Lemon, Lavender, And Thyme Madeleines. A Midsummer Treat!

Add Some Oomph to Your Spells with Magical Timing

Like herbs, oils, and crystals, you don’t need to work with magical timing for your spell to be successful. You can cast a spell at any time, no matter your intention, and get your desired results. However, working with the energy of the sun, moon, and days of the week can add an extra power boost to your magic.

Think of it this way: certain energies are dominant at certain times. Those energies are easier to connect with because they are closer at hand, so to speak, so you can bring them into your life and your spells more easily and in a more powerful way. That doesn’t mean you can’t call on other energies during these times — it just means that you may not connect to them quite so easily.

If you choose to work with magical timing in your spells, there are several yearly, monthly, weekly, and even daily cycles you can align your spells with.

The Cycle of the Sun: Solstices and Equinoxes

These are the turning points that mark the solar year, and are associated with the relationships between day and night, light and dark, summer and winter. Each solstice or equinox marks the end of one season and the beginning for the next. Because they are so rare and so potent, these days are a great time for your “big picture” spells or for spells that need a big power boost.

Winter Solstice. The winter solstice marks the shortest day and longest night of the year, and falls between December 20 and December 23, depending on the year. In some pagan traditions the winter solstice, or Yule, marks the beginning of the new year — you may choose to set intentions for the coming year on this solstice. After the winter solstice, the nights start getting shorter and the days start getting longer — so spells related to healing and bringing things into the light are especially effective at this time of year. The winter solstice marks the end of the “dark half” of the year and beginning of the “light half” of the year; at this point, our focus turns from inward reflection to outward manifestation. You may choose to think of the time between the winter solstice and spring equinox as a “planning phase,” where you examine yourself and your desires, decide what you want to work on in the next year, and make plans for manifesting what you want.

Spring Equinox. An equinox occurs when the day and the night are exactly the same length, representing a perfect balance between light and dark. The spring equinox marks the beginning of spring and occurs between March 19 and March 22. The Christian holiday of Easter and the pagan holiday of Ostara are both related to the energy of this equinox. At this time of year, the natural world is coming back to life as winter begins to fade. Plants are beginning to grow, and baby animals are being born. This is a powerful time of year for fertility magic and any magic related to new beginnings. You may choose to think of the time between the spring equinox and the summer solstice as a “planting phase,” where you “plant the seed” of the things you want to manifest and begin doing the work to make it happen.

Summer Solstice. This solstice marks the longest day and shortest night of the year. It occurs between June 19 and June 23. As I am writing this post, we are coming up on the summer solstice (June 20, 2020). Life, fertility, and growth are at their peak during this time of year, which makes this solstice a perfect time for big manifestation spells. At the same time, this marks the end of the “light half” and beginning of the “dark half” of the year, so after the summer solstice our energy shifts from outward manifestation to inward contemplation. You may choose to think of the time between the summer solstice and fall equinox as the “harvest phase,” where you reap the results of your hard work and manifest your desires in the physical world.

Autumn Equinox. This is the other time of year when the day and night are perfectly balanced. The autumn equinox occurs between September 19 and September 23 and marks the beginning of autumn. This is traditionally the time of year when crops are harvested, and many pagan groups celebrate harvest festivals around this time. Nature is beginning to die or go into hibernation in preparation for the coming winter. This is an especially powerful time of year for shadow work or for magic related to endings and transitions. You may choose to think of the time between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice as the “reflection phase,” when you retreat from the outside world to rest, focus on yourself, and do your inner work and self-healing.

Important Note: This post lists dates for the solstices and equinoxes in the Northern hemisphere. In the Southern hemisphere, the seasons are reversed. If you live in the Southern hemisphere, you would observe the winter solstice in June, the spring equinox in September, the summer solstice in December, and the fall equinox in March.

