Oil of Earthworms!

I just discovered a wonderful video series called the Victorian Pharmacy.  One of the ancient recipes they offer is Oil of Earthworms. 

Ewwwwww!  Gross!

Other than that yicky recipe, it is a wonderful series full of beauty, herbal lore & the promotion of natural remedies from our ancestors.

I invite you to watch The Victorian Pharmacy



There are 4 episodes on youtube. Enjoy!!!


Wild & Bright Blessings,

~*Rhi*~

Herbal Shampoo & Conditioner

Using this wonderful template from Mountain Rose, yesterday I created my own herbal shampoo/body wash.

Not only is this healthier & less expensive, the scent & feel is so wonderfully luxurious that I thought I'd share the recipe:

HiddenWitch Herbal Shampoo

8oz distilled water

3oz Castile Soap

1Tbsp dried Nettle

1tsp dried Sage

2tsp dried Basil

2tsp dried Rosemary

20 drops Rose Essential Oil

10 drops Rosemary Essential Oil

1/4 tsp Olive Oil

Make an infusion of the herbs & water - almost boiling water poured over the herbs, cover & allow to sit overnight.  Decant herbs (strain & squeeze out all the goodness from the herbs).  Compost the herbs & reserve the tissane.

Add to the tissane the castile, oil & essential oils & pour into an old shampoo bottle that has been well cleaned. 

Shake before using.

This produces a liquid, not a gel-type soap.  It is very bubbly & smells amazing!

I don't use commercial conditioners, but instead use Queen of Hungary water from the recipe in Rosemary Gladstar's book as a rinse.  This step is really important, because the shampoo opens the follicles of the hair shaft & your hair will feel really dry (clean) & is more fragile in this state.  The vinegar rinse closes the shaft & brings the amazing softness & returns the strength of your hair.

When I'm done, I rinse my hair with lukewarm water & it feels so thick & soft!  Much nicer than any commercial product.

Wild & Bright Blessings,

~*Rhi*~

Herbal Artichoke Dip

Cooking with nutritive herbs is a great way to incorporate them into your daily life.  Nettles provide an amazing amount of nutrition.   

This recipe is "Oh my goddess YUMMY!"

Herbal Artichoke Dip

1/2 onion, diced

1 cup spinach chopped

1 cup chopped nettles (or ½ cup dried & reconstituted)

8 ounce jar marinated artichoke heart, drained & separated

1 tablespoon olive oil

2/3 cup Veganaise

1/2 cup nutritional yeast

 3 garlic cloves, minced finely

1 T dried basil

1 T dried parsley

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/3 cup vegan mozzarella (optional)

Preheat oven to 350.

Sauté onion & artichoke hearts in the olive oil.  When onions are tender, add nettles, garlic, basil, parsley, cayenne, pepper & continue to cook for a few moments more (until nettles are wilted).  Remove from heat & mix in garlic, veganiaise, nutritional yeast, mozzarella & stir well.  Place in shallow, oven-proof dish & bake 15 minutes.

Serve with crackers, pita or good quality bread.

Herb Webinar!!

Mountain Rose & Learning Herbs are teaming up to provide a free herbal webinar with Rosemary Gladstar on Wednesday, March 23rd.

To register, go to: herbwebinar.com

Hope to find you there!!

Wild & Bright Blessings,

~*Rhi*~
    )O(

Connecting With Plant Spirits

As an eclectic, green witch, I am learning a lot about the power of our plant friends. This week, I am excited & honored to be teaching a workshop on Spiritual Herbalism to a wonderful group of witches here in Central Florida.  

Here is just a taste of our workshop:

Connecting With Plant Spirits

The best way to know our plant friends is to spend time with them.   

Plants have spirits, unique energy.   

Think of a child communing with a flower.  There is magick in that moment.  Spend some time with your plant friends, get to know them better.  It will drastically improve your herbal workings!

