Crafty's Cuppa Coffee

HAPPY IMBOLC!

2012-01-21T10:00:00.000-08:00

*
IMBOLC

*
So the skies rumbled and the snows came,

And everywhere down through the centuries of this gray night,

Came women gathering to pray,

And to sink their hands into the dark earth.
They gathered seeds and prepared them for planting,

They meditated in the icy darkness,

And they celebrated the lambing of the first ewe,

To hasten spring.
And when through the earth they felt the stirring,

They sang songs encouraging the tiny seeds to grow.
In the dark, wet soil you can smell their work still;

They are digging along beside us.

Listen!
The north wind carries their song across the snow, This Imbolc night.
As the Earth prepares for Spring,

Wise women gather in circles to await the promise of new life,

And to sing praises for the green earth.
And so do we, here now, This year, and every year.

*
Welcome Imbolc!

(Poem by Jill Yarnall)

The powerful figure of Brigid the Light-Bringer

overlights both Pagan and Christian celebrations.

Brighid with her white wand is said to breathe life

into the mouth of the dead Winter

and to bring him to open his eyes to the tears and the smiles,

the sighs and the laughter of Spring.

The venom of the cold is said to tremble for its safety on Bride’s Day,

and to flee for its life on Patrick’s Day.

*
A most Blessed Sabbat to you all!

Imbolc Correspondences

2012-01-21T09:00:00.000-08:00

" Feel Me now as Maiden.I am the initiator. I am the twinkle of an idea. I am the spark that activates and inspires.I am the light that illuminates manifestation.I bring the energy that encourages the sleeping Winter world to begin to stir.Feel My presence.I am the spark of life in all things."

excerpt by Wendy Andrew

This is the time of celebrating the virgin & Maiden Goddess

as she prepares for her union with the Sun God

and to pay homage to the Mother Goddess

for nurturing the young God as he continues to gain his strength.

A time of purification & cleansing as we bid farewell to the Winter

and welcome the coming warmth.

We sweep away the dead season

and light bonfires and candles to banish the darkness and welcome the light
This day marks the inception of Spring,

