Soak rose leaves, rosemary, chaparral, rhodiola root, and ginger in a jar of olive oil for two weeks. At the end of the two weeks, strain the herbs,and discoard, reserving the oil. Use the elixir to anoint spell tools such as candles and your body. You can also add a few drops to your shampoo if you want cumulative results.
Place the flour in a large heavy mixing bowl (I preferic ceramic or glass to plastic). Measure the water in a jug and dissolve the guar and the yeast into it, letting it rest for 10 minutes or so. Add the salt to the flour and blend it well, then add the water with teh sugar and yeast init and start to mix. When it gets too heavy for the spoon, use your hands, turning it out onto a floured board and kneading it for a good 12 to 15 minutes. The action of kneading the bread is hwat strengthens the gluten so it will rise well.
Place the kneaded dough in an oiled bowl and cover. I use parchment paper for this, but a piece of plastic wrap or even a clean sackcloth towel will work. Put the covered bowl in a warm place to rise until doubled in size – the oven with the interior light on works well for me. When it has risen, turn it out onto the work surface again, and shape into a loaf. Put this into your oiled loaf pan if you are using one or onto your baking tray if not or if making a braid, and let it rise again, this time for about 50 minutes – you’ll get to know the look of it once you’ve done it a few times.
Preheat the oven to 400 degree Fahrenheit and bake the bread toward hte middle for 50 to 60 minutes. The loaf is dnoe when it is golden brown on the top and sounds follow when you tap the bottom. Remove it from the oven and place hte pan (if one is used) on its side. Let the bread cool for 20 minutesbefore removing it. Let the bread rest at least another hour before eating it – if you can stand the wait!
Substitute 2 cups of rye for 2 cups of flour, remembering to add 2 tablespoons vital wheat gluten.
Substitute 2 cups of whole wheat flour. Add extra water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to get the right consistency.
The key to a successful plait lies in having all the dough proved adequately and to have all the strands the same size. Roll the dough until it is an even width and approximately 24 to 30 inches in length. Start the braid by laying hte three strips of different dough side by side. Weave one over the other in the usual way until the end is reached. Pinch the ends together, then tuck them under the loaf; now go back and do the same to the start. This way the ends are hidden and the plait seems to be neverending from start to finish. To make this really stand out, brush a bit of milk or a mixture of beaten egg and water over the top; this gives the baked loaf a glossy finish, as well as helping the plaits stick together.
Bake the bread on a bread stone or cookie sheet as described in the basic bread recipe. I judge doneness by the all-purpose strand; if that looks golden brown and done, then I do the tap test (seeing if it sounds hollow). It is often hard to tell when the darker strands have been adequately baked just by looking at them.
If you don’t want to go to the trouble of mixing three doughs and making a giant loaf, a threefold braid can still be made by dividing th ebread dough after the first proving, and rolling the different strands in herbs before braiding. Some of my favorite herbs are the traditional sage, rosemary and thyme, but others will add flavor and magical properties to the loaf, making it stand out for ceremony just as nicely as if the three different flours had been used.
Tomatoes are the epitome of summer. They reach their peak in the long hours of the sun. Thse sweet, juicy vegetables are best enjoyed fresh right now. Unlike modern hybrids, “heirloom” or “antique” cultivars are open-pollinated and selected for intense flavor rather than shipping convenience. They come in many fascinating sizes, shapes, and colors. Red, orange, yellow, and pink symbolize the sun but there are also green, purple, brown, white, and almost black ones!
Prep time: 15-20 minutes Servings: 6 (1 cup) or 12 (1/2 cup)
Rinse and pat dry 4 lbs of heirloom tomatoes. Remove the stems and cores. Grape tomatoes and small cherry tomatoes shoul dbe cut in half. Larger cherry tomatoes may need to be cut in quarters. Beefsteaks and other full-size tomatoes should be diced. First slice them, then cut the slices into strips, then cut the strips into cubes. Just roughly chopping them won’t make a tidy salad. If some of the tomatoes have large amounts of slime inside, remove it and use the firm parts. Put the tomato bits into a big salad bowl.
