Herbal Craft in the Northeast

A spiritual and aesthetic blog. Folk witchiness, animism, herbalism, and bioregional spiritualism; forging a life in service to the local New England meadows, forests and foothills which nurtured me.

[sylvandreamdesigns]

I’ve got a handful of new Yule ornaments available on www.etsy.com/shop/sylvandreamdesigns like these besom ornaments!!

[draiochtaguscait]

// hiking and getting lost in the neverending glory of the Universe 🙏🏼

[broomsick]

Imbolc decoration ideas

[giada-rose]

[pathofthegreenwitch-deactivated]

The afternoon began with wild collecting for my besom.

After soaking the bristles to make it easier to tie them in a bundle, it was time to assemble them.

Plastic ties made the job relatively easy. I then wound wire in between the gaps beside the ties, tucking the ends of the wire into the bundle. Then I cut the ties carefully away so as not to cut the bristles. Finally, I wet some twine and tied that around the bundle, evenly spaced. I found a branch already cut and whittled at the ends in the woods by the river, it was as if someone had played around and fashioned a sort of spear with it and then just left it there!  It made for the perfect handle for my besom. Jammed that handle in the middle of the bundle hard, and that sucker isn’t going anywhere!

I put blue ribbon over the wire to make it look pretty (I think my Goddess likes blue, as it comes up a lot in different things lately) also, dammit, if I am going to own a besom, it is going to look pretty because I deserve it! Cost of my besom? $4.00 for plastic ties and ribbon from the dollar store, that’s it! And of course, the time that it took to gather the bundle from the wild, and search for a handle, all in all it took roughly 2 hours. Not too shabby, if I say so myself. 

Now I just have to cleanse the besom (with some sandalwood incense) and ask the God and Goddess to bless it. 

I feel it’s relevant for Wiccans and Witches to know you CAN make your own broom at home with just a few things collected from nature. No, you don’t have to be very good at putting craft projects together, and this honestly was very easy to assemble.

It really bothers me when I hear of others involved in the craft who have literally spent a couple hundred bucks easy on a besom/broom they bought online. Unless you WANT to spend that money because it saves time, etc., fine. But otherwise, I feel you are being taken advantage of because no one has told you the steps to make your own.

You will need:

Twigs, straw, whatever for the bristles

Long plastic ties

A small hand saw, or as in my case I used a bread knife to cut the grassy-like straw

Craft wire

Scissors or garden clippers to cut straw/twigs

Branch for the handle

Blade to whittle point in the branch

Twine

Ribbon

If you have ANY questions, please message me. It must be mentioned, this was the first broom I’ve ever put together, so if I can do it, you can too.

~Blessed be.

[hqcreations]

Weaving with Thornless Blackberry Canes

Our thornless blackberry canes are thriving, perhaps a little too enthusiastically. After the summer harvest, the Hubs and I pruned off many canes. I was hoping to do some basketweaving, but alas, there was not quite enough. Instead, I was able to wrangle the canes into wreaths frames. My hands got soooooo cramped and blistered. It’s a pretty thin and light wreath, but I was pleased with the results after a few weeks of drying. And now to make something with them…

[yesterdaysprint]

The language of flowers..

Polite Society at Home and Abroad, 1891

warning, it’s long, but there’s a lot of really great specifics, like:

you are a fop good but odd you will cause my death I declare war against you intellectual but heartless false and gay handsome but dangerous your looks freeze me an enemy in disguise

Keep reading

[whendragons-fly-deactivated2019]

Could you please reblog this if you are a witch who isn’t Wiccan?

[gainux]

Soothing Tea for Menstrual Cramps

Period having people know how painful cramps can be, especially at the beginning of the cycle. This tea is designed to ease cramping by relaxing the muscles of the uterus and aiding in relaxing cycle-related nausea. The herbs used in this blend are traditional remedies for menstrual pain, used for centuries all over the globe.

Ingredients:

¼ tsp mugwort - helps stimulate smooth menstrual flow, normalizes and calms the nervous system, regulates menstrual flow

½ tsp red raspberry leaf - cleans the blood of excessive hormones, soothes breast tenderness, supplies the body with many of the nutrients lost during a cycle

½ tsp mint - eases discomfort from cramping, helps ease nausea, regulates bleeding, adds flavor, soothes and comforts

¼ tsp ginger - eases nausea, relieves uterine pain, adds flavor

½ tsp parsley - has strong analgesic and antinociceptive properties, acts as an anticeptic 

2 cups of water - purified water works best but tap water is also suitable

Quart sized mason jar with lid - for storing the mixture

Optional - sweetener, lemon, cinnamon sticks

Preparation: 

Add the herbal mixture together in a tea strainer. Place strainer in a quart sized mason jar.

