Ink & Amethyst

This year Samhain will fall on Tuesday October 31st and continue through Wednesday November 1st. If you’re not familiar with this Celtic Holiday, you will probably need to know how to pronounce it correctly. I grew up pronouncing it in the Irish way (Sow-in) but it’s English pronunciation is Sah-win, and is a perfectly acceptable way to say it. Whatever you say, it’s certainly not pronounced how it’s spelled!

Samhain is my favorite of all the Pagan sabbats. It melds many of my favorite things into one celebration. The end of the Harvest season, and the mark of a new year. The utilizing of fall/autumn colors, foods, smells, etc, and the bringing in of cooler weather. Lots of magic and a thin veil between the worlds… So many wonderful and exciting things to look forward to!

A Brief History of Samhain

Samhain is a Gaelic word that in modern Irish means “Summer’s End”. This celebration is Pagan and originated from Celtic spirituality. It is one of the four Celtic Fire Festivals and Greater Sabbats, and was originally celebrated in Ireland, Scotland and in the Isle of Man. It would later be brought to America most likely by Irish immigrants.

The Celts marked it as their new year, and it was believed to be a symbol of death and rebirth. It was originally celebrated by the lighting of communal bon fires in which each household would let the flames in their home hearths go out, and bring in a new flame from the communal bonfire to light a new fire in their home as symbolic of a new cycle.

It would also eventually adopt the belief that on October 31st the veil between the living and the “other worlds” would become thin allowing spirits, fairies, and other-worldly creatures and monsters of Celtic folklore to roam freely for a night. To scare off unwanted spirits or creatures, farmers started carving faces into Turnips and calling them “Jack O lanterns”. Later the pumpkin would become more favored for this tradition.

Children would dress up as goblins and ghouls in order to trick or scare off unwanted entities. They would parade around town going door to door getting payment of treats for their “work” in keeping the village safe. If there was a house that didn’t give treats, tricks would ensue and would be blamed on fairies or spirits.

In 609 AD Pope Boniface IV would attempt to change and move Samhain to May 13th and deemed it a day to celebrate Saints & Martyrs. It didn’t really catch on and so later in the mid 8th Century, Pope Gregory III would move it back to November 1st declaring it “All Saints Day” with the following day being “All Souls Day”.

In order to compete with the popularity of Pagan practices, they adopted some of the old traditions giving them new Christian meanings which are mostly what we have come to know as modern Halloween practices and traditions.

Now let’s get to the fun stuff!

Because the veil between worlds is thin, Samhain is the perfect time to communicate with the spirits of ancestors and departed loved-ones. This doesn’t have to be spooky! At the very least, use it as a time to express your love and gratitude for them. Say all the things you wish you could say if they were here. Honor them by displaying your favorite photos on an altar, lighting candles and presenting their favorite treats when they were earth bound.

Twenty Four years ago I started my own family tradition with my kids as they were growing up. As soon as we started putting up Halloween decorations we would set up a Samhain altar. The first week we would put out photos of those close to us that have departed. As the month went on we would go on nature walks and collect fun things to add to the altar. Feathers, sticks, bones, lovely dead insects, leaves, berries, acorns, rocks, and whatever fun things that spoke to us. Then whenever the thought would strike us, we would leave treats and offerings on the table as well. My kids always thought it was magical to watch a glass of wine slowly shrink in its’ glass as the weeks went on. Though it was just likely evaporation, for them it was surely the nearby spirits!

Later as my kids got older we would have a beautiful tea-party. Days before we gathered for it, everyone would choose someone from our ancestor tree to honor. This means they would talk to their grandparents or do some genealogy and zero in on someone they were excited to know more about. We learned some amazing family history this way as they would present their honored family member and tell stories about them during the tea party. Before the end of the tea party we would all write messages to our loved ones that would sit on the altar until November 1st in which I would ceremonially burn them in my incense cauldron and clean up the altar.

Here are some other great ways to celebrate Samhain:

Symbols and Things Associated with Samhain

Herbs, plants and foods associated with Samhain include:

Rosemary, Garlic, Sage, Marigold, Calendula, Chrysanthemum, Pomegranates, Apples, Squashes, Pumpkins, Gourds, Root Veggies, Roasted Meats, Mugwort, Rowan, Cosmos, Witch Hazel, Thistle, Clove, Cinnamon, Night Shades, Mandrake, Oak, Birch, Hawthorne, Allspice, Dragons Blood, Patchouli, Nutmeg, Cider, Mead, Ale, Hazelnuts, and Pecans.

