Video Contents ~
Court Case Spells/DUI & Consequences
Samhain Special/Talking about Black Cat Oil
Tarot Card for the Day/Cutting things out of my life
My Sedona Crystals/and my ley line experiences!
Final Footage/Hiking trail in the Grand Canyon
In the wee hours of Sunday night (or early Monday morning), some of my kids and I will be headed for the Omaha airport where we’re flying out to Arizona. There are connections there now that I feel will grow with the years. I’m going to take advantage of this trip to immerse myself in Sedona for a few days and then go on to the Grand Canyon. I’m such an incurable home-body that this is a step away from my usual existence, ensconced in my old house and the busy rooms, enjoying the woodsy wild back yard, and just being surrounded by and appreciating our multitude of pets (mostly cats, 6 of them black), and all of this in perfect contentment.
But destiny calls.
My Kitchen
I’ve been going through checklists of things to do, things to get, things to address, before leaving. The house-sitter is set with a loaded pantry and fridge and an abundance of pet supplies. Financial things are done, and strangely enough most of my monthly household bills have come in and been paid, so that’s one less thing to think about. I have to pack today (Saturday), and I have one more work-as-usual day coming up (Sunday). And then, we’re off!
I’ll be posting regular updates, photos, and video clips both at my Instagram and at my main Facebook page:
I’ve managed to get a few last minute witchy business things done, which were also on my list, including my Samhain Special at The Witch’s Corner: follow this link and scroll down, it’s right there http://amythystraine.blogspot.com
I’ve put together a charming little bag to celebrate Samhain and draw in the spirits, spirits of the season and spirits we wish to communicate with. Samhain is traditionally a time to connect with our ancestors and especially loved ones who have passed.
Honor your ancestors, and honor the spirit of Samhain,
with these magickal items.
The Samhain Special:
a white spirit dollie,
a bottle of Black Cat Oil,
and a black votive candle
$24.99
*Note:The Black Cat Oil included in this offer is safe for your skin, so feel free to wear it! It’s my own recipe, and it
smells wonderful!
From The Tarot Parlour ~
Audio Readings
$25.00
With Samhain right around the corner, the end of the year coming, so many of us are questioning so many things about our lives. There’s relationships and the changes that come with them, the doubts, the questions, the mystery of it all. Some of us have reached pivotal points where jobs and careers are concerned.
If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Is this it? Is this all there is to my life? Is this where I’m suppose to be?”… you’re more than ready for a reading to find some answers.
Follow this link and scroll down to order an Audio Reading
A Magickal Bag of Items
created for this Magickal Month
Samhain Magick Calling in the AncestorsThis bag includes:1. Black Cat Oil
2. a black candle
3. a mini ghost poppet (white)
3. Ancestor’s Oil
4. Mugwort
5. 3 straight pins
I can’t believe it’s this time of year already! Where did 2016 go?? This past year has been wracked with huge changes in my life. All hell broke loose December 31, 2015, and it’s been a wild ride ever since– spiritually, emotionally, and financially. However, the wild ride appears to be calming down now, life smoothing over with regular routine, new opportunities, and a new-found sense of stability. The transitions involved have included acceptance, transformation, and new connections. As I slide into the end of October, into the end of this year, I’m warmed and comforted by another celebration of Samhain at our house.
Five things that highlight this holiday for me include, but are not limited to:
Hot Apple Cider~ Every Samhain for the past 20+ years, I’ve drug out my huge (HUGE) silver canning kettle and set it on the back of the stove to slowly heat the Drink of the Evening. My recipe —
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.
My Hot Apple Cider
Let’s take a look at the ingredients we just used from a magickal perspective:
Peaches— love
Nutmeg— one of the most popular uses for nutmeg is to assure fidelity. It’s also used for spells centered around luck, money, and health.
