My hands have been super dry recently, with peeling skin, rough knuckles and have been pretty irritated and sore. I’ve tried loads of hand creams and moisturisers, but nothing has really helped. So, I decided to make something that would help!
I started with a sweet almond oil base (around 200ml), as this type of almond oil is excellent for moisturising and caring for your skin. It is deeply moisturising, whilst being gentle on sensitive skin, and also has regenerative properties. Chinese cultures have been using almond oil as a natural medicine to treat dry skin and scarring since ancient times.
I then added about 50ml of Vitamin E oil, which is found in many commercial moisturisers and can be used to prevent or treat dry, flaking skin. Some research even suggests that vitamin E may promote wound healing. It is also thought that Vitamin E may also alleviate the dryness, itching and flaking associated with eczema, or atopic dermatitis. It also acts as a preservative for the whole mixture, giving it a shelf life of 2-3 months.
I then added about 20 drops of lavender essential oil. Lavender is probably the most popular essential oil when it comes to healing skin conditions, burns and cuts. With its anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antimicrobial and detoxifying benefits, lavender essential oil can help reduce redness, soothe and calm the skin and rapidly heal minor cuts and scrapes, as well as any rashes. It also smells amazing!
I also added about 10 drops of sweet orange essential oil. This fragrant oil can enhance the skin cell rejuvenation, enabling the skin to lock in moisture more effectively. It can also fight off free radicals, to prevent premature skin aging, and promotes cell growth and collagen synthesis.
I then added red rose petals, for two reasons. The first reason is that the natural oils found in roses help to retain the skins moisture, resulting in smooth and soft feeling skin. The sugars in rose petals are also especially beneficial those with sensitive skin, like me. They are additionally a rich source of vitamin C. Secondly, the rose petals can provide a gentle exfoliating action.
Finally, I added coarse pink Himalayan salt for more of an exfoliant action and mixed, until the mixture had the consistency of damp sand, not too loose and oily, but not too dry.
To use, I took a small scoop of the mixture (about the size of a large marble) and just worked it all over my hands and through my fingers, as if I was thoroughly washing them with soap. I did this for a few minutes and rinsed off with tepid water (not too hot as you want to retain some oil to soak into your skin). I patted dry and immediately locked the moisture and goodness in with a collagen rich hand cream.
My hands are healing up so well and are really soft now!
Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) is a plant found throughout Europe and Asia and displays as a spiny, thicket-forming shrub, often found in sand dunes along the coast of England. It is most obvious in autumn, when it is full of bright orange berries.
Sea buckthorn berries are a source of omega-7 fatty acids and an array of vitamins, including beta-carotene, vitamin C and E. Omega-7 helps body cells retain moisture in the mucous membranes. They are also a great support to the immune system and overall wellbeing.
They can also be dried very well to store for future use (I use them dried).
Here’s how to make a sea buckthorn infusion using these steps:
1. Boil 950ml water. It should be very hot, not just warm. 2. Take 12 heaped table spoons of buckthorn berries. 3. Cover with top and leave to brew for 20 minutes. 4. When time is up, add 3-6 table spoons of honey. The quantity of honey you’ll need depends on how sweet the honey is. You may want to put try 3 tbps first, see if the taste is to your liking and, if it’s not sweet enough, add more honey. 5. Strain and enjoy.
I am suffering with a nasty chest infection, my second in 12 months, and I’m feeling really ill with it. I’ve been to the doctors and have been prescribed antibiotics, steroids and an inhaler, but I want to boost my immune system as much as I can at home too.
Therefore I’ve developed this tea today and am brewing up a large batch (enough for about 4 cups worth) to last me throughout the rest of the day and evening.
**Disclaimer: Any medicinal benefits given here are a product of my own research and as such should not be taken over the advice of trained medical professionals. If you are ill, please go and see a doctor. Always make sure that anything you consume is 100% safe. If you are pregnant, consult your doctor or midwife before consuming something you haven’t tried before.**
INGREDIENTS
Fresh peppermint (a few sprigs roughly chopped) – The antioxidants found in mint can fight inflammation in your body and also include compounds, such as terpinene, quercetin, and tocopherols, which have immune-boosting and neuroprotective (the ability for a therapy to prevent neuronal cell death by intervening in and inhibiting the pathogenetic cascade that results in cell dysfunction and eventual death) effects.