If this makes you feel silly, think about this - Plants and people, actually all living beings, have, at the very core of their being, within their very DNA, particles of light that can become coherent.  These particles of light are called biophotons.  Biophotons are ultra weak light rays, that do not break apart, but maintain a beam of light that radiates out & interacts with other biophoton rays in the surrounding environment. The theory, presented by Fitz Popp, German biophysicist, is that this light carries with it a certain intelligence that is the foundation for communication between living things.   So, when you’re with plants, animals, basically any living being, you ARE communicating!  Biophotons are only one method of communication.  We also know that everything carries with it a vibration from the movement of atoms & sub-atomic particles. 

Using these principles, it is pretty easy imagine our communication with any living being.

But, even if we acknowledge the possibility of communicating with flora & fauna, we are also conditioned by our upbringing & society to classify everything using a system of hierarchy.  

Typical Western Hierarchy:

One of the biggest barriers to our communication with plants, animals & even other humans is this notion of hierarchy.  

As soon as we start to classify one person or life form as being greater than another, we begin to distance ourselves from that living being.  

In order to open ourselves to the wonders of the world, we need to abandon our ideas of hierarchy & think less of food chains & higher levels of evolutionary development.  

We must begin to think In terms of the interconnectedness of all, the web of life.

We, mainstream Americans, have been disconnected with this web for many generations.  We have lost our ability to communicate with nature.  


So, how do we reconnect?

We build this relationship as we would build any relationship.  We spend time together with open minds & hearts.
 

A Few Activities to Connect with Nature

•      Take a walk in nature

•      Grow plants

•      Visit a local nursery

•      Taste fresh herbs

•      Head to a botanical garden

•      Meditate in a garden

•      Take a Wild Weed Walk

Once we are comfortable being away from our technology (leave the iPod at home, please!), we can begin to build a relationship with a particular plant.


Simply notice a plant in your surroundings that draws your interest, & start connecting:

Connecting With a Particular Plant 

• Abandon Hierarchy – remember the Web
• Spend Time & fully connect (lay directly on the ground)
• Maintain skepticism, but suspend disbelief
• Use all your senses
• Consider the automatic connection that occurs with respiration –   oxygen/carbon dioxide
• Be aware of the tendency to anthropomorphize – useful to a point
• Notice & Identify your feelings using words
• Observe aerial view of the habitat –  a clue to plant’s properties

Sun	Shade	Partial Sun/Shade
Drying	Moist	Balancing
Warm	Cool
Masculine	Feminine

• Use a 10x magnifying glass to observe the details
• Touch
• Smell – most stimulating to memory (genetic memory also)
• Taste
• Observe throughout cycles (day/night, seasons)
• Communicate 
• Meditation works nicely at first
• Verbal communication isn’t usually effective
• Use light, breath, sound, care
• When you get bored, stay! Only then will you open to the next level
• Record your experience
• Journal your feelings & finding
• Photographs
• Return & Repeat

Wild & Bright Blessings!

~*Rhi*~

    )O(

Honoring Your Body

Do you honor your physical form?  Accept & appreciate every cell (even the fat cells)?  Are you fully integrated mind, body & spirit?  Or, as many of you, do you look in the mirror & see the ravages of time, the "mistakes" you've made, the injuries inflicted upon your body by others?

This month, with the coming of Spring, is a good time to wrap up our focusing inward activities & prepare our bodies for the activities of the coming months.  Here is a ritual for honoring, healing, appreciating & reintegrating with your physical body.

Honoring Your Body

There are 2 options for this, one with oils & another in the bath.

