Litha Altar Decorations

Midsummer

The summer solstice marks the longest day of the year, the night is shortest and it is the inverse of the cold, dark days of the winter solstice. If the winter solstice is a time for reflection and gathering in the safe warmth of one’s home, then the summer solstice is a time of outdoor celebration to honor the light, the warmth, the green, and all things that are vibrant and alive. You’ve spent the winter months planning, you’ve planted seeds of growth in spring, now at the height of the sun it is the time for action and for celebrating your activeness before you are able to reap the benefits come the autumn harvest. From this day forward the darkness will return slowly and the days will shorten once more and what you prepare in the light of summer will be what you enjoy in the darker months. Use this time to celebrate and to enjoy the process of working towards your goals, uncomfortable though it may be at times. Take pleasure in the living world around you and in those around you whom you care for. Happy Midsummer! 

Skills For Kitchen Witches

1) Basic Cooking : This is probably pretty obvious and most people interested in kitchen witchcraft know at least the basics. But if you don’t - learn. You can do kitchen magic without even turning on a stove (sandwiches, salads, etc) 

2 ) Cooking From Scratch : Start with basics and get more complicated. Basic things can include - Soups, Sauces, Marinated or Seasoned Meat, Potato Dishes. 

3 ) Baking and Baking From Scratch : Baking from a box is perfectly valid. you can add things like fruit or nuts, you can make frostings or fillings, you can decorate. But baking from scratch is also a good skill. Pies, Pastries, Cakes, Etc. Also remember savory baking (like bread, meat pies, etc)

4 ) “Drink Potions” : Any drink really. Coffee, Tea, Juice, Milkshakes, Etc 

5 ) Canning, Pickling, Preserving : I have limited experience in this, but there are lots of recipes for “Freezer Jam” or “Refrigerator Pickles” and im going to start with them. 

6 ) Cheese Making, Yogurt Making : Another thing i have no experience in, but you can buy kits online for a decent price. 

I first made my own herbal chai blend after reading about it in @thymeherbal The Herbal Homestead Journal, which is still one of my favorite herbal references. I love this blend so much around this time of year, especially as someone who doesn’t drink caffeine. I didn’t put rations on this one since everyone likes theirs a bit different, but this is how I roughly make mine: 

•1:1:1 burdock, dandelion root (which I prefer roasted), and saspirilla root. This ends up being around 3 

•6 tablespoons each for me

 •1-2 tablespoons peppercorns, orange peel, cloves, crushed cardamom pods, and anything else your adding to the mix 

•2 crushed cinnamon sticks 

•1 tsp fresh ginger and turmeric to each cup 

Witchcraft for the Home: Herbs and Spices

Kitchen and Cottage witchcraft is really what I focus on and I love to do little things to encorperate little things into my every day practice and a great way to do that is in the kitchen. So I’m going to list some of my go to herbs and spices that I use. A page straight from my Book of Shadows DISCLAIMER: NOT ALL HERBS FROM YOUR LOCAL WITCH SHOP ARE FOOD GRADE. MAKE SURE TO ASK FIRST. USING HERBS THAT AREN’T FOOD GRADE TASTE AWFUL AT THE LEAST AND CAN MAKE YOU SICK AT THE WORST.

Basil- Good for Protection. A favorite for pasta dishes. Use pesto as a good way to incorporate it. It’s also really good in soups.

Bay Lead- My favorite use for Bayleaf is healing, but not really physical wellbeing. I use it motly for emotional and spiritual healing. Really great after a long, stressful day. Cooks best in slow cooker meals like soups, stews, and pulled meats

Cinnamon- Protection and passion. I always find that it always brings a sense of warmth to whatever I’m making. I use it in a lot of sweets or whenever I’m making Chai.

Clove- Brings in warmth and casts out negativity. Clove is my favorite spice so I’ll add it to just about anything that’s “spicy”

Nutmeg- Strengthens divination. Nutmeg is really good in fall flavored baking and warm flavored stews, like those with a tomato base.

Pepper- Used for protection. I like to think of it as sort of a ‘bite’ at the things you need protection from. Actively expelling instead of putting up a “wall” like cinnamon.

Poppy seeds- Prosperity. Lemon poppy seed muffins are an amazing good luck charm to use before a a big test or meetings.

Rosemary- Purification, intellectual protection. Rosemary is a sort of go all herb. It goes great in roasts and traditional English and American cooking. Use a spring of rosemary on roast veggies, chicken, or steaks.  It’s also good in homemade bread and can be used during Sabbats and Holidays as part of the feast.

