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.
I was just out harvesting MORE dandelion roots. They are drying now on the kitchen cupboard. I’m buying another bottle of vodka soon and tincture the roots. Or maybe I will use brandy, no, I should stick with vodka. The alcohol acts as a natural preservative.
Dandelion, Taraxacum Officinale, is so good for your health that I really question why anyone wants to spray or kill it. Dandelion root is bitter and its actions are diuretic, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, and it has hypeglyemic properties. “Dandelion root is a powerful diuretic, stimulating kidney function as well as the movement of bile from the gallbladder and liver. Folklore and scientific evidence supports the use of dandelion as a diuretic with intriguing possibilities that it may help with controlling blood sugar and inflammatory processes (Castleman, 2001). Due to its diuretic properties, dandelion may help PMS (Castleman, 2001, Hoffman, 2003) and, most recently, andropause symptoms (Noh, H-Y, 2013).” *Copied and taken from the Herbal Academy website.
Digging up a dandelion root isn’t easy. Dandelion root, like yellow dock and burdock roots, have a single long stemmed taproot. I have gotten the hang of digging up the roots. If you don’t dig it up right, the root cracks. I ease my trowel into the soil slowly, and I take all the leaves and stems in one hand, then push the trowel in and around the root. Then I tug gently and the root leaves the soil. It is an art. Now you all know why I want to dig up dandelion roots. They are full of vitamins as well as the listed above benefits.
I bring the roots home, avoiding the curious eyes of passerby, and fill a bowl with clean water. I dunk the roots in the water in the bowl outside, then empty the bowl outside. I bring the roots in and I scrub them clean with an old toothbrush. Soon I will chop up the roots and dry them on low heat in the oven. They can’t be left on the counter for long or they will mold and be tossed to the compost pile. All of those nutrients would be lost. I have to store them and get the vodka then I plan to make the tincture. It will be amazing! You can dry the chopped roots in the oven on parchment paper at 350 F for thirty minutes.
I already have a tincture of burdock root and dandelion roots tincturing. I plan to leave it for 3 months! But you usually wait 4 to 6 weeks or a full moon phase, if you want to get witchy about it! You can store the roots in the alcohol for a long time. Some people make dandelion tea or wine. I would love to try dandelion wine!
I’m harvesting the elecampane root tomorrow. It better not rain tomorrow or I may do it today after all. Today’s weather is overcast and clear. I have never done this before. I don’t want to kill the plant. I know how to harvest the root, I am just not experienced enough at it. I guess this is all part of learning to be a herbalist. I watched Youtube videos to see how it’s done. It will be fine. I will dry, chop and store the roots over the winter in a labeled dated jar. I love to get artsy with the labels too.
Digging up a plant for its roots is killing the plant. In terms of elecampane, I hope to leave the roots or new buds for replanting. I have found an amazing article all about harvesting elecampane roots. I’m going to soak the roots once dug up to see the new buds. That will tell me I can successfully replant the elecampane. I have no intention of killing the roots. I just wish I had a pitchfork but my big garden shovel will work. I’ll use my boline to gather the roots I want to harvest. The rest goes back in the soil with a sprinkle of fertilizer.
I still have to wash the pots, harvest the beans once they turn brown and hard, and make my offering. I am almost done my garden chores. I am sad and happy at the same time. I love the harvest but the harvest signifies the finale for my garden for the year. The rich gifts the earth blesses me with makes it all worth it.
Tomorrow is the Autumn Equinox. It surprised us all here in Halifax. The leaves are showing those famous fiery colors. The elderberries ripen on the stems, the queen Anne’s lace, goldenrod and burdock slowly go to seed. The sky is overcast here, and everyone is scrambling to get ready for hurricane Fiona.
I was out in my rain soaked garden this morning. Slugs clung to leaves while wasps sipped pollen. This is a bittersweet time for me. The squash and tomatoes are setting fruit late this season, I am not sure why. It could be because we had a heatwave this summer. You would think that heatwave would have been beneficial for sun loving tomatoes but no. The tomatoes are growing now. Ah well.
I have to put my garden to sleep for the cold winter ahead and I am sharing how I plan to do that in this post today. My witch hazel flowers late in the year. I love my witch hazel. I plan to buy a huge bag of soil and arrange the soil around the trunk, then I will add a big bag of worm castings into the soil to leave nutrients for the witch hazel. I might even buy some wood chips to act as mulch. I am trying to think of what else I can leave there as a nutrient rich compostable mulch for the roots to feed on all winter. I would have to remember to remove the wood chips because the lungwort blooms wonderfully under the witch hazel in the spring.
The leaves cascade to the earth every autumn. I usually just keep the leaves there all over my garden all winter. They act as a natural mulch/ blanket that protects my garden during the harsh winter. I rake them away in the spring. I may sprinkle worm castings, bonemeal, eggshells and coffee grounds all over my garden.
The leaves of the plants, the vines, flowers and whatever I don’t harvest naturally dies back. This is the most free natural compost ever. I have a wooden compost box. I will store the faded dead leaves, branches, stems in the box. Most of the foliage I leave where it is to act as a natural compost and soil nutrients all winter. I spread the soil I used to grow the potatoes over my garden. The soil was amazing! The soil was loose, loamy, obviously nutrient rich and dark black. I loved it and I am sure the garden did too. The rain washes away the soil so it was nice to add rich soil to the garden.
I still have to harvest the celery, lemon basil, raspberry leaves, mint, tomatoes, healthy disease free witch hazel leaves and beans. The red flowers of the scarlet runner beans are growing so well now. The pollinators are busy. The beans also grow overnight it seems. The leaves I keep on the soil are a nice refuge for hardworking insects too. I’m letting the purple coneflower go to seed. The bees love purple coneflowers. The nasturtiums are still blooming, and I watched as a wasp visited one fiery nasturtium bloom this morning. The wasps built a nest on the inside of the shed door.