Option One - Bath Ingredients:

Herbal sachet or a few drops of essential oils to assist in relaxation & cleansing (I particularly like Cunningham's Ritual Bath Sachet found in The Complete Book of Incense Oils & Brews)

Water

A natural & soothing soap, unscented (almond soap, oatmeal soap is nice & can be easily found at most healthfood stores for less than the cost of many commercial soaps)

A fresh washcloth & towel

Your ritual altar candles

Option Two - Oil Ingredients: 

Almond or other mild carrier oil

A few drops of Essential oil to assist in relaxation & cleansing (rose oil is beautiful here, because it is very healing to the soul, but other, less expensive oils, like lavender are also wonderful)

A ceramic container to hold the oils (heat them gently over a candle if you can, see pic below)

A quiet & private space

A cloth that you don't mind getting oily (I actually have a set of sheets & towels set aside for these types of rituals, they have only ever been used in ritual)

The Ritual

Create your sacred space in whatever manner suits you best.  Feel free to bring objects of power & healing with you into the bathroom or other private space where you will be working.  Make sure you are alone, comfortable & will not be disturbed by others, pets, phones, etc.

Draw your bath or prepare your oil, add the herbs or oils.  Spend a few moments settling in, breathe deeply & become as meditative as you can. 

Now, starting with your feet, observe & massage them, with either soap in the bath or your prepared oil.  Think about all that your feet do for you, everywhere they've taken you, the hurts & abuse your feet have been subjected to.  With each stroke, thank your feet for serving you, praise them for their attributes.  Notice scars or calluses.  Apologize if the desire arises.  Bless and thank your feet, they carry you on your path. Offer your unconditional love.

Move to your calves.  See their shape.  Massage the muscles, remembering all these muscles have done throughout your life.  Thank, bless & apologize as needed to these strong, muscular extensions of you.

Systematically, move to your thighs, your pelvis, your abdomen, your chest, your arms, every part of your physical body.  Let your intuition guide you as to how to massage each part.  Spend time meditating on the trials each part of your body has been subjected to, how each part has served your needs, how appreciative you are to have every part.  Pay close attention to areas you have spoken of harshly "my big, fat, a**", "I have my nose."  These areas require and deserve your love & appreciation.  What about areas of chronic pain?  Do you abuse or neglect these areas?  Ask them to carry heavy burdens, either physical or psychological? 

Your pelvic & abdomen area may need significant love.  These areas are often neglected & maligned, especially by women.  Is there an old hurt stored here? 

Each part of you is sacred.  Believe that.  No matter what has happened, by choice or not.  Your body is the physical vehicle through which you express all love and magic, all creativity.  Your body is the physical manifestation of divinity. 

Honor your own divinity, in every possible way.  Promise to take care or your physical body in gratitude for its support of all you do. 

Merge your mind & spirit fully into your physical being.  Feel golden light of love filling each and every cell, weaving together each part of you into a divine whole.  Notice the golden light radiating from your physical self as an aura of divine power and love.

Bask in the love you feel for yourself as long as you need.

You are beautiful!

Wild & Bright Blessings,

~*Rhi*~

    )O(

Imbolc - New Beginnings

This Imbolc lands on a New Moon, making it the perfect time for a New Beginnings spell.

Here's a rather complicated spell from my B.O.S.  Don't freak out, but this spell has 4 separate parts, New Moon creation, Full Moon release, Making & Wearing a talisman, & finally, a celebration.  The focus & intent you put into each of these parts makes this a very powerful working.  It uses Ice Magick, which is especially powerful in the Spring.

Use this spell when you are looking to start something drastically different (like a career change or new phase of your life, building new health habits, etc.)

New Life Beginnings

Part 1 - Creation

Get your purpose & intent clear (mine last time was Intuition & Clarity to know my life's work)

Correspondences & Ingredients:

Red (Fire) for courage & power - I used a few drops of red food coloring for this one, but you could also use red paper, I just didn't have any at the time.

Water for Wisdom - I used storm water that I had collected & charged, but any charged water will work. (about 1/2 cup)

Air for Insight & Change - for this spell,the elements of water & air are combined into Ice Magick

Stone to represent Earth - I used a raw garnet, Persephone's stone, to rid of the stale & no longer needed aspects & allow for renewal & regenerative creativity. Also, to re-unite with positive ancestral forces.  

