Friday, November 30, 2012

Mandrake





Mandrake is the common name for members of the plant genus Mandragora, particularly the species Mandragora officinarum, belonging to the nightshades family (Solanaceae). Because mandrake contains deliriant hallucinogenic and alkaloids such as atropine, scopolamine, apoatropine, hyoscyamine and the roots sometimes contain bifurcations causing them to resemble human figures, their roots have long been used in magic rituals, today also in neopagan religions such as Wicca and Germanic revivalism religions such as Odinism.


The parsnip-shaped root is often branched. This root gives off at the surface of the ground a rosette of ovate-oblong to ovate, wrinkled, crisp, sinuate-dentate to entire leaves, 5 to 40 centimetres (2.0 to 16 in) long, somewhat resembling those of the tobacco-plant. A number of one-flowered nodding peduncles spring from the neck bearing whitish-green or purple flowers, nearly 5 centimetres (2.0 in) broad, which produce globular, orange to red berries, resembling small tomatoes. All parts of the mandrake plant are poisonous.

According to the legend, when the root is dug up it screams and kills all who hear it. Literature includes complex directions for harvesting a mandrake root in relative safety. For example Josephus (c. AD 37 Jerusalem – c. 100) gives the following directions for pulling it up:
A furrow must be dug around the root until its lower part is exposed, then a dog is tied to it, after which the person tying the dog must get away. The dog then endeavors to follow him, and so easily pulls up the root, but dies suddenly instead of his master. After this the root can be handled without fear.
Extract from Chapter XVI, Witchcraft and Spells: Transcendental Magic its Doctrine and Ritual by Eliphas Levi. A Complete Translation of Dogme et Rituel de la Haute Magie by Arthur Edward Waite. 1896
... we will add a few words about mandragores (mandrakes) and kandroids, which several writers on magic confound with the waxen image; serving the purposes of bewitchment. The natural mandragore is a filamentous root which, more or less, presents as a whole either the figure of a man, or that of the virile members. It is slightly narcotic, and an aphrodisiacal virtue was ascribed to it by the ancients, who represented it as being sought by Thessalian sorcerers for the composition of philtres. Is this root the umbilical vestige of our terrestrial origin ? We dare not seriously affirm it, but all the same it is certain that man came out of the slime of the earth, and his first appearance must have been in the form of a rough sketch. The analogies of nature make this notion necessarily admissible, at least as a possibility. The first men were, in this case, a family of gigantic, sensitive mandragores, animated by the sun, who rooted themselves up from the earth ; this assumption not only does not exclude, but, on the contrary, positively supposes, creative will and the providential co-operation of a first cause, which we have reason to call God. Some alchemists, impressed by this idea, speculated on the culture of the mandragore, and experimented in the artificial reproduction of a soil sufficiently fruitful and a sun sufficiently active to humanise the said root, and thus create men without the concurrence of the female. (See: Homunculus) Others, who regarded humanity as the synthesis of animals, despaired about vitalising the mandragore, but they crossed monstrous pairs and projected human seed into animal earth, only for the production of shameful crimes and barren deformities. The third method of making the android was by galvanic machinery. One of these almost intelligent automata was attributed to Albertus Magnus, and it is said that St Thomas (Thomas Aquinas) destroyed it with one blow from a stick because he was perplexed by its answers. This story is an allegory; the android was primitive scholasticism, which was broken by the Summa of St Thomas, the daring innovator who first substituted the absolute law of reason for arbitrary divinity, by formulating that axiom which we cannot repeat too often, since it comes from such a master: " A thing is not just because God wills it, but God wills it because it is just. " The real and serious android of the ancients was a secret which they kept hidden from all eyes, and Mesmer was the first who dared to divulge it; it was the extension of the will of the magus into another body, organised and served by an elementary spirit; in more modern and intelligible terms, it was a magnetic subject.
It was a common folklore in some countries that mandrake would only grow where the semen of a hanged man had dripped on to the ground; this would appear to be the reason for the methods employed by the alchemists who "projected human seed into animal earth". In Germany, the plant is known as the Alraune: the novel (later adapted as a film) Alraune by Hanns Heinz Ewers is based on a soulless woman conceived from a hanged man's semen, the title referring to this myth of the Mandrake's origins.
The following is taken from "Paul Christian".[1] pp. 402–403, The History and Practice of Magic by Paul Christian. 1963:
Would you like to make a Mandragora, as powerful as the homunculus (little man in a bottle) so praised by Paracelsus? Then find a root of the plant called bryony. Take it out of the ground on a Monday (the day of the moon), a little time after the vernal equinox. Cut off the ends of the root and bury it at night in some country churchyard in a dead man's grave. For thirty days water it with cow's milk in which three bats have been drowned. When the thirty-first day arrives, take out the root in the middle of the night and dry it in an oven heated with branches of verbena; then wrap it up in a piece of a dead man's winding-sheet and carry it with you everywhere.

