Tag Archives: NOURISH

Litha, Summer Solstice

Low Key Litha

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I don’t know what the weather is like where you are, but in the USA we are experiencing record breaking heat throughout most of the country.

And personally, I have zero interest in doing any of the traditional activities that involve extended time outdoors like bonfires, hiking, gardening. And forget about baking!

I’ve compiled a list of my favorite low key, extremely simple activities to fan your Litha Passions without inviting heat stroke.
I plan on using some of them on the Solstice and all summer long.

FOOD

☀️Sun tea

🌿 Infused herbal and or fruit waters

🥤 Summer Fruit Lassis

🧊 Herbal and or floral ice cubes for your beverages

🍓 Frozen yogurt and berry bark

🍇 Grapes dipped in yogurt and frozen, or just plain. Mini portable popsicles!

ACTIVITIES

🌬Curling ribbons in Litha colors tied to the cage of an oscillating fan

🌹 Herbal or Floral infused water in a misting bottle kept nearby in a wine chiller.

🪴 Bouquet of fresh fire element herbs as a centerpiece that you use all day in meals.
Ideas? Basil in a caprese salad. Mint and melon balls. Rosemary foccia pizza.

👑 Flower crown wreath
Red Carnations are associated with the Sun, cheap, easy to come by and make a sturdy crown base if you want to add extras.

🧘🏻‍♀️ Singing Bowl Mediations
Find them on Spotify, YouTube or Insight Timer.
Bonus points for solar chakra frequencies.

🚿 Chamomile Shower Tea. Cause it’s too darn hot for a bath! All you need is two chamomile tea bags and a votive candle. Brew a weak pot and cool for a shower tea. Open the other and sprinkle some on the votive candle to light in your shower. I like to set mine in the soap dish

📕 Spooky cozy reads
Hot tip for a chill read
Download one of the Tradd Street mystery series from your local Library via Libby. The protagonist is a Charleston real estate agent who talks to dead people who favor making their presence know with icy temp drops.

Bright blessings

bitters, brews, herbs, potions

Retrograde Chiller

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Chilling through the retrograde
with my Spring Fling brew

I’ve tweaked the recipe from the blog of @thisnakedmind

Cardamom pods, cracked
Cloves
Cucumber slices
Mint, copious quantities
Rosemary sprigs
Lemon peel
Lime peel
Chamomile buds

Infused in cold water in fridge overnight

Strain and serve half brew, half tonic water and a couple dashes of bitters.

Huntress from @woodspell.apothecary is exceptional here. 💚

The flavor is reminiscent of a gin and tonic. But much more herbaceous.

Garnish with lime, cucumber slice or mint. Or all three💚

Bright blessings

Brigid, Divine Feminine, Magnolias, plant allies, practical magic, Rituals

Magnolia Magic

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The magnolia is one of four primary trees on the property of my home.

There are also two Brother Pines, a Father Oak, the 11 Sisters a.k.a. Tulip Poplars and then Mother Magnolia.

I turn to the magnolia when I am in need of comfort and mothering.

Her correspondences are dignity, spirituality, peace and endurance and she shares these energies with me freely.

This morning I went out into the yard and found a fallen leaf. The leaves naturally curl into a boat shape and are a perfect vessel for sending messages. I’ve been in a heightened state of anxiety for over two years now but this morning felt even more so.

So I fixed myself a cup of herbal tea. This divine feminine blend from my friend Val’s shop is especially comforting and nourishing. As I sipped, I wrote my concern on the leaf and then sprinkled the used herbs onto the leaf

I took the petition boat and headed out to the back of our property where a spring creek runs and along the way I found tulip poplar blooms that had dropped from the sisters. I picked one up and placed it in the boat as an additional offering and then walked to the waters edge.

I offered the boat to the spirit of the creek and said a prayer to Brigid asking that my anxiety be taken away and replaced with peace.

Then I gently pitched it into the water. I considered it a good omen that it did not capsize but landed upright and started to float away.

And as I watched it drift downstream, I felt just a little bit more at ease.

I think naming and releasing fears is such a vital part of overcoming them.

May you have peace today and every day.

Bright blessings.

Divination, herbs, Rituals

Herb Divination

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Lemon Balm

Every year a different perennial herb takes off faster than the others. And they seem to be an indicator of the year to come.

This year it’s the season of the Lemon Balm

And while it is used for rituals to foster Success, happiness, memory and love, this herb holds a resonance of deep healing for me personally.

Have you ever used herb growth as a divination method?
How do you like to use lemon balm?

I’d love to hear in the comments below.

#Dailymagic #everydaymagic #practicalmagic #mundanemagic #spiritualjourney, Rituals

Morning Cleanse

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Morning Smoke Cleanse

How perfectly aligned were these messages from Thursday?

Both the Fool from the #starseekerstarot and the Juniper smoke card from #sacredhagsoracle from @wolfwomanwitch were completely aligned in their messages of beginning anew.

And the act of taking a smoke cleanse bath in the morning was absolutely magickal. Starting my day off fresh and empowered.

