Infinite Flame Home Page
Magickal Gel Candles
Infinite Flame Incense
Infinite Flame Magickal Jewelry
Unique Pendulums
Metaphysical Properties of  Stones & Crystals
The Truth About Gel Candles
Past editions of Magickal Musings Newsletter
Ordering Info, Policies, Contact Us
Classes

Shopping Cart is
linked with
Naked-Soaps.com. Orders from both
sites combine to
save shipping costs!

 

 

 

Magickal Musings From Infinite Flame

March 4, 2011
Define "wicked".....

 

Feb-u-weary....and some announcements....

Soooo.....I didn’t send a February or Imbolc newsletter. I had planned on sending a combo newsletter to cover both. February, however, turned out to be a very intense month, full of bad news and bad luck. Money was short, plans were changed, people were getting hurt or sick, timing was off, and every day there was a fresh coat of snow to shovel (there wasn’t but it seemed like it). I was getting afraid to answer the phone because of all the bad news.

But here we are in March. Money is a little better, plans are being made, people are healing, timing is more on track, and now we are dealing with rain and mud. There has been more sunshine so my winter blues are melting away so I can be productive once again. The only negative so far is that the credit card companies are playing games with my credit, anyone know a good spell to get the banks to lower my interest rates? Or a good banishing debt spell? My efforts to make more money haven’t panned out yet and the lottery plan isn’t working either : )

In this newsletter you’ll find a rant about Borders and digital books. I bought my mom some lemon verbena and we are planning to use that oil in our Brigit candle. Since I am unfamiliar with lemon verbena, I thought I’d write about that herb this month so I could learn more about it. But first, some announcements.

I will be at the Holistic Show at Gibraltar Trade Center in Mt. Clemens on March 11, 12, & 13, (so far the weather looks like it will cooperate). The hours are slightly different this time, Saturday is 10 to 6 (we usually go to 8). I hope to be there and setting up on Friday by 2ish. Friday goes to 9 and Sunday is 10 to 6. Come on out and see all the cool stuff I and other vendors have to offer, there are some great readers and healers at these shows too. I have just made 16 new pendulums last week, it will take some time for me to get them online so you’ll have to come to the show to see them. If you are a Facebook fan of Infinite Flame, I have posted a pic of them there too.

Alicia and I will be at a Rock Swap in Taylor, this is the same one we have done for the last few years. We both will have jewelry and the stuff we have collected on our trips to the U.P. for sale at this event. If you are into stones and crystals, you will like this show. It is free to attend but get there early as some people pack up before the show is over. Be sure to check out d’jar Meteorites at this show, not only because he has awesome meteorites for sale but also because I am creating his website : )

The March online special is a free gift with every order. When you place an order through Infiniteflame.com, we will include something extra for free as a thank you. This is for purchases made online only and valid until March 31, 2011.

Save the Bookstores!

I am extremely sad to hear about the problems Borders has been going through. I love Borders. This most likely is because it was the first big book store I ever went to. Back when I was a teenager growing up in Brighton, I loved books and book stores. We only had a small book store in Brighton at the time so the selection was limited (and there was no internet available in the early 80’s). When my brother went to U of M in Ann Arbor, we began to spend more time in Ann Arbor and got to explore the city. That is where I discovered Borders Book Store. I was like a kid in a candy store. It was HUGE, at least in comparison to what Brighton had. This was the first place I found books on witchcraft and magick, and to my utter delight - tarot cards. I bought my first deck, The Mythic Tarot, from this Borders.

Since that time, I have always preferred Borders over any other chain. When I lived in Northville, there was a Barnes and Noble that was closer but I would drive to the Novi Borders to get my books. I love spending hours in there, seeing what’s new and checking out my favorite sections of books. I was disappointed when they first added the video section because that meant less books. I have their rewards card and get their emails to keep me up on new releases. If I see an interesting book online or even one offered from the book club I belong to, One Spirit, I usually go into the Borders to physically flip through and see if I really want it. Most times I buy it from Borders, although I will confess usually with a coupon.

And that brings me to the point. If you love going into a book store so you can physically flip through a book to check it out, then you should never order a book from Amazon. Amazon is what is killing not only Borders but all book stores. The reason is that your local book store has to pay rent and employees so they cannot match the price offered by Amazon. Yes I know money is tight and we are all looking to save money. But we also need to look beyond today and decide if we want to always have the luxury of walking into a book store. And book stores employ more people than Amazon does, so you are supporting your community and keeping your neighbors employed. Every book purchased on Amazon is a nail in book stores’ coffin.

