I just ordered The Master Book of Herbalism by Beryl. I had owned it a very long time ago and lost it in the divorce. I remember it being excellent. James, you might be interested as it has the following:

the medicinal use of herbs, including illustrations of plants easily found in the wild
• history and religious lore - specific background information on individual herbs
• herb gathering and storage - the magickal way
• the herbalist as a magickal practitioner
• incenses, oils, amulets, elixirs, balms and fluid condensers
• detailed information on how to create them
• herbs and their relationship with gemstones, etc.
• herbal links with astrology and the tarot
• rituals - the use of herbs in seasonal festivals, initiations, handfastings, purifications, etc.

So, apparently, according to this new book I ordered, Wormwood is very good for banishing anger and negative energy. I think I will burn some the next time I do my freezer spell. Or maybe add the wormwood to the honey. No, burning it is probably better.

So, there's a whole section on how one must gather the herbs one needs to use for magick. Moon phase, what kind tool, using incense while you are picking them, which hand to use, etc.

I think that's a bunch of hogwash. The herbs have energy which is why you are using them in the spell. A spell is all about raising enery and directing toward your goal. Crystals, fire, water, etc are all used as aids to raising the needed energy. The energy is in the plant and I don't think it matters how you get it or where you get it.

Now, freshness may matter. Simply because we lose energy as we grow old and die. So, maybe using herbs you've grown and dried yourself would be better than herbs that have been sitting on a store shelf for a very long time. But, only because of the freshness factor, not because they weren't picked during the correct moon phase.

That's my opinion.

Herbs for Yule:

Blessed Thistle - This herb is used to invoke the Sun God who will grow to become the Father of the harvest.

Chamomile - This herb is also used to symbolize the Sun God and may be used to cast the Circle, in the incense cup, and may be used prior to the cremony as a bathing herb.

Evergreen

Frankincense

Holly

Mistletoe

Pine

Sage

I want to make a Yule incense and have a recipe from one of Cunninghams books. But I thought I'd check and see if anyone has a recipe they like and are willing to share.

Rosehaven

My sister says I get too attached to people. Maybe that's true.

Anyway, here's the Yule incense I'm going to make.

2 parts frankincense
2 parts Pine needles
1 part Cedar berries
1 part Juniper berries

I have the pine needles off of my tree, but I'll have to go down to Panpipes for the rest tomorrow. I don't usually care for frankincense so I may use less. It will be an interesting experiment.

I've been burning a lot of Mulberry incense this season. No particular reason. I have a large variety of incense and I just happened to open a box of Mulberry this month.

But I do like it. It seems to "fit" the season.

Oh, Mulberry sounds very winter holiday-ish.

(And, thanks for popping in. I don't mind talking to myself, but the mods were getting concerned about me )

Wow, looking back over the posts I guess you have been talking to yourself in this thread for quite a while.

I guess you're just secretly hoping that Rosehaven will return.

I haven't been doing much with herbs lately. I started a "winter indoor garden" but it's not doing to well. I just don't have the best conditions here right now. My lemon balm is still alive and looking healthy, but it isn't growing. It just seems to be sitting there almost dormant. I guess it just isn't going to grow in the winter. It's not wilting or looking bad in any way. It looks, feels, and smells just as fresh as when I brought it in. But it's not doing anything. It just sits there almost like an artificial plant.

Now the plants in my fish aquariums are growing very well. But they aren't herbs.

It's okay. I don't mind talking to myself. I do it all the time at home.

I didn't end up making my Yule incense. Just ran out of time to go and get the herbs.

But, I did make A LOT of bath salts for people for holiday gifts. That was fun.

(((James)))

Once the student, now the teacher....you are a treasured friend to me.

I bought a full grown rosemary plant about 2 weeks ago. They were selling them as mini Christmas trees. It smells absolutely wonderful. I like being able to just cut some off and use it in spells or cooking.

Ruth isn't talking to herself...everyone is just listening in rapt attention! We're trying to not interupt her.

Mixing red sandalwood powder and orris root powder (Iris) together with just the tiniest pinch of frankinsence (cause I don't care for the smell) makes a wonderful smelling protection incense.

I think I'll keep buying my oils premade as purchasing a lot of essential oils to mix them myself is very expensive. But, the herb mixtures and incense are affordable enough to keep doing myself.

Here's a word of advice from an experience I had a few years back. Never burn peppers. Seems like they would be good to use in a banishing ritual. And, they are. If you burn them you will banish yourself and anyone else in the vicinity with the fumes. Very painful and can make you vomit. It's what they use in pepper spray.

Not that I ever did anything like that..........