Hello! Welcome back to another Guidebook post brought to you by your’s truly! This lesson is based on Pendulums another big part of my craft. Lets Begin!
What is a Pendulum?
A pendulum is a weight hung from a fixed point so that it can swing freely backward and forward according to google’s handy dandy dictionary.
For a witch’s definition, a pendulum is a object connected to a string to divine and or seek out answers to a question they have.
What Are They Used For?
As stated above they are used as a form of divination and are a good tool to start out with for baby witches as they are easy to understand and get the hang of!
How Do You Use A Pendulum?
This is simple, but is a bit hard for me to explain. Basically, you hold the weight by the very in the the string, I usually hold it between my first and middle finger the string going over my first finger to have better control. Hold the pendulum still and ask your question. The pendulum will move if your focus enough. It is important to not move your hand at all as it can effect your results.
What Do the Movement’s Mean?
I’ll make this fairly simple. If you don’t have a pendulum board and want to do a reading here’s a way you can do a simple yes or no reading.
If it moves forward and backward: Yes
If it moves left to right/right to left: No
Another way is by circle movements as pendulum’s move depending on their taste
Clockwise: yes
Counter Clockwise: No
Where Can I Get Them?
I got my first one off of Amazon. But, you can either buy or make your own pendulum! @lunaesteria has a really good looking set of pendulums(I do not know if she is still making them, but there’s no harm in asking her if you’re curious). You can buy one pretty much anywhere. However, if you are low on budget and can’t afford to buy one then you’ll notice how I said Make one.
Making a pendulum isn’t hard. You just need an item hanging from a string. Here’s a few ideas for that:
sewing needle and thread
a necklace
tying a crystal to a string
etc
How To Do a Pendulum Reading?
Pendulum reading, in my mind at least, should have the same care and process of doing a card reading.
set up your area, having a flat surface is probably the best
meditate over your pendulum and ask your question either in your head or out loud
watch the pendulum move and carefully note how it moved and write it down.
do this for each question as you might not remember the answer to the first one if you continue on
Do I Need a Pendulum Board?
Answer: No. But if you feel better having one I can provide some links to photos of some really good pendulum boards. You can once again either make one or buy one online, whatever floats your boat!
Pendulums do require care. They need it in order to properly function as a divining tool. Here are a few things to help keep your pendulum functioning nicely!
Cleanse your pendulum often! this will keep negative energies at bay and will keep things from sticking
Connecting with your pendulum will also keep it working specifically for you!
Keep it where you can’t loose it(I’ve lost mine before and thankfully found it but it’s not fun loosing it)
There’s probably more tips but please don’t rely on me as your main source
As all witches know, herbs are a vital part of the craft. I am so lucky to be blessed with a large garden, and me and my husband grow an abundance of herbs for both magickal and culinary purposes. I have been drying my own herbs for years, and keep my cupboard well stocked! For me, drying my own herbs has yielded so much benefits, such as:
• It works out so much cheaper then buying from the grocery store.
• Its so much better for the environment. Think about the packaging that herbs come in when you buy from the grocery store that gets thrown away! We store our herbs in labelled glass jars, and the process is absolutely zero-waste.
• Its a lot of fun! I absolutely adore the entire process, it feels very earthy, witchy and it is so rewarding to produce commonly bought things yourself!
Currently, my inventory of dried herbs that I have prepared myself is as follows: Basil, thyme, parsley, coriander/cilantro, rosemary, oregano, sage, dill, lavender, tarragon, chamomile, peppermint, lemonbalm and many more. I use these dried herbs for teas and infusions, cooking and witchcraft. I also keep a fair amount of these herbs for using fresh!
Does this sound like something that appeals to you? If you have the space for a herb garden, it is definitely achievable, even if it is just on a balcony or windowsill!
How To:
Harvesting: the best time to harvest herbs is when they have plenty of healthy foliage to allow further growth. Regularly snipping actually allows herbs to thrive and encourages new growth! To keep my herbs healthy, I regularly snip off dead leaves and harvest healthy, abundant foliage while leaving enough to spare for the plant. The absolute BEST time to harvest is early in the morning after the dew evaporates, but before the suns rays start to evaporate the essential oils within the leaves, which happens when exposed to heat throughout the day. Use scissors to cleanly snip the foliage off the plant.
• Drying: After harvesting, it is important to dry herbs quickly to preserve flavor. After washing herbs, make sure to pat dry gently, you don’t want any moisture in preparation for air drying. To air dry it is very simple! Tie an elastic or piece of string around the base of the herbs to create a bundle. Then you want to hang them upside down in a warm, dry and dust free area out of direct sunlight. I use a drying rack and peg the herbs upside down and then hang the drying rack up, however you can use a clothes hanger or hang them on a line! Some people like to wrap a brown paper bag around the herb bundles when drying. This a) stops leaves falling onto the ground when dry and crumbly, and b) keeps them from gathering dust, etc.
You will know your herbs are dry when they feel dry and crumbly in texture.
Storing: After my herbs are dry and brittle to the touch, I separate the leaves from the stems and store in clean, airtight glass jars that are labelled so I know which herb goes where. I keep the leaves while and crumble just before cooking, as I believe this helps to retain flavor, but I know some people will crumble dried herbs with a mortar and pestle before storing. Keep your dried herbs in a cool, dark place away from humidity, and enjoy! 🌿
“This mosque, also called the Mosque of Uqba, extends over a
surface area of 9,000 square metres. Founded in 670 AD by the Arab
general and conqueror Uqba ibn Nafi, it dates, in its present form, from
the 9th century (definitively rebuilt in 836 AD under the Aghlabid
dynasty). Besides the fact of being the oldest place of worship in the
Muslim West, the Great Mosque of Kairouan represents a remarkable
example of Islamic architecture.” Wikipedia