I harvested the beautiful Chinese lanterns in the photo above. I am amazed at how rich the colours are. I’m waiting and hoping the calendula blossoms soon. I have no idea why it takes so long. I harvested and pressed the lovely yellow heliopsis and I have pressed many other flowers. I want to make a Samhain/ autumn candle lantern like I did with the Summer Solstice lantern. I want to paint the jar a rich deep Burgundy colour so the autumn colors really pop out. Yup I think it will be gorgeous.
Pressed purple coneflower
I still have to harvest the elecampane roots, seeds and flowers. The stalk is turning brown. I will harvest in October.
I have recipes to make elderberry mead, hawthorn cordial, elderberry syrup, cranberry sauce . They are perfect for guarding the health of your immune system all winter. Winter is known for the time when colds, flus and illnesses spread. Those recipes are sure to boost your immune system! Elecampane has inula in the roots. I can’t wait to harvest elecampane and feel like a true herbalist. I have harvested mullein root, and I want to harvest dandelion and burdock after a cold snap. The winter squash has a flower now. I don’t understand why it waited till now but plants follow their own calendar, not the calendar we impose on them.
I’ve included the recipes here for your own convenience. I hope you try them and let me know in the comments below how it went. I am available here if you have any questions on how to make herbal remedies to guard your health and your family’s health this coming fall season. Now is the time to stock up on ginger, onions, elderberries ( remember: they are not edible raw!), echinacea tinctures, etc. But more on that later! Blessed Mabon to everyone! Or, if you prefer, Happy Autumn Equinox!
The world has gone mad! Like the Covid pandemic was not bad enough, Ukraine is under merciless fire from Russia. I can’t believe what is going on. I feel so bad for the Ukraine. They never hurt anyone. Now their homes are bombed, no heat, no love. It is awful. It breaks my heart. I found out that not everyone in Russia agrees with the cruel attacks on the Ukraine. Celebrities like Arnold Schwarzenneger and Baryshikov spoke out and expressed their feelings and opinions about the senseless attack.
Yet there is hope. I found an interesting article on Twitter about local pagans making sure no one goes starving!!!
Cape Breton pagans launch new programs to combat food insecurity
Candice Hannah, a founding member of the Circle of the Raven Society, shows off the group’s food pantry with Joe Townsend. (Christian Roach / CBC)
A small pagan society in North Sydney, N.S., is expanding community outreach and food insecurity programs with a new location for free meals and the addition of a community garden.
The Circle of the Raven Society is a non-profit organization started by Candice Hannah and her daughter, Briana Berardinelli, almost two years ago. They formed the group after seeing how many people in the community needed help.
The pair started out in Millville, N.S., giving away a free meal to anyone who needed one. Originally, the pair paid out of pocket for all the food but they soon began to sell small items from a trailer in their yard to help with the cost.
“We’ve moved from a tiny little trailer into a giant Addams Family building now where we’re currently located in North Sydney,” said Berardinelli, adding that the hard work has always been worth it.
“Any personal stories that we’ve heard just keeps pushing us to continue doing this, because we’re seeing just how many people that we can help.”
The group has grown and now gives away about 100 free meals on the last Sunday of every month from their location on Commercial Street. They also sell crafts and books and run a free clothes market.
The society offers free clothing in its store on Commercial Street in North Sydney. (Christian Roach / CBC)
Expanding to Glace Bay
In the short term they hope to feed more people by expanding to Glace Bay.
Member Mary Dillon will be giving away 30 free meals from her home in Glace Bay starting March 27, while other members continue to offer free meals in North Sydney.
Dillon said she loves being a part of the group and wants it to grow so they can help more people.
“We’d love to get as much places as possible for people to have food, for people to come, get readings, be able to connect with people who understand them, that aren’t going to look down on them,” she said.
Briana Berardinelli is a founder of the Circle of the Raven Society. (Christian Roach / CBC)
New community garden coming
Although the society has only six official members, the Facebook page has over 700 followers. The group has made community connections with the Ally Centre, NSCC and Cape Breton University to spread the word about the free meals.
They’ve also partnered with other community groups like Community Cares to install a red food pantry behind their building — the home of the new community garden that’s expected to be ready this summer.
“We want to be able to fill it up with an array of fruits and vegetables or herbs, anything that can really go a long way for people who need it and it will be easily accessible.”
Berardinelli said she still can’t explain the feeling she gets helping others.
“It just fills my heart just seeing how many people that we’ve helped, even just in this amount of time in the last two years,” said Berardinelli.
“I can only imagine just how much more we’re going to grow and how many more people will be able to help.”
That warms my heart. I love this story of people trying hard to help others. It proves we don’t need a war. No one wants war. When willl it end?
I am almost done sewing the wool coat. I am so excited and brimming with anticipation. I promise to post pics when it is done!
Ostara is upon us. It is still snowing. March is the cruelest month of winter. Spring battles with winter for supremacy. The other day was so warm and today I saw a skiff of snow on the ground.
Well we can warm our hearts and stand together for the Ukraine against the cruel and needless war.
Spring is on its way! Ostara is just around the corner. Ostara, or the spring equinox, is the second spring Sabbat in the wheel of the year.
I made progress with my wool coat. I have finally sewn the coat lining. That was a real headache. I added a half inch to each lining section and each of the eleven sections were cut on the grain. This means that the lining won’t pull or twist when I wear it with the wool exterior. I sewed the sleeves. I had to ease the two sleeve pieces in together. I eased the sleeve on one side then I pinned the 2 pieces together. I used the iron to stretch the wool to make the upper and lower sleeve pieces fit together. The wool is thick and I can hardly even get a pin through. It worked. Now I set in two rows of basting stitches within the seam allowance of the sleeve crown. The thread is a contrast color to make it easier to remove them later.
