Catch Up

Hi all,
I know, I haven't been around and missed a few big things like the May Supermoon, Beltane and Bast`s holy day but in my defense I was hand fasted on the May Supermoon and I`ve been busy with that. :)

So the May Full Moon (moon in Scorpio) was a supermoon meaning it looked much larger and closer than usual. Magically it means it was a more potent moon and it had a stronger effect on people, and magic done on this full moon was especially potent. Now add to that the moon was in Scorpio and you have a recipe for much emotional turmoil and drama. You were not alone if you found that you and your significant other fought a lot in the days approaching the full moon. The Scorpio full moon is an intense moon on it`s own (like us Scorpios lol). It acts almost like a dark moon by creating deep healing by bringing your shadows to light. Truths were forced up to the surface, we were forced to face our shadows, and things that we were suppressing came bubbling up.    I was effected as well. But after the emotional roller coaster I found that I felt free and strong and more at peace with myself than I have in years and my relationship was so much stronger than it had ever been. My spouse and I cumilated this growth and deeper connection by handfasting after our full moon ritual.

The ritual (which can be done at another time) was to build a small Bel fire in our front yard (as it was also Beltane) and after drawing down the goddess, writing down all our negative, confusing emotions that we wanted to be rid of and burning it in the Bel fire. Then we acknowledged something positive in our lives that symbolized the union of the Goddess and God, then jumped the fire. My spouse and I acknowledged each other and jumped the fire together signifying a new stage of our relationship. Later in front of our Household Goddess` shrine we committed to each other.

For Beltane we camped out in the woods and held a Beltane festival for three days. We did ritual, Women`s and Men`s Mysteries, Chose our May King and Queen that presides for a year, and danced and drummed around the fire into the wee hours of the morning.
I was quite happy that my spouse really took part this year, battling the king and even running naked through the forest, into the women`s camp and back to the men`s camp as a show of manly bravery. The look on my face was probably priceless.
As it was Beltane and a lot of mead was involved some of it is a bit fuzzy as the night wore on  but we had a great time connecting with the primal, tribal forces associated with the holiday.

Now that I am back home the next order of business is a Bast ritual before the week is out as she is our household goddess. Her holy day is on the 11th and it is a week long celebration. We celebrated Bast at my handfasting but I want to do a ritual solely for Her. Once I do I will post the ritual.

So happy belated Beltane and Full Moon. I will have more time to commit to keeping up the blog and I have lots of great things in store.

Hail Bast and Blessed Be!

Our Ostara Fairy Altar

I just wanted to share a quick pic of our Ostara Fairy Altar because it is just so sweet. The kids and adults at the Ostara I hosted at my house left offerings for the fairies.
There are flowers, milk, honey, shiny stones, crystals, coloured feathers, spell eggs, decorated eggs, coins and incense. This will definitely be a tradition in our household.

Ostara

Hello again! It is soon time again for Ostara / The Spring Equinox! I am holding a Family Ostara festival today and I got up extra early this morning to prepare so I decided to take a few minutes to post about what we are doing for Ostara.


1st off Ostara is the the spring equinox, the 1st day of Spring. This year the equinox is on Tuesday, March 20th. The equinox, for those that do not know, is the time of year that there is equal daylight and dark as the sun crosses the celestial equator. It happens twice a year, once in Spring and once in autumn. 


The Spring Equinox is scared to the Goddess Eoster, a Saxon great Goddess of fertility and rebirth. Her symbols include rabbits, eggs and birds. This explains the presence of them in the Christian holiday of Easter as the Church combined the holidays when they were trying to convert the European pagans. The themes of rebirth and spring fit quite nicely with the theme of Christ's resurrection. 
Less known and celebrated, the Spring Equinox is also sacred to Blodeuwedd, the fairy queen giver of life. The equinoxes are a time when the veil between the worlds are thin and are a time when the fairies come out to play. Its a great time to honour the fair folk.