The Cycle of the Moon: Lunar Phases

If you don’t have time to wait for the appropriate solstice or equinox, you can still connect with the cosmos in your magic. One of the biggest pros of the lunar cycle is that it happens roughly every month — so you never have to wait very long for the next full moon. The moon is also associated with magic and spirituality in several traditions, which makes it an especially powerful astral ally for witches.

New Moon. The new moon is when the moon is completely invisible in the night sky, and is the phase opposite the full moon. The new moon is a powerful time for shadow work (because it deals with things that are hidden) and for magic related to new beginnings.

Waxing Moon. The moon is waxing when it appears to be growing in the night sky; this is the phase between the new moon and full moon. This is a powerful time for any magic that deals with drawing something in, building something up, or strengthening something that already exists.

Full Moon. Many witches believe that the full moon is the most powerful time of month for any kind of magic. This is a good time to cast any spell that needs a serious power boost. The full moon is also an especially powerful time to release what no longer serves you or to work healing magic.

Waning Moon. The moon is waning when it appears to be shrinking in the night sky; this is the phase between the full moon and new moon. This is a powerful time for any magic that deals with sending something away, banishing negative energy, or bringing something to an end.

Dark Moon. The dark moon is the three day period immediately before the new moon. In some traditions, it is believed to be bad luck to cast spells during the dark moon. Other traditions hold that the dark moon is the best point in the lunar cycle for destructive magic, such as curses and hexes. Many modern witches don’t recognize the dark moon as a separate moon phase at all. I personally like to use the dark moon as a time for self reflection, and may focus on shadow work during this time.

Magical Correspondences for the Days of the Week

The days of the week also have their own unique magical energies, and each day is linked to a certain planet and to certain deities.

Sunday. Sunday is, of course, connected to the Sun and solar deities. Sunday is the best day of the week for any manifestation magic that needs an extra boost. Its energy is also associated with healing, personal growth, power, and success.

Monday. Monday is associated with the Moon and lunar deities. Monday is a quiet, introspective day, and can feel very ethereal. It’s the best day for magic related to intuition, nurturing, and shadow work.

Tuesday. Tuesday is associated with Mars and with gods and goddesses of war and action. (It is named for the Norse/Germanic god Tyr/Tiw.) Tuesday is a very “active” day, and is good for magic related to action, activism, victory, or finding courage.

Wednesday. Wednesday is associated with Mercury and with gods and goddesses of wisdom, learning, and communication. (It is named for the Norse/Germanic god Odin/Wodan.) Wednesday is all about mental activity. It’s the best day of the week for magic related to thought, travel, communication (written, spoken, or digital), and learning/study.

Thursday. Thursday is associated with Jupiter and with gods and goddesses of prosperity, wealth, and protection. (It is named after the Norse/Germanic god Thor.) Thursday, like Jupiter in astrology, is all about outward expansion. It’s the best day of the week for magic related to career, prosperity, and wealth.

Friday. Friday is associated with Venus and with gods and goddesses of love, fertility, and sensuality. (It is named after the Norse goddess Freyja, or perhaps the goddess Frigg.) The energy of Friday is fun, lighthearted, and sexy. It’s the best day of the week for magic related to love, beauty, and sex/sexuality.

Saturday. Saturday is associated with Saturn and with time and wisdom. (The day and the planet are both named after the Roman god Saturn.) Saturday is practical and wise, but it does have a little bit of a dark side. It’s the best day of the week for magic related to banishing and protection.

Magical Times of Day

Okay, so you’d like to start working with magical timing, but what about emergency magic and last-minute spells? What if you don’t have time to wait for the next full moon, or even the next Sunday? You can still align your spell with magical timing! There are several moments of power each day, and each has its own magical associations.

Sunrise. Sunrise is, of course, the birth of the new day. This makes it the perfect time for spells related to new beginnings or expanded possibilities.

Noon. This is the peak or high point of the day. This is a powerful time for healing magic.