I was so tired but I worked hard stitching all eleven sections of the lining together. Then I did a fitting once the whole coat lining was sewn. The coat lining was sewn with a 4’8 inch stitch. The wool coat was sewn with a 5’8′ inch stitch. I have to set in the sleeves, sew the belt carriers, sew the upper collar to the coat lining, sew the lining to the coat and hem it. Then once I am happy with that, I will sew in the buttonholes. I already purchased the buttons for the coat. My sewing machine has a button foot but I have zero experience sewing buttonholes. I know someone who will help with that step but that happens later.
The coat is coming along beautifully. I have to correct the seam allowances in the sleeve area of the wool exterior. I tapered to 3’8′ of an inch instead of 5’8′ inches. If I correct all that, then the sleeves will set in perfectly. There is a bit of work to be done but it will all pay off in the end. I have to sew the lining sleeves the exact same way I did with the wool sleeves. The lining always mimics the exterior of the coat. I am sure it will be beautiful.
The research and the reading I did has paid off. I now feel more confident sewing the coat. I intend to finish the coat this week or early next week. After all, I have waited two months for this. Spring will be here then there will be no point to wearing a wool coat. Yup I better make it happen!
I not only gain a beautiful coat. I have gleaned new useful knowledge from sewing the coat. I love using a tailor’s ham and honestly don’t know how I lived without it. I also now own a sleeve roll which will soon prove very useful. I cut the lining sections on the grain which means the garment will hang more correctly on your body. I added interfacing to the sleeve caps to prevent stretching. I added a strip of interfacing to the pockets of the coat to prevent stretching. I added interfacing to the collar sections even though I didn’t have to, but it will strengthen the collar sections. I plan to add shoulder pads to the coat. I decided against sewing on a fur collar. If the fur sheds, it won’t look good. I am sewing on a detachable lined hood. I may make the hood permanent because sewing buttonholes on the hood with all that bulk will be next to impossible. That is why the belt carriers are sewn on before the lining is added. There is a lot to consider in the proper construction of a wool coat.
I added the shoulder pads, sewed the sleeves into the coat lining and sewed the lining to the coat. It was far from complete, though. The wool coat is now lined. The collar points were sewn to perfection thanks to my Mom. The wool sleeves are attached. It has been tons of hard work. The lining has to be hemmed and the buttonholes have to be done. So much work!!!! She wants to fix the belt carriers and sew in the buttonholes. So much work!!!
The photo shows the progress of the coat so far!
The coat is done. All that remains to be done is to sew on the hood. I am so happy with the coat. It looks so beautiful.
Spring is coming. I should start planning which seeds I will start soon. I have lots and lots of seeds. I can’t wait to get to work on my garden again.
Production or should I say, construction of my dreamy winter coat has been postponed. The lining material has strangely vanished. I can’t explain it. Besides, I want a new colour for the lining material. The red I chose is in my opinion, the wrong colour. Since I have to live with the shade of brown for the rest of my life, I am purchasing a tan or camel colour at the end of the month. The ling material that I have now is too red, more like a wine or a burgundy color. I can’t wait to get back to work on it.
Imbolc is here! Imbolc is the first of the three spring Sabbats. It doesn’t look like spring today. The sky is dark and overcast, and rain batters the houses and streets. Spring is a while yet in coming. mbolc is a pagan holiday celebrated from February 1 through sundown February 2. Based on a Celtic tradition, Imbolc was meant to mark the halfway point between winter solstice and the spring equinox in Neolithic Ireland and Scotland.
Imbolc, or Imbolg, is one of the lesser-known festivals of the ancient Celts, but it was one of the four most important festivals in the Celtic calendar. For this ancient society, the year revolved around two main points; on the one hand, since the Celts were an agricultural society, everything was based around the harvest.
On the other hand, they also had an in-depth knowledge about the alignment of the sun and stars, which history suggests had great significance for them. So their calendar was neatly divided up into four quarters, with a festival to celebrate reaching each one. The year started with Samhain at the end of October, when the harvest was in full swing, to prepare for the onset of winter.
In Celtic philosophy, light must always follow dark, so this is why their year began on such a somber note. Bealtaine at the beginning of May marked the coming of summer, the beginning of sowing crops, and the light half of the year, and was the biggest and happiest celebration. In between were Lughnasa in August, marking the beginning of the harvest, and Imbolc in February, to celebrate the beginning of spring.
What was Imbolc about?
Simply put, Imbolc was a celebration of the end of winter and the impending light half of the year.
The hardest part of the year was over; adverse weather, cold temperatures, food rationing, and of course, no warfare (an integral part of Celtic society) would soon be a thing of the past.
Farmers were getting ready to go back to work, preparing animals for breeding, warriors were picking up their weapons again, and the political and social aspects of life that had been put on hold for winter were also beginning again.
The name Imbolc originates from ‘i mbolg’, which translates as ‘in the belly’. This refers to livestock breeding season, particularly the pregnancy of ewes, which was one of the focal points of the celebration.
Because the festival was so associated with this, it’s timing often varied – it could be anywhere from mid-January to mid- February depending on the weather and the animals’ behaviour.
It also appeared to have a more spiritual significance for the Celts too, as it’s no coincidence that more than a few megalithic monuments around Ireland are perfectly aligned with the rising sun around the dates of Imbolc and Samhain.
Imbolc was celebrated all across Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man, with each region having slightly different variations in name and customs. Wales also had a remarkably similar version of the festival known as Gwyl Fair y Canhwyllau.
After the onset of Christianity in Ireland, the festival was tied in with a celebration of Saint Bridget, and transformed from a pagan one into a Christian one.
Christians used Brigid as the focal point of their celebrations to smooth the transition, as Imbolc had previously been associated with a goddess of a very similar name, Brighid. Essentially, Bridget and Brighid were the same person! As with all Celtic festivals, Imbolc involved a host of unique customs and rituals to welcome the spring, say farewell to the winter, ward against evil and promote health and wellbeing.
