Tag Archives: Rosemary

April 12, 2026 · 4:12 pm

Herbs 101

 

 

Merry meet all,

I keep checking my seedling pots. The hardest part of growing herbs from seeds lies in having patience. I am not the most patient type, but when it comes to herbs, patience is mandatory. 

Today’s post will be all about herbs. When I’m out on a walk or checking the garden, I see signs of new growth everywhere – the crocuses popped up, the sage leaves have gone from grey to green and birds peck at the ground. I’m growing a pot of mint in the kitchen. New stems and leaves have emerged, arching toward the sun. 

Growing herbs is a great way to get to know the herbs. It helps in identifying herbs (if you’re anything like me and forget what you planted, lol), and learning to understand what they need. Obtain a spray bottle. Save the water you used to boil eggs in and pour that into the spray bottle, then mist your plants every so often. The water saved from boiling eggs in contains calcium and potassium, necessary natural fertilizers. Never drown the seedlings in a waterfall, mist them with water, especially when they are tiny and just growing their true leaves. Place them in a south-facing window so they receive the maximum amount of sunlight. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I ordered organic all-natural clary sage seeds from Strictly medicinal – (https://strictlymedicinalseeds.com/).  I sprinkled the clary sage seeds into the seedling pot and waited a week and a half. I’m growing chives, clary sage, spearmint and a few other seedlings have popped up, but I can’t identify what they are yet. I also added stinging nettle, catnip, basil, oregano, ashwagandha and borage to the pot of mint. I am short on space, but I have lots of enthusiasm to grow these herbs. I have to wait and see what comes up. My patience paid off though. Now I get to watch them grow. Spraying them with water lightly also greatly decreases the chances of the seedlings getting that annoying fungus in the soil. 

I’m growing catnip from seed in the mint pot because my cat can’t get up on the kitchen island. So the herbs can grow undeterred by a certain overly curious feline. 

Do not fertilize the seedlings heavily when they are growing their true leaves. Wait until the seedlings are about 6 to 8 inches tall and may be ready to potted up again or brought outdoors to the garden after the frost is gone. This is their most important growing phase right now when they get their true leaves. Herbs really take off after that. They can’t be dunked in water, pot overturned or neglected. They need all the care and attention they can get in their early stages. 

We often forget that herbs such as rosemary, spearmint, peppermint, lavender, sage, oregano, thyme, basil and chives originated in the warm Mediterranean climate. The above mentioned herbs are all part of the Lamiaceae family, the mint family. My mother’s rosemary plant is studded with the most beautiful blue blossoms, seated in the cool basement of her home. All her other plants are upstairs on the main floor. If she let the rosemary live up on the main floor during the winter, it would have dried out. My mint dried out, but now that it is spring, it has new growth. Since the mint plant is more established and growing in a deeper pot, I water it more thoroughly than I would my seedlings. Anyone serious about growing lovely, richly aromatic herbs has to get to know what herbs need. It can help to think about the type of climate the herbs originally had in the Mediterranean. I live in Atlantic Canada, which means they don’t get a longer, hot season and we have harsh winters here. But my Mom’s oregano, sage, lavender and thyme are true perennials and are growing back. 

Sage, oregano, basil, chives, mint, lavender, thyme and basil all need mostly full sun and moisture. Once it is warm enough to plant your herbs outdoors on a sunny deck or straight into the garden, make it a ritual. Pick a day when first, all chances of frost are gone and secondly, pick a dry, slightly windy day after the dew has dried. Bring your herbs outdoors. Bonus points if you are hardening them to the outdoor temperatures. You can always bring them in at night if you still feel it is too cold out. Gather all your tools, such as a trowel, a watering can, a gardening shovel and your organic fertilizer. You ARE using organic fertilizer, right? Dig a hole in the garden, remove the herb seedling from the pot, tear gently or tug the roots apart to encourage new and strong growth and place it in the hole. Add the fertilizer around the roots of the plant, then fill in with the soil. Water the seedling well and admire your seedling. Welcome it to the garden. Yes, you can talk to your plants. Ignore your nosy neighbors. Hold the seedling/s in your hands and feel its energy, and welcome it to the garden. Now let mama nature take care of the rest. Don’t crowd all the seedlings. Check the seed packet to know how much room herbs need from each other. 

Gypsum, fish emulsion and Gaia Green are all options for organic fertilizers. Never add harsh chemicals in any form, pesticides or insecticides to your garden. We need to help our plants grow. Insects are our unsung heroes. They do the hard work! Aphids trying to take over? Get ladybugs to eat them. Hang a bird feeder in your garden to feed  your avian friends, they will hunt rats, mice, voles and bugs in the garden. If you are really feeling ambitous, hang a bat house/ feeder. They eat tons of mosquitoes. Let nature fight nature. The best way to help pollinators, birds and bats who would be more than ready to keep pests down is to have healthy, natural soil. That means using no non organic fertilizers. Strong, healthy plants are able to defend themselves from predators and pests, too. 

Soil is vital. Organic soil is vital, composed of tiny, microscopic microbes – tiny bugs. Organic soil should be rich with nutrients and a good sign of organic soil is it will often contains tons of earthworms. When I would set new soil down in my garden when I lived on Crown Drive, I would work the soil in, then let the earthworms and beetles(!) aerate the soil. Earthworms are a good sign of good soil! Use compost and organic mulching methods and you will be rewarded with rich, nutrient soil just perfect for grow herbs in. Ask mother earth and father sky to bless your plants and/or your chosen deity to bless your plants. Add corresponding gemstones into the soil arranged about the base of the plants. 

My mom just accidentally knocked a pot of my baby seedlings to the floor. I was able to find my tiny seedlings and so I tucked them back into the soil. The roots were more established than I thought. The roots reached way down into the soil. Nature will never cease to amaze me. 

If you take all that care and reverence for the gifts that Mother Nature bestows upon us, whether that is a bee pollinating lavender, birds singing or dragonflies flitting from flower to flower, you will have beautiful and aromatic herbs in your garden. I hope these tips help you in your own gardening journey. 

