The Richmond Chalice

The Life of a Witch

2010-03-01T13:32:00.000Z

ROOT CHAKRA MEDITATION

2009-11-23T22:34:00.004Z

Merry Meet to All of You!

I have just found this lovely meditation concerning the root chakra on you tube.
Watch, learn and simply enjoy!

Bright Blessings,

Ilona

BEAUTIFUL MEDITATION

2009-10-18T14:43:00.004+01:00

Merry Meet to All of You!

Just watched this meditation video and found it beautifully relaxing and at the same time thought provoking.

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Hope you all enjoy watching it!

Golden Autumn Blessings,

Ilona

HEIRACHY OF ANGELS

2009-10-09T21:02:00.003+01:00

Merry Meet to All of You!

Following on from the last blog about our chalice meeting about angels, I found this video on you tube, which explains the nine orders of angels in a bit more detail.

Hope you enjoy watching it!

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Bright Blessings,

Ilona

ANGELS - THE LAST MEETING, A SUMMARY

2009-10-09T18:25:00.007+01:00

Merry Meet to All of You!

We had our latest Chalice meeting recently and the theme was Angels. It was a good meeting with an avid exchange of personal stories, beliefs...and yes, problems the attending members had with the subject.

Here's a short summary of the subject matter we touched, I hope you enjoy the material.

Angels

Orders of Angelic Beings

The First Sphere - angels who serve as heavenly counsellors:

1. Seraphim

2. Cherubim

3. Thrones

The Second Sphere - angels who work as heavenly governors:
4. Dominions

5. Virtues

6. Powers

The Third Sphere - angels who function as heavenly messengers:
7. Principalities

8. Archangels

9. Angels

ANGELS:
Closest to humanity, the ones most concerned with human affairs. Within the angels, there are many different kinds, with
different functions. Best known are probably Guardian Angels.

ARCHANGELS:
beyond the angels, tend the larger arenas of human endeavour. Most familiar ones: Gabriel, Michael, Raphael and Uriel.

PRINCIPALITIES
Beyond the archangels, guardian angels of all large groups, from cities to nations to recent human creations, such as multinational co-operations.

POWERS
First order in the second sphere, bearers of the conscience of all humanity, keepers of the collective human history. The angels of birth and death are in this category. They are able to draw down and hold the energy of the divine plan. In this way, powers can send visions to each of us of a global spiritual network.

VIRTUES
Beyond the powers, these are able to beam out massive levels of divine energy. As more people learn to work with the virtues, there will be a greater infusion of spiritual energy for the planet.

DOMINIONS
These govern the activities of all angelic groups below them. They also serve to integrate the spiritual and material worlds. Their work is still connected to our reality, although they rarely contact individuals.

THRONES
First order of the third sphere, they are the companion angels of planets.

CHERUBIM
Beyond the thrones, guardian angels of light and of stars.

SERAPHIM
Highest angelic order, said to surround the throne of God, singing the music of the spheres and regulating the movement of the heavens.

CORRESPONDENCES OF THE TEACHING ANGELS

Michael : Sunday; gold and orange, 7 days for omens; orbit of 1 year

Gabriel: Monday, New and Full Moon; silver, dark blue and pale green; 28 days omen; 3, 9 12 months orbit

Samael: Tuesday; scarlet, red and orange; 7 days omen; works quickly in orbit

Raphael: Wednesday; yellow and black; 7 days omen; very fast in orbit

Sachiel: Thursday; purple and lavender; 7 days omen; anytime orbit

Asariel: Thursday; greens; not invoked directly; not invoked directly

Haniel: Friday; pink and pale blue; 28 days omen; 6 months orbit

Cassiel: Saturday; dark blues and dark greens; 3 months omen; 4 years orbit

Uriel: Saturday; electric blue and rainbow; 14 days omen; suddenly

omen values mean the approx time for sign after invocation, orbit means the time frame an angel might use to work on the invoked subject.

As we briefly touched the subject of spirit guides, we decided to make this the subject of our November meeting.

Autumn Blessings,

Ilona

MAGICK'S ALL AROUND

2009-09-22T10:52:00.002+01:00

Merry Meet to All of You!

On my holidays in Germany I came across proof that you can find magickal places even in the most unexpected settings.

Check out my Herbal Chalice blog for details:

http://theherbalchalice.blogspot.com/2009/09/magicks-all-around.html

Magickal Blessings,

Ilona

THE POWER OF LETTING GO

2009-09-22T10:10:00.004+01:00

Merry Meet to All of You!

Lisa and me have been looking into tapping and EFT recently (Lisa's attending a course shortly, so excited!)and I have just watched this clip of Robert Smith, who is one of the experts in the field.

While I was watching it, it dawned on me that the message he tries to bring over really holds great truth and wisdom, it is all about the power of letting go, in order to create something new and better and be happy in yourself. Due to some personal stuff going on for me at the moment, it was exactly what I needed to hear, and i think it holds relevant insight for everyone, even if your not interested in or practising EFT. So, have a look and think about it, and most of all:

START CREATING YOUR OWN HAPPINESS!

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Autumn Blessings & Happiness

Ilona

MABON - AUTUMN EQUINOX

2009-09-21T11:40:00.004+01:00

Merry Meet to All of You!

The Autumn Equinox and hence the Sabbat of Mabon is here, the end of summer and heralding of the autumn. The following video captures the spirit of Mabon in a great way, so I thought I share it with you.

Enjoy Mabon!

Autumn Blessings,

Ilona

THE NEXT HEAVENLY MOOT

2009-09-09T17:59:00.007+01:00

Interested in:

* TAROT

* ASTROLOGY

* PAGANISM

* WICCA

* SPIRITUAL HEALING & DEVELOPMENT

* SACRED DANCE

* ANGELS & FAIRIES

Come and meet like-minded people for discussions, learning and fun!

The theme for this month’s gathering is

ANGELS

So if you like to share or listen to stories & experiences about angels or simply are fascinated by these higher beings & would like to learn more, please join us.

On: Tuesday 6th October,

At: 7.30 PM

In: The Ralph Fitz Randall (Weatherspoons), RICHMOND

Everyone welcome!

For more Information contact Lisa or Ilona

Start of Term for the Tarot Study Group

2009-09-01T10:15:00.003+01:00

The Tarot Study Group reconvenes on Thursday 3 September at 9.30 AM. We will meet at Wetherspoons as usual. We look forward to seeing you all again. New members welcome!

A Healing Star Meditation

2009-09-01T10:12:00.002+01:00

The synchronicity from the previous post continues HERE. Learn how to connect with your own Healing Star and how to do a quick but effective Healing Star Meditation.

Bright blessings,
Lisa

The Star That Never Walks Around

2009-08-15T17:20:00.003+01:00

Right, so this isn't a Tarot deck review... It's a story about synchronicity.

I recently won the round deck Star That Never Walks Around: A Native American Tarot Package on eBay. I guess I thought my other round deck, Circle of Life Tarot/Tarot del Circulo de La Vida, needed a friend to play with. I basically bid on it because it was cheap and round.

The artwork isn't great. In fact, it does nothing for me but I like the Native American theme and the correspondences Stella Bennett (who is both the artist and the writer of the companion book) has chosen for the four tarot suits. Reading about her choice adds another dimension to my understanding of the tarot suits, and that's always nice. In fact, the 200 page companion book isn't bad at all. It would serve as a nice introduction on the Tarot to the beginner, and there is also information worth mulling over for the more experienced reader.

Did I say this was a story about synchronicity? The thing in the little companion book that really grabbed my attention was the background story on how the deck got its name. I had never heard about the Star That Never Walks Around before, but had recently begun to focus on a star that transmits healing rays in my meditations.

"The star I have chosen to represent this deck, and also incorporated in some of the cards of the deck, is the star known as the North Star, or Polaris. This is the bright star that appears in the handle of the Little Dipper, known as Little Bear to Native Americans. The Plain Indians call this star the Star That Never Walks Around because it is fixed in the sky and doesn't move around it, making it one of the most important stars in the sky, able to watch the other stars and humankind from its fixed position. They believe it to be the healer and guide of all the stars and of humans. The Star That Never Walks Around is thus chief among all the stars."

Receiving this information because I decided to place a bid on a whim proves to me that synchronicity is firmly in place in my life. As I started my 'healing star meditations' a few weeks ago, I began asking myself why I was doing them and what this healing star might be. Was it just 'my star'? Or was it something more universal? Well... I think I know the answer now - thanks to Stella, which just happens to mean 'star' in Italian.

I'll keep meditating on Polaris... It's ever so nice to be able to put a name to that 'face'!

Learn the basics of EFT

2009-08-09T09:24:00.003+01:00

EFT - Emotional Freedom Technique - is a very useful tool for self-healing in terms of clearing blocks, pain and negative emotions. You will be able to try it out for yourself after watching this demonstration by Aila Accad, RN.

NEXT MOOT

2009-08-08T13:29:00.004+01:00

Interested in:

* TAROT
* ASTROLOGY
* PAGANISM
* WICCA
* SPIRITUAL HEALING & DEVELOPMENT
* SACRED DANCE
* ANGELS & FAIRIES

Come and meet like-minded people for discussions, learning and fun!

The theme for this month’s gathering will be energy healing. We will share healing stories and there will be opportunity to ask questions about healing if this is new to you.

On: Tuesday 1st September,
At: 7.30 PM

In: The Ralph Fitz Randall (Weatherspoons), RICHMOND

Everyone welcome!

For more Information contact Lisa or Ilona

Happy Lammas!

2009-08-01T16:10:00.000+01:00

Aine Minogue - Return of the Dove

2009-07-29T10:16:00.002+01:00

Buy the CD Mysts of Time HERE

Life on Life's terms with Intuitive Colette Baron-Reid

2009-07-28T15:55:00.004+01:00

Colette is one of my favourite intuitives. Her books are food for the soul. Her teaching style is fun and her writing is easy to understand and apply to your own life. There are plenty of samples of her work on YouTube - check it out!

Learn to interpret the signs!

Also, check out Colette's oracle cards!

Have a great day!

Lisa

http://tarothealingbylisa.blogspot.com

Goddess Chant

2009-07-25T10:36:00.001+01:00

Manifestation experiment

2009-07-24T15:46:00.003+01:00

Here's a little experiment you might like to try for yourself. When it comes to the Law of Attraction and manifesting abundance, it might be easier to start with something small, like feathers or pennies.

First you align yourself with Source. I like to use the following affirmation found in Stop the Excuses: How to Change Lifelong Thoughts by Wayne W. Dyer:

'The creative and intelligent power manifests perfectly as the universe. I am a result of this power. I feel connected to it, and I know it will work with me in creating the life I desire.'

Make sure you truly feel connected to the Source before you proceed.

Then just picture what you want to manifest flowing towards you effortlessly. If you like, you can imagine a funnel of abundance above your head. See pennies or feathers, or whatever it is you desire, flowing towards you from all corners of the universe and going into the funnel above you.

Accept, acknowledge and give thanks for the abundance of pennies or feathers (or whatever you decided to experiment with) that is already yours, then go about your day with a sense of wonder - open to the endless possibilities of ways that the object you desired might manifest.

Lastly, bring yourself to be completely present in the now. Just as you know that the sun rises every morning, you can know and trust that the Law of Attraction is working without any effort on your behalf when you are aligned with Source.

Personally, I chose to try this experiment with feathers the other day, and the result can be seen in the picture above. Within a minute after activating the manifestation of more feathers, a large owl feather landed in front of my feet.

We happened to be at a fair ground where there was a large European Eagle Owl on display. I did not see him when I decided to manifest feathers, but he appeared almost immediately thereafter. Time seemed to stop as I beheld the large owl feather float to the ground only seconds after starting the manifestation experiment. Chance? In my universe there is no such thing as chance!

Not only did I manifest a feather for myself this way, but when my youngest daughter saw that I had been given a beautiful large owl feather, she decided to ask the owl keeper if she too could have one. Of course she could. The keeper had one tucked away that she handed to my daughter without hesitation.

Please let us know how you get on if you try this experiment!