New Moon - moving forward in life

Oil to match purpose/intent - I used Jasmine oil for my intent, as it is great in spells about love, money & heightened intuition

Herb to match purpose/intent - I used Poppy seeds to represent & call creative fertility

Paper to write your intent upon (small, like 2-3 inches square)

Pen

Container that can be placed in the freezer

Candles & incense to support your working (optional)

Actions:

Get your intent clear in your head & reduce it to a few words.  Collect the necessary items that support your intent.  Create your sacred space in whichever way feels best for you.  Cleanse all tools & ingredients.  Raise energy in whatever way feels best for you - I usually meditate upon the intent & drop into my Inner Temple.  

Once you feel ready, write the few words that clearly state your intent onto the paper.  Focus all your hopes & dreams about this new beginning onto the paper.  Really, really see yourself accomplishing this dream.  

Place the paper into the container.  Add the herbs & other ingredients to the container, then slowly pour the water in.  Use your power hand to stir the water around, infusing your intent into the mixture.  

As you're doing so, here are the words this little control-freak-witch used to bless the concoction (use anything that works for you, but I find the repetition of this chant through so many voices has some serious power to it):

Gods & Goddesses

Grant me the serenity to

Accept the things I cannot change,

The courage to change

The things I can, and

The wisdom to know the difference.

Now, state your intent: 

I intend & desire ________________ for the highest good of all.

Now comes the hard part:

Put your little container into the freezer & forget it!  Leave it totally alone until the Full Moon.  Let the magick of Ice work.  Ice magick is very powerful for transformation. Mark on your calender or set some kind of reminder for yourself to re-visit this spell at the next Full Moon (if you miss it, that's ok, just do it as close to the Full Moon as you can).

Part 2 - Release the Magick:

Upon the Full Moon, remove your container from the freezer & place it in the moonlight to be charged by our Lady with this chant:

Wake the change in me dear Lady

Melt rigid ice with your soft light

that change be gentle but swiftly won,

For highest good and only right

This witch's spell is almost done

It grows in power this blessed night.

If you can, stay with the ice, meditating on your change, until it melts.

Keep the container out until the water evaporates (leaving it's essence in the paper, herbs, etc.).  This took about a week for me.

Part 3 - Absorb the Magick through your Talisman:

Once the water has evaporated, it's time to create a talisman.  Collect your container & these ingredients, create your sacred space & let's work!

Small cloth (2 inch x 2 inch is a nice size)

Red String

Vervain (general, all purpose witch's power herb)

Oil of your choice (I used a Moon Oil I've created for all New & Full Moon workings, it's jasmine, lemon & sandalwood in an almond oil base).

Red Candle

Incense

Small bowl of salted water

Cleanse everything except your container with the dried paper, stones, herbs... 

Use the cloth to wrap up everything in the container, add the vervain & tie the packet up with the red string.

Raise energy.  Seriously, here, people...this is the time to RAISE ENERGY!  Do so in whatever way you do it BEST.

Sprinkle the bag with a bit of the salted water, chanting

Powers of Earth & Water

Assist me in my work

Now pass the bag into the incense

Power of Air

Assist me in my work 

 & over the candle

Power of Fire

Assist me in my work

 

Bring in your favorite gods and/or goddesses too!

Finally, anoint your hands with the oil & hold the bag between your palms.  Infuse all your desires & intents regarding this working through your hands & into the bag.

Wear or carry this talisman at all times (well, not in the shower) until the next New Moon.  Feel free to add more oil as needed, the scent is important to bring the memory of your intent.

Part 4 - Celebration!:

This is best done outside.  

With talisman in hand, gather:

inspirational items that represent your change 

items that represent the Elements

matches and/or a charcoal brickette (the incense kind, not the bbq kind!)

A bit of the herbs you initially used

Cauldron or other fire-proof container

I also used a small Zen garden & a finger labyrinth to represent respectively perpetual new beginnings & varied paths.  These items spoke to me in my celebration.  