Blessings, Spiderwitch )O(

Links to organic seed suppliers: 

Strictly Medicinal – https://strictlymedicinalseeds.com/

Annapolis Seeds – https://annapolisseeds.com/

 

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December 3, 2025 · 1:12 pm

Winter Solstice Herb Crafts

Merry meet all,

Yule or the Winter Solstice is only a few weeks away. I have been busy. Busy getting ready for the Winter Solstice. I have foraged for spruce, pine, juniper, cedar on the nature trail. I foraged for sage, thyme, lavender and rosemary. I’m saving seeds from herbs like oregano, sage, thyme from my Mom’s garden then I store the seeds in labeled white envelopes. 

I plan to use the herbs for soap making, spell jars, tea blends and smudge sticks. I dried sliced oranges in my dehydrator. I glued pressed herbs onto a glass mason jar to use as a winter lantern. Where I live, we don’t get holly or mistletoe, some of the more traditional winter herbs. But that’s good because holly is toxic to cats. I also want to craft a candle for Yule. I bought a lot of supplies to craft soaps. I’m excited to get started on that. I have glass measuring cups, colorants, soap molds, fragrances and essential oils, stirring utensils, rubbing alcohol, additives, a heat source, and Vitamin E to ensure the soaps have a long shelf life. 

I will either keep the herb crafts for myself or use them as gifts. Today’s post will focus on how to use herbs in various crafts so you can try this at home too!!

Play the Nutcracker soundtrack in the background or whatever you fancy for holiday themed music, burn some incense and light a candle and let’s get started. 

Find a work space where you can work on your crafts without being distracted. If you are doing these crafts with small children present, be careful using tools like hot glue guns, scissors, hole punchers. Be sure the children are supervised to avoid them being harmed or any accidents. 

I do not use lye to make soap. I purchase premade glycerin soap bases. I do not prefer lye and I see it as very dangerous to use, unless you really know what you are doing. In that case, power to ya. I just prefer the ready made soap bases.

Step 1: Prepare the mold and base
  • Gather supplies: Cut a pre-made glycerin soap base into small cubes. You will also need molds, a heatproof container, and your desired additives like fragrance and color.
  • Prepare molds: Set your molds on a flat surface and have them ready.
  • Microwave method: Place the soap cubes in a heatproof container and microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring after each one, until the soap is completely melted. Be careful not to overheat the soap, as it can become rubbery.
  • Double boiler method: Place the soap cubes in a container and set it inside a pot of hot water. Stir occasionally until the soap is melte
    Step 3: Add color and scent
    • Add color: Stir in a few drops of soap-specific liquid colorant or a small amount of mica powder. Add more drops until you reach the desired color, but start with a small amount as colors can be intense.
    • Add scent: Stir in a few drops of essential or fragrance oil designed for soap. A general guideline is about 10 drops per 4-ounce bar, but follow the product’s instructions.
      Step 4: Pour and cool
      • Pour: Carefully pour the melted mixture into your prepared molds.
      • Remove bubbles: For a smoother finish, spray the surface of the poured soap with a small amount of rubbing alcohol to pop any air bubbles.
      • Cool: Let the molds sit undisturbed until the soap is completely hard. This can take about an hour, or you can place them in the fridge for 20-30 minutes to speed up the process. 

I want to use the herb oils I already have in my amber glass jars for the soaps. That includes spruce oil (invigorating), calendula ( wound healing and moistening), and lavender (nervine properties). I bought two colorants – one a yellow color to use with the calendula and lavender or goldenrod! and green for the spruce or pine soap and scents. I think I will add dried herbs, but I want to grind them up to a powder first. 

The next herb project to try is making smudge sticks with herbs. These would also make great gifts. I will use the herbs that I foraged for earlier, such as the white spruce (may not be sitka spruce as I initially believed, eastern hemlock, cedar and common juniper. I also have bay leaves, rosemary, and more spruce, cedar and juniper. I like to take my time to decide how best to arrange the herbs into a smudge bundle. This is also why I dried the orange slices. 

Lay the herbs down on a clean and dry surface. Be sure you have scissors and string, embroidery floss (best if it’s a matching or corresponding color), or a rubber band to bind the herbs together. Place the spruce, pine or cedar down first as a base then arrange rosemary, bay leaves or cinnamon sticks on top of that. Trim the odd ends and arrange them together neatly. Then set the dried orange slices down on that and if you choose, you can place a star anise on top of the orange slices. I might adhere the star anise to the orange slice with a hot glue gun. This is not meant to be ingested, so that’s okay. Bind the herbs together with string, floss or a rubber band. You could also add. baby’s breath, eucalyptus, mint or sage leaves or even thyme. Once you have it all arranged the way that you want, bind them together and be sure to trim those uneven ends! Then let it dry. Tie a pretty bow onto the smudge stick, or use natural raffia or a pretty natural ribbon that just gives you a pretty boho vibe. 

The next cool herb craft to try involves using twigs arranged around a candle jar! Very earthy and witchy. I want to make this craft too.

How To Make It

  1. Hold a twig against the glass and wrap twine around the jar several times to secure it.
  2. Continue adding twigs one by one, tucking each under the twine as you go.
  3. If you prefer a sturdier hold, place small dots of glue behind a few of the twigs.
  4. Tie the twine firmly and adjust the twigs until the ring looks even.

Variation

Place a little moss around the base for a touch of softness. Credit given to: https://thewildenchantment.com/simple-diy-twig-craft-ideas-for-witchy-home-decor/?fbclid=IwY2xjawOdRwVleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeiiSlBEV0ZIDfDdWoP7BcI-NUp-o9SR0JWowRM3-ZJZA0BiN0nA2vTl4xEVY_aem_eKOOod3dIja7DOE0U0Rt0g

I would add some essential oils to the twigs or the candle to enhance the natural earthy look. Cedarwood, pine essential oils or eucalyptus would work well. 