Love & Light

Lisa

http://tarothealingbylisa.blogspot.com

Stop the excuses! - Book Tip

2009-07-24T09:25:00.010+01:00

"If you contemplate with thoughts that match originating Spirit, you have the same power as originating Spirit" - Wayne Dyer

I'm reading this wonderful book right now, called 'Stop the excuses!' by Wayne W. Dyer. It's a book that helps the reader change old, outdated thought patterns and start living creatively in the now.

In the first part of the book, Dyer teaches us why it is possible to change patterns in our 'unconscious' mind. Anyone who doubts that it's possible to teach an old dog new tricks will be helped by Dyer's excellent summary of recent research about human thought processes and neurology. He relabels the unconscious (which makes it sounds inaccessible) habitual mind and shows us how it has been infected by mind viruses, or memes. Both the habitual mind and our normal waking awareness, or creative consciousness, can be brought under the control of our higher mind. The last section of part one covers the whole catalogue of excuses that we as humans are likely to use in order to resist growth/change.

In the second part of the book, Dyer outlines 7 Stop the excuses! principles:

Awareness - Become aware of your potential for greatness and the power of your mind.

Alignment - Align yourself by thinking like God thinks.

Contemplation - Contemplate what you are, rather than what you want to become.

Willingness - Be willing to allow health, happiness, and success to flo into your life.

Passion - Be passionate about everyone and everything that enters your life.

Compassion - Want more for others than you do for yourself; that is, be compassionate.

The third and final part of the book (which I'm just about to begin reading) helps the reader implement the Stop the excuses! paradigm by posing questions that can be used as reminders for staying aware and aligned with Source.

If you are ready to stop the excuses and fully embrace life, this is a must read! Free your spirit!!!

Lisa

http://tarothealingbylisa.blogspot.com/

Tarot Study Group Moved

2009-07-13T16:43:00.002+01:00

Hi everyone,

Just to let you know that this week's Tarot Study Group has been moved to Friday. Same time and place though: 9.30 AM at Wetherspoon's. Hope everyone can make as this will be our last meeting before the summer holidays!

I have really enjoyed facilitating the study group so far - everyone has so much to contribute... and how much more fun is learning together?!

Bright blessings,
Lisa
http://tarothealingbylisa.blogspot.com

Book Tip - Cosmic Energy by Anne Jirsch

2009-07-13T16:28:00.008+01:00

Do you feel like you would like to be more connected with your life's purpose? Are you not sure exactly how to attract all the right, happy, positive and helpful people into your life (including romantic partners)?

Could your home do with an energy make-over? Would you like to experience more abundance? Would you like to feel healthier and more energised?

Cosmic Energy teaches you to sense and manipulate your own etheric energy. It helps you truly understand that we are all beings of energy and that we are all connected.

The book is full of fun and simple exercises that anyone can begin using to enhance their lives and the lives of their loved ones.

I borrowed this book at the library but enjoyed some of the exercises so much that I've decided to buy a copy for myself. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in bringing more positivity into their life!

Love & Light
Lisa
http://tarothealingbylisa.blogspot.com/

PS. If you click on the link below you'll notice that all the Amazon reviews for this book give it 5 stars - it really IS that good!

Tarot Study Group - First Meeting

2009-06-26T13:31:00.008+01:00

Merry Meet!

During our first meeting we discussed the history and background of the tarot, tarot myths, and how to calculate your soul, personality and shadow cards.

It was a lovely morning and I'm already looking forward to next Thursday.

Here are some Tarot weblinks you might like to check out in the meantime:

http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/ - the world's largest tarot community + hundreds of deck reviews, interviews with authors and tarot artists, competitions, forums, learning resources etc etc

The Gaian Oracle - try a free online 3 card Tarot reading with the beautiful Gaian Tarot!

Tarot and Personality Types - for those of you who enjoyed the brief Soul Card readings we did and who would like to know more about how the Tarot relates to personality types, the Enneagram and MBTI

Taroteca - Photo albums containing complete decks

Supertarot - A website dedicated mostly to Thoth studies but there is also loads of useful general information

Learning the Tarot - The perfect site for the Tarot novice to get started with free online Tarot lessons based on the classical Rider Waite Tarot

The World of Tarot Studies - Another useful tarot website with loads of free lessons

Tarot Journaling - How to use the Tarot to tell the story of your life

Hope you enjoy exploring these resources. See you soon!

Lisa

http://tarothealingbylisa.blogspot.com/

PS. The picture above is the Star card from the Circle of Life deck, a quirky and beautiful round deck - I might bring it along to our next session ;)

LITHA - A REFLECTION

2009-06-22T11:26:00.007+01:00

Merry Meet to All of You!

Here's a lovely video from You Tube as a reflection on Litha.

Hope you all had a great Midsummer's Eve/Day!!!

Summer Blessings,

Ilona

P.S. Foir another great clip click here

MAGICKAL LITHA

2009-06-21T14:49:00.004+01:00

Merry Meet to All of You!

Midsummer is here!

Wishing you all a happy and magickal Litha and a great summer to come!

Midsummer Blessings,

Lisa & Ilona

Women of Witchcraft

2009-06-16T09:55:00.000+01:00

CRYSTAL OF THE MONTH - AQUAMARINE

2009-06-15T11:10:00.004+01:00

One of the main gemstones for Gemini is Aquamarine. This is a crystal that aids communication and alleviates medical problems relating to speech or breathing. It can also be used environmenally to purify the air.

The numerological correspondence for Aquamarine is 1.

Aquamarine used to be carried by sailors as talismans against drowning.

It's a stone of courage, clarity, and self-knowledge.

Aquamarine can be used in the treatment of glandular and autoimmune diseases.

Intolerance is counteracted by aquamarine.

Aquamarine is an excellent anti-stress crystal when things get on top of us - it helps us prioritise and do things logically.

It's a wonderful stone for increasing awareness of our responsibility to serve humanity with our gifts, and it can help clear confusion regarding our life purpose.

Zsuszanna Budapest - Dianic Wicca

2009-06-15T11:05:00.003+01:00

NEXT MOOT

2009-06-13T12:20:00.004+01:00

Image from the Herbal Tarot

Interested in:

* TAROT
* ASTROLOGY
* PAGANISM
* WICCA
* SPIRITUAL HEALING & DEVELOPMENT
* SACRED DANCE
* ANGELS & FAIRIES

Come and meet like-minded people for discussions, learning and fun!

No theme for this month’s gathering, just come along and enjoy the company!

On: 7th July,
At: 7.30pm

In: The Ralph Fitz Randall (Weatherspoons), RICHMOND

For more Information contact Lisa or Ilona

Tarot Study Group

2009-06-13T10:45:00.005+01:00

TAROT STUDY GROUP

Thursday mornings at Wetherspoons, 9.30 - 10.30 AM

Start: 25 July 2009

Join us on a journey through the archetypal spaces of the Tarot - the most complete tool for self-discovery and spiritual development ever created. Methods of using the Tarot for group pathworking and divination will also be explored.

No previous knowledge necessary. Contact Lisa for more info.

Bring a tarot deck and a notebook, and come along for learning and fun!

THE WHEEL OF THE YEAR - LITHA

2009-06-12T13:47:00.011+01:00

Merry Meet to All of You!

Nearly Midsummer, where is the year gone?!

With the Summer Solstice and corresponding Litha celebrations (21st June) coming up fast, Lisa and me are mapping out ideas what we could do for Litha, something meaningful but also fun, so our kids will enjoy it too.

Litha (Summer Solstice, St John's Eve, Alban Hefin) is one of the lesser Sabbats in the Wheel of the Year and marks the shortest night of the year, after which the hours of darkness will slowly start to increase again and the convergence of the Sun and the Moon, with the Sun being at its zenith but the Zodiac entering the water-sign of Cancer, the only sign ruled by the Moon.

Midsummer is a Fire and Water festival, traditionally marked by bonfires and ritual baths.

Midsummer's Eve is also known as the most magickal night of the year, again traditionally used for divination and to gather magickal and /or healing herbs and plants (fern seeds, for example, to be used in invisibility spells/potions, were gathered on this night and this night only). It is believed that plants are to be ideally picked at midnight or when the first dew forms.

The greeting of the sunrise is a major part on Midsummer's Day, so with Midsummer's Eve conveniently falling on a Saturday this year, why not stay out all night to celebrate, greet the sun in the morning and then roll into bed?!

This is certainly something Lisa and me have in mind (we're sure the kids will love it!) so we will be going out for a picnic or barbecue on the evening and then make merry through the night with games, music and magickal/divination activities.

As the colours of Litha are golden yellows and oranges, together with gold for the God and red for the Goddess, you could theme any food and drink you bring along these lines, for example colourful salads with carrots, oranges or sweet potatoes, washed down with a nice glass of golden Mead. For the kids you could make your own home-made lemonade or ice creams, which are really easy to make and so much nicer than shop-bought ones (for lovely recipes see: http://theherbalchalice.blogspot.com/2009/06/recipe-of-week-midsummer-goodies.html ).

Fun activities could include a tug-of-war game (symbolising the battle of the Oak and Holly Kings). You could get everybody involved to find natural materials, like twigs or pebbles and flowers) to build a face of the Sun, or make their own Midsummer flower-wreaths to wear.

Midsummer is also the perfect time to open the doors to the Faerie realm, so go out and find yourselves an elder tree (see: http://theherbalchalice.blogspot.com/2009/06/tip-of-week-magick-elder.html )!

If you want to do divination work on Midsummer Nights Eve, why not try a love-oracle:

1. On Midsummer's Eve, place a piece of wax in an unwashed sock and sleep with it under your pillow.

2. In the morning, remove and melt the wax.

3. Pour into a dish of cold water - the shape the wax takes as it cools will reveal something about your future love life.

(from: The Element Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells, Judika Illes, 2004, p.319)

Whatever you plan to do to celebrate Midsummer, have fun and enjoy yourselves as this really is one of the most joyous, happy festivals about!

For official midsummer celebrations go to the bottom of:http://theherbalchalice.blogspot.com/2009/06/midsummer-nights-dream.html

Summer Blessings,

Ilona

Charge of the Goddess

2009-06-11T13:09:00.003+01:00

Now listen to the words of the Great Mother,

who was of old also called among men Artemis, Astarte, Athene, Dione, Melusine, Aphrodite, Cerridwen, Dana, Arianrhod, Isis, Bride, and by many other names. At her altars, the youth of Lacedaemon in Sparta made due sacrifice.

Whenever ye have need of any thing,

once in the month,

and better it be when the moon is full,

then shall ye assemble in some secret place,

and adore the spirit of me,who am Queen of all witches.

There shall ye assemble, ye who are fain to learn all sorcery,

yet have not won its deepest secrets;

to these will I teach things that are as yet unknown.

And ye shall be free from slavery;

and as a sign that ye be really free,

ye shall be naked in your rites;

and ye shall dance, sing, feast, make music and love, all in my praise.

For mine is the ecstasy of the spirit,

and mine also is joy on earth;

for my law is love unto all beings.

Keep pure your highest ideal;

strive ever towards it, let naught stop you or turn you aside;

for mine is the secret door which opens upon the land of youth,

and mine is the cup of wine of life,

and the cauldron of Cerridwen,

which is the Holy Grail of immortality.

I am the gracious Goddess,

who gives the gift of joy unto the heart of man.

Upon earth, I give the knowledge of the spirit eternal;

and beyond death, I give peace, and freedom,

and reunion with those who have gone before.

Nor do I demand sacrifice;

for behold, I am the Mother of all living,

and my love is poured out upon the earth.

Hear ye the words of the Star Goddess;

she in the dust of whose feet are the hosts of heaven,

whose body encircles the universe.

I who am the beauty'

of the green earth and the white moon upon

the mysteries of the waters,

I call upon your soul to arise and come unto me.

For I am the soul of nature

that gives life to the universe.

From me all things proceed

and unto methey must return.

Let My worship be in the

heart that rejoices, for behold,

all acts of love and pleasure

are My rituals.

Let there be beauty and strength,

power and compassion,

honor and humility,

mirth and reverence within you.

