Tag Archives: flowers

July 7, 2023 · 4:15 pm

Summer Offerings

Merry meet all,

Oh the heat! Halifax is literally a hot cauldron- and I am planted in it! There is no escaping it. What a heatwave. 

I just harvested some St. John’s wort from a fenced in wildflower patch. I was so happy to have found it. As soon as I saw the sunny flowers, I knew it was true St. John’s Wort. I went back to my Mom’s place, I returned and cut some stems and flowers. I had to reach in to cut the flowers and it was a bit awkward but I managed. When I pulled my left arm out, and I eased the flowers through the bars of the fence, I noticed my left arm was bloodstained.  Before that, I squished the flower petals in my fingers. The flowers released a red juice on my right hand.  I have no idea how my left arm was wounded. I barely even felt it. I may have been bitten by an insect. 

I returned with an offering to make nice with the spirits there who clearly don’t know me. I hope they accepted the offering of oats. Most people don’t understand the reciprocal relationship I have with nature spirits. They have been very generous with me. I usually leave offerings at the nature trail where I live. I am staying at my Mom’s right now. They love it when someone leaves an offering. It is a way of showing respect and caring. 

I noticed that two white onions had long green stems! I cut them each in half and noticed they wanted to keep growing. I looked at the red onions ( though they are coloured purple), and one of them showed a green tip. I cheered up because that means it will grow into a big lovely red onion bulb. I couldn’t ask for more. 

I hope my garden survives the heatwave. I bought a big green pepper plant, a tomato plant, and red onion starts. I was hoping to grow potatoes. It is too late in the year to start now. I can grow other things though. I am using straw as a mulch this year. I think it is working.! I hope it keeps away the slugs. Today I added fertilizer, mycorrhizae, and sand to the soil in a burgundy coloured rectangle shaped planter. I mixed it all well then watered the soil then I added carrots seeds. I will have to thin them out later. I hope this works. The carrots are small. The planter is not very deep so that works out. I am determined to grow carrots. I did it once- indoors! Outside, the carrots are exposed to all the elements- and hopefully not pests. It’s a challenge but worth it. I also noticed that my bean seeds have germinated or are starting to! I want to wait to add in a support thing because I don’t want to hurt the roots. Once the vines reach a few inches, I will then add the supports to help the vines grow upwards. 

With luck and some effort, I should hopefully get to harvest celeriac, tomatoes, peppers, kale, red onions, the white onions I planted, and of course, the herbs. I also planted a pumpkin seedling, celery, and onion starts in the grow cloth bag. I added straw mulch to the bag. The veggie seedlings are getting plenty of sun too. I sprinkled in fertilizer today. I also finally was able to add soil to my compost pile. I hope that makes a difference. I now have a proper compost pail. 

I made lotion bars with marshmallow root and a few other herbs. They turned out beautifully. I strained the remaining marshmallow root herbal oil into an amber coloured glass jar, labeled it and left it on the kitchen table. I had bought an extra amber coloured jar. I now realize I didn’t need it. I had strained the oil from the herbs for the witches flying ointment. I just haven’t made the actual ointment yet. I shall do that soon. 

Homemade marshmallow root lotion bars

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ah my work is never done. It is so hard to move in this infernal heat. We had a ton of rain but my poor garden probably still needs water. I am staying hydrated too. 

Have fun, drink lots of water and enjoy summer!

Spiderwitch 

Leave a comment

Filed under Paranormal and Witchy Fiction

Tagged as , , , , , ,

June 9, 2023 · 11:10 am

Solstice Cauldron

Merry meet all,

It’s a hot day today. It’s rained here all week which helped the firemen to control the wildfire. I am ready for more sun though. I planted a spearmint seedling in the garden. It didn’t regrow this spring. My garden is just beautiful and everything is growing so fast! 

I finished the bookcase project. The two bookcases are now at my Mom’s house and I have one tall bookcase holding a LOT of books. I also switched the witch books with my writing books. That was a huge undertaking. I sorted out the ones I wanted to donate which left me with enough room to hold all the books I did want. It took me a couple of hours to sort through. I have way more room in my bedroom now. I love it!

I finished binding my Herbal Academy lessons in the Intermediate level into books. I had to touch up the covers with green tissue paper, paint and glue but it looks great now. The Celtic dragon trim arrived in the owl mail. I can’t wait to sew that onto the black wool cloak. The cloak will look great. 

