth of July and the next thing we knew the tires on her car were going zzzzzzzzzzzzz. The electricity had traveled onto the road and thankfully the rubber tires kept it from hurting us. Holy Shit screamed my daughter and floored the car. We got about a hundred yards and once again ZAP. For the second time the tires went zzzzzzzzz. The lights all around us went out and everything was in the dark. I called my husband and checked on him and the baby. he said the lights had gone out then right back on. We assured him we were ok and got to Wal-Mart a minute or two later to find the parking lot dark, but the store lights on. By then it was raining so hard we couldn't see in front of us. We were still shaken from the lightening strike, and neither one of us were anxious to get out in the rain. She turned the car around, we drove through Wendy's and got a midnight snack and called it a night.

Making Perfumes

Making Perfumes

First choose the strength you wish, then consider the essential oils. Several recipes are offered here to get you started. If you wish to copy a famous fragrance, A German publication the H and R Fragrance guide by Goss lists the key ingredients of 800 perfumes. Although these are only a fraction of the odors in their secret recipes, it is fun to attempt rough "copies". A perfume usually includes top, middle and base notes. These are categories based on the evaporation rates of essential oils. Top notes evaporate first and are the light, bright, stimulating aromas noticed first in a perfume. Middle notes are the heart,the dominant character of a blend. Base notes are sedative, calming odors. They give the perfume a lasting quality and are fixatives, which make all the ingredients evaporate in a smooth curve rather than patchily. The division between notes is inexact, because each essential oil is made up of many compounds which evaporate at different rates, so a single oil like jasmine can spread over all the categories.

Top Notes:
Scent vanishes within hours. Angelica, Basil, Bergamot, Cardamom, Citrus (all)
Coriander, Eucalyptus, Fennel, Hyacinth, Lemongrass, Melissa, Peppermint, Petitgrain, Pine, spearmint, Tarragon

Middle Notes: Scent lasts 24 to 60 hours:
black pepper, Chamomiles, Clary Sage, Cypress, Galbanum, Geranium, Ginger, Jasmine, Juniper Berry, lavender, Marjoram, Mimosa, Myrtle, Neroli, Nutmeg, Palmarosa, rose, Rosemary, Rosewood, Tea Tree, Thyme, Ylang Ylang.

Base Note: Scent lasts from 60 hours to 6 to 7 days:
Balsam of Peru, Benzoin, Cedarwood, Cinnamon, Frankincense, Myrrh, Oakmoss, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Vanilla, Vetiver.

The Process:
In a small bottle, first place the base notes, then add the middle notes, and then the top notes, rolling the mixture between each addition to amalgamate the odors and smelling the results. List your ingredients accurately. Leave the mixture to mature for 78 hours; sniff and adjust the recipe if needed. Add the alcohol and leave again for 78 hours, then add pure water and leave to mature for 4 to 8 weeks in a cool, dark place. label and date. Store out of sunlight in a suitably beautiful preferably dark bottle.

The Recipes:
This all time favorite is a light, refreshing blend which changed the fashion in scents. Blend the following drops of essential oils in a 70 ml bottle:
44 Bergamot
15 Lemon
4 Neroli
2 Lavender
1 each rosemary and Clove
Add 1 3/4 oz. alcohol. Leave for 78 hours, then add 240 drops pure water. Mature, label and store out of sunlight. This is the recipe for true eau de cologne.
The following eau de cologne recipes are given in drops of essential oils to be added to a 25 ml bottle, then add 3 1/2 t. alcohol (100 proof vodka) and after 48 hours, top up with water (about 1 1/2 t.) Mature for 6 weeks. Label and date.
1 ml = 20 drops
1 t. = 5 ml = 100 drops
1 fluid ounce = 5 teaspoons = 25 ml.

