Magic

Rose (Rosaceae)

Powers: Healing, Love Divination, Luck, Protection, Psychic Powers

ROSE buds and petals are a symbol of love, romance and sexual attraction, as well as to draw good fortune in matters of the heart. ROSE hips are symbols of overall luck. ROSE oil appears in many love formulas and in some for luck.

Photo by alfaneque

Deities: Aphrodite, Adonis, Aurora, Cupid, Demeter, Eros, Harpocrates, Hathor, Hulda, Isis, Venus

Element: Water (Dreams, Fidelity, Friendships, Healing, Love, Meditation, Prophetic Dreams, Purification, Sleep)

Arts & Entertainment:

‘Wicker Man’ followup is more of a straw man The original 1973 version of “The Wicker Man” is a horror classic. The 2006 remake starring Nicolas Cage is an unintentionally hilarious diversion.Unfortunately, “The Wicker Tree” — director/writer Robin Hardy’s completely unnecessary followup to the 1973 film, which he directed from Anthony Shaffer’s screenplay — is neither.

It’s neither good nor bad enough to be entertaining, and you find yourself wishing the inevitable and unsurprising conclusion would just hurry up and arrive already.

Quince (Cydonia Vulgaris)

Powers: Happiness, Love, Protection

Quince is a member of the genus Cydonia and native to Asia in the Caucasus region. It’s a small, deciduous tree, growing 5–8 m tall and 4–6 m wide. Related to apples and pears, and like them has a pome fruit. When mature, it is bright golden yellow and pear-shaped, ranging about 7–12 cm long and 6–9 cm broad.

Quince is sacred in many cultures, the Greeks believed it to be sacred to Aphrodite, and Pliny the Elder recorded that it warded off the evil eye. The Roman counterpart to Aphrodite, Venus, is often shown holding a quince, it is said, it was given to her by Paris to show his love. This association was later transferred, in some areas, to Mary, mother ofJesus. In Pompeii, the quince was often found in artwork and tile mosaics, and frequently shown in a bear’s paw. The oldest record of it’s religious use is with Hebrews. Grieves believed it sacred to these peoples and writes in A Modern Herbal that many “consider that the Tappuach of Scripture, always translated apple, was the Quince. It is also supposed to be the fruit alluded to in the Canticles, ‘I sat down under his shadow with great delight and his fruit was sweet to my taste.’”

Patchouli (Botanical Name: Pogostemon Cablin) Folk Names: Kablin, Pucha-Pot

Powers: Fertility, Jinx-Breaking, Lust, Money

Patchouli is a species from the genus Pogostemon and an herb of the mint family. It is cultivated extensively in India, Madagascar, Sumatra and the Seychelles for steam distillation of oil and used to manufacture perfumes, incense, soaps, hair tonic, tobacco and cosmetics. The essential oil has a lusty, earthy scent and may be used during the Great Rite, as a candle dressing, or mixed into sexual lubricants.

Oak

Botanical Name: Quercus Alba

Folk Names: Jove’s Nuts, Juglans (Latin)Duir, White Oak

The oak is revered as a sacred tree, to the Greeks, Romans, Celts, Slavs and Teutonic tribes it was associated with the supreme god in their pantheon. Also, sacred to Zeus, Jupiter, Dagda, Perun and Thor, each of these gods had dominion over rain, thunder and lightning. It is no coincidence that oak trees seem to be more prone to lightning strikes than other trees, whether it be because of the wood’s low electrical resistance or the fact that they are often the tallest in the landscape.

Arts & Entertainment:

Real witches cry foul at portrayal on “True Blood” (Reuters) - Critics of bloody violence and excessive sex on TV have long had HBO’s vampire drama “True Blood” in their cross hairs, but now the popular series has another group of wary citizens – witches, real ones.

The series’ fourth season has focused on Marnie Stonebrook (Fiona Shaw), a seemingly harmless medium and leader of a Wiccan group who becomes the physical conduit for Antonia, a long dead witch who is hellbent on vengeance against vampires who persecuted and burned her at the stake.

Jasmine

Botanical Name: Jasminum officinale, Jamsminum grandiflorum, Jasminum odoratissimum

Folk Names: Anbar, Jessamin, Moonlight on the Grove, Peot’s Jessamine, Yasmin

Photo By snopek

Jasmine is a woody perennial. The shrub climbs up to 50 feet, with green stems and leaves. J. grandiflorum is mostly used in herbal remedies, while J. officinale is used in aromatherapy.

In Europe, jasmine was used to aid in childbirth. The oil would facilitate birth by “warming the womb.” Burning Jasmine leaves would attract wealth and bring money. If the leaves were burned in the bedroom, it was believed that it would result in  prophetic dreams.

Hawthorn

Botanical Name: Crataegus Oxyacantha

Folk Names: Ban-Sangli, Bread and Cheese Tree, Gazels, Hagthorn, Halves, Haw, Hazels, Hedgethorn, Huath, Ladie’ Meat, May, Mayblossom, May Bush, Mayflower, Quick, Thorn, Tree of Chastity.

© Copyright David Hawgood and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

Hawthorn is a member of Rosaceae family. A spiny tree or shrub, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere in Europe, Asia and North America, It may reach a height of 30 feet.

Headlines:

100,000 to get Jason Pitzl-Waters on the Daily Show In an effort to support religious equality and equal voice, we are trying to get Jason Pitzl-Waters a spot on the Daily Show to address recent attacks on minority religions. Media responds to numbers, if we show that enough people are actively interested in seeing Jason on the Daily Show then it is likely he will get on! Spread the word and let’s make it happen!

Garlic

Botanical Name: Allium Sativum

Folk Names: Ajo, Clove Garlic, Poor Man’s Treacle, Stinkweed

Native to Central Asia, garlic is a species in the onion family Alliaceae.

The ancient Greeks placed garlic at cross-roads as a supper for the goddess Hecate, or for protection to ward off demons. Greek midwives would hang garlic cloves in birthing rooms to keep evil spirits away. Athletes would take large amounts of garlic before competition, and soldiers would consume garlic before going into battle. Roman soldiers ate garlic to inspire and give them courage. Egyptian slaves were fed garlic to keep up strength. Tibetan monks were forbidden from entering monasteries if they had eaten garlic. Nicholas Culpeper, (botanist/herbalist/astrologer) linked garlic with the planet Mars. A fiery planet also connected with blood. Dreaming that there is “garlic in the house” is known to mean you will discover hidden secrets.