Midsummer is almost here! The Wheel of the Year turns again. It’s a magical Sabbat! Honour the fiery power of the sun by going outdoors! Yup that’s right. Let the warm breeze sweep away your troubles. It’s summer, after all. Gather flowers, herbs, leaves and press them or use them to decorate cookies. Host a summer party, go to the beach or indulge in forest bathing. Plant herbs , veggies and flowers and tend them as they grow. As you plant each seed, empower it with your intention and bless the seeds. 

Try a new herbal recipe, educate yourself about herbs that you aren’t familiar with, and go for a long walk on a nature trail or to the forest with a plant guide book or your cellphone app to help you identify plants. Take your dog with you! They love the outdoors. 

Burn candles to celebrate the solstice! There is a ban on fires here in Nova Scotia so I have to settle for candles. Bake garlic and herb bread, brew some mead or cider, and wear a pretty sundress and pair it with a witchy hat. Spritz on an essential oil perfume mix and sunscreen. Men can wear whatever they feel comfortable in too. Then get out there! Summer was meant to be enjoyed. 

I wish you all a wonderful Solstice!

Blessings, Spiderwitch 

Leave a comment

Filed under Paranormal and Witchy Fiction

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

October 11, 2022 · 2:09 pm

Seeds, herbal torches and potions- oh my!

My witch hazel in bloom!

Merry meet all,

Don’t you love the month of October? I feel so much magic in the air. I have a pumpkin, a pot of bright yellow chrysanthemums outside, a jar of pumpkin spice, and witchy magazines to read this fall! Bring it on! I am ready. I hope you are too. 

It’s my goal to save as many seeds as I can from my garden this year. So far, I have saved Shasta daisy, elecampane, echinacea, tickseed, dill seeds, lavender, lemon balm, yarrow, marigold seeds and witch hazel! Yes I did save witch hazel seeds. The flowers of my witch hazel are shown in the photo above. The witch hazel seeds are glossy, slippery, and deep black. I have 5 seeds and in the spring, I plan to scatter them outside in the ground on the nature trail. Some seeds need the cold of winter to germinate. 

My witch hazel tree is flush with flowers. The whole tree or shrub I should say, is gorgeous. I have stored the seeds in jars and labeled paper envelopes. I have been feeling especially crafty in the last few weeks. I am REALLY bitten by the herbal bug. I’m brewing jars of burdock root + dandelion root tinctures, hawthorn cordials, gingered honey, and for the first time I made mullein herbal torches. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Making mullein torches is easy. They were known as hag torches. Mullein grows wild where I live. To make the torches, cut and dry mullein stalks. Measure how long you want the torches to be. I have a small pot I have dedicated for melting beeswax in. So the torches are small. You can make your torches be whatever size you want. Melt a lot, like a LOT, of beeswax in your double boiler. You can add essential oils to give your torches a nice fragrance. I chose essential oils that correspond with autumn: cinnamon, clove, rosemary, etc. Dip the torch stalk into the beeswax to ensure they are fully and deeply coated. Sprinkle on herbs that correspond with autumn! Choose marigold petals, chrysanthemum, mugwort and sage. Press the herbs lightly down to make sure they stick. Let them dry on a wire rack. They make great offerings to Hekate! I suggest you burn them outdoors to avoid a fire in your home. 

October is not complete without pumpkins! I have half a pumpkin in my freezer, a squash to puree, pureed pumpkin in my fridge. I baked a lovely pumpkin bread which I enjoy with cinnamon butter. Yummy! I tried to make elderberry mead. It turned into a syrup. I will try again next year!

I have a recipe for Pumpkin Spice Herbal Latte. Mmm I am making it tomorrow and I can’t wait. I still have to harvest the elecampane root and wash the grow bag. Then I have to store the garden knick knacks, clean and sterilize my garden tools, and store everything away for winter. The garden lawn chair cushions will be stored in my Mom’s basement. 

I began nettle from seed in a large pot under my grow lights. I transplanted a few nettle seedlings into the garden. I believe they rooted which means I will get nettle next summer. I am very relieved the nettle is outside because it really does sting! I grew tired of being constantly stung by the nettle. Stinging nettle has its name for a reason. My mint is growing nicely in the pot along with what I believe may be mugwort and rue. They will overwinter indoors. I am not sure if rue would survive the winter. I am planting garlic this fall!

