Mystical Mundane

It was a pretty great day! :) Husband and the boys got alot of yard work done, cleaning out of the dying plants, clearing around the trees, bagging up the green waste (we have too much for our yard and are taking a large amount of it to the Green Recycling Facility) My daughter picked some lemon balm for drying, and did a bit of weeding in the front. I made some patchouli oil, because I am going to make a patchouli salve tomorrow. Husband Akashik and I went to the river today with our little guy, for an evening walk. And now it's after midnight and I am STILL up, as usual. The only time I really have for myself is after the little guy is in bed, and then I start drawing, or writing, or reading or webbing. KNOWING full well he will be awake in six hours. lol.... So, I am going to be smart, and get to bed. Blessings to you all!

From http://herbs.lovetoknow.com/Herbal_Salve_Recipes The basic salve will be a carrier for the herbs that you add to it. The herbs will do the medicinal work, not necessarily the salve base. The basic salve can be made a number of ways. Base One * 1 part oil * 5 parts beeswax Base Two * 1 part beeswax * 4 parts lard or lanolin * 1 part oil Base Three * 4 parts cocoa butter, shea butter, or a combination * 1 part beeswax * 1 part oil To make a salve of any of these, melt over low heat, and stir until blended. Herb Infused Oil 1 part dried herbs 2 parts oil Mix in a container and leave in a warm place for two to three weeks to infuse. When herbs have infused into the oil, strain the oil and store, covered, in a cool, dark place. The longer the herbs stand in the oil, the more potent it will be. Good oils to use are: * Sweet almond oil * Extra virgin cold pressed olive oil * Extra virgin coconut oil * Sunflower oil * Apricot kernel oil (for facial salves) * Grapeseed oil (for facial salv...

Well, today I am making patchouli oil so that I may make a patchouli salve... so, Part 1 is the making of the oil.... I am using the Dried Herbs, Hot Infused Oil Method : Fresh Herbs, Hot Infused Oil *Chop up several handfuls of fresh herbs and place in heavy stainless steel pot. *Cover with inexpensive Olive oil or Almond Oil (I prefer to use sweet almond oil) *Gently heat oil until herbs are wilted and remove from heat. Avoid over heating as it will destroy therapeutic qualities. Allow to cool, uncovered *Allow the plant to sit in the oil for a few hours or overnight. *Strain well, removing all plant bits. Using a muslin or cheese cloth cloth may be useful. *Most of the moisture from the plant will have separated from the oil. *Gently pour off this oil into another pan and gently heat the oil again. This allows any remaining moisture to evaporate. Each moisture droplet will rise to the surface of the oil and burst into a tiny spray. When the droplets have stopped bursting, the oil is...

I came up with a design for a wheel of the year, using Air in the North. Based on the arguments and propositions of Mike Nichols. His essay here http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/7280/rethink.html gives some GREAT things to think about... So this is my wheel that I made, Keeping in mind that for the Celts, the day began at dusk of the night before, which is why all the major lunar fire festivals fell upon the evening of the night before. so when I was doing correspondences, I realized that when you break down the day into eight three hour incriments, that you get a perfect representation of the year as well. Samhain is like 9pm, not full darkness, but the day is gone, the day is done... the element is air, there is no sun to warm the skies. ..You move to Yule, midnight, you reach the solstice. The middle of the night... Moving deosil still, into the East, into the realm of Earth, representing 3am you have Imbolc. Although all is dark, it is beginning to stir, the earth is awakening...

I get the Same feeling this time of year as I do at Ostara .. that 'change'..... The wheel has turned and we are well into the West/Water cycle of the year, on our way to Samhain.... you can sense the death of the year, and the slight twinges of introspection that was starting to creep in slightly for me at Lughanasahd become much more pronounced at Mabon. It feels like a 'nesting time'... setting things in order... nice meals, family time. Saying goodbye to the Sun God before he becomes the Lord of Misrule and knowing that Goddess is winding down. A very Melancholy time of year, but at the same time, an energy that is undeniable as Samhain approaches.... I ordered some incense and bottles from HerbalCraft and the order was here within the week. Valerian root, patchouli leaf, patchouli powder, vervain, dragon's blood resin, ceremonial sage... So I ground up some purification incense yesterday. (ooooh. the tangy smell of valerian root!) And Akashik and I are going ...