Motivational Tea Potion

SAMHAIN SOUL CAKES RECIPE

Souls cakes are small round cakes which is traditionally made for Halloween. Originally the poor would knock on doors of wealthier families begging for leftover soul cakes, in turn for a prayer. And thus the trick or treating tradition began! A great offering for the dead, and your family at that matter.

Ingredients:

3 ½ cup flour

½ cup white sugar

½ cup brown sugar

1 cup cold butter

A pinch of salt

Splash of vanilla

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp cinnamon 

2 tsp all-spice

A pinch of ground cloves

1 tsp baking powder

2 eggs 

Dried cranberries/currents/raisins

Candied Orange Peel

A spoon full of honey

3 tbsp almond milk

¼ cup chopped hazelnuts 

For a simple frosting:

3 tbsp softened butter

3 tbsp cream

1 tsp vanila extract

Red or orange food dye

¼ cup powdered sugar

¼ cup almond milk/alternative milk

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. 

In a large bowl combine flour, spices, salt, and baking powder. In a smaller ball, rehydrate your dried fruit with apple cider vinegar (sounds weird, but trust me it soften the tart bite of dried fruit).

Cut cold butter into the flour mixture until it becomes evenly crumbly. Mix in sugar and eggs. Once completely combined, add your almond milk, dried fruit and candied orange peel. Add in hazelnuts and honey. 

Kneed dough until it becomes solid, if you think it’s too liquidy, add in more flour. If it’s too dry, add in more almond milk. 

Once you’ve got your dough, plastic wrap it, and put it in the freezer for 15 minutes. Kneed the dough out, roll it, and cut them into circles. I personally use a biscuit cutter, and that works fine ~ Although you can use a knife or a cookie cutter as well!

Place them on baking sheets and with the flat end of a knife, make crosses that come to look like plus signs. Not too deep to cut the cookie in half, but not to shallow or else it will fade away while baking.

Place them in the oven for 25 minutes, or until done. While baking, combine your frosting ingredients and beat with a fork. Shovel into piping bag with a thin tip.

Once the cookies are out of the oven, let them cool to room temperature before frosting. Now with your festive orange or red or even black frosting, pipe along the cross to define it. You could also skip the frosting all together if your not a frosting person - but I suggest it since these cakes are not overly sweet.

\ Garnish to your liking and serve for a tasty Samhain! \

~ Blessed be, Angel….

Lammas

Here’s a brief overview of the holiday Lammas. [LAH-mahs] Some people use the name Lughnasadh. [LOO-nah-sah] They are both names for the same holiday–the celebration of the first harvest–, however they are not necessarily interchangeable. 

Lughnasadh is the Gaelic name for this occasion. It celebrates the waning of the sun god Lugh as the summer gives way to fall. The year’s crop is ready for harvesting. Lammas is the modern name. It has minimal connection to the Gaelic sun God, so if you don’t believe in the God, you would use the term Lammas. Both terms recognize the power of the sun God infusing his blessings into the first year’s harvest, however Lughnasadh credits a Gaelic God while Lammas credits a more general sun God. Lughnasadh is the more traditional name, so you can choose to use that term if you want without having any affiliation to Lugh. 

Lammas is celebrated on August 1st (Northern hemisphere) or February 1st (Southern hemisphere). 

Spellwork

Lammas is a time of giving thanks, so be sure to leave offerings to your deities. It’s custom to use something from your harvest (if you harvested anything) as your offering. Spells involving blessings or guidance are going to fare well during this day. 

Correspondences 

Symbols: Sunflower, Wheat, Baskets, Creative Tools (pen, paintbrush, microphone)

Colors: Deep green, orange, burgundy deep reds

Herbs: Vervain, Sunflower, Rosemary

Food/Drink: Grain, Honey, Nuts, Berries, Beer, Cider

Incense: Frankincense, Rosemary

Crystals: Tiger’s Eye, Obsidian

Ways to Celebrate!

Use this holiday to celebrate the things in life granted to you. Share your talents with others. Go for a walk in nature. Have a feast. 