Bring 2 cups of water to a rolling boil and pour into the jar over the tea. 

Screw on the lid and let the tea steep for 15 minutes. 

Once the tea has finished steeping, remove the strainer. You can divide the tea up into 3 parts in separate jars, or measure it out each time so that each dose is exactly 2/3 cup. It must be stored in the fridge. 

Drink the dose in the morning when you wake up, at midday, and before bed on the first day of your cycle to ensure best results.

Notes:

This tea is has a very earthy, bitter flavor. Those who are not fond of teas to begin with will most likely not enjoy this brew. Copious amounts of sugar is recommended to improve the taste, but you may just have to hold your nose and gulp it down…

I realize there is some concern with ingesting mugwort. The FDA recommended safe dose is 1 teaspoon per 8 fluid ounces of liquid, and this tea calls for ¼th of that amount because of the dangers associated with overdosing on mugwort. However, If you do not feel comfortable taking this ingredient, you can simply exclude it from the tea or turn this tea into a spell jar instead. 

You can add some magickal components to this tea as well. Here is a sigil for relieving menstrual cramps that you can draw on your abdomen or on the jar used for storing your tea. You can also turn this into part of a tea ritual. I have instructions for one here for healing and relaxation. I recommend researching the magickal properties and energy of each herb used in this tea before use so that you have a grasp on the energy given to you through these plants. Really, your magickal creativity is the limit for this tea!

WARNING: Do not take this tea if you are pregnant, breast feeding, or at risk of becoming pregnant. If you are taking any other medications, check with your doctor first before taking this tea to ensure it will not interact poorly. Please ensure that you are not allergic to any of these ingredients before taking this tea, even in small doses. Do not take more than the recommended dose. Do not take this tea more than once per week. 

[sailleengladelling]

🍂🍎Blessed Mabon!🍂🍎

[appleboughwitch]

Consider: using embroidered images of plants either as devotionals to their spirits, or, as spells in and of themselves. Sewing your intention into each stitch, empowered by the plants depicted. Embroidering a dress or accessory and carrying it around as a charm or glamour.

[upthewitchypunx]

Crafted my kitchen altar above the stove with herbs from the garden this morning: Rosemary, mint, sage, lemonbalm, and borage. I love crafting altars from fresh plants!

[thegreenwoodtree]

I will pluck the Yarrow fair, That more benign shall be my face. That more chaste shall be my speech. That more sweet shall be my lips. Be my face the beams of the sun, And my lips as sweet as the strawberry. May I be an isle in the sea, May I be a hill on the shore. May I be a star in the waning moon, May I be a staff to the weak. Wound can I every man, But no man can wound me.

A song to pick Yarrow from the Carmina Gadelica a compendium of Scottish Gaelic charms, hymns, and folk songs collected by folklorist Alexander Carmichael in the late 19th Century.

In flower remedies, yarrow is very protective, used to heal and strengthen the aura. This song has a similar sense of both strength and vulnerability.

(via thegreenwoodtree)

[appleboughwitch]

Now that I’ve been getting into gardening in recent months and therefore spending a lot of time with individual species and becoming extremely acquainted with their spirits, it’s really interesting, and somewhat validating, to see various sources back up my conclusion about each species’ nature.

For instance, Borage right from the get go had a really strongly cheery and gladdening vibe about it, it felt very obvious. Now looking up gardening information about it months later, I see a whole bunch of them restating the folk belief that Borage gladdens the heart and brings joy.

[legeia-blog1]

🌸 Edible Flowers & Witchery 🌸

As a chef-in-training I love to use flowers in my cooking so why not witchcraft too! Flowers add a splash of colour, taste, and a little bit of whimsy. People have been using flowers in cooking all the way back to the Romans and ancient Greeks. Many cultures today still use them too; Indians use roses and Italians use artichoke flowers. The tastes also vary! Some add spice and others a sweetness.

Eating Flowers Safely

Eat flowers you know are definitely edible - if you’re uncertain look in a reference book.

Eat flowers you have grown your self or are consumption grade. Nurseries and florists commonly use pesticides on the flowers.

Do not use flowers you have found at a park or near the edge of a road as they may be contaminated by car pollution and pesticides.

Only eat the petals and remove the pistols and stamens before eating.

