Story Spells: Teaching Spellcraft to Young Children

I've had so many people ask me about teaching spells to children that I finally wrote a small ebook about it. This ebook can be found at most major retailers, including Amazon, Kobo, and Barnes and Noble. It's not a long book , but it doesn't have to be.

About the book:

Children can cast spells too! Kids have wonderfully open minds and perfectly vivid imaginations. This makes them natural spellcasters. With a little guidance from a parent or other loving adult, they can create and cast their own spells. These spells can help children learn to deal with the widening world, make new friends, work better with others, or even banish nightmares.

Young ones are very literal minded. For this reason, when the idea of spells is first introduced, using stories that reflect their personal experiences and goals is the way to go. Though story spells work best for children ages 1 through 5, even older children (and their parents!) can have fun with this unique form of spell casting.

Ashling Wicca, Book Three

For those interested in a continuing study of Ashling Wicca, the third book in the series is available for purchase through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and other retailers, as both a paperback and an ebook. Just like with the first two books in the series, there is an accompanying workbook that can be purchase in either paperback or ebook format.

From the back of the book:

Venture further down the path into the magickal world of Ashling Wicca. The seven units of this book, which are designed to be completed over the course of an entire year, build on the skills and knowledge you should have gained in the first two books in the Ashling Wiccan Series. Each lesson will guide the student to a fuller understanding of the intricacies of the Ashling Wiccan Tradition. These lessons include both the practical and theoretical, and your magickal education will be rounded out by the inclusions of rituals and spells to assist you in your practice.

This book contains all the lessons traditionally studied by those seeking to attain Water Degree within Ashling Wicca. Because initiation into the tradition can only be obtained under the direction of a High Priest/ess, the material within these pages is presented by a High Priestess of Ashling Wicca. With careful study and attention, the student should be able to complete all included material in about a year. At this time, initiation into Water Degree may be possible.

From the back of the workbook:

This workbook, which is designed to complement Ashling Wicca, Book Three, will guide you further down the path towards a thorough understanding of the Ashling tradition. Full of tests, exercises, journal entries, and reflections, it can help you make sense of the material presented in the master book. It also provides various rituals vital to the practice of Ashling Wicca. Here you will find an initiation ritual, a handfasting ritual, and two additional Sabbat rituals.

This book should be used in conjunction with Ashling Wicca, Book Three. The units in each book are identical, allowing you to easily line up the written information from the master book with the tests and other materials in the workbook. Use both to continue your study of the art of Ashling Wicca.

Herbal Preparations: Soaps

When we think of herbs and their uses, soaps aren't necessarily the first thing that come to mind. But they can be used in herbal medicine and magick, especially if you take the time to study the herbs you'd like to use.

When we talk about making soaps at home, we're not really making soap. Instead we're purchasing a soap base, usually from a craft store, melting it, adding scents and colors, and pouring it into a mold. Truly making soap is a complicated and sometimes dangerous process. As such, it is outside the scope of this article. The melt and pour method is safer and is easy enough for just about anyone to pull off.

Besides your soap base and a double boiler (because you do not want to put melted soap directly over heat; it may catch fire), you'll need molds and soap additives. Molds are typically sold wherever you buy the soap. You can get your additives there too, but beware. While the soap colors are perfectly fine, you probably don't want to buy the scents. Instead, use true essential oils. They have medicinal and magickal properties not present in fragrance oils.

Once you have your supplies, you'll need a recipe. For the most part, you can take any essential oil recipe and convert it you a soap recipe simply by omitting the base oil. Add the oils, using just a few drops at a time, slowly increasing the amount until the scent is pleasing to your nostrils. Take into consideration your skin's sensitivity. If you have sensitive skin, you might want to be conservative with the amount of oil you add until you know how you might react.

You can also add dried herbs to your soaps, which have the added benefit of exfoliating the skin a bit. Make sure these are well distributed throughout the soap before pouring your soaps into molds. When using your soaps, bathe in warm, but not hot, water to maximize their effectiveness.

The ingredients in your soaps will determine their magickal and medicinal effects, so choose your recipes carefully.

Herbal Preparations: Salves

The simplest of salves can be made by gently warming sesame or olive oil along with your herbs of choice. Use a very low heat in the stove and simmer for at least one hour if using fresh herbs. Dried herbs or seeds should simmer for two hours. Hard materials such as barks and roots should simmer for three hours or more.

And what about using a combination of hard, fresh, and dried material? This is quite easy, actually. Simmer the oil, add the hard materials, and let simmer for an hour. Add the dried materials and let simmer for another hour. Finally add the fresh materials and let the salve simmer for a final hour. The trick is timing, so pay attention and perhaps use a timer.

The product at this stage is not a salve yet. Strain the material through a good quality cheesecloth, making sure to get all the plant material out. You want no plant material in your salve. When this is done, you'll need to add melted beeswax. A mix of no more than 2 ounces of beeswax per pint of oil mixture is typically ideal. Stir thoroughly and consider adding a teaspoon of benzoin tincture as a preservative. If you're going to refrigerate the salve and use it often, a preservative isn't necessary.

Pour the mixture into a container of your choice, one that seals well, and store in the fridge if you haven't added a preservative. If you have, you can store the salve in a cool, dry place. If you've made a salve for your lips (such as a chap stick), consider pouring it into an empty chap stick container. You'll still need to refrigerate if you haven't added a preservative, but your chap stick will survive a few hours at room temperature. You can refrigerate overnight and carry the stick with you during the day.

Your salve can be applied directly to the area you need to treat. The exact ingredients in the salve will determine what it can be used for.