Ruby (New Moon of Enthusiasm)

Ruby's New Moon of Enthusiasm

Our hearts ache with desires and longings for a connection to remain intact after our friends and loved ones have passed the veil. In those numb silent moments, when the voices of our heart and mind falls into stillness, faint whispers can be felt and heard, the reassuring messages of "I am still with you", penetrate to the core of our being where an old and ancient knowledge is sensed, that familiarity of knowing that you know without any words being needed. Like a renewed breath of fresh life, this air seems so different, something new has been added to its energies, something grand seems to explode sending new vibrations and frequencies soaring across our atmosphere, filling us with inspiration of new hopes and possibilities. It's in that split second of quickening that we know all the limitations and boundaries have been removed from our friend's or loved one's life and existence, we know without any doubt that every life experience counts and adds to the whole of All's existence and now everyone has access to that individual life experience, all the knowledge and aspirations, everything that inspired and fueled that individual life becomes available to tap into, it is our gift to each other that our stories are written in the open book among the stars where the energies of all our experiences rain down upon the Earth.  

I don't think I have ever met such an individual as Ruby, she was and is one of the most awe inspiring people I have been honored with knowing. She left me in a state of pure wonderment of pondering her enthusiasm and passion for every day life. She woke up every morning with a burning excitement of expectation toward life, but what she expected...only she can tell us. 

For Ruby, every morning was a hurried routine ritual performed with such child like eagerness, almost as if the first ray of light was sending her a message saying, "the Sun is on the way to pay you a personal visit today, get yourself ready!" And yet, after the showered, semi-formal dressed and polished routine, the breakfast eaten from fine china, the pure crystal juice glasses washed and neatly back in place, I would watch as she would take a deep breath, relax and transform into this elegant creature of grace and poise that faced the majority of her days with nothing more than common everyday occurrences and activities that we all go through...never once did that Royal elite visitor actual show up and walk over her threshold. And yet for eighty and some years, every morning was still met with this same burning hope and enthusiasm...

I was privileged to witness Ruby's last morning routine, performed only hours before the veil was raised and then slowly lowered between us, ritual performed with perfection as always. Once transformed and seated in her favorite spot, she smiled at me and said, "This is going to be an adventure!" 

On January 16th, the Lady of our first New Moon bowed down her own head to receive Miss Ruby's royal calling to usher her on in the journey past the veil.

A life well lived and a life well received.

Much love and many blessings Miss Ruby!

Sacred Seasons: The Whispers Of Autumn

Autumn, Water, Metal, Earth, Quicksilver

Farewells are always bitter sweet, the memory of pure joy and bliss of all the wondrous lush and beauty, the sweet smell of new born life as it unfolds and releases its fresh scent into the ever swirling streams of air, the baby soft down feathers fluttering about as the red and golden leafs slowly drop revealing the marvelously constructed, and yet now empty nests they had been sheltering...protection from the hot sun, winds and rains are no longer needed. Do as the trees do, as the birds take flight drop the dew of your breath upon theirs wings and send them off with blessings filled with the remembrance of the past sacred seasons happily spent together. Bid them to share the gentle touch of sweet fulfillment of longings and hopes everywhere they travel.

As the trees start to undress and prepare for a much needed rest, they drop the dew of their breath over us and whisper secret blessings upon us. The sweet fruits of red, blue and purple say, "take of me and remember the sacred waters and the sacred dust of earthy elements mixed within that course through out all our veins".  The golden fruits of yellow and orange say, "take of me and remember the sacred waters you were formed in." The Lord and Lady whisper, "remember all the ones before you, that brought you forward, remember you are the sacred fruit of the vine and the root that was fed and nourished with light from the Evergreen tree above, you were gifted by these and now carry within your own seed of light. Remember how you gently unfolded down into the living waters and was received and accepted as a most precious creation, these living waters gifted to you, your own ever filling chalice that runs over in abundance. Wherever the wings of the Morning takes you, you shall never lack or want for anything. Remember the sacred Evergreen, for he shall be with you always."