And you who seek to know me,

know that the seeking and yearning

will avail you not,

unless you know the Mystery:

for if that which you seek,

you find not within yourself,

you will never find it without.

For behold,

I have been with you from the beginning,

and I am that which is attained

at the end of desire.

The Wiccan Rede

2009-06-08T06:43:00.003+01:00

Bide the Wiccan Laws we must,

In Perfect Love and Perfect Trust.

Live and let live,

Fairly take and fairly give.

Cast the Circle thrice about,

To keep the evil spirits out.

To bind the spell every time,

Let the spell be spake in rhyme.

Soft of eye and light of touch,

Speak little, listen much.

Deosil go by the waxing moon,

Chanting out the Witches' Rune.

Widdershins go by the waning moon,'

Chanting out the baneful rune.

When the Lady's moon is new,

Kiss the hand to her, times two.

When the moon rides at her peak,

Then your heart's desire seek.

Heed the North wind's mighty gale,

Lock the door and drop the sail.

When the wind comes from the South,

Love will kiss thee on the mouth.

When the wind blows from the West,

Departed souls will have no rest.

When the wind blows from the East,

Expect the new and set the feast.

Nine woods in the cauldron go,

Burn them fast and burn them slow.

Elder be the Lady's tree,

Burn it not or cursed you'll be.

When the Wheel begins to turn,

Let the Beltane fires burn.

When the Wheel has turned to Yule,

Light the log and the Horned One rules.

Heed ye Flower, Bush and Tree,

By the Lady, blessed be.

Where the rippling waters go,

Cast a stone and truth you'll know.

When ye have a true need,

Hearken not to others' greed.

With a fool no season spend,

Lest ye be counted as his friend.

Merry meet and merry part,

Bright the cheeks and warm the heart.

Mind the Threefold Law you should,

Three times bad and three times good.

When misfortune is enow,

Wear the blue star on thy brow.

True in Love ever be,

Lest thy lover's false to thee.

Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill:

An ye harm none, do what ye will...

Click HERE for an explanation of the Wiccan Rede.

THE FULL MOON SPREAD

2009-06-06T17:54:00.005+01:00

Merry Meet to All of You!

As the Full Moon is here, Lisa and me thought about what we could do to harness its power magickally (our first ever proper ritual - exiting!).

I also devised a new Tarot spread for the night of the full moon, hence 'The Full Moon Spread'.

The aim of this spread is to see what you would like to manifest in your life and how you can go about it physically and spiritually. It also pays attention to the long term effects of such manifestation.

This is a sixteen card spread, which goes as followed:

1. The current Inner You - where you are right now in yourself

2. The current Outer You - how you are perceived by and project yourself onto the world

3. Desired outcome - what you would like to manifest in your life

4. The South Node - roots in the past, how your current status came about

5. Inner Influences - your own contributions

6. Outer Influences - contributors/-ions from the outside world

7. Western Shores - physical manifestation

8. Outer Influences - what you can harness from the outside world in order to physically

manifest your desired outcome

9. Inner Influences - what you can do in yourself to achieve manifestation

10. Wisdom of the East - spiritual manifestation

11. Higher Pathways - positive steps toward manifestation

12. Lower Pathways - inner blocks to overcome

13. North Node - the projected outcome

14. Manifestation in yourself - how the outcome affects you on the inside

15. Manifestation in the world - how the outcome affects the world around you

16. The North Star - how this manifestation may affect your further life path / long term future

The layout goes as followed:

*****************************************************16*

************************************** *13*

***********************************14*******15*

******************************8******************11*

***************************7**********(1)3(2)********10*

******************************9******************12*

**********************************5**********6**

****************************************4*

Lisa and me tested the spread for each of us and it worked really well, both of us didn't even ask a specific question, so you may use it for general guidance as well as specific needs.

So if you like to celebrate the Full Moon, feel free to use this spread and have as much fun with it as we had (feedback on how you got on with it would be very welcome!)!!!

Full Moon Blessings,

Ilona

TIP OF THE DAY - GOLDEN GORSE

2009-06-05T13:28:00.003+01:00

Merry Meet to All of You!

I don't know about you, but I am a big fan of the River Cottage programme on Channel 4.

When I watched it on Wednesday night, I picked up a great idea from it:

how to make your own gorse wine!

It sounded really delicious and relatively easy to make and with all the gorse in our region, I will definitely have a go!

To get the recipe, go to:

http://www.channel4.com/food/recipes/chefs/hugh-fearnley-whittingstall/gorseflower-wine-recipe_p_1.html

You will need to get some Demijohns for it, which are available at reasonable prices on the Internet, e.g. at:

http://www.art-of-brewing.co.uk/acatalog/AoB_OnLine_Catalogue_Fermentation_Equipment_________27.html

So, get out there, forage, brew and be merry!

Summer Blessings,

Ilona

LAST MEETING INFORMATION

2009-06-04T13:18:00.002+01:00

Merry Meet to All of You!

If you would like to see the handout about kitchen herbs and their properties we gave out at the meeting on Tuesday, go to:

http://theherbalchalice.blogspot.com/2009/06/kitchencupboard-magick.html

Warm Blessings,

Ilona

THE WITCHES' CREED

2009-06-04T07:44:00.003+01:00

The Witches’ Creed by Doreen Valiente

Here Now the words of the witches,

The secrets we hid in the night,

When dark was out destiny's pathway,

That now we bring forth into light.

Mysterious water and fire,

The earth and the wide-ranging air,

By hidden quintessence we know them,

And will and keep silent and dare.

The birth and rebirth of all nature,

The passing of winter and spring,

We share with the life universal,

Rejoice in the magickal ring.

Four times in the year the Great Sabbat

Returns, and the witches are seen,

At Lammas and Candlemas dancing,

On May Eve and old Hallowe'en.

When day-time and night-time are equal,

When Sun is at greatest and least,

The four Lesser Sabbats are summoned,

And Witches gather in feast.

Thirteen silver moons in a year are,

Thirteen in the coven's array.

Thirteen times at Esbat make merry,

For each golden year and a day.

The power that was passed down the ages,

Each time between woman and man,

Each century into the other,

Ere time and the ages began.

When drawn is the magickal circle,

By sword or athame of power,

Its compass between two worlds lies,

In land of the shades for that hour.

This world has no right then to know it,

And world of beyond will tell naught.

The oldest of Gods are invoked there,

The Great Work of magick is wrought.

For two are the mystical pillars,

That stand at the gate of the shrine,

And two are the powers of Nature,

The forms and the forces divine.

The dark and the light in succession,

The opposites each unto each,

Shown forth as a God and a Goddess:

Of this our ancestors teach.

By night he's the wild wind's rider,

The Horn'd One, the Lord of the Shades.

By day he's the King of the Woodland,

The dweller in green forest glades.

She is youthful or old as she pleases,

She sails the torn clouds in her Braque,

The bright silver Lady of midnight,

The Crone who weaves spells in the dark.

The master and mistress of magick,

That dwell in the deeps of the mind,

Immortal and ever-renewing,

With power to free or to bind.

So drink the good wine to the Old Gods,

And dance and make love in the praise,

Till Elphame's fair land shall receive us

In peace at the end of our days.

And "Do What You Will" be the challenge,

So be it Love that harms none,

For this is the only commandment.

By Magick of old, be it done!

Eight words the Witches’ Creed fulfill:
If it harms none, do what you will.

TIP OF THE DAY - ELDERFLOWER

2009-06-03T13:51:00.008+01:00

Merry Meet to All of You!

It's the time of the year again, where the elder trees start to bloom, and there are some good reason to go foraging for them.

Apart from being of lovely taste, elder flowers, and later the fruits, are full of natural goodness.

The flowers contain tannins, potassium, phenols and flavanoids, while the fruits are packed with folic acid and vitamins A and C.

Elder is a good choice to treat colds and flu, because it promotes sweating in the body and so helping it getting rid of toxins (summer detox, anyone). Elderberry extract has been medically proven to inhibit certain strains of the flu virus and if taken in the onset of colds and flu, can noticeably speed up your recovery.

You can simply make an infusion from 5mg of dried elder flowers to one cup of water, leave it to infuse for 5-10 min and drink three cups a day.

Apart from being great flu fighters, elder flowers also make a good anti-inflammatory mouthwash to sooth painful gums and inflamed throats.

Simply put 50g of flowers to 1 litre of boiling water, boil for another 5 min and use 4-6 times a day, especially after meals.

On top of these health benefits, elder is also a plant steeped in magick, which I blogged about on the Herbal Chalice Blog:

http://theherbalchalice.blogspot.com/2009/06/tip-of-week-magick-elder.html

Go on, get out there, go mad for elder!

Summer Blessings,

Ilona

UP IN THE AIR

2009-06-03T09:24:00.010+01:00

Merry Meet to All of You!

Isn't there a strange feeling in the air at the moment?!

When we met for our meeting last night (which was brilliant, a really good exchange of views and experiences), we all said that we felt really strange over the last couple of days, a mixture of being charged up to the brim and at the same time being close to tears.

It was actually quite reassuring that other people are experiencing the same mood, because, to be honest, Lisa and me both felt like we were loosing it slightly.

We reckon it has to do with what's going on in the heavens right now, being in the sign of Gemini, which is pure Air, in conjunction with certain planetary alignments, can give you a distinct feeling of not being grounded, like floating aimlessly, even more so if you are an Earth or Water sign.

If you are feeling overcharged and a little lost, you might want to try burning some incense mix of cedar, chamomile and lavender, which can all help you to calm and ground yourself.

Lisa published a blog on the subject aswell, see: http://tarothealingbylisa.blogspot.com/2009/06/just-deserts.html

So, lets all be reassured that this mad phase will not last forever and just try to keep our feet on the ground.

Warm Blessings,

Ilona

TIP OF THE DAY - FESTIVAL SPIRIT

2009-05-30T10:00:00.012+01:00

Merry Meet to All of You!

Moving swiftly through the Wheel of the Year, Litha is coming up fast (21 June) and we will have a more detailed blog about it nearer the time.

In the meantime though, I would like to recommend two books to you, which give you background of all the eight Sabbats and more importantly, tips of what you can do to create a joyous, fun celebration!

One of the books I have written about before, it's 'The Real Witches Kitchen' by Kate West and it is really good for recipes and "how to make merry", so click on the link to get the details of that.

The second book I would like to recommend is 'A Calendar of Festivals' by Marian Green (Element Books Ltd, 1991).

It guides you through the Wheel of the Year month by month, giving you background and ideas, including recipes and songs, for your celebrations. This book not only deals with the main Sabbats, but gives you information about 'in between' festivals, like Whitsuntide (Whit) and such.

Both of these books are good staples for your journey through the Wheel of the Year, so ... jump on the wagon and start celebrating!

Warm Blessings,

Ilona

TIP IF THE DAY - A MAGIC BREW

2009-05-28T16:43:00.006+01:00

Merry Meet to All of You!

Hope you are all enjoying the sunshine as we are closing in on Misummer?!

I know, the lovely wheather makes you crave cold drinks more tham anything, but I found this tea recipe I want to share with you regardless.

It's called 'Magical Working Tea' and helps you with your preparation and mindset before undertaking, well, magickal work.

It is dead simple, just make an infusion out of:

2 teaspoons rosemary

1 teaspoon lavender

grated peel of 1 orange

let it infuse for 10 minutes and drink about an hour before your magickal workings.

Rosemary stimulates the brain while lavender relaxes you and orange is linked with solar energies, thus this tea can help putting yourself in the required mindset for your purposes.

(Recipe taken from: 'The Real Witches Kitchen' by Kate West, page 141; see: http://richmondchalice.blogspot.com/2009/05/tip-of-day-good-book.html)

So, even in this warm weather, the right cup of tea can still work wonders (my next tip will probably be a cold alcoholic bewerage, sunshine permitting)!

Enjoy this lovely summer weather and make the most of it outdoors,

Sunny Blessings,Ilona

TIP OF THE DAY - FIND YOUR DESTINY

2009-05-23T09:42:00.005+01:00

North Node astrology deals with where you're heading - your 'future karmic pull' if you will.

Everyone can benefit from studying this aspect of their birth chart.