Basically, you want to create a happy & sacred celebration of your new endeavor.  You are celebrating as if it has already happened, because...As Above, So Below.  In reality, once you fully intend a change, it HAS happened in the spiritual world.

Create your sacred space, light your candles, meditate on the joy that has come from your change.  You are totally focused & intent on the fact that this change IS HAPPENING IN THE PRESENT, not the future.  Know this.  Feel it.

When you feel the excitement, place the brickette & herbs into the cauldron & light.  Now, open your talisman bag.  Remove any non-flamable items to offer to the spirits & burn the rest, releasing the last bit of magick into the Universe.

Once everything has burned, throw the ashes to the wind (even if you have to blow them or use a fan).  Watch as your intentions sail off, knowing this change has occurred on a Universal level.

Be sure to give offerings to the deities who helped you or the fae in thanks for their assistance.

Spend as much time as you like basking in the glow of your success, it has happened.  

Oh, don't forget to do the mundane work too, remember...goddess helps those who help themselves.

Finally, journal about your intentions & your magick.  You will amaze yourself as you revisit your journal entries years later...magick works!

Wild & Bright Blessings & Happy Imbolc!!

~*Rhi*~

    )O(

A Simple Prosperity Spell

Lately, I've been thinking about prosperity.  Honestly, we have enough money to live nicely, & are better off than many, so I tend to feel guilty about prosperity spells.

But, there is no reason to limit ourselves with social guilt.  We should all feel free to Do as we will, harming none. So, here goes:

A Simple Prosperity Spell

Ingredients:
Salt - a pinch will do
Water - small amount
Patchouli Essential Oil
the money in your wallet

Do your sacred space thing - cast a circle or whatever you normally do.  If you are able to work where you can light a candle, a green one would do nicely.  Add a pinch of salt to your water.

Take out the bills in your wallet.  Lay them in front of you, face up & looking your direction.  Focusing your intent on cleansing the bills of any harmful energy, sprinkle them lightly with the salted water.  Or, you can wave them through a cleansing incense.  Basically, these bills have been through multiple hands - you want them cleansed of all that energy.

Now that you have fresh, cleansed money, it's time to bless it for your prosperity.

Dip your finger into the patchouli oil & draw an invoking pentagram onto each bill with your anointed finger.  As you draw the pentagram, visualize financial prosperity coming to you.  You may say a little charm like this one:

I am blessed with the means

To live my life

To the fullest

And highest

Good

For myself, for my family, for my world.

Bringing harm to none,

Prosperity is mine.

By my will and intent,

This spell is done.

Now, the hard part - pick the largest denomination bill in your collection & put it on your altar for the next 30 days.  Each time you spend a blessed piece of money, visualize it multiplying for both you & the person receiving it.

To give your spell some additional power, consider cleansing & blessing all the paper money in your wallet on a daily basis.  I know a witch/businesswoman who blesses each bill that enters her store this way.  Of course, you won't be performing the entire spell for every bill.  I'm planning on sprinkling the inside of my wallet with salted water along with the above ritual & carrying a cotton pad doused in patchouli inside, next to the bills. 

Of course, it would be best to do this spell during a waxing moon, but I'm doing it tonight, which works too, because both patchouli & Saturday are ruled by Saturn...a witch has to be flexible, huh?

**Oh, & don't forget: Patchouli is wonderful as a love potion!  Dab some on your pulse points & go snuggle up to your favorite person**

Wild & Bright Blessings!

~*Rhi*~

    )O(

Elderberry Echinacea Syrup

It's cold & flu season.  Are you prepared?

In getting prepared for winter, one of my projects was to make Elderberry & Echinacea syrup.  Here's how:

1/2 cup dried Elderberries
3 Tbsp Echinacea
5 cups distilled water
2 1/2 cups local honey

Bring elderberries & water to a boil.  Cover & simmer for 1 hour.  Add Echinacea.  Steep for another 30 minutes.  Strain through cheesecloth & SQUEEZE to get all the goodness out.

Add honey.

Allow to cool & bottle.