To celebrate this year we are having a potluck festival where everyone brings a dish made of the  traditional foods of the year such as: eggs (obviously), greens, lamb and dairy. My spouse and I will be making a lamb Stew. Here is a traditional Lamb Stew recipe (makes 4 servings):

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds lamb stew meat

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

• 3 large onions, quartered

• 3 medium carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces

• 4 small potatoes, peeled and cubed

• 1 (14.5 ounce) can beef broth

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

• 1 tablespoon butter

• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley

• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced chives

• 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme

• 
  

• Directions

1. In a Dutch oven, brown meat in 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Remove with a slotted spoon; set aside. Add onions, carrots and remaining oil to pan. cook for 5 minutes or until onions are tender, stirring occasionally. add potatoes, broth, salt, pepper and lamb. bring to a boil. Remove from the heat. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 50-60 minutes or until meat and vegetables are tender.

1. With a slotted spoon, remove meat and vegetables to a large bowl; keep warm. Pour pan juices into another bowl; set aside. In the Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour until smooth. Gradually whisk in pan juices. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in the parsley, chives, thyme, and meat and vegetables; heat through.

Every year I dedicate the festival to the children in the community as they are the living symbols of new life. So last year I had a children's festival where I had Ostara themed crafts like egg decorating, egg hunts, games like egg toss and storytelling. This year I am continuing that tradition. 


I have also set up a fairy altar under the biggest tree in our yard (I am lucky enough to have a big enough property to hold the festival on). Blodeuwedd is a Flower Woman and so the altar is decorated with lots of flowers. The children (and anyone else that would like to) will leave offerings on the altar to the fairies. Suggested offerings to the fairies are: honey, milk, candy, shiny baubles, crystals, flowers and artwork. 


For the adults attending (though the kids can take part) we are doing a seed blessing for seeds that people are planning to plant in their gardens. Think of a project that you want to start or something you would like to bring into your life over the long term. Enchant your seeds so that as they grow the thing you are trying to achieve grows as well. The spell we are using is:

"Creatures of Earth Bring Strength and Mirth! 

          As you grow so shall ____

As you flourish, so shall ____

As you mature, so shall _____

As I harvest your bounty, so shall I harvest the rewards of _____

Eostre, Lady of Spring, bless these seeds and all they bring. 

So mote it be."

I recommend using a plant you plan  to harvest such as veggies and herbs instead of ornamental flowers. Also a note of caution. Make sure you take very good care of these plants and they are now sacred and if you let them whither and die, so may your wish/project. 


And other thing we shall be doing is anyone who wishes can make enchanted eggs. You take an egg (fresh or hard boiled) and decorate it with symbols and runes of things you want in your life. Eggs are a potent symbol of fertility so they are great for bringing you what you want. When you finish decorating them put the eggs on your altar or in your garden (they are also great fertilizer). 


I hope these ideas inspire you in your own celebrations. And here are some other correspondences to help you as well:

Colours: All pastels are appropriate, especially greens, yellows and pinks.
Incense: Flowery incenses are best such as violet, honeysuckle and narcissus, also lemon.
Flowers: All flowers are great. Especially daffodils, jonquils, tulips, violets, narcissus and crocus. 

I wish you all a very joyful Ostara! 

The Storm Moon - March 2012

So it is time for the Full Moon again!
If you are a stickler for exact times the moon is officially full tomorrow morning (March 8th) at 4:39 am. But some caution at this time as we will discuss later.


March is the month when Spring finally arrives. It is called the Storm Moon because march is the month of the spring rains and storms that clear away the winter snow and welcomes the new growth of spring. The old adage "In like a lion, out like a lamb" is often applied to this month.


