Giveaway from Threshold Witcherie!

This month at Love of the Goddess, the featured giveaway comes to us from Threshold Witcherie. The owner has graciously donated a custom intuitive tarot reading! I've never featured a reading for a giveaway, so I'm really excited! I had a chat with the owner, here's what she had to say:

1.How long have you been crafting magical products?
I’ve been crafting them all my life. I was encouraged from birth; it was a natural part of the environment I grew up in. My family members were my earliest teachers. My mother is big on hands-on learning, being a very talented craftswoman herself; she can make anything. She is adamant about acknowledging and connecting to the sacred every day. My aunt Linda took me on ‘wanders’ through the woods, teaching me about animals, plants and how to walk. My grandmother taught me the rhythms of the seasons, and the best cookie recipes. And my great-aunt Teddie had her own metaphysical shop on Cape Cod for 16 years. As a crystal guru and Theosophist, any conversation with her is deeply wise; but can also require mental gymnastics. ;) I remember trying to imitate when I was quite young, stirring pebbles, sticks and leaves into a large rain barrel with my younger brother and testing out words to make it rain. I was so proud of my first ‘magicke brew’. *lol*

It’s a real blessing to be a ‘working witch’, a dream I’ve had all my life. I view it as a vocation, a practicing priestesshood. Frequently it’s a struggle to work it with the mundane practicalities, but I want to lead by example for my little daughter, as the women in my family did for me. And I’m rewarded for my stubbornness by the people the Goddess places in my path. For example, I would still be floundering around online if it weren’t for the boundless advice and support given by my teammates (Metaphysical Team on Etsy).

2.Do you have a favorite product/service that you offer?
No, each has a flavor and texture that I love; each appeals to a different sense and part of me, and each has a purpose and a joy. I really love my work. *lol* I love the warm scent of the herbs when I harvest them, hang them or mix them for incense or tea; that’s the smell of home. I love the feel of the stones, glass, wood and bone as I make jewelry and charms, and I get intense with the fascination of potion-making. I make things by custom order or in quite small batches, so I get to enjoy making one thing in the morning, then another quite different in the afternoon, or the next day. I get to explore different little areas and edges of my magicke and my creativity daily, so they all expand.

3.Please explain the item you are giving away.
This giveaway is for an e-mail tarot consultation, one of several that I offer. This particular consultation is focused, tailored to allow for an in-depth look at one specific area of your life, and questions and the revelation of obstacles and choices in that one area. You may ask as many questions about that one area as you need to; I don’t limit people by the number of questions or cards. I have 13 years of professional tarot and workshop teaching experience in a range of magickal subjects, and I think one thing that makes my readings so detailed is the way I augment my intuitive tarot work with a blend of psychology, astrology and feng-shui.


In my personal life, I also enjoy being a mum, tribal belly dancer and organic gardener, and I am honored to walk with several fur and feather people.

My sites:
www.e-Vocations.com
www.facebook.com/KindleAndCast
www.ThresholdWitcherie.etsy.com
www.BeLLesInSheLLs.etsy.com

Now check out Threshold Witcherie's shop, come back here and comment on some of your favorite products. The giveaway will last for one week, at which time I will choose the winner using random.org. Thanks to everyone who enters, and thanks to Threshold Witcherie for their lovely donation! Good luck!

Litha, Summer Celebration of the Goddess!

Litha, also known as Midsummer or the Summer Solstice, is a celebration of all things Summer. When all the flowers are in bloom, and all the crops and herbs are full of life. When the days are long and hot. Litha is actually the longest day of the year. Now the days will start to decrease, while the nights will start to increase.

Many Pagan celebrations involved a fire, including Midsummer. People would get married at Midsummer, much like at Beltane, and jump over the fire for good luck. There is also some folklore surrounding this Summer festival. It is said that in England, a big bonfire would be built on Midsummer eve, to keep evil spirits at bay. Farmers would light fires on their land, and then light torches from the fire, carrying them around the town.

Midsummer is also associated with faeries. It is said that if you stay up all night on Midsummer eve sitting in the middle of a stone circle, you will see the Fae. To honor the Fae at Midsummer, leave out some milk and honey, or a little bit of wine or cheese. You can also invite the Fae into your garden to help tend to your Summer herbs. Leave the same offerings in your garden to attract them.

On the Summer Solstice we honor Isis, Egyptian Mother Goddess of the universe, and Vesta, Roman Goddess of Hearth and Home. During the Summer in Ancient Egypt, the annual flooding of the Nile was celebrated. It was known as "Night of the Teardrop" in honor of Isis and her sorrows after losing her husband. It was said that Isis cried so much, that with her tears, she flooded the Nile. Vesta was also honored during the Summer in Ancient Rome. The festival Vestalia, which started on June 7 and lasted for eight days. Priestesses of Vesta would bake sacred cakes and tend to her sacred flame during this festival.