This weekend, I crafted a Yule candle holder jar. I hot glued found twigs to a candle holder. I kept the twigs to the same size roughly and secured them around the jar. I painted them gold, (good for concealing unsightly hot glue). I tied raffia around the twigs and secured it in a bow. I had a cool piece of gold trim and glued it to the twigs. I love how it looks! 

I sprinkled pine, cedar, spruce and thyme in a tiny glass vial. I put the cork on and dripped hot candle wax over the cork, sealing the herbs in the jar. 

Make a Yule Bundle

CREATING YOUR YULE BUNDLE
Search the ground below your woody pal, and also in her tangle of limbs, for broken or fallen branches and sticks. Gather a piece up from each type of woody plant that speaks to you, and trim each sample to a uniform size (about 10 inches is nice).Grasp all your tidy little stick gifts in your fist, one of each type. 
You are holding a mini forest. 
Can you feel its strength? Its beauty? Its life supporting gifts for beings of all types?

Look closely at this fistful of forest. Can you still identify the species of each stick? This can be quite a challenge! Yes the colors vary, but get curious about the fine, distinguishing details:

  • Do you see leaf scars from opposite or alternate branching patterns?
  • How does the flexibility vary between your sticks?
  • Does the bark harbor moss, lichen, fungi, or algae species?
  • Is the core pithy or woody?
  • Does the bark peel away easily?
  • Close your eyes and see with your fingertips. What do you notice about the texture of each stick?Use a length of natural fiber string or yarn, or perhaps a strip of bark or length of vine or grass, to secure your bundle.These bundles make a sweet holiday gift to share with loved ones who live in your “neck of the woods” — or especially for someone who perhaps moved elsewhere and is missing the forest they used to call home.

    The next step is an important one: 
    Before you burn your bundle and literally transform your dark bits into light, remember to thank all that you are releasing. Everything on your strip of paper has been a part of creating who you are.

    I’ve noticed that often what I want to release, those aspects of myself that feel like they are holding me back from being who I truly am, are actually survival mechanisms I developed to get me through a particular chapter of my life. Though the chapter has been written – and I’m now several books ahead in the series!—these unnecessary ways of being have persisted. They served their purpose and for that I am thankful. Now it’s time to let them go.

    Feel the weight of the bundle in your hands and all it represents.
    Feel the strength, diversity, and unique ways of being of your plant allies.

    Place your bundle into the fire (oh how lovely an outdoor fire is, but a wood stove also works!) and watch the light it creates as it burns, darkness and energy literally transformed into flame, smoke, and warmth before you.

    Notice the lightness in yourself and carry it with you into brighter days ahead. Credit given to: Dandelion Herbal Center- making a Yule Bundle. I know the instructions tell you to burn the bundle, but I can’t bring myself to do it. The sticks are so beautiful. 

Here is a link for more ideas on how to use items from nature to make crafts: https://thewildenchantment.com/11-easy-winter-solstice-nature-crafts-that-double-as-gifts/?fbclid=IwY2xjawOdSiBleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeTwaT_WDuQyoqiGxs-PKJytfD2jW2M4ucsCFFgkMvXlvhWvLAGtFseH3anP8_aem_ccTGoBe1kMcgImyytxiPAA

Pinecones, spruce needles and piencones and cinnamon sticks are a lovely, magical combination. 

Here is another link that gives you lots of crafty ideas sure to keep you busy! 

50 Awesome DIY Yule Decorations and Craft Ideas You Can Make for the Winter Solstice

I hope you have lots of fun with these crafty ideas! I will post more about the Winter Solstice. Till then, stay spooky!

Blessings, Spiderwitch

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December 19, 2023 · 12:36 am

Winter Solstice Baking and Decorations )O(

Merry meet all,

I am not happy that the weather became so miserable. I worried about losing power which never happened. I postponed the holiday baking. However, I did have some success with presents. 

I assembled a fire starter kit and coffee for my brother and lip balm for my mother. I placed moss, a pinecone I painted white, a bit of birch bark and matches in a glass jar. I put the moss in first followed by the pinecone, then the matches secured with string and a white candle. If he ever loses power, he is prepared for any event or disaster. I also poured instant coffee into a jar with a cinnamon stick and 2 star anise. I had no gift box or packaging so I improvised. 

I used a brown paper bag to store the gifts but first I painted it! I traced a tree from a cookie cutter onto the bag and outlined it in black and green. Then I painted the tree I traced on green. I painted the rest of the bag white. I had to be careful because brown paper bags are delicate when they are wet. I hole punched the bag and wound twine through the holes and tied them. I placed the fire starter kit and the coffee in the bag. I baked the pumpkin bread in a bundt pan. 

I made a small tin of peppermint and sweet orange lip balm for my Mom. In fact it smelled so good I made a tiny pot of it for myself. I am sure she will enjoy it. I can’t wait to wrap it. 

I baked a loaf of pumpkin bread and I added crushed walnut. I have to make the frosting for it. I want to use orange food colouring to frost the bread and add cinnamon and orange zest to the frosting. I plan to make peppermint bark, gingerbread, gingerbread cookies, and yuletide bread. My family will love me for such delicious treats. Or their bodies will hate me. It is the time for feasting though. 

Gingerbread was a tradition of my grandparents. I want to make a loaf because they are gone now and I know it was what they would have baked this holiday season. I can remember being at the cottage during the holidays and they would bake it fresh. Tomorrow nothing will stop me. I want to use up a lot of ingredients and such festive baking is surely the answer to that. I have a lot of dried orange peel in my icebox which is perfect for this. I’m going to bake the yuletide bread in the bundt pan too. I have to candy the lemon peel and orange peel. I have the ‘cranberry and raisin’ raisins for that recipe too. I think it will be delicious. 

