Magickal waters

Sun: 03'Cancer
Moon: 26'Capricorn
Just Past Full

All right.  I admit, a big part of my practice is astrology.  But I also like the hands-on witchy work as well, and I am a biiiiig fan of charging water by the Sun, Moon, element or astrological aspect in effect for practical work.  (By "water" I mean actual dihydrogen monoxide, not oils or tinctures, those are for another topic.)

You see, while it's nice to be able to set your tools, talismans, crystals, self, etc. out under the Full Moon overnight for cleansing and recharging, that's not always possible or practical.  (People do steal, and not everyone has the privacy necessary for a skyclad Esbat - the neighbors probably mind, even if you don't!)  Charging waters, or the herbs to go into them, provides a standalone tool, a storage battery already tuned to the frequency you want that can be pulled out at any time.  You can make it as elaborate or as simple as you want: what you put into the water will catch the energies to which it is closest and radiate it into the water to hold.  It can be as easy as setting out a jar and a funnel during thunder snow (and use that water cautiously!), or as complicated as charting out the entire heavens at the specific planetary day and hour you want to capture.

These waters are not really for physical cleansing, and this has to be understood before worrying about the tinge of color that might come with herbs or gems (especially if in powdered form).  These are for clearing energies out by replacing that which no longer serves with energies that are stronger, fresher, more vibrant, or just more in-tune with what you want to bring in - and a little goes a long way here.  If working with herbs, be aware that you're essentially making an infusion, especially if catching the Sun. 

Please know the correspondences of the items you intend to use ahead of time, and the physical properties thereof as well.  A Saturn water made with water hemlock and belladonna might be awesome for destroying problems or enemies, but no bones about it, it will be toxic to humans and animals, and even a little may be lethal with those plants: maybe use something a little safer?  A Fire, Sun or Mars water made with a strong enough dose of cinnamon will burn the skin.  Be careful with using the more fragile gems - pearl, mother-of-pearl, opal, moonstone, selenite, kyanite, etc.  Also, be aware that not all stones are non-toxic: this goes doubly so for stones which have been dyed or reconstituted, which I would recommend staying away from in any case.  I assume no responsibility for failure to educate yourself on the properties of what you are using, or for improper storage.

Also, if you're making more than what you intend to use in the next few days, you may want to use a preservative in dihydrogen monoxide to inhibit the growth of other things.  My favorite for this is Everclear (it's one of the only uses for that crap that I've ever found), but any super-cheap, lighter-fluid-quality vodka will do.  For those who are underage or might otherwise not want to be around grain alcohol, isopropyl will do also.  It won't take much: a Mason jar should need between 2-5 tablespoons for preservative purposes.

Once charged, the waters themselves won't take much for effective use.  So long as they're non-toxic, they can be used for anything from blessing and consecrating tools to ritual baths, to a small amount added to your laundry or mop solution.  Again, I'd recommend using herbs known to be safe, but even poisonous plants do have their uses (just be certain you know EXACTLY what you are doing with those - again, I bear no responsibility for the consequences).

It's a little late now to pull this one for Litha - I apologize, I should have posted this sooner - but my mind is what my mind is right now.  There is still time to use this Full Moon's energy, though.

So without further ado, here are sample Solar and Lunar Water recipes, just to get you started.  Measurements do not need absolute precision: blend the scent to suit your nose.

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Solar Water (Mabon):

1 Mason jar
6 sticks of cinnamon
6 teaspoons of frankincense resin
18 drops of essential oil (any fruit, such as apple, that is harvested at this time would be appropriate, as would orange as representative of the Sun).
1 garnet
1 citrine
1 clear quartz, CZ or diamond
Water
Preserving alcohol (2-5 Tbsp)

Place the cinnamon in a plastic bag and use a hammer and/or a rolling pin to crush it.  Pour the crushed cinnamon sticks and all other ingredients together in a Mason jar: a cheesecloth or gauze can be used to for easy retrieval of the contents later.  Seal tightly.  Leave out from dawn to dusk on Mabon, where the Mabon Sun will hit it directly as much as possible during the day.  The essential oil will break down into the water in direct sunlight: this is ok!  (For an extra kick, the cinnamon and frankincense can be charged under the Lammas sun before being added to the Mabon water.)

When you bring it in, strain it out several times to remove any debris from the water, add preserving alcohol to where it can just barely be smelled, re-jar and label.  Store in a cool, dark place, shaking occasionally.  Respectfully and appropriately discard any unused contents after one year.

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Lunar Water

1 Mason jar
9 rose petals or drops of rose essential oil (or 9 drops ylang-ylang essential oil)
9 lavender heads or drops of lavender oil
18 drops of jasmine, gardenia, magnolia or frangipani (plumeria) essential oil
1 quartz
1 moonstone
1 amethyst
1 obsidian
Water
Preserving alcohol (2-5 Tbsp)

As with solar water, combine all ingredients, place jar to soak in the appropriate spot for the Moon to strike as much as possible during the night.  Bruising of any flower heads or petals is acceptable.  Leave overnight, for a single night or for the duration of the Full Moon (approximately 3 nights) if possible.  Strain out contents and preserve.  Label with the sign that the Full Moon was in at the time of making.  Store in a cool, dark place, shaking occasionally.  Respectfully and appropriately discard any unused portion after one year.