Cinnamon— spirituality, success, healing, power, psychic powers, lust, protection, love
Allspice— money, luck, healing
Cloves— protection, exorcism, love, money
Apple— love, healing, garden magic, immortality
2. Autumn leaves & flowers~ There is nothing more beautiful than a tree caught in its seasonal death throes. It puts a new spin and realization on the idea of death and rebirth for me; the idea of shedding oneself of all the outward trappings of ego, vanity, and expectation; the idea of natural beauty that comes with age and experience, and a miraculous rebirth, whether physically or spiritually.
3. The Ancestors ~ As I’ve gotten older and time has marched mercilessly on, all through the past few decades, I’ve watched the Older Generation of my family die off. First, the “Greats” (and these are people I actually knew, whom I remember)…great-grandparents and aunts: Alpha, Tracy, Gma Smith, Gpa Smith, Lizzie. And I still watch, even now, as the passing generations move up, ever closer to me and my generation…my grandmother, Darlene, Jim (my father). And then there are those that died tragically, before they had time to get old…Joe, John Patrick, Norman. It’s with a sense of awe and wonder, a sense of growing knowledge and acceptance, that I’m beginning to understand the real meaning behind the “Wheel of the Year” and its natural progression.
Last Year’s Ancestor Altar
4. Spices ~ allspice, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg…They say that your olfactory sense, your sense of smell, can snap a memory into your brain faster than almost anything else, so closely are certain scents associated for us. And this is true of the traditional smells of autumn at our house. I can visualize Grma’s teapot, particular cups, favorite old trees adorned in autumn leaves, pets (both present and past) who laid at our feet around the kitchen table, puddles of glowy golden light from lamps on a wet and cold drooling autumn day…I could go on and on. These smells, as pleasant as they are in themselves, hold all kinds of memories for me.
5. Chili ~ Every year, for 20+ years now, I drag out my Great-Big-Red-Cooking-Pot and make a walloping batch of homemade chili. You can tell the prosperous years from the lean years by my chili…on prosperous years, it will contain more meat. This is another one of those scents that also connect closely with Samhain at our house, it’s a family tradition. I usually start the chili early in the morning and let it sit and simmer on low all day, giving the flavors time to blend deliciously together.
My Chili
So, what are the things that bring this holiday, and this time of year home to you? What are your family traditions and memories? How does Samhain touch you?
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.
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 ~
Libra: ruled by Venus, projective/masculine, cardinal, air
Scorpio: ruled by Mars, receptive/feminine, fixed/water
Pagan Holiday:
Samhain
October 31
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 try to connect with those from the other side.
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
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.
Magickal Herbs
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!
Kitchen Wytchery
As the Kitchen Witch knows, natural magick can be found in certain foods, recipes, as well as herbs. In this section we’re going to put this knowledge to work.
We celebrate Samhain at our house big time. I’m going to include in this newsletter my own recipe for pumpkin pie & my ‘secret’ recipe for the large pot of hot apple cider that is a tradition at our house. The photos included are family photos of Samhains past.
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 foolproof, 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.
Edit: I bake this pie at 425 degrees for the first 15 minutes; then I turn the oven down to 400 degrees for the next 30-45 minutes, until it’s cooked enough to thicken the filling. I check this by sticking a clean butter knife in the center– when the knife comes out “clean”, I know the 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.
Our kitchen isn’t as organized as Rachel Ray’s or Martha Stewart’s, but we get the job done. Above are kettles of cider brewing in preparation for a Samhain evening.
Let’s take a look at the ingredients we just used from a magickal perspective:
Peaches— love
Nutmeg— one of the most popular uses for nutmeg is to assure fidelity. It’s also used for spells centered around luck, money, and health.
Cinnamon— spirituality, success, healing, power, psychic powers, lust, protection, love
Allspice— money, luck, healing
Cloves— protection, exorcism, love, money
Apple— love, healing, garden magic, immortality
Happy Samhain!!
The information for this blog post has been taken from:
