Mars
Pesto Pasta Salad
Submitted by kitchenwitch on Fri, 06/05/2009 - 13:42.2 cups basil leaves, destemmed and cleaned
1 cup parsley
2 tomatoes or 20 cherryi tomatoes
1 red onion
Olive oil
1 pkg pasta of choice (Something fancier than elbows, but about the same size is good)
1/2 cup pine nuts
2 tbsp grated parmesan
1 tsp capers or olives
1. Boil the pasta, drain and cool
2. Chop the basil very fine. Chop up half the pine nuts fine as well. Combine these with the parmesan and add enough olive oil to get the right consistency.
Basil is great for soothing raw emotions and helping to calm tempers. Parsley is about rebirth. Tomatoes also help dispel negative energy and encourage tender feelings. Capers promote lustful feelings so you can make up properly. Their energy is more masculine than olives which are more associated with peace. Pine nuts bring longevity into the situation so you have a dish whose energy promotes reconciliation and new beginnings aimed at long lasting peaceful relationships.
You can used a prepared canned pesto sauce. Omit olive oil, basil, 2 tbsp parmesan and 1/4 cup pine nuts. Read the ingredients though if you're a vegetarian, just in case.
If you're vegan, you can omit the parmesan without sacrificing much in the way of taste. You may want to adjust the seasonings and add a bit of salt. If you're not, you could add cubes of cooked chicken breast.
Stinging Nettle
Submitted by kitchenwitch on Fri, 01/30/2009 - 12:08.Urtica dioica
Stinging nettle is a common weed found in moist shady places in Europe, Asia and North America. They are perennial, growing up to 4 feet tall in the summer and dying back in the winter.
Plant nettles six to twelve inches apart in moist, rich soil that gets some shade. They will grow like a weed and spread out like crazy. They do grow well in a pot. If grown in the garden they should be surrounded by an underground barrier to prevent them taking over. Stinging nettles are best grown in their own patch.
Cut nettles back after they flower but before they seed so they don't spread out of control.
Stinging nettle is mentioned in the Nine Herbs Charm. It has been used in Europe for centuries as food in early spring when other sources of food were scarce, as a nutritive spring tonic and to build the strength and milk production of pregnant and lactating women and livestock and as medicine for various conditions. Hippocrates recorded 61 medicinal uses of the plant in the fourth and fifth centuries BCE.
Nettle was once widely used for its stem fibres which were retted and spun like flax. In Denmark, burial shrouds made of the resulting cloth have been found dating back 5000 years or more. Native Americans used the fibre for making fishing nets and for cordage.
Nettle leaves produce a green dye which was used in war time Europe the make camouflage and is used to this day in Germany to keep canned vegetables looking a healthy green.
Make sure you wear thick gloves and long sleeves and jeans when harvesting nettle. Their stingers can pierce through thin fabric. Pluck young nettle leaves in the spring and dry or steam and then freeze to store. Cooking or drying will destroy the sting. Do not harvest or eat later season leaves because they will starti to get tough and grainy. The grainy bits are said to cause urinary issues.
Cut the stalks to the ground in the autumn, strip off the leaves (and add them to your compost bin make a nettle tea fertilizer for your plants) and lay flat to dry. Once dried, the stalks can be broken up to retrieve the long fibers for handspinning or shredded to make paper.
If you wait till after the first frost to harvest your nettle for fiber, you will find them much less stingy.
The long soft fibers from stinging nettle can be spun into thread or yarn and woven into fabric that is said to be as strong as hemp and as soft as cotton.
The stalks can be shredded and made into paper.
Cut and dry nettles to add to winter fodder for horses, cattle, goats, pigs and sheep.
Nettle leaves make a lovely green dye. Add and iron mordant and the dye turns black, copper produces a lovely grey-green (like for camouflage). The roots can be boiled with alum for a nice yellow dye.
