tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89919568849805415642024-02-18T22:58:06.982-08:00Besom, Book, and WandH.A. Blackthornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17751102445554224876noreply@blogger.comBlogger171125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8991956884980541564.post-35047134258987303992015-08-09T15:32:00.001-07:002015-08-09T15:32:54.748-07:00Witchcraft Weekend, and a Hazelnut Harvest!I spent the past weekend in a suburb of Portland, Oregon at a Gardnerian event. The coven I'm working with hosted many interesting out-of-town guests and Craft luminaries, and I got to meet some amazing people. I was honored to be asked to give a presentation on "Magical Woods and Trees" and reworked my "From the Hazel to the Blackthorn" speech towards a more Gardnerian-specific angle. If I may be so bold, I think it went pretty well. We spend the weekend eating and chatting between wonderful classes and workshops. I especially liked the class on Gerald Gardner and early Gardnerian records and artifacts, and I learned many things I never knew. We closed Saturday night with a ritual.<br />
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In other news, today I harvested the first hazelnuts of the year. They are now ripening in a box in the garage. I have buckets and buckets more to gather, so I'm hoping the weather holds all week.<br />
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<br />H.A. Blackthornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17751102445554224876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8991956884980541564.post-73099721691028218342015-07-26T08:41:00.000-07:002015-07-26T08:41:24.421-07:00Back And Better Than Ever! Tons of News!Well well well, it's been ages since I last posted, and I feel bad about that. SO much has happened so quickly, I just haven't had the time. So, let me sum things up. In the past 10 months since I've posted, I've:<br />
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1. Moved twice<br />
2. Gotten into a very serious long term relationship<br />
3. Had major surgery<br />
4. Gone back to Texas to visit<br />
5. Joined up with a local Gardnerian coven<br />
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So, yes, I'm still as much of a Witch as ever. I'm lucky that I now have room to have a huge, beautiful garden with my very own Elder trees and witchy herbs, thanks to my wonderful boyfriend. I promise to update the blog far more often from now on.<br />
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<br />H.A. Blackthornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17751102445554224876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8991956884980541564.post-88146619104311320202014-09-27T09:09:00.004-07:002014-09-27T09:09:33.364-07:00Lone Fir Cemetery, And Autumn Cometh<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: start;">Yesterday I paid my first visit to Lone Fir cemetery in Portland, Oregon. It's an old "pioneer cemetery" that still has active burials, as far as I can tell. The cemetery covers acres and acres of land and has some amazing old monuments, some sadly in disrepair. The cemetery hosts regular events for visitors, from costumed historical reenactments to Hallowe'en tours.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The old Willow tree</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Autumn leaves</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The rose garden</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stones</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Family vault, in need of repair</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Interesting monument</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Someone left this little angel a chestnut</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking towards the city</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A fellow visitor</td></tr>
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<br />H.A. Blackthornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17751102445554224876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8991956884980541564.post-54594232504755762012014-08-07T22:14:00.004-07:002014-08-07T22:14:57.779-07:00Rowan CrossesNew to my shop, I've got some Rowan crosses made with the traditional red thread and strung with seven magical red Rowan berries. I harvested the berries and wood last year and have let them dry all this time. Rowan wood is traditionally said to be highly protective against evil and the wicked spells of bad witches. These crosses can be hung above doorways or by the bed to protect those who pass beneath or dwell within.<br /><br />Available at <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/BesomBookAndWand?ref=hdr_shop_menu" target="_blank">Besom, Book, and Wand: The Shop!</a><br />
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<br />H.A. Blackthornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17751102445554224876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8991956884980541564.post-81740313518769827622014-07-27T05:55:00.003-07:002014-07-27T05:56:56.644-07:00Picking Summer Berries in Oregon<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Raspberries!</td></tr>
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Last week some friends and I drove to Sauvie Island, Oregon (technically part of Portland) to pick berries. There are many, many farms there and most of them offer a "u-pick" option where you can pick you own produce and pay a low rate per pound. The place I planned on going actually turned out to be closed (on a Sunday, which is very unusual here) but there were plenty of other farms to choose from, so we headed back down the road to the other nice one we saw.<br />
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I am simply mad about raspberries, though they tend to be expensive if you buy them at the store. They (and all the fruits) were only two dollars a pound at the u-pick place, so I really stocked up. We started with boysenberries before moving on to blueberries and finally raspberries. We planned on picking blackberries, too, but after several hours in the sun we were getting tired and more than a little sunburned, so we decided to call it quits and visit again for those.<br />
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From a Witchcraft perspective, the Pacific Northwest is a literal buffet of goodness. The kinds of herbs, trees, and magic plants that most of the rest of the US can only read about grow here in abundance. The magical Hazel tree, for example, who's wood is almost impossible to find in middle American here grows like a weed; I can think of a dozen such trees in a few blocks around my house.<br />
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We had a great time picking berries, but I came home with a pretty bad sunburn (yes, we have sun here in the Pacific Northwest) and learned not to rely on cloud cover and "Oh, we'll only be out here for an house" thinking instead of sunscreen! Many of the berries I ate raw, but the rest I carefully cleaned and put in the freezer. Some of the blueberries, too, we cooked into delicious blueberry muffins which, I'm (almost) ashamed to say, didn't last long!<br />
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I do love summer, but I am ready for autumn already........<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bridge to Sauvie Island</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWpOP0_VKtsvMlGlaZE8382EOQNh3YGzHcymLhh-YxbXbEsCl8BUugXvn37z-VNLhpHydphbECfJb-mEyWYAOtYup1o6Kp34aoWYVxG1D0nzvVA2DjQGeEoprzvLbkqRzashdOrra2aAlX/s1600/IMG_5672.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWpOP0_VKtsvMlGlaZE8382EOQNh3YGzHcymLhh-YxbXbEsCl8BUugXvn37z-VNLhpHydphbECfJb-mEyWYAOtYup1o6Kp34aoWYVxG1D0nzvVA2DjQGeEoprzvLbkqRzashdOrra2aAlX/s1600/IMG_5672.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fields</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwpUcFzyTgtWGiTYhgqzPqpZMELgJb0zBs99_b8GorteX_t6p2vmhkG04FkKkRAn2n0KUCTs2S5eextV-IPACHhatPOn5g_X5VmyJQgTPRPBGfZ8esKqnw7pBWFxGnuosszY-nG5skD3Uv/s1600/IMG_5674.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwpUcFzyTgtWGiTYhgqzPqpZMELgJb0zBs99_b8GorteX_t6p2vmhkG04FkKkRAn2n0KUCTs2S5eextV-IPACHhatPOn5g_X5VmyJQgTPRPBGfZ8esKqnw7pBWFxGnuosszY-nG5skD3Uv/s1600/IMG_5674.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Magical Rowan Tree</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rowan berries</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My berries</td></tr>
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H.A. Blackthornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17751102445554224876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8991956884980541564.post-56746833113541876942014-06-26T11:27:00.002-07:002014-06-26T11:27:28.854-07:00New Wands in the Shop!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUaw9Z8spU5bVxDOS5gq7L8qkRqExAPlb-Q0b8D3jIoc9S7TvSi0F4DAvnl_mcIHJxadCRA-UakdQvC19tkr_nkTer4en0iifEVuKQyGJheq2XYWktWZEe2FO8B16aQu-MIEjZ0wMGFX-U/s1600/HazelWand1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUaw9Z8spU5bVxDOS5gq7L8qkRqExAPlb-Q0b8D3jIoc9S7TvSi0F4DAvnl_mcIHJxadCRA-UakdQvC19tkr_nkTer4en0iifEVuKQyGJheq2XYWktWZEe2FO8B16aQu-MIEjZ0wMGFX-U/s1600/HazelWand1.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a><br />
Hello all. I've been hard at work wand crafting. Since my move to the Pacific Northwest, I've been harvesting all of the traditional magical woods: Hazel, Hawthorn, Rowan, and Elder. I'm glad to say that now most of it is dry, and I've been hard at work creating magical wands to sell in my online shop.<br />
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Many people sell wands, but only very few sell them made in the traditional manner and using traditional woods. You cannot just go buy a dowel from the hardware store; what makes the wand "magic" is the tree spirit dwelling within, and this is often asleep or missing entirely in milled lumber. Also, wood you cut yourself you can be certain was gathered under the proper Moon phases and astrological signs. I always, always gather my Hazel wands on a Wednesday (the Day of Mercury) under a Waxing Moon. Rowan and Hawthorn I gather under a Waxing Moon as well, with the Hawthorn cut as close to Beltane as possible. I also cut some wands on the Full Moon closest to Hallowe'en, since I feel wood gathered at this time has a special power and is exceptionally good at spirit and familiar work.<br />
