STINKING GLADWIN

Descript : This is one of the kinds of Flower-de-luce, having divers leaves arising from the roots, very like a Flower-de-luce, but that they are sharp-edged on both sides, and thicker in the middle, of a deeper green color narrower and sharper pointed, and a strong ill-scent, if they be bruised between the fingers. In the middle rises up a reasonably strong stalk, a yard high at least, bearing three or four flowers at the top, made somewhat like the flowers of the Flower-de-luce, with three upright leaves, of a dead purplish ashcolor, with some veins discolored in them; the other three do not fall down, nor are the three other small ones so arched, nor cover the lower leaves as the Flower-de-luce doth, but stand loose or asunder from them. After they are past, there come up three square hard husks, opening wide into three parts when they are ripe, wherein lie reddish seed, turns black when it hath abiden long. The root is like that of the Flower-de-luce, but reddish on the outside, and whitish within, very sharp and hot in the taste, of as evil a scent as the leaves.
Place : This grows as well in upland grounds, as in moist places, woods, and shadowy places by the sea-side in many places of this land, and is usually nursed up in gardens.
Time : It flowers not until July, and the seed is ripe in August or September, yet the husks after they are ripe, opening themselves, will hold their seed with them for two or three months, and not shed them.
Government and virtues : It is supposed to be under the dominion of Saturn. It is used by many country people to purge corrupt phlegm and choler, which they do by drinking the decoction of the roots; and some to make it more gentle, do but infuse the sliced roots in ale; and some take the leaves, which serve well for the weaker stomach. The juice hereof put up, or snuffed up the nose, causes sneezing, and draws from the head much corruption; and the powder thereof doth the same. The powder thereof drank in wine, helps those that are troubled with the cramps and convulsions, or with the gout and sciatica, and gives ease to those that have griping pains in their body and belly, and helps those that have the stranguary. It is given with much profit to those that have had long fluxes by the sharp and evil quality of humours, which it stays, having first cleansed and purged them by the drying and binding property therein. The root boiled in wine and drank, doth effectually procure women's courses, and used as a pessary, works the same effect, but causes abortion in women with child. Half a dram of the seed beaten to powder, and taken in wine, doth speedily cause one to make water abundantly. The same taken with vinegar, dissolves the hardness and swellings of the spleen. The root is very effectual in all wounds, especially of the head; as also to draw forth any splinters, thorns, or broken bones, or any other thing sticking in the flesh, without causing pains, being used with a little verdigrease and honey, and the great Centaury root. The same boiled in vinegar, and laid upon an eruption or swelling, doth very effectually dissolve and consume them; yea, even the swellings of the throat called the king's evil; the juice of the leaves or roots heals the itch, and all running or spreading scabs, sores, blemishes, or scars in the skin, wheresoever they be.

Crystal Ball

The crystal ball is used as a divination tool used for scrying. It may be used to receive messages from the Gods, or to store raised energy.

You can use it to call up images of the Goddess, or past lives. It is a magickal object touched by the divine, if you find one guard it carefully.

In ritual it is placed on the altar to represent the Goddess. It may also be the centerpiece for full moon rituals.

Periodic exposure to moonlight, or rubbing it with fresh mugwort, will increase it's ability.

The Crystal Ball by Sibyl Ferguson ISBN 0-87728-483-0-

Rune Magic

Types of Rune Spells

Inscriptions

Today, many people take written language for granted and use runes as an alphabet without really understanding the magical importance of doing so. When you write a word in runes, it empowers that word. The Norse would often finish inscriptions with the statement, "So-and-so wrote this", or "So-and-so made me". This was a way of magically connecting the writer or carver of the runes with what they had just written. For example, there was a bone plate found in Derbyshire which bears an inscription that reads, "God will preserve the honour of Hadda because he wrote this". Thus, the very act of writing something in runes is a spell in itself, bringing the statement into concrete reality.

Rune Scripts

Another way of using the runes for magic is to write out rune rows, or rune scripts. These are type of shorthand spell, made up of a sequence of two or more runes. For example, if you wanted to create a rune row to help enhance your psychic abilities, you might incorporate laguz/water (relating to the subconscious and mysteries), perth/dice-cup (for divination and magic), ansuz/Odin (the God of the runes), and kenaz/torch (for inspiration).

Fig.1: Talisman for enhancing psychic ability

Bindrunes

A bindrune consists of two or more runes that have been superimposed or joined together in some way. Occasionally, runes like fehu, raiðo or wunjo would be joined at the base of their "stems", forming a wheel. Other times, runes would be joined side by side, or combined into a single rune. This latter method is the most popular today. Historically, bindrunes were used as "contractions" in an inscription, either to save space or to reduce the number of runes in the inscription to a more magically auspicious total. Today they are commonly used in rune magic by themselves to create a magical sigel that will encompass several runes at once. For example, if we were to transform the above runescript for psychic ability into a bindrune, we would end up with something like this:

Fig. 2: Bindrune for enhancing psychic ability

Additional runes will often appear when creating a bindrune, and these can contribute to or detract from the purpose. However, a rune is only truly present if you consciously include it by tracing its shape. If you can avoid including a conflicting rune by changing the configuration, then by all means do so, but you shouldn't worry about it too much.

Materials and Methods

Your choice of materials when making a talisman or spell is important, since this will be the medium which 'carries' your message and will add it's own peculiar energies to the process. A permanent talisman or inscription can be carved on anything you like, although (again) natural materials are best. Specific rune spells are traditionally sent by burning them, so your medium should be flammable if this is your intent. Paper or parchement is handy and will do in a pinch, but keep in mind that your average Norseman wouldn't have had access to such finery. Paper is also magically quite neutral, and while it won't detract from what you are trying to accomplish, it certainly won't add anything either.

Rune spells and talismans were traditionally cut or scratched into wood. Of the few wooden runic artifacts recovered from that time, many were made from yew, which has a long history of association with the runes and magic. There are many other woods which have their own magical associations. For more information on these, see the Sacred Woods page.

The process of creating a rune spell is a ritual in itself. The technique traditionally involved the following steps:

1. Carving or cutting the runes into the wood, bone or stone
2. Colouring ('reddening') the runes with either red ochre paint or the magician's own blood (this would connect the spell magically to the person doing it)
3. Speaking or singing the names of the runes to empower them
4. Sending the rune spell to its destination (if it is not a permenant talisman), often by burning
5. Making an offering (a 'blot') of thanks to the Gods, usually of mead or ale