I’ll be putting the different departments up little by little starting immediately, and if you want to see particular items in the store, topics for articles and ebooks, etc. – please don’t hesitate to post and let me know what you’re looking for.

Love and Light,

Mama Kate

First of all, what is green tea and why is it different, better, than other teas? It does come from the same plant, the Camelia sinensis, as black, oolong and white tea but it’s processed differently than the rest. Black tea is fully fermented and oolong teas are partially fermented. Green and white teas aren’t put through that process at all, which leaves more of the beneficial compounds, and less of the more harmful ones like caffeine and tannins, in the final product.

The most helpful constituents in green tea are a class of polyphenols called catechins. There are six primary ones including the one you’re probably most familiar with – EGCG. These catechins have strong antioxidant activities and are said to be more powerful than even vitamin C (University of Maryland Medical Center); but only about 15% of these are left in black and oolong tea after fermentation (American Botanical Council). What they are exactly and what their specific activities are is beyond the scope of this paper, but they all contribute to the benefits we experience from this delicious tea.

One of the main contributions that green tea makes is to the cardiovascular system. It reduces the risk of atherosclerosis, heart attack and other cardiovascular diseases by allowing higher antioxidant activity and decreasing fat and cholesterol levels in the blood (ABC). Results released in 2006 from a study done in Japan (the Ohsaki study) found that women who drink 5 cups or more of green tea daily have a 31% less chance of dying from cardiovascular disease than those who drink 1 cup or less daily (Shinichi Kuriyama).

Green tea is definitely heart healthy; several studies noted in an article by Drs. Basu and Lucas show a correlation between drinking 2 cups or more a day and a reduced risk of heart attack and hypertension, and coronary artery disease. They also note that drinking a cup or two or taking green tea extracts with or before meals could help lower triglyceride levels even more than it would taking it any other time. Making this beverage a regular habit also helps lower your cholesterol levels and your blood pressure.

Green tea also protects against several types of cancer including breast and ovarian cancer, colon cancer, squamous cell lung cancer, pancreatic cancer and esophageal cancer. According to an article on green tea by researchers at the University of Maryland Medical Center the polyphenols in green tea (and black tea) inhibit the growth of cancer cells in population-based studies, animals and test tubes but that more research needs to be done to prove that’s true in people. However, in a study done on green tea and the prevention of breast cancer, “the risk of breast cancer declined with increasing quantity, duration and frequency of green tea consumed.” (Min Zhang, C. D’Arcy J. Holman, Jiang-ping Huang, and Xing Xie). A study done by Scott A. Laurie, Vincent A. Miller, Stefan C. Grant, Mark G. Kris, and Kenneth K. Ng also shows a promising correlation between green tea extract and the reduced risk of lung cancer.

Part of a study on the mechanisms and effects of green tea on cardiovascular health revealed that consumption of 6 g (about 1 tbsp) of green tea infused in a little over 10 oz of hot water caused a significant decrease in free radical damage among heavy smokers (Arpita Basu, PhD, and Edralin A. Lucas, PhD); this has to be a plus as far as lung cancer prevention is concerned.

Green tea catechins help with another major concern for a lot of people, and that is weight loss and abdominal fat. The findings of a study published in 2008 show that a dose of 625 mg per day of green tea extract in conjunction with a minimum of 3 hours per week of moderate exercise, was associated with greater weight loss, significant reductions in total and subcutaneous abdominal fat, and serum triglycerides ( Kevin C. Maki, Matthew S. Reeves, Mildred Farmer, Koichi Yasunaga, Noboru Matsuo, Yoshihisa Katsuragi, Masanori Komikado, Ichiro Tokimitsu, Donna Wilder, Franz Jones, Jeffrey B. Blumberg, and Yolanda Cartwright).

Several studies say that more research is needed to show that green tea can reduce the risk of Type II diabetes but in a study done by H. Iso, C. Date, K. Wakai, M. Fukui, and A. Tamakoshi results show that drinking 6 cups or more of green tea per day can reduce that risk by 33%.

Other benefits you can experience from drinking green tea are an overall feeling of well-being, extra energy without feeling like you’re hyper, improved bone density, help in treating/relieving symptoms from Crohn’s disease, improved cognitive performance, relief in cases of osteoporosis, arthritis, and other joint pain; it also assists with the elimination of alcohol and toxins from the body, improves your digestive health and gives relief from anxiety.