Refreshing Colognes:
Rodeletia, popular since the sixteenth century:
8 lavender, 4 bergamot,3 clove, 2 rose

Zest: 10 Palmarose, 8 orange, 3 each Petitgrain and lime, 1 black pepper

English Lavender: 12 lavender, 3 bergamot,1 each rosemary, clary sage, geranium, cedarwood and oakmoss

For Love and Romance:
Intrigue: 4 each Mandarin and Juniper, 2 each clary sage, ylang ylang and black pepper

Fascination: 4 jasmine, 2 each patchouli and lemon, 1 lavender in lemon vodka

Magnetism: 5 frankincense, 3 each bergamot, orange and lemon, 1 ginger

Dancing Till Dawn: 10 vanilla extract, 4 lemon, 3 grapefruit, 1 each bergamot and mint.

Castaway: 5 Mandarin, 4 Sandalwood, 2 each Ylang ylang and Petitgrain.

Smooth and creamy: 4 bergamot, 2 ylang ylang, 1 clove, 1 t. vanilla extract

Sun Drenched: 5 orange, 3 jasmine, 2 each Sandalwood and Patchouli

Secret Garden: 3 sandalwood, 2 each rose, jasmine and bergamot.

Affinity: 3 each Neroli, bergamot, and lavender, 2 vetiver

Melting Moments: 10 vanilla extract, 6 sandalwood, 3 rosewood, 2 orange

Consumed: 6 Sandalwood, 5 orange, 1 t. vanilla extract

Honeymoon: 3 rose, 2 each jasmine and lime, 1 cinnamon

Especially for Women:
Harmony: 5 coriander, 3 each rose and frankincense, 2 lime.

Cascade: 5 rose, 3 bergamot, 2 lemon, 1 cinnamon in lemon vodka

Constantinople: 4 each Ylang ylang and black pepper, 3 rose, 2 rosewood, 1/2 t. vanilla extract

Concubine: 3 each Jasmine and rosewood, 1 each sandalwood, ginger and mint

Arabesque: 6 bergamot, 4 rosewood, 3 sandalwood, 2 each cedarwood and patchouli.

Free Spirit: 4 jasmine, 3 bergamot, 2 lemon, 1 orange

Venus Noir: 4 each rose, and Sweet Myrtle, 3 sandalwood, 2 each patchouli and oakmoss.

Perfect Love: 10 rose, 6 each bergamot and jasmine, 4 coriander, 2 sandalwood

Especially for Men:
Vitality: 3 juniper, 2 bergamot, 1 coriander

Mountain Air: 6 cedarwood, 2 each cypress, lemon, rosemary and sandalwood

Andalusia: 3 each rosewood and lime, 2 vetiver in lemon vodka

Peacock: 6 each orange and bergamot, 2 basil, 1 coriander

Alfresco: 3 lime, 2 each cardamom and cedarwood.

adventure: 5 bergamot, 2 each jasmine and sandalwood, 1 each cedarwood and grapefruit.

Hidden Fire: 3 each Frankincense, black pepper and lavender

Moonshine: In lemon vodka (top note) 3 each Mandarin and bergamot, 2 each lavender and lemon; (middle note) 4 jasmine, 2 each pine needle, geranium, Petitgrain, and juniper berry, 1 rose: (base note) 2 cedarwood, 1 each oakmoss, Angelica root and vetiver

47 Ways to use Essential Oils

47 Ways to use Essential Oils

1. For good smelling towels, sheets, clothes, etc. Place a few drops of your favorite essential oil onto a small piece of terry cloth and toss into the clothes dryer while drying. Add 5 drops essential oil to 1/4 cup fabric softener or water and place in the center cup of the washer. You could also place a few drops of oil onto a piece of cotton and place inside your linen cabinet.


2. Potpourri which has lost its scent can be revived by adding a few drops of essential oil.


3. Add a few drops of oil to water in a spray bottle and use as an air freshener.


4. Add a few drops essential oil to a pan of water and simmer on stove or in a potpourri pot.


5. To enjoy a scented candle, place a drop or two into the hot melted wax as the candle bums.


6. To dispel household cooking odors, add a few drops of Clove oil to a simmering pan or spray the area with peppermint oil and water.


7. For tired aching muscles or arthritis aches, mix 3 drops eucalyptus, 2 drops rosemary and 3 drops lavender oil to one ounce Sweet Almond or other vegetable oil and use as a massage oil.


