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TABLEOFCONTENTS

CoverTitlePageCopyrightIntroduction

PART1

HEALINGFORHEDGEWITCHES

chakrasTheSevenChakras

BalancingYourChakrasAsaWholeBalancingtheIndividualChakras

crystalsTheMostCommonStonesandTheirUsesHowtoChooseandActivateYourCrystal

aurasCommonAuralColorsandTheirMeanings

HowtoSeeAurasHowtoCleanseYourAura

PART2

MAGICFORTHEWEEKENDWICCAN

healingwithherbsCommonHerbsandTheirUses

HowtoMakeaTinctureHowtoMakeHerbalOilHowtoMakeaPoultice

plant-basedmagicCommonPlantsandTheirUsesinMagic

HowtoMakeaSmudgeStickHowtoMakeaGris-Gris

paganholidaysSamhainYuleImbolcOstaraBeltaneLitha

LammasMabon

whitemagicThePartsofaSpell

BasicSpells

PART3

CASUALCLAIRVOYANCE

tarotTheSuits

TheMajorArcanaThree-CardSpreadGuidanceSpread

astrologyTheElementsandTheirSigns

TheCelestialBodiesTheTwelveHouses

HowtoCreateaNatalChart

palmistryChiromancyChirognomy

HowtoDoaReading

dreaminterpretationCommonDreamSymbols

LessCommon(ButStillFairlyCommon)DreamSymbolsHowtoInterpretDreams

LucidDreams

ConclusionReferencesandResources

AcknowledgmentsCreatingYourNatalChart

Index

INTRODUCTION

DID YOU EVERWONDERWHAT ALL THOSE JARS IN AN OLD apothecary shop hold?Andwhatdotheydo?Haveyoueverbeenjustalittlebittemptedtolearnwhata$20psychicmightsayaboutyournewjoborthatfundateyoujusthad?Whatwasyourunconscioustryingtotellyouwiththatstrangedreamlastnight?Whatarechakras,anyway?

This isabookfor theoccult-curious.It’sforanyonewhohasever thought,“Hey,whynot?”andboughtanamethystbecauseitwaspretty,butalsobecauseit just might bring peace and lucid dreaming. This book is for everyone whofinds their daily horoscope weirdly accurate and for anyone who has alwayssecretlywantedtoliveinaworldofmagic.

Here you’ll learn the basics of crystal healing, herbmagic, and palmistry.You’ll learn how to cast a few basic spells (all whitemagic, of course!), seeauras, and throw a proper Beltane party. You’ll learn how to interpret yourdreams,cleanseyourchakras,andchartyourstars.

Mostly,you’lllaughandhavefun.Butmaybe,justmaybe,you’llexperiencesomethingsurprising.Thatoddfeelingofdiscomfortyouhavewhenyoustandin that one cornerofyour apartmentmight just vanishwith a little light sage-smudging.Youmightfindthataneerilyaccuratetarotreadingwillcauseyoutomakeaslightlydifferentchoicethanyoumightotherwisehaveorwillgiveyouthecouragetohavefaithinyourselfandwhat’stocome.Maybe,forfun,you’llcast a love spell over your friend before she goes tomeet her blind date, andthey’llhit itoff likecrazy. Itmightbe justa tingle,ahintof thesupernatural,somethingunexplainablebutundeniable.

Here’sthething—youdon’thavetobelieveinmagictoenjoythisbook.Youjusthavetowantto.

PART1

HEALINGFORHEDGEWITCHES

Chakras,crystals,and

auras…lookdeep

within,andexpandyour

innereyetoexplore

beyond.

CHAKRAS

FOR AWHILE THERE, OUR IMPRESSION OF ANYONEWHOWAS interested in chakraswas that theywere justweird andkindof silly.But nowadaysmoreof us aretaking them seriously. There is a long history here, found in many culturesaroundtheglobe,andthere’sactuallysomerealsciencebehinditall.

Weallunderstandandacceptthatthereisenergythroughouttheuniverse—darkenergy,kineticenergy,solarenergy,magneticenergy,gravity,andsoforth.Achakraisanenergycenterinthebody.Itisgenerallyenvisionedasawheelorswirl found in specificplacesalong the spine (thewordchakra isSanskrit for“wheel”),spotswhereournervesarebundledandourhormonessecreted.Theyareconnectedbyprana,whichcanbedescribedasourlifeforceorinterpretedasourperipheralnervoussystem.It’sreallythesamething—thedifferenceisinhow you think about it and whether you believe we have the power toconsciously influence it.Qi gong, tai chi, acupressure, acupuncture, EFT, andReiki all work with prana, though they may call it different things (energymeridians,nadis,qi,etc.).

Therearethoughttobeoverahundredchakras,butwetendtofocusonjustsevenofthem.Inorderforthebody,mind,andspirittobewhole,eachofthesechakrasneedstobeopenandbalanced.Aphysicalissuewithachakracancreateanemotionalormentalissue,andanemotionalormentalissuethatrelatestoachakra can produce a physical response.Your body is not separate fromyourmindandspirit;allthreeareintertwined.Achakracancloseforseveralreasons,including day-to-day life experiences, emotional trauma, cultural influences,lack of exercise, or lack of self-care. If you face a trauma, your chakra willrespondtothatexperiencebyprotectingitself.Forexample,ifyoulosealovedone,yourclosedheartchakracouldcauseyoutodevelopasthmaorbronchitis.

Achakracanalsobeoveractive,sothatitoverpowerstheotherchakras.Anoveractivethroatchakracanleadtogossip,deceit,oraninabilitytokeepsecrets.We’ve all experienced some serious oversharing on social media—blame anoveractivethroatchakraforthatone.

It’sallaboutbalance.Inthesamewaythateachpartofourbodyisaportionofawhole,eachchakrarespondstoanother,sothatifoneisoutofbalance,theothersareallaffected.Achakrashouldhaveenergyflowingintoit(sothat,forinstance,theheartchakracanacceptlove)andoutofit(sothatitcangivelove).Achakrathatisbalancedhasanequalflow,backandforth, likethetides,andthat flow resonates at a certain frequency. Each chakra has its own soundfrequencyaswell as itsown light frequency (color).Wecanuse these soundsand colors to open or close each chakra as needed.Whenyour chakras are inbalance,youfeelateasewithinyourwholeself,asyouaregivingandreceivingfreelywiththeworld.

THESEVENCHAKRASThere are seven main chakras, and each one is connected to the physical,emotional, and spiritual body in its own way. Each one is associated with acolor,anelement,andaspecificsound,whichcanbeusefulwhenchanting toopenuptheindividualchakra.

muladhara

Thisistherootchakraatthebaseofthespine,wherethetailbone,bladder,andcolonarelocated.Thisisthemostinstinctualofallchakras—ourfight-or-flightresponse is seated here. It is our connection with the past, with our ancestralmemories, and establishes our deepest connection with the earth. When thischakraisbalanced,wefeelutterlyfearlessandsafe.Physicalmanifestationsofimbalancecanincludeproblemswiththelegs,feet,andlowerdigestivesystem.Worriesaboutourbasicneedsforsurvival—food,shelter,money—mayindicatethattherootchakraisoutofbalance.

COLOR:red ESSENTIALOILS:cedar,clove,myrrh SOUND:O

svadhisthana

This is the sacral chakra, where the ovaries and testes are located.Unsurprisingly, this is the center of our creativity and sexuality.Our passionsand pleasures, both physical and spiritual, stem from this place in the body.When this chakra is balanced, we aremore fertile in everyway—every idea,every song, every story grows from here. Physical disruptions can includeproblemswithfertility,kidneyfunction,andhipandlowerbackpain.Whenthesacral chakra is overactive, we can be hedonistic and manic, and when it isblocked,wecanhavetroublefindingpleasureinthingsweordinarilyenjoy.

COLOR:orange ESSENTIALOILS:sandalwood,ylang-ylang SOUND:Oo

manipura

Locatedat the solarplexus,near the adrenalglandsand theendocrine system,Manipuraisaboutpersonalpower,oursenseofselfandourinnerstrength.Thisiswherewefindthesourceofourwillpower,thedrivethattakesusfrominertiato action. It is about confidence and choice. Someone with a balanced solarplexus chakra is assertive without being arrogant, in control without beingafraid, and full of self-love. Someone whose solar plexus chakra is blockedmightbehearingthatnegativeinnervoice,fearingrejection,orsittingquietlyonthe sidelines for fear of being wrong. On the other hand, an overactive solarplexuschakracausesemotionaloutbursts,stress,andaneedtobethecenterofattention. Physical manifestations of imbalance include high blood pressure,chronicfatigue,andstomachulcers.

COLOR:yellow ESSENTIALOILS:chamomile,lemon SOUND:Ah

anahata

Theheartchakrais,ofcourse,seatedattheheart,butalsoatthelungs.Thisisthecenterchakra,anditisresponsibleformaintainingthebalancebetweentheothersix.Andhowelsecouldweachievethatbalancebutwithlove?Bylovewemean romantic love, self-love, friendship, kindness, compassion, and respect.Thisishowwerecognizethatwearenotalone,thatwearepartofacommunity,ofapartnership,ofafamily.Whenweallowtoomuchofthisfeeling,wecanbeneedy or unwilling to set boundaries, evenwhenwe need to.And, of course,whenweareclosedoff,wecanfeelabandoned,lonely,orjealous.Physically,aheartchakrathatisoutofbalancecanresultinasthmaandheartdisease,aswellasupperbackandshoulderpain.

COLOR:green ESSENTIALOILS:rose,bergamot SOUND:Ay

vishuddha

The throat chakra is located near the thyroid gland. If Manipura is aboutempowering ourselves,Vishuddha is about sharing our true selves. It is aboutspeaking out, standing up for what we believe in, and presenting ourselvesauthentically to the world. When that is overdone, we can speak withoutcompassion or interest in what others have to say. A balanced throat chakrameansthatwenotonlyspeakthetruth,butwehearandacceptitaswell,whichcan often be the harder task. On the other hand, when the throat chakra isblocked,weareafraidtospeakandshareourtrueselveswiththeworldforfearof rejection. This can manifest in thyroid issues, sore throat, neck pain, andmouthulcers.

COLOR:lightblue ESSENTIALOILS:lavender,sage,neroli SOUND:Eee

ajna

Thethirdeyechakraisseatednearthepituitarygland.Wearebeginningtogetoutside of the self now, as Ajna is about seeing things clearly. It’s aboutobservation and perception, but also wisdom. When our third eye chakra isbalanced,wenotonlyseewhatishappeningaroundus,butalsocomprehendit,feeling itdeeply,withcompassionandunderstanding.Asalways, therecanbetoomuchofagoodthing,resultinginanoveractiveimagination,aninabilitytocalmthemind,andalackoffocus.Ifweclosethethirdeyetootightly,though,we cut ourselvesoff from theworld aroundus, navel-gazinguntilwebecomeparanoidanddepressed.Physical symptomsofanunbalanced thirdeyechakracanincludeheadaches,hearingloss,andblurredvision.

COLOR:indigo ESSENTIALOILS:jasmine,vetiver,rosemary SOUND:Mmm

sahasrara

Thecrownchakraperchesattheverytopofthehead,nearthepinealglandand,ofcourse,thebrain.Aswemovetothischakra,wehavelefttheselfentirely—wearenowfocusednotonlyonwhatisoutsideofourselves,butwhatisbeyondus. Ifmagic is to be found in the chakras, it will be found here. There is nointellectual understanding in Sahasrara, but instead a mystical knowing, anintuitiveunderstandingofourplace in theuniverse,ofourconnectionwithalllife.Whenthecrownchakraisoveractive,wetendtoassumethatwearemorepowerful/better thanwe really are, andwe become judgmental and critical ofothers. When the crown chakra is closed, we feel isolated and lonely. Webecome uncertain, and we feel lost and depressed without a specific reason.Nightmares,migraines, and insomnia canall result froman imbalancedcrownchakra.

COLOR:purple ESSENTIALOILS:frankincense,olibanum SOUND:Ngngng

BALANCINGYOURCHAKRASASAWHOLE

Meditationis themosteffectivewaytobringallyourchakrasintoharmoniousbalance.Sitcomfortably—there’snoneedforaperfectlystraightbackor lotuslegs. Instead, sit in such away that you’re not in any pain or discomfort, butyou’re not likely to fall asleep, either.Remember thatmeditation is not aboutstoppingallthought—that’sanimpossiblegoal.Itisinsteadaboutallowingourthoughtstocomeandgo,observingwithoutengagingwiththem.

When you’ve achieved a state of open relaxation, begin to focus yourattention on your root chakra. Visualize its color, and visualize its swirl as itallows energy to flow in and out evenly. Take a deep breath and chant“Ohhhhhh.”

Continueinthismannerupthrougheachchakra,movinginorderandtakingthetimetofocusyourattentiononeachoneinturn,seeingitscolorinyourmindand chanting its sound aloud. When you’ve finished, visualize yourselfsurroundedbyaglowofwhite light.Repeatamantra that feelsappropriate toyouinthemoment;perhapsitissomethinglike“Iamatpeacewithinmyself,”or“theUniverse/ahigherpower/Godisforme/usall.”Breathedeeplyandallowtheenergytosettlewithinyou.

BALANCINGTHEINDIVIDUALCHAKRASYoucanbalanceeachindividualchakrawithameditationpractice.Makeuseofeach chakra’s suggested crystals (see here), alongwith its associated essentialoils.Youcaneitherrestthecrystalonthelocationofthespecificchakrawhileyou’re lyingdownandmeditating,or, ifyouprefer tositup,simplyhold it inyourhand.Chantthesoundassociatedwithyourchakraasmanytimesasfeelscomfortableandright,orsitinsilence,focusingyourattentiononthatchakra.

Butifmeditationissimplybeyondyou,thereareotherwaystobalanceyourchakras,specifictoeachofthem:

MULADHARA Seekout thecolorred,particularly inyourfood.Letyourbarefeetfeeltheearth.Dosomethingpractical,likesavingforretirementorpayingalittleextratowardyourmortgage.Usethesuggestedessentialoilsinafootbath,orapplyawarmclothwithafewdropsofoiltothebaseofyourspine.

SVADHISTHANA Engage in a little romance, even if that simply meanswatching Bridget Jones’s Diary or reading a sweeping historical novel. Eatorange foods and indulge in any activity that brings you pleasure, particularlysomethingcreative.Dropsomeessentialoilsinabathorshower,orusethemtoscentacandle.

MANIPURA Get some sunshine!Go to the beach, if it’s the right season, oreven just curl up inside near thewindow. Eat yellow foods, including lots ofcitrus,drinksomechamomiletea,andgiveyourselfalotofself-care.Definitelyknockoffanynegativeself-talk!

ANAHATA Maketimeforthoseyoulove—callafriendyouhaven’ttalkedtoinawhile, spendquality timewithyourpartnerorchildren,or takeyourparentsout to dinner. For each act of love you give, youwill receive that love backtenfold.Andwhileyou’reat it, eat lotsof leafygreens,perhaps throwing inabeetortwo.

VISHUDDHA Journal, blog, write some poetry, even sing! You may not bereadytoshareanyofthatwithanyoneelse,butpracticeexercisingyourvoiceinwhateverwayyou’recomfortable.Seekoutthecolorblue…therearen’tmanybluefoods,obviously,butyoucouldwearablueshirtorsimplychoosetonoticetheblueyouseeintheworld.

AJNA Makeapointoflisteningcloselywhenothersarespeaking.Readaboutwhat isgoingon in theworldandaskquestions.Ponder.Weardarkblue,andcloseyoureyessothatyoucanreflectonwhatyouhaveseenandheard.

SAHASRARA For this one, you really shouldmeditate, if you can. If not, tryprayer.Askforguidanceandbewillingtolistenforananswer.Lookforpurplearound you. Imagine all the possibilities in theworld, and even reflect on theimpossible.Allowyourselftodaydream.

CRYSTALS

HONESTLY,PARTOFTHEREASONWE’REDRAWNTOCRYSTALhealingisbecauseit’ssopretty—itjustfeelsmagical.

Whether it is trulymagical is up for debate. There is evidence that crystalhealinghasbeenaroundfor6,000years,datingbacktoSumeriansandancientEgyptians.Today’scrystalhealingmostoftenrelatestotheBuddhistandHinduunderstanding of chakras. All of these different practices assign differentproperties to different stones—diamonds to draw out poison, garnet to keepnightmaresaway,jadeforlongevity,andsoforth.

Therehasn’tbeenmuchinthewayofrealscientificresearchdoneoncrystalhealing,andwhatlittlethereisshowsnothingmorethanaplaceboeffect.But,worst-case scenario, crystal healing is utterly harmless, and according to itspractitioners, it can achieve a staggeringlywide variety of results—everythingfromstimulatingpsychicabilitiestoaligningthespineandoffsettingalcoholism.

Becausetherearesomanystoneswithsuchvarieduses,crystalhealingcanbeafairlycomplicatedpractice.Theeffectofeachcrystalchangesnotjustwithits type but also its shape and how it has been activated and cleansed. Forinstance, rose quartzwill produce different results depending onwhether it isshapedasawandorleftasatumbledstone.Foraprofessionalsession,ahealerwillinterviewyouaboutyourneedsandconcernsbeforehavingyoulieonamatoramassagetableforthesession.Thehealerwillthenplacestonesonornearyourbodyasyouremainstillandtrytoachieveastateofcomfortandrelaxation—which isn’t always easy with someone darting about putting rocks on andaroundyou.

Mostoften,theplacementreliesonthechakras(seehere):

MULADHARA, the root chakra, can be stimulated with red or black stones likeobsidian,hematite,garnet,andsmokyquartz.

SVADHISTHANA, the sacral chakra, responds to orange stones like citrine and

carnelian.

MANIPURA, the solar plexus chakra, should be paired with yellow stones likeyellowjasperandgoldencalcite.

ANAHATA,theheartchakra,traditionallyrespondstogreenstoneslikemalachiteand jade, but since our bodies are influenced by ourminds and cultures, pinkstoneslikerosequartzhavegainedinpowerandpopularityforthehealingoftheheart.

VISHUDDHA,thethroatchakra,isstimulatedbybluestones,includingaquamarineandturquoise.

AJNA, the chakra located right between your eyebrows, at your “third eye,” isopenedupbyindigostoneslikelapislazuliandazurite.

SAHASRARA,thecrownchakraatthetopofyourhead,ispairedwithvioletandwhitestonesincludingamethystsandclearquartz.

Afterthat,it’samatterofthehealer’spersonalpreferenceandinterpretationofyourneeds.Thehealerwillobserveyourreactionstoeachstoneasitmagnifiesyour positive energies and balances your negative energies. During or after asession you might experience some lethargy, a runny nose, and even someweepingasphysicalandemotionalblockagesarereleased.

Whether that’s just a placebo effect, the power of your mind choosing tobelievethatit’sworking,oramethystsreallytakingyourheadacheaway…whoknows?Andiftheheadacheisgone,doesitmatter?

THEMOSTCOMMONSTONESANDTHEIRUSES

AMETHYST Develops intuition and spiritual awareness. Aids in meditation,calm,andtranquility.Relievesheadaches.

AQUAMARINE Aids in expressing your personal truth. Reduces fear andtension.

AZURITE Helps find spiritual or psychic blocks that are causing physicalblocks.Transformsfearintounderstanding.Goodforarthritisandjointpain.

CALCITE Anenergyamplifier, it eases communicationbetween thephysicalandspiritualworld.

CARNELIAN Enhancescreativityandsexuality,andhelpswithexploringpast-lifeexperiences.Aidsindigestion.

CITRINE Astoneofabundance,itinvitessuccessandmoney,andraisesself-esteem.Goodfortheheart,kidneys,liver,andmuscles.

CLEARQUARTZ Astoneofhealing,itchannelspowerandamplifiesuniversalenergy.Thisstonecanbeprogrammedtowhateveruseyourequire.

GARNET A stone of health and creativity, it stimulates your internal fire.Wardsoffcancer,goodforskinelasticity,andalsohelpspreventnightmares.

HEMATITE Astoneofprotectionandgrounding,itclosesyourauratokeepoutnegativeenergy.Providessupportforastralprojection.

JADE Will inspire you to ambition and keep you working toward yourobjective.Goodforlongevity.

LAPISLAZULI Astoneoffocusthathelpsamplifythought,aidsinmeditation,andreleasesyoufrommelancholy.Goodforsorethroatsandfever.