If you’d like to see how green tea will work for you, you can buy the tea bags in any grocery store or you can make your own infusion with dried green tea leaves. To make an infusion just add 1 teaspoon in a cup of boiled water and let steep for about 10 minutes (you can heat it up again after that if you don’t like your tea room temperature). A typical cup of green tea contains between 300-400mg polyphenols, of which 10-30mg of that is EGCG. You can drink up to 10 cups a day; long term use at this amount is okay with no adverse side effects (Dennis J. McKenna, Kerry Hughes, and Kenneth Jones). If you prefer iced tea, rather than hot tea, just make sure you don’t use ice cubes; chill it without the ice. The beneficial catechins tend to bind to the ice diminishing their effectiveness.

You can also buy green tea capsules. If this is your choice, make sure you look for a product that’s standardized to contain between 80-90% polyphenols and/or 35-55% EGCG and follow the dosage on the bottle. Anywhere from 500mg to 1500mg of the green tea capsules a day is a fairly good guideline, with the higher end of that dosage used to help prevent cancer.

If you’re using it for the thermogenic effects to help you lose weight and reduce your waistline, 2000 mg a day divided into 3 doses should give you about a six pound and one inch loss after two weeks. There were no side effects, including sleep loss, reported while following this regimen (McKenna et.al.) Green tea is safe to use even for long periods of time, and no toxic effects have been reported from normal use at the recommended doses. It’s also safe to use during pregnancy and breastfeeding. However, as a measure of safety you shouldn’t give green tea to infants, and you should avoid using it if you have end-stage renal disease. Some people have experienced diarrhea with doses over 600mg a day, but that doesn’t seem to be a common problem.

References:
American Botanical Council. Tea, Black/Green Clinical Overview. Excerpt from The ABC Clinical Guide to Herbs. Retrieved May 19, 2009 from http://abc.herbalgram.org/site/PageServer?pagename=The_Guide#Samples

Arpita Basu, Edralin A Lucas. (2007). Mechanisms and Effects of Green Tea on Cardiovascular Health. Nutrition Reviews,1 65(8), 361-75. Retrieved June 9, 2009, from Research Library Core database. (Document ID: 1342247891).

Dennis J. McKenna, Kerry Hughes, and Kenneth Jones (2000). Green Tea Monograph found on ProQuest

Iso H, Date C, Wakai K, Fukui M, Tamakoshi A; the JACC Study Group. The relationship between green tea and total caffeine intake and risk for self-reported type 2 diabetes among Japanese adults. Ann Intern Med. 2006; 144:554-562.Health-Cares . net (retrieved 6/9/2009).

Kevin C Maki, Matthew S Reeves, Mildred Farmer, Koichi Yasunaga, Noboru Matsuo, Yoshihisa Katsuragi, Masanori Komikado, Ichiro Tokimitsu, Donna Wilder, Franz Jones, Jeffrey B Brumberg, Yolanda Cartwright. (2009). Green Tea Catechin Consumption Enhances Exercise-Induced Abdominal Fat Loss in Overweight and Obese Adults1,2. The Journal of Nutrition, 139(2), 264-70. Retrieved June 9, 2009, from Research Library Core database. (Document ID: 1663895911)

Min Zhang, C. D’Arcy J. Holman, Jiang-ping Huang, Xing Xie. (2007). Green tea and the prevention of breast cancer: a case-control study in Southeast China. Carcinogenesis, 28(5), 1074-8. Retrieved June 9, 2009, from ProQuest Health and Medical Complete database. (Document ID: 1265152701).

Natural Standard Monograph, (2009). Green Tea . Retrieved May 19, 2009 from www.naturalstandard.com/monographs/herbssupplements/green_tea

Scott A. Laurie, Vincent A. Miller, Stefan C. Grant, Mark G. Kris, Kenneth K. Ng. (2005). Phase I study of green tea extract in patients with advanced lung cancer. Cancer Chemotherapy and Pharmacology, 55(1), 33-8. Retrieved June 9, 2009, from ProQuest Health and Medical Complete database. (Document ID: 749788531).

