Dog’s Mercury

Mercurialis perennis
Dog’s mercury – fetid-smelling perennial with a round, grooved stem. The roughish, dark green leaves are opposite and ovate with serrated edges. Small greenish flowers grow from the leaf axils, just before the leaves have fully opened, from early to late spring.

Cabbage

Brassica oleracea
The common cabbage is a very familiar garden plant and parts of the plant are widely used as a vegetable all over the world. This plant is a “round” herb which is biennial or perennial, cabbage may reach 8 ft or up to 2.5 m when fully grown. Gray leaves and a thick stem characterize the cabbage, and the herb also bears striking four petaled yellow flowers when it blooms in the spring. The familiar cabbage head is produced during the late summer within the first year of growth, this head of the cabbage results from the greatly enlarged terminal bud, and the head of cabbage is a very common vegetable all over the world.

Benzoin Gum

Styrax benzoin
The plant known as the benzoin gum is a shrub like deciduous tree. The leaves of the benzoin gum are pointed and oval in shape and the plant also gives out clusters of fragrant and bell shaped white flowers when it blooms in the spring.

Imbolg Sabbat Ritual by Rhiana Moonstar

A festival of lights to herald the coming of spring. A popular Imbolc activity is to prepare seed for spring planting. Lay out the altar with your regular altar tools and add these extras: a bowl of earth with a seed of some sort, as many white tapers on the altar as is safe, and seasonal decorations, such as evergreens, sun wheels, or a cup of melted snow. The altar cloth shall be blue, and the altar candles shall be green and white.

Estsanatlehi (woman that changes)

Fertility goddess. Navaho [USA]. Probably regarded as the most powerful deity in the Navaho pantheon, she has powers of endless self-rejuvenation. According to tradition, she was created from a small turquoise image into which life was infused through a ritual of the great gods and she is the sister of the goddess YOLKAI ESTAN. She is also the consort of the sun god TSOHANOAI and the mother of the war god NAYENEZGANI. She is said to live in the west and is benevolent in nature, sending the gentle rains of summer and the warm thawing winds of spring.

Dragon Elements

Air

Air governs the eastern quarter of the circle and of the universe. Its Dragon ruler is Sairys (sayr’-iss). Its colour is pure yellow and is thought to be warm and moist. Positive aspects are: sunrise, spring, incense, wand, bell, clouds, breezes, breath, optimism, joy, intelligence, mental quickness, renewing. Negative associations are: frivolity, gossip fickleness, inattention, bragging, forgetfulnes, windstorms, tornadoes, hurricanes and the like.

Spring Kitchen Witch Class: Lesson One

Kitchen Witch Class

Path of the Kitchen Witch

What is a Kitchen Witch’s Path?
Quite simply, the path of a kitchen is witch is whatever she or he wants it to be. Some Kitchen Witches are Pagan or Wiccan and use the form of a magical household as part of their religious work. Others may solely use magic for magic sake, without any spiritual component to their workings. Others may belong to a mainstream religion and use magic as a part of that, similarly to how Christians may use Tarot cards.

Beltane Sabbat Ritual by Rhiana Moonstar

This Sabbat celebrates the joining of the God and the Goddess. She is now in her Mother aspect, and it is from Her womb that all life will spring. This is yet another fertility Sabbat. The altar and circle should be decorated with flowers. Any white flowers are appropriate, especially those with five petals. The cauldron may be filled with flowers. The altar cloth and candles shall be white. Flower garlands may be worn by the participant. Set out your altar with your usual tools. Include a white ribbon and a red ribbon. Light your incense and the altar candles, and cast the circle. Invoke the God and the Goddess. Kneel before the altar, facing East. Place the ribbons on the pentacle, the end of the white ribbon covering the end of the red one. Speak these words:

The Fool by Charly

Coming to Birth thru the material
Born to the planet thru meat
Open wide gates of the female
I am born cosmic joker.
Pan-God of the universe supreme
Promise of invention reassured
As I, Sun, of the newborn
Come alive from the dark.
King of the unseen, I declare,
Conquerer of the unknown, I do say,
Traveller of the cosmic voyage
I come to be born anew.
I, at the beginning of the journey,
Come full force like a spring
Metal needle standing up
Like a prick of steel
Male protrusion from the universe
Womb of all existence
I come forth, declaring
I AM
Seal of eternity on my lips
I give forth all
Inside to the outside
Macro to the micro
Seal of power
Washed upon the shores
Cosmic universe
Lapping at my feet
Article by Charly

Imbolc (Candlemass)

The first stirrings of Spring        

1-2 August

 

Imbolc translates as “in the belly”. This is one of the most subtle sabbats and the only strictly feminine festival.  It is the ‘quickening’ or stirring, the promise of Spring to come, for life once again begins to stir in the barren and sleeping land.