I stocked up on extra jars to hold all my herbs. I had a great harvest this year. In fact, my herb harvest was so successful it has led to me making a big decision about my garden. I am now not growing as many vegetables as I used to. I do better growing herbs. So herbs it is, it is a lot less effort, they are not as bothered by pests, and I don’t waste as many seeds. The soil is not that deep as I would like. The soil is very good quality but not that deep. Herb roots don’t need a lot of depth. 

Having a herb garden and such an abundance of herbs on the nature trail helps me financially. It would cost me a fortune to pay for all the herbs I require for the Herbal Academy. I could never afford it all. It is easier on my wallet for sure. I love living here and I consider myself truly fortunate. 

Blessed Be, Spiderwitch 

Links of Interest:

How to Make Hawthorn Tincture

How & When To Prune Rosemary For Big, Bushy Plants

27 Garden Plants You Can Easily Propagate From Cuttings 

Homemade Wildflower Seed Bombs To Beautify Forgotten Landscapes

How To Prepare Your Garden Beds For Winter

 

Leave a comment

Filed under Paranormal and Witchy Fiction

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

September 21, 2022 · 1:01 pm

Autumnal garden activities )O(

Merry meet all,

Tomorrow is the Autumn Equinox. It surprised us all  here in Halifax. The leaves are showing those famous fiery colors. The elderberries ripen on the stems, the queen Anne’s lace, goldenrod and burdock slowly go to seed. The sky is overcast here, and everyone is scrambling to get ready for hurricane Fiona. 

I was out in my rain soaked garden this morning. Slugs clung to leaves while wasps sipped pollen. This is a bittersweet time for me. The squash and tomatoes are setting fruit late this season, I am not sure why. It could be because we had a heatwave this summer. You would think that heatwave would have been beneficial for sun loving tomatoes but no. The tomatoes are growing now. Ah well. 

I have to put my garden to sleep for the cold winter ahead and I am sharing how I plan to do that in this post today. My witch hazel flowers late in the year. I love my witch hazel. I plan to buy a huge bag of soil and arrange the soil around the trunk, then I will add a big bag of worm castings into the soil to leave nutrients for the witch hazel. I might even buy some wood chips to act as mulch. I am trying to think of what else I can leave there as a nutrient rich compostable mulch for the roots to feed on all winter. I would have to remember to remove the wood chips because the lungwort blooms wonderfully under the witch hazel in the spring. 

The leaves cascade to the earth every autumn. I usually just keep the leaves there all over my garden all winter. They act as a natural mulch/ blanket that protects my garden during the harsh winter. I rake them away in the spring. I may sprinkle worm castings, bonemeal, eggshells and coffee grounds all over my garden. 

The leaves of the plants, the vines, flowers and whatever I don’t harvest naturally dies back. This is the most free natural compost ever. I have a wooden compost box. I will store the faded dead leaves, branches, stems in the box. Most of the foliage I leave where it is to act as a natural compost and soil nutrients all winter. I spread the soil I used to grow the potatoes over my garden. The soil was amazing! The soil was loose, loamy, obviously nutrient rich and dark black. I loved it and I am sure the garden did too. The rain washes away the soil so it was nice to add rich soil to the garden. 

I still have to harvest the celery, lemon basil, raspberry leaves, mint, tomatoes, healthy disease free witch hazel leaves and beans. The red flowers of the scarlet runner beans are growing so well now. The pollinators are busy. The beans also grow overnight it seems. The leaves I keep on the soil are a nice refuge for hardworking insects too. I’m letting the purple coneflower go to seed. The bees love purple coneflowers. The nasturtiums are still blooming, and I watched as a wasp visited one fiery nasturtium bloom this morning. The wasps built a nest on the inside of the shed door. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I harvested the beautiful Chinese lanterns in the photo above. I am amazed at how rich the colours are. I’m waiting and hoping the calendula blossoms soon. I have no idea why it takes so long. I harvested and pressed the lovely yellow heliopsis and I have pressed many other flowers. I want to make a Samhain/ autumn candle lantern like I did with the  Summer Solstice lantern. I want to paint the jar a rich deep Burgundy colour so the autumn colors really pop out. Yup I think it will be gorgeous. 