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When it comes to crafting wands, I like to strike a balance between something that is natural, and something that is nice to look at, feels good in the hand, and will last. The very act of crafting, turning a stick into "something else," in and of itself adds power to a magical tool. Also, I inscribe various magical sigils and signs into the wands I create to mark them as instruments of the Arte. I treat my wands with an oil finish, to strengthen the wood, and then top them off with several coats of all-natural shellac, which adds a beautiful sheen and protects the wood from oils from the skin and from water. Shellac is easily repaired if damaged and is non-toxic and a renewable resource.<br />
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If you are interested in my wands, you can find my shop at <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/besombookandwand" target="_blank">Besom, Book, And Wand: A Witchcraft Shoppe</a>. I can also do a limited amount of custom work. Now, I leave you with a few pictures of some wands I've recently finished.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHbE3cBNwcKG53KuoM5aVrYZL32eXrASlQhbmqTGzJ44RrSwnhz955ebdupHyR4-4MkemmMD-X5PNQ9BPdjLOVOlGJBPexrCUHlJDKRB2OlTm5r8JPtVh76IhkhSYd4RwulVEifNWUdYK7/s1600/HedgeWand2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHbE3cBNwcKG53KuoM5aVrYZL32eXrASlQhbmqTGzJ44RrSwnhz955ebdupHyR4-4MkemmMD-X5PNQ9BPdjLOVOlGJBPexrCUHlJDKRB2OlTm5r8JPtVh76IhkhSYd4RwulVEifNWUdYK7/s1600/HedgeWand2.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hazel Wand</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihxirbA8JtHwRPz9stphWHV9U_AwHgYWOmfUeHRsCM0c_9IUaw0iaHFGj7KTFojUqslnwJn3jPZsnDaK7HjpMDr-PYter_laGm6wquoPZT4coMOxfQH70szl9pE_w0WjC2nfLn3H-10WZU/s1600/SolomonWand3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihxirbA8JtHwRPz9stphWHV9U_AwHgYWOmfUeHRsCM0c_9IUaw0iaHFGj7KTFojUqslnwJn3jPZsnDaK7HjpMDr-PYter_laGm6wquoPZT4coMOxfQH70szl9pE_w0WjC2nfLn3H-10WZU/s1600/SolomonWand3.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Solomonic Hazel</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyZXMcrS2ZaQGmm0MwomwtziTgrc6LcAlRsSaL2foo8CMtq1BFUcERSut3Hn1wiMIxsGxJHZztf3fC2k6fCBGnyBST71DUN2omkhU_5y1dxm3NWim_kKIiaa5VxczI28NencUaA-NQeaBR/s1600/SolomonWand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyZXMcrS2ZaQGmm0MwomwtziTgrc6LcAlRsSaL2foo8CMtq1BFUcERSut3Hn1wiMIxsGxJHZztf3fC2k6fCBGnyBST71DUN2omkhU_5y1dxm3NWim_kKIiaa5VxczI28NencUaA-NQeaBR/s1600/SolomonWand.jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Solomonic Hazel</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfEGyCm-6bDSG2zACuMQ0Fsk41cD_0rAswiuTVcOVWdJFoiax5Audo4rJe4MUHteYvOs5-T5OUl5igwm9-eE-Y0zhB2yyqXXW_Yl9spl27h2JOHu-7bJhpZPfDrVEGKdM7gK0ZWoGPKLz4/s1600/ThornWand2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfEGyCm-6bDSG2zACuMQ0Fsk41cD_0rAswiuTVcOVWdJFoiax5Audo4rJe4MUHteYvOs5-T5OUl5igwm9-eE-Y0zhB2yyqXXW_Yl9spl27h2JOHu-7bJhpZPfDrVEGKdM7gK0ZWoGPKLz4/s1600/ThornWand2.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pocket Hawthorn</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCnMVQI3GLzk1YUHO3CBihvJNsNS767mwI1obqCg5HF3ywoAg8kVjgc7wG6_hRvXzOWx-Axi58bjK7V_pMbSdznudL1QXMNXDqjKexhtvO90XXVguOs9szfFKX0C54hPznxsov6I8S_PEg/s1600/IMG_5488.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCnMVQI3GLzk1YUHO3CBihvJNsNS767mwI1obqCg5HF3ywoAg8kVjgc7wG6_hRvXzOWx-Axi58bjK7V_pMbSdznudL1QXMNXDqjKexhtvO90XXVguOs9szfFKX0C54hPznxsov6I8S_PEg/s1600/IMG_5488.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ogham Hazel</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwPfhZABCPqBhH8Dwan3wLEQAFjGRuhMnzgIMmyZWuqdGJ_JaJmAa3W3gUIj4VtWvZaE5juP-MdESJ5vxiRB_LA4eGruBeQjOrFFH2LkY3GRONpkUIZDLGsDyNNUxEVkQMYhvzwJdUFmJB/s1600/IMG_5497.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwPfhZABCPqBhH8Dwan3wLEQAFjGRuhMnzgIMmyZWuqdGJ_JaJmAa3W3gUIj4VtWvZaE5juP-MdESJ5vxiRB_LA4eGruBeQjOrFFH2LkY3GRONpkUIZDLGsDyNNUxEVkQMYhvzwJdUFmJB/s1600/IMG_5497.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hazel Wand<br /><br /></td></tr>
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<br />H.A. Blackthornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17751102445554224876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8991956884980541564.post-11463606411513388792014-06-12T09:52:00.003-07:002014-06-12T09:52:37.662-07:00Besom, Book, and Wand: The Shop!Well, after MANY long delays, my shop is finally open! Here you can find the magical wands I craft as well as sundry other roots, curious, and the like. I will soon be adding magical oils, powders, and incenses to the list. Check back often as I will be adding a lot over the coming weeks!<br /><br /><a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/BesomBookAndWand" target="_blank">Besom, Book, and Wand: The Shop!</a><br />
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<br />H.A. Blackthornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17751102445554224876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8991956884980541564.post-48548313781589855882014-05-29T23:45:00.002-07:002014-05-29T23:45:28.334-07:00Elder Roots<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I had to repot my Elder trees this week and found that they had become a bit rootbound in their smaller pots. So, I needed to (carefully) prune the roots before putting them in their new homes. As such I've got quite the handful of Elder roots drying as we speak. When they are good and dry they ill be perfect for crafting magical charms for healing, protection, and perhaps some Underworld workings....</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elder tree roots drying in the sun</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A handful of Elder tree roots</td></tr>
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H.A. Blackthornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17751102445554224876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8991956884980541564.post-69334907992061192062014-05-25T12:30:00.001-07:002014-05-25T12:30:34.566-07:00New Place, New Witch's Garden<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="text-align: center;">Well, a lot has happened since the last time I posted. Unfortunately, last month I received notice that I had 30 days to move out of my beloved Victorian home where I rented rooms. Apparently the owner decided to renovate and did not want anyone living there during that time. To say I was unhappy is an understatement. Though the house needed (a lot of) work, it was in a great location and had a big, wrap-around porch that I loved during the summer months. I also had a lot of space and a more or less private kitchen.</span><br />
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A local Craft friend was moving, too, into a duplex and she had an extra room that she very kindly let me rent. I don't have anywhere near the space I did, but it's a place to stay and there are some interesting trees around me. Now, before I knew I had to move, I had put in a huge raised bed and a lot of pots of things. Unfortunately I was not able to reuse my raised bed (there just isn't room here) but I scooped out all of the good soil, put it into pots, and planted a ton of seeds and such. I also bought an Elder tree and planted it in a large pot, and yesterday I purchased another one, too.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Elder tree when I bought it. It's WAY bigger now<br /></td></tr>
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On the front porch, in my container garden, I now have two Elder trees, several pots of Henbane, some Wormwood, Meadowsweet, Calendula, Marigold, Mullein, pumpkins, and Lavender. When the seeds come in this week I will be adding Vervain, Belladonna, Mugwort, Aconite, and others. We don't get a lot of sun on the porch, so I've had to put some things on plant stands and move some things around to ensure they get the proper amount of sunlight. My next project is to purchase some herb drying racks so I can harvest things over the growing season and dry them out for use in the next year. Obviously, many of the herbs I listed are toxic and can be dangerous, so I always adhere to safe handling instructions when working with them.<br />
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I'll post updates as more things come in bloom. One of the great things about living in the Pacific Northwest is that I can grow almost all of the traditional English witch plants. I won't get Elderberries this year, but hopefully by next year I'll have my first crop. So exciting!<br /><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My two Elders, my pumpkins, and various seedlings<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Plant stands holding various seedlings. The half empty big pot is going to hold my Elder tree when I repot it.<br /></td></tr>
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H.A. Blackthornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17751102445554224876noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8991956884980541564.post-35261081512220106162014-02-04T20:28:00.000-08:002014-02-04T20:28:33.442-08:00Ghost Hunting at Vancouver Barracks and HospitalThe military barracks in Vancouver, Washington have stood there for many years. Though the oldest building only dates back to the mid-late 1800s, Native Americans, traders, and explorers have lived and died on the site for hundreds of years. The barracks were actually in use until 2011. The hospital opened in 1904 and closed in the '40s, though it was in use as offices until the 1990s. It now stands empty and in disrepair. and it's this building that most of the "ghostly legends" center around. Tens of thousand of patients were treated there during its time as a hospital, and untold hundreds (thousands?) died. In the basement area is the old morgue where the deceased were stored and perhaps autopsied before burial.<br />
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Staff and visitors to the hospital when it was still in use as offices reported strange noises, slamming doors, and the sound of people where no people should be. Now that the building is empty it of course attracts all sorts of ghost stories and such. It's not possible to go inside, but we walked around the outside of the building and took pictures of that and a few of the other buildings.<br />
