~ Spell of the day ~

[Neamhain Riona]

Emotional Housekeeping

March 4
Thursday

Color of the day: White
Incense of the day: Apricot

Emotions are the seat of sensitivity within our spiritual bodies. Emotions are a spiritual guide, and becoming aware of them and their influence is vital to any living spiritual path. For this spell, light a blue candle and anoint your neck with lavender, jasmine, or rose oil. Put yourself in a meditative state of mind and think about the role emotions play in your life—to what extent are you in control of your emotions, and to what extent do you feel they control you? Next, take some herbs associated with the element water and sprinkle them at the base of the candle. Cup your hands around the flame and say something like:

As this candle burns, I attune my soul to emotional awareness.
I vow, from this day forth, to truly monitor and become aware of my emotions as I experience them.
I recognize my emotional body as a profound spiritual vehicle that deserves the utmost care and compassion.
So mote it be.

Going forth, stay true to your vow and reinforce it when necessary.

 

[Neamhain Riona]

Love Spell

March 5
Friday

Color of the day: Coral
Incense of the day: Mint

The weekend is here, winter is finally letting go of its frozen hold over you, and your thoughts move to finding the perfect companion to spend your life with. Spruce up your happy clothes, use those great-smelling soaps and shampoos, and get out and socialize. Nothing says you’re hot like looking great and smelling like springtime itself. Get some new shoes, dust off those party clothes, and get out on the dance floor. Make it a point to visit events that are held locally and check out the local Pagan singles scene. Give a local “singles spot” a try for one evening and see if it’s really as good as they say. You will never find that perfect mate sitting in front of the game box, TV, or computer. Feel good about yourself, look good, and everyone will notice you.

 

[Neamhain Riona]

Malachite for Protection

March 6
Saturday

Color of the day: Indigo
Incense of the day: Patchouli

It was once thought that nothing positive could be achieved on March 6, a day considered “perilous.” Perhaps you are the cautious sort who likes to be extra careful just in case, or maybe you have your own unlucky days. Try wearing a small piece of malachite either as a piece of jewelry or in a bag around your neck for luck. Malachite is one of the earliest gems to be discovered and used. A malachite decoration estimated to be more than ten thousand years old was unearthed in Iraq. Because of its high copper content, malachite has a magnetic quality. Known as a traveler’s stone, malachite is said to break into pieces to warn you of danger. If worn against the skin, it promotes sleep and general well-being, cures depression, and attracts love. And if that’s not enough, malachite is one of the most beautiful gems in the world.

 

[Neamhain Riona]

Sun Mantra Ritual

March 7
Sunday

Color of the day: Yellow
Incense of the day: Juniper

According to vedic astrological gem remedies, ruby is governed by the Sun, a planetary deity representing the male or father principle. The Sun’s color is blood red. Its nature is bile-dominated, and it presides over the east direction. The Sun is responsible for our immunity and physical makeup. It is also said to govern the brain, nerves, liver, lungs, heart, and bones. For gaining self-confidence, vitality, resistance, ambition, understanding of parapsychic phenomena, intellect, prosperity, success in worldly affairs, and strength, the Sun’s gems are worn after sanctification and repetition of the Sun’s mantra:
Om Hring Hamsah Suryaye Namah Om.
For horoscopes where the Sun is not well posited, it is advisable to perform “Mantra Yoga” by reciting the Sun’s mantra 108 times daily for a period of thirty days. Incense and tealight candles can be lit during mantra recital. Begin by clearing all mundane thoughts and breathing in a relaxed manner.

 

[Neamhain Riona]

March Hare Energy to Spare Spell

March 8
Monday

Color of the day: White
Incense of the day: Lily

Out of soft sculpting putty, create a small hare. As you sculpt, envision the boundless energy of spring flowing all around you. Let the excitement and rebirth of life, as it peeks through the veil of winter, invigorate you as you give your March hare shape and detail. On a scrap of parchment, list the things you want to have more energy to accomplish. Dry your hare on the paper and try to envision yourself completing those tasks with ease and nimble skill. Communicate with your hare often and carry her around when you find yourself feeling sluggish. Enjoy talking openly to your creation and develop an entire life story of wild adventures for your hare. Opening our lives to the enlivening essence of this amazing creature can help fuel us in those last lingering days of winter. The hare reminds us that life is meant to be playful and inspiring.