the beginning of new life in the belly of the Earth
~~~
On this day, many of us celebrate Brighid,

Triple Goddess, Goddess of healing, poetry and The forge.

Patron of smiths, healers and artisans.

*
"It is tempting to view this tender goddess of the early Spring
only as: a wide-eyed, golden-haired girl, encircled by children.

But behind her girlish innocence

is the power of a once-great ancestral deity, Brigid,

whose name means “The Exalted One,”

queen and mother goddess of many European tribes.

She is also known as Brigid, Bridget, Brighid, Brighde, Brig or Bride

and some scholars consider her name originated

with the Vedic Sanskrit word brihati, an epithet of the divine.

*
The 10th century Cormac’s Glossary

describes her as the daughter of the Daghda,

the “Great God” of the Tuatha de Danaan.

He calls her a “woman of wisdom…

a goddess whom poets adored,

because her protection was very great and very famous.”
Since the discipline of poetry, filidhect, was interwoven with seership,

Brigid was seen as the great inspiration behind divination and prophecy,

the source of oracles.

*
She is said to have had two sisters:

Brigid the Physician and Brigid the Smith,

but it is generally thought that all three were aspects

of the one goddess of poetry, healing, and smithcraft.

Elsewhere she is described as the patron

of other vital crafts of early Celtic society:

dying, weaving and brewing.

A goddess of regeneration and abundance,

she was greatly beloved as a provider of plenty

who brought forth the bounties of the natural world

or the good of the people.

She is closely connected with livestock and domesticated animals.

She had two oxen called Fea and Feimhean.

She was also the guardian of Torc Triath,

king of the wild boar.

These three totem animals used to raise a warning cry if Ireland was in danger."

excerpt from the writing of Donna Woodka

*
Gods

*
Cernunnos, Eros, Herne, Osiris, Pan

*
Goddesses

*
Aradia, Athena, Bast, Blaize, Brigid/Brighid,

Ceres, Cerridwen, Demeter,

Gaia, Hestia, Venus, Vesta

*
Colors

*
Lavender, Light Green, Orange, Pink, Red, White, Yellow

*
Tools

*
Besom, Bonfire, Brighid's Bed,

Candles, Cauldron, Garden Tools, Priapic (Acorn) Wand

*
Symbols

*
Besom, Brighid's Cross, Candle, Corn Doll,

Garden Tools, Lantern, Plough, Priapic Wand, White flowers

*
Animals

*
Burrowing animals, Ewes, Deer, Goats, Lambs
*

Herbs

*
Angelica, Basil, Bay, Blackberry, Celandine, Chamomile, Coltsfoot, Rosemary
*

Feast Foods

*
Bread, Cakes, Dairy products, Seeds

Meats-such as Lamb & Roasts
*

Feast Drinks

*
Milk, Warm Drinks- such as Ciders & Mulled Wines,

Herbal Teas- especially Chamomile tea,
*

Metals

*
Brass, Gold, Iron
Incense & Oils
Jasmine, Myrrh, Neroli
*

Flowers

*
All Early Spring Flowers- the very firsts of the season;

Snowdrops, Daffodils, Heather, Iris, Primrose, Tansy, Broom
*

Trees

*
Evergreens, Willow
*

Gemstones

*
Agates, Amethyst, Bloodstone, Garnet, Moonstone,

Onyx, Rose Quartz, Ruby, Turquoise
*

Altar Decorations

*
White Flowers, Acorns, Brigid's Cross, Bride's Beds, Corn Dolls,

Daffodils, Lanterns, Sun symbols, Bonfires, Candles

*
Rituals & Spells

*
Awakening Rituals ~ Initiation Rituals~ Purification & Cleansing Rituals

Bonfires ~ Candle Magic ~ Fertility Magic

Goals for the coming Quarter/Season/Year

Consecration of the Gardens/Farms and Agricultural Tools

Healing Magic & preparation of remedies

Hearth & Home blessings ~ Home Fire (extinguish & relight)

*HAPPY IMBOLC DEAR FRIENDS & READERS

HAPPY LUGHNASADH TO MY FRIENDS

IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE
*

Much Love & Light from Me & my Banshees

~Danae, Acacia Makayla & Jeremiah Donovan

My Imbolc Altar

2012-01-21T01:00:00.000-08:00

Hello Friends~

I wanted to share some of the photos

of my outdoor Imbolc Altar with you.

I had this ritual for myself;

and one indoors, later with the children.

We made our indoor Imbolc Altar / Shrine,

and had our Sabbat Activity.

We had so much fun celebrating

the coming of early Spring

the thawing of

Mother Earth by Father Sun.

I focused our activities on

honoring the God and Goddess;

on making our Spring Goals

(then freezing & thawing them in the morning Sun);

honoring the regeneration and renewal of the Earth

in Her yearly cycle;

and giving thanks for the many blessings in our lives.

While the kids were at school,

I set up an outdoor altar, and had my own private 'Big Girl' Imbolc Ritual.

In addition to my usual Sabbat Ritual;

I conscecrated and blessed the early Spring Seeds;

along with our family Imbolc crafts

to be done with the kids later.

I gathered together some of my favorite

Crystals & Gemstones, and other beloved trinkets

that spoke to me of

Imbolc, Mother Nature, the Goddess Brighid,

& the coming of early Spring~

Something a bit unusual that I noticed...

of course afterwards!

is that except for the flower & vegetable seeds,

and the lawn grasses used in the Brides Bed;

this is probably the first time

I have ever done a ritual or created a Sabbat Altar

that did not include any herbs,

cut flowers or live plants!

This was not a purposefull omission-

I had a bowl of fresh cut Camillias,

and a vase with Daffodills, Dusty Miller, Geraniums

and the very first Jasmine blooms

ready to go on the Altar;

along with dried Sage and Bay

leaves to burn in the ritual.

(Of course I happened to forget to include them

because I was in a 'Hurry Up & Go Mode',

in order to have enough time

to meditate, perform my Sabbat Ritual

take the photos

before my little rugrats got out of school!)

Ooops!

No worries though-

the Goddess being a Daughter/Mother/Grandmother Herself...

I am sure She understands!

LOL!

So here's the Altar all layed out with:

Plenty of Clear Quartz Points,

a nice sized natural chunk, heart haped and smaller tumbled

peices of Rose Quartz,

an Adventurine Heart, Amethyst cluster, a couple of Malachites,

a Moss Agate sphere, along with tumbled Agates,

a Geode, a Yin-Yang carved stone;

my mini crystal wand; glass leaf wand; my mini Athame.

A Goddess card of the Irish Goddess Brigit;

my early Spring seeds to be blessed & planted;

Makayla's Oragami Brigit's Cross;

a Crescent Moon candle holder with a silver taper candle;

my sweet lil' Kaleidescope Faerie, transparent Father Sun ornie;

a white jar candle, my cauldron;

my Mother Goddess with Child statue;

my little clay Goddess & a jar of water-

to freeze and then thaw in the sunshine with the kids.

Along with Lady Godiva- my full sized Athame;

my Chalice with milk; Salt & Water were a couple of extras-

3 vintage brooches,

one insect, and 2 different leaf patterned ones;

my glass Pentacle Pyramid on top of its mirrored square tile,

an Italian Murano Glass Dome, Makayla's special Amethyst Necklace;

a Canadian Siver Coin; a tiny Nest and an Abalone Shell.

Here are some close-ups of the Altar's features.

The straw is laid in Brides's Bed,

waiting for the Goddess.

The Quartz points are surrounding my lil' Cauldron

and white jar candle;

and laid out around them,

is Makayla's favorite Amethyst necklace.

(To bless & protect her when

Mama Bear is not around!)

Below that are some more

Crystal & Stone hearts,

my Pentacle Pyramid and my mini tools-

my tiny crystal wand, glass leaf wand

and my baby Athame.

In my next post I will share the photos

from our family's Imbolc ritual craft,

the 'freezing & thawing of the

Mother Natue' & our Spring Goal Ceremony.

~Danae aka 'Crafty'

***

P.S~

I have REALLY enjoyed reading all of your blog posts;

the many beautiful images and artwork, the photos, recipes

& seeing how you and your own families,

friends and pets have celebrated the Sabbat

-as well as our everyday lives.

Thanks!!!

Crafty Chick's Imbolc Prep Update

2012-01-20T20:00:00.000-08:00

It is now the end of January...

the Fall and Winter Holiday festivities are officially over;

the Yule trees taken down

and the decorations packed away...

and most of us here in the Northern Hemisphere

are more than ready for the coming of Spring.

...And while she is still far off-

and much of the world is firmly entrenched in ice...

we do have one small reminder

of the inception of those warmer days ahead;

the seeds of Spring that are percolating in the 'belly' of the Mother Earth. The holiday of Imbolc/Imbolg/Oimlec

is our Ancient Northern European

Shamanic Pagan version of the holiday;

and has been adopted by us

Neo-Pagan and Witchy & Wiccan types

as one of our 8 Sabbats on The Wheel Of The Year.

Astronomically it is the cross-quarter

day between the

Yule/the Winter Solstice and Ostara or Eostre/the Spring Equinox.

All over the web, and in many of our Pagan books and Magazines,

information about this Sabbat abound.

In fact- between them and the bang up job

that so many of my favorite bloggy friends have done-

I almost feel redundant covering it again here.

But, for those of you

who may be making your first exciting round

through the Wheel of the Year;

and who may stumble across

the threshold of my humble bloggy home

in search of information and a fellow Witchy friend-

I feel the need to share the basic history of the holy day-

as well as the few special tricks & treats

of how my own little tribe celebrates this Sabbat.

For those who have passed this way many times before,

and have made many rounds of the wheel,

or those who are simply stopping in

for a cuppa coffee and a visit with a friend-

I welcome you all to my little Bloggy Home-

just as I would into my physical home.

(The bonus being that I don't have to worry about if

my home, my hair or my kids are 'right!')

Gods bless the Internet!!!

In ancient Northern Europe

the holy day of Imbolc

celebrated the return of the ewes milk,

and the time of Lambing;

all signs that Spring

and therefore prosperity

would be soon returning to the frozen world

The holy day also celebrated the

Goddess Brighid or Brighit.

Her name is derived from

the Celtic brig or "exalted one"-

She is the daughter of the Dagda,

and therefore one of the

Tuatha De Dannan.

As one of three sister Triple Goddesses.

She was a Hearth Goddess;

associated with Healing, Home & Hearth,

Crafting, Divination, as well as Smithcraft.

*
In the early Christian days,

after they realised they could not fully stamp out

the Mother Goddess Brighid

(across Northern Europe);

they attempted to disguise the Goddess as St. Brigit

and the Holy-Day as Candlemas, St. Brigitanias Day,

or the Feast of the Enunciation of the Virgin Mary.

By Whatever name they/we call Her...

She is still the same powerful Goddess

that has endured thru the centuries.

Unfortunately,

in our secularized American culture

the day has been reduced to

Groundhog and Valentine's Day;

but even they have their ancient Pagan counterparts.
*
Although traditionally Imbolc is associated with Brighid,

the Irish goddess of hearth and home,

there are a number of other deities

who are represented at this time of year;

and who have been and still are celebrated

by many different by many peoples,

in many lands, in many ways

and by countless names.

From The Celebrations of Brighid in Ireland;

the Greek, and later Roman Februalia,

honoring The Goddess Flora and Her Consort Faunus;
Lupercalia in Rome;

The Feast of The Virgin Mary,

The Festival of the Egyptian Goddess Nuit;

and the many similar Goddesess,

such as Vesta , the hearth goddess of Rome;

the one who watched over home and family,

and as such was keeper of the fire and sacred flame.

Offerings were thrown into the household fires

to seek omens from the future.

Vesta is similar in many aspects to Brighid,

particularly in her position as a goddess

of both home/family and of divination.

Many of these Goddesses,

and so many more

are variations of this same Goddess.

It matters not what we call Her- only that we do call Her!

(One of my tiny Kitchen Altar/Shrines;

this one honors Vesta, my Patron Domestic Home & Hearth Deity)
*
Imbolc isn't a big whoop-dee-do for us;

but we do honor the Sabbat

and mark the turning of the wheel

as we do all of the changing of the seasons;

and opportunities to worship the God and Goddess.

We've done plenty of the standard traditions,

as passed down thru the cultural ages;

and like the Crafty & Quirky Little Pagan Do-It-Yourself-ers that we are;

we have a few of our own traditions

that we have developed over the years for good measure.
*

After all- I firmly believe in living our spirituality

and in creating our own definitions and modern meanings-

as well as ancient connections and traditions

for the Holy Days that we honor.

Finding the 'glory, miracles and meaning'
in our daily existence can feel difficult many times-

but they truly are the moments of glue,

that make the rest of the time worth trudging thru!

We must also remember that these Sabbats and holy days

are more than certain dates and hours-

they are seasons;

that mark the passage of our days, years and lifetimes.
*

We are not an ancient agriculturally based family.

We are a modern day Pagan family who play with our digital toys

and buy our meat and dairy from the grocer.

Therefore, we have to come up with modern interpretations

of our cultural holidays;

and find ways to mark the passing of the seasons

that is relevant to us.

Like making goals for the upcoming season and year;

recognizing the changes in Nature;

and fnding modern day meanings to us urban folk;

cleaning the house and yard for Spring;

and honoring our Gods & Goddesses

in ways that make us exited

and feel connected to Them and to the seasons.
*
My children and I are still in the process making our Sabbat Altar-

so no real photos just yet...

...except one of the altar stuff awaiting preparation!

(Which had to wait for a night when everyone-

Mmm-hmmmm...Mr. Bump-

is behaving well enough for a Family Fun Time evening thing.

Unfortunately we've been having some discipline difficulties

at school & subsequently home

with my usually adorable Little Man!

(Personal experience & advice appreciated!)
*
The ingredients for our (small) feast have yet to be bought;

but I am planning the usual

3 Herb Braided Goddess Bread,

to honor the Triple Goddess-

and hoping that I can come up with enough 'dough'

(pun intended!)

for the usual Lamb Chop or Stew.

(Unfortunately, it just may not happen this year-

and we may just have Chicken & Dumplings instead!)

Nooo biggie!

I will just come up for a cool and special name for them,

and all will be groovy.
*
I have a few fun Children's Spells, Activities, and Blessings

that I hope to find the time to do with them

(& share with you!);

along with any cool links I may have, find or come across!
*
As for our 'Imbolc Weekend plans'-

we will have our usual blessing of the Spring Seeds & our Goal Pot Spell;

as well as the fun 'Melting of the Ice Ritual'-

(with the tiny Goddess figure inside)

which represents Lugh/the Sun's return to kiss the Old Winter Crone,

and turn Her back into the Young Spring Maiden.

It also symbolizes Lugh's Flaming Wand

which melts the ice and snow-

bringing with it warmer days to come.

I also do the Blessing of the Altar Candles

(supposedly for the entire year's Sabbat candle stock-

but I will be lucky to have enough candles to bless for this Sabbat alone.

2009 was a tough one for us all!)
*

One of these years I want to craft one of those

'Topsy-Turvy Upside Down Dolls'

with a Crone on one side, and The Maiden on the other.

I have never actually seen one made with that intention;

but I think that would make a fine Altar Doll

for several of our Sabbats- not just Imbolc.
(If any of you make, or have made one-

I would love to see your photos!)
*
My daughter Makayla has been crafting a fine version of her own
Brighid's Crosses- Oragami style.

(Remember back in Elementary School? We knew them as Ninja Stars.

But Miss Red thought they reminded her of Brighid's Crosses-

and I think it is a fine interpretation!.)

*
Anything to inspire the little Paganettes.
*
For now I will leave you

with wishes for a fine Friday

and a Happy Imbolc

for you and your own families.
*
Oh- and for my Crafty Chick's Retro Fantasy friends-

the Little Boy Vintage Paper Doll companion to last week's girl

is now up for your use.

Enjoy!
*
I have also been writing some eHow Articles as well.

(See the box at the top of the page to find links to them.)

Here is a link to the newest one...

How to Clean Out and Organize Your Handbag

How to Craft the Perfect Handmade Valentine Card

the Men In Your Life

Thanks for stopping in to help support my writing-

and remember...

PLEASE Oh Please CLICK ON A GOOGLE AD

from my pages,

as that is how I get compensated & every little bit helps!

(And for any of you eHow or other writers-

send me your links

and I will always do the same for you.)
*
~Danae, aka...one very tired Crafty Mama!

My Children's Imbolc Activity ~ Releasing Frozen Mother Nature & Our Sping Goals

2012-01-20T05:00:00.000-08:00

This was one of my children's Imbolc activties-

'Awakenig The Spring'.

Making our early Spring Goals

and

The Freezing & Thawing of Mother Nature by Father Sun

*
Here is the little clay Goddess that we used,
along with a photo of the whole setup-
The Imbolc Shrine, our Goddess, Spring Goals and the water.
I used a little plastic mufffin tin for freezing our Spring Goals;
that way we each could make and freeze 3 goals apeice.
*
*
Our Spring Goals were:
Mom's-
Love for our family, Protection & Abundance.
Makayla's-
To do well on the next state test
To pass my fluency test
To have good luck
(BTW- Sidenote Mommy Rant-
I despise how much imporatnce & pressure
they put on the kids regarding these 'State Tests';
and the lack of 'real teaching' that is the consequence
of their year long preparation...
otherwise known as 'teaching to the test';
and this influence is made even more obvious to me
by the fact that 2 of my daughter's goals had to do with these state tests-
as opposed to ' doing well in my clases' or learning to read better', etc.
Okay- Mommy Rant over! Thanks for listening. LOL)

Jeremiah's-

Love, Peace & Happy (happiness)

(Aww....)

After writing our Spring Goals in permanent ink, on the slips of paper;

I had each of us dab a bit of our saliva into the center,

fold them 3 times toward us, turning them clockwise each time,

and then visualise our intentions.

Then we placed them into their spots,

and filled the Goal tray and Goddess jars with the water,

and placed them into the freezer for the night.
*

Here they are- the next morning-

all frozen solid...

just like the Earth deep in the Winter
*

The kids were very excited to take them out of the freezer,

and get them out into the early morning Sun.

Here are the Goals and the Mother Nature Goddess

all thawed out in the afternoon Sun.

...And the children who they belong to.

(Who were very interested- but in a bit of a hurry,

as they had just gotten home from school,

and after finishing our Imbolc activities (& photo shoot)

I was taking them to the La Bre Tar Pits for a Family Feild Trip.

So they were eager to check out their melted goals & Goddess

and then get on with the rest of our fun day!)

We had a wonderful time with our Imbolc activities & Celebrations.

These would be great for any Pagan Parent to adapt for their own kids.

The symbolism was very meaningful

and it made explaining the Sabbat to them easier.

I hope you all enjoyed this little peek into my world.

Thank You for popping in to Crafty's Cuppa Coffee!

*Danae aka "Crafty'

Mr. Bump's Little Clay Goddess

2012-01-18T08:30:00.000-08:00

Hello Friends in Blogland~

I have a little story about my 6 year old son Jeremiah, (aka Mr. Bump) that is just too cute not to share! I hope it warms your heart as much as it has mine.

I have shared with you all in the past, my Pagan Parenting stories and ideas- and several of our own projects and such. So you may remember that my little Jeremiah has a special affinity for Goddesses (and not for lack of introducing him to all of the various Gods either!) He is always asking me to pull out my Goddess Cards for him, or to help me make an altar to this or that Goddess, and even gone so far as to name some of his creations and 'bug pets' after various Goddesses. So Tuesday's little occurence didn't surprise me too much- but it sure did make this Witchy Mama proud!

I had made a little clay Goddess for one of my Goddess classes (which incidentaly got burned & bubbled in the oven and turned out hideous!). So, I was outside snapping a few photos of Her to turn in, when my 'little shadow' appeared to find out what I was doing. I told him, and after he examined Her, he dissapeared into the house, and I resumed my picture taking.

A few minutes later, Jeremiah returned, and quietly layed his own Goddess (made of flourescent pink Play Dough!) down next to mine. I tell you- I think my heart just about burst, I was so proud! He asked if I could take pictures of his Goddess, and turn the in with my own. (Awwww!)

So here are the photos of our 2 little clay Goddesses. I am sharing the here with you all, before turning them in.

It's funny sometimes how the best moments are the quiet, impromtu ones. Like all Moms, I worry that all the video games and ugliness in the world is jading my kids too much, and robbing them of the beauty in their spirits. And I worry that I may not be able to give them enough to balance and cancel it all out- but you know, at times like this, I think I may be doing okay. (Meanwhile Mr. Bump is in the living room sewing old socks together to make a 'rope' to tie up his sister's stuffed animals. Oy Vay!)

I hope everyone has a nice day & a terrific weekend!

~Danae, the Crafty Chick & Jeremah, aka Mr. Bump

A Peek Inside My ETSY Shop - Danae's Crafty Designs

2011-12-06T00:00:00.000-08:00

. .Hello friends :)

.