Since Litha is a Summer festival, honoring the ocean and her creatures can also be a part of your ritual. On your altar have representations of the sun and water, shells, summer herbs and flowers, colors of yellow, orange, red and blue, statue of Isis or Vesta. You can also have a small fire if you have the ability.

For a quick Litha herb charm: Take herbs of St. John's wort, mugwort, vervain, and lemonbalm, pour all of your worries, fears and concerns into them, put them into a small sachet bag, drop the bag onto your Litha fire (or in your cauldron) and watch your worries burn away.

I hope everyone has a bright and prosperous Summer and Litha celebration!


For more info on Litha crafts and folklore, check out : About.com






Photo courtesy of The Fairy Gathering

Crafts for Litha

Litha, or the Summer Solstice, is quickly approaching! I love making crafts for the sabbats. It just connects me more to the changing of the seasons, and the particular sabbat itself. Litha is a summer ritual celebrating the longest day of the year. So any craft making activities would include working with herbs, making a wreath for your door, creating an herb garden, making something to attract faeries, or even making a sacred besom to cleanse your home before ritual.

As a witch, having your own magical herb garden can be a very rewarding experience. The best way to do it, is to choose two or three herbs to grow. Dont overwhelm yourself by choosing many different herbs. Not all herbs will grow wonderfully in every environment. So you also have to do a little research to see what grows well in your part of the world. For example, I love lavender, so naturally, I've tried growing lavender many times. But unfortunately, it just doesn't grow well where I live. So this year, I decided to grow herbs that I know will work! I had to let go of my "home grown lavender" experiment. Although, I'm very excited because I do get to have mugwort, basil and white sage growing in my magical garden now!

Once you've chosen your herbs, make sure you have pots and soil to plant everything. The best way to grow from seed, is to germinate the seeds first. You can do this by wetting some paper towels (make sure they are thoroughly wet) and place the seeds in between the wet paper towels. As soon as they sprout, don't wait to long, plant them in your pots. Now, if you want to add a little magic to your seeds, you can recite a quick incantation while planting them. Like "Goddess, bless these seeds with your powers of creation, and watch over them as they grow into strong and powerful herbs this summer season". Or, you can form your seeds into a
magical symbol in the soil, so that when they grow, so does your wish. For example, you can fancy your seeds in the pot into a rune symbol. The rune Sowilo, which looks like the letter S or a lightning bolt, stands for success, health and achieving your goals. Place your seeds in the soil in the shape of the Sowilo rune, and watch your success grow!

For a list of all the runes, check out: Rune meanings

Now that you have started your very own magical herb garden, you can also make magical herb sachets, or herb dream pillows. Make sure once you harvest your herbs, you dry them first. Then you can grind them with your mortar and pestle, and make all sorts of herbal creations.

To make a dream pillow, check out these instructions: EHow.com, this site also gives you all the magical meanings for all the herbs. You can also add a crystal or some essential oil to your dream pillow for added energy. Make sure that when using your dream pillow, you jot down your dreams as well.

I hope you enjoy making your Litha crafts in preparation for the upcoming Summer Solstice!




Photo courtesy of Morgaine Du Mer

Goddess Invocation Mist

One of my favorite "witchy" do it yourself books, is Magical Housekeeping by Tess Whitehurst. as some of you may know, because I've posted some of her awesome recipes here before. I truly believe that a great way to connect with Goddess energy (and any magical energy for that matter) is by personally creating something for your magical act. Like making your own incense instead of buying it. Sometimes making your own ritual items can add more of your own energy to the ritual itself. So I found this great recipe for a Goddess Invocation Mist in Magical Housekeeping, and thought I would share it, You can spray this divine mist whenever you want to connect with Goddess energy. Either before a ritual, or just to lighten up a space with some femininity.

Ingredients:
* 1 Moonstone crystal
* Essential oil of ylang ylang
* Rosewater in a mister

Put the Moonstone in the rosewater, and 7 - 10 drops of ylang ylang oil. Shake for about 1 minute. Hold the mist in both hands, and ask the Goddess to infuse it with her divine feminine energy. Visualize the bottle filled with the silvery, incandescent light of the moon. Put a label on your mist if you wish. spray to connect with Goddess energy.

You should be able to buy both the ylang ylang essential oil and the rosewater at your local Whole Foods Market, or your local health food store. If not, there are many places online to purchase from. One of my personal favorites is Mountain Rose Herbs.

I hope you enjoy making your very own Goddess Invocation Mist. Thank you Tess Whitehurst for a book jam packed with wonderful recipes!




Photo courtesy of BrandiAuset