So lets look at some correspondences:

Other names: Seed Moon, Plow Moon, Crow Moon, Sap Moon, Worm Moon, Lenting Moon.
Nature Spirits: mer-people, air and water beings who are connected with spring rains and storms.
Herbs: broom, High John root, yellow dock, wood betony irish moss
Colours : pale green
Scents: honeysuckle, apple blossom
Flowers: jonquil, daffodil, violet
Stones: aquamarine, bloodstone
Trees: adler, dogwood
Animals: cougar, hedgehog, boar
Birds: sea crow, sea birds
Deities: Black Isis, The Morrigan, Hecate, Cybele, Astarte, Athene, Minerva, Artemis, Luna
Power flow- energy breaks into the open, growing, prospering, exploring. New beginnings, balance of light and dark. Breaking illusions, seeing truth in your life however much it may hurt.

To narrow down themes other astrological correspondences of the day are:


Thursday: Honor, riches, clothing, desires, expansion, money, prosperity, generosity. It is ruled by Jupiter who rules over good luck, wealth, healing, male fertility, legal matters.


The full moon start in Virgo: The Virgin favors abstract thought and keen and critical intellect. Pay attention to details and all matters concerning health and healing, nutrition, herbs, crafts, ethics, service to others, volunteering, and community needs. Use this Moon for coven matters, or crafting altar tools or ritual accouterments. Clean the house! (This may account for my random urge to scrub every corner of my house yesterday lol. Its all sparkly clean!)


If you are doing your full moon ritual after 11:50 pm then the correspondences change as the moon enters Libra at 11:50. Correspondences for the moon in Libra are: Increases self-awareness, favors self-examination and interaction with others, but discourages spontaneous initiative. A good time for partnership matters and legal affairs. Use this Moon for balance and harmony, especially romance.


Now for my note of CAUTION: the moon is void of course at 4:39 am (when the moon officially turns full) do not start new new projects or activities during the day as activities begun when the moon is void of course rarely come into fruition, or they turn out very differently than planned. It is my recommendation that you plan to do your full moon rituals at or after 11:50pm when the moon enters Libra (or as late in day as possible).


I recommend prosperity and anti-poverty workings! Also, if you are planning on gardening, this is a great time to bless your seeds if you haven't already in preparation for planting. If you want to combine the two I'd say imbue your seeds with prosperity drawing magic so as your plant grows so does your wealth.
I hope that helps with your full moon plans! Blessed Be!

Winner of the Rune Set

Now to announce the winner of my Blue Tribal Rune Set!
The lucky winner is......(Drum roll Please!)

Wild Juniper !!!!

:D Congratulations!!!! The rune set is all yours!

Thank you everyone who entered! Don't worry I will do other giveaways, so stay tuned!!!

Givaway! - Rune Set

Hello my pretties! In honour of the blog reaching over 1000 page views NOT including my own, I am having a giveaway!
I wanted to show my appreciation to all the visitors and followers that support the blog. It's only been up for about two months and at the time of this writing I have over 1100 page views and 27 followers. I don't know about other bloggers but to me this is awesome and I'm so happy that people are finding the blog interesting and useful. The feedback has been great and I do want to continue getting them, good or bad.

So, on to the giveaway! I do some crafts such as herb crafts, stone work, glass work and wood work and I have just made my 1st rune set and I am giving it away to one lucky blog reader :).
The rune set was cut from recycled hardwood,  shaped, sanded, carved, painted and varnished by hand. It does include the blank piece (I know some rune casters don't like using it, but I wanted to put it in there in case the winner does).

To be entered to win you have to follow the blog (you can do that by  clicking the follow button on the right hand side bar) and by commenting on this post. Then I will randomly select a name by pulling the names out of a box. The draw will happen on February 17, 2012 in honour of the ancient Greek festival of Aphrodite and Eros (The pagans' "Valentine's Day").

Here's a pic of the rune set. It will come with a pouch.

Bonne Chance!

The Quickening Moon - February 2012

Well my lovelies, the February full moon is tomorrow (Feb 7th) so that will be today's topic.

I celebrate every full moon with my coven/group and if you only do one spiritual practice a month as a pagan, recognizing the full moon is a great (and popular) one to do.

