More New Listings: Solstice Soap, Herbal Teas And Wool Spell Poppets

Winter Solstice Soap

This soap was made on the day of the Winter Solstice – December 21, 2010. We keep some, we give away some, and we share some with you! This is not a fancy soap, as we’re not soap makers – we make soap for our own use and share the extra bars. This is good ol’ homemade soap! Leaves your skin smooth and as clean as it can be. We use herbs and oils that are available locally and it is 100% organic. I have a very sensitive skin type so, if it’s soft on me, imagine what it could do on other stronger types of skin! Starting with sunflower seed oil, this batch of soap has been scented with Star Anise and Lemongrass oil – when my best friend smelled it, she said it smelled “like a candy shop”, but I think the lemongrass adds a very earhty tone to the sweetness of the Star Anise scent.

Beside the essential oils, we added powdered seaweed, which is one of Mother Nature’s wonders, with enough beneficial properties to fill a book – ant-oxidant, nutritive, antibacterial, antibiotic, rejuvenative, emollient… and so many more things for your body. With each soap, you will also receive an organic cotton face scrub, crocheted by yours truly :). Cotton face scrubs are very soft on the skin and can be used also as massagers during the bath; fantastic for exfoliating and hydrating the softest of skins. Size of soap: around 6×10 cms / 2,5×4 inches, with small variations. Weight of soap: between 85-100 gr/ 3,7-4 ounces. If you want more than one soap, please let me know; we have around a dozen bars of soap available.

Three New Herbal Teas: Aphrodite, Selene And Hestia

Aphrodite has been made to nurture and enhance health at all level, specially for women.
The mixture contains:
- Nepeta Cataria: Catnip – aphrodisiac, relaxing, relieves menstrual cramps, eases digestion.
- Equisetum: Horsetail – filled with minerals, restores bone health, diuretic. Here in the islands, it is a traditional tea for pregnant women’s health.
- Ocimum Basilicum: Basil – nutrient, anti-oxidant, restorative.
- Urtica Dicoica: Nettle – good for everything, one of the queens of herbal healing; cleans, renews and nurtures the whole body.
- Plantago Major: Plantain – anti-microbial, anti-septic, soft laxative, cleans the digestive system and the blood.
- Turnera Diffusa: Damiana – aphrodisiac, anti-depressant, relaxing.
- Mentha Piperita: Peppermint – stimulating, digestive, tonic.

Selene is a mixture of relaxing, soothing herbs for those who need help dealing with anxiety, depression, insomnia, or after the grief of a personal loss.
The mixture contains:
- Passiflora Edulis: Blue Passion Fruit – the leaves of this tree are the best anti-anxiety herb I have ever used. Aphrodisiac, relaxing, anti-depression… can’t say good enough of it!
- Calendula Officinalis: Pot Marigold – anti-viral, soothes nervous system, helps sleep.
- Matricaria Chamomilla: Chamomile – relaxing, anti-inflammatory, digestive.
- Nepeta Cataria: Catnip – aphrodisiac, relaxing, relieves menstrual cramps, eases digestion.
- Mentha Spicata: Spearmint – anti-androgenic (balances female hormones), anti-fungal, anti-oxidant, tonic, anti-stress.

Hestia is for those days when we need extra warmth in our lives; it helps digesting food, but it is also the perfect mixture for relieving stress or during recoveries from long illnesses.
The mixture contains:
- Mentha Piperita: Peppermint – stimulating, digestive, tonic.
- Mentha Spicata: Spearmint – anti-androgenic (balances female hormones), anti-fungal, anti-oxidant, tonic, anti-stress.
- Matricaria Chamomilla: Chamomile – relaxing, anti-inflammatory, digestive.
- Salvia Officinalis: Sage – a cure for every ailment as they say! Antibiotic, anti-spasmodic, tonic, astringent, hypoglycemic.
- Plantago Major: Plantain – anti-microbial, anti-septic, soft laxative, cleans the digestive system and the blood.

The product comes already bagged on 10 individual teabags per package, enough for a complete restorative treatment. We don’t have big bulk quantities of our teas as everything we make is prepared in small batches to assure freshness, and we depend on very small crops, but if you want more than one bag, please convo me and I will let you know if we have enough available to meet your needs.