Pressed purple coneflower

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I still have to harvest the elecampane roots, seeds and flowers. The stalk is turning brown. I will harvest in October. 

I have recipes to make elderberry mead, hawthorn cordial, elderberry syrup, cranberry sauce . They are perfect for guarding the health of your immune system all winter. Winter is known for the time when colds, flus and illnesses spread. Those recipes are sure to boost your immune system! Elecampane has inula in the roots. I can’t wait to harvest elecampane and feel like a true herbalist. I have harvested mullein root, and I want to harvest dandelion and burdock after a cold snap. The winter squash has a flower now. I don’t understand why it waited till now but plants follow their own calendar, not the calendar we impose on them. 

Elecampane

 

What to Forage in Fall: 30+ Edible and Medicinal Plants and Mushrooms

I’ve included the recipes here for your own convenience. I hope you try them and let me know in the comments below how it went. I am available here if you have any questions on how to make herbal remedies to guard your health and your family’s health this coming fall season. Now is the time to stock up on ginger, onions, elderberries ( remember: they are not edible raw!), echinacea tinctures, etc. But more on that later! Blessed Mabon to everyone! Or, if you prefer, Happy Autumn Equinox! 

Blessings, Spiderwitch

How To Clear The Garden In The Fall – What To Do With Your Plants & Soil!

How to Make Elderberry Mead

https://theherbalacademy.com/homemade-bug-bite-salve/

https://theherbalacademy.com/homemade-fire-cider/

https://theherbalacademy.com/herbal-cough-syrup/

https://theherbalacademy.com/foraging-goldenrod/

Leave a comment

Filed under gardening, organic, Paranormal and Witchy Fiction, Samhain, seeds

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

August 7, 2022 · 2:28 pm

Herbal Book )O(

Merry meet all,

I tried my hand at bookbinding. I want to tell you all about in this post. It turned out real well. My cat is seated on her favourite, well she loves all the rugs, and trying to keep cool in this infernal heat. I will tell you how to bind your own herbal book. As most of you know, I’m studying at the Herbal Academy. I don’t know how you all feel but I hate binders. They are so mundane. The bound book includes the lessons from the mini courses – Botanical Drawing and Flower Pressing –  I took at the Herbal Academy. 

Now I’ll tell you how I bound a book brimming with beautiful flower illustrations & photos, and of course, butterfly stickers. I borrowed that curved needle from my Mom. I don’t know what you call it but it is for book binding. I bought all the supplies I would need, such as a large bottle of glue, paint brushes, bookbinding cloth, endpapers covered in butterflies- it’s truly beautiful. I also obtained a meter of dark forest green broadcloth from the fabric store, a bone folder, and linen thread.

I laid down newspaper onto the table. Glue can soak through anything and make a real mess. Newspaper, paper towels are great for keeping things clean. The book covers are 9 x 12″. The pages are 8 1/2 by 11′. I like the way it turned out. I deliberately wanted the covers bigger just to be on the safe side. It is better than too small to fit anything. I also returned the small needle to my Mom and end up using ribbon to secure the pages. 

The pages for the book were already printed out. A few things went wrong as I began the project. I poked tiny holes into the pages on the wrong edge of the paper. The linen thread broke too easily. I felt down right intimidated by the project. I kept hearing that nagging inner voice to work on the book but I resisted. Finally I caved in and found an alternative to binding the pages together. Ribbon! That was much easier on me. I already had a beautiful purple ribbon. I dug it out and put three hole punches in the pages. By now, the pages have the tiny needle marks and the three hole punches in them but I didn’t care. This book is for me and that is that. 

I punched the three holes in careful to keep all the pages aligned. I had a total of 150 pages. Then I wound the ribbon in. I tied tight knots and dabbed a small drop of glue on the ribbon knots to ensure they never come undone. I lit the ends of the ribbon with a lighter so they never fray. Ok now that the pages were secured, I moved onto making the actual book covers. I had already glued book binding cloth onto the two book covers. I cut out the spine of the book which measured about 2 inches. I cut the green cloth to size. One thing here about book binding: leave nothing to chance. Measure EVERYTHING. You will thank yourself later. 