Gods associated with Samhain are:

The Morrigan, Anubis, Osiris, Yama, Hel, Freya, Persephone, Demeter, Hades, Cernunnos, Hecate, Dagon, Ceridwen, Mercury, Pachamama, Autumnus, Inanna, and Dionysus.

Crystals associated with Samhain are:

Jasper, Calcite, Obsidian, Carnelian, Opal, Danburite, Black Tourmaline, Smoky Quartz, Hematite, and Labradorite.

Colors traditionally associated with Samhain:

Black, Orange, Gold, Brown, Purple, and Scarlett.

Other Cultural Traditions similar to Samhain:

Dia de los Muertos- celebrated all across Mexico, this celebration honors the dead and is celebrated on November 1st & 2nd. Much like Samhain, it’s believed that the veil between worlds is thin and thus spirits and people can intermingle.

Daimonji– celebrated in Japan, this celebration is an annual Buddhist tradition where departed souls return every August to visit their families.

Gai Jatra- celebrated in Nepal, this late summer celebration is a cow festival that honors those who have died in the prior year.

However you choose to celebrate Samhain this year I hope you have a wonderfully magic, time!

References:

https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/samhain

I went back and forth on what flower to talk about this month. There were two that took me a while to decide between, the Marigold and the Thistle, as they are both flowers used to celebrate the Autumn Equinox. But ultimately I decided save Marigold for next month as it’s more broadly used to celebrate several cultural traditions, holidays, and Sabbats in the October and November months. So that means I’ll now introduce you to the lovely flower that is Thistle.

The Thistle, and in this blog we are particularly covering the Milk Thistle, is a flowering plant that has a beautiful purple bloom atop a bed of spiny, spiky thorns. These thorns are a built-in defense so the plant doesn’t get eaten by herbivores. It’s a great pollinator and known to attract an array of flying insects, especially bees.

I started this series on flowers as a part of my Victorian Language of Flowers study, so I will include it’s associated meanings in this post. However, Thistle has some magical and medicinal benefits that I will cover in a future post, but I would be remiss to not mention it’s affiliation with Scotland, especially as I have been learning more about my own Scottish heritage and ancestry.

Let’s start with the Victorian Language of the Thistle first. The word associated with the Thistle is Misanthropy, which is defined as “the dislike of human kind”. This of course comes from the prickly barbs guarding the flower in almost a way that says “stay away from me”. It doesn’t appear to want to be touched or bothered with.

The association with this definition may also come from the Bible. It’s written in Genesis that when God cast Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden, he told them that thorns and thistles would grow from the land as a part of their punishment. So perhaps it’s God’s frustration with his newly created “human kind” that lends this meaning to the Thistle.

Here are a few ways Thistles were presented in the Victorian Language of Flowers to say slightly different things to their receivers.

Thistle’s ties to Scotland

The Scots saw the Thistle to be a resilient plant. Tough, durable, and defiant against aggressors, which was what they sought to embody for themselves as fierce warriors and countrymen. So the Thistle was the perfect fit for becoming their National emblem.

There is a story or legend of a Viking sneaking in for an attack who stepped on a thistle and his cry of pain alerted the clan of Scotsmen just in time to defend themselves from the attack.

So not only do the Scottish see themselves in the Thistle, but the Thistle has been remembered as a symbol of protection for those who claim it.

Thistle is also associated with the Fall Equinox, and as you know, we have been covering all things related to it in these past few posts. You can read more about Mabon/Autumn Equinox here. Be sure to come back for next Month’s Flower post where I’ll cover the Marigold which is going to be really interesting!

Be well, and blessed be!

References:

A Victorian Flower Dictionary by Mandy Kirkby

Floriography by Jessica Roux

The Complete Language of Herbs by S. Theresa Dietz

For this month’s magical herb I’ve chosen Cinnamon. Though more commonly known as a “spice” in the culinary world, it’s still considered an herb and is widely used in magic for a variety of purposes, plus, it invokes that beautiful Autumn feeling with its familiar scent that can be found in our favorite Fall treats. 

Cinnamon is a great herb to put on your Mabon altar (read more here), and in going with this month’s theme, I thought it would be a great choice to highlight as our herb of the month.

