Herbal Magick: Dragon's Blood

Daemonorops draco, D. propinquos 

Common name: Dragon's Blood

Folk name: Blood, Blume, Calamus Draco, Draconis Resina

Parts used:  oils, bark, resin

Planet: Mars

Element: Fire

Zodiac: Aries

Gender: Masculine 

Goddess/ God: Mars/Ares, Hermod

Medicinal uses: People use Dragon's Blood for diarrhea and other digestive tract problems. Sometimes used on the skin as a drying agent (astringent). Renowned for its wound healing abilities and is commonly applied as a liquid bandage. Helps the healing of open sores or wounds while protecting the area from infection. Also used as a treatment for insect bites and stings, relieves itching, irritation and alleviates the agonizing pain of fire ant bites. 

Magickal Effects: Love, Protection, Exorcism, Potency, Empowerment

Magickal uses: The resin has long been used as an empowerment, just a pinch can be added to spells and charms to increase the power of the desired intent. A very strong protectant, the herb acts like a 'fire-wall' from negative influences and is especially powerful against hexes and curses. The burning of dragon's blood incense or even carrying it as a charm or sprinkling it around the house, will drive away all negative energy.  The incense is also burned to bring back errant lovers, the incense is burned in front of an open window and the image of the missing love is focused upon until the incense burns out. Added to love spells it brings quite a 'kick', very powerful and should be used with caution. Dragon's blood placed under the pillow or even better, under the mattress, will cure impotency.

Draconis Tree, Scott Cunningham's "Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs"

Sources:

• The Witchapedia -- (http://www.witchipedia.com/table:correspondence-by-intent)
• Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs -- Scott Cunningham
• Smithsonian Handbook: Herbs -- Lesley Bremness

Magickal Training

It is important, especially for the beginner, to develop a daily routine that employs your latest lessons in the occult. Below are some exercises and routines I employ for my magickal training. This is just a guideline set and is not the end all beat all of the occult regimen, feel free to pick and choose or employ all of them if you so desire. This regimen is a mixture of Wicca/witchcraft and Ceremonial magick:

• Stretching/ exercise- Yoga is especially appropriate for this. Such actions are known as 'polishing the temple' and should be apart of your daily practice.
• Grounding/shielding/centering- Be sure you make a regular practice of these. There are techniques given on this blog for grounding and shielding [here], and there is a centering technique known as the Qabalistic Cross [here]
•  The Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram (LBRP)- One of the most important rituals to perform on a daily basis. The LBRP will increase the strength of your aura and clear the area you perform it in from all negativity. It raises the energies of your magickal being.
• The Middle Pillar- The middle pillar should be practiced after the LBRP and will allow you to tap into the universal power, eventually with practice this power can be used in healing and charging talismans.
• Chakra Balancing- There are many techniques for balancing the chakras. Chakras are energy centers within the body that must be charged and strengthen through meditation. You should learn to open and close chakras, start with the so called Seven Major Chakras that is the Root, the Sacral chakra, the Solar chakra, the Heart, the Throat chakra, the Third Eye, and the Crown.
• Elemental Assimilation- Working in harmony with the elements will greatly increase your magickal ability and understanding. There are four elements that you assimilate with: Earth, Air, Fire and Water. You can learn more about this process [here]. Each element should first be approached one by one. One element for one week, at the end of that week, practice a spell that involves the quality of that element. After this is achieved move onto the next element and so on. Once all four elements have been assimilated, reduce the practice to once a month or whenever you deem it necessary.
• Earthing- Earthing is exactly what it sounds like, spending time to walk, sit or lie down on an area of Earth. Parks, backyards, hiking trails and etc, are all good ways of Earthing. I practice Earthing every morning in my backyard, I walk around my grass barefoot drinking in the energies of the earth from my feet and releasing them through my breath, this is known as "breathing through your feet". This may seem like a simple act but its importance can only be understood after daily practice. 
• Simple Meditation- Sometimes we get caught up in both the magickal and mundane that we forget to simply relax. Meditation is a powerful tool for the occult practitioner, finding our center even in the most trying environments (city bus, crowded park, noisy housemates) is beneficial to all who practice magick. Simply sit down, breathe for three counts then count backwards from 12 to 1, breathing with each count, and once you reach 1 you will be in a relaxed state. A trick for those just beginning, if your mind wanders simply pull it back and breath, if noises in your area distract you, listen to them and realize you are at one with them then breathe. The breath is a tool, use it to calm yourself and ease your tension. I have been told to meditate for at least 30min a day. Thats a little extreme for beginners, I'd say make an attainable goal and then work to increase it. Start with 3min, then 5min and so and so forth. 

I feel this is enough for the budding practitioner to start with. There are many great techniques here for increasing your magickal ability and for bettering your life in general. Discipline is the first virtue to attain on the path of magick. Be strong and keep on, make sure to record your experiences in a journal that is used for your magick and meditation. Record in it the moon phase, date and time as well as the weather and your emotional state at the time. You will see a pattern emerge after some time of practicing. Use this as your ultimate tool, the Magickal Journal. It will tell you more about yourself than you can realize. "Know Thyself" is a law of magick. 

Beatus Esse,

T.LH

The Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram

  This is a great banishing tool as well as an exercise that should be performed on a daily basis to strengthen the aura and raise the energy of your magickal being. This is an earth banishing ritual and is mostly employed for clearing negative energy of a given space, as well as to clear up your aura. Find a space in which you will not be disturbed, ground your energy then center yourself with the Qabalistic Cross.