Rinse and pat dry 1 bunch of Italian sweet basil. Remove the stems and large veins by tearing the leaf sides away from the middle. Tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces; you should have about a cup. Put the torn basil in a bowl.
Make the dressing in a clean jar with a lid. First, pour in 6 Tbsp full-flavor evoo. (If you have olive oil infused with any of the herbs in this recipe, you can use that.) Add 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar.
Peel and mince 2 cloves of garlic. Add them to the jar of dressing. Add 1 Tbsp sweet marjoram, 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp thyme, 1/2 tsp rosemary, 1/2 tsp sage, adn 1/2 tsp cracked green pepper.
Put the lid on the jar snugly. Shake briefly to cobine all the ingredients. This is not an emulsified vinaigrette, so you’re not trying to make a smooth blend, just distribute the ingredients equally.
Add the basil leaves to the tomato bits in the salad bowl and toss to combine. Shake hte dressing one last time and pour it slowly over the salad, tossing as you go. Finally, sprinkle 1/2 tsp fleur de sel over the salad.
Serve immediately. This recipe makes about 6 (1-cup) servings as a bowl or salad or (12 1/2-cup) servings as a side dish.
Note: In addition to standing on its own as a sald, the Heirloom Tomato Toss also makes an excellent topping for sandwiches, baked potatoes, tacos, chili, and so on. Use it for extra flavor anywhere that you would use diced tomatoes. If you like a leafier salad, put a scoop of this on top of Romaine lettuce of baby spinach.
Mugwort is a common and invasive weed wherever it grows, but the magical qualities of this homely plant cannot be overstated. Its botanical name is Artemisia vulgaris, a coupling of words that reminds us of the plant’s sacred connection to the Divine as well as hte everyday practical value it imparts. It’s sexier cousin – Artemisia absinthium – gives us hte “green fairy” drink, absinthe, and is used as a fumigant to rid a household of fleas and other itny, terrible vermin. As with most plants, mugwort is part of a vast and successful family that shares certain characteristics of leaf, stem, and growth pattern. The artemisias are in the famiy Asteraceae and have fragrant and beautiful leaves that are green on top and silvery gray-green underneath. With the Sun above and the Moon below, mugowrt is a pant that bridges the gap between night and day and rules theh gloaming and hte twilight. This is especially apt when we look at its history and its usefulness.
If an herb’s English name ends in -wort, it means the plant is used as a medicine or food. Wort comes from the Old English word wyrt, which means plant or herb, so that a practice called wortcunning is done by dint or knowing the properties and uses of local plants. Mugwort appears in the tenth-century “Nine Herbs Charm” mucgwyrt and in the wonderful old Leechbook of Bald. This pedigree belies its humble place in Appalachian folkways, but it is good to rememerb that our old buddy mugwort has a long-standing place in herbal healing.
It is used traditionally to regulate irregular menstrual cycles, for stomach issues like colic, and for both constipation and diarrhea. Mugwort is a mild abortifacient, and that may be a reason for a cautious approach. In traditional Asian medicine, it is acalled moxa and is burned to heat acupuncture needles as well as burned in a healing process called moxibustion.
Our particular artemisia is called mugwort because it was used n making beer in Europe, before the introduction of hops as a bittering agent. It is still used in warning, light-alcohol ales that are easy to brew and delicious to drink. One recipe is sweetened with sorghum molasses and delivers a gently bubbly drink. We can assume that the earlier use of mugwort as bitters in a vat of good ale was quite satisfactory.
As with any unfamiliar plant, wear gloves when harvesting mugwort. It ararely causes an allergic reaction but certainly can, and it is better to be careful until you know how the plant’s juices will affect you. Most herbs should be harvested in the early morning before the morning sun has had a chance to dry the plant out. The parts of the plant that are used are the leaves and stems, and they may be used either fresh or dried, depending on the application.
Mugwort is easy to identify when foraging and grows well in a soil that retains some moisture but drains well. It flourishes in sun and partial shade, though it can sometimes be found in shady spots too. It is a weed. It isnt fussy. The leaves look like the leaves of its cousin chrysanthemum, and most people have an idea of what that looks like because of their use in autumn seasonal decorations – pumpkins, grounds, and golden mums inhabit the porch steps of many a suburban home and are readily available for purchase at the grocery and hardware store.