Cinnamon can be used in various forms. Cinnamon leaf is used in exotic culinary dishes. Cinnamon sticks can be infused into a variety of hot drinks, or ground into a powder to use in many recipes. All these varieties can be used in magick and medicine as well.

Cinnamon comes from a bushy Evergreen tree in the Laurel family. It’s leaves are harvested from the tree, and cinnamon sticks are made from it’s bark.

When I highlight herbs here on the blog, , I try to give you both the Magical and the Medicinal uses. Cinnamon has both plus the added benefit of being enjoyed solely for its’ taste. So I think it’s important to point out that there are a few different kinds of Cinnamon, and which ones are used for what. Let’s start with the edible versions first.

Cinnamomum Cassia & Cinnamomum Verum

Both of these Cinnamons are used in culinary, medicines, and magick. Cinnamon Cassia is often referred to as Chinese Cinnamon and is pretty common and sold as a spice by some reputable edible spice brands due to its’ strong and sweet flavor. However, this kind of Cinnamon contains a lot Coumarin, which can be toxic in high dosages. If you plan to eat a lot of Cinnamon, you might want to make sure it’s of the Cinnamom Verum variety known as Ceylon. While Ceylon has a more floral and less punchy flavor, it’s much safer when consumed in larger quantities.

Cinnamomum Camphora

This Cinnamon variety comes from a slightly different type of Laurel tree called a Camphor Tree and is used mainly in medicines. Medicines made from this variety include treatments of pain, fever, convulsions, stroke, sputum fainting, sputum coma, laryngeal pain, mouth pain, anthrax, and bloodshot eyes.

Here are some more Medicinal uses for Cinnamon-

Magickal Uses of Cinnamon

All three of the above listed varieties of Cinnamon can be used for magickal purposes, and all three will have slightly varying vibrations and therefore magical uses.

In general, adding Cinnamon to any spell or working can amplify the energies of the other ingredients. Traditionally, Cinnamon has been used in love spells, but you can also find it in workings for protection, well-being, and money. It’s also known to help develop and enhance psychic abilities. See the illustration below for more magickal ideas on how to use Cinnamon.

Honestly, the uses for Cinnamon are way too many to list here. But I hope I gave you some ideas for using it in your own workings at home.

Be sure to put some on your Mabon altar if you plan to celebrate the Autumn Equinox. Here’s to enjoying all those Cinnamon infused treats this season, may you invoke all it’s magical properties!

References:

Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs – Scott Cunningham

Plant Witchery – Juliet Diaz

As we move into the Fall season and with the upcoming Autumn Equinox/Mabon(read about that here), I thought it would be fitting to choose Citrine for our crystal of the month. The beautiful yellow-gold color of Citrine makes me think of changing leaves, wheat, gourds, cider, and fuzzy warm sweaters. It’s one of my favorite stones, as it invokes a cheery mood and a soothing warmth.

While Citrine is most well known for its positivity promoting abilities, it’s also great for increasing creativity, inspiring compassion, and improving self esteem. All great tools to stave off those common winter blues.

Citrine has also been said to help improve digestion and aid in fixing digestive issues, while helping to strengthen all around physical endurance, and is therefore a good stone to have in your collection during cold and flu season.

Citrine rates about 7 on the MOHs scale which means it’s a harder stone. Citrine is safe to put in water and is a great stone to add to a bath or oil roller bottle. It can be found and mined in the United States, specifically in California and North Carolina. Other Countries where Citrine is found are Brazil, Madagascar, Spain, Norway, Russia, Bolivia, the Austrian Alps, Zambia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uruguay and Australia.

If you think you need to add some Citrine to your collection, we do carry this awesome crystal in a couple different varieties at Ink & Amethyst. We have it in tumbled stones that are perfect for carrying around with you. We also have some beautiful Citrine towers that make perfect altar stones or decorative pieces for your home. Lastly, we have 8mm bracelets, which are perfect for wearing and using the wonderful energies and healing properties of this awesome crystal.

Refrences: The Crystal Bible by Judy Hall

This month on September 23rd we will celebrate Mabon! And though it’s not an original member of the wheel of the year, and isn’t one of the great Celtic Sabbats, it’s the Fall Equinox and a highly vibrational and beautiful time of the year. It marks the midpoint between Lammas and Samhain and helps give balance to the wheel of the year.

With Mabon, we begin to feel the excitement of the changing seasons from Summer to Autumn and it’s a reminder that Samhain and Halloween are right around the corner. Mabon has sort of become known as the Pagan Thanksgiving by modern Pagans, as it’s a time to reflect and give thanks for the prior months’ blessings.

