I Made A Winter Syrup To Beat The January Blahs

I made a Winter Syrup to beat the January blahs

Every January, as we scurry off to the grocery store to buy pounds upon pounds of citrus fruit, we joke in my household that we must have scurvy.  I have multitudes citrus-forward cocktails that are designed to fight of the mid-winter ennui - lemon-drop martinis and whiskey sours - we’ve even experimented with putting clementine juice into drinks!

So when I found a recipe online for a Vitamin C heavy syrup that doesn’t HAVE to be served in alcohol form - I was pretty excited.   Better yet, it called for using evergreen needles which (if you’ve been following along) is completely in line with my study of Eastern White Pine that I have decided to undertake this month.

Serendipity is funny things: along with evergreen needles, the major vitamin C contributor in this recipe is rose-hips and I happen to have dried a bunch from Rosa Rugosa that I harvested at the beach in September that have been waiting for the perfect project.   Because I’m an overly ambitious kitchen witch (who also has a partner that loves food) - I had everything else needed for this recipe all set to go.

I Made A Winter Syrup To Beat The January Blahs

The crafting was surprisingly simple - its just a simple syrup - something that I’ve made dozens of times out of all sorts of ingredients.  You just want to leave the “tea” part of the mixture on the stove for a long time - we’re talking hours.

In the end I used Eastern White Pine and Rosa Rugosa rose hips for the vitamin C; cardamon, cinnamon and allspice for flavoring, a knob of ginger for its anti-inflammatory properties; lemon balm for its calming effect, and orange and calendula for sunshine energy.   For a sugar, I used raw local honey which is my go-to for most things.

So far, I’ve been loving having this in my life.  I’ve been adding some to my turmeric and ginger tea every day - it adds a nice earthy/herbal/woodsy taste but isn’t overpowering.   I will absolutely make this again and look forward to experimenting with different flavors/added intentions in my syrup.

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More Posts from Meadowlover and Others

4 weeks ago

Hello! I've taken a peek at the witch craft book library you've put together, but I'm a bit confused how it works. I can't find books it says have been uploaded and I was wondering if you could help me figure out what I'm doing wrong. Thank you for uploading such a large amount of readings in one place ♡

I completely forgot to update here! So due to the large amount, (and I refuse to give google my money for storage) I've been moving them to MEGA. I'm still slowly moving things over from the Google Drive, it's a work in progress and I haven't had much time lately. If you can't find what you are looking for then please don't hesitate to ask. ☺ I'll update the Masterlist to include the MEGA link as well so it's easier to fine. ☺

Thanks everyone for being patient while things get moved around!

MEGA Library:

https://mega.nz/folder/gWM2VLqQ#WJogJj3_w3ysb0RxoX-igQ

Library Masterlist:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-NC7wToVh0_hpNbuvhBEI2BUdWPbkpLlM2G15P76tiA/edit?usp=drivesdk

(Still Cleaning Out) Google Drive:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/10mkrjBylnr59A6lWrJQ7R7SNgbZTu8d4


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4 weeks ago

When it comes to kitchen magic (or really witchcraft in general), people get too hung up in correspondences, esp when first starting out. And I think focusing too heavily on correspondences is what ends up making people feel like they cant advance their craft.

In my opinion part of it is "you need to make your own correspondences". Sure some rosemary in a stew might work for healing or purification, but do you also associate the herb that way? I think of my beautiful rosemary bushes over the years, tying and drying their branches, the beautiful scent, previous spells I have done. It feels me with a certain feeling of safety that I can then channel into my work.

When it comes to cooking, I feel like it's a lot of energy work. All spell work incorporates our energies in some way, I especially feel it with cooking. Your hands and cooking tools are vessels to transfer your energy. You transfer your energy when you knead bread, cut veggies, wash the rice, stir the soup, you get the idea. Yes you can focus on a specific mantra, but the point is you don't always have to do that. You using your energy to change ingredients into something new, something nourishing for the body, is magic in and of itself.

