I’ve designed seven magickal mugs proudly brought to you by The Witch’s Corner. You can purchase these mugs at Zazzle by following THIS LINK
On the back of these beautiful mugs, there is a recipe for a magickal oil. There is a mug for each of the following Magickal Potions:
Prosperity Oil
Love Oil
Psychic Oil
Witch’s Oil
Mars Astrological Oil
Purification Oil
Health & Healing Oil
$15.80
Does anyone need a recipe to make their own Florida Water? Yes?… Well, here it is:
Two cups of vodka or any alcohol of your preference
Two tablespoon of orange flower water
6 drops of essential oil of bergamot
6 drops of essential oil of rosemary
6 drops of essential oil of lavender
6 drops of essential oil of rose attar
3 drops of essential oil of sage
2 drops of essential oil of neroli
Mix all of these ingredients together and let it sit for a couple days. Note that you can adjust any of the essential oils, strength-wise, to attain a scent that is to your liking.
If there’s anyone reading this who doesn’t know what Florida Water is used for, it’s mainly for cleansing and protection, but there are other uses I’m going to list below. There is a company who produces a marketable brand of Florida Water, and you can find them online easy. (So I’m going to be lazy and not go searching for it right now.)
Here’s a list of uses for you, but that’s not saying that some of you might not think of a few new ways to use Florida Water:
1. Cleanse your house by adding salt and Florida Water to a bucket of water and mop the floors.
2. Cleanse your magical items and crystals with a cloth and Florida Water.
3. Cleanse your altar and your magical space before casting a circle.
4. Provide it as a thank you gift to the deities or energies you’re working with.
5. Use it in your bath by adding a few drops in the water to cleanse your aura and rejuvenate the senses.
6. Put Florida Water in your palms and clap them to raise vibrations and to give you a quick energy boost.
7. It can be used in your rooms for a Happy Home and to combat melancholy and depression.
8. Florida Water can replace Holy water in magical practices and rituals.
9. Add Florida Water and Van Van oil together in order to attract better clientele.
10. Use it to dress candles for magical spells and rituals for Protection, Communication with Spirits, Cleansing and Breaking Hexes, and to remove malevolent magic.
11. Add a few drops to a bottle of ink and use it to empower your written petitions.
Good morning, World! I’m starting the day off with some Great News ~ I have a new book that will be launching the end of this month with AMAZON: “Natural Magick the Gray Witch Way”. It’s available in paperback.
Watch my Amazon Author Page where you can purchase Your Copy!…
Natural Magick the Gray Witch Way explores the magick and mystery of old world traditions from a unique perspective, that of the Gray Witch. While the modern world and everything in it are often viewed as either black or white, ther…e are those magickal practitioners who recognize a more realistic normality ~ that shady gray area where the lines are blurred, and the adventuresome practitioners will discover that witchcraft can consist of power and justice, as well as love and peace. And in this realization comes an epiphany, one is not so different from the other. Natural Magick the Gray Witch Way is an excellent companion book to The Gray Witch’s Grimoire.
https://www.amazon.com/Amythyst-Raine/e/B004NMWMX4
Edit: This book just went LIVE at Amazon! Woot! https://www.amazon.com/dp/1973564351/ref=pd_rhf_ee_p_img_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=RX5971G44AC28DC1P39Y
I’m excited and giddy, because this is one of my most favorite times of year (the other being October). There is something “new” and “birth-like” about the summer solstice for me. It’s a time of new beginnings, starting over, beginning a new page, making a new list. June for me is rife with this kind of energy. Maybe it’s because my first child was born in this month 43 years ago, and the birth of your first child is a pivotal life-changing point.
With all that said, enjoy the following essay on the Summer Solstice, also known as Midsummer’s Eve, or Litha. This is an excerpt from my book, “The Spiritual Feminist” (which I regret not titling “The Ultimate Goddess Connection”, but that’s another story). And be sure to read it to the end, because there are RECIPES! You’ve gotta’ try my “Fairy Punch”.
The Summer Solstice: Litha
(June 21)
Mid-summer’s Eve, the longest day of the year. This holiday, steeped in
fairy lore, is a magickal time filled with the Earth’s bounty. Gardens, fields, and forests are blooming with productivity, overflowing with abundant fertility and the promise of rich harvests to come. As the Earth is pregnant with summer’s lush growth, so too is the goddess, pregnant with new energy, infinite possibilities, and the promise of a rich spiritual harvest.
