abundance – Melusina The Green Witch

Gorgeous Gorse

Gorse bushes, or Furze, are often seen around Ostara and is another of Mother Nature’s bright and beautiful announcements that Spring is here.

It is a perennial evergreen shrub belonging to the pea family, which forms multi-branched, stunted shrubs, usually no taller than six feet high, but it is still considered to be a tree.

The flowers are deep yellow in colour and have a beautifully aromatic coconut scent and, although the main flowering period is from March to August, flowers can be found on the furze throughout the year.

It’s wickedly sharp thorns and its dense habit make it an excellent hedging plant, which can also be used as a barrier to protect young tree seedlings in coppices from grazing.

Due to it’s thorny nature, it is often viewed as having protective powers. In Wales, gorse bushes are even said to guard against Witches and can protect the home against The Fae, who cannot pass through the hedge.

The bark and flowers of the gorse can be used to produce a yellow dye. In Ireland, the flowers were also used to flavour and add colour to whiskey and they’ve been known to be used to make beer in Denmark. The flowers can also be used to make wine and tea.

Medicinal properties

There was a Bach Flower Remedy (Edward Bach was an English homeopath in the 1930s) called “Greenman Essence of Gorse”, which was said to help to ease frustration, restlessness and anxiety, and also helped to promote emotional security and feelings of joy.

Gorse flowers are high in proteins and can be eaten raw in salads or made into tea, cordial or syrup. They can also add extra flavour and colour to beer, wine or spirits and even ice cream!

The buds can also be pickled in vinegar and eaten like capers.

**CAUTION: Do not ingest to excess, as the plant contains slightly toxic alkaloids, which can have a cumulative impact.**

There are surprisingly few medicinal uses for gorse, although its flowers have historically been used in the treatment of jaundice, scarlet fever, diarrhoea and kidney stones.

Magickal properties

Gorse is known as the ‘herb of love’ and is associated with love, romance and weddings. It is also known to protect against evil, negativity and dark magick.

It can help to restore faith, hope and optimism and enable you to gather your strength. It also attracts gold, so it is very useful in money, wealth and abundance spells.

Gorse Spell

Carve the word “Gorse” into a gold or yellow candle, then face east and light the candle. Then meditate on the light, whilst asking for for protection, money, love or whatever it has to offer that you desire.

The Magick of Daffodils

On our walk out with the dogs this afternoon, there were lots of lovely daffodils, so I thought I’d write a blog post to honour them, and add some photos I took, as they make me happy and signal that Spring is definitely on the way!

*PLEASE NOTE: Daffodils are highly toxic and should not be used medicinally or consumed. Even biting down on a stem can cause chills, dizziness and even fainting. Enjoy their beauty, have them in vases around your house, but be extra careful children or pets do not consume them, due to their toxicity.**

Daffodils are sometimes referred to as the “flower of March,” as they characterise of the start of Spring. They’re seen as a symbol of new life, fertility and growth.

Daffodils belong to the plant genus Narcissus, which is a name you may have heard of before, and which is steeped in Greek mythology.

According to Greek mythology, Narcissus was a handsome and charismatic young man who was able to charm almost anyone. Upon seeing him, the wood nymph Echo, who had been cursed by Hera to be unable to speak properly, and instead repeat only the last words addressed to her, fell deeply in love with him. Narcissus spurned her love and told her that he’d rather die than give himself to a wood nymph like her.

Echo, heartbroken, retreated to a cave and, without having any appetite or thirst, withered and starved away, until the only things left of her were dust and her voice.

When Nemesis heard of Echo’s fate, she wanted revenge for how poor Echo had been treated, so she led Narcissus to a pond near Echo’s cave, wherein he fell in love with his own reflection.

Narcissus could not leave his own reflection out of love and vanity and starved to death, just like Echo. But, before he died, Narcissus cried out to his reflection “Farewell, dear boy. Beloved in vain.” Echo’s voice repeated his last words from the cave as Narcissus drew his last breath. To this day, Echo still repeats the last words or phrases in caves or labyrinths.

Other stories tell a slightly different tale of the Gods, scared that Narcissus would waste away, turned him into daffodils. In other accounts, Narcissus drowned whilst trying to hug his reflection, and daffodils sprouted on the bank of the pond where he fell.

Daffodils are considered lucky flowers. One particular folktale says that, if you make a deliberate effort not to step on them and crush them, fortune will favor you with abundance.

Also, if you gift someone daffodils, they too will have good luck, but you need to make sure you give them an entire bunch, because a single flower will bring poverty and ill fortune.

In parts of the British Isles, including Wales, if you are the first your neighbours to spot the first daffodils of Spring, it is said you’ll see far more gold than silver come to your home over the coming year. However, seeing a daffodil growing alone is said to bring the opposite.

Daffodils are also used to represent love. Again, back to Greek mythology, some recounts of the famous Myths say that the daffodil was the flower Hades used to distract Persephone, before stealing her away to the underworld to be his wife.

In some Middle Eastern traditions, the daffodil is considered to be an aphrodisiac. Either way, the daffodil has strong connections with love, which is why it is one of the best flowers to use during love spells and rituals.