Lets start with some Correspondences for the Quickening Moon:

Other Names: Storm Moon, Ice Moon, Hunger Moon, Cleansing Moon.
Herbs: Sage, Hyssop, Myrrh, Spikenard
Colours: Blue, Purple, Violet
Flowers: Primrose
Scents: Wisteria, Heliotrope
Stones: Amethyst, Jasper, Rock Crystal
Trees: Rowan, Laurel, Cedar
Animals: Otter, Unicorn
Birds: Eagle, Chickadee
Deities: Brigid, Juno, Kwan Yin, Diana, Demeter, Persephone, Aphrodite
Power Flow/Themes: Purification, Courage, Loving the self, Accepting responsibility for past errors, planning for the future.

In this moon, new life is beginning yet still dormant. This is the time when pregnant animals who are due to deliver in the Spring start to feel the quickening of their unborn young. This is also the time when gardeners and farmers start planning for the planting season. 

When I look at what to focus on in my full moon rituals I narrow down themes by also looking at the astrological timing of the full moon. This full moon's astrological correspondences are:

• Tuesday - dealing with conflict, surgery, lust, physical stregth, courage, politics, quickening moon
• 2nd quarter in Leo - finding of lost objects, finding truth in all matters, seeing what cannot be seen, short tempers, bad communication esp between family members, gossip.
• Colour: Grey
• Saturn in retrograde-  It's unwise to attempt sudden changes or to rush through things. Take practical steps and accept limitations while you take serious steps toward your long term goals. Saturn retrograde can cause you to become your own hardest taskmaster, limit your actions or leave you feeling blocked and pessimistic.
• 5th House - This is the house of self-expression through creativity.

My recommendations for this Quickening Moon is to do magic relating to stopping gossip, improving communication, boosting energy and clarity, or asking for inspiration. 

If you are celebrating in a group setting or would like an interesting alternative for cakes and wine, here is a recipe for a warm mulled herb wine that is great for warming us on a cold full moon night and a very yummy easy corn fritter recipe (I love the corn fritters!)

Mulled Herb Wine (serves 4)

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup boiling water

• 1/8 teaspoon rosemary leaves, crushed

• 1/4 teaspoon mint flakes, crushed

• 4-5 whole cloves

• 1 cup grape juice

• 1 cup dry cocktail sherry

• 1 stick of cinnamon

Pour the boiling water over the rosemary and mint; steep for 15 mins. Add the cloves and continue to steep the mixture for another 15mins. Strain; mix this liquid wit the grape juice and sherry in a pan. Place over low heat until hot. Strain, add the cinnamon stick and serve hot.

Corn Fritters ( makes 6) 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup self-raising flour

• 310 g can of corn kernels, drained

• 1/3 cup of grated cheese

• 2 eggs, light;y beaten

• 1 tablespoon of butter

Sift flour into a bowl. Add corn and cheese and stir until well mixed. Make a hole in the center and pour eggs into hole until just mixed. Divide mixture into 6 equal portions (1 for each fritter). Melt half the butter in a frying pan and pour in the mixtures to make the fritters. Cook fritters over medium heat for three minutes or until underside is golden, then flip. Remove from  pan and drain on paper towel. Serve warm.

I wish  everyone a pleasant and blessed full moon! Blessed be!

Imbolc

Well its time for Imbolc again! Time to clean out your life and wake up the slumbering earth. Im not going to go into too much detail of what Imbolc is because if you don't already know, it is quite easy to do a bit of research on the almighty Google. Instead I will be focusing on what I will be doing to celebrate and some ideas you can use in your own lives.

First off Imboc is the traditional time for Spring Cleaning! Thats right, break out your kerchiefs and baggy sweatpants and get cleaning! Weed out clothing, books. knickknacks,  etc that you don't use anymore and donate them or put them aside in storage in preparation for a garage sale when it gets a bit warmer.Clean your grout, dust your ceilings, whitewash your fence (do people do that anymore?). Also don't forget to wash your mirrors and windows in a mixture of vinegar and mugwort. It not  only physically cleans them but it also spiritually cleans and seals them so unwanted things cant use them as portals.

