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Lavender is beloved and for good reason; it is one of the best and most commonly used "adaptogenss" that appears to adapt to any mood. An instant refresher, the sweetly serene and floral aroma is relaxing and calming. Applied topically, lavender oil is excellent for mental concentration, reducing stress tension, calming upset and alleviating insomnia. 
 

From the Breath to Your Brain:
Put  2-3 drops of lavender oil in your palms, rub rapidly  and take a deep inhalation. This way the smell enters the amygdala, the center for emotions, and provides a feeling of instant relaxation. In case you are have skin sensitiveness, you can put the drops of lavender essential oil b a cotton call or clean dry cloth, I advise keeping some at your desk for work and also bring a tiny bottle for when you are travelling, Heck, keep some with you at all times.

This week's blog post comes from a question posed by my friend and recent client who uses crystals in her work. In a nutshell it is whether we hurt crystal when we work with it. It is a great question! Here's the question from my friend followed by the answer I received from (Crystal Guide) Venus:

QUESTIONS FROM SHERYL SITTS Regarding whether we hurt crystal

"Quick question…many tell us to use crystals to draw out negative emotions, pain, sickness, etc. from the body. Does putting that in hurt crystal? Is it not harmful to them? Do they just transmute it? Is it a drawing out of negative/harmful into crystals or a putting in of light and healing from the crystals?

Roseessential oil is extracted from the flower petals and has an exquisite perfume. Rose is also highly prized for how it relaxes and also stimulated the senses and memory,

 Lavender is one of the most beloved of all aromatherapy oils and it is not just for the singular scene, it has been proven to relieve tension by the reaction of the limbic system in the brain that controls our emotions.

I recently had an e-mail from a friend who, after this year's Midwest Grand Sabbat, had packed up the family and headed out on a road trip, destination: Salem, Mass.

As an offering, she'd brought a cork from the Grand Sabbat night.

Now, this may seem an odd kind of offering to make, of little or no intrinsic value, but think about it.

Gods help us, the Salem witch craze of 1692 is probably the most famous witch hunt of history. (Americans have always been good at publicity.) Personally, I doubt that we see here anything more than scapegoating and the pathological inner workings of theocratic society.

But let us say for a moment—call it “mythic history”—that there actually were witches of our sort in “17th” century Salem: people who fled to the New World because it was no longer safe to keep to the Old Ways back in the old one.

What do they find when they get here? A mighty Forest (and such a forest!) and in that forest, who but the Black Man Himself, our beloved Horn-God, more beautiful and terrible than ever, already waiting for us.

Waiting to dance.

Would you not want to know that, 300-some years on, our people are still here?

There is an old saying, “if you can’t love yourself, how the heck can you love somebody else?” This admittedly cheeky statement actually hold a lot of truth but the bottom line is everything starts with self love, your health, yourself esteem, your relationships your success and your happiness. Even if you had a less than ideal childhood, it is never too late to esteem yourself and watch as everything makes a turn for the better, And quickly. Making a daily ritual of this will weave this strand of personal empowerment into your life and make sure it is grows sure and strong.

Sanctifying Salve

Cinnamon Leaf Instant Boost

Cinnamon leaf oil is delightfully spicy with very effective anti-inflammatory properties. This oil  works wonders for relieving aching muscles, aches and pains after a long hard day of stress and strain. Cinnamon leaf oil is a true boon for  reducing stress and anxiety: Cinnamon leaf oil also helps reduce drowsiness and will give you an instant energy boost. This essential oil will give you a quick perking up if you're feeling exhausted weary, both physically and mentally.

Fortunately, I managed to catch myself before I left the house.

It so happened that day that I was wearing a green Heart of the Beast May Day tee-shirt, sporting on the front a tree-man holding a baby.

So far, so good.

I'd combined it with a sage-green bill-cap with a horned Green Man badge on front.

Well: that's bearable, especially if the cap is worn bill-back. This could even pass for witty, in a witchy kind of way: a tribute to the god of the witches, with his Two Faces, fore and aft.

Yes, but over my shoulder I'd thrown a cloth bag with yet another Green Man printed on it. Two makes a point; three belabors it.

In poetry, unless you're an Anglo-Saxon scop (which I'm not), two alliterations per line is acceptable; three, though, is too many. (Yet another reason why Crowley's poetry stinks.)

In short, I'd become the pagan equivalent of the guy who wears around his neck a cross big enough (were one so inclined) to crucify a toad on.

Who wants to be that guy?

I went back in and traded the Green Man bag for something plainer.