Tag Archives: love

September 18, 2023 · 2:16 pm

Nature Allies

Merry meet all,

Hurricane Lee has blown and busted his way out of Nova Scotia. I am so relieved. The sun’s shining on my garden which is feebly picking itself up off the ground. Yes my garden is battered but my limp tomato plants have endured. My garden has endured a hurricane before and to my amazement, keeps going. I visited my garden and sent my plants healing energy. I fertilized a few plants this morning – peppers, tomatoes, beans, flowers. 

 Samhain is the next turn in the eternal Wheel of the Year. We are coming now to the time of the thinning of the veil. Or is it already thinning? Hear me out. I just endured yet another hurricane. There are a lot of natural disasters popping up and wreaking havoc in various parts of the world. The Goddess is pissed. Sorry for my language there but I just don’t know how else to say it. We have behaved badly and she is giving us a spanking. Perhaps the veil which in my opinion, is shredded and the dead are traveling closer to punish us. I actually believe this is possible. We are at the end. Like the Tower card in the tarot, the long end is coming. 

We ask too much of the earth. Everything we desire comes with a price. Unfortunately, those who expect the earth to keep providing and providing have zero intentions of ever giving up any thanks or acknowledgement for the blessings and gifts and instant gratification they have been given. They won’t stop there and that is the problem. I don’t believe the solution is to mess up another planet because we never learned our lessons here on Earth. The mandatory action is that we learn here – and get such a lesson as to get so scared we won’t repeat it ever again. So the lesson has to be severe and hard and relentless. It has to shake people into action, scare them, give them a vision of how bad it could get so we can then make it better. I would like to think we take that route but no, sadly it won’t happen. We will not revert to the 18th century way of living but if we are not more careful, then it may be apocalyptic, just like in the movies. I always wonder why more post-apocalypse movies aren’t being made. Many people choose to turn a blind eye. It is not in their backyard, so it’s not their problem. Wait till it creeps up on them. 

The actions we take now and the decisions we make can help though. It isn’t all gloom and doom. We can all take actions now, large and small, and perhaps ensure a bright future for ourselves and those we love. I leave offerings when I harvest/ forage from nature. I use only what I need. I have talked about this before on a post in the past but I do love to honour the nature spirits. I also forage and harvest sustainably and practice organic gardening methods. I use no pesticides and maybe my garden has tons of insects visiting it but it all somehow works out. 

We can also firm up our relationships with our chosen deities. Leave them offerings and pray to them more often. Include them a lot more in our daily actions. Be more grateful. This may help and it’s even better that we practice it consistently. Also, being positive helps. Be paws-itive! Pets can help hugely with this. Animals are amazing healers and are all about unconditional love. I love animals. Plants and animals are our friends, and the nature spirits are also our allies. We need to trust them again and be true to our word. 

The Fae are not our friends but they are not our enemies either. If they are returning, it is naive of us to assume it is for our benefit. They were driven into the hills and mounds and they probably remember that. That is why I try so hard to leave an offering, express gratitude and respect to them. I respect my elders and I can respect them too. I clean garbage up from the ground when I am waiting for a bus at the bus stop. I built a small fairy house and arranged the faeries in and around it. They probably appreciate that. 

The earth is not a trash can. Yet that is exactly how thousands of people treat earth. It is time to wake up. It is time to remember our mother and respect her. 

Blessings, Spiderwitch

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August 13, 2023 · 9:11 pm

Herbs are my Teacher

Merry meet all,

I saw the movie The Last Voyage of the Demeter the other night. It was a great movie. I thoroughly enjoyed it.It has been a long time since there was a real monster. I believe they perfectly captured the vampire essence. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Voyage_of_the_Demeter

A green pepper is growing in my garden. Tiny tomatoes are growing in my garden too. The nasturtiums are blossoming. The purple coneflower blossomed. My garden is so beautiful and always reduces my stress. I have harvested so many raspberries I can soon make a jar of jam. The blueberries are ripening. The lovage is growing back, the lemon balm patch is huge, the apple mint is flowering, the spearmint has grown nicely, the squash vine is getting bigger, and my celery stalks are not that thick yet but they will ripen too. The black petunias look velvety. They are so beautiful. The astilbe is in flower. The nettle has grown well and will soon flower. Everything is in bloom and very fruitful. I love August. The elecampane didn’t flower this summer. It may flower next year. 

