Tag: Strawberry

Beltane Ritual: The Red Fruit of Joy by Suzanne Ress

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Before the evening of April 30, you’ll need to prepare a few things for this group ritual. You’ll need a Green Man mask – be as creative as you like with it. An easy way to make one is to glue artificial oak leaves all over a simple gree, brown, or gold eye mask. You can do something much more elaborate if you are so inclined, from a whole-face to whole-head-covering mask, purchased or handmade, with real or artificial greenery.

You’ll need a wreath of spring flowers. Ideally, the flowers should be fresh lilacs, lily of the valley, and hawthorn blossoms, but other kinds will do, as will artificial ones. The flower colors should be white, blue, purple, and yellow. they can simply be attached to a wire head-sized circle with pipe cleaners or, as with the mask, feel free to create something much fancier.

The ritual is best done in an open space with, optimally, a large oak tree to oversee. Two bonfires should be made with at least six feet between them. If you are unable to build open bonfires legally and safely, white pillar candles can stand in for them. If you do not have access to an open space with a large oak tree, obtain several acorns, and a wand or stick of oak wood.

You will need a bowl full of red fruit. Strawberries are best but, in case of allery or other reasons making strawberries impossible, you may use cherries, red apples, or red grapes.

You wll need a bottle of red wine or, if preferred, red fruit juice and a beautiful goblet in glass or silver.

Prepare your altar and bonfires, if you will be using them, ahead of time. If you are permitted and desirous of using bonfires, gather up your wood, kindling, and lighters in two safe locations, side-by-side, with at least six feet between them – wide enough a space for people for to move between them safely.

If you are using pillar candles to represent bonfires, make sure you have lanterns or hurricane lamps to contain them in; otherwise, even an imperceptible breeze will blow them out. You can use as few as two of them or as many as you can afford! These can be set on tables or directly on the ground. Make sure there is no dry organic material near them that could accidentally catch fire.

Make an altar facing north, facing an abalanced evenly between the two bonfires, at least six feet away from them. On the altar, place the Green Man mask, the wreath of spring flowers, the bowl of red fruit, the wine or juice, the oak stick or wand and acorns, and any other items, such as ritual jewelry, potion bottles, magic coins, amulets, etc., you wish to consecrate and charge.

The bonfires or candles should be lit at moonrise on April 30. It is important that this ritual is held outdoors, but if it is raining or the weahter is otherwise inclement, the ritual may be held under a portico, a covered deck ,or perhaps inside an open garage (no bonfires, obviously!). At the very least, open up all the windows in your indoor locale so that fresh air may circulate.

When all participants are ready and hte bonfires or candles have been lit the leader shll lift the oak stick or wand in her left hand and create a magical enclosure by leading all participants in walking deosil around and between thebonfires and the altar to form the shape of a three-leaved clover. Particpants may drum, chant, ring bells, shake maracas, or just meditate as they walk the clover many times over and over. This will draw in fairies adn magic and close out any negative forces, as well as raise the group’s collective energy to a crescendo.

After enough time has elapsed, and the group’s energy level is very fine and focused, the noise and movement should be halted by the coven leader by returning to the altar and raising her wand or stick. She will then select two people to represent the Green Man and the Great Mother. These two will come forward and stand before the altar with the bonfires to their backs. The flower wreath will be placed upon the Great Mother’s head, and these words spoken by the coven’s leader:

You stand before us wreathed in flowers, immortal and perfect, the mother of all earth.

The mask shall be put on the Green Man’s face, and the following words uttered:

You stand here covered in green leaves, the spirit of renewal and joy.

Take a few moments to feel the presence of the Great Mother through this respresetative human.

Now the Green Man and the Great Mother turn to each other and take each other’s hands, and the leader says:

Joined together, spirit and body, you will reach ecstatic pleasure, ensuring fertility and new life and spirit for all here present.

Take some moments for the Green Man’s joyous presence to be felt and appreciated.

Now the two shall dance and skip along the clover path previously marked, singing, shouting, laughing, or remaining silent, as they see fit. Others fo the group may drum, play their various instruments, or vocalize, as desired. After a short time, the remainder of the participants will join in the dance, following the two lovers, faster and faster around the three-leaf clover, until everyone has had enough.

Then, still inside the magic dome, the leader shall return to the altar and present thebowl of strawberries to the fairies and other beneficial spirits present, who shall eat some of it first, and only after they have eaten their fill shall the human and god-represntative participants enjoy some for themselves.

The leader will say:

All eat now of the bountiful red fruit. Let the sweet juices of fairy spittle and fertility, and all of earth’s creativity, enter into you.

The red wine shall be poured ito hte goblet. The leader will bless this with her wand and say:

All partake of the red libation, its earthly goodness bringing joy to our spirits.

First the fairies adn then each human person shall drink some of it.