It’s all about the fairies, this celebration, this pagan holiday. Fairy contact is generally easier to achieve on this day, for those of you who are brave enough to invoke the mischievous little folk, that is. But don’t be surprised if soon after you can’t find your favorite earrings, or the car keys, or any other shiny inviting objects you may have left laying around. They are fickle, unpredictable, light-fingered creatures, a loaded gun. If you do decide to invoke the wee folk, you should know that there is a physical reaction you could experience when they appear. Your skin may feel “crawly”, as though there were ants or bugs walking on you. This isn’t harmful, and you will be perfectly okay, in spite of the ‘ick’ factor. It will just be a cue to you that your invocation was successful.
If you prefer to avoid fairies, you should know that they detest iron. To keep them at bay, lay iron nails in the four corners of your house, or your property, keep iron kettles in your kitchen, witches– keep your cast iron cauldron’s out in the open. Fairies will avoid you.
And this all being said, know that fairies heal…they heal. Call upon them when you need them without fear.
This is a popular month for weddings, though few in the Christianized world
realize why. The Druid’s celebrated the Summer Solstice as the “marriage
between heaven & earth”, and thus the popular belief that June is a “lucky” month for marriage ceremonies. There will be Pagan spirit gatherings all around the world at this time, the most famous and the most notable at Stone Henge, where large groups of people will light bonfires and stay up all night in order to welcome the dawn.
My Celebration:
For several years, all during my son’s childhood, there has been one very special tradition at our house connected with the celebration of Litha:
When my son was a little boy, he used to like to stay up through the “Witching Hour” and watch for fairies. He’d get comfy in his pj’s and robe. I’d gather up a lawn chair and place it beneath the large apple tree in our yard; and I’d prepare a special candle, placing it in a fire-proof reseptacle along with some herbs to offer the fairies. It was his time to sit quietly outside in the dark and watch for these magickal creatures, the only light being that of the candle and the moon, if it were out.
Most of the time, these evenings were uneventful, but one Mid-Summer’s Eve, my son’s patience was rewarded.
From across the lawn, he saw what he said looked like three very small blue lights dancing along the top of the fence. Eventually these three tiny lights dropped from the fence to the lawn beneath, where they bounced around in the grass for several seconds, and then they disappeared. My son came back to the house breathless and wide-eyed to tell me what he had seen.
The next morning, we went out to investigate the grass where the lights had been. Overnight, three mushrooms had popped up to create a perfectly formed triangle in this area, and the grass in the middle of this formation was whithered and yellowed.
I can’t tell you with 100% accuracy whether what my son saw were fairies or not, but that really doesn’t matter. All that really matters is that one little boy had a very magickal and memorable night.
Litha Correspondences
Herbs: fennel, lavender, chamomile, cinquefoil, mugwort, thyme
Altar Flowers/Herbs: larkspur, rose, wisteria, St. Johns Wort
Feast Foods: apples, citrus, fruits, ale, mead, honey cakes
Animals: butterflies, frogs, toads, wrens
Incense: ylang ylang, thyme, rose, sandalwood, chamomile
Rituals/Spells: all night fairy vigils, candle magick, dream work, familiar blessings, herb gathering, self-dedication, sun magick
Litha Recipes
Strawberry Shortcake
3 pints fresh strawberries
1/2 cup white sugar
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup shortening
1 egg
2/3 cup milk
2 cups whipped heavy cream
1. Slice the strawberries and toss them with 1/2 cup of white sugar. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Grease and flour one 8 inch round cake pan.
3. In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, 2 tablespoons white sugar and the salt. With a pastry blender cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center and add the beaten egg and milk. Stir until just combined.
4. Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool partially in pan on wire rack.
5. Slice partially cooled cake in half, making two layers. Place half of the strawberries on one layer and top with the other layer. Top with remaining strawberries and cover with the whipped cream.
