Finding the oldest male grave, we visit the Baron Ghede Samedi. As we clean away the debris we notice a thick, creeping, whitish plant with an erect, leafy stem that splits into three branches. The leaves are dull green, ovate in shape and grow in pairs; one leaf is half as large as the other. There are black berries on this plant, the size of cherries. We recognize this weed as the plant belladonna. Not wanting to touch it with our fingers, we use a piece of our clothing to pluck a few leaves for ourselves. Resin from the belladonna plant is not something we want on our fingers, for if we do something as simple as put our fingers in our mouth after touching belladonna, we may find ourselves poisoned.
We notice another plant to our liking, henbane, also known as nightshade. Its effects are much like belladonna. It has a dirty green stem and is covered with sticky hairs. The leaves are directly connected to the stem. They are oblong and taper to a thin point. They, too, are sticky. There are some flowers remaining on this plant. They are yellow with purple veins and the odor is offensive. Once again we use our clothing to collect a few of the leaves and flowers. Tonight, we will be able to make the witches flying ointment. The Baron has been generous.
After leaving the Baron an egg, pipe tobacco and rum, we make our way over to the largest tree in the cemetery, which happens to be a weeping willow. We sit down with our backs resting against the trunk and speak to Mama Brigitte about our day, our year and our life. We tell her the good as well as the bad. After some time, we begin to feel somewhat euphoric from the salicin found in the willow's bark. We give Mama Brigitte an egg with cornmeal and some rum.
As we reach towards the ground we find ourselves slipping through the earth, sliding down the root like children on a sliding board. It feels like we are moving through a tunnel, very much like the birth canal. Now we know the willow bark has intoxicated us and we must have gotten some belladonna and henbane on our skin because surely we are hallucinating.
We land on something solid; it seems like the earth, but to look at it makes us think of snake's skin. We are not sure where we are and what we are standing on but we get up and walk towards the clearing.
It is dark and there are trees all about. We see the glistening of stones lying upon the ground. Picking up a few, we are able to identify that we have obtained quartz crystal, amber and jet. Little butterflies and dragonflies swirl around our heads and whisper secrets about each stone and its magick.
The quartz crystal is the witches' mirror and it opens psychic doors allowing us to see other worlds and other realities. As it is a protective stone, we can trace a pentagram on the ground with this gem and put one at each point facing outward. Once we sit in the middle of this creation we will be protected from negative influences. As quartz is a healing stone we can place it on the injured or infected area and it will unblock the stuck energy. For meditation we point the crystal towards us. And for prophetic dreams we can place it under our pillows.
Next we hear the mysteries of amber. We learn that it is a fossilized resin from the coniferous tree, which is much like the pine. Amber is warm to touch and possesses life. We learn that it has the power to bind the four elements much like Akasha. We discover we can bathe with amber in the water and it will wash off negativity and bad luck. When we wear amber, it brings to us beauty, friends, happiness, sensuality and success.
Last, we learn about jet. It is called witches' amber or black amber. When worn over time, it absorbs the wearer's soul. It promises to bring good fortune and a deeper psychic awareness. It protects us from harm. While under the pillow it will stop nightmares from entering our sleep.
We are instructed on how to keep stones clean and in good working order. We are to take sage, sweetgrass and lavender and make a tea. The stones will soak in the tea until the water cools. Then we are to smudge our stones with copal and then dip them into rum to awaken their special powers. If we use our stones regularly, they should be cleansed just before every sabbat for they have been absorbing the negativity, keeping harm out of our way.
We are also told several secrets about how to use the stones to bring the charge of the god or goddess into us. We can place any one or all three of the stones in a glass of water. For the goddess, we set the glass in a place so that it reflects the full moon. With the stones in the water and the water reflecting the moon we begin to chant: Isis, Astarte, Diana, Hecate, Demeter, Kali, Inanna. For the god, we set the water with the stones in it out into the sun and chant: Lugh, Bal, Ammon-Ra, Helios, Apollo. Once charged by the stone, the moon or sun and by song, we drink the water and bring the energy into ourselves. We are reminded not to swallow the stones and to only do this after the stones have been purified and recharged -- we do not want to take in any negativity.
After the secrets have been imparted, the butterflies and dragonflies swirl into a spiral and fly away. Curious, we make some effort to follow. A black cat crosses our path and we laugh at the obvious pun made by the black cat, witches and the crossing of one's path. We know, however, the truth about the black cat and its crossing our path. It's a promise for good luck and as a familiar carries the gifts of curiosity, multiple lives, independence, cleverness, and the ability to see in the dark. As witches, we know if we decide to try the art of shape shifting, the cat is the first and easiest shift we can make.
Just ahead is a cave. Like the cat's curiosity, we decide to explore. A frog ribbits at its entrance and we see glimpses of Hecate and Herit in its eyes. With the frog comes its magick and we are given the gifts of intuition and increased psychic awareness. The frog's medicine is water and we are reminded of water's cleansing and healing abilities. We think of lakes and rivers, rain and tears and we see how crying washes away our pain.
As we enter the cave, we feel the flutter of wings, a gust of air and we know we have awakened the bats. As the only flying mammal, the bat is the witch's promise of flight. To soar high and become more, the bat promises with its sonar hearing the ability to discern hidden messages in what's not being said. All the same, the fluttering of the bat's wings about our head spooks us and reminds us that part of bat's medicine is the strength to stand into our fears and the unknown found only in the darkness.
We follow the bats as they fly out of the cave and into the night sky. We look around us and find we are back at the cemetery. We see bats everywhere rising from the graves and ascertain that these bats are the souls of the dead.
Feeling overwhelmed with our new knowledge and blessed by our gifts, we decide it is time to leave. As we pass through the gates of the cemetery we notice a spider dangling from its thread. As we advance, it lands on our shoulder. We take the spider and her secrets home with us. Creativity and the weaving of our fate in magick and ritual are her gifts. The spider's knowledge is written in the secret letters and words found in her web. The intricate cross sections of her thread form the witch's alphabet and our book of shadows. With the magick we received, the helpers and medicine we obtained, we can return to the mundane world and create our own destiny.
By the power in me and the power of we. Belladonna and henbane, quartz and amber. Black jet and black cat, the frog and the bat. Spiders and butterflies with dragonflies swirl. Spirals in webs, hidden words and all's said. It's the magick that we weave, the magick we believe in the crossing of lines and the crossing of lives. It's a witch's day and a witch's way: The magick of Samhain.Special thanks to the following authors and their books for giving me the information needed to present the readers with this act of magick.
Scott Cunningham's books: The Magic of Incenses, Oils & Brews and Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem & Metal Magic Ted Andrews: Animal-Speak John Lust: The Herb Book
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