Hazelnut Shortbread






Hazelnut Shortbread
makes 4 dozen
1 cup non-hydrogenated margarine, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup or agave nectar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour (you can use coconut or almond flour here)
1 cup finely chopped hazelnuts
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips


Cream margarine and sugar until fluffy. Mix in syrup and vanilla. Add flour and beat until just combined. Fold in hazelnuts.

Shape into two logs about 1 1/2 in. in diameter, and wrap tightly in parchment or waxed paper. Chill for 2 hours or until firm.

Preheat oven to 325. Cut into 1/4 in. slices and place two inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake in the center of the oven for 14-16 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Let cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before moving to wire racks to cool completely.

Microwave chocolate chips until chocolate is almost completely melted. Stir to fully melt and then, when cookies are cool,  drizzle melted chocolate on the cookies.

Snow Balls

Snowballs
makes 3 dozen
1 cup margarine, softened to room temperature
3/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour (you can use coconut flour, or almond flour instead)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup finely chopped shelled pistachios
sifted powdered sugar for rolling


Cream margarine, sugar, and vanilla until fluffy.
Sift the flour and salt and stir it into the wet mixture.
Mix in the pistachios.
 Roll into balls the size of walnuts.

Bake on the middle rack of the oven on ungreased baking sheet about 2 inches apart at 400 for 8-10 minutes. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes.

While warm, roll in powdered sugar, shaking off excess. Cool, and roll again in the powdered sugar.

Yule Cherry Salad





1 can - Cherry pie filling
2/3 can of Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 small can of Crushed Pineapple
2/3 bag Mini Marshmallows
1 cup Chopped Pecans (optional)
16-24oz Cool Whip
You will need a large mixing Bowl and a spoon and a spatula (both for licking clean when finished)!

First, completely drain the crushed pineapple. The more juice you drain the better or else it will cause separation.

Next combine all the ingredients except the cool whip and the cherry pie filling. Make sure to mix well. Then fold in the cherry pie filling and then fold in the Cool Whip.

 The best to let it sit overnight so the marshmallows will absorb the juices and melt in your mouth.

If you don't want to use all of it at right away, you can put some back into your cool whip containers and freeze them!

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Cold winds



The wind blow cold and biting.
the plants have all gone hiding
nary a ray of sun or light
to make my day a witch's delight.

I shall sip tea by the fire,
and bottle my potions, dire.
my familiar at my side
till spring does again abide!

Winter



Winter is very hard for us Northern Witch's.... we can't get out in our gardens... and that's a horrible thing!!!

I try to keep busy with potion making... but it's not the same, and depression creeps up on you.

But this winter I'm going to try and keep working, keep happy, and take care of my indoor plants till I can once again get out in the sun.


Sunday, November 25, 2012

Wine bottle re-using!!!!

changing your designs!!!!!!
What you need:
  • Cheap wine. Charles Shaw is always a winner here. $2 a bottle at Trader Joe's
  • Masking tape
  • Sharpie
  • X-acto knife
  • Spray paint. Definitely need orange, green is optional.
  • Bucket
The Goo Gone is for wine bottles that have particularly sticky labels that are hard to remove. Fortunately, the Charles Shaw labels are easy to remove and it wasn't needed here.

 Soak the bottles in a bucket of water for a little while and then peel and scrape off the soggy mess. This only took about 10-15 minutes, I think. I actually forgot about them on my front stoop for a bit. I'm an awesome neighbor.
 Break out the masking tape! Put a large working are on the front of the bottle. The "front" here being the side facing you when the seams of the bottle are pointing to the side.

Also wrap a bit of tape around the top of the bottle to avoid painting the cork and lip of the bottle.

Use the Sharpie to draw some Halloween faces on the bottles. Have fun with this step, it's better to be loose and see what you make.
 Use the X-acto to cut the edges of the faces you just drew. Make sure to get all the way around. Then just peel away everything else, being careful not to go too fast. You may have missed a spot and don't want to go back.