Shinichi Kuriyama. (2008). The Relation between Green Tea Consumption and Cardiovascular Disease as Evidenced by Epidemiological Studies1,2. The Journal of Nutrition, 138(8), 1548S-1553S. Retrieved June 9, 2009, from Research Library Core database. (Document ID: 1552221861).

University of Maryland Medical Center. Green tea. www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/green-tea-000255.htm Retrieved June 9, 2009

© Kate Lickey June 27, 2009

If you suffer from Crohn’s you really don’t care what it is or where it came from, you just want it taken care of. It’s severely painful and can be truly embarrassing. The abdominal pain is intense, the diarrhea can be non-stop causing sores that can sometimes bleed, and then there’s the almost constant nausea that can lead to weight loss because even the thought of eating has you in pain and running to the bathroom.

No one’s entirely sure what causes Crohn’s. Some say it’s an autoimmune disease, some say it’s at least partially a viral condition, and still others contribute it to a recently discovered defect in the gene that’s involved in recognizing and activating the immune system’s response to bacteria (Kerry Bone). Most professionals seem to be coming to an agreement that it’s really a combination of those things as well as environmental factors like diet, stress (which definitely aggravates the condition), smoking, etc.

Although anyone can get Crohn’s, those between the ages of 18 and 35 seem to be the most susceptible; at least it’s diagnosed most often for people in that age range. It affects men and women equally and though all ethnicities can develop Crohn’s there are statistics that show African Americans are least likely to be diagnosed while those of Jewish heritage are most likely to develop it (Natural Standard). With an estimated half million people in American having been diagnosed with this condition there is evidence that heredity may play a part. According to Natural Standard people with Crohn’s in their family histories are about 30 times more likely to develop it than those whose families show no history of it.

Okay, so how do you know if you have Crohn’s? It can be difficult because, depending on the severity, the symptoms are ones that can also be related to some very common problems. The usual ones that normally wouldn’t frighten you into thinking you have Crohn’s are diarrhea, decreased appetite and abdominal pain. That sounds pretty much like a stomach bug or the food poisoning; and because of where the inflammation usually occurs it may even feel like an overwhelming stomachache.

With Crohn’s the pain can be mild as I mentioned above, or so severe it completely interferes with any kind of social life, not to mention the frustration of having diarrhea day in and day out. It can make your working life a living hell. If it’s not caught early enough, the diarrhea can cause weight loss, depletion of vital electrolytes and minerals, and dehydration. Some other signs that can accompany Crohn’s are arthritis, fatigue so bad you don’t even want to get out of bed not to mention that you couldn’t fall asleep if you wanted to because of the pain or the fear of diarrhea during the night, eye problems, and skin disorders among other things. And if it’s not treated at all it can eventually kill you.

If the pain is so severe you feel like screaming, which may be from open sores on the intestinal wall, or the diarrhea lasts more than a week or so and/or has blood in it, then of course you’ll want to see a gastroenterologist no matter what you think it is. Usually a colonoscopy and/or an endoscopy will be done to determine if it’s Crohn’s or some other bowel disease.

The first most commonly prescribed drug is mesalamine (Pentasa, Asacol, Rowasa, etc.) which is an anti-inflammatory. It acts on the lining of the gut to block the production of certain natural chemicals (prostaglandin and others) that may cause pain and swelling (Pentasa drug description). Depending on the severity of the symptoms some other drugs that are prescribed for Crohn’s are corticosteroids like Prednisone which have been shown to effectively reduce inflammation of the GI tract, immune system suppressors, antibiotics, anti-diarrheals and fluid replacements.

All of these, except the fluid replacements of course, carry numerous and serious side effects. Mesalamine can cause nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting, heartburn, diarrhea, headache and loss of appetite. Corticosteroids can cause greater susceptibility to infection and worsen or cause diabetes, and may cause thinning of the bones, easy bruising, cataracts, and weight gain (Natural Standard). Immune system suppressors are even worse; in addition to the nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and lowered resistance to infection, they can suppress blood cell production in bone marrow, hair loss, and increase risk to certain cancers. Antibiotics can cause upset stomach, diarrhea, and inflammation of the colon. (Merck)  It sounds to me like these are most of the symptoms you’re trying to get rid of by using this medication; and those are just the common side effects, they’re not the more serious ones.