<br />Is the site haunted? I think so, yes. I can definitely sense a lot of heavy "something" there, though I suspect many of the tales of ghostly mischief have been exaggerated over the years. Be that as it may, it's definitely a beautiful and historic place to visit, and the open space offers one a beautiful view of Mount Hood in the distance. Enjoy!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mt. Hood</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Twisted tree and barracks</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old building</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old housing</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vancouver Barracks Hospital</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Do ghosts dwell here?</td></tr>
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<br />H.A. Blackthornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17751102445554224876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8991956884980541564.post-56795895580965220322014-01-16T13:11:00.000-08:002014-01-16T13:11:14.400-08:00The Passing of Hyperion/Dr. E<br />
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Many of you have already heard, but Rev. Hyperion/Dr E, who was my personal friend and teacher, died unexpectedly on Tuesday afternoon at the very young age of 38. He was the founder and lead teacher of the Unnamed Path, a magical tradition of which I am an initiate, and he was also an esteemed and sought-after rootworker and Hoodoo practitioner.</div>
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I can honestly say that I would not be the Witch or the person I am today without Hyperion's help, guidance, and friendship. He was a good, kind, loving person who spend a great deal of his time helping those searching for a spiritual path that spoke to them. His Unnamed Path podcasts, and his Initiates, will help ensure that his legacy and work live on. </div>
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Hyperion was on the schedule to lead a ritual an Pantheacon. With his passing, the Initiates of the Unnamed Path will instead be leading a ritual to memorialize him and to offer energy healing to all those present. Please contact me if you would like further details. I would also hope you will join me in extending my sympathies and good wishes to his partner, Clayton, and his mother and family in this difficult time. A memorial fund has been set up to help cover the cost of his funeral arrangements. You can give here if you wish: <a href="http://www.gofundme.com/69hym8" target="_blank">Dr. E. Memorial Fund</a></div>
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May the Gods receive him into the next world. Until we meet again……</div>
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I love you, Eddy.</div>
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H.A. Blackthornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17751102445554224876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8991956884980541564.post-23456027098787301702013-10-27T12:05:00.000-07:002013-10-27T12:06:59.395-07:00Hallowe'en Week Cometh<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibfIym746vQmhCKUFXnx3BCZUjxeDgtXORQ-AeKUTfREQR7xseO8Rh9j0IjhwbvVSIXdEPVVyDJVN2QUXrslJAK50v6ar7tU75LFuNU_zvCxGq8ay_GvubsQkhQr866j9095ygke3HeqQx/s1600/Leaves1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibfIym746vQmhCKUFXnx3BCZUjxeDgtXORQ-AeKUTfREQR7xseO8Rh9j0IjhwbvVSIXdEPVVyDJVN2QUXrslJAK50v6ar7tU75LFuNU_zvCxGq8ay_GvubsQkhQr866j9095ygke3HeqQx/s320/Leaves1.JPG" width="240" /></a><br />
Hallowe'en is almost here! My favourite holiday of the year! There's nothing I like better than crunchy autumn leaves, spooky pumpkins, witchy movies, and hot apple cider. Fortunately the house I live in is already old and spooky, and needs but little in the way of decoration. Even so, I am spending this weekend carving pumpkins and hanging lights and otherwise doing last-minute preparations.<br />
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On Hallowe'en night itself I will pass out candy to trick-or-treaters, watch some scary movies, and host a private Dumb Supper to honour my ancestors. Late in the evening I will be holding a ritual with some friends. As, sadly, many of my best friends have passed away, Hallowe'en is a bit like a reunion to me, as it's during this time of year that the veil is thinnest.</div>
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Here are a few images of my Hallowe'en preparations as well as the beautiful autumn scenery here in the Pacific Northwest. I do hope that all of my followers have a safe and magical holiday, and I hope to hear about YOUR Hallowe'en experiences as well!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leaf-covered streets</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My spooky house at dusk</td></tr>
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H.A. Blackthornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17751102445554224876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8991956884980541564.post-30465464448815161942013-10-17T21:34:00.000-07:002013-10-17T21:34:20.950-07:00"From The Hazel to the Blackthorn: Using Traditional Woods to Craft Magical Tools"The following is a transcript of a presentation I gave on October 6th at Stone and Stang in California. It concerns the various magical properties of woods and their use in making magical tools. I wish I had an audio recording of the event, because I went "off script" for some time and got to answer some really amazing questions. However, this is a good starting point and I will post links at the end where you can learn more about magical woods.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Dominican; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"Hello everyone. My talk today will be
about the lore and magical properties of certain traditional trees, and their
use in the crafting of magical tools. Before we start, I’d like to share a bit
about my background. I’m an initiate of the Unnamed Path and am currently
finishing up the Student Teacher program. I am also a recent initiate into
Gardnerian Witchcraft. For several years now my main area of study has been in
the realm of trees and woods, and this has only intensified since I moved to
the Pacific Northwest last year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Dominican; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So, magical tools. Why do we use magical tools? Obviously, to
enhance our magic and as a focus for our willpower. My question to you is, are
such items “just” tools, just props for our own mental powers and magical
skills, or do they impart a magical power of their own to our work quite apart
from anything we might contribute. My own view is that magical tools,
especially those composed of wood, contain a power of their own coming from the
spirit of that particular wood and the tree it came from. I’m personally an
animist; that is, I believe that everything on Earth has an indwelling spirit.
It’s by becoming familiar with, and working with that spirit, that we create
magic. Said spirit is what differentiates a magically crafted tool from an
inert object like a table leg or a couch.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Dominican; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The main tools I personally work with are the Wand, the Staff, the
Stang, the pendulum, and the pentacle. All of these items in my work are made
of wood and all have a long history of use in magic. Wands thousands of years
old have been found in the grave of Egyptian priests and Scandinavian
sorceresses. The pendulum has a long history of use in divination, and the
Stang (a forked stick used as an altar) appears in Medieval woodcuts depicting
Witches in flight. The staff, like the wand, acts as both a tool to project
magical power and as a practical aid when tramping through the woods. Old
magical textbooks such as the Key of Solomon contain detailed instructions for
the making of magical tools, including rituals to be performed at every step
and the planetary days and hours in which one should work.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Dominican; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">While every tree has a spirit of a kind, some trees, because of
their prominence in Western Europe folklore and myth, are most frequently used
for magic. I will be discussing the most common of these and will be passing
around samples of some of the trees mentioned so that you can get an idea of
how you resonate with that particular wood.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Dominican; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The first tree I would like to discuss is the Hazel tree. The Hazel
tree is ruled by water and is known as the tree of divination, prophecy, and
wisdom. The Hazel tree is the tree most often used for the construction of
magical wands and staffs, and is the wood recommended frequently in grimoires
such as the Key of Solomon for the construction of the magic wand. In Germanic
lore we learn about the Hazelwurm, a cosmic serpent that circles the glob and
is an embodiment of the power of the Earth. Because of this association, Hazel
is a good choice for shamanic work and wands dealing with the gathering and
moving about of Earth energies. There is also an element of command to the
Hazel wood; in older times kings and chieftans would carry a wand of Hazel wood
as a symbol of office. The Hazel wand is best gathered under a waxing Moon and
in the day and hour of Mercury. If you’ll look at your handouts, you will see
an image that can hopefully help you identify the Hazel tree when you come
across it. The Hazel tends to grow as a large shrub but can reach the size of a
small tree with age. The leaves are green and serrated, similar to birch. In
the spring the Hazel is covered in small fuzzy catkins, and in the autumn the
tree produces tasty Hazel nuts. The bark
of the Hazel ranges from a muddy brown to a beautiful silver colour. The Hazel
tree tends to grow in watery or dank places, and for this reason the Hazel is
considered the ideal wood to be used for divining for water.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Dominican; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Moving on, we come to the Rowan tree, which is ruled by Earth. The
Rowan is known as one of the most magical and enchanted trees known to man, and
is famous for its ability to protect those bearing the wood from malevolent
magic and witchcraft. The Rowan is a border tree, or a tree that stands with a
foot in both the mundane world and the magical Otherworld. An old Scottish poem
states, “Rowan tree and red thread, put all warlocks to their speed.” This
refers to the making of small crosses from Rowan wood bound with red thread.