Bright blessings

smokecleanse

thefool

junipersmoke

oraclecards

tarotcards

morningmagic

Food, Ostara, Rituals, spring equinox, Uncategorized

Spring Seasoning

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Today marks the Spring Equinox, the balance of light and dark as we turn toward the warmth of a new season.

I wanted to do something easy to mark the shift. So I turned to my tried and true salt, pepper and a tea light candle are the ingredients for this simple ritual.

I sprinkled the salt and pepper evenly over each half of the candle to represent the balance of day and night. It will be placed on my cooktop and lit as I start dinner preparations with a prayer for balance in my life and that of my family in the coming season.

I also poured salt and pepper evenly in another dish and blended with my finger, again with a prayer of gratitude. It was then added to the soup, salad and bread I prepared for dinner to celebrate the equinox.

Bright blessings

herbal medicine, herbs, tinctures, violets

Time to Tincture!

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Time to Tincture!

I’ve been anxiously awaiting the arrival of my violets. They are a bit behind schedule which is odd given that everything else was blooming ahead.

Maybe they knew about the last freeze this past weekend!

They are a key ingredient in my respiratory health tincture.

I combine oregano tincture and violet tincture 2 parts oregano 1 part violet for my blend. It is the only thing that calmed my Covid cough in February.

The process is so simple
Wash and spin dry the fresh flowers or herbs
Pack into a jar 2/3 of the way up
Cover with vodka
Seal and Sucuss once a day for two weeks give it a good

What do I mean by succuss?

suc·​cus·​sion | \ sə-ˈkəsh-ən \
Definition of succussion
: the action or process of shaking or the condition of being shaken

Simply turn it over and give it a good three thumps, lid side down, on a folded towel.

This releases the oils of the herb into the alcohol.

If you are using dried material, only fill half full.

@suburban_witchery has a great little reel on the process

Then turn it right side back up until the next day.

After two weeks, strain and store in a dark bottle.

Compost the herbs. I like to use them as an offering to the spirits of my home 💚💜

Happy thumping!

Brigid, Imbolc, practical magic

Sabbat Sipper

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Blackberry Oatmeal Cinnamon Latte

Gathering ingredients and dreaming
up the perfect sipper for Imbolc💜

Definitely Starting with bitters and tea from @woodspell.apothecary

Enhancing with fresh crushed blackberries and blackberry syrup

Cinnamon rosemary stick wand stirrer.

Oat milk because oats are a food associated with Brigid.

Imbolc is a fire festival so a slice of fried orange may make its way into the cup as well

Now to figure out how to froth oat milk. Without a frother 😎😂

I’m going to make some blackberry rosemary bannocks too go with my tea as well. Probably throw in a little orange zest.

Salute

#Dailymagic #everydaymagic #practicalmagic #mundanemagic #spiritualjourney, Full Moon

Full Moon in Cancer

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I’ve filled my water dispenser with spring water, set it in my thrifted silver tray and loaded it up with intention

Cancer is my absolute favorite sign to set intentions for home and family. It also happens to be my youngest’s Sun sign. And while I don’t have any prominent Cancer placements in my chart, I do have a LOT of Water. I am a nester and my family is everything to me.

So I gathered our four family green Opal eggs, one for each of use and supporting Cancer stones of pink quartz, carnelian, selenite and clear quartz.

Cancer carries a double boost of energy as it moves into its home planet, The Moon.

I’ve added herbs around the edges that also support the energy of a happy, loving home.

Roses for peace and Love.

Lavender for calm, peace and tranquility

Rosemary for protection and purification

Chamomile for love, protection, abundance and purification

Peppermint for energy, cleansing and purification

Camellias for abundance, prosperity and spirituality

In the morning, I’ll tip the herb and flower mixture into a bowl and place it by the front door for the rest of the year. Refreshing it with essential oils as needed.

And I’ll brew the first pot of coffee for the family with water charges by this lovely nurturing Cancer Moon

Bright Blessings

candles, Daily Prompts, Mantras, Rituals

A card, a candle, a cleanse

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Everyday Magic🧡

These are my three favorite elements to use as I go about the tasks of everyday living.

A Tarot Card for Inspiration
A Tea light for Illumination
An Herb for Impact

Mundane tasks hold so many opportunities to set and support my intentions. We all have to eat, to dress, cook, clean, etc. So why not bring a bit of beauty to the task?

My daily shower is a perfect example. While I do love a luxurious ritual bath, it is only a monthly indulgence for me, usually reserved for the full or new moon, depending on my needs.

But a ritual shower is so simple and I take one daily, so I have found easy ways to make it beautiful. Its my opportunity to wash off the day, literally and figuratively, and set up my night for dream work.

This is how I worked with Eucalyptus this week.

First, I’ll pull a tarot card either selectively or intentionally. And come up with a short simple Mantra to sing in the shower.
I’ll set the card on my pillow on my bed and then head to the bathroom where I’ll crush the herb and sprinkle a bit on my tea light before setting it on a ledge inside the shower and lighting it.

Sometimes I’ll stir more of the crushed herb into my bath soaps, scrubs, washes etc.

Finally, I’ll turn off all the lights. Turn on the water. And step into the altar I’ve created.

Bright blessings.