MALACHITE Releases storedemotions, allowsyou to look inward.Useful inalleviatingmentalillness.

MOONSTONE Soothestheemotionsaswellasthedigestivesystem.Encouragespeaceandharmonywithin.

OBSIDIAN Astoneofprotection,particularlyfromspiritualforces.Itwillhelpyou to understand and face your deepest fears. Helpswith bacterial and viralinvasions.

OPAL Stone of amplification, enhancesmystical experiences and creativity.Balancesmoodswings.

PYRITE Astoneofdefenseandprotection,itsymbolizesthesunandcleanses

theblood.

ROSE QUARTZ A stone of love—not just romantic love, but familial andbrotherlyloveaswell.Nurturingandcomforting,thisstonedissipatesanger.

SMOKY QUARTZ A stone of protection, it stimulates your survival instincts.Enhancesfocusandfertility.

TIGER’SEYE Astoneofstability,itheightenspersonalpowerandintegrity.

TURQUOISE A stone of healing, it guards against disease and environmentalpollutants.

YELLOW JASPER Stimulates the pancreas and the endocrine system. Helpsaligntheenergymeridians.

HOWTOCHOOSEANDACTIVATEYOURCRYSTAL

The first step is todetermineyourneedsat themoment.Areyouaddressingaphysicalailmentoraspiritualone?Areyougoingtoattemptastralprojectionorperhapsaspell?Sometimesyoumightfindyourselfdrawntoaparticularstone,sothatthestonechoosesyou,ratherthantheotherwayaround.Gotoaholisticshopandseewhatcallstoyou.

Ifyou’renot surewhat stoneyouneed, tryquartz. It’s the salt in the spicecabinetofcrystals.

Onceyou’vechosen the typeof stoneyouwant toworkwith,youneed toselectitsshape:

CHUNK This isacrystalwithoutnoticeablefacets—turquoiseoftencomesinthis form, as does pyrite.While geodes have some facets, they are consideredchunkcrystalsaswell.Theseareoftenplacedaroundthe livingspaceorworkenvironmenttocleansetheatmosphere.

CUT This iswhenacrystalorgemhasbeen shaped toenhance sparkleandcapturelight,whichamplifiesthecrystal’senergies.

TUMBLED Thesearethestonesyou’llfindinbinsatascienceormysticalshop.Theyaresmooth,shiny,andcomfortingtohold.

WAND This type of crystal, rough at one end and pointed at the other, isfrequentlyused in jewelry, but ahealermayalsouse it todirect energies in amorepronouncedandtargetedway.

Onceyou’vechosenastone,you’llwanttoclearit.Yourstonedidn’tcometoyou straight from the earth—itwas found by others, packaged by others, andhandledbyothers,sotheirenergieshavepenetratedit.Thereareseveralwaystopurify your crystal: soaking it in saltwater or holding it under runningwater(preferably a stream, but rain or even your faucet will do in a pinch) are thesimplestways,butifyourstoneisabit toodelicateforthat,youcanletitrestwith carnelian or clear quartz, which have cleansing properties; do a littlesmudging(seehere);orletthesunormoonworktheirmagicby“washing”thestonesintheirlight.

Oncethestoneiscleared,itcanbeactivated.Whileeachstonealwayscarriesits special properties within itself, you can enhance a stone’s power byprogramming it with your specific needs and intentions. Clear quartz inparticularcanbecomewhateveryouwantittobeanddowhateveryourequireittodo.

Activatingyourcrystalcantakeanyformyoudesire.Thiscanbeassimpleasholding thecrystal inyourhandandsettingan intention.Youcan invokeahigher power, or you can really set the stage for your healing process byperformingaritual.

Stand inpure light, either sunlightormoonlight, dependingonyourneeds,cupping thecrystalso that the lightshineson it.Speakaloudaphraseofyourchoosing,invokingloveandlightinawaythatspeakstoyou.Ifyouareusingyourcrystalforaspecificpurpose,namethatpurpose,andfocusyourintention

intothestone.Holdthecrystaltoyourheartandbowyourhead,givingthankstotheenergywithinthestone,ortoahigherpower—whicheverfeelsrighttoyou.

Onceyou’veactivatedyourstone,youcanusesomesmall-gaugewireandachain tomake it intoanecklace for a lovelypieceof supportive jewelry.Youcan simply carry it around in your pocket, put it into a gris-gris bag orincorporate it into your spellwork (see here), or place it around your home towardandprotectyou.

AURAS

WE’VEALLHADTHATMOMENTWHENWEFEELUNCOMFORTABLYclosetosomeoneinanelevatororonthestreet,asiftheyhadtouchedusunexpectedly,eveniftheydidn’t.Webackawayasmuchaswecan.Thatsenseofdiscomfort,ofinvasion,happens to everyone. It also works the other way—sometimes the act of justbeingnearsomeonewelove,orwhoseenergyinspiresus,canbecomfortingandprovide a physical sensation of warmth and ease. We can call that invisiblesomething around us our “space,” our “bubble,” our “energy field,” but thespiritualtermforitisouraura.

Alllivingthingsaresurroundedbyanaura.Atypicalauraspreadsthreefeetawayfromthebody,thoughtheactualsizedependsontheperson.Tryrubbingyour palms together furiously, generating heat. Then stop and let them driftslowly apart, paying attention to the energy you feel between them, thevibrations,thetrembling,andtheremainingheat.Thatisyourownaura.

The energy that flows through thebody, concentrated in the chakras, spillsbeyondtheskintointeractwiththeworldoutside.Inthatway,whateverwe’refeeling inside is reflected outside. Ifwe are out of balance, someonewho canread auras can see that. But these imbalancesmake themselves clear in otherways, too.Every timewe interpret someone’s behavior,we read their internalimbalance:“Myhusbandsnappedatme.Iknowhe’sstressedoutatwork.”“Myfriendissotiredallthetime.Iknowshe’snotpayingenoughattentiontoself-care.” We often don’t even need any supporting actions to understand thesethings—wecantellthroughsimplebodylanguageorfacialexpressionsorevensome unnameable sense. It’s with that unnameable sense that reading aurascomesin.

An aura has seven layers called the subtle bodies, and these layers canfluctuate in visibility and size depending on the person’s internal state. Sosomeone’sauradoesnotalwayslookthesameandisnotalwaysthesamecolor.Everythingdependsonwhichlayerisdominantataspecificmoment.

ETHERICAURA Thislayerliesclosesttothephysicalbody.Atitsrestingstateitextendsonlyonetotwoinchesoutsidetheskin.Itcontainsinformationaboutaperson’sphysicalwell-being.ThisiswhatcanbeseenthroughelectromagneticorKirlianphotography.Itscolortypicallyvariesbetweenblue,whenthepersonismoresedentaryandtendstobeemotional,andgray,whenthepersonismoreactive.

EMOTIONALAURA This subtle body extends three inches from thebody andpertainstoaperson’semotionalstate.Theemotionalauracanbeanycolorandmay contain blotches signifying different emotions. If the person’s emotionalstateisconfusedorconflicted,theaurawillappearmuddied.

MENTALAURA This aura extends eight inches from the body. If a person isdeep in thought, this layer will appear bright yellow with colors sparkingdependingonwhichemotionsareassociatedwiththethoughts.

ASTRAL AURA The first three aural layers are grounded in the self. Startingwith this layer, things get a littlewild.The astral aura is closely tiedwith theemotional aura, but it reflects the higher self or the best version of ourselves.When we are in love—romantic or platonic—it glows pink. This layer is thebridgetoastralprojection,anditextendsaboutafootawayfromthebody.

ETHERICTEMPLATEAURA Thisauraextendsabouttwofeetfromthebody,anditcanbeverydifficult tosee—and tounderstand.Theetheric templateaura isessentiallyablueprintforallphysicallife.Itappearsasadarkblue.

CELESTIALAURA Thissubtlebodyextendsabouttwoandahalffeetfromthebody.Itscolorstendtobeshimmering,softpastels,andthelayerrepresentsourcommunicationwiththeDivine.Emotionsofecstaticlovetapintothislayer,asloveisourstrongestconnectionwiththespiritualrealm.

KETHERICTEMPLATEAURA This auraextendsapproximately three feet fromthebodyandshineslikeastructuredwebofgold.Ifthecelestialaurarelatestoouremotionalconnectionwith theDivine, theketheric templateaura is tied inwithourmentalandspiritualknowing.Ourintuitionresideshere.

Thoughweareallabletosenseauras,wearenotallabletosenseeverylayer,atleast not individually—only extremely experienced practitioners can do that.Oncewe’vetaughtourselvestoactuallyseetheauras,notsimplysensethem,wemaystillhaveahardtimeinterpretingthembecausethelayerslieontopofoneanother,sothatwhatwearelookingatisablendofallthelayers.Thisstillgivesus a lot of information and allows us to interpret what we see. An aura willrarelybe justonecolor,but frequentlyonespecificcolor tends todominate. Ifthatcolorisclearandbright,theauraisconsideredhealthy,butifitismuddied,thepersonmaybeexperiencingsomeemotionalissues.

COMMONAURALCOLORSANDTHEIRMEANINGS

A red aura can be difficult to interpret, as it can indicate either positive ornegativeenergies.Useyourownemotionalresponsetotheperson’sauratohelpyoufigurethatout.Redcanmeanhealthyprideandsenseofself-worth,oritcanindicate anger and anxiety. From a physical standpoint, a red aura provides apictureoftheheartandbloodcirculation.

DARK RED: Usually indicates someone who is centered and grounded,withastrongsenseofself-preservation.

MUDDYRED:Indicatesanger.BRIGHTRED:Passionate,competitive,sensual,andenergetic.PINK:Artisticand loving. If this isnot theperson’susualaural color, it

mayhaveturnedpinkbecausetheyhaverecentlyfalleninloveorarefeelinglovemoreprofoundlyatthatmoment.Itmayalsoindicatethatthepersonpossessespsychicabilities.

MUDDY PINK: Indicates deceit and emotional immaturity—which isfrequentlythecauseofdeceit.

Anorangeauragenerallymeansthatthepersonishealthyandfullofvitalityandenergy.Italsoprovidesanunderstandingofwhatisgoingonwiththeperson’sreproductivesystem.

REDORANGE:Indicatesconfidence.YELLOWORANGE:Thispersoniscreative,intelligent,andaperfectionist.MUDDY ORANGE: This person is feeling laziness or a lack of ambition.

Theymayalsobeemotionallycloggedandunablemoveforward.

Thispersonisoptimisticandfulloflifeandfun,thoughayellowauramayalsoindicatethattheperson’sliverorspleenismalfunctioning.

PASTELYELLOW:Optimismandspiritualawareness.BRIGHTYELLOW:Struggleforpersonalpower.MUDDYYELLOW: Indicativeoffatigue,fromtryingtodotoomuchallat

once.

Many teachers and healers have green auras, as do those who work with thenaturalworld. It is the color of love and healing. Someonewith a green auraworks tohelp theworld inwhateverwaytheycan.Agreenauraalsoprovidesinformationonthehealthoftheheartandthelungs.

YELLOWGREEN:Excellentcommunicator.

BRIGHTGREEN:Naturalhealer.MUDDY GREEN: Jealousy, insecurity. This person has trouble taking

responsibilityfortheiractions.

Peoplewith blue auras are calm and compassionate, sensitive and intuitive.Ablueauramayalsotellyousomethingaboutthestateofthethyroid.

TURQUOISE: Powerful healer, particularly in the realmof emotional andmentalhealth.

LIGHTBLUE:Truthfulandpeaceful.BRIGHTBLUE:Aspiritual intuitive.Maybeabletoreadother’s thoughts

orfutures.MUDDYBLUE:Deceitful,thoughnotoutofmalice,butinsteadoutoffear.

Those with purple auras are deeply spiritual and possess extraordinary gifts,though a purple aura may also indicate that something is going on with thenervoussystem.

INDIGO: A daydreamer, but in the best possible way. This person canmaketheworldthewaytheywishittobe.

VIOLET:Psychicallypowerfulandwise.LAVENDER:Imaginativeandcreative.MUDDY VIOLET: This person’s psychic gifts are being blocked by some

internalforce.

Asilverauraisindicativeofabundance,eitherspirituallyormonetarily.Ontheotherhand,agrayauraindicatesthatthepersonisfilledwithfeartothepointofsufferingphysically.

SomeonewithagoldauraisindirectcommunicationwiththeDivine.Manyofour great spiritual leaders, likeGandhi,MartinLutherKing Jr., and theDalaiLamawouldhavegoldauras.

If someone’s aura is black, they arepulling all energy toward themself, like ablackhole.Theseindividualsarepsychicallyorphysicallywoundedandtryingtohealthemselves,howeverineffectively.

White indicates newness and purity. Celestial beings are said to have whiteauras.Someonewhoisenlightenedmayhaveawhiteaura,thoughchildrenoftenhavewhiteaurasaswell.

HOWTOSEEAURASFirst, get comfortable sensing auras.We all do this instinctively, so it’s just amatterofconsciouslypayingmoreattention.Takeapersononthetrainorsittingnearyou in thepark, andobserve them.What isyourgut reaction?Useallofyoursenses,ifyoucan—whatdotheylooklike,soundlike,smelllike?Whatisyouremotionalresponse?Goaheadandassignthatpersonacolor.Trynottopindownanymeaningofthecolorinyourmindfirst.Justgowithyourinstinctsandintuition.

Next, try utilizing your peripheral vision. Out of the sides of our eyesweoften half-see objects and colors that aren’t really there—or at least aren’tusuallyvisible.Ourperipheralvisionprovidesuswithfarmoreinformationthanwe normally allow ourselves access to. If you look at the person out of thecornerofyoureye,doyousenseacolor?Youcandevelopthisperipheralvisionthroughpractice.

To take amore intentional approach, ask the person to stand in front of awhitewall,andswaygentlyfromsidetoside.Useasoftfocustolookatthem.Allow your eyes to blur. Don’t strain or squint—this isn’t something thatrequiresgoodeyesight,asitisn’treallyaboutseeingatall.Anycolorsthatyouseeinthespacethepersonjustoccupiedwillindicatetheiraura.

HOWTOCLEANSEYOURAURACleansingyouraura isnot thatdifferent frombalancing thechakras.Themostprofounddifference is really that itneeds tohappenmoreoften,becauseaurasaremoreeasilyandfrequentlyaffectedbytheoutsideworldthanchakras.Justbrushingupagainstanegativeauracanintroducenegativityintoourownauras.Unexplainedmoodswingsoragoodtimeturninginstantlybadcanbetheresultoftheimpactofsomeoneelse’sauraonyourown.

Cleanse your aura by going through the chakra-cleansing ritual (see here),andthenworktostrengthenthataurafromfurtherinvasion.Duringmeditation,visualize a psychicwall of protection around your energy field, awall that ispermeableonlytowhatyouwishtoallowinside.Itcancloseoutanger,blockthosewhodrainyourenergy,andwelcomeinloveandpositivity.

Therearealsocordsthatbindustoeveryonearoundus—thick,unbreakablecordsbetween thosewe love themostand threadsconnectingstrangers tooneanother.Thosethreadscanalwaysgrowback,butsometimesyouneedthespaceto heal yourself. Visualize breaking those threads and allowing the thick,unbreakablecordstogoslack—stillconnected,butnolongerpullingatyou.Ifthere is a cord that needs to be broken orweakened—say, if a friendship has

becometoxic—visualizethataswell.Ifyouraurafeelstoodiffuse—ifyouarefeelingthatyouarespreadtoothin

—visualizeyourauracontracting.Reinitin,keepingyourenergiesclosetoyourheart.

Ifmeditationandvisualizationarehardforyou,you’renotalone!Therearealsomore physical, tangibleways to cleanse your aura.Water is an excellentwaytorinseyouraura,particularlymovingwater likeastream,awaterfall,ortheocean.Ifthatisn’tavailabletoyou,trytakingasaltwaterbath.Crystalscanbeextremelyhelpful,ascancertainherbalremedies.

PART2

MAGICFORTHEWEEKENDWICCAN

Herbsforhealing,

herbsforspells…dance

atdawntowelcome

Beltane,andrevelin

yourinnerwitch.

HEALINGwithHERBS

THERE’SSOMETHINGDELIGHTFULABOUTTHEPHRASEHERBAL tinctures.Elixir, too,hasatantalizinglyold-fashionedmagictoit.Forbetterorworse,though,herbalremediesarenotmagicalatall.Takeaspirin:itwashailedaswonderdrugintheearly 1900s… but people had been chewing willow bark for centuries andachieving the same result. Both contain salicylic acid, the active ingredient inaspirin thatprovidespain relief.We switched to swallowingaspirin insteadofdrinkingwillowbarkteabecausewewereabletoingestahigherconcentrationof the salicylic acid all at once.Also (bonus!)we didn’t have to tastewillowbark.

Thesedays,pharmaceuticalsareviewedwithalittlemorecautionandalittleless enthusiasm.We’ve all dealtwith our share of side effects, price-gouging,andconcernsaboutaddictionandoverdose.Thetruthisthataspirin,ibuprofen,ornaproxen isgoing tobe farmoreeffective than turmeric, stingingnettle,orwillowbark.You’dneed toeata lotof turmeric toget the same levelofpainrelief that naproxen can give you. On the other hand, turmeric isn’t going tomake your stomach bleed or cause kidney or liver problems, while naproxenmight.Ifyou’vegotamigraineoraslippeddiscinyourback,takethenaproxen.Ifyou’vegotamildheadacheorsomesoremuscles,maybeconsiderflavoringyourdinnerwithalotofturmeric.

Herbscanhelpwithawiderangeofissues,fromupsetstomachtocrampstodepressiontoallergyrelief.You’relikelyalreadyfamiliarwith(anduse)varioushealing plants like echinacea, ginger, kava, and chamomile. But have youconsideredthebenefitsofcatnip,milkthistle,andhorsechestnut?

Theeasiest thing todo is tobuysomesupplements—but itmaynotbe thebest thingtodo.It isalsopossibletodoyourselfharmwithherbalremedies—theycaninteractwithover-the-counterorprescriptionmedicationsyoumaybeon,andifyoutakemorethantherecommendeddosage,youmightstarthavingtroublewithyour liverorbloodpressure.And let’sbe smarthere—don’t takeanythingwhilepregnantwithoutconsultingwithyourdoctorfirst.

Ifyouuseherbalremediesinteaortinctureform,you’remuchlesslikelytotaketoomuch.It’salsojustmorefun—tendingahealinggarden,hangingherbsto dry, andmaking teas, tinctures, compresses, and pastes is nothing short ofdelightful.Thehedgewitchesofoldknewhow to findanduseeverypossibleplantforeverypossibleremedy—skillsthatweresoimpressivethattheyseemedlikemagic.

COMMONHERBSANDTHEIRUSES

ashwagandha

The name translates to “smell of horse.” This herb is hard to find fresh, butpowders,pills,teas,andextractsareavailable.

BENEFITS: Increases energy, boosts the immune system, anti-inflammatory,reducesanxiety.

SUGGESTEDUSE:Stir¼-½tsp.powderintowarmmilkandhoneybeforebed.

CONCERNS:Mayincreasethyroidhormonelevelsandlowerbloodsugar.

blackcohosh

Thismemberof thebuttercupfamilycouldbegrown inagarden.Driedroots,capsules,teas,andextractsarealsoavailable.

BENEFITS:Relievesmenstrualcrampsandarthriticpain.Easessymptomsofmenopause.

SUGGESTEDUSE:Drinkasateaormixwithhoneyasasyrup.CONCERNS:Maycauseupsetstomach,soconsidertakingwithfood.

calendula

Also known as marigold, this herb could be grown in a garden, but is alsoavailableasteas,oils,andcreams.Usefulfordyeingandfoodcoloringaswell.

BENEFITS:Helpshealcuts.Goodfordiaperrashorotherskinirritations.Calmsanupsetstomach.

SUGGESTEDUSE:Steeppetalsinjustbelowboilingwaterfortenminutes,thendrinkasatea.Adddriedflowerstococonut,almond,oroliveoilasasalve.

CONCERNS:Noneknown.

catnip

It’snotjustforcats!Catnipiseasilygrownandalsoavailableasacapsule,tea,extract,andessentialoil.Itisalsohandyasaninsectrepellent.

BENEFITS: Anti-inflammatory. Good for insomnia, upset stomach,menstrualcramps,headache,andtreatingthecommoncold.