If you do mess up and tear the tape, you can patch it with a bit more masking tape. That's what happened to the happy face on the right.

 use the orange spraypaint and apply a series of light coats with 20 minutes in between to let each coat dry.

Once you're done, let the bottles dry for at least an hour before removing any of the tape.

 Slowly remove all of the tape and you have some wine bottle jack-o-lanterns! While these bottles are dry to the touch they may still be a little tacky and smell like spraypaint. Let them fully dry for a few days, or even a week, before putting them out or giving them to someone else. No one likes a smelly present.

Finally, don't hesitate to drink them, fearing that you'll ruin the look. They still look good even when empty.

Enjoy!

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Vanth

Vanth is the Etruscan Goddess of Death.

She appears when death is near and also helps guide the newly dead to the Underworld.

Vanth is depicted as a winged woman, wearing a short skirt and with only leather straps across her bare chest.

There are sometimes eyes on her wings, symbolic of the omnipresence of death. Vanth’s name means “one who keeps the door.”

Arianrhod

In Celtic mythology, Arianrhod, goddess of the Silver Wheel, carries the souls of the deceased to Emania. Arianrhod is associated with and can transform into an Owl, and through the eyes of the Owl, can see the truth in the human soul.

Druantia

Druantia is the Celtic Goddess of Fir Trees and Fertility.

 Also called the Queen of the Druids, Druantia is associated with the fertility of both plants and humans, ruling over sex and passion.

She is credited with the creation of the Celtic tree calendar, which divides the year into 13 months that correspond to the cycles of the moon.

Rhiannon

Rhiannon Celtic (Welsh) Patron Goddess of horses and birds considered the counterpart of the Gaulish Goddess Epona. She symbolizes fertility, the moon, enchantment, charms, and poetic incantations.

Yule soap


Friday, November 23, 2012

Berchta


Perchta or Berchta was once known as a goddess in Southern Germanic paganism in the Alpine countries.

Her name means "the bright one".

 Perchta was at first a benevolent spirit. In Germanic paganism, Perchta had the rank of a minor deity. That changed to an enchanted creature (spirit or elf) in Old High German - such as Grimm describes - but she was given a more malevolent character (sorceress or witch) in later ages.

Rhiannon



The Welsh Goddess Rhiannon (Great Queen) was accompanied by magical birds whose enchanted songs could " awaken the dead and lull the living to sleep".

Oynyena Maria



in Polish mythology, Oynyena Maria is the "Fiery Mary,"

a Fire Goddess who assists and counsels the Thunder God Piorun.

This divinity also appears with southern slavs, and is usually considered to be the sister of the Thunder God/Saint.

Epona


Epona is the Celtic Horse Goddess associated with fertility, a cornucopia, horses, asses, mules, and oxen who accompanied the soul on its final journey.

Uniquely for the Celtic goddesses, the Romans adopted her and erected a temple to her in Rome. ♥

Another



Nemesis was the right hand of Zeus.

She was the Goddess of Righteous Anger

and it was she who saw to it that all good and evil were justly paid.

 She was also without a direct personality. She is also called Adrasteia, which means the Inevitable Parents. She was either another daughter of Oceanus, or a daughter of Nyx and Erebus (making her a sister to Sleep and Death).

Who should your worship???? Take your pick


The Goddess Themis,

 Themis was an early bride of Zeus and his first counselor. She was often represented seated beside his throne advising him on the precepts of divine law and the rules of fate.

Worse then a troll!!!!!


“According to legend, the púca (or pooka, phooka, etc) is a deft shape shifter capable of assuming a variety of terrifying or pleasing forms, and may appear as a horse, rabbit, goat, goblin or dog. No matter what shape the púca takes, its fur is almost always dark. It most commonly takes the form of a sleek black horse with a flowing mane and luminescent golden eyes.”


Hex Bane








HEX BANE  Oil is handcrafted with:

Bay Leaf
Sweet Cinnamon 
chips from Madagascar
Myrrh resin
Red Rose Petals
Blue Vervain
Red Wine
Hyssop
Sea Salt 

Mix all together in a bottle, and let stew a while.  Use a tiny drop on yourself when going out... and sprinkle a drop on each corner of your house.... then keeping the bottle in a central location on your alter!