If you do not already have a birth chart, you can have one drawn up for free over at http://www.astro.com/

Once you've located your North Node, you can read about it in-depth over at http://northnodeastrology.blogspot.com/

You'll find that your North Node is read together with your South Node. Together they form a past-future axis across your birth chart. This axis deals with what you've learned in past incarnations, as well as what you're here to learn in this life.

Learning about the Nodes can be very liberating as it helps us understand why we're drawn to certain things, people and experiences even when this is problematic.

TIP OF THE DAY - GET UNSTUCK

2009-05-21T18:08:00.003+01:00

Stuck in a rut? Need a good shake? Can't remember the last time your butt was in gear for anything?

The best way to get going again so that you can start realising your dreams is to do something, anything that is slightly to the left or the right of your comfort zone.

Are you afraid of heights? Go for a ride on a ferris wheel or go fell walking with that friend who's been nagging you about how you really must see the views from the mount Skiddaw summit since circa 1988.

Do you feel uncomfortable in the spotlight? Try Karaoke night at your local pub - not as audience!

Do you never ever wear anything red? Buy yourself a cherry red top and wear it for a day.

Does the thought of talking to strangers make you feel uncomfortable? Strike up a conversation with the person next to you at the bus stop.

It truly doesn't matter so much what you do. You've proven to yourself that you've got the guts to do something new and you've been instantaly rewarded with new experiences and memories. How good does that feel?

There's a lot of self-help literature out there that will tell you the same thing: to reach your goals and make your dreams come true you must learn to move about outside your comfort zone, so start practising today!

Pick ONE thing that you wouldn't normally do. Today really is the ideal day for it: agile and talkative Mercury is forming a sextile with erratic Uranus. The fieryAries Moon conjuncts Mars for extra oomph and the Sun is in Gemini. Go on - do something unexpected... and whatever you do, do it with a smile! Life is too short for anything else...

TIP OF THE DAY - A GOOD BOOK

2009-05-20T11:22:00.006+01:00

Merry Meet to All!

You might have noticed that the main theme of our next chalice meeting is "Kitchen Cupboard Magick", e.g. using everyday kitchen ingredients for magic and/or healing purposes, so if you would like to find out more, pop along!

If you haven't got the time here is a good book for you to read, which shows you how to utilise your kitchen for magick purposes.

It's called:

and gives you plenty of ideas and inspiration, from candle and incense making, body care, feasting in tune with and cooking for the Wheel of the Year and its' Sabbats, potions and healing remedies. It also gives you tips on how to buy, store and use your herbs and what equipment you will need.

All in all, it's a great book, well written and easily accessible, even to the greenest novice.

So, if you have chance, take five, make a cuppa and bury your noses in some kitchen Magick!

Warm Blessings,

Ilona

TIP OF THE DAY - FRESH AS A DAISY

2009-05-14T19:16:00.005+01:00

Merry Meet to All of You!

May is in full bloom and don't the meadows look just lovely with all the different wild flowers, like Dandelion and Bluebells?

In all this splendour, have you ever spared a thought for the humble Daisy?

As we are astrologically in Taurus at the moment, I would like to write about the Daisy, as it is linked to this star sign.

The Daisy is also a flower linked to the planet of Venus and therefore Aphrodite, the goddess of love. In magick, Daisies are a good-luck charm and are used with spells or in potions to bring purity, innocence and loyal love. You may prepare a balm from Daisies, to anoint the person for which you wish these things.

To prepare a balm of Daisy flowers, simply put fresh, slightly crushed (or dried and powdered) Daisies in a pan, together with Vaseline (or lard/unsalted butter, if you like). Bring to the boil slowly, so the Vaseline has time to melt evenly. Once boiling, stir and take of the heat, sifting out the residue via a tea towel or muslin cloth, giving the leftover residue a good squeeze. Finally leave to cool and bottle the balm.

(Information of planetary and zodiacal correlations taken from:
'Herbs in Magic and Alchemy'; C.L. Zalwski; 1990 : http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1853270466?ie=UTF8&tag=therichchal-21&linkCode=xm2&camp=1634&creativeASIN=1853270466 )

As well as for magickal uses, the Daisy can also be a colourful ingredient in your kitchen, as young leaves and flowers can be used in salads (country folk in old Italy and Spain used to eat the roots as well) and the flower petals make lovely decorations for puddings, biscuits and cakes.
So, next time you want to bake for your other half, why not make some muffins decorated with one of the flowers of Venus?

(You find a lovely muffin recipe on: http://theherbalchalice.blogspot.com/2009/05/reciepe-of-week-daisy-muffins.html )

As you take your next walk, why not spare a little thought for the lovely little Daisy, and the innocence, love and good luck it stands for?

Spring Blessings,

Ilona

TIP OF THE DAY - PSYCHIC PARTY GAMES

2009-05-13T11:01:00.007+01:00

Having a party? Not sure what theme to go with? Well here is the good news - you don't have to wait for Halloween to have a metaphysical theme or to do some psychic party games!

Here's a link to a website that has a few simple games that you might like to try: http://carrieanddanielle.com/improve-your-intuition-psychic-games-for-parties-and-groups/

If you're looking for more variation as well as games that go with specific types of celebration or the major sabbats of the year, you might want to check out Cassandra Eason's book Psychic Party Games.

You may also consider enlisting the help of one of your psychic friends to do mini readings for each of the guests, or hiring a professional psychic tarot reader (can be expensive!).

The bottom line is that we are all psychic and it's easier to bring this out in a fun and relaxed atmosphere. It's important that everyone is at ease with what is going on, so check and make sure that none of your guests have any hang-ups about psychic activities before you get started. Besides, being psychic yourself, you probably know which guests to invite and which ones to leave out until you have a more conventionally themed party ;)

TIP OF THE DAY - DOWN TO EARTH

2009-05-12T09:48:00.009+01:00

Merry Meet to all of you!

I recently read Marian Green's book 'The Gentle Art of Aquarian Magic' and really enjoyed it.

Here is a little quote from the chapter about Earth Magic, which stood out for me, as it sums up my feelings perfectly.

"...you don't need artificial, modern written sources to lead you to the Goddess of Earth, Mother Nature [...] Any walk among trees, over wild countryside or along a wintry, deserted beach will bring you far closer to the roots of the oldest religion of all than muttered rites in a man-made house, or words read from a page by guttering candle light."

(Marion Green; The Gentle Art of Aquarian Magic; The Aquarian Press; London; 1987)

I feel this is so true, how can you be closer to the magick of the Earth than when you are surrounded by it?!

Next time you want to connect to Earth Magick, why not take a long walk, and open your eyes and soul to what is around you (you might want to read Lisa's Tip of the Day - Walk in Wonder again).

You could collect a stone, which you find while out, one which spoke to you through it's patterns or shape, and take it home with you. There you can take some quiet time, just holding the stone, reaching out to it, feeling it's energy. In time you will develop a relationship with your special stone, and in time of need, just holding it can give you a sense of comfort and peace. This is one very simple way of letting the magick of the Earth into your life.

So, next time you take a walk, open yourself to the beauty and spirit of Mother Nature around you!

Warm Blessings,

Ilona

CRYSTAL OF THE MONTH - CHRYSOCOLLA

2009-05-09T15:31:00.006+01:00

We are now in the month of Taurus, and my choice of crystal for the taurean energies is chrysocolla - the most venusian of all gemstones. Not only do the colours of the stone reflect those associated with the goddess Venus, but the crystal also supports loving relationships.

The strength and determination innate in a true taurean can also be harnessed through working with the vibrations of this wonderfully soothing and strengthening stone.

Chrysocolla can help create a peaceful atmosphere and calm communication within the home. Place it strategically in places where people tend to congregate. The drusy chrysocolla (a quartz combination) is especially good for communication, helping people gain clarity and objectivity, as well as to realise when it is perhaps best to say nothing at all.

Chrysocolla is, besides rose quartz, the best crystal to use in love spells.

Health conditions that can be helped by chrysocolla include any diseases related to the lungs, diabetes, burns, muscle spams and indigestion.

The numerological correspondence for chrysocolla is 5, a number associated with Venus.

A simple affirmation to program your crystal with could be 'I give and receive love easily and joyfully.'

NEXT CHALICE MEETING

2009-05-09T10:08:00.008+01:00

Merry Meet to All!

Here the details for our next meeting:

Interested in:

* TAROT
* ASTROLOGY
* PAGANISM
* WICCA
* SPIRITUAL HEALING & DEVELOPMENT
* SACRED DANCE
* ANGELS & FAIRIES

Come and meet like-minded people for discussion, learning and fun!

Kitchen Cupboard Magick.

Find out which ‘magickal’ ingredients lurk in your everyday kitchen supplies, how to use them and how to harness their healing properties.

On: Tuesday, 5th May,
AT: 7.30pm
In: The Ralph Fitz Randall
(Weatherspoons), RICHMOND

For more Information contact Lisa or Ilona on:
Email: richmondchalice@ymail.com

We hope to see you there!

Warm Blessings,

Ilona

TONIGHT'S MEETING - A REFLECTION

2009-05-06T00:33:00.008+01:00

Merry Meet to All of You!

It's 12.20am, but I am too wired to sleep just yet, as I am still buzzing about the Chalice Meeting we had tonight!

It was a brilliant meeting with a really good atmosphere and positive vibrations. All in all we were seven people, all from different walks of life and varying spiritual backgrounds, which is great, as it offers a wide base to exchange and learn about the different spiritual paths and traditions.

Lisa's brief intro into the origin of the tarot was great and offered a good platform for everybody to join in with their thoughts and experiences. I really felt everybody contributed something important tonight simply by just being there and sharing their thoughts.

Ideas for topics of future meetings were flying fast, for example crystals and astrology, to name just two.

So, on this note, a huge 'Thank You' to all of you who came tonight, you made it really special!!!

(Oh, and Lisa - all fingers crossed and best wishes for your interview today!)

I hope we will see all of you (and more) next time, until then

Warm Blessings,

Ilona

PS. Details about the next Chalice Meeting will be published soon.

TIP OF THE DAY - BAGS AWAY FOR THE HOLIDAY

2009-05-05T17:19:00.007+01:00

Merry Meet to All of You!

The holiday season is fast heading towards us and, to be honest, don't you hate the niggling feeling on the way to airport:'I hope I haven't forgotten anything!?' and then, worse, when you arrive there, you find that you have....in the worst case scenario even your plane tickets or passport?!

I have certainly suffered from 'have I packed everything' stress, so I was really pleased when I came about this little spell, which can help you remember your essentials whilst packing your bags.

To begin with, fill the room with the aroma of lemon, either by lighting a lemon-scented candle, or , if you can' t get hold of one, a simple white one next to a bowl of lemon juice.
Next, take a red pen to a white piece of paper and write down everything you want to remember to pack three times. Then burn this list in the candle whilst saying:

"When I touch my bags to pack, from memory this list bring back!"

Then, simply stop worrying and have a great holiday!

Warm Blessings,

Ilona

TIP OF THE DAY - CAST OUT CREEPY CRAWLIES

2009-05-04T12:59:00.008+01:00

Merry Meet to All of You!

With summer fast approaching, keeping your home free of creepy crawlies, which re-emerge with the rising temperatures, can become an issue.

If you are like me, and don't like to use the 'chemical warfare' of conventional repellents, here are some ideas of how to apply aromatherapy, which is natural and kinder to the environment (including the creepies, as it keeps them away without necessarily killing them), to achieve the same effects.

You can use the following essential oils for the different kind of insects:

Mosquitoes:
Use Citronella. A few drops on your pillow case and/or mattress will keep them at bay. Alternatively, you can dilute 15 drops of the essential oil in 30ml of sunflower oil, which you rub onto your skin (this also soothes the effects of bites).

Flies:
Use Lemongrass. Mix 15 drops of the essential oil with 600ml of water in a pump spray bottle, shake well and spray around the room or onto the buzzing flies directly.

Ants:
Use Tea Tree and Thyme. Dilute 8 drops of Tea Tree oil and 7 drops of Thyme oil in 30ml of water. Use a pump spray to spray the areas where the ants come in or walk.

