A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM

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  Midsummer Eve, June 2013                                                             

Midsummer's Eve.  E.R. Huges, 1908

Tonight is Midsummer Eve, the night before the Summer Solstice.  It is midnight here on the beautiful central coast of California.  The moon is a cool, gravid curve in the glimmering dark.  It will be entirely full within two days, on St. John's Eve.

Outside tonight, the entire natural world seems to me to be especially alive, aware, waiting, intelligent, and hushed in anticipation, almost as if it is holding it's collective breath, yet still joyful, exultant and lush. There really is an incredibly strong sense of magic afoot tonight!  All the natural world remembers, even if people forget.

In years past, when living on the East coast where the woodlands are green, moist and leafy, I was blessed to be in Summer Solstice ceremony with others I loved, praying, singing, fasting, and strongly building community.  I remember my old friends, still tonight fasting, praying, and truly in a holy and altered state, with love and admiration.  Prayer of this sort strengthens the world, and helps to ensure the ongoing of all that is good.

Tonight's Midsummer moon, as seen from my house

My strong feeling is that this is a very special time, a doorway through which we can walk.  Tonight is full of magic, a time when you can pray, do ritual, dream, or remain awake and aware of the natural world and all the spirits.  They surely are aware of you.  I encourage any willing to sleep out of doors tonight, and over the next few nights.  Some of you may be doing as your ancestors did, and enjoying Midsummer bonfires.

Tomorrow is the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year, the point of greatest light. I believe that this is prime time to come into balance with anything in your life which is not quite right.  If you have fallen out of balance with another for whom you care, or have been neglecting something which you know you should attend to, or in some other way are not in right relationship with the world, there is no time like the present to cleanse and renew.

A Midsummer Night's Dream.  Henry Towneley Green, 1895

This is best done via a ritual bath very early in the morning, as the sun rises.  Bathe by pouring a solution of spiritually active ingredients (Hoodoo Roots Spiritual Cleansing Bath is a wonderful choice!) over yourself while standing in a small tub or in your bathtub, with the drain plugged.  Think hard on what you need to change, and vow to do so.  Pour the solution over yourself, letting it sluice down your body from head to toe.  You may do several pours.  Focus intently, then step away from the tub.

Allow yourself then to air-dry.  Scoop up a cup of the bath-water.  Dress in clean clothes.  Carry your bath-water to a crossroads.  Stand, and cast the water towards the rising sun.  Then turn around and go back home without looking back either figuratively or literally.  Enjoy the beautiful day!  Be outside and be joyful!  Celebrate the beauty of the world.  Be good to others, and reach out in loving greeting to those you know!  It is a new world and a new life.  Remember your vow, do your best, and know that the world conspires towards goodness. Change has come.

Bonfire on St. John's Eve (Ivan Kupala).  Henryk Siemiradzki, Polish, 1880.  St. John's Eve is June 23.

I also feel strongly that the Summer Solstice is a fantastic time to ritually and respectfully harvest plants for herbal medicine, whether for physical or for subtler emotional, mental, and spiritual purposes.  Remember that a plant's life force is strongest in the flowers when it is in bud and flowering; in the leaves when leafing;  in the fruit, if it is fruiting; and in the roots when it has died back for the winter.  Harvest with this in mind.

Sunflower.  From the Hortus Eystettensis herbal, 1613

Avoid harvesting from areas close to roadways, close by agricultural run-off, and other sources of pollutants.  Always ask permission from the plant prior to harvesting.  Never take more than you need.  If you have a specific problem you are harvesting the plant for, express your need and ask for it's assistance.  Wait until you are sure that you have received the plant's agreement that you may continue.  If not, do not harvest, for what you take without permission will not work well for you, especially on the subtle levels.  Worse, the plant will remember your misbehavior, and will tell all of it's relations.

 I will be harvesting roses and other plants and flowers on the Solstice, myself. I will also prepare some potions and some flower remedies.  I have made flower remedies on the Summer Solstice in previous years, and have always felt that those remedies had a noticeably potent vibe.  These are very easy to make, and I will post soon about how I do this.

Midsummer Dance.  Anders Zorn, 1897

The radiant Summer Solstice is a day of joy and celebration the world over, and it should be part of our awareness as well.  Cultures from every corner of the earth have long celebrated this night and day!  No matter what race you are, no matter from which tribe you come (and everyone belongs to a tribe, or tribes), the overwhelming likelihood is that your ancestors were aware of this night and day, and at some point, celebrated both.  Dancing (often about an erected pole, like the interesting traditional Swedish Midsummer maypole, shown in the painting to the right), singing, bathing in natural waters, and large bonfires are common threads in Solstice celebrations.  Make them yours as much as you can, and mark the beautiful turning of the year with reverence and full enjoyment!
 
“I know a bank where the wild thyme blows,
Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows,
Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine,
With sweet musk-roses and with eglantine.”
―William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream

Wishing you all the blessings of the season.
Happy Summer Solstice!

