“Sorrow can be alleviated by good sleep, a bath and a glass of wine”

–       Thomas Aquinas (Philosopher, theologian, Catholic saint & priest b.1225-d.1274)

 How true that is, Doctor Angelicus – but why not take this a step further and involve lavender at each stage?

 With the power to relax and uplift simultaneously, it can turn your mood around and take you to a better place. Traditionally used to avert the Evil Eye and banish evil spirits, it never hurts to have it available in some form around the house.

 For your 3-pronged attack on the blues, try the Lavender Trident Ritual.

 Prong 1: Take a deep, hot bath with lavender soap or bubbles. Dr Bronner’s Miracle Soap in Lavender will fill the room with scent, but if you can’t find that, you can simply crumble fresh or dried lavender flowers into the water.

It is an asperging herb, used for purification, and can sharpen and focus the mind. Find clarity as you soak, and become clean.

 

Prong 2: Drink a Lavender Lamp cocktail.

 Lavender Lamp

 1 shot lavender-infused vodka

Hard dash of Monin Lavender syrup

Half a shot of St. Germaine Elderflower Liqueur

Juice of 1 lemon

Shake the vodka, syrup, St. Germaine, and juice in a chilled shaker.

 

While you drink it, light a lavender or violet candle and gather some blue flowers for decoration and scent – blue flowers have a special connection with clearing a spiritual path forward toward fulfilling dreams.

 

Prong 3: Weave yourself a lavender spindle sleep totem, or “fuseaux de lavande”.

 Gather 30 stems of lavender, and strip away any leaves or grains from the stems.

 

Take a piece of ribbon approximately 1 foot long, and tie the flowers tightly together at the base of the blossom, with one short end about 4 inches long left among the stems, and the longer end hanging.

 

Fold the stems gently back until they form a cage around the blossoms, one by one. If the stems are too brittle, you can soak them in water beforehand.

 Take the long ribbon end and start to weave it through the stems, organizing the stems into sets of 2 as you go. Work your way around and around, under two stems, over two stems, making a secure tight basket around the lavender flower heads.

 As you weave, recite the Enochian incantation bah rah gah doh.

Echonian is the angelic language developed by Dr John Dee in the 16^th Century, and this incantation will work alongside your intent to give the spindle power to induce deep, refreshing sleep.

 

Keeping the ribbons tight, when you finish the top of your basket bind the two ribbon ends around to create a secure closure, knot into a hanging loop, and tie in a bow to finish.

 Trim off the ends of the stalks so they are only a couple of inches long, and your sleep spindle is ready to go under your pillow or hang over your bedhead.

 

When you wake up in the morning, the blues will feel like a bad dream in the past, disappearing with the night.

 “And she awaked, and opened her eyes, and looked very kindly on him. And she rose, and they went forth together, and the king and the queen and whole court waked up, and gazed on each other with great eyes of wonderment. And the horses in the yard got up and shook themselves, the hounds sprang up and wagged their tails, the pigeons on the roof drew their heads from under their wings, looked round, and flew into the field, the flies on the wall crept on a little farther, the kitchen fire leapt up and blazed, and cooked the meat, the joint on the spit began to roast, the cook gave the scullion such a box on the ear that he roared out, and the maid went on plucking the fowl.”

“Sleeping Beauty” – The Brothers Grimm & Charles Perrault