DIY Flying Wish Paper – Non-toxic!

Looking for a DIY Flying Wish Paper? I was too.

I first came across Flying Wish Paper several years ago and was immediately hooked: Writing my heart’s desires on a piece of colorful paper, lighting it on fire and watching it magically fly into the air while the universe delivered my wishes- Sign me up! I started using it as a ritual for the New Moon, Full Moon, New Year or on my birthday to intentionally set goals, or write things down I wanted to let go.

The one thing that was always in the back of my head was about what kind of chemicals from the paper and dyes in the tissue paper, along with my wishes, were disappearing into the atmosphere. When I did some research, I found some unsettling information:

There are more than 100,000 chemicals used in commercial paper products (before they’re dyed). Yikes!  One of the worst chemicals used is chlorine. In addition to chlorine, craft tissue paper is dyed with a range of chemical dyes that contain harmful amines and heavy metals. Heavy Metals can be stored in our bodies and lead to numerous physical, muscular, and neurological degenerative processes.

Read More: Christmas Tree Medicine

After reading this, I was inspired to make my own non-toxic wish paper so my ritual would be in alignment with my beliefs. I found a kind of paper called “Rice Paper” that is chemical-free if made traditionally from various plants including rice straw, paper mulberry, hemp or bamboo. This paper is available to order online here, or you can actually make your own with this DIY Paper from Plants Article from Mother Earth News. Although some of the paper made this way will be to thick to “fly”. This website is a little rough to read given the English translation but has lots of fascinating information about the history and cultural use of the paper, as well as how to make your own. Beware: the word “caustic” is used to describe wood-ash, which is meant to mean abrasive, not harmful

DIY Flying Wish Paper Steps:

MATERIALS:

Rice Paper
Scissors

Non-Toxic writing Implement
Lighter or Matches

STEP 1:

Cut the rice paper into small squares if it doesn’t already come that way. I have found that 4×4 inch or 6×6 inch squares work the best.

STEP 2:

Write your wish with a non-toxic pen or pencil. I prefer Gel pens because they are actually 80% water and the colors in gel inks typically come from copper phthalocyanine pigments and iron oxides and the additives to gel inks are mostly biopolymers, such as xanthan and tragacanth gums. This means they aren’t toxic compared to many alternatives. If you want to get really non-toxic, check out these fantastic Earth Crayons in the crayon chapter from Nick Neddo’s book, The Organic Artist. They are made from beeswax and pigments coaxed from stones.

STEP 3:

Roll the rice paper up as tightly as possible an apply pressure to the roll to create a crease in the paper, and then let it go. You should be left with a rice paper tube of sorts.

STEP 4:

Make the paper stand then. . . Light it up and watch it fly!