____________________
Fairy Punch
1 (64 fluid ounce) bottle fruit punch, chilled
1 (64 fluid ounce) bottle unsweetened pineapple juice, chilled
1 (2 liter) bottle ginger ale, chilled
1/2 gallon orange sherbet
In a punch bowl, mix together fruit punch, pineapple juice and ginger ale. Add scoops of sherbet into the punch. Wait for the sherbet to begin melting, approximately 10 minutes, stir gently, and serve.
This blog post is courtesy of “The Spiritual Feminist”, your ultimate Goddess Connection, be sure to follow THIS LINK to order your copy.
June and the summer solstice (Midsummer’s Eve) are coming up. I view this time as a “new beginning”, and I created a tarot spread just for June that mirrors and celebrates this idea:
Tarot Spread Featured for JUNE ~
Midsummer Delight
1. This is what I desire.
2. This is what makes me happy.
3. This is what I really need.
4. This is what’s blocking my success.
5. This is the solution
To purchase June’s featured audio reading, follow this link:
http://tarotreadingswithamythystraine.blogspot.com/p/featured-readingt.html
The candle I made for this video is a spell candle for love, but for any of my muggles who happen to visit this blog, this is just the basic way to make a regular ole’ non-wax candle. It was so much fun, and even the couple glitches I ran into during the process (which you’ll see) didn’t dampen my ardor, or the final results!
Enjoy!
Music ~
Avec Soin – Romance by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100860
Artist: http://incompetech.com/
Hello, Everyone!…Join me for a wonderful afternoon filled with love magick. This was a very impromptu video, which I decided at the last minute to shoot. I had lots of magickal work to do today. I decided to work outside on my deck, and I set the camera up so you all could join me . In this video I’m making Florida Water (my own recipe!); I’m bringing out my Lodestones for some magnetic love magick, and I’ll explain a bit about lodestones, how to choose them when you’re buying your own, how to cleanse them, anoint & baptize them, and name them. I’m also going to dress a candle for a love spell, which is an actual spell that’s going up on my candle altar for a client. If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments below. I tried to cover everything I could think of when I was busy putting all these magickal endeavors together, but I squeezed a lot of information and topics into one video, and there may be something else you’d like to know.
Be sure to SUBSCRIBE to my channel for automatic updates every time I post a new video; and be sure to LIKE and SHARE this video. (This makes me a very happy witch.)
My website ~ The Witch’s Corner
http://ladyamythyst.com
My blog ~ Magickal Connections
http://wytchymystique.com
The following blog post is a short excerpt from my book:
The Spiritual Feminist
Imbolc
(February 2)
The Goddess celebrates renewed fertility, fertility of body, mind, and spirit. Seeds are sown now for future harvests; the bricks and mortar of new paths and new adventures are laid. The Goddess is reborn as her younger self, the Maiden, and it is her strength and power and sinewy young muscle that we imbue ourselves with, so as to have the strength and endurance to fulfill our life journey.
This is also a festival of the Celtic goddess, Bride, so beloved by the people of the old world that the Roman Church couldn’t eradicate her. Instead, they made her a saint, Saint Brigit. In Celtic lore, the Old Woman of Winter (the Cailleach) was reborn as Bride, the Young Maiden of Spring. It’s this image that is most nostaligic in my mind, from the halls of Catholic Parochial School, the beautiful shining faces of the female saints, innocently biding their time among the patriarchal rhetoric, waiting for The Great Awakening…St. Brigit most prominent among them (the nuns adored her).
The celebration of Imbolc is also a celebration of light, a celebration of the sun, in the fact that a successful new growing season depends upon it. The light and warmth of the sun is celebrated in the flames of candles and bonfires.
My Celebration:
This milestone passes all but unnoticed at our house, in all truth. I touch on it with a public comment and picture at social sites, or among my pagan internet friends; but here, it’s like a soft shadow passing over the house, sometimes lit with the glow of a blue candle on the kitchen table that hardly anyone else notices, since I’m always burning candles it seems. But I notice, and I remember, and I think…The time of The Great Awakening has come.
