Evil Eye Amulet

Here's what I've been up to lately! I've been making charms and amulets, most of which I will debut a little later, but for now I'd love to know what you think of this simple charm! It is used to protect the owner from the Evil Eye, or those who look at you with jealousy and envy and can even curse or jinx you. It protects you from those who covet your belongings, success, and power, and repels the negative energy created. There are also two round Hematite beads on this charm which will dissolve negativity and help protect your aura.

These charms are simple but effective and can be hung in your house, above a doorway, in your car, in your garden, or even worn as a striking piece of jewelry!

These, I hope, will be a great addition to a shop I should be opening within the next few weeks. Love to get some feedback!

Hiking and works in progress

Last week I went hiking in Great Falls Park, Virginia with a few friends. It's about an hour or so away from where I live which isn't a bad drive for a place so beautiful. We ended up hiking about 6 miles before the thunder rolled in and we decided to call it a day. We scaled large rocks, shimmied along sheer drops, hiked through muddy bogs that sucked at our boots, and hopped across the river on slippery rocks. It was amazing. We only stayed on the Virginia side and next time I'd love to hike along the Maryland side.



Stunning trees while on the Swamp Trail


The swirling river...


Moss covered trees








I took this while sitting on a large warm rock in the middle of the river. I could have sat there for hours...



I've also been very busy with assembling swap and personal packages for the Summer Solstice round of the WWP @ Craftster.org.

I blended a few batches of Summer Solstice Incense, made a custom incense blend for a friend, brewed up some Four Thieves Vinegar, and did the first few steps of a batch of Kyphi incense. I went on a craft stash shopping blowout and bought a ton of silver charms on clearance to work on some charms and amulets using the many beautiful beads I have. I also started another knitting project using some vibrant teal colored wool I got at the Maryland Sheep and Wool festival I attended several years ago. I still have yet to work through all the wool I bought when I was there. This is proof I need to knit more, haha!

Exploring scents and gypsy magic

So I've been absent for a while but in that time I've acquired a real job and have slightly abandoned most of my projects in exchange for commuting. Instead I've been stocking up on supplies and continuing research and general reading about certain paths and delving deeper into my own. Today I went and purchased the pictured mortar and pestle which is dense and heavy and spectacular for grinding tough resins. The ones I've used in the past didn't have the perfectly bowled bottom but this one does. I plan on wearing shoes when I use it since I know I'd break a bone or two if I dropped it on my foot!
I've only recently begun to brew things again and also pictured in the photo are two small bottles of Dragon's Blood oil I brewed recently. There's also some loose incense pictured here that I'm making for a friend containing Myrrh, Rose, Jasmine, Frankincense, Spearmint, and a few other fancy things. I don't like using anything unnatural or manufactured so my incense and oils are the real deal. The base I use for my oils is Safflower oil which is rich in Vitamin E.

I've also been doing some research on gypsy paths and religion and picked up a book at the thrift store called Gypsies: Their Life, Legends, and Lore by Konrad Bercovici. It sort of jump started an interest for me in their paths. The book itself is old and slightly archaic, being written in 1882, but is full of interesting wisdom. Occasionally older literature can be a bit of an arduous read but it flows easily. It tells a first hand account of their history through the author's experience living with the Gypsies for a considerable amount of time. It's interesting. Also was in the book store today and picked up a Llewellyn book called Charms, Spells & Formulas by Ray T. Malbrough. The book itself had recipes and such pertaining to Hoodoo and while most people snub anything published by Llewellyn, this book isn't too bad. It's useful and informative and contains many recipes and instructions for oils, incense, powders, etc, which is right up my alley. While I never try to go straight from books when it comes to recipes and spells, it's good for reference.




Pictured above is the top section of my altar again, this time in honor of Ra, the Egyptian Sun God. He represents light, warmth, life given by the Sun, and growth. While I try to stick to mostly the Greek Pantheon, there are a few members of the Egyptian Pantheon that tend to communicate with me well. Nut, Bastet, and Seshat are a few of them.