🌾The irish would sweep their floors from the door to their hearth, to bring in good luck rather than sweep it out.
(https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4428251/4388467/4465967)
🌾Soak your bed sheets and pillows in lavender and rosemary water to help with sleep! (https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4666586/4664150/4668362)
🌾Tie a red rag or ribbon around the neck (like a scarf) to ward the evil eye.
(https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4798657/4787663/4923346)
🌾To get rid of the evil eye, write the 26 letters of the alphabet on a piece of paper and burn it under your nose (I’m not a fan of breathing in smoke so I would change this method to burning the piece of paper along with some cleansing herbs (garden sage, cedar, juniper etc) treating it as incense and waft the smoke over you, taking in the scent indirectly)
(https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4658430/4654747/4659635)
🌾Another cure was to burn a piece of clothing worn by the possessor of the "evil eye". (https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4798707/4792016/4924255)
🌾Charm for Protection: “The Deer’s Cry”
I arise today
through the strength of heaven
the light of the sun
the brilliance of the moon
the splendor of fire
speed of lightning
depth of the sea
stability of the earth
and the firmness of rock.
(https://illustratedprayer.com/2018/03/17/saint-patrick-and-the-cry-of-the-deer/)
🌾Garlic boiled in milk is good for colds (A soup made with garlic and milk among other ingredients would be perfect too!)
(https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/5070791/5064262/5096665)
Along with garlic, onions and wild sage is good for colds too (Add them to your soup!)
(https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/5009200/4997255/5103281)
(https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4701685/4692572/4728101)
🌾Hanging a brigid’s cross up over the door or in the house prevents fires. The cross is burned each year in the hearth and a new one is made on Imbolc to continue that protection.
(https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4769994/4764934/5013850)
🌾On Bealtaine before sunrise cut the branches of whitethorn and mountain ash. They are wreathed around the door for good luck.
🌾Mountain ash is the safeguard against all witchcraft!
🌾If a branch of mountain ash cut on Bealtaine is woven into the roof of your house, your home will be safe from fire for at least a year. If the branch of mountain ash is woven into the timber of a boat, no storm will upset it and no man will drown for at least a year.
🌾Bind the twigs of the mountain ash cut on Bealtaine around valuable objects to protect them from witchcraft/ hexes and curses (Traditionally bound around milk pails and butter churns)
🌾Herbs picked on Bealtaine will have especially potent magickal healing properties! Especially the Yarrow which is picked for divination.
On Bealtaine, find a yarrow plant and dance around it singing:
“Yarrow, Yarrow, Yarrow,
I bid thee good morrow,
And tell me before to-morrow,
Who my true love shall be”
Then the herb is placed under your head at night and your true lover will appear in your dreams!
(https://www.libraryireland.com/AncientLegendsSuperstitions/May-Festival-2.php)
🌾Protection charm for travel:
Pluck 10 blades of yarrow, keep 9 and cast the 10th away to the spirits. Put the 9 under your heel in your stocking on your right foot before you travel.
(https://www.libraryireland.com/AncientLegendsSuperstitions/Charm-Safety.php)
🌾To attract bees:
On May day, gather foxglove (it’s poisonous, be careful), raspberry leaves, wild marjoram, mint, chamomile and velarian and mix them with butter and boil them together with honey. Rub this mixture on to any vessel you wish bees to gather.
(https://www.libraryireland.com/AncientLegendsSuperstitions/Attract-Bees.php)
Thanks for reading! :D