Use this powerful blend to eliminate baneful energies, break hexes, remove jinxes and uncross conditions.

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Vanilla Extract



The thing is…  there really is a difference between good vanilla and mediocre vanilla extract.

But do we really have any idea what’s in those vanilla extracts we buy?

And isn’t it always just more fun to know exactly where something is coming from and saving a bunch of money while you’re at it??

This homemade vanilla extract is so incredibly simple!

You put a few fresh or dried Vanilla Beans  in a bottle and cover them with vodka.

 Let it sit for 2-3 months or more and you’ve got amazing homemade vanilla extract!

And the best part??  When you make vanilla extract this way, as the bottle gets low (say 1/3 of it is used up!), you just top it off with fresh vodka and there you go! 

Plus, find some really cute bottles, and they are great as gifts!!!

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Love it!

This picture is the perfect size to fill the whole desk top on your computer!!!  I using it as mine!!


Just left click on your mouse to bring the picture up, and then right click to save, and then save to desktop!


This is how it looks on my computer!!!  Sweet!!!

Monday, November 19, 2012

Spaghetti Squash and Tomato Bake


About 3 cups cooked spaghetti squash (1 medium one)


2 large garden tomatoes sliced

Kosher Salt

Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Dried Basil, Dried Parsley for sprinkling

5oz of fancy shredded Mexican cheese blend (separated)

Fresh Basil for Garnish (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a 11 x 9 casserole dish with non-stick spray.


Spread about 1 cup of spaghetti squash on the bottom.


Top with a layer of sliced tomatoes. Sprinkle with kosher salt and spices.


Top with 1.5 oz of cheese.


Add another layer of squash, then tomatoes, spices and cheese. Top with a final layer of squash.

Top with the last 2 oz of cheese and sprinkle with the spices one last time

Bake for 30 minutes uncovered

Apple Almond Quinoa with Maple Sausage


Ingredients:

1/2 cup quinoa

1 cup vegtable broth

1/2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

3oz maple breakfast sausage (you can use any of the veg. style, but maple is the best... if you can't find it, add one Tablespoon of maple syrup to the sausage)

2 green onions

1 small apple, chopped

1/4 cup chopped almonds

2 Tablespoons dried cranberries



Directions:

1.Rinse quinoa very well in a fine mesh strainer under cold, running water.

Bring  broth to a boil in a small saucepan then add rinsed quinoa.

Place a lid on top, then simmer until all the liquid has been absorbed and quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes.

Transfer to a large bowl and cool slightly.

2.Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add sausage then brown and drain, if necessary. Add cooked sausage, green onions, chopped apple, almonds, and cranberries to the slightly cooled quinoa.

Toss to combine then serve.

Spaghetti Squash Parmesan

Ingredients


Serves 8

1 (1 1/2-pound) spaghetti squash 4 tablespoons butter 6 tablespoons corn flour 2 vegtable bouillon cubes1/2 cup hot water 1 1/2 cups milk 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese, divided 1/2 teaspoon salt1/4 teaspoon black or white pepper      

      Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

Cut the squash in half lengthwise; remove and discard seeds. Place squash on a baking sheet. Bake until tender, about 1 hour. Separate the strands of squash with a fork and place in a medium bowl; discard shells. Maintain the oven temperature.

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour. Reduce heat to low. Cook mixture, stirring continually, for 5 minutes.

Dissolve bouillon cubes in hot water. Stir into flour mixture. Add milk gradually, whisking continually.

Cook the sauce, stirring frequently, until thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan, salt and black pepper.

Add squash to the sauce and mix well. Spoon into a 3-quart baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan.

Bake until bubbly and golden, about 30 minutes.

Walking the path

Sunday, November 18, 2012

I HAVE to try this!!!!!!!!!


Spaghetti Squash Au Gratin


Serves 6



1 medium spaghetti squash

2 tablespoons butter

1 small yellow onion, cut in half and very thinly sliced

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more if you like it spicy

1 teaspoon fresh thyme

½ cup sour cream

½ cup shredded cheddar cheese



Cut the spaghetti squash in half and remove the seeds. Place in a covered dish with a ¼ inch of water and microwave for 10 -12 minutes. In a medium sized skillet over medium heat, add the butter, onions, red pepper and thyme and cook until the onions are slightly brown in color. Salt and pepper to taste.



Using a fork, scrape the insides of the squash and transfer to a small bowl. Combine the squash, onions, sour cream and half the cheese together and mix well. Transfer the mixture to a buttered baking dish and top with remaining cheese.