SUGGESTEDUSES:Steepfortea,sprinkleessentialoilintothebathorrubitonthetemples,useincooking(it’samemberofthemintfamily,soitsflavorisbetterthansome).

CONCERNS:Noneknown.

cranberry

Easilyobtainedfreshorfrozenandalsoavailableinpillform,thisherbisagreatsourceofvitaminC,fiber,andvitaminE.

BENEFITS: Most frequently used to treat and prevent urinary tractinfections.Alsoshown to reduce riskofcardiovasculardisease, slowtumorprogressionincancer,andhelppreventgumdisease.

SUGGESTEDUSES:Because they’reso tart,cranberriesoftencomewithalotofsugar.Trytobuyreduced-sugardriedcranberriesandstayawayfrom most cranberry juices. If you can manage it, drink theunsweetenedjuicetorelieveaUTI,andcertainlytrymakingyourowncranberrysauceatThanksgiving.

CONCERNS:Noneknown.

dittany

This is one of those herbs with a long history. It is also known as “burningbush.”Easilygrown,itishardtofindindriedorteaform.

BENEFITS:Antibacterial,antifungal,andantimicrobial.Goodfortheskinandtheintestines,andisthoughttobeanaphrodisiac.

SUGGESTEDUSES:Steepinhotwaterfortea,butusesparingly.Useasanantibacterialbalmorpoultice.

CONCERNS:Ifyou’veputsomeonyourskin,stayoutofthesun,asitcanincreasetheriskofsunburn.

elderberry

ThisherbhasbeenusedtobattleafluepidemicinPanamaasrecentlyas1995.Itcanbegrown,but isalsoavailableasapilloranextract.Foryourpersonalgarden,lookspecificallyforSambucusnigra,asotherelderberryvarietiescanbetoxic.

BENEFITS: Boosts the immune system, treats sinus infections, lowersbloodsugar,actsasadiureticandalaxative,goodforskinhealthandallergies.

SUGGESTEDUSES:They’redelicious!Canbemadeintoasyrup, jams,orjellies—evenwine.

CONCERNS:Don’tpickandusewild elderberryunlessyou’re absolutelycertain the plant is Sambucus nigra. Always cook the berries toremoveanytoxicity.

feverfew

Thisisanotherherbwithalonghistory.Easilygrownandavailabledried,itismostfrequentlyfoundincapsuleform.

BENEFITS: For centuries, it was used to relieve fever, to assist withchildbirth,andforfertility.Nowit ismostfrequentlyusedtopreventmigraines.Itcanalsohelpwithtinnitus,nausea,dizziness,asthma,andallergies.

SUGGESTEDUSES:Itdoesn’ttastegood,sonotrecommendedevenasatea.Instead,makeatinctureorpurchasecapsules.

CONCERNS:Ifyoudodrinkit,feverfewcancauseirritationinthemouth.If taken in large quantities on a regular basis, stopping can causewithdrawalsymptoms,souseonlyasneeded.Maycausetheuterustocontract,sodon’ttakewhilepregnant.

horsechestnut

Thisisnotthekindofchestnutyou’dwanttoroastonafire,butitisstilluseful.It is not recommended for personal processing, as the seed contains esculin, apoisonoussubstance.Purchaseanextractorpillinstead.

BENEFITS: Shown tobe extremely effective against varicoseveins.Alsogoodforhemorrhoidsandfrostbite.

SUGGESTED USES: 300 milligrams of horse chestnut seed extract twicedaily.

CONCERNS:Don’tconsumerawhorsechestnutseeds,bark,orleaves.

lemonbalm

Thismemberofthemintfamilyhasadistinctlemonyscent.Itisalsoknownas“melissa.”It iseasilygrown,butalsoavailableintea,extract,andessentialoilforms.

BENEFITS: Calms anxiety, encourages restful sleep. Good for the skin,improvesmoodandmentalclarity.

SUGGESTEDUSES:Steepfreshordriedtomaketea,useincooking,usetoflavorhoneyorvinegar,useinahotbath.

CONCERNS:Noneknown.

marshmallow

Sadly, these are not the things we put in hot chocolate. The root is availabledried,aswellasinpowder,extract,capsule,andteaform.

BENEFITS:Aidswith dry cough, represses inflammation in the lining ofthestomach,goodforchilblainsandsunburn.

SUGGESTEDUSES:Drinkasatea,addtoabaseoilforasalve.CONCERNS:Maycauselowbloodsugar.

milkthistle

Thisherbiseasilygrown,asit’sprettymuchaweed.It’savailableasanextract,pill,ortea.

BENEFITS: Milk thistle can protect your liver from toxins—say, forinstance, alcohol. It can even be used to treat cirrhosis and jaundiceandhelpswithenvironmentaltoxindamage.

SUGGESTED USES: Steep in hot water or make a tincture. Notrecommendedforuseincooking.

CONCERNS:Maycausediarrhea.

mullein

This is the clear quartz of herbal healing. It is easily found and grown andavailablebothdriedandincapsuleform.

BENEFITS: Known particularly for respiratory relief, including cough,bronchitis, asthma, andpneumonia, it’s alsogood for earache, fever,sorethroat,migraine,andtohealtheskin.

SUGGESTEDUSES:Applyatincturetorelieveearinfection,drinkasatea,useasasalvetohealwoundsandbruises.

CONCERNS:Noneknown.

plantainleaf

Prettyhip thesedays, asherbal remediesgo,plantain leaf is easilygrownandavailabledriedorincapsuleform.

BENEFITS:Greatfortheskin,particularlyinrelievinginsectbites,poisonivy, and sunburn. Lowers cholesterol, helps clear up bladderinfections,relievesconstipationordiarrhea.

SUGGESTEDUSES:Makepoulticewithclayandwaterormakeasalvewithabaseoil. Infusevinegar to sprayon the skin toprovidepain relief.Drinkasatea.

CONCERNS:Noneknown.

rue

This herb is also known as “herb of grace.” Easily grown, it is also availabledried,incapsuleform,orasanessentialoil.

BENEFITS:Usedtopromotemenstruation,itprovidesasenseofcalmandwell-beingandisgoodforrelievinggas,mucus,andarthritis.

SUGGESTED USES: As an oil or poultice it can relieve croup or chestcongestion.Drinkasateatoeaseanxiety.

CONCERNS:Thisoneisserious—itcancauseamiscarriage.Useinsmallamounts,regardlessofwhetherornotyou’repregnant.

valerian

This isanattractiveaddition toanygarden,withapleasingscent,but it is therootwhichholdsthegoodstuffandthatdoesnotsmellgood.Easilygrown,thisherbisalsoavailableintea,capsule,andextractforms.

BENEFITS: Valerian is very effective against insomnia. It also calmsanxietyanddepression,andhelpswithADHDandheadache.

SUGGESTEDUSES:Drinkateamadefromtheleavesforamildsedative,orsteep the roots forsomethingstronger.Adda tincture toabath foragentler,child-friendlyalternative.

CONCERNS:Noneknown,butobviouslydon’toperateheavymachinery.

vervain

Usuallybluevervain isused,butother typesseemtowork justaswell.Easilygrown,vervainisalsoavailabledriedorasanextract.

BENEFITS:Helpswithanxietyandsleeplessness.Alsoprovidespainrelief,easestensemuscles,andpromotesanoverallsenseofwell-being.

SUGGESTED USES: Steep in hot water as a tea. Not recommended incooking,thoughitsmellsnice,soaddalittletoabath.

CONCERNS:Maycausenausea.

yarrow

Thismember of the sunflower family is easily grown—and quite lovely—andavailabledriedorasanessentialoil.

BENEFITS: Relieves fever, as well as cold and flu symptoms. Relievescramps, provides a sense of calm and relaxation, and aids in restfulsleep.Suppressestheurgetourinate(say,duringaUTI).Usetopicallyforarashorsmallcuts.

SUGGESTED USES: Drink as a tea in the evening to induce sleepiness orrelievecoldandflusymptoms,ormakeintoasalveforexternaluse.

CONCERNS:Noneknown.

HOWTOMAKEATINCTUREMaking a tincture involves steeping the herb or root in alcohol, extracting itsoils,minerals,alkaloids,andglycosidessothatitisinitspurestform.Youcanuse vegetable glycerin or apple cider vinegar instead, particularly in tincturesintended forchildren,but theyaren’tquiteaseffectiveatpullingout thegoodstuff.

You’llneedstrongalcohol,at least80proof.Everclearworkswell,asdoesvodkaor brandy.You’ll alsoneed a pint jar to fillwith theherbor plant youwant—anyof theherbs listedabovewillworkhere.Chop theherbupabitorbashitaroundwithamortarandpestletohelpitbreakdown.You’llwantthejartobefull,butnotpackyourherbsintootightly.Thenfillthejarcompletelywiththealcohol.(Ifyou’reusingdriedherbsorroots,youneedonlyputinenoughtoreachhalfway,andthenaddthealcoholuptothetop.)Sealthejartightly.Labelanddateit,andletitrestinacool,darkplace.Forthefirstweek,shakeitonceaday,thenletitrestforfivemoreweeks.

At the end of the resting period, use a layer ofmuslin or cheesecloth heldtightlyoverthejartostrainouttheliquid.Decantthetinctureintooneofthosesmall,darkglassbottles,preferablyonewithadropper,andkeepitstoredawayfromdirectsunlight.Itshouldlastforfivetotenyears.

HOWTOMAKEHERBALOILIt’smoretroublethanit’sworthtomakeyourownessentialoils.Atrueessentialoilisextractedbyboilingtheherbinquestionandskimmingtheoiloffthetop—that’sataskbestlefttotheprofessionals.

Butyoucanmakeyourownherbaloil.Itmaynotbequiteasdistilled,butitcanstillbeeffective,andit’sagreatwaytopreserveherbsforuselongintothewinter. The nice thing about creating your own oils is that you can use anycombinationofherbs thatyoudesire.Youmightmixcalendula, catnip, lemonbalm, marshmallow, mullein, plantain leaf, and yarrow for an oil that isparticularlyeffectiveforskincare,orlavender,vervain,lemonbalm,andyarrowforasoothingoiltorubonthetemples.

Choporbruiseyourchosenherbsandplacetheminajar.Fillthejarwiththecarrieroilofyourchoice(oliveoralmondoilworkswell),coveringtheherbsbyone inch, and leaving one inch of space at the top. Close the jar tightly, andallowittositinasmuchsunshineaspossibleforamonth.

Straintheoilthroughacheeseclothonanas-neededbasis,leavingtheresttocontinuesteeping.

HOWTOMAKEAPOULTICEApoulticeisasoft,moistmassofherbs,cloth,andotheringredients,andit’sanexcellent tool for treating topical infirmities. A hot poultice is excellent fordrawing out infection, as with bee stings or draining abscesses, while a coldpoulticewillhelpreduceinflammation.

Gathertheherbsyouwanttouse,eitherfreshordried.Ifthey’refresh,youmaywant tomash theherbsup inamortarandpestle (the traditionalway)orblitzthemthroughafoodprocessor(themodernway).Evenifyou’replanningonmaking a cold poultice, add a couple of tablespoons of hot water to yourherbs to awaken them, before letting them cool. You can addmedicinal claypowder,Epsomsalts,orbakingsodaandcombinewithwateruntil themixturebecomesathickpaste.

For ailments like congestion or insect bites, you can place the poulticedirectlyontheskin,makingsure,ofcourse,thatitisn’ttoohot.Totreataburnor something that could easily become infected, place a clean cotton clothbetweentheskinandthepoultice.

PLANT-BASEDMAGIC

IT’SASHORTLEAPFROMPRACTICINGHERBALHEALINGTOpracticingherbalmagic.Ifyouthinkaboutit,wemakepotionsallthetime.AcalmingDIYfacemask?That’sapotion.ThoseamazingbathbombsatLUSH?Totallypotions. Itmaynotseemlikemagicbecausewearen’ttalking“double,doubletoilandtrouble;fireburn,andcauldronbubble”here—butinfact,ingredientslike“eyeofnewt”and“toeoffrog”wereactuallyjustfolknames.Eyeofnewtisanothertermformustard seed, and frog’s feetwerebuttercups. It’s been argued that these folknameswerereallycodenamesthatpracticingwitchesusedtokeeptheirpotionrecipessecret,whilehavingagoodlaughaboutsomepoorfoolscamperingofftoriskhislifeforawolf’sclawwhenallhereallyneededwassomemoss.

So what is all this mustard seed and moss supposed to do? Generallyspeaking,aswithsomuchelseinthisbook,it’saboutenergy.Likechakrasandcrystals (see here and here), herbal magic is frequently about bringing yourbody,mind,andspiritintobalance.Youwillusetheherbsinthesamewayyoudocrystalsandchakras—byharnessingyourprana,yourenergy,anddirectingitinapositive,lovingway.

That’snot tosayherbscan’tbeused inspells!Thereare lovespells,spellsforprotection,moneyspells,luckspells,andspellsforhappiness.Therearealsoplants that are sometimesused fordarkermagic, aswell—yewcanbeused toinvitedeath,andparsleycanbringbadluck.(Forwhateverreason,parsleywasthought to be really evil.)But it’s about intention. Putting a little parsley in adinneryou’remakingforafriendisnotgoingtoharmthem—unlessyouwantitto.Andatthatpoint,whoistosaythatit’stheparsleythat’satfault?It’sreallyabout the negative energy you’re bringing to the friendship (something thatclearlyneedstobeaddressed!).

Thesameistrueforlightmagic—itisalwaysaboutintention.Ifyoucookadish of stewed tomatoes with dill, basil, and cinnamon, and you focus yourenergy on inviting abundance, you might find yourself catching a financialwindfall.(Mindyou,yourdinnermighttastealittlestrange.)Andofcourseit’s

not justaboutcooking.Botanomancy, thepracticeofdivination throughherbs,involves burning specific plants or trees and readingmessages in the ashes orwatching thewaythesmokemoves.Gatheringvervainunderanewmoonandplacingitunderyourpillowwilldrawtheobjectofyouraffectionstoyouasyousleep.Hollyplacedunderthepillowwillinducepropheticdreams.

Most plant-based magic is less about casting spells than it is about usingplants with specific magical properties in intentional ways. Placing specificplants around the home, consuming them (if they are safe), burning them,carrying themaround theneck inasmallbag—theseareall themostcommonandeffectivewaysofbringingherbwitcheryintoyourlife.

COMMONPLANTSANDTHEIRUSESINMAGIC

BELLADONNA, AKA “DEADLY NIGHTSHADE” Poisonous, so do not ingest.Used for flight (on a broom and for astral projection), for youth andbeautyspells,andtosummonthedead.

BETONY Forpurificationandprotection.Preventsnightmares.

CARAWAY Goodforlovespells,andasanaphrodisiac.

CINQUEFOIL Prosperity,purification,andprotection.

CLOVER Curesmadness,alsousefulinyouthandbeautyrituals.

COWSLIP Invitesthosewhohavepassedtovisitindreams.

DRAGON’SBLOOD Curesimpotency,goodforlovespells.

ELECAMPANE Aidsinraisingspirits.

EYEBRIGHT Makeatinctureandanointyoureyelidstoinducevisions.

FRANKINCENSE Powerfulaidtomeditation.

GARLIC Protection,healing,courage,and,ofcourse,exorcism.

HAWTHORN Protectsagainstevilspirits,goodformaritalhappiness.

HELLEBORE Canmakeyouinvisible.Usefulinexorcisms.

HENBANE Aids in flight (on a broom, but also astral projection).Poisonous,sodonotingest.

HOLLY Powerful protection against evil. Enhancesmasculinity. Invitespropheticdreams.

HONEYSUCKLE Usefulforprosperityandlovecharms.

HYSSOP Purifies. Useful in preparation for astral projection and forbanishingevilspirits.

JUNIPER Protectsagainstaccidentsandtheft.

LAVENDER Providesclarityofthought,aidsinhavingvisions.Goodforpeaceandprotection.

LEMONBALM Aphrodisiac,alsosoothesabrokenheart.

MANDRAKE Powerful protective charm. Increases strength and courage,aswellasvirilityandfertility.

MARIGOLD Usefulinprophesying.Helpsyouseemagicalcreatures.Usewhenconductingbusinessorlegalaffairs.

MARJORAM Helpsovercomegrief.

MISTLETOE Mainly used in love spells and to aid in conception, alsoprovidesprotection.

MUGWORT The go-to herb for witchery. Aids in astral projection,enhancespsychicabilities,preventsfatigue.

MYRTLE Longhistoryofuseinlovespells.

PIMPERNEL Helpsdetectliesanddeceit.

ROSEMARY Thephrasetokeepinmindis“rosemaryforremembrance.”Improvesmemoryandmentalfunction,usefulinyouthspells.

SAGE Goodforfertilityandwisdom.Alsoaidsinhealthandlongevity.

ST. JOHN’SWORT Increases courage andwillpower, good for banishingevilspirits.

THYME Renewsenergy,purifiesthespirit.

VERVAIN Cleansesritualspaces.Goodforprosperityandcreativity.

WORMWOOD Releases thewandering dead so theymay rest.Useful indivination.

YARROW Enhancesperceptionandpsychicabilities.

HOWTOMAKEASMUDGESTICKAsmudgestickisasmallbundleofplantsthatwillbelitonfiretoreleasetheirproperties into the air. Normally smudge sticks are used to dissipate negativeenergy in a space, so you can make a cleansing stick out of vervain, thyme,hyssop, and betony or a protective stickwith some combination of St. John’swort,mandrake,hawthorn,garlic,andcinquefoil.Youcanalsoinviteloveintoyourlifewithasmudgestickofmyrtle,mistletoe,honeysuckle,dragon’sblood,and caraway.Or you can combine sage forwisdom, rosemary for clarity, andmarigoldinordertogetyourmentalstateclearandreadyforbusiness.

Youcanuse freshordriedplants foryour smudge stick.Layyour choicestogether in a bundle—you’ll want to create a stick that is at least five incheslong,so thatyoucanhold itcomfortablywhile itburns.Useacottonstring towrapthebundleintoafirmstick,windingyourwayupanddownthelengthofthe stems.Go ahead andwrap tightly. If you’ve used fresh plants, hang themupsidedowntodryforaweekbeforeburning.

Lightthetipofyoursmudgestickwithacandle.Onceithasasteadyflame,blowitoutsothatthesmudgestickisjustsmoldering,withsmokerisingfromtheglowingtip.Fanthesmokeoveryourheadoraroundtheroom,usingyourhandstodisperseit.Toextinguishyoursmudgestick,smothertheflame—trytoavoidusingwater,asthiswillmeanyoucan’treusethestick.

HOWTOMAKEAGRIS-GRISGris-grisgobyanynumberofnames,includingsachets,charmbags,spellbags,andhexbags.Theyaresmallenough tocarrywithyou,or theycanbeplacedunderyourpillow,leftinyourcar,orgivenasgifts.

Begin by choosing the fabric for your bag. Leather, velvet, and felt arecommonoptions,andtheyallhavedifferentconnotations.Velvetmightbringtomindwealthorromance,whileleathermightinvokestrengthorprotection.Feltisthemostcommonlyused,justbecauseofitssimplicity.

Thecolorofyourfabricisalsoimportant,forsimilarreasons.Lookbacktothecolorsofthechakras(seehere)forguidancehere.

To create your bag, cut two two-or three-inch squares ofmaterial and sewthem together, leavingone sideopen.Asyousew, focusyourenergyonwhatyourgris-griswillholdandbringtoyou.Turnitinsideoutandfillthebagwiththeherbsofyourchoice,aswellasanystones,crystals,runes,affirmations,orimagesthatfityourpurpose.

Sewtheopeningofyourbagclosed,andifdesired,stitchonaribbonsothatyoucanwearitaroundyourneck.

Hereareafewideastoconsider:

FOR COURAGE: St. John’s wort, garlic, tiger’s-eye, and aquamarine in ayellowbag.

FORABUNDANCE:Marigold, cinquefoil, honeysuckle, jade, andcitrine inaredbag.

FOR LOVE: Myrtle, mistletoe, honeysuckle, lemon balm, dragon’s blood,caraway,rosequartz,andcarnelianinapinkorgreenbag.

FORMAGIC: Yarrow, wormwood,mugwort, lavender, henbane, hellebore,opal,lapislazuli,andcalciteinapurplebag.