Imbolc Correspondences
Herbs: basil, bay, celandine, benzoic
Altar Flowers/Herbs: angelica, myrrh, flowers that are yellow/white/or blue
Feast Foods: bread, cakes, dairy products, seeds
Animals: burrowing animals, ewes, deer, goats, lambs
Incense: jasmine, myrrh, neroli
Rituals/Spells: candle magick, initiation, hearth/home blessings, fertility magick, healing magick, cleansing rituals
Imolc Recipes
Creamed Cabbage
1 lb. pre-cooked ham, 1″ cubed or shredded
1 heaping tsp. flour
1 firm white cabbage
1/2 tsp. each salt & pepper
1 cup cream
grated nutmeg (optional)
Cut cabbage in half, then cut the halves once again. Drop them into a pot of boiling water and cook for 5 minutes, drain. Slice them up. Melt a little butter or margarine in a sauce pan and add the shredded cabbage. Stir it up good. Add salt, pepper, and a dash of grated nutmeg. Next add the cream and a heaping teaspoon of flour, still stirring, and let it come to a boil. Add the cubed or shredded ham, and lower the heat. Cover the sauce pan and let the mixture simmer for about 30 minutes. Serve hot. Makes 6-8 servings.
Interestingly enough, and just as a sidenote, Nutmeg is the most popular herb used to induce fidelity in a romantic partner. Think about this, when used with magickal intention, if you’re making this dish for your husband, boyfriend, fiance, etc. (“This is a perfect example of a little innocent kitchen witchery in the making.”, she says with a wicked grin.)
____________________
Brigit’s Biscuits
2 1/4 cup Bisquick
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup honey
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray or line with parchment paper. In a bowl, combine all ingredients. Drop by Tablespoon onto baking sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden. Serve warm with butter.
Samhain
(October 31)
The goddess is old and wizened. She’s settling into this stage of her persona to reap the benefit of all that she has experienced, all that has transpired on her journey to this point. She’s preparing for the dark months, gathering her harvest about her, both for her physical survival and her emotional revival, using this time to rest, to gather energy for the future and the light that she knows will return. On this phase of her journey she can afford to sit back in quiet reflection, to shed those things in her life that have become a burden, and to look forward to the end of her journey, or rather, the beginning of the next.
Samhain (pronounced ‘Sou-wen’) is a celebration that has a more somber side than the revelry of modern Halloween. It is a day of remembrance of your ancestors and for those family members who have passed over. Pagan families may set an extra place at the supper table on this evening, to honor those loved ones who are no longer with them. The veil between the world of the living and the dead is thinnest on this eve, and this night is an excellent time to perform divination, or to try and connect with those spirits from the other side.
My Celebration:
Samhain is a big deal at our house. Some years ago we began the tradition of a bonfire in the front driveway, an open house for friends, childrens’ friends, and acquaintances. You’ll find a table set up by the fire pit for a weinie roast, with smore’s for dessert. In the kitchen, I’ve got a large kettle of chili on the stove, and a large kettle of hot apple cider. Costumes are optional, for those who are comfortable dressing up, I say go for it; for those who are not, don’t sweat it. And, of course, there will be a large bowl of candy for the children in our neighborhood who follow the age-old custom of trick or treating.
You always hear that the veil has thinned on this night and spirit contact is almost inevitable if one wishes to put forth some effort. Samhain is also reputed to be a superb night for divinantion of any kind, and with this in mind, I set up a table on the backporch full of divination tools: tarot cards, rune stones, pendulums, oriental divination sticks, and don’t forget the ouija board for those who wish to try their hand communing with the spirits. Guests seem to love this opportunity, and there will be people seated around this table off and on all evening. It gives many a chance to learn about, touch, and use divination tools that they may not be familiar with and might otherwise not have access to.
Samhain Correspondences
Herbs: patchouli, sage, heather
Altar Flowers/Herbs: acorns, apples, pumpkins/gourds, dittany, autumn leaves
Feast Foods: pumpkin, squash, nut breads, sweet potatoes, milled drinks (cider, wine), roast meat, root vegetables
Animals: bats, cats, crows, ravens, owls
Incense: cinnamon, cloves, myrrh, patchouli, pine, mugwort, nutmeg
Rituals/Spells: making besoms, divination, spirit contact, crone magick, working with dark energy, spells for new beginnings
Samhain Recipes
My Pumpkin Pie:
1 16 oz. can pumpkin (about 2 cups)
1 13 oz. can evaporated milk
(but sometimes I use sweetened condensed milk– it makes it more “chiffony”…is that a word?)