Nettle is male in action and associated with the sign of Scorpio (some say Ares) and the planet Mars and element of Fire.
Nettle can be burned to drive out negativity or unwanted spirits. It can also be used in protection bags, our ground into powder and used in spells to break curses.
Stinging nettle tea is a great spring tonic and a good addition to the diet of anyone recovering from a long illness or who has chronic weakness, fatigue or anemia. Steep the dry or fresh leaves in boiled water for 10 minutes and strain. The steeping process will destroy the steam and what you have left is a delicious and nutritious green broth. It is also a great internal cleanser, useful for urinary tract problems and inflammatory conditions and is said to be helpful to and protective of the prostate.
Freeze dried nettle tablets are useful for hayfever. Freeze drying retains the sting chemicals which are helpful with allergic conditions.
Nettle tea, steamed nettles and other preparations containing nettle may be given to pregnant and lactating women and animals to keep them strong and healthy and to increase milk production.
A traditional remedy for rheumatism calls for smacking the affected area with fresh nettles, sting and all to relieve pain and inflammation.
Nettle leaves make a fabulous tea or soup stock.
Steamed nettles are a great side dish all their own. Try topping with vinegar, sesame seeds and sesame oil or almondi slivers. Add them to any recipe calling for spinach or greens.
Nettles are high in protein, vitamin C & A and Iron
Extra Hot Chocolate
Submitted by kitchenwitch on Sat, 12/06/2008 - 10:56.Per serving you need-
1 cup of milk
a dash cayenne pepper powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp Cocoa
1 tsbsp powdered milk
1 drop vanillai extract
Combine all dried ingredients and mix well. Warm the milk in a sauce pan, stirring constantly. Do not allow it to boil!
I have heard this called Mexican and Aztec hot chocolate, though I'm not sure that's accurate. Either way, it warms you to the toes and keeps you warm much longer than other folks's cocoa and it's got a greater depth of flavor. It's also not very sweet so you might want to provide your guests with a sugar bowl.
For some, chocolate is a traditional Day of the Dead offering and this makes a great libation during Samhain and Rites of Passing. For others, this beverage combines the energies of Ares and Aphrodite and that means passion- like Beltane. But it might be too hot.
This beverage is warming in more ways than one. It's a playful blend of male and female energies that will get your circulation going and may spark a bit of lust while it's at it. Be prepared for the release of some very playful energies when you prepare this beverage; Perfect for snuggling on a cold winter's night.
But this isn't an adult's only beverage; kids love it too and t's great for a sledding break.
Just add some cinnamon, ceyenne and vanillai to some instant hot cocoa for a quick treat.
Carrot Cake
Submitted by kitchenwitch on Mon, 07/28/2008 - 14:59.1-3/4 cup sugar
1-1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
2-1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
3 cups shredded carrotsi (5 to 6 medium)
1-1/2 cups chopped walnuts
Cream Cheese Frosting
One 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
5 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon vanillai
Heat oven to 300 degrees. In mixer bowl, combine sugar, oil, and eggs; beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir together flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon.
This is my favorite birthday cake. Since my birthday is on Midsummer, I associate this cake with that holiday too. But its warmth and heartiness lends itself well to cooler weather and harvest celebrations as well.
This cake has energy related to prosperity, fertility and lust and is particularly aligned to the sort of sweet, devoted love of an idealistic young couple eager to starti a new family making it great for a wedding cake. That also makes it appropriate for your Heiros Gamos (or Sacred Marriage) on whatever holiday it happens to fall on.
Spiced Milk with Honey
Submitted by kitchenwitch on Mon, 07/28/2008 - 11:36.1 quart milk
1 tablespoon honey
4 cardamom pods
4 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
Tie up all the spices in a cheesecloth square, or, if you don't have one you can just put them right in the pan and strain the milk before serving. Combine spices, milk and honey in a saucepan.