8. Ease headache pain by rubbing a drop of Rosemary, Lavender or Peppermint oil onto the back of your neck.


9. To blend your own massage oil, add 3-5 drops of your favorite essential oil to 1 oz. Of , Sweet Almond, or other skin- nourishing vegetable oil.


10. Add 10 drops of essential oil to a box of cornstarch or baking soda, mix very well, let set for a day or two and then sprinkle over the carpets on your home. Let set for an hour or more, then vacuum.


11. To make a natural flea collar, saturate a short piece of cord or soft rope with Pennyroyal or Tea Tree oil, roll up in a handkerchief and tie loosely around the animal's neck.


12. Shoes can be freshened by either dropping a few drops of Geranium essential oil directly into the shoes or by placing a cotton ball dabbed with a few drops of Lemon oil into the shoes. Athlete's foot? Tea Tree is great!


13. Put a few drops of your favorite essential oil on a cotton ball and place it in your vacuum cleaner bag. Lemon and Pine are nice. Rose Geranium helps with pet odors.


14. To fragrance your kitchen cabinets and drawers, place a good scent dabbed on a cotton ball into an inconspicuous comer.


15. Are mice a problem? Place several drops of Peppermint oil on a cotton ball and place at problem locations.


16. The bathroom is easily scented by placing oil-scented cottonballs in inconspicuous places, or sprinkle oils directly onto silk or dried flower arrangements or wreaths.


17. Apply true Lavender oil or Tea Tree oil directly to cuts, scrapes or scratches. 1 or 2 drops will promote healing.


18. Homemade soaps are pleasant and offer therapeutic effects when scented with essential oils. Use soaps which contain pure essential oils.


19. Homemade sachets are more fragrant when essential oils are blended with the flowers and herbs.


20. An essential oil dropped onto a radiator scent ring or light bulb will not only fill the room with a wonderful fragrance, but will also set a mood such as calming or uplifting. (Don't put essential oil in the socket.)


21. A few drops of your favorite oil or blend in the rinse water of your hand washables makes for pleasant results.


22. Essential oils or blends make wonderful perfumes. Create your own personal essence! Add 25 drops to 1 oz of alcohol (100% vodka) and allow to age for two weeks before using.


23. 1 drop of Lemon essential oil applied directly to a wart is an effective means of elimination. Apply the essential oil daily until the wart is gone.


24. Rosemary promotes alertness and stimulates memory. Inhale occasionally during long car trips and while reading or studying.


25. Selling your home? Fragrance sells! Fill the kitchen area with the aroma of spice such as Clove. Geranium oil sprinkled throughout the home creates a warm, cheerful and inviting mood.


26. Add essential oils to paper mache. The result is the creation of a lovely aromatic piece of art.


27. Infuse bookmarks and stationery with essential oils. Place drops of oil on paper and put them in a plastic bag. Seal it and leave overnight to infuse the aroma. Send only good news in perfumed letters.


28. Neck pillows, padded and decorative hangers make more memorable gifts simply by putting a couple of drops of essential oil on them before giving.


29. Overindulge last night? Essential oils of Grapefruit, Lavender, Rosemary and Lemon help soften the effects of a hangover. Make your own blend of these oils and use a total of 6-8 drops in a bath.


30. Essential oils of Frankincense and Myrrh make wonderful firewood oil. Drop approximately 2-3 drops of oil or blend of your choice on a dried log and allow time for the oil to soak in before putting the log on the fire.


31. Flies and moths dislike Lavender oil. Sprinkle it on the outside of your window frames.


32. Place 1 or 2 drops of sleep enhancing oils such as Chamomile, or Lavender on your pillow before retiring for restful sleep.


33. When moving into a new home, first use a water spray containing your favorite essential oils and change the odorous environment to your own. Do this for several days until it begins to feel like your space.


34. Ideal scents for the bedroom are Roman Chamomile, Geranium, Lavender or Lemon.


35. One drop of Lemon essential oil on a soft cloth will polishcopper with a gentle buffing.


36. When washing out the fridge, freezer or oven, add 1 drop of Lemon, Grapefruit or Bergamot essential oil to the final rinse water.