Tarot in Spells

this is a list of magical associations for every tarot card, they can be added into spells to amplify your intentions and strengthen your manifestations

Wands are connected with the Fire element and is centered around movement, direction, energy, passion

Swords deal with thinking, communication, perception, and issues dealing with truth, connected to the air element

Cups are connected with water, and the full spectrum of emotions. every emotion imaginable is covered in the cup’s suit.

Pentacles are connected with Earth and are symbolic of manifestation, rewards,  material wealth and material abundance.

The Fool creates new beginnings and can be paired with other cards. ex: the fool + the lovers for new romance, the fool + pentacles for new opportunities, etc.

The Magician increases your power and capability on all levels, willpower, emotional security, balance within yourself, etc.

The High Priestess increases your psychic abilities, mediumship abilities, and intuition

The Empress will help you with creativity and creative endeavors

The Emperor establishes order, structure, and command

The Hierophant can be used in a lot of ways, my favorites are 1. Pairing it with the fool to attract a new mentor, 2. Using it to summon a spirit guide or ascended master

The Lovers help invoke and attract love, partnership, mutual relationships, and passion

The Chariot is amazing for success, and triumph. I always use this in success spells for exams, tests, and projects. The Chariot will help the best possible outcome for a situation to arise

Strength will help you master your emotions

The Hermit is good for rituals and meditations based going within and gaining a better understanding of your own self, and life purpose.

The Wheel of Fortune can be used for luck, change, and getting a desired situation moving

Justice is great for truth, legal matters, and justice 

The Hanged Man buys you time for a situation you aren’t ready to face, delays events

The Death card works well for ending situations, closing doors, gaining closure, and new beginnings

Temperance will restore balance and serenity to any situation

The Tower is best used for hexing and cursing, brings misfortune, unhappiness and chaos

The Star card is good for when you are casting spells focused on gaining something, The Star card is centered around healing, openness, and hope

The Moon helps develops intuitive abilities and can be used to send bad dreams

The Sun is used in spells for summoning happiness, success, and health

Judgement will help clear confusion and help you with understanding your life mission similar to the Hermit in that aspect

The World invokes wholeness and completion

Page of Wands: works with communication, messages, action, and passion

Page of Cups: boosts creativity, taps into your spiritual nature to bring out new creativity

Page of Swords: amplifies ingenuity and creativity, helps deliver messages from one person to another, can be used to attract someone’s attention to yourself

Page of Pentacles: good for grounding and centering spell work

Knight of Wands: speeds up any workings involving passion, love, and creativity

Knight of Cups: speeds up workings dealing with emotions, psychic development, inner strength

Knight of Swords: speeds up workings involving communication, balance, and thinking

Knight of Pentacles: speeds up workings dealing with manifesting abundance, material wealth, prosperity, and creativity

King of Wands: associated with leadership, command, can help you gain authority

King of Cups: associated with personal feelings, can help you resolve personal conflicts and inner turmoil

King of Swords: aids in strengthening your communication and speaking skills

King of Pentacles: invokes luxury, great card for business success

Queen of Wands: establishes a sense of self security and sufficiency

Queen of Cups: develops your psychic abilities, also helps with understanding/controlling your emotions

Queen of Swords: helps you develop stronger focus

Queen of Pentacles: abundance, creativity, fertility

Aces: used for new beginnings based on the energy represented in that suit

Two of Wands: positive progress in any situation whether it be romance, health, career, etc.

Three of Wands: business prosperity

Four of Wands: strengthens any type of relationship

Five of Wands: used in hexes and curses to invoke conflict, and arguments

Six of Wands: manifests recognition, success,

Seven of Wands: use this card when you’re in a tough situation, it will help you succeed and come out of it stronger

Eight of Wands: directs energy and intentions towards a specific goal or purpose, helps to speed up workings 

Nine of Wands: use this card when you come face to face with a difficult task, this card will keep you brave and strong

Ten of Wands: can either be used to achieve something great, or it can be used in a hex or curse to manifest burdens

Two of Cups: union, strengthens romantic relationships

Three of Cups: strengthens a friendship

Four of Cups: dissatisfaction with surroundings

Five of Cups: causes despair and sadness

Six of Cups: lifts your mood when you’re feeling down

Seven of Cups: illusions and deceptions

Eight of Cups: used to help you move on from the past

Nine of Cups: make a wish and use this card’s power to grant your wish, invokes happiness 

Ten of Cups: brings happiness to relationships of all kinds, friends, family, romantic, etc.