Four New Wool Spell Poppets



(the one above this line has already sold before I finished this post)

- Made with 100% artisan dyed wool, handspun by hand by us;
- Two beaded dangles, one with a key charm and the other with a flower charm; the key represents the opening of the paths ahead, and the flower represents the connection to Mother Nature.
- One feather charm with two guinea feathers; feathers represent freedon and manifestation of wishes, and guineas are sacred animals to many Orishas.
- Beaded necklace with gemstones, and a cowrie shell. Cowrie shells are an essential charm in all African-origin religions, and is a symbol of wealth, as it was used as money.
- Each doll has a long wool cord so you can hang it wherever you want.
Uses of charm poppets:
- to represent the recipient of any kind of spell;
- to be given to your patron deity as an offering, or when asking for guidance ad protection;
- to be kept in the garden to represent nature’s Devas;
- to be used as a luck charm;
- to be given as a luck charm to someone who needs extra protection.
One of a Kind pieces – no custom colours available.

Find all these products at The Hoodoo Shop.

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Henna Season

Freehand henna practise on myself, a few days ago.

These past days I have been gathering, organizing and purchasing supplies for our henna tattoos season – every summer we get plenty of customers since I have been doing this for quite a few years already – and our weather assures lots of skin exposure :). Also, I have been remaking my design book because, honestly, I am tired to death of making the same tattoos over and over again LOL… most people come to us without a clear idea of what they want and (very sadly) a complete ignorance of the heritage and meaning of henna tattoos – they only want a pretty, non-permanent adornment, and care very little for its symbolic and magickal meaning.

Henna is the powder made from the leaves of the Lawsonia Inermis plant, which is mixed with an acidic liquid to release its tannins on the skin. Though its use in India is the most known to the general public, there are many other Arabic and African countries that use henna and many different styles for its decorations and symbolism – I particularly love Moroccan style, but since I started my adventures on body art making permanent tattoos, a lot of modern art is included in my work too.

Something I have to explain over and over to our customers is that there is no such thing as black henna. Henna stains in shades from orange to burgundy, and its colour changes from a softer to a darker tone after it is exposed to the air, depending of the type of henna and each person’s skin chemistry. Black henna is very dangerous as it contains PPD (para-phenylenediamine), which can cause permanent scars and severe life-lasting allergies – even if you don’t get black henna again in your life, you will always be allergic to PPD, and there is PPD on may chemical dyes; most hair dyes contain it, as well as fabric dye, fur and leather dye, and many other products.

So, if you are considering getting henna this summer, first of all make sure that the artist knows what he/she’s doing. Do some research on your side if possible, and don’t be afraid to make as many questions as you need to the artist – if he/she is a serious professional, he/she won’t have any problem in giving you all the information you need. If made the natural way, henna is completely harmless, even for kids and pregnant women. Only kids under 6 years old should not get hennaed, to avoid any allergy related to the fact that their immune system it’s still developing.

Freehand henna on a customer, 2008

In a spiritual sense, body art is one of the oldest forms of blessing and protection, and henna is no exception. Getting a henna tattoo should always be a spiritual experience, and when done properly, it’s one of the most relaxing, inspiring experiences you can have. I’ve had customers cry out their problems, tell their deepest secrets and even fall asleep in pure bliss while getting a henna tattoo. Surrounded by the scent of our herbal incense, under the embrace of soft meditation music, our customers not only get a pice of wearable artwork, but a complete spa-like treatment so they can commune with the powerful, magickal energy of Henna.

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Today’s Listings

Gentle Spring: Herbal Salve + Body Stick + Lip Balm Set

All our natural beauty products start with the creation of a herbal oil. First quality sunflower oil is used and several herbs are steeped in the oil, first using the energy of the sun to extract the essential oils and medicinal properties, and then a final extraction is made through simmering the oil at a very low temperature for several hours. Then the oil is carefully filtered and used as a base for each product.

This gorgeous natural beauty set consists in:
- 1 20 gram jar of ointment;
- 1 Body Stick;
- 1 Lip Balm.
Properties: healing, hydrating, calming, anti-aging, antioxidant. Heals small wounds, eczema, spots, callouses. The ointment is soft and made to be used liberally – it works wonders on dry feet and hands, elbows and knees, and anywhere where the body needs some extra hydration. Put the ointment on your feet before sleep and enjoy Goddess feet all the summer! It is also a wonderful aid for baby rash. The body stick is made for small wounds or scratches, spots or any specific application on small surfaces. It is a bit harder than the ointment so you can carry it with you without any melting danger. Perfect for hiking, camping, gardening… I also use it as a cuticle cream, as my hands suffer a lot of strain from crafting and gardening, and you wouldn’t believe how quick it works!