37. For burns or scalds, drop Tea Tree oil directly on the effected area.


38. Place 1 drop of Peppermint oil in 1/2 glass of water, sip slowly to aid digestion and relieve upset stomach.


39. Use 1 drop of Chamomile oil on a washcloth wrapped ice cube to relieve teething pain in children.


40. Six to eight drops of Eucalyptus oil in the bath cools the body in summer and protects in winter.


41. Add 1 drop Geranium oil to your facial moisturizer to bring out a radiant glow in your skin, to help promote firmness and rid yourself of fine lines, age spots and discoloration.


42. Place 1 or 2 drops of Rosemary on your hair brush before brushing to promote growth and thickness.


43. When the flu is going around add a few drops of Thyme, Peppermint and Eucalyptus oils to your diffuser or simmer in a pan on the stove.


44. To bring fever down, sponge the body with cool water to which 1 drop each of Eucalyptus, Peppermint and Lavender oils have been added.


45 The blend of Lavender and Grapefruit oil is good for the office. Lavender creates a calm tranquil atmosphere while Grapefruit stimulates the senses and clears up stale air.


46. A blend of Geranium, Lavender and Bergamot alleviates anxiety and depression. Use in a room diffuser or 6-8 drops of this blend in the bath.


47. A wonderful massage blend for babies is 1 drop Roman Chamomile, 1 drop Lavender, 1 drop Geranium diluted in 2 Tablespoons Sweet Almond oil.

New Friends

While we were out of town my ex-husband took care of my dog for me. We left the two cats Molly and Maggie home alone (he checked on them to make sure they had food). Do you think they got lonely? Or did they make a new friend while we were away?

Thoughts from Buddha

"Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it has been handed down for many generations. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is written in Holy Scriptures. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of Teachers, elders, or wise men. Believe only after careful observation and analysis, when you find that it agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all. Then accept it and live up to it." Buddha

HERBAL CLEANING RECIPES

VERY easy way to make an herb vinegar that you can use in cleaning around the house, garage or basement. Experiment with the herbs listed until you come up with your favorite blend! You'll need a large jar that has been cleaned and has a lid. (I find plastic lids work best. If they have metal on, place a double layer of plastic wrap over the jar opening before putting on the lid. The vinegar corrodes it a little bit as it "brews". If you have an old gallon sun tea jar you can make a lot of this at once! Fill the jar with the leaves, stems or flowers of one or more of the following herbs: sage ,mint ,rosemary ,lavender ,wormwood . Pour white or cider vinegar over the herbs to fill the jar. Cover and place on the lid. Put in a cupboard or somewhere else out of the way and steep it for 6 weeks. Strain when finished. You can then use it in recipes that call for vinegar to clean. Such as this one:

Sink and Tub Cleaner
You'll need:
1/2 cup baking soda
1/8 cup herb vinegar
Mix together in a pail or bowl. Scrub your sinks for about 5 minutes (or the tub), rinse off with warm water. Wipe dry with a soft rag.

Floor Cleaner
You'll need:
1/2 cup herb vinegar
1 gallon of water
Mix in a pail and mop as usual.

Glass Cleaner
You'll need:
1 quart water
1/2 cup herb vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or 5 drops lemon essential oil Mix in a spray bottle and use on windows

Linoleum Cleaner
You'll need:
1 cup herb vinegar
2 gallons water
Mix in a pail and mop as usual.

To clean hair brushes and combs:
Mix 2 tablespoon borax with a quart of the herb vinegar and mix well.
Soak, clean and rinse brushes and combs. You can also use on china and crystal

(source)
Old Fashioned Living

Interesting women of the past

I have a wonderful pagan friend named Merry who is always sending me the most interesting things in my email. I enjoyed this article and thought I would post it here for others to read



Sybil Leek (1923-1983)


Written and compiled by George Knowles

Sybil Leek was an English Witch, a gifted Psychic, Astrologer and prolific Author who wrote more than 60 books on such subjects as Astrology, Numerology and Reincarnation. She was born with a witch’’s mark and claimed to be a hereditary witch of Irish and Russian Descent. A colorful character in her time, her trademarks were a cape, loose gowns and a pet jackdaw named Mr. Hotfoot Jackson perched on her shoulders. She always wore a crystal necklace that she claimed had been passed down to her from a psychic Russian grandmother. Her entire family was involved in astrology and some of the guests who visited her home included: H.G. Wells, Lawrence of Arabia and Aleister Crowley.