Two of Swords: used in curses and hexes to cause someone to have a limiting mindset

Three of Swords: heartbreak and emotional strife

Four of Swords: used in healing spells, sleeping aid

Five of Swords: manifests conflict, and failed success

Six of Swords: this card will aid you when you face a difficult change, helps you to move on and move forward

Seven of Swords: causes betrayal

Eight of Swords: powerful energy that causes isolation

Nine of Swords: sends nightmares and anxieties 

Ten of Swords: defeat and betrayal

Two of Pentacles: brings balance

Three of Pentacles: strengthens business connections

Four of Pentacles: manifests financial stability

Five of Pentacles: financial problem

Six of Pentacles: prosperity

Seven of Pentacles: material abundance

Eight of Pentacles: if you’ve worked hard this card ensures you that your efforts will be rewarded

Nine of Pentacles: success, luxury, accomplishment

Ten of Pentacles: success, wealth

Negative aspects of the cards can be used for hexing and cursing

Witches type

Source IG: @waterofwhimsy

Herbal Hair Rinse for healthy shiny hair and protection using an infused vinegar.

When I was a little girl, my grand mother use to rince my hair with a table spoon of pale cider vinegar diluted in a pitch of water. It made my hair so shiny and strong, I kept this tradition in my adulthood.

Now I have more knowledge in herbalism and witchcraft and I adapted the recipe to be even more effective.

This is a remedy to treat small ailments. Always consult with your GP before. This doesn’t replace any medication!

Herbal Hair Rinse for soothing the scalp, strengthen the hair and protection.

Ingredients:

1L raw organic apple cider vinegar.

½ cup dried chamomile.

½ cup dried lavender.

4 to 5 fresh rosemary sprigs (or ½ cup dried rosemary).

Equipment

1l Mason jar

Plastic lid for the mason jar (you can find some here https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=mason+jar+plastic+lid&crid=1JCPADG0E2V6O&sprefix=mason+jar+plastic%2Caps%2C157&ref=nb_sb_ss_organic-diversity_1_17

Muslin cloth to filter the vinegar

Herbalism

Apple cider vinegar for the hair: help remove buildup of hair products, help balance hair’s pH, clean the scalp, boost circulation, condition hair, soothe dry itchy scalp.

Chamomile: Soothes the scalp

Lavender: Increases circulation, promotes hair growth, calms inflammation, soothes scalp irritation

Rosemary: Increase scalp circulation, promotes hair growth, strengthen hairs, fights dandruff

Magical intent

Apple cider vinegar: Purification, protection

Chamomile: Purification

Lavender: Protection, purification

Rosemary: Protection, purification

Recipe:

Add all the dry ingredients in the mason jar

Fill up to the top with raw organic apple cider

Don’t use metal lid as it will be corroded by the vinegar!

Store in a dark cool cupboard for 6 to 8 weeks. You can be tempted to wait less, but the result will be a weaker vinegar.

Shake every couple of days

When ready, strain and compost the herbs.

The concentrated vinegar will store indefinitely but you’ll need to prepare the rinse before each wash.

Don’t use it more than twice a week.

Always label your jar with the date of creation and what’s inside!

Utilisation

Use a 500mL mason jar.

Add 2 table spoons of vinegar, fill up with water to the top.

Take your shower, wash your hair, then use the rince on your wet hair. Don’t rince your hair with water after!

Be careful to your eyes!

Rinse your shower after you’re done to remove any vinegar residue.

The rinse is really diluted, it doesn’t smell really strong. The smell will disappear when the hair will dry.

