White Magick ~

• ~White:

• Purity, angels, the element of spirit, healing, heightened awareness and vibration, truth.

• ~Silver:

• Moon magick, goddess color, female energies, spiritual and psychic workings, can be replaced by white.

 

     Bottles of Oils, Perfumes and Salts~

For thousands of years, aromatic oils, gums, and resins have been used for both medicinal and cosmetic purposes, as well as in sacred rituals. Ancient Chinese and Indian texts describe the therapeutic, philosophical, and spiritual properties of aromatics. The Bible discusses special oils for anointing and healing; aromatics were so highly prized that the Three Wise Men gave them to Jesus at his birth. The Egyptians employed scent in all areas of life, from seduction to embalming.

Scents affect the limbic system, the portion of the brain associated with memory, emotions, and sexuality, which is why certain smells reawaken memories or stimulate the libido. A whiff of a certain perfume, of sea air, of fresh-baked apple pie and, presto, a panoply of memories unfolds. Because aromas immediately trigger moods, impressions, and associations, they can be assets in spells and rituals.

 

How To Make Bath Salts ~

    What You Need:

• 2 C Epsom Salts
• 1 C Sea Salt or Rock Salt
• 1/4 tsp Glycerine
• Food Colors
• Essential Oils or Perfume
• Jars with Lids/Stoppers

1. Mix salts together in a bowl.
2. Stir in remaining ingredients. Generally a drop of two of fragrance is sufficient. Use ingredients containing water with care (color, certain fragrances), since too much water will dissolve salt.
3. Spoon salts into the jars and seal them. Decorative labels listing ingredients are nice!

Tips:

1. Make certain jars are absolutely dry. Salts absorb moisture, so this project will work better in low humidity.
2. Kitchen fragrances work well. Try extracts of vanilla, lemon, orange, cinnamon, or mint.
3. Not all essential oils are appropriate for bathing! Suggestions to try include lavender, rose geranium, rosemary, or jojoba.
4. Colors or fragrances may be omitted, if desired, for persons with chemical sensitivities.
5. Some essential oils are naturally colored (e.g., chamomile is blue).

    Autumnal Blessings ~

                       Angel

Welcome to Autumn in Avalon’s Garden ~ 2011

   Welcome to Autumn in Avalon’s Garden ,

So Glad you decided to stop by for a visit ~

     Come and take a look around ~

In the Front Garden;

          Run mouse for Captions ~

Autumn is known for its Beautiful Sunsets ~

I hope you enjoyed the Autumn Magick and will stop back to see more,

   Autumn is a most interesting time of year  

        Autumnal Blessings ~

                              Angel

The History of Scarecrows ~

The Guardians of the Fields ~

In the fields of ancient Greece, wooden statues were placed in the fields, carved to represent Priapus. Although he was the son of Aphrodite, Priapus was also hideously ugly, and his most prominent feature was his constant (and huge) erection. Birds tended to avoid fields where Priapus resided, so as Greek influence spread into Roman territory, Roman farmers soon adopted the practice.

Pre-feudal Japan used different kinds of scarecrows in their rice fields, but the most popular one was the kakashi. Old dirty rags and noisemakers like bells and sticks were mounted on a pole in the field and then lit on fire. The flames (and presumably, the smell) kept birds and other animals away from the rice fields. The word kakashi meant "something stinky." Eventually, Japanese farmers began making scarecrows that looked like people in raincoats and hats. Sometimes they were equipped with weaponry to make them look even more frightening.

(Note: There is one school of thought that states that rotten meat was hung on these as well; however, with crows and other such carrion eaters, it seems more logical that they would come TO the scarecrows, rather than staying away. )

During the Middle Ages in Britain and Europe, small children worked as crow-scarers. Their job was to run around in the fields, clapping blocks of wood together, to frighten away birds that might eat the grain. As the medieval period wound down and populations decreased due to plague, farmers discovered there was a shortage of spare children to scamper around shooing birds away. Instead, they stuffed old clothes with straw, placed a turnip or gourd up on top, and mounted the figure in the fields. They soon found that these lifelike guardians did a pretty good job of keeping crows away.

Scarecrows are also found in Native American cultures. In some parts of what is now Virginia and the Carolinas, before the white man arrived, adult men sat on raised platforms and shouted at birds or ground animals that came near the props. Some native tribes discovered that soaking corn seeds in a poisonous herb mixture deterred birds as well, although one has to wonder how the corn would taste to people. In the Southwest, some Native American children had contests to see who could make the most frightening scarecrow, and the Zuni tribe used lines of cedar poles strung with cords and animal skins to keep the birds away.

Scarecrows also came to North America as waves of emigrants left Europe. German settlers in Pennsylvania brought with them the bootzamon, or bogeyman, which stood guard over the fields. Sometimes a female counterpart was added to the opposite end of the field or orchard.

During the heyday of America's agricultural period, scarecrows became popular, but following World War II, farmers realized they could accomplish a lot more by spraying their crops with pesticides like DDT. This went on until the 1960s, when it was discovered that pesticides are actually bad for you. Nowadays, although you don't see a lot of scarecrows guarding fields, they're extremely popular as a fall decoration.

In more rural countries, scarecrows are still in use.

Come on ,,,,, time to have some Fun, get those Scarecrows out and start decorating …..

   Autumnal Blessings ~

                     Angel