I bought a beautiful festive bag from the dollar store which will hold the sweets and gifts. Penny is celebrating Christmas dinner with us of course. She will be part of all the fun. Of course. Penny is family! I tidied up her litter box tonight. Penny loves to lounge on the red tree skirt which definitely doesn’t look pagan but very christmasy but oh well- I do my best. 

I’m celebrating the Solstice solo. Well I am not really alone. I have the company of cats and the spirits here. I have some organic locally sourced hamburger meat. I plan to cook an awesome meatloaf and have an amazing meal and perform a ritual. It is the Christmas dinner with my family I am really preparing for. 

I also saved the best news for last (but not least): I am so happy to share that Wicked Shadow Press published my horror flash fiction story, Winter Solstice Spell in their upcoming anthology, Yule Cat Codex! 

The Yule Cat Codex by Wicked Shadow Press featuring my flash fiction story and many others

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yesterday I foraged for wintry goodies from the nature trail. I foraged eastern white pine, common juniper and Sikta Spruce. I cleaned, trimmed and am now drying the herbs in brown paper bags. If the weather is better tomorrow, I will dry the herbs in my dehydrator. I did create a smudge stick with the juniper, pine and I have to add rosemary. 

I still want to make some decorations out of salt dough. I was inspired by a video I watched. I never lost power today but I did no baking. I could have been so much more ahead. I am having dinner with my family on the 24th. Everything will be perfect.

The best part of baking and making gifts is wrapping them. I don’t have a lot of gifts to give but it feels good. I did already gift my mother the iron tonic syrup. I am sure she will love the minty sweet lip balm. Either way, I can’t wait to wrap it all and package the baked goods but tomorrow I plan to do some last minute shopping. Then it will be bake, bake, bake and create, create, create!

Of course though, I look forward to that. I am a diehard kitchen witch with a rep to maintain.  I can’t wait to begin! 

Don’t let the Yule lads get the best of you! I watched the version of A Christmas Carol with George C Scott the other night. I am so in the mood for the Solstice! I enjoyed the movie so much! It was the best version ever. 

It is almost time for me to strain the Pear Liquor. I can’t wait to enjoy it on the Solstice. I need a pretty jar. I can’t wait to try it. 

https://www.milkglasshome.com/pear-liqueur-recipe/?fbclid=IwAR0OHTTUT4bydi42jwOGnEBdRfEdHJJLArMMjfMypQn-S7epB8P8DDvql40

In other news, I  created a herbal vision board. 

I do believe I will enjoy baking and decorating! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blessings, Spiderwitch 

 

 

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August 2, 2023 · 6:34 pm

Herbs and horror stories

Merry meet all,

I can’t wait to tell you all the good news! My short fiction horror story, Skin, will appear in the November issue of the Horror Zine! I am so happy. I am so excited! I now have one more amazing reason to love fall. I never imagined I would get that story published. I got so many rejections but it proves that perseverance and faith pay off. I will post the link here when it is available. I am very happy about that. And no wonder. 

It is so hot here today, as I type at my Mom’s keyboard. I am determined to reach up to 900 blog posts. I’m getting there. My kitty Penny loves it here. She is here somewhere, covering the furniture and chairs with all her abundant cat hair. 

I love herbs. I am sure that anyone who has been loyally following this blog, and I hope some of you do, would know I am a fanatic for herbs. I brought more herbs home recently. I got black petunia flowers, a tricolor sage, another apple mint, calendula, borage and lovage. My garden is beautiful. The apple mint is growing well so I added a second apple mint. The lemon balm patch is huge. I plan to divide it this fall. Then I will have more room in my garden for other herbs. My green pepper plant is starting to show peppers. No tomatoes yet but I am sure they will show up. I bought copper ties to deter the slugs and placed the ties at the bases of my beans, pepper, squash plants. I also added them to the black petunias. I hope the copper ties help. 

This weekend, I plan to make jam with all the frozen fruit in my freezer. Blueberries, strawberries, haskap berries and rhubarb lie in wait. I look forward to that. I also have frozen orange rind. Mm I can imagine the taste already. 

The purple coneflower is coming along and will soon be in bloom. I am not 100% certain yet what is going on with my elecampane plant. I cut the lovage back and I noticed new growth. The mint herbs I have: apple mint, peppermint, spearmint, after eight mint and strawberry mint are growing well. They will make nice tea herbs. The lemon balm intends to take over the garden and makes no mystery about it. The nettle is growing well but I didn’t get much mugwort this year. The comfrey is growing well but I need to tie up the canes. I spied a few Chinese lanterns are growing well. The blueberries will be ripe soon and so will the raspberries. My garden receives more sunlight because the hurricane broke a tree branch. I believe that is why my garden is so beautiful and fruitful this year. The sage and oregano are growing well too as are the lavender and rosemary. 

My garden surprises me every year. I regularly water my garden, protect it, and fertilize it. I add plant supports and I usually just stand back and let my garden do its thing. I love gardening and watching my plants become beautiful and vibrant. I suppose I could bring in the lavender. I will bring in the rosemary, since I have a grow light kit. I plan to harvest a lot of dandelion roots this fall and use my dehydrator to dry them. 

I really want to see the upcoming horror movie, The Last Voyage of the Demeter. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1001520/ I really can’t wait and I have saved up for it. The other movie I want to see is the new instalment in The Conjuring franchise, Insidious: The Red Door. Yeah I love the movies so much, of The Conjuring and Insidious. I want to write more horror stories (well, see top paragraph for a good explanation of why.) Pretty darn nice to get it published! I never expected that. Yeah I have to keep writing. Moments like that renew my enthusiasm and give me one more reason to keep living and keep going. It’s a bad idea to quit writing, no matter how hard, because one day that editor may send you an acceptance email. So please, persevere! Prove your mettle! 

And stay cool during all this great hot summer heat. It won’t last. Fall is around the corner!

Blessings, Spiderwitch

 

 

 

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February 7, 2023 · 8:13 pm

Seeds of spring- Imbolc

Merry meet all,

Hello my lovely readers! Even though we are on the cusp of spring, winter lingers. Last night, the howling wind kept me up half the night. 