. I'd like to introduce you to my new ETSY Shop -
. . Danae's Crafty Designs.

This is where I sell my digital wall art collages & collage sheets.
I also have plenty of physical items to add in soon.

I opened at the end of February;
and so far have been pleased with the results.

I actually just had my 50th this weekend!
*UPDATE*
I just had my 100th sale on 9/15/2011!!! :)
So I am over the moon with joy :)

I am happy to see my little art collages go all over the world.
It is a great feeling.

I know many of you make & sell your handmade crafts;
so I'm sure you know what I mean.

Here is a sampling of what you will find there.

Vintage Botanical, Bird & Insect Collages

Vintage Ladies & Children Collages

Vintage Pin Up Girl Collages

...and one of my favorite collections...

Vintage Silhouette Collages

-available on 3 different backgrounds-
Dictionary Print, Sheet Music & Aged Script

I recently added a line of Fabric Transfers into the shop.
They are great for making T-Shirts, Tea Towels, Pilllows & Tote Bags.

There are lots of other images sprinkled throughout.
Most all of the deigns come in 8.5x11" Wall Art size,
as well as ATC & Inchie sizes.

They can be used for everything from printing and framing for the wall;
to Collage Art & Scrapbooking; and making Jewelry & other crafty projects.

I hope you enjoyed this little peek into my shop,
and I would love to have you visit me here anytime. :)

~Danae

Halloween Posts Galore On Crafty's Cuppa Coffee

2011-10-07T18:00:00.000-07:00

Hello Bloggers!

With Halloween upon us- and our time precious little;

I wanted to make it easy to peruse Crafty's Cup

for all your Halloween & Samhain needs.

Whether you are looking for holiday traditions, party ideas,

recipes, spells or just cool vintage Halloween images- you will surely find it here!

You can always find Halloween articles by clicking on the Halloween labels on the blog.

This will take you to a current listing of my posts.

*HALLOWEEN POSTS*

Enjoy!

~Danae <(:o) aka 'Crafty'

Cooking For The Sabbats - Mabon Mulled Wine

2011-09-25T21:00:00.000-07:00

.

I don't know about you...
but I love me a Mulled Wine around this time of year.
:)

Not to be fickle to our good friend the Cider-
because I like me a good cider too!

Cider is always a good option
if you are doing this with little Witchlings about.

Being Autumn Equinox,
'twas the perfect time for such
an undertaking.

It is a subtle but powerful way to bring our intentions into our home,
while infusing ourselves & our families
with the most powerful magick of all
- Love!

An alchemy of the symbols of the season.

Besides- it sure makes the house smell inviting and warm :)

***************

The Method

Start with some good Red Wine-
(Concord Grape & Apple Juice for the Kids)

With positive intentions add in

3 Clove Studded Apples - Love , Protection, Fertility

2 Clove Studded Oranges - Prosperity & Happiness

5 Cinnamon Sticks - Love, Wealth

3 Star Anise - Love

1 Whole Nutmeg - Protection, Wealth

Fresh Ginger - Prosperity, Vitality, Power

Orange or Lemon Zest - Prosperity & Happiness

To infuse without making the drink cloudy and gritty, use whole spices rather than ground.

Mix it Up

Bring the mixture to a very gentle simmer over low heat.

Don't let it boil: this can cause spices to turn bitter.
To really allow the flavors of the spices to infuse into the beverage, you should allow the mixture to simmer on the stovetop for at least half an hour.

It's fine to keep the pot warm for several hours, allowing everyone to sip holiday cheer throughout the night: a slow cooker on low heat is ideal. Every hour or so, you can add in a fresh splash of wine or juice to keep it going.

Ladle into mugs and serve, garnished with an orange slice or cinnamon stick.

For My Local Southern California Readers

2011-07-05T19:00:00.000-07:00

Hey There So Cal Readers :)

I have long wanted to find a way to meet some of my Crafty's Cuppa Coffee Readers; and other local Pagans who might be interested.

A little something caught my eye tonight when I happened to look at my Feedjit Reader Map-

Not only did I notice that I have quite a few local readers... I noticed that I have some right here in my neighborhood! :) Literally, within a few blocks of my home-and several more within 30 minutes of here.

Without disclosing my home's location- I would like to find a way to meet some of my local Crafty's Cuppa Coffee readers- for both friendship & fellowship. I don't know exactly where this could lead- but I have a few things in mind.

We could possibly do some Pagan DIY Crafting, discussions on topics of interest, Book Reviews or I could even host some Tarot & Life Path Readings.... the sky is the limit!

I, like many of you- am hesitant to 'put myself out there' with folks online- so this could be something that we could work into slowly, maybe by chatting a bit first; and of course meeting in a public place. (I think the same parameters that apply to online dating would be a good start.) But I think it is a workable idea. :)

I have 'met' so many wonderful people since I began blogging- and made some great connections- both for friendship & fellowship; and would love to see this evolve into something that could benefit us all.

So if you are a local reader here in Southern California (LA & Orange County Area) & would be interested in chatting with & meeting me....

contact me via email @ CraftyChick1975@yahoo.com

Thanks to all & have a lovely day!
~Danae aka 'Crafty'

PS- I always loved the image above- I think it is a great way to say "We are everywhere"
...and thought it especially funny as it pertains to this post. Who knows- we may buy our coffee at the same spot, or our kids might even play together. Wouldn't it be a hoot to find out?

Down The Rabbit Hole Of Burnout....

2011-06-02T19:36:00.000-07:00

Has it really been just over 6 months? Where does the time go? I was just posting about Halloween; and now here we are at Summer's door!
So it must be true.

I feel like I fell down a rabbit hole...

Have any of you ever gotten burned out?
Discovered that the carefully stacked platter of Life's Options and Obligations
has become just a bit more than you could handle in a healthy way...
without going completely postal?

I got like that recently. Something had to give.

Between taking care of my children & myself;

my home, garden & pets;

making & selling my art,
getting my ETSY Shop running & eeking a living...

BLAH, BLAH, BLAH...

blogging got (rightfully) put on the backburner.

And then of course, it becomes so hard to jump back in.
But that is exactly what I need to do :)

Besides, I was getting pretty sick of wanting to write
& share my thoughts & ideas with all of you-
and not making the time to sit down and do it!

Ideas for posts; crafts I've made;
photos backing up on my SD card;
spells & rituals that we did that never got shared...

So here I am...
Wild dogs did not eat me... I did not join a monastary..... :)

I just got a viral case of "Too Much On My Plate"...
and "Not Enough Me To Go Around".
LOL

...And no big promises to "Write Back Soon!" either.
:)

Anyways....

I hope that everyone is well. I popped in to make blog rounds when I could...
and have enjoyed seeing everyone's family, pets, homes and art...
and the many other wonderful happenings of the Blogosphere.

As for myself,
I have been immersed in my digital art for the last several months.

Getting the shop open & stocked.
Learning about running a business.
Creating, learning...peddeling. :)

*You can click on the image above to see my new ETSY Shop*

The kids just finished up their sports for the season-
Miss Red did Cheer; and Mr. Diesel played Baseball.

Now they are wrapping up the school year.
One is graduating the 5th grade and going off to Middle School;
and one ending 2nd grade.

(Last year's End of School Awards)

Now the Summertime is upon us once again...
with its promise of warm days spent by the pool,
balmy nights BBQing and stargazing; visits with good friends and family;
and excursions to fun places.

It is time to get the pool up & put the backpacks away.
I enjoy having my children home, and moving at the slower pace of Summer.

So my friends...
Here is to the changing seasons & the gifts that it brings.

Here is to you & me...and all of our families.

Here is to hopes for a wonderful time ahead of us...
and the many memories of the times gone by.

May our days be filled with sunshine-
and may we have firm shoulders to carry us through the ones that storm.

Brightest Blessings to us all! :)
~Danae aka 'Crafty'

***and a great big THANK YOU! to all of you who have kept stopping by,
and to those who emailed & Facebooked me....
I appreciate & value each of you.
I could not believe each week when my blog stats would come &
I saw that so many folks were still coming thru here.
(Maybe not staying so long- LOL- but just the same.)

*I am almost to my 200th Reader!*

It did alot for me to know that you cared, and even missed me.
It helped me to make the decision to continue blogging,
and not shut down for good.
THANK YOU!

For my part-
I will continue to come up with interesting things to write about & share :)

My Season Of Change

2011-05-31T21:39:00.000-07:00

It is a bittersweet time for me right now;

My oldest child is graduating the 5th grade
and going off to Middle School;

and one ending 2nd grade,
and also starting a new school.

I am sure that more than a few of you either have,
or are going thru similar things in your own family.

Raising children is such a gift in our lives.
An alchemy of growth in both the parent & the child.

This will be the first time going to different schools
than this one they have attended since Preschool together.

*This was Miss Red's first day of Kindergarten. (05)
As you can see- J.Diesel is ready to go with her :) *

*Here they are again on the first day of school
in 2008-

and the Little Man's turn at Kindergarten*

I know that things are changing,
once again...
leaving nothing untouched as time always does.

I try to savor these fleeting moments while I can.

The same way I did when my children were babies-

knowing that these are the times we will remember
in the years to come.

Each time we walk to school together-
I know that never again will we all get to spend that particular sweet time together...

The 3 of us walking up the street to the local school.
saying hello to our friends and neighbors,
discussing what is going on in their lives.

As I watch my growing daughter-
I think of how far she has come in such a short time.

She has become such a sweet young lady...
(which the occasional spice thrown in for good measure!)

She constantly blows my mind with her altruism & kindness to others.

And they both amaze me with their grasp of concepts
that most adults rarely consider.

It makes me proud
to know that I have done well to help them get to this point.

Yesterday my daughter told me that she plans to audition
for an opportunity to give
one of the 5th grades Valedictorian speeches at graduation.

She had prepared without me even knowing-
and as I listened to her read it
tears filled my eyes.

When did this child get so eloquent?

In her speech,
she spoke to the kids about reaching for their dreams-
and making those dreams into their future.

And she spoke to both parents and students
about how much they need their parents support in this time-
that without it, those dreams may not be a reality.

I couldn't help but feel pride
in knowing that my daughter's strength
in some way is a credit to my own.

And not only that...but that she knows it too.
WOW. Mama kudos for sure! LOL.

Gosh I have me some great kids :)

Not to leave my son out of this...
as he has grown & matured in leaps and bounds as well.

He has always talked about wanting to learn German.
So earlier this Spring we started to learn German together...
which has been an adventure.

We speak it pitifully- but you should see us at the dinner table!

I found some great learning tools, and created a few charts
of basic terms to post around the house.
Although my daughter wasn't interested at first,
she is now playing along too.

Every day this kid comes home with 'Treasures' in his pockets...
paper clips, wires, nuts & bolts.

Many parents might scold their son for 'collecting trash'-
(and yes...I have had to bite my toungue more than a few times!)-
but I see that he is collecting these things to create something wonderful.

He comes up with the most amazing little inventions from them.

I am beginning to collect items for him to create a workshop space
where he can tinker with his 'Treasures' and come up with new creations.
I see big things for him.

for them both. :)

I am enjoying all of these stages & changes.
And I am grateful for this life.
Watching our children grow up is such a blessing and a lesson.

I cannot wait to see what is next for us. :)

Thanks for stopping in; and best of luck to all of you; and your families.
~Danae

Crafty's Halloween Haunted Blog Tour Stop

2010-10-08T00:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Crafty's Cuppa Coffee
- my humble little slice of cyberspace; so happy to have you.

I am Danae, your hostess on today's leg of

Mrs. B's 31 Day's of Halloween, Haunted Blog Tour.

I absolutely adore Mrs. B & am excited to take part in such a fun blog event,

along with this bunch of extremely talented & creative individuals.

Merry Meet to you all!

Welcome to our

Halloween & Samhain Celebration!

*
I am Danae, the Crafty Mama of 2 great kids, Makayla & Jeremiah.
*
*
In addition to being a Mother, I am a Witch, an Artist & a Writer.
*
*
My Family, my Faith & my Art, are the important driving forces in my life;

and my blog- Crafty's Cuppa Coffee, is a synthesis of my experiences, spirituality, writing, art and ideas; -my way of sharing myself with others.
*
A big theme in my life, as well as my writing- is incorporating my spiritual life, with my everyday lifestyle.

As much as I sometimes wish I could renounce the material world, run off to the mountains, & meditate all day, wearing saffron robes- I have chosen to remain in the concrete jungle, raise a family & still commune with nature, Deity & the Elements.
*

(Besides- saffron is not really my color- & I would definitely go into Internet withdrawl! Lol!)
*
I seek to live an awakened & authentic spiritual life- in the midst of the daily activities of modern family life.

And even more than that- I strive to share my spiritual philosophy & beliefs with my children in ways that come alive and inspire them. I believe that magick & tradition has as important a place in our daily lives- as it does in the circle, and on special occasions.
*

Like so many of you- Autumn is my favorite season;

and Halloween & Samhain are my favorite holidays to celebrate.

This makes our visit today an extra special treat. The kids and I just love to have friends over to share in our fun times.

*
We decided that the occasion was a perfect opportunity to share
a bit of our own Halloween & Samhain Magick with you all...
*
*
as well as talk about ways that the modern Pagan Family
can incorporate the customs, symbolism & meaning
of the spiritual holiday of Samhain-
into the fun and revelry of its secular counterpart, Halloween.
*
There are so many creative way to blend the 2 holidays,
and to bring spiritual intention & meaning to the traditions & activities of the season.
*
The photos for this post, come from
our Autumn Equinox/Full Harvest Moon Celebration & Ritual
that we had last week (September 24th 2010. )
*

*
We got a bit of a jump on the Halloween Season (for this post),
by setting out some of our Halloween decorations early;
and having a Witchy Tea Party
under the Full Harvest Moon.
*
*
We created a beautiful altar, decorated the patio
& had a lovely Full Moon Circle;
where we burnt our Seasonal Thanks & Goal Petitions;
crafted Personal & Family Talismans;
danced, played & feasted
under the gorgeous Mabon Harvest Moon.
*
Makayla got gussied up in one of her Witchy dresses, for the occaision,
& J.D. is wore his skull shirt, a zombie glove & a handcuff.
*
The kids and I often have special rituals,
both of the everyday sort, as well as for holidays

-and they love playing dress up, creating Altars
& celebrating the tides of the natural world.
*
I know these are the things we will remember when they are grown
-and I treasure this time with them!
*
*
In our house, we have alot of discussions about
life, spirituality, nature,
the Gods & Goddesses, our ancestors
and the meanings of our holidays & traditions.
*
This creates a framework from which to incorporate
these things into our daily life;
as well as giving me clues as to which of these interests my kids.
*

*
(Jeremiah is all about the skulls.)
*

*
When religion & spirituality are incorporated
into the activities of daily life-
then the celebration of holidays becomes a natural expression
of love & gratitude for the Gods,
the natural world & the blessings in our lives.
*

(I happened to catch Makayla in this prayerful pose-
how ironic is this for all of those people who are worried
that Halloween puts 'bad' ideas into our kid's heads?
Here is my sweet Little Witch thanking God & Goddess
for the many blessings in her life.)
*
*
Since I beleive that the best way to teach my children about my faith,
is to live it-
I try to infuse our common activities-
both daily & seasonally-
with a bit of intention & magick.
*

*
And kids, as well as grown-ups, LOVE Magick!
*

*
In the Autumn, I focus alot on the seasonal theme of Death & Regeneration
-as this is the time of the death of the (natural) year,
and the time of hibernation before its Spring rebirth.
*
This time of year, we do alot of Ancestor Honoring,
cleansings of our home & self as we end the old year
& blessings, goal setting & protection to ready ourselves for the new.
*
I also do plenty of work with the enhanced psychic energies that abound this season.
*
*
At the beginning of each season, the kids & I have a Petition Ritual
of Thanksgiving, Goal Setting & Calling Blessings into our lives.
*

Most of the time we burn them; along with seasonal herbs-

there is something so cool about tossing things into the fire.

Lots of energy & the Kids just love it! :0)

After burning our petitions-

we crafted & consecrated Talismans.

We talked about the meaning of the season,

what we are thankful for & what we hope to accomplish.

Then we played under the moonlight with our new kittens

feasted on Ben & Jerry's Sundaes.

All in all- a wonderful & very powerful evening.

In fact, the energy from the Sabbat,

the Full Moon & the spell work,

had me up until the sunrise!

Not a bad way to balance the energies of an Equinox,

with that of a Full Moon.

And, as you can see- the children had a nice time too.

*
**************************************************

Our Family's Autumn Talismans -This is a Successful Business Talisman

that I created & charged this Autumn Equinox

for prosperity, focus & productivity

in starting & running a successful Art Business.

Inside the bag, are homegrown herbs, a petition,

along with personal effects to connect it to me, then sealed with 9 knots.

The charged Crystal & Talisman

will sit in my Art Studio to remind me of my goals

& the energies I set in motion.

*
***************************************************

This next one, is an

Autumn Equinox Blessing Spell for Our Family

-It consists of a grouping of photos of myself & my children;

surrounded by a ring of Rosemary for Protection; Geranium for Love;

Peppermint for Prosperity and an Autumn Herb blend

of Pumpkin, Chai, Black Tea, Cinnamon, Nutmeg & Clove

-to correspond with the seasonal vibrations of Autumn,

as well as Home & Family.

-Here is the bouquet & petition packet, ready to be hung.

-After the spell was finished;

we let the setup remain charging under the Full Moon all night.

In the morning,

I folded the petition packet with the loose herbs inside;

tied it up with red thread & 9 knots; and bundled the ring of herbs

into a bouquetwhich will hang at my Kitchen Altar.

***************************************************

**************************************************

Thank You all for joining us today!

A really big Thank You to Mrs. B for hosting

this fantastic month of Halloween Blog Fun!

We had a ball cooking up this fun, family oriented Halloween / Samhain post for you! Please come back soon for plenty more fun Halloween ideas, activities & tips for bringing Pagan Spirituality into your everyday life.

*
~Have a Spooktacular Day!

~Danae <(:0) & the Kids !

Halloween / Samhain Correspondences

2010-10-07T02:00:00.000-07:00

*
There are so many easy & fun ways to incorporate the spiritual side of Samhain into Halloween.

-Here are a few common Halloween & Samhain Correspondences to get you started.

***********************************************************

Halloween / Samhain Themes & Activities

***********************************************************

-Death & Regeneration

-Celtic / Agricultural New Year

-Time Between the Worlds-a Time of Magick & Increased Psychic Energy

-Time to Honor & Communicate with Departed Ancestors

-Time of Thanksgiving for the Abundance of Spring & Summer

& a time of Gathering In for the Autumn & Winter

- 3rd & Final Harvest - anything not harvested by Nov 1st belongs to the Crone

-Time of Home, Family & Friends

*********************************************************************

***************************************************************
Halloween / Samhain Symbols
****************************************************************
-Natural Autumn Objects: leaves, nuts, seeds, barren tree branches,
-Autumn Fruits & Vegetables: pumpkins, pommegranite, squash, apples, corn,
-Tools of Witchcraft & Magick: Cauldron, Pentacle, Crystal Ball, Besom, Witch's Hat,
The Moon-Crescent or Full; Crone Goddess, Tarot Cards, Ouija Board,