I have to complete my Materia Medica. I have so many pressed leaves, flowers etc., in the thick Jane Austen book. They have to be placed in the Materia Medica. I have to write the monographs and I will get after that soon. I have to complete the big monograph project too. I have to get more serious -well, it was very hard to learn the material. I mean Lesson 1 in Unit 4 of Advanced was very difficult to read. I bought a medical dictionary and had to ask for lots of help. I pressed through but I did succeed. 

I received the beautiful book Botanical Skin care Recipes. I intend to use and enjoy the book. I want to try all the recipes.  I am so happy to report that the big, big book The Encyclopedia of Psychoactive plants by Christian Rasch. I do plan to enjoy that book! It cost me $150! I need the book that did indeed cost me an arm and a leg for research, to protect myself and others, and for general interest. I wanted the book because I want to make a flying ointment and include mandrake. I added 1 tablespoon of mandrake in the herbal oil mixture. I also want to not include poisonous herbs if I do end up selling herbal teas. I want to know what is bane and what is balm. The book was expensive but necessary. 

I love the beautiful herbal books I have acquired. They are amazing and are chock full of wonderful herbal wisdom. I shall treasure and keep the books for years. I mean one thing that makes me sad is that eventually my lessons at the Herbal Academy will come to an end, and I really don’t want that. The teachers and students are super nice people, and I will value the lessons from the school. I never want the lessons to end. I am glad the courses are self-paced. I am trying to stretch the lessons for as long as I can. 

I am fortunate to get the chance to study the lessons. I’n drying lovage, mugwort, lemon balm, St.John’s wort and yarrow in the kitchen. I love herbs. I will use the herbs for teas. Now is the time to dry herbs for teas, tincture making, syrups, poultices. Some herbs can be gathered before they flower, as they can be more potent. I love to let the bees get their share of the nectar before I harvest. It has never made too much difference to me if they have flowered or not. I know St.John’s wort, queen Anne’s lace, burdock, coltsfoot and other herbs have flowered, and been bee pollinated on the nature trail. That would not stop me from harvesting them. I just have to come up with an intention of how I intend to use them. I am sure I will think of something. 

We all know the best teachers I have are the herbs themselves. Yes, the best teachers are the herbs. They have taught me what I know. That ranges from protecting them from pest insects, to how important it is to water them, whether to grow them in containers or in the ground, when to harvest them, when to dry them, how to grow them. I learned how to appreciate the sun shining on the herbs- whether they need tons of sun or partial sun, how to support them as they grow, where to plant and when to plant. I could go on and on. The volatile oils they contain, the room that their roots need to grow, how to harvest dandelion roots, the shapes of the roots, how to use the roots once they are harvested. I learned how to use herbs in teas, tinctures, syrups, and cordials. I love herbs and they are my teachers, my companions, and they protect my health. I have harvested elecampane roots, dandelion roots and burdock roots. They all grow roots and the roots all grow in their own predetermined way and in their own space. Plants need room to grow, need tons of sun and they need nutrients. I know now to offer just enough fertilizer, to store roots, bark, seeds, and leaves in bone dry jars. I have a dehydrator and a drying rack. I use both. I intend to use the dehydrator a lot this fall. Yes indeed. I grow herbs that go from a seed to a full fledged plant. I will always treasure the moments I have experienced in my garden that have left me speechless. I was so enthralled with the beauty I witnessed. I tell ya, my garden must be located on a place of power. I am convinced it is in a place of power. I have seen beautiful elecampane flowers, beautiful purple coneflower, watched bees pollinate comfrey, and helped earthworms tunnel through the fresh soil. I have watched rain replenish the parched soil and seen my garden withstand fierce storms. That can’t be beat. I hope I get to live here a lot longer. Most of the plants in my garden are happily establishing themselves. It is how they grow. 

The asters have blossomed. It saddens me but fall is coming with its ‘scythe’. I know many people are excited about Halloween. I want to help my garden grow first. Then I will be excited. It will then be time for ciders, cordials, syrups and tincture making. More on that later. 

Blessings, Spiderwitch 

 

 

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July 26, 2023 · 10:19 am

Diversity

 

My Mom’s pot of nasturtiums!

