Steelblue Ladybird Beetles (Halmus chalybeus), family Coccinellidae, Australia
photographs by ElectricChimaera
Dragonfly wings
Omg yall let’s play a fun game today cause im totally not bored or anything while at work
Let’s make a lil character that u have to be tedious with I’m making. Like a fucked Frankenstein
I WILL START:
-ribs
Canyon Wren (Catherpes mexicanus), family Troglodytidae, order Passeriformes, Guadalupe River State Park, TX, USA
photograph by James Fallon
Hey guys! Check out this block of pure sodium that I got!
This is my first post on my newly-minted digital grimoire, so I thought I'd start out with info I already know. Here's a short little guide on how to dehydrate herbs and other materials at home in your oven (if you have one). I usually dehydrate fresh materials instead of hanging them as firstly: I have a cat who will find a way to reach anything I hang up to dry, and secondly: there are some materials I don't feel comfortable leaving out in open air as they will likely rot. Also, it just saves on drying time.
Steps:
1. Grab whatever you want to dehydrate whether it be fruits, peels, herbs, veg, or (my favourite) eggshells.
Important Note: DO NOT EVER put plants which are known to be toxic or whose origins are unclear in your oven. It's never worth it.
2. Place your items on a sheet pan with parchment paper underneath (there may be lingering oils on the pan, but if you are okay with that feel free to skip the parchment).
3. If your oven is fancy and you have a dehydration setting, great! Use the recommended temperature. If not, set your oven between 160-190*. I usually set it lower, but if you're short on time it will work higher.
4. This is the most crucial step: keep your oven door slightly ajar in order to let moisture escape. However, very importantly DO NOT EVER LEAVE YOUR OPEN OVEN UNATTENDED (or your closed one, for that matter), especially if you have an older oven. Basic fire safety applies here.
5. The process usually takes around 2 hours if you are dehydrating thinner plants, but may take up to 3-4 if you are dehydrating something thicker like citrus peels or fruit slices. Either way, be prepared to wait a bit. You will know they are done when you can easily crush them if plants or they are breakably-solid if peels. With eggshells they will be brittle anyways, but it's nice to dehydrate them to more easily grind into a powder and also to kill any lingering bacteria.
6. Store herbs as you usually would in a container away from sunlight. Enjoy!
Sources:
Printer's Ornament (Chiswick Press, 192)
please please someone make an asmr/ambience audio of like, sleeping in a mech cockpit and u can hear a gentle hum of the engine in standby mode and the muffled sounds of engineers working outside in the hangar
updated version
cleanse your jar
gather your ingredients
charge and program them, and then add them to the jar
close and seal with wax, ribbon, string, etc. to finalize and cast the spell
decorate your jar however you'd like, or not at all - up to you
tiny glass jars with cork lids
mason jars
pickle/pasta sauce jars
old medication bottles
food storage containers
bead storage tubes
dried herbs
dried citrus peels
dried flowers
magical powders
small crystals
gem chips
essential oils (a drop or two will go a long way)
infused oils (carrier oils such as olive or grapeseed oil that have been infused with herbs)
a few drops of charged water (storm water, war water, sea water, holy water, rain water, moon water, sun water, etc.)
paper (with sigils/symbols/glyphs drawn on it, an incantation, a name, a phrase, etc.)
coins
beads
glitter or confetti
seashells/shark teeth/sand, etc.
leaves/acorns/sticks/bark/moss
animal fur, nail clippings, teeth, or whiskers that have fallen out naturally (if i catch you trying to pull out your pet's whiskers or fur, i will fight you)
nails, glass, pins, needles, thorns, and other sharp objects (great for cursing, binding, banishing, or protection)
vinegar, lemon juice, pickle juice (mostly for “souring” a situation)
honey, sugar, syrup (to “sweeten” a situation or for attraction)
pretty much anything that fits and corresponds to your intent
unless your intent correlates with the contents of the jar spoiling or going bad - don't use anything biological in nature (think bodily fluids), don't use fresh produce or herbs, and be mindful of water content inside the jar. you don't want a moldy, biohazardous mess on your hands (unless you do, then that's cool, too).
containing your spell, theoretically making it easier to manipulate and control
manifesting goals/intentions continuously or over time
passive manifestation that doesn’t require much ongoing participation from the caster but is subject to regular maintenance
keep it on your altar
keep it in an area that's appropriate for goal manifestation (for glamours, keep it in the bathroom; for sleep or dreams, keep it in the bedroom; for safe travels, keep it in your vehicle; for cursing, keep it concealed in a black box; etc.)
wear it as jewelry
put it in your pocket, purse, or backpack
bury it in your backyard or within a potted plant outside (for spells you don’t plan to undo or want to last indefinitely) - if burying is not an option, hide it somewhere on your property
leave it at a crossroads
shake it up
light a candle on top of or next to it
submerge it in a bath of herbs or crystals that are associated with energy
submerge or surround with sea salt (a natural conductor of energy)
anoint with oil/blessed or charged water
pair with a tarot card or rune stone that matches your intent
suffumigate with incense smoke
energy work and visualization
remove the contents from the jar and either destroy them, bury them, or throw them away
for items you wish to save, cleanse them thoroughly before using them again
take the jar and cleanse it in whatever manner you choose and either save it to be reused; or dispose of it safely
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