The spine wasn’t already covered in fabric. I found a white cloth which I ironed and laid it out on the spine. I glued the cloth to the spine piece. I have a cool little yellow tool for spreading glue. I have no idea how I lived without it. It sure comes in handy. I covered the spine of the book with the white cloth and glued it to the spine of the pages. I let it dry but I did use my yellow stick to smoothen out the glue. The book binding cloth was a lighter shade of green than the fabric for the outer covers. I didn’t mind because it will never show. I smoothed the edges of the dark green cloth over the book covers. I did opposite ends first and I used a lot of glue. Like I mean a lot of glue. The glue will soak through the fabric so it is good to have what is under the book to not be too absorbent. I smoothed out the glue to prevent bumps or puckers. I let it dry. 

Then I glued the spine of the pages to the spine of the book covers. I laid the book – insides facing up, and I kept the pages in place with two peanut butter jars. I did that so only the stuff I want glued together is glued. I left it all to dry for several hours. While I waited, I made a herbal bookmark. I had some endpapers left over from the book. You can see the print on the inside book covers in the picture. 

To make the bookmark, I glued the printed endpaper to a piece of cardboard with a glue stick. I gathered lavender and rosemary and glued it with Mod Podge to the cardboard.  I hole punched a hole in the top of the bookmark. I left it to dry. Leaving these types of projects to dry overnight is best. It takes patience to complete these projects. It is worth taking the time to do them carefully. They turn out much better than if you rushed it. 

Now the book is done! I suspect the pages are not in the correct orders & there are pages I didn’t expect that are glued in but it is all trial and error. It still looks beautiful. I love it. This book is a treasure to last for years to come. I am so grateful to study at the Herbal Academy. 

However, the glue stains show on the outer book covers. I will find something pretty to hide that. The book is bound and I love it. I hope this inspires you to create something too. 

I was busy with herbal recipes in my witch’s kitchen yesterday. I brewed a jar of rose elixir. It involves honey, rose petals, lemon petals and brandy. The potion will steep for a month. I am sure it is worth the wait. The potion in the labeled jar looks beautiful. The herbs are growing amazingly in my garden. The beans are growing well and my cucumbers. I wish the heat would go away because the pumpkins and tomatoes haven’t set fruit and I am getting worried. I deeply watered the garden this morning. The heat will be unreal today. 

As I type here, sipping mint tea, and forever grateful for the fan on, I want to express my gratitude for the bounty of nature around me. I cast a spell to have this apartment and nature was on the list of things I wanted. I love living here. I can’t wait for the insects to be gone though, mainly the mosquitoes. Yeah they can go – and the wasps. August is the spiders month. Once August rolls around, there are spiders EVERYWHERE. 

Merry Lammas !!!

Blessings, Spiderwitch

Leave a comment

Filed under gardening, magic, organic, Paranormal and Witchy Fiction, Samhain, seeds, spring

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , ,

June 27, 2022 · 12:00 pm

Summer Herb Crafts

Merry meet all,

There is so much exciting news.  The sequel to the long- awaited Stranger Things Volume 4 episode is a few days away. That and summer is here. What could be better? Yeah summer’s here. My garden is almost in full bloom. We’ve had serious rain for the last few days. On the plus side, it helps my garden grow. Plants don’t have to reach so deep for moisture. I prefer the sun though. 

I just found some mandrake and elecampane seeds! Ok now for a planter and soil. I hope that this is the year that the elecampane flowers in my garden. I want more elecampane plants. Elecampane is a medicinal herb. It has been used for its medicinal qualities since Ancient Greek and Roman times. It is used for respiratory health. I love my elecampane plant. However, this herb demands patience. It has taken a few years for it to get big and not one flower yet!

I plan to start plant spirit Magick this summer. I began reading the book Entering Hekate’s Garden: The Magick, Medicine and Mystery of Plant Spirit Witchcraft by Cyndi Brannen. I can’t wait to learn from it and try all the rituals. My cat Penny is perched above the bookcase, gazing out the window, just doing what cats do best. 

I’m enjoying my herbal studies. I finished the Fairy Home. It’s enchanting and oh so cute. I made a Summer Solstice lantern, and I am pressing sage, violets and lavender in my flower press. I just checked on my garden which is growing just beautifully. I just love this time of year. I am not so sure I love all the insects but that can’t be helped. I have a garden and they are part of the territory. 

