*sacred spiral*

taylor, she/they ~ lil queer cat mom, farming in Southwest Virginia, kitchen mystic, & Appalachian forest witch focused on healing and liberation while surviving mental illness and legacies of trauma.☼ cancer sun ☼ / ☾ taurus moon ☽ / gemini rising / a safe, sacred place where #BlackLivesMatter & #TransisBeautiful

[sacredspiral]

rooting spell // full moon in Libra 🌿🌝

may the full moon shine down on this water with abundance, fertility, and stability. as my pothos cuttings sit in the water, the moon’s radiant energy will nourish them and encourage them to put down roots - all the while singing, “i welcome you home”

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Pisces love letter // welcoming this season of deep compassion n (self) love, trusting our intuition, & working towards the world of our dreams 🌀🐟

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a slow start to spring means a nice snow day spent in the kitchen ❄️ earl-grey infused London fog cupcakes w/ a honey buttercream & poppy seeds! ☕🍯

my body and my spirit deserve nourishing, warm, and lovingly made foods. food is not my enemy, it is my friend and tool to connecting with the world around me. food brings magic into my life. to create and share food is a divine act.

[sacredspiral]

pistachio opal - the only crystal like it in the whole shop and she came home with me :’) an aid for empaths, focused on rebirth through grounding and fostering emotionally harmony, fills us with a loving vibration ~~ perfect Spring pal! 🌿✨

[sacredspiral]

i give my partner his testosterone injection every week - sometimes it’s quick, easy, and painless while other weeks are more negative, filled with anxiety and strain. today i charmed the needle, syringe, and testosterone under the flame of an orange candle (health, safety, joy) and in the presence of rose quartz (open heart, houses good energy, self/love) + selenite (cleansing, protection, moves us to action). 

Temperance guides us this week, reminding us that the journey to healing and self-love can be long and slow; but it need not be painful or anxiety-inducing. Indeed, Temperance signals to us that the Universe is our guide, helping us reconnect with our true selves and purpose. it’s my intention that this charm will soothe my partner’s mind and makes the shot itself less painful, as well as guide me to be a more compassionate partner and healer by his side ❤️💉✨

[sacredspiral]

🌿  warm + nourishing // sausage, kale & leek soup 🌿

*makes 8-10 good sized bowls *i used homemade turkey broth (scroll back 2 see a recipe for easy spiced veggie broth), but u can also use water! *treated my sick self to organic pork belly, rosemary & red wine sausage from my local butcher shop - amazing and filled with good stuff! use whatever tho!! *for herbs & spices, assume 2 thumb-sized pinches unless noted! Ingredients // spices: black peppercorns (x2), 1 bird’s eye chili, coriander, rosemary, 2 cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, 1 bay leaf, salt

-garlic, 5-10 cloves (rough chop)      -kale, 1 bunch (cut into rough ribbons)

-yellow onion, 2 medium (rough chop)  -leeks, 2 stems (cut into thin circles)

-brother, preferably homemade, or water (8 cups or more for brothier soup)

-1 lemon, zest and juice    -sausage, preferably local, ~1lb

Recipe // around one hour of kitchen + simmer time

*grind spices and add to large soup pot with a good amount of olive oil, a bay leaf, and the zest of a lemon. sauté on medium

*add garlic and onions, cook until translucent

*tear sausage into 1inch pieces and brown in pan. add a lil cider vinegar and the lemon juice, scrape up all the bits!! add salt!

*add leeks + kale, stir and cook until bright green, about 5 minutes. do you have enough salt? good question to consider here

*add broth or water (or a combination of both!). bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer for at least 25 minutes. 

*enjoy :-)

my body and my spirit deserve nourishing, warm, and lovingly made foods. food is not my enemy, it is my friend and tool to connecting with the world around me. food brings magic into my life. to create and share food is a divine act.

[sacredspiral]

welcoming my new chevron amethyst home with a palo santo (Bursera graveolens) smoke cleansing and a spell jar of river water, jasmine flowers, lavender buds, & russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia) to facilitate our divine energy 🌿🕯️🌙

[sacredspiral]

welcoming the night 🌘🕯️🌿

[sacredspiral]

Hollywood Cemetery - Richmond, VA. I have some time off from work this week and am being intentional about spending it in ritual, in prayer, confronting my shadow, connecting with the land around me. Today I felt drawn to one of our local cemeteries, famous for having many early presidents and confederate soldiers/generals among its dead. I asked for permission before sitting on a mossy bench under a magnolia tree, felt a breeze carry pieces of my hair and sat in solemn observance. I thought about how I probably have relatives buried here, confederate soldiers and sympathizers who fought to protect slavery and other institutions of white supremacy. 

