HedgeWitch (9 page)

Third Night

Your affirmation for today:
I accept the richness and abundance of the universe. The pathway is always open for me to receive the gifts of earth. I deserve and accept the gifts of an abundant universe.

Your symbol for today:
earth

Begin your day:
Begin in the morning by reading the affirmation for the day outside, with both hands placed firmly on the ground. Today's segment concentrates on earth, associating this energy with that of the richness of the universe and the abundance of spiritual energy. Close your eyes, quiet your mind, smile, and allow Spirit to fully enter your body. Then repeat the word
earth
softly, conjuring your vision of earth's riches in your mind. Open your eyes, and repeat the affirmation at least three times. Remember to smile as you finish! Bring inside at least
a half
cup of the earth you put your hands on, and store it in a small jar. Throughout the day, repeat the affirmation as many times as you like. Begin and end with a smile. Write down in a small notebook (or your HedgeWitch journal) anything unusual about this day and events, people, or places that carry a strong earth association for you. In this way, you will be prepared to perform the third night Rite of Earth.

To do today:
Find one large, flat stone, at least twelve-by-twelve inches and at least
a half
-inch thick. This stone will become your HedgeWitch altar stone—representing a small, sacred area where you can pray, burn candles, work with your herbs, etc. We are choosing stone because it is easy to clean and fire-retardant. If you cannot go looking outdoors, visit your local nursery. Most carry all types of stones for the garden. Many have decorated stepping stones that will fulfill our purpose. If you are feeling very crafty, you can make your own stone, using a stepping-stone mold and cement for that purpose. You could decorate this stone with mosaic tiles. However, should you choose to make your stone, note that this type of project takes a few days to dry. You may also wish to select one living plant from the nursery or a favorite garden shop. Lucky bamboo would work well for this rite and is easy to maintain. If you can, before your ritual, take a bath and use a cleansing sea salt mixture added to lavender, chamomile, and rosemary in a tub tea envelope or bag.

Today I will release…
any sick or dead houseplants. I will remove all dead flowers and replace them today, if I can, or replace them at a future date. If today is nice outside, I will walk my property and determine what I need to remove or change in the coming months. I can bring fresh flowers into the house, but I must remember that as soon as they wilt, the dead stalks and leaves can attract negative energy.

Weekly planner:
If you are spending a week on this rite, go shopping at your local nursery and choose items to make an indoor kitchen herb garden, or choose a variety of houseplants suitable to the lighting available in your home. As you care for these plants over the successive weeks and months, remember that as your garden grows without, so you grow within.

Herbs for today:
lemon verbena (if you can't find lemon verbena, substitute with the juice of one squeezed lemon), rosemary, frankincense and myrrh resins (powdered or chips),
a half
-cup dried marigold petals

Supplies for tonight:
above-listed herbs (fresh is preferable) and resins, your new altar stone, a small bowl, one cup of spring water, the earth you gathered today, salt, incense, incense holder, brown candle, brown sugar, one tablespoon of honey, the words
treasures of earth belong to me
written on a small piece of paper, essential lavender oil, essential chamomile oil, essential patchouli oil

Rite of Earth

Light incense. Pass over working area. Place the representation of your magick key (see page 48) near your other supplies for this night. Smile. Close your eyes, and envision yourself surrounded by white light. Take thirteen slow, even breaths, inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth. When you feel relaxed, open your eyes, smile, and repeat today's affirmation three times. Smile again.

Begin by preparing tonight's holy water. To one cup of spring water, add lemon verbena and rosemary sprigs (the number is up to you). Drop in a few small nuggets of frankincense and myrrh. Add three drops each of lavender and chamomile essential oils. Stir with your finger or a copper rod. Connect with Spirit. Smile. Hold your hands over the water, and say:

Molecules of liquid light

Digitize to make things right.

Moon above and earth below

Center point, I make it so!