I have purchased on Amazon. Once. I purchased some sandalwood essential oil right after the price skyrocketed. This was the only place that offered the oil at a reasonable price. It was a brand I often purchase so I was supporting the brand of oil, but not my local store. I have compared prices on Amazon, but that has been my only purchase.

If you love book stores then I urge you to buy at least one book there this month. It doesn’t have to be Borders (but remember they are Michigan based, Barnes and Noble is not). It can be any book store. Your small independent stores are hurting too. Support these places that allow you to get lost in a sea of books. And support the form of books that has been around for centuries.

At the risk of sounding like an old fogey, I don’t get digital books. When I want to read in bed, I don’t want some digital screen glaring at me. I don’t want to worry whether I have enough battery left to finish this chapter. An e-book reader is a cold, metal and glass, electromagnetic thing. A paper book is warm, the pages have texture, and often has a pleasing scent. A paper book feeds several senses at once, a digital book can’t do that. I can take a paper book anywhere and be able to read it at any time. A digital book has to be turned on and recharged occasionally. I can loan out a paper book, share it with friends.

I do see some advantages. Yes, it doesn’t need paper so trees are saved, altho recycling paper does that too. You don’t have to find room to store all the books either, so you won’t need book shelves, so now we have the book shelf makers unemployed....so not so much an advantage to them. The best use of digital books I can see is for schools. We have all heard the reports that kids today carry too much weight in the form of school books. E-book readers would solve this problem. Here is what I propose: every kid in school is issued one e-book reader to use the entire time they are in school. Each year the required books are downloaded into it. If they damage or lose the reader, the student is required to replace it. Make them password protected so they cannot be stolen and used by another student. This way we save the student’s backs and tons of trees. The companies that produce the books now will be in charge of creating and distributing the e-books. Problem solved.

When I purchase a paper book, I know I can read it anytime, anywhere I want. Think about how quickly technology changes (vhs to dvd to blu-ray, for example). Are you sure that book you purchased to download into your e-reader will be readable 10 years from now? Or even 5 years from now? If an author publishes his books in digital format only, will his works be known 50 years from now? What if Shakespeare had lived in these times and published all his works digitally. Would future generations be able to read his works?

I work with computers and digital equipment daily, and one thing I have learned is that these devices are not always reliable. Bugs and viruses can infect them, compatibility issues are a constant concern, upgrades are not always better, it takes longer to figure out how to do something than it does to actually do the something, and you are dependent on having electricity available. A paper book has few issues, as long as you keep it away from water, pets, and toddlers.

Now that I’ve had my say, I’m gonna clean my overflowing book shelves as I listen to albums on my record player. Then I’m going to either watch a vhs movie or play Atari games on my TV that still has a rabbit ear attenna. Seriously. I am slow to upgrade. This computer is running Windows ME and my printer is from 1995. The appliances in my house are avocado green (and still work). Gee, maybe I am becoming an old fogey.

Lemon Verbena

Lemon verbena is an oil I have not yet used but which seems to be making itself known to me recently. I know nothing about it except it has a wonderful lemon scent. So I did some research and here is what I found.

I usually start with the Latin name of the herb. For lemon verbena, it seems there are two. My main reference for such technical info is The Herb Society of America New Encyclopedia of Herbs and Their Uses. This book puts it under the genius aloysia in the family verbenaceae. It gives the species name as "aloysia triphylla syn. lippia citriodora". This means that the synonym (former botanical name) is lippia citriodora. This herb has been reclassified at some point (the book doesn’t give a date). So when purchasing this oil or herb, either species name is correct. If you see it referenced in an older book, it will have the lippia Latin name, newer books will show the aloysia Latin name.

It was known in Victorian times as "the lemon plant" and is a favorite in garden rooms. The dried leaves retain the scent and are great for potpourris. It blends well with lavender and rosemary. Lemon verbena was once popular in perfumery but due to it being expensive and was though to sensitize the skin to sunlight, it has fallen out of use.

Lemon verbena is an astringent, mild sedative, insecticide, and antibacterial. It has been used to relieve spasms of the digestive system, reduce fever, and as a treatment for acne, boils, and cysts. Lemon Verbena tea is a home remedy for colds and fevers. In aromatherapy it is used for nervous and digestive problems. You can use lemon verbena in teas and to flavor jellies, summer drinks, stuffings, salads and salad dressings. Finely crumbled dried leaves can be added to the batters of carrot, banana, or zucchini bread. Try adding some to cooked rice just before serving. You can use lemon verbena in place of lemon zest in recipes.

