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Have a merry Yultide Eve.

Have a wonderful Christmas Eve.

And may your wings always be in flight. .

Sleep tight and may your dreams be bright.  

Let us all take a moment to ask for a peaceful  day on on this planet for the coming tomorrow of Christmas morning.  Peace on Earth for a day - and may it become a trend everyday. John Lennon believed in the power to imagine world peace and spent most of his life trying to promote it. Music was his weapon of choice and his sword was his Voice

Star  =  Arts

Who on Earth do you think you are?

A Superstar? Well right you are

Well we all Shine on

Like the Moon and

the Stars and the Sun

\

Musician is Magician

Musical is Magical

Music is Magic

Muses = Music / Magus = Magic

Music is Magic

Rituals are a normal part of all religions, but at this time of year

they are part of preparation for the coming of the New Year

and its beginnings being launched in our lives 

Creating a calm atmosphere is sacred space.

Home Cleansing and Smudging Rituals

Bringing Peaceful Vibrations to Any Place You Call Home

Cleansing and smudging rituals for the home, can be done by using any one or several easy to find plants. Home cleansing and smudging rituals are easy to do, and require little effort on the part of the novice.

 In fact, they are so basic that there is no need for anything but a few basic guidelines to understand how to perform these rites, with only your heart to empower the ritual, and your home will be effectively exorcised of

anything. Smudging is a commonly understood way of using the smoke from burning herbs to perform cleansing for thebody, an object, or a given area of negative influences. These rituals are used to eliminate what are generallyconsidered lower vibrational energies. Smudging maybe used to cleanse crystals before using them, for protecting my home from bad vibes or to help in warding or banishing ceremonies. Smudging should be done with care, with reverence, and in an attitude of love. Show your respect and honor to the plant for it has has given us its life to be used for our healing, and in turn respect is owed to nature for keeping us well, free from disease, and the negative energy being released. When done with proper reverence, there is unlikely to be anything that will be able to break through the defenses put up by the smudging ritual.

There is one important rule, that must be followed for using plants life for cleansing of any space.

Be sure to ask the plant for permission to be used, before cutting or burning it as part of any ritual. If you do not do so, the protective power of the plant will decrease, or become inert. What was a magical tool in your hands, suddenly becomes nothing but an useless houseplant, one that you have killed and wasted all of the potential energies of nature carelessly.

The three most commonly used plants for smudging rituals are sage, cedar, and sweetgrass. A fourth kindred plant can be used for a similar effect for cleansing a home is the aloe Vera, but it is not used by way of smudging ritual. These are the best choices for using plants to cleanse any place you consider sacred and yours.

The most commonly used is Sage.

There are two major genii and several varieties of each genus of Sage that are used for smudging. Salvia, or the herb sage used for cooking, comes in two major varieties, Garden Sage, and White Sage. Artemisia is the genus commonly considered Sagebrush. There are two major varieties to the Artemisia genus, A. Californica, or Common Sagebrush, and A. Vulgaris, or Mugwort. All are effective in smudging.

Sage is burned in smudging ceremonies to drive out evil spirits, negative thoughts and feelings, and to keep such negative entities away from areas where ceremonials take place. Sage is also used in keeping sacred objects like pipes or wands safe from negative influences. Almost anything can be kept in a bundle with sage boughs, objects like special crystals are easily protected this way.

Almost as common is the use of Cedar.

Cedar is burnt while praying or in meditation, and also to bless a house before moving . It works both as a purifier and as a way to attract positive life force energy to you. It is usually available in herb stores in chipped form, which must be sprinkled over a charcoal in a brazier or a charcoaled mesquite.

True cedar is of the Thuja and Libocedrus genii. Some Junipers are called Cedar by mistake, yet are still lesser cleansing herbs, namely J. Monosperma, or Desert White Cedar. For smudging, the best is Western Red Cedar and California Incense Cedar.

The least used today is Sweetgrass.