 

[Neamhain Riona]

Sweep Away Winter Spell

March 9
Tuesday
4th J
Color of the day: Black
Incense of the day: Cedar

We’ve made it through another winter. There may still be wintry blasts, but spring whispers to us from just over the horizon. During the winter, negative energy can collect in our homes, but today we’re going to sweep away winter. Open both your front and back doors. Grab your faithful broom and symbolically begin sweeping out all that trapped negative power. Start at the back door and work your way toward the front door. At the front door, sprinkle a few grains of salt along your threshold and sweep out to your front porch. As you sweep toward the street, visualize a blue-white light coming from your broom’s bristles. This psychic housecleaning ritual dates back to early German magic.

 

[Neamhain Riona]

Giving Thanks

March 10
Wednesday

Color of the day: Brown
Incense of the day: Lavender

When we begin to acknowledge the blessings that are present all around us, our life becomes more blessed. Take some time today to give thanks and honor the gods for the blessings they have bestowed to you. One technique I learned from my first Witchcamp was the use of a prayer mala. Our teacher taught us to acknowledge something for which we are grateful on each of the 108 rudraksha beads. It’s a simple practice that can bring amazing results to the way we see and interact with the world. If you do not have a mala or set of prayer beads, make one or do this exercise in your Book of Shadows or magical journal. Number 108 spots and fill them in as you are moved. Really take your time with this. Ritualize if you wish and create the list inside sacred space. May your day be blessed.

 

[Neamhain Riona]

Trusting Your Intuition

March 11
Thursday

Color of the day: Crimson
Incense of the day: Jasmine

We all sometimes get “psychic hits” that warn us away from something or urge us to make a choice we otherwise wouldn’t, but it can be hard to listen to those feelings when it seems as if the world is looking at us with raised eyebrows. Today, try this spell to get back in touch with your intuition. Make a little pouch by tying a quartz crystal or moonstone, some star anise, and some mugwort in a piece of purple or black fabric. Carry it in your purse or pocket, or hang it from a string around your neck. When you have a moment of self-doubt, hold the pouch, close your eyes, and say to yourself:
Voices within, verily
Tell me what shall really be
In the quiet of the moment, your intuition should be able to work through. All you have to do then is follow your own lead!

 

[Neamhain Riona]

A Walking Spell

March 12
Friday

Color of the day: Purple
Incense of the day: Cypress

Walking is wonderful exercise that provides gentle muscle toning and builds cardio function. Buddhist monks incorporate walking in some meditation, using the rhythm of their footfalls as a tool for being present in the moment. Walking is also an amazing form of transportation. It’s cheap, fossil-fuel free, and can be done anywhere. No special equipment is needed, but a well-fitting pair of shoes is recommended. Today cast a walking spell. Get outdoors in the sunshine, indoors in a mall, or brave the snowy streets. As you walk, breathe deeply. Let your eyes delight in your surroundings as your feet lead you to a sense of peace. This spell takes a mere fifteen minutes. At the end you will be magically uplifted with increased oxygenation and a slightly elevated heart rate. The endorphins released by exercise will leave you feeling good and able to appreciate the profound magic of health and well-being.

 

[Neamhain Riona]

Daily Exercise

March 13
Saturday

Color of the day: Black
Incense of the day: Pine

Magic is a force that flows through the world, pooling in certain places and objects. People have varying levels of affinity for it. Whatever your current level, you can increase it with regular exercise.
The practice of witchcraft is not just about big spells and seasonal rituals. It relies at heart on the exercise of basic skills. A few minutes of meditation and energy manipulation every day will make for better progress than an hour-long ritual once a month. Each day, hold one of your magical tools and concentrate on sensing its stored power. Add energy to its reservoir if you have some to spare. Here is a daily blessing to say during your magical exercise:
Power is the tinder,
Magic is the spark.
Spinning from the center,
Spanning light and dark.
Circle is the cauldron,
Sacred to Her name.
Witchcraft is the fire,
And I am the flame.

 

[Neamhain Riona]

Nature Spell

March 14
Daylight Saving Time begins 2 am
Sunday

Color of the day: Yellow
Incense of the day: Almond

To know and to love: the same thing.

