Winter Harvest Bamboo

I know I talk a lot about my bamboo, but that’s because it’s a really integral part of my practice and I really think that everyone should have something of their own that they treat in a similar manner. Not necessarily bamboo, as the stuff is a pain in the butt and doesn’t grow easily in many climates, but something natural and earthy; something that can keep you grounded so that you don’t get too lost in the spirituality of your own practice.

Anyways, for my spring and summer harvest I am really just thinning out the bamboo as it spreads and gets too thick to handle. I also let a few of the runners grow so that I can cut them down when they’re fairly small but still workable, that way I’m not losing any of the new growth for my main bamboo patches.

Winter is a different story though. The bamboo isn’t spreading so there’s no way for me to harvest anything without culling the pieces I wanted to keep. So instead, I play a waiting game. Every year we get at least one cold snap. This may include some snow or may not, but the bamboo always gets iced over. This ice becomes too heavy for some of the stalks to handle and they snap off. I take these naturally broken pieces inside to thaw out and dry. The harvest for winter is much smaller than the summer and spring harvests, but it does keep my work going all year round and there’s something very special about those cold snap broken stalks. They seem to have a special energy radiating out from them and I often feel most connected to whatever I make using these stalks.

I wanted to cover that since my store is going to be opening soon and I’m going to be listing some items over the winter that will be made with this winter harvest bamboo. I didn’t want anyone to get confused about what winter harvesting was. I also just think this is pretty interesting and can give other pagans and magic practitioners some ideas for their own works.

Just some examples of items you can use as your own grounding device, because I know some people work best with examples:

A cactus. If it’s flowering then you can harvest the flowers after they have died and use them in whatever way feels appropriate for you. If it’s non-flowering you can collect the needles occasionally and grind them up for certain mixtures.

Elephant ear. Yes, it’s big, but it can be inside in a pot all year round so even if you’re limited in yard space, you can have one. They’re awesome looking. Best of all, the leaves are huge and they die off and replenish themselves on their own as long as you give them water and care. When the leaves break and start to wither you can carefully cut them away.

Vegetable and fruit plants. This goes really well with those who want to grow their own fruits, vegetables and even herbs. Just meditate with your plants for a while every day and be sure to give them plenty of attention. You can use both the seeds from the fruits and vegetables as well as the plant leaves, stalk and even roots once you’re done with the plant. I have actually wanted to start a small herb garden that I could meditate in the middle of which would infuse so much power into those herbs when I use them in magic potions.

Even just a big pot of dirt or a particular patch of grass outside can work. Make it yours and incorporate it into your life. Collect the grass from that area each time you mow and make use of it. Pull up all the weeds that grow there and then meditate on why they grew there; it’s your space, it grew there because you needed it for something.

About the Magic Rune Stones

I wrote about making your own magic rune stones a few months ago, but I realize that for many, making your own items can be extremely intimidating. As such, as I announced before, I am giving away some free items on Listia.com and amongst these items are rune stone sets made of natural bamboo.

Just like the dowsing pendulum, I meditate with the bamboo while it’s growing (during the warmer months) and cut it all by hand. No machines, processing or anything else that could weaken the bamboo, cause chipping or impart non-natural energy.

When making the runic symbols I opt for Nordic symbols because they are the ones I’m most familiar with.

All of my magic rune stone sets are placed in a sealed glass container filled with a purifying mixture of illum flower, lily of the valley and sugar cane shavings, buried half in the ground and left for one night to collect the energy of the moon. So not only are they filled with meditative energy but with purified healing energy. It also makes the stones have a very lovely smell.

If you’re interested in getting this full set for free, check here.

I’m not sure I’ll ever give away another set of rune stones like this. These take a long time and a lot of dedication to make; more than most of my other projects. So if you’ve been looking for a set of rune stones, jump on this offer now.

Best of all, I’m giving away a very unique, whole bamboo box that fits the rune stone set inside of it perfectly. This will only be given away at a certain credit level, but it’s still absolutely free.

Did you miss the free auction? You can buy a set of magic rune stones and even the storage box at my Magic Spells and Potions Storefront.

About the Bamboo Dowsing Pendulum

After I listed a bamboo dowsing pendulum in my free pagan supplies kit, I wanted to tell a little bit more about it. The problem was, Listia kind of limits the amount of information you can put and I didn't want anyone to feel like I was overwhelming them with too much information at once.

So for those who are interested, here's a bit more about the bamboo dowsing pendulum.

You may have never seen one like this. Most are made of silver (or another metal) and precious or semi-precious stones. I have always found this to be lacking. Too man-made and separated from Nature and the Universe. This is what gave me the idea to make something more earthy, something straight from the planet. I tried a few various things including grasses, sugar cane and various flower chains (all with varying degrees of luck with modifications) but the one that functioned the best and just 'felt' right, was bamboo.

Bamboo is great for absorbing and holding energy. This is great for sharing positive and meditative energy with others, such as is done with Reiki.

Because it will absorb energy easily it should be shielded from negative energies as much as possible. Storing it in a white or black cloth bag can accomplish this. In the event that you use it to absorb and remove negative energies it should not be used (or stored in the bag) for a week afterward to allow it to clear.

The bamboo I use has a great weight. It balances well when swinging along the 'waiting' line (in pendulum dowsing reading) ensuring you will get the clearest response possible.

I meditate with the bamboo at least three times a week (not in the winter, because it's bloody cold) which means before I ever harvest and dry it, it's charged with tons of meditative energy.

Finally, it just looks beautiful and unique. The potential designs I can make are limitless, as are the herbs and stones that can potentially be placed inside to assist with your meditation, divinations or other uses.

Did you miss the free auction? You can buy a bamboo dowsing pendulum (with various designs) at my Magic Spells and Potions Storefront.

Free Pagan Supplies

I have finally put together a kit, as I mentioned a few months ago. I had intended to do this sooner, but life kept getting in the way - okay, honestly, lazy kept getting in the way. So finally, I present to you, free pagan supplies! Everything is hand-made by me and completely safe for use. The kit includes a bamboo pendulum, mint bath salts (homemade) for weight loss, lily of the valley bath salts (homemade), my own special, earthen mixture and much more. Take advantage of this; I will probably never give away another kit quite this big.

Depending on demand I may give away other items though and different sized kits.

Interested in other free pagan supplies? Try these on for size.

Faerie tarot cards.

5 pentagram charms which can be used in making jewelry or various charms for your magic casting.

Lover's Embrace potion from Leigh's Wiccan Boutique. This is good for love magic and adding a little spice to your existing love life. Remember, always practice love spells safely!

1/2 oz - 1 oz (she doesn't weigh product) of dried jasmine.

1/2 oz - 1 oz (she doesn't weigh) of dried hops.

A pack of 12 gems good for Reiki or other energy absorption. Fair warning: I'm trying to get these and I have a ton of credits. Or maybe I'm just trying to psych you out so I can win them easier. These beautiful stones are also from Leigh's Wiccan Boutique and if you miss out on the auction you can buy them from her Etsy store for $2.50 for the set of 6.

Edit: This is a very old post and this particular kit is long gone. Please do not send me addresses in the comment section; you shouldn't be posting those things online in public anyway. I keep removing them to try and protect your anonymity.

If you are still looking for more free kits or Wiccan supplies, look around the site I've linked above. There are many stores offering free supplies there.