This is marvelous before bedtime after a long hard day playing in the snow. It warms the heart and soul, as well as the body and casts a sleepy spelli. It's marvelous for topping off the Imbolc festivities just before sending the little ones off to dreamland. Its energies promote familial love, strong bonds and a feeling of being nurtured and loved.
Dandelion Punch
Submitted by kitchenwitch on Mon, 07/28/2008 - 09:28.If you're serving dandelioni wine for your Midsummer gathering, be sure to also serve dandelion punch for the kids and those of us that don't drink!
3 cups dandelion flowers, rinsed and separated
1 gallon orangei juice
juice of 1 lemoni
1/4 cup of sugar
Ginger Ale (Vernors is the only popular brand that actually has ginger.)
Warm the orangei juice and lemoni together, then add the dandelions. Add the sugar, stirring constantly until dissolved. Let cool and then refrigerate overnight.
Dandelion punch is a traditional beverage for MayDay and Midsummer gatherings. It has strong solar energy and strong male energy. Drink it at the beginning of a project (or season) to encourage success in your endeavors and to enhance your health and strength as you move toward completion.
To speed things up, have the kids pick your dandelions for you and use pre-squeezed juice. Otherwise, this couldn't be quicker or easier to put together!
PS Make sure you only use yellow dandelioni flowers, not the green bracts or fuzzy bits!
Asparagus
Submitted by kitchenwitch on Wed, 02/20/2008 - 19:05.Asparagus officinalis
Asparagus is a Eurasian member of the lily family (liliaceae) and a fast-growing, long lived perennial. Spears shoot up early in the spring sometimes growing as much as 10 inches in a 24 hour period.
Asparagus is great for permaculture because it can live 15 years or more and keep providing you with tasty spears each spring. It grows best in sandy, alkaline soil in full sun, but it's not picky. It can handle a bit of shade and less than perfect soil too, as long as you fertilize it well.
You can get asparagus crowns at most garden centers. Dig a furrow about 10 inches deep and wide and as long as you want your row to be. Fill the trench about halfway with compost and place your asparagus crowns on top, about 10 inches apart and cover loosely with soil and water. This is best done in the springtime as soon as the danger of frost has past.
You won't get any spears your first year, but the fern-like foliage will still be pretty. Make sure you mulch well every autumn to keep weeds down and a steady stream of nutrients coming. Asparagus is a hungry plant.
The word asparagus comes from the Greek and it refers to any young, tender shoot that can be eaten.
Asparagus was prized by the ancient Greeks over 2500 years ago. It was considered to be a cleansingi and healing herb and used it for many medicinal purposes. The Romans in their turn also prized asparagus and cultivated it (the Greeks wildcrafted it) from the and spread it throughout Europe on their conquests. Emperor Augustus coined the term “velocius quam asparagi conquatur” which means to do something quicker than you can cook asparagus. Similar to our phrase “two shakes of a lambs tail”. So much did the Romans prize asparagus, that in the first century, runners took asparagus from the Tiber River valley to the Alps so that it could be frozen and thus preserved for the Feast of Epicurus
King Louis XIV had asparagus grown in his greenhouses so that he could enjoy it year round, he dubbed asparagus the King of Vegetables. It was also popular in England and other parts of Europe and colonists brought it to America where Native Americans used it for medicine.
Asparagus was considered a phallic symbol banned from girls schools in the 19th century, but Victorian women were taught to detect the scent of this aphrodisiac on their husbands- a sure sign that he was behaving improperly!
Do not harvest your asparagus until it's at least three years old. This allows the plant to have time to build a strong root system.
Your plants will starti sending up shoots shortly after the frost has past and may continue well into June. Cut the shoots near the base when they are about 10 inches long and about as thick as your finger. If they are thinner than a pencil, your plant isn't ready for harvesting yet, or it's gotten tired of being harvested and needs to be let alone. Make sure the heads of the spears are tight and haven't started to feather out. Once they've started to get ferny, it's too late to harvest them.