-Gods & Goddesses of Magick, Death & Regeneration, the Underworld, Crone Goddesses,
-Halloween Symbols & Images: Witches, Skeletons, Bats, Cats, Crows, Ghosts,
Candy Apples & Chocolate Treats, Jack-o-Lanterns, Costumed Children
********************************************************************
*************************************************************
Halloween / Samhain Animals
**************************************************************
-Creatures of the Night: Black Cats, Bats, Spiders, Rats, Wolves,
-Animals that represent Death & Regeneration: Snakes, Ravens, Crows,
-Animals that represent Wisdom, Magick & Psychicism: Owls,
***************************************************************

**************************************************************

Halloween / Samhain Colors

*************************************************************

-Autumn Colors: Orange, Rust, Brown, Gold, Dark Red

-Colors of Death & Regeneration: Black & White

-Colors of Mystery, Psychicism & Magick: Black, Purple, Silver,
**********************************************************************

********************************************************
Halloween / Samhain Foods

********************************************************

-Autumn Vegetables & Fruits: pumpkins, pommegranite, squash, potatoes, turnips,

rutebegas, carrots, root vegetables, apples, grapes, nuts
-Corn, Wheat, Cereals and Grains

- Comfort Foods: soups, stews, casseroles
-Fertility Foods (that contain life hidden within them, for the next season): nuts, seeds,
-Yellow & Orange colored foods: are attracting & promote prosperity & abundance

*************************************************************

*********************************************************

Halloween / Samhain Herbs & Flowers **********************************************************

-Warming Spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, anise

-Flowers: sunflowers, mums, dried flowers & seed pods, natural grasses,

-Herbs to enhance psychic developement & dream activity: mugwort, frankinsence & myrrh, sandalwood

-Banishing Herbs: salt, cayenne, black pepper, paprika, dragon's blood

*******************************************************************

**************************************************

Halloween / Samhain Crafts

**************************************************

-Make Ancestor Shrines to burn Candles & Leave Offererings of Food

-Make natural Besoms & Consecrate them

-Craft Spell Bottles for various goals or desired attributes

-Carve Symbols into an apple, turnip or potato & charge with intentions for the season

-Make Protective Talismans for the home & person

-Create & Charge a Homemade Scarecrow as the Guardian of the Home for the Autumn Season.

-Bless & Charge Herbs and Make Dream Pillows for Psychic Dreaming

-Play Games & Do Activities geared for Psychic Developement; such as Psychometry with cards containing simple shapes (plus, circle, star, square, crescent); Craft & Practice Scrying with a Pendulum, or Black Ink Water; Work with the Tarot Cards;

*************************************************

Halloween / Samhain Spells

*******************************************************
-Blessings Spells for the New Year

-Spells to Increase Psychic Developement

-Spells to Aid in Divination

-Crafting & Blessing Talismans for the Person & Home

-Protection Spells

-Spells for Astral Travel & Lucid Dreaming

-Love Spells

-Prosperity Spells

-Petition Burning Spells
*******************************

by Danae <(:o) aka 'Crafty'

Free Halloween Printable Labels

2010-10-07T01:30:00.000-07:00

Hello Happy Bloggers!

I thought I would reward those of you who took the time to visit my blog & read all the way down to here with a little Halloween Freebie. (Of course, many of you will eventually be coming in from a Google search of Free Halloween.... I'm sure) :0)

These are some cool labels to use in your Halloween Crafting & Decorating.

The top set are Potion Labels from Michael Mead. LOVE his Halloween stuff & recomend his books and site for inspiration and more printables. He always has a simple, yet classy stye.

The next are a set of blank bookplates that (I beleive) came from either The Graphics Fairy or The Vintage Moth- both excellent sources for free vintage graphics. I am including the blanks; as well as the sets of Herb & Potion Labels that I created with them. They look great when used as part of a Halloween Vingette with glass potion bottles, herb jars, a mortar & pestle, spell book, cauldron, & other Witchy accoutrements.

Some of the concoctions are pure fantasy; while others are the common names of actual herbs. It is fun to test your herbal knowledge to see which ones are real- like Dragon's Blood; and which are fakes- such as Unicorn Horn.

Enjoy! ~Danae <(:o) aka 'Crafty'

*******************************************************************************

Make sure to left click on the image to get to the highest resolution before saving.

These are only for personal use - NOT to be used for resale.

If the worded version is used as a freebie on another site; Crafty's Cuppa Coffee would appreciate credit & a friendly link back- Thanks!

Samhain~ The Witches' New Year

2010-10-07T01:00:00.000-07:00

Autumn is a most magickal time of year.

Along with glorious seasonal changes taking place-

the joys of pumpkin carving, treat baking, costume making,

and devious plans to get the neighborhood kid's knees a shaking...

-some of us folk have another aspect of the season to celebrate.

********************

Samhain

pronounced (Sow-en)

*************

- otherwise known as 'Summers End', and the Witch's New Year.
**********************************************************************

Samhain, later called Hallowmas,
or All Hallows Eve was the Celtic New Year;
and is the 3rd Harvest and final festival

on the Wheel of the Year.

All that is left unharvested

in the feilds,

or in the hearts & lives of men-

is said to belong to the Crone after this night.
***
To the Celts who celebrated Samhain in the past,

as well as to the modern day Witches, Pagans, & Druids

who keep the ancient traditions today-

the agricultural & physical cycles of the Heavens & Earth,

mark the changing of the seasons as well as the

ways in which we honor our Deities.

This season of Autumn,

corresponds to the death of the year,

the physical death of the life cycle,

as well as the mythological life & death cycle of the Gods.

The ancient Celts called its opposite on the Wheel, 'Winter's End'

-Gamain (Gow-en);

celebrated on May 1st, as Beltane.

The Light Half of the Year is marked astronomically,

by the rising of the Pleiades at Gamain;

as is the Dark Half by its setting at Samhain.
*****

Often called Spirit Night

-Samhain begins at sunset on October 31st; and continues for 3 days to a week-

it is at this time,
when the veils between the Worlds of Man & Spirit are at their thinnest

- that the souls of the newly departed,
make their final trip to the Otherworld, accompanied by the Goddess.

The people of the Earth have traditionally used this night
to honor & communicate with the souls of their ancestors & loved ones; leaving offerings of favorite foods amongst photographs, beloved trinkets, and seasonal flowers.

Along with the harvest of the land,

any animals, not fit to last the cold;

would be slaughtered off and preserved.

Anything left over brought to the Hallowmas feast.

*
Gatherings of Family & Friends sustained the people's hearts;

thru the coming dark months

spent confined and alone until the Spring.

It was a time to rejoice & revel in the high points of the year,

and to heal after it's losses.
*

Divinations & predictions telling the fate of the coming year
were performed with fruit, nuts water and fire.

Faces and symbols were carved into turnip lanterns

to protect the owner from malevolent spirits out on this night.

Costumed children as well as adults went 'Soul Caking';

out into the town singing seasonal songs

begging for Soul Cakes in exchange for prayers for their dead.

Mummers danced & played & told legends and performed feats.

Traditionally, these included a Challenge, a Battle, a Death,

and a Magickal Revivial.

The mummers received Soul Cakes at the end of their performance.

In some places, in England- these tradtitions have been revived.

Many Harvest Celebrations center around the Element of Fire;

whether hearth fire, candle flame, bon-or 'Need Fire';

as well as the Element of Water;

as found in rituals such as bobbing for apples,

floating nuts in bowls and ink scrying.
*

As we Pagans and Witches integrate the traditions of Samhain

into our modern day Halloween celebrations-

we trace the footprints of our spirtual ancestry,

while creating new legends of our own .

***************************************************************

~Danae <(:0) aka 'Crafty'

middle image "Samhain", by Jade Benco ,

word tags unknown

3 Halloween / Samhain Spell Crafts To Do With The Family

2010-10-06T05:00:00.000-07:00

There are some seasonal activities that are so common

to both Pagan, Chistian & even secular holiday celebrations,

- that they make wonderful 'crossover' activities

to incorporate into your own family's traditions.

My children & I often take common activities, and infuse a bit of spirituality & magick into them.

The 3 Halloween / Samhain Spell Crafts that we are about to share with you,

center around seasonal activies that are common in many homes;

Making Spiced Cider, Cleaning & Carving Pumpkins

& Roasting Pumkin Seeds-

The simple addition of magickal intent & charged ingredients

is what transforms them from

simply fun Fall traditions,

into powerful Seasonal Magick!

**************************************************************************************************************************************

Prosperous New Year Autumn Cider

***********************************************
Ingredients:

Apple Juice, Clove studded Apples & Oranges,

Cinnamon Sticks, Nutmeg, Allspice

Honey (to be added just before serving)

*******************************************************

Making the Cider

*******************************************************

-Gather materials, and prepare workspace.

-Take a moment to wash your hands, and clear your mind.

-Discuss the things you hope to draw into your life;

and how the fruits & spices to be used

carry the energy of the intention you charm them with.

-The act of cooking, and then ingesting the cider

helps to bring about that change in your own physical body & life.

-Explain that you are using Elemental Magick in this spell

-as the Earth is represtented by the fruits & spices;

Fire is used to simmer the Cider;

Water is represented by the liquids used

and Air is represented by the steam & aroma of the simmering Cider.

The energy used to charge the foods & work the spell

is the Element of Spirit.

- Charge each ingredient with the desired quality.

-Remind the kids that you are working for 'real life' magickal changes-

so be sure to visualize 'practical' qualities such as health & prosperity;

(as opposed to invisibility, or flying power.)

-Set the ingredients onto the stove in a large pot, to simmer

for at least an hour, and the longer, the better. Stir the cider clockwise.

-As you drink the cider, visualize yourself & your life

being filled with the positive attributes that you desire.

***************************************************

Halloween / Samhain

New Year's Carved Pumpkin

Cleansing & Re-Filling Spell

*****************************************************
-begin by preparing the work space & materials

-during this time, talk with the kids about how the ending of an old cycle,

and the begining of a new one,

is an oppourtunity to clear away unwanted things out of our lives

- things like old habits, attitudes, people

and out moded aspects of ourselves can be cleared away,

to make room for a fresh start & for calling in positive things that we do want in our life.

-I use the example of how a snake must shed his old skin,

before his new one can grow in;

-when all is ready,take a minute to wash hands & calm the mind,

preparing yourself for the work to be done.

- You can use a pumpkin for each individual, representing the self;

or one communal pumpkin to represent the family unit.

-Wash the pumpkin, and consecrate it to symbolize the intended person.

-With a permanent marker, write the full name & DOB of the intended person

(or the family members names), onto the backside of the pumpkin.

This ties the pumpkin to the person with sympathetic magick.

-Sit with it in your lap,

and visualise your energy flowing into & combining with that of the pumpkin.
*

-As you cut the circle into the top of the pumpkin;

see this as an act of opening yourself up,

to let out all of the stagnant & unwanted energy.

-Kids of all ages can participate in the scooping out of the pumpkin guts.

Using a scoop, hands or large spoon, remove all of the innards,

while visualising this as removing the unwanted qualities from yourself & your life.

It is great to name the qualities you are releasing, as you work.

.
*

-Thoroughly wash the seeds & then discard of the 'guts';

making sure to see this act as getting rid of the old, to make room for the new.

Set the clean seeds aside to be used in the second part of this spell.

-draw a face on the pumkin that characterises the person it is meant to represent.

Then draw symbols in the empty spaces, that represent the positive energies & traits

that are being called into the self & life.
*

-It may be helpful to have a simple chart prepared of the basic symbols

& their meanings. (ie: a heart for love, a smiley face for happiness;

dollar sign for prosperity; a 5 pointed star for protection;

a house shape with a heart around it for a loving home, an A+ for good grades, etc.)

-You may also like to draw a few simple runes & their meanings

to choose from.

-Visualise youself & your life being filled up

with the postive energy and traits you are drawing onto the pumpkin.

-Now you are ready to decorate the pumpkin.

You can carve, draw or paint the face & symbols onto it.

-This is personal choice, and really dictated by how much light you would like

to have shining through the pumpkin at night.

*If you plan on using a candle- then you must carve at least a hole or two in order to have enough oxygen to keep the candle lit & to be able to see the light.

-The act of removing the seeds provided the actions for the cleansing portion of the spell

and the face, name, DOB & symbols drawn or carved;

along with the visualization-

are the actions neccesary for the filling up and charging of the spell.

-When the drawing, painting &/or carving is complete,

again sit quietly with the pumpkin creation;

& visualize the freshly cleansed pumpkin 'selves'

being filled with positive energy

& all of the qualities that you desire to have in your life.

-See this as a bright white light that is pouring from nature, God & Goddess,

into the pumpkins & into yourself.

-When the pumpkin is completely filled up & 'glowing' with the energy-

light a tealight (supervise the children), and place it within the pumpkin

(*if there are no carved portions, omit the candle step).

-Replace the lid onto the pumpkin & see this as 'sealing in' the magick.

-*If desired, you can preserve the pumpkin longer, by spraying a coat of Lysol,

or cooking spray onto the insides and all carved areas of the pumpkin-

(*before lighting the candle*)

-As the candles burn each night- the magick is reinforced & the intended person is being charged up with good energy & attributes for the coming year.

-When Halloween is over, and the pumpkins are to be disposed of,

they can either be bagged up and thrown away,

or better yet, ( & my prefered method)

- they can be left outside in a natural spot (like a bush, or compost pile),

to decay & return to the earth.

*
************************************************************************************

***********************************************************

Halloween / Samhain

Prosperous New Year

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
***********************************************************

Possible Spices & Flavor Blends

-There are many possible choices-

Spicy, Savory, Sweet & Salty, Garlic Lime, Pesto, Tex Mex,

and as with anything; each ingredient carries a distinct energy pattern & symbolic correspondences, which can be tapped in to for use in ritual & magick

-so use your imagination & intention; and prepare to taste.

*Butter is used in all of these as a base to coat the seeds

Garlic, Onion, Salt, Black Pepper, Red Pepper, Cayenne, Paprika, Curry, Cumin, Chili Powder, Lime, Seasoned Salt Blends, Parmesean Cheese, Rosemary, Basil, Thyme, Oregano

Sugar, Pumpkin Flavor, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves, Allspice, Chai Tea

************************************************************************

Preparing & Roasting the Pumpkin Seeds

************************************************************************
-Gather all materials needed; wash hands & clear mind for the work to be done.

-Talk with the children about how we can infuse our foods with enegy & intenions & that when we eat them, we take those qualities into ourselves.

-Explain how the different foods, herbs & spices have different meanings

& energy patterns that we can use to help boost our own

natural energy & personal power.

-Make a list of the different herbs & spices that you have available;

and decide which flavor blends you care to try

& what energetic value they represent.

-Kids are usually great at intuiting what energies the various foods contain.

(ie: spicy foods contain lots of energy; green foods are good for prosperity; red juicy fruits for love; sweet foods for kindness; seeds & eggs for fertility; & orange foods for happiness, etc.)

-Have them try to figure out what energetic qualities the herbs & spices

that you have chosen to use contain.

-Have them think & talk about what qualities they would like to call into themselves

for this next year.

-Charge each one with the desired attributes.

-Then, choose a spice blend; and take a moment to charge the blend

with your own personal energy.

-Toss the pumpkin seeds in a bowl or ziploc bag with melted butter, to coat.

Then lay the coated seeds out onto a prepared baking pan.

-Lightly sprinkle the spices over the pumpkin seeds;

shake & toss the seeds until they are fully coated with the blend;

while visualizing this act as the person being 'coated'

with the desired positive energy & traits.

-Roast the pumpkin seeds in the oven at 375 degrees, cooking for 10-15 minutes, untill seeds are golden brown (I like to flip mine halfway thru, at about 6 minutes).

-As you & the children eat the seeds;

tell them that they are ingesting their hopes & goals for the future-

and that each of the charmed seeds with take 'root' and 'grow'

into the positive attributes that they charged them with.

*********************************************
~Danae <(:0) aka 'Crafty'

'Tis The Season of Witches & Spooks- Autumn is Here!

2010-10-01T05:00:00.001-07:00

The days have begun to get chillier, and the nights are longer.
Summer's abundance has given way to Autumn's decline.
The Sun God has died, and the Goddess is mourning;
comforted only by the knowledge that His offspring sleeps within Her womb.

The tides of the year have turned; what was waxing is now on the wane.
Leaves of gold, russet and auburn flutter in their final descent to the ground.

As the sun loses it's power & strength;
the long hot days turn into long cold nights.
The people of the world turn inward, towards hearth & home.

Scents of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg & pumpkin beckon us to feast;
and the crackle & roar of the hearth flame entices us to come close to one another,
and snuggle beneath sweaters & blankets & furs.

The prosperity of Summer has left a bounty in her wake,
squashes, and gourds, fruits, berries and nuts abound.
The flowers and herbs in our gardens,
are now sagging, laid heavy with the weight of their seeds.
The tasks of Summer are now abandoned for Autumn activites.
Closing up, turning in, gathering & securing what one has grown & created.
Bustle & outward energy is now conserved & preserved;
this now becomes the inward hibernation & planning for the next season's growth.

This is the Season of Autumn.

It is the funeral march of the natural world.
The time of Death & Regeneration.

A time of honoring Ancestors, and giving thanks for what once was-
While gathering in & making preparations for what is soon to be.

A celebratory time; of home, family & friends.
As well as a time to honor the dark forces of the world- not evil-
but the darkness that compliments & balances the light. Darkness that is still, rich & full of mystery.
Darkness that allows us the time to slow down-
enough to feel the subtle energies that are lost to the bustle of te day.
The darkness that nurtures the world of dreams, the realm of the soul.
Darkness that allows us to peirce the veil, that separates us from the astral.

Autumn is the time of the Crone.
She, who represents the gifts that come with only with age-
gifts of wisdom, elderhood, ripening into one's full potental;
knowlege that has been gathered & gleaned from a lifetime of experience.
She posseses a power that is refined.

The Crone is the gift of freedom.
Freedom from the petty concerns of youth.
Freedom from the burdens of false vanity.
The Crone is the very esscence of Autumn.

These are the gifts of Autumn; this most wonderful time of year.
******************************************************************************
The month of October is a time of anticipation, preparation and creativty for many of us. It is a time of closing down the activity of the Spring & Summer; and turning inward towards hearth & home for the Fall & Winter months.