The next thing on your Imbolc spring cleaning list is to energetically clear out our house. Do a clearing and ward and bless all your rooms. One way of doing this is to cast a protective circle in each room and leave it up to soak into the walls. Also throw out any old, dusty charms that isn't salvageable.

Now your home is all squeaky clean and warded. The next thing to clean is yourself. So hop in the shower or bath and scrub yourself clean. Get all the crevices you may sometimes neglect like under your nails, in between your toes, and behind your ears. Also energetically cleans yourself while your in there. A great way of doing this is visualizing the water washing away all negative emotions and thoughts, illness and gunk in your chakras and energetic body and washing it all down the drain.
You can also add this simple bath scrub salt mix to your bath to aid in your cleansing:

Cleaning Bath Salt

Half a cup of sea salt
A table spoon of lavendar
A table spoon of vervain
(optional) 3 tablepoons of raw oats (helps to moisturize)


Now you and your home are clean what next? Well since Imbolc is sacred to the Goddess Brigid (and she is one of my patron goddesses) I plan to do a Brigid blessing for the household inspired by Yasmine Galenorns's festival of lights ritual:

Brigid Blessing Imbolc Ritual - to be done after sunset

Set up an Imbolc altar with a bowl of cream or milk in an offering bowl.
Turn off all the lights in your house.
Cast circle in your usual way and draw down Brigid into the acting priestess.
The woman representing Brigid should then stand outside with a lit candle. Everyone should wait inside the dark house.
The woman representing Brigid should knock on the door three times. Someone should open the door and say:
"Brigid has come! Brigid has come! Brigid has come!" and 'Brigid' steps inside.
A second person steps forward and says to her:
"May Brigid give blessing to the home that is here. Brigid the fair and tender! Bless our house, fiery maiden. Let health fill our walls, let success fill our careers and let love fill our hearts."
'Brigid' should then go through every room in the house, turning on all the lights with everyone following behind her, till every light in the house is on. She then says to everyone:
"The light has returned and the season of growth draws near. May health fill your walls, may you succeed and prosper may love encompass your lives. I am Brigid the fair, Brigid the wise, Brigid the fiery arrow of power and so I bless your home and family. Remember me and honour me  on this night."
She should then place her candle on the altar and everyone should join hands and chant:
" Fire, fire growing higher, bring to us what we desire.
Fire, Fire glowing bright, welcome Brigid this Imbolc night!"
Repeat the chant until the power peaks and release it, focusing on the return of spring, the growth you want to accomplish and the projects you want to accomplish and/or start during this time.
At this time you may sit and drink wine and cakes as celebration while sharing stories, poetry, song, artwork, or crafts you have written/made in honour of Brigid as the goddess of inspiration and  poetry.
To end the ritual take the bowl/pitcher of cream/milk off the altar and bring it outside and pour it as a libation into the earth saying:
"Lady Brigid, we honour you and return to you the cream that  is life itself. We ask for your blessing in the coming season. Blessed be."
Close down the circle.

Other ritual ideas are stomping and dancing to wake up the earth. Lighting candles in a spiral dance do draw the sun and light the dark. Honouring the fay folk. I chose not to include a lot of candles in the ritual because my 3 year old would like to take part and I want to make it safe and fun for her and not exclude her at all.

Foods to be enjoyed during this time is traditionally dairy based foods and dishes, cream soups, bread, fruit preserves and seafood (esp salmon as it is seen as the fish of wisdom). I plan on eating much cheesecake, which is my favourite desert EVER.

Here are two really easy recipes I like doing:

 Fairy Wine:
1.5 cups milk/serving
1tsp honey
1/8 tsp vanilla extract
cinnamon
I find mixing and serving it warm is best though it can be made cold.

