Harmony
It is very easy to use magic to bring peace and harmony into your life and home. If you live with other people, you’ll have to consider the ethical implications of using magic in your household. I have pondered this myself and come to the conclusion that without another’s permission, it is still okay to use magic to surround your environment with a peaceful aura for the good of all. If the other people are then influenced by this energy of peace and harmony, it is according to their own free will, albeit subconsciously. This same idea is true in everyday life: if you were to act positively and optimistically around others and their moods improve as a result, that wouldn’t be manipulation—it would be osmosis.
Harmony and peace are gentle. They are the delicate shifting, the “going with the flow” of events as they unfold instead of “fighting the good fight” or trying to be right. Harmony is the calm center, the balance in the middle, and the rejection of living in one extreme or another. Meditation is always a wonderful means of achieving a peaceful, balanced state of being, but it is not always feasible to find the time to meditate in order to feel harmonious in our chaotic world. Luckily, there are numerous simple, effective magical methods to create a more balanced and centered mental state and/or environment.
Brews
Personally, I love brew making; it has always captured my imagination. The idea of standing in front of a fire, stirring a bubbling cauldron filled with a magic elixir, adding unusual ingredients while chanting ancient prayers as the mystic liquid blends together to form a powerful brew is so romantic and alluring to me that I have made brew making an important part of my personal Craft. Granted, I don’t create as dramatic a scene as I have just described—usually, my cauldron is on the stove—but the process always gives me a certain sense of satisfaction as well as a useful product.
Brewing a potion for harmony is an easy and useful me-thod of magic that is both subtle and effective. Making a brew to create a feeling of peace and harmony is as easy as grabbing a chamomile tea bag. Chamomile has a soothing effect, and when tea is sweetened with a little honey, it brings about a feeling of peace. You can actually make this potion in your coffee pot by adding the tea bags to the pot and letting them steep in the hot water as it drips into the pot.
Peace and Harmony Brew
You can use the coffee pot method or heat the water in a pot to almost boiling, then remove from heat and allow the tea bags to steep in the water for ten to fifteen minutes. Then pour a cupful and sweeten with the spoonful of honey. Charge the liquid with the intent of peace and relaxation, and take slow sips of the potion. If you intend to use this brew in a nonbeverage manner, omit the honey.
Spells for the Brew
First and foremost, you can drink this brew. It has a wonderfully calming effect. You can also use the unsweetened brew to sprinkle around the house to bring a general sense of harmony in the environment of the home. Another way to use the brew is in a short spell. You can soak a piece of paper in the brew and allow it to dry. Then write your desire for harmony and peace on the paper, and charge it for this purpose. You can then burn the paper in a fireplace or in the flame of a white candle and set it in a fireproof dish to burn to ashes. This way, you will release your intent and cast your spell.
Oils
You can use magical oils to infuse yourself, others, or even objects with a peaceful, harmonious energy. Wearing a peace-inducing oil will help keep you calm in the midst of
a chaotic environment. It will also create a gentle and peaceful aura around you that will rub off on others if they subconsciously allow it (no magical coercion intended here), and it will help relax any tension in your surroundings. If you anoint an object with a harmony-drawing oil, you can charge it to be a battery of sorts to radiate a peaceful aura wherever you place it. Once again, I must caution against creating and using magical charms or objects in certain areas of a home (such as their bedrooms, shared with others), unless they have knowledge of it and have given approval.
To set up charms of harmony and/or protection around your own bedroom or in common areas is a fine idea to improve your personal environment, but if you live with others who are unaware of your magical inclinations, it is manipulative to use magic that would affect these other people in their personal areas of the home. You can of course work magic that won’t affect others in common areas if you need to, only remember that it is bad practice to “use magic on” people without their permission.
Anyway, back to oils. The following recipe is a gentle and effective formula to bring calm energy to you.
Peace and Harmony Oil
Oil Spells
A wonderful spell for inner peace and harmony is to dab a bit of the Peace and Harmony Oil on your forehead (on your third eye) and take a few deep breaths. Close your eyes and visualize a beam of white light shining down on you, filling your body through your third eye. While the light is filling you, see it gathering up any tension or turmoil in your mind and body. See it being released through your feet into the earth. While you are visualizing, chant to yourself or out loud:
Goddess (or your chosen deity):
Guide my spirit path,
Soothe my soul, protect from wrath.