Thyme- Divination and clarity. This is another sort of ‘old school’ herb. You can find it in a lot of simplistic cooking (three or four ingrediant meals) and in a lot of italian food. It pairs great with marinara, eggplants, and peppers. Roasted egg plant with olive oil and thyme is one of my favorites.

Vanilla- Love. I put a drop of vanilla in my coffee almost every morning to try and bring love into my day. It works great if you have a stressful job you need to remember to stay caring and level headed at (childcare, health care, support lines). I also like to use it in small short bread or sugar cookies and use those as offerings (particularly to Aphrodite)

Kitchen Witch Spoken Charm

As it passes from mouth to heart, and heart to soul,

If a single emotion:

let happiness fill them whole.

If a more complex intent:

May friendship spread and strength as this is my goal

My grimoire’s page on Lady’s Slippers. With more extensive information in another post. 

🌞 Ideas for Litha 🌞

☀ Charge Sun Water ☀ Make a Sun Book ☀ Burn Incense ☀ Make a sachet with appropriate herbs ☀ Make Sun catchers ☀ Make a solar oven then…. ☀ Bake treats for the fairies ☀ Make/Buy a sundial ☀ Chart the sun’s movement through the sky by outlining your shadow in chalk throughout the day. (Great for kids) ☀ Do a drawing or painting ☀ Write a song, poem, or devotion ☀ Make sun tea ☀ Make a wreath for your front door ☀ Do red/yellow/gold candle magick ☀ Sun print fabric ☀ Watch a Midsummer night’s dream ☀ Paint a figurine gold for your altar ☀ Decorate special cups ☀ Dress in corresponding colors (bonus points for makeup magick) ☀ Cook up a Litha feast (grill to enjoy a fire if you can’t be at a bonfire) ☀ Try a new cocktail/mocktail ☀ Have a picnic outside in the sun ☀ Meditate on the energy of the sun/summer

These are just a few ideas I had and are going to try for Litha. Have fun and spend some time outside! As always, magick is all about intent.

💘Light and Love Witches!

Freyr’s Lore Tome 🌾

To help celebrate this year’s Vetrnætr (Winter-Nights), I’m happy to present Freyr’s lore tome! It currently covers 25 sources with 71 entries—it’s a great way to learn more (and aid research) about him!

Find it here | Need access? Join us!

This little bit of a spell occurred to me when I was making breakfast this morning.

My grandmother taught me a little poem for counting crows for divination when I was younger. It goes like this:

1 for sadness 2 for mirth, 3 for marriage 4 for birth 5 for laughing 6 for crying 7 for sickness 8 for dying 9 for silver 10 for gold 11 is a secret that shall never be told

So here’s what you do. What do you need to manifest in your life? Select that number of eggs. I used 5 today. As you crack each egg into your pan or bowl, visualize what you are manifesting coming into your life. Today I used five eggs, and visualized the laughter of my children as we had a happy and positive day. Say out loud or in your head each step as you crack the eggs. One for sadness, two for mirth… etc. When you reach your number, Stir your eggs to charge your spell. Then add: salt for grounding, black pepper for protection from other magic. Visualize the strength of your spell being tightly wound to you as you do this. Cook your eggs and enjoy a good breakfast. As you eat, visualize what you have manifested entering your being.

That’s it! Some easy kitchen magic for you all today :)

Summer solstice honey cakes ☀️🌻

Happy summer solstice! Here’s a recipe to honour the day:

(Makes about 30 cupcakes or 2 big cakes)

Ingredients:

Cake:

450g plain flour

225g butter

4 tbsp honey

150g sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp salt

4 eggs

250 ml milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

Icing:

150g icing sugar

20 ml water

1 tsp cinnamon

As much honey as you want

Lavender (optional)

1. Lay out cake cases or grease your tray if you are making one big cake and preheat your oven to 180C/350F

2. Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt together

3. Add the eggs, honey, butter, milk and vanilla extract and mix until smooth

4. Put the mixture into whatever you are baking it in

5. Bake for 20mins (cupcakes) or 40mins (big cake)

6. Whilst cakes are baking prepare your icing. Mix together the icing sugar, water, cinnamon and honey until smooth. Add more water if you need to.

7. Once the cakes are done, take them out and leave to cool

8. When the cakes are cool, drizzle the icing onto them. Add lavender if you wish

9. Eat!