These are still in use today and can be seen hanging in the home of many Traditional
Witches. As a side note, any tree bearing the colours of red and green
together, such as the Rowan, can be considered especially magical because red
is the colour of blood and magic, and green is the colour of the Fae and Earth
energy. People sometimes ask, how can the Rowan be used both for making magical
wands AND for protecting against magic? Well, the reason the Rowan is
protective is because of its status as a border tree; this can interrupt
incoming energy. If you can harness that borderline power, however, you can use
the Rowan for magical ends. Rowan wood makes an ideal wood for wands and
staffs, and is especially good at enhancing psychic powers and divining for
metals. The Rowan tree has symmetrical leaves and brown, somewhat ripply bark. In
general they are small trees, though I have seen some pushing 25 feet. In the
late summer and early autumn the Rowan is covered in red, edible berries that
also have protective powers. Please look at your handout for a visual of the
Rowan tree.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Dominican; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We now move on to one of my favourite trees, the Hawthorn tree. The
Hawthorn tree is ruled by Fire and is another Faery tree marked by its red and
green colours. The Hawthorn is a tree with two faces. In the springtime the
tere is covered in beautiful white flowers and is associated with love,
fertility, and sexuality. On May Day, traditionally, Hawthorn boughs were used
to dress the altar or at a wedding. However, in the winter time the Hawthorn
has quite a different face. Devoid of its leaves and flowers, the sharp thorns
that give the tree its name are much more prominent. This side of the Hawthorn
is associated with protection, wisdom, and the learning of Witchcraft and
magic. Some say that the Hawthorn is like the wise old Grandmother of trees. As
a hedge tree, we can use it to “cross over” from the mundane into the magical
and come back with new wisdom. The wood of the Hawthorn can be used in magic
for protection, love, fertility, blasting, and works having to do with spirit
contact. The Hawthorn is the sister tree to the Blackthorn, and is the Light
Half to the Dark Half. The Hawthorn tends to be, again, a rather shrubby tree
though it can reach up to 30 feet in some cases. The wood is a grayish brown
with vertical ridges, and the leaves are lobed and shiny green. The branches
are covered in large, sharp thorns and in the autumn the tree bears red berries
that can be eaten.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Dominican; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The next tree we will look at is the Elder tree. The Elder is a tree
of Water and in folklore was believed to be the home of the Elder Mother, a
powerful tree spirit. The Elder Mother probably began as a Goddess, but after
the coming of Christianity was turned by the church into an evil spirit and the
tree, once venerated, gained a dark and frightening reputation. The Elder tree
is used in magic for powerful exorcisms, banishing, and the removal of
sickness. Harvesting of the wood must be done very carefully, and the wood
should NEVER be burned. Traditionally one says a prayer to the Elder Mother
while taking a cutting. The Elder tree tends to be a smallish, crooked tree
with characteristic green-brown bark covered in little “eyes.” The branches are
filled with a soft pith that can be easily removed, making this an idea wood to
use for wands with crystals or center inserts. In the autumn the Elder tree is
covered with blue, red, or purple Elderberries that can be made into wine or
jelly, but the wood and leaves are poisonous and should not be consumed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Dominican; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Ash tree is our next tree and is ruled by both Air and Water.
The Ash tree is a healing tree commonly associated with shamanic flights and
the ability to see all three worlds, lower, middle, and upper. For this reason
the Ash tree is the most common wood used for the Stang, the staff, and the
handle of the Witch’s broom. The Ash tree is a common tree used for its
shade-giving prophecies and the fact that its wood is very hard. Ancient wands
made from spiral Ash gave been discovered. The Ash is probably the best wood
behind Hazel to be used for the all-purpose magic wand. The leaves of the Ash tree
are long, shiny green, and symmetrical and the bark of the Ash tree is an ashy
grey.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Dominican; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Our next tree is the Alder tree. The Alder tree is the tree of the
dead and is ruled by water. The Alder is sometimes known as the “witch’s tree”
because it bleeds red sap when cut, and this was thought to be the blood of an
indwelling spirit or witch. In ancient times wands made from Alder were used to
measure the bodies of the dead, and it was believed that the wet and marshy
Alder groves were the gateway to Hel (that is, the realm of the Goddess Hel,
who ruled over the land of the dead.)
The Alder wood is best used for necromancy and the gathering of dark and
forbidden knowledge, and is the wood of All Hallows or Samhain. Alder grows in
wet, boggy places and has grey bark and large, birch-like leaves. The wood of
the Alder is pale and streaked with red.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Dominican; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Finally, the Blackthorn. The Blackthorn tree is ruled by fire and in
folklore was known as the Mother of Trees, or the first tree. The Blackthorn
has a strange, somewhat sinister reputation and in the past (and in the
present) was the wood used for the fearsome Witch’s Blasting Rod. This was a
rod or cane made from Blackthorn that was used by a Witch to send forth
powerful curses or spells. The Blackthorn is a dark, strange looking tree and
is covered in large, sharp, dangerous thorns that can cause a nasty infection
if they pierce your skin. These thorns have often been used to pierce poppets
for malevolent purposes. The Blackthorn rules over the dark half of the year, as
compared to the Hawthorn’s light half. Having said that, the Blackthorn also
has positive uses. It can be used to make a washing wand, and the beautiful
springtime Blackthorn blossoms have
associations with springtime and luck. However, in general the Blackthorn is
best reserved for use by an experienced occultist as its energy can be very
dark and brooding. The fruit of the Blackthorn is a small plum known as a sloe;
these are used to make sloe gin. If you’ll look at your handout, you can see a
picture of the Blackthorn’s fruit and flowers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Dominican; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> I encourage
everybody to go home and look for these trees around you. Seek them out, get to
know them, and form relationships with the spirits therein to see what you can
offer each other. You may not form alliances with every tree, and what works
for you will depend on where you live. When I lived down South I could not get
Hazel to work well for me, but now that I live in the Pacific Northwest, where
it grows in abundance, it’s now my go-to wood. I also encourage you to learn
more about the unique woods and trees that live in your surroundings and the folklore
that surrounds them. Please feel free to ask me any questions, and I can also
share some links and resources with you that can provide a deeper look at the
folklore and magical properties of the trees we have discussed today."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Dominican; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">For further reference, I recommend the following:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Dominican; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://thebriarrose.webs.com/" target="_blank">Briar Rose: Old Craft Hedgewitchery</a>: I learned much of my wood lore from the proprieters of this shop.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Dominican; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://cornishwitchcraft.co.uk/store.html" target="_blank">Traditional Witchcraft: A Cornish Book of Ways/ The Black Toad</a>: Both by Gemma Gary. Wonderful resource books on Traditional Craft including the magical woods.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Dominican; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.bardwood.com/magical_lore/wood-trees.html" target="_blank">Bardwood Wandery</a>: A great place for tree lore and a maker of fine magical wands as well</span></div>