Holy oils and sacred herbs

Frankincense and blending myrrh

Joy and peace will come to me

As I will, so mote it be. Thank you!

Remember to close with a smile. Hold your hands over the salt. Take a deep breath, and exhale slowly. Smile, and say:

Gifts of earth, cleansed you'll be

Speak of treasure and divinity.

Change my life in happy ways

Guard my work both night and day. Thank you!

Smile.

Sprinkle the salt generously over your new altar stone. Follow by sprinkling the surface with the holy water mixture. Hold your hands over the stone and repeat today's affirmation three times, remembering to connect with Spirit, smile, and close with a thank you.

Dot the four corners and the center of the stone with essential patchouli oil, repeating the affirmation once again.

Brush off the altar stone. On the back of the paper that says
treasures of earth belong to me
, draw your personal earth sigil. Place your key and the paper on the stone. Put the bowl of brown sugar on top of the paper. Dot the brown candle with honey (not too much). Place the candle sturdily in the bowl (if you think a plate will work better, that's just fine). In HedgeWitchery, a brown candle signifies the gifts of the earth and miracles. The brown sugar and honey are used as an attraction correspondence. Sprinkle the earth you collected this morning on top of the brown sugar. Light the brown candle.

Meditate for a few minutes on the meaning of earth and the willingness to open the way and accept the abundance of earth's treasures. Remind yourself that everyone deserves to be rich, happy, and healthy, leading a life of pure joy. When you are ready, say: “This rite is finished. Thank you!” Smile. Allow the candle to burn completely, and dispose of it when it's cold. Place the brown sugar, earth, and honey mix back in the jar. Add your
earth's treasures
paper. If you have some of your signature herb, add that too. Cap. Bury it on your property. Sprinkle holy water on your new altar to clear the stone of residual energy. If you have holy water left over, you can refrigerate it—it has a shelf life of about two weeks as long as the mixture is kept cold. Place your lucky bamboo plant in the center of your altar and leave it there until tomorrow morning, where you can move it to an appropriate indirectly lit area of your home.

Tonight, take a few minutes to go over your journal, adding notes and entries you may have missed. Copy your earth sigil, along with any impressions you may have on the power and strength of the earth. Remember to observe all that takes place the following day in relation to the work you have begun. Remark on any dreams you may have this night. Keep your work secret.

Before you drift off to sleep, close this evening by saying:

Peace with the gods

Peace with nature

Peace within.

It always works.

Always a blessing.

Remember to smile!

Fourth Night

Your affirmation for today:
My world is filled with unlimited opportunity. Opportunities that are
right for me come easily. I always choose that which will be best for me and my family.

Your symbol for today:
stars or starry sky

Begin your day:
Begin in the morning by going outside (if you can) or sitting by a large window so that you can look at the sky while you are repeating today's affirmation. Today's segment concentrates on our starry sky, associating this energy with that of limitless potential and opportunity. Close your eyes, quiet your mind, smile, and allow Spirit to fully enter your body. Then open your eyes and repeat the words
starry sky
softly several times. Repeat today's affirmation at least three times. Remember to smile as you finish! Throughout the day, repeat the affirmation as many times as you like. Begin and end with a smile. Write down in a small notebook (or your HedgeWitch journal) anything unusual about this day and events, people, or places that carry a strong starry sky association. In this way, you will be prepared to perform the fourth night Rite of Starry Sky.

To do today:
View the sky as often as possible. Pay particular attention to the horizon, color, how you feel when looking out into the distance, clouds, birds and insects you may see as you look up, etc. Teach yourself the mysticism of numbers by observing how many of any given item attracts your attention. Although you may wish to form your own keywords in number associations, here is a brief poetic guide:

The power of one

The unity of two

The trinity of three

The stability of four

The change of five

Six—center, earth to sky

The success of seven

The mastery of eight

The wish of nine

Ten—the infinite blend

Spirit here will never end.