Asparagus is best eaten fresh, but if you want to save some for later, put it in a glass of water like a bouquet of flowers and store it in the fridge. If you want to save some for a long time later, steam the stalks for about five minutes and then freeze them in a freezer bag.
Asparagus is aligned with Mars and Jupiter and the element of fire. It is also sacred to Zeus.
It is used in lust and fertility spells especially as relates to male stamina and potency.
Asparagus is a good diuretic and is full of nutrients to help build up strength. It is a good food to eat when you are doing a bodily cleansingi, a great "spring tonic" kind of food.
Asparagus is one of the most nutrient dense vegetables you'll find at your grocery store. It is high in folic acid, potassium, fiber, vitamins B6, A, C and thiamin, contain no fat or cholesterol and are low in sodium.
Steam asparagus for five minutes so that it is bright and tender-crisp. Then serve plain or with a butter or cream sauce. It is also excellent in creamy soups or lightly stir fried with other vegetables. My ex husband used to like his asparagus boiled until it was mushy and served with toast and butter and I have to admit, it's good that way. Asparagus is also good raw, with or without dip.
Holly
Submitted by kitchenwitch on Mon, 01/07/2008 - 22:14.Ilex spp
Holly is a broad leaved evergreen tree native to Europe. It is most commonly known for its glossy green foliage and bright red berries.
Holly should be planted in a sheltered area in well-drained, fertile soil. It can tolerate some shade, but the more sun it gets, the thicker the foliage will be. It should be planted in early spring and mulched well around the roots. Do not transplant if you can help it. It doesn't like to be transplanted and when you do it may lose its leaves. If you are patient, it may grow back just fine.
Holly bears male and female flowers on different plants. You will need one of each if you want berries and they should be no more than 100 feet apart.
Fertilizing and pruning should be done in the spring. Keep it moist through the summer months, but do not water in the fall and winter. Do not over water. The roots to not appreciate saturation.
Holly planted from seeds take two years to germinate.
Romans sent boughs of holly and gifts to their friends during Saturnalia.
Druids decorated their homes with holly in the winter to invite nature spirits to shelter there.
An edict of the Church of Bracara once forbid Christians to decorate their homes with holly, as it was a Pagan practice.
One legend says that holly first sprang from the footsteps of Jesus Christ. Its thorns and red berries represent his suffering and blood.
Holy planted near a home is said to repel poison and protect from witchcraft and lightening. The wood has the power to tame animals and the flowers to freeze water.
In NeoPagan lore, the Holly King rules the dark half of the year, often accompanied by a female Ivy figure. Some believe this figure to be the modern image of Santa Clause.
Cut holly as needed. It dries very nicely when hung in a well ventilated area.
Holly wood is hard, and very white. It has a good grain for use in a lathe and makes excellent wands. It takes a stain very well. It should be well dried and seasoned before use to prevent warping.
Holly is masculine in nature and is associated with Mars, or Saturn and the element of fire.
Holly can be used in consecrationi and in spells for material gain, physical revenge, beauty, protection (esp. against lightening), luck and dream magic.
Holly can also be utilized in any rituali relating to death and rebirth, and seasonal mysteries. Because holly burns very hot, it is suitable for any fire festival.
Holly wood makes very good wands which can be used to banishi unwanted entities, and command evoked spirits.
Herbal water made with holly has protective properties.
Planting holly around the house, or decorating the house with holly boughs will protect the household from spells cast by unfriendly witches.
Holly brought into the home at Yule invites the faerie folk to shelter with you in the cold of winter, but these greens must be burned on Imbolc in order to ensure they don't stick around causing trouble all year. But a small branch should be retained and hung outside the house to protect it from lightening.
Holly berries will quickly cause violent vomiting if eaten. The dried, powdered berries can be used as a styptic.
The juice of the fresh leaves is useful for jaundice and in fighting high fevers.