Grant me mercy, joy, and peace;
My faith in you shall never cease.
Filled with strength from star above;
Bathed in power, light, and love.
Blessed be.
You can relax in this state for as long as you wish. When finished, wipe the oil from your forehead.
Room of Harmony
A good spell to charge a room with the energy of harmony is to take four objects of a similar nature (that symbolize harmony to you) and anoint them with the Peace and Harmony Oil on the base of each object (one at a time) and then hold each object in your hands and focus on the feeling of peace, infusing the feeling of peace into the object. See any incorrect energy being swept away and replaced with the proper peaceful energy. When you have finished doing this with each object, you can place one in each corner of a room so the objects radiate their power into the whole room.
Burn Away the Gloom
To be rid of unpleasant vibrations in a room, take a white candle and anoint it with the Peace and Harmony Oil. Then light the candle and walk the perimeter of the room, holding it up high, burning away the negativity, and replacing it with harmony. You may chant the following as you make your rounds:
Magic flame, burn away the ill,
Clean this space, remove the gloom;
With joy and peace I am filled,
And hereby now charge this room!
You can do this in each room of your home or in one or two rooms as needed. This spell is somewhat of a cleansing, but it also adds the element of charging the room with harmony and peace.
Powders
You can use powders to radiate a gentle aura of peace when sprinkled around the home as a type of potpourri or bundled together as a magic charm. Powders are a very versatile magical product: easy to make, easy to use, and easy to hide if necessary.
Peace and Harmony Powder
Grind the apple peel and chamomile together in a mortar or special bowl you use for grinding, add the cornstarch, and stir. Then charge the powder for peace and harmony. Bottle for use.
Harmony Now! Powder
I have read that of all the zodiac signs, the most stubborn are Aries, Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Capricorn. All these signs are in my family, and because of that, sometimes a more potent harmony powder is called for rather than the gentle Peace and Harmony Powder above. This recipe is not meant to be manipulative, but is strongly solar in influence while still maintaining an overall focus of loving intent. Its goal is to remove negativity while replacing it with loving vibrations to encourage harmony and cooperation—not to forcibly compel anyone to get along.
First, grate the orange peel and dry it in a warm oven (200 degrees) for a few minutes. Be careful not to burn it. Allow it to cool. Next, place all ingredients except the cornstarch into a mortar and grind them to powder. When the herbs have been powdered, stir in the cornstarch, and charge the mixture for harmony and peace. In your mind’s eye, see the power of the powder dissolving any negativity and replacing it with gold-flecked white light wherever it is sprinkled. Feel hopeful, relaxed, and calm as you charge the blend. It is now ready to be used as a body powder, ingredient for a charm bag, or in one of the following spells.
Powder Spells
Peace Potpourri
A good idea to bring peace to a room is to sprinkle either of the powders into a bowl and then place a favorite potpourri on top of it. The room will smell nice and radiate peaceful energy. This should be replaced monthly.
Plants of Harmony
You can add either of the powders (they aren’t poisonous) to the soil of your houseplants to infuse them and the room they are in with harmonious vibrations. I wouldn’t use more than a tablespoon of the powder per plant. When you water the plant, the powder will be absorbed into the plant and this will infuse the whole plant with its power. The plant will then become like a magic charm and its aura will radiate enough of the energy to alter the feel of the room.
Foods
Food alters body chemistry. This is a fact. To anyone who doubts this, I would suggest they have three cups of coffee and some chocolate-covered espresso beans, and then see how they feel. As previously stated, the less processed the food is, the better it is for you. Everything you eat is absorbed and/or used by your body in some way. There are many people who have unknown food allergies and they can be unfortunate victims of radical mood shifts due to food-related reactions. This of course would have a negative affect of your sense of peace and harmony. Food is a tricky area, and caution should be used when incorporating it into a magical practice. One person’s delicacy is another’s hospital stay.