Place into a 375º for 15 – 20 minutes until golden brown on top.



Strawberry Quartz

OMG!!!  I found something I don't have!!!!!  WANT!!!!!
 


Strawberry quartz stimulates the energy center of the heart, bringing added energy to the quartz. Filing ones' total person with the feeling of love. and fills one with the euphoria.

Strawberry quartz will be made available to those who are are both ready to experience the energy and willing to embrace the information....

Ear Infections?


I'm prone to get ear infections, mostly because of allergy attacks.... but I got so tired of going to the doctor every time I got one.... less pills, more natural.

So this is what I do.  I buy a nice alcohol... most of the time I use wintergreen alcohol...(smells better!) In a bottle I put fresh Rosemary (it's an anti bacterial)   in the jar, and then use a wooden spoon or knife handle to crush it up a bit.... and then add the wintergreen alcohol, and let it stew!!!

When I feel an ear infection coming on....Lay down with your bad ear up... and dip a Q-tip into the jar, and use that to swab out my ear.  Seems to work every time!!!

Notice.... no fancy jars for me, I just reuse old jars, clean and sanitize them, and reuse to my hearts content!!!

Cauldron Prophecy Spell





Cauldron Prophecy Magic Spell




For prophecies to be revealed through dreams, strong impressions or immediate visions.



Fill a cauldron or large, black iron pot half-full of fresh water. Add a handful of Buttercup or Marigold petals.

Light incense of Sage (also used for protection) or burn some Thyme. Stir the cauldron/pot gently three times while chanting the magic spell :



Into the threads of time I cast my thoughts

To catch a glimpse of what will be

O Gods of Asgard, bring into my mind

The lovely gift of prophecy



Look deep into the cauldron and you will receive messages



Winter Tonic



This is my favorite to make every year.  One large teaspoon a day keep the flu and cold bugs at bay!!!

First buy a nice LARGE jar of natural honey..... local to your area is the best, try not to get processed honey, it will still work, but not as good as a natural local brand.

In your blender, food grinder, or mortar and pestle add:

1 Tbs. of Fresh or dried Rosemary (run it through a food processor to make it into a fine powder)

1/2 a teaspoon of Aloe (this can give you the runs, so keep it too a small amount)

1/4 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

4 or 5 slices of a nice dried Garlic (you can use  fresh garlic powder 1/2 a teaspoon) Or 2 cloves of fresh garlic, chopped up very fine!

Mix all the ingredients together, and add 2 large Tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar... Let sit, covered in fridge for 4-5 days to blend and infuse the ingredients

Then add all of it to a nice bottle of Natural honey, mix it well, and let sit for at least a week!

Every day during the winter, take ONE TEASPOON of the honey each day.  There is no need to take more, if your well....

if you get a cold or the flu, up it to ONE TABLESPOON a day.

You can add it to tea, or your coffee, or right off of the spoon!!!

Good Night, sleep well

Child's blessing

year by year

Got my new year calender!!!!!  I usually get a 2 year one.  Every single year for about 45 years!!!!

At first they only came in one year at a time, the past 10 years they now come in 2 years at a time.


In it I put EVERYTHING!  Not only appointments, but birthdays, events, what the weather was like (on weird weather days) where I went, who I saw...  Reservations for conventions, visits from friends, if I was sick, if I lost power... and so on and so on and so on!

A tiny, less than $2 calender, that I've collected all these years, and kept every single one!!!  I can go back to the birth of each child... see what the weather was on those days, check out Dr. appointments, and special occasions the year held.

It's so much fun to go to the box, and pick out a year, and check it against THIS year to see if the weather match's or what I did!!!

What started with me as a way to keep my prenatal Dr.'s appointment in... just got bigger and bigger each year.  I keep them all in the same box as my important papers, so I don't lose them.

I can look and see that 20 years ago, on this day, we had 24" of snow!  And today it's warm and sunny. LOL 

I know it's seems anal, but I needed something to keep track of appointments... and it just blossomed in to my whole world! And it's wonderful to see all those memory's in a glance!

Lets just say it's become a TRADITION.

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Something we all need!

Posting posters

A lot of you must be wondering why I'm posting a lot of poster type spells and such, instead of writing them out?

People have commented that they would love to put some of the spells and such on wood plaques, so I'm looking, and looking for PRETTY spells in poster form, so they can do that.