I also use my energy to charm my tools instead of individual meals/drinks. A special tea cup charmed with a spell to bring me relaxation doesn't need me to do a small spell or mantra every time I make a cup of tea (because I would forget to do that anyways). Instead it holds the calming energies I have already given it until I feel it needs to be charged again. A favorite soup stirring spoon is going to spread my love to every meal I make using it just because it has picked up my own energy throughout its use.

I think just accepting the magic of the everyday and of your energy is esp important for those of us who feel like we have less spoons. Me cooking uses enough of my precious energy, but it's something I do out of love and because I enjoy it. That's where the real magic is.


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4 weeks ago

On Purple Dead Nettle

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My new plant-love of this Spring season is the unassuming (and yet striking beautiful) Lamium purpureum, aka Purple Dead Nettle.   This wild forageable is considered a “weed” in many yards and gardens and yet has great medicinal, edible, and magical properties.  What more is there to love? I first noticed purple dead nettle after seeing it on a Youtube channel - it turns out, it was growing in my neighborhood all along and I had been oblivious! Purple Dead Nettles (Also sometimes called Purple Archangel) is found around the world.  In warmer areas, it is a annual Winter weed that provides much needed ground cover - here in Southern New England it is a early Spring flower that blooms for about six weeks starting in mid April.   It is highly distinguishable by its square stem (proving its membership to the mint family) and distinct red/purple leaves.  It can grow up to 8-10 inches tall but generally prefers to stick close to the ground. It is a super food - all parts of the plant are edible though its leaves are fuzzy so it can be a strange experience to eat it on its own.  It can be added to salads, used as an edible garnish, made into pesto, or added as a green to smoothies.   It’s flavor is green and reminiscent of grass or clover. Medicinally, it is an astringent, diaphoretic, and purgative.   It has anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal properties.  It’s leaves can be made into a salve or applied directly for on-the-go wound care.   Consumption slows the production of histamines so it has a claim to fame as a plant used to treat seasonal allergies.   It can be dried and drunk as a tea but can have a laxative effect if consumed in quantity.   It is also listed as unsafe for pregnant and breast feeding humans. On of the best quality of this wonder-plant, in my opinion, is that it is one of the earliest bee friendly flowers that blooms in the colder climates.  Bees and other native pollinators seem to prefer Purple Dead Nettle to other plants.  Yet another reason not the mow this lovely plant down and let it thrive!

Magically it is associated with happiness and cheerfulness and considered useful for grounding when combined with yarrow.   Like all hearty plants that will grow “anywhere” it also has an association with strength and resiliency.  For magical purposes, dead nettle is most often dried and turned into an incense blend or tea (see the above mentioned warning about drinking too much of it.) Last but not least, I wanted to share a fun fact.  The Latin name for Purple Dead Nettle (lamium purpurium) means “diminutive purple monster” - a nickname given to the plant that spread out of control.   Laugh all you want but be careful where you plant it if you don’t want a yard FULL of dead nettle.  But for real - who wouldn’t want a yard full of dead nettle?  Certainly not me… Like my work?  Please consider supporting me by Buying Me of Ko-Fi.


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2 months ago
A Sacred Space Is So Important In The Home, I’m Not Just Talking About An Altar Either, A Sacred Space

A sacred space is so important in the home, I’m not just talking about an altar either, a sacred space can be anywhere where you feel most comfortable and at peace, the best thing is you can have as many as you want too!

This is only one of 3 of my sacred spaces at home, and it’s just been re-decorated with new flowers and new crystals ✨🤍 do you have a sacred space? 🕯

Insta: hexeandharmony 🖤🌙

2 months ago

Cleansing Carpet Refresher Powder

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Many witches incorporate physically cleaning their space as part of how they cleanse the energy of their space, but most tips out there involve sweeping or adding ingredients to mop water or to surface cleansers. But I have carpets! (and simply vacuuming just didn’t feel like enough).