Merry meet all,

Oh my the heat! I was just out in my garden. I love summer and everything about it. I love being able to wear what I want and relax. I am the most relaxed all year during the summer. Who can argue with sun, always being warm and that total sense of freedom? 

Today I want to write about diversity in the field of publishing and writing. I do support it. It is about time that more voices were heard. I love the works of the diverse writers published today. It is so sorely needed. The publishing world – the books that are produced were never meant to be only by white male writers. Not that I am knocking that, they are valid too, but all voices are valid. All the voices have something to say. But a white writer born in Colorado won’t know what it is truly like to grow up Hispanic or Chinese or gay or  as trans. You have to truly experience it to know it. It has to seep in your bones and stew in your blood, it has to consume you, emerge from your true self to pour onto the page. It represents you and it is you and it is special. 

I would hate to grow up on a planet with one culture, one race, one identity, one way of being. I would find that so boring. I want to eat at Mexican restaurants, learn a little Spanish, visit that amazing Middle Eastern restaurants and wear Nordic inspired outfits. Now how is that for culture variety? 

I read an amazing novel by Gabino Iglesias titled The Devil takes you home. I was amazed. The problem with today’s society is this movement of conformity being shovelled down our throats on the streets, in media and in the news. If that is not incentive for you to be your true self, then what is. I struggled to understand the words written in the language he truly knows. Nevertheless, I tried. I don’t understand a single word of Spanish. I know the English language very well of course. I believe that we all have to make efforts to understand each other and all the things we have to say and listen with our ears  -and hearts. We see with our hearts and ears. I hope we can all find a common middle ground or at least try to get halfway there. 

I remember when my Mother took in international boarders. That was so much fun. They brought their traditions, clothing and great cooking with them. I loved it. I struggled at times to understand what they were saying. But I would always try. I love chicken curry and the other awesome meals I was exposed to. I would not expect them to just give up who they are and do nothing but eat (boring) Canadian food. I am a diehard fan of ethnic food. 

I hate it when I see violence against black people, for example. It is mean and ugly and cruel. If we can all understand each other at my Mom’s house, and share cultures, then why isn’t that way in the world? But sadly, that is a naive way of viewing it. It is not that simple. I just hope that one day it is. The variety of cultures on earth is not just going away, so thankfully, most people are not out to hurt each other. To me, based on what I have shared in this post, you can see why I support diversity. I hope for a brighter future of not war but love, true understanding. 

I want to read books by Owl Goingback, Linda Addison and Sumiko Saulson and many others. Linda Addison helped edit an anthology titled Sycorax’s daughters. Not one single white author in the whole book! 

Let’s understand each other and support diversity. Let’s stand together. 

Blessed Be, Spiderwitch

 

 

 

 

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May 12, 2023 · 12:33 pm

Gardening Rituals

Merry meet all,

The last two days I worked on my garden. I consider this to be an annual ritual. Working with soil is so therapeutic. 

I bought eight bags of soil and once at home, carried them to the backyard where my garden is. I let my cat get some nature telly at the back door. I usually buy some beer and treats. I enjoy the beer when I am done the ritual. 

I distributed the soil all over the garden. I had to toss out the lawn chair as it broke from the snow and cold. I tidied up the plant supports. I raked away most of the leaves. I do keep some leaves in the soil after the long winter. The leaves are like mulch or compost. I loved working on my garden. The wind was strong and cold but the sun warmed my back. I pulled out weeds and made sure that the perennials that come up every year received soil at their bases. The raspberry canes, lemon balm, sage, purple sage, mint, tiger lilies, Asiatic lilies, lovage, rhubarb, woodruff, hostess, ferns, lungwort, chives, and hasps are growing nicely. Seeing my garden emerge after a long winter cheers me up so much. 

I transplanted the raspberry canes to a new spot. I had to move them or they would take over the vegetable and herb patch. I am sure they are not happy with me. I gave them new soil and water. They will grow new roots and can grow as much as they want in their new spot. I made sure they still receive a lot of sunlight. 