Sunset. Sunset is the end of the day, and forms a gateway between light and dark. This is a great time for spells related to accepting endings, releasing that which does not serve, and moving on from the past.

Midnight. If noon is the peak of the day, then midnight is the peak of the night. Midnight has a very ethereal, transformational energy. Like with the full moon, some witches believe that any spell will be more powerful if cast at midnight. This is a powerful time for both banishing and attraction magic.

Resources:

You Are Magical by Tess Whitehurst

Green Witchcraft by Paige Vanderbeck

Wicca for Beginners by Thea Sabin [specifically the chapter on the sabbats]

Qabalah Made Easy by David Wells [Note: Qabalah is based on an appropriation of Jewish mysticism, and I am NOT endorsing its practice. However, much of the magical timing associations used in modern witchcraft is shared with Qabalah and other forms of ceremonial magic, which is why it’s referenced here.]

💐Picnic witchcraft guide💐

Sandwich correspondences

Fruit correspondences

Vegetable correspondences

Tea correspondences (sun tea, tea in general, floral tea)

Flower correspondences- can be used as decoration, for flower crowns, as a fun nature activity (collecting them respectfully, of course), and edible flowers can be used for deserts, drinks, and salads!

Desserts- here’s some witchy dessert recipes, perfect for any picnic!

(Tiny strawberry pies, cranberry pistachio shortbreads, cardamom pear cake, ginger and fig tart, apricot coconut bites, and lavender tea bread)

Locations- fun witchy locations for picnics include:

🌹a botanical garden, floral garden, or any sort of garden (perfect for fae, floral, air, green, life, spring, and summer witchcraft)

☀️a sunny open field/area (probably has wild flowers!, great for air, sun, floral, and weather witchcraft)

🌙⭐a night picnic under the stars and moon! (Perfect for lunar, nocturnal, and cosmic witchcraft)

🌳a park (great for all witchcraft, very versatile)

🌊💧a beach, pond, lake or near any body of water (perfect for water, sea, and love witchcraft)

👻a cemetery (perfect for death, spirit, medium, and floral witchcraft. Just make sure it’s allowed and you’re respectful of graves)

🌲A forest (perfect for forest, tree, nature, green, earth, and hedge witchcraft, here’s some tree correspondences)

Other witchy picnic ideas:

Stones/crystals to bring- it depends a lot on location and the general theme of the picnic! But a few favorites of mine are:

rose quartz, opalite, any aura quartz, sunstone, agate, tigers eye, and selenite (especially peach selenite)

Scents- I like to focus on scents a lot during picnics. It can make the experience so much more enjoyable! Location once again plays a huge role, but you can always spray your picnic blanket with essential oils, use strongly scented herbs or flowers, use a specific perfume, or even a specific tea that smells good. Some scents I like to focus on during picnics are:

lemon, orange, grapefruit, lemongrass, strawberry, orange blossom, gardenia, rose and lavender

Bring some little spells or offerings with you! A picnic in nature is the perfect time to do a little crafting, especially love, self care, fae, peace and happiness spells. And you can correspond your picnic with the intent of the spell!

It’s also a great time for devotional offerings and any other offerings, especially fae offerings.

Put together a picnic spell- an entire picnic can be a spell! Everything from location, to drinks, to food, and the extra stuff you bring along can be in it.

🍑Have fun picnic witching! 💐

If you go for a walk in the forest, remember these ten things:

If you pass by a ring of mushrooms, don’t step in the circle, but do tell the mushrooms your dreams. They love to hear stories.

If you see large, foreboding pawprints in the middle of the trail, do not follow them; the path leads only to sorrow and despair.

If you hear the lull of a flute by the bubbling of a river, you may listen, but not for long; if you linger, you can never leave.

Be sure to keep any items you bring secured in your rucksack, with a few seashells hanging from it; the crashing waves from the shells will scare off thieves.

Return home before night falls. You never know what might appear when the forest is cloaked in darkness.

