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Sacred Sprays for Magical Self-Care, by Katrina Rasbold

(Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal.)

One of the easiest ways to change your energy is by using sacred sprays. You can purchase these through online or brick and mortar establishments, but it is even more fun to make your own. Admittedly, my favorite is Pastor Davis 7 African Powers, which we call "The Holy Aquanet" at my shop because it is in a fat aerosol can. I have been unable to duplicate the scent, and we use it to seal our magical work, especially a spiritual cleansing.

For most people, sacred sprays create an immediate effect. I like to spray it into the air above me and then let it rain over me in a soothing rush of scent. For that moment, I can merge with the energy of the spray and give myself over to its power. That boost can carry me forward for several hours. I keep small bottles of magical sprays in my car to cleanse and refortify me after I have been out in the world too much and I am "over-peopled." It also comes in handy if I have a negative energetic encounter somewhere. The spray will reseat me and bring me back into myself.

There are sprays dedicated to refreshing you, calming you, protecting you, grounding you, and empowering you. The good news is that you can make the sprays yourself if you do not want to buy them. The outcome is a product that belies the simplicity of the process. The sprays discussed here are all safe for skin, fabric, and pets.

Why Do They Work?
The power behind sacred sprays is four-fold. In most cases, the recipe is a long-established, traditional combination, so there is power in using the same components that magical people have put together for hundreds of years. There is the natural power inherent in the ingredients, such as the magical properties of the herbs and stones used. Next, the fact that you are the one creating the mix, so your personal energy invests into the process. Lastly, there is the power of aromatherapy, both from a traditional standpoint and as elicited from your own conditioned triggers. If someone you love(d) always wore rose scent, then that will likely have a positive effect on you. If you had lavender in your garden growing up, then that may immediately relax you above and beyond its natural properties.

What Do I Need to Make my Own Sprays?
To make magical, sacred sprays, you will need to following items:

• Eight-ounce plastic spray bottles: In our post-COVID times, obtaining spray bottles can be a bit of hit and miss, but you can usually get a set of eight-ounce bottles on Amazon or even at your local dollar store. The eight-ounce bottles hold a good bit without becoming cumbersome to hold. I recommend a spray bottle with a fine mist rather than a utility bottle for cleaners and such (Those tend to give a fire hose effect that is not always pleasant).
• A large bottle of vodka: You will not make a superior product using expensive vodka, so leave the fancy stuff and get the cheapest you can find.
• Essential oils: There are numerous resources on the internet to tell you the magical properties of different essential oils. Most of the sources are consistent with their information. You can follow traditional recipes or you can experiment and make your own, using the magical properties resources as a guide to create the effect you want. Make sure the oils you use are skin-safe and not caustic.
• Dried herbs, resins: Dried herbs support the essential oils in the fulfillment of your goals. As with the oils, you can find information on the properties of resins and herbs through a quick Google search. Only use herbs if you are creating a "mother bottle" (more on that in a bit) and be sure to strain out all herbal matter before you put the liquid into the spray bottle. Herbs tend to clog the tube to the sprayer.
• Small stones: I put small stone chips, usually 1-2 depending on the size, in the bottom of my spray bottles not only to add their own energy to the process, but also to assist with the mixing when we shake the bottle to blend the oils and the vodka.
• A small funnel: It is much easier to pour the vodka or the spray mix into a spray bottle if you have a small funnel.
• A mesh strainer or cheesecloth: You will need this if you have a mother bottle of spray and need to remove herbal matter before putting the liquid into the spray bottle.
• Paper towels or shop towels: I recommend having a whole roll. It is rare for spills not to occur.
• A pipette to add oils: This lets you add oils a few drops at a time. Oils have different intensity levels, and it is easier to add more oil than to take it out after you add it.

How Do I Make the Sprays?
There are two ways to make amazing magical sprays, and both will render excellent results.

Slow and Patient
For this method, you will create a designated mother bottle. The mother bottle is where the spray will cure into a strong concentrate that you can then dilute when the time comes to pour it out into the spray bottles.

Vodka is your carrier. As an alcohol, it evaporates quickly, so you are not left with droplets all over your fabric and skin. I tend to pour out four to six ounces of vodka into a clean cup and use the large vodka bottle itself as a mother bottle. I then use a Sharpie marker to write the recipe for my mix onto the mother bottle once I am satisfied with the outcome.

You can also use a quart canning jar or any other large jar with a lid that seals well. You want to leave room in the bottle for your additions and then you can pour the excess vodka back into the mother bottle to top it off once your mix is right.

For any of the recipes given, you can use the appropriate essential oil, herb, or resin, or you can use a combination of them all. For instance, if a recipe calls for lavender and lemongrass, you can use lavender oil, lemongrass oil, lavender flowers or sprigs, and dried lemongrass in any combination. If it calls for frankincense and dragon's blood, you can use both resins plus the essential oils, or just the resins alone. If you do not use the oils and rely on resins and herbs, you will need to let the spray cure for several weeks to get the stronger results. That is why this is the "slow and patient" technique.