Could anything be easier???

I added a 1/4 cup of brandy to the brew as a preservative.  It will keep for a few months in the refrigerator, and longer in the freezer.  This recipe made 3 bottles, so 2 now live in the freezer. 

The very moment my instincts tell me that I have a risk of catching a cold or the flu, I take 2-3 tsp syrup at least 3 times a day.  If the cold actually catches me, I increase the dose to every 2-3 hours for a couple of days.  In addition to this lovely syrup, I drink garlic, ginger & cayenne tea when at risk of a cold.  

~*Rhi*~

    )O( 

Remember my witchy friends:   *****YOU are responsible for your own health!  If you're taking prescription medications or have chronic illnesses, you MUST consult your doctor, pharmacist or trained herbalist before using herbal remedies!  The herbal info in this blog is about how I & my family use these health-promoting plant allies & is not a substitute for medical care.*****

Nut Cheese (quit giggling!)

When I told a friend I ate nut cheese, she giggled & giggled until she almost peed her pants.  But seriously people, cheese made from nuts (the kind from trees, not men!), is a wonderfully flavorful addition to a vegan diet.

In addition to nut cheeses, there are a variety of vegan cheese substitutes that can help jazz up your favorite recipe.  Vegan cheeses are easy to make, but most require a bit of planning because you need time to soak the nuts. (Ok, now I'm giggling with an image of soaking nuts!!)

One of the great things about nut cheeses is that you get amazing nutrition from nuts instead of the artery-clogging animal fat from dairy cheeses.

Besides their nutrition & taste, they are another way to incorporate your herbal magic(k) into your kitchen witch practice.  Experiment with some basic recipes & soon you'll be making love cheese (basil), cleansing cheese (sage), & a variety of other herbal cheeses!

Oh, & by the way nut cheeses taste amazing!


Here are a few of the recipes I use, feel free to muck around with them as you learn to make cheese yourself:


Nut Ricotta

I use this in Italian recipes as a ricotta substitute & also as a spread on crackers & sandwiches.  This recipe is a modification of a bunch of different ones I found in cookbooks & on the internet.  They're all about the same with a few changes.  Many thanks to Isa Moskowitz of Veganomicon & Jannequin Bennet of The Complete Vegan Kitchen for their inspiration!!

1 cup cashews
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
dash pepper
1 package firm tofu (may omit, see note below)
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 Tbsp fresh basil
2 tsp fresh parsley
2 tsp fresh oregano

Soak cashews in water for 2 hours (can be skipped if you're in a hurry, but the texture will be different). Drain & rinse.  Place cashews, garlic, salt & pepper in the food processor with S blade & process until a paste is created.  Add in the rest of the ingredients & process until mixed well & a good texture has formed.

You can also make this without the tofu, just add water while you're processing to get the right texture.  Try adding sun-dried tomatoes or increasing or changing the herbs.


Almond Feta Cheese with Herb Oil - this recipe comes from Vegetarian Times & is tried & true.  It takes a lot of work, so I don't make it very often.

Pepper Crusted Cashew Goat Cheese - another great recipe from Vegetarian Times! This is super yummy.  I don't tend to crust it if I'm using it on pizza, though (& it's wonderful on pizza!).

Vegan Parmesan
This is a recipe in process.  Each time I make it, there are adjustments.
The base recipe comes from here: Vegan Parmesan Recipe.  None of the versions taste exactly like Parmesan, but they add a great flavor to any dish that calls for Parmesan's kick.

1 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 cup almonds
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 tsp salt
dash onion powder
1 tsp dried parsley

Toast the almond & sunflower seeds lightly.  Allow to cool completely.  Grind the nuts & seeds in a food processor or coffee grinder (small batches for coffee grinder) until they are powdery.  Be careful not to grind them into a paste!  Mix in nutritional yeast, salt, onion powder & parsley.  Store in refrigerator. 