Pet fleas:
Use Geranium, Lavender and Tea Tree. Dilute 6 drops of Geranium, 5 drops of Lavender and 4 drops of Tea Tree in 30ml of water. Use a pump spray to spray into you pets fluffed up fur, avoiding their eyes.

I hope these little tips come in handy to keep your home chemical and pest free during the summer months.

Bright Blessings,

Ilona

TIP OF THE DAY - WORKING WITH SYMBOLS

2009-05-03T07:22:00.004+01:00

Magick and divination are both heavily reliant on symbols. Learning to work with symbols is like learning a foreign language, or perhaps the analogy of getting to know new friends from faraway places is a better fit... One thing is certain: once you've achieved an understanding of the true meaning of a symbol, the world has changed forever.

For symbols to be meaningful we have to work with them and really pay attention to them over a period of time. Each symbol has many layers of meaning. It takes time and patience to uncover them all.

As with the Moon cycles it is essential to keep a journal or to enter the observations into your Book of Shadows.

The first step is to decide on a symbol that you would like to get to know better. But don't be surprised if the symbol chooses you.

Let's say I want to understand the true meaning of rainbows. For many years, I might have just thought of them as pretty colours in the sky. Then one of them appears on the day that I receive news of a miraculous healing. The rainbow has my attention. What else can it communicate?

As I work with the rainbow symbol and enter the observations into my BoS, I start noting subtle differences like the size and brightness of the rainbow, what the sky around it looks like... if it's a double or even triple rainbow... where it's located... what time of the day it appears etc. etc. For these differences to have any meaning, I need to relate them to what is going on in my own life.

The different types of rainbows may be more related to thought processes and emotions than to things that happen in the world, or it could be a bit of both. As any person who spends time reflecting on internal process will know, the outside world often reflects that which is within.

Working with symbols in this way is the path to becoming the kind of oracle who can read anything, anywhere at any time. If you use any kind of man-made divination tool, like the Tarot or the I-Ching, your experiental database of symbols will take your divination skills to the next level as you'll start seeing correspondences that you weren't aware of before.

As a Tarot reader, I might pull a card one day and feel my eyes drawn to one of the details in the card. Let's say I truly notice the white dove in the Empress card for the first time. This might be the beginning of a very exciting journey that culminates in a deep understanding of the relationship between various aspects of Spirit and the Divine Feminine... I could read hundreds of books on the topic and never reach as deep an understanding of these aspects as I would by internalising them through observation and connecting them with my own experiences and emotions.

Learning to see with magickal eyes is fun and doing it together with others is even more fun! The moments of the penny dropping in group path working are priceless because we get so much further together than we can on our own.

I hope to see as many of you as possible at our next Richmond Chalice Meeting!

Bright Blessings

Lisa

http:://tarothealingbylisa.blogspot.com

TIP OF THE DAY - KEEP A MOON JOURNAL

2009-04-30T16:15:00.005+01:00

We are all affected by the moon... the question is how are you affected? There is a very simple way of finding out - persistent observation. Actually, this is the only way.

Try observing three full lunar cycles, writing (at a minimum) a paragraph a day in your Book of Shadows or a special diary/notebook about your observations. You can look up the lunar phase and moon sign online for each day (http://www.moonsigncalendar.net/ is a good resource), but you also need to establish a personal relationship with the moon in nature. On clear nights or early mornings, try locating the moon and gaze at it in silence for a few minutes. Make notes on how you are feeling, as well as what is going on in the sky.

On the Moonsigncalendar.net website you can also find out your Moon sign and the phase/angle of the moon at the time of birth. This will tell you a lot about your emotional make-up and also help you understand why you feel better at certain times of the lunar cycle. You might for instance find that you have more energy than usual at the time of your lunar birth phase.

Once you start making these daily observations it will become obvious why the Moon plays such a vital role in all sorts of magick.

For those of you interested in astrology, you can also try researching the 12 Moon signs. This information is helpful if you plan on using a moon sign calendar for magickal workings or if you just want to know which weekend is best suited for a romantic getaway. The moon stays in each sign approximately 2½ days before moving on to the next sign and covers the whole zodiac in one cycle.

Extend your observations to a whole year and you will soon understand why certain magickal workings are much better suited to a spring-time full moon in Aries than a Capricorn waning moon in the middle of August. Never take anyone's word for what is appropriate in connection with spell work. A true witch knows what she is doing. Hence the old term cunning man/woman. This term refers to deep experiental knowledge about the cycles and correspondences of Nature and the Heavens.

Don't be shy to express your creativity in your Moon Journal. Feel free to write a poem rather than using prose for your observations if you feel moved by the tides to do so.

Here are a few questions to keep in mind as you write in your journal:

How do I feel physically/mentally/emotionally today?
How is my energy affected? Am I centred or is my energy scattered?
Were my dreams more vivid than usual?
Am I more or less psychically sensitive than usual?
(For women only:) Where in my cycle am I?

Don't forget to note down any lunar eclipses or other celestial anomalies that might affect the Moon.

And to round off I'd like to share a little-known medical fact: women are more likely to conceive during their lunar birth phase regardless of where in their menstrual cycle they are... It pays to be in the know for oh so many reasons, so get observing!

Bright Beltane Blessing!
Lisa
http://tarothealingbylisa.blogspot.com/

TIP OF THE DAY - FLORALIA AND WALBURGIS

2009-04-29T14:27:00.006+01:00

Merry Meet to all of You!

If you read the blog about Beltaine, you might have noticed that I mentioned Floralia and Walburgisnacht as two names for the festival, and I would like to explain their origins a bit further.

While Beltaine is the May festival based on Celtic origins, Floralia and Walburgis are rooted in Roman, respectively German traditions.

Floralia

Floralia was the festival of the Roman goddess Flora (Flora was indigenous to the Roman region, although her origins most likely herald from the Sabines or Oscans. Flora is the spirit of flowers and springtime, embodying the flowering and fruition of everything in nature, including us humans. All flowers are sacred to her, and often she is pictured with a cornucopia. Flora embodies both the pleasure of the moment as well as the promise of a fruitful future (with flowers leading to fruit and sexual intercourse resulting in babies).

The Floralia was celebrated annually from April 28th to the beginning of May and honoured the female body (Flora is sometimes understood as the original Queen of May). With its strong ties to fruition and sexuality, the Floralia were originally celebrated nude, until clothing was insisted on by the Roman authorities in the third century AD. They stopped being celebrated in the 4th century AD, when all pagan festivals were banned.

Walburgisnacht

Walburgisnacht, or Walburgis Night, is the German celebration of May Eve.

Walburgis (or Walburga) was a popular German women’s name in former times, but the original Walburgis (Walpurgis) was a spirit or goddess, who manifests as a beautiful lady with long flowing hair, a crown and fiery shoes. Her attributes are a spindle and a three cornered mirror, which reveals the future. Walburgis was involved in rituals to banish the winter and allow the emergence of summer.

In tradition, for nine nights before May Day, Walburgis, as the Lady of the summer, is chased by the Wild Hunt, so she seeks refuge among the people, who leave their doors and windows open for her to find safety from the hunt and the frost. Houses and barns were decorated with special May Eve plants, which carried the blessings of witch deities. Elder wood, Alder branches and Ground Ivy were among these. The lighting of fires, to keep the forces of the hunt at bay, was also part of the celebrations.

Under the influence of Christendom, Walburgisnacht transformed into a celebration to drive out pagan forces rather than the forces of winter, finally, in the 8th century AD, becoming a festival of a Christian saint, rather than that of a goddess of summer. (St Walburga was the niece of St Bonifaz and an English abbess, born around 710 AD in Wessex, who founded several religious houses in Germany during the 8th century AD. She was canonized after her death in 779 AD.)

The traditional rituals and decorations, like fires and plants, were now used to ward away witches and forces of evil, who were said to be out in force on the night of May Eve. Mass conversions (Hexentänze) were allegedly taking place on mountain peaks, of which the most famous is the ‘Brocken’ in the Harz region of Germany.

Enjoy May Eve,

May Blessings

Ilona

THE WHEEL OF THE YEAR - BELTAINE

2009-04-24T12:42:00.009+01:00

Merry Meet to All of You!

Moving on swiftly through the Wheel of the Year, the next Greater Sabbat is just round the corner!

Modern May Day co-insides with the pagan Sabbat of Beltaine (Beltane, Bealltaine, Beltene, Beltine, Floralia, in German: Walburgisnacht), a celebration of summer and fertility and generally a time of merry-making and pleasure, which, in the form that it is most widely known as, is mainly based on ancient Celtic traditions.

Beltaine celebrations begin with the Moon rising on the evening before the 1st of May. In metaphysical context it is understood as the moment when the Earth’s generative, reproductive and sexual energies are at their highest.
Beltaine also initialises the ‘bright half of the year’, with fires traditionally being lit to symbolise the sun’s power on Earth.
These fires were called ‘bel-fires’ or ‘bale fires’ and they convey the force of fire in its magical, energising and healing capacities.
People used to dance around these fires or jump over them to gain from these positive and radiant energies, traditionally, livestock, e.g. cattle was also driven through them to heighten their fertility and productiveness in the future months.
The main goal of these fire ceremonies, for humans and animals, were the prevention of disease, to ban bad luck and to increase fertility and creativity.
Beltaine was celebrated as a happy and raucous feast, with sexuality playing an important role (who hasn’t heard of ‘fornicating in the fields’?).

The joyous aspects of Beltaine have been integrated into modern Wicca, with the devotion to the sun, human sexuality and the regeneration of life being emphasised. Some Wiccans celebrate ‘High Beltaine’ by enacting a ritual union of the May Lord and Lady.

If you would like to celebrate Beltaine, why not go out into nature on May Eve, with some food and drink and find a spot to light your own bale fire (a portable barbeque is the best base for your fire, so that it doesn’t spread beyond your control!). Take some musical instruments, if you have some, or just upload your I-Player with invigorating ‘fire’ music*, and dance and be merry, celebrating happiness and the coming summer (I let you decide on the fornicating bit)!

There are organized celebrations of Beltaine you can go to, one not far from Richmond (North Yorkshire), at Thornborough Henge near Masham. If you would like to find out more about this, click here:

http://www.sacredbrigantia.com/

Here's a link which gives you details of other Beltaine festivals:

http://www.witchology.com/contents/april/events.php

For more information about the Sabbats and Beltaine, click here:

http://www.twpt.com/celebrations.htm
http://www.proteuscoven.org/proteus/sabbats.htm

So, enjoy the upcoming Sabbat and the summer which follows and have fun celebrating Beltaine!

Warm Blessings Ilona
* Music tip: Loreena McKennitt, ‘Huron Beltane Fire Dance’, for CD details see:

TIP OF THE DAY - PAST LIVES

2009-04-22T09:44:00.004+01:00

Merry Meet to All!

For anyone of you, who is interested in exploring past lives and their influence they might have on our current existence, here’s a really good book I recently came about.

It is called ‘Past Lives, Future Healing’ by Sylvia Browne, published in 2001, and is one of the most positive books I have read in a while.

In it, Browne gives vivid examples of past life experiences/memories of people she has encountered in her long work as a psychic and how, by regression, they were able to overcome health and/or psychological problems which plagued them in this lifetime.

For the more adventurous among you there is a part at the end of the book where the author shows you ways and techniques of how to gain access to your own past life memories.

So, if you just want to reaffirm your believes in past lives or look for a positive and easy to read introduction to the subject, this should be the book for you!

For more information on Sylvia Browne and the book, just click on the links below.

http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=therichchal-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=0749926554&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr"

http://www.spiritnow.com/article/psychics/the_legend_of_sylvia_browne_82/?page=7

Warm Blessings,

Ilona

NEXT CHALICE MEETING!

2009-04-16T14:07:00.007+01:00

Merry Meet to all,

here is the information for our next meeting:

Interested in:

~ TAROT
~ ASTROLOGY
~ PAGANISM
~ WICCA
~ SPIRITUAL HEALING & DEVELOPMENT
~ SACRED DANCE
~ ANGELS & FAIRIES

Come and meet like-minded people for discussion, learning and fun!