I made my offering of milk, honey, fennel seeds and I sprinkled beer on the soil in the two patches of my garden. I have a shade spot and a big sun spot. I make offerings at each spot. This means the nature spirits will help me to grow the best garden ever! 

lungwort

I am growing mugwort indoors. The plants have grown three feet or more. I keep an eye out for frost warnings. I plan to move them out soon. I know mugwort is invasive but I want to grow it in the soil in the back of my vegetable, herb and flower patch. I am tired of growing it from seed every single spring. I don’t think it will do too much damage. Mugwort can grow up to six feet so it has to placed in the back of the garden. 

My other seedlings that are still growing under the grow light are doing well. They are growing so well, a little too well. I just stepped outside and it is so cold – the wind is so cold. There are no more frost warnings but the wind is cold. I will wait, I just keep the plants at the back door. The cold wind blows in when my cat gets nature telly. The light and the temperature is different in the kitchen. I could also put them out during the day and bring them in at night but that means they bring in bugs as well. 

I hope that cold wind goes away soon. It has to warm up so I can put my plants out. I will wait till the first week of June. It’s hard but they would not thrive. Patience is a virtue all gardeners must practice. 

Blessings, Spiderwitch )O(

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May 4, 2023 · 11:44 am

Beltane Wishes

Merry meet all,

Happy Beltaine!!!!! Beltane is the third of the three spring Sabbats. Flowers are in bloom everywhere here despite the cold snap.

I ordered gold fairy lights for the bookcase. I know that will look amazing. Stringing up the fairy lights is my next challenge. Scotch tape and push pins are my best bet, most likely. The fairy lights are eighteen feet long. I plan to use the fairy lights outside in the garden too. That will look amazing at night. I need to grow some flowers that bloom at night, such as moonflower! 

I finished gluing the moss to the entire bookcase- the side facing out. That is the side that everyone will see, so that gets the moss and decorations. I also kept to one colour plan- gold, browns, moss green, reds and oranges. That is basically the autumn colours but it could also represent the entire green growing season. I foraged, prepared and attached two more pinecones. By ‘prepared’, I meant cleaning the pinecones of any potential pests. I soaked the pinecones in cold water and vinegar for thirty minutes then baked them in the oven at 225% for almost two hours. The sap dried on the cones and they lay more flat. I glued them to the moss on the bookcase. 

I glued fake ivy leaves and pink flowers and leaves to the bookcase. I drew runes on to small round wooden pieces and glued the wood mini logs to the bookcase, leaves and moss. It looks so cool. The mini logs look like natural wood and may be created from real wood. I believe they are, and look like they were always there. I await the fairy lights. The faeries must be overworked today, because the delivery is taking a long time. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I can’t wait for the frost to leave. I am so anxious to get my plants in the ground outside. The soil is deeper, leaving more room for the roots. They are exposed to the elements of earth, air, fire, water and Spirit. They can grow more strongly and as big as they want. It is still cold out. It is so hard waiting. I have a lot of work to do in the garden. I can’t wait for the cold snap to end. I need to clean up the garden, rake the leaves away, and move the spreading raspberry canes to a new home/ spot. They can take over there and would still receive sun. I need to buy several bags of soil and work that into the soil that is already there. I have to tidy up the garden supports. Then, once that is done, and the earthworms are up to the task of working through the soil, I will make my annual twice a year offering of cornmeal, honey and milk and pray to the God and Goddess for a bountiful and beautiful growing season. 

Then I move my seedlings outside to their new homes. This is the part that I look the most forward to. None of this can happen till the frost ceases. I want to grow datura from seed outdoors. It is a poisonous plant but witches are not supposed to be scared right? I also want to start it outdoors to protect my cat from it. I will regularly fill the bird feeder, stir up the compost and tend to my herbs and flowers and veggies. I can’t wait to get started. 

I know lovage will grow well near rhubarb. I plan to get a new lovage seedling from a garden centre. It is easier to start with a seedling and faster. I want to see how well the lovage will grow near the rhubarb. The elecampane main crown root had two new buds (or maybe more) and I hope new stalks come up this summer. I didn’t use the syrup so I won’t make more. The plant needs to get established and it is clearly trying to do just that. 

Once Jack Frost bids goodbye, I plan to be ready and armed with bags of soil and my new cute pink garden trowel in hand. I wish you all a lovely Beltane! 