I have a lot on my mind right now. My grandmother is not well. She has to be moved to the city and that means uprooting her. I hope it all works out smoothly. I am very worried about her. My grandmother is in her nineties but is in otherwise good health. 

I scattered birdseed at the Mumford Terminal  and in my backyard. I saw the rat and waited and watched for a sign that the birds had found the seed. Indeed they did. I look after all my little ones. It’s cold out and I worry about them. Food is scarce for my avian friends. 

I just watched the amazing movie Alien with a friend. I respect the exhausting effort that must have gone into making the movie. Yes art means effort. And that movie truly is amazing. I remember watching the sequel years ago. 

I donated my copy of Todd Keisling’s book to the library. Due to my negative experience with him, I saw no sense in keeping it. I only welcome positive energy here. 

It is spring in my apartment! If it can’t be spring outdoors, it will be so indoors. I’m growing a pot of basil and rosemary cutting and I have a pot of parsley. I set up my grow light kit where I am growing a number of herbs by seed. I have another pot with radishes and carrots germinating.  I hope they all grow well. I know the herbs will grow well in the grow light kit. I will post what I am starting by seed in the grow light kit soon once I find the list. I can’t remember right now. I keep watering the herbs a little, enough to moisten them but not drown them. 

I love herbs. I’m progressing nicely with the herbal courses at the Herbal Academy. I am on Unit 2 in Advanced and I am enjoying the Mastering Herbal Formulations course too. I recently reviewed the Becoming a Herbalist mini course that the Herbal Academy once again offered for free. Tomorrow I no longer have access to it and so I ensured I downloaded the pdf of the course. 

I have to work harder at composing the 15-20 monographs for the Advanced course. I hate distractions and I am my own worst enemy. The herbs and flowers are dormant now but soon spring will raise her green head. I cannot wait. It cheers me though I love the dark half of the year. I am a herbalist/ gardener by heart. I water the seedlings in the grow light kit the most because the soil dries out so fast. The green seedlings need moist soil. That is how they thrive. 

I am so grateful the Herbal Academy gives me so much time to complete the courses. I can study at a better pace that way. I never stop learning and I love everything I am learning. There is so much for me to learn. It is a truly fascinating subject!

 

Blessings, Spiderwitch )O(

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December 20, 2022 · 11:17 pm

Solstice Blessings )O(

Merry meet all,

Winter Solstice is tomorrow! Are you ready? I am. I have been preparing for the Solstice for a while now. I want to talk about how you can prepare for the Solstice too. Let’s get started. 

First, get outside! This is a good time to forage outdoors. Grab your cloth bag, good walking shoes and let’s go!

Gather pinecones large and small, acorns, juniper, rosemary, cedar, sage and spruce. Bring a foraging book or your phone with you to correctly identify the plant you are foraging. I identified the spruce growing on the trail I live near as Sitka spruce. The Natives loved Sikta spruce and used the bark, needles and twigs for a variety of purposes. I steeped the spruce needles in a simple syrup to enjoy with gin but more on that later. 

Once you have foraged all you can, bring it home and wash it to rid of insects and dirt. Bake the pinecones at 200 % for forty-five minutes in the oven. If you decide to gather birch bark, then boil it in hot water for twenty minutes. Then remove from the heat and let it dry. If you forage pine, cedar or spruce needles, then do it from an older tree and cut the lower branches. I also leave an offering to the spirits and give thanks for the nature items I receive. I made an offering of cornmeal, a bay leaf and an acorn. 

I made a candle and added in rosemary, Yule essential oil, eucalyptus, peppermint essential oils. The scent is divine! If you look closely at the above photo, you can see the birch bark wrapped around a few candles. I love the rustic warm look. I bought a glittery white tree. It is tucked in there with the candles and the pinecones I painted white. The white pinecones look great. I will post another photo tomorrow. 

Pinecones are rustic and dry nicely. It is a very good idea to bake them in the oven before using. That kills the mites and dries up the sap. 

Rosemary has a beautiful scent. Use it in stovetop potpourris, or herbal wands. 

Cedar is cleansing and purifying. Use cedar in stovetop potpourris, herbal wands and drinks. 

Acorns can be painted and used in decorations. 

Holly, ivy and mistletoe have mystical associations with the Solstice. They can be used in decorations or herbal potpourri. However, since they are toxic to cats and I have a pet cat, I’m not using it. If you want to, go ahead. For the reasons just mentioned, I am not describing it here. 

If you choose to forage for goodies at the local grocery store, add these to your shopping list:

Apples, oranges, allspice, juniper berries, nutmeg, clove, ginger, cinnamon, chamomile and mugwort. 

Pour a jug of cider into a large saucepan. Chop and add oranges, apples, the spices listed above and a pinch of chamomile and mugwort to the cider. This enhances the flavour and also aids in psychic development. Simmer the cider in the saucepan on low heat. Your kitchen will small great. Your tastebuds will thank you. 

Gather a pinecone or two, five spruce twigs with needles, an acorn and a dried orange to a bowl. Simmer on low heat but don’t drink. This makes a great stovetop simmering potpourri. 

To create a herbal wand, gather rosemary, pine and juniper together. The rosemary is the base. Set the rosemary down on a counter or tabletop. Then lay the pine down on the rosemary. Then lay the juniper down on the pine. Bind the three fragrant herbs together with string. You can let it dry or burn it while the herbs are fresh. It is up to you how you use your herbal wand, as long as the intention is to purify yourself or your space. 

These activities should keep you busy. The Winter Solstice is a time of duality or polar opposites. We celebrate the return of the light but it still gets dark early. I want to revel in the dark half of the year. There is something so sheltering, so restful about it. I love the darkness and I want to enjoy it. The earth rests now and dies back. The ground needs to sleep and die back to be reborn in the spring. The earth is restoring her energy now. That changes once spring returns but for now, I am content. I hope you dear readers are too. 