We can deepen our spiritual practice by learning more about nature. Whether it’s tree, wildflower, bird, or rock identification, take time now to learn more about a particular aspect of nature. Start a notebook and decide how much time each month you’re willing to spend on this project. For tree identification, sketch or take photographs of a tree you’ve chosen. Write its botanical name and its folk name if you can find it. What are its magical properties? Is it native to your area? Does it like dry or humid conditions, sun or shade? You may want to press leaves and include them in your notebook next to the tree you’ve identified. Try to spend some time with the tree and see if you can feel the spirit of the tree. At the end of the year, review your experiences. Do you feel this study has deepened your love of nature?

 

[Neamhain Riona]

New Moon Fertility Spell

March 15
Monday

Color of the day: Gray
Incense of the day: Rosemary

On March 15, the annual Shinto fertility festival Tagata Honen-Sai is celebrated. Carrying a giant wooden phallus through the streets, worshippers bless local farmers and farms with fertility. With the New Moon, turn your focus to fertility: nourishment, growth, and rebirth. What is started now grows with the waxing Moon, becoming gloriously full, abundant, and bright. What has lain dormant during the Moon’s darkness can now be resurrected and enjoy rebirth. Whatever your focus, be it a thought, feeling, belief, action, activity, or idea, it will grow. You are the cultivator of your life. What will you plant? What needs a fertile blessing? What do you want to grow? A new habit, a relationship, or a work project that requires completion can benefit from the swelling energy of the New Moon and a fertility blessing. As you clearly envision what you want to plant and grow, say:
Within me I plant a tiny seed,
Of what I want, I love, and believe,
With light comes growth swelling long,
I grow this seed big, bold, and strong.
See the project, friendship, or habit growing and evolving. See its fruition and completion. Feel the charge of accomplishment, and know yourself fertile in your endeavors. As the vision becomes detailed and finite, say:
With the Moon this shall succeed.
In the days ahead as the Moon swells, affirm each day the growth and flowering of your intention. See the results.

 

[Neamhain Riona]

Three Bowls of Wine Ritual

March 16
Tuesday

Color of the day: Maroon
Incense of the day: Ylang-ylang

We all know by now that a glass of red wine is an elixir of good health. Long revered by Witches as the divine nectar of the gods, celebrate this day, the first day of Bacchanalia, with a glass or two to honor the Roman god Bacchus. It’s been said three bowls of wine define our limits. The first glass promotes “health,” the second “love,” and the third, precious “sleep.” But move on to the next and you are traversing into dangerous territory as this fourth glass promotes “violence,” the fifth is said to create “uproar,” the sixth “drunken revelry,” the seventh a “black eye,” and it just keeps getting worse! So make a toast in the spirit of responsible revelry, lifting your chalice as you say:
Hail Bacchus on this eve
Of feasting, rite, and revelry.
May my health be dually blessed
And love unbound sweet words confessed.
Then honor me one last request,
And wisely lay me down to rest!
Igraine

 

[Neamhain Riona]

Enchanting Green Attire Day

March 17
Wednesday
St. Patrick's Day

Color of the day: White
Incense of the day: Lilac

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Let’s employ a little color magic and turn the traditional “Wearing of the green” into your own Pagan celebration of the return of the Green Man. The waxing Moon is the perfect time to work for blessings and abundance. Enchant your item of emerald-colored clothing for good luck, magic, and prosperity. Can’t you feel the Green Man returning? Spring is on the way!
Green is the color of the God, new life, and the spring,
His magic surrounds me now, in an enchanting ring.
The Green Man blesses me, with good luck and success so true,
May I be graced with his love in all that I say and do.
For the good of all with harm to none,
By color and rhyme this spell is done!

 

[Neamhain Riona]

Celtic Tree Month of Alder

March 18
Thursday

Color of the day: Purple
Incense of the day: Myrrh

Today marks the first day of the Celtic tree month of Fearn, the alder tree. A fast-growing species, alders are often used to repopulate scorched or barren lands because of their hardiness and their ability to transport airborne nitrogen into the soil, enriching it. Their fallen leaves make for excellent compost. Take time today to look at areas of your life that have been damaged that could benefit from some fast yet thorough healing. While there may still be long-term work, the tree totem alder can aid in some temporary quick fixes while you sort out the more difficult aspects of your situation. Ask alder for help:
Red alder, black alder, white alder, and green,
Help me to heal my wounds, make them clean.
Though the road to true health may be long and dark,
With you as my guide I’ll bravely embark!