So, my ingredients are for cleansing, healing, and peace: 

Rose 

Lavender 

Rosemary 

Pink Salt 

Bay Leaf 

Chamomile 

Eucalyptus 

Cinnamon

Fine Salt 

I ground that up in my food processor, but a mortar and pestle works really well too! I just had too much shoulder pain to mess with that lol 

Then I added that to baking soda and cornstarch, which help to eliminate odors and lift stains/grease/grossness. I wish I had the measurements but I just poured it in until it seemed right… 

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Mixed it up really well and ended up with something like that ^ then I added oils with similar properties (here I will specify that the oils I use are herbal infused oils that I get from a small mompop Indian market, not essential oils). Just a couple drops of each, or else the powder will clump up too much: 

Lemon oil 

Peppermint oil  

Rosemary oil 

Lemongrass oil 

Lavender oil 

Eucalyptus oil

Mix all of that up, and then spread it over your carpet. I tried poking holes in the lid of my jar, but that didn’t spread as easily as using my hands. Lightly tossing it to spread it over the carpet also allowed me to be more involved in my intent. Leave the powder on your carpet for about an hour, and then vacuum it up! 


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4 weeks ago

Guardian Animal Shielding

Guardian Animal Shielding

I find this technique to be extremely comforting. It may be adapted to many models of magic, including psychological ones.

I find that this shield is better performed alone or when you can focus on it. It is more of an event than a practical utility.

TL;DR: Put yourself in a headspace where your favorite natural biome is all around you. Call a guardian animal. Spend time with the animal and thank it when you are done.

TIPS & TRICKS: Build a folder of gifs, video clips, photos, audio tracks, etc. that just take you to your favorite biome (perfect chance to create mood boards really).

You can perform this technique as a meditation, but also you can employ it as energetic shielding.

SHIELDING: Choose what biome you want to spend time in. You can be very specific (like choosing to be near a body of water, the time of day, the weather patterns, or the types of flora and fauna present) or you can be very general. Decide if you would like to call on a specific animal from that biome, or if you will call for any animal in general.

Draw energy up a shield around you in whatever method you prefer. I generally find it to be much easier to pattern the shield while you make it, instead of creating a white bubble and modifying it after the fact (e.g. if you create your shields by exhaling energy, exhale the biome itself).

Once your biome shield has been created to your satisfaction, consider spending time within it to feel it. This is a good opportunity to practice psychic senses. Try feeling, smelling, seeing, tasting, and hearing what is within the shield.

When you are ready, speak, think, sign, or indicate that you want an animal to join you in the biome. If you use words, they might be, "otter, come join me. I need a friend and a protector. Come sit with me in my shield." Or, "Mother Earth, I've called you to be around me. Now I ask you send an animal to protect me and be my companion at this time."

If you do not want to use words, you can pattern an animal into your shield using energy work techniques or any technique you prefer.

Try spending time feeling, smelling, seeing, (maybe not tasting), and hearing the animal. Try talking to it and watching its behavior.

You can go about your day and this biome and animal will travel with you. Reinforce it by adding more energy to it using whatever technique you prefer. When you are done, if you remember to do so, thank the animal for its company and ask it to return home.

MODIFICATIONS: If short on time, create the shield to include the animal automatically, instead of having to invite it.

You can invite the same animal over and over again, or invite a new one each time.

The guardian does not need to be an animal and the environment doesn't need to be a biome. Consider a heavenly shield and pearly gates with an angelic guardian, for example.

Especially if you call out for a general guardian, your actual guardians and guides may appear, even if they are unknown to you at this time. Especially watch out for specific beings that show up time and time again. (this technique was how I first met my primary spirit guardian, although I didn't know it at the time!)

This technique can be a form of divination and self-reflection. Let everything be very general, including the biome. Pattern your energy work to "bring forth the environment I need the most." Call for "the guardian I need the most." Observe what is created around you.

As stated above, this technique in general is excellent for practicing psychic sensing.

Once you have a protection amulet or two in hand, try this in a natural area. Pattern your shield to be the energy of that area. Call for a local benevolent spirit. See what happens.


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3 weeks ago

Connection is not a feeling.

With some of the responses I've been getting on my post about connecting with nature, I realized I needed to write about this.

Folks have got to understand that connection is not a feeling. "I feel such a deep connection with-" nope, that's not connection you're feeling; that's fascination.

Whether it's nature, or a culture, or anything at all, connection isn't transcendent. It's something you build with actual physical effort. It's a relationship.