H.A. Blackthornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17751102445554224876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8991956884980541564.post-54210450111151136342013-10-17T12:40:00.001-07:002013-10-17T12:40:15.656-07:00Autumn Hazel HarvestYesterday, on Wednesday (the Day of Mercury) I went and did a huge harvest of Hazel wood. Some of it is for my personal use; I am making a new Stang, a staff, and a handle for the broomstick I am working on. The rest is going to be sold off in my shop. I am selling both the raw wood, for the buyer to make their own wand, and at some point I'll be selling hand-crafted wands as well. I've spent the morning stripping bark from some of the branches and cutting them down to size.<br />
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Hazel, the wood of wisdom, inspiration, and divination, is considered by many to be the best choice for crafting the all-purpose magical wand and for the Witch's staff. It is also the wood most frequently recommended by the old Grimoires for the magic wand. If any of my readers are interested in the Hazel wood I have to offer, please send me a message and let me know and I can share prices with you.<br />
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Here are a few images of my harvest. In one you can see the forked stick for my new Stang, and I'm including pics of the raw wood and the bark removal process as well. Enjoy!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpo1EViwcUFuRMwjpomP7aPem5HlpnABDLzqX4GW6gKbL-5FClEhfpAPbCFu9W5VAew89SURTePsd97w8dvK2_uP2JMd0g7JCQEWNjeXnRtXCMl5geM4ikfeTgIeqE6ThQFHvbe0xy7rHn/s1600/BarkRemoval.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpo1EViwcUFuRMwjpomP7aPem5HlpnABDLzqX4GW6gKbL-5FClEhfpAPbCFu9W5VAew89SURTePsd97w8dvK2_uP2JMd0g7JCQEWNjeXnRtXCMl5geM4ikfeTgIeqE6ThQFHvbe0xy7rHn/s400/BarkRemoval.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Using my knife to strip the bark</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWU-70vWARssLYRl13wm7g3iWwTvR7eawXM8oTTQ5F6KrB-_n2Qjm2fhNGiJum6HqAEKIL0h83iXyle9fInRSGLCUGn92Ef74B8IdNyf_mkjGhA2HWkSfeoxpG1FcGUFNhKmFpjklJlEk6/s1600/HazelHarvest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWU-70vWARssLYRl13wm7g3iWwTvR7eawXM8oTTQ5F6KrB-_n2Qjm2fhNGiJum6HqAEKIL0h83iXyle9fInRSGLCUGn92Ef74B8IdNyf_mkjGhA2HWkSfeoxpG1FcGUFNhKmFpjklJlEk6/s400/HazelHarvest.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hazel wood</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO8YzX48ElbKoiJl5nNOfsp_W-aM6kbNtvAkk968qbeFUTSUDCi5749tEXLxeqVvuwLSJT9ge03ZO_RjSc1Lsis3eXNYffcsSjjKqfqjVa1F0CtTNprgKZCpEViY-eg1FVQFqKUukjEI1Y/s1600/HazelStang.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO8YzX48ElbKoiJl5nNOfsp_W-aM6kbNtvAkk968qbeFUTSUDCi5749tEXLxeqVvuwLSJT9ge03ZO_RjSc1Lsis3eXNYffcsSjjKqfqjVa1F0CtTNprgKZCpEViY-eg1FVQFqKUukjEI1Y/s400/HazelStang.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My new Stang, after the bark removal</td></tr>
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<br />H.A. Blackthornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17751102445554224876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8991956884980541564.post-452641505478897292013-09-28T09:21:00.001-07:002013-09-28T09:21:59.194-07:00A Magical Trip Cross CountryIt's been a while since I've posted anything, but for once there is a good reason. A couple of weeks ago I left the Pacific Northwest and traveled across the country to the East Coast via train. It was an amazing trip. I got to see a lot of the beautiful Midwest (which I had never seen) and I had the pleasure and honour to meet many amazing, talented, respected Witches at the various events I attended. As much fun as I had, I was still happy to come home to my lovely city, especially as the trees have started changing and autumn is well underway. In fact, this weekend we are having heavy rains and high winds. It's dark and wet and gloomy out, just the perfect time of year to focus on work with the Spirits of the Dead. And, of course, Hallowe'en approaches!<br />
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Here are a few images of my trip. Enjoy!<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRsUOEBCM8GYvE8BQdWUPWImzZzAUtqLIz-7ZHxeiBMJghkirBP9YmS-PvGzbWr12EzTBGI20ML4LNrgYUwmBu6t-2eg5Y2BvzpDLUcdUmGjgqYbwk3_6iBjsMN057Mnq6GDX83UQ_Cmgp/s1600/Gorge1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRsUOEBCM8GYvE8BQdWUPWImzZzAUtqLIz-7ZHxeiBMJghkirBP9YmS-PvGzbWr12EzTBGI20ML4LNrgYUwmBu6t-2eg5Y2BvzpDLUcdUmGjgqYbwk3_6iBjsMN057Mnq6GDX83UQ_Cmgp/s400/Gorge1.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Columbia River Gorge</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3VGhaw1f5-PTU2E3yaOmesw3QlRsxe-ZrzJIbXEP59OSc8_Bw0PizxonAO4aa4z7JBc8KCXwhv9RP4xqESfJQlIX-8Z8suQRWe7MvakIQUZysaHyXw-rPLy4pmL1caOkSFrIhZQnJCEKa/s1600/Gorge3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3VGhaw1f5-PTU2E3yaOmesw3QlRsxe-ZrzJIbXEP59OSc8_Bw0PizxonAO4aa4z7JBc8KCXwhv9RP4xqESfJQlIX-8Z8suQRWe7MvakIQUZysaHyXw-rPLy4pmL1caOkSFrIhZQnJCEKa/s400/Gorge3.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Gorge</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTeqs-2SXYc7XD2xJ-pK7b70gdKCO2-Lw9rlkKs3JR3FP-UarlLJDaW89e9Mggpwn3W6IKI7MSKaExtrThfUf7E-TJnqVSCzpapgXTAA1BUlmqkGwpHt0GxVfMvFU5vvD1XgAXYM5euAAI/s1600/GorgeIsland.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTeqs-2SXYc7XD2xJ-pK7b70gdKCO2-Lw9rlkKs3JR3FP-UarlLJDaW89e9Mggpwn3W6IKI7MSKaExtrThfUf7E-TJnqVSCzpapgXTAA1BUlmqkGwpHt0GxVfMvFU5vvD1XgAXYM5euAAI/s400/GorgeIsland.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Island</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqi20HEFgjZiXKxmp7b7q1yGzhUmn2oKy_SdL3kQbijONLM4-Dm6oGgGOzim_gNLI4UIv_RG-gPjOX0t6XiWW2soyU4njInH1Ds6es7Oir6-mAttDYQMeAt0QZL2bHL5DZ2dLWUkEonkH2/s1600/OpenRoad.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqi20HEFgjZiXKxmp7b7q1yGzhUmn2oKy_SdL3kQbijONLM4-Dm6oGgGOzim_gNLI4UIv_RG-gPjOX0t6XiWW2soyU4njInH1Ds6es7Oir6-mAttDYQMeAt0QZL2bHL5DZ2dLWUkEonkH2/s400/OpenRoad.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Mother Road</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8YhDEHMTRSj0P_ktLvEAtLRBBElnhMu01V-_AARG9tuIWLWsUIGtE_AnknLA7Xn7DKw_QtlwRcQ-lCQvEcRrfAcT9UKqt6iAT2aR36QrnYQsFuktcj68acTLCRNAAd3cxyvHfcyBcaL6o/s1600/PumpkinPatch.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8YhDEHMTRSj0P_ktLvEAtLRBBElnhMu01V-_AARG9tuIWLWsUIGtE_AnknLA7Xn7DKw_QtlwRcQ-lCQvEcRrfAcT9UKqt6iAT2aR36QrnYQsFuktcj68acTLCRNAAd3cxyvHfcyBcaL6o/s400/PumpkinPatch.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Field of Pumpkins, Indiana</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3uIO_6WSsCABuWIyEhdDUssdojmVPvIZOZQoVKtd6f4kv7QSPTh3ZHi1A6IxxQYrdkUnU_7mPXvbPvwBG3Hr-ue8zyY1HYJ30i92n3mc_r9xt-YzZ9fK0TlHdgC01usSWrOzB6W8cMlLB/s1600/Sunset2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3uIO_6WSsCABuWIyEhdDUssdojmVPvIZOZQoVKtd6f4kv7QSPTh3ZHi1A6IxxQYrdkUnU_7mPXvbPvwBG3Hr-ue8zyY1HYJ30i92n3mc_r9xt-YzZ9fK0TlHdgC01usSWrOzB6W8cMlLB/s400/Sunset2.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Montana</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizVu_RgLj8kgI3TP8M8qEg6CSA3AEwOBPWzLyuql2rICdw6iujsBhC2kTtpNCYUVOUQwsGEzYn5-BBpAWyXBPih3zF9PnYhVg8jUY8Ly3_hvQSheMc7KJ-WSMVKbUoA2jKQgo_Ow6JSF3a/s1600/Sunset.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizVu_RgLj8kgI3TP8M8qEg6CSA3AEwOBPWzLyuql2rICdw6iujsBhC2kTtpNCYUVOUQwsGEzYn5-BBpAWyXBPih3zF9PnYhVg8jUY8Ly3_hvQSheMc7KJ-WSMVKbUoA2jKQgo_Ow6JSF3a/s400/Sunset.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Montana</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiatf62WsOsJcJvcVIpIANbAL_CsCDf0-DVsvyOG5-5MVRd75UQRCLuFQldJ6LHT_79MmbpYQRoi_tFUN8pUm2lsevj-dfcbi1AhoNWf45bOAeq8RPC7zuQLarJ3xPOojKK-pi1QdYN5egj/s1600/IMG_2592.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiatf62WsOsJcJvcVIpIANbAL_CsCDf0-DVsvyOG5-5MVRd75UQRCLuFQldJ6LHT_79MmbpYQRoi_tFUN8pUm2lsevj-dfcbi1AhoNWf45bOAeq8RPC7zuQLarJ3xPOojKK-pi1QdYN5egj/s400/IMG_2592.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Indiana Moon</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4jTQIUZidbe5y-0cocGe97CZvQQHSPDnIqj7Xs9DWneF3xeYT7nFA2a7-eLnN0whJlEkM4_ChLm0fOrGbMIDGa3XC4CRzH7lhaU03L5iNlx6vnMQDsHXu6PJOQDOn8NMeK3zJOnsYN6cx/s1600/IMG_2665.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4jTQIUZidbe5y-0cocGe97CZvQQHSPDnIqj7Xs9DWneF3xeYT7nFA2a7-eLnN0whJlEkM4_ChLm0fOrGbMIDGa3XC4CRzH7lhaU03L5iNlx6vnMQDsHXu6PJOQDOn8NMeK3zJOnsYN6cx/s400/IMG_2665.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful Pennsylvania</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUjszo8ZzLaA-dCFBcMsGS9uPQpIHLQWs47EY0uIBvhA-wVMbpeSF2lSaFKJelyoeSHLShnNwLM64fhnbc7O7Nrw0lIMSZnQELC_d_ROcvR3Qh28SBaWv_G-g0Fumzga3L4zp8AImUFOH7/s1600/Sunset3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUjszo8ZzLaA-dCFBcMsGS9uPQpIHLQWs47EY0uIBvhA-wVMbpeSF2lSaFKJelyoeSHLShnNwLM64fhnbc7O7Nrw0lIMSZnQELC_d_ROcvR3Qh28SBaWv_G-g0Fumzga3L4zp8AImUFOH7/s400/Sunset3.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset</td></tr>
