Designing Your Character & Other Handy Things 2

Magical Items, Herbs & Stones

Acorn -  or Oak nut, is the nut of the oaks and their close relative. It usually contains a single seed (rarely two seeds), enclosed in a tough, leathery shell, and borne in a cup-shaped capsule. In Norse legend, Thor found shelter from a thunderstorm under an oak tree, this has led to the belief that having an acorn on a windowsill will prevent a house from being struck by lightning. In parts of Great Britain, young ladies followed a custom of wearing an acorn on a string around their neck. It was believed that this was a talisman against premature aging. Acorns can be used in charms or spells for good luck, protection, wisdom, and personal power.

Agrimony - also known as Agrimonia, is a genus of 12–15 species of perennial herbaceous flowering plants in the family Rosaceae, native to the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, with one species also in Africa. Agrimony has long been regarded as powerfully magical, and one of its earliest common names is 'Fairy's Wand'. Agrimony is masculine in nature and according to Nicholas Culpeper is associated with the planet Jupiter and the sign Cancer. It is also associated with the element of air. Agrimony is useful for spellwork for those who who need to explore their true feelings and to help balance the emotions applied to a situation. The plant is also used in protection spells, to help build a psychic shield, to reduce the influence of another's negativity and to banish negative energies and spirits. It is said to reverse harmful spells cast on you, causing them to rebound on the sender. Use in all protective sachets, spells and medicine bags. It is useful also as a banishing smudge or as a wash to cleanse the aura. And it is especially useful in healing magic as it enhances the strength of all healing spells, especially at a distance. You could use it in a ritual bath before beginning, as a wash for your tools, in a smudge or simply decorate your alter with it. Agrimony can be added to pillows, or placed under the pillow to ensure a deep, dreamless sleep. This is useful for those who are too troubled to sleep properly.

Aloe -  is a genus containing over 500 species of flowering succulent plants. The most widely known species is Aloe vera because it is cultivated as the standard source for assorted pharmaceutical purposes. The reason for that is because Aloe has always been known for its healing qualities. For treating wounds and maintaining healthy skin. It may be applied right from the plant or in gel form for burns, sunburns, and can relieve poison ivy rash and helps to combat a variety of bacteria that commonly cause infections in skin wounds. It is also an excellent additive for soaps and creams as a conditioner. Aloe's magical properties is used for protection and luck. It can be hung in the home as a charm to attract luck and protection for those who live there. It can also be grown in pots and placed around the home to provide protection from accidents within the home.

Altar Bells - whether rung in a ritual to drive away evil spirits, or hung in a doorway as a charm for protection, altar bells have been an important aspect of religious and magical rites throughout the history of man. Often rung at the beginning of ritual due to their focusing and purifying attributes, the sweet sound of a bell chiming is also often used to invoke angels, fairies, and other good or ethereal spirits.

Amber - is fossilized tree resin (not sap), which has been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since Neolithic times. Much valued from antiquity to the present as a gemstone, amber is made into a variety of decorative objects. Amber is used as an ingredient in perfumes, as a healing agent in folk medicine, and as jewelry. Amber is noted in metaphysics to give a soothing, light energy that is both calming and energizing at the same time. It is said to help manifest desires and heighten intellectual abilities, clarity of thought, and wisdom. It is reputed to cleanse its environment by drawing out negativity, and to relieve physical pain the same way. It is used mystically to bring the energies of patience, protection, psychic shielding, romantic love, sensuality, purification, balance, healing and calmness to those who wear or carry it. It is considered a good luck charm for love and marriage. Amber is excellent in crystal healing for inner child work and past life work. Amber is also associated with the solar plexus chakra and sometimes the Sacral Chakra.