Magickally, it is associated with air and Mercury. It is used for happiness, love, uplifting mood, success, purification, protection and for hex/spell breaking. Cunningham warns not to add it to bath water, but does not say why. It seems safe for any other uses such as burning, crushing and inhaling the scent, or putting in a custom blend. Be aware that it may cause sensitivity to sunlight so avoid using it on the skin.

Since I haven’t used this oil or herb much myself, I searched for some recipes. I found these at Old Fashioned Living.com.

Lemon Verbena Potpourri

You will need:
dried peel of one lemon
2 cups dried lemon verbena leaves
1 cup dried chamomile flowers
6 inch cinnamon stick, crushed
1 cup dried calendula petals
1 tsp. orris root powder
2-3 drops lemon verbena essential oil (optional)

Dry the lemon peel by scraping it off the lemon with a vegetable peeler, spread on paper and dry in a warm place for about 2 weeks, until crisp. Mix all the ingredients together. Seal in a tin and put in a warm place for about 2-3 weeks, shaking occasionally. Use to scent a room, or for sachets. Add more essential oil as the smell fades. Adapted from Kitchen and Herb Gardener by Richard Bird and Jessica Houdret .

Lemon Rose Tea

Ingredients:
1/2 cup torn lemon verbena leaves
1/4 cup rose hips
Honey

Place 4 cups of water in a teakettle or medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the lemon verbena and rose hips. Remove from the heat and steep for about 15 minutes. Return to the heat and simmer for 1 minute. Pour into individual tea cups or mugs, sweeten with honey and serve.

Until next time,

~~~~Rhiannon Rose @--^--

Sign up to receive Magickal Musings from Infinite Flame
Enter your name and e-mail address below:
Name:
E-mail:
Subscribe  Unsubscribe 

This mailing list is for Infinite Flame's use only. The names and e-mails will never be shared or sold to any other individual or business.

This is a two-step sign up process. After signing-up, you will receive a confirmation e-mail. You must respond to the e-mail to be added to the list. This is called Double Opt-In and insures against fraudulent sign-ups.


Moon Phases
& Sign

This year I will also include other dates of celestial interest and holidays.

Dark Moon in Pisces:
March 4 - 3:46pm

1st Quarter in Gemini:
March 12- 6:31am

Daylight Savings Time
March 13 at 2:00am
”Spring Forward”

St. Patricks’s Day
March 17
Wear a snake instead of green if you are a proud pagan "snake".

Full void-of -course*:
March 19 - 2:10pm
Moons enters Libra:
4:03pm

Ostara/Spring Equinox
March 20
Sun enters Aries: 7:21pm

Last Quarter in Capricorn:
March 26 - 8:07am

Mercury Retrograde:
March 30 until April 23

Dark Moon in Aries:
April 3 - 10.32am

*Activities begun, or spells performed, when the moon is void-of-course often turn out differently than planned or do not go anywhere. If you plan your spell to harness the full moon, but that moon is motionless in the sky, then your spell will be void-of-course too. Plan your spell to be finished while the moon is still in a sign or begin it when the moon enters the next sign for best results.



Credit and
Butt-Kissing

Llewellyn's Witches Datebook for all moon phases

The Herb Society of America New Encyclopedia of Herbs and Their Uses by Deni Brown

Magical Oil by Moonlight by Maya Heath

Magical Aromatherapy by Scott Cunningham

Old Fashioned Living.com

Superb Herbs.net

The Epicentre.com

Song Quote:

....When I look around
Everybody always brings me down
Well is it them or me
Well I just can’t see
But there ain’t no peace to be found
But if someone really cared
Well they’d take the time to spare
A moment to try and understand
Another one’s dispair
Remember in this game we call life
That no one said it’s fair....

...I’ve come to know the cold
I thinkof it as home
When there ain’t enough of me
To go around
I’d rather be left alone
But if I call you out of habit
I’m out of love and I gotta have it
Would you give it to me
If I fit your needs
Like when we both knew we had it
But now the damage’s done
And we’re back out on the run
Funny how everything was roses
When we held on to the guns
Just because you’re winning
Don’t mean you're the lucky ones.....

Breakdown
by Guns n’ Roses,
Use Your Illusion II

© 2006-2022 Infinite Flame              magickalshoppe@infiniteflame.com

Home      The Truth About Gel Candles      Using Gel Candles for Magick       Stone & Crystal Information

 Wicked Rose Jewelry     Jewelry Archive      Pendulums      Incense            Alchemy of England Products

Candles:   Home      Elemental Quarters Set      

    Newsletter Archive           Links       About      Customer Service

Naked-Soaps.com

Website Designed and Maintained by me

Solution Graphics