This plant has long been sacred and used by several Native American nations, it is known by the botanical name is Hierochloe Oderata. Sweetgrass is so very rare today, and traditional Plains peoples have been attempting to protect the last of it. Generally Sweetgrass is braided like hair braids. It can also be burnt by lighting the end of it, or shaving it into little bits to burn on charcoal in a brazier or charcoaled Mesquite Sweetgrass is burnt after smudging with sage, to welcome in good influences after the bad had been driven out. Cedar, Pinon pine needles and Copal have a similar effect, and none of these are endangered plants like sweetgrass. So they are a recommended alternative for ritual uses. The three mentioned here are readily available either through gathering yourself or, in the case of copal resin, from any good herb shop.

Also useful for the home is Aloe Vera.

All variations of Aloe Vera carry similar enough properties to be used interchangeably. For this is not a smudging ritual use plant. It is kept as you would a houseplant for it to be useful. Aloe Vera plants, though not to be burnt, are good for the cleansing as well. Keeping one or more potted Aloe Vera's in the house in organic wood or ceramic pots. The spirit of Aloe Vera is good for protective energies and healing. Also if you burn yourself, can also be used to heal your skin more effectively than any medicine.

Having chosen your favored plant to use in the home cleansing, you are now you are ready to begin the smudging ritual. This is the most basic explanation for anyone of any belief or race, nothing is required of you except your wish to perform the ritual and an open heart to the cleansing process, as this is a sacred rite you will be performing. That said, here is all you need to know.

Sometimes cost is a factor in the ritual choices. Burn clippings of the herb in a brazier is often done out of necessity, although preferably this is the accepted method of a true smudging ritual. If possible fore go this method, instead use the one below. If it is at all possible.

The herb of choice is bundled in a wand, lighting the end of the wand that is not woody for use. Direct the smoke with your hands or with a feather over the person or thing you wish to smudge. For cleansing a house, first offer smoke to the four directions outside the house. Then go throughout the inside of the house, making sure the smoke penetrates every nook and cranny of the house. It might help also if you have a favorite song, to sing that as you carry the smoke about the household. Then walk through the house with a white candle that is well protected, to literally light up the house.

When finished give thanks to the earth. Then take a few moments to stand silent in honor of the ritual being complete. Then you may put out anything still burning by putting it out in the dirt, like you would a cigarette. For home cleansing and smudging rituals you should not extinguish the fire or embers by blowing or putting them into water. The elements should be used in harmony, not against one another.

When this is done. Announce aloud that the home is cleansed, and thus the ritual is ended. Blessings be bestowed upon your new and happy household.

That is all, and you are done. May this information be useful to you.

SINCE IT IS THE NIGHT OF THE EBBING YULTIDE AND CHRISTMAS EVE

WHY NOT ONE MORE GALACTIC CLASSIC FROM ANOTHER ROCK AND ROLL ICON THAT HAS ALREADY PASSED INTO THE GREAT BEYOND

IF JOHN LENNON CAN"T GET YOUR IMAGINATION HIGH

THEN I KNOW ONLY ONE SPACEMAN THAT SURELY CAN

TAKE A MOMENT TO LISTEN TO POSSIBLY THE BEST SONG EVER WRITTEN

BY JAMES MARSHALL HENDRIX

AS YOU LISTEN AND ALSO READ ONE OF THE FEW POEMS THIS AMAZING ARTIST LEFT BEHIND OR US ON EARTH. NOW THAT HE IS SWINGING ON THAT AXIS BOLD AS LOVE

  "500,000 halos....

     outshined the mud and history

     We washed and drank in God's tears of joy

     And for once...and for everyone...

     the truth was not a mystery -

     Love called to all...music is magic

     As we passed over and beyond the walls of nay

     Hand in hand as we lived and

     made real the dreams of peaceful men -

     We came together...Danced with

     the pearls of rainy weather

     Riding the waves of music and

     Space - music is magic....

     Magic is life....

     Love as never loved before....

     Harmony to son and daughter...man and wife" 

     As written backstage at Woodstock

by Jimi Hendrix