Dinahs Dreams Newsletter 10-08

Dinah's Dreams Newsletter

October 2008

Festivals of the Dead

Dinahs Dreams Home Page

Dinahs Dreams Fun Info Page

Magical Uses of 7-Day Pillar Candles

This Just In

Crystal Healing

2009 Calendars and Almanacs

The Fairy World

FESTIVALS OF THE DEAD

Usually in the fall, at harvest time, all over the world people celebrate the dead. Every culture remembers the dead in different ways. It is a time to remember the loved ones who have passed on, honor your ancestors, mourn the dearly departed, and ward off evil. Some of these festivals are:

ANCIENT EGYPT FESTIVAL OF THE VALLEY

Statues of Amun-Ra, Mut and Khonsu were carried across the Nile on decorated barges to visit temples and tombs. Food and drink were given out and flowers were scattered around. Then families would visit the ancestor’s tombs, make offerings and sleep overnight to commune with the blessed dead.

MEXICAN DAY OF THE DEAD

Decorations and pictures of skeletons commemorate the spirits of dead children on November 1st and the dead in general on November 2nd. Families gather at the grave sites, tend to the grave, bring food and drink and tell stories about the dear departed. This is not a morbid occasion but a loving tribute. It comes from an ancient Aztec festival mixed with Catholic influences.

JAPANESE OBON MATSURI

Everyone returns to their home place to clean and decorate tombs of ancestors. Red lanterns are hung to help spirits find their way back to the underworld, festive dances, bonfires, drumming and fireworks celebrate the memory of ancestors and frighten off evil spirits. This Buddhist festival began in the seventh century. Matsuri means festival, but literally translates as “worship of the ancestral spirits”.

2009 WITCHES CALENDAR

Beautiful folk art and magic calendar. New articles about hand fasting, the Green Man, seasonal topics by well known Pagan authors. Complete solar and lunar information.

2009 WITCHES DATEBOOK

Spiral bound portable date book to keep track of your busy schedule. In depth articles about Moon rituals, festivals, meditations and magic spells. Beautiful artwork and plenty of room for lists.

2009 WITCHES SPELL-A-DAY

365 spells for every circumstance imaginable. Spells to get rid of bothersome neighbors, to bring more sexual pleasure into your life, to protect your home and family, to honor your loved ones who have passed on and many, many more simple and effective rituals. Combine astrology and Moon phases to pick the best time and day to perform various spells.

2009 SEASONS OF THE WITCH CALENDAR

Sexy witches in conical hats celebrate many pagan paths. Waxing moon phases are shaded yellow for easy spell planning. Sabbats, holidays, astrology, Mercury Retrograde and the 7th House Power Casting system.

2009 MAGICAL ALMANAC

Pagan holidays and festivals around the world help you celebrate the Old Ways everyday. Over 50 articles on everything including magical gardening, kitchen witchery, banishing rituals, water, earth, air and fire magic, recipes and much more. Incense and color correspondences to help you with the spells.

2009 HERBAL ALMANAC

Over 36 articles by today’s top herbalists with plenty of tips for using herbs for natural health , beauty, cooking, magic and crafts for kids. Brew your own teas; grow medicinal herbs, and the history of some of the best ancient herbs.

2009 MYTH & MAGIC CALENDAR

Jessica Galbreth’s beautiful Enchanted Art. Includes Wiccan sabbat and all major holidays. The mistress of fantasy picked 13 of her favorite works of art for this 11X14 calendar.

CLEAR QUARTZ HEALING

Clear quartz has many powerful properties. Ancient man used clear quartz for protection and healing. Place clear crystals around your home to raise the energy and purify the atmosphere. Hold a clear quartz close when you feel depressed or out of sorts. Clear quartz increases self-esteem, improves communication and dispels mental imbalances. Hold a clear quartz in your hand before you go to sleep at night and it will help you remember your meaningful dreams. Place a clear quartz on your computer to disperse negative energy and keep it working, especially when you are stressed out. Rub a clear quartz on the part of your body that has pain and notice the healing energy.

To perform a healing ritual take a bath in sea salt, lay down on the bed and place a rose quartz ( for love, romance and tranquility) over your heart, place 6 clear crystals, points facing out, around the rose quartz in a star pattern. It will look like a flower over your heart. Take deep breaths and relax your mind and body for at least 5 minutes. Picture in your mind all the pain and negativity leaving your body. Repeat a prayer or affirmation like “all physical, mental and spiritual illness is leaving my body now.” Next turn the crystals facing in toward the rose quartz and visualize your body being rejuvenated and filled with beautiful white light for at least 5 minutes. Repeat to yourself a prayer or affirmation like

“ My body, mind and soul is completely healed and filled with a white light.”

NEW 2009

CALENDARS, ALMANACS, & PLANNERS

oh my!

LAVENDER FAIRY

The greatest gift the Lavender fairy gives us is happiness. Carry lavender to make wishes come true, burn lavender in an oil diffuser to cleanse the home of disruptive vibrations, add to bath to bring out psychic abilities or place in drawers for protection against an abusive partner.

