The SATOR Square

The SATOR Square

S	A	T	O	R
A	R	E	P	O
T	E	N	E	T
O	P	E	R	A
R	O	T	A	S

This Palindrome Square is one of my favorites for protection. I place it on the backs of all the mirrors in the house, all 4 sills of the doors & windows, in our vehicles, in my purse. Basically everywhere.

Ok, let's backup a bit and give quickie lesson on the SATOR Square.

A Palindrome is a word or group of words that can be read forward or backward. In magickal workings they are quite often worked into Magick Squares such as the SATOR Square which is considered to be the most powerful of the palindrome charms.

These squares are all found in The Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage, Book III (translated by S.L. MacGregor Mathers) along with their definitions. In some texts I’ve found there to be various definitions of the words, but the use and purpose of each was always the same. There are 242 squares in the above mentioned book, each with a purpose, some good, some not so good, some that are rather odd and some that are downright mean. So if you’re interested in working with these squares, read Abramelin’s book(s) (which can be found in public domain and so are free on the internet - don‘t buy them at the book store or an online auction site). The method of use is to write on paper and then placed on the head to receive that which it is empowered with.

The Sator Square can be dated as far back as the first century C.E. in Pompeii, Italy. It has been used by many cultures & religions around the world as a magickal charm, including the early Christian mystics. There are many who have thought that the SATOR Square was of Christian origin due to the hidden anagram of “Pater Noster” (Our Father), but research has shown it to greatly pre-date the Christian era and more strongly apply to the ancient Sun God, Mithras.

This charm protects the bearer from attacks of negative energies, misfortune and illness and banishes evil from the home when hung on the wall. It brings blessings, strength and power. The words in the square: SATOR, means “to sow, create”; AREPO means “slow moving“; TENET means “to hold, maintain”; OPERA means “work, creation”; ROTAS means “wheel, vortices”.

The following poem makes it easier to remember, and can be recited as the SATOR Square is being drawn.

Sator the sower
Arepo the plow
Tenet the holder of magical vow
Opera opens the mystic gate
Rotas turns the Wheel of Fate

So, a simple talisman to make that will provide unlimited protection for you, yours and all your property! Try it and see. I'm sure you'll notice a level of protected energy around you that you didn't have before. I know I do. I never have any fears of harm, being stolen from, serious accidents, etc. It's kind of like a nice warm blanket wrapped around me at all times.

Good luck with yours as well!

Wildcrafting: Black-Eyed Susan

Black-Eyed Susan

Latin: Rudbeckia hirta

Other Names:

Brown-eyed Susan, Brown Betty, Brown Daisy (Rudbeckia triloba), Gloriosa Daisy, Golden Jerusalem, Poorland Daisy, Yellow Daisy, and Yellow Ox-Eye Daisy

Magickal Attributes:

Justice, Legal matters, Strengthen spells

Medicinal & Other Uses:

Antibiotic, Blood purifier, Fever, Immune system, Venereal disease

Deities:

N/A

Gender: M

Planet: Jupiter

Element: Air

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Harvest Time:

Mid to Late Summer

Garden Uses:

Edging & clumps for ornamental garden decoration

Important Butterfly plant

Culinary Uses:

Soup

Other Uses:

Bouquets, Dried arrangements

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Parts & Their Uses

Antimicrobial

Astringent for wounds

Colds

Diuretic

Earaches

Fevers

Intestinal worms

Poultice for snakebite

More effective than Echinacea at immune system stimulation.

Flowers:

Ground up to make a tea or soup, this can be used as a tonic or diuretic.

Yellow dye can be made from the flower petals.

Drying Flowers:

Bundle upright until dry, to keep their natural downward turning petals. Then if you’re wanting the seeds, turn the bundle upside down and shake gently over a bag or cloth to catch the seeds that fall off.

Leaves:

Macerated juice from the leaves & roots can be used for snakebites and swellings.

Roots:

Boil to make a tea for colds and intestinal worms. Strain before consumption to remove its irritating hairs.

Whole Plant:

N/A

Tinctures:

Use on cotton pad to dab on skin swellings.

Oils:

N/A

Infusions:

A hot tea will speed the recovery from colds, flus, & fevers.

Infusion Recipe:

Use approximately a 10:1 ratio of fresh or dry plant material to boiling water to make a tea.

Spirit Bag Wreath

Spirit Bag Wreath

The other day on Facebook there was a post from Circle Sanctuary showing a wreath with 30+ "spirit bags" - herb pouches - wrapped in different colored fabrics. They had been gathered one for each year of the Pagan Spirit Gathering. This is the picture of Selena Fox's wreath (it's absolutely beautiful!):

This gave me an idea to do my own, except I'll do one herb pouch for each day from the New Moon (which was also a Solar Eclipse!), 5/20/2012, through the Dark Moon, 6/18/2012. I have 5 intents that will be repeated 6 times to equal 30 days: Money, Health, Love, Remove obstacles, Protection. All of these will be attached on the lower half of the vine wreath I made from a vine I took from our woods. The 31st herb pouch will be for Blessings on the New Moon, 6/19/2012 and will hang alone from the top down into the center.

