My High Priestess use to make the most beautiful books of shadows. She included protection herbs within it's cover. Consider incorporating protection herbs in your books; either in your handmade cover or in a bookmark.
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A Guest Post from Stone Witch Bhen Rudha

​Hello friends!

​I am Bhen Rudha (Ven ROO-ah) and I have been asked to talk a little bit about Garnets for you all. Why me? Well, I got my first piece of Quartz when I was 9, and have been collecting, studying and using semi-precious gemstones in magic since. Some like to call me the resident Stonewitch.

I like to make jewelry with intention. Stones put together with magical purpose…

(Like this “Kindred” piece, made of Garnets, Rose Quartz and Crystal Quartz)

So here’s a little information about Garnets, as collected by my Priestess, Ardriana Cahill. (She gave me this awesome book of information she found over the years. It’s my stone bible really.)

Garnet is actually a group of minerals. Almandine has the most colors. Pyrope is usually red. Spessartine, orange red or browns, combined they are Malaya. Phodolite is purplish red or pink. The rare Uvarovite is dark green. These are just a few. Garnet got its name from granatum, the pomegranate.

Folklore: Albertus Magnus related this stone to blood magic. In the matriarchal age, it was sacred to the Goddess Isis, and was believed to be solidified drops of her blood. Garnet was associated with the Goddess Persephone and thus, the afterlife.

Magic: Witches give garnets to friends and family as the Karma Stone. Given to kindred, it insures safe passage to the Summerland and makes sure that loved ones will meet in the next life. Carry garnets to protect travelers against accidents and after dark. Garnet is the stone of passionate love and desire. Enhances bodily strength, endurance, and heightens sexual awareness.

Ancient Warning: a stolen garnet brings catastrophe on the thief until it is returned.
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Garnets hold a special place in my family’s tradition. You give them to those you want to see again (whether it be in the afterlife, or the next life, or however you feel it shakes out). Basically what you are saying is, “One life isn’t enough to love you,” (thank Mom). Most of my family has a network of garnet giving, ensuring that we'll all meet up next time too (we're Irish...any excuse for a party!).

(This is a Desire design I created for my older sister. There’s layers of attraction and passion in the Red Tiger’s Eye and Jasper, but the Garnet’s are there to help make the relationship deeper, more, a meeting of hearts and not just bodies.)

When I was younger, and just started going to The New Pioneer in West Yellowstone, MT, to buy stones, I would play in the little stone box looking for chips of garnet and peridot. These pieces are tiny, and sometimes I would struggle to tell the garnets from the amethysts, because of how purple they are (I'm pretty good at telling them apart now, hehe). I still have those chips, and count myself lucky to have them even though the large tumbled faceted pieces (like in the first pic above) have gotten more common.

I don't have many pieces of garnet, but those that I do have are special to me for one reason or another. My best friends have them from me… when we claim someone, we don't tend to let them go.

And for you geeks out there… my favorite character in Steven Universe is Garnet, who is so perfectly named. She is a stable fusion of two gems who very much love each other. She’s also strong, and passionate, and protective. How cool is that?

I hope you enjoyed this little bit of stone wisdom. May it serve you well,
​
Blessed Be
​​Bhen Rudha

Photo: An opened pomegranate by Anton Croos https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:An_opened_pomegranate.JPG
​Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en

The Magic of Garnet 

Powers: love, desire, sexuality, protection, strength, endurance, grounding, purification, manifestation, prosperity
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Associations: Isis, Sekhmet, Persephone, planet Mars, Fire element, Imbolg

One of the very first pieces archaeologists discovered were in a necklace of beads worn by a young man dating back to 3000 B.C. One of the largest garnets is said to have belonged to the King of Saxony, measuring over 460 carats. A portrait of Plato was engraved onto a garnet stone. The garnet once represented the Sun in Spanish astrology. Noah was said to have illuminated his ark with a finely cut and glowing garnet. Garnets engraved with a lion were said to be an effective talisman for protection, strength, courage, and healing.

