Come on over to our Facebook page or click HERE to watch our new video on how we are crafting a fantastic rune set that will be available in our shop THIS week. These videos are sometimes made a week or two ahead of posting which allows lots of time to work on the projects we are discussing. I do this so that you don't have to wait weeks for a product to list that you like and yet can still be part of the process. So, this video was done around the last week of Sept. I put a lot of work into this rune set over the last few weeks and I am very proud of how it turned out. After staining the runes, the burned wood didn't turn out as bright as I had hoped. I think that the maple wood, being a soft wood, took the stain much darker then other woods would have. I tried re-burning the wood but still wasn't happy with the outcome. I decided to then paint the runes a white so that they would contrast against the dark background. So these runes are hand burned into the wood and then they are also hand painted. I love how they turned out. The rune bag turned out nice as well. I am very pleased with the finished set. Find this Futhark Rune Set HERE in our Cynnamon Charmed Shop
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What are Runes? I like to simplify everything I can into the easiest explanation possible. Maybe this is because this is the only way my own brain will pick up and comprehend but, for me, there’s no reason to go and get incredibly technical with things that can be summed up short and sweet. So….. basically, Runes are another type of divination tool at a practitioner’s disposal. There are lots of other tools out there, tarot, tea leaves, pendulum, palm reading, candle wax, multiple various scrying techniques, etc. Runes are more self-explanatory than some other tools in that they are not so much open for interpretation. They have a pretty set and clear definition for each glyph. There are several different alphabets of Runes. The most commonly known are the Futhark. They date back to the early 1700’s when they were used by Greeks and early Europeans for magic and even as an early writing system. The Futhark is made up of 24 different symbols. Casting the runes can be done different ways depending on preference. Each rune has a specific meaning depending on whether that rune is cast right side up or introverted. As with all magickal tools, the power in the tools come from many different sources. I am a big believer in being careful about purchasing your tools from unknown sources. This is because all energy is absorbed into that tool during its creation process. For me, the perfect tools are created with the materials needed to get the intended energy from the beginning. Then, every ounce of energy put into that development molds and shapes that tool into the powerhouse it can become. When we are unsure of the origin of our tools, it is best to thoroughly cleanse the tool and then recharge it. This starts it over fresh and allows it to begin absorbing the energies you desire. When it’s feasible, it’s most desirable to actually create your own tools. However, purchasing them from a trusted source is always an alternative option. This month we will be listing our very first set of runes for sale in the Cynnamon Charmed shop. Tomorrow I will be posting a video that was recorded a couple weeks ago during the first steps in creating these runes. I am excited to say that I have finished them up along with their personal bag to keep them safe and I am very excited to add them to the shop. They will make someone a wonderful tool. There is only this one set available at this time. We strive for quality not quantity here at Cynnamon Charmed and this winter we may work on bringing other sets as time and the right resources allows. For now, look for this rune set in our shop on Friday 10/20. What is the Veil? What should we know about Samhain?
