Our chefs have just the right blend of spices for you. Sosanna's covering Women's History Month, Melissa and Kathi are keeping the Spring-faith, while Autumn gives you some lavender tips... The Cap'n and La'Trice are celebrating Mardis Gras, and Loren is giving you Mercury Rx recovery tips. Adelina and this week's totem completely line up to talk about your intution, and Karen and I have your standards. We even have a call out for some new Stew Chefs, so let's dig right in!
Happy Birthday this week to Byron Ballard, Scott Tarbox, James Mitchell, Carolyn Timble, Amy McGill, Laurie Cabot, Tara Smith (designer of this blog!!), Tammy Barber, Brandy Kurtz, Rowan Bleumoon, Eyes Sturgill, and Kelly Garrett. May this be your very best birthday ever, and may this next year of life bring you joy, happiness and success (however you perceive that) in abundance!
In the News
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NHRC notice to Chhattisgarh over assault on woman
Leominster bar to host first service of online church
Politics, Witchcraft and Myth
5 Things Everyone Gets Wrong About the Salem Witch Hunts
Witchcraft, murder, organs for sale and other issues you need to know before India’s May election
Salem witch trials, 60 years after ‘The Crucible’
Pagan Lore with Karen Szabo
Sunday, March 2
In various parts of Europe, women celebrate Mother March each year on this date. The Mother-Goddess who presides over the third month of the year is honored, and a festive parade is held to commemorate all women who have created life.
Monday, March 3
The number three is a very magickal number; therefore, the third day of the third month is believed to be a favorable time for Witches and practitioners of magick throughout the world. This day is also sacred to all Triple Goddesses and deities of the Moon (which shows itself in three aspects: waxing, full, and waning). The magickal and healing power of pyramids is said to be strongest on this day.
Tuesday, March 4
On this day in Ireland and Wales, the annual Feast of Riannon is celebrated by many Wiccans in honor of Rhiannon, the Celtic/Welsh Mother-Goddess who was originally known as Rigatona (the Great Queen) and identified with the Gaulish mare-Goddess Epona. On this date in ancient Greece, an annual ritual which lasted for three days and was called the Anthesteria was held to honor the souls of the dead (the Keres). Also, on this date in the year 1968, the Church of All Worlds (founded by Otter Zell) was formally chartered, thus becoming the first federally recognized church of Neo-Paganism.
Wednesday, March 5
In parts of North Africa, the ancient Egyptian Goddess Isis is honored on this date with an annual festival of music, dancing, and feasting. In Rome, Isis's opening of the seas to navigation was commemorated on this day with an annual ceremony called the Navigum Isidis (Blessing of the Vessel of Isis).
Thursday, March 6
According to an ancient book called "Perillous Dayes of Every Month", the sixth and seventh days of March "shall come to no good end, and the dayes be full perillous for many things." On this date (approximately) in the year 1795, Count Alessandro Cagliostro died in prison. He was renowned as an alchemist, healer, psychic, and practitioner of wizardry before falling victim to the Catholic Church's Inquisition.
Friday, March 7
On this day in the year 1890, the poet William Butler Yeats was initiated into the Isis-Urania Temple of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. There, he studied the magickal arts and took the magickal name Daemon est Deus Inversus (which translates into "The Devil is God Reversed").
Saturday, March 8
Mother Earth Day, a festival which honors the birthday of the Earth as a Mother Goddess, is celebrated annually on this day throughout China. The festival consists of street parades, the lighting of firecrackers, feasting and partying. "Birthday presents" (coins, flowers, incense, paper dolls, etc.) are placed in small holes in the ground, blessed, and then covered with soil.
Wishing everyone a fantastic week -- see you next time with more Pagan Lore!
Karen
Sparkle and Shine with Sosanna
Woman’s History Month has grown from a single day from International Women’s Day in 1911, to a week in 1978. From 1988 – 1994 Congress passed the resolutions and since 1995 each US president has issued the annual proclamation naming March as Women’s History Month.
In celebration of Woman’s History Month I thought I’d share just a very few bits on feminine accomplishments.