What is the Fall Equinox?

As you might remember from our post about Litha (find that here), the Autumn Equinox (known as Mabon), falls opposite the Spring Equinox (known as Ostara) on the wheel of the year. Both are the points in the Earth’s rotation, when the Sun is just above the equator, making day and night of equal length. From here on out the days will begin to be noticeably shorter until we hit the shortest day of the year in December (known as Yule).

The energies of the Fall equinox help us to finish up projects and prepare for the winter. To soak up the last rays of sunshine and enjoy time out in nature before she is cold and barren. It’s a moment of pause and inner reflection as we pull ourselves inward to our spiritual self in preservation during the darker days of the year. This transitional time invokes deep thoughts and feelings and much nostalgia for days past. It’s a time to be grateful as you reap the rewards of all the seeds you sowed during the spring and summer months.

Since Mabon isn’t an original Sabbat, there isn’t a lot of lore or tradition around celebrating. But if it’s something you’re pulled to do, and it’s a time that resonates with you, here are some symbolic plants, animals, deities and more, to help expand the energy around the Autumn Equinox-

Herbs, plants, and trees:

Bittersweet, Chamomile, Ferns, Marigolds, Milkweed, Oak Leaves, Rue, Sage, Thistle, Yarrow, Benzoin, Cinnamon, Myrrh, Pine, Frankincense, Patchouli, Aspen, Cedar ,Locust, Maple Oak, Pine, and Walnut.

Foods: 

Apples, pumpkins, acorns beans, berries, breads, corn, dried fruits, grains, grapes, hops. Oats, nuts, seeds ,pomegranates, carrots, root veggies, potatoes, squash, wheat, wine, ale, and cider.

Animals:

Wolves, dogs, owls, salmon, blackbirds, stags, geese, and eagles.

Colors:

Brown, Green, Gold, Maroon, Orange, Purple. Red, Scarlet, Yellow, and Violet.

Crystals: 

Amber, Citrine, Cats Eye (Hypersthene), Lapis Lazuli, Sapphire, and Yellow Agates.

Deities:

Pamona, the Muses, Modron, Bona Dea, Land Mother, Triple Goddess, Persephone, Demeter, Ceres, Epona, Morgan, Mabon, Sky Father, Green Man, John Barley Corn, Wicker Man, Thoth, Hermes Hotei, Thor, Dionysus, and Bacchus.

I hope this gives you a little direction on how to honor and celebrate the Autumn Equinox if you should feel called to do so. As for myself, I’ll be decorating for the season and adding some nature-walk treasures to my altar.

Be well! Blessed be! *Rey*

If you read the first Newsletter/Blog post, you already know about my fascination with the Victorian Language of Flowers. The idea that there was a whole language around flowers during the Victorian Era, where people would give flowers to express their thoughts and feelings about pretty much anything, is crazy and sort of romantic in its own right.

Sending someone flowers to tell them “I love you” is one thing, but sending flowers to someone to tell them to “bugger off” is another, ha!

I decided to highlight Sunflowers this month, because they fit right in with the theme of the Sun, and with the celebration of Lammas/Lughnasadh (Click here to read more about that).

Once you sort of get the backstories, history, and all the meanings behind all the things you might incorporate into your manifestations or magical workings, or even just everyday life, it makes the energy and magick of it that much more meaningful and powerful. So I hope you enjoy exploring these things with me in all these unconventional ways.

There truthfully isn’t a lot about Sunflower as far as the Victorian Language goes. But there certainly is when viewed as an herb in ritual work and magical uses. So I’ll go ahead and highlight both in this post, rather than doing a separate one for just the magical and medicinal uses.

The Victorian Language of The Sunflower

Let’s start with the Victorian Language of the Sunflower. As I said, it’s not much, but what a beautiful way to tell your business partner you don’t trust them!

And isn’t that such a lovely way to tell someone you are sorry for bad behavior? I might have to apologize for some things to my husband just so I can have these pretties in my house! *wink wink*

Meaning and History of Sunflower

The Sunflower (Helianthus Annuus) gets its name from its resemblance to the Sun. From its beautiful golden-yellow petals fanning out like sun rays, to its natural ability to follow the sun as it treks across the sky.

Sunflower is considered a Heliotrope which means it will turn to face the sun and follow it across the sky until it comes into full bloom.