Dried elderberries (heaped tablespoon) – The berries (and flowers) of elderberry are packed with antioxidants and vitamins that may boost your immune system. They could also help tame inflammation, lessen stress and help protect your heart, too. Some experts also recommend elderberry to help prevent and ease cold and flu symptoms.
Dried goji berries (heaped tablespoon) – These cheerful red berries contain a number of healthy antioxidants which are known for their immune-boosting qualities and their ability to fight harmful free radicals and inflammation. They also contain large amounts of vitamins A and C, similar to other berries.
Dried echinacea (tablespoon) – Studies suggest that echinacea contains active substances that boost immune function, relieve pain, reduce inflammation and have antiviral and antioxidant effects.
Dried nettle (tablespoon) – The nettle plant contains several immune-boosting compounds, including flavonoids, carotenoids and vitamins A and C. These antioxidants help protect immune cells against damage that can weaken immune function. Research also shows nettle extract strengthens the immune response, encouraging immune cell activity.
Dried rosehips (about 15 halved) – Due to its high levels of antioxidants, rosehip tea may also help to boost your immune system. Please be careful with the seeds, they’re hard as diamonds!!
Cinnamon bark (a couple of pieces broken up) – Studies show that this spice and its antioxidants have potent anti-inflammatory properties and helps your body fight infections and repair tissue damage.
Sliced whole tangerine – The Vitamin C found in tangerines (and other citrus fruits) is a powerful antioxidant. Additionally, tangerines provide potassium and B complex vitamins, namely B1, B6, and B9, or thiamine, pyridoxine, and folate, respectively.
METHOD
Put all the ingredients into a pan, cover with about 5 cups of boiling water and gently simmer for ten minutes. Strain through a sieve and/or a clean towel/muslin and decant to a cup. Sweeten to taste with honey, brown sugar, agave syrup or your sweetener of choice. Drink and enjoy.
I don’t have much luck with outside plants, due to the crap British weather and the local wildlife that gets into our garden. Therefore, I’ve decided that this year I’ll grow lots of things in the conservatory on the back of the house (which is where our dogs Wade and Wilson and have their beds and bowls, as they sleep there at night and eat their meals in there too).
I found some great potted herbs at Costco and some others in Aldi, so here I have three types of thyme, flat leaved parsley, basil, rosemary, sage and oregano.
Today I’ve planted up into compost slices of cherry tomatoes (as the seeds in the tomatoes will germinate once the slice rots down) and some nasturtiums (trailing orange flowers who’s flowers and leaves you can eat). Nasturtiums are also great companion plants (which is the planting of different crops in proximity for any of a number of different reasons, including pest control, pollination, providing habitat for beneficial insects etc) for tomatoes.
I’ve also bought the following seeds from Amazon, so I can plant up peppers (Capsicum), chilies, peas, purple basil, coriander, marjoram, dill, chamomile, cress, lemon balm and chives.
All these plants and herbs will be invaluable to me as a Green (and Kitchen) Witch and I can’t wait to tend to and care for them when they start growing!
I’ve not been sleeping properly, due to one of my chronic conditions flaring, causing me pain and discomfort. However, we have appointments this weekend and plans to go out for the day tomorrow, so I needed a bit of an energy boost!
I had a look what I’ve got in my mini apothecary for energy and revitalisation and decided to make a tea, which can either be drunk hot, or iced, and sweetened with honey (or agave syrup for our vegan friends).
INGREDIENTS
DANDELION – The leaves and root of this plant are known to be used in the herbal medicine of many Cultures, such as Korean, Native American and Arabic, where it is used for energy improvement and general health. Clinical trials have also shown that dandelion may reduce fatigue and promote immune health and different research has suggested that dandelion has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.
Additionally, dandelion is considered to be a good substitute for caffeine and can help alleviate the fatigue that is brought on by the physical pain caused by certain chronic conditions.
ELDERFLOWER – This flower is good for heightening your energy levels and relieving stress. It also acts as a natural detoxification aid and can enhance liver function, by making your body sweat out toxins and eliminate waste. This natural process is very important for helping your body feel renewed and relaxed.
Elderflower also contains Vitamin B6, which helps to reduce tiredness and fatigue and contributes to a healthily functioning metabolism.
