Third Infinity

I'm taking today off to prepare for our next adventure into the Smelly Arts -- Candles and Bath Soaps! Remember that next month is Yule, so our Smelly Arts will be an overview, not an in-depth study. Soaps and candles also make great presents. Lena

While I agree with using only a minute drop of the cinnamon oil, this is a marvelous bath when you are sure the Divine is speaking to you, but you're not sure of the message. This lovely scent helps clear the detritus from your mind so your "ears" can hear.

As usual, I urge caution when using this formula. Too much awareness can be a very bad thing indeed. Especially, I recommend avoiding this formular around Samhain.

Yes, they do belong together. High Awareness is another form of healing by cleansing the body of bad habits and materialism, making the body more receptive to energies.

Please be careful when using any love spell. Remember the axiom, "Be careful what you wish for because you may get it." The gods are not above a sense of humor and teaching you a lesson. I lucked into a lovely supply of Egyptian Rose essential oil. Very nice! Still, be careful. Why add celibacy? Because occasionally, we all need to cool down and know we cannot have everything we want in life. Lena

Both of these are for cleansing and purification. I like to use the Exorcism formula after a hard day out in public, such as going to the mall during the holiday season. After dealing with grumpy people all day, my protections need a full overhaul!

The Sea Witch is one of my favorite baths to hand out as a gift, even to the cowan. The scent is divine and the blue color can be adjusted to match the tastes of the recipient.

Again, be careful. This is one formula I do not give out as a gift in the form of bath salts. Some folks don't know how to control the fire within, with disasterous results.

Be very careful in your visualizations. This is a fertility spell. You may only want fertility of the mind, not the body. Need I say more?

Who couldn't use a little brain boost now and then?

These two form the basis of protective magicks. A bath before ritual, Sabbat, or esbat is always a good idea. If you bath in protection salts, you're protected on a daily basis! How convenient to have that extra layer of defense. Like Chicken Soup, it can't hurt!

This recipe came from "Incenses, Oils and Brews" by Scott Cunningham. I personally prefer these over the herbs. This makes a great gift, if you put it in a sealed jar. In a large glass bowl, mix the following: 3 parts Epsom Salts 2 parts baking soda 1 part table salt or borax Mix thoroughly. This is the base for the formulae I'll post over the next few days. You are certainly welcome to use plain food coloring, drop by drop into the salt. To mix a color like purple, mix them in a spoon first. For the ones labeled White, just leave them untinted. Use a spoon to mix it all up. Now add the essential oils. (Please use genuine essential oils.) Visualize the energies in the oils merging with the salt. Keep the goal in mind. Clean the tub first! To use, add two tablespoons to 1/2 cup of the salt mix to a full tub.

No coercion, please! Note these formulae are to bring love into your life that fits you, and nothing more!

Remember to specify "An it Harm None" when casting and visualizing this. There's nothing worse than gaining that little bit of money at the expense of losing a beloved relative or facing a disaster to get a pittance from the insurance. Be careful what you wish for, because you may get it.

I sincerely hope you know how to ground, center and shield before trying these. I refuse to be responsible for foolish behavior.

Okay, we all know how difficult dieting can be. I recommend following instructions with the Dieter's Bath. I had trouble locating Kelp in bulk, but I finally found it here: http://www.theherbalist.com/kelp_bulk.html Most of the rest are easy enough to find either as dried herbs or essential oils to add to bath water. Lena

Don't we all need this one? Nobody is perfect. I'm an ex-smoker myself, and I used a similar spell to rid myself of the taint of nicotine. Every little bit helps! I added the Peace Bath because there are just some days where the monkey not only rides your back, he digs his claws in. Since many bad habits are stress related (eating, smoking, and alcohol being the most common) I figured a little peace would be good. After rinsing, I'd sprinkle myself with some lemon water for the cleansing effect all day. Do this before you get dressed, or you'll ruin your clothes! Lemon has a bleaching effect.