If you do stay after sundown, do not look at the stars. They are temptresses in their beauty, but can bring death and destruction.

If you come across wildlife, avoid eye contact. Some creatures may steal your soul if you stare long enough.

Never pass under a gnarled, curling tree, for you may enter a world that looks like your own, but is different still.

If you find a jar of honey or jam resting upon a boulder, ignore it. There are those who would tempt you with sweet nothings; don’t accept their gifts.

Mark a trail from your starting point with plain yarn. If you cut the trees, they’ll come for you. If you tie a ribbon on branches, they’ll capture you.

Be wary of the forest and all of its inhabitants. It is beautiful and wondrous, but can be frightful and merciless.

MAGICK APPLE THREE CHEESE SOUP FOR FALL

This soup, is actually pretty tasty, so don’t be scared off by the title. Apple and cheese are really good together. And this recipe, from my kitchen to yours, is infused in magick!

Ingredients:

Olive Oil

1 cup apple cider ~ love, comfort, divine energy, healing, folk lore cure all

2 tbsp brown sugar ~ Love, comfort

1 large granny smith apple ~ revitalize, love, healing

 1 large onion, diced ~ warding, protection

1 1/3 cup freshly shredded cheddar

Sprig of thyme ~ symbol of Venus, beauty, courage, fairy communications, protection, psychic abilities

Ground garden sage (Note- Do NOT use white sage as it is sacred to the indigenous and should be saved for native practices) ~ clarity, protection, grounding, cleansing, wisdom, nightmare relief

Salt and pepper ~ Warding, cleansing, protection

½ cup gouda cheese

4 oz bree cheese

¾ cup half and half

3 cups broth of choice

Flour to thicken it

8 oz beer (Optional)

To prep: Cook your apple slices till soft, then purée them with a stick blender. Add a big pot to the stove, add oil to heat up on medium heat.

Cooking the soup: Add diced onions, pureed apple, and cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in broth, apple cider, seasonings, and beer (optional) into the pot and stir. You’ll want to bring this to a boil, and then turn down to simmer for an additional 12 minutes. 

Stir in your half and half and flour to thicken, along with your brown sugar. Cook this enough for the alcohol to boil off if serving people under 21 years of age or if you don’t want alcoholic soup at that matter. Cook for another 15 minutes stirring on a low medium heat.

Now stir in the cheese until it has melted in nicely in the soup, remember you can always add more things to you’ll liking. 

Authors Notes: Beer can be substituted for more broth, stir clock-wise for a more effective outcome. You can also substitute beer for one of you other potions, or edible elixirs. Pecans pair well with this, along with walnuts. You add bacon, or even dip apple slices into the soup.

Blessed be~

Angel….

Soups and Broths in Magick

I am rather new to the witch community on tumblr but I have been interested in witchcraft for years. I have come upon a reoccurring thing, many of my friends I wish to magically aid through teas and herbal brews, do not like the taste of tea. I have found that mixing herbal blends or herbs representing what you wish to occur into soups and broths work just as well! In fact if you choose the right soup you can get sometimes better results I have found. Soup mimics tea by being easily drank and can be served warm and hot, which I find very comforting.

First it is important to choose a soup or broth that goes well taste wise with the herbs you wish to use. You want it to taste pleasant for yourself or the one you are providing it to. Though, try to find a soup or stock or broth that corresponds with what you wish to achieve with the herbs to further strengthen and increase the outcome you wish. 