During Samhain, magick practitioners will refer to this being the time of the year when the veil between the worlds is the thinnest. But what is this veil that we speak of? The visible world and the spirit world, aka the mysteries, exist in parallel to one another. Most times we are never aware of the others presence and crossing over the “veil” or the “boundary” between the two is normally difficult to do even for experienced people. However, there is one time a year when that boundary between the two worlds is the easiest to cross and that is during Samhain. This makes communications with spirits much easier. This is why ancestor dinner is celebrated this time of year and other ancestor honoring rituals are performed. While this is a great time to receive guidance and protection from beloved family and friends for the coming year, we also have to be very careful. Just because you are intending to only speak to your ancestors, doesn’t mean that they are the only ones able to cross that veil. When the boundary is the thin, it makes it possible for negative and positive energy alike to cross and this is why we have to be very careful to protect ourselves from any unwelcome energy. As the sun goes down on October 31, the veil gets thinner and thinner. In the old days, fires were lit to mimic the Sun in order to trick unwelcome spirits from crossing over. Remember fire is a purifier and, so, it can also be used to purify and rid us of the negative energy from the previous year so that we may go into the new year anew. Later on these fires would turn into candles and then even later on the traditional Samhain would take on a Christianized twist and really loose its meaning all together. Christians turned it into more of a day to prank and play. There is a lot of traditional information that I can go into here but I will leave that to you to do research yourselves. You could study the three days of the Celtic Samhain, for example if you were interested in Celtic traditions, or how the dead would walk with Hecate if you’re interested in the Greek traditions. You may also want to research its association with the Christian’s All Saints Day celebrated on Nov. 1. You may find fascination reading about how and why Samhain is known as the Witches New Year. Why is Samhain the thinnest time of the veil? I don’t know. Maybe because this is the marking of the dark days? The death of a year (seasonally speaking) has come and maybe it resonates deeper on a spiritual level during that time? I am not trying to be particularly vague here, it’s just that the Mysteries are very difficult for the mundane physic to grasp in even tiny proportions. How far the average person is willing to look is a personal choice but know that Samhain, is the best time to do it. I am not here to push anyone into believing a certain way; I am encouraging you to find your beliefs. Even if you choose not to communicate with the dead, Samhain is the day to celebrate all that has come before us. Remember it. Honor it. Be thankful for the path laid before us. Blessed Samhain )0( We are on to Part 2 of our series on Nourishing Our Inner Crone and I want to talk books. Books are a great way to get lost in the land of make believe and really ease our minds. I can find ideas, encouragement, and motivation in fiction books just as well as non-fiction. Sometimes, especially if we are solitary practitioners, it is a book that challenges us and helps ease us out of a rut that we may or may not of even known we were in. There are lots of books out there to really challenge the mind, our soul and make us answer deep questions about where we are, who we are and who we want to be. Here is a few of my favorites and I hope you’ll add some of yours in the comments as well! Notice, my list isn’t one full of 101 books. That is a whole other topic. These are books that allow me to get lost in them and, of course, they all have a pagan sort of vibe to them also ;)
On my list for this year:
I am always excited when all the pumpkin flavored products appear on the shelves and in the convenient stores. Among my absolute favorites is the Pumpkin Spiced Cappuccino or Latte. As much as I love it, my butt does not. (LOL…Just keeping it real) I did find a liquid creamer at the store that was pretty good added to my coffee. It was sugar free and only 20 calories per tbsp. However, I was looking for something a little more natural and without all the chemicals. One day watching our local news, a lady came on and introduced a new recipe with no chemicals, no dairy and ONLY 18 calories per 2 Tbsp. Just to give you some perspective here, a Starbucks Grande Pumpkin Spice Latte is whopping 420 calories. For me, this recipe works. I love it. I get my pumpkin fix without all the calories. I add it to my coffee and best of all I can make it anytime I like, instead of only being able to get it when it’s seasonally available. I can make up a batch of this and it stays good for up to a week in the refrigerator. I am even curious about making ahead and freezing. Then you could DE thaw ahead of time OR use as is for a homemade Frappuccino. 2 cups almond milk ½ cup pitted dates ¼ cup canned pumpkin puree ½ tsp. vanilla extract ½ tsp. cinnamon ¼ tsp. nutmeg ¼ tsp. ginger 1/8 tsp. cloves Blend all the ingredients together and it’s ready to use. Credit for this recipe goes out to Cindy Newland and can be found in her book Small Bites Big Results. Blessed Be )0( What does Cynnamon Charmed offer its followers? What is this group about and why we are all here? Just, so we are all on the same page. These questions and more answered in my video on our Facebook page.