​●    the most ancient of talismans
●    believed to be a favorite stone of Dragons
●    represents primordial fire, the creation of the world out of chaos
●    Indian mythology calls garnet the ‘Kundalini fire’ (fire of eternal metamorphosis)
●    Hinduism and Buddhism sees garnet as a holy stone that enlightens the soul and gives wisdom
●    known for its utilization of creative energy
●    dreams of garnet signify the solution of a mystery
●    excellent for manifestation
●    promises spoken over a garnet are said to never to be broken
●    helps one realize and enjoy the pleasures of earthly incarnation
●    said to be a victory stone, a stone of success
●    a stone for building up your self confidence
●    protection from evil and harm during travel
●    believed to protect against vampires
●    sends negative energies back to where they came from
●    soldiers and warriors wore to protect them against death and injury
●    placing garnet under your pillow can help prevent bad dreams
●    help brighten dark souls
●    brings hope to people who need it
●    helps a business to be successful
●    helps the wearer to become popular and helps with friendships

A hammer

After your magical bath, go to your altar and cast your magical ring.
On your altar pentacle, place your small mirror in the pie pan.
In the pie pan, encircle the mirror with a ring of rosemary herb.
In the ring of rosemary, place the garnet stones in an upward pointing triangle.
​Carve an eye inside of a triangle on both the red and black candle.

Anoint both candles with reversing oil while chanting:

“Lies and Gossip
I bid thee go
Back to your creator
For only you know
Rosemary and Garnet
Will protect me
As my will
So mote it be.”

Tie the candles together with the red string and stand them on the mirror.
(At this time, you can take down your ring, if you wish.)
Burn more incense as you light both candles.
Allow the candles to burn all the way down.

When your candles are finished, in the small bag, add some of the wax,
some of the rosemary, and the three garnet stones.
Place the small mirror in the bag (if it will fit) and break the mirror with the hammer.
(If the mirror does not fit, carefully break the mirror in a small paper bag and pour the mirror pieces into the cloth bag.)
Close the bag, tying 3 knots in the cord, and anoint the knot with reversing oil.
Once a week, anoint the bag with reversing oil.
Carry the bag with you for 30 days.

from Atheona’s personal book of shadows

Additional Sources: https://www.crystalvaults.com/crystal-encyclopedia/garnet
http://meanings.crystalsandjewelry.com/garnet/
http://jewels-empire.com/Garnet_info.html
http://www.jewelsforme.com/garnet-meaning

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)
"Dew of the Sea"
Also known as: Compass Weed, Elf Leaf, Guardrobe, Incensier, Polar Plant, Anthos, Biberiye, Mannen-Ro, Romarin, Romero, Romero Comun
Properties: Sun, Masculine, Fire, Leo
Powers: Protection, Love, Lust, Sleep, Youth, Mental Powers, Exorcism, Purification, Healing

According to myth, Rosemary draped the Greek goddess Aphrodite when she birthed from the sea.

Rosemary is considered a guardian and a protector of woman

• associated with weddings & as a symbol of fidelity,
• used as a love charm
• used for dispelling jealousy
• great for ritual cleansing, blessing and purification
• protects against witches, evil influences, & nightmares
• utilized as a remembrance for commemorations and funerals
• can aid in success in school
• often in spells to retain youth
• use to remember dreams

PROTECTION

Remove a Curse
You’ll need to set this breaking spell out on a table or altar space that won’t be disturbed for the duration of the spell.

Ingredients:
​5 white candles - Rosemary (oil or herbs) - Salt (fine, not coarse)

On your table, sprinkle a fine line of salt to draw a pentacle. It doesn’t have to be perfect but try to get it somewhat symmetrical. At each point of the star, add a few drops of rosemary oil or a sprinkle of dry rosemary (yes, right on the table top). Then set 1 white candle at each point.

Light each candle, starting with the one at the top. After each one, say the words:

                                                         ‘By the dark and the light
                                                          Your spell ends tonight.’

Let the candles burn for one hour, then snuff them out. Do the same thing the next time, except let them burn all the way out.

Leave the candle stubs in place for another 5 days, so the entire spell is in place for a week. After that, any negative magick against you will be gone.
(http://ladyarielswiccanwritings.blogspot.com/2011/12/curse-removal.html)

DIVINATION

​Dreaming True

When the moon is waxing and almost full, prior to bed take a warm bath mixed with a few drops of the following mixture:

oil of lavender
oil of rosemary
oil of peppermint
oil of thyme
powdered poppy seeds

In the bedroom burn an incense of:

camphor
powdered aloeswood
Jasmine
pulverized cucumber seeds
powdered white Sandalwood

Before lying down to sleep, write your question on a parchment paper with your pen and ink of Art. Place the paper and a small sachet of wormwood herb under your pillow. Dream through the night and in the morning you will have an answer to your question. (Mastering Witchcraft by Paul Huson, page 86)

My favorite use for Rosemary is in Reversing Oil and for reversing spells.

~Atheona
Improvise! Adapt! Overcome!