We three...

[Shaman of Bliss]

So I have two friends, one is aboriginal, and other is western of european decent, like me. My aboriginal friend named Shara, we can connect well, she's well experienced with energies etc. She had a ghost guardian watching over her since she was like 7 years old. My other friend Selene, is new to Paganism/ Witchcraft. She is nto at the same level as Shara and me, but we all have to learn right?

So heres what I want to do, I've had a idea like this for a long while, and I'm reluctant to share it, but I will (feel special).

I have grown three tree sprouts. There all lemon, and they sprouted this week. These two girls are my closest friends whom practice magicks in one form or another.


I've decided that I'm going to preform a ritual with these two girls, where we bond these three tree sprouts to the other sprouts, and also to us three. Each one of us will take a sprout away with us. This will create a sort of energy bridge that links us three. So as the trees will always be in our homes, perhaps in the backyards as they grow larger. This will link us three, and the trees can act as a beackon if you will, for eachothers energies. Giving us a connection and sense of togetherness, no matter how far away we are.

Do you kind of see what I'm getting at?

I know what I'm doing for the ritual, so I don't need advice or suggestions, I only wanted to hear some feedback, comments on what I'm doing.

Blessed be.

[juliaki]

Well, I don't see why you want to ruin your friendship with these people, but I guess that's your right.

[Wolf Heart]

Well, I don't see why you want to ruin your friendship with these people, but I guess that's your right.

I don't see how this would ruin the friendship and I find that your comment was very rude Juliaki.

I think that it is a beautiful idea but that you must be certain you want to do this. Binding yourself to someone isn't just for a little while, it lasts. If you feel you shall always be close then by all means do it.

I personally would not bind myself to anyone, but that's mostly because I have trust issues. Bright blessings on your ritual.

Wolf Heart

[wiccachicken]

i think that this is a nice gesture and also do not see how its going to ruin your friendship with these girls. Though take into consideration that maybe these girls might move at some point. Maybe you would want to do it with something smaller than a tree? So you can all carry it around with you?

As youre all witches it would maybe mean more than just something that best friends give to each other. Its personal on a magickal level too.

Sounds wonderful. Take care xxx

[juliaki]

There's one magickal attribute that is used for causing friendships to break apart in the ritual as it was mentioned. Because Shaman researched this specifically, I'm sure Shaman knows what that is, and so I figured that it must be the intent to break them apart. I'm not sure why one want to do that, but stranger things happen in the world of magick.

[Kolohe Redux]

Can you just tell us what it is then Juliaki? or Shaman? Or is it a secret?Evidently there are at least three of us who don't know (including me). I thought it sounded like lovely gesture to reinforce the friendship.

Kolohe

[[EarthWitch]]

Being a novice, I would like to hear the rationale as well. I may need to do more research into my spells.

[thatguy]

From a practical point of view, I don't think lemons are hardy in a
Canadian climate. I would also be surprised if all three sprouts survived
to adulthood, but you might get lucky. I admit that I don't know lemon
that well.

Another comment I'd make is that someone's tree will always be the most
beautiful and healthy and someone's will always be ugliest and sickly.
The middle tree's owner might side with one against the other.

If one of your trees dies, will the owner be excluded from your group?

What if the trees have a fight and stop talking to one another?

I really like the idea of creating a connection that you all can share, but
after considering the negative possibilities, I don't think it will easily turn
out well.

Another side of me thinks: hey, go nuts.

I also think it would be easier to connect your energies directly to
each other. Then you don't need the trees to be connected to have
yourselves connected.

Do you mind if I ask why you're going to such arcane lengths to create a
channel for energies?

cheers,

T. Guy

[[cherokeewind]]

My Mom used to sprout and grow citrus trees. You have to dig them up before winter and pot them every year. During late fall and early spring the potted trees should be set outside when warm enough, get rain. If a chance of frost, bring in overnight.

Citrus trees really take a lot of care, but can grow tall as people this way. Only loving care will keep the trees alive. Every spring you need to plant them outside again.

[juliaki]

Aside from the challenges of growing citrus trees, even in the best of climates (and growing up in South Florida, I have a lot of experience with citrus), there are two aspects to this that are problematic.