I also brewed a batch of elderberry jam. I added an apple which contains natural pectin, orange rind and a pinch of cinnamon. I want to gift the elderberry jam to my Mom – and save some for me. It should go nicely with my homemade bread. 

I decided to donate to an animal shelter. I sewed fourteen cat toys together and filled each of them with cotton batting and catnip. I sewed each toy with love. I wrapped the toys together, added a sprig or two of spruce with a candy cane to the gift. I added tags to the gift. I secured the gift of the cat toys in a clear cellophane bag, added another candy cane to the gift bag, and tucked in red tissue paper. I love how the gift looked. I was very happy to donate the gift to the SPCA. I hope the cats love the hand sewn cat toys! 

It felt good to give the toys to the SPCA. 

The homemade cat toys all stitched with love and waiting to be donated to the animal shelter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Solstice!

Blessings, Spiderwitch

 

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October 25, 2022 · 3:41 pm

Prepping for Samhain )O(

Merry meet all,

I shall soon be busy preparing for Samhain, especially the Ancestral Supper. One popular theme about the Ancestral supper is that everything has to be black. Ok no problem, I love the colour black. I already have a black spider tablecloth on the kitchen table. I have a black spider web table runner I can use. Black spiderweb placemats and Halloween plates will go. I may stock up on a couple of wine glasses. Now don’t get me wrong, I am not spending a fortune here. Far from it. I visit the dollar stores in October. If you are savvy enough and have an eye for the good quality items, you can find some nice Halloween dishes and decorations. 

I enjoy rum with coke, the spicy rum is most preferred. Mulled cider of course, one of my most favourite Samhain traditions of all is cider. I love to add a sprinkle of cinnamon, mugwort, rose petals, oranges, apples and nutmeg to the cauldron pot. A dash of red wine and we are all set. By the 31st, I can finally strain the hawthorn cordial. Oh I can’t wait. I still have some pumpkin bread, I baked two loaves of rosemary bread, and I might make herbed butter too. Roasted pumpkin seeds and roasted hazelnuts oh my gosh, what a treat. Truly. 

I plan to light a lot of candles. Candles lend a beautiful ambience to a dinner table. It can be a good idea to decide ahead of time about what music to play and enjoy while eating. Since the theme is an ancestral supper, the music can be that which our ancestors enjoyed. I love listening to Viking music on YouTube. Celtic music is a good choice. I am both Celtic and Scandinavian, and Irish and French Acadian. I grew up listening to good quality fiddle music. I sure have a lot to choose from! I may listen to Loreena Mckennitt and the Viking music on YouTube. This will be a special occasion now!

I plan to wear a black gown with a bodice to lace up. I want to wear my black mourning veil and a circlet. A shawl and a lovely witch hat tops it off. 

I want to decorate the back yard too. My garden is my outdoor altar. Tons of fiery leaves cover the garden, mulching and sheltering the garden from the frosty cold. I might do the outdoor bonfire ritual if the weather cooperates. The rain has scared me. I hope it doesn’t rain on October 31. Nope, no rain now. I might hang the creepy snake and spider stew wreath over the door. Glowing pumpkins topped with eerie spiders add a spooky touch. A large cauldron spewing smoke next to a skull is creepy too. 

I usually honor my late grandfather and my pets. I am not attending the Samhain ritual on the Commons. This will be a solitary Samhain. I choose to celebrate alone than be forced to deal with the crowd’s toxic bullshit. I am not truly alone. Spirit is with me. My bossy cat too – who probably sees lots of spirits in this apartment but doesn’t react to them. As long as her food bowl and litter box are taken care of by yours truly, she doesn’t care. Solitary is the way to go. 

I am all set. My cat Penny shall supervise all activities of course. She’ll get a catnip treat.! (I get the trick lol). I would love to hear what you all have planned for your festivities! Do tell. Leave a comment below. 

Blessings, Spiderwitch )O(

 

 

 

 

https://www.learnreligions.com/sacred-plants-of-the-samhain-sabbat-3879864

 

 

 

 

Live and Let Die: Prepping for Samhain

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October 24, 2022 · 1:04 pm

Samhain celebrations )O(

Merry meet all,

Today I harvested the remaining scarlet runner beans that the slugs hadn’t devoured. I cut the vines and left the roots in. The roots have good nutrients that will benefit the soil. Who knows? Maybe they will regrow next year. 

Samhain is almost here. Yesterday I baked a cake. I haven’t frosted it yet. I want to share a secret ingredient idea I had with my dear readers. I made candied walnuts. I soaked the walnuts in brandy before drying them and grinding the walnuts to a powder. The powder is a little clumpy. I added it to the blender in small batches and then froze it. I added it in to the cake batter. I can’t wait to see how the cake tastes. Today I am going to frost the cake and I promise to post about that too.

It has rained a lot today. It had better not rain on the most notorious, magickal night of the year, October 31st. I have plans as do the many other millions out there with hopes high in their hearts. Samhain/ Halloween is not just for kids- adults have joined in on the dark revelry. There are many rituals and  fun activities to try. Read on to learn more. 

Samhain is a time to honour the dead and our ancestors. We often perform many rituals in celebration of the season of death. The leaves trickle to the earth, bedecked in fiery heartwarming colours. A special dinner is prepared and enjoyed to celebrate the harvest. 

I love a long nature walk in the fall. I encourage you all to go on a nature walk outdoors. Observe the colours, the brown seedbeds, and the aromas of leaves, the sounds of crisp leaves falling. Gather some nature objects such as pinecones, seedbeds of your favourite flowers, dried leaves to dip in beeswax, acorns, flowers still fresh. An herbal tea can be made and enjoyed from goldenrod, scentless mayweed (wild chamomile) and asters. Dry the herbs then store them in a jar. Use them to adorn your home. 

Set up your altar. I purposely bought a lovely new altar cloth at one of my fave alternate stores, The Black Market. I love going there. The black cloth has a cool astrology circle on it with white stars and the astrological symbols. Use grave rubbings, images of ghosts, images of your ancestors, acorns, oak leaves, squash, root vegetables in a cornucopia. 

