Parsley

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A bush of parsley.

A bush of parsley.

A sprig of parsley.

A sprig of parsley.

Parsely is said to ward off drunkness. It might just be the best hangover medicine there is!

However it is most often simply a decorative sprig on a plate in a diner or restaurant. But it can be used in several magical ways. It is associated with the element of air and the planet Mercury. It is a “masculine” herb although a favorite of the goddess Persephone and therefore used in necromancy or rites involving the dead and death. Romans would tuck a sprig of parsley into their togas for protection or good luck. (Hence its use on the dinner plate as an act of protection against poison and contamination or accidental dangers from the food.)

Parsley also promotes lust, though not love — a crucial distinction!Parsley increases fertility, a natural consequence of lust. Make a tea of it or soak in a parsley infused bath and it will bestow well-being in a wide variety of aspects.

King of Swords

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swords14

The King of Swords, sometimes called the “King Arthur card” of the Tarot deck, depicts a stern and austere man sitting on his throne with his great sword (Excalibur?) in his fist. The throne has a brocade backdrop depicting a butterfly (a symbol of immortality). A glimpse of a man with outstretched arm can be seen at the bottom of the brocade. Birds flutter in the sky, perhaps the pair of ravens (known as Thought and Memory) who brough news to Odin each day.

When the card is upright, it speaks of an intelligent person who knows his power — whatever that power might consist of — and the authority he wields. He is not afraid to use that power and authority and uses it primarily to defend the poor, the weak, the needy. He is always available to those who need him, much as the knights of the Round Table were ready to set out on a quest at moment’s notice to right the wrongs suffered by those who appealed to the king.

When the card is reversed, it speaks of a person who is ruthless in the pursuit of his goals or agenda. He is cruel and cold-hearted, ready to do anything to increase his power and defeat those who oppose him.

Authentic Magic?

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In my BittenByBooks interview last November, I was asked if the magic in the COME HELL OR HIGH WATER trilogy is authentic. I was also asked where the spells came from.

Yes, all the magic is REAL and authentic! I found it in a variety of sources that I have plundered for information over the years: books about medieval magic, academic articles and essays about various ethnic folk rituals, collections of legends, transcripts of witchcraft accusations and trials, etc. For instance, the Italian folk magic in the chapter about Bartolomeo all came from an article I found in the Columbia University library stacks about Italian occult practices. The curse that starts the whole trilogy rolling, that Fen’ka screams out from the pyre, is almost all taken from 9th century Gaul monastic service books that the monks would use to curse nobility who tried to steal monastic lands or encroach on monastic privileges!