All the artemisias are easy to grow, if that is your preference. They are perennials and tend to be invasive, so growing a specimen plant in a large container may be your best bet. If you find yourself harvesting and using it for all the things it’s good for, you might end up keeping a patch that happily regrows.
As a culture, we are growing more intentional about the palnts we use for sacred smoke inr itual and ohter uses. Cultural appropriation is a legitimate concern, and ifnidng plant materials other htan white sage (which is also overharvested in the wild) is a pleasant study. It gives us a lovely excuse to explore the plants that are native to us. Many dried plants can be used as sacred smoke, but, as always, check with a palnt guide or herbalist to make sure the plant is safe to burn.
A bundle of dried mugwort – perhaps with the addition of lavender, rosemary, or mint – makes a natural nd culturally appropriate smudge stick. Tie it up with some cotton, wool, or hemp string, not too thick.
Mugwort is one of three sovereign plants in my perosnal practice. The other two are rue (Ruta graveolens) and vervain (Verbena hastata). They rank so highly because we continue to experiment with them and find new uses.
Mugwort has been long prized as a dream tonic. Whether ingested as a warm evening tea, burned as an incense, or used fresh, this herb is often recommended to people who are suffering from either a dearth of dreams or oppressive or frightening ones. If you’re having trouble remembering your dreams and desire to do so, mugwort can bring your dreams up so they stick in your memory upon waking. When used with an end-of-day routine that includes a set bedtime, a dark and quiet resting place, and an early returement of electronic devices, mugwort is an aid to relaxation, deep sleep, and vivid dreams.
On the other hand (and especially given the challenging times we are living in now), some people are plagued with far too vivid dreams, with nightmares and night terrors. Disturbed and erratic sleep patterns contribute not only to fatigue during daylight hours but, if prolonged, can impact our general good health and well-being. Chldren can be particularly susceptible to scary ro confusing images that return in their deep sleep. A simple sun catcher in the sahpe of a beloved character or animal placed in the child’s window can shield the sleeper form the scarier elements, and creating a regular tucking-in ritual will also help. Listen to the child’s concerns and especially note ht story of the dreams and the characters. dreams may hold clues to things your child is facing but is unable to articulate. And the same is true for you.
In both of these scenarios, our friend mugwort can also come to the rescue. Create a strong tisane by brewing up a cup of fresh or dried mugwort. Another suggestion is to cut branches of fresh mugwort and place them under hte pillow but inside the pillowcase. The pungent scent is released all night long as you move about in your sleep. Replace the branches every night until your dreams have regulated themselves and are restful and informative.
As you might imagine, this plant is also useful for lucid dreaming and for trance work. Used as a sacred smoke or incense or drunk as a tisane, it is a light aid in trance. As with any plant material, follow all precautions about allergies, use during pregnancy or lactation, and drug interactions before using mugwort.
This glorious plant – with the Sun above it and hte Moon below – has another secret to share with us, and its efficacy with dreamwork gave herbalists and magic practitioners the hint ot wander down another of artemisia’s pathways. Many of us consider that there is an energetic veil or wall between teh worlds of matter and spirit. Mugwort may be useful to easing open a gateway and is being by some death midwives and doulas to ease the passage into death and the worlds beyond for those waiting at that liminal edge. For those caregivers who are sitting by teh bedside of a beloved elder, the same mugwort water that helps a child to a peaceful sleep can be used as a cooling compress on the forehead of the dying. A cotton ball can apply this gentle soother to wrists, inner elbows, or ankles. Our companion mugwort finds a place in this powerful rite of passage. As with dreamwork, fresh branches may be placed inside the pillowcase or tucked into a green bouquet on the bedside table.
Artemisia – sacred to Artemis in the West – has been used folklorically in many places and cultures throughout history. It is no surprise that it fits to neatly into the healing pharmacopoeia of Appalachia. For sleep and dreams or disturgbed digestive tracts, this humble, strudy, and magical plant should have a prominent place on your herb shelf, in your garden, and in your practice.
