moonstoneandmoss

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A soft glow this evening.

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Dorothy Quick - Walpurgis Night. Art by Joseph R. Eberle.

(Weird Tales - January 1954)

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Philip Hofmänner

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End of the Harvest Season • Witches' Sabbath, Paris, ca. 1910

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Dylan Bolivar

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The Lily Fairy, 1888 (Private collection)

Luis Ricardo Falero

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La Bruja by Luis Ricardo Falero (1882)

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Luis Ricardo Falero (1851-1896)

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Joshua Ward House Salem, Massachusetts

The town of Salem, Massachusetts is no stranger to macabre record and disturbing legends, but for the first time perhaps something belonging to the towns supernatural facet has been caught on camera.

The Joshua Ward House has stood in mute witness to a dark history. The Georgian/Federal style building was constructed by Joshua Ward, a wealthy merchant sea captain, in the late 1780s on the remaining foundations of former sheriff George Corwin’s house on Washington Street. Corwin was a bloody figure whose zeal added to the unfortunate events surrounding Salem in the late 1600s. Nicknamed The Strangler after his preferred torture modus operandi (which included tying his prone victims’ necks to their ankles until the blood ran from their noses), he is said to be responsible for many of the witches deaths, including that of Giles Corey, a man who stood accused of witchcraft who Corey crushed to death by placing heavy stones on his chest in order to extract a confession. Despite the horrific treatment Corey never confessed, indeed he is said to have implored his torturers to pile on more rocks and hasten his departure.

Legend states that just before he died, Corey cursed Corwin and all sheriffs that follow in his wake for his despicable acts of barbarism. It should be noted here that every sheriff since Corey uttered his curse had died while in office or had been forced out of his post as the result of a heart or blood ailment. Corwin himself died of a heart attack in 1696, only about four years after the end of the trials. By the time of his death, Corwin was so despised that his family had to bury him in the cellar of their house to avoid desecration of the corpse by the public.

In the early 1980s a real estate company named Carlson Realty had bought the house with the intention of turning it into their headquarters. After moving in, a realtor by the name of Dale Lewinski began the task of taking photographs of the staff members to add to a welcome display. Lewinski was using a Polaroid camera to snap the head-and-shoulders, passport-style pictures. Upon photographing a colleague by the name of Lorraine St. Peter a peculiar sight greeted Lewinski.

The Polaroid was developed and, instead of showing St. Peter, it appeared to depict a frightening image: a strange, black-haired, feminine figure. St. Peter was nowhere to be seen, the photograph has not been cropped at all; St. Peter has been entirely replaced by the apparition.

This reproduction was originally published in the book Haunted Happenings by Robert Ellis Cahill (himself an ex-sheriff) in which he describes St. Peter as “both genuinely frightened and embarrassed by the picture.”

A hoax is of course, always possible, but unnecessary considering the rich nature of other paranormal occurrences that are reported to take place within the Joshua Ward House: aportation (objects moving of their own accord), candles that leap from their holders and subsequently melt, candles that are found bent into S shapes, alarms that go off by themselves (one alarm was triggered over sixty times in two years), phantom strangulation’s and the sightings of a myriad spirits including an elderly-looking spirit sitting by a fireplace and along with the photograph in questions subject, another ghostly woman roams the upper floors.

One room in particular seems to be more haunted than the rest. An employee would lock her office door nightly only to return in the morning to find books and papers thrown across the floor, the wastebasket upside down and lamp shades askew.

Sheriff Corwin’s body was eventually moved to the Broad Street Cemetery, but it is said that his spirit too lingers in the Ward House.

It is truly a bizarre photograph, certainly containing a degree of menace and so starkly strange as to create fright in the onlooker, especially upon first viewing.

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Ostara Gin-n-Tonic

Ingredients :

1 oz. London Gin (Beefeater)

Dried rose petals

2 ice cubes

1/2 - 1 oz. Simple Syrup (to taste)

Tonic water

Lavender sprig

Recipe:

In a lowball glass.

Add 1 oz. London Gin. Take some dried rose petals (you can crush them if you like) and sprinkle into the glass.

Add 2 ice cubes.

Add up to 1 oz. of simple syrup, to taste.

Top with Tonic water.

Gently stir for 15 seconds.

Add a sprig of lavender for garnish and aroma.

Tip 1: Drink slowly. Allow the rose and lavender aromas to infuse the drink.

Tip 2: Don't use florist shop petals. Find some food grade flowers for this. (Or you can grow them yourself! Just like @vanwolffen)

Cocktail by: @vanwolffen

Pics and post by: @cinnabarmint

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Happy Ostara! 🐇🌱🥚🐰

Ostara, or the Spring Equinox, is an enchanted borderland time outside of time where a magickal seam joins dark and light. From this moment on, the Sun God begins his seminal journey across the sky. His light and warmth overtake the darkness of Winter until his power peaks at Summer Solstice in June.

Ostara is a time of new fire. The light and dark are in perfect balance, but the light is growing and the Sun is about to burst forth with new energy. It is a season of fertility and growth.

Eostre or Ostara is the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring to whom offerings of cakes and colored eggs were made at the Vernal Equinox. Rabbits were sacred to her, especially white rabbits, and she was believed to take the form of a rabbit.

ALTAR: For the Ostara altar: -- Candles should be light green. -- Incense may be jasmine. -- Decorate the circle with spring wildflowers. -- Place an earthenware or wooden bowl containing soil or a large seed of some kind on the altar.

HERBS to use in your magic at Ostara: lily of the valley, tansy, lavender, marjoram, thyme, tarragon, lovage, lilac, violets, lemon balm, dogwood, honeysuckle, oakmoss, orrisroot, sunflower seeds, rose hips, oak, elder, willow, crocus, daffodil, jonquil, tulip, broom (Scotch or Iris), meadowsweet, acorn, trefoil (purple clover), vervain.