I want to buy a beautiful leather binder from Etsy. I want to use the binder to store my Materials Medica in, my herbal monographs. I don’t want a boring binder. It says nothing about the Materia Medica. I just found a beautiful one on Etsy. I sure hope it is available tomorrow. It’s perfect. Leather can stand the test of time. I hope it would be big enough to hold all the papers I have. I want something magickal, witchy and beautiful and that binder is perfect. I am really enjoying the Flower Press course at the Herbal Academy. 

The Herbal Academy has changed my life. I don’t regret it. I can’t believe how much I have learned. It was not what I expected but I can go with that. I hope to get a good career out of this. I would still do my writing. Maybe I can write more about herbs for magazines or something. I will figure something out. I may even make gift cards with the flowers I press. I could make the gift cards out of homemade paper. I have a mold and deckle. That would be one way to make money. I told my Mom to save all her shredded paper. 

Happy Summer!

Blessed be, Spiderwitch

Leave a comment

Filed under Paranormal and Witchy Fiction

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

June 21, 2022 · 8:37 pm

Summer Solstice Lantern )O(

Merry meet all,

Happy Summer Solstice!!! I hope you are all celebrating the summer solstice. I did too and I’m going to tell you all about it in this post. I will post a link below to the blog post from Herbal Academy that tells you how to make it. I’m taking the summer course on how to press flowers at the Herbal Academy. 

To make a Summer Solstice Lantern, clean and wash a large glass jar like one you use for pasta sauce. Let it air dry. For this project, I didn’t press the flowers first but they are supposed to be pressed. Also, instead of white glue or Mod Podge glue, I used a hot glue gun. I used the watered down white glue at first. I discovered that a hot glue gun was better at making flowers adhere to the jar. Afterwards, I bought and used Mod Podge to give it a permanent finish. It looks great and yours will too. 

You will need the following supplies:

  • a hot glue gun and glue
  • tweezers
  • scissors
  • a clean dry jar
  • flowers
  • white glue
  • Mod Podge glue
  • paper towel and a work surface – glue can get messy
  • twine, a wire
  • salt
  • tealights

Ok let’s get started. So once your jar is clean and dry, set it down on your workspace. Have old newspaper and paper towel nearby. This can get messy. If you pressed the flowers ahead of time, that’s great. I used the flowers I picked today for this project. Clean off any bugs and snip off the stems. It’s a good idea to use flat faced flowers for this project such as buttercup, white Shasta daisies, violets, red clover leaves. Use a paintbrush to dab on the glue of your choice to the jar. Before the glue dries, pick up the delicate flower with the tweezers and stick it on the jar where you dabbed the glue. Apply the flower with gentle firm pressure. 

This is tricky. You can’t tear or cut the flower. I brushed from the centre of the flower out to the petals. I dabbed the glue over the face of the flower in gentle, outward strokes. I suggest making sure the flower face stays flat. So be gentle with this step. Add more flowers to the jar. Think about the design you want it to have. Let the jar dry thoroughly. Be patient with this project. Arrange the flowers around the jar as you choose. Keep dabbing glue on to the jar and applying gentle firm pressure till you are satisfied with it. Place stems around flowers or under flowers or in whichever design you choose. 

Gently dab glue over the flowers. I suggest using Mod Podge for this step. It gives the flowers a frosted finish. When it has all dried, then you can proceed to the next step. You can wrap a wire around the opening of the jar. I secured mine with a dab of hot glue. I love my hot glue gun, can you tell? The instructions on how to do this are in the link. Then add a few inches of salt into the jar. Put a tea light in perhaps one with essential oils added to the candle, and watch the candle glow in your personal Summer Solstice Lantern. I hope you have fun with this and show me pictures of your own summery crafts. 

Below is the link to the blog post from the Herbal Academy:

Link: https://theherbalacademy.com/flower-lanterns/ 

Happy Solstice!

Blessings, Spiderwitch

Leave a comment

Filed under Paranormal and Witchy Fiction

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

June 12, 2022 · 11:48 am

Garden of Life

Merry meet all,

Wow! My garden is so beautiful and lush, rich with green verdant life! I just strolled through it and wrote on a chart was growing well. I decided to make that my post. So here it is!

