She Is The Lover Of All Things That Grow In The Earth, And All Their Countless Forms She Holds In Her

“She is the lover of all things that grow in the earth, and all their countless forms she holds in her mind, from the trees like towers in forests long ago to the moss upon stones or the small and secret things in the mould. In reverence Yavanna is next to Varda among the Queens of the Valar. In the form of a woman she is tall, and robed in green; but at times she takes other shapes. Some there are who have seen her standing like a tree under heaven, crowned with the Sun.”

- J.R.R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion

Here’s to the Witches

Here’s to the Witches with messy altars.

To the sisters that have cats with ragged ears and missing legs.

Here’s to the brothers with the altars all dripping wax and smothered in incense ash.

To the siblings with athames of stone and Books of Shadow smudged with coffee and last week’s breakfast.

Here’s to spells written in a rush but with love and care behind them.

To spells that don’t rhyme or really make sense when spoken but call storms to the sky.

Here’s to the Witches who sit Sundays in the pews and sing out the praise of the Risen God.

To the Witches who stand sky clad under the moonlight and pray by fire to the old Gods of Before.

Here’s to the Witches who learn when they are children, how to read the cards and the signs of the stars.

To the Witches who don’t learn until silver touches their hair how to cast the runes and the bones to sense a fair wind.

Here’s to the Children of the Witches they could not Burn.

To the Witches who snuck into the night with their books and wands and herbs clutched close to their chests.

Here’s to the Witches who flaunted their Spirit Boards in their sitting rooms and their crystals in their kitchens.

Here’s to the Witches.

Im a bit late in posting this, but when I was celebrating Beltane I did the tarot spread @wortsandcunning posted and it was really wonderful! I thought I'd share some photos of the spread and how I like to journal my tarot readings. This spread was actually really helpful and inspirational for me (that and I want to show off how nice my book of mirrors looks hehe) Happy (late) Beltane to all!

Herbal Book List

I was recently asked  about what are some good books and other places for a beginner to start to learn about herbs, herbal medicine and wild foods.  This is my short list. Some of the books I have read and some are on my own “to read” list.  All of them are supposed to be very good.  

Some good Beginner books on herbs for health are:

-Rosemary Gladstar’s Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner’s Guide

-Rosemary Gladstar’s Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health

Some more advanced books on herbs for health are:

-The Male Herbal by James Green

-The Herbal Medicine-Maker’s Handbook: A Home Manual by James Green

-Herbal Medicine From the Heart of the Earth by Sharol Marie Tilgner

- Common Herbs for Natural Health by Juliette de Baïracli Levy

- Medical Herbalism by David Hoffmann

-Healing Wise by Susun Weed

-The Practice of Traditional Western Herbalism: Basic Doctrine, Energetics, and Classification by Matthew Wood

-The Book of Herbal Wisdom: Using Plants as Medicines by Matthew Wood

-Way of Herbs by Michael Tierra

-Way of Ayurvedic Herbs by Karta Purkh Singh Khalsa and Michael Tierra

-Making Plant Medicine by Richo Chech

Books on Wild Foods

- Wild Foods Field Guide and Cookbook by Billy Joe Tatum

-The Wild Food Cookbook by Roger Phillips (I don’t like this one as much as I like the book by Billy Joe Tatum but it does have some good info)

Books on growing herbs for food and medicine

- How to Move Like a Gardener by Deb Soule

-The organic Medicinal Herb Farmer by Jeff Carpenter with Melanie Carpenter

-Growing 101 Herbs that Heal by Tammi Hartung

-Botany in a Day by Thomas J. Elpel Herbal field guide to plant families of North America

Other

-The Essential Herbal magazine

- Eat the Weeds web site

-ONLINE HERBAL MEDICINE MAKING COURSE by the Chestnut School

of Herbal Medicine

-Local plant walks or herb schools

How to Read Tea Leaves

Make a cup of tea

Choose a white or light colored teacup.

Almost any leaf tea will do nicely. My personal preference is Earl Grey. If avoiding caffeine, you might even choose an herbal variety. The herbal options are delicious: jasmine, peppermint, chamomile… the list goes on and on.  If you do not mind the tiny floating bits, you can open a tea bag and sprinkle the tea into a cup of hot water. A middle eastern option is to sprinkle coffee grounds into a cup of coffee.

Steep your tea and quiet your mind

Steeping time is a personal preference. Green and black teas are usually ready in a minute or two, while herbal teas may take longer.

This is a time to quiet your mind and relax. What you are about to exercise is your mental creativity. Pattern recognition and symbol recollection will require focus and concentration. Distracting conversation, music or activity will detract from your experience. As in beginning meditation, attempt to empty your mind of all thoughts.

Sip tea while you find your focus

Once your tea is cool enough, begin sipping.

Leaves may be floating, so do the best you can to avoid consuming too many. If you are right-handed, lift your cup with your left. If left-handed, drink with your right. If ambidextrous, reach for your cup, stop, and then use the other hand.

Now that you are quiet and relaxed, identify the issue foremost in your mind. In meditation practice, one attempts to empty the mind - blocking out all thoughts. As you attempt to think of nothing in particular, is there a stubborn thought that keeps returning to your attention? If so, that is the subject of this reading. Focus on that thought.

If nothing in particular comes to mind, then this will be a general tea leaf reading. Focus on your breath and the taste of the tea.

Leave a small amount of tea at the bottom of your cup.

Swirl three times and dump

Hold your nearly empty teacup in your hand and give it three good swirls.

The tea leaves will disperse around the interior of cup. Gently dump out the remaining liquid by turning your teacup over into a saucer.

Wait at least three breaths before turning your cup back over. You are ready to begin reading your tea leaves!

Identify symbols and jot them down

Tea leaf reading is a highly personal and subjective process.

Because abstract pattern recognition keys into our subconscious, self analysis produces the most relevant reading. One person may see an egg, while another sees a beetle in the same spot. We are most likely to recognize symbols having a bearing on or connection with the matter at hand. Therefore, you are the most qualified person to read your own tea leaves.

If your cup has a handle, begin there and read clockwise. If your cup has no handle, begin reading from 12 o'clock.

Make a notation of the first symbol you see.

Mentally divide the cup into three sections: rim, middle and base.

The rim area is above the tea level when you first poured your tea. The base is the level of tea left before you dumped out the remainder. The middle section is the area between the rim and bottom.

Note where the symbol is located and if it is next to another symbol. Note whether you see bubbles, twigs or droplets in your cup. Work with quiet concentration and take your time.

Create your tea leaf reading

Translating symbols into meaning is just as personal and subjective as their identification. Individual language, cultural exposure, experience, knowledge and mental state contribute to interpretation of symbols.

The first symbol you saw represents your dominant character or someone near or influential. Symbols in the rim section apply to this moment in time. The middle section represents the near future - usually no longer than a fortnight. Both the rim and middle section represent influences in your outcome. The base of your cup represents the ultimate answer or conclusion.

Make it yourself tangy orange powder - Just one ingredient, oranges…RECIPE