^MAIDEn

 

Answers to Recipes Questions  MMC Recipes Index Mother Crone

 

MaidenWitch ~ a lengthy note to those just beginning the journey ~

Holy Water ~ a detailed description of a ceremony for making holy water ~

Vodka Slush ~ absolutely wonderful on a hot night ~

Annointing Oil ~ 3 methods for charging oil to be used for candle annointment ~

Sweet Lips Balm ~ a fun craft that can be charged magickally ~

Answers to Recipe Questions MMC Recipe Index Mother Crone

Holy Water Blessed or holy water is a common component of spellwork and ritual.  Water represents cleansing, the West, women, purity, and sustenance among other things.  It is perfectly acceptable to use holy water obtained from an orthodox church if you are comfortable with that.  Most Catholic churches have a public, prominent font. Taking some holy water home in a bottle, when done discreetly and respectfully, will not raise any eyebrows.  ~ It is actually easier to have a blessing ceremony during ritual time.  The holy water you create is just as powerful as traditional holy water, (perhaps more so). You will need: ~ a small dish that will hold a T of salt ~ a wide, shallow bowl ~ a large, clean, smooth leaf, grape leaves are ideal, or (easier,) a sheet of sturdy clean paper ~ a stoppered bottle that will hold approximately 1/2 to 1 C water (The bottle should be aesthetically appealing to you.  Salad dressing cruets serve nicely. ~ Christians may like to have a crucifix or rosary (It is preferable that all containers used for magickal work are made of natural materials.  Glass, horn, pottery,  wood and stone work well.  I avoid metals but this is a matter of preference. Plastics are right out of the question.) ~ 1/2 to 1 C water ( in order of preference, obtain water of the following type: natural spring water; water hand drawn from a deep, sweet well; water pumped from a deep, sweet well; water collected in a clean container during a single rainfall; water taken from a clean, running stream or river;  water taken from a large, live (healthy ecosystem) lake; purchased bottled water; tap water.  Never use water that you would not cheerfully sip.) ~ about one to two tsp. of sea salt, kosher salt, or non-iodized salt; set this portion aside in an appropriate dish Conduct your ritual on ( or near) the night of a full moon.  *Direct contact with moonlight is required.  If possible, create a simple altar  (or in some other way sacred [for you] space) outside, in a shaft of moonlight.  (Work before an open window if you must stay indoors.)  Arrange before you the bowl of salt, the bottle of water, the empty bowl and the leaf or paper.  While basking in the moon's glow, ground and center yourself.  (If you don't know what that means, read more.  In the meantime, simply relax, breath evenly and deeply, and concentrate on being peaceful, serene and open to the positive nature of your surroundings and of Spirit.) When the moment feels right, stand or kneel formally and raise the empty bowl toward the moon.  At this point you are mentally or verbally calling on Spirit to cleanse the bowl.  Moving slowly and confidently, repeat this action with each of the items you have set out.  When all is ready, pour the water -- from several inches above -- into the bowl.  Watch the moonlight saturate the liquid as you pour.  Gradually sprinkle the salt into the water, stirring with the  fingers of your other hand.  Dissolve all the salt into the water. You are creating a potion symbolic of the Earth's lifeblood ~ think of the oceans, the blood that courses through the veins of all animal life and the waters of birth.  If you are Christian, touch a crucifix or rosary to the water. Raise the bowl toward the moon and verbally declare it holy or blessed.  A standard rhyme is nice here, I use something like : I, Crowe, ask the spirits in this night to witness the blessing of this water, charged by gentle stream of light, now pure and holy by my will. So mote it be. FYI ~ I rarely get the wording exactly as written above.  It is most important that you do not mistakenly add something you didn't mean to say ~ better to say something simple like: Divine Creator, Bless this water by the light of your moon. (pause) This water is now pure, blessed and holy. As I will, so mote it be. All that is left is to draw a close to the ritual.  Often I take a sip of the water.  I then fashion a funnel from the leaf or paper and pour the water from the bowl to the bottle.  Some usually spills.  If you are determined to have a flawless ritual, practice creating and using the funnel ahead of time with plain water. The water is now ready for use.  If it is possible, it's nice to allow the bottle to rest in the moonlight throughout the night. You may store the covered water through a full turn of the moon.  If you have a permanent altar, set the bottle at the west point.  If you have water left over at the next full moon, 'dispose' of it respectfully.  If it is not too salty, use it to water special house plants.  You may also return it to the mother by pouring it at the base of a tree. -------------------------- *Though I am nearly nocturnal, I suspect that this same ritual could be conducted in the day.

Sweet Lips Balm 1/2 C almond oil 1/4 C cocoa butter 1/4 C coconut oil Melt all ingredients over a low fire Stir in: 2 ounces beeswax 1 T. honey After wax has melted, stir in 1 1/2 t. liquid natural flavoring such as vanilla, mint, lemon, anise ~ whatever you have in the cupboard. Mix thoroughly.  This balm should be firm so you may add more beeswax to get the right texture. Store in airtight container, a small tin makes it portable.

Vodka Slush (* absolutely wonderful on a hot night) An empty, clean, ice cream pail with a lid 7-Up or Sprite for mix  (these are trademarked but I don't have the symbol right now) Combine in the pail: 7 C water 1 six ounce can each of frozen: orange juice lemonade pink lemonade 1 T. instant iced tea mix 2 C sugar 2 C decent vodka Freeze mixture at least overnight. To serve:  Scoop frozen mixture into a tall glass, filling it about half-full.  Pour pop over mixture until glass is full.  Use a straw if you've got one.  Give it a bit of a stir.  Makes many drinks, I've never counted exactly how many. This recipe will not work without the vodka which keeps it slushy.

Learning to be a Witch No matter what physical age you are when you embark on the magickal journey, you embody some of the traits of the Maiden.  In order to become a practicing witch, you must devote time and energy to examining and defining your beliefs and you must begin to practice the Craft.  The  self awareness provoked by all the required 'deep thinking' creates a bond between you and the Maiden.  The uncertainty of the 'learning-the-Craft' process also links you to the Maiden. In your studies: Do not attempt to cover your lack of knowledge.  Do follow your instincts.  Pay attention to your personal associations and insights when studying the tools of the Craft.  (If you are deathly afraid of knives then find or create a substitute for the athame.  If you despise the scent of burning sage, find a different herb to serve the same purpose.) In the cells that follow: I will share some very basic rituals, recipes and guidelines specific to witchwork.  They will be scattered among other types of recipes so you might have to check back and dig around to find what you want.  That is just the way I work best.  I understand that such an approach can be irritating as hell to someone who just wants the facts.  Maiden witches often just want the facts ~ so they can get busy making magick.  So be it.  For you, a gift.  This gift is only valuable if you are willing to Create your own magick:  That is not a cop-out on my part, I could list a hundred spells, each copied from a book.  If that's what you want, go elsewhere.  There are sites that do just that.  Instead, I'm giving you a straight-forward table that reflects years of study and practice.  Play with it.  Link to it. Copy it.  Use it. Learn it.  Change it (cautiously).  Understand that this table is not complete.  Probably, it cannot be completed.  I will continue to work with it and expand it's content.  {Please, however, do not redistribute it or display it on a web site without providing proper credits and / or links.} PROPERTIES OF HERBS & BOTANICALS (and stones, candles, colors, and what-have-you)

Answers to Recipe Questions MMC Recipe Index Mother Crone