I included recipes at the end of this article. In Conjure practice, the idea is that you use what you have readily available, either in your magical cupboard or what you can easily obtain. This will often influence how you make your sprays. None of the recipes here call for exotic, obscure ingredients.

Clear your working space and assemble your ingredients and tools. Make sure your mother bottle has a large amount of vodka in it, but still has room for your additions. Put in your oils first, then your herbs and resins, then your stone.

Close it up and shake it well. Check the smell. If you have not used oils, you may have to wait a week or two for the scent to develop. You will smell the vodka until the scent leaches out of the resins or herbs.

Put the bottle in a cool, dry, dark place to cure and check it once a week. Each week, it will become stronger until it levels out, usually in two or three months. You will know it is ready to use when you no longer smell the vodka.

When the scent is strong, use a mesh strainer or cheese cloth to strain the herbal matter into a measuring cup or other temporary vessel. Drop the stone into your spray bottle and carefully pour the spray mix into the bottle. Dilute the spray mix with additional vodka if it seems too strong.

Secure the cap onto the spray bottle and enjoy your spray.

Fast and Easy
With the fast and easy method, you must use essential oils as there will be no curing time to coax the scents out of the resin and herbs.

Add your stone first. Pour the vodka directly into the spray bottle, leaving approximately 2" of room in the top to add your oils. Drip your oils in a few drops at a time. Secure the cap, then shake the bottle vigorously. Uncap the bottle.

Close your eyes and center yourself, then smell the product. Does it need more sweetness (add florals)? Does it need more sharpness (try some citrus)? Do you have enough earth tones to it (add herbs)? Keep mixing until you find a blend you love, but carefully note each addition so you can duplicate your recipe later if desired.

You can add resins and herbs to the fast and easy mix, but the herbs will often start to disintegrate over time and clog your spray tube. Resins normally will not do this.

Be careful of adding too much oil or your spray will be sticky. Be sure to add enough oil or your spray will not have scent. In true Conjure, the scent is not the magic. Instead, the power lies in the properties. Admittedly, I am a fan of the smells.

With either method, be sure to shake your product well before using to mix the vodka and oils.

Recipes
We use sprays for many magical purposes. Here are some of my favorite recipes. They may sound simple, but they pack a powerful energetic punch. You will notice that there are no amounts listed for each ingredient. This is because it is important that you find your own identity with the sprays. Hint: start with equal parts of each ingredient and explore from there. When a recipe requires oil rather than the actual ingredient (such as "cucumber"), I have noted it in the recipe. You can use essential oils or fragrance oils but be careful of oils that have a high synthetic chemical component rather than natural ingredients. Synthetics can interfere with the desired magical properties.

Purification Spray: For a Quick Spiritual Cleanse

• Lavender
• Lemongrass

Inner Sanctum: To Engage the Higher Self

• Nag Champa oil
• Dragon's Blood

Motivation: –To Get People or Situations Moving

• Lemon oil
• Orange oil

True Romance: To Manifest or Encourage Love

• Rose
• Patchouli

Healing: To Promote Healing Energy

• Cucumber oil
• Rose

Protection: To Create a Protective Boundary Around a Person

• Dragon's Blood
• Myrrh
• Frankincense

Cut & Clear: To Break the Ties That Bind a Person to Another Person, Behavior, or Situation

• Peach oil
• Cucumber oil

Serenity: To Evoke a Feeling of Calm and Peacefulness

• Lavender
• Rose
• Cedarwood

I hope you enjoy making and using your own magical sprays. They make wonderful gifts and are a fantastic addition to your spiritual cupboard!

Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal. Copyright Llewellyn Worldwide, 2021. All rights reserved.

I live alone. Between 12 and 48 seconds after turning off my bedroom light for sleep, I feel a cat-like scratching at the foot of my bed. This is immediately followed by what feels like a light-weight spirit stepping upon the bed. After eight months, I began to feel two small, light-weight spirits on my bed: one at my feet and one at shoulder level. Four months later, there were three. This went on for three months. I was scared at first but now I'd miss them if they left! I have lupus and should be sick often but I am not and the doctor can't figure out why. I haven't had even a cold in over ten years. I am wondering if perhaps these spirits are guardians or are helping me in some way. Since the spirits have been in my life, I have been happier, calmer, and more relaxed. I sleep like a rock at night. These spirits do not talk to me and I have never seen them - thank God! I hang out at a New Age book store a lot. I don't drink or do drugs. Whatever is on my bed feels kind of like a cat, but it doesn't walk as a cat would. The spirits have never gotten cuddly or frisky with me either. Have you ever heard of spirits like this before? Thank you so much.

Cameron

Susyn:

Your experience is very intriguing. I wanted to know more, so I employed my psychic senses to see just what type of creatures these might be. When I envisioned these spirits, I saw something that looked more like a rabbit than a cat. Rabbit spirits often embody the energy of healing and peace; their gentle natures can remind us to move through life in peaceful, loving ways.

I feel that you are sensing some animal spirit guides who have adopted you and work nightly to help you heal. We all have special guides. Some come in the form of people, and some in the form of animals. They have a way of appearing just when we need them. Though your rabbit spirit guides appear in an unusual way, the sensations you experience as they walk on your bed or scratch are simply them letting you know they are near.