Blessings, Spiderwitch

 

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April 3, 2023 · 1:35 pm

Magickal Spring Herbs )O(

Merry meet all,

I want to post a lot about herbs and gardening. It is my passion and my focus right now. I still love the paranormal and I will keep posting about that. I want to see my readers succeed if they choose to grow your own herbs for medicinal and magickal purposes. But magic and herbs skip together and have for thousands of years. I hope you enjoy the series of posts about how to grow the best most beautiful and magickal herbs ever. 

In other news, I am excited about spring! The next turn in the Wheel of the Year is Beltane! Everyone loves Beltane. I bought a new pair of green herb scissors, a cool grey watering can, a book about identifying plants titled Botany in a Day and a magazine about alchemy. My herbs, marigold and vegetables are all growing well. I transplanted the marigold plants, mugwort and calendula into new bigger pots- more room for their roots. They are happily growing by the windowsill. The radishes, carrots, tomatoes and pepper plants are doing fine. I added mycorrhizae to the soil. I am sure it’s benefitting the plants by helping them grow better roots. 

I grow my herbs and veggies with love and patience. I believe it really takes patience. That is the number one skill for a budding gardener/ herbalist to have. Patience. I watched a two-hour video about a woman who created nightshade ointments but it took her fifteen years to master the ointment making. She was dealing with poisonous herbs so I can see how it would take years of dedication and practice. That sounds about the right amount of time. She really knew her stuff. Wow I was so impressed. It has taken me a long time to master what I know now only to have to start all over again at the Herbal Academy. I have so much to learn and thankfully plenty of time to devote to learning it all too. I want to share what I learned with my dear readers!

She can be found on Instagram at bane folk! 

I signed up for a Foraging course at the Herbal Academy. I get two foraging pocket guide books that are a part of the course. I will be busy scribbling in the pocket guides too. I look forward to improving my foraging skills and learning new things. I have foraged elderberries, burdock roots, dandelion roots, goldenrod, St.John’s wort and other herbs but now I can build on what I know. 

I like to think that anyone who aspires to be a green Witch, a hedge witch, a kitchen witch or just learn about herbs in general, that the Herbal Academy is the place to be. I wouldn’t study anywhere else. I highly recommend them to anyone who is curious about the amazing world of herbs! 

I do believe I grew my plants too early this year. The squash and mugwort are growing quite big! They will take over the space soon. It’s only April. Next spring, I will start them in April instead of February. At least they get a longer growing season this way. 

I have a ticket to StokerCon and a ticket to the first Paranormal Symposium. I can’t wait for both events. I am a bit more excited about the Paranormal Symposium because there has to my knowledge never been one before. It takes place in October. I have a long wait but I know it is worth it. I have new books, Demons and Demonology by Rosemary Guiley, The Horror Trope Thesaurus, Writing Gothic Fiction and Writing in Deep POV. I will enjoy these books! I want to work on a new writing project so those books will definitely help me!

Enjoy spring!

Blessings Spiderwitch )O(

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March 11, 2023 · 12:17 pm

Spring Herbs

Merry meet all,

My indoor herb and vegetable seed starting project is progressing nicely. I love my grow light kit. I used to grow plants like herbs and flowers without a grow light. I don’t know how I ever managed. I will never go back to not using a grow light kit. It is amazing. I’m growing tickseed, parsley, thyme, Vietnamese Cilantro, onions, kohlrabi, carrots, radishes, calendula, celeriac, bunching onions, and winter squash. The seedlings are all arranged near or at my grow light kit. I love having a grow light kit. I will never go back to the old way. The parsley and thyme I bought in pots sit at a sunny window in my office. I bought a potted rosemary and arranged that near my grow light. 

I used seed starting soil, water and pots to start the seedlings in. I sprinkled mycorrhizae in the soil and Gaia Organics fertilizer. I sprinkle the seedlings with water. The window faces north but it is the only spot I can have them in that my cat Penny doesn’t disturb. I also have a few tablespoons of patience as this project requires patience. Seeds will germinate in their own good time. Then, once the seedling is up, it needs to receive all the care it can get. They can grow big, or small, wide or narrow, bright green or red, but whatever they do, they need a lot of attention and your time. 