Historically, the ancient Inca tribe of South America held the Sunflower in high regard. They believed it to be a symbol for their Sun God “Inti” and they would adorn themselves in jewelry shaped like Sunflowers, and decorate their temples with Sunflower art and carvings.

The first Spaniards to arrive in Peru in the sixteenth century thought the vast fields of Sunflowers were actually, literally Gold. When they found that the colorful fields were actually just flowers, they dubbed the Sunflowers with the meaning of “False Riches”.

Today, Sunflowers are known to represent Faith, Happiness, Loyalty, Adoration, Self Respect, Vitality, and Intelligence, just to name a few.

Magical & Medicinal Uses for Sunflower

There are many magical and ritual uses for Sunflower, and a handful of medicinal ones.

Most of the medicinal benefits of Sunflower come from its oil. This oil makes a great “carrier’ oil for various other plant oils, with its ability to soothe the skin, and help it to absorb the healing benefits of whatever it is paired with.

In folk medicine, it was a common practice for women wishing to become more fertile, to eat Sunflower seeds.

Making a tea from the dried petals was used to combat the flu, as it has astringent, diuretic, and expectorant properties.

Poultices were made for treating bug bites, snake bites, and sores or swelling.

In folk magic, it is said that if you cut a Sunflower in half at sunset while making a wish, the wish will come true before the next sunset, as long as the wish isn’t too big.

Growing Sunflowers in your garden will bring you luck, and ward off any pests.

If you plan to celebrate Lammas/Lughnasadh, be sure to decorate your altar space or home with Sunflowers! Afterwards, you can use them for some of the above magical or medicinal workings.

If you have any folk magic or medicinal spells or recipes containing Sunflower, be sure to share in the comments!

Be well, Rey

References:

Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs by Scott Cunningham

A Victorian Flower Dictionary by Mandy Kirkby

Floriography by Jessica Roux

Plant Witchery by Juliet Diaz

Moody Moons website

Since we are celebrating Lammas/Lughnasadh this month, I thought it would be fitting to highlight Blackberry as this months’ herb. Blackberry was historically used in celebrations around the Lammas & Lughnasadh sabbats and was considered to be sacred to some of the “Old Gods” or Pagan deities of Europe. During this time it was fairly common to present pies and tarts as an offering to such deities.

It was also pretty common to eat such pies and tarts during the celebrations as well. Alongside blackberry jams and syrups that would be eaten with the traditional loaves of Lammas bread. If you’re planning on doing some last minute Lammas/Lughnasadh celebrations, here is a quick recipe for Blackberry jam to go along with our quick soda bread recipe found on my Lammas/Lughnasadh post here.

Folklore and Magick around Blackberry

Some of the historical folklore around Blackberry has a lot to do with it’s uses in folk magic.

If a Bramble bush formed in a natural arch, it would be used to magically cure boils, wooping cough, rheumatism and various forms of acne, by crawling through the arch backwards and forwards three times on a sunny day.

Another well used healing spell was to heal burns by collecting nine Blackberry leaves, dipping them in spring water, and layering them on the wounds while reciting an old invocation to the Celtic Goddess Brigit. This invocation would be said three time to each leaf as it was placed on the burn, for a total of twenty seven times. The chant goes as follows:

Medicinal History of Blackberry

Historically, Blackberry was known for its aid in curing dysentery. In fact, there are supposed recorded documentations that show that during the American Civil War, cease-fires would be called so that both sides could pick Blackberries from the same Bramble bushes to help heal their dysentery. Blackberry root was also used to create a decoction to cure the same disease.

Some folk remedies used both the fruit and leaves, as well as the roots for various cures. Teas made from the roots of the Bramble bushes were also used to help pain with labor during child birth. The roots were also chewed to help with tooth pain. The plant’s wonderful astringent properties make great infusions for a mouthwash to ease mouth ulcers and inflamed gums. Poultices or compresses can be used on wounds and bruises. Decoctions can be used to relieve diarrhea and hemorrhoids, as the tannins in the herb not only tighten tissue but also help to control minor bleeding.

One amazing quality of Blackberry is that it contains powerful antioxidants that can destroy the free radicals that harm cells that lead to cancers, especially those of esophageal, cervical, and breast cancer varieties.