If you are using smoke to honor hte spirits of the land that surround you, doesn’t it make sense to make incense form ingredients founds or grown in your own region? Gathering resins or plant materials from your local wild areas or from your own backyard garden allows you to make a deeper onnection with your region and relieves some pressure form popoular resinous trees and plant materials whose demand is leading to overharvesting.
Resins from conifers such as pine, fir, cedar, spruce, and hemlock are just as wonderul as the more exotic resins that we are more familiar with. And though they carry subtle differences in scent and energy, they are no less powerful. For example, resins front the trees in the pine family are a great substitute for the resins of non-native trees such as Protium copal (copal tree) of Central America and the Boswellia sacra (frankincense tree) whose sustainability is under threat because of its popularity. Common garden herbs such as garden sage, rosemary, and lavender, whcihc an be grown in your backyard or in pots, along with teh bark, berries and leafy material from many of your local deciduous trees and shrubs make a magickally potent addition to your incense blends.
Cedar. Use in incense blends for calm, spirituality, healing, and denoting sacred space.
Fir. Use in magick for ancestral work, healing, blessings and past-life regression.
Hemlock. Coniferous hemlock can be used in magick for transformation and illumination. It blends well with lavender and is used for meditative blends.
Juniper. Teh resin, berries, bark, and wood have a calming and relaxing effect and have been used to sharpen mental clarity, for protection, and to raise spiritual energy.
Larch. Use in mixes for connecting with the otherworld, for confidence, and for protection.
Pine. Can be used as substitute for copal or frankincense in blends and is used for healing, cleansing, strength and grounding.
Redwood. Use to connect with the otherworld, abundance, healing, and protection.
Spruce. Use in magick for constancy, versatility, and determination.
Resin is a main component in most incense blends. … Resin is produced in special resin cells in plants to protect them from insects or pathogens and is made in response to an injury to the plant. Resins can be produced through the bark of a tree, the flowers of an herb, or the buds of a shrub and can occur as part of other compounds, such as latex.
Some folks use the terms sap and resin interchangeably, and though both are secreted by plants, sap is a thin, sweet liquid that carries nutrients to the living parts of the tree. Resin, on the other hands, is a sticky secretion that is located in the outer cells of the tree and is produced as a seal that prevents infection when a tree is injured. Gathering your own resin is actually easier than you might realize, and you are benefited with the knowledge that your material was gathered ethically and with love.
You will need:
You know that thick, sticky substance you see dripping down the trunk of a tree typically where damage has been done? That is resin. You can easily harvest it by using a dull knife to gently remove the resin from the bark. But remember to keep way from the injured part of the tree and harvest only the drips or what has collected on the ground. The resin acts as a bandage to help keep infection at bay, and you don’t want to further injure hte tree by opening the wound. If you keep resin in a plastic bag, it will remain sticky. to dry it, place on a cookie sheet in the sun or a warm dry place and wait . . . but be patient: it can take months for resin to dry out completely.
Another option (what I do) is to harvest already dried resin from the tree. The pieces can be removed very easily from the trune and around the base of the tree with little mess.
Remember, resin is very stick and does not clean up easily. Alcohol works for cleaning your tools, and olive oil, shortening andhand cleaners such as Goop work on your skin.
After your collected resin has dried, the easiest way to utilize it to simply burn small chunks of it on a charcoal black in whatever amount you may require. Remember to test a small amount first to see how much smoke you get. You might be surprpised at how little you will need.
Once you have collected and dried your resin, you may want to add dried plant material or essential oil to create a unique incense blend that is suited to your magickal needs.
Alder. Use in mixes for journeying, for self-love, and to ease fear.
Angelica. Use in mixes for protection and clearing negativity.
Ash. Burn the bark of ash in blends for prosperity, protection, and good health.
Aspen. Use for protection, antitheft, and eloquence.
Basil. Use in belnds for improving memeory, to cleanse and purify, and to induce calm.
Bay. Use to promote healing, sharpen your psychic abilities, for protection, and for purification.
Birch. Use in magick for new beginnings, protection, resilience, and inspiration.
Chamomile. Use for peace, healing, divination, and dreamwork.