Perfume: NONE
Colorants/Additives/Preservatives: NONE
Chemicals: NONE
Made with oils, herbs and organic beeswax ONLY.
Scented with Peppermint essential oil (NOT flavour oil or perfume oil).
Vegan and children safe.

New OOAK Handspun Witch Cords: Undine and Pumpkin

You can find these items at The Hoodoo Shop at Etsy.

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In Honour Of Earth Day II: Our Little Piece Of Nature

Our roof garden, also called The Rara Avis Magick Garden, is our little piece of Mother Nature and our Temple. Made almost completely with salvaged and upcycled items and using saved, wildharvested and heirloom seeds, is an example that there are no excuses/obstacles for stubborn urban gardeners like us :). Enjoy the eye-candy!

Our Garden Goddess, irradiating beauty, wealth and growth. The altar is not finished, but we have plans ;) .

Plantain, Motherwort and Valerian. This looks like a fairy planet to me. As you can see, most of the pots are “adorned” with glass pebbles, marbles and shells for the Fairies to play with.

Spearmint, one of my favourite herbs, and so much more than just a digestive aid!

Safflower, also known as Fake Saffron – we’re expecting the seeding of the several plants we have very soon.

Canarian Sage – it has just finished seeding and is growing strong again after the winter.

The very, very rare and gorgeous flower of the Air Carnation, an aerial plant.

Creeping Thyme fairy-size forest – I would have a full size one if I had the space :).

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In Honour Of Earth Day: Eco-Friendly Crafts

As you know, here at Hoodooville we are crazy about the Earth :) – there is hardly a day here where we don’t recycle, upcycle, forage or remake. I have to admit I do not like much the concept of Earth Day because we firmly believe it HAS TO be Earth Day every day, or else this Earth won’t make it for too long – but, it is actually a wonderful excuse to show you some of the Earth-loving crafts that we make around here :).

Lace-Covered Jars: my sister saves all the jars at her household and brings them to me. We use them mainly for herbs and craft stuff storage, but here’s a prettier use – you just clean the jars to take off the tags, and cover them with scraps of lace. You can sew it or glue it, and embellish it with scraps of ribbon, yarn, cord… we used jute cord and wooden beads to fit our “tribal victorian” decor. As you can see, they make wonderful tea light holders, pencil jars, vanity room decor (for face scrubbies, make up brushes), and even mini-planters, if you put a small plant inside.

Wood Paillet Garden Table: made from salvaged wood, nails, white glue and love.

Bed Base Greenhouse: made from two salvaged bed bases and roofed with a reed screen that was a gift from a friend. Our summer is so hard that we need to protect some of the plants we have from extreme heat and sun; so, our greenhouses must be open for air drafts instead of closed to prevent freeze.

Rag Rugs: This is a Jarapa, a traditional Canarian rag rug, made by us from discarded clothes given to us by friends.

Recycled Candles: we recycle all the leftover wax from our devotional candles – first, we make the wicks braiding cotton thread and prime the wicks with wax, leaving them to dry for a whole day. Then we cut up the wax in small chunks, separating them in colour ranges and melt it in a double boiler. Pour the melted wax on the containers and voilá! Recycled candles.

Woodcarving: Fernando handcarved this gorgeous herb spoon from salvaged pine wood.

Gift Giving: Hand-dyed vintage cotton fabric, tea-dyed lace and an evening of sewing made this beautiful pouch for my best friend’s birthday. 100% recycled materials.

House Keeping: handsewn potholders, 100% recycled materials.

Well, I hope this has inspired you – and remember to make 365 Earth Days a year!!!!

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Home Rose Skin Scrub – And More Listings

Properties: helps dead skin removal, regenerates and hydrates skin, it is antioxidant, helps remove wrinkles and hard spots (on hands, elbow and feet) – also, it helps with skin stains and scars if used regularly.
Recipe (makes enough for 3-5 uses):
- a handful of fresh rose petals;
- ten drops of lemon juice;
- two teaspoons of sugar, white or brown – you can also use honey, but I prefer granulated sugar because it helps removing dead skin better.
- A teaspoon of calendula (marigold) petals.
- A teaspoon of Rosa Rubiginosa oil (Sweet Briar or Eglantine Rose).

Mince all dry ingredients in your herb grinder, or put all together in a food blender and mix until it’s creamy. Apply on skin, making circular movements to help release of dead skin cells, and let work for 10-15 minutes, depending on the hardness of the skin. Wash off with warm or cold water, rinsing thoroughly.
Types of skin: any, specially those which are greasier and need often exfoliating – but I have ultra-sensitive skin and it works wonderfully too.
Time Between Applications: once a week. Hydrating after scrubbing is not needed, because the Sweet Briar Rose oil is highly hydrating.