Imbolc was similar to Samhain and Bealtaine in that fire played an integral part of the celebrations, although not on the same scale. While at Samhain bonfires were lit to ward off evil spirits and at Bealtaine they served to offer protection and growth, at Imbolc they were symbolic of the sun’s return.
Rather than a huge central bonfire at the centre of the festivities, Imbolc was more about the home and each home’s hearth. Every home in the community would have their own fire burning right through the night, and during medieval times when homes consisted of actual wood and stone buildings rather than the wattle and daub huts of the Celts, all of the fires in the house were lit for the night. If for some reason that was not possible, it was sufficient to have candles lit in every room instead.
The Celts were always concerned about the weather (something that has lasted up until the present day with modern Irish people!), so Imbolc was an important time to read omens and attempt to predict the weather for the summer. An unusual but widely popular omen was if the weather was especially bad on the day of Imbolc, which meant a great summer was on the way. This is because one of the more malicious creatures in Irish folklore, the Cailleach, would spend the day of Imbolc collecting firewood for herself if winter was to last a while longer.
To do this, she would obviously need a bright and dry day to collect her wood, so if Imbolc was wet and windy, that meant the Cailleach had gone to sleep and winter would soon be over.
Visiting wells was another important custom for Imbolc, particularly holy wells. Visitors would walk around the well in the same direction as the sun traversed the sky at that point on the land, praying for health and wealth for the year.
Offerings were left at the well once this was done; usually coins or ‘clooties’ (pieces of cloth). Special foods were also part of the festivities, usually consisting of bannock – a flatbread cut into wedges – as well as dairy products and meat.
The early Celtic version of Imbolc was not all that different from the festival in early medieval times when Christianity was taking hold in Ireland. One of the goddesses the Celts worshipped at this festival was Bhrigid, the daughter of Dagda (the chief Celtic deity) and one of the Tuatha De Dannan, the first inhabitants of Ireland.
She is associated with many things, most significantly poetry and fertility, but such activities as healing, smithing, arts, and crafts, tending to livestock and serpents also make the cut. She is credited with creating a whistle for people to call to one another through the night.
Some legends claim that while one half of her face was beautiful, the other was horribly ugly. She is thought by many to be the Celtic equivalent of the Roman goddess Minerva and the Greek goddess Athena.
Saint Bridget, on the other hand, was not a mythical goddess but a real woman, born in Dundalk, County Louth, around the 5th century AD.
During her lifetime she became a nun, founded numerous monasteries and performed her fair share of miracles, becoming one of the foremost advocates of Christianity in Ireland. After her death, she was made one of Ireland’s patron saints (and the only female patron saint), along with Patrick and Columba. So it was a natural progression for Imbolc, the pagan festival worshipping the goddess Bhrigid, to become the Christian festival in honour of Saint Bridget. February 2nd was chosen as the permanent day of celebration.
For the Celts, Bhrigid represented the all-important light half of the year, so her presence was much revered during the festival.
On Imbolc Eve, it was claimed that she would visit the most virtuous homes and bless everyone who slept in them, so people would leave pieces of clothing, food, or other tokens outside the entrance for her to bless, or to entice her into the home, It was Bhrigid’s role as a fertility goddess that was most important here, but for the medieval people of Ireland, her healing powers and general protective sense were as important as well as her fertility.
The majority of Imbolc traditions regarding Bhrigid or Bridget come from this time. While the tradition of leaving small tributes to Bridget on the doorstep continued for several centuries, several others sprang up too.
Celtic Inspired Torc Pendant – Celts believed the ancient Torc provided the wearer with a mystical form of protection
Ashes from the fire that was left to burn all night long would be smoothed out and left to see if a mark from Bridget appeared, to confirm that she had visited the house. Sometimes a makeshift bed would even be made up next to the fire, in case the saint wanted to rest a while.
This tradition was particularly popular in the Isle of Man and Scotland, where there were several short rhymes to go along with the tradition, acting as a call to the Saint to come and visit – generally, they were some variation on the phrase ‘Bridget, come in to our home, your bed is ready’. In some areas across Ireland and Scotland, women played a very important part in the festivities. They would make a doll figure from rushes known as a ‘Brideog’, dress it in white and with flowers, and carry it in a procession while singing hymns and poems in honour of Bridget.
At every home they passed, they would receive more pieces of cloth or small bits of food for the Brideog. Once the procession was finished, they would place the Brideog in a seat of honour and have a feast with all of the food, before placing it in a bed for the night while they began celebrations.
The most well-known tradition, however, and one that is still practiced today, is making a Saint Bridget’s cross and hanging it in the home. These crosses were a unique symbol of the transition from Paganism to Christianity. Before, bunches of rushes were tied together and hung at the entrance to homes to welcome Bhrigid. One of the stories of Bridget’s lifetime, however, recounts how she wove a cross from rushes and placed it above a dying man’s bed.
He roused from his delirium to ask what she was doing, and on hearing what it meant, he asked to be baptised before his death.
Since then, the cross has been a symbol for Bridget, and was also a familiar symbol for the Celts, making it the perfect transition symbol for Imbolc. The cross is distinctive, with a square in the middle and each point of the cross placed at a corner of the square. Somewhere between then and now, placing a cross in your kitchen came to mean that your house would be protected from fire.
Imbolc today
Unlike Samhain, which transformed into the much loved night of Halloween, Imbolc is one Celtic festival that hasn’t quite survived through history.
Although Christians still celebrate St. Bridget’s Day in Ireland and children still learn how to make crosses at the start of February, little else remains of the ancient Celtic spring festival. However, Saint Bridget’s cross, made from rushes and hung around the home just as the Celts would have done, is as good a reminder as any to the festival’s ancient and mythological origins.