Before tonight's rite, review your list of observations today. Was one number particularly significant? If so, write that number down. We will use the number in tonight's ceremony. Also use your other senses, particularly sound, to receive messages from Spirit.

Our deep connection with nature can bring us a compendium of information if we only take the time to be silent and view the world around us. For example, one of anything can represent pure focus. Perhaps you see an unusual butterfly today, and right before that, you were contemplating the solution to a problem. Here, Spirit might be telling you that your answer can be found through a unique avenue that combines several of your resources into one powerful vehicle. Over time, you may fine-tune the messages you receive by reviewing your thoughts at the moment of a particular observation. Write this association down, and when it happens again and again, you will learn Spirit's way of repetitious communication designed especially for you. For example, a butterfly can mean gifts of good fortune, a good message in the mail, or an exciting experience ahead. Although there are traditional meanings to animal and insect associations, you'll find nature speaks more clearly to you if you build your own private dictionary of signs and symbols.

Today I will release…
all old paperwork that no longer serves me. If I hold negative legal paperwork, I will box it and place it in a security deposit box. I know I must keep all financial records for seven years, so I will find a plastic tub or fireproof safe to store this information. I will shred all other documents that no longer pertain to my life. If I have questions on what I should keep, I will consult an attorney or tax representative.

Weekly planner:
If you are spending a week on this rite, try your hand at the hand-dipped taper candles, as explained in Section 5. Use the chant given in today's “to do” section.

Herbs for today:
Use fresh white or blue flowers (or a combination of both), your choice.

Supplies for tonight:
a bag of pebbles, one light blue candle, candle holder, special bag to hold the number of pebbles you will choose in the ceremony, clear spring water (blessed, herbal additives okay), bell, tuning fork or chime, Florida water (see recipe in appendix if you would like to make this yourself), a bouquet of white/blue flowers

Rite of Starry Sky

Tonight we are not using incense but enjoying the aroma of the Florida water and the fresh flowers. Sprinkle yourself with the Florida water. Go outside (or look out a window), and count the number of stars you see in the heavens for one minute. Write down this number. If it is over ten, reduce the number by adding the double digits. For example, if the number you counted is 15, then you would add 1 + 5 = 6. Six, then, is your lucky number in HedgeWitchery. If you could not count a single star, then your lucky number is 8. If the night is pleasant, you may wish to continue this rite outdoors. If you need to work inside, arrange your lucky number pebbles in a circle (if you have several) or place the smaller number near the light blue candle on the altar stone you blessed last night. Sprinkle the pebbles with Florida water. Arrange flowers on your altar.

On the light blue candle, inscribe the words
starry sky
with a pin, nail, or clay-inscribing tool. Place the candle in a safe holder, and light. Place your magick key beside the candle. Intone the following charm:

Herbal magick melody

Signs and symbols meant for me

Wisdom, knowledge, peace of mind

Speak to me through heaven's chime. Thank you!

Smile. Ring your bell or chime to correspond with your lucky number. From now on, this sound is your personal call to Spirit—and after repeating the practice a number of times, this sound should help you focus and become one with Spirit. Some individuals call this practice a magickal trigger individually designed as an audio gateway to peace, balance, and power. If you are hearing impaired (or just want to be quiet), you may wish to use a tuning fork, touching the vibration of the sound rather than hearing it.

Meditate for fifteen minutes on the meaning of sky in the life of a spiritual person. Draw your personal sky sigil, and record it in your journal. Also record any observations or insights you may have received during tonight's ceremony. Allow the candle to burn completely. If you can, leave the pebbles on your altar. If you can't, place them in their own special bag. Offer the flowers to Spirit outside. Speak not of what you are doing; silence, as of a perfect, peaceful night, will serve you best.

Before you drift off to sleep, close this evening by saying:

Peace with the gods

Peace with nature

Peace within.

It always works.

Always a blessing.

Remember to smile!