PAGANHOLIDAYS

WE SEE WORDS LIKE BELTANE AND SAMHAIN AND KNOW AS WE read them that wearen’tpronouncingthemright.Wealsoknowthere’ssomethingspecificmeantby them…butwedon’tquiteknowwhat that is.Andofcoursewe’recuriousaboutholidaysthathavebeencelebratedforcenturiesandtransmutedintomoreacceptablecontemporaryholidays—likeChristmasorCandlemasorHalloween.Where did these holidays come from? Was it all orgies and flying onbroomsticks?

It’s pretty much an accepted fact that people didn’t really fly around onbroomsticks, and the same goes for the whole orgy thing. Pagan, orWiccan,holidaysarelessgrotesqueandmacabreandmuchmoreinspirationalandjoyousthanwemightimagine.

Thereareeighttraditionalpaganholidays,andyou’llnotethatmanyofthemfall onor around a lot of theholidays celebratedbymore traditional religionsandformsofspirituality.Theyalsooccurbasedonearthevents,likethewintersolsticeorhowtheearthalignswithcertainconstellationsorotherplanetsinthesolar system, and they almost always have something to do with the year’sharvest.Forthatreason,thedatesofpaganholidaysoftenaren’tfixed,aswhenthelongestnightoftheseasonactuallyfallsonDecember22oneyear,insteadof21.Ourcalendarisn’tthatprecise,sosometimeswehavetobealittleflexible.The pagan year runs from October 31 to October 30, and a day begins atsundownthepreviousevening,soSamhain,thestartoftheNewYear,beginsatsundownofOctober30.

Eachoftheseholidays,alsocalledsabbats,arecelebratedinordertohonoracertaintimeoftheyear—likeharvestorspring—ortohonoraparticulargodorgoddess—like Brighid, Lugh, or the Green Man. They are also times ofreflection,when awitchmight lookwithin and see how she could have donethingsdifferentlyinthepastyearandhowshemightcontinuetoevolve,treadinglightlyandwithlovethroughherlife.

Your celebration can be as simple or elaborate as you like. It could be as

grandandfunasthrowingagardenpartyinhonorofBeltane,completewithamaypole,anabundanceofflowers,andoatcakes…oritcouldbesomethingjustforyou, duringwhichyou light a rose-scented candleon the summer solstice,reflectingwithgratitudeon thehappiness andprosperityyou’veenjoyed sincewinter.

SAMHAINPronouncedSOW-in.AlsoknownasAllHallows’EveorHalloween.Takes

placeonOctober31,thestartofthepagannewyear.

So many cultures around the world have a day honoring and celebrating thedead.ThereistheBonFestivalinJapan,ChuseokinKorea,theFestivalofCowsin Nepal, the Ghost Festival in China, the Day of the Dead in Mexico, theTurning of the Bones in Madagascar—the list goes on and on. Death is aninescapablepartof life,andallof thesecultureshavecometounderstandhowhelpfulitistofindasenseofcelebrationandplayinsomethingwemayfearanddread,bothforourselvesandforothers.

OnSamhain,thelawsofspaceandtimearealittleweaker,andtheveilthatstands between this world and the next is thinner. Not only is it easier tocommunicate with the dead on Samhain; it is easier to do anything that isnormallyconsideredimpossible.

Ofcourse,thatcanbealittledangerous.Inourcelebrationsofthedead,thereisalwaysanelementofspookiness,ofpotential threat.It’sagoodideatotakeextraprecautionsonSamhain.Ifyougooutatnight(asmostofuswill),carryagris-grisforprotection(seehere),andleavesomemandrakeorhawthornaroundyourdoorsandwindows.

COLORS:black,orange,white,andsilver

STONES:obsidian,jet,andhematite

HERBS:mugwort,catnip,belladonna,mandrake,andsage

WAYSTOCELEBRATE:

Leave food offerings on altars and doorsteps, for the dead who may bewalking.

Lightacandle in thewindowto invite thespiritsofyour lovedones intoyourhome.Youcansetanextraplaceatthedinnertableforthemtoo,if

youlike.Buryapplesalongsidetheroadforwanderingspiritsthatnolongerhaveahometogoto.

Dress inwhiteor as anothergender to confuse spirits thatmaywishyouharm.

Light a bonfire!Write your name on a stone and throw it in. Check theconditionofthestonecomemorning—dependingonhowitfared,youwillknowsomethingofwhatthecomingyearwillbelikeforyou.

YULEPronouncedEWE-elle.Thedaywhenthedarkesthalfoftheyearrelinquishesits

powertothelightesthalf.Fallsonthewintersolstice.

From this day onward, the days grow longer. The SunKing has been reborn.Thisisadayofuncomplicatedcelebration—thewinteriswaning,andit’stimetoparty!ManyofthethingswenowassociatewithChristmasstemfromYule,includingChristmastrees, theYulelog,andwassailing(i.e.,singingChristmascarols).

Ofcourse,thesetraditionswereallslightlydifferentduringYulecelebrations—anevergreentreewasnevercutdown,asitwastreasuredforitsimmortality,butboughsofevergreenwouldbebroughtinsideforthefestivities.TheYulelogwasn’tjustasetpiecefordecoration—itwastakenveryseriously.Youcouldn’tbuy a Yule log; it needed to be given as a gift, from a neighbor or familymember,orharvestedyourself.Thelogwastraditionallymadeofash,anditwasbig.Onceitwasplacedinthefire,theYulelogwasdecoratedwithevergreens,holly,andivy,dousedwithciderorale(applesbeingsymbolsofthesun),anddustedwithflour(representingaccomplishment,light,andlife)beforebeingsetablazebyapieceof lastyear’s log,whichwouldhavebeencarefullysetasideforjustthispurpose.Thelogwouldbekeptburningfortwelvedays—thetwelvedaysofChristmas.

COLORS:red,green,gold,andsilver

STONES:ruby,garnet,emerald,anddiamond

HERBS:bayberry,evergreen,milkthistle,holly,andmistletoe

WAYSTOCELEBRATE:

Learnsometraditionalwassails,like“TheHollyandtheIvy,”“ThisEndrisNight,” or “GloucestershireWassail,” and sing them to the nearby treesandfields.

Decorateyourhomewithmistletoe,holly,andivy.Drinkalotofcider.Thisistraditional. Make some form of a Yule log, like setting candles in a log base andlightingthemfortwelvenights.

IMBOLCPronouncedIM-bullug.AlsocalledCandlemasorBrighid’sDay.WiththehelpofHallmark,ithasmorphedintoValentine’sDay.Takesplaceonoraround

February2.

Imbolc is translated fromGaelic as “in the belly of themother,” since that iswhere theseedsofrebirtharegenerated.This timeofyear iswhenwelooktotheendofwinter,whenlambsareslaughtered,whenitistimetoblesstheseedsand farming tools and prepare to set to work in the coming spring. Brighid(pronounced Breej) is particularly honored on this day, as she is the patrongoddessoffire,smithcraft,healing,midwifery,andpoetry—all thingsthatwillbeneededinthecomingmonths.

Imbolcisthetimetocleanhouseandbedonewithhunkeringdownforthewinter.It’stimetogettowork.

COLORS:white,pink,red,andyellow

STONES:amethyst,bloodstone,andgarnet

HERBS:angelica,basil,baylaurel,andtansy

WAYSTOCELEBRATE:

Goforawalkinthewoods,huntingforcrocusesorothersignsofspring.Make aBrideo’gas, or a little doll to honorBrighid.They’re constructedfromstrawanddecoratedwithgiftsofribbonordoilies.Fitthemwithanacornwandandlaytheminthefireovernight.Examinetheashestoseeif

thewandleftamark—ifitdid,thiswillbeagoodseason.MakeaBrighid’sCrossoutofstrawandrushesforprotection.Wearacrownoflights,orlightcandlesthroughoutthehouse,towelcomethecomingwarmthintothehome.

OSTARAPronouncedOH-star-ah.Celebratesthebalanceofnightanddayatthe

midpointofspring.SacredtoEostre,thelunargoddessoffertility.Fallsonthespringequinox.

Eostre(pronouncedEHS-truh)isnottheonlydeityhonoredonOstara,butsheisthe one that has had themost pronounced influence on our culture. Eggs andrabbitsarehersymbols…sothat’swheretheEasterBunnycomesfrom.Eostreisalsoattherootofestrogen,whichisaniceimagetohaveforanoccasionallyannoyinghormone.

Ostara also honors the Green Man, that mysterious figure permeating somany different cultures around theworld, dating back for thousands of years.Every year, he dies and is reborn, symbolizing the rebirth thatwe experienceeveryyearwithspring.Morethananything,Ostaraisaboutbirthing,sprouting,andgrowth.At this time springhasbegun in earnest, and it is apparent in theyellow-greenleavesandthedelicateblossomssurroundingus.

COLORS:greenandyellow

STONES:jasperandemerald

HERBS:earlyspringflowersingeneral

WAYSTOCELEBRATE:

ColoringeggsistechnicallycelebratingOstara,socarryon.Spendthedayworkinginthegarden—ifyoudon’thaveone,volunteeratyourneighborhoodpark.

Goforalonghikeinthewoods,assistingnewgrowthwhereveryoucan.MakeaGreenManbyeitherfashioningaheadoutofstraworpurchasingafoamformfromacraftstoreandcoveringitwithvegetation.

BELTANEPronouncedBAYal-TIN-uh.AlsoknownasRoodmas,Walpurgisnacht,orMay

Day,itfallsonMay1.

If Ostara is partly about fertility, Beltane is entirely about fertility. If paganholidays did have orgies, they would take place on Beltane. Young coupleswould spend a night in thewoods in trueShakespearean fashion, and couplesthat had beenmarried for a year and a day could, if they chose, remove theirweddingringsalongwithalltherestrictionsthatthoseringsimpose.

Beltanemarksthereturnofvitality,ofpassion.Itisacelebrationoflife.Itissensual,butinnocentinitssensuality—thereisnoshameorfearorseverityonBeltane.Thereisnothingbutjoy.

COLORS:blue,green,andpurple

STONES: amethyst, sapphire, and peridot HERBS: chamomile, wormwood, andlavenderWAYSTOCELEBRATE:

Riseearlyinthemorningandcollectflowers.Weavethemintoyourhair.Roll around in thegrasswith someoneyou love, and tumbledownahilllikeasmallchild.

Dancearoundamaypole!It’sfun,andharderthanitlooks!Collectwildwater, such as dewor freshwater from a stream, and batheyourfaceinit.

Buildasmallbonfireandjumpoverit,holdinghandswiththepersonyoulove.

LITHAPronouncedLIE-tha.AlsoknownasMidsummerNight’sEve.Celebratedonthe

summersolstice,soonornearJune21.

Thisisyetanothernightofcelebration,butitismoresomberthanBeltane.AsonSamhain,theveilbetweenthisworldandthenextisquitethinonLitha,andso precautions must be taken. It is a night to celebrate the sun and light, sotraditionally bonfireswere lit and garlands of herbs tossed onto the flames tohonortheSunGodandQueenMab.Thisis,ofcourse,animportantnightforthefairies,aswell.

Asthisnightistheshortestofall,itagoodonetoholdavigil,watchingandwaitingforthesuntorise.Ifyouholdsteady,youwillgainpowerandcontrolovermagic…butyouriskmadnessorbeingwhiskedawaybythefairies.

COLORS:yellow,green,andgold

STONES:emeraldandgold

HERBS: mugwort, vervain, chamomile, yarrow, lavender, and thymeWAYS TOCELEBRATE:

Lightabonfireandleapoverit—thehighestleapwilldeterminetheheightofyourcropthisyear.

Createawreathofflowerstotossintothefire.Harvest St. John’swort and decorate your homewith it, alongwith rue,trefoil,roses,andvervain.

Sleepwithanyoftheaboveunderyourpillowtoencouragegooddreams.Holdanovernightvigil—orjustgetupearlytowatchthesunrise.

LAMMASPronouncedluh-MAHS.AlsoknownasLughnasadh,itiscelebratedfromAugust

1throughAugust2.

Lammasoccursonthedayofthefirstharvestoftheyear—sorightaroundthetimeyourlocalfarmer’smarketstartsupinearnest.Itisasignthatthehotdaysofsummerarefinallycomingtoanendandthebountywehaveworkedsohardallyeartoensurehasfinallyarrived.Lammastranslatesto“loaf-mass;”traditionally,loavesofbreadwereplaced

onaltars tohonor theGreenMan, theSunGod(calledLughinGaelic),or theChristianGod,dependingonwhowasdoingthecelebrating.

ForLugh,thedayhasparticularsignificance.Funeralgameswereheldinhishonor,thoughitwasn’thisfuneral—itwashisfostermother,Tailte,whoissaidtohavediedofexhaustionafterclearingthefieldsofIrelandforagriculture.ThegamesplayedonLammaswerecontestsofstrengthandskill.

Thiswasalsoa timefor trialmarriages;Tailteannmarriageswerearrangedmarriages that were given a provisional period of a year and a day—if themarriagewassuccessfulafterthat,great.Ifnot,itwasdissolvedontheHillsof

Separation(actualhillsthatstandnearwherethegamesweretraditionallyheld)asifithadneverbeen.

COLORS:orange,yellow,brown,andgreen

STONES:carnelian,emerald

HERBS:hops,apples,grains

WAYSTOCELEBRATE:

Bake a loaf of bread and leave it as an offering for whomsoever youchoose.

Holdafeast,andhostsomegames!Makeadolloutofasheafofcornandhangitinyourhomeuntilthenextharvest,whenitshouldbeplantedtogrowagain.

Perhaps consider taking a significant next step in a relationship, or useLammasasadaytoreflectonhowyourrelationshipsareworking.

MABONPronouncedMAY-bun.AlsoknownasAlbanElfedorMeánFómhair,itisheld

onthefallequinox,soonoraroundSeptember21.

Mabon was a Welsh god of the harvest, a kind of masculine version ofPersephone.His holiday celebrates the second harvest, but like Samhain, it isless about joy and accomplishment and more about reflection. On the fallequinox thehoursof sunlight are equal to thehoursof darkness, soMabon isaboutseekingbalance—andaboutrespectingthedarkeraspectsoflife,sincesomanyoftheotherholidaysareabouthonoringthesun.Itisalsoatimetogivethanksandreflectonallthatwehavebeengiventhroughouttheyear.

TheScottishrefertothelastsheafoftheharvestas“themaiden,”anditmustbecutdownbytheyoungestfemaleinattendance.RipegrainswerebroughtinfromthefieldandstoredatMabon,andthecasksthatbeerandwineshadbeenfermenting in sinceLammaswereopened and consumed.And that, of course,requiredfeasting.

COLORS:red,orange,brown,andgold

STONES:sapphire,lapislazuli,andyellowagate

HERBS:marigold,milkweed,sage,Solomon’sseal,andmilkthistle

WAYSTOCELEBRATE:

Spendyourmorninginquietreflection.Acknowledgethedarknesswithinyourself,honoringitandallowingitaseatatyourinnertable.

Writeagratitudelist.Tell storiesofdeath and rebirth—like talesofOdin,Persephone,Mabon,Osiris,Mithras,Dionysus,andofcourseJesusChrist.

Throw a party! Mabon was traditionally a grand feast day, with lots ofwine, mead, and beer. Let the darkness have its due, but remember tocelebratethelightaswell.

WHITEMAGIC

TOBEHONEST,THEREISNOSUCHTHINGAS“WHITE”MAGIC.Magicismagic,andithasnocolor.Aswehaveseentimeandagain,it’saboutintention.Lovespells,protectionspells,truthspells,summoningspells—thesecouldallbeconsidered“white”magic.But if you intend for them to cause harm, then the same spellbecomesdarkmagic.

Thatbringsustotheveryobviousnextquestion—whatdoescastingaspellevenlooklike?

Generally speaking, casting a spell looks a lot like it does in the movies.Usingherbs or stones and crystals for augmentation, you recite a phrase.Youcan sit within a pentagram with candles set in the points, if you like—pentagrams have been associated with evil and dark magic, but they aren’treally.Thepentagram is just a puremathematical form, andone thatWiccansbelievecanhelpfocuspower.It’sallaboutwhatfeelsgoodandrightforyou.

Willitwork?Youaretheonlyonewhocandeterminethat.Itcertainlywon’tworkifyou

don’tbelieve itwill.Theremightbeother factors thatpreventyourspell frombeing effective, too—certain times of day are more powerful than others(sunrise,sunset,thegloaming,midnight),andcertaintimesofthemonthareaswell(newmoon,fullmoon,etc.).Ifyou’retiredorunabletofocusyourenergiesaspowerfullyasyoumightotherwise,yourspellwillbelesseffective.

Whateveryoudo,remembertheRuleofThree:whateveryousendout intotheworldwillbereturnedtoyouthreefold.

THEPARTSOFASPELLHerearefewthingsyoumightconsiderwhenthinkingaboutcastingyourspell.

PURIFICATION Takeacleansingbath,perhapswithsomebetony,cinquefoil,orhyssopfloatinginit.Dresshoweverfeelsrighttoyou—ifalong,medievalgowngetsyou in the right frameofmine,go for it!But remember thata t-shirt andjeans canbe just aswitchy; it all dependsonhowyou envisionyourself, as awitch.Meditatetoclearyourmind,aswellasyourbody.

CREATINGARITUALSPACE Apentagramisoneofthese,andsoisasaltcircle.If youdon’twant to create a physical circle, you can create a psychic onebywalkinginacirclewithavervainsmudgewandorbysurroundingaspacewithclear quartz. If you can perform your spell out of doors, that’s great—if not,openawindowsothattheaircanflowfreely.

PROTECTION Drawingandreleasingpowercaninvitesomenegativeattention.Protectyourselfagainstspiritsorotherharmfulenergieswithmandrake,holly,hawthorn,garlic,orbetony.Youcaneitherdrinkateabeforeyoucastthespellorsimplyhavesomenearbyaspartofyourritualspace.

INVOCATION If you choose to, you can invoke the powers of someone orsomething, like Hecate, the goddess of witchcraft, or simply Spirit or theUniverse.Youcandothisthroughdance,chanting,orsimplywithaspokenorsilentprayer.

CASTING Youcanreciteaspecialphrase(seehere),orsimplystatewhatitisyouwant to happen.Words only have asmuch power as you give them, butsometimes speaking a ritualistic phrase helps you feel more powerful, in thesame way that dressing appropriately does—and therefore you are morepowerful.

Utilizewhateveryoucantoenhancethepowerofyourspell.Ifyou’redoingalovespell,makeyourcircleorpentagramoutofrosequartzandburnmyrtlein

asmudgestick.Orsimplyholdtighttoagris-grisasyourecite.Manyspellsendwiththephrase“somoteitbe,”whichtranslates,essentially,

to“soitshallbe”or“somustitbe.”ThephraseoriginatedwiththeFreemasons,buthascometobeusedfrequentlywithintheWiccancommunity.

GIVINGTHANKS IfyouaskedforassistancefromtheDivine,besure togivethanks.Youcanleaveanofferingorjustbowyourheadingratitude—whateverfeelsrighttoyou.

CLOSINGTHECIRCLE Itisimportanttofinishyourspells,andclosingthecircleindicates that thespell iscomplete.Ifyourcirclewasapsychicone, takeyourvervainsmudgewandandwalkintheoppositedirection.Ifyouusedcandlestocreate a pentagram, blow them out, giving thankswith each one. If you usedstones,collectthemonebyone,againgivingthanks.