Taking the acorns into her right hand and tapping them with the oak stick or wand, the leader will say:

Overseen by the great oak, king of trees, may all of us here, visible and invisible, take pleasure in the continuing productivity and ever-renewed beauty offered by the Great Mother and celebrate her union with the Green Man. Go forth all, in happiness and in peace.

At this point in the ritual, if there are items to be charged, now is the time.

To reopen the magic ome, the leader will walk the clover widdershins and backwards three times. And now, all may partake of whatever other refreshments there may be, or they may dance, or relax, or lie down upon the earth, or converse with the fairies or with one another, or walk amongst the trees until they are exhausted or until the dawn of May 1, whichever comes sooner.

Passion Fruit Smoothie

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Passion fruit embodies positive energy. It encourages passions of the flesh and of the spirit. The passion vine enjoys a thriving symbiosis with ants, feeding them nectar in exchange for their protection from pests with herbivores. That makes it a great support for healthy relationships. Its extravagant flowers bloom in shades of purple, pink, and red, making them a dramatic symbol of amorous interest. In addition to the previous associations, passion fruit also relates to friendship, harmony, magic, and sleep. 

Prep time:  10-15 minutes
Servings:  3
  • 1 cup passionfruit juice
  • 1 cup vanilla yogurt
  • 1 passion fruit
  • 1/2 banana
  • 1 mandarin orange
  • 2 Tbsp fresh pineapple or canned crushe pineapple
  • 2 Tbsp fresh or frozen mango chunks
  • 2 Tbsp fresh or frozen papaya chunks
  • 2 Tbsp fresh or frozen strawberries
  • 1 tsp freeze-dried goji berry powder or 1 Tbsp dried goji berries
  • 1 Tbsp hemp seed hearts
  • 1 Tbsp coconut milk
  • 1/2 cup ice
  • (For a dairy-free version, susbstitute nondairy yogurt or plant milk)

Put the liquid ingredients into the blender first: 1 cup passion fruit juice and 1 cup vanilla yogurt.

Rinse and dry the passion fruit. Using a serrated knife to get through the rind, carefully cut it in half. Scoop the juice and seeds out of hte rind into the blender. Don’t scrape hard because the rind is bitter and you don’t want any of it to get into your smoothie.

Peel the banana. Cut it in half. (Save one half for the next recipe.) Cut one half into the chunks and put them in the blender.

Peel the mandarin orange. Pull apart the segments to check for seeds, removing any that you find. Add the segments to the blender.

To clean a pineapple: Twist off the spiky top. Slice off the top and bottom so the fruit stands on end securely. Slice down the sides to remove the outer rind, leaving a cylinder of fruit. Cut the cylinder in half, then in quarters, then in eighths. Lay each eighth on its side and cut away from the pointed edge to remove the tough core. Cut the remaining fruit into bite-sized chunks. If you don’t hae a fresh pineapple, you can use canned crushed pineapple, but include both the fruit pulp and its juice. Add 2 tablespoons pineapple to the blender.

To clean a mango: Slice the plump side “cheeks” away from the big seed. Use a knife to score vertical and horizontal lines through the fruit, forming cubes, without cutting through the peel. Push hte peel so the cubes stick out, then shave the fruit away from the peel with a knife. Alternatively, you can use frozen mango chunks. Add 2 tablspoons mango to the blender.

To clean a papaya: Cut the fruit in half. Scoop out the seeds. Rinse the fruit. Then scoop out the soft pulp with the spoon or melon baller. You could also use frozen papaya chunks. Add 2 tablespoons papaya to the blender.

Fresn strawberries should be rinsed and patted dry. Use a paring knife or strawberry huller to remove the stem and the core around it. Drop the strawberries into the blender whole. You can also use frzone strawberries. Add 2 tablespoons strawberries to the blender.

Add 1 teasponn freeze-dried goji berry powder or 1 tablespoon dried goji berries to the blender. Add 1 tablespoon hemp seed hearts if you want them in. (If you prefer thm as a crunch topping, put 2 teaspoons into the blender now, and reserve 1 teaspoon to put on top of the smoothie when served.) Add 1 tablespoon coconut milk and 1/2 cup ice.

Put the top on the blender and lock it down. If your blender has a “smoothie” setting, use that. Otherwise, blend until smooth.

Rosewater Lemonade

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Nothing says summer like pink lemonade. This recipe adds a few extra ingredients to make it more magical. Strawberries add sweetness and color. Rose petals and rosewater evoke love and luxury. Lemons refresh adn uplift the mood, standing for the yellow sun at the height of its power. 

Prep time:  5 minutes for ice cubes, plus 10 minutes for lemonade
Inactive:  5 hours for ice cubes
Servings:  4
  • Fresh rose petals
  • Water
  • 4 cups water
  • 4 lemons
  • 1/2 cups strawberries
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 Tbsp dried rose petals
  • 1-2 tsp rosewater
  • 1/2 cup ice

Ice Cubes

Into an ice cube tray, pour enough water to cover hte bottom of each cubicle. Place in the freezer until the surface frosts over, about half an hour.