There are two herbs that come to mind in treating Crohn’s and they are Boswellia serrata (frankincense), and garlic. There have been more studies done on Boswellia than on garlic but looking at the herbs and their constituents and actions you can see how they would be effective in treating Crohn’s disease.

Boswellia is a tremendous anti-inflammatory, immunomodulator, and analgesic. According to Kerry Bone in an article called Using Herbs and Diet to Beat Crohn’s Disease, a boswellia extract was compared to mesalamine in a randomized, double-blind study; boswellia worked better to reduce the symptoms of Crohn’s with a lower dose than the mesalamine (3.6 g per day of boswellia compared to 4.5 g per day of mesalamine). Boswellia also less side effects than the conventional drugs; in fact I can only find that you shouldn’t use it during pregnancy or use it on children (Natural Standard monograph on Boswellia). Other information on side effects says there is no hematological, biochermical, or histological side effects at doses up to 1,000 mg a day (Alternative Medicine Review).

Garlic is touted to be one of the best natural antibiotics there is, as well as being anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal, and analgesic; it’s also a gastrointestinal antiseptic. Any herb such as this with activity against mycobacteria is recommended to help correct bowel flora which is usually dysfunctional in Crohn’s (Kerry Bone). Antibiotics have also been shown to help heal fistulas and abscesses in people with Crohn’s (Natural Standard) so garlic would be a good choice. The main problem with garlic is, of course, the odor. Studies show that garlic tablets with an enteric coating reduce this problem. It is an anticoagulant also so you have to be careful using this, especially if you’re taking aspirin or another anticoagulant. Because of this activity do not use it if you’re pregnant.

Obviously if you’re already on a treatment regime for Crohn’s don’t just stop taking the prescribed medicines in favor of natural treatments because that could cause more harm than good. Talk to your doctor about incorporating the herbs and possibly weaning off the pharmaceuticals. You might get lucky and have an open-minded doctor willing to give it a try in favor of the reduced side effects if for no other reason.

References:
Bone, Kerry (2004). Crohn’s Disease, Phytotherapy Review & Commentary Bone, Kerry (2008). Using Herbs and Diet to eat Crohn’s Disease. Dynamic Chiropractic. Huntington Vol. 25, Iss. 11; pg 26

Health-Cares . net (accessed 5/27/2009). What’re the treatment options for Crohn’s Disease? http://digestive-disorders.health-cares.net/crohns-disease-treament.php

National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse. (accessed 5/27/2009). What is the treatment for Crohn’s disease? http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/crohns/index.htm

Natural Standard Monograph, (2009). Crohn’s disease. www.naturalstandard.com/monographs/conditions/condition-crohns

copyright Kate Lickey May 2009

Now that we found the little one (which was not the one originally in the kitchen) we had to go find the mommy ghost – after a few times around the house it turns out she was under the dining room table. I had to carry her in my hand too. Okay, we got the little ghost reunited with the mommy ghost – still not the one who was originally in the kitchen – now we had to go find the daddy ghost!

We got back around to the kitchen and “Oh Mom Mom, there him is!” So she finally let go of my other hand, took the little ghost and the mommy ghost out of the hand I was holding them in, and handed them to the daddy ghost. “Now him happy!” and we had to do the “happy dance”.

• Did you know that cats can see 6 times better than human beings? Yes, according to studies, it is during night time when cats can really see more than we can.

• Cats can see up to 120 feet away and their peripheral vision is about 285 degrees. Humans have much weaker peripheral vision, though it can be trained to expand.

• According to Sarah Hartwell at www.messybeast.com/intelligence.htm#world in her article “How Intelligent Are Cats?”, we can distinguish around 100 distinct hues while cats see red, orange, yellow and green as one color. Blue and violet are seen as another color. Other hues are variations on these two colors (much as monochrome photos are different shades of grey). They can tell that a red object is not black, grey or white, but cannot distinguish it from a green object. Because we evolved for daytime living, we have poor vision in dim light. Cats are more active in dim light where color vision is less important than good night vision. Also, Cats’ visual acuity is between 4 and 10 times worse than humans. In medical terms, cats have 20/80 vision meaning that what a normally sighted human can see well at 80 feet, a cat can only see in as much detail at 20 feet.