Inventions/Founders
Windshield Wipers – Mary Anderson
Fire Escapes – Anna Connelly
Kevlar – Stephanie Kwolek
American Red Cross – Clara Barton
Female Firsts
Medical Degree by a college – Elizabeth Blackwell
Nobel Prize for Literature – Pearl S. Buck
Fly across the Atlantic – Amelia Earhart
Woman in space – Dr. Sally Ride
Historically women have contributed to life saving, furthering higher education and inventing things that help us move forward. From the CEO to the stay at home mom, each job we do impacts the world around us.
Today, I know a woman who are contributing to the betterment of the world via the fight to bring together a fractured Pagan community. I know a woman who goes out rain or shine to feed and care for animals in my local community. I know a woman who opens her heart and soul to those around her with love and honesty. Each of those women are amazing and constantly give of themselves.
This month I plan to make it a point to look in the mirror and remember that not too long ago, women were not allowed to vote, or own property. The struggle for equality goes on, but we would not be where we are today without some kick ass women out there.
I am strong... I am invincible... I am Woman… - Helen Reddy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zu4xpDuf84A
For more information on Women’s History Month - http://bit.ly/1dJ7Rp5
Namaste & Blessed Be
Sosanna
)O(
www.sosannascloset.com
www.confessionsofamodernwitch.blogspot.com
Mid-Air Moxie with Adelina Soto Thomas
Identifying the ways in which our Inner Guide tries to reach out to us is a great beginning in developing your Intuitive abilities. Next, we have to do the tricky part-pay attention and follow what our Guide tells us. Strengthening your intuitive abilities is more than just knowing what to look for…it’s taking a leap and being ready to trust what you hear and act upon it.
How many times have you looked at the sky and thought, ‘I wonder if it will rain? Maybe I should bring my umbrella?’ Then, you and your Inner Voice have a heated back and forth debate which ends in you deciding NOT to take the umbrella and of course, you get rained on later that day. The Inner Guide acts for all kinds of protection-even from the rain. And what seems like a pointless argument with yourself (your Inner Guide) is an example of how you actually were ‘Tuned In’ to what it was trying to tell you. The final step is the action taken with the information. Ignoring the Guide often leads to some inconvenient and often irritating situations. Why then, if we are developing the awareness of our Inner Guide, do these things still go awry? There is no TRUST…
Being able to ‘Turn On’ one’s intuitive abilities is really a matter of practice and confidence. It is taking the proverbial ‘Leap of Faith’ and trusting that the decision you just made from the wisdom of your Inner Guide is what is best for you. For some this is very difficult because we were raised to listen to the wisdom of everyone around us before ourselves. Learning to ‘Turn On’ your Intuition is a powerful lesson in Self-Respect. Ignoring the Inner Guide is a conditioned response; ‘Tuning In’ and ‘Turning On’ your intuitive self is a Natural choice. We are all born with intuitive skills or what we would call, ‘survival instincts’. It is only through our social conditioning that we turn off some of those skills that we feel we don’t need or use. As we come to adulthood and begin to walk a spiritual path, we realize that much of what we are looking for has always been within us. We need to strengthen our intuitive abilities as you would muscles that have grown weak from disuse.
How can we ‘Turn On’ what we have shut ourselves off from? To begin with, trust yourself. The Creator/ God/ Goddess/ Universe can handle whatever decisions you make. Follow those hunches. Ask questions. Step away from the computer, tv, smartphone or radio (car radio, too!) and go through your daily activities with no background noise that you add. Just listen to your world without its filter of ‘white noise’. Carry a journal with you to write down any ‘feelings’ that you notice but don’t know what to do about. Take that right turn off your normal route home. Doodle or sketch something that comes into your mind. Call the friend that suddenly popped into your thoughts. Talk a walk. Sit outside and watch the birds. Make something. Bake something. Take a shower and listen…
Action is the key to strengthening your intuitive muscles. For me, when I hear the words that seem like whispers, I repeat them aloud or write them down. Later, I may go on the computer and just Google that word to see where it leads me. Doing that has led me to new activities, friends, and events. I ‘pursued’ the urgings of my Inner Guide and each time has led to personal growth. It was not coincidence; it was Serendipity; the joyful surprises that came when I ‘Tuned In’ and then ‘Turned On’ the power of my intuitive self and let my Inner Guide lead me. ‘Turn On’ your own Inner Guide and let every action, every choice, and every step take you on your own intuitive adventure.