A short list of correspondences:

Chicken Broth/Stock: Uncrossing, new growth, fertility, sacrifice, New beginnings, rebirth

Turkey Broth/Stock: Close connections to Earth, generosity, inspiration, bounty, blessings

Beef Broth/Stock: New beginnings, femininity/female power, fertility, strength, balance

Pork Broth/Stock or Bacon: Intelligence, good luck, prosperity, curiousity, discovering new things

Fish Broth/Stock: Close connections to Water, health, improving oneself, the unconcious mind, awareness, fertility, good luck, wishes, change

Shellfish/Clam/Mussel Broth/Stock/Soup/Chowder: Protection, stopping lies/gossip/rumors, removal or treatment of stubbornness, honesty, truth, close connections to both Water and Earth, living a natural life

Shrimp Broth/Stock: love, abundance, fertility, trying new things, moving forward

Cheese base/Milk base soup/Chowder: Beauty, femininity, love, self-love, purification, rebirth

Tomato Soup: Protection, prosperity, love, uncrossing, femininity, romance and passion, negation of negativity and evil

Pumpkin Soup: Healing, prosperity, love, protection, granting wishes

Squash Soup: Psychic awareness, spiritual enlightenment

Corn Chowder: connections to the sun, luck, prosperity, abundance

Onion Soup: protection, keep evil away, healing, banishing, stability, exorcism, money, lust, and ends bad habits

Pea Soup: Kindness, connections with Air

Mushroom Soup: psychic enhancement, connections to Earth, longevity, strength, immortality

Curry/Curry Soups: banishing, healing, prosperity, protection from negativity

Soups with Noodles: Longevity, uncrossing

Soups with Rice: prosperity, blessing, money and wealth, security, good fortune to come

Soups with Barley: Love, Healing, Protection Hopefully this will be helpful for any witches who are not very big fans of the taste of teas or for anyone else for that matter. I would love to hear or see any other suggestions for tea replacements or other soups that could be used. This came straight out of my Grimoire and I hope to add more of it to this site soon. Blessed be everyone!

Creating A Morning Ritual 🧘🏾‍♀️☀️

The Summer Solstice has finally come! We are officially halfway through the year. This energy is great for manifesting, expressing gratitude, and making changes in your life for the next few months. Now is the best time to create new morning rituals, to not only enhance your living but to enhance your magic as well! ✨

What is a Morning Ritual?

A morning ritual is anything you do to get your day started. In the witchy world, a morning ritual combines mundane tasks with everyday magic practice.

Sometimes the morning is the only time we get to practice magic, with our lives being so hectic and busy. 

How Long Should it Be?

Your morning ritual can last anywhere from 10 minutes to 1 hour or more.

First figure out how much time you have to spare in the mornings. Do you have 9am classes or work really early in the morning? Set your alarm for 10-20min before you have to leave, and do your morning ritual then. Work overnight and only get the mornings to sleep? Set an alarm for early afternoon, the exact time doesn’t matter. Mornings completely free? Set up I comfortable time to rise and you use as much time as you’d like.

The ritual should last as long as your activities do. If it takes you 20 minutes to do yoga and you’d like to include it in your routine, try to allot time for that. Which brings us to the next point:

What Practices Should I Include?

Anything that you want to become habitual and/or anything you’re trying to improve at.

It takes 21+ days to create a habit, and 1,000 hours minimum to get good at something, so including these things in your morning ritual will help speed up that process.

A normal morning ritual consists of regular activities like: making tea/coffee, stretching, taking a shower etc. When you’re coming up with your list, make sure to include these tasks that you’re already used to doing. (this will be helpful in figuring out how much time you need, as well)

To spice up your morning ritual, try to turn those mundane tasks into something more magical. Then, consider which of your witchy practices require little energy and can start you up for the day.

Some examples of ritual activities include:

Pulling tarot/oracle cards for the day

Showers/baths for cleansing 🚿

Smoke cleansing 💨

Making tea/coffee with herbs corresponding to your intentions for the day (ie. rosemary before going to any classes/lectures) 🍵☕️

Doing chakra meditation focused on a specific chakra ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🧘🏾‍♀️

Sun Salutation Yoga ☀️

Creating a quick crystal grid

Going outside and walking barefoot, for grounding 🌱🌿

Burn incense with scents/herbs corresponding to the day’s intentions

Write out affirmations/intentions for the day in a notebook/journal

Dream journaling! ✨

Working on a page in your grimoire 📕

Playing music and dancing around the house to stir up energy 💃🏽🎶

Lighting a candle on your altar or around your sacred space (bonus points for color based on intention) 🕯

Quick self-love/glamour magic 💎

Etc. etc. etc.