Of course, if you add a beauty spell to it, even better :D .

Today’s Listings:

Smudge Stick – Rosemary and Wormwood

Smudge sticks are one of my favorite forms of incense, for many reasons. They can only be made with fresh herbs, so the amount made is always small. The fact of tying the bundles with red cotton thread is a symbol of luck and protection, as red thread is a common protection charm in Hoodoo and other magickal paths. As I tie the bundle, I chant a small blessing spell to each Stick. Then they are left to dry in the dark to avoid them losing their perfume – drying herbs in the sun makes the volatile essential oils of the plant loose a lot of their power.
These one is made of rosemary – a plant that can banish negativity a mile around – and wormwood – another plant that is widely used in spiritual cleansing. This variety, which you can find only here on the islands, is so fragrant that is called “incense plant”!
Both plants are from my husband’s family organic crops and each stick is about 16 cms/six inches long, which is more than enough for several uses. There are ONLY TWO available.
You can light one end of the stick and blow over it to form the ember, and then leave it burn completely or on parts as you prefer. You can also hang it anywhere as a protection charm, or put it as an offering in your altar.
Smudge Stick – Rosemary and Sage

These ones are made of sage – representing wisdom, clarity and connection to the spirit world – and rosemary.

Bath Salts: Good Fortune

Scented with coconut and peach perfume oils and containing herbs like rose, cinnamon, Low John The Conqueror root and many others, this is my best selling bath salts recipe! Sensual, fruity and exotic, this recipe is made for those looking for a change of fortune in their lives, specially in love matters.
Best days to use: Mondays and Fridays.
Best Moon phase to use: crescent and full Moon
The best sea salts from the Canary Islands (we have our own traditional factories, so the salt is made like a thousand years ago) and a mixture of herbs, resins, barks and perfume oils to make your sacred bath a complete new magickal experience.

Bath Salts: Banishing salts

This bath salts are specially effective for those metaphysical workers that absorb too much negativity from oracle readings, or for those who clean houses from negative entities, as it creates a locked barrier and eliminates all negativity (also very useful after family reunions LOL). Made with herbs like rosemary, artemisia, solomon’s seal root and many others, and scented of violet and lemon balm perfume oils, this is a soothing, relaxing and energizing recipe. I have also added my own Protection Oil to the mix.
Best days to use: Tuesdays and Thurdays
Best Moon phase to use: waning and new Moon

Bath Salts: Psychic Powers

A regular must for all Witches is to perform everyday rituals that helps unblock our aural channels and keep us centered and focused in our purpose – and what better everyday ritual than a good hot bath? Can’t imagine a better duty :).
Made with herbs like willow and sage (and many more), with an extra pinch of powdered Olibanum (Boswellia Sacra resin) and scented with Jasmin Tea and Myrrh perfume oils, this bath salts are the best to use on a regular basis for increasing your awareness. I have also added High John root oil and a pinch of graveyard dirt from a 17th century graveyard.
Best days to use: Wednesdays and Sundays
Best Moon phase to use: full or new Moon, depending if your magick is mainly Light or Dark.

Blessed Salts

This salt is made with sea salt and blessed water. The salt is embedded with water and for nine days a ritual is made calling for the protection of angels, as the salts dry again.
The salt comes from a traditional salt marsh in the island of Lanzarote (Lancelot), where small lakes of sea water are created near the sea and the water is left to evaporate in the sun. It is a long, hard-working methods that makes this salt one of the best in the world. To me, is like the essence of the body of Yemanya, goddess of the sea.
This salt is an all-purpose protection powder: it can be sprinkled anywhere around your come and it is completely harmless for pets and kids, as it contains no more ingredients than salt and spring water.
I have found it is also a wonderful offering for any angel-related magick. I have several customers who practise it and they all have found that angels love it!

You can find them all at The Hoodoo Shop at Etsy

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Making Edible Witchcraft: A Revitalizing Potion

Making potions is one of my favourite parts of Magick. In many ways is just like cooking, and the time when potion and medicine were used as words of equal meaning is really not that long ago. Though they are (sadly and quickly) disappearing, there are still pharmacies here in the Islands that prepare their own formulas.

Not all potions are made to fight evil spirits or to help us achieve things; there are also many edible potions. Really, how many chances you get to fight evil spirits??? Thanfully, I don’t get that many to keep me witching all day :). Edible potions are the very root of modern medicine, and a must to learn for Witches! What is -wrongly, in my opinion – called “kitchen Witchery”, is actually chemistry and medicine. Not that I have anything against kitchen Witchery at all!