STONES: Clear quartz crystal, rose quartz, agate, lapis lazuli, amazonite, garnet.

ACTIVITIES : Perform a seed blessing and indoor planting ritual. Have a traditional breakfast of buns, ham, and eggs. Make natural egg dyes from herbs.

Color hard boiled eggs and add symbols for the Fertility God, the Goddess, the Sun God, unity, fire, water, agriculture, prosperity and growth, strength and wisdom, spring, love and affection, and protection.

Consecrate the eggs:

In the name of the Goddess of Spring, (name); and the ever-returning God of the Sun, (name); By the powers of the four elements -- earth, air, fire, and water; I do consecrate these eggs of Ostara..

Point the athame at the eggs, make the sign of the pentagram, and see the energy flow through the blade into the eggs, and say:

New life lies within as new life shall enter the soil. Let those who seek this life find it and consume it, for all life feeds on life.

The eggs may be hidden and an Ostara Egg Hunt commences.

Make pysanky and krashanky, magickal amulets of fertility, protection, and prosperity.

Make hot cross buns to honor the union of the earth and the sun for Spring. Slash the "X" with the bolline and bless the cakes.

Toss crushed eggshells into the garden and say:

For fairy, for flowers, for herbs in the bowers, The shells pass fertility with springtime flowers.

Wear green clothing.

Eat an egg you have empowered with a quality you desire.

At this time, witches cast spells for careers, relationships, and love. It's a time for planting new ideas. Seek harmony and balance in the incredible energy of the season, and project good health, good fortune, and confidence in achieving goals.

FOOD: Eggs! Spring lamb, cream and milk, bake bread with a decorated egg inside, spring salad, hot cross buns.

More info here: http://bit.ly/2DDQ86V

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Bring Nature Inside: Part 1

Last Spring I delved into gardening more than I ever had before. I planted all kinds of flowers, trees, herbs, shrubs, and more! It was fantastical to dig in the dirt and care for these plants, watching them bloom and grow and stretch toward the sun.

Then winter came and one by one many of my plants began to whiter or stop giving off blooms. This is obviously upsetting but also a reminder to contemplate the nature of life and death and everything in-between. 

However, there is a simple way to help bring that joy of plants and growing into the home through houseplants! Below I have provided some house plants that I personally care for as well as both mundane and magical properties of the plant.  

💐 Devil’s Ivy (Pothos)💐

Devil’s Ivy is one of the easiest plants to care for in the home.

Mundane Properties (Devil’s Ivy):

Only water the plant every two weeks (over-watering is the most common way to kill a devil’s ivy and under-watering rarely harms the plant).

The plant is toxic to both you and pets. So if you have any familiars lurking about that like to munch on things keep it out of reach!

The plant is easy to propagate and after a while you can have hundreds of them around your home.

If your plant looses a leaf it will never grow back on that part of the stem.

Pothos is fairly slow growing but will live for decades if properly taken care of.

Magical Properties (Devil’s Ivy):

Save stems you trim off to be used in binding or banishment spells.

Like most ivy, growth this plant around the walls or floors of your home can protect it.

Can be used in witch jars as a form of poison magic.

💐 Spider Plant💐

Mundane Properties (Spider Plant):

A spider plant is a great addition to every home!

Although all plants will remove toxins from the air, Spider Plants are one of the most effective house plants and achieving this goal.

Over-watering is the leading cause of death for plants at home.

The plant, when happy, sends off shoots that produce babies which can easily be snipped off and potted to create more plants.

This plant is non-toxic and is safe around familiars and people!

They prefer a bright North or East facing window.

Magical Properties (Spider Plant):

Spider Plants can be used in all kinds or protection magic.

The pups can be cut off and placed in a spell jar to filter out bad spiritual energy.

Long stems and leaves of the plant can be tied into a witch’s ladder for protection.

Placed on your altar the plant can help equalizes the energy of your altar and tools placed upon it. 

💐 String of Pearls💐

Mundane Properties (String of Pearls):

The String of Pearls can be a difficult plant to get right, however, once you do you will be happy with the beauty it can bring into your home.

This plant requires a fairly consistent temperature (room temperature or a bit warmer is perfect for this girl).

Make sure to place this plant away from any breezes (windows, fans, and vents can cause this plant to stop growing and possibly die).

Only water this plant when the soil is completely dry, take care to ensure the pot you have it in has good drainage.

You may need to work carefully with the String of Pearls to unravel it’s many creeping tendrils and prevent it from looking a mess.

It may take a few tries but the String of Pearls is a fairly easy plant to propagate and give to friends.

Fairly fast growing in the right conditions. 

Needs very bright light.

Slightly toxic when consumed, some people are also receptive to the juice and sap of the plant.

Magical Properties (String of Pearls):

The fairly fast growing tendrils can be snipped (this does not hurt the plant) and be used in love charms and love magic.

Growing in the home, the plant promotes positive energy and happiness.

Pearls which fall from the plant can be used in divination bags once dried.

When the plant flowers the energy surrounding is perfect to use in all magics wishing to draw something to you.

(Disclaimer: This is by no means a comprehensive guide to each of these plants. Doing research on any plant before attempting to grow it yourself is highly advised. The magical properties of these plants are my own interpretations and you may find different or alternative uses for them.)

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Better Homes and Gardens: Stretching Living Space, 1983

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Dressed up as Sarah Sanderson for Halloween..

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Sarah Jessica Parker, “Hocus Pocus” (Kenny Ortega, 1993).

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