Dara Anzlowar
Midsummer Eve, waxing gibbous moon in Scorpio

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© Dara Anzlowar and HoodooRoots. All Rights Reserved.
The material on this site may be not be reproduced in print, electronic or broadcast media,
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PRACTICAL MAGIC AND THE SPIRITUAL PROPERTIES OF SALT

HUNDREDS OF PRACTICAL EVERYDAY USES                                      
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Salt seasons, cures, preserves, draws, cleans,  is a styptic and antiseptic; it has hundreds of practical everyday household uses.  It is necessary for the health of every mammal.

Historically, the salt trade was of critical economic importance to many cultures over a wide geographic range, sought after and paid dearly for by many.

Morton Salt's iconic packaging

Many significant ancient roads, including the Via Salarium in Italy, began as salt collection and trade routes. Roman Legionnaires were either partially paid in salt, or a portion of their recompense was given them specifically for the purchase of salt (the word salary has it's origin in the Latin word "salarium", meaning "of salt", or "a salt cellar".).

 

How fundamental salt is in our lives is reflected in many common phrases, such as "the salt of the earth" (from the Bible, Matthew 5:13; in common parlance, this refers to one who is reliable, practical, and not given to airs);  "worth his salt" (worth one's pay); "below (or above) the salt" (originally referring to medieval English royal court seating arrangements; those seated by the salt being noble, those below, common), "take it with a grain of salt" (maintain a healthy skepticism).

WHICH SALT SHOULD I USE?



Hoodoo Roots Van-Van 
Van-Van Spiritual Bath & Washing Crystals 

With so many varieties of salt to choose from, which should a Hoodoo practitioner or other practical occultist choose?

Aside from epsom salt, which is high in magnesium, the salt we use is sodium chloride (NaCl).   You may use table salt or the much larger-grained, harder rock salt; you may use sea salt or kosher salt.  These later two are usually coarsely grained, although sea salt is sometimes available in a smaller grain size.  I suppose you could even use one of the costly culinary specialty salts now on the market. 

Sometimes folks believe that kosher salt is especially good to use in hoodoo spells and spiritual preparations because they've been told that this salt been blessed by a Rabbi.  It has not. Kosher certification does not involve blessing, and being a Rabbi is not required of the examiner.

SO WHAT IS KOSHER SALT?

A rabbi can certify that food is Kosher

 Kosher salt is so-named because it is used in koshering meat.  This culinary process involves first soaking the meat or fowl in water, then covering it with a thick crust of salt prior to cooking, in order to extract blood.  This process renders the dish fit for kosher tables.  Why?  Jewish dietary law prohibits the consumption of blood.  Blood must be drained from meat and poultry, or thoroughly broiled out of it by fire. 

The source of this injunction is found in the Old Testament here, amongst other Biblical references: 

Magnolia Salt "flows freely in any weather"

  

"But be sure you do not eat the blood, because the blood is the life, and you must not eat the life with the meat."  (Deuteronomy 12:23, NIV)

Salt is a mineral, and as such is automatically kosher.  Salt in itself cannot be otherwise, unless it has become mixed with other elements which are not kosher.   Rabbis or other observant Jews who validate kosher certification check food processing plants and factories to be sure that all kosher injunctions are being followed.  If the food, the preparation processes, machinery, utensils, etc. are in accordance with kosher beliefs, the food is deemed kosher.

 However, the food, or salt, is not blessed.  It's simply certified as kosher - something that all pure salt already is.

HOODOO ROOTS SPIRITUAL BATHS

Try our Road Opener Spiritual Bath!

Table salt is fine to use in your hoodoo work, as is rock salt, sea salt, and kosher salt.   All of these salts are purifying and will act similarly on the spiritual level.  However, when used in bath preparations, some are easier on the body and provide additional benefits, while others are terribly drying; many people find them unpleasant to use due to their caustic effect upon the skin. 

I have chosen to use the very highest quality of Dead Sea salt from the Holy Land in the creation of Hoodoo Roots brand Spiritual Baths.  Direct from an ancient sea, this salt is so beautiful, so lovely on skin, and so mineral-dense, that the result is a qualitative difference in your spiritual bathing experience.  It makes a difference that you will feel!  

 CLARITY Spiritual Bath Crystals

All Hoodoo Roots Spiritual Baths are prepared using spiritually active organic herbs which I grow myself, conscientiously wild-craft from the purest of regions, or purchase from reputable organic growers.  In addition, the essential oils, absolutes, ottos and attars used in the preparation of these baths are the finest available, carefully sourced from harvests around the world.

All of my Spiritual Baths are hand-made by me from start to finish, as are all of my oils, powders, mists, and other products. You can count on Hoodoo Roots for purity, tradition, and effectiveness!  Try any of the Hoodoo Roots Spiritual Bath Crystals for yourself, and see what I mean!