• Cats can be found in every corner of the world, from steaming Africa to icy cool Greenland.

• About 80% of all cats – wild and domestic, big and small – have the same reaction to catnip; however, tigers and kittens under 6 months of age don’t react at all to it.

• Each cat’s nose pad is as unique as a human’s fingerprint, not one nose pad is like another.

• Cats do not like their food hot or cold, they prefer it at room temperature.

• Just like dogs, cats can swim it just so happens that they’re just not into it that much.

• The average cat sleeps about 12-14 hours a day, though it’s not unheard of for cats that live in hot temperatures to sleep up to eighteen hours. These areas include areas like the desert or the tropics.

• Cats have more bones than a human, 230 compared to our 206. They also have 30 teeth (12 incisors, 10 premolars, 4 canines and 4 molars)

• Unlike dogs and humans, cats can’t move their jaw from side to side.

• Cats were first domesticated about 4,000 years ago by the Egyptians.

• There are 36 species of wild cats and 53 domestic species, all of which are carnivores.

• Domestic cats have a top speed of about 30 mph, while the fastest wild cat, the Cheetah of course, has a top speed of about 60 mph (though some say it’s closer to 70 mph). The fastest human ran 12.1 meters per second, which translates to about 27 mph.

• Switzerland, Sweden, Austria, Norway, and Germany have passed laws banning the declawing of cats. I say ‘Thank You!’ and more countries should follow suit.

Different breeds of cats have different characteristics and temperaments you must consider when you’re looking for one of your own. Some cats just don’t fit with some people; however, when you find one that suits you the benefits to your mood, your health, and your life are amazing.

copyright Dec 13, 2008 Kate Lickey (ThunderWolf)

MONDAY: Ruled by the Moon
USE THIS DAY FOR: magick involving agriculture, ancestors, children, childbearing & pregnancy, domestic matters, dreams, emotions, the feminine side of men, female partners, healing, the home, instincts, intuition, longevity, love, medicine, mothers, the past, psychic powers, reincarnation, sisters, small animals, spirituality, the subconscious, travelling, visions, wives, women’s’ mysteries

ANGEL: Gabriel

ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Cancer

COLORS: Silver, white, gray

DEITIES: Arianrhod, Artemis, Athena, Bast, Cerridwen, the Crone, Diana, the Great Mother, Hera, Isis, June, Merlin, Minerva, Nephthys, Thoth

ELEMENT: Water

ENERGY: Feminine / Receptive

GEMSTONES: White or clear flourite, white geodes, moonstone (of course), Mother-of-Pearl, opal, pearl, clear or white quartz

METAL: Silver

PLANTS/HERBS, etc.: motherwort, night flowers, orris root, vervain, white iris, white poppy, white rose, willow root

TREE: Birch tree
————————————————————————————–

TUESDAY: Ruled by Mars
USE THIS DAY FOR: magick involving aggression, anger, banishing, break negative spells, competition, courage, endurance, energy, fast action, independance, leadership, lust, needle crafts, victory over enemies, violence, war

ANGEL: Samael

ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Aries, Scorpio

COLORS: Orange, red

DEITIES: Ares, Horus, Lillith, Mars, Ohgma, Tyr

ELEMENT: Fire

ENERGY: Masculine / Projective

GEMSTONES: Bloodstone, carnelian, garnet, ruby, star ruby

METAL: Iron

PLANTS/HERBS, etc.: Cactus, cockscomb, daisy, lignum aloes, patchouli, pepper, plantain, red rose, thyme

TREE: Pine tree
————————————————————————————–

WEDNESDAY: Ruled by Mercury & Chiron
USE THIS DAY FOR: magick involving additions, artists, business & job related issues, communications of all kinds, conjurations, divination, eloquence, herbalism, higher education, the intellect, learning, loss and debt, mathematics, mental issues, messages, perception, perspectives, poets, predictions, reading, self-expression, singing, spiritual and psychic awareness, studying, travel, wisdom, writers, writing, young people

ANGEL: Michael

ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Virgo and Gemini

COLORS: Orange, light blue, gray, yellow, violet

DEITIES: Anubis, Athena, the Hag, Hecate, Hermes, Lugh, Maat, Mercury, the Morrigan, Odin