For more mental meanderings-visit Lina at: http://midstridemoxie.blogspot.com/
Sunshine's Meanderings with Kathleen Lane
As this truly awful winter slowly crawls to an end, I am looking forward to the Mother and her spring fertility and growth. Winter dormancy and introspection wind down to the longer days and warmth of the new season of rebirth and renewal. It is changing to a time of looking out rather than in and welcoming the first signs of the changing season.
The Goddesses of Spring are predominantly fertility symbols and the celebrations are mostly rites of growth and new life. Whether you celebrate Freya, Flora, Brigit, Ostara, Hebe or any one of the other Goddesses, the purpose of the celebration is largely the welcome of the new time of growth and life. Birds that have been wintering in warmer climates come back to mate and build new nests. As the first flowers pop up through the warming ground, the bees begin to stir to reap the bounty of fresh food.
The first delicate little leaf buds appear on the wisteria vines and the willow bark starts showing that lovely golden color that it turns when the sap is starting to rise. I find myself checking daily for the first of the spring bulbs to show up and the first new growth on the peonies. It is a time of hopeful anticipation and the sure knowledge that warmth and plenty is returning again as the wheel continues the eternal turn through the seasons.
There and Back A-hen: Just a Bunch of Clucking Nonsense with Melissa Chicky Cassick
Of Lions and Lambs
“March comes in like a lion, and goes out like a lamb.”
Sitting at my desk in my bedroom, I can see out my window into the back yard. I have a very small yard - a city property surrounded by neighbors - but I have amazing snowdrifts. You might think the houses and garages all around me would make a small, safe haven, but the arcs of snow against the playhouse and Mr. NextDoor’s fence would tell a different tale. The wind is rattling my window, and tossing the branches of my back neighbor’s plum tree about. It’s no wonder I have no birds at the feeder – their little claws could never keep a grip.
This lion is full of energy. She pounces on everything in sight, sending up vortexes of light powder. She sweeps things in her path aside casually, with one powerful paw. Her claws rip shingles off a house. At her roar, blizzard winds send streamers of snow to destroy visibility, and mask the world in whiteness. Her tail flails and swishes, and her eyes are alight with energy and mischief. She’s powerful – maybe more powerful than she realizes. She can crush things so easily in her dance.
Yet her energy is not inexhaustible.
Sooner or later, she tires. She curls up amongst the chaos she has caused, lays her head upon her paws, and, casting one last satisfied look at the downed branches atop iced over snowbanks, she purrs herself to sleep.
As she sleeps, icy whiskers twitching in her dreams, her tawny coat dims to soft beige. Her face darkens, her body shrinks, and at last, the lamb now drowses in the sun.
She raises her head, and perks up her ears. Rousing herself, she gives a kick and a jump, shaking the last of sleep from her hindquarters. Each step is a celebration, an awakening, a joyful dance. Beneath her prancing feet, the last chunks of ice dwindle and disappear into chilly puddles. Her inquisitive, quivering nose bumps the brown, bare branches, and color bursts forth: lilacs pushing pale green buds toward the beckoning sunlight. She bends to nibble the damp grasses, rustling and whispering in a secret language. The branches do not shake in wind-tossed madness now: they wave their arms in delight, as the new Mistress of March frolics beneath them.
Out my back window, the sun beats down on the glistening mounds of ice, and they are smaller every hour.
Saga's Spirit with Loren Morris
Last week I wrote an article on Spring Cleaning. This week I want to add to that because we just came out of the dreaded Mercury Retrograde (insert Wilhelm scream).
I did NOT come out of this unscathed. My particular area of punishment this retrograde came in the form of ruined online purchases. This is what I get for ignoring the rule of "no purchases during retrograde"
My list includes:
1) The fountain that I so lovingly spoke of in my last blog. Oh, the fountain is okay NOW. Why? Because I am handy dandy. When I received it, it looked like a brand new fountain. So shiny, and like it had never been used.
Now, I have had this exact same fountain before and after 7 years of use the pump died. This one did look brand new out of the box and I was very happy with my initial look-over.
