Crow/Raven Pattern and Messenger Herbal Formulas Including Messenger Tea for Divination
The Dreaming Bird pattern for the month of March focuses on the raven/crow – genus Corvus, which encompasses rooks, crows, ravens, and jackdaws. A bit difficult to tell apart, the raven is usually larger than the crow. A crow’s tail is shaped like a fan, and a raven’s tail is designed like a wedge – the tail on this month’s pattern is easily adjusted to call either energy to you. Crows “caw” – ravens “croak.” Crows travel in groups, where ravens often move in pairs. Crows are fearless defenders of their young. These birds will “mop up the magickal floor” after a mess, making them the perfect totem animal if you are going through a difficult time – their protective, powerful transformation energy flows readily for those who need courage, creative thinking, and strength. These birds remind me of the group mind, protection for the home, and the sharing of information within a community.
I took a minimalist approach to our pattern, providing a versatile design that can work with a variety of mediums. I created crows/ravens out of the following:
Felt – Bird on a stick, a bookmark, an altar cloth, and a brooch. Muslin – 3-dimensional prim bird (sewn, painted) Clay – bookmark and car visor guardian Black Cotton – as a focus on a quilt
Over the course of February, I created six protects using the same pattern, enlarging and reducing the pattern to fit. You can view all my finished projects at http://www.silverravenwolf.wordpress.com
For the Crow/Raven Pattern, I designed herbal formulas and enchanted washes to enhance the various projects, although I used the Universal Fluid Condenser on all the birds (see my book The Witching Hour for instructions on making the fluid condenser available through Amazon.com). The enchanted washes were brewed from steeped herbs and spring water. These washes are not ingestible. Once cool, I used the empowered liquid on both cloth and clay. Washes are a great substitute if you can’t add the herbs directly to your project. The downside of this type of dressing lies in the speedy dissipation of the wash -- which rubs off or disperses quickly, losing magickal moxie in about 30 days unless the cloth was soaked from front to back in the wash (which isn’t always possible). If the project must be laundered frequently, these magickal waters are usually dispersed by the soap, and not as potent after successive trips to the washing machine. Fresh washes are wonderful for asperging ritual and meditative space.
The primary non-edible formula for stuffing your Crow/Raven (or creating an herbal wash) is The Messenger sachet recipe, comprised primarily of Mercury oriented herbals with one Venus Herbal (Hibiscus Flowers):
Bergamot Flax Dill White Horehound Lemongrass Lavender Spearmint Hibiscus Flowers
This recipe does differ slightly from the one offered on the WordPress link. Should you wish to speak to the dead, add mandrake, myrrh, and dirt from a beloved ancestor’s grave. If you would like visions of the future, add damiana. You might also choose to include found feathers in your sachet or herbal bag, as well as the astrological planetary glyph for Mercury.
I also designed Ravens’ Meadow tea candles, a combination of rose, geranium, orange, violet, jasmine, mint, and sandalwood sprinkled with The Messenger herbal recipe. The herb and candle combination for magick and sachets is available in my whispermagick.com store. Use coupon code RavensMeadow for a 15% discount during the month of March.
Messenger Herbal Tea
You can make Messenger Tea for consumption and divination using the following herbals:
Bergamot – 1 Tablespoon Dill – 1/2 Tablespoon Lemongrass – 1 Tablespoon Lavender – 1 Tablespoon Spearmint – 3 Tablespoons Hibiscus Flowers – 1 Tablespoon
You will notice that this formula is slightly different than the one I used for the sachets and stuffing the spirit animals. In this blend, I did not include Horehound because there can be side effects in some people, which include those who are pregnant, nursing, or with a chronic medical condition, diabetes, etc. If you wish to add white horehound, please research and check with your physician. Also, Bergamot and Hibiscus can lower blood sugar, and lemongrass is not suggested for pregnant women due to insufficient data. Again, check with your physician.
This formula has a very minty taste, with a bit of lemony twist and carries a beautiful burgundy color. To lessen the mint – back the formula down to 1 tablespoon. If you like, add 2 tablespoons of another herb in its place, or simply leave the formula as is.
1 glass quart jar 1 quart of spring water
Instructions for Messenger Herbal Tea
Blend dried herbals by hand in bowl. Pour into glass quart jar. Hold the jar in both hands and face the east. Ground and center. Think only of the Messenger Tea. Connect the Heart, Throat, Third Eye and Crown chakras with white light. Breathe deeply several times until you are relaxed, at peace, and in the mental place of quiet. Envision white, glittering light rising from the mixture in the jar and creating a blended pattern of its own. You can imagine this as a web or a mist. Begin whispering your intent, such as “Visions of the future I will see when I sip this herbal tea”, or “Be Thou a Messenger through this tea – wisdom, and knowledge bring to me.” The pattern will grow stronger with each repetition. When you lose the thought – you are done. If you are making the blend for someone else, be sure to change the wording of the charm.
Boil the water, and as you stir, repeat the following charm IF the tea is for you. “I connect with lakes, the streams, and the sea – I connect with the water that lives within me – I connect with this liquid for messenger tea.” You can change the word “messenger” if you are making a different type of tea. As you intone this portion of the charm, visualize yourself connecting which each of the water forms (sea, lake, streams, etc.).
Carefully pour the water over the herbs, continuing to repeat the charm. See a new pattern emerging – one that adds the power of the water.
Allow to steep for 45 minutes (a multiple of 9). Strain. Throw botanicals away. Add honey to sweeten if you like. Can be drunk cold, or gently re-heat (do not boil) if you want warm tea. Refrigerate leftover tea in jar for 24 hours. Discard if not used. Consume tea while working with your favorite divination tool. You can also dump the herbals onto a white plate and read them like tea leaves.
Magickal Tips: Make tea on a Wednesday in a Mercury Hour, or when the Moon is in waxing Gemini or Virgo (for wisdom in healing). Use a Sagittarius moon if you are inquiring about legal or long-distance travel.
Crow/Raven
Intelligent, clever...the purveyor of power within to conquer any goal, to dispel any block...genius, guardian of mystery...keeper of the magick.
Raven.
Crow.
Successful hunting.
Personal Transformation.
Good Luck.
Wealth.
Protection.
Bringing and delivering messages.
Learning to control, understand, and acknowledge our shadow selves.
Crow.
Raven.
Power.
Enjoy!
Thank you so much for reading about this month’s Dreaming Bird – the Crow/Raven. I hope you enjoy using the pattern as well as creating the herb blend and tea!