ELEMENT: Air

ENERGY: Masculine / Projective

GEMSTONES: Amethyst, aventurine, bloodstone, hematite, lodestone, moss agate, star sapphire, sodalite

METAL: Mercury (quicksilver)

PLANTS/HERBS, etc.: Clove, fern, frankincense, lavender, lilies, mastic, periwinkle, sweet pea

TREE: Aspen or cherry tree
————————————————————————————–

THURSDAY: Ruled by Jupiter
USE THIS DAY FOR: magick involving ambition, business, clothing, desires, employment, expansion, family loyalty, gambling, growth, harvests, honors, legal matters, luck, money, oaths, political power, prosperity, religion, riches, success, treasures, treaties, wealth, and in general attracting more of what you already have.

ANGEL: Sachiel

ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Sagittarius and Pisces

COLORS: Purple, royal blue, indigo

DEITIES: Amon, Juno, Jupiter, Neptune, Poseidon, Thor, Zeus

ELEMENT: Fire

ENERGY: Masculine / Projective

GEMSTONES: Amethyst, blue tiger’s eye, lapis lazuli, sapphire, sugilite

METAL: Tin

PLANTS/HERBS, etc.: Cinnamon, cinquefoil, coltsfoot, henbane, honeysuckle, lilac, nutmeg, storax

TREE: Beech or Oak tree
————————————————————————————–

FRIDAY: Ruled by Venus
USE THIS DAY FOR: magick involving affairs, affection, art, beauty, ease, family life, fertility, fidelity, friendships, gardening, gentleness, harmony, healing, husband, kindness, love, lovers, money, music, partnerships, peace, pets, pleasure, poetry, protection, romance, sex, shopping, womens’ problems

ANGEL: Uriel

ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Libra and Taurus

COLORS: Green, pink, aqua

DEITIES: Aphrodite, Brighid, the Corn Maiden, Cupid, Eros, Freya, Frigg, Hathor, Ishtar, Venus, Vesta

ELEMENT: Earth

ENERGY: Feminine / Receptive

GEMSTONES: Aquamarine, coral, diamond, emerald, jade, labradorite, moonstone, peridot, rose quartz; green, pink or watermelon tourmaline

METAL: Copper

PLANTS/HERBS, etc.: Apple blossom, clematic, feverfew, heather, ivy, myrtle, pink rose, sage, sandalwood, strawberry, verbena, violet, water lily

TREE: Apple or Birch tree
—————————————————————————————

SATURDAY: Ruled by Saturn
USE THIS DAY FOR: magick involving binding, blocks, clear one’s path, completions, constrictions and those who are restricting you, deaths, duties, the elderly, endings, finding families, gifts, lies, overcoming limitations, losses, moving home, obstacles, past lives, property, protection from psychic attack, rebirth, responsibilities, self-confidence, windfalls

ANGEL: Cassiel

ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Capricorn and Aquarius

COLORS: Black, gray, indigo

DEITIES: Bran the Blessed, Ceres, the Dagda, Demeter, Gaia, Hades, Hecate, Kronos, Mannu, Osiris, Pan, Pluto, Rhea, Saturn, Set

ELEMENT: Earth

ENERGY: Feminine / Receptive

GEMSTONES: Amethyst, apache tear, black onyx, hematite, jet, lava, obsidian, pumice, smokey quartz

METAL: Lead

PLANTS/HERBS, etc.: Black poppy seeds, coltsfoot, hemlock, hyacinth, moss, myrrh, mullein, nightshade, pansy, pepperwort, thyme, wolf’s bane

TREE: Cypress or Fir tree
—————————————————————————————

SUNDAY: Ruled by the Sun
USE THIS DAY FOR: magick involving abundance, ambition, authority figures, confidence, court work, creativity, ego, employment, exorcism, fathers, fire, happiness, healing, husbands, influence people in high places, joy, leadership, male fertility, men, money, personal power, power, prosperity, protection, purification, spiritual work

ANGEL: Raphael

ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Leo

COLORS: Gold, yellow, orange, white

DEITIES: An, Apollo, Baal, Bel, Cernunnos, Frey, Lugh, Ra, Sekhmet

ELEMENT: Fire

ENERGY: Masculine / Projective

GEMSTONES: Amber, red agate, carnelian, citrine, clear quartz, sunstone, tiger’s eye, topaz

METAL: Gold

PLANTS/HERBS, etc.: Buttercup, clove, dragon’s blood, frankincense, heliotrope, marigold, myrrh, orange blossom, pepper, sunflower

TREE: Beech, Cedar or Oak tree
—————————————————————————————-

Copyright © June 2000 Kate Lickey (ThunderWolf). All rights reserved.