The witch hazel grew bigger this year. The ferns claimed lordship over the dark spot of the garden. I am letting them grow wild there, because that makes great ground cover. The hosta plants there are growing well too. I transplanted Solomon’s seal and I spied new leaves on the stems. Broad leaved dock is growing well too. The astilbe are sporting new buds and the lungwort flowered beneath the witch hazel. It was just lovely. Lungwort comes back bigger and better every year. 

The tickseed is showing lovely orange- yellow flowers. I plan to save the seeds. The purple coneflower has nice leaves so far. The lady’s mantle by the back door is growing quite nicely and showing new flowers and buds which will emerge soon. The buds of the tiger lilies are coming up. I am not sure about the Asiatic lilies. The calendula is slow but coming along, as well as the heliopsis and the red clover. The bleeding heart survived the transplant. It has grown bigger this year! The mullein is tucked in beneath the large rhubarb leaves. Dandelions are everywhere and the periwinkle is growing nicely on its own too. 

I hope my elecampane flowers this year. It’s sporting new leaf growth. Bees are busy pollinating the comfrey. I planted nasturtiums all over the garden as I do every year. They are taking off and will soon show their lovely flowers. The sage I started from seed is much bigger now and the lovage is taller. The other herbs growing well are lavender, lemon balm, chives, mint, parsley, and woodruff. Dill, oregano, chamomile, rosemary and purple sager recent newcomers to the garden. I hope the thyme comes back. I potted up the thyme, cut it back and added fresh soil. I just bought 2 pickling cucumber plants. I set them by the large box and put a plant support there. I want the nasturtiums and the cucumber plants to grow up the plant supports. 

The pumpkin plants are growing well. The rhubarb is showing off its big leaves. I added a pepper plant, tomatoes started from seed, scarlet runner beans, green beans, purple beans, potatoes, kale, winter squash and leeks. I hope all the veggies grow well. I have root veggies – radish, turnips, etc., in a box. The potatoes are growing in the large black cloth bag with beans. Beans and potatoes are companion plants and I hope that this deters the raccoons. The scarlet runner beans are germinating! The root veggies green tops are showing now. Soon I will thin them out. I just planted a chunk of ginger in the box with the root veggies. 

The haskap berries hung on to the stems during the rainstorm. They are still green. I enjoyed one purple/ blue haskap. I can’t wait to harvest more. Same goes for the strawberries. The blueberry plant is flowering. I hope the second blueberry plant flowers soon. The raspberry plants are up but not flowering yet. Soon they will. 

Every insect in creation is helping my plants grow or warring with other insects. The garden teems with life. It is so rich and lush out there. I enjoy being in my garden. It is such a stress relief. I do remember to wear insect repellent. I have to get sunscreen too. Protect yourselves, people! I look forward to hearing how your gardens are doing. Let me know in the comments below. 

Blessings, Spiderwitch

Leave a comment

Filed under Paranormal and Witchy Fiction

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

June 10, 2022 · 12:45 pm

Litha

Merry meet all,

 We had a big rainstorm over the last 2 days. It was amazing how much rain there was. I just checked my garden and everything survived. Now the sun is shining his hardest. 

A word of caution here: Pretty Litter is the biggest money grab scam EVER. Yup I will never buy cat litter from them again. My Mom gave me money for cat litter. I had already bought a bag of cat litter. They withdrew the money as if they had every right before I could even get to the store to buy the shoes. I checked my account thanks to a mobile app. The money was gone and I knew who the rat was. Pretty Litter has some dodgy crap excuse and some serious erroneous self-entitlement attitude problem. They stole the money, refuse to issue a refund despite me making it amply clear I never wanted a second box of cat litter. They refuse to refund my Mother. They never sent a second box of cat litter. I am so contacting the Better Business Bureau to report their sorry butts. I bet I won’t get the second box of cat litter either. I never received a confirmation email. They now have some unbelievable non refund policy. They ever withdraw even a dime from my account again. They will regret it. I just reported them to the Better Business Bureau. I feel so good right now. 

The Summer Solstice approaches! My garden is in full gorgeous green swing. It already is summer in my garden. Everything is in bloom and every insect in creation is enjoying it. Litha is the summer solstice and marks the beginning of the summer season. It is the longest day of the year and the shortest night of the year. It marks the height of the sun’s power. 

The God is now in his power and the Goddess brings forth abundance. The crops are full. Ancient Witches and pagans  celebrated Litha with torch processions and maintaining a balance between the Elements of Fire and Water. Herbs were gathered for their healing powers. 