Your list could include one, a few, all, or none of these things. It’s all about what feels right for your individual practice. If you don’t already know what you want to do, look into what other witches or spirituals in your belief do on a daily basis. For example, practitioner of Norse Mythology often work with runes, you could definitely include that in your morning ritual.

But most importantly your morning routine is your own. Make it what you want it to be. It can be as long or as short as you’d like, and as eccentric as you please. The most important part is that you enjoy what you’re doing, and you feel energized doing it.

matterzcollective.com <3

A Yule Ritual

Spell originally by Cassandra Eason.

What you need:

12 white candles or tea candles (in a circle)

A red candle in the center

Festiveness around the candles (greenery, baubles, etc.)

Timing: Between December 21-23 in Northern Hemisphere; June 21-23 in the Southern Hemisphere (Yule’s timing)

1.) Light the red candle and from it the circle of candles. Say “I walk into the darkness without fear at the turning of the year, knowing the light will return. Candles no more burn.”

2.) Extinguish the candle circle so only the central candle flame remains. Say “ Let the old sun die, carrying away what must go, the illusions, the excuses, the inertia, and open the door to a new tomorrow.”

3.)After a few minutes relight each candle in the circle, clockwise from the red candle, saying “ The sun is reborn and light returns to the world. The dark times are ended.”

4.) Let the candles burn and use the decorations around the home (keep an eye on the candles so you don’t burn down the house :D )

Folk Remedies for Illness

Hey y’all it’s flu season. My mom’s got a little cough/fever going on so I called my grandmother and she gave me a bunch of remedies. She’s a Colombian woman who knows her folk magic so I thought I would share them here.

Lemon Tea:

lemon

water

honey

Can be heated up in the microwave.

Broth:

Main ingredients (add a lot of these):

red onion

garlic

Optional add ons:

chicken

buganvilla flowers (good for a cough)

carrots or anything else that would make it more nutritious and delicious

All cooked together in a pot with water.

Banana Cream:

banana

butter

honey

Mashed together until creamy and smooth.

Gargles:

warm water

salt or baking soda

Gargle it in the back of your throat and then spit it out.

It’s really important to take fluids when you’re sick so it’s also a good idea to drink liquids like orange juice (which has vitamin c), tea, and water.

If you’ve got any further question about how to make these or my personal magical correspondences, my ask is always open.

My Favorite Spell-Book

Divination:

To learn the present character of a person:

Take the stem of an apple between your fingers and begin to twist counter clockwise whilst reciting the alphabet. Keep the person of interest in mind. Then refer to the rhyme.

Example: The stem breaks at “A”. The person in mind is currently focusing all their attention on accomplishing a specific goal. This could mean everything aside from this goal has been placed on the backburner and other life aspects are suffering for it.

————————————————————

“Tom Thumb’s Alphabet”

A was an Archer, who shot at a frog,

B was a Butcher, and had a great dog.

C was a Captain, all covered with lace,

D was a Drunkard, and had a red face.

E was an Esquire, with pride on his brow,

F was a Farmer, and followed the plough.

G was a Gamester, who had but ill-luck,

H was a Hunter and hunted a buck.

I an Innkeeper, who loved to carouse,

J was a Joiner, and built up a house.

K was King William, once governed this land,

L was a Lady, who had a white hand.

M was a Miser, and hoarded up gold,

N was a Nobleman, gallant and bold.

O was an Oyster girl, and went about town,

P was a Parson, and wore a black gown.

Q was a Queen, who wore a silk slip,

R was a Robber, and wanted a whip.

S was a Sailor, and spent all he got,

T was a Tinker, and mended a pot.

