Category Archives: recipes and lore

Changes

Merry meet all,

I have been busy recently. I worked in my garden! I am excited about that. I have started lots of seeds in the jiffy peat pots- 72 in total. I am hoping to soon grow herbs and veggies. I bought a peat pot tray that holds 72 peat pots in total. I watered the pots which expanded. That was so exciting to me. Then I filled each small damp peat pot with seeds. I then left the tray in the dark for a f ew days. But today I checked on them and I thought I saw mold. I left the tray on my counter and removed the lid. I now have two tiny seedlings!! I think it is two tiny elecampagne seedlings or of yellow mustard. I am so excited. 

I cleaned my garden and planted peas in a planter. I left the planter outside but I left leaves on the surface to shield the seeds from the cold and birds. Tomorrow I will check on the seeds. Peas like the cold temperatures but there was snow. The frost date is soon. I won’t set out any more plants until the frost passes on May 8. My perennials are growing! It is so good to see my garden again. I am cheered by my garden despite this insufferable lockdown. 

Another bit of news that has cheered me is that Teamworks has funded a copyediting course for me. This is awesome. There is no way it would have been possible for me to take the course if they hadn’t funded it. They are also buying me the book The Chicago Manual of Style. I am ordering the Associated Press Style book. I can’t expect them to pay for everything. I also ordered a dictionary that the instructor of the course will refer to. 

I can finally get a job doing copy editing for people after this. I am so happy to finally be out from under. I have also bought and downloaded Scrivener. I received the benefit from the government because of the pandemic (which to me is such a hoax). That is my opinion. I am excited to work on my novel using the renowned Scrivener. I bought a printer and an external hard drive. 

I guess I can’t call myself a luddite anymore. No more commutes to the library or to my evil mother’s place for printing jobs. No more watching disrespectful teens get arrested who never learned how to shut their mouths. I can print finally from my own home. I am in more control now. It feels very very good. 

It feels so good to have a printer, which I bought at Walmart. They sell printers at Staples but it is too expensive. So I am happier these days. I can print from home if I need to instead of riding the bus to the library. I can have a coffee here instead of paying $3 every time or nearly every time I go there. No more of the depending on others. A thing of the past. 

I am participating in a free live training to learn Scrivener tomorrow! I look forward to it. I hope you have all been healthy and well. I hope this weird as fuck lockdown is over soon. It denies us our basic human rights. 

I also have all the fabric pieces I need to finish making my cosplay pattern- the nightfell herbalist costume. I have everything I need but there are still big changes I have to make before I sew the sleeves and skirt on. I can handle it though. I have a new sewing machine. !!

Spring is good despite this infuriating lockdown.

Blessed Be, Spiderwitch 

 

 

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Filed under recipes, recipes and lore, sacred herbs, saving seeds, spring, Spring Equinox, Spring's arrival, Spring's Rebellion

Social Media and our Health

Merry meet all,

I think we’re in the midst of a Stephen King movie. It sure feels that way. I just washed my dishes, swept and washed my floors. My place feels so clean!! My cat is siting on the floor near me. She is giving me THE LOOK!! anyone who has a cat knows that look. It means… serve me now, human. 

While you are all in self-isolation, what are you doing with your time? I am taking this time to catch up on projects I have been meaning to do for a while. I just bought a sewing machine. I have projects to complete so that will be fun. Nothing makes me feel better than finishing something. I plan to do a lot of cooking too. I want to use up the food I have before it spoils. I made vegetarian chili for supper tonight. Yum!

I hope my seeds come up soon. Every day for a week I have checked and there’s been no sign. I have to be patient. I also have writing projects to finish. Wow me bored? Naw. 

How are you all going to spend your time? Well I can make a few suggestions.

Spring clean, prepare for Beltane, sort out your unwanted items and have them ready to donate them later, clean your pantry, clean the litter box, see? There are things to do. We can all still practice our Craft. 

To stay sane in this troubled time, my best suggestions is to avoid bad news. Yes this means the news on social media. I know how attached you all are to your laptops, phones and tablets. But I know I feel a lot better avoiding Facebook mostly and instead posting cute cat pics on Instagram. I live with severe anxiety so I have to avoid bad news. That bad news can be anything but if it was serious enough, then by all means read it. Then you can just send the bad energy away. Like you are blowing out a candle and you see the smoke fade away? That’s sort of a similar idea here. You don’t have to follow all the news. It fills your head with nasty unpleasant negative energy. Is that what you really want? 

Essential oils carry naturally antiseptic, antiviral, and cleansing properties. The best oils to use to disinfect a working space if you work from home or are at work are lavender, eucalyptus, lemon, peppermint, and tea tree oil. Don’t ingest them or rub them on your skin. However, you can dampen a paper towel and use a diluted essential oil in water to clean a desk. The regular cleansers they sell in stores contain toxic chemicals. So I prefer to use essential oils and they smell great!!! 

Essential oils can be used in diffusers as well to clear a room of negative energy, rid a room of a bad smell or relax you. So it may be wise to invest in a few. Just be sure to pay a reasonable price!

Please do protect yourselves and your loved ones. 

Stay safe, everyone. Blessings and health wishes to you all,

Spiderwitch

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The Essentials of Herbs

Merry Meet All,

It is that time to start thinking about herbs. I’m growing a pot of thyme and sage indoors. I bought them this winter and I plan to grow them indoors all year. The reason is, that these plants don’t always survive in the garden. Thyme and sage need full sun, and certain soil conditions. Besides, the sight of the potted herbs enchants me and makes me smile.

I have been writing for an herb magazine for a year now. Here is the link: http://www.essentialherbal.com/index.php. I love the magazine for the recipes and that I can learn from other herbalists. I have been able to share my knowledge of herbs with the readers and learn from them. Essential Herbal magazine is gaining stellar reviews, which the magazine deserves. No matter the season or time of year, there are always excellent recipes to be found in the pages.

Their website is awesome. You can download a free copy of the magazine, just by clicking on the link on this post, do puzzles, read their blog, read about the current issue, their latest news, and even buy e-books on their site. They have a group on Yahoo and you can read articles about the basics of soap-making. The wizard behind the magazine, Tina Sams, is the tireless editor of the magazine. She is a great person and a talented herbalist and brings her endless enthusiasm and knowledge to the forefront. Essential Herbal is in its second decade of continued publication. I am not surprised.

I encourage you all to click on the link and learn more about this fascinating magazine. Refresh your knowledge of herbal lore in time for spring with Essential Herbal magazine!

The photo above is of my Ostara Altar. Please feel free to post your photos here of your altar or contact me if there are any complications with downloading files. Enjoy spring.

Blessed Be,
Lady Spiderwitch )O(

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Filed under Essential Herbal magazine, herbs, magazine, potted herbs, recipes and lore, spring