2 eggs
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 sugar
the spices:
Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and a dash of salt. Most recipes call for 1/2 teaspoon each, but I’m much more generous with my spices!
the crust:
I tried for years to learn to make a good pie crust, and I almost gave up out of frustration, then I found this recipe. It’s almost fool-proof, no kidding.
2 and 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup shortening
1 beaten egg
1 tablespoon vinegar
1/4 cup water
Mix the dry ingredients together and cut in the shortening, as usual. Then combine the egg and vinegar, stirring it up a bit, and add this to your dry ingredients. Add the water a dash at a time as you work it in, you’ll be able to tell when you get a good texture.
Bake at 400 degrees the first fifteen minutes, and at 350 degrees for the next 30-40 minutes. When you can stick a butter knife in the center of the pie, and it comes out clean, your pie is done.
____________________
Hot Apple Cider
I have a *Huge*– did I say huge?– kettle that I use to mix up my cider. This sits and simmers all afternoon on the backburner of my stove, wafting a wonderful aroma throughout the house.
Ingredients:
5-7 large jugs of applejuice
8-10 bags of peach tea
a handful of cinnamon sticks
and a large metal tea ball filled
with whole cloves and allspice
You can leave a shaker of nutmeg sit on the counter & anyone who wants to add a dash of this spice to their mug of apple cider can do so.
If you don’t like this cider full force, you can dilute it some with water to suit your own taste.
October
Blood Moon
Herbs: ginger, myrrh, allspice, basil, clove
Stones: alexandrite, citrine, lilac kunzite
Scents: pine, patchouli
Colors: dark green, brown, gold
Trees: yew, cypress, maple, oak
Deities: Astarte, Horned God, Lakshmi, Ishtar
Astrological Signs: Libra, Scorpio
Elements: Air/Water
Crafting Your Magic:
Ancestral magic is cast with the Blood Moon. Do magic now to communicate with family members who have passed, to connect with your ancestors and your heritage. Magic surrounding divination is relevant, it’s the perfect time. Cast spells for justice and balance, and to overthrow anything oppressive which may be blocking your path to success. Ambition is highlighted, use magic to increase the potency of your own, or cast magic to contain ambition that may have run amok. This is also the perfect time to step into the dark shadows and take advantage of the vibrations found there. The gray witch revels in the magic of the Blood Moon and in this season.
Sources:
The information from this blog post was taken from my books ~
The Spiritual Feminist
The Gray Witch’s Grimoire
To order your copies, click HERE
Wine Moon
Herbs: lilac, mugwort, marjoram,
rose, thyme
Stones: sapphire, bloodstone,
rainbow obsidian
Scents: gardenia, rose, lilac
Colors: brown, yellow-green, amber
Trees: hazel, larch, bay
Deities: Demeter, Ceres, Isis,
Astrological Signs: Virgo, Libra
Elements: Earth/Air
Crafting Your Magic:
Feminine energy is highlighted, receptive energy. Cast magic to draw inward, magic to draw those things– both intangible and material– to you that you need to fill the void. The Goddess is in the spotlight. Work magic to benefit female issues, such as fertility, independence, and protection.
The Wine Moon works its magic in the area of love and relationships. Cast spells to discover your soul mate, find a lost love, or nurture a secret desire. The energy of Libra will bring balance to all magic cast at this time, and its energy promotes the very essence of love and sex. Cast spells now to promote healthy sexuality and to maintain or regain physical health of the reproductive system.
Concentrate on the third eye chakra, opening the doors to psychic experiences. Prepare to enter the autumnal dark months with the clairvoyant vision to see well beyond, into the light of the future.
The Autumnal Equinox: Mabon
The Goddess, in the death throes of the growing season, is at her most beautiful. As she moves towards the final harvest, in preparation for the dark days to come, she shines with the brilliance and color that is mirrored in the physical world as golden leaves, ripened fruit, withering vines, and frost-covered grass. The spiritual aspect of this stage is one that is just as beautiful, emphasizing once more the idea of completion and accomplishment, of finding that moment within development that culminates with depths of wisdom and the light of knowledge.
This day brings equal hours of light and dark, a second celebration of perfect equality. Beyond this day, light will gradually fade as the dark season descends upon the world. At this time of year, the ancient Druids would burn a large human-like wicker figure as part of their celebration. This figure represented the vegetation spirit, and indeed, the heralding of the dark season would bring an end to the growth and flowering of summer.