With my feet rooted into the ground and my eyes on the James River on the horizon I declared “What started with my ancestors ends with me,” a declaration against the white supremacy, colonialism, and imperialism that runs through my blood and plagues our world to this day. I welcomed in abolitionist ancestors and guides - blood and otherwise - who can help guide me through the work to a liberated future. When I went to draw a card, X of Cups came through. Liberation will come through new families and ways of connecting, where emotional openness and unconditional love reign. For queer folks who have long been creating chosen families, we know the possibility and we have the foundation. We have been given all the tools, now let’s dig in.

[voiceofnature]

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yuletide blessings, y’all! i am practicing deep listening as we move through the potent solstice portal today. sitting with my altar finishing and blessing the rabbit foot talismans i’m creating for friends. working to utilize and honor all parts of the animals we kill for food here on the farm is a crucial part of my practice. like the medicine of Mushroom, it has taken me so deeply into the life/death/rebirth cycle. charging these sacred psilocybe cubensis mushrooms today is truly nourishing my heart. much to process - wanted to share a bit with all of you and send out a loving energy on this holy day. 

[sacredspiral]

i truly think soup is a witch’s best friend! it’s eclectic ‘n frugal, makes lots to be shared, and always yearning for herbs + spices. below is my go-to cheddar and cauliflower recipe, perfect for late autumn (and soothing your witchy spirit)🌘🍂 

🍃 INGREDIENTS //  fills ~15 medium bowls

*herbs n spices (below)  *1 head o’ cauliflower 

*1 large onion  *2 large carrots  *1 large russet potato (peeled) 

*1/4c half-n-half (or substitute^)   *2c shredded cheddar cheese^

🍂 HERBS ‘N SPICES // my general correspondences attached, i infuse my intentions into my food along the way ~ make this recipe a sacred ritual for yourself!

*garlic, 5 cloves - divine protection, strength, power

*black peppercorns, generous - protects from negative energy, uncrossing

*cumin seed, large pinch - drives out negative energy, closeness, offering

*dried red chili, to taste but i use 2 bird’s eye chilis or several dashes of chili flake - passion, realization, cleansing

*salt, generous -  lol everything, prosperity, protection, cleansing

*turmeric, several heavy dashes - abundance, menstrual relief, warmth

*dill, two heavy dashes - clarity, good fortunate, growth

*caraway seeds, garnish - memory work, retention, expression

🍃 RECIPE //

-chop vegetables, reserving 2 cups of cauliflower florets to roast in olive oil at 400°F ‘til crisp

-toast cumin seed, garlic, pepper + chili in soup pot then add veggies w/ generous salt and fill with broth (i make homemade veggie broth every week, click for recipe) or water or both until veggies are ¾ covered

-bring to a boil then simmer until soft (~25 minutes) 

-blend ingredients until smooth. stir in cream, cheese, turmeric, and dill

-enjoy with crispy cauliflower + caraway seeds! 

[sacredspiral]

death and rebirth ritual under the Full moon in Libra, just a few hours after the vernal equinox -- we have been pushed through a birth canal, we have arrived. changed. stilbite, shells, and selenite cleansing my deck (i am starting Lindsay’s Mack tarot class today!) -- I have been in deep contraction for quite some time, but I am bowing to it and sitting in the dis(comfort) of suspension. 

[sacredspiral]

your icon is so cute!!! you look so happy and your haircut suits you well :)

i’m blushing!!! thank you <3 shaving my head was an vulnerable act of self-love, fat queer defiance, and ego shedding. i am growing back out with every strand! 

[sacredspiral]

wordly struggles have kept me very anxious and off-center lately, but this Virgo full moon (home to my natal Mars) has really brought me back to myself. today’s  full moon is the light of The Hermit (IX), Virgo’s ruling card. like The Hermit i am gazing upon my lantern, the light of my soul’s knowing even when it’s hard to trust my path. Virgo is a mutable sign and it opposes the sun in Pisces - another mutable sign. these signs begin seasons, transition us from one distinct time of year to another. may we be flexible and gentle with ourselves as this moon births us into Spring - but relentless in our commitment to healing, justice and cleansing that which no longer serves us.

“mutable af as in—back to your surrender and acceptance practices this moon. back to reveling in all that you do not know. back to wonder practices and mystery practices. back to deep compassion for yourself and others in our collective not knowing.“ -naimonu james

[bodaciousbanshee-deactivated202]

The reason why seasoned witches and occultists encourage people to do their own research is because it develops the critical thinking skills and willpower necessary to actually interact with spirits without getting yourself fucked up.

[tieras]

All. Of. This.

[mossful]

fungi illustration by Beatrix Potter