Wise and Creamy Salmon Soup
1 kg cream cheese cut into cubes
1 cup of milk
2 tsp Dijon mustard (to bring wealth)
1.5 tsp chopped fresh dill/.5 tsp dried dill (protection of home & job)
2 green onions chopped
1 can of chicken broth
12 oz smoked salmon, flaked.
Heat cream cheese, milk, mustad, dill, onions and chicken broth in a saucepan over medium heat
until cheese is melted and smooth. Stir in salmon. Let simmer until done.

Making a corn dolly and Brigid's bed is also traditional at this time of year and a great craft do do with the kidlets!

So, enjoy your Imbolc and may it bring you inspiration and energy for the coming year! I am headed back to my spring cleaning!

Daily Devotional

Hello wonderful people. It's been a little while, I know, work has been crazy! But with all the running around, long work days and lack of rest what really keeps me going is my daily devotional. So that will be today's topic.

A daily devotional is something you do everyday that honours the divine externally or within yourself. It doesn't have to be elaborate or time consuming, actually it works best when it is something simple. It can be a prayer, a self healing, a mantra, a 5 minute meditation, a yoga practice. Anything that centres yourself and brings your spirituality to the forefront.

I find the best times to do your daily devotional is in the morning when you get up and/or in the night before you go to sleep. I do mine in the morning, I find its a great way to start the day and get me going. I am an Usui Reiki master so my daily devotional is a Reiki self healing and reciting the 5 Precepts of Reiki.


5 Principles of Reiki:
Just for today, I will not anger.
Just for today, I will not worry.
Just for today, I will be grateful.
Just for today, I will work hard on myself.
Just for today, I will be kind for others.

The Reiki Principles stress the importance of living in the present and that goals are easier to attain when you take it day by day. Most spiritual people wish to get to a state of mind and soul where they no longer hold anger, worry and stress and live their life in a state of gratitude and compassion for themselves and others. Many take vows to live these principles but it is hard over the long term because we are human and tend to get discouraged when we trip up. It is much easier when the length of time you concentrate of holding these principles is only for a day. Do this everyday and before you know it a week has gone by,  a month, then years.

When I am not as busy and time permits, my daily devotional also includes a yoga practice everyday before bed. For me it's a great way to let go of the stresses of the day and it relaxes and centres me.

Take some time and figure out your daily devotional. If you have an altar or shrine set up at home you can light a candle and say a quick prayer of gratitude and acknowledgement. Mantras, Affirmations as a part of  Neuro-lingustic programming, chakra works and self healing are all great ideas for daily devotionals. Figure out what works best for you. It should help to bring you closer to the divine and bring balance within yourself.

The Mysteries of Fermentation

The last post on hangover cures inspired me to talk about the mysteries of fermentation. Most of us adults drink alcohol  at some time or another. We drink to party and loose our inhibitions, to relax,  to celebrate important happenings in our lives, as pagans we drink it ritually. And the most consumed alcohols worldwide and throughout history are wine and beer.
Now, taking a moment to recognize the sacred nature of drinking when you do indulge is one great way to bring the sacred into daily life. Many Wiccans have cakes and ale as a part of ritual but I'm surprised to know most Wiccans who do don't really understand the symbolism and mysteries of the cakes and ale.

As fermentation is the topic of this post I will focus on the 'ale' part of cakes and ale. This is the mystery of fermentation as I understand it:

The whole process of fermentation actually starts with the planting of the crop. Planting the seed  is symbolic of death, burial and the goddess’ descent into the underworld.

When the seed is beneath the soil it germinates by feeding off and transforming decay, this is symbolic of the meeting and union of the Goddess and the Lord of the Underworld. The germination and sprouting of the plant from the seed beneath the soil is symbolic of the process of rebirth within the Underworld, conception and growth of fragile life within the womb, as well as the ascent of the goddess as she journeys back to the world of the living. The emergence of the new plant from the soil is indicative of birth and the goddess as she returns transformed and renewed.