Also, due to its association with Hades, the daffodil is sometimes associated with the underworld and death, making it a perfect flower for funeral arrangements to honor the deceased.

Because the daffodil is one of the first flowers to bloom in the Spring, it also has strong associations with fertility and it is said that having a bouquet of daffodils in the bedroom can increase the chance of conception. Daffodils can also be used during fertility rituals to increase the spells potency.

Here’s a number of ways you could use daffodils in your magickal workings:

• Put fresh daffodils in a vase in your home to bring you abundance.

• Place daffodils on your altar during any workings related to love, especially if the relationship is new and you’re still trying to figure things out.

• You can add potted daffodil bulbs to your altar for spring (Ostara) celebrations, along with other spring flowers such as hyacinth, crocus and snowdrops.

• Wear this flower close to your heart to draw love, but be careful that your love is reciprocated.

Simmer Pot for Prosperity, Luck and Wealth

I decided to do a simmer pot for prosperity, luck and wealth. I threw everything I could in there and stirred deosil, furiously chanting and alternatively beseeching Hecate!

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Here’s what I used, along with their magickal correspondences.

• Heather – for peace, attracting positive energies and good luck.

• Red rose petals – for peace, happiness and attracting good luck.
• Orange – for fortune, good luck, money, peace and wealth.
• Cinnamon sticks – for prosperity and luck.
• Acorns – for money, abundance and luck.
• Juniper berries – for prosperity and manifestation.
• Pomegranate – for luck, prosperity, protection, wealth and wishes.
• Blessed thistle – for spiritual healing and breaking hexes (just in case….).
• Clary sage Essential Oil – for prosperity.
• Bergamot Essential Oil – for prosperity, used to attract money and success and to lift spirits.
• Cinnamon Essential Oil – for luck and prosperity.
• Thyme – to attract prosperity.
• Fresh Basil leaves – for good luck and attracting money.
• Dried Bay leaves – for blessings, wishes, comfort, guidance, luck, defence, endurance, resilience, victory, success and wealth.
• A selection of green crystals (adventurine, green jade, moss agate) – for prosperity, luck and wealth.

I poured the remainder (just under a litre) of my Blue Moon Water, left over from Samhain, into a pan and added each item individually, telling each one what it was for and it’s purpose. I wrote ‘luck’, ‘prosperity’ and ‘wealth’ on the bay leaves last and added them to the top of the pan and set it to heat up to just boiling. It’s now simmering and when most of the water has evaporated (I left the kitchen window open for the steam and intentions to go out into the Universe) and cooled down, I’ll take it into the garden and scatter it under the ash tree I’ve grown from sapling.

Moon in Cancer – Family Happiness Wish/Spell

I foraged some branches of hawthorn, apple, hazel, pine and whatever else I could find in my local environment (all thoughtfully and thankfully taken, with offerings of nuts left, to give thanks).

The reason I collected these things was to make a Moon in Cancer Family Happiness Wish/Spell.

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For this wish/spell you will need 3 lengths of 60cm (2 feet) blue twine or ribbon, plus a smaller piece of the same ribbon or twine to hang it. If you don’t have blue, just use what you have! We Witches can adapt and substitute with what our intuition tells us is OK, so if you have neon pink ribbon and you think that’ll work, then that WILL work.

Then you’ll need to find a selection of twigs, or short branches, from apple or fruit trees, hawthorn, hazel, oak, cedar, pine, holly….whatever you can find in your garden, local park or local countryside (even from your neighbours trees if they’re hanging over your side of the fence!)

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Knot the ends of the three long lengths of ribbon/twine together, then plait the three strands til you get to the other end and knot this again.

Form the plaited length into a circle and use the shorter length of ribbon/twine to tie the ends together and make a loop to hang it with.

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Repeat this charm:

With this family garland true,

The lunar time will see anew,

For homely warmth, so loved this place.

With all our spirits filled with grace.

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Then you should gather all your twigs and small branches and thread them through and around the plaited ribbon or twine, to make a garland that is full and as bushy as you can manage (no one will blame you for needing a wee bit of help from some wire or cable ties to keep things in place!). I also put the oven dried cinnamon sticks and orange slices left over from making Christmas mulled wine on there too. Waste not want not, it always pays to be a Thrifty Witch!

Then simply hang the garland on the back of your main entrance door for harmonious living. For us, I’ll hang ours on the back of our front door, as that is the one we mainly use to enter and exit our house.

─── ･｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Burning Bay Leaves to Manifest Wealth and Abundance

I did a quick ritual out in the back garden (not recommended for indoors, as it really smells!!) to manifest/attract wealth and abundance.

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I wrote onto 6 bay leaves (I won’t say exactly what, but it represented my intentions) and spoke to the Universe whilst burning the bay leaves in my mini cauldron.

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Once it’s all cooled down, I’ll scatter the ashes to the wind and say:

‘The Moon has Awoken, with the sleep of the Sun,

The ashes are are scattered, the spell has begun.

The powerful Conjunction, of Jupiter and Saturn,

Will trigger my spell, for an affluence pattern.

With blessed relief from stress and from debts,

So our lives will be free of worries and frets.

My Magick has spoken, so mote it be.’

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