magical craft ideas

[Hestia]

I was looking through my books earlier trying to find creative magical craft ideas. I came up with a few that felt appropriate and I just thought I'd share :)

This one appealed to me because I've been very drawn to the water element lately. The moon in Pisces (my sign) the next two days would be a good time to do this if you can readily find the ingredients. If you like to mix your own oils this Water Elemental blend is for balancing female energies; establishing a calm emotional balance; increasing love, healing, and psychic awareness; invoking spiritual wisdom. It represents the energies of the west.

Using a carrier oil such as jojoba blend:
6 drops geranium
4 drops sandalwood
2 drops German chamomile
2 drops Roman chamomile
2 drops ylang ylang
*adjust the proportions according to what appeals to you
(from Natural Perfumes by Mindy Green)

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One of my favorite kitchen witch rituals is using a simmering potpourri. I have one of those pyrex pots (mine is a pretty amber color) which I use just for the potpouris. Just fill the pot with about 2 cups of water and throw in the magicaly charged ingredients and keep the heat very low. The powers are released as the steam rises from the pot. This Psychic blend is appropriate for the waning moon phase to empower any type of divination work.

3 tbsp. galangal
1 tbsp. star anise (or 2 whole)
1 tbsp. lemon grass
1 tbsp. thyme
1 tbsp. rose petals
a pinch mace
a pinch saffron
Mix and charge the herbs in a bowl while visualizing your psychic awareness as being under your control. Chant these or similar words:
"Starlight swirls before my eyes
Twilight furls its wisdom wise
Moonlight curls within the skies
The time has come to prophesize"
(from Spell Crafts by Scott Cunningham)

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If you just can't wait for summer to arrive you can try this pretty summer potpourri called A Midsummer Night's Dream. The mix needs to "cure" in a covered container for about 4 weeks which would be just in time for Midsummer.

Dried Flowers and Herbs
2 cups red rosebuds
1 cup grape hyacinth flowers
1 cup sweet pea blossoms
1/2 cup lavender flowers
1/2 cup lemon verbena flowers
1/2 cup mint leaves

Essesntial Oils
20 drops tuberose oil
8 drops bergamot oil
4 drops lemon verbena oil

Fixative
1/4 cup mixed ground cinammon and ground cloves

Finishing Touches
1/4 cup pressed and gilded pansy flowers
1/4 cup blue star confetti
(from Creating Fairy Garden Frangrances by Linda Gannon)

:) :) :)

[Emy]

Thank you!

I am definitely trying some of that...


Blessed be

[Lavender]

What about bath bomb fizzies?

They're really easy to make & you can add whatever combination of herbs & essential oils to make a really great witchy bath!

3/4 cups citric acid powder
2 cups baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)
Witch hazel in a spray bottle
& whatever herbs/oils you want to put in.

Mix the citric acid & baking soda together. Add in your essential oils or herbs if you want to use them. Mix everything. Spray a bit of witch hazel on the mixture & mix together. Spray a bit more on & mix until it starts to clump together in a loose cookie dough-like consistency. Pack it firmly into your mould, turn upside down gently on wax paper & let dry 24 hours before using.

For moulds, you can use anything...cookie cutter, small yoghurt cups, measuring spoons, kid's sand toys, etc. You don't have to buy the expensive moulds at all.

BTW, kids LOVE this craft too! I've been doing this for mother's day presents with my son's class since kindergarten & the kids love it! Also great for kids to make inexpensive presents for relatives & such.

If you're using herbs & you don't want to clean out the floaties out of your tub & hair, make a little cloth bag to put your bath bomb into. Sort of like a bath tea bag. :) Also a great way to package your bombs to give away too.

[Emy]

Thanks a bundle =)

but what is witch hazel in a spraybottle?

And also how much herbs should one use, like a tablespoon or more... perhaps less?

[Lavender]

Originally posted by Emy
Thanks a bundle =)

but what is witch hazel in a spraybottle?

And also how much herbs should one use, like a tablespoon or more... perhaps less?

It's a liquid, usually clear, distilled from the bark of the witch hazel tree...a mild alcohol. It's used as a wetting agent to moisten the powders. I've seen some recipes use oil or water but I find witch hazel works the best. You can usually get that at a pharmacy.

As for the herbs, for this quantity, I wouldn't use more that 2 tbsp, grounded up. Remember that the more herbs you put in, the less citric acid & baking soda your fizzies will contain. If you want more herbs, you can put them in loose in the bottom of your "tea bag". It looks really pretty that way.

[Emy]

thank you Wildchild =)

I guess that witch hazel is whats called trollhassel in swedish... I'll see if I can find it somewhere here =)

Blessed Be

[Silver Venus]

Thanks so much Hestia and Wildchild I will get making some simmering potpourri and bath bombs as soon as Ive gathered all my ingrediants ~ they sound such fun to make!!
I love aromatherapy oil blends and have just started making some of my own incenses ~ so heres a few links for recipes to return your kindness's! :D
http://www.mojomoon.net/incense.html

http://www.cabbey.com/Crafts/bath.htm

enjoy :)

[Hestia]

Thanks for the bath bomb idea Wildchild! It sounds like something my son would get a kick out of. Have you ever tried adding color to them? Just curious!

[Hestia]

Thanks for the links too Silver Venus, I'll go check them out today. Here's another link I found yesterday!

Crone's Cottage
http://gypsygrl65.tripod.com/thecottagemaymidsummer2001issue/

[Lavender]

Originally posted by Hestia
Thanks for the bath bomb idea Wildchild! It sounds like something my son would get a kick out of. Have you ever tried adding color to them? Just curious!

Heheh! Yeah, that's how I found out that red food colouring stains vinyl tubs!

I like colouring mine with natural herbs & spices & clays & tend to stay away from synthetic colourings. If you ground up flower petals, it adds colour to your bath bombs as well. You're not going to get the dark vibrant colours you see in the stores unless you use synthetic colours. I do know that some people use micas for the dark colours but I'm not sure about them yet. Personally, I like them with the soft muted colours from natural colourants. :)

[Lavender]

Thanks for the great links! I've started making my own incenses & have limited success with the cones. I've bookmarked that site so I can try out the recipes later.