As the natural world around us pours out and gives of its last blessings for this season, we are being called into our own currents and rhythms urging us to finish our own libations and offerings of blessings to be added into the flow of sacredness toward All.  We are reminded by the Sacred Source of all rivers, that even though our side of the world is drawing within for its sacred sleep, the same life giving waters do flow eastward out of the temple, as it weaves its circuit and course in all directions rising above all elements and dropping below all elements, we have the wheel of the year that all seasons are occurring, that there is always those awakening toward the world to raise up the waters of life giving blessings. So, as you pour out your seasonal blessings, freely give back the best you have to give and know that it shall return to you within the sweet dew of the next morning season. 

Many Blessings

~Cizz

Ruth (Sacred Love)

Ruth Holcomb Powell

Aug. 10th 1941- Sept. 2nd 2017

I lift you up and cherish the gifts, lessons and message you brought to us and for us...
These most precious of all things, they can not be bought, nor can they be sold, for you brought them forward to all of us.

When I look at your hands and I search out the works of those most beautiful of hands, I can see your works, I can see that you brought forth all the ancestors of our past generations. Within the gathered assembly of your two hands, I can see my grandmother and I can sense my grandfather and I can hear all of the grands from our past. When I look at my own hands, I see you there in the midst of them. You bring to me a new sense and meaning of what it is to be a sacred speck within a grand and vast gathering, dancing, swirling and floating about within the ancient flow that brings life to all that will open to receive its flow.

You were planted under a great evergreen pine tree, a tree that never sleeps and yet it never awakens, through out all our seasons it has remained steadfast, an ever watchful, patient guardian that reminds us that there is within us a part that needs no sleep and needs no wakefulness, it lacks in no thing and therefore contains within it all things. This tree greets us with celebration at every season of our life. And its companion tree which you lay beneath is small and yet most beloved, it brings love in a sweet and simple spirit that reaches out to all that feel insufficient and insignificant. Our dogwood tree who's spirit has chosen to grow low and close to all that it holds precious and sacred...

But the sweetest things in life are always free
Like the songs the birds would sing
And the sweet new grass of spring
And the sacred blossoms on the dogwood tree

– Heartsong: Dolly Parton

It wasn't until I stood sheltered under these trees and had a sacred family secret revealed to me...

Your most beloved and favored conveyed it to me...

He said he couldn't withhold these hidden seeds, they come at no cost and they freely feed...

He proclaimed... "Aunt Ruth found favor in me!"

Then each little bird sang, "and in me", "and in me",  "and in me".... we are all favored under aunt Ruth's tree. We all received that sacred seed, by water and blood it will feed, ever flowing in the gentle touch she bestowed on me...and me..and me...

From the mouth of our smallest, sweetest little seed, she called out, "Aunt ROOF!"

She sheltered me...and me...and me...

A season well lived and a harvest well received, everyone and everything that enters under the wings of my tree, help me to remember the sacred seeds of the evergreen tree who saw it all and celebrated, one by one, the personal sacredness of "We".

  

DIY Anti-Aging Frankincense Face and Neck Cream

I recommend this cream as a night cream as it goes on wet and stages down into an oily feel, before it absorbs into a silky smooth hydrated feel. Apply to face (eye lids also!), neck and décolleté. If you want to amp up the toning anti-aging properties of this cream, put a little in the palm of your hand and mix in a few drops of rosehip seed oil.

*Please note that rosehip seed oil is a natural retinol (vitamin A) and should not be applied to the skin neat (undiluted) always buffer the essential oil into or on top of a cream before applying it to the skin.

What you will need:

*Electric hand mixer

 

• 1 tsp. cocoa butter
• 1 tsp. coconut oil
• 1tsp. bee's wax
• 1 tsp. aloe gel
• 1/2 tsp. DIY frankincense extract oil
• 1/2 tsp. vitamin E
• 1/4 cup DIY frankincense milk
• 1/4 cup carrier oil (sweet almond, safflower, grape seed, olive) 

 

Melt and stir together the bee's wax, cocoa butter, coconut oil and carrier oil in a double boiler or over low heat.

In a separate mixing bowl combine and mix the (water soluble ingredients) aloe gel and frankincense milk, once the oils and wax are melted, slowly pour the oil mixture into the milk and gel mixture as you blend on low with the hand mixer. As the cream begins to form you can up the speed of the mixer to get a creamer texture, when the cream has cooled down, use the hand mixer again to mix in the vitamin E and frankincense oil.