BASICSPELLSThefollowingaresuggestions forhowtoperformaspell,afteryou’vecreatedyour ritual spaceand finishedwithyour invocations.Theyshouldbe followedbygratitudeandclosingthecircle.

truthspell

If you require a specific truth,write your question on a piece of paper.Use apimpernelsmudgewand,wavingitaroundyourface.Letyoursmudgerestinabowl, smoldering gently, and use your hands to waft the smoke around you.Lightacandleandsetyourpieceofpaper,ifyouusedone,onfire,allowingittoturntoashesinthebowlthatholdsthesmudgewand.Takeatiger’s-eyestoneand hold it over the smoke. Focus on the stone and recite the followingincantation,oranotherofyourchoosing:

LetthetruthberevealedClearawayalldeceit

LetnothingbeconcealedSomoteitbe

healingspell

Useagarlicorsagesmudgewand,andhaveturquoise,garnet,andclearquartzeither on an altar or in your hands. Focus on the person you wish to heal,whetheritisyourselforanother,anddirectyourenergiesparticularlytowardtheinjuryorillnessinquestion.Ifyouneedtobehealed,placethestoneorstonesonthesiteofinjuryorillness,orifthepersonyouwishtohealispresent,placethestonesontheirbody.Holdyourhandover thespecificplace,andvisualizewhitelightandenergyflowingfromyourhand.Recitethefollowingincantation:

LetthispaineaseLetmypowerflow

LetthissicknessceaseSomoteitbe

protectionspell

Makeasmudgewandoutsomecombinationofmandrake,garlic,cinquefoil,andbetony.Usesmokyquartz,obsidian,hematite,andpyrite.Ifyouhavesomethingspecificyouwanttoprotectyourself,oranother,from,makeadollorsymbolofthat threat, and surround it with your stones and herbs. If yours is a generalprotectionspell,simplyuseyoursmudgewandasyounormallywould,andholdyourstonesinyourhands.Buildamentalwallaroundyourselforthepersonyouwishtoprotect.Holdtighttothatimage,andrecitethefollowingincantation:

LetnoharmbefallAgainstallthreats,bestrong

Let(NAME)besafebehindmywallSomoteitbe

abundancespell

Use some combination of vervain, thyme, honeysuckle, and marigold in asmudgewand.Lightacandlesothatitshinesonanimageofwhatyouwishtohave,whether it ismoremoney, a new car, a new job—whatever it is you’rehopingyour lifewillhold.Holdcitrineandjadeinyourhands,oruse themasweights on the image.Close your eyes andmake that image a reality in yourmind.Recitethefollowingincantation:

LetabundancecometomeAllowmydreamstoflow

LetmegivebackmorethanIreceiveSomoteitbe

summoningspell

Becertainthatyouhaveplacedextraprotectioninyourcirclebeforeyoubegin.Make a smudge wand of yarrow, mugwort, elecampane, and belladonna,depending onwho orwhat youwant to summon.Hold opal, lapis lazuli, andcalcite in your hands.Light a candle so the spirit can find itsway. If you areattemptingtosummonsomeonespecific,havetheirimagepresentorsometokenthatrepresentsthem.Recitethefollowingincantation:

LetmylightbringyoutomeFollowmyvoice,cometome(NAME),Iaskyou,cometome

Somoteitbe

banishingspell

Ifyouhavesummonedsomethingorsomeoneunintentionally,orifyoususpectthat negative energies have become attached to you,make a smudgewand ofsomecombinationofwormwood,St.John’swort,hyssop,hellebore,andgarlic.Obsidianandhematitecanbeusefulhere.Lightacandleandrecitethefollowingincantation,blowingthecandleoutwhenyou’vefinished:

LetthisvisitbeendedBegone,andfollowmenolonger

LetmyspiritbemendedSomoteitbe

self-confidencespell

Beginbywritinganaffirmationonasmallpieceofpaper.Youraffirmationcanbewhatever youwant it to be—whatever youwant to celebrate in yourself atthat moment or whatever you need a little assistance in celebrating. Make asmudge wand of some combination of thyme, sage, mandrake, lavender, andclover. Light a candle and place aquamarine, azurite, moonstone, citrine, andobsidianinacirclearoundit.Lightyouraffirmationonfireandplaceit in thebowlwhereyoursmudgewandissmoldering.Recitethefollowingincantation:

LetmytrueselfshinethroughIamalreadyallthatIneedtobeLetmeknowthatthisistrue

Somoteitbe

lovespell

Firstconsiderwhatkindoflovespellyouwanttocast.Isitagenerallovespelltoinvitemoreloveintoyourlife?Areyouhopingtoattractorsealtheaffectionsof someone specific? If it is someone specific,write their nameon a piece ofpaper. Make your smudge wand with a combination of myrtle, mistletoe,honeysuckle,dragon’sblood,andcaraway.Ifyou’rehopingtoattractsomeonespecific, youmightwant to add some sage,mandrake, or lemon balm, and ifyou’recastingaspelltoimproveyourmarriage,considerusingsomehawthornaswell.Lightacandleandplacerosequartz,smokyquartz,jade,andcarnelianaround it. Scatter rose petals around you, if you like. If youwrote someone’snameonyourpieceofpaper,lightitonfireandplaceitinthebowlthatholdsyoursmudgewand.Recitethefollowingincantation:

LetmebeopentothelovethatishereThereismuchthatIdonotsee

Let(NAMEorTHEONETHATILOVE)drawmenearSomoteitbe

PART3

CASUALCLAIRVOYANCE

Tarot,astrology,

palmistry,and

dreams…allowthe

unknowntoguideyou,

andlearntointerpret

messagesfromwithin,

aswellaswithout.

TAROT

HERE’STHETHINGABOUTTAROT—ITCANBEGENERALLYTRUEORitcanbecreepilyon-the-nose. There’s no reasonwhy it shouldwork—it’s just a deck of cardswith pretty pictures on them—but somehow, every reading has somethingaccuratetosay,somethingthatmakesyounodyourhead,laughingalittleasyourecognizeitstruth.Andfrequently,thefeelingyougetafterareadingisasenseofrelief,anacknowledgmentthatwhatyouthoughtwasgoingonreallyisgoingon.Tarotcardstellyouwhatyouhopeorthinkorfear,andthentheyadviseyou:Whatdoyouwanttodo?Whatshouldyoudo?Howwillitallworkout?

Thefirsttarotdeckssurfacedinthemid-1400sandwereoriginallyusedforplayingcardgames.Itwasn’tuntilthelate1700sthattarotwascommonlyusedfor divination; before that, fortune-tellers used simpler deckswith less precisemeanings. Like our current deck of playing cards, tarot cards have four suits:Cups, Pentacles, Swords, and Wands. Cups represent relationships; Pentaclescoverworkandmoney;Swordsdiscussconflict;andWands,ofcourse,areallaboutmagicandcreativity.Theynumberacethroughten,andthe“facecards”includethepage,knight,queen,andking.TheseareknownastheMinorArcana.

Atarotdeckhastwenty-twoadditionalcards,whichareknownastheMajorArcana.Theymoveinacycle,beginningwiththeFool,passingthroughDeathand the Tower (which don’tmean quitewhat you think they do), and endingwiththeWorld—acardoffulfillment.

Thewonderfulthingabouttarotisthatanyonecandoareading,becauseit’sall about intention. The cards can tell you nothing you don’t already know,becauseyouaregivingyourenergytothecardsandtheyaremerelyreflectingitbacktoyou.Ifyouaskthecardsaquestion,theywillsimplyconfirmwhatyoualready know to be true—whether you wanted to admit it to yourself or not.Remember,they’rejustpiecesofpaperwithpicturesonthem.Anypowertheyhavecomesfromwhatyoubringtothem.

Learningtarotcanfeellikealotofmemorization—eachdeckcomeswithabookexplaining themeaningofeachcard,and that’sveryhelpful.Butasyou

practice,andasyougettoknowyourdeckandhowitspeakstoyou,you’llfindthat each card has a slightly different, specific meaning that can only beinterpretedbyyou.Say,forinstance,thatyourtarotreaderisamother,andsheassociatestheFoolcardwithherchild.Ifshepullsthatcard,shewon’tinterpretittomeanthatyouareanidiot.Sincethisisherdeck,andsincesheistheonedoing the reading, then in this case the Fool card means innocence andpossibility.

Inorder for the reading tobeaspowerful as it canbe,youneed tohaveadeck that provokes specific associations within you. But when it comes tochoosing a deck, there are so many options it can seem overwhelming. ThetraditionalRider-WaiteandAleisterCrowleyThothare themostcommon,butthatdoesn’tmeanthattheywillbethebestforyou.Lookforadeckthatattractsyou,thatisevocative,thatmakesyouwanttodoareading.Adeckthatyoulikeisonethatwillrespondtoyou,onethatwillspeaktoyou.

Interpretingtarotrequiresbalancingknowledgeandintuition;thearchetypesineachcardprovidehistoryandgroundingtoyourreading,butasareaderyoucan go deeper than that. Listen to your instincts and you’ll find that you canlearnandseesomuchmore.

THESUITS

cups

The suit of Cups is about relationships and how our emotions play into ourconnection—orlackthereof—withthosearoundus.WhenyouseeaspreadthatisdominatedbyCups, thereisobviouslysomethinggoingonwithoneofyourprimaryrelationships,butit’salsoanindicationthatyou’rebeingdrivenbyyouremotions,ratherthanbylogicorthought.

Thisisbynomeansabadthing,necessarily—remember,thereareno“bad”cards—but it can have a downside. If you are driven only by your emotions,reason gets left behind, leading to unrealistic expectations and self-absorbedbehavior.

The Cups’ element is water, and how you interpret that will inform yourunderstandingofthecards.Isthecuptheself,andwaterwhatourrelationshipswithothersbringus?Ordoyouunderstandthesymbolismdifferently?

pentacles

ThesuitofPentacles—alsoknownasCoinsorDisks—is thesuitofworkandprosperity.Howyoudefinethatworkdependsonthepersonthereadingisfor—thiscouldbeajob,oritcouldbetheworkwedoaroundthehome,maintainingourfamilyandrelationships.Itdependsonthecontext,but,generallyspeaking,Pentaclesrefertoworkformonetarygain.

Because they are externally focused, theymay also reflect our relationshipwiththeworldoutsideourowninnercircle—sooutsidethegroupthattheCupswouldspeakto.

The element of Pentacles is earth, and as such, it’s a very practical suit,whichseemsoddintarot—butatthesametime,it’srefreshingtoseeourmostbasicneedsandgoalsdiscussedandheldwiththesamerespectasourcreativityand relationships.Thedownsideof beingPentacles-focused is obvious—greedandlosingsightofwhat’sreallyimportant.

swords

A spreadmade up almost entirely of Swordswill appear in everyone’s life atsomepoint.Weallexperienceconflict.Weallhavebattlestofight.

TheSwordsaren’t literalhere—instead,whatcuts is the sharpnessof logicand intellect.Sometimesourmindsareatwarwithourhearts,andsometimes,our hearts are in danger from the force of another’s cold, hard logic, or viceversa.

TheelementofSwordsisair,perhapsbecausethebattlesfoughtbySwordsareseenfromabove,wheretheairiscoldandthinandeverythingseemsblackand white. But again, there are no “bad” cards, and this is not a “bad” suit.Seeing things clearly is not abad thing, andwhile logic and justicemayhurt,theyarenecessary.Swordswillkeepyouonthestraightandnarrow,sotospeak.Andthatisusuallyagoodthing.

wands

TheelementofWandsisfire,whichmayseemcounterintuitiveforasuitaboutcreativityuntilyoutakeacloserlook.Fire,intheformoflava,isliteralcreation—land is created when lava hits the ocean. But creativity can also be adestructive force—likea forest fire, if it isnotcontrolled, it canbedamaging.ConsiderJ.RobertOppenheimerquotingtheBhagavadGita,“NowIambecomedeath,thedestroyerofworlds.”

Usually, though, we think ofWands as the spark, themagical moment ofbeginning,ratherthantheconflagration.Theyareaboutyourcreativityandhowyoubringyourtrueselfoutintotheopen.IfyouencounteraspreaddominatedbyWands,thenthatmeansit’stimetopursuethatcreativedream.Thatmaynotnecessarilymeantakingapaintingclassorwritinganovel—thoughitmight!Itmightalsomeanstartingyourownbusiness,takingarisk,evenhavingachild.What’simportantisputtingyourauthenticselfoutintotheworld.

THEMAJORARCANA THE FOOL:Childlike Idealism, Innocence, Blind Stupidity. The Fool is just

settingoutonhisjourney,andhehasunlimitedpotential.IftheFoolappearsinyourreading,considerstartingsomethingnew.Bespontaneous,andembracethe“foolishness”inyourself.

THEMAGICIAN:Mastery,Magic,Power.TheMagiciancandoanything—andhewill.Thisisacardofactionandacardofability.Youcanachievewhatyouwant.

THEHIGHPRIESTESS:Unconscious,Dreaming,Mystical.TheHighPriestessstands opposed to/complements the Magician. Where he steps forward withreason, she steps back to allow her intuition to speak. Listen to the spacebetween.

THEEMPRESS:EarthMother,Creation,Fertility.TheEmpressisverysensualand very caring. She tells you to nourish others and to nourish yourself,particularlythroughnature.

THEEMPRESS:EarthMother,Creation,Fertility.TheEmpressisverysensualand very caring. She tells you to nourish others and to nourish yourself,particularlythroughnature.

THEEMPEROR:Tradition,Authority,Rules.TheEmperorisafatherfigureinaveryrigid,traditionalsense;thisisthefatherthatisthebreadwinnerandtheonewhodeliverspunishmentwhenitiswarranted.WhentheEmperorappears,rulesand regulations are paramount, because they provide uswith the structureweneed.

THEHIEROPHANT:Belief,Learning,Conformity.TheHierophantbelieves ineducation, but only in established, widely accepted facts. The Hierophantfrequently represents theChurch,but itcanalsomeanwhatevergroupyouaremostoftenexpectedtoconformto.

THE LOVERS: Duality, Love, Harmony. The Lovers are often literal andromantic,but theycanalso refer toadifficultdecision,one inwhich the rightchoiceisn’talwaysclear—becauseyouwantboth,together.

THECHARIOT:Balance,Self-Control,WarWithin.Thereare twohorses (orsphinxes,or somethingelse,dependingonyourdeck)pulling theChariot, andyoumustmasterbothofthem.Ifyoudo,youwillwin.

STRENGTH:Resilience, Fortitude, Self-Confidence. If theChariot requires aheavyhand,trueStrengthrequiresalighttouch.Beingsomeoneyouandotherscan depend on requires patience and compassion, as well as confidence inyourself.

THEHERMIT:Spirituality,Solitude,Wisdom.TheHermitretreatsintohimself,looking for anunderstandingofsomethingmore. Ifheappears, it’s time tobeintrospective. Give yourself some alone time and search within yourself foranswers.

WHEELOFFORTUNE:Change,Destiny,Cycles.Astheseasonschange,sodoestheWheelofFortune.Change is theonlyconstant inour lives,and theWheelspeaks to how, with every cycle, we are moving in a specific—even fated—direction.

JUSTICE:Morality, Black &White, Karma. Justice turns up when you aretrying to do the right thing—orwhen you feel you have been cheated. Eitherway, examinewithinyourself, searching for true Justice—which isnot an eyeforaneye.

THEHANGEDMAN:Sacrifice,Self-Awareness,Knowledge.TheHangedManisanotherunionofopposites,anditdemandssomethingthatseemsimpossible—thatwegaincontrolthroughsurrender.It is intheactoflettinggoofwhatwewantthatweallowittocometous.

DEATH: Change, Transformation, Endings. Even though it doesn’t meanliteral death, the Death card is always frightening—because change isfrightening.Somethingiscomingtoanend,andsomethingnewisbeginning.Adoorisclosing—butawindowisopening.

TEMPERANCE:Moderation,Compromise,Self-Control.Somanycardsinthetarotareaboutduality,andTemperance’stakeondualityisthemostcomforting,ifalittleboring.Shebringsopposingforcestogetherandteachesthemtorespectoneanother(includingforceswithinyourself).Itisn’teasy—thiskindofbalancerequireshardworkandself-restraint.

THEDEVIL:Self-Deception,TheMonsterWithin, Ignorance. If therewere a“bad”cardintarot,thiswouldbeit.Butthisisn’taboutliteralevilinyourlife,itisaboutabadsituation—usuallyoneofyourowncreation.TheDevilinsiststhatyoulookcloselyatyourlifeandseewhereyouhavegonewrong.

THETOWER:Destruction,Betrayal,StartingOver.IfDeathisaboutchange,at least it’s a change that we can see coming. The Tower burns suddenly,

destroyingeverythingyou thoughtyouhelddear. It could simplymeananewperspective—or it couldmean a drastic alteration in life circumstances.Eitherway,theTowerwillslapyouupsidethehead.

THESTAR:Hope,Inspiration,NewPossibilities.AftertheTower,theStarisabalm.Asbadasthingscanget,thereisalwaysawayout—thereisalwayshope.WhentheStarappears,takeabreathandallowthepeacefulnessandvastnessoftheuniversetocalmandinspireyou.

THEMOON: Illusion,Mystery, Possibility—Positive orNegative. Theworldlooksdifferentbymoonlight—anddifferentcanbescaryanddisorienting.Butitdoesn’thavetobe.WhentheMoonisout,anythingispossible.Letyourselfbeopentofantasy.Allowtheimpossible.

THESUN:Clarity,Confidence,Surety.Andnowwe’vereturned to the light.ThereisnoambiguityundertheSun—andyoushouldbaskinthatcertainty.TheSuntellsyouthatyouarebrilliant,energetic,andsuccessful.

JUDGMENT: Looking Back, Conviction, Redemption. You could interpretJudgment in a harsh light—determining right orwrong—or you could insteaduse good judgment and meditate on the choices you have made withoutcondemningyourselforothers.Sometimesreallylookingatsomethingyouhavedonecanabsolveyouofanyguiltyoufeel.

THEWORLD:Completion,Fulfillment,Unity.TheWorldcompletesthecycleofthetarot.Youhavefinishedwhatyousetouttodo,andyoushouldsavortheunity that you have found within yourself—you have brought together thoseopposingdualitiesinawaythatislasting,thathasmadeyouwhole.

THREE-CARDSPREADThisisthesimplestspread(unlessyou’redoingaverybasicone-cardreading),but it offers so much within such a contained form. Have the person you’rereading for shuffle the cards until they feel satisfied, and then hold the deckclose to their heart and ask any question theymay have. If they don’t have aquestion, that’s fine, and ifyou’redoinga reading foryourself, you shouldofcourseshuffleforyourself.

Fanthecardsoutinalinesothateachcardisvisible.Ifacertaincardseemstowant to stayhidden, let it.Have thepersonyou’re reading forchoose threecards,orifyou’rereadingforyourself,letyourintuitionhelpyoutochoose.Ifthe answer to your question seemshidden fromyou, perhaps choose a hiddencard.Sometimesyourcardwillmakeyourfingerstingle,oritmightfeelslightlywarmbeneathyourhands.

Laythethreecardsfaceup.Youcaninterpretthem,fromlefttoright,aspast,present, and future, as is commonly done. But if you’re doing a reading foryourself, youof course alreadyknowyour past andmuchof your present. Soconsider asking the cards, “What is going on forme, consciously?” “What isgoingonforme,unconsciously?”and“WhatshouldIfocusontoday?”

GUIDANCESPREADThisspreadgoesdeeperandisusefulwhenyou’refacingaparticularchallengeorhavingtroubleseeingallsidesofan issue.Aguidancespreadwillhelpyouexamineasituationfromabroaderperspective.

As before, shuffle and hold the cards close to your heart as you ask yourquestion.You’lldraweightcards, the firstalone,and the followingseven inarowaboveit.

FIRSTCARD Thiscardrepresentsyourprimaryconcern,theissueathand.

SECOND CARD What’s yourmotivation?Why are you looking for guidancehere?

THIRDCARD Thiscardrepresentsthearea(s)inyourlifethatyoufeelanxiousabout.

FOURTHCARD Thiscardpointsoutelementsinyoursituationthatyoumaynotbeawareof.

FIFTHCARD This cardwillgiveyou the informationyou require inorder toovercomeyourapprehensions.

SIXTHCARD Thiscardwillhelpyoufeelcomfortablelettingyouranxietiesgo.

SEVENTHCARD Thiscardwilladviseyouinhowtomoveforward.

EIGHTHCARD Thiscardtellsyouhowitcouldallworkoutintheend,ifyoufollowthepath.

ASTROLOGY

ARIES,TAURUS,GEMINI,CANCER,LEO,VIRGO,LIBRA,SCORPIO,Sagittarius,Capricorn,Aquarius, Pisces—we all know our signs, and we know that we can readdifferentbitsofinformationoradviceonamonthly,weekly,orevendailybasisrelating to them.We’ve all heard the phrase “Mercury in retrograde,” andweknow it’s probably a bad thing.Beyond that,we leave it to the professionals,becauseitallseemsprettyoverwhelming.