Talking Tarot.
Anyone with an interest in the Tarot is welcome. Just come along and feel free to bring your own deck. No previous knowledge necessary.

On: Tuesday, 5th May,
AT: 7.30pm
In: The Ralph Fitz Randall
(Weatherspoons), RICHMOND

For more Information contact Lisa or Ilona on:
Email: richmondchalice@ymail.com

EVERYONE WELCOME!!!

Hope to see you there,

Warm Blessings,

Ilona & Lisa

TIP OF THE DAY - A GOOD CUPPA

2009-04-15T14:04:00.012+01:00

Merry Meet to All!

As nice as spring is, it can be a pesky time for colds and such, can't it?

I for one have a quite nasty cold, which did me the honour to turn into a horrible ear infection.

Being a good girl, I went to the doctor for a course of antibiotics (as you should), but this hasn't stopped me from complementing them with some herbal remedies from ... my kitchen cupboard.

If you suffer from ear ache or discharge, one of the easiest complementary herbal medicines you can turn to is a good cuppa to help you fight the infection and reduce inflammation - in this case rosemary tea.

Simply put 2-4g of dried rosemary in a cup of boiling water and let it infuse for about 10 minutes. Drink three cups a day after your meals.

Rosemary is a very powerful herb with many medicinal properties. It contains flavanoids which stimulate the blood flow and as such can be used to improve memory and concentration as well as easing headaches. Rosemary is also beneficial to digestion, on which is has a calming effect, and can be taken if you suffer from stomach cramps, bloating or constipation. It also acts as a detoxing agent to help clean the liver.

In the above mentioned case of ear infection, as well as bronchial, nose and throat infections, it acts as an effective anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial agent.

In external use, you can dilute rosemary oil with a neutral oil (eg sunflower) and use it as a rub to help with muscular and rheumatic pain and inflammation. An infusion into the bathwater also eases rheumatism.

Because of the powerful properties of rosemary, it should not be used on children and if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, make sure the amount taken does not exceed the one normally found in your diet.

For further information on rosemary and recipes for aspects of it in magick got to:

http://www.gardensablaze.com/HerbRosemaryMed.htm

So, next time you suffer from ear, nose or chest infections, why not try a good cup of rosemary tea to help you on your way (don't forget though, if symptoms persist, always go to your doctor!).

Spring Blessings and Good Health

Ilona

TIP OF THE DAY - ELEMENTAL MAGICK

2009-04-13T10:35:00.005+01:00

Are you curious about witchcraft? Do you want to learn how to do real magick? Or would you just like to know how to achieve a state of perfect harmony within? The place to start is to getting to know the four elements.

The elements of creation are Fire, Water, Air and Earth. There is also a fifth element, Aether, which binds all the other elements together and is represented by the top point of the Pentagram.

The primary correspondences for the four elements are the four main directions of the compass. These are also the four quarter points from which the Elements are called during magickal workings.

East - Air

South - Fire

West - Water

North - Earth

One way to get to know the elements is to stand in the middle of a circle which you mark with a rope, candles, pine cones or crystals. It's also perfectly fine to use an energy perimeter that you creat in your mind. The circle can be as small or large as you choose. You might need to keep it small if you are working in your living room, but feel free to spread out if you are working in a garden or field.

Take a step toward the eastern quarter and try to sense the element Air with all your being. Just observe what comes to you; don't conjure anything. Once you start receiving impressions of colour, temperature, touch etc, see if you can translate these into a movement that expresses the quality of the element Air.

Once you've completed the movement sequence, commit it to memory and step back into the middle of the circle. Turning clockwise to the South, step forward and see what you can sense/express for the Fire element.

By the end of this exercise you will have four movements which you'll be able to use to call and greet the Guardians of the Elements.

If you have an affinity for angels you might like to read up on the four archangels who have the following correspondences with the four elements/quarters:

East - Air - Raphael

South - Fire - Michael

West - Water - Gabriel

North - Earth - Uriel (or Auriel)

An excellent book on Angel Magick is Angels: Companions in Magick by Silver RavenWolf.

Once you have started to get to know the elements, you might be interested to check out the elemental balance in your own birth chart. This is completely free and relatively easy to do for yourself on http://www.astro.com/

The astrological correspondences for the elements are:

Aries/Leo/Sagittarius - Fire

Taurus/Virgo/Capricorn - Earth

Gemini/Libra/Aquarius - Air

Cancer/Scorpio/Pisces - Water

It's rare for a chart to show perfect balance betwen the elements. Learning to balance the elements within is part not only of our magickal learning but necessary in order to achieve physical health and harmonious relationships. Read more about balancing the elements HERE.

Bright Easter Monday Blessings,

Lisa

http://tarothealingbylisa.blogspot.com/

TIP OF THE DAY - EVERYTING WITCHCRAFT

2009-04-08T13:30:00.006+01:00

Are you curious about witchcraft or do you already know a bit but would like to find a non-dogmatic book that gives you an overview about all that witchcraft entails?

The Everything Witchcraft book by Marion Singer is an excellent beginner's course in witchcraft for the novice witch or wannabe Wiccan. It helps you understand the difference between the religion Wicca and the magickal methodology of witchcraft. The language is succinct and easy to understand.

Everything Witchcraft provides a historical background to modern Wicca and witchcraft, and touches on all areas of learning that a witch might encounter on her journey.

This is not an indepth study of any particular subject, but does provide you with a very good understanding of the basics. It also gives you ideas, correspondences and tools to start practising.

I give this book 4 out 5 because it has the fun factor, which is very important. I would have given it 5 out 5 if it weren't for the fact that I felt a bit let down by the history section which felt a bit flimsy. Anyone who makes historical claims needs to be able to back them up.

Bright blessings,
Lisa
http://tarothealingbylisa.blogspot.com/

PS. For those of you interested in history, I recommend The Triumph of the Moon by Ronald Hutton.

CRYSTAL OF THE MONTH - FIRE AGATE

2009-04-06T17:49:00.008+01:00

We're now in the month of fiery Aries the Ram, so the crystal I've chosen to take a closer look this month is fire agate.

Fire agate acts a bit like a general tonic to its wearer. It strengthens the root/base chakra and increases both vitality and libido.

Fire agate acts as a protective talisman, especially against curses, ill-wishes and malicious thoughts. Any negative energy directed towards the person carrying/wearing a piece of fire agate is deflected back to its source, where the person sending the malicious energy is made aware of the consequences.

Psychologically, visionary skills are strengthened and deep-rooted fears cleared. It's a great crystal to carry at the start of a new project.

On the physical level, fire agate improves eyesight and heals stomach complaints, as well as circulatory and nervous disorders.

Numerologically, fire agate resonates to the vibration of number 9.

Bright blessings,

Lisa

http://tarothealingbylisa.blogspot.com/

TIP OF THE DAY - FOR THE PICKING

2009-04-04T10:19:00.012+01:00

Merry Meet to all!

Adding to the Tip of the Day about wild garlic foraging, this is the time of the year to start foraging for stinging nettles as well.

The traditional time for harvesting is May/June, before the flowering, but the very young and tender nettle shoots coming through right now are lovely and subtle in flavour.

The leaves of the nettles contain both iron and vitamin C, as well as calcium, potassium and silicic acids. You can also harvest the roots of the nettle plant, also I would recommend this later in the year, when they are stronger, so I will concentrate on the benefits you get from the leaves.

The easiest way to use nettle leaves is to just make a fresh nettle tea, by simply infusing the leaves (which are best slightly bruised in a mortar and pestle) in some hot water for 7-10 minutes. Nettle tea is great for stimulating the appetite, providing iron and fighting fatigue (why not swap your normal cuppa in the morning for some 'nettle zing'?).

The components of the leaves can also help against arthritic and rheumatic pain - my grandmother used to wrap nettle plants round her ankles for this purpose, but don't worry, it needn't be this painful, as nettle tea is also a natural diuretic, helping with the elimination of sodium and urea from the body, which eases the above conditions. Nettle leaves also act as a powerful anti-inflammatory agent.

If you are not a fan of the taste of nettle tea, you can also add nettles to homemade veg juices, just put them through your juicer with everything else you normally use for juicing.

As well as for all these health benefits, nettles just make a lovely ingredient in cooking, for salads or soups, even for flavoured wine.

Look out for tasty nettle recipes coming up!

Spring Blessings,

Ilona

FIRST MEETING - A BRIEF SUMMARY

2009-04-03T13:59:00.008+01:00

Yesterday's meeting went well. Including Ilona and myself, there were five of us present - a wonderful start to a brand new fellowship of kindred spirits!

We had been forewarned that Wetherspoons is busy on a Thursday night, and this proved to be true. As the night progressed and people around us had more to drink (isn't it weird how people get really loud when they're a bit tipsy?), the noise levels made it difficult to hear what people were saying, but we managed to get to know each other quite well, and establish some common ground with regards to the reason and aims for the group.

Everyone seemed interested in learning more about 'green living' and being in harmony with nature, so this is definitely an area we'll explore in months to come.

Other ideas for future talks/information sharing were relaxation&meditation and psychic development.

We decided to explore meeting at the Black Lion on Finkle Street in Richmond for our next gathering on the 7th of May. The theme for May will be the Tarot as a tool for personal/spiritual development. More information will be posted her soon about the next meeting.

We rounded the evening off by doing the 'Crossing the River' tarot spread (see picture above).

Card 1 represents where we are now - Strength: As a group, we are ready to follow the calling of our higher selves and tame the ego with love so that unity consciousness can permeate all that we do.

Card 2 represents where we want to be - Ace of Pentacles: We long to plant a seed of something new that will manifest in physical reality. This seed will blossom into ways of living that do not harm our planet and that encourage complete embodiment of spirit in our physical bodies.

Card 3 represents the river we need to cross (the challenge) - Ace of Wands: The influx of spiritual energy that inspired us to get together can be difficult to channel into manifest reality.

Card 4 represents the bridge - The World: We cross the river by contributing with our talents in awareness of our own individual limitations, as well as a wholehearted appreciation for how each of us have a much needed gift that can be used to create unity, harmony and increased understanding.

The actual layout for the cards in this spread is:

******4****** (card 4 crosses card 3)

**1***3***2**

Bright blessings,

Lisa

http://tarothealingbylisa.blogspot.com/

TIP OF THE DAY- THE WISDOM OF GRASS

2009-04-02T09:43:00.007+01:00

Merry Meet to all of you!

You probably wonder, what the title is about?

Well, it's just something I came up with, when life gets on top of me sometimes and everything seems a struggle.

In Taoism, one of the roots of unhappiness, ill-contentment and negative personal energy is our constant striving in the material world. In our society, it gets ingrained in most of us from a very early age, that it is the most important in life, to be successful - in both personal relationships as well as career wise. People tend to measure their self-worth in what they have been able to achieve and amass in material possessions. The pressure to keep up a 'successful, perfect' image puts a huge emphasis on constantly 'bettering yourself' and achieve more, and there are no excuses allowed, if you can't keep up.
This strive for socially accepted 'perfection' in your life can lead to rigidity and the inability to deal with changes, which might not fit into your 'personal achievement plan' and thus affect self-worth in a negative way.
Taoism teaches that you can reach happiness and contentment by detachment to the material world. Now, that sounds pretty profound and a bit scary, but the core of it means: you have to learn to bend with the flow of life, in good phases as well as bad, and stop denying yourself the right to regress and re-assess...and yes - to feel sad and awful.
Stop striving for societies blind prescription of 'happily ever after' at all costs!

That's why I call it 'the wisdom of grass', because why is grass one of the most successful species on Earth? It is flexible and bends with every direction the wind might blow from and so it survives!
It is an allegory of embracing change instead of fighting against it (the grass would break
standing up to the wind).
So the next time life puts you on a low ebb, visualize a great plain of grass swaying with the strong wind, and how it will not break, but stand upright again, once the storm is over.

Warm Blessings,
Ilona

TIP OF THE DAY - YOUR MAGICKAL TREE

2009-04-01T07:06:00.005+01:00

Do you sometimes feel drawn to certain trees? There is a reason for this. The spirit, aka deva, of the tree is trying to communicate with you.