According to Wiccan magick, the Moon and each of its phases are most essential, so it is extremely important that all of your spells and rituals are performed during the proper lunar phase. Performing a magickal spell during the wrong phase could give you opposite result or no result at all.

However, sometimes you just don’t have much of a choice, you need something done now, and some Witches just simply prefer to work when they feel the time is right. Spells can be adjusted to fit the time. For example, if you absolutely have a need to do a money spell during the waning moon, you can focus on banishing poverty.

Since it is the symbolism which is important, I must stress that your own intuition should be trusted over anything written for the timing of any ritual or spell.
I am not Wiccan; the only time I incorporate the Moon into my working is when I feel I need a little extra ‘ooomph’, a little more strength and push to my energies.

Learning the characteristics and workings of each phase will help you to take the right action in regard to your personal and business relationships. If you should decide to involve the influences of the Moon, the power and awareness behind each phase can help you stay emotionally, physically and spiritually balanced.

The Waxing of the Moon means it is getting larger in the sky, moving from the New Moon toward the Full Moon. This is a time for spells that attract, that bring positive change; Tis period is the proper time to perform spells that increase love, good luck, growth of any kind, sexual desire and wealth. Now is the time to make things happen, to draw desired objects and actions to you. It is a time for new beginnings, new ideas and concepts, and to invoke. This time of the Moon represents the Goddess in her Maiden aspect. The period of the Waxing moon lasts about 14 days from New Moon to Full Moon.

The Full Moon is when the moon has reached its zenith, it is a perfect silvery sphere in the sky. This is a time for spells that transform, increase psychic ability, for fertility spells and invocations to the Moon Goddesses. It is a time of strength, love and power. Full moon energy is used for banishing unwanted influences in your life, protection magick and divination. Planning, releasing and working backwards in time are done on the Full Moon as well. All positive magick done now is powerful. Full Moons increase the powers of extrasensory perception, spells that increase psychic abilities, and prophetic dreams. This is an excellent time for meditation, mirror magick, and psychic workings… Sometimes the results of a Full Moon magick take approximately one moon cycle to take hold and come to completion. This phase of the moon represents the Goddess in her Mother aspect, the second of the Triple Goddess. The period of the Full Moon lasts from about 3 days before to 3 days after the actual full moon.

The Waning of the Moon is when it is decreasing in size, moving from the Full Moon toward the New Moon. This is a time for spells that banish, release, and / or reverse. Banish now what you don’t want in order to make room for what will come in the waxing phase. It’s a time to break bad habits or addictions, to end bad relationships reverse love spells and aphrodisiacs, undo negative influences and dexreae fevers and pain. It’s a time of deep intuition and a time for divination. This time of the Moon represents the Goddess in her final stage, the Crone Aspect. The period of the Waning moon also lasts about 14 days.

However, as the moon travels across the night sky, she passes through the astrological signs, just like the sun, only faster. As she passes through these signs, they each influence her in a different way, and in turn may affect any spells or rituals you may be doing. Check it out here:
The Moon & the Zodiac.

New Moon – Beginnings
Moon rises at dawn, sets at sunset; for full use of these energies work between these times.

Moon is from Exact New Moon to 3.5 days after.

Purpose: Beginnings

Workings for: Beauty, health, self-improvement, farms and gardens, hunting, love and romance, networking, creative ventures.

Theme: Abundance

Offering: Milk and/or honey

Rune: Feoh for abundance; Cen for openings; Gyfu for love.