I enjoy the turning of the seasons, and Autumn is my favorite time of the year. I am always so grateful for the gifts of the previous Spring & Summer; and I am excited to begin the process of turning in for the year. I love feeling he weather change, donning boots, coats and gloves; as the chill sets in. I find myself watching for the arrival of seed pods, where flowers once bloomed; of watching the leaves turn colors, and then float silently to the ground.

This beautiful season brings with it preparaton & anticipation of the many holidays & celebrations to come. First Halloween, then Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years and (in my own case family birthdays, as well as my own Winter Soltice birthday.)

There are family visits, dinners, holiday parties, school pagents & plays, church events and vacations to enjoy. Parties to plan, homes to decorate, feasts to prepare.

For myself, it is a time of intense creatvity- as I plan, craft, and prepare a plethora of Autumn crafts, decorations, treats and props- that all culminate in our annual Halloween Potluck Party.

And the Autumn Equinox is what kicks off this flurry of Autumn activity.

So,I know that I am not alone, as I say that I am so happy that Autumn is finally here!

'Tis the Season of Witches & Spooks!

A MOST HAPPY OCTOBER TO ONE & ALL!

My Black & White Halloween Inspiration Post Was Featured! :0)

2010-09-15T11:33:00.000-07:00

*

Hello Friends In Bloglandia!
*
This is just a real quick pop in post to toot my own horn & let you all know that one of my posts was featured today as part of a Halloween Inspiration Roundup Post on My Delicious Ambiguity! YAY!
*
The featured post is actually an older one- from last year's Halloween season. I love to share ideas, projects & recipes that I find inspiring- and that was basically what this post was about. It is no secret that I adore Black & White in my art & home decor- usually paired with red, pink- or at Halloween time- orange!
*

This year's Halloween decor is no different- and I have been busily crafting away the days amidst a flurry of paper, paint, glitter & fabric. (Hence the lack of blog posts lately!- but never fear- I will return with plenty of wonderful Halloween craftiness & inspiration in no time at all!)

And OH MY GOODNESS! just realized that in my complete focus on all things Halloween (& Samhain).... I have completely neglected to post anything Mabon related! To be fair- and a bit more specific- I haven't only been wrapped up in my Halloween crafting time warp- (although that IS my favorite pastime at the moment, and has filled my every possible spare moment since early August!)

No....I have also been busy getting my Kiddos back 2 school, with all that entails. I am also preparing for my next knee surgery which is to take place this coming Monday. I am REALLY hoping that everything goes as planned THIS time- as the last 2 times they prepped me had me waiting in the hospital bed for 5 & 8 hours respectively, AND THEN CANCELLED the surgery because of emergencies in the operating room. Apparently there were people with more life threatening needs than my own. I guess that happens more than I knew. I do understand that- and would want the same treatment if I or my family was in need.... it is just extremely frustrating, as well as inconvenient & disappointing. Not to mention painful, as I keep waiting to have my poor knee repaired. (Ugh.... it has been a year now that I have been dealing with my broken knee injury, and the surgeries & healing involved- I am MORE THAN READY to have this behind me!)

But- I don't mean to talk about all of that boring & depressing stuff here- I try to keep my blog for better pursuits than sharing my misery! I know all too well that we all have our share of it in this life- and that my own minuscule worries are pure heaven compared to what some folks must endure. That alone keeps my heart humble & grateful for the blessings in my life; and my thoughts on the positive things.... like family, and friends, and beloved pets, home & garden....and art....wonderful art to fill our lives with beauty!

Okay folks... nuff said!

Like I mentioned before- I really had nothing to post about (nor the time to whip up a 'real' post!) So, if you would like to check out the rest of the wonderful Halloween ideas on My Delicious Ambiguity- you can find them here. And if you would like to revisit my original post that was featured- "The Black & White (& Orange) Halloween Inspiration House of my Dreams", you can find it here. Also- feel free to browse thru last years Halloween posts for plenty more inspiration, ideas, projects & recipes- as well as lots of vintage Halloween art to use in your own crafting! You will find all of my Halloween posts here.
*
As always- thanks for stopping in! And have a wickedly wonderful day!
~Danae aka 'Crafty' <(:0)

Neat Art I Found At The Museum Shoppe

2010-08-20T11:00:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends~

I hope everyone is having a lovely weekend.

My, how Summer has just flown by!

It makes me wish I had a rewind button to take us right back to the begining-

but then again, there would just be someone else

who is wishing Summer would hurry up & be over,

that would hit their own fast forward button and cancel me out!

I guess my only aternative is to enjoy it's last fleeting moments

& be happy that Autumn & Halloween are on their way!

A little while back, I took my children to the La Brea Tar Pitts.

This is a place, here in Southern California, that is a natural tar deposit.

The Spaniards, and later the modern developers of this area

used this natural resource to harvest asphalt for roofing, buildings and roads.

As they began excavating the tar pits-

they discovered the perfectly presreved bones

of the Pre Historic animals of this area.

Because they were encased in the tar-

their decomposition was halted;

and allowed for the Paleontologists of today

to learn much more about their species,

than under normal circumstances.

Now there is a museum on the site, that showcases the findings-

Saber Tooth Tigers, Woly Mammoths, Sloths

and many other wonderful Paleolithic animals;

that they are still unearthing to this very day.

In many places, on the site;

the tar is still wet & bubbling, as it rises to the surface.

I took some great photos of these creatures,

and my children at the museum- but that is for another day's post.

Today I want to share with you a few of the peices of art

that I found while browsing the museum gift shoppe.

Unfortunatley, I was only able to get a few shots

because they were getting ready to close-

but I think you will enjoy the peices that I was able to capture,

as much as I did.

The first series of shots are of some fantastic metal insect sculptures.

They almost remind me of some kind of Steampunk art.

As you can see, these are crafted from metal hardware parts-

bicycle chains, screws, nails nuts & bolts.

The top photos are a spider, and scorpion;

and the lower photo is a group shot of several of the peices.
It is a good thing that these were out of my price range-

because I would have had a vey hard time choosing just one!

This next seires of photos are Polymer Clay Animal Sculptures.

These amazing little creatures were arranged in a habitat vingette,

complete with mossy logs and living plants.

The reptiles are in the above shot; and below are pictures of the penguins.

Penguins have always been my son,
Jeremiah's favorite animal, and his totem.
I would have loved to buy him one of these
spectacular Mama & Baby Penguin sculptures.

*
The pictures do not do them justice;
as each peice is intricately decorated in the millifiori clay style-
and for some reason,

reminded me of the Inuit Tribal Art of the Eskimo Indians.

And this last photo is a peice of art created by
my all time favorite artist & creative inspiration-
Mother Nature Herself!
*
I couldn't resist snappng a shot of this gorgeous hunk of Amethyst.
Again- it is hard to tell by the photograph;
but this peice is actually quite large.
The book in back of it is an oversized one,
so that should give an indication of its size.
*
I do hope to have the pleasure of having
such an exqusite stone in my own collection someday.
Untill then- I will just have to satisfy my yearnings
by visiting thme in stores and through their pictures.
*
Well, my friends- that is all for today.
Thanks for taking the time to join me
on my little cyber excursion in the art world!
I enjoyed our little visit, as always-
and I hope to see you all again soon.
*
~Danae <(:0) aka 'Crafty'

A Crafty Chick Creation ~ Such Sweet Bliss

2010-08-16T05:00:00.000-07:00

Here is another digital collage. This one is called...

"Such Sweet Bliss is a Fond Rememberance"

I don't know how this one slipped by me.

This was one of the very first digital collages that I made.

I had put the picture and the name on the post- and there it sat,

langushing all Summer long in my drafts folder.

I tell ya-

there are quite a few posts that have never seen the light of day,

waiting in there for their turn.

I would hate for this one to be among them.

So here is the belated debut of "Such Sweet Bliss"
*

It is funy to see the quick progression of my art.

I look at this one- and think of all of the changes I would make to it,

if I were to 'redo' it.

It reminds me of when I began scrapbookng so many years ago.

Without fail, I look at my older peices with a new eye,

and think of what I would do differently now.

But- I won't be changing this,

or any of my other peices.

I like to look back, and be able to see the growth I make.

It reminds me of the pencil marks on a doorjamb,

or the rings on the inside of a tree.

Only these sorts of markers are not measured in years-

but in techiques, and materials.

I like them... they show change, and movement.

~Danae <(:o) aka 'Crafty'

Another Crafty Creation To Share

2010-08-13T15:00:00.000-07:00

Hello Bloggy Friends~

Happy Friday the 13th! I hope everyone's day & weekend are going well. I am just popping in to say Hi! & to share with you one of my recent digital collages -

"True Friendship".

I had alot of fun creating this one. I used some new techniques, and also spun an imaginary tale to go with it. Well... actually, the story was my way of coming up with the inspiration for the peice.

It goes like this...

This is the tale of Boots & Bettie- Two lifelong best friends who grew up together & lived in the French Quarter in New Orleans. They were flapper girls in the late 1920's & who met & dated two men, fell in love and were separated in the course of life and love.

Though their lives took them in different directions, they faithfully kept in touch through letters, pictures & small momentos sent through the post. This memorbilia is all that is left of their friendship, and the young girls they once were.

I pictured how some friend of mine had gone to clean out one of their deceased relative's home; and had come across the box of 'old junk'; full of old photos and letters, and long forgotten memories. This friend of mine- knowing my love of 'old things'; and my artsy ways knew that I would have a use for the treasures that seem to lose their meaning over time.

I imagined sifting through the bits of muslin & lace, napkins & crumbling bouteneires; and photographs & letters, lovingly written decades ago. As I created this digital collage, I pretended that I was crafting a shadow box, with all of these momentos- after reading & discovering the bond that these two friends had, and learning of the trials & jubulations they each lived, and later shared with each other through their correspondence.

Everything was preserved within the treasures in the box. Each heartache, the hardships they faced during the Depression, and WWII. The births and losses of children. The joys & accomplishments they each experienced. The celebrations & marriages; the pride they felt as their children went off to live their own lives. The loss & lonliness of widowhood. All of these contained within the words of these two women.

I saw myself finishing my work, and hanging the shadow box on my wall; having preserved these Ladie's memories... for myself, if no one else.

Then... I thought about my own life. I wondered if some day my life's memories will be reduced to a box of castoffs. I wondered if my children will treasure my art & scrapbooks & jornals. Will my writings & blog posts mean anything to anyone? Will the thousands of words passed between me & people all over the world be forgotten, all for nought?

I like to think that no... someday, somewhere.... some young artist may come across my own work; and it may inspire something within their own self... and that they too may create something wonderful of their own. :0)

~Danae

A Cuppa Coffee Catch Up With Crafty

2010-08-11T17:00:00.000-07:00

Hello Bloggy Friends & Passersby~
*
OUICK NOTE~ if you do not like wordy posts....

just scroll down & look at the pictures!

This is just a 'visiting with you' post...

and ended up ridiculously long! LOL

And if you do enjoy these kind of posts... read on. :0)

Fair warning.
*
I hope you all are having a lovely summer!

The children & I sure are.

I cannot believe how fast the days just whizz by in the Summertime.

What happened to the never ending Summer days of our youth?

I guess they belong to our own children, now-

while we parents get the tasks of the 'Grown Up' world.
*
Once again,

I have let much, too much time pass between postings.

I do hope that you all forgive me;

and that I may have a reader or two left in Bloglandia.

If not- no worries!

I write this blog for my own enjoyment anyways...

but I do cherish the wonderful connections

and friendships that I have made here.

So... I will say once again, a heartfelt, but oft broken promise

to try to blog more frequently -

with the hopes that you all understand

that my absence never means

that I do not still adore each & every one of you!
*
So now you may ask...

"Crafty, what on earth have you been up to lately?"

Well, my friends... a bit of this....a bit of that... and mostly 'The Usual'.

This means, that I spend most of my days doing the 'Mommy Thing'...

and most of my nights, doing my 'Crafty Thing'. :0)
*
The children & I have been thoroughly enjoying

every last drop of our Summer-

by spending lots of time in our backyard pool,

having lots of friends over, picnicking,

days at the Lagoon (Beach), and nights BBQing in the backyard,

and layin out on our trampoline, looking at the stars.

We had Jeremiah's 7th Birthday party at the Lagoon,

visited the waterpark, and the kids spent a week at Camp.

(BTW- this meant that I also got a well deserved vacation, myself!

Which this Mommy made sure to enjoy every minute of.)

In between refereeing children's spats, chaufering & my endless Mommy Duties- I also spend lots of time in my little garden, tending to my flowers, herbs and the smattering of vegetables that have made it this far. It may not look like much to some of you who have truly glorious gardens.... but for me... it is my own little slice of Heaven! And since it doesn't take much to please me- I am absolutely delighted by it.
*
Unfortunately, right after the initial plantings last Spring, my knee became badly infected, and really interfered with my gardening efforts. This meant that the newest plants got off to a poor start- and I wasn't always around to catch the varmits before they devoured my babies. So, much of what I planted, either didn't do well, or didn't make it at all. This doesn't bother me too much though- except to inspire me to do better next year!
*
Every day when I see a new blossom, or when one of my veges gets bigger- I get so excited and dance around like a silly kid. I continuously take pictures of my plants- over & over, as they grow & change. I must take nearly 300 photos a week! Then I drag every man, woman and child that will come, to go out and examine them with me. I am sure that all of my neighbors & friends are sick to death of seeing my postage stamp sized garden specimens!
*
So then...I resort to posting about them here, and on my Facebook page! See?

Here I go again!
*
This is one of my zuccinni blossoms.

I just adore these giant happy sunshine yellow flowers;

and the only thing that keeps me from plucking them to wear in my hair-

is that I know that will prevent my veges from developing.

But it's hard to resist, I tell ya!
*

These pics are from about 2 weeks ago-

and I cannot believe how fast these guys grow,once they get to this stage.

I swear, I'm like a kid,

each morning when I come out to see

what new beauties have been left in the night!

Here is our first zuccini.

You should see it today! It's HUGE! I'm just letting it go,

to see how big I can get it.

Now I am kicking myself for being 'too busy', or 'too tired' to fertilize.

Hmfph! Another thing to do different next time.

At least I remembered to scatter my eggshells

to keep the snails from eating my crops.

...and here is our smallest feline...Tootsie.

She is so funny-

I cannot take a step without her coming to see what is going on!

Here are my baby plum tomatoes.

These were from some seeds from a batch of plum tomatoes I grew,

and then scattered 2 years ago.

They sure took their sweet time coming up,

but tomatoes are always worth the wait.

The funny thing- that some of you may have caught

if you read this post earlier-

is that I mistook them for a habenero pepper plant!

Silly me!

You would think I would recognize a tomatoe plant when I see one,

but noooo... I was fooled.

It was happy mistake though;

as I would much rather have plenty of tomatoes, than peppers. :0)

(2 weeks later update: I picked my first tomatoe yesterday-

and it was deee-licios! I cant wait for the rest of them to ripen up!)

Here is a little patch of herbs & geraniums.

A close up of one of the basil plants.

I actually like the pretty flower spires-

except that they dull the flavor of the leaves once it starts to bloom.

Oh well, the price of beauty,I guess. :0)

I goofed bigtime on this one-

I have been using the basil leaves all along, bit by bit-

but I should have harvestd a whole bunch of thm a month or two ago,

and made batches of Pesto Sauce for canning

(jarring? is that the right word?).

I can still do this now; but as I mentioned,

the flavor is not as good.

Oh well- something to remember for next time.

It is a good thing I keep garden journal to record this kind of stuff!

A close up of one of my favorite succulent 'Chicks n' Hen rossettes.

(I *think* they are called echeverias (or sempeverias?)-

but I forget.

Something to look up again!

Unless one of you kind readers happens to know-

and if so, please leave me a comment wit their true name.)

This one is just a baby, in my little succulent bowl-

but they get nice and large when I plant them in the garden.

I like to keep my mini succulent garden bowl

right next to my patio table, to enjoy while I sit here.

This is my spot where I hang out for most of the day.

This is where I greet the sun, have my coffee,

work on my lap top or art, where I watch the children from

& also where I do most of my rituals & spell work.

It's a nice peaceful place to create & just watch the world go by.

Here is Mr. Manchucco, the guardian of my lil succulent bowl.

My brother brought him to me in 1995, from Watuco, Mexico.

He is a special totem, and brings a smile to my face every time I see him.

This is the far corner of my flower garden.

(And my beloved Benni Hanna Buddah).

I love this purple flower tree.

It gets these beautiful orange berries on it in the Fall-

just in time for Halloween.

It started as a 'weed' that I let grow;

and I keep cutting it & shaping it into the tree shape it has become.

It actually needs some more trimming now-

as do my out of control geraniums.

They have gotten SO big,

that they are competely hiding the rose bush

& tomatoe plants in back of them!

I have to continuously chop them down

& spread them throughout the garden;

because they get so long & leggy that they flop over

& break when I water them.

Here are a few of my herbs & one of my turtle friends.

I LOVE turtles... and keep them around me all the time.

In fact... I have 3 of em on my finger as I speak!

A sweet little turtle ring.

One Mama & her two babies on each side of her.

I bought the ring about a month before getting pregnant with my first child.

Now, I know the ring represents me & my two children.

(Of course, if I ever have any more I may have to find another ring! Lol)

I like to fill my garden with special shells, stones,

cobalt glass bottles & little garden statues.

It makes me think of a secret garden &

the little creatures that inhabit it.

My children & I leave little offerings

for the Garden Faeries & Divas that dwell within.

*
In this part of the garden, I have lots of mint,

2 kinds of thyme, rosemary & basil.

I had a nice lavendar bush-

but it got too dry & didn't make it.

Luckily I have more in other parts of my garden;

so I am not completely without.

I feel so blessed when I harvest my herbs for teas,

cooking & magickal purposes.

I am working on getting new varieties.

Mugwort is high on my list for next year's planting.

And now to journey inside...

and take a peek into my tiny art studio.

I have a special new gift that was given to me.

I am so excited about it-

I want to share the news with you all too!

Look!...

A new sewing table!

Something I have always wanted, for ever & ever...

and now it is in my very own craft room!

A very generous lady gave it to my sweet man for me...

along with some other wonderful goodies for both me and my children.

It is actually perfect for a lot of purposes;

one of them being a super place to use my lap top.

It's little spot for the machine