Perform a Samhain ceremony. A dumb supper is performed with one single person or the whole family present (more fun that way!). First, gather everyone around. That can be your coven or your family. Go outside, find yard trimmings or dead plants- remember those seed heads? Use them to make a straw man or woman. I go with the Goddess more so I plan to make a straw doll to represent the Goddess. This will go nicely with my Samhain offering of honey, milk and cornmeal. 

You can bring the doll inside and decorate the doll with antlers for the male God or a dress for the Goddess. Offer the straw deity doll bread and cornmeal. (I wish I had some tobacco). Then everyone else partakes of the meal. Just be sure to serve your deity doll first. 

Leave crumbs for the birds. You can return the doll outside to watch over the garden on a pole to stand guard over next year’s seedlings and burn the doll at the Beltane celebration. When you are finished with the meal, take the leftovers outside as an offering for the dead. 

Make an ancestors altar. Collect photographs, mementos, of deceased loved ones and pets. Arrange them on your altar and light candles. Light the candles in their memory and quietly sit and reflect. Pay attention to any messages you receive. Heed your dreams. You can keep the ancestor altar up as long as you want. 

Guide the Spirits. I like to light a white candle and set it at a window. You could use a seven-day candle. When you light the candle say these words: “O little flame that burns so bright, be a beacon on this night. Light the path for all the dead, that they may see now what’s ahead. And lead them to the Summerland and shine until Pan takes their hands. And with Your light, please bring them peace, that they may rest and sleep with ease.” 

Perform a seance. Samhain is the perfect time to hold a tradition. Hold a bonfire. I plan to do this one! Well yes a seance but I just love to sit out on my back step on a chilly yet dry October evening, with a fire raging in my toddler sized cauldron. Did you see what I did there? lol. Use tarot, runes, and or scrying to divine your future or find a future mate!

Invoke your chosen deities. Honour and call on the Gods such as the Crone Goddess and the Horned God of nature. Invite them in to your circle and to aid in your understanding of life, death and rebirth. 

Herbs of Samhain There are many herbs to use to celebrate Samhain. I want to bake a loaf of rosemary bread this Samhain. Rosemary is for remembrance. For more guidance, sage, pine cones, straw, mugwort, mullein, oak leaves, acorns, hazelnuts, allspice, elderberries, catnip (save some for kitty!). For more guidance on this, review my previous posts. I have been harvesting dandelion, burdock and elecampane as much as I can. 

Be sure to leave your carved pumpkin once you are done with it outside. I always toss my spent pumpkins in the garden. Trust me, the crows and other critters will thank you. It is cold for them and they love every bite they can get. It benefits the soil by leaving valuable nutrients in the soil for next year’s spring plantings. 

Happy Samhain! I wish you all a good celebration!

Blessings, Spiderwitch

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April 13, 2022 · 1:19 pm

Seeds of hope, flowers of glory )O(

Merry meet all,

Oh my goddess ! I have so many seedlings in my apartment I could fill a store up with them. I’m running out of room. I decided I would share tips on how I successfully began my seedlings in this post today. Grab a cuppa herbal tea and enjoy this post!!!

First, let’s begin with you figuring out what your intentions are. Do you want to grow lots of veggies to hold off on a possible food shortage? Do you want to grow a witch’s garden for teas and potions? Do you like a conventional garden of just flowers and herbs? Do you dare to grow some poisonous witch’s herbs? ( in which case, if so, research them first and please, PLEASE don’t plant them if kids and pets visit your garden. Or grow in pots indoors away from kids and pets- and wildlife and adults.)

Do you have the room and the budget and the time to devote to a garden? Once you have fully realized your intentions and answered the other questions, we can move to the next step. Growing the witchy herbs that you can harvest and enjoy all summer long. My intention is easy. I am studying herbalism and so I want to grow herbs that I can learn about at the Academy. I want to grow a lot of herbs to save money and not need to buy them at a local organic food store. I want to learn how to use these herbs medicinally and for my witchy path too. See how I did that?

Growing your own herbs helps you get to know the plants on a deeper level too. Herbs like mint, parsley, basil, rosemary, thyme and sage are good herbs  for healing and can be used in cooking. Yarrow, white, sage, nettles, mugwort are also witchy! Choose organic or heirloom seeds. Use good quality potting soil. Do use good soil. Don’t waste your money on low quality soil. The care you give the seeds and seedlings now pays off hugely in the future. Good quality soil encourages stronger root growth and helps you grow stronger plants and is affordable. The benefits you will receive of growing stronger plants outweights opting for cheap soil from a dollar store. Go with the strong seedlings and then you can choose which ones to thin out later.

Use a grow light or a big sunny window to grow your plants. I don’t own a grow light. I just arrange the pots at a window and sacrifice the space in my home until the frost passes. I water them frequently when the soil is dry. The trick is not to overwater the seedlings. Get a spray bottle to mist the plants. Don’t drown them or the roots will rot. 

So, now you know why you want to grow herbs, you have your grow lights and/ or a sunny window, your soil and your organic heirloom seeds. Now what? Here is the fun part and the hardest part- you have to have patience. Plant one or more seeds- just a few- in each starter pot. Label the pots to know what you planted where. That makes it easier on you unless you have an amazing memory. I can never remember. You can use popsicle sticks for labels. You can even draw sigils on them or witchy pentacles! Use your imagination!

If you have a plastic dome, cover the starter pots with the dome. This traps the moisture which seeds like to grow. You can empower the seed pots with your witchy intentions for them to grow strong. If you don’t have a dome, use saran wrap to cover the pots. Don’t layer it on to smother the plants. Leave an inch or two of space because that might kill the plants. Every so often, lift the saran wrap and let them get full sun. When they grow their true leaves, keep the dome or wrap off. Have lots of patience here. You get more life out of the green babies with tons of sweet talk and coaxing than using brute force. Trust me. Now is the time to cultivate a nurturing nature. I am not saying you would be cruel but gently guiding them and not getting angry if you don’t get the results you want is much better. Sometimes, plants just won’t grow for whatever reason.