I am posting here about my garden. There is not too much going on with the paranormal here. That is not my only passion. My garden is my other passion. I am proud to state here that the mugwort is growing to a height of nearly seven feet high! The doe in the photo above visited my garden! I was amazed that the deer stood that close. Wow she sniffed the plants then left. I can’t blame her. She probably preferred the security of being in hiding.
I have more lemon balm than I know what to do with. I am also growing lovage, lavender, mint, basil, cilantro, parsley, dill, chamomile, thyme, lemon verbena, nasturtiums, red clover and anise hyssop. I’m growing cucumbers, cabbage, tomatoes, onions, potatoes, popcorn, purple beans, green peas, pumpkin, and yellow string beans. I can’t wait for harvest. !! For fruit, I’m growing raspberry canes, strawberries, haskap berries (I enjoyed them in my Cheerios(, and blueberries.
This year, I used more fertilizers. One fertilizer I am very fond of is Gaia Green Organics Power bloom. My elecampane, comfrey and other plants have all greatly benefited from this rich fertilizer. I can’t believe the difference in my garden. Why didn’t I know about this stuff sooner? Oh well I do now and I love it. My comfrey flowered this year. I was sure I killed it. I enchanted the comfrey plant and elecampane which grow close together in the garden and they both grew better as a result of it.
I want to share gardening tips with you!!! Enjoy. Note: I wrote this for a family member but anyone can read and benefit from this listing of tips.
Gardening Tips
Read and enjoy!!
Here are tips on how to grow the best cucumbers and tomatoes EVER!!
Plant tomatoes and cucumbers in full sun in rich, fertile soil. Amend the soil
Remove rocks and debris and weeds. Or the plants will compete with the weeds for the nutrients.
If you want, add gemstones to the soil to help plants grow. Clear quartz crystal and green stones such as aventurine and jade are good choices. The gemstones radiate energy which energizes the soil.
Grow veggies where there are lots of earthworms- a good sign! They aerate the soil – loosen it up.
Add worm castings for soil improvement and nutrients. Your plants will thank you.
Support the plants with stakes and clips to support the plant’s growth.
If you can, add a fish head to the hole where you plan to grow tomatoes. Then leave it there, like never dig it up.The tomato plant would get tons of nutrients though!!
Water the veggie plants regularly. If left to drought, they bolt and go to seed.
Leave room between each plant. Avoid overcrowding them. Plants are healthy when they have enough room between the plants. That way they don’t get moldy or mildewy.
Support tomato plants in cages or with stakes. When they can grow tall and straight, they produce more better flowers. Cucumbers can grow vertically but they need support.
Start your veggies, flowers or herbs early in the growing season. That way they get more time to develop and grow more fully.
No pesticides! Plant flowers nearby that would attract pollinators. If you have to pollinate the plants yourself, using a paintbrush, gently dab at the male veggie flower and add the pollen to the female flower. Bees usually do this for us. When installing a cage to support the tomato plant as it grows, place it there early on and don’t hurt the roots. Then you are good to go!
Watering
Water the plants regularly. I use a hose and a jug. The jug is reserved for applying fertilizers such as fish emulsion and miracle gro. Read the instructions to know how much to apply and how often. A little goes a long way. Never add too much at once!
I like to water my garden early in the morning. This lets the plants dry and stay healthy. Watering at night can attract slugs. Plants reach deep down for water and nutrients. Regular watering ensures they don’t dry out. Water the roots of the plants. That is why it is a very good idea to have flowers or something nearby to attract them. Bees are unsung heroes.
Fertilizer
Ready for a cocktail of fertilizer? Ok
Chopped up banana peels add potassium to the soil.
Never add egg shells to the garbage again! You can add an entire egg to your soil, the shells, the water you boiled the eggs in. It all should go to your garden for a boost of calcium. Plus, the sharp edges deter slugs. I save egg shells by letting them dry out in a bowl then grinding them to a near powder and storing in a dry jar.
Miracle Gro is a good choice but read it carefully. Yes, plants need nitrogen. Yet sometimes, the products contain more nitrogen than the much more necessary potassium and phosphorus. Make sure that you achieve a balance of all these nutrients.
Other good helpful fertilizers are bonemeal, blood meal, seaweed extract.
Less popular choices but as useful are molasses and Epsom salts. I am in debate as to how they much really help or are just a fad.
I like to add both granular and liquid fertilizers to my garden. The Gaia Green Organics Power Bloom fertilizer has made a big difference in the productivity of my plants. Liquid and granular are both beneficial. A little does a lot, remember.
I scratch back some soil at the base of the plant, spoon in the granular fertilizer without disturbing the roots, then put the soil back. The grains eventually break down. Always water after adding it to the soil.
Rapid Grow Vegetable and Tomato Fertilizer is granular. It has a 5 -10 -5 fertilizer which contains 5% nitrogen, 8% phosphorus, 10% potash, 4% calcium, and 1.9% magnesium. This really does work. These products are available at Halifax Seed.
Neptune Harvest Fish Emulsion liquid fertilizer is smelly but almost magical! I love adding it to my plants.
I save the water that I use to boil veggies in and add that to my plants for a nutrient boost!
The soil must be replenished each spring. This helps in the productivity and health of your plants.
Light
Cucumbers and tomatoes and most other plants are happy in the sun! I grew my tomatoes from seed indoors in a sunny area. I started the seeds in soil in Styrofoam cups. Sun, sun, sun. I poked a hole in the cups and labeled them.
Let the plants also grow in a spot where they are sheltered but also get the wind. Wind sends a message to plants to grow a thicker stalk. That is why I like having a garden. The plants are exposed to all the elements.
This is why it’s vital to support the plants. In case of really strong winds, the cages and supports hopefully keep the plants from being knocked over.