U was a Usurer, a miserable elf,

V was a Vintner, who drank all himself.

W was a Watchman, and guarded the door,

X was Expensive, and so became poor.

Y was a Youth, who did not love school,

Z was a Zany, a poor harmless fool.

————————————————————

To cause confusion:

Simply use the name of that which you want to confuse.

————————————————————

Anna Elise, she jumped with surprise;

The surprise was so quick, it played her a trick;

The trick was so rare, she jumped in a chair;

The chair was so frail, she jumped in a pail;

The pail was so wet, she jumped in a net;

The net was so small, she jumped on the ball;

The ball was so round, she jumped on the ground;

And ever since then she’s been turning around.

————————————————————

To trap a spirit:

Recite “Anna Elise” whilst braiding rope and tying knots. Replace the lines after, “…she jumped in the net”, with:

————————————————————

“…and now I’ve tied the final knot, and in my net was Anna set.

Try all her might, it’s structure is sound,

And ever since then she’s been turning around.”

————————————————————

At the end of this last line, tie one end of the string to the other to create a circle.

To Overcome Adversity

Or to Strengthen a Wind or Storm:

————————————————————

Arthur O'Bower has broken his band

And he comes roaring up the land;

The King of Scots with all his power

Cannot stop Arthur of the Bower.

————————————————————

To Induce Spirit Flight with a “Fail Safe”:

————————————————————

How many miles to Babylon?

Three score miles and ten.

Can I get there by candle-light?

Yes, and back again.

If your heels are nimble and your toes are light,

You may get there by candle-light.

————————————————————

Use a small candle and when it burns out, you shall be pulled back to your body.

Hagriding with use of a Poppet:

————————————————————

Ride a cock-horse to Banbury Cross,

To buy little Johnny a galloping horse;

It trots behind and it ambles before,

And Johnny shall ride till he can ride no more.

————————————————————

To Replace What’s Been Lost:

————————————————————

Little Betty Blue,

Lost her holiday shoe.

What will poor Betty do?

Why, give her another,

To match the other,

And then she will walk in two.

————————————————————

🍂     SAGE    🍂

Sage is a very versatile plant; it’s not only used for cooking. This kitchen witch likes to make incenses from it or just plant it for decorative reasons in her garden. In my childhood however, I mainly knew the herb as a medical plant. Especially in summer, when I fell asleep with the windows still  open, I often awoke with a sore throat. Of course, my mom and her mother before her had a wonderful recipe for that - didn`t I mention that sage is a great natural remedy for a sore throat? Let’s brew some SAGE TEA! There’s a good reason, why the herb’s name is based on the Latin word “salvare” – healing - after all.

GROWING SAGE  🌱

Sage is a low maintenance, sun loving ancient Mediterranean herb. Basically it can survive mild winters outside and therefore can be harvested all year long. (I’ve had some on my balcony and now in my garden for years and it only happened once, that it didn’t make it through the dark season.) To keep the sage healthy you should cut it from springtime to late summer without removing the wooden stalks. ~~~

STORING SAGE  🌱

Drying the leaves is pretty easy. Harvest the upper parts of the stalks and pluck the leaves off, put them on a flat plate or a piece of baking paper. Don’t expose the sage to direct sunlight! Once the leaves are completely dry, just crumble them and put them into a nice glass jar. Store it at a dark and dry place. The jar above is actually the one I took from my grandmas kitchen after she had passed away. It still got her handwriting on it. ~~~

SAGE TEA  🌱

To brew one cup (1/4l) only one tablespoon of the dried or fresh leaves are required. The tea should then cool down a little before using it for curing a sore throat. From now on you should gargle three times a day (preferably after eating). Other uses for the, in this case still warm tea are to prevent night sweats and stomach ache. ~~~

More on this amazing herb later on  🍃

disclaimer: no household remedy will ever replace a visit to the doctor!

Sage series 1/?