To make potions, I have this small alcohol fondue burner with an old, well-used pot. I prefer this kind of burner to propane/butane burners because most of the times, a potion needs only to be slowly heated for a long period of time, with a temperature always below boiling. The alcohol burner is easy to regulate and quite safe – I guess I don’t need to say that if you are using one, NEVER leave it unattended.

The potion that I’m showing you today is a revitalizing potion, ideal for periods of stress, after long illnesses, or simply to keep the system up and running! I made enough for four doses (a shotglass being the dose), but you can make more and keep it in the freezer for a few days – but, my recommendation is to make small quantities so you can vary ingredients and simply have more fun witching :).

The fact that this is a beverage for physical well-being does NOT mean it’s not sacred! There is a spell made over it as there is in all potions. But first, let’s gather the ingredients:

- Blessed Water – a cup.
- Muscat Wine – a big glass. you can also use regular wine of your choice, or cider
- Rosemary Honey – two spoonfuls – again, you can use your favourite variety of honey.
- A teaspoon of: dried orange peel, dried lemon peel, rose petals, lemon verbena, lemon balm.
- A slice of fresh ginger.
- Half a stick of cinnamon.
- One rosehip berry.

First, add the water, wine and honey and let it get heat for 10 minutes; then add all the fruits and herbs and keep under boiling temperature for 20 minutes. That 20 minutes is the time to make your spell; put your hands over the cauldron, palms down, and visualize a stream of warm, healing energy flowing from your hands to the potion. You can cast a blessing for healing, empowerment, recovery or whatever purpose you are making the potion for. I’m not one for reciting other people’s spells, so I leave that at your choice.

Cover the pot with a lid and let it simmer for another 20 minutes, always under boiling temperature. Turn off the burner and let it sit until it reaches room temperature; then filter and drink or keep in the freezer for later use. Remember to use sterile recipients to avoid mold!

I like to reserve a shotglass and place it in the altar as an offering :). I haven’t met a Lwa yet that doesn’t love super-sweet alcoholic beverages LOL. Here’s Marie, enjoying today’s treats for her.

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Perfect Skin Rose Water Recipe

Due to the heat of burning candles in an altar, flowers don’t last much on them. The roses I got on Saturday were already fading, so this morning I had the perfect excuse for a little bit of recycling making my own version of rose water. My own skin is very thin and sensitive and tends to dry, so I can’t use commercial beauty products – no problem! One of the best things of being a Witch is the amount of recipes you can experiment with, not only for potions and magick, but also for health and beauty.

Pic taken five minutes after finishing it.

Ingredients:
- Fresh Rose petals
- Essential Rose oil, 3-5 drops per jar
- Sweet Briar Oil (Rosa Rubiginosa), one tablespoon per jar
- One tablespoon of alcohol/vodka per jar – this is optional because it’s used as preservative only.
- One lemon slice per jar
- Distilled water

- Sterilized jars – mine are recycled; I boil them first and then rub them with alcohol – pay special attention when cleaning jar lids, because most moulding comes from there.

Pic taken 1 hour after making it – see the change in the colour of the water?

Recipe:
- First, take petals off the roses, discarding stamens, and cut off the white part of the petal, where it “hooks” to the flower stem.
- Fill up the jar with petals and add the oils, the alcohol and the lemon slice.
- Add boiling water, filling it as much as you can, and close tightly – be careful and use a dishcloth to help you tighten the lid, the jar will get hot as hell in seconds!
- Let it cool, filter and then keep in fridge – without the alcohol it lasts about a week if managed carefully; with the alcohol, it can last for months if kept in the fridge.
- As it cools, you will see how the water gets into a wonderful deep red colour – this only happens with red and dark pink roses, which are the ones traditionally used for rose water.

Properties and use:
This water is hydrating, relaxing and healing for the skin. It is perfect for dry skin because the Sweet Briar Oil is used to lessen eczemas, scars and stretch marks; it is a wonderful soothing balm for sun burnt skin also. The little addition of alcohol and the lemon slice will dry and purify spots and unwanted grease on the skin, so anyone with acne or allergic swellings can use it too. It also has anti-oxidant and anti-aging properties – and of course smells like Rose Heaven!!!

It can be used as a face mist, body mist, added to bath water… anyway you like! I personally use it after a very hot shower, and also before putting on any make-up (make-up dries my skin a lot). Avoid contact with eyes, mouth and genitals.

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