is a great place for my lap top to hide when not in use-

and it has air & cord holes drilled in it.

So no overheating. I am ridiculously pleased with it!

Thank You to Mrs. Okabe! And Thank You to my Sweet Man!

And now... for some of my latest Crafty Creations...

This is a little greeting card I made a couple of days ago,

for a sweet neighbor friend.

I just adore these vintage pin up images from the early 1900's.

The ladies have this sweet secret sort of smile, that to me, says-

I know I am pretty...and I am not ashamed to show it!

I also whipped up a pair of matching gemstone earrings

& a garden bouquet of flowers and herbs.

Then my daughter, Makayla (much to my surprise!),

dressed up in one of her witchy dresses,

complete with faerie wings and an afro wig-

and went to deliver the birthday booty.

That kid is such a character. (Wonder where she gets it?)

I am still kicking myself

for neglecting to take pictures of the whole ensemble...

but by the time I had finished making everything

(in between making dinner for my tribe)- I was pooped.

Hence....no photos.

But I do have some other neat stuff to share with you from my craft room.

Tiny little creations!

This is my very first ATC- ever!

I'm calling her -"Witch Baby"

(And I know, I know... with all of the altered art I do...

how have I never crafted in this bitty size before?

Greeting cards are about the smallest (paper) creations I make...

but no more! ATC mania... I caught ya!)

Next thing I know...I will be addicted to Inchies, or Altered Matchbooks.

Lol.

This next one is the first of a batch of Witchy Halloween ATCs.

I am soooo excited that my favorite time of the year is almost here-

and I know that a lot of you guys are too!

A wee Halloween Faerie Wand. :0)

....And my last crafty offering of the day

(not that there are not PLENTY more!

But I know that this post has gotten too long already! )

Another little ATC creation....

"French Children's Dress Up Party"

I am truly enjoying crafting in this new size.

It is a nice way to play a bit,

without the pressure to 'produce' something spectacular.

It's just for fun.

It reminds me of Art Journaling, but the book doesn't get closed!

And, I don't worry so much about spoiling a page.

Which I KNOW I am not supposed to worry about!

But I always do!

I have a touch of Artist's OCD, I think.

It is REALLY bad when I am starting a new notebook or journal-

I just love the pretty covers & papers so much,

that I don't want to 'mess them up' with writing in them.

Silly- I know. I'm working on it!

And, of course, as you may have seen from a couple of my recent posts-

I am still having a ball with my digital creations.

It is a whole new world of art, that I am just now dipping my toes into.

I have only been doing it for about 2 months...

but in that very short time, I have learned SO MUCH!

(just by playing & experimenting.)

I get really excited when I think of how far I have come-

and that someday soon,

I will be creating the sorts of peices

that I never dreamed I would be able to!

But I know that, as with everything,

it is just a matter of time & practice. ;0)
*

Okay, my dear bloggy friends... I am off.

My children are in the swimming pool

& I know that soon they will be clamoring for something to nibble on!

And that means that I must pry myself from my fun...and you

... and go be Mommy for a bit!

Thank you to all of you who take time from your own busy days,

to pop in and visit with me.

You have no idea how much your friendship means to me.

And I just love when you leave your sweet & encouraging comments.

You justmake this Witchy Mama's day!

Thank You!

I wish you all wonderfully crafty & magickal days.

I hope to have a 'real' post for you soon!

(aka- an informational or creative post.)

~Danae <(:0) aka 'Crafty'

PS~ I would love for you to visit Crafty's Cuppa Coffee on Facebook.

You will find me here. :0)

My Latest Crafty Chick Creation ~ Let Them Eat Cake

2010-07-28T05:00:00.000-07:00

I made this little Marie Antoinette inspired digital collage.
I'm calling it... what else?, but...

"Let Them Eat Cake"

~Danae <(:o) aka 'Crafty'

My Latest Crafty Chick Creation ~ Butterfly Wings For Baby Dana

2010-07-27T05:00:00.000-07:00

I made this sweet little digital collage for my Mother.

I used one of her super adorable baby pictures (c1951);

along with new & vintage baby ephemera.

I apologize for the logo across the picture-

but I plan on selling this as cards, tags & prints in my ETSY shop.

I hope you like it as much as I do! :)

~Danae <(:o) aka 'Crafty'

Lammas Present / Lammas Past

2010-07-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

Lammas, also called Lughnasadh, marks the beginning of the harvest season for us Pagans in the Northern Hemisphere. The Summer is waning, the produce in the feilds and gardens are abundant now. Apples are ready and grain is beginning to ripen.

Lammas/Lughnasadh is a day for honoring Lugh, the Celtic craftsman god. Traditionaly, the begining of August is the time for Arts, Crafts & Barter Faires. It was also the time when the people came to town to bring in their harvest, make trades & purchases for the upoming winter; and a time of renegotiating contracts.
This is the time to celebrate the first of the three Pagan harvest holidays, Lammas/Lughnasadh, Mabon/the Autumn Equinox, and Samahin/Halloween.

One of my favorite ways to decorate my home & altar for Lammas, and really for any Sabbat; is to use natural symbols of the season. In this case- apples, breads, corn, grapes and other late summer produce. I usually keep it pretty simple for this particular holiday- (because it is still summer, and I am not really ready yet to turn my thoughts to Autumn!) Also, many times we are on vacation at this time.

I prepare a simple table, or shelf altar; do some baking, and some sabbat crafting - both for myself & the children. In past years I have baked braided bread, created corn dollies and other weavings, garlic braids, witch bottles, besoms, pomanders, potourris, incenses and various apple crafts, such as apple wreaths and candleholders. Here are a couple of photos of my table last year. We were on vacation in Catalina durng the week of Lammas- so I celebrated there, outdoors. It was very simple, and lovely. I even slept outside, on the deck of the small boat we were on, out under the full moon. I did have a funny thought about those three nights I spent doing that. ~Usually, I lay my crystals out in a bowl of salt water, to soak up the energy from the full moon. Instead... that time I was the crystal soaking in the energy- and instead of a bowl of salt water- I was on a boat in the sea! Pretty cool, huh?

I haven't yet made any plans for this years sabbat- but I will be sure to share with you whatever we end up doing. :) And, as always- I love to see & hear what all of you are doing to celebrate.

Happy Lammas! ~Danae <(:o) aka 'Crafty'

A New Digital Scrapbook Project To Share

2010-07-17T21:25:00.000-07:00

This is a digital scrapbook that I made recently for my Mom's birthday.

It is of my children, my Mom, and myself.

Lammastide Is Upon Us ~ Lammas Correspondences & Celebration Ideas

2010-07-15T01:00:00.000-07:00

Hello there to my friends in the blogosphere, and a Happy Lughnassadh to you all!

*This is one of the Lammas posts I wrote last year. I thought it would make a good repost to start off my Lammas/Lughnassadh series of posts for this year' Sabbat. Enjoy :)

I hope you are all having a nice Summer. It's a bit hard to believe that Lammastide is upon us again, after all, it seems as if the Summer just started; instead of time to get ready for it's big Grand Finale! But, of course, that is how it always goes.

For those of you who are marking your first turn of the Wheel as a Pagan or a Witch; there can be much to learn about this fascinating Holy Day (actually month!), and why we celebrate it.

And for those of us who have danced this Wheel many times; this is still an exciting time. We are busily making our preparations for the Sabbat; reveling in the beauty of the Season with old favorites, and adding new traditions to our repetoire as well.

Possibly harvesting our Summer Gardens, or gathering our crafts to go to one of the many Craft Faires and Festivals that mark the end of Summer. Admidst all of this hustle and bustle, the nights are getting a bit longer, and the thoughts begin to turn to the early Autumn Days ahead.

Lammas, or Lughnassadh, is the first of the Three Harvest Festivals of the Year, First Fruits, and a time to celebrate the bounty of the Harvest Mother; and a time to mourn the waning power of the God, as He is sacrificed along with the harvest.

It is a time to pay homage to Lugh, the Craftsman God of Light, as well as the Sacrificial Oak King. Also, a time to honor his Foster Mother, Tailtiu with outdoor games of skill. She was origionally a Spirit of the Land, most likely, who died after clearing the forrests of Ireland to prepare for planting.

In many agrarian cultures, it was, and in some places still is common to bring the first harvest to be blessed at the Lughnassadh Celebration, or by the Parish Preist. In addition to honoring the Spirit of the Grain by keeping the last sheath of wheat, or ear of corn, it is common to craft a Corn Mother effigy, to be sown into the feilds at the start of the next planting season.

Here are some of the correspondences of Lammas; followed by some ideas for celebrating the Sabbat, and this time of year in general. LAMMAS/LUGHNASSADH CORRESPONDENCES

ACTIVITIES & RITUALS: Giving Thanks for the Harvest of both physical and spiritual gains; The time of reaping what one has sown; Giving thanks to the Mother for her bounty upon the Earth; Marking and mourning the 'death' of the God, and the Spirit of the grain; Rituals of Releasing and Sacrificing what one wants to get rid of; Harvesting & Baking Breads; Offerings of the Produce and Grain Harvest being blessed and/or thrown into the fire; Grains being woven and braided into Goddess symbols; Corn Dollys and Grain Mothers; Doing Rituals and Spell Workings for Prosperity, Protection and the continued Fruition of Goals.

DEITIES:

GODS> Lugh, The Sun God, The Oak/Holly King, Adonis, Dionysus, Tammuz,

GODDESSES> Demeter/Ceres, Persephone, Habadonia, Sif, Hathor, Cerridwen

FOODS: All Grains, Breads, Corn, Apples (Sacred to Lugh), Early Summer Fruits and Vegetables, Summer Squash, Ciders, Ales & Wines, Berries, Grapes, Plums, Pommegranites (Pesephone), Preserves, Jams, Tarts and Pies, Honey

COLORS: Red, Yellow, Orange, Gold, Copper, Bronze, Brown, Tan- the colors of the Sun, and of Grain

SYMBOLS & DECORATIONS: Corn Dollys, Grain mothers, Braided Grains, Wheat Stalks, Corn, Threshing Tools, Scythe, Sickle, Summer Vegetables and Squashes, Dried Herbs and Flowers, Candles, Cornicopias,

TOOLS: The Athame

TAROT: Pentacles

STONES: Carnelian, Amber, Citrine, Tourmaline, Tiger's Eye, Brown Agate, Desert Rose, Red, Brown, Rutilated and Lepordskin Jasper,

INCENSE: Sandalwood, Frankincense, Patchouli, Musk, Rose,

HERBS: Acacia, Rosemary, Sage, Thyme, Cumin, Curry, Fenugreek, Cinnamon, Myrrh,

FLOWERS: Sunflowers, Zinnias, Marigolds, Daisies, Heather, Rose, Chammomile, Passionflower, Hollyhock,

TREES: Oak, Mistletoe, Cedar, Mytle, Rosewood, Madrone

IDEAS FOR CELEBRATING LAMMAS

Harvest fruits and vegetables from your garden, or pay a visit to a Farmer's Market

Make Jams, Sauces or Wines

Harvest herbs for use in charms and rituals

Make a Grain Weaving or a Corn Dolly

Kindle a Lammas fire with sacred woods and herbs

Sacrifice bad habits and unwanted things from your life by throwing them into the Sabbat fire.

Bake an Apple Pie or Berry Cobbler

Visit a Craft or Barter Faire or simply have an afternoon of crafting, by yourself or with friends, in honor of Lugh, the Master Craftsman God.

Attend an early Harvest Festival

Go Wine Tasting or host your own by having each of your friends come over for a Pot Luck Dinner and Wine Tasting

Try a new recipe for cooking your favorite summer vegetables- or try a new vegetable

Make a Sabbat Altar indoors or out

Try a new recipe for a Sabbat Oil or Incense

Go to a farm to pick apples or berries

Take a drive into the countryside to enjoy the last of summer, and the change of the seasons

Spend a clear evening outdoors observing the early autumn night sky and constellations (with or without a telescope)

Go Camping...even in your own backyard!

Take some time to observe the different species of trees, herbs and flowers that grow locally in your area this time of year.

Pay attention to which animals and birds are spending time in your area at this time of year.

Study some of the folklore that surrounds this holiday.

Learn about some of the Gods and Goddesses that are honored this time of year; read their myths.

Perform a Releasing Ritual, an Offering, or a Thanksgiving Ritual.

Make magickal Charms or Talismans to be blessed on Lammas.

**************************************************************************** ~Danae

My Latest Crafty Time Wasters...er, 'Creations' :)

2010-07-08T21:00:00.000-07:00

I have been having all sorts of fun with this Smilebox photo editing program.

These are just my first couple of creations, - and with so many photos at hand, and the countless options and projects available...I know that I will be creating many, many more! The collage (above) is of my daughter Makayla...just some photos from earlier this Spring.

And the greeting below is one I made for a very good friend that I recently reconnected with. Many more are in the works! :)

~Danae <(:o) ...lovin' my crafty life... :)

Midsummer Herb Gathering ~ Part1

2010-07-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

I had a lovely morning gathering herbs to craft my Midsummer projects with, and to burn on the Sabbat fire. Everything came from my garden; and was used for making Talismans, Spells & to decorate the Solstice Altar.

I always enjoy the gathering, admiring, arranging, photographing and wrapping of the flowers and herbs. It always reminds me of the flower shops I used to work in. Then I have the added bonus of working them into my crafting.

Here is what was used:

LavendarRosemary

Thyme (broad leafed)
*

Thyme (common)

Basil

Geraniums (red, light & bright pink)

White Jasmine (night blooming)

Mint

Pink Jasmine Dandelion (Blossoms, Greens & Seed Puffs)

White Roses

Purple Blossoms (unknown species)

Dustyy Miller

Midsummer Herb Gathering ~ Part 2

2010-07-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

9 Bundles of Herbs For The Sabbat Fire

Here are the little blessing bundles I made for burning in the Sabbat fire.
I charged them with their purposes; and after they dried out a bit
-we burned them on the night of the Solstice.
*
Jasmine, Lavendar, Mint

Thyme (common) & (broad leaf)

Basil

RosemaryDusty Miller Rose Petals

Our Midsummer Crafting - Solstice Wands

2010-07-04T10:00:00.000-07:00

Here are the photos from our Midsmmer Solstice Wand crafting project.

As you can see- we had lot of fun!

This particular project was done by my daughter, my son and their friend, Angela.

The kids started out by going outside and searching for the perfect branches with which to make their wands from. Somewhere along the way- my son decided that he wanted to make 2 Sabbat projects; and that these 2 would not be Solstice wands. No, he wanted to make a Solstice staff and a spear! (Boys!) The girls stuck to the origional plan with the wands. Look at my sassy little Witchy daughter! She loves hamming it up for the camera...and for you guys.

After the perfect branches were found, I showed the children how to measure them from the tips of their fingers to their elbows (for the wands); and the proper length for a staff (for my son). JD decided that he liked his staff all 'branchy' on the end, so he left it au natural. Then he 'sharpened' the tip of his spear with another stick.

After that, we set about decorating them. I got out a few different types of embellishments- both natural & manmade; and in the end they all chose to use cheap, but colorful, gift wrapping ribbon. I was a little dissapointed- but then grateful that my good supplies were spared!

The girls both used curly ribbon to wind along the length of their wands. I explained to them the various symbolism of the color choices- and they picked their colors based on that.

Jeremiah wanted to keep it simple- and chose a golden bow for his staff, the color of the Sun; and a dark green one for his spear, for the colors of the forest God.

Unfortunately I did not remember to get any photos of JD getting crafty- because he had me helping him attach the bows. But here are a few pics of the girls hard at work, wrapping their wands.

While the girls were finishing up- Jeremiah & I went outside to test out his staff & spear. He stood proudly with his Solar Staff for a couple of pictures. (Check out his new mohawk. He thinks he is cooler than cool now!)

Then he demonstrated to me how well he could maneuver his spear. He had so much fun playing with that stick! He even had me take a video of him running around the yard in mock combat.

I used that oppourtunity to remind him of the mythic and metaphoric battle between the Oak & Holly Kings- and how our ancestors would celebrate this holiday with the same mock battles, games & other similar sports. He liked that. He took that oppourtunity to teach Mom about the weaponry of the Vikings & Celts. (He loves Deadliest Warrior!) All in all- great fun.

Then the girls finished up their wands & came outside to show them off.

Here is Makayla's...

Our friend Angela's...

A few cute girly poses for the camera.And then it was time to charm the cats! Our furry familiars had been doing their best to get in on the fun- after all- what cat can resist curly ribbon? Certainly not mine!

This top photo is Sadie (the Mama cat- and my baby); and the lower photos are of our smallest kitten, 8 month old Tootsie.
Tootsie had taken off with a few peices of the ribbon while the girls were crafting the wands... and soon after she tired of chasing the ribbon wands- she went back to attacking her own ribbon buddies. (Lazy cat!)

We all had a nice Midsummer's Eve afternoon with this. Then, we had some more Midsummer fun later. I have more photos coming in the next post.

~Danae <(:o)

PS~ I hope that all of my American readers are having a real nice Fourth of July. (And that everyone else is having a lovely weekend as well!)

Crafty Witch Files: A Full Moon Apple Love Spell

2010-06-24T05:00:00.000-07:00

Casting spells during or near the time of the full moon heightens the power of any spell. It is a great time for performing spells that attract things to you like money or for getting a promotion at work. This spell will help to bring love or a special someone into your life.

Ingredients:
1 red apple
Red or pink rose petals
1 large sheet of pink paper (or white paper, and pink pen) -it must be large enough to create a package to contain the apple & rose petals & fold 3 times.
Red ribbon
Knife

Step 1
On the pink paper, write down all the charateristics you wish to attract in a partner & a love relationship. Do not name any names, or think specifically about a particular person; as this is manipulative, and actually limits the scope of the spell. That peron may, or may not be right for you- but by attracting the essence & qualities of a person & a relationship, you 'place your order' to the universe- and, the universe will provide.

Step 2
Hold the apple and while holding it up to the Moon say, "Lady Moon of sky above,

grant my wish and send me love."

*
Step 3
Take the knife and carve into the apple two hearts that touch one another.
*

Step 4
Place the apple on the pink paper and sprinkle the rose petals over it.
*

Step 5
Mark the petition on the four corners with your saliva- thus creating a personal connection. Close up the sheet of paper, securing all the contents inside; folding it 3 times towards yourself. Make the 1st fold, and turn clockwise, then repeat the procedure untill you have made 3 folds.

Tie the package up withthe red ribbon, using a total of three knots. While you are making the knots, visualize on your wish to attract love.
*

Step 6
Take the newly made package somewhere out in a natural setting, like the woods or your backyard, and leave it there, hidden under a rock or bush. Say thank you to the Goddess, and walk away knowing that the energies are already working on bringing you the partner, and love situation that is best for you. The spell is done.

Backing Up The Work

Now you must back up the spell work on the physical plane by making yourself available to love. You cannot expect to simply cast a spell and have "Mr. Right" stumble to your doorstep. The best way that I know how to do this, is to do some sl-work, and 'clear the way' for love to come into my life.

This may mean working on one's attitude, body, approach to men & generally 'putting one's self out there'. Think of several possible places to meet potential partners. Also, consider the types of patners you would like to date, and where you may find them. The bar may not be the best place, depending on the type of people you want to attract.

Be sure that you are being true to yourself in this, as well. If you are not generally physically active- do not go to the gym to meet potential dates. Likewise, if you hate sports- don't fool yourself (or anyone else) by hunting down a sports fanatic. This doesn't mean that you should only date people who are into exactly the same things that you are- just be sure that the face that you are showing to potential dates is the true you. Don't fake it just to get the person to like you, because it is only a matter of time before the real you comes out.

