Witchy Things
Some fun recipes and ideas in honor of the season.
A witch, to me, is a woman that stands in her power, is deeply connected to herself, to nature, and to the energy around her. She uses all of these things to tune-in, to shift, to create. She uses the earth’s natural resources to her benefit. She’s in-tune with the cycles of life—the moon, seasonal, her own body’s natural rhythms and cycles. Harmless, no?
So imagine my surprise when an old friend messaged me one day, expressing her concern for my well-being, after I had written one sentence in a previous post about how I feel connected to my ancestors—no doubt some of them were witches, I’d said. This old friend sent a book my way about dark magic, a few bible quotes, and her concern that I was tampering with something I don’t understand. In the end, she accused me of misusing my “God-given gift of writing.”
That one kind of pissed me off a little.
I wondered if she truly thought I was sitting around, conjuring the devil and casting spells. I mean, I’d love to cast spells, knowing they’d actually work, but all the other shit centered around the idea of witches and their craft are—quite honestly—deeply misunderstood, in my humble opinion. There’s no doubt some have used their gifts for some not so good things. But when I say the word witch and what I imply is what I started this letter with. It’s all good things.
On a lighter note, here’s some stuff I get into that makes me feel a little witchy and doesn’t require the devil at all.
My go-to oil roller: Toasted Spruce
-unrefined organic coconut oil
-roller (you can find these on Amazon)
-essential oils- holiday season, patchouli, bergamot, grapefruit, and vanilla (I buy all of my essential oils from Plant Therapy).
Combine the coconut oil and essential oils together in a roller. I do about 10 drops of each—8 for patchouli, because she’s a beast. All together, this smells like Christmas in a bottle.
My favorite recipe, using what nature provides:
Edlerberry syrup- boosts the immune system, fights and protects against bacterial and viral infections, reduces symptoms and duration of a cold and the flu, helps clear sinus infections, natural diuretic effects, anti-inflammatory properties, eases symptoms of allergies, high in antioxidants … You get the point. It’s great and we love it. It’ll make your house smell funky for an afternoon, but it’s a small price to pay for such greatness.
This recipe is quite simple and can be done in a variety of ways. Here’s how I make it:
-Organic dried elderberries (3/4c)
-3c water
-1tsp dried cinnamon or 1 cinnamon stick
-1tsp dried cloves or 4 whole cloves
-1tbsp fresh ginger or 1tsp dried ginger
-1c raw honey
In a pot, bring the elderberries, water, cinnamon, gloves, and ginger to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half (about 45 min). Allow the liquid to cool, then drain using a mesh strainer or cheese cloth. I prefer the cheese cloth, because you can really squeeze the life out of those berries. Add raw honey and mix well. Store in a mason jar in the fridge for up to two months. (We each down a tablespoon every morning before going out into the world and swapping germs with the masses).
Card pulling:
I’m by no means well-versed in this, but it’s been pretty enlightening. I love the Green Witch deck because not only is it beautiful to look at, but it’s completely centered around the natural elements. The advice is practical and thought-provoking and it never steers me wrong.
How I journal with the moon cycle:
I look up the full moon, third quarter moon, and new moon and I mark them on my calendar. For each one, I follow a pattern—the new moon is about setting intentions for the month. Where is your focus? What’s coming up for you? What do you want to work on? Anything you want to change? The full moon is about action. What actions are you going to take regarding your intentions? What are you stopping yourself from doing? Where are you procrastinating? The third quarter moon is all about reflection. I look back at the last month and I see where I started, where I’m stalling, what I did to change things. It’s a great way to see where my old patterns are and where I need to push or even rest a bit more. It’s a beautiful way to take stock and hold yourself accountable, month after month.
You can purchase my book, I Might Imagine Wild Things, at any book retailer you love. (My personal favorite is ThriftBooks.)
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