Next facing East draw a star, visualizing it as blue light. Once finished make the Sign of the Enterer, also known as the Sign of Horus (You can check out these stances [here] ) make sure you thrust your hands through the star you have just drawn, while doing so breath out and though your entire exhalation, vibrate this God name: Yud-Heh-Vahv-Heh

Pull back to regular standing position and using your right hand trace a line of white light from the center of the star to the South, facing South draw another with the same blue light as the last. Make the Sign of the Enterer again, thrusting your hand through the center of the star you have just drawn and using your entire exhalation to vibrate this God name:
Ado-NYE.

Pull back and trace from the Southern star to the West. Draw a star with blue light and make the Sign of the Enterer while vibrating this God name: Eh-Heh-Eh

Pull back and trace a line of white light to the North, draw a star with blue light. Make the Sign of the Enterer while vibrating this God Name: Ag-Lah

Pull back and trace the white line back to the Eastern Star, now stand with feet together and arms apart like a cross. Visualize an angel with yellow robes, holding a caduceus standing in front of you as you say these words: Before me, (vibrate the name) Raphael

Visualize behind you and angel in blue robes holding a chalice, say: Behind me, (vibrate) Gabriel.

Visualize to your right an angel in red robes holding a flaming sword, say: To my right, (vibrate) Michael.

Visualize to your left an angel with green robes, holding a pentacle, say: To my left, (vibrate) Uriel.

Stand arms and feet apart, like a star and say: For about me flames the pentagram! then visualize a star of david (also called the mystic star) within the middle of your chest shining a golden light and say: And within me shines the six rayed star!"

End with Qabalistic Cross.



Beatus Esse,
T.LH

Lughnasadh Sabbat Ritual

 --Lammas or Lughnasadh (LOO-na-sahd) is the First Harvest. The sun and grain god represented by the Celtic god Lugh is sacrificed so that His life force may sustain the Earth and us, His children.  This is a funeral celebration, thanking Lugh for his sacrifice so that we may live and be prepared for the coming winter. Traditionally Lughnasahd is celebrated through the baking of the bread from the first harvest of grain and the blessing of the first harvested fruits. Also playing competitive sport games, especially those that display strength and skill, are traditionally held at this time including the Olympics, the Panatheniac Games, the Highland Games, and modern football season.

“The traditional five games (Pentathlon) are running  (50 or 100 yard speed race), long jumping (from running start in sand pit, the longest jump wins), wrestling (gripping only  above the waist and whomever can get the others shoulder to touch the ground first wins), boulder heaving (a bowling ball will do in our modern exploits of this sport, the farthest landing wins), and taber tossing (a long pole, like a flag pole is thrown at a hay bale target, the one closest to the target wins.)” ---

‘Grimoire for the Apprentice Wizard’ by Oberon Zell-Ravenheart

For the passing of summer we remember the good times and the bounty of the Earth by eating a special meal. The following ritual is designed to utilize food as an offering and a way of ingesting transformation into our lives.

The Feast for Lugh

 (Based on an article by Sandra Kynes at http://www.llewellyn.com/encyclopedia/article/7828 )

Needed:

·      Baked bread, wine, chalice, athame, grapes, offering bowl, have the food for the feast ready but not in the circle

·      Also a list of three wishes to be made during the ritual

Instructions:

·      Cast a 'Circle of Art'

·      Call the Watchtowers

·      “Lord Lugh, Lord of the Harvest, the bounty of your seed ripens in the fields and orchards, Be with us during this rite!”

·      “Lady Gaia, Mother of all, your great swollen belly provides abundance. Nourish us, protect us. Be with us during this rite!”

·      Fill chalice with wine, bless and consecrate the wine by first visualizing it being filled with yellow light and say, “I exorcise you of all impurities that may lie within.” Then visualize the wine being filled with bright blue light and say, “And I do bless you and consecrate you to this working.”

·      Each person take a bit of bread and a sip of wine, saying before hand, “I share the bounty of the Lord. I share the bounty of the Lady.”

·      “Lets us think on what began earlier this year, what has grown and is ready to come to fruition into our lives” Contemplate this, then take 2 grapes each, holding them in your power hand (the hand you write with) and make a wish utilizing visualization and focused will. Eat one and place the other in the offering bowl saying as you do, “So mote it be”

·      Do the same with a bit of bread, after eating one piece, place the other piece in the offering bowl, as you do say, “So mote it be.”

·      Then take a sip of wine while making your wish then pour a bit into the bowl saying, “So mote it be!”

·      “May our wishes and intentions be carried above and below! May the blessings be!”

·      Bid farewell to Lugh and Gaia, then farewell to the Watchtowers. Release the circle then bring out the food!

·      Before eating say this last final prayer: “Thanks be to Lugh, God of the grain, God of the sun. Your sacrifice for our sustenance and life shall be honored! Hail be to Lugh for our fruit and grain, Hail be to the Goddess who shall see to His rites and passage. In both your honor, Lugh and Great Goddess, do we partake in this holy feast. So mote it be!”*

·      

     Now eat and enjoy each others company! A blessed Lughnasadh to all, may your first harvest be bountiful!  

NOTE: Once the feast is over you may burry the offerings and clean the bowl.

 *T.LH

Lugh, Celtic Sun God of the Grain.

Beatus Esse,

Tytus Lionheart