PEPPERMINT – Peppermint is a hybrid of spearmint (Mentha spicata) and water mint (Mentha aquatica). Just inhaling the minty fresh aroma of fresh peppermint leaves, or even peppermint essential oil, can help to boost your energy, mood, alertness and even athletic performance.
Several studies have shown that peppermint can reduce fatigue, boost alertness, improve memory and provide additional energy. One study even found that exposure to the aroma of peppermint essential oil could increase alertness and improve memory.
Native to southern Europe, Northern Africa, and western Asia, the grape hyacinth (or Muscari) is a symbol of power and confidence and can also symbolise mystery and creativity.
It has associations with the Greek Earth Goddess Demeter and, as she is known to be the guardian of women, it was often worn as part of a bridal crown.
The Ancient Greeks themselves however, also regarded the grape hyacinth as a flower of death, with many European cultures associating it with remembrance.
It is also the flower of the Olympian sun god Apollo and is a symbol of beauty, peace and commitment, but also of power and pride.
Hyacinths are also often found in Christian churches, as a symbol of happiness and love.
The flower has correspondences of tenderness and softness and is a perfect flower if you want to give flowers to your beloved!
BOTANY
The grape hyacinth is a bulbed flower, which is part of the lily family, and features pretty, purple/blue flowers. Its hollow leaves, which grow only from the base of the plant, resemble onion or garlic, but don’t have the same odor.
USES
The bulbs of the grape hyacinth have been used extensively in cooking and the edible flowers taste like bitter grapes. If you boil them in vinegar (in order to reduce the bitterness), they can be made into very tasty pickles.
The flowers can also be made into an essence, which is said to provide assistance with communication and networking. This essence is also meant to help with feelings exclusion or abandonment, either through crisis or self-defeating behaviors, and can help to address personal crisis, especially when having feelings of despair or feeling like you are out of touch with others.
It’s that time of year when you’ll start seeing (and smelling!) wild garlic popping up in shady and damp woodlands, fields and hedgerows throughout Britain, Ireland and Europe.
If you don’t know what it looks like, it has tiny white flowers and bright green leaves, but it can be quite scarce.
It is commonplace in ancient woods, where it creates a carpet of star shaped white blossoms, instead of the blue flooring of bluebells.
MAGICKAL PROPERTIES
In Witchcraft, wild garlic can be used just like regular garlic and is primarily used for protection, banishing and warding.
It can offer protection from break-ins when kept around the house or utilised in wards. It can also ward against nightmares, if used in sleep charms, and is useful for banishing negativity and unwelcome spirits. By this token, you could probably also use wild garlic to get rid of unwanted mindsets, habits, emotions, etc. Finally, it can protect the user from gossip and psychic attacks, and it can be used in wards of almost any purpose.
Garlic has strong associations with Hecate and the ancient Greeks would place garlic at cross roads as an offering to her.
MEDICINAL PROPERTIES
Wild garlic is useful in treating bronchitis, allergies and asthma, by helping to open the lungs and ease breathing. It is also a healthy antioxidant and has antimicrobial properties. Additionally, it can aid in preventing clots by thinning blood and therefore should be used in moderation, due to these properties.
It can also help to lower cholesterol and blood sugar levels and it’s juice can be applied directly, or in a poultice, to burns.
Please take care, when picking wild garlic, to only remove the leaves. Don’t pull too hard, or you can pull the bulb straight out too, which has the potential to spoil next years crop and contribute to it’s scarcity. As with all foraging, take only what you need and treat the site with care, so you can enjoy it again next year!
Also, don’t pick anything from the side of the road, as there is too much pollution there from cars, or where people regularly walk their dogs, as no one wants pee or poop in their food!!
WILD GARLIC SOUP RECIPE
You’ll need the following ingredients:
• 40 g butter (or veggie/vegan alternative);
• 1 medium onion (chopped);
• 3 medium potatoes (peeled and diced);
• 1.5 ltr vegetable stock;
• 300 g wild garlic leaves (washed and patted dry);
• 100 ml double cream (or veggie/vegan alternative); and
• Salt and pepper.
Method:
Melt the butter over a medium heat, add the onions and saute until soft.
Add the vegetable stock and potatoes to the pan and simmer gently until the potatoes are fully cooked.
Add the wild garlic to the pan and allow to wilt for a couple of minutes.