Having said that, there are some foods which are known to induce a more peaceful state of being and a relaxed mind that, unless you are allergic, can be used whenever you wish. My personal favorite is chocolate. Although chocolate is primarily used as an aphrodisiac, it is also an excellent mood-shifting food that brings about relaxation and a sense of peace when used in the proper manner. If you wish to use chocolate, please find the best quality chocolate you can with the highest cacao content (the active ingredient), and use it with a magical intention. Don’t just eat a candy bar or drink a mocha while typing (as I am doing right now) and expect much of a change. You might feel a bit better, but a more profound shift will occur if you make your magical use of chocolate into a small ritual.
Secret Potion of Delicate Harmony
What is this mystic secret elixir? It’s hot cocoa. Aren’t I dramatic? I couldn’t help myself! But I’m serious: if you put the proper intention and effort into it, you can turn ordinary hot cocoa into a strong relaxation-inducer. There is a bit of caffeine in chocolate, but it is balanced out by the tryptophan and milk; tryptophan is an amino acid which has an effect of drowsiness and relaxation, since it helps create serotonin and melatonin in the body. Both are natural chemicals that have a calming effect. Like I said before, use the best quality cocoa you can find. If possible, use unsweetened chocolate powder and add sugar on your own. This will create a stronger blend than prepackaged hot cocoa mix.
The most effective method is to charge the chocolate, sugar, and milk separately for relaxation and harmony, then warm the milk on the stove slowly. As the milk is warming, mix the sugar and chocolate together and then gently stir the mixture into the warming milk. I am not going to give precise measurements here; hot cocoa, like coffee, is a highly personal affair where people vary greatly in preference. Some people like it really sweet, some like extra chocolate, and others prefer a thin cocoa. I will leave it to personal preference and experimentation.
After the drink has been prepared, pour it into a favorite mug or cup and take it to a comfortable place you can sit and enjoy the cocoa. It is very helpful while sipping to do a grounding exercise such as visualizing that you grow “roots” into the ground and that all your frustrations and any negativity are pulled out of you through the roots and reabsorbed into the earth.
A “Healthy Food” Alternative for Harmony
If cocoa is not your thing or you simply want another method to create a peaceful state, here is a healthful salad. Lettuce has many relaxing properties. Indeed, the hearts of lettuce are gently sleep-inducing when eaten. The following recipe is a nice blend of flavors that will have a relaxing effect.
Harmony Salad
Shred and mix the lettuce with the zucchini, cheese, and avocado. Top with the following dressing.
Harmony Vinaigrette
Place all ingredients into a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake all ingredients together until well mixed. Pour over the salad and stir the salad a bit before eating. If desired, you could use some of the Four Thieves’ Vinegar from chapter 4 in place of the plain cider vinegar called for in this recipe. Just don’t use a store-bought Four Thieves’ Vinegar in food, as some have inedible ingredients.
Food is a wonderful means of changing the body and mind, drawing them away from harm and disorder and helping them to return to a state of balance. I love food, and it is one of my favorite methods of creating change. Of all the methods of bringing peace and harmony outlined here, food is the best for inducing a personal inner change. Each of the magical practices presented have their own advantages and disadvantages, and you will probably develop personal affinities for one or two methods over other. Remember that harmony and peace are gentle magical intentions; no force is required. If the environment is too heavy with negativity, you should probably cleanse the area first in order to create a “blank” space that you can then fill with peaceful energy. This will create a stronger sense of peace and harmony.
Shopping List
Here’s a list of peace and harmony ingredients to use in the spells and recipes in this chapter.
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❏ Apple |
❏ Cornstarch |
❏ Orange |
|
❏ Apple cider vinegar |
❏ Ginger |
❏ Pepper (black) |
|
❏ Avocado |
❏ Honey |
❏ Salt |
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❏ Chamomile tea |
❏ Lettuce (iceberg, red-leaf, and romaine) |
❏ Sugar |
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❏ Cheese |
❏ Milk |
❏ White candle |
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❏ Cocoa powder (unsweetened) |
❏ Olive oil |
❏ Zucchini |