SALT AROUND THE WORLD

Salt is - and has long been - used in many cultures as a spiritually potent,  purifying substance.  From Jewish ceremonial uses described in the Torah and Old Testament to Japanese Shinto practices, from Tibetan traditions in the high Himalayas to Navajo traditions in the American Southwest, salt plays a significant spiritual and religious role virtually worldwide. 

Sumo wrestlers throw salt to purify the ring

In several religious traditions, salt is believed to purify and to repel evil spirits.  In Japan, one commonly sees little piles of salt outside of homes, placed there to purify those who pass through the door.

A handful of salt is thrown into the center of the ring by Sumo wrestlers for purification, and to drive away unwholesome spirits.  This ritual is depicted in a scene in the beautiful movie "Memoirs of a Geisha".

In the Scottish highlands and Wales, a bowl of salt was placed upon the breast of the deceased  to prevent the devil from disturbing the body.

Judas spills salt, 

an unlucky omen

In the Middle East, salt is used to protect against the evil eye.

Salt is used in some traditions as a purification after attending a funeral.  By scattering salt onto your body, it is believed that any evil spirits which may have clung to you will be shaken off, and unable to follow.

An Italian tradition to ensure a good life before moving into a new home involves placing salt in the four corners of each room before sweeping with a brand-new broom.   This is a wise practice!

When about to move into a new home, a Japanese custom is to place salt at the four corners of the lot, in order to purify the property.

Vacant lots may have salt scattered upon them, to make peace with the spirits of the land, before buildings are erected.  Also in Shinto tradition, salt is scattered around the perimeter of a house to prevent impurities from entering.  This is done on the first day of the month.

In "The Last Supper", Leonardo Da Vinci's iconic painting, the traitor Judas Escariot is shown having just spilled salt onto the table, a portent of evil and ill luck.  The detail to the left is from Giacomo Raffaelli's mosaic of Da Vinci's painting. 

When the Dalai Lama died in 1933, he was ceremonially buried sitting upright in salt.

1921's Morton Salt Girl

 BELIEFS AND PRACTICES, OLD AND NEW

Some believe that accidentally dropping salt on the ground will bring rain.
 
A little bag of salt worn about the neck is said to provide protection from misfortune and illness.  

A little bag of salt hung on the neck of cattle or horses,
or over the door of their stalls, protects them from witchcraft and misfortune.

A gift of salt is a mark of good-will.

Never return salt which you have borrowed: it brings bad luck.

To quiet the unsettling cries of a screech owl, burn some salt on your stove.

Coax a plum tree to bear fruit with a little salt

Salt, bread, and new broom should be the first things carried into a new home, to ensure prosperity and peace. 

If you salt a bird's tail, you may catch it!

A plum tree which blooms but doesn't bear fruit may do so if salt is sprinkled about it's roots.


If you spill salt while handing it to another person, the two of you will soon quarrel. 



Never hand an open salt container to another, or ill luck will ensue.
 
If you place a bit of salt in your right shoe, at the heel and toe, you will be very lucky.  To make your left shoe lucky, place salt and pepper inside of it.

In my childhood home, salt was never allowed to run out.  I abide by this today: one must always have salt in the home for protection, for prosperity, and to ensure a savory life.  It pays to have a backup container of salt in your pantry!

If I spilled salt back then - and if I spill it today - I immediately sweep it into my hand and throw it over my left shoulder, to reverse any bad luck I may have otherwise incurred.  This is actually an old Christian belief, as the devil is thought to be there, waiting for his chance to bring us ill fortune and calamity.  Salt tossed into his face thwarts this.

One of our fine, original Spiritual formulas

 
 Grains of rice in the bottom of salt-shakers help to ensure that salt remains free-flowing, even in humid summers or during thunderstorms.  Incidentally, rice, which in itself is kept (or thrown) as a blessing for fertility and prosperity, combines nicely with salt to ensure these qualities in your home.

 
Put salt upon a bird's tail, and you will catch it, and have great good luck.  I recall mulling this over quite a bit when I was little, trying to figure out how to get close enough to a wild bird to accomplish this.

If you feel that someone is working against you or has cursed you, throw a pinch of salt in their direction to counter their ability to do you harm.

Not really salt at all - but fun!

Hanging a little bag of salt over a baby's crib will protect it from all harm.


To ensure that unpleasant visitors never return, throw salt after them as they leave.  Some people add pepper, which is fine - but salt itself will do the trick.

I will post specific hoodoo beliefs and practices involving salt within the next couple of days.  Thank you so much for reading!

Dara Anzlowar                                                                          

Sunday, September 16
A beautiful, sunny, breezy California day

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* The color woodblock print of Sumo wrestlers is by Utagawa Kunisawa.  Japanese, early to mid-19th century.  
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne.

  Detail of Giacomo Raffaelli's mosaic of Da Vinci's Last Supper courtesy of Wikipedia

© Dara Anzlowar and HoodooRoots. All Rights Reserved.
The material on this site may be not be reproduced in print, electronic or broadcast media,
and may not be mirrored in whole or in part on any other internet websites, nor reprinted for distribution in any format.