Here are some of my favorite magical and medicinal ways to use Blackberry-

If you are interested in using Blackberry for magickal purposes, we do carry Blackberry leaf in our shop apothecary. We also sell spell jars and charm bags, as well as most if not all of the materials needed in the above mentioned magical workings.

I hope you have fun learning how to use Blackberry in your own personal workings and home apothecary. Until next time!

Be well, Rey

References:

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs by Scott Cunningham

Folk Magic and Healing /An unusual history of everyday plants by Fez Inkwright

magickalspot.com

mayernikkitchen.com

It’s time for another Sabbat on our Wheel of the Year! Because I was a total slacker and didn’t post in the middle of July, it feels as though we have back to back celebrations. You really notice how fast the year goes by when you celebrate the Sabbats and the Equinoxs, as they come about every other month.

Right along with the Full Moon on August 1st (click here to read more on that), we have a sort of double celebration with Lammas & Lughnasadh. Why two? First we had Lughnasadh but as it became outlawed to celebrate what was considered Pagan holidays, Lammas became a Christian version of the same. Now days, thankfully, many of us have the right to believe and celebrate as we wish, and thus we can include and incorporate both into our wheel of the year.

Lughnasadh has Pagan origins and is the Gaelic festival marking the beginning of the harvest season. It’s considered one of the four Celtic Fire Festivals and was historically celebrated in Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man. It’s named for the Celtic God Lugh, the God of Sun and Light, and a member of the Tuatha Dé Danann.

Lammas is the Christianized version of Lughnasadh. It’s named after the Old English word for “Loaf Mass” and celebrates the first harvests of wheat and grain which are made into bread. The loaves of bread would be ritually blessed in church mass, and would then be celebrated as a sort of Thanksgiving alongside rituals to ensure the fruitfulness of the next years crops. Communities who celebrated would make a ritual out of thinning out the crops for a more successful and healthy harvest before the winter months.

Lammas/Lughnasadh marks the midpoint between the Summer Solstice and the Autumn Equinox.

Here are some fun ways to celebrate Lammas/Lughnasadh on your own-

Symbols and Things Associated with Lammas/Lughnasadh

Herbs, plants and foods associated with Lammas/Lughnasadh include:

Sage, Hazel, Meadowsweet, Sunflower, Wheat, Corn, Barley, Oats, Rye, Blackberries, Potatoes, Breads, Turnips, Apples, Pears, Nuts, Rice, wild berries, Elderflower wine, Mead, Fruit Teas, Ale, Ginseng, Sandalwood, Heather, Frankincense, Oak, Vervain, Fenugreek, Calendula, and Aloe.

Gods associated with Lammas/Lughnasadh are:

Lugh, Demeter, Persephone, Loki, Thor, Odin, Innana, Ishtar, Ceradwin, Adonis, Attis, Baal, Ceres, Cronus, Danu, Dagon, Hestia, Mercury, Neper, Parvati, Pomona, Renenutet, Saturn, Sobek, Vesta, Tammuz, and Tailtiu.

Crystals associated with Lammas/Lughnasadh:

Sardonyx, Carnelian, Sunstone, Citrine, Fire Agate, Aventurine, Smoky Quartz, Citrine, Amber, and Yellow Diamonds.

Colors traditionally associated with Lammas/Lughnasadh:

Brown, Gold, Red, Orange and Green.

Lastly, I thought it would be fun to share a recipe for Irish soda bread, since it’s one of the more traditional and important ways this Sabbat was celebrated.

Enjoy this bread with some Blackberry jam! I shared a quick recipe for it here.

I hope you have a wonderful Lammas/Lughnasadh and that you feel blessed with abundance this year so far! Before we know it, it will be time to celebrate Mabon, and we will be moving into the Fall and Winter months. I can’t wait!

Bless you, and Blessed be!

xoxo Rey

With the sun seemingly at it’s full strength (at least over here on the West Coast) I thought it would be appropriate to highlight Sunstone for the month of August. If you’ve never seen Sunstone in real life, you really need to. It’s quite beautiful with it’s little specks of Hematite or Copper in Feldspar that give it an almost other-worldly sparkle as if it has glitter trapped inside it. The color of Sunstone is also like no other crystal I’ve seen, with swirls of peachy pink tones and bright oranges that almost turn into red. Sometimes there are flecks of brown, black, and white as well. It’s a stone you’ve probably looked over at first glance, but if you’ve picked it up for a closer look, chances are, you couldn’t help but walk away with one for your collection.