Some plants may need supports or something to grow up on, to be trained on. Some plants grow leggy and stretch toward the light. Some plants need deeper soil. Some plants can take forever to grow into a carrot or a pepper plant. They are all individual green seedlings that depend on YOU. They depend on you for good quality soil, for their growing needs, for getting the adequate amount of light. Using a grow light can help take the load off a lot of the effort for you. Seedlings growing without the benefit of a grow light don’t grow as strong. I leave the light on for my grow light kit from about 7:00 – 8:00 am in the morning till about 9:00-10:00 pm at night. That means that my seedlings definitely receive the necessary amount of light. I mist them a lot during the day. The temperature is warm enough in my kitchen. 

I remove the weak seedlings and tend the strongest seedlings. A nod to Darwin here for his theories about survival of the fittest. I also label what I am growing. It is a good idea to know what you are growing! It is easy to label, you can make artsy labels or use something as simple as a popsicle stick for labeling your precious cilantro seedlings. 

The carrots and parsley were a real headache to get growing. Yes I did thin them out. I waited till the carrot seedlings were about two inches in height and arranged them into rows. I discarded the weak ones. Now they all have more space from each other and are growing their trademark true leaves. I misted them with water from my spray bottle and would gently water them from a measuring cup. I use toothpicks to support them as they grow up. A measuring cup is better than a regular drinking glass. It has that dip for pouring that I love. 

The carrots and parsley are growing in the deep pot for their roots shown in the photo. They were the hardest to get started but the hard work was worth it. 

I also use good quality seeds. I use organic, non GMO, heirloom seeds. Good seeds, good soil and good water and good tending make great seedlings. I watch a lot of videos on Youtube for good gardening inspiration. I store my seeds in their paper packets in a metal box. The seeds stay fresh too with a silica gel packet. I just rearranged the seeds. I store the herbs and flowers in one metal box and the veggie seeds in the other. 

The best tool in your toolbox is patience. They don’t get perfect overnight and grow overnight to their ideal size. They take their time. They grow at their own rate and they are fine with that, your green charges, oh yes. Cultivate patience as you cultivate your little green friends and they will try to grow their very best for you. I hope the tips in this post help you and inspire you to exercise your green thumbs. Happy growing!!

 

Blessings, Spiderwitch

 

 

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January 15, 2023 · 4:14 pm

Seed starts

Merry meet all,

Today is rainy, snowy and very overcast. Snow lightly covers the ground. Raindrops splatter the windowpanes. It is a sleepy, stay home type of day. The next turn in the Wheel of the year is Imbolc. Before I get started, I just wanted to write here that I know I haven’t posted much. This week, I had to deal with an infected tooth and an abnormal amount of pain. I had to get that under control’s which involved freezing my tooth at the hospital, and a lot of painkillers and an antibiotic to clear up the infected tooth. I am feeling much better now. 

Imbolc is coming soon! My kitty Penny woke up from her long nap. I just gave her a cuddle. Imbolc is exciting to me because it is the first of the three Spring Sabbats. Imbolc is a time of renewed hope, purity and the return of the light. The cold remains but hope and new life stirs beneath the soil. I will post more here about Imbolc. I have a recipe on how to make Imbolc inspired cookies already. I can’t wait to try it!

Imbolc is the perfect time to read seed catalogues and to plan what you want to grow this spring. Or at least to think about which plants you want to start indoors. I plan to get the seed starting kit back from my Mom’s. I have to wait to get soil. Once I do, I plan to start seeds early. It’s my opinion that tomato plants take a long long time to grow, and I believe that they need to be started earlier in order to reach their maximum growth earlier in the year to bear fruit. This has been my observation.

Tomorrow I hope to get the Mastering Herbal Formulations book from the Herbal Academy in the mail. I can really get deep into the course once I have the workbook. I wish they did delivery on weekends but I guess USPS doesn’t work that way. I have read Unit 1 and I get most of the ideas. The calculations look complicated but not impossible. I really need to learn this stuff in order to sell my teas at the local farmers market. That is my goal and part of why I am studying at the Herbal Academy. I want to run a herbal business when I graduate. First, I have a lot to learn. I want to take my time and learn and then I will have a better chance of running my herbal business.

I had reservations about blending two or more herbs in a tincture and other preparations. The Mastering Herbal Formulations course will take away my reservations and give me a renewed confidence. I look forward to reading and learning more in Unit 2-3. The courses at the Herbal Academy are fascinating. I love everything I have learned so far. So to return to the topic of spring seed planting, I have a few new herb seed packets to try this spring. I have many packets of seeds. However, this spring, I have motherwort seeds and I can’t wait to start that from seed. There are too many for me to count here that I want to get started. That will have to be in a future post. 