HOWEVER, when I filled it with water and put it in my bedroom and turned it on I could hear the pump working but no water came through. I sighed and took it back to the kitchen. I removed the decorative rocks and went to take the bottom apart and it would not budge! Now, like I said, I have had one of these before I knew the bottom came apart. This one had been glued. Very suspicious. I took it apart with a hammer and a butter knife and found that the pump had come loose from the pump line and I reconnected it. However, it had a small pinpoint hole because the seller had ziptied a part together. So I siliconed it and I fixed it. Read the rest of this post at Saga's Cottage Blog
My store: https://www.etsy.com/shop/SagasCottage
My spirit boards: http://www.lapuliabookofshadows.com/Spirit_Ouija_Weejie_Board_s/1856.htm
Graybeard's Grotto with Cap'n Graybeard
Green, purple, and gold! Gumbo and cakes! Beads and boo—um, well, you know. (Wink!) Ah, yes…it’s that time of year! Drink, revelry, song, dance, and good times…for the following day begins a time of sacrifice, cleansing, purification, and refinement. Yep! Get all your sinning done now, so you can atone for it over the next six weeks!
Even if you don’t follow the Christian tradition of Lent, this does become a good time to get rid of all of your spiritual crud in preparation for Spring! I posted about doing just this during the Feast of Oya, and now, here it is again – apparently many cultures have this need to renew prior to the season of new growth.
Well, duh, that makes sense – you need to weed and till before you can plant, after all, and this is the beginning of the planting season, so why not do some spiritual planting as well?
So now, we’ve been let out of our homes after a lasting winter and pour into the streets for the time of Carnival! For some, it’s just about shaking off cabin fever. For others, it’s an excuse for drunken debauchery. Still others take it a bit more mellow and just enjoy good music, good food, and food fun. Parades, colorful costumes…did I mention beads and…oh, yes, I did. Okay, then.
The cakes for this time of year have become more than simply tradition – they’re serious rituals with deeply religious undertones. Oh, plus they’re really pretty and taste awesome, but that’s another story.
The colors of the sugars and icings adorning the cakes are green, purple, and gold, and have deep symbolic reference as well, with their roots buried in layers of Catholic mysticism – green, representing faith, purple for justice, and gold for power.
Um…no, I don’t get it either. Probably because it’s not true.
There are many interesting ways people have used to try and explain this, but in fact, the Russian Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich Romanov had been visiting in New Orleans in 1872 when the Krewe of Rex was first formed, and they honored him by using the colors of the Duke’s house – which just happened to be green, purple, and gold.
It wasn’t until twenty years later that they codified these colors in the parade’s theme as the “Symbolism of Colors”, but there is no real hidden meaning to them beyond honoring a visiting dignitary in The Big Easy.
Oh, back to the cakes. These are called “king cakes” and are said to represent the three Biblical kings. Various traditions and cultures have these cakes on different days for different celebrations, but they all have a similar goal – whoever finds the trinket within (these days, it’s usually a small plastic infant figurine that represents the Baby Jesus), receives certain privileges and may have certain obligations.
Sound familiar? It should. There are various other examples of this. Let’s compare this with other cultures – the Irish, for example, have a parchment-wrapped ring hidden within a bowl of colcannon, and whoever receives the ring receives good luck, or will become married, etcetera and so forth. Nothing new here, just colorful cakes and a bit of the ol’ good fortune, and why not?
Not really in the partying set? Well, you’re not alone. For some, Mardi Gras is merely a time to have a good excuse to eat gumbo and jambalaya, just as St. Patrick’s Day is for the corned beef and cabbage, or Thanksgiving is for turkey and stuffing. Some like to keep things quiet, mellow, intimate, or maybe they just really, really like the food!
But let me take a moment and bring up a very serious issue here. Having a celebration like Mardi Gras and stripping everything away from it to just focus upon the common food? This is something that really needs to be addressed. As a chef myself, I feel that it is my responsibility, my sworn duty even, to speak out to these people on an individual level. It is very, very important to understand that there is a lot of energy in this festival, a lot of good feeling, a lot of passion, so please, if you are one of those who would rather tune it all out, sitting at home, alone or with a friend or loved one, watching TV while eating your gumbo instead of enjoying such an energetic time to be HUMAN, then take a moment to throw away that abomination that says “Campbell’s” on the label? Okay, thank you.
