All posts tagged: Oranum

Herbal Magickal Baths For Love, Purification + Money!

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Written By: Psychic AlyciaRose Water has always been a purifier from the beginning of time; it cleanses everything it touches. Water is also a spiritual cleanser, washing away energies that are not our own while purifying both body and spirit. It is the essence of life, releasing psychic blocks, restoring us to balance and harmony. Taking a magickal or ritual bath permits us to open ourselves to higher energies, and those energies we wish to attract to ourselves. The history of the ritual bath is ancient. Many cultures ancient and modern use water as a method of spiritual purification. Ritual bathing was a n important part of Roman, Greek, Middle Eastern, and Japanese societies. The faithful washed themselves before prayer, entering a temple or participating in spiritual activities. The use of water in purification is also used by Muslims washing before prayer, Catholics dipping hands in holy water, Native Americans in the sweat lodge, and some modern Witches before entering the sacred circle. In many magickal faiths and folk magic, the bath often becomes spellwork …

Understanding Tarot – The Cups

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Written By: Dr. Nikki The Cups are the best known suit in the tarot. Symbolizing our deeper emotions, this suit can be represented in a number of ways. Cups are the more standard and most often seen in decks, but they can appear as Chalices, Bowls, and Hearts. The Cups equate to the suit of Hearts in a standard card deck. The Cups are aligned with the element of Water, which rules emotions and, especially, love. Water is fluid, as our emotions. Water reflects how we express our inner selves to the world. Man can live without food for weeks, but can only survive a few days without water. Water, and our emotions, are the stuff that life is made of. Strongly influencing the relationships you have with others in the world, Cups can indicate a need for transforming or changing the way you interact with others. Creativity is said to come from the heart – from the emotion. As a representation of water, the Cups invite us to drink from the flow of life …

Understanding Tarot – The Pentacles

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Written By: Dr. Nikki Pentacles are represented in decks in many different ways. They can be shown as Disks, Pumpkins, Coins, and even Diamonds (also the suit Pentacles relate to in your regular playing deck). The Pentacles are often elaborately decorated; for example, the Queen of Pentacles is normally shown amidst abundant natural growth and vegetation to represent her fertility and fecundity. Aligned with the element of Earth, these are the cards that relate to money, material and earthly matters. When considering the elemental connection, Pentacles are not just about money. The Pentacles show the material world that you live in and how you relate to it and these are important aspects of your spiritual nature. Fertility is a strong component of the Earth element and sensuality, sex, and the fertility of creative energy are all represented in this suit. You will want to consider your foundation when Pentacles are present. When reading about health, pay particular attention to the Pentacles in your spread as health is governed by the Earth element. When there are …

Summer Herbal Harvesting Tips

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Written By: Psychic AlyciaRose The July Moon is known as the Wort Moon, a peak time to gather herbs (worts) to be dried, for use in spells and natural medicines long after summer has passed, with the full moon’s energy being seen as especially potent in influencing the natural qualities of the plants. ‘Gardening by the Moon’ is still a  longtime tradition, utilizing the age-old practice that cycles of the Moon affect plant growth. You can find out more about this simply by consulting your Farmer’s Almanac for your planting zone. If you are just getting started growing and harvesting herbs, the following guidelines will help. Do visit the garden often, noticing the changes when the various herbs are at their peak. Medicinal and magickal qualities, flavor and aroma are preserved best by cutting at optimal times for their intended use. One you know how to harvest them, and how to preserve them, you can have the fresh taste of summer in your cooking all year long. Some good general guidelines to use: Harvest using …

Understanding Tarot – The Swords

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Written By: Dr. Nikki Arguably, the most standard of the representations from deck to deck in the Tarot, you can find Swords are in nearly every deck. For example, the suit of Cups can be represented as Bowls or Chalices in different decks; Pentacles can become Coins or Disks; and the Wands can become Staves or Rods. However, the Swords – the suit that responsible for the hidden motivations and thought processes – are nearly universal and seen in almost all decks. Even in the standard playing card deck, the Swords are very easy to identify. The Italian word for sword is “spada.” It is not difficult to see how the suit of “Spades” got its name. Aligned with the element of Air, the Swords are the cards that speak to the internal intellect. Air as an element is associated with the spiritual realm and relates to things such as thought, speech, communication, your connection with your Higher Power and your own decisions. This element is associated with the head and thinking. It is said …