The truth is, it is overwhelming. There’s a reason why, for centuries,astrologersweresovaluedbyrulers for theadviceand information theycouldgive.Thereisalottokeeptrackof,butit’snotthatcomplicatedifyoubreakitdown. Astrology is simply using the movements of celestial bodies (like theplanets andcertain constellations) tomakedeterminations aboutwhat isgoingonhereonearth.It’sapracticethathasbeenaroundformillenniaand,upuntiltheEnlightenment,wastakenquiteseriouslyallovertheworld,thoughpracticesdifferedfromculturetoculture.

Western astrology is centered around the date of birth and based onPtolemy’s Tetrabiblos, which is considered the most authoritative text onastrologyanditselfbasedonBabylonianastrology.Onethingtobearinmindisthat cycles and changes in the heavens are merely reflective of cycles andchanges on earth and in one’s life—they are not causative. They happensimultaneously,becausethatishowtheuniverseworks,butonedoesn’tdirectlyimpact the other.We simply use the movements of the stars to interpret andunderstandwhat’shappeningtoushereonearth.

The zodiac refers to a belt of twelve constellations that the sun and theplanetsmovethroughinthecourseofayear.Thosetwelveconstellationseachhaveacertainpersonality,whichtranslatestothecharacteristicsofyourzodiacsign.Eachsignisruledbyaparticularcelestialbody—thesun,themoon,oroneof the planets—though every celestial body travels through each sign at somepointduring theyear.Thesignsareorganizedaccording to theseasons, ratherthan the calendar year,with spring coming first—so, in order, they areAries,

Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn,Aquarius,andPisces.

The signs fall into the elemental categories of fire, water, earth, and air.Althougheachsignhasitsownpersonalitytraits,itwillalsohavemanytraitsincommon with other signs of its element. Each sign will also be generallycompatiblewithitsfellowelementalsigns.

Justtobeconfusing,therearealsotwelveHouses,whichhavenothingtodowiththetwelvesigns.AHousesimplyreferstoanareaofyourlife—likeyourfamily,yourwork,youridentity,andsoforth—andisdeterminedbytheearth’srotation around its axis. The positions of each of the signs and the celestialbodiesrotatethroughtheHouses,sothatatanygiventime,eachHousewillberuledbyadifferentsignandcelestialbody.

So what do we do with all of this? What does an astrological chart do,anyway?

Most astrological charts reflect how the starswere aligned on the day youwereborn.Anatalchartwillgiveanindicationofwhatyourlifewillbelike,abetter understanding of who you are. But as it is only one day, albeit a veryimportantday,itcannotgiveyouthewholepicture.Instead,doingachartonamonthly, weekly, or even daily basis can provide a more specific and clearunderstanding of what is going on in your life right now and how to actaccordingly.

THEELEMENTSANDTHEIRSIGNS

fire

Fire signs are invariably powerful, energetic, and full of life. They are highlycreativeandcharismatic,drawingotherstothem.Theyareinspiring,passionate,andfeelthingsdeeply.

ARIES.SomeonebornunderAries is aquick thinker andaborn leader.Activeandbrave, theyarecompetitive,efficient,andenergetic.However, theycanbeimpulsive,impatient,oraggressiveattimes.

March21–April19 RULER:Mars BESTPAIREDWITH:Libra

LEO.ALeoiscreativeandindividualistic.Passionateandgenerous,theylovelifeandadoresolvingproblems.Theycanbeseenasarrogantoraperformer,asaLeorequiresapplause.Leoswanttobeseenforwhotheyreallyare.

July23–August22 RULER:Sun BESTPAIREDWITH:Aquarius

SAGITTARIUS.ASagittariuswantstochangetheworld.Theyarephilosophicalanddeepthinkers,buttheycaneasilytransformthoughtintoaction.Theyareintenselycuriousandlovetotravel,butcanbeimpatientandtactless.

November22–December21 RULER:Jupiter BESTPAIREDWITH:Gemini

earth

Earthsignsgetthingsdone.Theyarededicatedandresponsible—theepitomeof“down-to-earth.”Theyareloyal,patient,andhardworking,thoughalsonaturallyconservative; theydon’t like to take risks.They are, however, quite ambitiousandtendtogetwhattheywant.

TAURUS:ATaurusworkshardandlovestobaskinthefruitof that labor—anddeservedly so.They are sensual and tactile, andoften surroundedbybeautifulmaterialpossessions.Theyarestubborn,butinthebestway,andwillstickwitha project—or a person—until the very end. They can be overprotective anduncompromisingattimes.

April20–May20 RULER:Venus BESTPAIREDWITH:Scorpio

VIRGO.Empatheticandinsightful,aVirgotreadscarefully.Theyleadanorganizedlifeandleavenothingtochance.Virgosarepoliteandhealth-conscious,atonewithnature.Theycanbeshyandoverlycritical,bothofthemselvesandofothers.

August23–September22 RULER:Mercury BESTPAIREDWITH:Pisces

CAPRICORN:Oftenconsideredthemostserioussigninthezodiac,Capricornsareindependentandprofessional,buttheirfamiliesareofparamountimportance.Theyareveryresponsibleandpractical,withexcellentself-control.Theycanbealittlecondescendingandunforgivingattimes.

December22–January19 RULER:Saturn BESTPAIREDWITH:Cancer

air

Air signs are kind of like the best aspects of the Internet. They are extremelyintelligentandexcellentatcommunication,buttheyaresorestlessthattheyareconstantlymoving on to the next idea, and the next, as they hunger formoreinformation.Theyaresocialandchatty,buttheyvaluetruthandrealismaboveall. That combination allows them to see both sides of an issue in a balancedway.

GEMINI:AGeminicanbealittleconfusing,inthatsometimestheyarefunandplayful and social, but other times, they can be restless, introspective, andindecisive. They are excellent communicators, and excel at art, writing, andjournalism.Theyarefascinatedbytheworldandwanttosharethatjoy.

May21–June20 RULER:Mercury BESTPAIREDWITH:Sagittarius

LIBRA:ALibraiscrucialtoasuccessfulsociety—theyarepeacefulandfair,andvaluepartnershipandcooperation.Theyhaveakeenmindandareeasilyinspiredbythegoodnessandbeautyintheworld.ALibramightoccasionallyhaveahardtimebeingaloneandmaybesoanxioustokeepthepeacethattheywillallowagrudgetodevelopbeforeconfrontingtheproblem.

September23–October22 RULER:Venus BESTPAIREDWITH:Aries

AQUARIUS:OccasionallyanAquariuswillcomeoffasreserved,buttheyaresimplyverydeepthinkers.Theyareexcellentproblem-solversandlovetohelpothers,buttheydorequirealonetimetorecharge.Theyvaluetheirfreedomandneedtogettoknowsomeonebeforetheyareallowedtooclose.Theycanbealittletemperamentaloraloofattimes.

January20—February18 RULER:Uranus BESTPAIREDWITH:Leo

water

Watersignscanbekindofunpredictable,butonethingiscertain—theyalwaysfeelthingsdeeply,evenifitdoesn’talwaysshow.Theyaresensitive,intuitive,andempathetic,aswellasimaginativeandindependent.

CANCER:Likeallwatersigns,Cancerscaredeeply—andin thiscase, theycaremost about their families. They are extremely loyal and experience another’ssufferingastheirown.Theycanhavetroublecontrollingtheiremotionsandcansometimesbemoodyorinsecure.

June21–July22 RULER:Moon BESTPAIREDWITH:Capricorn

SCORPIO:AScorpioisdeterminedanddecisive.Becauseofthis,theyare

excellentleadersand,unlikesomewatersigns,havenotroublefeelingandexpressingtheiremotions.Theyaregreatatkeepingsecrets(andalittlemysteriousthemselves)andhaveanexcellentbusinesssense.Theycanbealittlesuspiciousandjealoussometimes.

October23–November21 RULER:Pluto BESTPAIREDWITH:Taurus

PISCES:Piscesareveryfriendlyandgenuinelycompassionateandcaring—theirselflessnessmakesthemwonderfulfriends.Theyarewise,gentle,andverytolerantofotherpeople’sdifferences.Theyareverymusicalandhavelastinganddeeprelationships.

February19–March20 RULER:Neptune BESTPAIREDWITH:Virgo

THECELESTIALBODIESSUN:As thecenterofoursolarsystem, theSun isessentially thecenterofouruniverse. Itprovidesuswith light, life,andrepresentsourego,ourhealth,andourpride.TheSunisanauthority,usuallytheauthoritywehaveoverourselvesand others. The Sun makes its journey through the zodiac once per year,spendingaboutamonthwitheachsign.

MOON: TheMoon also provides light, but it is a mysterious light, and so theMoon represents our intuition, ourdeepest feelings, andourprivate lives.TheMoonisconnectedtoourfamilialhistory,ourroots—andourabilitytoconnectwithouremotions.TheMoontakesonlytwenty-eightdaystotravelthroughthezodiac,spendingtwotothreedayswitheachsign.

MERCURY:Mercury is an excellent communicator, butmainly in the realm ofrational thought.Mercury revolvesaround research, learning,decision-making,andthesharingofinformation.WhenMercurygoesretrograde(meaningwhenitappears tobemovingbackwardacross thenightsky—thoughmindyou, that’sjust an optical illusion causedby the differences in the speedof its orbitwith

respect to Earth’s), it scrambles its ability to disseminate that information,causing all kinds of confusion. IfMercury is in retrograde, definitely hold offsigning any important contracts or making any big decisions. It also wreaksparticularhavocwith the technologyofcommunication,soexpectyour iPhonetocrapoutonyou.SinceMercuryissoclosetotheSun,itsjourneyacrossthezodiacisverysimilarinlengthandtime.

VENUS:Asyoumightexpect,Venusrepresentslove,beauty,andpleasure.Venusisalluringandreceptive,butnotaggressive.Venuscanbealittlemanipulative,but only in a short-term, hedonistic way; thinking about consequences andmaking careful plans are not Venus’ way. But when Venus retrogrades, thenthat’sa time to reassessand thinkaboutwhomorwhatwe trulyvalue.Venusgenerallytakesabouttentotwelvemonthstotravelacrossthezodiac,spendingafewweekswitheachsign.

MARS:Marsisaforceofnature.Itsenergyisaggressive,energetic,competitive,andbrave.Marsgovernswar,ofcourse,butwarinallforms,includingsports,arguments, and any kind of conflict.WhenMars goes retrograde, though, it’stime to retreat and regroup.Mars takes approximately two years to circle thezodiac,spendingsixorsevenweekswitheachsign.

JUPITER: Jupiter is a planet of vision, faith, optimism, and wisdom. As ourlargestgasgiant, itcastsapowerfulshadowofgoodfortune—becauseof this,Jupiter is sometimes known as theGreatBenefactor. Jupiter encourages us toseek out the new—externally, through travel, but also inwardly, as we learn

something we hadn’t considered before and feel confident to explore. WhenJupiter is in retrograde, that forward expansion turns inward; you may findyourself planningand replanningwithout actuallygetting started. Jupiter takestwelveyearstotravelthezodiac,anditsitswitheachsignforafullyear.

SATURN: Called the Great Teacher, Saturn is a planet of ambition andproductivity, but also of caution and responsibility. Saturn is not a dreamer;instead it forces us to confront reality, bringing maturity and the values ofpatience, consideration, structure, and sacrifice. When this planet is inretrograde,wehavetheopportunitytogobackandrevisitthingswemighthavewanted to do differently, to consider otherways of doing things. Saturn takestwenty-nineyears togoacross thezodiacandstays ineachsignfor twoandahalfyears.

URANUS:IfSaturnteachesustoberesponsibleandthinkthingsthrough,Uranushelpsuslearntolovetheunexpected.Itrulesthefutureandallnewtechnology.Anything innovative, idiosyncratic, or experimental falls under Uranus’umbrella.AndUranusencouragesustothinkasfaroutsidetheboxaspossible—maybe even breaking the box. When Uranus is in retrograde, you mayexperience a shift inside yourself,where a change that you had been resistingsuddenly becomes more appealing—even necessary. Uranus takes eighty-fouryearstocirclethezodiacandstayswithasignforsevenofthoseyears—makingthosesevenyearsverycreative,indeed.

NEPTUNE:LovelyNeptuneistheplanetofinspiration.LiketheMoon,itgovernsintuition,dreams, thesubconscious,and themagical.ButNeptunegoesdeeperthantheMoondoes,makinguspurer,morerefined.Iturgesustobemorethan

we are, to not accept Saturn’s reality, but instead strive for greatness. WhenNeptune is in retrograde, however, reality comes knocking, and you mightreceiveawake-upcall.It’sagreattimetomakedecisionsaboutwhatisreallyimportant to you. Neptune circles the zodiac over the course of 146 years,stayingwitheachsignforfourteenyears.

PLUTO: Not yet demoted from full planetary status in astrology, Pluto rulestransformation,rebirth,andmetamorphosis.Plutoreignsoverall that isunseenorburied,includingsecrets,theunconsciousworkingsofsociety,andplanning.Plutocanbeabitunpredictable,sometimeshelpingyoutohide,andothertimesrevealingall.Whenitisinretrograde,Plutoasksyoutolookinward,particularlyatthepartsofyourselfyoumaynotlikesomuch.Isittimetotransform?Plutotakes246yearstotravelaroundthezodiac.Itseccentricorbitmakesitsstaywitheach sign uneven—sometimes it visits for eleven years, sometimes for thirty-two.

THETWELVEHOUSES

FIRSTHOUSE TheHouseoftheSelf.Itincludesyourpersonality,yourphysicalbody, your appearance, and your self-image. The First House reveals yourascendantsign,thesignrisingonthehorizon.Fornatalcharts,thissigncanbeequallyasimportantasyourbirthsigninunderstandingyourself.

SECONDHOUSE TheHouseofWorth.Itreferstomoney,possessions,whatyouvalue, andyour self-esteem.The sign that rests inyourSecondHouse reflectshow you spend yourmoney and your attitude toward your finances and yourpossessions.

THIRDHOUSE TheHouseofIntellect.Itdrivesyourcommunicationskillsandyour understanding of the world. It also governs your relationship with yourimmediatesurroundings, includingyourneighborhood,yoursiblings,andshortjourneys.

FOURTHHOUSE TheHouseoftheHome.Itincludesyourliteralhouse—whereitis,whatitlookslike—alongwithwhatmakesyourhome,bethatyourspouseandchildren,aroommate,orwhomeverelseyoumightshareyourspacewith.Italsodeterminesyourrelationshipwithyourparents.

FIFTHHOUSE TheHouseofLove.Itincludesbothromanticloveandtheloveyou may feel for your children. It also rules creativity, self-expression, andpleasure.

SIXTHHOUSE TheHouseofWork.Itincludesyourjob,butalsotheworkthatyoudoineveryaspectofyourdailylife—shopping,cleaning,cooking,etc.Diet,fitness, and exercise fall under this category, as well—the work we do tomaintainourbodies.

SEVENTH HOUSE TheHouse of Partnership. It often refers tomarriage, butmay also encompass work relationships—it is involved whenever two parties

agreetoworktogether towardacommongoal.Therewilloftenbeconflicts inthosekindsofsituations, soyourenemiesaswellasyourallies fallunder thishouse.

EIGHTH HOUSE The House of Transformation. This house can be a littleconfusing—it relates tomoney, but in theway thatwe exchangemoneywithothers. Investments, mortgages, gifts, taxes, child support—all of these fallundertheEighthHouse.Physicalsexandreproductionoccurhere,aswell.Thetheme is change; under theEighthHouse,we interactwith others and changebecauseofthatinteraction.

NINTH HOUSE The House of Understanding. If the Third House is aboutintellect, the Ninth House goes deeper, to a more philosophical and spiritualplace.TheNinthHousegovernsdreams,visions,ideas,ethics,andrituals.Long-distancetravel,distantrelatives,andhighereducationareallinitspurview.

TENTH HOUSE The House of Status. The areas in which we excelprofessionallyandwithinthecommunityresideinthishouse.TheTenthHousehelpsusunderstandhowourcolleaguesandneighborsseeus.

ELEVENTHHOUSE TheHouseofFriendship.Thishouse ismore specificallyaboutcommunity,aboutthewaywerelatetothosewecometogetherwithinagroup.

TWELFTHHOUSE TheHouseof theSubconscious. If theFirstHouseisaboutourownself-image,theTwelfthHouseistheselfthatwecannotalwaysseeorrecognize. It rulesourdreamsandour intuition,aswellasoursecretsandoursorrows.

HOWTOCREATEANATALCHARTForareal,in-depthnatalchart—onethatcalculatesanglesofascensionandhowthesignsandplanetsinteractwitheachother—gototheprofessionals(andtherearelotsofwebsitesthatwilldoyourchartforfree).Butyoucandiveinyourselfforjustatasteandtotakealookathowthesignsinfluencethehouses.

Drawthreeconcentriccirclesonapieceofpaper.Usingaruler,dividethecircleintotwelveequalparts,likeslicingapizzaintotwelvepieces.

Determineyourascendant sign.This sign iswhateverwas risingover thehorizononthedateandattheexacttimeofyourbirth.Finditbylookingitup inanephemeris (a chart that tracks thepositionsof celestialbodiesatanygiventime)orbylookingituponline.Positionthisinformationateighto’clockonyourchart.ThisisyourFirstHouse(TheHouseofSelf).

Follow thenaturalorderof the signs (seehere) asyou fill in eachof theremaining eleven spaces. So if you had Aries in your First House, youwouldputTaurusintheSecondHouse,GeminiintheThirdHouse,andsoforth.

Whatdoesallthistellyou?Ifyou’reaLibra,butyourascendantsignisGemini,thenthatmightexplainwhythecharacteristicsofLibrashaveneverseemedtoaccuratelydescribeyou,becauseyou’rereallyacombinationofboth.Ifyou’vegotPiscesinyourSecondHouse(TheHouseofWorth),thenyoumighthaveabetterunderstandingofwhyyou’realwaysloaningpeoplemoney.IfyourFifthHouseofloveisruledbyTaurus,you’llknowwhyyouarealwayssostubborn,gettingintofightswiththoseyouadorethemost.

Oritmighttellyounothingyoudon’talreadyknow,andsoitmayjustbeafunexercise—somethingtodoonarainyday.

Turntoheretofillinyourownnatalchart.

PALMISTRY

IT IS INTERESTINGTHATSOMANYPROPHESYINGPRACTICESdatebackcenturiesandcenturies. Is this because we felt so lost and confused then, that we moredesperatelyneededtoknowtheanswers?Orisitbecausewewerelessskepticalandmorereadilysoughtanswersbecausewebelievedtheywereavailable?

Inanycase,palmistryisnoexception.TheartofreadingpalmsdatesbacktoBabylonia, ancientGreece,China, and India, among other places, until itwasheavily suppressed by the Catholic Church in the Middle Ages. The Churchranked it as one of the seven “forbidden arts,” putting it right up there withnecromancyandfiremagic.Comparedtothosetwo,simplepalm-readingseemsfairlyharmless.

ButtheChurch’seffortstosuppresspalmistrywereverysuccessfuluntilthemid-1800s,when people started taking the practice seriously again. It becameregulatedbytheChirologicalSocietyofGreatBritain,sothatcertainlinesonapalmwouldalwaysbeinterpretedthesameway,nomatterwhowasdoingthereading.But,liketarotandastrology,palmistrytellsmoreaboutthepersonalityof thebearerof thepalm,andlessabout theirfuture, thoughthere isa littleofthatsprinkledin.

There is reason to believe that there is something behind palmistry. Thepracticeoffingerprinting,forinstance,remindsusthatnotwohandsareexactlyalike.Andwhile theeyesmaybe thewindows to thesoul, thehandsarea loteasiertoread.Wedoeverythingwithourhands,andtheybeartheevidenceofthat.Thecallusfromwhereyouholdyourpen,thewayyoubiteyournails,theswellingaroundaweddingring,orthetanlinefromwhereoneusedtobe.…thescars,theburns,everything—theevidenceofourlivesisinourhands.Wehavethem to thank for our place outside of the food chain. It’s no wonder thatpalmistryhashungonforsolong,despitetheeffortstosuppressit.

Therearetwobranchesofpalmistry:Chiromancy,whichdealswiththelinesonthepalm,iswhatusuallycomestomindwhenwethinkaboutpalm-reading.Butthereisalsochirognomy,whichlooksattheshapeandtextureofthehands,

includingthefingersandthumb.Each hand will tell a reader something different. The nondominant hand

representstheperson’sinheritedtraits—whattheywerebornwithandhowtheycame into the world. The dominant hand shows how life has changed thatperson.Watchforthedifferencesbetweenthetwohands.