Although birds like holly berries, they are not healthy for humans or pets.
Holly shoots are good winter fodder for cattle.
Holly sticks are good for rabbits to gnaw, having a tonic and appetite stimulating affect.
Teai is made from the leaves of Ilex Paraguayensis, I. Gongonha and I. Theezans. These act as a blood purifier and diuretic.
Hawthorn
Submitted by kitchenwitch on Mon, 01/07/2008 - 21:37.- Albesyne
- Attracts faeries
- Attracts Wildlife
- Belenus
- Beltain
- Beltane
- Bread-and-Cheese Tree
- Cardea
- cardiac tonic
- Craaegus spp.
- death
- Deciduous
- Fairy Bush
- Fertility
- Fire
- Flora
- Gazels
- Hag Thorn
- Hagedorn
- Halves
- Haw
- Hawthorn
- Hazels
- health
- Hedge
- Hedgethorn
- Hymen
- Ladies Meat
- Love
- L’Epine Noble
- Maia
- Mars
- May blossom
- May Bush
- May Flower
- May Tr
- oaths
- Partial Shade
- protection
- Quick
- Quickset
- Thorn
- Tree of Chastity
- White Goddess
- Whitethorn
Craaegus spp.
This is a tree that will grow to a height of 30-40 feet. The fruit is a bright red to dark purple that is enjoyed by many birds.
Hawthorn is a deciduous tree that can grow in most temperate climates. It is tolerant of most soils, but prefers moist, alkaline soils.
The name Crataegus oxyacantha comes from the Greek kratos, “hardness”, oxcux, “sharp” and akantha “thorn”.
In Teutonic lore, hawthorn symbolized death and was used in funeral pyres.
In ancient Greece, married couples were crowned with hawthorn blossoms and the wedding party carried torches of hawthorn. The tree was also associated with Cardea, the Roman Goddess of marriage and Childbirth.
During springtime festivals in England, large Hawthorn boughs were cut and stood up in the ground outside houses. They were called May Bushes and decorated with wildflowers. Although it was permissible to decorate outside with hawthorn blossoms, bringing them into the home would surely bring illness and death.
This tree was considered beloved by fairies who lived within. Cuttingi down a Hawthorn tree is very bad luck!
Harvest the fruit in early autumn and spread out to dry or make into wine or jam.
Flowers can be harvested in May and dried in the sun. Leaves can be harvested any time. Be sure to ask permission and leave an offering.
Collect fallen limbs after storms to use for carving or making wands.
The wood of the hawthorn tree has a fine grain and takes polish well. It can be used for carving and making wands. It produces a very hot fire when burned.
Gods associated with this tree are Belenus, Cardea, the “White Goddess”, Hymen, Maia and Flora.
It is considered masculine, associated with Mars and Fire.
Hawthorn is a sacred tree in many Pagan religions. The blossoms, called May Flowers, are used in spring celebrations. The May Pole is traditionally made of hawthorn or decorated with hawthorn flowers. As the tree is sacred to fairies, one must ask permission before taking the blooms or sprigs and must certainly leave an offering when cutting down a whole tree.
Placed around doors and windows, hawthorn will prevent people from entering your home in an astral state. It will also prevent spirits from entering a place. Planting hawthorn around other trees, or near your home is said to protect them from lightening strikes. Planting it as a hedge around your home will keep out unfriendly spirits. Adding hawthorn to an amuleti will protect you from spirits and harmful magic.
Thorns can be used to mark wax, to write with magical ink, or to fix something for magical purposes.
The phrase “by Oak, Ash and Thorn” referred to Hawthorn (the Thorn part) used in blessing and rituali. These three trees were considered portals to the realm of the fae.
Hawthorn is associated with love, marriage, health, fertility, chastity, protection and death.
The bark of the hawthorn tree can be used as a sedative, anti-spasmodic, diuretic and to help regulate blood pressure. It is used as a heart tonic and for kidney troubles.