After June 21, the sunlight decreases. Go ahead and try to give your budding plants a long growing season.
Soil
I am glad to hear you prepared the garden bed first. That is vital. I can share some soil mixes I made for my plants. I went to some real work for one of my haskap berry plants. I got a big bowl and I mixed up some fertilizers in the bowl. Before I added that to the spot where the plant would grow, (and I even added a quartz gemstone), I dug a big hole where I would plant it. Then I added the soil from that hole to the bowl. I did my best to remove rocks and debris. It was cold out there but I sat in the cold and worked it. Then when I had removed as many little stones as I could, I added the mixture back to the root hole. Then I put the haskap plant in. The rest is history.
I worked the soil in the veggie patch last year. I raked all the to soil back. It was a big patch. I had everything I needed at hand. I cracked a whole egg and added that. I added the egg shells I had stored all fall and winter to the soil. I added bonemeal, worm castings, and mixed it all up. I put the topsoil back and mixed it all together. After that, I added the plants.
Pests
There are neutral ways to counteract pests in your garden.
Remember, pests can develop a resistance to the toxic chemicals of pesticides which I never add to my garden.
Beneficial insects happily march to the front lines in a faceoff with the bad bugs. It’s nature’s way. I direct seed nasturtium plants in my garden. Direct seed means plant the seeds right in the soil rather than starting the plants inside. The nasturtiums attract the aphids (which ants harvest, btw), but that gets the attention of the beneficial insects. Ladybugs eat aphids!
I sprinkle diatomaceous earth around the base of my plants to deter slugs. Use broken glass bits, egg shells and coffee grounds. The grounds contain nitrogen but it is OK. Add it again after the rain. The egg shells + grounds are hard on slugs’ soft slimy bodies. Beer in a deep dish catches them too.
Make a mix of water, dish soap and cayenne to a spray bottle. Spritz your plants with it. If plants taste bad, the bugs won’t eat it. But to save your tastebuds, always wash what you bring in from the garden.
If plants are healthy, they can resist most bugs that want to eat them. Bugs can be washed off your plants with a strong spray of water.
Harvest
After all that hard work, the harvest is the reward. I don’t know how to stop powdery mildew. It can affect the harvest. Following most of the above tips can hopefully avert that problem.
If the frost is near, then it is time to bring in your fruits! For me, it is a bittersweet time. If plants are cut from the vine, they get no more nutrients. But at some point, we all have to do it.
Tomatoes can ripen on a windowsill. Cucumbers can ripen indoors. I can’t wait to harvest my onions. Some veggies have to be ‘cured’ first. They have to dry out for a few days so they are ready for storage.
Mm who can resist veggies you grew yourself? Not a touch of that Monsanto poisoning. Yeah, I suspect my primary blog was hacked cuz I was outspoken about Monsanto. Ha didn’t stop me.
Vines and stalks can be left to decompose and yes add their own nutrients to the soil. For example, I grow peas every year which are a natural source of nitrogen. When they are done, I cut the vines, get the last of the peas, and add the vines and the soil to the garden from the pots. All winter, they break down, leaving behind a good dose of nitrogen.
But tomato stalks take a long time to decompose. Don’t worry. Just put them somewhere else in the garden to die back.
Seeds
You can save your own seeds from your plants. You need as much patience with this as you had when growing your tomatoes and cukes.
Always keep only the strongest plants and the strongest seeds. Those strong seeds adapt to the growing conditions of your area.
To save tomato seeds, scoop out the seeds from a tomato that looks viable and healthy. Put them in a jar with water.
Now to start the fermentation process, the water will help to separate the seeds from the pulp. Again, only from the best healthiest tomato!
Allow up for 4 days. It will begin to smell awful. That is nature’s way and normal!
It is basically rotting. But you want that.
Put a bit of cheesecloth over the jar to prevent flies from finding it.
When a thick layer of mold or fermentation is at the top of the jar, and the seeds are lying at the bottom, it is done. Then you can remove the top mold layer and the fermentation and even shake the jar. The seeds will fall to the bottom again. Strain the seeds into a colander or mesh screen. Wash the seeds very well. Remove the bad stuff. You are left with strong, viable healthy seeds for future plantings.
Let the seeds dry on a dish, not paper towel to dry completely. Air drying the seeds patiently is the best way. Then when they are totally dry with zero moisture, store them in a labeled and dated jar. Make sure the jar is bone dry and same for seeds – or herbs! They mold quickly and are then no good. Most people don’t know that.
The heirloom seeds are the best to save but it is ok if they are no heirloom. The best things about saving the seeds from your tomato plants is that the tomatoes are adapted to the conditions in your area. So, the next generation of tomato plants would be as well.
Saving cucumber seeds: Don’t save from plants that have diseases. Ever.
Don’t save seeds from hybrid plants. They carry that trait to the future plant.
Do check that the person or bee or wind that carried seeds or pollinated the plant – that you checked the pollination of the plants. You could get some weird looking plants with none of the traits of the parent plant if you are not watchful. Seed saving requires vigilance.
Harvest seeds when the fruit is mature. Otherwise, the process for cucumber seed saving is the same as for tomatoes. Check which cucumber is most ripe and leave it to age and ripen on the vine that you want to get seeds from.
Seed saving can save you money!
I start my plants indoors in early April. Root veggies such as turnip, beets can be planted in April. Most plants though such as tomatoes and cucumbers need to be planted after all risk of frost is gone.
Well, you can’t always guarantee a future cucumber plant or tomato will grow to be just like its parent plant. But that is part of the mystery.
Storage
Store tomatoes out of direct sunlight. Store cucumbers in the crisper of your fridge
Keep tomatoes in the fridge when they have fully ripened. This helps them last longer.
Enjoy your harvest!