I’m going to show you the CORRECT way to make gumbo, and it doesn’t involve a single can opener or reconstituting anything. Believe it or not, my recipe is even VEGAN, so EVERYONE can enjoy it! (Yes, there is such a thing…shut up. Purists. Sheesh.)
You need to understand three basic things about gumbo. First, it’s all about the roux. (That’s pronounced “roo”, not “rowks”…yes, I heard someone say “rowks” and nearly hurt myself face-palming.) And second…you can’t have gumbo without okra. Not ever. Seriously, that’s just sacrilege. After all, what was the primary language of the region? That’s right! French! What is “okra” en français? That’s right…“gombo”! So if you eliminate okra, you can’t call it gumbo. You may as well just call it “thick soup”.
Wait! I said THREE things, right? Yes, I did! Ahem…here goes…the less said about “gumbo filé”, the better. Oh, yes, I went there. You want to talk about being a purist? That would be me in regard to this abominable additive. What is filé? The ground leaves of the sassafras tree. Oh, it’s fine in other Cajun or Creole cooking, just…not gumbo. It’s a spicy herb, plus a thickening agent, but if you’ve added your okra, you don’t NEED a thickening agent, and if you’ve prepared it correctly, you don’t need additional spices, so there!
But if you left out the okra because of some weird aversion to it or something…well…I guess you could add the filé. (Shudder.)
Now then…on to the recipe!
As I said, it’s all about the roux. So, first, we need to MAKE the roux, right? Get your extra virgin olive oil ready, a long wooden spoon, some good-quality flour…and lots and lots of patience, because this is gonna take awhile. Also, be ready with your other ingredients, because you’ll need to add them quickly or your roux will scorch, and then you’ll have to start all over again.
No, I’m not kidding.
Ready? Let’s begin!
GRAYBEARD’S GUMBO
1 cup thinly-sliced onion (about 1/2 a large yellow onion)
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped celery (about 1 rib)
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup chopped & cubed extra firm tofu (thoroughly drained)
1/2 cup cubed oyster mushroom
1 Tofurkey-brand Italian Sausage with Sun-Dried Tomato and Basil, sliced and cubed
3 qt. water
2 cups chopped okra (fresh or frozen)
1/4 cup rice
4 garlic cloves, crushed or minced (or 4 tsp garlic powder)
1 tsp ground sage
1 tsp oregano
3 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp Creole Seasoning*
2 bay leaves
In a large 4-quart saucepan, heat 1/4 cup olive oil over medium-high heat.
When oil is hot, add the flour and stir vigorously and CONTINUOUSLY until it turns about the color of coffee with a little bit of cream, a caramel candy, mocha…you know, that kind of color - it should just start to get thickened, like a custard.
Add the celery, carrot, tofu, mushroom, and Tofurkey sausage, and the remaining olive oil. Stir to coat, and sauté 5-10 minutes, or until onions are soft and tofu is browned.
Add the water and stir thoroughly.
Bring to boil over medium high heat and continue boiling 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add all remaining ingredients and reduce heat to medium.
Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 45-50 minutes, or until rice is tender.
Serves 4.
*Creole Seasoning:
2 Tbsp paprika
2 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp cumin
1 Tbsp thyme
1 Tbsp black pepper
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp cayenne
Mix all ingredients thoroughly and adjust for individual taste.
Happy Mardi Gras!
The Spice with La'Trice Lott
Can you believe that Mardi Gras is next Tuesday? To help with your celebrations, I’m going to share my family’s recipe for Jambalaya. I’ve tweaked it so you can just toss everything into a crockpot and let it cook while you go out and have some fun.