Sybil claimed to be able to trace her mother’’s ancestry back to the witches of southern Ireland in 1134, and her father’’s ancestry to occultists close to royalty in czarist Russia. Her most notable ancestor was Molly Leigh from Burslem near Stoke-on-Trent, and her choice of a pet Jackdaw as a familiar, bears an uncanny relationship:



Molly Leigh
As the story goes, Molly was born in 1685 and lived in a cottage on the edge of the moors at Burslem near Stoke-on-Trent. Molly was a solitary character who never married; she talked to the animals and kept a pet Blackbird. She made her living selling milk from a herd of cows to travellers and passers-by. An eccentric person, the Blackbird was often seen perched on her shoulder as she delivered milk to the dairy in Burslem.

Molly was known for her quick temper and the people of Burslem were suspicious and frightened of her. This was not uncommon in those times, for throughout the country ‘‘women’’ and particularly elderly women who lived on their own in remote places, were labelled as witches.

In Molly’’s case it was the local vicar the Rev. Spencer who made witchcraft accusations against her. He claimed that Molly sent her Blackbird to sit on the sign of the Turk’’s Head pub, a pub that the vicar frequently visited, and when it did the beer turned sour. She was also blamed for other ailments suffered by numerous townsfolk.

Molly died in 1746 and was buried in the Burslem churchyard, but then many claimed that her ghost haunted the town. A short time after her burial, the Rev. Spencer along with clerics from Stoke, Wolstanton and Newcastle went to open her cottage and retrieve her pet Blackbird. When they arrived they were shocked to see Molly (or an apparition of her), sitting in a favourite armchair knitting with her pet Blackbird perched on her shoulders (just as she had often been seen in real life). Frightened, the vicar and others returned to the graveyard and reopened her grave. They drove a stake through her heart and threw the living Blackbird into the coffin. The vicar then decreed that as she was a witch, she would not rest easy until her body was buried lying North to South. To this day, Molly's tomb is the only one that lies at right angles to all the other graves in the churchyard.

Sybil took special pride in being descendant from Molly Leigh, and on a visit to Burslem she visited Molly’’s grave. Later she was seen about town with her own pet jackdaw perched on her shoulders, following the same custom that old Molly had done before her.

Sybil was born on the 22nd February 1923 in Straffordshire, England. From an early age she lived and grew up in the New Forrest area of Hampshire and demonstrated an early gift for writing. The New Forrest is one of the oldest forests in England and is steeped in folklore and witchcraft associations. The same area is where Gerald B. Gardner first joined Old Dorothy Clutterbuck’’s coven in 1939. That coven was reportedly descended from one of Old George Pickingill’’s famous Nine Covens. Sybil claims that during her time in the area, there were still four old covens that had survived from the days of King William Rufus.

In 1932 when she was only nine years old, Aleister Crowley became a frequent visitor to her home. She claims to have spent time with him climbing the mountainsides and wondering through forests near to her home. In her autobiography Diary of a Witch (New York: Signet, 1969.), Sybil wrote that he talked to her about witchcraft and recited his poetry while encouraging her to write her own. He also instructed her on the use of certain magickal words used for their vibratory qualities when used in magick.

Sybil’’s family was relatively well to do and she grew up as a young lady of privileged societal standing, her mother was related to the Masters family, well known in high society. In their New Forest home her mother and a group of friends regularly met for tea, they called their group the Pentagram Club. When she was fifteen years old and during one of the family's regular trips to the south of France, Sybil was initiated into a French coven based at George du Loup in the hills above Nice. According to Sybil, she was initiated to replace an elderly Russian aunt who had been High Priestess of the coven, and it was from this coven that the New Forest covens in England were descended.