Okay, so I stole this from BHG.com... Give Thoughtful Thanks Cards on each plate invite guests to write down the things they are most thankful for this year. Use a leaf-shape hold punch to decorate the envelopes holding the cards. Wrap candles in pea pods, asparagus, or set them in hollowed out artichokes. I'd rather cook the asparagus, but I know some twigs and greens in the yard that might serve just as well. Now picture this on your altar when you give thanks. Yes, it's the Dark Time. You don't have to light the candles to decorate them.

Both of these are protection solutions, and both will work. I agree that you should let the water carry the negativity away, and rinse carefully afterwards to remove the last traces. Think of the Protection Bath as more of a daily armor, and the exorcism for after the fact. Lena

I admit, I'd have trouble making this particular Aphrodesiac mix. First off, I can't get myrtle or acacia from Earth Gifts. I can substitute gum arabic for the acacia, and myrtle essential oil for the myrtle flowers, though. To me, this mix is more trouble than it's worth. Good grief, if you have this much trouble getting frisky with a willing partner, then something is definitely wrong. If your lover is willing, then soap may be the only aphrodesiac you need. After all, we wouldn't want to coerce. If lighting a red candle, throwing some rose petals on the bed, and getting naked doesn't put my lover in the mood, then I'd better give it up for the evening. However, as part of a night of passion with the lover of my dreams, I might take the trouble. The beauty bath is always a worthwhile investment. When you feel beautiful, you are beautiful. Lena

"All ills" in this case can also mean outside negativity. Let's say you've been in a situation where a lot of people were angry, tired, or hurting. Some of that negativity may have even been directed at you. I shop at Earth Gifts, a store that also has a very nice online order for herbs. http://www.earthgifts.com/ (I have to really restrain myself and only look at the section I need, or I'll spend every last dime. LOL!)

What could be simpler and easier than creating these layered spices? Why, doing something "witchy" of course! Okay, now we step outside the cowan box. Think of mixing your own herbal creations, such as some of the bath mixes I'll post later in the weeks ahead. Wouldn't it be nice to give a person a money bath mix in a container that matches his/her bathroom? How about a Citrus Cleanse bath salt? Now let's really pump up the magick and put in a money symbol painted, etched, or drawn on the jar in green. How about a green bow, or some green crystals on the top? Are you getting ideas now?

I found my old copy of "Incenses, Oils, and Brews" by Scott Cunningham the other day. It had been lost for a few weeks, buried in some other research material until I needed it, apparently. The poor thing is so old, it falls into many pieces without careful handling, but the scents wafting up from this well-used book cannot be duplicated. We'll talk about Bath Sachets first. They're easy and cheap. However, I have deviated slightly from Mr. Cunningham's excellent work in but one important regard: I can and will use the same commercial herbal teas I drink to bathe in. I'm not above dumping in two or three teabags of "Constant Comment" or "Celestial Seasonings' Honey Chamomile" when I don't have the time/money/energy to create an herb bath from scratch. I do recommend strongly that you do not simply dump the herbs in your bath water unless you enjoy finding rosemary sprigs in painful places! You do not have to get fancy, either. Pick ...

Okay! As I said on my old blog... This is a fun craft for Halloween, but the creativity can go much farther than a mere day. Think of your other holidays. Think of your stemware being wrapped with colorful Sculpey and perhaps crystals embedded in it. Think of the rest of your altarware. Could your athame use a bit of sprucing up? How about the bolline, incense burner, or offering plate? How about a bit of razzle dazzle for each Sabbat? Envision this: Your Beltane set now has a goblet with a green base and a green "vine" that wraps up to the bottom of the bowl. You found tiny strawberry buttons in the crafts center, and a little glue adheres them to the base of your goblet. You found a green plate at the thrift store and adhered a few strawberries to it as well. (Or, you found a really ugly plate with an interesting shape and painted it with a ceramic paint like PermEnamel.) Two large balls of Sculpey had a taper candle jammed into them and removed before baking and now ho...

Because my other Third Infinity account was inconvenient compared to the others, I've chosen to move it to here! Forgive me while I set up... Lena