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<br />H.A. Blackthornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17751102445554224876noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8991956884980541564.post-14838033245374449682013-09-06T14:48:00.002-07:002013-09-06T14:50:46.679-07:00Crafting Charms<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A local Witch friend and I worked on some written charms last week using some magical ink she had made herself and some of my parchment paper. The charms we chose were inspired by one found in Gemma Gary's "<a href="http://cornishwitchcraft.co.uk/store.html" target="_blank">Traditional Witchcraft: A Cornish Book of Ways</a>" but also incorporated some of my own touches and a few other secret flourishes. After I finished writing out my paper charm, I enclosed it in a charm bag along with a few magical herbs and a magnet. The finished product, intended to bring good luck and banish ill health, can be carried on the person or placed under the bed.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNBjpEpUxcnObPZ8TnSazbwDzRNe8sA6V0iLbdgpFM78VrvH3FWM2D_vLHiOYuB6RREeSCzUDWB4ey_UQstv56ku4A5GyURHcEuCmyETv1llN-pzqY9_GV0vf8NuXToDYv07Jhe4zYrQMb/s1600/HandsMe.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: start;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNBjpEpUxcnObPZ8TnSazbwDzRNe8sA6V0iLbdgpFM78VrvH3FWM2D_vLHiOYuB6RREeSCzUDWB4ey_UQstv56ku4A5GyURHcEuCmyETv1llN-pzqY9_GV0vf8NuXToDYv07Jhe4zYrQMb/s400/HandsMe.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me, hard at work<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEije7LjPb_LYJNdkNTBu11-IFHxtvq2vmOvuOtCVKBuXlBUXcUfY2T_xV2mtD2I3SRZW2mitzP2lS7phlFb3GnHJEKTvi7P0UPLHx3XxKIU-o9j11yPqZ9OEdrGfOBpQstpY0oTd95mc0m_/s1600/CornishCharm.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEije7LjPb_LYJNdkNTBu11-IFHxtvq2vmOvuOtCVKBuXlBUXcUfY2T_xV2mtD2I3SRZW2mitzP2lS7phlFb3GnHJEKTvi7P0UPLHx3XxKIU-o9j11yPqZ9OEdrGfOBpQstpY0oTd95mc0m_/s400/CornishCharm.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The finished charm<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiK0PVXaHeLHeTU0Wd7xiz_Is20gQYkSgpYcRRF_DULJggZ8NstUffPWslexihAfDi4VcfQWEee14VGcD4mH11ytCaRUuqhMN-FODPsn3VkwXi2kazVV3sybhL2dFVWdjk3vVyuBRAePh1/s1600/SpiritCraft.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiK0PVXaHeLHeTU0Wd7xiz_Is20gQYkSgpYcRRF_DULJggZ8NstUffPWslexihAfDi4VcfQWEee14VGcD4mH11ytCaRUuqhMN-FODPsn3VkwXi2kazVV3sybhL2dFVWdjk3vVyuBRAePh1/s400/SpiritCraft.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px; text-align: center;">My friend inscribes a charm onto parchment<br />
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<br />H.A. Blackthornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17751102445554224876noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8991956884980541564.post-67988102649272772342013-08-24T14:00:00.002-07:002013-08-24T14:00:20.580-07:00The First Touch of Autumn; And, The Hawthorn TreesI can finally tell that autumn is on its way. Some days are still pretty warm, but there have been a few that have been grey and drizzly, and overall things seem cooler....especially at night. A few of the large Maples and Elms have just begun to turn colours, and there are more than a few Poplars that are already showing orange. The apple trees are all covered in apples, and the Rowan trees are still showing their beautiful bright red fruit.<br />
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The Hawthorns near my house are just now almost ripe. I've seen some "out and about" that are clearly ready to harvest, but they are in full sun and too close to the road to be useful. I'm planning on making Hawthorn jelly and wine this year, for the first time ever, so I'm keeping a close eye on my "local" trees to determine the best time to harvest. Luckily I have one in my own yard, and the neighbours have been kind enough to tell me I could have some of their fruit as well. Most people around here seem unaware that you can eat Hawthorn. Unfortunately, there is not a single Hazelnut left on the trees; the squirrels ate them ALL. I'm quite sad about that, but at least I have a bunch of Haws to look forward to.<br />
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In magical news, I recently had a custom wand my by Gary over at the amazing <a href="http://www.omegaartworks.com/" target="_blank">OMEGA WORKS.</a> He made my Athame for me as well, and they match. I don't usually show photos of my magical tools these days, but I might make an exception for the wand because it's truly an amazing piece. In the meantime, here are some images of the Hawthorn trees and such around my home.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtEEia097qbTfq6E5TK-Yon-aewuVDWtuRJaMkOJnmBRB0BKV4jxhgoSF4Kf6M3zsSF50F7ACfWEiArlXYk-wW7xQrCKR0QPstNR3rwR0YWCZWUe4f80D1BBz4aj73hbiBpcxRxlhSQfJZ/s1600/IMG_2345.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtEEia097qbTfq6E5TK-Yon-aewuVDWtuRJaMkOJnmBRB0BKV4jxhgoSF4Kf6M3zsSF50F7ACfWEiArlXYk-wW7xQrCKR0QPstNR3rwR0YWCZWUe4f80D1BBz4aj73hbiBpcxRxlhSQfJZ/s640/IMG_2345.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lady Hawthorn</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW8h69DLRt_6ScieM1UgwWc3GS6ITGgJCAMdEdMFeyRq3E6ik8uJSMXJJJx84fjlTYKkZxuqJB0z_FRpG40Q6IMcH18p7d4hhHfJp-XnR-90b9fjLfsKaICB0bgO45854nGjht39QPKjvC/s1600/IMG_2346.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW8h69DLRt_6ScieM1UgwWc3GS6ITGgJCAMdEdMFeyRq3E6ik8uJSMXJJJx84fjlTYKkZxuqJB0z_FRpG40Q6IMcH18p7d4hhHfJp-XnR-90b9fjLfsKaICB0bgO45854nGjht39QPKjvC/s640/IMG_2346.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not QUITE Ripe Yet</td></tr>
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<br />H.A. Blackthornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17751102445554224876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8991956884980541564.post-58889633909905956132013-07-28T08:37:00.002-07:002013-07-28T08:37:57.036-07:00Victorian Magic in Port TownsendLast week I journeyed up the Washington coast and into Port Townsend. If you don't know, Port Townsend is a Victorian seaport located on the northern Washington coast. It had a big "boom" back in the 19th century, but almost as quickly as it grew the bottom fell out of the shipping industry and all the money (and most of the residents) left the town. However, in the long run this turned out to be a bit of a blessing because when the money left, nobody had the funds to tear down their beautiful Victorian buildings and replace them with hideous 20th century monstrosities.<br />