Returning home Sybil met a well-known pianist-conductor who was 24 years her senior. Despite the age difference they fell in love and were married shortly after her 16th birthday. During the relative quiet of the pre-war years they toured and traveled about England and Europe. He died two years later and she returned home to Hampshire. During World War II, Sybil joined the Red Cross and worked as a nurse in a military hospital near Southampton. Later she was sent to help nurse the wounded at Anzio Beach, before returning to England and being stationed at a military barracks in the isolated Scottish Hebrides Islands. She ended the War with a handful of medals, but the prosperity of her family had been lost to the austerity of the War.

After the war and into her twenties, Sybil returned to Hampshire and lived in a small village called Burley situated in the heart of the New Forest. There she mixed with and lived among the Gypsies. She also joined their 'Horsa' coven, a coven they claimed had existed for 700 years. The Gypsy knowing she was a witch born, accepted Sybil as one of their own. From them she learned a great deal about herbal potions and elixirs. When the time came for her to move on, they honored her in the traditional Gypsy way reserved only for the most respected of outsiders. They made her a 'blood-sister'. This was done by cutting her wrist and mixing her blood with the blood of the Gypsy leaders.

While living in Burley, Sybil started up and ran a successful antique shop. Then at some point she met and married a man called Brian. Together they had two sons Stephan and Julian who are reported to have inherited the family’’s psychic gifts. While walking in the woods one day Sybil had a vision, it brought to her the realization that her purpose in life was to promote the craft and the Old Religion. She began to do just that and into the 1950’’s her reputation as a Psychic, Astrologer and Witch, began to attract attention. Media publicity brought tourists to her village but in the wake of autograph seekers her antique business began to suffer. Witchcraft was still viewed with suspicion in those times and her landlord refused to renew her lease unless she publicly denounced it. Sybil declined and was forced to close up shop and leave

With the revival of a modern Witchcraft movement in the late 1950’’s early 60’’s, and the growing prominence of such people as Gerald B. Gardner, Alex Sanders, and Arnold Crowther. Sybil feeling she still had more to do accepted an invitation to visit the United States, there witchcraft in general was still in its infancy. After making several media appearances in the States, she decided to stay and become a resident. She settled first in New York but found it a depressing city and particular gloomy in winter. Later she moved on to Los Angeles which was much more agreeable. There she became acquainted with Aleister Crowley’’s old secretary Israel Regardie, and much they must have reminisced about the great man.

In her later years Sybil moved again to Melbourne in Florida, and divided her time between there and her work base in Houston. She continued to promote the craft and the Old Religion in a positive sense, both as an author and a media celebrity dispelling myths and educating the public. She worked as an astrologer and gained quite a reputation in the field editing and publishing her own astrological journal. Such was her reputation that she toured frequently holding lectures throughout the States as well as making trips to England and Europe.

Strong in defence of her beliefs, Sybil sometimes differed and even quarrelled with other witches. She wrote and spoke a great deal about reincarnation, guided she said by the spirit of Madame Helena P. Blavatsky, the cofounder of the Theosophical Society. She disapproved of nudity in rituals, a requirement in some traditions, and was strongly against the use of drugs as were most modern Witches, but she was at odds with most other witches in that she did believe in cursing. She was also one of the first of the modern day witches to take up environmental causes.

Sybil died on the 26th October 1983. One report of her death has it that a train derailed near to her Melbourne home and dosed her with a toxic gas. She will be remember as a remarkable woman of many accomplishments, a gifted Psychic, Astrologer and Writer who did much to influence the revival of the modern day movement. Blessed she be. Some of the many books she wrote are: Diary of a Witch, My Life in Astrology, The Night Voyagers, Numerology: The Magic of Numbers, Phrenology, Reincarnation: The Second Chance, Star Speak, Astrological Guide to Love and Sex, Astrological Guide to Financial Success, Astrology and Love, Driving Out the Devils, Sybil Leek's Book of Curses, Sybil Leek's Book of Fortune Telling, Moon Signs, ESP - The Magic Within You, Herbs, Medicine and Mysticism, Complete Art of Witchcraft, The Jackdaw & The Witch (Mr. Hotfoot Jackson), and How To Be Your Own Astrologer

The Evil Eye

Yesterday I attended our local Greek Festival. Several of the vendors were selling these charms to ward off the evil eye.