Though rabbit spirits are sometimes associated with fear, I believe that they help us to face and conquer our fears, and encourage us to summon spiritual intervention with our problems. Rabbits are quiet creatures that live a simple life with trust that they will be taken care of. As such, they encourage us to look within for healing and to align with well-being by living peacefully in the now.

I think these are the perfect spirit guides for someone who suffers from lupus, for they generate a calming of the nervous system, which naturally helps you to heal. They are protecting and strengthening your immune system and allowing you to live a happier, calmer and more relaxed existence these days.

Though we tend to think of rabbits as animals that hop rather than walk, they can move in ways similar to a cat. They also have claws that they use to scratch - not in an aggressive way, but to get our attention. They are known for their high reproductive rate, hence your experience that one became two and then three.

There is no reason to fear these spirit guides; in fact, you will want to embrace them and thank them for their presence. At the New Age book store you frequent, you can learn more about the special energy and gifts they have to offer you.

These fluffy little spirit guides act as your sentries by surrounding you with spiritual protection both day and night. To honor and thank them for their healing presence, you may want to start collecting rabbit icons like rabbit statues and pictures.

*****

Oceania:

Lupus is a systemic disease wherein an overactive autoimmune system mistakenly attacks the body, resulting in inflammation and a variety of symptoms ranging from mild to severe. As my mother has lupus, Iím very familiar with the most common symptoms: fatigue, joint pain, shortness of breath, mouth sores, dry eyes, cold fingers and toes, easy bruising, memory loss, anxiety and depression. Not only do you not suffer from these, you havenít had a cold in a decade. That is really unusual!

Spirit helpers come in many forms. I think it's wonderful that you are open to yours and appreciative of their quiet service. That you first noticed them when you moved to your new apartment suggests that moving into this particular home launched a life chapter of extraordinary solitude and serenity for you.

You seem to be in something of an energetic cocoon at this time in your life. This combined with your high sensitivity made it possible for you to notice these subtle presences. During your waking hours, you don't sense these gentle sentinels. Because they show up at bedtime, they do seem to be keepers of your rest, renewal and healing.

You are physically healthy and experience emotional well-being. You describe yourself as happy, calm, and relaxed, and I do sense a profound peace about you. I think we can attribute this primarily to your efforts to take good care of yourself.

You are clear in that you do not use or abuse substances. In hanging out at the New Age bookstore, you are no doubt absorbing ideas related to self-awareness, personal evolution, empowerment, compassion, holistic health, care for the environment and other earthlings, sustainability, community and the pursuit of meaning.

Are these tiny nocturnal spirits basking in your wellspring of energy, are they there to protect you, or are they simply loving companions? I do sense mutual enjoyment much like I feel with MY feline friends, who also settle softly on my bed at night.

Is it possible these are spirits of cats or pets you knew in the past? Some animal spirits choose to hang out in familiar places after theyíve passed or with their former human companions. While it's great to bask in the blanket of their benevolence, donít let their comforting presence keep you from seeking human companionship when the time is right.

Astrea:

Many times in life we hear, "You will always have what you NEED, but not necessarily what you WANT." Your spirit must have needed to experience the feeling of leaving your human body, and the suggestion in the next chapter of Sylvia Brown's book was all it took to get you there.

Even though you hadn't read it yet, your SOUL recognized the title of that chapter as something it had been seeking, and your soul, knowing that you had that reference to read after your experience, got with it and out you went!

While I don't usually recommend her books, Sylvia Brown has a wide reaching and powerful effect on lots of people. A Gemini like you would be able to relate easily to her writing and put it to good use. Synchronicity - you gotta love it!

I like your description of "getting caught." That's exactly what it feels like, isn't it? One minute you're free and hovering above the room, and the next minute, ZAP! back down into your corporeal form you go!

As a little kid, I loved that "feeling of return." With practice, most of the time we can control that event, but sometimes, when our physical ears hear a distracting noise or something else occurs to knock us back into reality, back we go. With practice you will be able to control your return better.

I find it interesting that you were visiting your mother-in-law and not someone in your own genetic family. Evidently, you and your husband got married for reasons that are even deeper than love. His family's interest in "psychic stuff" will nurture your children in such matters and help them to grow into their own abilities.

You'll never have to be concerned that when your daughter visits them, she'll be discouraged from exploring her own psychic life and power. My parents encouraged me to develop my psychic senses in a time when it wasn't nice to even discuss such things in public. Heck, it's STILL not considered a great topic at the dinner table in some families!

Your kids will get to talk about it ALL and ask questions and read and study. This is going to give them such an edge in life! Talk with your husband about how you want to present this to your kiddos, so that you are united in your approach and ready to tell them their experiences are all natural and okay.

A word or two of warning: Geminis often have difficulty staying grounded in REAL LIFE. Don't get so strung out on your ASTRAL life that you neglect what you're doing here on Earth.

You are at the beginning of a long journey to learn where your power really lies. Try to be patient with this process and take your time.