Modern Pagans may celebrate this holiday with many of the foods connected with this time of year in their area. Decorations may include leaves of autumn hues, sunflowers, pumpkins and gourds. The most amazing thing, I believe, is how this miraculous milestone of earth and time passes almost unnoticed by the mundane multitudes.
My Celebration:
I welcome the growing darkness that I know will follow Mabon. Moment by moment, day by day, it creeps up almost unnoticed. Until one day, you glance at the clock and realize that afternoon is barely over, evening has barely begun, and it is pitch dark outside.
My favorite way to celebrate Mabon is by lighting candles all over the house. In doing so I’m actually celebrating the darkness with light.
I light white candles for cleansing and purification, for Spirit, for the Goddess. I light white candles to wipe the slate clean, to start new lists, to begin new projects. I light yellow candles to celebrate the sun and its grace and dignity as it steps back to make way for the moon. I light yellow candles to celebrate communication and everything I’ve ever wanted to say to anyone, and those things I might regret not saying. I light yellow candles to fill my mind with words and thoughts that run into sentences and paragraphs and pages. I light lavender candles to celebrate the spirits I know are there but cannot see. I light lavender candles to acknowledge that little voice in my head, the one that’s saved my life over the years, not to mention my sanity. I light green candles to celebrate and embrace the earth. I light green candles to celebrate and embrace this wonderful physcial body that is mine. I light green candles to bathe in the glow of good health and prosperity. I light green candles to feel the soles of my bare feet connect with the dying grass, the withering garden, the falling leaves.
I light one tall black taper candle that is me, to celebrate the spark of life I carry, to celebrate future days to come, to celebrate my passage through another year…and to acknowledge and embrace my mortality.
Mabon Correspondences
Herbs: marigold, myrrh, thistles, sage
Altar Flowers/Herbs: asters, mums, pine, ferns, milkweed, honeysuckle
Feast Foods: autumn berries, nuts, roast game, root vegetables, cider, wine, bread
Animals: stags, goats, blackbirds, canines, owls, birds-of-prey
Incense: cedar, myrrh, patchouli, pine, sage, sweet grass, oak moss
Rituals/Spells: drying herbs, gathering late harvest, past life work, harvest moon rituals, making willow wands, harmony spells, protection spells for winter
Mabon Recipes
Carmel Apple Crumb Treat
2 Golden Delicious apples
4 small (or 2 large) Granny Smith apples
1/8 cup fruit juice
1/3 cup loosely packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
12 soft caramel candies
1/2 cup quick rolled oats
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup tightly packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/3 cup butter
Slice and core the apples, mixing the types together.
Pour the fruit juice into a large pot. Put about a third of the apple slices into the pot. Sprinkle with half the lightly packed brown sugar and dot with 1 tablespoon of butter. Add more apples and the remaining brown sugar and butter, and 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger.
Turn the heat on Low and simmer for a while. Stir apples occasionally, until they start to soften. The Golden Delicious will pretty much turn to mush, binding together the slices of Granny Smith. This takes about an hour or two, depending on the heat and the apples.
Meanwhile, cut the soft caramels into quarters.
Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
To prepare the crumble topping, stir together 1/2 cup quick rolled oats, 1/2 cup flour, 1/3 cup tightly packed light brown sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger. Slice 1/3 cup butter and add to bowl, then cut it in with a butter cutter until the mixture is loose and crumbly.
Spray a ceramic or glass pie plate with cooking spray. Spoon in about a third of the apples and spread them on the bottom. Top with half the caramel pieces. Spoon in another third of the apples; top with the remaining caramel pieces. Spoon in the remaining apples and spread them smooth. Use another spoon to sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over the top of the apple filling.
Bake for 20-30 minutes until filling is bubbly and topping melds into a lightly golden crust. Serve hot.
____________________
Broccoli Casserole
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 package (16 ounces) frozen broccoli cuts, thawed
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
In a large bowl, combine the first seven ingredients; fold in broccoli. Transfer to a greased 1-1/2 qt. baking dish. Sprinkle with bread crumbs. Cover and bake at 400 for 30-35 minutes or until heated through. Serves 8.