The ‘eyes’ here are like charms, blue in color with an eye painted on them to ‘reflect’ the evil and bring good luck. You can wear them on a necklace or hang them in your house or car.

I will keep mine in the house so I also brought this braclet.


They looked like they would be fun things to own and I came home and did a quick search on the evil eye. Here is what I learned


The Evil Eye - It can strike at any given moment. More than likely, you’ve had it happen to you, but you’ve just never realized what did it. Take a moment and think about it. Perhaps there was an occasion that you were dressed up and someone told you how nice you look. A few minutes later you spilled coffee down the front of you or split your pants. Or maybe someone told you how beautiful your new vase was
and a while later it fell to the ground shattering in a thousand pieces.
That’s the evil eye. So beware when a blue-eyed person pays you a compliment, according to the superstition, it could be disastrous.


One way to ward off the evil eye is with garlic. There are rare instances when a single clove will grow into the shape of a small head of garlic. If you’re lucky enough to come across one, guard it well as it is the best thing to keep away the evil eye. You can carry it in your pocket, or as I do, keep it in a hanky in your bra. I know what you’re thinking, but believe me… as long as the skin is left on, it doesn’t smell at all. If you can’t brave the garlic, there is an alternative. When you get a compliment remember to say ‘Skorda (garlic)’ under your breath and spit three times on your own person. If you know the individual that is complimenting you, tell them to spit on you too.



Some Greeks, especially in villages, believe that someone can catch the evil eye, or “matiasma”, from someone else’s jealous compliment or envy. A person who has caught the evil eye usually feels bad physically and psychologically.
To avoid the matiasma, those who believe in it wear a charm: a little blue marble glass with an eye painted on it or a blue bracelet. Blue is believed to be the colour that wards off the evil eye but it is also believed that people with blue eyes are givers of the matiasma.

In regions where the Lucky Eye (Evil Eye) belief occurs, the All-Seeing Eye is one of many forms of reflective eye-charm used as a talisman against this danger. The All-Seeing Eye – a single human eye surrounded by radiating beams of light – appears on the Great Seal of the United States, can be seen on at least one North American Good Luck Coin to “guard” the bearer "from bad omens”, and is among the many beautiful symbols of Freemasonry, where it represents the Great Architect of the Universe.


There are many other defenses against the evil eye including tying bells to horses' harnesses, tying red ribbons to children's underwear, surrounding gardens by jack beans, the shamrock is used in Ireland, and garlic is used in Greece
You can use this Big evil eye in the outside of your house, above your main door. They are suppose to ward off the evil eye and bring good fortune.
Arrow like edges pointing at a house, and electrical posts near building create harmful energy and strong electromagnetic fields. In cul de sacs and T-Junctions invisible energy moves as in straight rivers and streams.Houses at the end of such places are like targets for strong, accelerated energy. Strong bad energy can be harmful to the occupants of these house. Building in roundabouts with heavy traffic are also exposed to strong magnetic fields.



In folklore and the occult the evil eye is generally thought to be a sign of trouble. Few, will agree that there is an accurate definition of the evil eye. To some the curses of the evil eye might be more accurately associated with old wives' tales.The Evil Eye is a kind of negative power we all more or less carry within
ourselves. If we stare too long on a person, animal or even an object we may inflict damage through this power. It is often totally unconsciously, but the staring in itself often comes from admiration or envy, which are perfect channels for the Evil Eye o check if you really have been struck by the Evil Eye or if you just have a hangover or haven't had enough sleep.

To get rid of the spell, you will have to find a person that can break it To do this, they will put a few drops of olive oil in a cup of holy water. If the oil stays on the surface you are OK. Take an aspirin and go home. If the oil dissolves then you have been EVIL EYED (yes, it is a verb in Greek).

You can also purchase a blue beads to wear instead of an eye. Blue is
the color that wards off the evil of the eye, but it is also commonly
thought that blue-eyed people are exceptional givers of it.



I think I will stick to using my charm. I really don't think smelling like garlic or spitting is to cool. Oh well it was fun to learn about cultures from other countries, and I have a fun new bracelet to wear to work.