CHIROMANCYTherearethreemajorlines—thelifeline,theheartline,andtheheadline—andseveralminor lines, aswell asanumberofmountsandmarkings to readwithchiromancy. If you read the various descriptions here and then look at yourpalm, you’ll find that several of themmay apply; for example, your life linemightbeshort,forked,andshallow.Theartofpalmistryisnotjustinbeingableto see the lines clearly, but also in how you interpret the information you aregiven, so that you can tell someonewith a short, forked, and shallow life linethat theyarebetteratovercomingchallenges thantheythinktheyare,andthattheywillneedtoharnessthatabilitysoon,astheirlifeisabouttochange.

Remember,too,thatthelineswillbedifferentoneachhandandyoushouldtakebothhandsintoaccount,thoughthenondominanthandwillgenerallyrevealmore.

themajorlines

THELIFELINE Thislinetellsyouagreatdealaboutyourlife—butitdoesn’ttell youwhen you are going to die or anything like that. Instead, the life linedescribesthekindoflifeyouwillhaveandarehaving—yourrelationships,yourhealth,yourveryexistence.

LONG:Alonglifelineindicatesahealthyandwell-balancedperson.SHORT: This line communicates that the person is good at overcoming

challenges.Note:Itdoesnotmeanashortlife.FAINT:Lowenergy,perhapsunwillingtotakechances.DEEP:Asmoothandeasylife.BROKEN:Alifelinewithabreakinitsignifiesthattherehasbeenamajor

disruption, like an illness or an accident. If the break occurs in both

hands,itmeansthatthedisruptionwasmoresevere.Theclosertothewrist the break is, the younger the person was when the disruptionoccurred.

FORKED:Aforkmarksachangeinlifestyle.CHAINED:Crisscrossinglinespointtoatroubledpath.MULTIPLES: If the person has more than one life line moving along

essentiallythesamepath,thatcanmeantheyhaveatruesoulpartnerinlife,likeatwin,friend,orlifepartner.

THEHEARTLINE Alsoknownas the love line,or themensal line, thisgiveshintstotheperson’semotionalstate,aswellastheirrelationshipswithothers.

LONG:Thiswouldsuggestthepersonisbalancedandopen,butperhapsalittlestarry-eyed.

OVEREXTENDED: If the line reaches all the way across the palm, itindicatesthatthepersonmighthavecodependenttendencies.

SHORT:Self-centered.DEEP:Stressedbyrelationships.

FAINT:Doesn’tplacemuchimportanceonemotionsorrelationships.STRAIGHT:Somewhatpassiveinrelationships.CURVED:Emotional,intuitive.WAVY:Mayhavetroublewithcommitment.BROKEN: The person may have experienced or will experience an

emotionaltrauma.FORKED.Practical,goodatmaintainingbalance.CHAINED.Easilyhurt,maysufferfromdepression.BRANCHESGOINGUP.Thispersonhasstrongrelationships.BRANCHESGOINGDOWN.Thispersonsuffersfromheartbreakonoccasion.

THEHEADLINE The line ofwisdomgoes deeper than just learning—it alsoreveals information about the person’s psychologicalmakeup, aswell as theirintuitiveabilities.

STARTS FROM SAME POINT AS THE LIFE LINE: Such a shape indicates astrongwill.

LONG: A long line suggests intelligence, a good memory, and awillingnesstothinkthingsthrough.

OVEREXTENDED: If the lineextendsacross theentirepalm, theperson islikely highly successful and brave—though possibly also somewhatselfish.

SHORT:Practical,no-nonsense.STRAIGHT:Realistic,goodattentiontodetail.Notmuchimagination.

CURVED:Idealistic,intuitive,andimaginative.WAVY:Pointstoinnerconflictbetweentheperson’sthoughtsandactions.

Maybeuntrustworthy.DEEP:Sensible,withanexcellentmemory.FAINT:Daydreams,hastroubleconcentrating.BROKEN:Signifiesinconsistencyandperhapsmentalexhaustion.FORKED:Calleda“writer’sfork”ora“lawyer’sfork.”Thispersonenjoys

debate,hasanexcellentimagination,andcommunicatesclearly.BRANCHESGOINGUP:Professionalsuccess.BRANCHESGOINGDOWN:Struggle,disappointment,ordepressionatsome

pointintheperson’slife.

theminorlines

Notallof these lineswillbepresentoneveryhand,but if theyare there, theyindicatesomethingmorespecificabouttheperson.Thesearenotall theMinorLines,butthislistcoversthemostcommonones.Seehereforfurtherreference.

SUNLINE AlsoknownastheApolloline,indicatesthatthepersoniscreative,successful,andself-confident.

BRACELET LINES Also known as rascette lines, they indicate longevity. Themoreoftheselinessomeonehas,andtheclearerthoselinesare,thelongerandhealthierthatperson’slifewillbe.

FATELINE Alsoknownas theLineofDestiny, it indicates theperson’s lifepath.Thislinereferstoeventsthatthepersonhasnocontrolover,obstaclesthatmustbefaced.

GIRDLE OF VENUS This line indicates a very emotional person, one whoexperiencesbothextremehighsandextremelows.

LINEOFHEALTH Thislinemaysaysomethingabouttheperson’shealth,butitspresence more likely speaks to skills as a healer, either emotionally orphysically.

INTUITIONLINE Thispersonishighlysensitiveandmayevenpossesspsychicabilities,buthasdifficultyincrowds.

mounts

Mounts are the bumps of flesh on the palms. They may be more or lesspronouncedonyourhand.Seehereforreference.

MOUNTOFVENUS Thisbumprelates to loveandpassions. If it’spresentbutnotunusuallypronounced,thepersonishealthy,haspositiverelationships,andappreciatesthebeautyintheworld.Ifit’selevated,thepersonisself-indulgent.Ifit’sflat,thepersondoesnothaveastrongconnectiontotheirfamily.

MOUNT OF JUPITER This mount relates to the ego, to how we want to beperceived, and to success. If it is present but not unusually pronounced, thepersoniscompassionate,generous,andhasapositiveoutlook.If it iselevated,theperson is self-centered and likes tobe in controlofothers. If it is flat, thepersonislackinginself-confidence.

MOUNTOFSATURN Thisshapereferstopatience,duty,andresponsibility.Ifitispresentbutnotunusuallypronounced,thepersonisfriendly,independent,andtakes their responsibilities seriously. If it is elevated, the person may bedepressedorisolatedfromothers.Ifitisflat,thepersonmightbedisorganizedandnotveryself-aware.

MOUNTOFAPOLLO AlsoknownoftheMountoftheSun,thisbumprelatestoself-assurance. If it is present but not unusually pronounced, the person isoutgoingandflexible.Ifitiselevated,thepersonmighthaveajealousnature.Ifitisflat,thepersonmightbeshyandindecisive.

MOUNTOFMERCURY Thiselevationpointstosuccess,andalsototheabilitytoread people. If it is present but not unusually pronounced, the person issuccessful in business and an excellent communicator. If it is elevated, thepersonmaybeabitgreedy. If it is flat, thepersonmighthave trouble readingsocialcuesandmaybeunambitious.

MOUNTOFLUNA AlsoknownastheMountoftheMoon,itrelatestointuition,imagination, and creativity. If it is present but not unusually pronounced, the

personisartisticandthriveswhenimmersedinnature,particularlybythesea.Ifit is elevated, the person might dwell overlong on fantasies. If it is flat, thepersonmightbeimaginative,butpreferstobeprivate.

markings

Ofcoursewe all haveothermarks all overourhands, sometimeson the linesthemselves. These add a deeper layer of meaning to the lines, as a way ofinterpretingthemmorespecifically.Stand-alonemarkingshavemeaningaswell.

BREAKS Most lines have breaks in them. They don’t necessarily signifyanythingnegative; theysimplymarka life lived,an interruption in theflowofenergy,whichhappenstoallofus.

CHAINS Chainsinalinecanindicateobstacles.Soiftherearechainsearlyinalifeline,thatcanmeanadifficultchildhood.

CROSSES Suggestingstress,crossesaremorepronouncedthangrilles—thisismorealongthelinesof“acrosstobear.”

FRAY Whenalineendsinafray,thatindicatesconfusion.Thelifelineoftenendsinthisway.

GRILLES Thesecanindicatestress.

ISLANDS An island represents an interruption that ismore significant than abreak;itisgenerallyadifficulttime.

TRIDENT,TRIANGLE Thesemarkingsareconsideredsignsofgoodluck.

CHIROGNOMYChirognomy looks at the shape of the hands, grouping them into four distinctcategories,basedonthefourelements.Italsolooksattheindividualfingers,thethumb,thefingernails, thesizeof thehands,andtheir texture.You’llnotethatchirognomyisprettyblack-and-whiteinitsinterpretations,andthathavingshortfingersisprettymuchalwaysabadthing.Chirognomyisonlysomewhatusefulandsoisoftenjustincorporatedintoageneralpalmistrypracticetoenhancethereadingofthelines.

handshape

THE FIRE HAND: Short fingers and a relatively long palm. This person isextrovertedandoutgoing,andalsofairlyemotional.

THEEARTHHAND:Shortfingersandasquarepalm.Practical,hardworking,andsomewhatresistanttochange.Prefersalifespentout-of-doors.

THE AIR HAND: Long fingers, square palm. Logical, intelligent, goodcommunicator,buteasilybored.

THEWATER HAND: Long fingers, long palm. Sensitive and creative, driven bytheiremotions.Maynothandlestresswell.

handsize

LARGE: Proportionally larger hands indicate that the person is capable,hardworking,andsociable.

SMALL: Proportionally smaller hands indicate that the person can be a littleegotisticalandquiteambitious.

AVERAGE:Thosewhofallinbetweenhavealotofcommonsenseandshowgoodjudgment.

handtexture

THICK:Stubborn,somewhatinsensitive.

THIN:Sensitive—hence,thin-skinned.

ROUGH:Hardworking,practical,somewhatimpatient—i.e.,doesn’tuselotion.

SOFT:Artistic,refined—i.e.,useslotion.

fingers

Notethatthelengthofeachfingershouldbemeasuredinrelationtotheothers,ratherthanbasedonactuallength.Forexample,someonewithasmallhandbuta relatively long index finger would be more confident and capable thansomeonewithalargerhand(andthereforealargerindexfinger)butwhoseindexfingerisshorterinrelationtotheirotherfingers.

INDEXFINGER:AlsoknownastheJupiterFinger.Longindicatesthatthepersonisconfidentandcapable;shortsignifiesshyandlackinginself-confidence.

MIDDLEFINGER:Alsoknownas theSaturnFinger.Longsuggests thepersonishardworking and detail-oriented; short communicates that the person isn’tparticularlyambitious,butiswillingtotakerisks.

RINGFINGER:AlsoknownastheApolloFinger.Longrevealsthatthepersoniscreativeandartistic;shorttellsusthatthepersonmightlackenthusiasm.

PINKIE FINGER: Also known as the Mercury Finger. Long indicates that theperson is highly intelligent and a good communicator; short implies that thepersonmightbeimmature.

THUMB: A large thumb generally signifies that the person is a leader,while asmall thumbmeans theperson ismoreof a follower.Ahitchhiker’s thumb (athumbthatcanbendoverbackward)meansthatthepersoniseasygoing,whilearigidthumbmeansthepersonis—youguessedit—rigid.

fingertips

CONE-SHAPED:Flexibleandwillingtocompromise.

POINTED:Sensitive,artistic.

SPATULATE(flaringoutward):Creative,inventive,pioneering.

SQUARE:Methodicalandrational.

fingernails

THINANDCURVED:Gentle,kind.

BROAD:Strongpersonality,mighthaveatemper.

FAN-SHAPED:Stressed.

HOWTODOAREADINGStartwiththeperson’snondominanthand,asthiswillprovideabaselineforyoutoreadthedifferences in thedominanthand.Takeyour time—there isa lot toabsorb.Takenotesifyouwantorneedto.

Next, look at the person’s dominant hand. For now, don’t worry aboutcomparingthetwo,justseewhatthedominanthandtellsyou.Again,takenotesifyouneedto.

Finally, lookat thedifferencesbetween the two. If linesareclearerononehandthantheother,whatdoesthatsaytoyou?Ifsomemarkingsarepresentononehand,butnottheother,whatdoesthatimply?Forinstance,ifthefatelineispresentonthenondominanthand,butismissingonthedominanthand,perhapsthatpersonhas—forbetterorworse—steppedasidefromtheirdestiny.

Don’tforgettolookattheshapesofthehandstoseewhatchirognomyaddstoyourinformation.

Whenyoufeelconfident thatyouhave learnedall thatyoucan, shareyourunderstandingwiththepersonwhosehandsyouhavebeenstudying.Walkthemthroughtheprocess,andseehowmuchofitringstrue.

DREAMINTERPRETATION

WEALLDREAM.WEMAYNOTALLREMEMBEROURDREAMS,BUTwealldream.Andsometimes our dreams are pretty weird, and we wake up wondering what onearthourunconscious/theDivine/ourpastselvesweretryingtotellus.Therearedreamssointensewefeeltheymustbesignificant.

The specificsofhowandwhywedreamare stillunclear,butoneirologists(dreamscientists)agree thatdreamshelpusformmemories,processemotions,and sort through the events of the day. Some folks believe that dreams aremessagessenttousfromthebeyondorthattheyreflecteventsthatoccurredinpast lives. There are traditions of dream interpretations in Islam, Christianity,Hinduism,andBuddhism,withmanyoverlappingsymbols.

And,of course,dreamsplayahuge role inpsychologyandpsychotherapy.Sigmund Freud believed that dreams are the “royal road” to the unconscious,andifwecoulddecodethem,wecouldunderstandourtruenatures.Symbolsarethe language of dreams, and it’s believed that everything in our dreams has aspecificmeaning.Butwhileadreamdictionarycouldtellyouthatdreamingofafern symbolizes one’s hopes and fears for the future, itmight not necessarilymean that for you specifically. You might dream of a fern because yourgrandmotherkeptfernsinherhouseandyou’remissingher,orforanynumberofreasonsthatarespecifictoyou.

Still, oneirologists have noticed trends and similar dreams that happen toalmosteveryoneofusatsomepoint(oftenmorethanonce)indifferentculturesall over theworld.Dreams of going to school naked, or flying, or falling areclichésforareason,becauseweallhavethemsooften.Andbecausetheyaresocommon,weareabletointerprettheminafairlyconsistentfashion.Inthesamewaythatyawningcanbeinterpretedassleepinessandasmilecanbeinterpretedas happiness regardless of who is doing the yawning or the smiling, thesecommondreamshavereliableinterpretationsforeveryone.

On the other hand,while the less commondream symbols aren’t nearly asreliable,theycanbeuseful.Thosedisturbingdreamsthatjustwon’tletusgocan

be released with understanding, and an understanding of dream symbols canprovide uswith a jumping-off point, away to begin to interpret them.Dreamdictionarieshave thousandsof symbols, someof themascommonasmothers,andsomeasesotericas icemakers.Whodreamsabout icemakers?But ifyoudo, thenyou shouldknow thatmeans thatyouare shuttingothersout, closingyourselfofffromyourrelationships—whetheryoufeelthisappliestoyouornot,itisfoodforthought.

Dreamshavemeaning,andifwelookatthemclosely,wecandecipherthemasbestwecan,sothatwemayfurtherunderstandourselves.

COMMONDREAMSYMBOLSMostlikely,you’vedreamedeachoftheseatleastonce.

BABIES Dreaming of a baby/dreaming of being pregnantmay be driven byyourbody’sbiologicaldesiretoprocreate,oritmaymeanthatyouwantorneedtobenurturedyourself.Itmayalsosignifyanewidea.

BEINGCHASED Wetendtorememberthesedreamsbecausetheanxietywefeelduring themisextremelyvivid.Takea lookatwhat’schasingyou to interpretthedream—becauseofcoursewhateveritisyou’rerunningawayfromisreallytheissueathand.Whatisityoudon’twanttofaceinyourlife?Yourdreamistellingyoutostoprunning.

DEATH Asintarot,thesedreamsdonotportendliteraldeath.Youneednotbeworried that you are ill or that someone you love is in danger. Instead, theysignalthatyouareatthestartorinthemiddleofabigchange—anendingofonethingandanewbeginningofanother.

FALLING Normally, falling indicates anxiety that comes after success.Onceyou’veachievedwhatyouwanted,howwillyoumaintainit?

FLYING Thisisalmostinvariablyaeuphoricdream,anditoftenoccursoncewe’ve finally made a decision we’ve been putting off or when we’re feelingparticularlyconfidentthatwecanachieveourgoals.

NUDITY We’ve all suffered from the “forgot your clothes” dream. Thisgenerallyunpleasantdreamsignifieshowvulnerableyouare feeling.Youmaywant to consider baring yourself regardless of your fear.Get it overwith andreallyputyourtrueselfouttherefortheworldtosee.

PEOPLE Just about everyone dreams about other people, but the importantthing to note is that each of the “characters” in our dreams represents someaspectofourselves.

SEX Along with just being good fun, sex dreams indicate that you have

reached a new level of understanding and incorporated the intuitive with theconscious.

TESTYOUDIDN’TSTUDYFOR Thesedreamsaren’tactuallyanargumentagainstthestressorsoftheCommonCore.Instead,theyindicatethatyouareexaminingyourself,lookingatpastmistakes.

OUT-OF-CONTROLVEHICLE Youknowthatdream—theonewhere thebrakesdon’tworkor thesteeringwheelwon’t turn?It’s tellingyouthatyou’re tryingtoohardtocontrolsomethingthatyousimplydon’thavecontrolover.Relaxthewhite-knucklegripandlettheroadtakeyouwhereitwill.

WATER Water is generally thought to speak specifically to the state of theunconscious.Ifyou’redreamingofastormysea,youmaybeexperiencingsomeemotional turbulence. But if you’re dreaming of a cool, clear stream, you aremorelikelyexperiencingmentalclarity.

LESSCOMMON(ButStillFairlyCommon)DREAMSYMBOLS

Theseare lesscommon—butstillexperiencedmoreoften thanan icemaker—andcangenerallybereliedupontohavesomerelevancetomostofus.

NEEDINGTOGOTOTHEBATHROOM Thisprobablyjustmeansthatyouneedtogo to thebathroom,but it couldalsomean thatyouought toconsider lookingafteryourownneeds,insteadofalwaysputtingothersfirst.

CELEBRITIES When a celebrity pops up in your dream, they can indicate acertain admiration. Perhaps that celebrity has a quality that youwould like toembody.

CHEATINGBYYOURSIGNIFICANTOTHER Thisdreamoften leavesusangryatour partners, though we know we have no just cause. It doesn’t indicate aproblemintherelationship;insteadyoumaybefeelinginsecureorinneedofalittleextracareandattention.

CHEATINGYOURSELF Ifyouaretheonehavinganaffairinadream,rememberthatdoesn’tmeananythingaboutyourfeelingsforyourpartner.Instead,lookatthepersonyouarecheatingwith.Whataspectsoftheirpersonalitydoyoufindattractive?

FOOD Dreaming of food can mean that you are hungry, but it can alsosymbolizeahungerforknowledge.

HAIR According to Freud, hair is symbolic of sexuality (but then somanythings were, to Freud). Abundant hair equates with sexual abundance andvirility,whilehairlossspeaksofalossoflibido.

HOUSE Eachroomorfloorofahouseinadreamhasameaningthatisspecifictothedreamer,butgenerallyabasementrepresentsthatwhichisignoredandabedroomrepresentsthatwhichisprivate.

KILLING Ifyoukillsomeoneinyourdreams,thatdoesn’tmakeyouaviolentperson. Remember that every character in your dream represents a part ofyourself.Whatpartofyourselfareyoutryingtokilloff?

PARALYSIS WhenweareinaREMsleepstate,weareactuallyparalyzedtoanextent—which is agood thing, as it preventsus fromsleepwalkingandactingouttheexperiencesinourdreams.Whenweareinthemidstofwakingupwhileinthatstate,wecanexperiencethatparalysisforamoment.Sothisisn’treallyadreamsymbol,butanactualstateofbeing.

SNAKE Thesymbolismofsnakesindreamsdependsonyourpersonalfeelingsabout snakes. If you dislike them or are afraid of them, theymay speak to ahidden or unpredictable threat. But they can also represent healing,transformation,andcreativity.Andofcourse,accordingtoFreud,theyrepresentsexualtemptation.