Also, it requires a long time of infusion so be mindful of the time frame when you are doing your next batch!

You can use this method of drying herbs for flowers too, as long as you’re delicate and don’t break them!

Keeping Consumerism out of Your Craft

Consumerism is a set of socioeconomic conditions and attitudes that encourage the continual acquisitions of goods and services. There is no “enough” in a consumerist society — members of the society are constantly pushed to buy new things, pay for new services, and keep up with the latest trends.

There are a few reasons consumerism is bad news. For one thing, it’s terrible for the environment — consumerist cultures usually have linear economies, where resources are extracted, consumed, then discarded, with no effort to replenish them. This is highly unsustainable, because at some point those limited resources are going to run out. Consumerism also has a human cost, as it often leads to the use of sweatshops, which violate basic labor laws. In many sweatshops, workers are not paid a livable wage, children are employed as workers, and working conditions are unsafe. Companies in countries like the United States get around labor laws by outsourcing labor to other (poorer) places. Consumerism also contributes to classism, as the acquisition of expensive items is often treated as a status symbol.

Consumerism is present in nearly every aspect of Western culture, and this includes spirituality and witchcraft. There are multiple “Beginner Witch Kits” for sale from Amazon and other online retailers which include candles, crystals, and incense — which is great, as long as that’s all stuff you’ll actually use in your practice. (I mean, do you really need twelve different varieties of incense?) Witchy authors and bloggers often treat magic like a matching game, where every problem requires a very specific herb or crystal. YouTube is full of “witch hauls,” videos solely dedicated to showing off new purchases. All of this contributes to a commercialized witchy aesthetic, which can only be achieved by buying the tools of the trade.

I get it. Shopping is fun, especially when you’re still learning about magic and magical items. It’s exciting to search for the perfect crystal or incense blend, especially if you have a local metaphysical store where you can shop in person. But owning the right stuff doesn’t make you a witch. All you need to practice magic is your will — everything else is optional.

I’m not saying every witch should be a hardcore minimalist, or that you can never buy new things. What I am saying is that all of us, witches or not, need to be more mindful of how we spend our money and the impact of our purchases on the world around us.

How to Avoid Consumerism

If you’re considering buying something, ask yourself if you’ll really get use out of it. For example, I don’t use a lot of tools in my practice because I prefer to work with my hands, so it wouldn’t make sense for me to buy an expensive wand or ritual knife. Don’t feel like you have to buy something just because another witch uses it — if you don’t think you’ll use it, don’t buy it.

Don’t buy multiples of the same tool. Instead of buying multiple different colored altar cloths for different times of year, buy one white altar cloth you can use year-round. Instead of buying multiple tarot decks, find one or two you really enjoy working with. You get the idea. (Obviously, there will be some items you need more than one of, like spell candles. This rule applies more to tools that can be reused.)

Replace things as they run out instead of buying them before you need them. Buying things in bulk can lead to unnecessary waste and drawers full of unused magical supplies. Buy things you know you’ll really use, and only buy one or two at a time. Use up the items you have before you buy more.

Invest in items that have multiple uses. For example, most kitchen spices can also be used in spells — search your spice cabinet before ordering special ingredients online. There are some items that have multiple magical uses, like rosemary and salt. Buy a couple of these multitaskers instead of a large collection of herbs with very specific uses.

Use the “two week” rule. This is something I do to keep myself from making impulse purchases. If I think I want to buy something online, I wait two weeks before I order it. If I still want it after two weeks, I take that as a sign that I’ll actually get some use from it.

Go “shopping” in your backyard. Familiarize yourself with the plants, animals, and minerals that are native to your area and go foraging for spell supplies instead of buying them. Items you can probably find near your home that could be used in ritual include leaves and flowers, pine cones, seed pods, tree branches, rocks, and naturally shed feathers. Just make sure you never harvest enough of a plant to hurt it, and make sure you properly disinfect any animal products you pick up.

