Grandmother, help!

[SpiritualPagan]

I have been practicing Witchcraft/Paganism for five years now, and when I lived with my mom and step-dad, I could burn herbs and other things I needed to do without worry but something serious happened in 2012 that forced me to have to live with my grandmother (which is bad for my practice because she is a strict Christian). I'm a pretty sneaky person when it comes to casting spells 'right under her nose'. Now, my question: is burning herbs a 'necessity'? Is there something else I can do to substitute the 'burning' of herbs? Burning herbs is one thing I can not get away with and I want to know if there was an alternative to burning herbs.

Thanks

[Xiao Rong]

I absolutely think you can. I'm of the opinion that spells are more about intention, and herbs and the like are merely tools to help you clarify and strengthen your intention. I definitely think that if your intent is sufficiently strong then you have no need to actually burn the herbs.

[SpiritualPagan]

Oh, thank you so much. I still love to work with herbs in my spell-craft as I consider myself a green witch; how could I go about still using herbs in my practice?

[Xiao Rong]

I'm a huge fan of kitchen witchcraft - magical recipes are a great way to use up herbs, and it's a very ... subtle way to practice magic if you need to keep it under the radar. Nobody really questions why you cook so much yummy food if you share it ; )

[SpiritualPagan]

Lol yeah; so are there any ways I can still use herbs, without burning them?

[DPhoenix]

Lol yeah; so are there any ways I can still use herbs, without burning them?

Absolutely! You could make teas (just make sure any you use are non toxic) or soaps. You can also make your own candles with herbs in them. Use can use herbs inside tea bags for baths or showers.

[North Star]

You can sprinkle herbs around your candles, another idea is to hollow out a hole at the bottom and 'load' herbs right into your candle (I use pillars for this). Use herbs in charms or pillows. Release them into the wind or running body of water. Lots of ways to use herbs and their correspondences without burning.

[DPhoenix]

another idea is to hollow out a hole at the bottom and 'load' herbs right into your candle (I use pillars for this).

Oh I like this one! You always come up with all sorts of good stuff!

[North Star]

Thanks, DP! I can't take credit for that one though, that tip came from the book, 'The Complete Idiot's Guide to Wicca and Witchcraft. LOL

It is actually a great book! It was an impulse buy at Walmart about ten years ago, I picked it up not expecting much and it turned out to be another favorite reference book for me. Lots of good info and great tips. My mom is in a sense 're-discovering' and she wanted to borrow a book, that was the one she chose... she loves it too.

It is funny though, sometimes I have no idea where things come from... my memory gets a little fuzzy with all the info over the years and where it came from. I am still trying to figure out where I got the idea of apple/honey spells in my house plants, which I have been doing for years. No clue, I just ran across it online as being a similar version of honey jar spells. My money is on either Ravenwolf or Cabot, but I still haven't found the original spell that gave me the idea!

[raynelae]

You can always use herbal essential oils.

[scaravich]

Depending on the herbs, you can make tea!! While you're not setting them ablaze, you are still heating them and using a mixture of water and heat to bring out the essence of them. Tea is great for magic!! Of course, not all herbs can be consumed, but you can still make 'tea' and just not drink it lol.

[Holdasown]

You can also just lay the herbs on the surface you want to charge. Like sprinkling mugwort on the altar to purify it.

[YanaKhan]

I sometimes make circles of herbs and then when finished working with them, depending on the spell, I use the herbs for sleeping pillows or amulets, tea or I make oils. For example if I perform a good luck spell, I make a circle around my candles, then after the chant I make a pouch, put the herbs in it and carry it in my bag. Depending on the spell, after I use the pouch I sprinkle the herbs in a garden or in the woods.
Another idea is to maybe plant some herbs that you can place in your altar and use the scent in your spells as a representative of air and the whole herb as a representative of earth. That way you can use them in kitchen witchery and also in your everyday work.

[Firebird]

Another way I have mentioned before is to take your essential oils and a (smallish) water spray bottle, add a cap full of 9o% rubbing alcohol to the spray bottle, then add about 9 drops of oil, fill the bottle with water (filtered water is best) shake it each time you use it, and spray! Viola! smell the air! Yum! You can tell G-ma it is just air freshener!
Lavender essential oil works best because it isn't a heavy oil, heavier oils tend to clog the nozzle.
many blessings, Firebird

[SnowCat]

Ooh, I like the air freshener idea!

Frosty