HONEYSUCKLE FAIRY

The honeysuckle fairy brings us the message that spirituality can be found in the sensuous act of love. The smell of honeysuckle attracts romance. Burn honeysuckle oil to let go of self-destructive habits. Wear honeysuckle to heighten your psychic abilities. Plant near your house for luck.

LILAC FAIRY

A lilac fairy brings harmony and protection from evil spirits. Plant a lilac tree near your home to drive away ghosts and negative energies. Burn lilac oil in your home and

notice the sensation of peace come over you and your loved ones. Place lilac blooms in the house to recall happy memories.

The rose fairy is very powerful and can bestow glorious blessings. The red rose is linked to love, fertility, and sacred (sexual) passion. White roses are for spirituality. Pink roses are for gentleness and affection. Yellow roses are for courage. Any wishes about love are stronger if you wear rose oil, bathe in rose petals and grow rose bushes in your yard to attract the fairies help.

ROSE FAIRY

Roses were sacred to Isis the beautiful Egyptian goddess. Isis is the mother, queen, wife, lover and mistress of magic.

They can help us become more creative, relaxed, playful and hopeful about the future. Some well-known flower fairies are listed here.

THE FAIRY WORLD

Cultures all over the world believe in Fairies, in some form or another. No one has “proven” the existance of fairies, but to think that we know everything there is to know about the universe is arrogant. To “believe” in something that you cannot see is spiritual and enlightening. Fairies are nature angels who tend growing things. They are elemental spirits of the Air, Fire, Water and Earth. They might even be angels that give us protection, wisdom and guidance. Some may even play tricks on us. Sit in a park, garden, or take a hike in the woods and reconnect with nature and the fairies.

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Romans believed the spirits of the dead haunted people and during the festival Vestal Virgins (priestesses) baked cakes from the first ears of wheat to appear that season to appease the spirits. (This is where the Virgo symbol came from). Celts believed that spirits come back to possess the living so they would dress up in ghoulish costumes to frighten away spirits. Everyone gave fruit cakes to the disguised spirits. In Ireland it is still a custom to set a place for the dead at the feast and tell tales of the ancestors. Bonfires are set to honor and purify, everyone sings, dances and recites poetry. Some leave a candle in the window to guide the dead home. Not just a time for parties but also a time to pay respect to ancestors, family, elders, friends, pets and other loved ones who have died.

On the night of October 31st, people dress up in costumes and noisily parade around the neighborhood to receive goodies. This festival is a combination of ancient Roman, Celtic and Christian celebrations. The word Halloween derives from All Hallows’ Eve- the night before All Saints’ Day. All Saints’ Day was an attempt to replace the Pagan traditions of the Roman harvest festival Pomona Day and the Celtic festival Samhain (pronounced “Sow In” translated “Summer’s End”) with Christian celebrations.

HALLOWEEN

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Magical Uses of 7-Day Pillar Candles

Seven day pillar jar candles are used in many different cultures and traditions around the world. They are a beautiful and safe source of illumination. Choose the appropriate color or use the all purpose white.

Passion, energy, sex, success

Courage, creativity, prosperity

Learning, travel, change

Harmony, money, fertility

Remove obstacles, spiritual healing, and peace

Good luck, legal matters, fortune

Romance, love, loyalty

Absorption of negativity, depression, removes curses

RED

ORANGE

YELLOW

GREEN

BLUE

PURPLE

PINK

BLACK

These are sold in the shop for $3.00 each.

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This Just In the Shop

Buddha Charms

Wear the Buddha charm to bring you luck in any situation. Buddha represents spiritual enlightenment, peace and love for all mankind.

Charms

Fairy Charms

Wear the fairy charm (we have several types) to magically make your wish come true. Fairies remind us that life is joyful and fun, nature needs and deserves our respect and animals are our brothers and sisters. Invite fairies into your life by going out into nature and asking for their healing help. Leave the fairies a shiny little gift or a piece of chocolate. Pick up litter and make a beautiful flower bed. Or just have a vase of flowers in your home. You will know fairies are around when you start to see butterflies, dragonflies, frogs and lizards in your yard. Your trees and flowers will be more colorful and there will be a feeling of tranquility in your space.

Pentacle Charms

The ancient symbol for protection. Small, simple and discreet.

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Mini Cast Iron Cauldrons

Just the right size for a small altar. Use mini cauldrons to burn charcoal with Sage, Dragon’s Blood, Frankincense and Myrrh resin. This cast iron, tripod style cauldrons come with a lid. Pots are made for use in preparing rituals and spells, not to be used for cooking. Place on heat resistant surface.

New Gemstone Jewelry

Beautiful 16” necklaces in amethyst, rose quartz, turquoise and multi-gems.

Brass Ankhs

Large 4X7” $9.95

Small 2X4” $7.95

An ancient Egyptian symbol of eternal life. Now a modern day symbol of wholeness and health.

Oil Diffusers

Release your favorite scent into the air with our oil diffusers. We have dozens of different kinds of oil diffusers and hundreds of oil scents to choose from. Some are electric and touch lamps. Some are candle burning. Some are night lights. Easy to clean. For people who want the scent of incense without the smoke and ashes. We also have the replacement glass dishes and replacement bulbs.