As the plant grows as a result of being properly nurtured by sunshine, water and sustenance taken from the roots in the soil (the lessons she learned in the underworld) she grows and blooms (symbolic of the maiden goddess coming into her womanhood). Then she meets the wild, virile god of nature, unites with him and takes him into herself through fertilization (the process of being fertilized by bees and birds). This is part of the mysteries of Beltane. As the product of this union, the fruit, grows it is indicative of the goddess entering her mother stage.

As the fruit (or Grain) ripens and falls or is picked it can be seen as symbolic of the goddess giving birth giving birth to the Harvest Lord who contains within himself the essence of the goddess (the seed).

The fermentation of Grape (into wine) or grain (into beer) is the blood and body of the god undergoing transformation so that we may consume it and take into ourselves the blood, body and power of the god and taking on his nature that leads to the stripping of our civility and baring of our base selves though intoxication and initiation into his wild mysteries through loss of inhibitions and opening to his power and chaos.

The flip side of fermentation of the grain is the making of the grain into flour and making bread and cakes. This concept is the basis for the Wiccan tradition of cakes and wine.

So there you have it. Every-time you drink, you are symbolically taking in the essence of the god (and goddess) an they become a part of you. Taking a moment to meditate on that whenever you drink is a great way to recognize the sacred in the mundane.

Natural Hangover Cures

Well its officially 2012 and I know that many of you celebrated last night by getting skunk drunk (no judgment, I did the same). Unfortunately, it also means that many of you are suffering the after effects. Don't worry I aim to help.
Now the only thing that will CURE a hangover is time but there are natural ways of alleviating some of the symptoms.
The 1st thing is liquids. Alcohol dehydrates you and that is the main culprit. So drink lots of fluids and fluids with electrolytes is best.
Then there are some herbs that will help such as:

-Chinese Skullcap- Great for treating headaches
-Ginseng - Aids fatigue
-Chamomile - gently treats nausea and indigestion
-Green Tea - aids with vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, fatigue and headaches
-Nux Vomica - aids in hangover headaches specifically, irritability, nausea, indigestion, constipation AND diarrhea.

There are two "potions" that I have found works, one hot and one cold.

Cold Hangover Potion

You will need:
-your favourite V-8 Juice
-As many of the above mentioned herbs that you have or can get in either herb form or tincture form.
-A mortar and pestle or grinder
-Optional: a cucumber

Its really easy. Grind half a teaspoon of each herb and mix it in with the cold or room temp V-8 Juice, or add two to three drops of the tincture (if store bought tincture follow  the dosage recomendations).
Mix it well and drink it.
Follow with eating a  few slices of cool cucumber. it not only helps to clean the palate of the taste of the potion, it is also full of water and electrolytes.

Hot Hangover Potion

You will need:
-Green Tea (either a tea bag or loose leaf is fine)
-As much of the rest of the herbs that you can get in herb or tincture form
-A infuser or empty tea bag

Simply put a teaspoon of each herb into the infuser or empty tea bag and brew it with the green tea. Alternately add 2-3 drops (or recommended dosage) of the herb tinctures into your green tea.
Drink it!

Now to PREVENT a hangover here are some tips:
-Drink lots of water before you go out drinking, drink a few glasses of water in between alcoholic drink, Dink a glass of water or  two before going to bed.
-Take Milk Thistle (capsule form is prob easiest) before going out drinking
-Dont drink on an empty tummy.

You may also try a few prayers to some gods of fermentation before going out to ask to keep you safe and for mercy from hangovers :)
Some Gods of fermentation are: Silenus (Greek) , Dionysus (Greek), Baccus (Roman), Ninkasi (Sumerian), Osiris (Egyptian), Aegir (Norse), Tezcatzontecatl (Aztec), Yasigi (African), Radegast (Czech), Raugupatis and Ragutiene (Baltic/Slavic)

Happy partying!