PLEASE click HERE to view the video Today when we think of the Samhain sabbat, or Halloween, we often have images of pumpkins. I was curious of the historical significance of the pumpkin to Samhain and curious to how it may have been altered, if there was one. The most obvious indicator of the pumpkin being used is in the season. Regardless of the millennium, pumpkins are a seasonal item during the fall. This is when they are harvested and so it makes much sense that they would be offered in the fall festival feasts. However, how, when and why would they be decorated and now called a Jack-O-Lantern? Does that idea come from a Christian tradition or was it too adopted from a tradition that predates Christianity? I actually had a difficult time finding the information that I was seeking out. I found many websites described the Jack-O-Lantern and referencing it to St. Jack the prankster but very few elaborated on that. The best information I seemed to find came right off Wikipedia in searching for Samhain. “The ‘traditional illumination for guisers or pranksters abroad on the night in some places was provided by turnips or mangel wurzels, hollowed out to act as lanterns and often carved with grotesque faces’. They were also set on windowsills. By those who made them, the lanterns were variously said to represent the spirits or supernatural beings, or were used to ward off evil spirits. These were common in parts of Ireland and the Scotland into the 20th century. They were also found in Somerset (see Punkie Night). In the 20th century they spread to other parts of England and became generally known as jack-o'-lanterns.” (Samhain). It appears that all kinds of gourds were used for these lanterns in early days, not just the pumpkin. It makes sense that they would use what was accessible and in season, however, when we take a deeper look, we are able to see that even the simple things still have that pagan root. References: Samhain.Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia. 2017 October 7. Retrieved at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samhain. With Winter quickly approaching and us being cooped up inside I thought it might be a good idea to talk about some things that we can do this season to feed our souls. For me the Fall comes with a nice break to the hustle and bustle of the Spring and Summer planting and harvesting seasons. However, that is very short lived because the truth is that I LOVE it, I just enjoy the break for all of a couple weeks and then I am ready to get back to it. Here in Missouri the reality is that all those gardening or wildcrafting (well the majority of it) is put on hold until around at least April- May. This makes that stretch between November and April very long and it can get depressing. The season of the Crone is all about our inner self. Nourishing our soul from within. I talked about this a couple weeks ago in another article, the importance of doing that inner work to strengthen ourselves from the inside out. SO, this month I am going to start a series of blogs that I hope you all will participate in and offer ideas and feedback so that we can help each other. This week we are going to talk about movies/television shows. I want you all to add your pagan, witchy, or Samhain themed favorites to our list. The idea is that we can refer back to the discussions through the season when we need time to ourselves and are looking for a recommendation. Other articles in this new series will have us posting later on about different activities to do, and books to read so start thinking about what you may want to add to those, as well. To some, watching a movie or series doesn’t seem nourishing but it really is. It allows us to stop whatever busy, crazy life event or drama we are wrapped up in for a couple hours and just get lost in something else. This gives those parts of our mind a break. In addition, watching movies that are full of pagan related themes are often times inspirational, motivating and up lifting just like watching a Lifetime movie is at Christmas time for a Christian. The Winter is a time of year that we need help feeling connected to the Earth, when upon first glance it all appears dead. Sometimes, we need help remembering that there will be rebirth and to reestablish that hope and anticipation. A good movie can do just that and yank us right out of our Winter funk. Okay, I am going to start this list off with a few good ones that I love instead of just going through and listing everyone out there that I can think of.
The Blood Moon (Hunter’s Moon as some may know it) is upon us. I remember the name because of the month of October being the time to remember and honor our ancestors….our BLOOD. The Harvest Moon is also a term used to describe this October’s full moon and that is because that name is the one given to the Full Moon closest to the Autumn Equinox and this year that would be Octobers. There are many different names given to the October Full Moon depending on tradition but the common theme that we tend to see is how these all seem “death” related. There are a couple reasons for that. First, we are quickly approaching Samhain and October is the month of Samhain. Samhain honors and celebrates the dead. We are also seeing the coming death of the Mother in the life cycle of Mother Earth. As tree’s are beginning to turn colors and the plant life changing and preparing for death (dormancy) until next Springs rebirth. So as with most things pagan, there is much symbology in the name of the October Moon. A great way to celebrate the Full Moon this month is to decorate for the Fall/Samhain reflecting on life, afterlife and the meaning of the season. You can relax and sit back looking at your new décor and think of all that has happened this year and what to expect as the year comes to a close. Go ahead and enjoy that Ancestor Supper we discussed a couple days ago, meditate or enjoy a hot glass of tea. Make sure all your tools are cleansed and fully charge in anticipation for the final harvest. Blessed Full Moon )0( Come on over to our Facebook page and watch the just posted video on how we make our Spirit Balls. These are one of a kind powerful magickal tools guys. Click here to view it now.
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Keri Nichol
Founder, Artist, Herbalist, and Writer Archives
August 2018
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