Notes:
1. The full moon for September 2015 falls on the 28th; the autumnal equinox falls on the 23rd.
2. The art in this post is courtesy of Craig Koskov
3. The sources for this blog post are my books: The Gray Witch’s Grimoire & The Spiritual Feminist…
Amythyst’s Amazon Author Page…click Here
We’re gearing up for the first Pagan harvest festival of the year: Lammas (also known as Lughnasadh in some traditions). How time flies; it’s this time of year again. Summer may still feel in full-swing in your area, but Mother Nature is tapping us on the shoulder with this first harvest of grain, reminding us that it’s not going to last forever, giving us a heads-up to be prepared for the inevitable winter-to-come. Following is more information on this holiday in our Pagan “Wheel-of-the-Year”, including the Goddess connection, my personal reflections on this harvest festival, as well as correspondences for Lammas, ritual suggestions, and recipes!
Read on, enjoy.
And…Happy Lammas!
ladyamythyst.com/wheeloftheyear.htm
Lammas
(August 1)
As the matron of ancient times would start early to prepare her family for the harsh winter months ahead, so the Mother Goddess prepares us. She reminds us of the bounty yet to come with an early harvest of grain. She encourages us to take stock of what we have, and this pertains to the physical harvests, of course, but it can also include taking stock of ourselves, re-evaluating our goals, our lives, our paths, our relationships, our strengths, and our weaknesses.
This is the first of the harvest festivals, and in the ancient world this was indeed a time of celebration. A successful harvest would mean survival in the harsh winter months. In the northern countries this was, in particular, a celebration of the first harvest of wheat, thus bread is featured in the celebration of Lammas, also known as Lughnasadh.
As the modern day Pagans celebrate this festival they will build roaring bonfires, feed each other a mouthful of bread, and with wine they will toast each other…”May you eat the bread of life.“
My Celebration:
Yes, it’s a harvest festival. Yes, bread and wheat, as well as other grains, figure into it. But for me, it was more about the passage of time. It’s about how time plays tricks on us, and as a child on summer vacation from school, these three months seemed like a whole year rolled up into one magickal moment.
August 1 in South Dakota meant lots of lingering blistering summer days ahead, the heat being almost as intense as July; but it also meant something different in the air, that faint scent (an autumn scent), a nuance of change in the sunlight, the slight tinge starting at the edge of the leaves. And then one morning, being greeted with crisp air and a sky so blue it was almost painful to look at, so beautiful it was.
This holiday, this moment in time, is a mystery. It is the ability to look back into the past while standing on some invisible magickal horizon so that you can see the future, but just enough of the future to tease you forward. And you come to this exact same time and place year after year. August 1, another summer coming to a close, one of so many, and another autumn returning. An end, to make way for something new to begin, again, and again, and again.
The figure standing on the horizon grows, matures, changes, morphs, ages, expands, learns, regrets, loves, hates, wonders, questions, fears, laughs, and listens. The figure on the horizon passes through a human life time in the blink of an eye, with one inaudible breath…and then they fade into an ethereal creature of smokey wisps with a voice that is but the wind.
Lammas Correspondences
Herbs: frankincense, wheat, cornstalks, heather
Altar Flowers/Herbs: corn ears, hollyhock, myrtle, oak leaves, wheat
Feast Foods: apples/apple pie, cornbread, sweet potatoes/sweet potato pie, grapes, blackberries
Animals: calves, roosters, deer
Incense: chamomile, rose, rosemary, allspice, sandalwood, carnation
Rituals/Spells: maternal magick, prosperity spells, purification spells, thanksgiving rituals, career spells
Lammas Recipes
Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
(with glaze)
For the Muffins:
2/3 cup sugar
Grate 2 lemons
Juice of 1 lemon
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
For the Icing:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line 12 molds in a regular-size muffin pan with paper muffin cups. Place the muffin pan on a baking sheet.
____________________
Banana Bread
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed very ripe bananas (3 to 4 medium)
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped nuts, if desired
Move oven rack to low position so that tops of pans will be in center of oven. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottoms only of 2 loaf pans, 8 1/2×4 1/2×2 1/2 inches, or 1 loaf pan, 9x5x3 inches.
Mix sugar and butter in large bowl. Stir in eggs until well blended. Add bananas, buttermilk and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt just until moistened. Stir in nuts. Pour into pans.