Potted plant or plant starting Tips
I mix the soil with fertilizers before I add seeds. Seeds that are tiny can be planted on the surface of the soil. Larger seeds can be planted deeper in the soil. Some seeds need to germinate in the dark. Most seeds require sunlight or a grow light to germinate. As the plants grow, after a few weeks, you can fertilize them again. Read the instructions on the package.
I churn the soil or stir it up to loosen up any clumps of soil. Big clumps of soil prevent a plant from growing its best. Most plants prefer rich, loose, healthy soil. Carrots like soil that has some sand in it and that is clump and pebble free. The roots go down deep.
Don’t start seeds in starter pots that are so ridiculously small the roots have no room to form. The formation of plant roots is vital at this stage. The white Styrofoam cups were big enough to support the plant and let roots form strongly. They were also easy to label so I could remember what I wanted to grow.
When buying starter plants, check that the plant roots have vitality and are white or healthy looking. (Yes, on occasion, I have bought plants and brought them home to discover later the plants were dead.)
I don’t know if you have ever heard of ‘thinning’ seedlings out. It means to sort which are the strongest seedlings and which are the weakest. Discard the weak ones. Some veggies can be grown in pots. But there are a few conditions to follow.
Plants prefer to be in a garden. Their roots grow down deeper and stronger. They are exposed to the elements. They are naturally pollinated. They are exercised by the blowing wind.
My carrots are in containers. I still have to thin out the weak from the strong. I made sure the pots were big enough to sustain the carrot roots. I had to ensure the seedlings had room in between each seedling. Make sure each pot has a drainage hole.
Germination takes patience.
To avoid damping off, make sure each little seedling has plenty of ventilation and light. Damping off kills them. So put one seed in each pot or cup or whatever you start seeds in. The roots can more fully develop that way too.
If you do ever start more than one seed in a starter pot, which you can do, you must gently separate them into their own individual pots later. Most plants don’t like to be uprooted. I have converted to Styrofoam cups for starter plants. Yup more chance of good root growth and room for the plant leaves to form and more chance of ventilation. All good all around. They are also easy to label. I even drew little pictures on the outsides of the cups- a sun, a flower.
The tiny seedling that emerges in a starter pot is called a cotyledon. When it forms its true leaves, then it is really growing. This goes for all plants.
When you divide up your seedlings, scoop them out with the roots using a tiny spoon. A spoon is better than a fork. You can’t hurt the roots. Be gentle. A spoon is round, the best choice for putting a plant in a deeper pot.
Grow lights are not the same as the sun. But I started a lot of plants that are now in my garden by seed. I just turned a lamp on and placed the lamp right near my seedlings. It worked.
I hope you found these tips helpful. Happy gardening!
These tips are not carved in stone. This is all based on my own experience in gardening. I have found this information has worked for me and I am happy to pass it on! Most of the information here can be googled.
I’m growing a variety of seeds in starter pots. Tomato, basil, dill, chard, popcorn-you read that right, cucumber, cilantro, pumpkin, gourds, luffa, arugula, lavender, sage, green bunching onions and elecampane and cabbage. That seems like a lot but imagine the harvest! Plus, it’s all delicious!
I have setup two lamps where I have my seedlings. That is to ensure they receive the maximum amount of light. It is very overcast here most of the time. They will get a higher amount of light from the bare light bulbs. I leave them on all day. I used white styrofoam cups to start the seeds in. That means the roots have more room to develop. I labeled each cup and poked holes in each cup in the bottom. That lets the water drain and keeps the seedling roots from rotting. Now all I need is the frost to pass so I can put the seedlings outside. It’s not time yet for that.
Today I want to tel you about a Paranormal podcast in Newfoundland. I hope you enjoy this post!!
Paranormal Podcast focuses on Newfoundland oddities
Jon Mallard’s “The Odd to Newfoundland Paranormal Podcast” is published on the first of every month to share strange and paranormal stories. – Contributed
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“I don’t really believe in ghosts, but this one time …” is the line Jon Mallard, host, creator and producer of “The Odd to Newfoundland Paranormal Podcast,” a paranormal variety show, has heard time and time again.
Mallard has been a paranormal investigator for five years. He began his monthly podcast four years ago because he realized paranormal investigators were somewhat isolated in Newfoundland, and a podcast could be a way to start talking to people outside the province.
“The coolest thing about the show is the reach,” says Mallard, “It’s an amazing thing.”
The podcast has grown significantly since it began and now appears on a myriad of search engines with over 33,000 subscribers on PodBean alone, coming from as far away as Japan.
Each episode is composed of different sections including hot topics in paranormal news that month, and true facts that are out of the ordinary. Every podcast feature guests from Canada or around the world, including Newfoundlanders such as folklorist Dale Jarvis, Energy worker Betty Collings, and Henry Crane of Bell Island to discuss topics ranging from haunted houses to big foot and wrestling.
Mallard converted one of the closets in his home into a recording studio, and records and edits the podcasts himself. One of his favourite episodes was released one year ago on July 1, 2017 called “Canadian Odd-yssey.”
“It was awesome because I got to highlight all of the odd things that are out there in our country,” says Mallard about the episode.
Mallard hopes that the podcast will one day be picked up on local radio stations because they are yet to broadcast a paranormal show about Newfoundland.
“One thing that really ties all things together around the world is oddness that we live in,” says Mallard.
“My dream is for everyone to know what ‘The Odd to Newfoundland Paranormal Podcast’ is,” says Mallard who doesn’t aspire for the podcast variety show to necessarily become a big part of people’s lives, but instead something they can look forward to enjoying regularly.
In addition to “The Odd to Newfoundland Paranormal Podcast,” Mallard is married and the father of two children, seven and two, and works as a type of foster parent. His family has been “100 percent” supportive of the podcast and his wish for it to continue growing in the years to come.
“I would love to see more Newfoundlanders subscribing to my podcast and supporting their own,” says Mallard.