So far I have 2 on my vine wreath. I'm looking forward to watching it fill up! The finished project should be very beautiful. I have a space on the wall in the hallway where I will hang it.

Making one for healing to send to someone who is ill would be a wonderful gift. Or one for marriage blessings to a new bride, done in whites and the colors from her wedding would be gorgeous! There could be ones made for just about any purpose you could think of.

I'll post more pics as it progresses.

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First set (5/24/2012):

Second set (5/29/2012):

Third set (6/3/2012). Half way there!:

Fourth set (7/8/2012). It's really filling up now!:

Fifth set (6/13/2012) - lovin' it!

Sixth set (6/18/2012) - Final set, only one more herb pouch to add tomorrow!

Finally complete! (6/19/2012) - It's sooo pretty and smells sooo awesome!

Daily Blessings & Meditations

Daily Blessings & Meditations

Do y'all have daily blessings and/or meditations you say every day? I do. For those who do, have y'all ever considered how your day may go if you don't say them? Or found that if you forgot, then the day didn't go quite as well? For those who've never had a daily blessing to say, why not try it for a couple of weeks? As for a daily meditation, y'all should try it as well. Together they're quite enlightening & empowering.

Very uplifting actually!

I started mine about 7 years ago (lol, now that I think about it, right about the time I began writing my books!) My days began to flow more easily, I was in a better mood and things didn't quite get to me like they used to. Yes, I forget sometimes. And yes, sometimes there are some bad days anyway. That's just life. But honestly, I can't imagine my continued daily life going on without them!

The blessings are short & rhyming (made it easier to remember), and make me smile. The meditation is a bit longer, of course, and quite cleansing & empowering. I'll share them here, but y'all should evaluate your own life and situation and write your own - if you haven't already, that is. ;)

In the morning while I'm letting out the chickens and getting them fed & watered, and the dogs are running around doing their "business", I say these blessings:

Good morning Father Sun,

Another day has begun.

Burn away the morning's dew,

As we begin this day anew.

Good morning Mother Earth,

Fill this day with laughter, joy & mirth.

Good morning Ancient One,

Guide & protect us til a new day has come.

Good morning little Fae!

Won't you come out and play?

Good morning Galinor,

Won't you please come through the Door?

Your companionship to impart

As this new day we do start.

Greetings & blessings Jung'Ro!

The day has begun and there is much more to know.

Impart your knowledge & wisdom to me

As we commune across the Veils of Reality!

Father Sun & Mother Earth are obvious. The Ancient One is the Dragon who lives under our hill, and upon whose back we live. The Fae live down in the woods but come up here to help me with my planting & gardening. They come & go through a door I painted on a rock that is in the guest bedroom. This way they won't disturb the Dragon with their coming & going. Galinor is my companion Dragon, mostly red with orange & yellow, like fire. His wings are rainbow-like, going from deep, dark blue at the bottom to a beautiful yellow a the tips. And Jung'Ro is my Guide & Teacher. He kind of reminds me of the Ents from the Lord of the Rings stories.

Yours would be written according to your own surroundings and what you see & feel in your environment. Maybe even what you'd like to see & feel around you! If you don't think the Fae or Dragons are anywhere near, why not speak to them as if they are - they'll hear you and, if you're sincere, they'll come!

The meditation is done when I sit down at my computer in the morning. It's basically planting my feet deep into the ground with "roots", calling the Serpent of Life up and the Dove of the Divine down. They join inside me and merge to become a Flying Divine Serpent. And when the energy is full from all of It's swirling around, it then explodes outward. Quite a cleansing experience!

So, if y'all haven't tried anything like any of the above, why not try it for a couple of weeks to see the difference? If it seems like something you'd probably forget, then try it one in the shower as you're beginning your day. The one I do in the shower is quite simple also and I repeat it the entire time I'm washing. Doing it once would be fine also, repeating it is just what I usually do. Y'all do what feels right to you. Here's my shower blessing:

Scrub, cleanse, rinse & shine,

Negative aspects divide in twine!

Down the drain, wash away,

Begin anew on this day!

Kind of silly, but it will sometimes make me giggle as I'm reciting it to myself. And we all know that laughter is one of the best emotional cleansers there is!

So for those who've never had daily blessings, I really suggest you try them out. I'm positive you'll see a difference very quickly! The meditation would be a good one to work on as well, but sometimes beginning too many things at once can be overwhelming and then you just quit altogether. And we don't want that! Whether it's the blessings or the meditation, pick one and stick to it every day for at least 2 weeks. I know you'll see a difference!

Blessings to y'all today and everyday! :D