To keep the flowers fresh place them on a wet paper towel and keep them in the fridge for up to 10 days.

If your flowers wilt put in some ice water.

Flowers and Their Properties

Allium - Depends on which variety but means the same as the herb- All the flowers in the allium family (leeks, chives, garlic, garlic chives) are edible. Flavours go from leek to garlic. All parts of these plants are edible.

Angelica - Inspiration/protection - The colours of the flowers range from lavender all the way to a deep rose and have a licorice flavour.

Bachelor’s button -  Love - Grassy flavour. Dont eat calyx as it is very bitter.

Basil - Success/banishing - Very similar in taste to the basil leaf but milder in taste.

Borage - Courage - flowers are a lovely blue colour and they taste like cucumber.

Calendula - Love/joy - They taste spicy and have a vibrant golden colour.

Carnations - depends on colour but usually healing - Petals taste sweet but the base is very bitter.

Chamomile -  Peace - They have a sweet flavour much like the tea.

Chervil - Joy - The flowers are very delicate and have a slight anise flavour.

Chicory - Success - Slightly bitter and good for pickling.

Chrysanthemum - Relaxation - Come in a variety of colours and flavours which range from peppery to pungent. Use fresh.

Citrus - Depends which type of citrus but generally joy - Some of the flowers in the citrus family are edible (orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit, kumquat). They have a sweet flavour and have a very strong taste.

Clove - Protection/Manifestation - They are sweet with a touch of licorice.

Dill - Protection -  The lovely yellow flowers taste like the leaves.

English daisy - Luck - They are very bitter.

Fennel - Confidence/Protection - Beautiful yellow flowers with a licorice taste much like the herb.

Fuchsia - Love - They have a lovely tangy taste.

Gladiolus -  Strength/Beauty - Quite bland actually.

Hibiscus - Beauty -  Tastes like the tea with an interesting tart cranberry flavour.

Hollyhock - Ambition - Bland but are very pretty.

Impatiens - Motherly love - Dont have much flavour but are nice for decoration.

Jasmine - Romance - Have a nice sweet taste so they’re nice in sweet dishes.

Lavender - Relaxation - They are sweet and spicy and are great for both sweet and savoury dishes.

Lemon verbena - Beauty - The small white flowers taste like lemon.

Lilac - Beauty - They have a strong citrus flavour.

Mint - Protection - They taste minty.

Nasturtium - Victory - Very popular in cusine. They have a sweet, floral flavour and are also spicy.

Oregano - Protection - Same taste as the leaves but more subtle.

Pansy - Joy - Bland.

Radish - Protection - Very peppery.

Rose - Love - Very floral in taste which gets stronger the darker the flower is.

Rosemary - Memory - Milder rosemary taste.

Sage - Clearing - Taste similar to leaves.

Sunflower - Happiness - Dont really have a taste.

Violets - Happiness/Love - Floral taste.

As I am a baby witch all the correspondences might be wrong so please tell me if you would change anything.

I use flowers in salads, on cakes, in cakes, and I sometimes pickle them too so the options are endless!

[highlandfocus-deactivated202011]

The Rowan Tree (Mountain Ash)

In Scotland many houses will have a Rowan in their grounds as a guard against witchcraft.  The Rowan or Mountain Ash has long been associated with folklore.  See: http://treesforlife.org.uk/forest/rowan/ 

The berries actually make a very fine jelly which is a delicious accompaniment to venison and cold duck or goose. 

[thecunningwife]

Attention Buyers and Sellers of Metaphysical/Magical Products and Services

Hey everyone! So, my husband and I are gearing up to build an online marketplace specifically for the metaphysical/magical/spiritual/esoteric community. We got the idea back when Etsy was under fire for shutting down listings and even whole shops that offered spells and related products/services for violating their terms, and as time passed, we’ve continued to feel that there would be a lot of value in providing a solid, clean, and easy-to-use platform that our community could use to buy and sell these kinds of products and services without the hassle or uncertainty that makes other online marketplaces less than ideal.

In order to build the kind of community-centered marketplace that we’d like to offer, we have a handful of questions that we’d like your opinion on. If you can spare 5-10 minutes, please fill out the following survey:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GMDVSKZ

The more responses we get, the better idea we’ll have of the needs we need to serve. Also, if we don’t get many responses, we’ll take it as a sign that this isn’t something that very many people are interested in, so really, every opinion counts – even people who are just considering buying or selling online at this point.

Please reblog to spread the word, and don’t be afraid to reach out to me with questions!