The other best thing that I know to attract potential love relationshps into my life, is to get real busy doing things that you love to do. Nothing attracts love like happiness. If you are filling your life with positive action- you will excert a glow that is virtually irresistable to others.

For more information & articles on casting Love Spells- click on the "Love Magick" link at the bottom of this post.

Cooking For The Sabbats ~ Candied Ginger & Fiery Grilled Salmon ~ Litha & Midsummer Solstice Recipes ~

2010-06-20T05:00:00.000-07:00

Litha Cooking - Midsummer Sabbat Recipes*

Litha is the celebration of the summer solstice - and what's a Sabbat celebration without food? Take advantage of the summer crops of fruit and vegetables, and prepare a delicious feast for your Midsummer gatherings. This batch of Sabbat Reipes comes to us from Patti Wiggington, at About.com.Enjoy!

Candied Ginger

The sweet taste of sugar combines with the fiery tang of ginger, for a unique (and hot!) blend of flavors. Mix up a batch and enjoy all summer long!

Ginger is a root vegetable found in a lot of Asian cuisine, but it can be grown all over the world. To make this recipe, you'll need about a pound of ginger root, which you can either grow yourself or pick up at your local grocery store. Candy it with sugar and corn syrup, then store it for a fiery and sweet snack combination!

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 12 hours

Ingredients:

1 lb ginger root

3 Cups white sugar, divided

2 Cups water

1/2 Cup white corn syrup

Preparation:

Peel the skin from the ginger root completely, and chop into small pieces.

Combine 2 cups of sugar, the water and the corn syrup in a crock pot and bring to high heat, stirring occasionally.

Once the sugar has melted, add the ginger to the liquid.

Cover, reduce heat, and allow to simmer overnight, or for about 12 hours.

Once the ginger has simmered overnight, drain off liquid.

Place ginger in a bowl with the remaining 1 cup of sugar, and toss so that it's completely coated.

Pour our on a sheet of wax paper to cool (it helps to put them on a baking tray in the fridge).

Store in an airtight container, and snack on whenever you need a fiery pick-me-up!

Fiery Grilled Salmon

In Celtic lore, the salmon is associated with knowledge. In fact, the first person to taste this delicious fish was granted all kinds of wisdom! Why not toss a salmon into the flame so you can partake of its vast knowledge? This simple dish can be prepared out on your grill to keep the kitchen cool, and tastes just as good cold the next day on top of a salad.

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

2 lbs salmon fillets, skin on

1/4 C. soy sauce

1/4 C. Dijon mustard

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 C. olive oil

Preparation:

Combine the olive oil, soy sauce, Dijon mustard, garlic and cayenne pepper in a bowl and whisk together.

Using a barbeque brush, brush half of the soy sauce mix onto the salmon fillets.

Place them sauce-side down (skin-side up) on the grill for about six to seven minutes.

Brush the remainder of the sauce onto the skin side, and use a large spatula to flip the fillets over.

Grill for another five minutes or so and remove from heat.

Allow the fillets to sit for about ten minutes before serving.

Note:

A well cooked fish is one that isn't too dry. When you remove the salmon from the grill, it may seem undercooked in the center. However, once it sits for ten minutes, the heat in the juices will make it finish cooking. Don't cook salmon until it "looks cooked" in the middle, because by then it will dry out and lose its flavor.

Cooking for the Sabbats ~ Savory Snack Wrap & Fresh Fruit Fennel Salad ~ Litha & Midsummer Solstice Recipes

2010-06-19T05:00:00.000-07:00

Litha Cooking - Midsummer Solstice Sabbat Recipes
*
Litha is the celebration of the summer solstice - and what's a Sabbat celebration without food? Take advantage of the summer crops of fruit and vegetables, and prepare a delicious feast for your Midsummer gatherings. This batch of Sabbat Reipes comes to us from Patti Wiggington, at About.com.

Savory Snack Wraps

These tasty wraps are a great appetizer for your Sabbat menu, or they can work just as well for a light meal. Make with your leftover chicken, or go for a vegetarian option instead.

These snack wraps are easy to make, and can be prepped ahead of time and chilled in the fridge. They work nicely as an appetizer for any summer menu, or you can put together a variety of them as a main course for a light dinner.

*
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 00 minutes

*
Ingredients:
10 flour tortillas
1 package cream cheese, softened
1 Tbs. fresh dill
1 garlic clove, minced
1 C. shredded lettuce
1 C. shredded carrots
1 C. diced tomato
1 lb. chicken breast, cooked and diced
2 C. your favorite cheese, shredded

*
Preparation:
Mix the dill and garlic into the cream cheese, and stir until blended. Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly onto the tortillas.

In layers, add the lettuce, carrots, tomato and chicken breast. Top with cheese.

*
To roll the tortillas up, fold the bottom of the tortilla up, and then fold in from one side. Use a toothpick to keep it from unrolling, and chill for an hour or so before serving.

*
Veggie-lover's option: Instead of the chicken, used diced and cooked tofu, seasoned with a bit of teriyaki or soy sauce. You can also use chopped cucumbers or peppers. For a gluten-free alternative, use brown rice tortillas instead of flour.

*
Fresh Fruit Fennel Salad

Fennel has a rich, licorice-like flavor, and lends itself well to a cool summer salad. Add a bit of fruit to offset the savoriness of the fennel, top with a light mustard viniagrette, and you've got the perfect salad to serve as a side or main course.

*
Prep Time: 20 minutes

*
Ingredients:
1 large fennel bulb
2 fresh oranges
1 Granny Smith apple
3 green onions
1/4 C. water
3 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 Tbs. honey mustard
1 Tbs. chopped fresh rosemary
1 garlic clove, minced

*
Preparation:
Shave the fennel into thin pieces, and toss it into a bowl.

Peel and divide the oranges, and chunk up the Granny Smith apples, dice the green onions, and add all these to the fennel.

*
Combine the water, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, honey mustard, rosemary and garlic in a bowl and whisk until blended.

Drizzle over the fennel and fruit salad.
*

Enjoy!

Crafting For The Sabbats- Lavender Summer Solstice Ritual Potpourri

2010-06-18T17:00:00.000-07:00

This simple Sabbat Potpourri is crafted from Summer herbs

that are abundant and easy to come by.

(Feel free to substitute with any other Midsummer herbs

that may go along well with the recipe.)

Summer Solstice Ritual Potpourri

*
Recipe from Gerina Dunwich

45 drops lavender oil

1 cup oak moss

2 cups dried lavender

2 cups dried wisteria

2 cups dried verbena

~Mix the lemon or lavender oil with the oak moss,

and then add the remaining ingredients.

~Stir the potpourri well and store

in a tightly covered ceramic or glass container.

(The above recipe for "Summer Solstice Ritual Potpourri"

is quoted directly from Gerina Dunwich's book

"The Wicca Spellbook: A Witch's Collection of Wiccan Spells, Potions and Recipes",

page 162, A Citadel Press Book, Carol Publishing Group, 1994/1995)

Cooking for the Sabbats ~ Blueberry Mead Recipe ~ Litha and Midsummer Solstice Sabbat Recipes

2010-06-18T15:00:00.000-07:00

Blueberry Mead Recipe

In it’s simplest form, Mead is a wine made from honey, water and yeast. It is the oldest fermented beverage in the world, and was probably discovered by some hapless nit-wit who left his leather honey pouch open over night in the rain. A couple days later, the honey was a little more magical tasting than usual.

*
Mead has enjoyed a rich history in Viking culture- fallen warriors were believed to arrive in the halls of Valhalla in the afterlife, where, after a day of hard battling, they feasted on crackled pork at Odin’s table all night long. In the middle of the hall, a giant she-goat stood on her hind legs and nibbled on a pine branch while rich mead poured of our her teats.

*
Don’t you just love it already?

*
There are many types of mead that can be made by adding various ingredients to the basic recipe of honey, water and yeast.

* Start your mead now for next Midsummer. For best results, mead should ferment about a year, but this mead won an award after only four months!

*
Ingridients:
Primary Fermentation:
10 lbs Wildflower Honey

5 lbs Frozen Blueberries

4 gal Water

Wyeast Dry Mead Yeast (3-4 packets)

*
Secondary Fermentation:
5 lbs Wildflower Honey

5 lbs Frozen Blueberries

* Procedure:
Boil 3.5 gals of water to eliminate chlorine.

When cooled to 160 degrees F., steep fruit in cheesecloth for 30 min.

Remove bag slowly and let drip till it stops.

Return mixture (called the "must" or "wort" by brewers) to 140 degrees F.,

remove from burner and dissolve honey in it.

Chill to 65 degrees F.

Aerate by stirring and pitch (throw in) large starter of Wyeast Dry Mead yeast

(Four packets is not too many).
Ferment one month in a large five gallon glass jug.

Add honey to primary stirring till it dissolves. Add additional berries.

Ferment another month or two. Rack into a second five-gallon jug.

Ferment another 4-6 months before bottling. (That is, if you can stand it.)

*
This award-winning mead recipe is created by Phil Wilcox

*
Have a blessed summer solstice!

Simple & Practical Ways to Celebrate the MidSummer Solstice

2010-06-18T05:00:00.000-07:00

Simple & Practical Ways to Celebrate the Mid Summer Solstice-

- Spend the day in the sunshine;

either at the beach, lake, dessert, park or in the backyard

.... just get outside!

- Place herbs, cake, (or bread), honey and incense

in the garden for the faeries on Midsummer's Eve

*
-Jump the balefire, cauldron or candle.

(Urban Wiches have even been known to jump the hibatchi!)

-Create a ring of candles, fire bowls or even tea lights, and use for ritual, to dance within and around, and for meditation on this night

-Float lights in a lake or pool. Make wishes for the year

-Burn the Yule wreath now

-If you made Sun Wheels at Imbolc,

they should be displayed prominently

*
-Paint witches runes (the hagalaz rune), hex signs

or other six-pointed figures on wood, or paper for protection.

Hang indoors or out

*
-Midsummer is Gathering Day.

Gather plants in the wild, being careful

that they don't touch the ground after being cut

(their magickal energy will drain into the earth)

- Perform herbal magick. Craft & Charge herbal charms

-Cook with fresh herbs

-Use the potent magical energy of this Sabbat

for Divination; especially fire scrying.

-The Teutons gathered ash sticks at Midsummer

for wands, walking sticks, staffs, stangs and staves.

Decorate with magickal symbols, gemstones, beads, feathers,

sigils, words, fabric, ribbon, or whatever strikes you

*
-Make God's Eyes to be used as a protective talisman or for decoration

-Gather buckeye's (horse chestnuts),

which were sacred to some Native Americans

and used protective amulets

-Talismans for our animals' collars

should be blessed and given at this time.

*
-Make a solar wheel.

Wind grape, or other vines into a circle, twisting as you go.

Cut two short lengths of twigs to be just a bit larger than the diameter of the circle and place one across the back horizontally and one vertically.

Decorate with symbols of the season -- stones, feathers, shells, etc.

and red, yellow, and gold ribbons.

Hang in a tree or inside as a reminder of the God/dess' protection.

-Make a witches ladder.

-Gallop through garden on Midsummer's Eve

on a broomstick to ensure a bountiful harvest and personal fertility.

*
-Celebrate the day outside hiking, bike riding,

swimming, and participating in other summertime activities.

- Make a Faerie Garden; either in nature,

or in a small dish to be enjoyed indoors

*
- In Celtic tradition, one that is followed by many, to this very day-

people spend the night before Solstice out on the hills awaiting the dawn

and seeking inspiration

*
- Have friends over and enjoy food and celebrations

*
- Dance, drum, sing and make merry!

*
- Get some elderflower cordial

(found at most shopping centres and health food stores)

and mix with champagne or use for jellys

to bring the fun and the sacred together

-Start some Mead, or Dandelion Wine for next year

*
- Decorate the house with orange and yellow flowers

*
- Put a big sunflower, or bouquet of other orange

and yellow flowers by your bed or on your work desk

*
- Light torches, have bon fires or roll a sun wheel lit on fire down a hill

*
- Decorate your altar with sunflowers, marigolds,

orange, gold, yellow & red fabrics, orange and yellow crystals

and images of the Sun

*
- Children often enjoy activities such as making decorations

with golden tinsel and images of the sun,

making a sun dial and planting sun flowers

- Bake Solar Wheel cookies or rolls

- Create a Wheel of the Year project with your children;

show them the correlation between the clock,

and the 8 Sabbats & the Seasons

*
- Have a picnic with friends and children and bathe in the sun

*
- Place mugwort and any other midsummer herbs

under your pillow on Solstice night

to encourage dreams on this night of strong magick

*
- Celebrate the light and joy of the sun

by hanging lanterns around your home,

lighting candles or hanging fairy lights

- Burn herbs for the Sun and to make wishes for the coming season;

9 is the traditional number

- Leave out a dish for Sun water (preferably gold)

on Solstice night and bath in the water on Solstice morning

(an ancient spell for youth & beauty)

- Throw coins or offering into water or streams on Solstice morning

- Go for a swim in the Solstice sunshine

- Leave crystals out for cleansing & charging under the Solstice Sun

- Light a candle or lantern with the Solstice Sun at Dawn,

Welcome his light and his nurturing to the Earth Mother

and give thanks at Sunset as he departs

-Light an vigil candle to burn from sunset on Midsummer's Eve,

untill sunset on Solstice Day;

or even to last for the entire 3 days of the Sabbat.

- Write letters to the special men in your life,

especially your father, and husband, or partner;

and tell them how they nurture you

- Watch the sunset and burn herbs in thanks to the Sun God

- After dark, place an offering of milk,

honey and herbs into the ground

to welcome the Mother

- Take a walk in nature, and pick a wildflower bouqet

- Summer Herbs harvested on this day

are said to be at their peak of magcal power

- Use this Sabbat's energy to lend power

to any projects you may have going

- Make blessing & protection talimans for your home or car;

or travel charms for any upcoming vacations

- Write out a list of your current goals

and do spell to bring your 'crops' to a fruitful 'harvest'

- Use this time to research the Summer Solstice;

either Gods & Goddesses, herbs, crystals, totem animals,

or the various traditions practiced at this time throughout the world

- Tap in to the increased power of the season

to send energy to environmental causes- such as conservation,

animal protection, or even the cleanup efforts in the Gulf

However you decide to celebrate this Mid Summer Solstice

- I wish you & yours much light,love & happiness!

Bright Litha Blessings!

~Danae <(:o) aka ' Crafty'

Herbs for the Summer Solstice and their Magical Uses

2010-06-17T15:00:00.000-07:00

Herbs for Summer Solstice and their Magical Uses

Midsummer's Eve & Day are considered highly potent times to harvest herbs, and for herbal magicks of all kinds. Protection, prosperity, fertility & love, as well as divination are the most common. Amulets, poppets and other charms are created and charged to be used throughout the year.

Herbs are harvested, for food, medicine and magick. They are cooked into Sabbat treats, crafted into charms, and thrown into the fire on Midsummer Night. Traditionaly At Midsummer, nine different herbs are thrown into the blaze -- mistletoe, vervain, St. John's Wort, heartsease and lavender are usually among the nine chosen, but the nine can be chosen from this list of popular Midsummer herbs:

*
Basil:

Hot/Mars/Fire

- Purification, Love, Exorcism, Wealth, Protection.

Known as the Witches' Herb. An ingredient commonly used in purification baths. Add to protection and exorcism amulets. Widely used in love magick as well as for money, wealth and prosperity.

***

Bay:

Hot/Sun/Fire

- Protection, Clairvoyance, Exorcism, Purification, Healing.

Burn leaves to induce visions. Wear as an amulet to ward off negativity and evil. Burn and scatter on the floor in purification rituals. Put leaves under the pillow to induce inspiration and prophetic dreams. Pick while facing East at sunrise.

***

Chamomile:

Hot/Sun/Water

- Relaxing, Sleep Inducing, Attracts Money and Prosperity, Love, Purification.

Traditional herb of the Sun and Midsummer. Useful in magick worked for children. Helpful when burned as an incense for inducing trance states and when meditating.

***

Carnation:

Hot/Sun/Fire

- Protection, Energy, Power.

Once worn by Witches to prevent an untimely death on the scaffold. Dry nine red carnations in the Sun, crumble them and separate from stems. Pour one dram of carnation oil over them; mix well and smoulder on charcoal for a tremendously powerful incense. Produces tons of energy.

***

Cinnamon:

Hot/Sun/Fire

- Protection, Love, Prosperity, Passion, Energy.

Adds extra energy to any spell or magical working. Use to make a Besom. Burn to raise very high spiritual vibrations and to induce clairvoyant visions. Used in love spells; especially to excite the passions to the male.

***

Cinquefoil (five finger grass):

Hot/Jupiter/Earth

- Money, Protection, Prophetic Dreams, Sleep, Healing.

Hang on door for protection. Represents love, money, health, power and wisdom. Is a all purpose magical herb.

***

Clove:

Hot/Sun/Fire

- Love,Protection, Healing, Strength & Vigor, Prosperity.

Worn to drive away hostile and negative forces. Stops gossip. Carry to strengthen the memory and add to sachets to attract the opposite sex. A necklace of cloves, threaded onto a red string, is often given to new babies for protection. (Be sure to hang it far out of reach.)

***

Dill:

Hot/Mercury/Fire

- Protection, Love, Properity

Add a half a cup of dill seeds into a bath to attract a woman.

***

Dragon's Blood:

Hot/Mars/Fire

- Energy, Purification, Protection, Love, Fertility.

Add a pinch of ground resin to incenses to increase their potency and effectiveness.

***

Fennel:

Protection, healing, fertility, purification.

Protects home and family; ability to face danger/adversity. Gathered Midsummer Eve and hung in the home.

***

Fern:

Hot/Saturn/Earth

- Protection, Love, Male Fertility & Virility, Magical Energy, Invisibility.

The unexpanded fronds of the male fern gathered on Midsummer morning at dawn, *without touching the plant* onto a white sheet; and are dried over a Midsummer fire and kept for protection & use in magical preparations throughout the year. Called "Lucky Hands". Very powerful for all Midsummer magick.

***

Hawthorne:

Hot/Mars/Fire

- Protection.

Make a lightening charm of the wood. Used in protection sachets. Carry to ensure good hunting & fishing; as well as protection when travelling. Witches often danced skyclad beneath Hawthorne trees in England to increase their magical powers; (and still do!).

***

Helitrope:

Hot/Sun/Fire

- Clairvoyance, Exorcism, Healing, Prophetic Dreams, Invisibility, Wealth & Prosperity.

Put under the pillow, or in dream sachets to induce prophetic dreaming. Especially good for discovering the culprit when you have been the victim of thievery. Use in healing sachets and incenses.

***

Honeysuckle:

Hot/Jupiter/Earth

- Prosperity, Clairvoyance, Happiness.

Ring green candles with the blossoms to attract money. Add to prosperity sachets. Lightly rub the cut flowers (or essential oil, cut with a carrier oil) onto the Third Eye to heighten clairvoyant visions.

***

Lavender:

Hot/Mercury/Air

- Love, Protection, Purification, Relaxing, Sleep, Happiness, Peace, Stability, Calm, Blessings.

Traditionally thrown into the Midsummer fire, as a sacrifice to the ancient Sun Gods to ensure a good year. Used to attract men. Common addition to sachets, healing baths and incense blends. Lavender, St Johns Wort and Verbena have been traditionally bound together as a solstice fire offering. You can make wishes for the coming season, or burn something you wish to change.

***

Lemon Balm:

Purification and Love.

Often used in teas and washes; as well as used dry, in sachets. Makes a great addition to purification baths.

***

Lovage:

Hot/Sun/Water

- Purification, Love.

Add the root to purification baths to cleans the aura and psyche. As a love attractor, is added to the bath with seven rose bud to make one more attractive to their intended.

***

Marigold:

Hot/Sun/Fire

- Love, Happiness, Friendship, Prosperity, General Healing & Healing of Relationships, Clairvoyance, Luck in Court Cases.

Linked to the Sun and to Midsummer. Traditionally used in Handfastings- some of it's common names are: Summer's Bride, Husband's Dial, Bride of the Sun, and Spousa Solis.Gather at noon for increased magical energy- this is especially potent on the Summer Solstice. A magically charged vase of these flowers brings a renewed surge of vitality to everyone in the vicinity.

***

Mint:

Cold/Venus/Air

Healing, Purification, Prosperity, Relaxation

This prolific grower belongs in the garden of every Witch; as it's uses are nearly endless, in the kitchen, the medicine cabinet and in magick of all kinds. Use in charms to bring prosperity and wealth. Add to healing incenses and charms, as well as using it medicinally for healing. Rub over the afflicted part of the patient, if possible; alternately, stuff a poppet with mint, and a combination of other healing herbs. Inhale to aid in relaxation, and anxiety. Burn to purify & cleanse the home, before ritual, in the Winter, and after illness.