Dill. Sporting beautiful fragrant fronds, dill is used in blends for love, money and protection.
Elecampane. Use to work with elves, for purification, and for divination.
Elderberry. The perfect addition to working magick with the fae, for protection, or to break curses.
Eucalyptus. You can’ tbeat this tree’s cleansing abilities. Great for protection and to zap negative influences from your surroundings.
Fennel. Use fennel in blends for courage, strength, and transformation.
Fern. Use in faery magick, for luck, for health, and for protection.
Ginseng. Use for love, lust, prosperity, and protection.
Hawthorn. Use in magick for protection, faery magick, and happiness.
Lavender. The smoke of lavender creates a calming, peaceful atmosphere that can be used in mixes for loving vibes, to induce sleep, for meditation, for purification, and for healing.
Lemon Peel. Use dried peel in mixes for summertime rituals, cleansing, happiness, and friendship. Great added to a ritual bath.
Maple. Use in magick for prosperity and love.
Mint. Can be used in mixes to aid in meditation, sleep, and psychic awareness. Use for love, for peaceful vibes, and to stimulate mental clarity.
Mullein. Use for protection, strength, and astral travel.
Mugwort. Use to cleanse a space of negative energies, for dreamwork, and in divination.
Orange Peel. Dried citrus can add an uplifting scent to your incense blends and can be used in blends for mental clarity, luck, for joy, or to raise energy.
Poplar. Use the sticky, sweet resinous buds in magick for success, money, endurance, hope, and rebirth.
Rose. The lovely dried petals of the rose can be used in incense blends for love and healing and to promote a peaceful vibe.
Rosemary. Can be used in mixes for peace of mind, for luck, to stimulate mental clarity, for protection, for healing, and to designate spiritual space.
Sage. Use in mixes for cleansing, promoting spirituality, increased memory, and healing.
St. John’s Wort. Use for happiness, positivity, and protection.
Thyme. Lends well to blends for health, healing, strength, and purification.
Yarrow. Use in mixes for psychic awareness before divination and for clarity.
Hair magick can be performed without removing a single piece form your head. There are lots of ways to add some enchantment to your hair care routine, to attract the energies you desire, and to repel those you don’t.
Essential Oils: You can add a few drops of essential oil to your shampoo or conditioner. Remember to only add a small amount so that it doesn’t compromise the product. Try mint for prosperity, rosemary for protection, or chamomile for peace.
Braids: If you have long hair, you can use knot magick to attract your desires. While braiding your hair, visualize what you would like to bring into your life. When you tie the elastic in place, state, “It is done.” Repeat this every time you braid your hait until the thing you seek comes to you.
Cleansing: Every New Moon, pull the hair out of your hairbrush and safely burn it while letting go of everything you no longer need. This will clear out all the stagnant energy from the last Moon cycle, clearing th way for growth and new beginnings.
Crystals: Quartz crystal amplifies your personal power and boosts spiritual awareness. Place a quartz crystal in your bottle of shampoo or other hair product. The energy from the quartz crystal will linger every time you wash your hair. You can do this with other crystals as well according to what you want to attract. Just make sure the crytals you choose won’t be ruined by being immersed in liquid.
6 parts frankincense 6 parts myrrh 6 parts sandalwood 6 parts rosemary - The Hearth Witch's Compendium by Anna Franklin
3 parts rosemary 3 parts frankincense 4 parts thyme - The Hearth Witch's Compendium by Anna Franklin
10 parts rosemary 10 parts lavender - The Hearth Witch's Compendium by Anna Franklin
This oil can be used in oil diffusers, as a personal fragrance, or used to anoint doorways and window ledges to clease the home.
12 drops Atlas Cedar 10 drops Clary Sage 10 drops Frankincense 15 drops Rosemary 20 drops Sandalwood
– Practical Witch’s Almanac 2022 by Friday Gladheart
4 parts frankincense 4 parts sandalwood 4 parts rosemary - The Hearth Witch's Compendium by Anna Franklin
A Grimoire Zettelkasten
Witchcraft, Paganism & Tarot
Witchcraft, Paganism & Tarot
Witchcraft, Paganism & Tarot
Adana Luna 