Most magickal people tend to bond with a special tree. Make sure you get to know the tree you are drawn to by communicating silently with it through touch. Your tree can give you comfort, strength, inspiration and healing. It is polite to give something back when your tree has gifted you.

Never cut a branch or take bark from a tree without asking the tree for permission first.

It is also valuable to study tree-lore in order to find out more about the magickal properties of your tree.

Watch this space for future tree spells!

Bright blessings,

Lisa

http://tarothealingbylisa.blogspot.com

TIP OF THE DAY - CLEANING SPELL

2009-03-31T09:57:00.006+01:00

Merry Meet to all!

Remember the Tip of the Day about spring cleaning?

Here is a lovely little spell I came across, which can help you to keep your home tidy after you have done all the hard work!

Collect some nice stones, one for each room in your house and put them in a bowl, covered with a green cloth. Then, holding your hands palms down over the bowl, say the following blessing, once for each stone:

Now I have done the cleaning feat,

bless this stone to help to keep

my lovely home smelling sweet

always tidy, always neat!

Place one of the stones near the entrance of every room and they act as charms to keep clutter and mess away.

Bright Blessings,

Ilona

PS. If you like to clean your home with natural products, for recipies to make your own household cleaners go to: http://www.ecocycle.org/hazwaste/recipes.cfm

Brilliant site!

TIP OF THE DAY - WILD GARLIC FORAGING

2009-03-30T07:05:00.012+01:00

It's Wild Garlic season! These tender, juicy and garlicy leaves can be found pretty much everywhere in the British Isles this time of year. Get them now before they start flowering and the leaves get tougher.

Click HERE for information about the nutritional value of Wild Garlic. The main medicinal uses are the same as for ordinary garlic.

The bulbs can be eaten too, but please don't go digging them up in the wild as this will reduce next year's crop! If you plan on using bulbs for cooking or medicinal purposes, you need to grow your own stock.

Ilona and I went Wild Garlic foraging yesterday. She chopped some up and put in ice cube trays in her freezer for handy cooking portions to use in soups and stews etc. She also froze whole leaves for later use.

There are lots of different uses for these wonderful leaves. They can be used in salads and sandwiches, and as a pizza topping etc etc. I used all the ones I picked up in one go, as I wanted to try juicing them. It was absolutely delicious! Here's the recipe:

A few fist fulls of Wild Garlic leaves
1 small piece of ginger root

1 small red chili pepper

2 carrots

1 beetroot

1 red pepper

1/2 a cucumber

2 sellery stalks

I basically used what I had in the fridge. Experimenting with juicing this way can be really fun, and it's even more fun when you start foraging in nature's larder!

Bright blessings,

Lisa

http://tarothealingbylisa.blogspot.com/

TIP OF THE DAY - BREATHING EXERCISES

2009-03-27T07:20:00.011Z

Whether you strive to become an adept in magick, or whether your goal is perfect health, the foundation is the same: the breath.

Devoting 5-10 minutes to daily breathing exercises will start paying off instantly. It clears the mind, invigorates, grounds, centres and relaxes you.

From a health perspective, practising breathing exercises is just as important as making sure that your body is properly hydrated. When we starve our cells of oxygen, disease immediately has a foothold.

For the witch or magus, breath control is key to learning how to build and direct energy in magickal workings. The ancients of the Western tradition might have used special techniques for this, but sadly not much has survived.

There are, however, many different yogic breath exercises to choose from. One of the best breathing exercises to really wake your body up in the morning is the Kundalini yoga 'Breath of Fire.' Learn the Breath of Fire.

In the evening you might want to try something more relaxing like the alternate nostril breath (Nadhi Sodhana). Learn alternate nostril breathing HERE.

Bright blessings,

Lisa

http://tarothealingbylisa.blogspot.com

TIP OF THE DAY - A GOOD BOOK

2009-03-26T10:17:00.008Z

Merry Meet to all of you!

As a follow up of the Tip of the Day - Clear the Clutter, I would like to recommend a really good book to you, which gives valuable tips on how to create a holistic environment in your home.

It's called: "The Holistic Home" by Maxine Fox and was published in 2006.

It is a really comprehensive guide, taking into account all areas of your environment, from the very bricks and mortar of your home to your physical and spiritual needs within it. It gives tips on healthy living, how to use natural products for cleaning (not only your house, but yourself as well), how to integrate the principles of Feng Shui and how, in general, to create a positive balanced environment, which is in tune with the natural patterns and needs of your body and soul.

I can really recommend this book, it is easy to read and follow and most of the tips and techniques are practical in everyday life and not expensive.

So, if you would like to know more about how to create a holistic home, click on the link below....and get reading!

'>http://

Warm Blessings
Ilona

TIP OF THE DAY - WALK IN WONDER

2009-03-25T08:19:00.010Z

According to psychic and author, Sonia Choquette, one of the best ways to develop psychically, as well as to increase your sense of happiness and wellbeing, is to maintain a sense of childlike wonder about life.

Try the following little exercise to develop eyes that see the beauty of the world in wonder:

Go for a walk in nature. It's ideal if this is somewhere you normally like to go walking, and where you feel familiar with the surroundings. It doesn't matter what time of the year it is or what the weather is like, your mission is to capture the beauty and magick of nature as it is.

Your magickal tool for this exercise is your camera. Pause where you feel guided to pause along the way and use your eyes to truly see, the way you did when you were a child. Is that a couple of shrubs or is it a faery portal? Observe the play of light and shadow. See the beauty in the smallest flower or oddly shaped stone. Capture it!

Don't be surprised if the fairies have left a gift for you, but don't come empty-handed. Bring something to leave in return. You may come home with new insights, but whether you do or not, the only thing that matters is that you experienced a sense of wonder and connectedness.

Make an illustrated journal entry of your magickal walk. If you make a blog entry of it, please feel free to link to it in the comments section below.

The great thing about seeing everything with a childlike sense of wonder is that it automatically makes us completely present and aware. It's a bit like meditating without meditating really... and this is the reason why children see things that adults have long since forgotten how to see.

The images in this post are from my own magickal walk by the river Swale in January this year.

Bright blessings,
Lisa
http://tarothealingbylisa.blogspot.com/

TIP OF THE DAY - CLEAR THE CLUTTER

2009-03-23T14:47:00.008Z

Clear your house, clear your head!

This is the time of the year for a good spring clean, to blitz your home and get rid of all the unwanted and unused items that mounted up over the last 12 months.

The old saying "A messy house means a messy head" really is true, so a good clean out will not only make your home more inviting but also clear your thoughts and mindset.

If it seems a too big a task, just tackle one room at the time, best beginning with your bedroom, because a clutter-free, serene bedroom will aid good sleep and thus boost your energy levels.

When you finished the physical clean, why not add little extra touches for your mind and spirit, like a bunch of fresh lavender in the bedroom or a bowl of rock salt on a sunny window ledge. The lavender will, again, aid good sleep, and the rock salt will warm up in the sunlight, emanating particles in the process, which act like a natural ionizer, adding to the quality of the air.

Also, for a clear head you need fresh air, open your windows wide for at least 15 minutes a day, to allow a total exchange of air in your house. Not only is this cheaper than shop-bought fresheners, it is also kinder on the environment.

So, get in the spirit of spring, be inspired by the sun and rejuvenate the soul of your home and in the process your own spirit!

Bright Blessings,

Ilona

TIP OF THE DAY - TAROT MEDITATION

2009-03-23T06:58:00.010Z

Merry meet everyone!

I usually do a 'card of the day' first thing in the morning, with either one of my tarot decks or my Medicine Cards. This card then serves as my meditation focus for the day.

You can easily incorporate a 'card of the day' meditative focus in your daily morning meditation.

Personally, I like to start by lighting a candle, as the candle represents all the elements and is said to draw angels near. You can also light some incense to further raise the vibration.

Sit comfortably and with your back straight, shoulders relaxed. Make sure that there is nothing to restrict your breathing. Take a couple of deep breaths and sigh deeply to let all the old, stale air out of your lungs.

Ground your energy, visualising roots going out from the soles of your feet on the out-breah, all the way into the core of the earth. On the in-breath, draw the red earth energy up into your body, all the way up through the top of the head. Just above the top of the head, the scintillating red earth energy meets the white light of spirit. Breathe this white light in, and on the out-breath send it all the way down through your feet and down into the core of the earth. You are now grounded and centred.

Shuffle the cards while asking God/dess, your spiritual Master and/or the angels for daily guidance. Pull the card you feel drawn to. Sometimes this is the top card and sometimes a card will jump out all by itself. Always pay extra attention to the 'jumpers' as the most definitely contain a message/lesson from spirit.

If you've got a book that goes with the deck and you feel like reading about the card you pulled, this makes a wonderful form of meditative study. If you prefer to work strictly based on what your intuition brings you while gazing on the card, then this works equally well.

Whichever way you choose to absorb the message, make sure you note your impressions and ideas down. You can keep a special Tarot journal for this, or you can use your Book of Shadows. Personally, I prefer to blog about my daily draw. If you don't feel like sharing your thoughts online, but still prefer typing to longhand writing, you can just create a Word document for your daily card reading and keep it safe in a folder. The advantage of keeping digital copies in a special folder is easy retrieval. Label each of your entries with the name of the card and the date of the reading.

Don't forget to give thanks for the insights you've received in your meditation. The best way to come back to reality if you've floated off on a psychic cloud during your meditation is to stand up and stamp your feet a few times.

Remind yourself of the archetypal energy you're working with throughout the day and keep your senses peeled to messages relating to the card.

Not only will this way of working with the cards help your personal/spiritual development, but you'll find that you bond with the cards on such a deep psychic level that eventually are able to produce brilliant intuitive readings for yourself and others.

Bright blessings,
Lisa

http://tarothealingbylisa.blogspot.com/

TIP OF THE DAY - OSTARA INCENSE

2009-03-21T10:30:00.000Z

Spring is finally here!

And what a wonderful first day it has been so far, with the sun being out and the air mild and fresh!

Lisa and me (and our own little sprites, called Miranda and Liam, 7 and 9) have been at the banks of the River Swale at sunrise for our own little Ostara celebration, complete with candle, flower seeds, painted eggs and incense. It was just a wonderful, serene entry into spring and we all (kids included) enjoyed being in midst nature, seeing rabbits and our first Easter lamb.

As I said, we took incense with us for our celebration, which really added to the mood.

If you fancy making your very own special Ostara incense, here is a little recipe out of Scott Cunningham's book "The Complete Book Of Incense":

OSTARA INCENSE

2 parts frankincense

1 part benzoin

1 part dragon's blood

half part nutmeg

half part violet flowers

half part orange peel

half part rose petals

charcoal block

incense burner or pot (fire-safe)

Grind the materials in a mortar and pestle to a smudge, burn in an incense burner.

Hope you have a great Ostara and enjoy the lovely weather!

Bright Spring Blessings

Ilona

TIP OF THE DAY: KITCHEN CUPBOARD MAGICK

2009-03-19T10:44:00.009Z

You don't need to buy expensive and exotic ingredients to add a little bit of natural magic and holistic approach to your lifestyle.

Just have a good look in your kitchen cupboard (and garden, if you have one) and you'd be amazed what you can do with the 'everyday things' in there.

Here, for example, is a really nice recipe for herbal bath sachets, which are very simple to make and will give you an invigorating, 100% natural bath experience, which puts the spring back in your step.

All you need is:

4 cups of dried lemon verbenna *

2 cups of dried thyme

1 cup of dried peppermint

fabric, like muslin or organdie, which can be easily penetrated by water

*lemon verbenna is a common garden herb (see picture), but if you can't get hold of it, you can use dried lemon rind

Take to needle and threat and make little sachets of the fabric, which you fill with the hers - that's all there's to it!

When running a bath, hold the sachets under the tab or simply float in the water. A filled sachet can be used twice, and the sachets themselves can be refilled with fresh herbs again and again.

Enjoy! Ilona

OSTARA - THE SPRING EQUINOX

2009-03-18T10:29:00.022Z

Merry Meet to all of you!