TEETH FALLING OUT Teeth symbolize confidence and power. Ask yourself,whatareyoufeelingpowerlessabout?Wealsousethemtocommunicate—whatareyouunabletovoice?

HOWTOINTERPRETDREAMSStartbykeepingadreamjournal.Recordeverydreamyourememberwhenyoufirstwake up in themorning, before it fades,making note of any details thatjumpoutatyou.Payparticularattentiontorecurringdreams,includingrecurringdreamlocations,asthosehaveparticularsignificanceforyourpsyche.

At the end of the day, before you go to sleep,write aboutwhat’s on yourmind.This is justgood sense in itsown right—bygetting the stressesofyourdayoutofyourheadandontothepage,youmakeitmorelikelythatyou’llhavea restful sleep.But itwillalsoenableyou toseehow theeventsof thedayordaysleadinguptoyourdreamsshapedthosedreams.

Overtime,youwillnoticepatterns,andsymbolsthatrepeatwillmaketheirmeaningscleartoyou.

If you’re interpreting someone else’s dream, listen carefully and patiently.Otherpeople’sdreamsareneverasinterestingasourown,butdoyourbest.Ifyounoticeanyparticularsymbols,makenoteofthem.Feelfreetoaskquestionsaboutwhatmightbegoingonintheirlife,sothatyoucaninterpretmoreclearly.When you do offer your interpretation, make clear that this isn’t an exactscience,andthisisonlyyourtakeonit—dreamsareverypersonal,andevenifsomeone has asked you to interpret, theymay not likewhat you have to say.Even so, give your honest opinion, and don’t try tomake light of a negativedream.

LUCIDDREAMSTechnically,aluciddreamisdefinedasadreaminwhichthedreamerisawarethat theyaredreaming.But that’snotallwe thinkofwhenwehear thewords“luciddreaming.”Wethinkofcontrollingourdreams,andwhileofcoursethatrequiresknowingthatwearedreaminginthefirstplace,let’sjustforthesakeofsimplicitysaythatluciddreamingequalscontrollingyourdreams.

Whywouldyouwanttodothat?Well,forstarters,it’sreallyfun.Youcandoanythingyouwant!Youcanfly,youcanworkmagic,youcanliveanelaboratelove story, you can save the world. But you can also help yourself. Luciddreamingisobviouslyextremelyhelpfulforpeoplewhosufferfromnightmares,and itcanbeapowerfulhealingprocess,bothemotionallyandphysically.Weallknowthatwhenwe’resick,visualizingourbodiesashealthyisaneffectiveway to promote healing. If we take that to the next level by dreaming aboutourselvesashealthy,thinkhowmuchmorepowerfulthathealingcouldbe.

The first step toward lucid dreaming is becoming aware that you aredreamingwhileitishappening.Keepingadreamjournalwillhelpwiththis,aswillsimplypayingattentiontoyourdreams,grantingthemspaceinyourwakingmind.Workonrememberingthem.Whenyouwakeupfromadream,evenifitisthemiddleofthenight,takethetimetowriteitdown,orattheveryleastgooveritinyourmindfromstarttofinish,workingtorecallasmanydetailsasyoucan,soyoucanwriteitdownatalatertime.

Thebesttimetoluciddreamiswhenyouarejustbarelyasleep—intheearlymorninghours,say,orduringanap.Yourawarenessisstrongenoughthatyoucanrealizeyouaresleeping,andwiththatawareness,yougiveyourselfagencyinthedream.Onceyou’veimprovedyourdreamrecall,trythismethodofluciddreaming:Ifyouwakeupoutofadreamintheearlymorning,payattentiontothat dreamas closely as you can,while still allowingyourmind to stay in itsrelaxedstate.Daydreamthedreamoveragain.And then,onceyou’ve foundawayyouwishtodirectthedream,allowyourselftofallbackasleep.Itmaybeaverylightsleep,butyouwillfindyourselfdreamingthedaydream.

Thismethodofslow,gentle initiationinto luciddreamingusuallyresults inan effective lucid dream, but there are othermethods. Sometimes, you realizeyouaredreamingmid-dreambuthavenoabilitytoaffectthedream.Thiscanbe

quite frustrating, but that sense of helplessness will dissolve with time andpractice—remember, just likeinTheMatrix,“thereisnospoon.”Youdohavecontrol,andyoucandoanything.

CONCLUSION

IFYOUCHOSETOPICKUPTHISBOOK,THENYOUWEREPROBABLYalreadyinterestedand perhaps already knew some of the information contained here. So somechaptersmayhavehadyounoddingsagely,gainingadeeperunderstandingofherbal healing or astrology or chakras.And some chaptersmay have had youthinkingtoyourself,“thisisaloadofhooey”—whichistotallyfine!

Thebestchaptersaretheonesthatyoudidn’talreadyfindinterestingbeforeyoustarted,thatyoulookedatwithskepticism.Butyoureadthemanyway,andyou came out on the other sidewondering—what if?What if auras are a realthing, even if we can’t see them yet ourselves? What if tarot can help usunderstandtruthswithinourselvesthatwemightnototherwisebeabletosee?

Ifyouacceptandembracetheconceptofchakras,thenusingcrystalstoaidin chakra-based healing just makes sense. It is a very short leap from herbalhealingtoherbalmagic,soshortthetwoarealmostindistinguishable.AndwhileourWestern culture doesn’t generally celebrate pagan holidays anymore, theyareattherootofsomanyholidayswedocelebratethattheirtraditionsarebothjoyousandfun.

That’s all we’re hoping for here—a little curiosity, a willingness to ask,“whatif?”Ifyouchuckleattheideaofdoingspells,butcan’timagineyourselfactuallysittingandcastingonewithoutdyingofembarrassment,thenspellsarenot the right kind of magic for you! But if you find yourself better able tounderstand your own dreams—and therefore deal with the issues yoursubconscious is struggling with—then, for all practical purposes, that, too, ismagic.

Pullthattarotcard,andseewhatitsays.Studythelinesonyourpalmtogaingreaterself-knowledge.Whatcanyournatalcharttellyouaboutyourself,aboutthe ways you react to certain kinds of situations, and how can you use thatinformationtoliveyourlifewithgreaterease?

Andifyoudoallthat,isitmagic?Isanyofthismagic?Ifchakrasarerootedin an early understanding of the human endocrine system, are they, in fact,science?Ifyoucastahealingspellonyourbestfriendandshegetsbetter,wasthatyouorwasitherimmunesystem?

Perhaps the question ought to be—does it matter? If we do no harm, andperhapsevensomegood,thenallthatmattersiswhatwebelieveispossible.Ifwesimplyallowforthepossibilityofmagic, itcanbecomereal,practical,andtrue.Wemakeitso,andsomoteitbe.

REFERENCESANDRESOURCES

Thereisalotofinformationonalotoftopicsinthisbook,andtherefore,noneofthatinformationgoesintoallthatmuchdepth.Ifyou’recurioustoknowmoreaboutanyparticular topic,checkout theseuseful linksandbooksforagreaterunderstanding!

astrology

TheAstrologyBiblebyJudyHall.SterlingPublishing,April2005.

TheOnlyAstrologyBookYou’llEverNeedbyJoanneMartineWoolfolk.TaylorTradePublishing,November2012.

Astrolabe,https://alabe.com/freechart

Astrology,http://www.astrology.com.tr/birth-chart.asp

AstrologyZone,https://www.astrologyzone.com/learn-astrology

Horoscope,http://www.horoscope.com/us/index.aspx

auras

ChangeYourAura,ChangeYourLifebyBarbaraY.Martin&DimitriMoraitis.Tarcher,April2016.

TheUnseenSelf:KirlianPhotography,ExplainedbyBrianSnellgrove.RandomHouseUK,December2004

PsychicLibrary,http://psychiclibrary.com/beyondBooks/aura-room

chakras

TheBook ofChakras:Discovering theHiddenForcesWithinYou byAmbikaWauters.Barron’s,April2002.

ChakraAnatomy,http://www.chakra-anatomy.com/index.html

TheChopraCenter,http://www.chopra.com/articles/what-is-a-chakra

ModernChakra,http://www.modernchakra.com/chakra-science.html

crystals

TheCrystalBiblebyJudyHall.WalkingStickPress,May2003.

CrystalsforHealingbyKarenFrazier.AltheaPress,November2015.

Crystal Vaults, https://www.crystalvaults.com/crystal-encyclopedia/crystal-guide

Healing Crystals,https://www.healingcrystals.com/The_Healing_Power_of_Crystals_Articles_1115.html

dreaminterpretation

Dreamer’s Dictionary by Stearn Robinson & Tom Corbett. Grand CentralPublishing,February1986.

Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming by Stephen LaBerge & HowardRheingold.BallantinePublishing,November1991.

DreamMoods,http://www.dreammoods.com/dreamdictionary

Lucidity,http://www.lucidity.com/LucidDreamingFAQ2.html

herbs

TheHerbalApothecarybyJJPursell.Timber,December2015.

TheModern Herbal Dispensatory by Thomas Easley & Steven Home. NorthAtlantic,November2016.

LearningHerbs,http://learningherbs.com/free-herbal-remedies

MountainRoseHerbs,https://www.mountainroseherbs.com

WellnessMama,https://wellnessmama.com/category/remedies

paganholidays

ThePaganBookofDaysbyNigelPennick.DestinyBooks,March2001.

Circle Sanctuary, https://www.circlesanctuary.org/index.php/celebrating-the-seasons/celebrating-the-seasons

Wicca,https://wicca.com/celtic/akasha/index0.htm

palmistry

The Art and Science of Hand Reading by Ellen Goldberg. Destiny Books,February2016.

ThePalmistryBiblebyJaneStruthers.SterlingPublishing,August2005.

Palmistry,http://www.palmistry.com.au/palmistry.html

PsychicLibrary,http://psychiclibrary.com/beyondBooks/palmistry-room

plant-basedmagic

HerbMagicforBeginnersbyEllenDugan.Llewellyn,May2006.

SecretRecipes fromyourGardenbyEllenEvertHopman.HealingArtsPress,February2016.

WitchesLore, http://witcheslore.com/bookofshadows/herbology/plant-and-herb-magic-2/1174

Witchipedia,http://www.witchipedia.com/main:herbs

tarot

TheUltimateGuidetoTarotbyLizDean.FairWindsPress,May2015.

BiddyTarot,https://www.biddytarot.com/tarot-card-meanings

PsychicLibrary,http://psychiclibrary.com/beyondBooks/tarot-deck

whitemagic

Buckland’s Complete Book of Witchcraft by Raymond Buckland. Llewllyn,2002.

TheModernGuidetoWitchcraftbySkyeAlexander.AdamsMedia,July2014.

SpellsofMagic,http://www.spellsofmagic.com/white_magic.html

WiccanSpells,http://wiccanspells.info

WitchesLore,http://witcheslore.com/category/spells

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

SOMANYPEOPLEARERESPONSIBLEFORTHISBOOK.ShannonConnors,forbeingthemost lovelyWicca-curious, kombucha-making, light-bringing editorfriend youcouldbe.KatieVernonforillustrationssobeautifulandevocativetheymakemyheartskip.SusanVanHornforagorgeousdesign—youmakemymanybulletpoints lookgood.KristinKiser for keepingme so happy and sobusy.AshleyBenning for some tight copyediting. KellyNotaras for introducingme to thisworldthatIamsohappytobedwellingin.ChandikaDeviandRachelMehlforneveryellingatmewhenIwasoverwhelmed.DavidDuntonforsaying“Yay!”allthosetimesIdemandedhedoso.MaileDuntonforbeingsopsychedabouteverythingallthetime.Iloveyouall.

CREATINGYOURNATALCHART

Forareal,in-depthnatalchart—onethatcalculatesanglesofascensionandhowthesignsandplanetsinteractwitheachother—gototheprofessionals(andtherearelotsofwebsitesthatwilldoyourchartforfree).Butyoucandiveinyourselfforjustatasteandtotakealookathowthesignsinfluencethehouses.

On the opposite page you will find a chart, with three concentriccircles,dividedintotwelveequalslices.

Determineyourascendantsign.Thissigniswhateverwasrisingoverthehorizononthedateandattheexacttimeofyourbirth.Finditbylooking it up in an ephemeris (a chart that tracks the positions ofcelestialbodiesatanygiventime)orbylookingituponline.Positionthis information at eight o’clock on your chart. This is your FirstHouse(TheHouseofSelf).

Followthenaturalorderof thesigns(Aries,Taurus,Gemini,Cancer,Leo,Virgo,Libra,Scorpio,Sagittarius,Capricorn,Aquarius,Pisces)asyoufillineachoftheremainingelevenspaces.SoifyouhadAriesinyourFirstHouse,youwouldputTaurusintheSecondHouse,GeminiintheThirdHouse,andsoforth.

Formoreinformationonthesignificanceofyournatalchart,seehere.

INDEX

aabundancespell,82agate,yellow,75airsigns,102,105ajna,16,19,22amethyst,22,23,68,71anahata,15,19,22angelica,68apples,74aquamarine,22,23,61,84Aquarius,102,105Aries,102,103ascendantsigns,112,146ashwagandha,43astralaura,30astrologicalcharts,102astrologycelestialbodies,107–109creatinganatalchart,112,146elementsandtheirsigns,103–106overviewof,101–102referencesandresourcesfor,141twelvehouses,110–111

aurascleansing,36–37commoncolorsandmeaningsfor,32–35howtosee,36layersof,30–31overviewof,29–31referencesandresourcesfor,141

azurite,22,23,84

bbalance,12,15,17–19,55banishingspell,83basil,68baylaurel,68bayberry,67belladonna,57,65,83Beltane,71betony,57,60,78,82black,35,65blackcohosh,43bloodstone,68blue,16,34,71body-mindconnection,11botanomancy,56Brighid,68brown,74,75burningbush,45

ccalcite,23,61,83calendula,44Cancer,102,106Capricorn,102,104caraway,57,60,61,85carnelian,22,23,26,61,74,85casting,79catnip,44,65celestialbodies,107–109celestialaura,31chakrasbalancing,17–19main,13–17

overviewof,11–12referencesandresourcesfor,142

chamomile,71,72chirognomy,116,124–126ChirologicalSocietyofGreatBritain,115chiromancy,116,117–123chunkcrystals,25cinquefoil,57,60,61,78,82circles,78,79citrine,22,23,61,82,84clearquartz,22,23,26–27,78,81clover,57,84colors,32–35,61.seealsoindividualcolorscowslip,57cranberry,44–45crownchakra,17,22crystalschakrasand,18,22choosingandactivating,25–27clearing,26common,23–24overviewof,21–22referencesandresourcesfor,142shapesof,25–26

Cups,89,91cutcrystals,25

d“deadlynightshade,”57Destiny,Lineof,120diamond,67dittany,45dragon’sblood,57,60,61,85dreamjournals,135,136dreamshowtointerpret,135

lucid,136–137overviewofinterpretationof,129–130referencesandresourcesfor,142symbolsfrom,131–134

eearthsigns,102,104elderberry,45elecampane,57,83electromagneticphotography,30elementalcategories,102,103–106elementsandtheirsigns,103–106emerald,67,70,72,74emotionalaura,30Eostre,69–70essentialoils,18,52ethericaura,30etherictemplateaura,30evergreen,67eyebright,57

ffelt,61feverfew,46fingernails,126fingers,sizeandshapeof,125–126firesigns,102,103flight,plantsfor,57,58frankincense,57frequencies,ofchakras,12Freud,Sigmund,129

ggarlic,58,60,61,79,81,82,83

garnet,22,23,67,68,81Gemini,102,105givingthanks,79gold,35,67,72,75goldencalcite,22grains,74green,15,33,67,70,71,72,74GreenMan,70,74gris-gris,60guidancespread,99

hhands,shapeandsizeof,124–126.seealsopalmistryhawthorn,58,60,79,85headline,119healingspell,81heartchakra,15heartline,118hellebore,58,61,83hematite,22,23,65,82,83henbane,58,61herbofgrace,49herbs.seealsoplant-basedmagiccommon,43–51makingatincturefrom,52makingoilwith,52–53makingpoulticewith,53overviewof,41–42referencesandresourcesfor,143

holidays.seepaganholidaysholly,56,58,67,79honeysuckle,58,60,61,82,85hops,74horsechestnut,46–47Houses,102Houses(astrology),110–111hyssop,58,60,78,83

iImbolc,68–69indigo,chakrasand,16intention,roleof,56invocation,79islands(palmistry),123

jjade,22,23,61,82,85jasper,70jet,65juniper,58Jupiter,108

kketherictemplateaura,31Kirlianphotography,30

lLammas,73–74lapislazuli,22,24,61,75,83lavender,58,61,71,72,84leather,61lemonbalm,47,58,61,85Leo,102,103Libra,102,105lifeline,117–118lightfrequenciesofchakras,12Litha,72–73lovespells,57,58,59,85Lugh,74

mMabon,75MajorArcana,94–97malachite,22,24mandrake,58,60,65,79,82,84,85manipura,14,19,22marigold,44,58,60,61,75,82marjoram,58markings,onhand,123Mars,108marshmallow,47meditation,17–18,57melissa(herb),47mentalaura,30Mercury,107milkthistle,48,67,75milkweed,75MinorArcana,89mistletoe,58,60,61,67,85Moon,107moonstone,24,84mounts,121–122mugwort,59,61,65,72,83muladhara,13,18,22mullein,48–49myrtle,59,60,61,79,85

nnatalchart,creating,112,146Neptune,109

oobsidian,22,24,65,82,83,84oils,herbal,52–53

oneirologists(dreamscientists),129–130opal,24,61,83orange,14,33,65,74,75Ostara,69–70

ppaganholidaysdescriptionsof,65–75overviewof,63–64referencesandresourcesfor,143

palmistrychirognomy,124–126chiromancy,117–123howtodoareadingusing,127overviewof,115–116referencesandresourcesfor,143

Pentacles,89,92pentagrams,77,78peridot,71peripheralvision,36pimpernel,59,80pink,32,68Pisces,102,106plantainleaf,49plant-basedmagic.seealsoherbscommonplantsandtheiruses,57–59gris-gris,61overviewof,55–56referencesandresourcesfor,144smudgesticks,60

Pluto,109poultices,53prana,11protection,79protectionspell,82Ptolemy,101

purification,78purple,17,34,71pyrite,24,82

qquartz,22,23,24,25,26–27,61,78,79,81,82,85

rred,13,32,67,68,75referencesandresources,141–144ritualspace,creating,78rootchakra,13,22rosequartz,22,24,61,79,85rosemary,59,60ruby,67rue,49RuleofThree,77

ssabbats.seepaganholidayssacrachakra,13–14,22sage,59,60,65,75,81,84,85Sagittarius,102,103sahasrara,17,19,22saltcircles,78Samhain,65–66sapphire,71,75Saturn,108–109Scorpio,102,106self-confidencespell,84silver,35,65,67smokyquartz,22,24,82,85smudgesticks,60solarplexuschakra,14,22

Solomon’sseal,75spells,55–56,77–85St.John’swort,59,60,61,83subtlebodies,30–31suitsoftarot,89,91–93summoningspell,83Sun,107SunGod,72,74sunline,120svadhisthana,13–14,19,22Swords,89,92–93symbols,dreamsand,131–134

tTailte,74tansy,68tarotguidancespread,99MajorArcana,94–97overviewof,89–90referencesandresourcesfor,144suitsof,89,91–93three-cardspread,98

Taurus,102,104Tetrabiblos(Ptolemy),101texture,hand,125thirdeyechakra,16,22three-cardspread,98throatchakra,15–16,22thyme,59,60,72,82,84tiger’seye,24,61,80tinctures,52truthspell,80tumbledcrystals,26turmeric,41turquoise,22,24,81

twelvehouses,110–111

uUranus,109

vvalerian,50velvet,61Venus,108vervain,50–51,56,59,60,72,78,82Virgo,102,104vishuddha,15–16,19,22

wwandcrystals,26Wands,89,93watersigns,102,106white,35,65,68whitemagic,77–85,144willowbark,41wormwood,59,61,71,83

yyarrow,51,59,61,72,83yellow,14,33,68,70,72,74yellowagate,75yellowjasper,22,24Yule,66–67

zzodiac,102