If you ask me, time is speeding up. I can’t believe how fast time goes now. It seems like I was holding a bonfire in my back yard and now I want to pore over seed catalogues. Does anyone feel like time is speeding up? To what purpose? It’s hard to say. I will just ride the crest of this ‘wave’ as best I can. The possibility of the return of spring cheers me greatly. 

 

Blessings, Spiderwitch 

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August 30, 2022 · 11:51 pm

Our Paranormal Future

Merry meet all,

Do you feel it in the air? Do you smell it or taste it in the water? I do. I know many others do because they told me online. But try to feel it in the air. I am talking about this change, something heavy in the air. It is not always heavy but I think that it represents a change, not necessarily for the better. 

I sense a change in the air. It is transitioning to autumn, fall. Yes Samhain approaches. (Which means I need to get my shit together but that is another topic). I just feel like a darkness is coming over the world. I think it goes beyond the Goddess is pissed at us for disrespecting the earth on such a huge global scale. I think that that is part of it. I would be called crazy for talking about this stuff but I can post this here. 

Ok so… I believe we are going to see a lot of change in the near future. If you don’t believe me or in the paranormal, then go read up about Skinwalker Ranch. I do. I also believe that the paranormal has something to do with it – the aliens which I believe exists, and the spirits roaming the earth now also know about the change. Of course, they are just waiting around for us mortals to figure it all out. I not only believe that but I feel it. I imagine or understand it as a darkness growing over the world, like some people say the devil is having his way. 

I sense that if people are being good to the earth that they might survive. If someone or an organization has harmed the earth like the destruction of the amazon rainforests, deforestation, etc, then they are not going to be fortunate. The evil companies will drive us toward a mass destruction of our planet. I don’t even use pesticides in my garden. I did catch a Japanese beetle in a jar from my garden. I tossed the jar in the dumpster. But if I did use pesticides, that would throw off the balance in my garden. Balance can’t be touched or tasted or felt but it exists. I keep a balance in my garden. I grow nasturtiums which attract aphids. That draws the predatory insects to the aphids. I grow the nasturtiums because I know that some bugs want to eat the aphids such as ladybugs. I keep a balance. It keeps the insects out of my apartment and keeps them productive in the garden. I have a beautiful thriving garden.  I work with the energies and the land spirits that are already there. I also offer gemstones, coins, honey, milk to the spirits in the spring and fall. I give thanks to the spirits and the Goddess/ God for the beautiful garden I have. The gratitude I show ensures I can have a good harvest and that they will continue to help me. 

I think we should all hit the pause button and reflect deeply on not what the paranormal is about but why it is suddenly the hottest thing to hit social media. Why is it so huge right now? I believe that it has something to do with what I mentioned above. This is a good time to strengthen relationships with your chosen deity or gods that you follow. It is a good time to strengthen relationships with your mortal friends too. 

Aliens, UFOs, crop circles, cattle mutilations, poltergeist activity etc are so hugely popular now. I am on the fence about Bigfoot but I would believe in aliens way more than Bigfoot. I know that social media connects us globally. We can now have information at an unprecedented rate now and faster than ever before on earth. We all communicate globally within mere seconds or minutes. So this is why we all know so much about the paranormal and many other things of course. I am terrified about aliens. I don’t want to think that they exist. 

The greed, corruption, the huge demand of the earth’s resources, violence, crime, war (Ukraine, anyone?), and apathy sweeping over the planet now is not helping anything. It casts a dark shadow  over the earth. I don’t know what happened in Skinwalker Ranch that ignited all that activity occurring there but it is a great example of what I am talking about here. We have to remember that we are not in control of the earth like we want to believe. We need earth but she doesn’t need us. We can’t live anywhere else. I have zero intention of leaving earth and moving up the stars – where the aliens are watching over us. I serve the Goddess, she doesn’t serve me. I was meant to be here on earth. This is how it works for me. 

Not everyone believes in these things. But for those that do and that includes me! The paranormal is so hot right now. I feel that something is coming, and I also feel that whatever that is isn’t good at all. I mean if all this crazy stuff is happening, there has to be an explanation for it all and that explanation might make you uncomfortable. I am still feverishly curious. You have to admit this is all cool. 