 

This cream does not need to be refrigerated but it is a refreshing treat when applied cold!

Beauty Witchery "Conjuring the Glam" with Frankincense

 

 

 

 Frankincense

 

We all know the most common magickal properties and uses for this wonder filled resin, from cleansing sacred items and ritual space to adding it into spell craft ingredients for raising positive energies within workings and yet this little gift from nature has many more practical and magickal uses especially when it comes to getting our natural beauty glamour witching going!

 

 

When it comes to skin care frankincense is one potent ingredient that helps to protect the skin cells, as an astringent it can aid in reducing acne blemishes, help reduce the appearance of large pores, fade scars and hyperpigmentation. It also aids in healing wounds, cystic acne, scraps and itchy inflamed skin. Frankincense oil has been used to remove skin tags, moles and warts.

 

Adding frankincense into your anti-aging creams, lotions, serums, balms and salves will give the brew a boost in tightening sagging skin, fading dark spots, smoothing out fine lines and wrinkles.   

 

 

If you're interested in learning more about this resin and its uses, here is great link:

 

Frankincense (乳香 Rǔ Xiāng; Boswellia Species): From the Selection of Traditional Applications to the Novel Phytotherapy for the Prevention and Treatment of Serious Diseases 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 



DIY Frankincense Extract Oil

 

 

To make your own frankincense extract oil the resin tears need to be crushed and put through a heated water soak to dissolve the water soluble compounds (See our post on Frankincense Milk). Please note that a concentrated extract oil can not be achieved without first removing the water soluble compounds.

 

Once you have heat soaked and dried your left over resin it's time to re-crush and powder it, the easiest way to powder crush any resin is to freeze it first. If you read the frankincense milk post this post picks up from that procedure of using the left over, undissolved resin gum from two heaping table spoons of resin tears. I measure two table spoons out before I crush the resin for the milk procedure, normally the left over undissolved resin will measure about and close to half of what I started with. This resin gum is easily dissolvable in most carrier oils, as with the milk/water I warm the oil on my coffee mug warmer. I measure out 1/2 cup of the carrier oil I want to use and place the powdered resin in it, the heating time varies as I continue the warming until I can see and tell that no more residue will dissolve, usually 12 to 18 hours. The left over residue normally measures out to be about 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon. When I'm not planning on using the oil in a salve or cream I will not bother to strain out the residue. *Reminder: Use a disposable plastic spoon to stir the oil, the resin is very sticky!

 

 

 

Here is a link to Dan Riegler's blog and his post on making an extract, Dan is the go to man for resin knowledge! (and products!)

 

 

How to make an extract of Frankincense and other oleoresins

 

 

For Dan's Esty shop:

 

Apothecary's Garden

 

 

DIY Frankincense Milk (Beauty Witchery)

Frankincense milk (a.k.a. Frankincense Water) is easy to make, simply soak and/or heat the crushed resin tears in filtered (distilled or purified) water to dissolve the water soluble compounds from the resin, which leaves us with this milk white fluid and some very sticky gum resin. A quick google search (Frankincense Water) will bring up a vast source of articles on the benefits and uses of this substance.  It is said to lighten, tone, firm and tighten skin, also stimulates skin and tissue regeneration.
I use it in my face creams and body lotions. A two part milk to one part mixture with witch hazel works as a great skin brightener and toner.

 

 

The traditional way of making frankincense water is to soak 4 or 5 pieces of resin tears in water over night, but the way I make it is to add two heaping table spoons of the resin tears (crushed up after measuring) to 3/4 cup (6 oz) of water and then slowly heat on my coffee mug warmer. I warm the water and resin, stirring occasionally (with a disposable plastic spoon), for 12 hours the first day, refrigerate the water and resin mixture over night and then reheat for another 12 hours the second day (total of 24 hrs. heating).  

 

DIY Frankincense Extract Oil

 

Once the heating process is finished, while the water is warm, I spoon out all the sticky resin gum and place it on a non-stick cookie sheet to dry and harden. Then I strain the white milky water through cheese cloth or sterile gauze before I bottle it. Refrigerate the milk until ready to use, if you will not be using the milk within 7 days, it can be froze to maintain freshness.

 

 

 *Don't toss the gum resin as this can be used for making your own frankincense extract oil.