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On the drive up I saw SO many Elder trees covered in their red (we have the red kind around here) berries. I wanted to stop and get some, but most were by the highway and anyway I wasn't sure they were quite ripe yet. I also found some beautiful Rowan trees; look for that in an upcoming post. In the meantime, please enjoy these images of some of Port Townsend's beautiful buildings! I'm going to work hard and updating this blog more often, and it's going to get a new look, so keep your eyes peeled!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDffY4SZ2yCxjCKezUVi86tyzWNq9Tn0oQJBe3zvCh-Opkh3xegdbsthylryZ4-VXdbrSO8eeDKAUIzWLSl9b9HNsj9X5U7TKjTO-rJlM-p-r0rcRnDkQM_WSVYCO8owDigF0gYVBikgzW/s1600/IMG_1234.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDffY4SZ2yCxjCKezUVi86tyzWNq9Tn0oQJBe3zvCh-Opkh3xegdbsthylryZ4-VXdbrSO8eeDKAUIzWLSl9b9HNsj9X5U7TKjTO-rJlM-p-r0rcRnDkQM_WSVYCO8owDigF0gYVBikgzW/s640/IMG_1234.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Check out that garden!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR6zNZhV3MQJoumqFkopEfH68miyUNXBp2qOuWvc_rs-quAIzzjlsyOAmStzKF-JLtUvBH1r60KfXA9GYCv9QfwTGFSIGzR4IPtWQ4CSaDWkjwhfNTIaUR7joBxSj4hW4ex_XKyezm7CUH/s1600/PortTownsend.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR6zNZhV3MQJoumqFkopEfH68miyUNXBp2qOuWvc_rs-quAIzzjlsyOAmStzKF-JLtUvBH1r60KfXA9GYCv9QfwTGFSIGzR4IPtWQ4CSaDWkjwhfNTIaUR7joBxSj4hW4ex_XKyezm7CUH/s640/PortTownsend.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view of the bay from the hill</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIXMeXQg7uRMDHP98x_zMuIYCh5pgFOENj9vKgc7U1BdlH7drKnsxZhYePgy9MpQJOSBh0_q2YuXMdEfD9qWLVI3hQBEEeZ3vTwImfvNSN8DFfgbKbR2aROn6nZ316CEwIRVJ3XmjnwpnE/s1600/StarrettHouse.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIXMeXQg7uRMDHP98x_zMuIYCh5pgFOENj9vKgc7U1BdlH7drKnsxZhYePgy9MpQJOSBh0_q2YuXMdEfD9qWLVI3hQBEEeZ3vTwImfvNSN8DFfgbKbR2aROn6nZ316CEwIRVJ3XmjnwpnE/s640/StarrettHouse.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Starrett House. This one is actually for sale....if only I had the money!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxCJ77sxQxVrqo2w6HHkQdw0ynxZPj-Tp7huVry8MuffbLqE5FrRzoTmk8d4bwOlXbzT7OI85gWwlEFtitVmtZNnQLMUHsj_28TaArmPiWyUkn5MC2cDhxl1a3aiqXvnxGdjigRwqiSNMz/s1600/VicHouse.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxCJ77sxQxVrqo2w6HHkQdw0ynxZPj-Tp7huVry8MuffbLqE5FrRzoTmk8d4bwOlXbzT7OI85gWwlEFtitVmtZNnQLMUHsj_28TaArmPiWyUkn5MC2cDhxl1a3aiqXvnxGdjigRwqiSNMz/s640/VicHouse.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Bartlett House, I believe</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnP0jn5237GCLpbAAh15o-Mva9KWZlLk11gHc5Eca6KxOSg6rWpLFL3nl_IfjNJcMAPvSegLM-3qZxeAQ-i4hPnMwxZN2lY5WhiBZeGMhVqSvRjCoW1yHr-KGMqRQkjk89ZHPNMMkI_3L0/s1600/VicOffice.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnP0jn5237GCLpbAAh15o-Mva9KWZlLk11gHc5Eca6KxOSg6rWpLFL3nl_IfjNJcMAPvSegLM-3qZxeAQ-i4hPnMwxZN2lY5WhiBZeGMhVqSvRjCoW1yHr-KGMqRQkjk89ZHPNMMkI_3L0/s640/VicOffice.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A beautiful Victorian building</td></tr>
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<br />H.A. Blackthornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17751102445554224876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8991956884980541564.post-50608373822738322432013-06-13T16:56:00.002-07:002013-06-13T16:56:27.456-07:00Adventures in Wood HarvestingYesterday me and a fellow Witch went out into a rural area to look for wood to harvest. (I'm planning on selling my own line of wands and magical charms, so I've been in the "harvest" mode for a while.) Anyway, I managed to get some lovely Hawthorn and Hazel wood, and we even came across a few Rowans and a Blackthorn tree. During our adventures in an abandoned lot we also happened across what looked to be some sort of very old cold storage or root cellar. It reminded me of one of the storm cellars back in Texas, but above ground. It was lined with shelves holding ancient jars of peaches, jam, etc, some of which were still recognizable. Clearly the field had once been home to a farmhouse, and we were seeing the remnants of somebody's old food storage.<br />
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In other news, my rooms are starting to look like a forest, what with all the birch bristles and Hazel branches and similar stacked up and drying in every single corner!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRGLgKPNOHPdu1n_3Zr_qw_nUKVXp4XqNOqg38tD8xzZvP3BIYGKeFZzQn_sCJvDOd7zb-F-AjPCIkTCvYyBp_kQTo7MgWCFISYhD86IepFDcZzPsonQK0G8A5PFtA82h70cv8Ranp0X_c/s1600/IMG_1887.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRGLgKPNOHPdu1n_3Zr_qw_nUKVXp4XqNOqg38tD8xzZvP3BIYGKeFZzQn_sCJvDOd7zb-F-AjPCIkTCvYyBp_kQTo7MgWCFISYhD86IepFDcZzPsonQK0G8A5PFtA82h70cv8Ranp0X_c/s640/IMG_1887.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elder</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl-7PqO1s_knZxWzlhLhVjjRr1j3dDh_8ty53EyJ1mtlzQBwwB6FzyHQexfJ03U6J1vxt1IwZWsCxCQxFqSIJZZ1f-b-BnZmFwYCm4JvkQl76ffpXLDs_FftNOVVrZcdahi1nmSXQiUGAH/s1600/IMG_1891.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl-7PqO1s_knZxWzlhLhVjjRr1j3dDh_8ty53EyJ1mtlzQBwwB6FzyHQexfJ03U6J1vxt1IwZWsCxCQxFqSIJZZ1f-b-BnZmFwYCm4JvkQl76ffpXLDs_FftNOVVrZcdahi1nmSXQiUGAH/s640/IMG_1891.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Foxglove</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiZr9U5fbUbrPbqbEtWFMB7a1R6imVUoMQ5yZPF5_Y1-Z2_w88SqOQ6d87jwlVuKG_NOXBTXkJAegJztMzjbdY7YjSqKr9F3d5mWKqLzlOkqPVrx18ihk6k8a46aJPpA05qltyfW5KcYtk/s1600/IMG_1895.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiZr9U5fbUbrPbqbEtWFMB7a1R6imVUoMQ5yZPF5_Y1-Z2_w88SqOQ6d87jwlVuKG_NOXBTXkJAegJztMzjbdY7YjSqKr9F3d5mWKqLzlOkqPVrx18ihk6k8a46aJPpA05qltyfW5KcYtk/s640/IMG_1895.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The old root cellar</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4rU4RrFVCuHFMeD6Akk0kuVAil6ShVtkrgXajTKxkYK2zMcpaOHKBDqa5DaVyoD8vRDMPlItnUdpHlWuw9FaPdVLb8-V3Wh4ZuWCKxkjctzbkEEs6s7AlUNuZMdI8KJtV7V3P0JIC1ZZO/s1600/IMG_1896.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4rU4RrFVCuHFMeD6Akk0kuVAil6ShVtkrgXajTKxkYK2zMcpaOHKBDqa5DaVyoD8vRDMPlItnUdpHlWuw9FaPdVLb8-V3Wh4ZuWCKxkjctzbkEEs6s7AlUNuZMdI8KJtV7V3P0JIC1ZZO/s640/IMG_1896.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old broken bottles<br /></td></tr>
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<br />H.A. Blackthornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17751102445554224876noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8991956884980541564.post-2549345058589022112013-05-20T11:43:00.000-07:002013-05-20T11:43:12.332-07:00My Very Own Hazel TreeOn Saturday I went downtown to the street market. It's held both weekend days during the Spring, Summer, and Autumn months. They have all kinds of amazing things, from local organic fruits and vegetables to honey, soap, plants, and other such and sundry. While I was walking around, I spied a booth selling plants and trees, and what should I see in the back but two very small Hazel bushes. I asked the booth owners, and they said that somebody had asked them to bring the trees to the street fair. I expressed interest in buying one, and said I would stop by later to see if the man had showed up. When I checked back he had not arrived, so I decided to purchase one of the two trees. They had both American and Beaked Hazel. I picked the Beaked form, because it is the one native to the Pacific Northwest where I live. The tree is very small, but Hazel grows quickly and in a few years I should be able to harvest nuts from it and possibly get some wood for wands and charms as well.<br />
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Here's an image of my precious little tree. I will be planting it today! So exciting to have one of my very own.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdHi1eJ_2kQ-_PMOpiMT2yfdl9aS2p1Hxvto8Nki5l7nCg8pmrbYo9sxxfMlqjZBmEkYULC3GA57zjiAdktquW3UwuDBKk75p0xwzS0_WodJx-IMnxWTP-iroH5OlAPA9fllah1iObF049/s1600/babyhazel.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdHi1eJ_2kQ-_PMOpiMT2yfdl9aS2p1Hxvto8Nki5l7nCg8pmrbYo9sxxfMlqjZBmEkYULC3GA57zjiAdktquW3UwuDBKk75p0xwzS0_WodJx-IMnxWTP-iroH5OlAPA9fllah1iObF049/s1600/babyhazel.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Beaked Hazel</td></tr>
