Anima Herbal Blend

Anima [ˈänɪmä]

From Latin Anima

Noun

anima f (genitive animae); first declension

Soul, Spirit, Life
Air, Breeze
Breath

Our Anima Herbal Blend is the perfect ceremonial tool for all rituals involving the Ancestors, The Mighty Dead, Psychopomp, Necromancy, and all rituals involving the underworld.

It contains the following ingredients:

Mugwort
Cornflowers
Comfrey Leaf
Wormwood Herb
Amaranth

Witch Hazel Leaf
Red Poppy Flowers
Skullcap
Tagetes Oil
Oakmoss Oil

About our Herbal Blends

Herbal blends are one of the most versatile tools for all magick, as they can be used in a bath, a floor wash, incense, a simmer pot, sachets, pillows, poppet fillers, and so much more.

Below, we will explore how you can use our Herbal Blend in your ceremony.

Creating an Herbal Infusion

Creating an herbal infusion with your herbs has many uses. As with most ceremonies, it begins with intent. Focus on what you are going to be using the infusion for. Once you are ready, create a sacred space. I generally like to do this in my kitchen. I often bring a spell candle and incense to add more power.

The first step is to boil about 2 quarts of water. While the water boils, take about 2-3 tablespoons of herbs and bruise them in your mortar and pestle, then add them to a muslin bag (the bruising will break the skin of the dried herb allowing for better infusion). Once the water is boiling, pour it into a large bowl and add the muslin bag. Let it steep for about 20 minutes. You will have a dark infusion.

Pull the herb bag out, squeeze the last bit of infusion, and set it aside. You can bottle the infusion if you wish. Please keep it in the refrigerator; it will stay good for about a week. If you want to keep it longer, you will need to add an alcohol preservative to it. I recommend creating a fresh batch whenever you need it. Here are some uses for the infusion:

Using it as a Floor Wash: In a bottle, add 50% of your favorite floor cleaner and 50% of the infusion.
Using it as an Herbal Bath: Add the entire infusion to your bath. You can follow the same steps for your bath as you would with our Amāre Bath Salts.
Using it to consecrate items: You can choose to either anoint the item with the infusion or pour it in a small bowl and dunk it.

Using the Herbs without Infusing them

You can also use our herbal blends in other ways without creating an infusion. Below are a few ideas you can try:

To Create an Incense: Add the desired amount of herbs to your mortar and pestle (I also like to add a dash of saltpeter), and grind them down into the desired consistency for your incense. This method allows you to create specific incense for each ceremony imbued with different intents. You can make one to clear your aura and another to connect with your spirit guides. Creating your own incense allows you to personalize your ceremony experience.

To Create a sachet, poppet, or dream pillow, Be sure you have your bag first (if you are making a poppet, you can have the figure pre-sewed, and if you are making a dream pillow, you can have a small pillow pre-made). Stuff your bag with as much of the blend as you feel necessary. Close the bag or sew it shut. If you are creating a dream pillow, add some stuffing to make it fluffier.

To Create a simmer pot: A simmer pot is a beautiful way to release the energy of the herbs with elemental water instead of fire. Add 1-2 cups of water to a small saucepan and a handful of herbs. Set it on low and let it simmer. I like to let it simmer all day, adding more water as needed. The steam from the pot will disperse the energy throughout your entire home!

Creating An Ancestral Candle

Adding herbs to candles has been the most tried and true way to charge a candle with intent. You can use your herbal blend to create an Ancestral Candle to work with your ancestors. I recommend using this with either a votive or a pillar candle.

Tools Needed:

Your Candle (white Recommended)
Incense censer and Charcoal
Mortuus Oil
Mortuus Incense (Optional)
Anima Herbal Blend
Mortar and Pestle
Cookie Sheet
Hair Dryer
Melted Wax (Optional)

Steps:

Create Sacred Space.
Bless all the items you plan to use to create your Ancestral Candle.
Light your incense. Charge your candle with Mortuus Oil to set your intent: this candle will represent your relationship with your Ancestors. You call your Healed Ancestors to your altar every time it is lit.
Add the blend to your Mortar and Pestle and grind it as fine as possible. Once done, spread it over the cookie sheet evenly (do not use the entire jar – that is too much!)
I blow the hair dryer on high all around the candle, generally holding it either by the wick or the bottom.
Roll and press the candle into the herbs once the candle sides are softened. You want to add enough pressure to adhere to the herbs but not too much, or you can warp the candle.
Once the herbs have adhered all around your candle, you can drip wax on the sides to seal the candle or dunk gently in melted wax (be sure to hold it by the wick if you do this). This is unnecessary, but if you do not add wax, some herbs may flake off with time, which is also acceptable.
Your candle is complete! Add it to your ancestral altar and let it sit for at least 24 hours before using it.