When they outgrow the starter pots, you can gently tuck them into slightly bigger plant pots. That is the fun part! I love watching plants I began from seed grow into these beautiful herbs. I just love that, that and their scent. There are just so many amazing things about herbs.  I can’t list them all here but I know you know what I mean. 

The tips:

  • Remember, don’t over water them!
  • Keep the soil just moist.
  • Practice organic gardening methods.
  • Choose good quality soil and good starter pots. 
  • Be gentle and don’t use pesticides. You kill the beneficial insects. 
  • Trust that the herbs will grow into beautiful plants. Let go and let mama earth do what she do best. 

I can’t wait till the frost passes. I can’t wait to grow the white sage, sage, yarrow, kale, leeks, peppers, tomatoes, borage, anise, calendula, cucumbers, echinacea, dill, and lemon basil – all begun from seeds – outdoors. I cannot wait. I have saved scarlet runner beans, the seeds I have mentioned here and rue and yarrow seeds on order. I can’t wait to get growing! 

It is all predetermined in a single tiny seed. That seed can grow into a huge plant. Each seed contains the DNA of the plant. If that doesn’t amaze you, it sure amazes me. Some seeds have to be planted 1/4 inch under the soil and some need to be planted deeper into the soil. I go by the sizes of the seeds to determine that. Bigger seeds can go deeper into the starter pots. Seeds, like chamomile, are just spread over the surface of the soil. They are so tiny and fine. 

Here is the link to a company using organic methods and seeds: https://strictlymedicinalseeds.com. 

If you get dark, rainy weather like we do here in the Maritimes, then you can turn a lamp on and place it next to your plants. This helps them get maximum light. A grow light does help plants grow well. You can also use a fan to trick the plants into growing thicker stalks and stems. It mimics the wind. 

I hope the above tips and tricks inspire you to get growing your own amazing herbs! Blessings, 

Spiderwitch

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September 16, 2021 · 12:39 pm

The Feminine Macabre Volume 2

Merry meet all,

I am very excited about the good news of the upcoming second volume of the all-female paranormal journal The Feminine Macabre!!!!! )O(

Have you gotten your copy of The Feminine Macabre Volume II yet? It’s 100 pages longer than Volume I with a foreword by Michelle Belanger and introduces you to 40 up and coming researchers in the occult, paranormal, and metaphysical.

Return to the world of The Feminine Macabre in Volume II of the all-female paranormal journal. Explore essays written by women from all over the world, highlighting their research and theories on witchcraft, hauntings, folklore, dark history, tarot, cryptids, and more.

With a foreword by Michelle Belanger, Volume II features the writing talents of Hannah Ahboo, Tiffiny Rose Allen, Chris Amandier, Gina Armstrong, Al Becker, Amy L. Bennett, Stephanie Bingham, Sarah Blake, Ashley Casseday, Kate Cherrell, Mallory Cywinski, Erica Gibson Delight, Deanna Erskine, Liana Gaffney, Kenzie Gleason, Claire Goodchild, Charlotte Grace, Jen Hall, Kristin Harris, Amanda Hellewell-King, Zo Jacobi, Heddy Johannesen, Lorien Jones, Melissa Lathrop, Donna Malmborg, Marianne McCarthy, Drea Mora, Morgan Moran, Victoria Mundae, Hilary Opiel, Roxanne Rhoads, Vanessa Rowan, Nicole St. Germain, Krista Schwimmer, Sarah Stream, Aoife Sutton, Victoria Vancek, Tamora L. Vang, Emily Wayland, Karen J. Weyant, Cherise Williams, and Amanda R. Woomer.

The editor, Amanda, interviewed me about my background in the paranormal and my story that’s published in the book. I know I posted about this before. I am just so excited I had to post it here again. I enjoyed doing the interview. The book is available on Amazon. Here is the link to it: https://amzn.to/3zsT1Fu. 

The interview will be posted on Sept.29th on Facebook. In other news, I am enjoying the Herbal Academy courses and the short story course. It forced me to write a draft about a female werewolf. 

I have a herbal apothecary now. I have jars and jars of all kinds of herbs, seeds, roots and flowers. I created a second air drying herb rack. I harvested mint, lemon balm, dill, chamomile and mullein! I love it! I am so enjoying learning more about herbs all the time. Lemon balm has a long history of use dating back 2,000 years. Mullein is a good lung tonic. Eleuthoro root is delicious in herbal teas. Chamomile is a great herb from the tiniest leaf to the root. It can all be used. The many benefits of chamomile have been enjoyed for thousands of years., “the star among medicinal species.” Chamomile is a good nervine and also a good analgesic, anticancer, anti-inflammatory,antimicrobial,  antispasmodic, antistress, good for gastrointestinal disorders, protects against polio, a sedative, and has wound healing properties. Wow. You get all that in one chamomile plant. That is not all it can even do but that lists some of its healing powers. 

I enjoyed a cup of lavender and chamomile tea last night before sleeping. I love herbalism. It’s an ancient tradition. Homeopathy isn’t related to herbalism. Homeopathy is a relatively new healing path. This may be a new career for me! Bring it on! I have two awesome books now about herbalism. One, Rosemary Gladstar’s book titled Medicinal Herbs, and two, Peterson Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs of Eastern and Central North America, Third Edition. The third book I recently acquired is Entering Hekate’s garden by Cyndi Brannen. The books are beautiful and jam packed with herbs. 

I own a ton of new apothecary supplies such as tins for salves, balms, amber coloured jars, muslin sachets, a kitchen scale. I love my kitchen scale. I feel all ready for a new year in herbalism!!

Mabon is almost here! Are you ready for it, my dear readers? I will post more about it as the date gets closer. 

Blessings, Spiderwitch

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