I've done it on wood, plastic, and china plates, they look so pretty on your shelves and hanging up! 

Just print them out, and place them on the surface you want, and cover with Elmer's glue or modPodge, and when dry, spray it with a clear lacquer to preserve it!

Have fun!

Warding

Buy one.. get a zillion free~



Did you know that one clove or bulb of garlic, when planted, can produce up to an additional twenty cloves? So instead of tossing out your garlic that's started to sprout, plant it instead!


Simply plant garlic cloves individually. If they've started to sprout, even better! Otherwise plant them with the pointy end up. Make sure they are in a sunny location and soil isn't too damp. You can plant multiple cloves four inches apart either in your yard or in a pot. It will fair well even if planted among other flowers or vegetables.

Then just sit back and wait for your garlic to grow. If it's potted, water it occasionally but don't drown it. As your garlic grows, it will sprout leaves. Once the leaves turn brown and die, it's time to harvest your garlic. (Don't harvest any earlier or your cloves will be too small!)


Once you harvest your garlic, hang the bulbs in a cool, dry location to dry them and prevent rot. Your garlic should dry in about a week, at which time you can simply brush off the dirt and start cooking with the cloves or plant some more!



Thursday, November 15, 2012

Top Tips

Crystal Mushrooms for your Garden


Yard sale finds:  cheap florist vases, bowls and light fixtures and waterproof liquid silicone as a glue makes crystal mushrooms for your garden

Ginger


Just pick up a root from your grocery store’s produce section and get growing!


Because ginger root tubers grow right near the soil surface, don’t bury them when you transplant them to your garden.
Simply lay the ginger root on the top of the potting soil to “plant” it.
Pull the roots from the ground and allow them to dry in the open air before removing the stalks and harvesting.
Ginger root is sold in a clump that’s often called a “hand.” You’ll want to choose a hand that’s fresh and firm with as many “fingers” as possible. To get as many plants as you can, cut or break the fingers off the main root. Each section with a growing tip will become a plant. Be sure to allow any cut surfaces to dry before planting them in moist soil.


Planting is easy as pie: Simply pick a pot that’s at least twice the diameter as the length of your root section. Fill it ¾ full with standard potting soil, and place the small root sections on the soil surface. Water it well. Your plant will survive dry spells, but to get the most consistent growth, keep it damp at all times. Place your ginger pot in a spot where it’ll stay warm. There’s no need to find a sunny spot on your windowsill. At this stage, your ginger actually grows better without direct sunshine. Before you know it, you’ll see sprouts.


Studies say ginger’s peak flavor arrives at 265 days. (And if you start the ginger inside in late winter, that one root can produce four times that amount by fall!) But you’ll only get this long growing season by starting your ginger indoors as a houseplant early in the year and then transplanting it in your garden in late spring, once the weather’s warmed. When moving your ginger to your garden, choose a spot with rich, loose soil, and be sure to water it regularly. There aren’t many pests or diseases to worry about. And occasionally, you might get a nice surprise: Your ginger plant may produce yellowish flowers at the base of each stem.


With proper care, your ginger can reach 2-4 feet tall. It’ll have narrow, glossy, green leaves that can be up to a foot long. Its roots can be harvested at any time, but you should let the plant grow for at least three to four months before harvesting. You’ll be able to see the ginger roots growing near the surface of the soil. To harvest them, just trim off small sections whenever you need them, while the rest of the plant continues to grow. The new roots that grow from the starter root will have the best flavor and texture. The old starter root should be tossed out at the end of the season.

what we do

Break a curse!

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Preparing your salt

 
Some people use regular salt, some use kosher, it really doesn't matter what you use.  But you need to prepare salt used in invocations or rituals.
The best way to do this is pour a very large amount of the salt into a bowl.

On a bright sunny day, take it outside and place it in full sun. Leave it till the sun goes down, invoking it with the power of the sun.

Crystals so rare and white
gather the suns rays into your might
bask in the sun, from rise to down
and cleans all evil earth bound.

Then on the full moon night, take the bowl outside and allow it to sit under the full moon for 2 hours... no more, since the moon is very strong!

Moon light cleanse these crystals clear
charge them with your pure light
charge them with your might

Afterwards take the salt inside and place in a sealed container.  Use in ceremonies, to make your circle, clean your crystals.. etc.