Use a jug or hand blender (please be careful, as it’ll be boiling hot!) to blend the soup until you have a smooth and silky consistency.
Stir through the cream, season to taste and serve.
Gorse bushes, or Furze, are often seen around Ostara and is another of Mother Nature’s bright and beautiful announcements that Spring is here.
It is a perennial evergreen shrub belonging to the pea family, which forms multi-branched, stunted shrubs, usually no taller than six feet high, but it is still considered to be a tree.
The flowers are deep yellow in colour and have a beautifully aromatic coconut scent and, although the main flowering period is from March to August, flowers can be found on the furze throughout the year.
It’s wickedly sharp thorns and its dense habit make it an excellent hedging plant, which can also be used as a barrier to protect young tree seedlings in coppices from grazing.
Due to it’s thorny nature, it is often viewed as having protective powers. In Wales, gorse bushes are even said to guard against Witches and can protect the home against The Fae, who cannot pass through the hedge.
The bark and flowers of the gorse can be used to produce a yellow dye. In Ireland, the flowers were also used to flavour and add colour to whiskey and they’ve been known to be used to make beer in Denmark. The flowers can also be used to make wine and tea.
Medicinal properties
There was a Bach Flower Remedy (Edward Bach was an English homeopath in the 1930s) called “Greenman Essence of Gorse”, which was said to help to ease frustration, restlessness and anxiety, and also helped to promote emotional security and feelings of joy.
Gorse flowers are high in proteins and can be eaten raw in salads or made into tea, cordial or syrup. They can also add extra flavour and colour to beer, wine or spirits and even ice cream!
The buds can also be pickled in vinegar and eaten like capers.
**CAUTION: Do not ingest to excess, as the plant contains slightly toxic alkaloids, which can have a cumulative impact.**
There are surprisingly few medicinal uses for gorse, although its flowers have historically been used in the treatment of jaundice, scarlet fever, diarrhoea and kidney stones.
Magickal properties
Gorse is known as the ‘herb of love’ and is associated with love, romance and weddings. It is also known to protect against evil, negativity and dark magick.
It can help to restore faith, hope and optimism and enable you to gather your strength. It also attracts gold, so it is very useful in money, wealth and abundance spells.
Gorse Spell
Carve the word “Gorse” into a gold or yellow candle, then face east and light the candle. Then meditate on the light, whilst asking for for protection, money, love or whatever it has to offer that you desire.
With it being the 17th March in a few days, and therefore St. Patrick’s Day, I thought I’d write a little about clover, as it’s synonymous with St. Patrick’s Day and the luck of the Irish.
I know people usually refer to them as shamrocks, but they’re the same thing. A clover must have three leaves to be considered a shamrock. If the clover has more or less, then it is not a shamrock. Hence, all shamrocks are clovers, but not all clovers are shamrocks!!
There are a wide variety of different types of clover, all of which can be used in your magickal workings.
Clover has always been seen as a lucky plant, which is likely due to the religious connotations associated with the trifoliate (three) leaves, which symbolise the Holy Trinity. Due to this, they were often worn for protection and to deflect evil and spells.
On the other hand, four leaved clovers are often associated with the cross and were believed to bring the finder fortune. In some cultures, four-leaf clovers were worn to help a man avoid military service. They have also been used to enhance physic powers and to detect the presence of spirits. Placing a four leaved clover in your shoe is also supposed to increase your chances of meeting a rich new lover.
Two and five-leaved clovers are much less common than four-leaf clovers, but are still thought to possess potent magick.
Finding a two-leaf clover means you shall soon find a lover, whilst a five-leaf clover will bring riches, especially if worn.
In general, clover is believed to repel snakes, literally and figuratively, from your property if grown there.
It also brings general protection, whether worn or placed around the home, and aids in getting over heartbreak.
Furthermore, clover is one of the flowers of the Fae and can aid in your ability to see and work with them, whether sitting and meditating, or riding the hedge with clover attached to you. Clover blossoms can also be placed on your altar to attract the Fae, should you want to…..
White and red clover have some slightly different magickal properties too. White clover helps to break hexes, whilst red clover removes negative spirits, can be used in lust potions and brings prosperity.