Ethos Kitchen's Basic Cheese Sauce (using commercial vegan cheese substitute)

This recipe belongs to Kelly from Ethos Vegan Kitchen in Orlando, FL.  Kelly was kind enough to hold a few vegan cooking workshops & really kick-started my vegan cooking skills. If you ever find yourself in Orlando, visit Ethos for some homey vegan fare!  You can use any vegan margarine & cheese substitute to make this recipe, I've just found these brands are the ones my hubby & I like the best & the ones Kelly recommends.

2 Tbsp Earth Balance vegan margarine
2 cups Follow Your Heart Monterrey Jack or Cheddar
Salt to taste
1/4-1/2 cup unsweetened milk substitute (I use Silk Almond Milk, Kelly uses Eden Soy Milk)

Melt margarine over medium heat in a skillet or small saucepan.  Add cheese & salt, stir constantly until melted.  Add milk to desired thickness/thinness.  Serve over pasta or veggies or whatever.  You can add any number of herbs to this recipe & it is fabulous.  My favorite way to serve it is:

Vegan Nachos
1 recipe of Basic Cheese Sauce (above)
1/2 package of vegan "beef" crumbles or "beef" TVP soaked
1 Tbsp cumin
1 tsp ground oregano
1 tsp chili powder
dash cayenne
Salt & Pepper
1 can black beans or pinto beans
Cilantro
Avocado or vegan guacamole
Corn chips

Once cheese sauce is done, add the rest of the ingredients.  Stir & continue to cook over medium heat until hot & combined (don't worry if your cheese sauce separates momentarily, it will all come back together).  Sprinkle with cilantro.  Serve with corn chips & avocado or guacamole.  YUMMMY!

Now that I've given you all the recipes, remember...YOU'RE THE COOK!  Modify, adjust, tinker.  Let me know how your versions turned out.


Tomorrow, I''m going to try a new Sun-dried Tomato Cashew Cheese over my Polenta...stay tuned.

Wild & Bright Blessings!

~*Rhi*~

    )O(

Sting Me...Inflame Me...Heal Me...Our Ally Nettle

I am blessed to be taking Christopher Penczak's Inner Temple of Witchcraft class with a local high priest & priestess.  This month, one of our assignments is to drink 3 cups of Nettle (tisane) tea* daily for 9 days as we work on lighting our inner flame of power.  How wonderful, because i just adore my herbs!

Because I'm one of the "why" people, I always want to know the reason I'm asked to do something.  So, assuming there are others out there who might like to know about our friend Nettle.

Nettle

Surely you've met our friend at some point (haha!! I made a funny).  But you might not have thought him a friend.  Maybe you were gardening, or hiking.  Suddenly, as you brushed against a plant, you found your arm or leg burning & stinging!  "Bad Weed!" you may have thought (or something more colorful may even have been uttered).
Actually, Stinging Nettle Urtica dioica, is one of the best wild plants out there!  The whole plant is useful, from the leaves to the stem, to the roots & even seeds.  Nettle is one of the allies to cherish...with gloves on.

Here are just a few of the properties of our new friend:

Magic(k)al (Scott Cunningham)

Nettle is a masculine plant, ruled by Mars & associated with the Element of Fire & the god Thor (sounds about perfect for our use, huh?).  He has the powers of exorcism, protection, healing & lust.  Nettle has been long used in magic to remove curses, keep out evil, avert danger, allay fear & harmful energy, as a healing herb, & to induce lust (oh la la!). Nettle's magical properties, as those of many of our herbs allies, are closely related to his energetic & medicinal properties.

Energetic (Susun Weed)

"Nettle's sharp energy cuts loose old patterns & reweaves connections...Nettle leaves & stalks are an energetic changer, [working on] the entire energetic system (nerves, neurons, chakras, & subtle bodies."  (again...perfect for our use this month!)

