White and black magick in Mexico

I'm not big on the Youtube videos that are available on witchcraft - they teach you very little in general. This piece is by National Geographic on the folk healers and dark conjurering 'Brujos' in Mexico which is a combination of Cathlocism and pagan ideals... very interesting indeed, and as you can imagine I am sad to see that black magick is a part of this. I'm certaily interested in the tools which the white witch is using at the beginning of the clip.

Imbolc, what to do what to do?

It comes in 8 days now - on Saturday the 1st of August is Imbolc, signifying the end of Winter. The southern hemisphere is soon going to start getting warmer... although I don't look forward to the scorching Melbourne days!

IMBOLC

Clean your room and your house, light !

Place a yellow altar cloth upon the altar and bless Brigid -

The Celtic goddess Brigid is the traditional patroness of healing (represented by twin serpents), poetry (the ancient Celtic tradition of see-poets and Bardic lore were the primal retainers of culture and learning), and smithcraft (her sisters carry the alchemical sword and blacksmithing tongs). All of these elements are all practical and inspired wisdom and creativity.

Consistent with Celtic lore, Brigid's women are honoured and highly respected. Brigid is not compromised by allegiance to one lover or husband, so is free to utilise her healing powers for the good of all.

from www.goddess.com.au

In one of her many aspects, Brighid is known as the bride. She is a symbol of fertility and good fortune, and is seen as yet one more step in the cycle of life, death, and rebirth.

from www.paganwiccan.about.com

Place snowdrop flowers on the alter, or another variety of white flower to signify the return of Spring.
I MAY also make this (also from paganwiccan.about.com):

Braided bread is found in many forms, in many cultures. This one is a simple one, and is perfect for serving at your Imbolc feast. The braid symbolizes Brighid in her aspect as the bride, representative of her fertility and position as a hearth goddess. Serve this tasty braided bread with warm butter for dipping.

Prep Time: 1 hours

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3 loaves frozen bread dough, thawed (this is in the frozen foods section at the grocery store)
• 1 egg
• Water
• Sesame seeds

Preparation:

Allow the bread loaves to defrost at room temperature. Before it begins to rise, cut each loaf in half with a large pizza cutter or a knife. Roll each half out until it's about 18" long, and about an inch thick. You'll end up with six of these long strips.

Take three of the strips, and braid them together, trying not to stretch them out too much. When you've reached the end of the braid, tuck the ends underneath themselves. Repeat the process with the other three strips, making a second braid.

Place the braids either on a baking stone, or on a pan that has been sprinkled with cornmeal.

Beat the egg in a small bowl, and add 2 Tbsp. water. Lightly brush the egg and water mixture over the braids, and then sprinkle with sesame seeds. Let them rise in a warm place for about an hour, or until doubled in size.

Bake at 375 (or 190 celsius) for 30 minutes, or until a light golden brown color. Remove from baking sheet, and allow to cool for 15 minutes or more before serving.

** Note: if you want to really jazz this up, use different types of bread, such as white and wheat. The end result is visually very appealing, with the different colors braided together.

I'm also going to be leaving my favourite green scarf on the doorstep for Brigid to bless:

In Celtic Pagan stories, Brighid's mantle carries with it blessings and powers of healing. Many people believe that if you place a piece of cloth out upon your hearth at Imbolc, Brighid will bless it in the night. Use the same cloth as your mantle each year, and it will gain strength and power each time Brighid passes by. The mantle can be used to comfort and heal a sick person, and to provide protection for women in labor. A newborn baby can be wrapped in the mantle to help them sleep through the night without fussing.

To make a Brighid's mantle of your own, find a piece of green cloth long enough to comfortably wrap around your shoulders. Leave it on your doorstep on the night of Imbolc, and Brighid will bless it for you. In the morning, wrap yourself in her healing energy.

from paganwiccan.about.com

I'm going to make an oil blend rather than gather these forms of incense... hard to say - OR I will be burning an oil combination of simply cinnamon, orange and rose...... it could get too complicated otherwise!:

• 2 parts cedar
• 2 parts frankincense
• 1 part pine resin
• 1 part cinnamon
• 1 part orange peel
• 1/2 part rose petals

HAPPY IMBOLC!

Wonderful blog - all kinds of occult material

This is a very very interesting blog! It does cover a whole range of occult pictures and subjects from witchcraft to satanism --- *sigh*: we have been put in the same bucket here - which disturbs me! Anyone who knows anything about witchcraft though will know that we have nothing to do with Satanism and I cring at the altars in this blog - as with some of the voodoo images.

Certainly interesting though.

There are also images from Hermetic & voodoo culture and artwork from people such as Aubrey Beardsley who apparently was introduced to 'the black arts.'

...and I never thought I'd say this, but: it's almost too weird for ME!

http://fuckyeahoccultism.tumblr.com/