Jambalaya
Ingredients:
•1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast – cut into 1 inch cubes
•1 pound Andouille sausage, sliced (you can use regular smoked sausage if you prefer)
•1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes with juice
•1 large onion, chopped
•1 large green bell pepper, chopped
•1 cup chopped celery
•1 cup chicken broth
•2 teaspoons dried oregano
•2 teaspoons dried parsley
•2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning (recipe below)
•½ teaspoon dried thyme
•1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (if you like addition heat)
•1 pound frozen cooked shrimp without tails
Directions
In the crock pot, stir together chicken, sausage, tomatoes with juice, onion, green pepper, celery and broth. Add spices and seasonings and stir again. Cover and cook 7 to 8 hours on Low or 3 to 4 hours High. Stir in shrimp during last 30 minutes of cook time.
Grab some crusty French bread, some nice red wine and Laissez Le Bon Temps Rouler!
*Cajun Seasoning*
2 ½ Tablespoons Salt
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon black pepper
The Witches' Cupboard with Autumn Earthsong
Lavender (Spikenard) is one of the most beloved herbs of all time. Well, to me it is…it’s a personal favorite! Its scent is unmistakable…. pleasant and mellow, sweet and earthy. It’s immediately recognizable. Lavender can put you into a complete state of relaxation and bliss with one whiff!
There are approximately 30 different varieties of lavender around the world. It has been prized as perfume by the ancient Greeks and harvested in France for its essential oils. Lavender attracts butterflies, is drought and heat tolerant and grows well in gardens and containers. Both flowers and foliage are fragrant. The blue-purple flowers on silver foliage make this a must-have plant in any garden bed and especially in a Witch’s garden! I love planting it along a sidewalk and near the front door….it is such a lovely, scented introduction to your magickal home. I defy anyone to walk past it and not run their hands through it, then smell their hands….everybody does it!!
Plant it in warm, sunny spots. Lavender can grow 12 to 24 inches tall depending on the variety…..there are annual and perennial varieties as well. I like to plant the perennial and watch it grow bigger and spread more each year. Sometimes a plant will get leggy and unattractive..that is when it’s time to pull it out and plant a new one. To dry lavender, just cut the stalks, tie the stems and hang them to dry.
Lavender has been used therapeutically for thousands of years. Its uses as medicine are many. Lavender can be used externally or internally. Internally, Lavender is believed to be of benefit for a multitude of problems, including stress, anxiety, exhaustion, irritability, headaches, migraines, insomnia, depression, colds, digestion, flatulence, upset stomach, liver and gallbladder problems, nervousness, loss of appetite, and can aid in reducing a fever. Inhaling the essential oil in some cases has been reported to work as well as narcotics for inducing relaxation and sleep, easing symptoms of depression, and reducing headache pain.
Lavender Tea is a great way to take lavender internally. Just add 1 to 2 tsp. lavender flowers to a cup of steaming hot water. Let it steep for 10 minutes, and sweeten as desired. You can add the flowers to any of your favorite teas as well. Also, lavender buds are quite edible in salads and many recipes..a couple I’ll be sharing in my next posting! A delicious way to get lavender’s benefits internally!
The external use of lavender is the easiest and most popular way to use lavender. It’s been used in cosmetics, shampoos, soaps, lotions, sachets, bath products, and healing salves and balms since well..forever! As an herbal shoppe owner, I use LOTS of lavender in my products. Lavender is used to treat burns, rheumatism, muscle pain, neuralgia, cold sores, insect bites, bee stings, cuts, and bruises. Lavender has antiseptic and antibacterial properties and even local pain killing action. It helps with psoriasis and eczema and acne. Lavender oil..whether the essential oil…or making your own by infusing your favorite carrier oil with lavender flowers is wonderful for skin care. The essential oil is safe to use straight from the bottle too. You can make lavender oil into a balm by adding a wax, like beeswax, in a 2 part oil to 1 part wax ratio. Every Witch should have a lavender oil or balm in their cupboard!
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Picture courtesy of Peaceful Acres Lavender Farm *this place is near me and I intend to get there this year! |
There is an abundance of ways to use lavender therapeutically. Here are a few. As always, be sure that lavender doesn't cause you a problem before taking it internally or using it externally!
-Rub a bit of lavender oil into your temples for a headache.
-Place lavender buds in a mojo bag under your pillow to aid sleep
-Also to aid sleep, make a linen spray using lavender essential oil and vodka.