Medicinal (Susun Weed & Rosemary Gladstar)

Nutritive & tonic (meaning restorative & safe to consume daily), he strengthens & tones the entire system.  Good as a diuretic, mild laxative, cleansing (antiseptic & astringent), anti-diabetic, anti-rheumatic, anti-asthmatic, expectorant.  Rich in iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium, manganese, zinc & chromium & more vitamins.  Great for PMS & menopause, liver problems, allergies, hay fever & a host of other symptoms.  Basically, Nettle cleanses & nourishes, allowing the body to restore itself to health. 

These are just a few of the wonderful properties of our hot & fiery plant ally, Nettle, when used as a tea.  He has many other uses too: as a hair tonic, for eczema & acne, etc. You can cook with fresh Nettle leaves, make fabric & cords with the stalks, make wine or even beer...oh the possibilities are endless!

If you have some time to get to know this wonderful friend, do so.  Just use gloves if you're communing with the fresh version, he stings!

*update: Some people have told me that Nettle tea is a bit to astringent for their tastes.  Try brewing 3 cups in the following manner:  

3 cups Water
3 Tbsp dried Nettle
1 Cinnamon stick
a dash of freshly ground Nutmeg
a few slices of orange
a splash of Agave nectar

Allow to steep for 20 minutes, then remove the Nettle.  You can leave the cinnamon stick.  This tisane will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.

Much yummier!

Wild & Bright Blessings!

~*Rhi*~
    )O(

Natural Spell Candles

Welcome to the Waxing Moon!  Are you as energized as I am?  Wow!

As I woke up & visited FaeryLand (the back yard), this is what I saw:

Kitty Visits the Bird Feeder

She is a regular visitor of late...funny, we never saw her until my husband's familiar (who looks exactly like her!) passed away 6 months ago. 

After wandering in the gardens, it was time to get to work!

It was Spell Candle day at the Hidden Witch's home.  I've been wanting to make intention candles out of soy wax, with as few artificial additions as possible.  After pondering this for a while & researching natural dyes for candles (not gonna happen), I decided to try something different.  Today I created spell candles with colored sand, herbs & oils.

Love & Romance

I've been using Jasmine scented oil lately, because I cannot find Jasmine EO within my price range.  The Rose Absolute was incredibly expensive, but has no rival in the scent department, so I use it for a few special projects.

Visions Candle

I made 8 Spell Candles in all today, with a variety of applications.  The 1st I'll use is a prosperity/fertility candle as I kick-off this Waxing Moon cycle.

Prosperity Candle on the Altar

This afternoon, I'll make bread & butter pickles, a feather shapeshifting mask & will begin on a Plant Spirit costume.

Wild & Bright Samhain Blessings!

*~Rhi~*

Remedy for Headache

Today, I woke up with a headache. Not just any headache, a MIGRAINE!

I knew there was a reason I researched headache remedies yesterday. 

 

 So, I brewed myself a tisane (tea).

 

2 Cups Water heated to just below a boil

about 5 sprigs fresh Basil with flowers*

2 tsp dried Feverfew

2 tsp Lavender

2 tsp Skullcap

2 tsp Lemon Balm

Cover & Steep for 20 minutes

*I have basil growing in the garden, or I could have used 2 tsp dried Basil.  To harvest, I simply stood in the garden for a few moments to connect with the plants.  Then, I asked them to help me with my headache.  2 of the 5 Basil plants were in especially good shape & I felt their pull.  Normally, I cook with all of them, harvesting equally, but felt that I needed the strongest plants today.  I kept hearing "flowers" in my head, so I honored that & snipped 5 sprigs about 6 inches long with the flowers attached.  I thanked the lovely plants & crushed the leaves by hand before adding the leaves & flowers to the water. 

After 1 cup & about an hour, my headache is almost gone!  This is amazing, because usually my migraines last for days.  

The next cup is cooling in the refrigerator to become a compress with 2 Tbsp chilled Witch Hazel.  

This remedy was a combination recipe I developed from my herbalism sources, and also instinct.  The last migraine I had went away for about 30 minutes while I was chopping basil, so I thought I'd give it a try.  

Wild & Bright Blessings!