This is a time to begin new things that need time to grow. New Moon energy is used for personal growth, healing, the blessing of a new venture or project, etc. If done correctly, success should be obtained by the first Full Moon following. Spells done now can be completed over the full course of the waxing moon. Subjective — Inner Awareness begins, new seed ideas begin to unfold in the inner consciousness. Expand into the world of ideas and unlimited possibilities, allow the outrageous wanderings of the mind, watch the birth of new ideas into thought.
________________________________________
Crescent Moon – Growth
Moon rises at mid-morning, sets after sunset; for full use of these energies work between these times.

This is the research phase: ask the why’s; shape, mold and dance with the new seed ideas you have discovered. Ask yourself: how can I bring my vision to fruition?
________________________________________
First Quarter Moon – Action
Moon rises at noon, sets at midnight; for full use of these energies work between these times.

Moon is from 7 days to 10.5 days after the New Moon.

Purpose: The shape of the thing.

Workings for: Courage, elemental magicks, friends, luck, and motivation.

Theme: Luck

Offering: Feathers

Rune: Algiz for luck, Jera for improvement, Ur for strength.

Take action during this phase of the moon. Pick up the tools and build the new structures you conceived in the last phase. Move forward with your plans, facing the challenge of the moment. Stand up or sit down, but don’t wobble.
________________________________________
Gibbous Moon
Moon rises in mid-afternoon, sets around 3:00 a.m.; for full use of these energies work between these times.

Rune: Asa for eloquence, Wyn for success, Dag for enlightenment.
________________________________________
Full Moon – Illumination
Moon rises at sunset, sets at dawn; for full use of these energies work between these times.

Moon is from 14 days to 17.5 days after the New Moon.

Purpose: Completion of a project.

Workings for: Artistic endeavors, beauty, health, fitness, change, decisions, children, completion, dreams, families, knowledge, legal undertakings, love, romance, money, motivation, protection, psychic power, self-improvement.

Theme: Power

Offering: Flowers

Rune: Sol

This is a time to bring hidden things, knowledge, emotions to light. Spells of attraction – love, prosperity, etc. – done now should be completed before the moon starts to wane. The outer structure is complete and ready to be filled with content. This is the final stage of your project, the culmination of your efforts. Sense where you fit into the overall scheme of things. These 3.5 days are of the maximum fruitfulness, the most powerful.
________________________________________
Disseminating Moon
Moon rises at mid-evening, sets at mid-morning; for full use of these energies work between these times.

Rune: Thorn for destruction or defense, Algiz for protection
________________________________________
Last Quarter Moon – Results
Moon rises at midnight, sets at noon; for full use of these energies work between these times.

Moon is from 7 to 10.5 days after the Full Moon.

Purpose: Absolute destruction.

Workings for: Addictions, divorce, endings, health and healing (banishing disease), stress, protection, ancestors.

Theme: Banishing

Offering: Incense

Rune: Hagal; Ken for banishing; Nyd for turning; Isa for binding

Now you can enjoy the harvest of your labor. This is the most productive time for competitions and final results.
________________________________________
Balsamic (Dark) Moon – Release
Moon rises at 3:00 a.m., sets at mid-afternoon; for full use of these energies work between these times.

The 3 days before the New Moon is known as the Dark of the Moon. This is when you can’t see the Moon at all in the heavens. Traditionally this is a time when no magick is performed. Deep meditation and vision questing can be performed now, but not for a specific purpose. (However, Hecate rules this time, and if her magick is needed, now is when you should use it.) This is the phase of the moon for silence and hidden things. Prepare for workings during the New Moon to come. Drop into the quiet: emptiness is the fertile ground for new seeds. This is a time for regeneration, for reflection which brings you into emotional, physical and spiritual balance.
________________________________________
The Blue Moon

There is usually only one Blue Moon in a year’s time. Sometimes there isn’t any, and sometimes (rarely) there are two. It is the second full moon that occurs in one month. It is the Snake moon. The Blue Moon has power, like the snake, becaue eit doubles the intensity of that part of the year in which it falls. It heralds a time of great change. It is also a Goal Moon. It is here where you set specific long-term goals for yourself, and review accomplishments and failures since the last Blue Moon. This is a very special time. This is an excellent time for giving your magick an extra boost. Water reeds are the plant totem although sweetgrass can also be used to represent the Blue Moon. The metal/mineral is Iron Pyrite (Fool’s Gold).
________________________________________
The Harvest Moon