-Drop a few drops of essential oil or a handful of lavender buds in your bath to ease achy muscles, calm your nerves and help with a good night’s rest
-Put some lavender essential oil in a pan on the stove with water and breathe in the steam to help a cold
-make a diluted lavender massage oil to ease sore muscles
-Use lavender essential oil in a vaporizer to help with allergies, sleeplessness, headache, tension and irritability.
-Use lavender water as a face rinse or use a lavender oil infused cotton ball for acne, insect bites, canker sores etc.
-Make a cold or warm compress of lavender water for bruises, sores, arthritis.
-Lavender infused vinegar water is a natural antibacterial for your home
-make a lavender healing balm for cuts, burns, bruises, scratches and bruises.
- Lavender can be used as a tincture to treat fungal infections such as vaginal yeast.
-Drink lavender tea or food with lavender buds to aid any of the above ailments
-throw lavender buds on your salad or find recipes using them to eat!
In Aromatherapy, Lavender oil blends well with eucalyptus, cedarwood, clary sage, geranium, pine, nutmeg, rosemary and all the citrus oils.
The Magickal properties of Lavender are abundant as well. Lavender is cleansing, protective, calming, purifying, soothing, and healing. It increases mental acuity and focus. It can be used to bring love, romance and fertility. It lends itself to clairvoyance, consecration, happiness, Midsummer, money, passion, peace of mind, psychic protection, tranquility, blessings, divination, dreams, energy, gentleness, good luck, grieving, and harmony. Also meditation, ritual, and weddings..especially handfastings! Whew!
Lavender is Masculine…its element is Air and it’s connected to Mercury. Attributed by some to Hecate and Saturn. The elves and fae love it too. Some ways to use Lavender magickally……
-Make lavender infused vinegar water to cleanse your home..great on floors and windows
-burn lavender incense or throw lavender buds on your fire to clear your home of negativity
-put lavender in a dream pillow to aid you in remembering your dreams and helping you sleep deeper
-put lavender essential oil in your bath to cleanse your energy and calm you before spells and rituals
-use lavender oil to anoint your candles before candle spells.
-carry some lavender buds in a mojo bag to bring love to you
-put lavender oil on a cotton ball and sniff it from time to time during a test or anytime you need to be focused (like doing your taxes!)
-make lavender wands for use at your altar
-plant LOTs of lavender around your home..especially right by your front door for protection..and of course the added pleasure of it’s scent!
-add lavender stalks to your sage sticks for added cleansing of negative energy and protection
-keep cut lavender stalks on your altar when you are practicing divination
-keep lavender buds in your pocket….for multiple reasons as listed above!
-dried lavender stalks can be burned like incense….or make up a loose incense using dried herbs for divination, consecration, cleansing….
This is just a few things I could think of right now. There are so many other ways I’m sure you can come up with yourself or are already using. As you can see, Lavender is more than just a pretty, sweet smelling herb. I’m a firm believer that herbs are such a great way for us to stay healthy in a more natural way. If you don’t try any of the other herbs I am talking about here on the STEW…at least try Lavender! You won’t be sorry. I’ll be back next week with a couple of recipes for using lavender. In the meantime, have a great week and a Happy March!!
Blessings and Love, Autumn
Find my blog here www.autumnearthsong.com
Find my herbal shoppe here www.etsy.com/shop/verbenalaneshoppe
This Week in Astrology
Sunday, March 2
6:03am-10:39am: Moon Void of Course (VoC), then moves into Aries
11:19amSaturn turns Retrograde (Rx)
Monday March 3
All's Quiet in the Heavens
Tuesday, March 4
12:30pm-2:12pm: Moon VoC, then moves into Taurus
12:31pm Waxing Crescent Moon
Wednesday, March 5
4:03pm Venus moves into Aquarius
Thursday, March 6
5:42am- Jupiter stations direct
8:54am-9:37pm: Moon VoC, then moves into Gemini
Friday, March 7
All's Quiet in the Heavens
Saturday, March 8
8:26am: First Quarter Moon
Weekly Horoscopes from DarkStar Astrology
REMINDER for next Sunday!