Decorate your altar with fresh flowers, herbs and fruit. Perform a re dedication ritual to the God and Goddess. Burn a candle to show a devotion to the Horned God. 

Litha is also known as Midsummer. Now is a good time to perform faerie Magick. They are out and about now. Offer them blessings and they will help you in your garden! 

SYMBOLS OF LITHA

Colors:  Blue, green, yellow, pink, purple (look to nature for the colors of Litha, as seen in the sky, woods and flowers) 

Foods:  Honey, elderberry, strawberry, fennel, thyme, fresh greens, mead, light wines 

Stones:  Peridot, diamond, emeralds, lapis lazuli  

Symbols:  Bonfire, sunwheels, flowers  

Flowers & Plants:Oak, mistletoe,, elderflower, lavender, pine, fern, pine, rose 

Deities:   Aphrodite, Astarte, Freya, Ishtar, Helios, Llew, Holly King, Lugh, Sol, Ra, Zeus, Thor  

WAYS TO CELEBRATE LITHA 

  • Make floral wreaths for your front door

  • Host a bonfire and potluck for family and friends 

  • Gather and dry herbs to use throughout the coming year

  • Take time to meditate and give thanks for the blessings you have in your life 

  • Create an ‘invisibilty’ amulet from seeds of ferns gathered on midsummer eve 

  • Build a Faerie House in the woods, to invite their goodwill into your life 

 

https://www.mabonhouse.co/litha

Blessings, Spiderwitch

Leave a comment

Filed under Paranormal and Witchy Fiction

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

March 28, 2022 · 4:26 pm

Seeds of hope

 

Merry meet all,

I’m busy sprouting seeds. I have sprouted way too many seeds but this does mean that I get a better harvest come autumn. !! I have sprouted brandywine tomato, Scotch Bonnett peppers, kale, leeks, german chamomile, lavender, cucumber and purple echinacea. I can’t wait to grow them in my garden! I have too many starter seeds here. The more, the merrier. 

Tomorrow I plan to sign up for the Botanical artwork class at the Herbal Academy. I’m buying the sketchbook for the course too. I want to get the apothecary labels for bottles and jars too. I can’t print in color. I want to order rue and yarrow seeds. Yarrow is good for our health and rue is witchy and guards the home!! 

I also want to grow lemon basil, and start growing the witchy seeds I ordered months ago. Black cumin, howden pumpkin and vietnamese cilantro are just a few. It sounds so tasty! I have a few big starter pots sporting my tender seedlings. I don’t have enough starter pots for the seeds. I have successfully pre-germinated chamomile seeds on a damp paper towel in an old pet food bowl. It worked!! There are so many tiny chamomile seedlings I can’t even count them all. They will grow into the beautiful daisy like apple scented herb we all know and love. It is too exciting!

I sterilized a pot from the garden and washed it well. I use bleach to kill any possible insects/ insect eggs that may have hibernated in the pot over winter. Then once clean, I filled the pot with soil. The pot was 12 inches in diameter. I put pre-germinated parsley seeds, and added sage seeds, basil, dill, radish and carrot. Mmm I can just taste it. The pot sits on my kitchen counter. I just can’t wait for the seeds to germinate and fill the pot with their earthy goodness. I may move the pot out once the warm weather arrives. But for now, the pot is indoors. It is too cold yet. I want to plant  potatoes in a grow bag. I can start that in mid-April. I have to grow the tubers at my Mom’s to protect them from ravenous raccooons. The masked thieves just bite a potato then toss it. It’s wasted. Nope not this year. I will be ready for those bandits. 

I want to start nasturtium seeds early this year. If I wait till later in the summer, they will take forever to get growing. The time to start seeds is now. I have lovely scarlet runner beans in air dried brown pods. I plan to grow those this year too along with green beans and purple beans. The purple beans turn green when cooked! 

That is a good start to spring! Beginning a plant from seed saves you tons of money later. It can be expensive to buy lots of transplants. There is a time and place to transplants though. I do it too but later in the season when the perennials have filled the garden. I know what to plant and where I can plant. Put your intention into the seed starting! Happy planting!

 

Blessings, Spiderwitch

Leave a comment

Filed under Paranormal and Witchy Fiction

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,