First, lemons have interesting connotations. They're sour. They sour anything they touch. So, you're taking your relationship and tying it together with folks with something that will sour the relationship. (And that's not even going into the other connotation of something being a lemon!)

Second, keep in mind that trees are living beings. Even though you and your friends may want to hitch yourselves together for the rest of eternity, the trees might not be thrilled with that. If they choose to, they may work against you. Not healthy for anyone pursuing a magickal path.

One other aside, because of citrus canker outbreaks, many areas have laws against the transport of citrus plants and embargo issues. Something to consider if your friends ever decide to move from where they are living right now.

[Pirranth]

I can see some advantages for using plants as an arcane link, but as agreed before citrus trees are notoriously hard to take care of. I'd use pine, or something extremely hearty, I would go far as to suggest that you use ginko simply because they are nearly impossible to kill and considered a weed by some gardening communities. Some basic information about the tree here, and more detailed information here.

If you were to use the ginko tree, I do have some suggestions and warnings. My grandfather way back when tried to get rid of one of them in his yard, salt, fire, backhoe and it still grew. He left the branches to dry for a few months before burning (lived on the coast, getting anything to dry is difficult) after approximately six months with no water and sitting on concrete he figured the cuttings were pretty dead, being dry enough to snap. So, he used some to make a fence. Every bloody twig started growing the next day. On that note, you may want to get cuttings from the same tree to have a similar link if you use a ginko, and beware where your twigs go.

[[AmberRose13]]

Possibly do a bonzai?
That way, you can use any type of tree you want, they can be moved inside, and they can be passed down for generations.
They do take a lot of nurturing, so maybe that'd help symbolically?

- Amberrose

[Wolf*]

As beautiful as the idea sounds, I have to agree that it might not be the best idea as trees are living things, and as such, they die. What would that do to the magic?

Might I suggest using an inanimate object? Perhaps a chain from a long necklace. Do what you will to the necklace, then dismantle it into 3 equal parts for you each to wear as a bracelet. Now, this is just an idea I just came up with while typing, you could use anything, just keep the same idea: A piece each for you three, three parts of one whole.

Edit: also, keep in mind, a magical bond to someone is nothing to play with. I know from experience. Through good and bad, even if something happens where you want nothing more to do with the person in the future, you may find yourself continuously bound to them and attached. So think long and hard on if this is something you really want to do.

[juliaki]

Plus, creating a magickal bond between people allows you to really cause pretty intense harm to them (or them to you) if one party gets miffed at another.

In the "mundane world", it can also cause interesting effects. If one person gets ill, the others will get just as sick (or worse). (And let's face it, most guys aren't going to enjoy experience menstrual cramps every month for the rest of their life from one person, let alone two!)

I guess to me this sounds a lot like magickal slapstick... unpleasant for the people involved, but funny for those of us watching.

[Shaman of Bliss]

>.< I planted lemon seedlings cause I like lemon, man you guys read into things too much sometimes, lol. The reason I wanted to use them is because I forgot I planted them in that pot, I stopped watering it, and one day, last week I noticed sprouts, so thats why I'm using them. Also I agree perhaps the trees aren't a great thing to use, I also was wondering what would happen if one died, or was sickly etc. I wasn't binding myself to them, and they are my close friends. I know that I am basically binding, but its more like connecting the energies, as opposed to wraping a 9-inch thick steel chain around the three of us. I'm not going to let us three grow apart, and we have had fights, we know how to get over ourselves.

Juliaki I respect your honesty, and the humor. I'm just adjusting to it.

The two girls get their time of the month almost on the same week, all my girl friends menstrat around the same week, (tis hell on earth!).


I also thought about the repercusions. Ill talk to them about it. I don't intend to just do it, and hand them the items without them understanding. Its my hope that by all three of us doing it, the bond will become what we want it to be. We all have our pain in the group, but we find that eachothers presence makes us stronger.

Again this is more casual, not a full on life bindng event. Don't know if that helps. Ill get to work thinking on the new item idea.

P.S. in retro spec, the lemon trees would be more of a dividing force, and its not fair to the trees, so thanks everyone and Juliaki for pointing that out.

Thanks wolf for the suggestion, Ill have to run all the ideas past them.