Let's say there's a stray cat outside, and I want to have a connection with it. So I go inside my house and meditate on the cat, visualizing myself sending out rays of love to the cat. I look at pictures of cats on the Internet. I collect cat memorabilia and pray to cat goddesses. But when I go outside and try to pet the stray cat, it runs away.

This is because I never built a genuine connection, or relationship, with this cat. I'm a parasocial admirer, at best. To the cat, I'm a weird stranger.

But let's say I put cat food outside, and I stay out there while the cat eats, and slowly get closer to the cat as it becomes more comfortable with my presence. Finally, I give the cat light touches, and it gradually learns that I am safe. And we become friends.

Now I have a connection with the cat, because we have a relationship. I feed the cat, the cat eats my food, and we're in each others' social networks.

"But what if I can't build relationships like this?"

It's okay if this is impossible for you right now. You're not going to be a Bad Pagan or a Bad Witch because you can't do something that is literally impossible at the moment.

But, if a connection is something you want to have, at some point? Get studying. You want a connection with nature at some point? Okay, then start studying ecology. Learn about the rain cycle. Learn about environmental damage. Find materials about the plants and animals in your area.

What about a culture? Okay, go learn about its history, go learn what kinds of problems its people are currently facing, and work on perceiving them as real, complex people instead of whatever stereotype you have in your mind right now.

And above all, remember: that's not a mystical connection you're feeling, that's fascination.

4 weeks ago

The Lemon Hex

The Lemon Hex

For when someone has REALLY done you dirty and you just need a quick and powerful burst of baneful energy. This one is powerful, fast-acting, and short-lived, by nature it can really f a person up and can't be undone/reversed once you've cast it. As always, practice responsibly and be safe!

What You Need

A lemon (naturally.)

A knife to help handle said lemon

A leaf or piece of paper with your target's name/identifying info on it (taglock)

Ginger/Cayenne Pepper to help empower/speed up the spell. Both preferred, but just one can do.

Salt/Black Pepper, good baseline ingredients for most hexes

Anything nasty or spicy you can think of. Hot sauces/peppers, old vegetable juices, lint/dust, dish scum, you name it.

Important note: This is not a spell you want to use needles, nails, or other hard things in. Keep it soft and organic if you can. You'll see why.

Steps

Throughout all of this, I find hexes to be a good opportunity to speak your mind, let the target know exactly how they fucked up and how this is the consequence of their actions.

Prepare your taglock and cut an opening in your lemon. Give it some room in the middle.

Roll up or stuff the taglock inside the lemon alongside all of the other ingredients. Be sure to add the ginger and cayenne for best results.

Once it's all in there, give it a little roll/squeeze to make sure those lemon juices permeate all the nasty insides. Let the citrus sting and the spices burn, let the grossness reflect the grossness they've wrought on your own life being sent back.

Chop the whole thing into pieces in preparation for the next step.

Once you're ready, chuck it into the garbage disposal.

If you don't have a garbage disposal, a blender with some liquid should work too. You could even continue using nasties like lemon or pickle juice.

Your lemon is now ground up and liquefied. Dispose of the remains however you please.


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4 weeks ago
Blessed Mabon Witches!
Blessed Mabon Witches!
Blessed Mabon Witches!
Blessed Mabon Witches!
Blessed Mabon Witches!
Blessed Mabon Witches!

Blessed Mabon witches!

My favorite season and sabbat to celebrate, such fun activities to do and delicious recipes to make.. I went apple picking and we got bags full of big red apples, sweet pears and a few pumpkins of which we made soup from!

How did/will you be celebrating this turn of the wheel?


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2 months ago

my 'this but not that' tarot spread

A very simple spread my friends, to identify what the hecc is happening.

It's a three card draw - any arrangement will do.

first card - "the answer is,"

second card - "that is to say,"

third card - "..and it is not-"

example: "what are these weird vibes I'm getting from my friend?"

first card - "the answer is that your friend feels like they can't relate to your beliefs any more."

second card - "that is to say, your friend is growing emotionally in a direction that makes them question some of your beliefs."

third card - "and it's not that they think your beliefs are actually bad. they're just questioning a lot of things on an emotional level right now."


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witch, of a kind.

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