Wet the fresh rose petals, then place one rose petal into each cubicle, pressing down to contact the ice. Return the tray to teh reezer for half an hour.

Fill the cubicles to the brim with water. Return the tray to teh freezer until frozen solid, about 5 hours.

Lemonade

Put 4 cups of water into a high-speed blender.

Peel the lemons. Remove any seeds. Put the sections in the blender.

Rinse the strawberries and cut off the tops. Add the strawberries to the blender.

Add 1/2 cup sugar and 1 Tbsp dried rose petals. Add 1 tsp rosewater, then taste. You should get just a hint of rose flavor; too much and it tastes soapy. Add another tsp if needed.

Put in 1/2 cup regular ice. Use the “smoothie” setting, or process until liquefied. If you want pulp-free lemonade, strain it before pouring into glasses. Serve over rose petal ice cubes.

Store in the refrigerator for up to a year or tuck into the freezer. If you’re a home canner, process in a water bath canner for longer storage.

To serve, add two or three Tbsp of shrub to a glass of chopped ice and water. There’s nothing more refreshing on a hot summer day!

Stuffed Strawberries

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Strawberries are a quintessential June treat, representing love and fertility. Fresh mint nicely mimics the leafy green top of a strawberry, creating an edible garnish. 

Prep time:  30 minutes
Inactive:  30 minutes or more 
Servings: about 12
  • 1 pint fresh strawberries
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon (about 1 1/2 Tbsp)
  • 1 (8 oz) package full-fat cream cheese, softened
  • 1/4 cup mascarpone cheese
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 handful fresh mint

Set out the cream cheese to soften at room temperature.

Rinse and pat dry the strawberries. Pull off the leaves and use a paring knife to remove the stems, opening the core of the strawberries.

Zest a lemon. Cut it in half and juice one half. Save the zest and juice in a small bowl.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine 1 package softened full-fat cream cheese, 1/4 cup mascarpone cheese, and 1/4 cup powdered sugar. Mix in the lemon zest and juice. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and mix until smooth.

Put the cream cheese filling into a plastic baggie and snip off one corner. Squeeze the fillig into each strawberry.

Remove the mint leaves from the stems, discarding any damaged leaves. Poke a mint leaf into the top of each strawberry. Arrange the strawberries on a platter and chill in the refrigerator for at least half an hour before serving.

Strawberry (Fragaria vesca)

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Blessing, love, Midsummer, fertility. Ruled by the planet Venus and the elements of earth or water. Sacred to fairies, Freya, love goddesses, and mother goddesses. [1]

In parts of Bavaria, it was traditional come springtime to tie little bags or baskets of wild strawberries to the cows’ horns to appease the fairies and elves, and to protect the cows. [2]

Some of the fairies’ preferred gathering places at Beltane are “fairy rings’ – circles of wild mushrooms; as well as circles of lawn daisies, patches of wild violets, patches of wild thyme, and, most of all, swathes of wild strawberries. [2]

Strawberry Mythology

Some Native American Indian tribes have long associated wild strawberries with spring and rebirth, as they are the first wild fruits to ripen. They used them mixed with cornmeal to make strawberry bread, which whtie settlers transformed to strawberry shortcake, a traditional Memorial Day weekend dessert.

During meieval times, the strawberry signified perfection and righteousness and strawberry fruits also symbolized esteem, love, purity, passion, health, and perfection, and were a popular embroidery motif. In heraldry, depictions of strawberry leaves were sometimes used to denote rank.

Strawberries are one of Venus’s symbols, due to their red heart shape. Frigga, the Norse marriage goddess, was believe to smuggle dad children to heaven by hiding them in strawberry patches. Both Freya, the Norse goddess of love, and the Christian Virgin Mary have been associated with strawberries.

Dutch early surrealist artist Hieronymus Bosch painted one of his most famous works, the triptych The Garden of Earthly Delights, in the fifteenth century. It is now housed at the Museo del Prado in Madrid, Spain, and, if you are unfamiliar with Bosch’s work, it is wonderfully strange. The center panel, which represents a lustful earthly paradise, features many oversized strawberries. At the bottom right are two human-sized straberries, one bursting open to emit round blue balls, and the other being used as an exercise ball by a naked woman. One of the men is offering the woman a strawberry as big as a melon. Another giant strawberry, with fairy wings, rides on the back of a naked man, a spiny tail emergy from a slit on its side. [2]

Resources

[1] The Hearth Witch’s Compendium by Anna Franklin

[2] Llewellyn’s 2022 Sabbats Almanac: Samhain 2021 to Mabon 2022

Spring Equinox

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Herbs

Celandine, cinquefoil, jasmine, rose, tansy, and violet may be burned; acorn, crocus, daffodil, dogwood, honeysuckle, iris, lily, and strawberry may be decorations. [1]

Resources

[1] Green Witchcraft by Ann Moura