I would love to see all your comments on what you think this is. It is ok to be a skeptic! It’s ok to believe. It is real cool when skeptics become believers. Be good to the earth, be good to your fellow man, and be good to yourselves!

I love this blog post and I have posted a link to it. It affirms what I believe. https://www.patheos.com/blogs/johnbeckett/2016/06/the-otherworld-is-bleeding-through.html#disqus_thread

I enjoy this post as well: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/johnbeckett/2016/11/the-veil-is-shredded.html#disqus_thread

Here is a cool link to a paranormal post about Skinwalker Ranch: https://youtu.be/cxjHba9OO0I

Whatever transpires for us in our weird paranormal future, let’s hope it is for the best of all mortals and animals -or amphibians out there. I do sense a darkness coming. It is good to remember from time to time that change is good and that as long as we maintain the balance of life,  we just may be fine. I hope I am wrong but I wouldn’t be shocked if I was right. 

Blessings, Spiderwitch 

 

 

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July 13, 2022 · 12:27 pm

Herbal Crafts )O(

Merry meet all,

I am enjoying my herbal studies at the Herbal Academy. The flowers I’m pressing are beautiful. I plan to press a good deal more flowers soon. I”m making a flower essence out of the local summery flowers here. That includes borage, mint, lavender petals, red clover, chamomile. Mmmmm I can’t wait. I am steeping the essence outdoors in a glass bowl in my garden. Soon in another hour or two I shall strain the flowers and make the potion with brandy! Sounds good to me. 

There are so many herbs outside in my garden and the nature trail. I sure have my pick of plants. Borage, lavender, chamomile, lemon balm, burdock, goldenrod, clover, and many others. I love living here as it makes my studies at the Academy much easier. The herbs I need grow in abundance around me. This encourages me to be more sustainable in my practice and to be an earth steward! Right now, I am loving the ample sunshine and loving that that will aid my floral essence in my garden. The bowl of flowers must absorb the sunlight. It is crucial to the floral essence being made properly. I plan to strain the flowers with a strainer outdoors. I am sure the glass bowl of flowers soaking in water will have some bugs in it!

I plan to do a bookbinding project of the herbal course material too. I will finish it this coming weekend. I just have to complete some stuff before that. It really is a weekend project. I promise to show photos here once I am done. I already have the supplies and I have bound/ covered the book covers in bookbinding cloth. I am not anywhere near done. I have to sew the folios together and still cover the book covers with more layers. That will give it a nice seamless look. I hope this goes well. I want to decorate the pages with pressed flowers and of course, butterfly stickers. 

There are so many crafts I can do! Flower pressing, flower essences, bookbinding, or making floral handmade paper – I am only limited by my imagination! I am covered in mosquito bites. I’m also waiting for the delivery of a beautiful embroidered leather binder from Etsy. It’s traveling as I type from the UK to Canada. I hope I don’t have to wait too long. I am using the binder for my materia medica. I can’t wait! It’s so beautiful. I think my herb notes deserve to be stored in something truly beautiful. 

On top of the herbal crafts I mentioned above, I am also helping the other plants in my garden grow to their very best. I’m growing veggies too. Celery, tomatoes, squash, parsley, coriander, lovage, basil, mint, pumpkin, potatoes, a carrot or two, beans, root veggies like turnip and radish and beets. I’m also growing chives, shallots, tons of nasturtiums, raspberry, strawberry, and blueberry. The haskap berries are past their season now. The bean vines are so aggressive. I bought two poles to support the scarlet runner bean vines. They are growing a little too well. The elecampane is yet to flower. The flower buds are formed. I am just waiting on pins and needles for it to blossom! 

I bought a big tool chest from Canadian Tire. It doesn’t hold hammers and nails. Instead, the huge chest holds all my craft supplies. I now have more room in my broom closet. It filled up fast. I got the big chest on sale. I just love it. Everything I need is finally in one place and I have a place for everything! I can now enjoy doing more herbal crafts with a lot less stress. I just love the big ‘pirate’ chest. 

I wish you dear readers would let me know what herbal crafts you are doing now. Do let me know in the comments below. 

BB Spiderwitch

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