Salt


Sacred Salt


On our altars we place the bowl, shell, dish, even bare crystals describing the pentagram, salt. We charge it as a creature of Earth and combine it with charged water to cleanse and consecrate our circles. We embed our crystals in it to cleanse and charge them.

We symbolize and honor Earth with it. We discuss the use of sea salt over table salt as if there were some difference that matters to magic. We speak of it as “grounding.”
Since before written history, salt has held an equally significant place in the workings of the temple. The drawn square is an ancient symbol of salt, possibly from Sumaria or Egypt. It stands for land, ground, or Earth. Being found in flats of crystal deposited upon the land, and being basic to survival, it stands to reason human beings would consider it as important as the ground upon which they stood, and the land to which they looked for sustenance.

In many a record of temple activities all over the world, are mentioned the places and uses of salt. It was used to cleanse, preserve, and assist in the sanctification of articles, including sacrifices. As salt was considered very valuable by many peoples, even to being used as currency, it was also made as a sacrifice in its own right. No doubt, in a temple in which sacrificial meat was preserved, salt would have been considered a greater gift than gold in many cases. Salt, being toxic to bacteria, molds, and yeasts, all too small for the human eye to detect, was thought to chase away the evil, or spirits that ruined meat. It wasn’t a far stretch for peoples that observed this to believe salt scared away evil spirits anywhere.

Salt is associated with luck, as well. A windfall of wealth is bound to cause a person to feel lucky, and a salt find (more valuable than precious metals in some cases,) would be that windfall. By the same token, spilled salt was considered a harbinger of ill luck. The response for spilling salt was to sacrifice salt. Perhaps, thus was born the superstition one should toss salt over one’s left shoulder. Another possible origin was the habit of tossing salt behind one in order to stop evil spirits from following, such as in the progress away from a grave.
We use it to cleanse our crystals after healing use, and to cleanse them 4 times a year to remove any bad vibes or auras that they may have collected. We also lay a line of salt around our house, to protect and prevent any evil from entering

It's also great to pour into a cleansing bath... salt will remove any bad influence from our aura's, and when taking a shower and used as a scrub it does the same thing.

An application of salt water after washing your hair will bring out the curls and waves that you associate with a day at the beach. Also used with hot water, to soak an infected area of the body to pull the infection out of the wound so that it can be cleaned!

It's also a quick first aid when you not near enough to get to supplies.. salt poured on a wound will prevent infection till you can get home and clean it better... it will smart, but it's worth it!

What other things do YOU use it for?

Spell Jar

Home Protection Spell Bottle




Find an  jar that has a lid (an empty candle jar with a cork lid or a canning jar) and add to it the following Herbs while visualizing your home bathed in a warm soothing energy:

Do this outside, on a bright sunny day

1/4 to 1 cup salt

1 clove garlic

3 bay leaves

7 tsp.  basil

4 tsp. dill seeds

1 tsp. sage

1 tsp. pepper (white is best)

1 tsp. fennel


You can use fresh or dried.

If you use fresh, fill the jar, after adding the spices, with Olive Oil..
if you use dried you can leave it as it is.
Mix the ingredients well and then seal the jar with white candle wax, while you say the following words:

"Spices that protect

 And smell so sweet,

Guard my home with energy

As bright as the sun"


Place the jar in a prominent center spot in your home and it will protect the home and all within from negative ideas, people, and spells

Friday, November 09, 2012

Mother Nature... take a pill already!!!!


Just a few days after the Hurricane left us without power, heat, and phone and Internet.... we just started to recover....... then SNOW!!

I'm not talking.... "oh how pretty the snow flakes are" I'm talking "WTF!!!!" snow!!!!

In just a few hours we had 12"  of snow covering EVERYTHING!!!!!

We didn't lose power again (Thank the Goddess!!!!) but lots of others in my area did.

My friend Mary had just gotten power back on less then 24 hours before the 2nd storm hit.... and lost power AGAIN!!!  and still doesn't have it back on 2 days later!!!!

Though today, and for the next few days it's going to be warming up, so the snow is melting fast... It's just another misery on top of misery for most of us.

I don't know how some people are going to recover from all of this!  Their house's are destroyed, and the constant cold due to lack of heat is making everyone sick!

I think I'm done with this winter!!!!!!!


I thank the Goddess my house was not harmed, and I thank her for letting me see if I could live for 4 days without electric... but I'm done thanking, and I'm just begging now.....STOP!!!!