Sunstone would be a great crystal to put on your Lammas/Lughnasadh altar as either an offering to the Sun God, or a representation of the Sun God, as this is the last time of the year the Sun will be in it’s full element before winter slowly takes over the wheel of the year. (Click here to read more about these sabbats.)

Sunstone rates about 6-6.5 on the MOHs scale which means it’s a pretty hard stone, and it can be found and mined in India, China, Canada, Norway, Russia, and in the United States (particularly Oregon).

If you think you need to add some Sunstone to your collection, we do carry this awesome crystal in a couple different varieties at Ink & Amethyst. We have it in tumbled stones that are perfect for carrying around with you. We also have some beautiful Sunstone towers that make perfect altar stones or decorative pieces for your home. Lastly, we have 8mm bracelets, which are perfect for wearing and using the wonderful energies and healing properties of this awesome crystal.

Refrences: The Crystal Bible by Judy Hall

Stone Maniawww.stonemania.co.uk

I’ve been thinking about making some moon magic posts, and with the upcoming Sturgeon Moon on August 1st, I decided now is a great time to do so.

The moon has long been a big player in magical practices in many cultures throughout many centuries. The planets and cosmos in general have played a huge role in the spiritual work of our ancestors. Many of us feel a connection to the Moon without quite understanding why. If you’re one of these people, you might be drawn to create magic with the Moon.

If you’re not into magic-making or Moon Spells, don’t worry, you can still reap the benefits of the Moon’s energies just by being mindful of what phase the Moon is in when you’re making different life decisions.

For those of you who do practice magick, it’s important to consider the best times to use the energy of the moon for whatever magical purposes you have. Just as in any magical practice, think about what makes the most sense. Are you working on growing yourself in some way? Creating a new beginning? It makes most sense to create magic around these themes during the waxing phase of the moon, as this is when the moon is starting a new cycle and growing back into a full moon. Are you creating magick for banishing, or breaking a habit? Then consider doing this magic around the waning moon, when the moon descends from fullness and shrinks back into a new moon before completing the cycle all again. Make sense? Here’s a little guide I’ve made to help you remember the best times for the various magick you might want to create with the Moon.

You can dive even deeper into Moon magic by also studying it’s connections to the Zodiac. Throughout the year, the Moon will enter each “House” or Zodiac sign, and this will also have a deeper meaning or effect on certain types of goal setting or Magick making.

Magical Moon Names

The last thing I want to cover is the various different names given to each month’s full Moon. This is also rooted in many cultures and was practiced by different Germanic, Celtic, Native American and Pacific Islander tribes (just to name a few). The names were representations of the time of year and would help mark the Calendar or Wheel of The Year, helping them to know the best times for planting and harvesting crops and other important things essential to their survival.

On August 1st we will have what The Algonquin Tribe of the Great Lakes in North America called “The Sturgeon Moon”. This is named for the time of year when the great Sturgeon fish were the easiest to catch. These massive fish can live up to 150 years, and the last Sturgeon on record was a massive 23 feet long!

The Spiritual Meaning of The Sturgeon Moon

The word Sturgeon means “Stirrer” and the name was given to these fish because they spent most of their time in the depths of the lake stirring up the mud and muck while looking for food. The spiritual meaning of the Sturgeon Moon lies in the representation of the Sturgeon itself. This Ancient Monster-Like fish that stays hidden in the deepest, darkest parts of the lake can represent a part of ourselves that we keep hidden away. Just as these ancient fish rise during this month’s Full Moon, so can these old parts of ourselves.

This is the time to catch a hold of these old shadows and to face the pent up emotions and feelings associated with them. These old parts don’t have to be big scary monsters. They may just be waiting for the right time to emerge so that we can treat them with gentleness in order to honor our feelings, and to move on in peace.

What To Do During This Moon

Honor your feelings and be gentle with yourself.

Confide in a trusted friend or therapist.

Do some Ancestral work. Study, understand, and forgive any familial or ancestral trauma that you may be holding on to.

Thank your past self for being your teacher, and let go of the parts that no longer serve you.

So as you can see, the Moon can be a wonderful magical tool to use throughout the passing months, bringing extra energy and intention to your spells and manifestation works. There is much more magic to be discovered about the Moon, and we will explore some of that in a later post. For now, I hope you have fun implementing this new knowledge, or at the least, refreshing your knowledge, and you make some beautiful Moon magic from here on out.

So mote it be!