Lavender: It’s History, Use, Lore and Magick

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Written By: Psychic AlyciaRose “And lavender, whose spikes of azure bloom shall be, ere-while, in arid bundles bound to lurk admist the labours of her loom, and crown her kerchiefs witl mickle rare perfume.” ~William Shenstone, The School Mistress 1742 Lavender is one of the most ancient aromatic herbs, used and cultivated since the beginning of recorded time. Even to modern times, lavender has been valued mostly for the virtue of its fragrance. It is a woody evergreen member of the vast mint family, originating as a native plant of the mountains of the Mediterranean region. Its cultivation and use has spread, but the most common are the English Lavenders. These hardy varieties were brought to England during the Medieval period and are mentioned in the writings of William Shakespeare. There are over 15 different species of lavender and many varieties, each with their own fragrance and color, which can vary  from deep purple, pink, to white. The name lavender has its roots from the latin “lavare’ meaning to wash. It as used in ancient …

Understanding Tarot – The Wands

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Written By: Dr. Nikki Known by several different names, the suit of Wands covers physical passion, struggle, personal spiritual life force and more. In a normal deck of playing cards (and in some tarot decks) the suit of Wands is represented by the suit of clubs. Depicted as Wands with new growth, Staffs, Rods, and, of course, Clubs, this suit is normally shown as something that feeds fire. Whatever their depiction, the suit of Wands speaks of passion in all its guises. Aligned with the element of Fire (a rod or staff can burn), the Wands speak to that elemental part of us. Fire can be a fantastic tool, when controlled and used properly it can create rebirth and regeneration. Fire warms us, helps cook our food, and lights our way. When not controlled however, fire can burn uncontrollably and destructively, devouring all that is in its path. Many of the attributes of fire are represented in the suit of Wands. Fire is transformative. When you see a Wand in your spread be sure to …

The Magickal Language of Flowers

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Written By: Psychic AlyciaRose “There is a language, little known, Lovers claim it as their own. Its symbols smile upon the land, Wrought by nature’s wondrous hand; And in their silent beauty speak, Of life and joy, to those who seek For Love Divine and sunny hours In the language of the flowers.” –The Language of Flowers, London, 1875 Flowers are so much a part of our everyday life that they are often featured at events or holidays. Flowers are given to those we love.  They are used in everything connected with love, including bouquets on Valentine’s Day, wedding ceremonies, bridal bouquets,  and flowers in the bride’s hair. Did you know that these flowers also hold meaning? This is how the tradition of delivering bouquets began. Although it was very popular to use flower meanings as messages in the Victorian era, this old tradition of flowers having attributes is ancient – stretching back thousands of years. This old custom is now coming back, with new books being written on the subject. Although flowers have always …

Understanding Tarot – The Major Arcana

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Written By: Dr. Nikki The Major Arcana is comprised of the cards that have no equivalent in a standard playing card deck. Each of the Major Arcana cards is named as well as numbered normally by Roman numerals. Beginning with The Fool, card 0, the Major Arcana traverse through the cards to end at card 21, The World. The journey through the Major Arcana is often referred to as “The Journey of the Soul”. One of the first things that I look for in reading tarot is how many, if any, of the Major Arcana appear in the spread. If I am doing a three card spread and all three cards are Major Arcana, I know that this reading will be intense for the person I am reading for. If there are no Major Arcana it does not mean that the reading has no value, it just means that the context of the reading is more outside the individual than inside. What is the big deal about these cards anyway? Signifying its importance, the Major …

How to Do a Spiritual Protection of the Home

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Written By: Psychic AlyciaRose In another article, spiritual purification for the home was covered, which is different than protection and banishing. Although purification can remove many negative influences, it likely will not do so permanently, and has to be kept up with repeat applications. Protection for the home can be more permanent in nature, and is to be done after the purifications are finished. Protections might include charms, amulets, talismans, floor washes, incense, and living plants. Rather than go into information that is more sophisticated magickally, it is easy for an average person to use herbs and other items in terms of simple folk magick. These protections might include reflecting the evil eye, setting up barriers, repelling negative energy or negating it. The following are suggestions from varying cultures and practices: Iron horseshoes They are though to be luckier when found at the side of the road, but must have been worn by a horse. Some hang them over doors with points up to contain luck to keep wealth in and poverty out, or with …