If you can, make it yourself. Not only does making your own magic items save money, it also creates a much stronger personal link between you and that item. You can grow your own magical herbs in a garden or in indoor pots. Many common magical tools, like brooms and wands, are easy to make at home with some basic craft skills. Making your own items also means you can customize them, tailoring them to your own craft.

If you can’t make it yourself, but it used. There are some items you can’t reasonably make yourself, like incense burners, cauldrons, and books on the craft. But you can find most of these items used, either in thrift stores or online on websites like Ebay and Depop. Buying used almost always ends up being cheaper than buying new, and because you’re buying items already in circulation you aren’t contributing to a linear economy. Thrifting is also a great way to find unique items that won’t be like what anyone else has on their altar.

If you can’t find it used, support a small business. Sometimes, you can’t make what you need or find it in a thrift store. In that case, buying from a small business is preferable to buying from a big retailer like Amazon. When you support a small business, you’re supporting an individual rather than contributing to some CEO’s massive yearly bonus. A lot of small business owners make their items themselves, which avoids sweatshop labor. Pretty much everything I buy new for my craft comes from Etsy sellers — there are a LOT of witches on Etsy, so with a little digging you can easily find exactly what you’re looking for!

Don’t buy crystals. I know, I know. Thanks to social media, large crystal collections have become synonymous with witchcraft. But the crystal trade is highly unethical, with unsustainable mining techniques, dangerous working conditions, and child labor. Because of a lack of regulations, it’s virtually impossible to find crystals that are truly ethically sourced. Most sellers don’t know where their crystals come from and can’t guarantee that no workers were harmed in their extraction. No stone is worth the health and safety of other human beings, no matter how pretty.

Avoiding consumerism in your witchcraft means being less reliant on tools and set dressing. This will allow you to rely on your own energy and will, which will lead to a deeper and more meaningful spiritual practice.

Resources:

Revolutionary Witchcraft by Sarah Lyons

Simply Living Well by Julia Watkins

“11 Facts About Sweatshops” on dosomething.org

“Child labour in the fashion supply chain” from The Guardian

“Bangladesh factory collapse toll passes 1,000” from BBC News

“Are crystals the new blood diamonds?” from The Guardian

“Dark crystals: the brutal reality behind a booming wellness craze” from The Guardian

Riot magic tip: Coyote bones and coyote powder are the shit for rioters. Get some coyote teeth or claws, maybe powder that stuff, or buy some of the coyote spirit powder from a local botanica and give it to your rioter friends or use yourself if going to riots. The stuff usually wards off the law, makes you unconquerable, and allows you to slip past others. The typical trickster attributes you want.

Homemade pasta is my latest cooking obsession.

From intentionally choosing herbs and veggies to color the dough and get that double whammy of herb and color magick, to mindfully rolling out and cutting/filling/shaping the perfect little pasta pieces- this is basically peak kitchen witchery for me right here. I set aside a couple hours so I can really take my time, pop on some mood music, and lose myself in the happy little rhythm^^

The base recipe I use is;

1 egg + 2 yolks

A few tablespoons of herbs or veggies for color. Could be a bit more or less depending on what I'm using. (For example- it need lots of fresh green herbs to get it green, but barely any beets for a deep pink)

~1 cup flour (more if the dough is too wet/sticky) + extra for dusting countertops

Water (enough to help the dough form a nice ball)

Today I tried out something new- pressing leaves in between the sheets of dough, and rolling it out thin enough that you can clearly see them in the finished pasta.

And thus, Sunny's Lucky Greenie Fettuccine was born!

The color doesn't really come through in these photos, but it is a lovely vibrant green created by using fresh Basil in the dough- and the leaves pressed inside are parsley!

Next time I'll probably do wider strands, or some kind of stuffed pasta, so the shapes of the leaves stay wholly intact. But for a first attempt at this technique I'm pretty pleased! Plus it was damn delicious^^

In the (hopefully near) future I want to experiment with some other herbs and work a few edible flowers into the mix!!! I've seen some genuinely stunning pasta pictures I am dying to try my hand at recreating^^