***

Mistletoe:

Hot/Sun/Air

- Protection, Healing, Fertility, Love, Magick.

Mistletoe berries were gathered on Solstice night, legends said the berries infused with the suns power of this night would turn golden and were prized for their healing ability. Herb of the Sun & the Sun Gods. The wood is often carved into rings, wands and other magical objects. Used in the creation of amulets. Said to help women conceive and cures impotency in men. Anti-Lightning charm. Called "All Heal"- is helpful in healing of all kinds, especially wounds. Ironically, Mistletoe was used by Loki (the Trickster), to trick the blind Hod (son of Odin), to kill his twin brother Balder (the sacrificial Sun God) at Midsummer; in Norse Mythology.

***

Mugwort-

Cold/Venus/Air

- Midsummer herb for Protection, Clairvoyance, Prophecy & Divination.

Traditional Midsummer herb used for ritual bathing, women’s magick of all kinds. Mugwort is a favorite Witch's herb, and is used in teas and dream pillows for heightened intuition, prophecy & visions. It's young leaves can be used to rub onto magic mirrors, crystal balls, Tarot Cards, and other tools used in Divination. It can also be made into a simple, and used as a wash for scrying tools. Use mugwort by itself, or in blends to burn while meditating or scrying. It is a common ingredient in amulets for protection of the home and for safety while traveling. When put into the shoes, it is said to prevent fatigue on long journeys. Pick before sunrise during the Waxing Moon, preferably from a plant that leans to the North. The plant's powers are strongest when picked on the Full Moon; and also on Midsummer morn.

***

Mullein:

Cold/Saturn/Fire

- Courage, Protection, Health, Love, Divination, Exorcism.

Wear to instill courage. Used as a substitute for candles when working in a place where fire cannot be used. The powdered leaves are known as 'graveyard dust' and a are acceptable to use when it is called for in recipes.

***

Myrrh:

Hot/Sun/Water

- Protection, Purification.

The smoke is used to cleanse and consecrate sacred space as well as magickal objects and spells. Often combined with Frankincense; and is a standard herb used in magick and ritual.

***

Nettle:

Hot/Mars/Fire

- Exorcism, Protection, Healing.

Stuff a poppet or sachet with Nettle to remove a curse and send it back to the sender. Highly protective herb. Fights lust.

***

Nutmeg:

Hot/Jupiter/Air

- Clairvoyance, Prosperity, Love.

Add sparingly to divination incenses to aid in clairvoyance and prophetic visions.

***

Oak:

Hot/Sun/Fire

- Fertility,Protection, Longevity.

The most sacred and royal of all magical trees. Held in highest honor during Midsummer. Magical rites are often performed in groves of Oak trees; and the most powerful mistletoe grows on these trees. Burn Oak eaves to purify the atmosphere. Use the wood to make wands for all magickal purposes- especially good for men, and/or God magick.

The acorn is a fertility nut of the highest powers, being carried to help conceive and to promote sexual relations. It is worn or carried to preserve youthfulness, and to ward off illness. As an amulet, it is highly protective of home and person. Witches traditionally made necklaces of acorns to symbolise the fertile powers of nature. This was especially popular during the winter months when such reassurance was necessary.

Men carry the acorn to increase their own attractiveness and virility; and to cure impotency. When you gather the leaves, acorns or branches, it is traditional to pour a libation of wine onto the roots of the Oak tree. Gather the acorns during the day, and the leaves and wood at night. Fell oaks only on the wane of the Moon. Elder, Birch, Oak, Ash and Thorn, used together, or separately, are traditional herbs to see Faeries on Solstice night

***

Orange:

Hot/Sun/Water

- Love, Happiness, Wealth & Prosperity, Healing, Energy & Vitality.

Used in love spells, for glamour and attraction. Excellent when used in spells and rituals to ward off depression and sadness.

***

Rose:

Cold/Venus/Water

- Love, Fertility, Healing, Divination, Clairvoyance, Luck, Protection.

Roses are commonly used in all sorts of love magick and rituals. Wash your hands in Ros Water before preparing a love spell. Use the dried petals in sachets, incenses and bath teas, The hips are very healing, as they contain a lot of Vitamin C- so are especially potent in healing magick; and because these are the reproductive organs of the flower- they are useful in fertility magick as well. Used in spells for beauty, and to make one attractive to their intended. A sacred flower of the Goddess. Represent abundance, beauty and fertility.

***

Rosemary:

Hot/Sun/Fire

- Purification, Love, Intellectual, Protection, Exorcism.

Wear a chaplet of Rosemary to aid the memory. It has connections wit the sea- and is useful in all issues involving the ocean and safe passage, and is generally good for all forms of travel. A good protective sachet to be made for boat travel, is made of rosemary (for protection), garlic (to stop storms), and mistletoe (to guard against lightning). Burn rosemary and juniper as a healing and recuperation incense. Make a simple of rosemary and use it to wash the hands before working magick when you do not have the time for a full ritual bath. Commonly used in protection talismans and spells- especially in the form of a wreath.

***

Rue:

Hot/Sun/Fire

- Healing, Health, Mental Powers, Exorcism, Love, Purification.

Crush the herb, and inhale the aroma to cure oneself of envious thoughts, unrequited love, and egotism. The herb is used to still painful love. Used in spells to overcome inertia and get things moving.

***

Sage:

Hot/Jupiter/Earth

- Healing, Prosperity, Purification.

Used commonly as a purifying herb to smudge sacred space and purify objects. Add to healing and prosperity sachets and spells.

***

Saffron:

Hot/Sun/Fire

- Purification, Clairvoyance, Healing.

Make a tea, and use to cleanse the hands before healing rituals. Sometimes used to raise the wind, by throwing it into the air from a high place; or by burning it and watching the smoke rise. Used to carry messages and prayers to the Otherworld. burn the herb as a healing incense, and use the herb in healing mixtures.

***

Sunflower:

-Hot/Sun/Fire

Protection, Fertility, Happiness

The flowers growing in a garden cannot help but bring joy and mirth to the surroundings; and are a blessing upon the home. There is strong fertility magick held within the seeds; and are eaten on the Waxing Moon, by women who wish to conceive.

***

Thyme:

Cold/Venus/Air

- Health, Healing, Sleep, Psychic Powers, Love, Purification, Courage.

Burn as an incense to cleanse & fumigate magical spaces. A pillow stuffed with Thyme prevents nightmares. Wear a sprig at funerals to shield oneself from the negativity and sorrow of the mourners.

***

St. Johnswort:

Hot/Sun/Fire

- Health, Protection, Fire, Strength, Love, Divination, Happiness.

Traditionally gathered at mid-Summer for increased magical potency. Herb to honour the Sun/Bel. Hang around the neck to ward off fevers. Pass the herb thru the smoke from the Midsummer fire; then hang it in your home as a protection. At one time this herb was held to the mouths of Witches to make them confess. Wear the herb to make you invincible and courageous in battles of all kinds. Strengthens the will. Fights depression and hopelessness, when used both magically and medicinally.

***

Verbena/Vervain:

Cold/Venus/Water

- Love, Purification, Protection, Money & Prosperity, Youth, Sleep & Dreaming, Healing.

Gathered on Midsummer Eve and soaked in water to honor the Sun. This herb is calming, relieves stress, aids prophetic dreaming, helps with insomnia;and promotes general feelings of peace. Used in love spells of all kinds, and is said to be a magical aphrodisiac. Used to attract wealth. Van Van is one of it's common names; as well as Juno's Tears and Herb of Enchantment.

***

Yarrow:

Cold/Venus/Water

- Courage, Love, Psychic Powers, Clairvoyance, Exorcism.

Yarrow is commonly used in love sachets and charms for marriage. It is said to have the power to keep a couple happily together for seven years. When worn as an amulet, it wards off negativity, and aids the disposition. Drink as a tea to enhance powers of prception and assist in divination.

***************************************************************************

There are so many great herbs traditionally used during Midsummer, I could not possibly list and research them all. I have limited the list to the ones that I am familiar with through use... and here are a few more of my beloved Midsummer herbs that are awaiting their entries in the above listing.

star anise, chive, chervil, tarragon, parsley, hyssop, red heather, white heather, rue, meadowsweet, heartsease, feverfew, iris, rowan, fir, pine, aniseed, hazelnut.

Crystals & Gemstones for the Midsummer Solstice and Their Magical Uses

2010-06-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

In addition to the crystals of the season, clear quartz, which has its own powers,
is the stone that can be substituted for all others, so it is included here. Amber is fossilized resin of coniferous trees that lived about 24 to 34 million years ago during the Oligocene epoch. Amber comes from the Baltic Sea.
*
Abalone are shelfish, and their shells are prize for their beautiful irridescent sheen, and used widely in jewelry.
*
Pearls are produced by mollusks, primarily oysters.
*
Although these aren’t stones, they are considered included among the others on the list for their many healing qualities and magical uses; as well as their Midsummer correspondences. Abalone: Moon & ocean magick, women's issues, fertility, protection, love, beauty, healing, increases creativity & feelings of self love, fights depression, psychisism
Agate: Protection, love, healing, strength, courage, longevity
Alexandrite: Love, luck
Amber: Beauty, love, healing, strength, protection, luck, attraction
Aventurine: Peace, healing, mental ability, money, luck
Beryl: Psychicism, energy, love, healing
Carnelian: Peace, protection, eloquence, courage, healing
Cat’s-Eye: Beauty, health, protection, healing
Chrysolite: Tranquility, serenity, healing, sleep, dispels negativity
Chrysopase: Success, luck, happiness, friendship, healing, protection
Crystal quartz: Psychicism, power, protection, healing, sustitute for all other stones
Diamond: Spirituality, peace, courage, protection, reconciliation, health, strength
Jade: Wisdom, protection, longevity, prosperity, love, healing, money
Lapis Lazuli: Joy, fidelity, psychicism, protection, love, healing, courage,
Moonstone: Divination, sleep, love, psychicism, youth, protection
Pearl: Luck, protection, love, money
Peridot: Health, wealth, sleep, protection, tranquility
Ruby: Joy, anti-nightmare, power, wealth, protection
Sapphire: Meditation, defensive magick, healing, power, psychicism, peace, love, money
Sardonyx: Romantic happiness, eloquence, peace, protection, courage, luck
Topaz: Protection, healing, love, money
Tourmaline: Friendship, energy, business, courage, peace, health, love
Turquoise: Friendship, courage, luck, money, protection,

Flowers of the Midsummer Solstice & Magical Meanings

2010-06-16T04:00:00.000-07:00

Summer flowers, in all of their glorious colors, shapes and scents, are in abundance at this time of year; and are an easy and beautiful way to reflect the joy of this Sabbat. You can use this list as a reference for choosing flowers for your Midsummer altar, charms and spells; as well as for projects thoughout the rest of the year.

*
Anenome: Healing, protection from disease

Amaranth: Unfading love, immortality
Aster: Love, friendship, happiness,
Baby’s breath: Constancy, pure heart, innocence,
Chamomile:Prosperity, meditation, healing, happiness, children's magicks, innocence, fidelity, relaxing,

Carnation: Loveliness, pride, beauty, deep love, friendship, protection, energy
Chrysanthemum: Love, truth, cheerfulness, optimism, fidelity, friendship
Cockscomb: Affection, beauty, vibrance & energy
Daisy: Innocence, fidelity, simplicity, youth, friendship, happiness,
Fern: Protection, love, fertility, attraction of males, fights impotency in men, highly magical garden herb, especially potent during Midsummer, add fern fronds to bouquets of flowers to enhance their on magical properties.

Freesia: Innocence, intoxicating aura, beauty,
Geranium: Healing, protection, gentility, love, friendship, abundance,
Ginger: Love, money, success, power, vitality, strength, fortitude
Gladiolus: Sincerity, strength of character
Hawthorn: Protection,hope, magical energy, strength,
Heather: Good fortune, beauty, protection
Heliotrope: Clairvoyance, excorcism, healing, prophecy

Honeysuckle: Rustic beauty, devoted affection and love, familial affection, prosperity, abundance, clairvoyance,
Hydrangea: Gratefulness, sincerity, beauty, friendship
Iris: Message, compliments, beauty, purity,
Larkspur: Lightness, laughter, open heart, ardent attachment
Lavendar: Love, protection, purification, healing, relaxation, meditation, friendship, happiness, beauty,

Lily: Majesty, gaiety, beauty, sweetness, purity, fidelity,
Lisianthus: Thoughts, outgoing, mental powers,
Marigold: Love, clairvoyance, happiness, friendship, attraction, prosperity, abundance, healing,

Morning glory: Affection, transience of life,
Pansy: Love, innocence, friendship,

Peony: Protection, excorcism, breaks enchantments,

Poppy: Fertility, prosperity, consolation, happiness, pleasure, dreams, intoxication, meditation, clairvoyance, prophecy,
Rose: Love, fertility, clairvoyance, healing, beauty of youth, respect, unity, grace, gentility, gratitude, reverence
Snapdragon: Protection, breaks curses, helps to see people's true intentions,

Sunflower: Happiness, joy, mirth, friendship, blessings, vitality & health, abundance, fertility,

Water lily: Purity of heart

Yarrow: Love, clairvoyance, excorcism, fidelity in marriage, happiness, wards negativity, increases intuition and powers of perception

Midsummer Desert Sun Ritual

2010-06-15T05:00:00.000-07:00

Midsummer Desert Sun Ritual

~Source Unknown

*
Anoint your third eye with a citrus oil, such as orange, neroli, or lemon.
Say:
I enter this sacred space with the brightness of the sun in my heart. I am surrounded by the glory of the sun, inside and out. Blessed be!

Smudge your sacred space. Place some sand in an incense burner and light a block of incense charcoal. Sprinkle a bit of lemongrass on the charcoal and waft the smoke over the sacred space using a white feather.

Say:

*
I cleanse and purify this space with the essence of the sun. This space is cleansed and purified, ready for my use. Blessed be!

Cast a Circle with a red candle.Starting in the south, walk deosil around the Circle, carrying a lit candle.

Say:

*
I cast this Circle with the holy element of fire. Let this Circle be a blazing wall of protection, guarding me and keeping me safe. Let none but good enter here. Let none but good go from here. So mote it be.
* Face South and say:
I call the blazing heat of the sun, Noon time. Fiery desert lion, I claim your strength! Be here and be welcome!

Face West and say:
I call the warm waters of a sun-warmed lake, Evening. Warm waters of the hot mineral springs, I claim your healing powers! Be here and be welcome! *
Face North and say:
I call the searing sands of the desert, Midnight. Land of sparse barrenness, I claim your ability to burn away unnecessary details!

Face East and say:
I call the hot desert winds, Morning. Warm chinook winds, I claim your ability to blow away the chaff in my life!

Raise your arms and say:
My Lady of the Sun, Ameratsu, Sunna; My Lord of the Sun, Ra, Sol, I call upon you to help me illuminate my life And show me my strengths. Blessed be!

Light a red candle and place it in front of a mirror. Sit where you can gaze into the candle, and have the flame reflected back to you in the mirror. Gaze into the candle and say:

*
I ask the power of the flame and the power of the sun to illuminate my life and show me the hidden strengths within. So mote it be!

Watch the movement of the flame as it flickers and dances. Let the flame carry you into a light trance. Clear your mind of all extraneous thoughts. If stray thoughts try to intrude, just dismiss them. Just concentrate on the play of the fire.

When you are done with your meditation, take a few minutes to write down the things you learned from your trip in the desert. Snuff the candle as you say:
I thank the power of the flame and the light of the sun for showing me my strengths. Go with my gratitude. Blessed be!

Raise your arms and say:
My Lady of the Sun, Ameratsu, Sunna; My Lord of the Sun, Ra, Sol, I thank you for helping me illuminate my life and showing me my strengths. Blessed be!

Face South and say:
I thank the strengthening power of the sun, Noon time. Fiery desert lion, I claim your strength and I thank you for showing me the hidden strengths within. Go with my blessing and my gratitude. Hail and farewell!
Face West and say:
I thank the healing waters of the sun-warmed lake, Evening. Warm waters of the soul, I claim your healing powers and I thank you for showing me the hidden strengths within. Go with my blessing and my gratitude. Hail and farewell!
Face North and say:
I thank the searing sands of the desert, Midnight. Land of strong insights, I claim your ability to burn away unnecessary details and I thank you for showing me the hidden strengths within. Go with my blessing and my gratitude. Hail and farewell!
Face East and say: I thank the hot desert winds, Morning. Fresh purifying winds, I claim your ability to blow away the chaff in my life and I thank you for showing me the hidden strengths within. Go with my blessing and my gratitude. Hail and farewell!

Picture the Circle melting into the Earth, being absorbed and turned into healing energy to heal the Earth and all the creatures on it. Say:
I thank and dismiss this Circle of fire. Let this Circle of protection now melt into the earth, to be transformed into healing energy for the earth and all of the creatures living here. Go with my blessing and my gratitude. Hail and farewell!

Crafting For The Sabbats ~ Crafty's Summer Solstice Simmering Prosperity Potpourri ~ Litha & Midsummer Solstice Recipes ~

2010-06-12T20:00:00.000-07:00

Crafty's Summer Solstice Simmering Prosperity Potpourri

This simmering potpourri recipe integrates the fiery, solar symbolism of this Sabbat with elements of seasonal magick. The act of simmering the potpourri, (Earth), in liquid, (Water), over the (Fire), releases it's scent, (Spirit), into the (Air), in a perfect herbal alchemy.

Spices of fire, flowers of the tree,

Roots of the earth, bring prosperity to me.

Fruits of gold, herbs of the sun,

Energies of the season, all become one.

Abundance now rains down upon me

Filling my life with wealth and prosperity.
*

Oranges: water element, ruled by the Sun, prosperity, attraction, golden fruit of abundance and wealth,

Lemons: water element, ruled by the Sun, prosperity, attraction,

Ginger: fire element, hot, ruled by the Sun, prosperity, stimulates the energies to bring wealth quickly,

Chamomile: water element, hot, ruled by the Sun, prosperity,

Honeysuckle: earth element, hot, ruled by the Jupiter, prosperity, attracting money, 'sweetens the pot'

Cinnamon: fire element, hot, ruled by the Sun, prosperity,

Cloves: fire element, hot, prosperity, ruled by the Sun, money drawing, stimulates the energies to bring wealth quickly,

Jasmine: earth element, cold, ruled by Jupiter, prosperity, 'sweetens the pot',

~Before you begin preparing the potpourri; take a moment to ground and center yourself; set your intent, and infuse each of the ingredients with their purposes for this spell. Visualise the comingiling energies of the Earth, Sun and your own self pouring into the ingredients to be later released into your life.

~Fill a large soup pot with spring water (or pre-boil tap water). Set it on the stove to simmer.

~Spike the lemons and oranges with whole cloves, (the more the merrier!); and slice a few peices of ginger root.

~Place each of the ingredients into the pot to simmer. As you do this; visualise yourself (the pot) being filled with incredible abundance & prosperity. As the empty space is filled, picture the types of abundance you seek. See your bills marked "Paid"; your wallet full of cash; your refrigerator & pantry stuffed to the gills with healthy foods; yourself as comfortable & relaxed in the knowledge that you & your family have 'enough'; see the things you would like to purchase, yourself on vacation- whatever prosperity means to you.

~As you stir the pot (deosil/clockwise), chant the little rhyme (or one of your own) while you visualise intense golden light pouring from the Sun into your pot, and then 'seal' it in.

~Now, ground yourself once again, and go about your day; knowing that the spell is busy flooding your life with prosperity and abundance from the universe. Each time you go to stir the pot, add a bit of water, or just smell the delightful aroma- strengthen your prosperity mind movie.

~When you are finished with the batch of potpourri, pour the contents onto the earth, or into your compost pile- and give some of that abundance back to the earth. (If this is impossible for you- due to location or circumstance, you can always pour the liquid into the sink, and dispose of the solids in the garbage- but I like to dispose of my spell items with the same care and intention that I create them. At the very least, visualise the energy going down the drain & back to the earth.)

Enjoy!

~Danae <(:o) aka 'Crafty'