Following the Wheel of the Year, we have a Sabbat coming up this weekend, The Spring Equinox, the festival of Ostara, celebrated around the 21st of March (depending on the exact time of the equinox).

The name Ostara is derived from the Germanic goddess Ostara or Eostre (Teutonic/Anglo Saxon names) and was later adopted by the christian church into Easter. Ostara is pictured as a beautiful young woman with flowers in her hair, accompanied by her male consort in form of a rabbit. Sacred attributes of the Goddess are children, rabbits and painted eggs, two of which have been integrated into the 'christian' celebrations of Easter.

Ostara is in essence a spring festival, falling on the first day of spring, celebrating the rejoicing of nature after the long winter and the triumph of light over darkness, as day and night finally reach equal length.
The Spring Equinox often represents the beginning of a new year, in the zodiacal calendar for example the sign of Aries starts on this day, the first sign of the Zodiac.

In wiccan ditheism Ostara marks the rejoining of the Mother Goddess with her male consort who spent the winter months in death or the returning of the Goddess to her Maiden aspect.

There are different ways to celebrate Ostara, which in folk tradition was done with singing, bell ringing, flowers and new fires being lit at dawn.

You may want to celebrate with a traditional wiccan ritual, an example of which can be found in "Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft" (Raymond Buckland), which happens in a coven based environment.

You don't have to be a member of a coven to pay respect to Ostara though, a simple celebration on your own or with friends, in which you include what feels right to you is as valid.

As Ostara is a spring festival, if you have the opportunity, go and have your celebrations outside, to be close to the reawakening nature. Song, dance, prayer and meditation can all be part of your festival, as well as little rituals you can devise yourself. For example, take some painted eggs (the decorating can be part of your celebration, or prepared beforehand) and visualize your dreams for the year to come while holding one of them, imagining your wishes to enter the egg, ready to be hatched. Then bury the egg, so your dreams can grow from it.

Another thing you can include is an Honouring ofVenus, like the one described in our Tip Of The Day earlier this week.

However you decide to celebrate Ostara, make sure it feels right for you and makes you happy doing so!

Enjoy your Spring Celebrations!

Warm Blessings

Ilona

TIP OF THE DAY - HONOURING VENUS

2009-03-17T20:56:00.012Z

The Roman goddess Venus (also known by her Greek name, Aphrodite) is commonly known as a goddess of beauty and love. However, in her aspect as Venus Columba she is a goddess of peace (symbolised by a white dove). Venus Felix is 'lucky Venus' and Venus Verticordia is the 'changer of hearts'. It is Venus Verticordia who turned into a spring goddess, since her festival, the 'Veneralia' was celebrated on the 1st of April in ancient Rome.

Venus is a goddess of fertility, both for women and for nature in general, so it is appropriate to celebrate her around the time of the spring equinox. Why not do something in her honour as part of your Ostara celebration?

In 'The Book of Goddesses' by Roni Jay, I found the following simple little ritual to honour Venus in her own element - Nature:

Put some flower seeds in a scallop sea shell and sprinkle the seeds where you want them to grow. The scallop sea shell is associated with Venus, and any flowers associated with love, such as Love-in-a-Mist (Nigella Damascena) are good to use for this ritual that can be performed either the first day you 'smell spring in the air,' on the day of the spring equinox or on the 1st of April.

Bright Spring Blessings

Lisa

http://tarothealingbylisa.blogspot.com/

TIP OF THE DAY: ST PATRICK'S DAY

2009-03-17T11:01:00.014Z

Today is St Patrick's Day !

St Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland, who was born in the late 4th century to Roman descendants in Britain. In 403AD, he was captured by Irish raiders and brought to Antrim in Northern Ireland, where he was sold into slavery. It was there, while looking after his masters herds, that he first learned to pray.

After being able to flee on a ship to Gaul, he became a disciple of St Germanus of Auxerre, and for 15 years, he lived and studied in France, before returning to Ireland as a missionary and consecrated bishop, in 432AD.

At Tara, in Meath, St Patrick confronted King Laoghaire with the Christian Gospel and in the process, converted the King's daughters.

In 444AD he established his bishop's seat at Armargh and from there founded a strong foundation of the Irish church.

St Patrick died in 461 AD on Strangford Lough, Downpatrick.

With it being St Patrick's day, why not learn something "Irish" today, like this lovely Ancient Irish Love Binding Spell?

As you probably know, binding spells, including love bindings, can be a double edged sword as far as free will and benevolence are concerned.

In love bindings, there are two main categories of spells.

Mutual Bindings: spells cast on each other by a loving couple as an affirmation of their feelings for another. These are entered into with free will and the desire to do so.

One-sided Bindings: spells of this nature are cast by one party over another, often without their knowledge or consent. They are desperate attempts to save relationships and force the other to stay, a way of gaining 'ownership' of the other person. As these spells ignore the free will and consent, they very rarely work out happily for either party involved.

This little spell firmly belongs into the group of mutual bindings and should be seen as a romantic affirmation of each others feelings.

For this Ancient Irish Hair Binding Spell, give your partner a bracelet woven out of your own hair (or, if you are not in posession of a floating mane, make one from wool or leather, in which you weave a few strands of your own hair which you can pick from your hairbrush for example).

The power which lives in someones hair and comes with being in possession of it is widely known through a variety of sources (Samson in the Bible, anyone?). As such, the giving of your hair to another person represents an act of trust and love.

This binding will only be activated, if the gift is accepted and the spell itself is agreed to by the person of your choice - it cannot be imposed on another!

Warm St Patrick's Day Blessings

Ilona

TIP OF THE DAY - LEMON WATER

2009-03-15T19:50:00.006Z

This is an ancient Ayur Vedic tip to help you start your day the right way. It's one of the best ways to cleanse, detox and energise quickly in the morning.

Squeeze the juice from half an organically grown lemon into a cup of warm (not hot) water. Drink up! Ideally you should do this first thing in the morning to revitalise.

Lemon is an acidic fruit but it actually helps your body become more alkaline, which is very positive for the immune system. Other benefits of lemon water are:

* Improves digestion
* Cleanses and stimulates the liver and kidneys
* Contains the minerals calcium, magnesium and potassium

* Contains vitamin C
* Cleanses the skin from within

It is always good to start the day properly hydrated, and don't forget to keep drinking plenty of water through the day to keep your energy levels up!

Bright Blessings,

Lisa

http://tarothealingbylisa.blogspot.com/

The Wheel of the Year

2009-03-07T15:40:00.012Z

Hello and Merry Meet everyone!

As the wheel of the represents the idea at the heart of our group, we thought we would post a little summary of its history and main events.

The idea of the wheel of the year as a representation of the changing seasonal and solar aspects of the year constitutes a very ancient common heritage of humanity, with its origins possibly reaching as far back as the neolithic era. Depictions of wheels in stone are quite common, and may as well represent the turning of the times (their intended meaning is not known to this day).

So, as part of an underlying earth-based spirituality, the idea of the wheel of the year has accompanied humanity for thousands of years.

In this context of earth-based spirituality, as in Wicca or paganism, the Wheel of the Year represents the major events in the natural year, such as the seasons, solstices and equinoxes, which are celebrated in eight Sabbats, the four greater and four lesser ones:

In general, the Wheel is divided in two main parts: summer/light and winter/darkness. The two major deities of paganism and Wicca, the Goddess and the God, rule superior at specific times, with the Goddess dominating the summer months (the growing season) as the goddess of fertility and abundance, while the God dominates the winter months as the god of hunting and death (with hunting having been the major source of fresh food during these times).

The eight Sabbats divide into two categories, the seasonal and solar festivals.

The four greater Sabbats celebrate the natural shift of the seasons, with Beltaine and Samhain representing the main divisions between summer/winter, light/darkness. Imbolc and Lammas mark the midpoints in between, recognising specific occasions in the agricultural year, Lammas for example being a celebration of harvest.

The four Lesser Sabbats are solar festivals, marking the events in the solar calendar, the solstices (Litha and Yule) and equinoxes (Ostara and Mabon).

There is no singular way in which to emphasise or celebrate these Sabbats in the wiccan or pagan community. Some groups, for example, may concentrate on the seasonal (Greater) Sabbaths, while others put their emphasis on the solar festivals.

As you progress on your spiritual journey, you may be intuitively drawn to certain Sabbats and decide to only celebrate those important to you, or you might choose to treat all eight with equal reverence - the choice is yours!

As we are progressing through the Wheel of the Year, we will blog on each of the upcoming Sabbaths in more detail, giving you an overview of their meaning and tradition as well as ideas on how they might be celebrated, so do stay tuned for the blog on Ostara, coming shortly.

Crystal of the Month - Amethyst

2009-03-04T21:45:00.009Z

Merry Meet!

This is our first blog post about crystals. We will focus on one crystal every month, in order to learn a bit about its healing properties as well as how it can be used in magick. We start with Amethyst since this crystal is related to the sign of Pisces, which we are in right now. Amethyst is also highly benefical to people born in the signs of Capricorn, Aquarius and Virgo.

Amethysts come in lots of different shades, ranging from a light lavender to a deep purple. They are also produced synthetically but as amethyst is quite a common crystal all over the globe, you don't need to worry about the amethyst you bought in your local metaphysical shop being a fake. It's the deep purple ones found in gold and silver jewellery that can be synthetic.

Amethyst is a wonderful healing crystal that aligns the energy centres (chakras) of the body and creates unity between spirit and matter. Amethyst is one of the few crystals that doesn't need cleansing, as it instantly transmutes negative energies into healing energies, and can therefore be used to cleanse other crystals. You could, for instance, place any crystal that feels a bit 'tired' on an amethyst cluster to cleanse and recharge it.

The main energy centres affected by the amethyst are the third eye (just above and between your eyebrows), the crown (top of your head) and the root chakra (base of the spine).

Placing an amethyst on the third eye increases intuition, and sleeping with an amethyst under your pillow (or wearing amethyst jewellry in bed) greatly augments dream recall. Just holding an amethyst in your hands during meditation eases the process and helps clear the mind. The amethyst raises the vibration of its bearer and shifts the mental focus to spiritual matters. It creates a sense of peace and oneness with the All-That-Is.

On the physical level, amehtyst is great for headaches and migraines. It also prevents inebriation and helps break addictive patterns. It's a great all around cell healer and regenerator as it helps the person working with the crystal vibration to see clearly what is out of alignment and thus creating the 'dis-ease' in the body. Amethyst is also an excellent blood purifier and is one of the main healing crystals for arthritis. It has a positive effect on the nervous system in general and on the brain in particular.

The numerological vibration of amethyst is 3.

Amethyst makes a wonderful elixir and is not toxic, so the crystal can be left to soak in water for as long as your intuition guides you. You can either drink the water straight away (don't forget to remove the crystal first!) or add some kind of preservative (brandy, vodka or vinegar are commonly used.) There are many different ways of making your crystal elixirs and there is plenty of information about this in crystal books and online. Just like when you choose crystals, choosing the method that works for you will simply be the one that 'feels right'.

Magickally, amethyst is the 'seer stone' and would be ideal to keep with your divination tools (tarot cards, pendulum, I-Ching coins etc) to cleanse and recharge them. Some even use the amethyst itself for scrying (crystal gazing). For this a 'dragon egg' shape would be ideal. The dragon egg has a polished 'window' on one side, and the seer gazes through this window.

There will be general information posted on how to work with crystals a bit later on, so watch this space!

Bright Blessings,
Lisa
http://tarothealingbylisa.blogspot.com/

THE RICHMOND CHALICE

2009-02-28T19:51:00.000Z

Interested in:

* TAROT
* ASTROLOGY
* PAGANISM
* WICCA
* SPIRITUAL HEALING & DEVELOPMENT
* SACRED DANCE
* ANGELS & FAIRIES

Come and meet like-minded people for discussions, learning and fun!

We are building a new group for regular meetings, so just come along

On: Thursday, 2nd April,
AT: 7.30pm
In: The Ralph Fitz Randall (Weatherspoons), RICHMOND

For more information contact Lisa or Ilona

Email: richmondchalice@ymail.com

EVERYONE WELCOME!!!