Bake 8-inch loaves about 1 hour, 9-inch loaf about 1 1/4 hours, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Loosen sides of loaves from pans; remove from pans and place top side up on wire rack. Cool completely, about 2 hours, before slicing.
[Source: This blog post is an excerpt from my book The Spiritual Feminist]
Here’s the recipe, which sounds delicious! We’re going to go through the ingredients and see just what kind of magick can be found in this simple popular dish:
Makes 4 servings
8 ounces uncooked elbow macaroni
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 cups milk
1/4 cup butter
2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 pinch paprika
Directions:
1. Cook macaroni according to the package directions. Drain.
2. In a saucepan, melt butter or margarine over medium heat. Stir in enough flour to make a roux. Add milk to roux slowly, stirring constantly. Stir in cheeses, and cook over low heat until cheese is melted and the sauce is a little thick. Put macaroni in large casserole dish, and pour sauce over macaroni. Stir well.
3. Melt butter or margarine in a skillet over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs and brown. Spread over the macaroni and cheese to cover. Sprinkle with a little paprika.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes. Serve.
The Magick:
Paprika…Use to add energy to any spell or mixture. Throw in someone’s yard to cause them problems.
Also Called: African Pepper, Bird Pepper, Chili Pepper, Goat’s Pod, Grains of Paradise, Red Pepper, Sweet Pepper, Tabasco Pepper, Zanzibar Pepper, Capsicu
Wheat (found in the bread crumbs & the macaroni)…Induces fertility and conception, attracts money
Salt (if you add a dash)…Cleansing, purification, exorcism
The Divine Connection:
Wheat is a grain associated with the goddess Demeter:
“DEMETER was the great Olympian goddess of agriculture, grain, and bread, the prime sustenance of mankind. She also presided over the foremost of the Mystery Cults which promised its initiates the path to a blessed afterlife. Demeter was depicted as a mature woman, often crowned and holding sheaves of wheat and a torch…” For more info– lots more, click Here
Mother & Daughter
(Demeter and Persephone)
Crafting Your Magic
Ancestral magic is cast with the Blood Moon. Do magic now to communicate with family members who have passed, to connect with your ancestors and your heritage. Magic surrounding divination is relevant, it’s the perfect time. Cast spells for justice and balance, and to overthrow anything oppressive which may be blocking your path to success. Ambition is highlighted, use magic to increase the potency of your own, or cast magic to contain ambition that may have run amok. This is also the perfect time to step into the dark shadows and take advantage of the vibrations found there. The gray witch revels in the magic of the Blood Moon and in this season.
In the tradition of Samhain, we’re going to look at herbs used to call up spirits.
Mugwort
To bring forth protective & benevolent spirits, Mugwort is burned on charcoal with star anise, althea, and resin incenses like frankincense, myrrh, copal, or benzoin.
Energy: feminine/receptive
Planet: Venus
Element: Earth
Powers: strength, psychic powers, protection, prophetic dreams, healing, astral projection
Dandelion
The root, when dried, roasted, and ground like coffee, is used to make a tea. This infusion will promote psychic powers. This same tea, steaming and placed beside the bed, will call spirits.
Energy: masculine/projective
Planet: Jupiter
Element: Air
Powers: divination, wishes, calling spirits
Thistle
To call Spirits, place some thistle in boiling water. Remove from heat and lie or sit beside it. As the steam rises call the spirits and listen carefully; they may answer your questions.
Energy: masculine/projective
Planet: Mars
Element: Fire
Powers: strength, protection, healing, exorcism, hex-breaking
Wormwood
Wormwood is burned to summon spirits. It is sometimes mixed with sandalwood for this purpose. If burned in graveyards the spirits of the dead will rise and speak, according to old grimoires.
Energy: masculine/projective
Planet: Mars
Element: Fire
Powers: psychic powers, protection, love, calling spirits
Sweetgrass
Burn sweetgrass to attract good spirits, or beings, before performing spells.
(Strangely enough, I couldn’t find any correspondences listed for sweetgrass, other than it’s power to call in spirits.)
Disclaimer: Never ingest any herbs, or feed them to someone else,
if you are not absolutely sure they are safe!
Magickal Connections 