The Weekly Divine with Kallan Kennedy
Kallan Kennedy is a professional tarot and totem reader with more than 20 years of experience. She offers private readings to clients via her website: Secret Services. Tarot readings are normally priced at $50.00, but for the month of March are discounted to $39.99. Totem reports are on sale for $65.00 (normally 75). Tarot subscription services are also available.
Tarot: Justice
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| Vanessa Tarot |
Justice is a pretty much what-you-see-is-what-you-get (wysiwyg) kind of card. This is all about reaping what you've sown, triumph after trial, winning in court, and getting your just reward. As Mercury has pulled out of Rx, Mars and Saturn have jumped in, but Saturn is about restriction and during Retrograde, those restrictions are loosened. Jupiter's expansion opens up again this Thursday, and Mars isn't all that interested in going to war right now... the odds are definitely in your favor.
Be sure to take stock of your actions. Justice reminds you that they have consequences, for benefit or for detriment, so be sure that you are being fair and honest in all of your dealings. If you are in a legal battle where you are the one seeking justice, this card assures you that justice will be served and lawsuits won. If you have been deceptive or unfair, this card is also there to remind you that the truth will out and you may have to take responsibility for that.
All told, this is the time for balancing accounts, remaining objective, and making decisions based on facts. Good things will ultimately come from those behaviors.
Totem: Lynx
The name Lynx is derived from the Indo-European root "leuk-", meaning "light, brightness", in reference to the luminescence of the cat's reflective eyes. Those who have Lynx as a totem are gifted with the ability to see into other dimensions and into the souls of other people, without a word being spoken.
The lynx is known for the black tufts of fur on the tips of its ears, which function as hearing aids. Lynx people are known to be clairaudient. They can hear the thoughts of others, and many times, have difficulty in distinguishing between what has been spoken outloud and what is only thought, since they both are heard in the same manner.
Lynx have a short tail and characteristic tufts of black hair on the tips of their ears; large, padded paws for walking on snow; and long whiskers on the face. Under their neck, they have a ruff which has black bars, is not very visible, and resembles a bow tie. Those with Lynx as a totem are more comfortable in cooler temperatures and tend to be more comfortable operating in the dark... whether that is late night or pre-dawn time.
In the Native nations of America, there are many stories of the Lynx being the keeper of secrets and the gate-keeper to the otherworld.
Lynx people are the knowers of secrets, but they do not share those secrets with others, easily. They would rather be off doing their own thing than to be discussing what they know about you that you may not even have recognized about yourself.
Lynx medicine in the Native American traditions is one that requires give and take. Those who carry that medicine need a trade of some kind for their knowledge. Many times, a blanket, tobacco, or other form of gift was a requirement (it would be considered extremely rude to come empty-handed to a lynx medicine woman) before a reading or session.
If you carry Lynx medicine, be very cautious about what you say and to whom. If you know the secret, you are to keep it. It is not for sharing, except under the right conditions (as stated above) and only with the person whose secret you are keeping.
Lynx's message for this week is to follow your intuition- it is strong this week. You may have strange dreams about friends and acquaintances in which you will "know" things about them that they haven't told you. You may be awakening to new gifts and medicines such as clairsentience, clairaudience and inution, or your skills may be taken up a notch. Lynx can help you grow and have fun while you learn.
Special Announcement from the Editor
How to apply:
Send a sample (3-5 paragraphs maximum) of your writing to stewsubmissions@gmail.com, along with a short bio of you, your Pagan path and your age. Photos are always welcome :)
Your submission will be shared with the current Stew Chefs for the purpose of voting on the person we believe will mix best with our current crew. We will not share your email address nor any other personal information about you (nor your submission) any further than that. You will own the copyright to your work.
If you are chosen, you will be required to submit at least twice per month by our deadline date. You will need to select a byline and send in a photo (we prefer photos of you, but you are welcome to use something symbolic, as long as you own the copyright to it). You may use a nom de plume (pen name) in lieu of your given/legal name.
We will accept submissions until March 14, 2014.
If you have any questions, please use the contact form at the top of this page, or email Kallan.
That's it for this week's Stew. Mull. Digest. Enjoy!
The Sunday Stew is a free, e-publication delivered every Sunday as a loving gift to the Pagan community. All submissions are the intellectual property of their authors, and opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the blog owner. All photos are used with permission.
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