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<br />H.A. Blackthornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17751102445554224876noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8991956884980541564.post-88164829121458227092013-05-01T22:39:00.001-07:002013-05-01T22:39:23.643-07:00Happy Beltane!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I hope everyone had a wonderful, magical holiday. I spent the morning bathing in May Day dew and gathering Hawthorn boughs to deck my altar out in.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZo7t0j65Vd5-LkVTpekP5F2c_lKPSiFmHTM68klLrWe_RcCI33Jdv3zaduxkgOHzDQP5MdOcN9j0s2Vvy-Xn3Wbq4gjLaOEPlBlswkz3Xr_n-0HaqB3cwC5gOS-u_pT96lG4G6b_MObJx/s1600/IMG_1387.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZo7t0j65Vd5-LkVTpekP5F2c_lKPSiFmHTM68klLrWe_RcCI33Jdv3zaduxkgOHzDQP5MdOcN9j0s2Vvy-Xn3Wbq4gjLaOEPlBlswkz3Xr_n-0HaqB3cwC5gOS-u_pT96lG4G6b_MObJx/s640/IMG_1387.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Blessed Hawthorn Near My House</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqsqBQyQMIxmC7fjYuZ3b1CK1LkfhOaqHdKPx-u1Nbup9eQzK8dyxTAORn4YN5uC5ogxpTttXSwCEfN0G60swZj7K6X5o1e0oV4ba7aJh7xB9zQ69lJ-xGo_gk5rAU0L3JGDf24-6Nh16y/s1600/IMG_1371.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqsqBQyQMIxmC7fjYuZ3b1CK1LkfhOaqHdKPx-u1Nbup9eQzK8dyxTAORn4YN5uC5ogxpTttXSwCEfN0G60swZj7K6X5o1e0oV4ba7aJh7xB9zQ69lJ-xGo_gk5rAU0L3JGDf24-6Nh16y/s640/IMG_1371.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hawthorn Blossoms<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXi6-tJ4yQBD5Ek9mPKYnfDK56pxqqnz7otkxTIkwxv_3FNLT-agxV_PgR55BdipZCGMC1xcq7TM0QRiW6IEkytT6lYb4wjObcre3drnMfhS2W0MQdMy2BmQxKdloAqdZUH51BT69QSj3k/s1600/IMG_1373.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXi6-tJ4yQBD5Ek9mPKYnfDK56pxqqnz7otkxTIkwxv_3FNLT-agxV_PgR55BdipZCGMC1xcq7TM0QRiW6IEkytT6lYb4wjObcre3drnMfhS2W0MQdMy2BmQxKdloAqdZUH51BT69QSj3k/s640/IMG_1373.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Hawthorn<br />
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<br />H.A. Blackthornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17751102445554224876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8991956884980541564.post-41732005294751111952013-04-29T21:32:00.002-07:002013-04-29T21:32:15.105-07:00A Plaque For Doreen ValienteMy love for Doreen Valiente (who I never had the chance to meet but who's book have had an immense influence on my Craft) is well known. She was definitely one the most important writers on Witchcraft and the occult of the past century, up there with such luminaries as Aleister Crowley, Dion Fortune, and Gerald Gardner. Money is now being raised so that a plaque commemorating her many decades of work in the Craft can be placed on the wall of her apartment home of 30 years. I have already made a contribution, and I ask all of you who've been touched by her writings, as I have, to give generously so that Doreen Valiente can be honoured.<div>
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Here is the link to the donations page:</div>
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<a href="http://centre-for-pagan-studies.com/commemorative-plaques-project/" target="_blank">A Plaque For Doreen Valiente</a></div>
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H.A. Blackthornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17751102445554224876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8991956884980541564.post-39374095735520464362013-04-27T19:56:00.001-07:002013-04-27T21:19:57.552-07:00The Hawthorn: The Magical Tree of Springtime<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFvKvqxjI2brUbZgBuzgHhdwm0i6QSqPHA_5PLSR_xFbqpA8Sxs7DKjfp6-mZsgxHGgx54NsgDLlGj_q9S_yOC70fIcoUu3Y4dIw4uaiXnOz2ZApSFgVjIehfp46RKnxDFblFnnUcdaXcN/s1600/HawthornLeaves.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFvKvqxjI2brUbZgBuzgHhdwm0i6QSqPHA_5PLSR_xFbqpA8Sxs7DKjfp6-mZsgxHGgx54NsgDLlGj_q9S_yOC70fIcoUu3Y4dIw4uaiXnOz2ZApSFgVjIehfp46RKnxDFblFnnUcdaXcN/s400/HawthornLeaves.JPG" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRjRUzKcCoSws5mG09gMob50lf2Nf8EG6JBE4AYfqtRYRuGGq_F-mNRxhnIOZ8iESOZgvZOSTTN9JhBG-HnK4X_HTNWPutXODW5HqD4kvEo4p4lHjd4bWNrg-mOagE1-slR5M6tF452Ou_/s1600/HawthornBuds.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>During my walk today, what should I come across but many flowering Hawthorns. Now, keep in mind that back in the South I only saw one Hawthorn ever.....and it was more like a barren shrub than a tree. Be that as it may, it's long been my favourite magical wood to work with and I have several wands and magical tools made from Hawthorn branches harvested in the UK. Imagine my joy, then, to come across easily 10-15 of them in a relatively small area.<br />
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The Hawthorn tends to be a smaller tree, sometimes more like a shrub, and has twisty branches that bear shortish, but sharp, thorns. In the springtime the tree firsts displays leaves (unlike the Blackthorn, which has flowers first) before blossoming with many small, white, fragrant flowers. Some say the scent of the flower is unpleasant, others say it acts as an aphrodisiac for men, and still others that it enforces chastity. To me, the flowers had a very pleasant, though quite sweet, odour that was almost intoxicating. Indeed, it's easy to picture the showy white flowers and strong smell putting one in the mood for love, which may very well be the source of the tree's association with springtime romance and naughty romps in the field. The Hawthorn has a strong association with Beltane or May Day, and with fertility and weddings. Traditionally, couples getting married would wear crowns of Hawthorn blossoms and leaves, and would sometimes decorate with boughs of the wood. Oddly enough, at other times of the year to bring Hawthorn into the house was considered to be detrimental in some way. In the autumn the Hawthorn yields many small, red, tart berries that can be eaten as jelly or made into wine.<br />
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Like most magical trees, the Hawthorn has a bit of a darker side as well. The thorns have been used in both love spells and curses, and when the tree has shed its leaves in the winter the twisted, thorny skeleton that remains can present an ominous sight. A Welsh Witch of my acquaintance speaks of the Thorn Lady, a kind of spirit of the Hawthorn tree that can act as the "wise grandmother" of the Craft, and not all of her lessons are love and light. It's considered very bad luck to damage or cut down a Hawthorn, as the Good Folk are very protective of it and will take revenge on any who dares to destroy the tree.<br />
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On a more mundane level the flowers, berries, and leaves all have medicinal use. The berry can be used (under medical supervision only) to strengthen a weak heartbeat, and the flowers and leaves have a tonic quality. As mentioned above, the berries can also be used to make many delicious jellies and jams. The wood of the Hawthorn is beautiful and VERY hard, and can be carved into small trinkets, handles, and similar objects.<br />
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If you come across a flowering Hawthorn this spring, consider yourself lucky because in my opinion there are few trees more magical. Stop for a while to set beneath the thorny branches and feel the powerful magic of the tree.<br />
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H.A. Blackthornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17751102445554224876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8991956884980541564.post-7525590659373137972013-04-25T21:20:00.001-07:002013-04-26T08:40:05.310-07:00Happy Full Moon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is the Beltane Moon.....time to let loose and really celebrate the coming of Spring!<br />
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<br />H.A. Blackthornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17751102445554224876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8991956884980541564.post-49015170382172245342013-04-23T22:02:00.002-07:002013-04-23T22:02:50.367-07:00Doreen Valiente Biography AnnouncedThis is very exciting news! Doreen Valiente was one of the most influential figures in the modern Witchcraft movement, and her work has certainly influenced me more than any other resource. I've read part of Philip Heselton's work on Gerald Gardner, and if his work on the Valiente book is anywhere near as good it will be a truly wonderful and invaluable biography.<br />
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<a href="http://doreenvaliente.org/2013/04/official-doreen-valiente-biography/" target="_blank">Doreen Valiente Biography Announced</a>H.A. Blackthornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17751102445554224876noreply@blogger.com0