“The Odd to Newfoundland Paranormal Podcast” is published on the first of every month and can streamed or downloaded off a myriad of engines including I-tunes and can be subscribed to on PodBean (http://oddtonewfoundland.podbean.com).
sadie-rae.werner@thetelegram.com
Port Morien Wildlife Association Members Nominated for Award for Work on Accessible Fishing Site in Cape Breton
I have been listening to the Lights Out Podcast lately. Never listen to it just before going to sleep. It’s so scary it will give you nightmares. But I love the show. The guy who narrates it has such a soothing voice. The story about the alien abductions rattled me to my core. Here is the link to their YouTube page. I totally recommend lending an ear to these guys. They are amazing! They retell famous or should I say, notorious paranormal tales on their show.
The latest podcast I listened to was about the demonic possession of Annelise Michel. It was so scary. I enjoyed it but the whole podcast story was very long. They even replayed a recording of the exorcism that was performed on her. A total of over 60 exorcisms was performed on her. She weighted under seventy pounds before she died. The poor woman. I can’t imagine what she endured.
The Lights out Podcast is led by the host Josh who has the ideal voice for podcasting. His brother/fellow producer joins him on the show each time. They are so nice and professional. And scary. Josh can really tell a scary tale. After I finished watching the Manhattan Alien Abduction podcast about the alien adduction, I was convinced aliens would get me. I had to call someone to calm down. I closed all the curtains and I ensured my wooden staff was by my bed.
Lights out Podcast has a total of 242 subscribers. Here is a description of their podcast:
Description;
“Lights out everybody, turn everything off, sit back and relax while your mind is taken on a dark and twisted journey filled with thrills and chills. Each week Josh will take you through a dark story, case or event involving a wide range of topics including the occult, hauntings, cryptids, alien abductions, serial killers and demonic possession. So if you’re looking for a chill creepy paranormal and true crime podcast to escape with look no further than Lights Out. New episodes released every Friday, make sure you subscribe and follow the show on social media @lightsoutcast”
The scariest and darkest podcast they have done in my opinion is the Trans Allegheny Lunatic Asylum. That was all about true horror. The scariest horrors are the ones you endure while you are awake, its not a movie you can shut off or a book you can put down. The terrors were brought eerily to life by the narrator of the podcast. I want to investigate there but I would never lifve there or even live near the building. Nope. No way no hell.
Credit given to Lights Out Podcast.
I plan to enjoy almost every show. I am definitely following them on Twitter!
In other news, I am happy to announce that Polar Borealis is publishing two of my poems in their magazine. I am so happy about this. I will know more in the future about when the magazine prints my poems. Polar Borealis is a Canadian publication. Exciting news!
Last night a mouse appeared by my front door in the hall. Penny tore after the terrified mouse like a bat out of hell. I heard squeaks and saw something small and grey running for its life. Not that I blame the mouse. Penny is one cute cat but she is also a huntress by nature. Sometimes I forget that.
I am so excited!!! It’s great owning a new computer monitor and printer et al. But that’s not the best news!!!! I am attending the virtual StokerCon of May 2021. Oh my gosh I can’t wait. I wish I could attend the real StokerCon but I am just grateful enough for the virtual event!!
A friend of mine on Facebook is a paranormal investigation Ghost Trackers UK.
Ghost trackers UK TV show team are Scott Lee Bower Host lead paranormal investigator Psychic medium. Scott lay Paranormal investigator cameraman trance medium. Kerrylee Whetren Paranormal investigator Spiritual Witch. We are a small group of friends that love the Paranormal that love searching for Paranormal activity in and around the UK as well as helping people in need with paranormal problems Hauntings We do spirit clearances for people Our mission is to investigate and film any activity we may catch for our show for you to watch we are Ghost trackers UK TV show.
I have watched a few episodes on YouTube. What is so chilling is that they are so authentic. I have witnessed orbs, and they’re equipment not working, and cold spots. Scott Bower is a very nice person. It is just the three of them- his team and they go on paranormal investigations and genuinely experience the paranormal. It is not as flashy and stylish as Ghost Adventures but I enjoy watching Ghost Trackers for their authentic encounters. I mean I wish I had a team of investigators with me when I want to go ghost hunting.
I have more good news. My article about my own haunted hometown of Halifax will be published in The Feminine Macabre by SpookEats. This is the second reprint of my article. The journal The Feminine Macabre is an all women journal devoted to all things paranormal. I am happy to be included in the journal sure to be jam packed with spine tingling stories. The first Volume will have a foreword written by Patti Neghri of Ghost Adventures! My story will appear in Volume 2. I shall. keep you posted. Volume 2 will be released this August.
Ostara is the next turn in the Wheel of the Year. Spring inches closer and closer. Ostara is the spring equinox. From here on in, we can bid the dark half of the year farewell as we embrace the lighter half of the year. I am eager to start gardening. Ostara is the time when night and day are in equal perfect balance. I look forward to Ostara, the second spring Sabbat in the wheel of the year.
“Gothic horror and cosmic dread from the ghostly shores of Halifax.”
Heddy Johannesen
Conjuror of Gothic Horror
Welcome to My Monsters.
I've always been drawn to the shadows, where the monsters live and their stories hunger to be told.
I write about ghosts, monsters, witches, and outsiders, exploring the darker places where fear, mystery, grief, and the supernatural collide.
Welcome to The Paranormal Quill
Gothic Horror. Dark Folklore. Cosmic Indifference.
Step across the threshold.
I am Heddy Johannesen—conjurer of gothic horrors, paranormal nonfiction writer, and dedicated student of herbalism. From the ghostly shores of Halifax, Nova Scotia, I pull back the veil on creepy alternate dimensions and secrets that refuse to stay buried
Pull up a chair, light a candle, and explore the shadows with me. Just mind the spiderwebs.