The flowers and berries are astringent and can be used for sort throats.
Use a decoction of flowers and leaves to stabilize blood pressure.
A tasty liquor can be made from the berries. Both the blossoms and berries can be made into wine and jellies.
Hawthorn leaves can be eaten and were once referred to as bread-and-cheese.
Ginger
Submitted by kitchenwitch on Mon, 01/07/2008 - 21:09.Zingiber officinale
The ginger root, which is the part that is used, is a twisty, knotted grayish-yellowish rhizome that is somewhat juicy with a pungeant, spicy aroma.
Ginger can't really be grown in the average American back yard, but it can be purchased in the average American grocery store. If you want to try growing it, you'll have to keep your plant indoors. Ginger does not like temperatures below 50 degrees. It also doesn't like full sun. You can grow ginger from the knobby bits off a ginger root. Soak them overnight and set them in a pot just beneath the soil's surface the buds facing up. Water very lightly at first, and then increase water as the plant starts growing. Stop watering in the winter when the plant is dormant.
"Had I but a penny in the world, thou shouldst have it for gingerbread"- Shakespear
Dig up new young sprouts that form around the main plant. Use the tubors you need and replant the rest.
Ginger is energetic and firey and adds power to any magical activity. It is used in spells to "speed things up" or to cause plans to come to fruition quickly. It can also be used in spells to add passion to an existing relationship.
Ginger is a warm, stimulating plant that triggers the immune system and is great for any cold conditions associated with shiverring. Such as low grade fever or walking home from the busstop in the rain.
The most common use for ginger in healing is the treatment of upset stomach. Ginger tea, ginger ale, candy, tablets, and the curiously strong ginger Altoids are often kept on hand for sour stomachs, morning sickness and car sickness. It is also used to help combat nausia associated with chemotherapy. Studies have shown similar results between ginger and over the counter medicines for treating nausea. (These contain sugar and phosphoric acid and coloring, which is pretty much Caffein Free CocaCola. You decide.) People who tend to have sensitive stomachs and indigestion may find relief by developing the habit of drinking a cup of ginger tea after each meal.
Overdoing it, however, can stimulate your stomach too much and lead to indigestion and gassiness, so moderation is advised.
It is also a noted anti-inflammatory agent. Eating ginger candy has helped me with back pain but others have used it for osteoarthritis. I am told you can also apply fresh slices of ginger right to the affected area, but I have not tried this. (Your comments on this are appreciated!)
Ginger has also been rumored to help fight cholesterol (it hasn't helped mine) and to prevent blood clots. Some research also suggests that ginger has cancer fighting properties.
Ginger candy is my favorite method of consumption (you can make this by soaking dried ginger in a sugar syrup and then letting it dry again, or buy it at a specialty shop. I get mine at Trader Joe's.) but some people find the flavour of ginger to be just too strong. It is an acquired taste. Ginger tablets or ginger extract might be better for these folks.
People who are taking blood thinners or who have bleeding disorders should be cautious of possible complications caused by ginger. (None have been reported, they are just theoretically possible.)
Pregnant women shouldn't use huge amounts of ginger for a long period of time (again, theoretically possible complications) but it is safe to use up to 1 gram of ginger a day for morning sickness.
Ginger is a traditional spice in many wintery warm goodies such as gingerbread and apple pie. In these, it is generally used in a dry, powdered form. Fresh ginger is often used in asian stir fries and soups.
Trader Joe's has candied ginger and a fabulous trail mix called Ginger and Mago Go Nuts. Stock up and store some in your glove compartment to do double duty as car sickness and fast food attack preventatives.
The only popular ginger ale that actually contains ginger these days is Vernors. It is, unfortunately, not available everywhere. Ginger ale snobs agree that Jamaican ginger beer is superior to American varieties. You can find these at health food and specialty stores.