Medicinal Uses
Red Clover is commonly used to treat children with skin problems, especially eczema and psoriasis. For adults, it is commonly used as an expectorant to treat coughs and bronchitis. However, it should be noted that red clover contains a hormone-like chemical called isoflavones which have caused reproductive failure and liver disease in cheetahs and sterility in livestock when consumed in large quantities. Furthermore, red clover is a blood thinner. So do not use red clover regularly and avoid if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
RED CLOVER POULTICE
To make a poultice, combine dried red clover flowers with hot water in muslin and place on the affected area for 10-15 minutes. Red clover can also be used externally as a salve.
I went to the supermarket this evening to pick up a few bits and bobs and they had these beautiful tulips on sale for 10p! I thought I could give them a good home and they can be used for my Ostara Altar display too.
My tulips
Tulips usually flower in April and May, but high demand for them for Mother’s Day in mid-March has them forced grown in the Netherlands, in huge fields as far as the eye can see.
Due to the wide variety of colors and shapes, tulips are thought to be one of the first flowers cultivated solely for their beauty.
Many people think tulips originated in The Netherlands, but in actual fact, tulips were first discovered in Turkey around a thousand years ago. There is little history of the tulip in Europe until the early 1500’s, when the Turkish introduced them to European traders and explorers. From then on, tulips spread across Europe, particularly in Holland, where they were prized and later became the National symbol, were associated with good luck and fortune, as well as love, and often cost more than gems and gold.
As far back as 2200 to 1600 B.C. tulip designs can be seen on pottery and have also been found on fabric from the Byzantine century.
Tulips are most commonly referred to as the symbol of perfect love and the Turkish people used them in love potions, or placed them on altars during love spells. They can also be used to increase desire and build relationships, both new and old.
Furthermore, tulips are also used in colour or flower language. Red is a declaration of love, yellow hopeless love, and black meant a heart burning with love.
Stamen and anthers
Apart from their association with love, tulips also project other positive energies such as prosperity and protection.
They were often worn to safeguard against poverty and bad luck and are also sometimes associated with dream work, fame and protection. They can also be used in magick regarding gratitude, simplicity, happiness, beauty, and prosperity.
There are very little medicinal uses for tulips, likely due to their cost throughout much of history. However, a poultice made of tulip flowers can treat and soothe rashes, stings, scratches and minor burns. Tulip oil can also be used as a house freshener or added to baths and massage oils to uplift vibrations.
TULIP POULTICE
• To create a poultice of tulip flowers, you’ll need to warm 2-4 flowers in hot water.
• Place a towel into hot water and put the petals inside the towel.
• Lightly crush the petals and apply them to the affected area.
• Hold in place for 10 minutes using the warm towel.
Petals can also be combined with castor oil, especially for treating burns and insect bites.
A few weeks ago I was feeling really exhausted, unable to concentrate properly and just felt really off. There were a mixture of things causing this, such as being really busy at work and an extra long mercury in retrograde, but mostly it was due to one of my health conditions, which I knew required my medication to be increased.
I have something Hashimotos Disease, which causes an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism). This disease tricks my body into thinking that my thyroid gland is a foreign body and is therefore producing antibodies to slowly destroy it. Your thyroid’s function is to basically control everything in your body, from your heart rate and metabolism, to temperature regulation and stimulating digestion, so you can understand that if that is out of whack, everything goes potty!
I did seek proper medical advice from my General Practitioner and Endocrinologist though, including a full panel of blood’s to check all of my hormone levels. However, due to the current pandemic, and the understandable knock-on effects it’s having on our National Health Service, I couldn’t get a blood test done until a few days ago and I’m still waiting for the results.
Therefore, I thought if there was anything I can do to help myself in the meantime, with natural remedies and a bit of kitchen and green witchcraft, then I would try it!
I’ve did some research on Healthline.com, mindbodygreen.com and mycrystalaura.com.au for information on essential oils, herbs and crystals that can help to energise and uplift me, whilst also supporting my thyroid health.
I decided that making a pulse point roll-on oil, with essential oils and crystals would be the best thing to create, to help boost my mood, enhance my mental clarity and improve my focus, whilst also supporting my thyroid.
Here’s a list of the ingredients I used, along with their properties, health benefits and magickal correspondences.
‼‼REMINDER: Make sure you only use a maximum of two drops of essential oil per 5ml of carrier oil. Also, always check the safety information for allergy advice and any contraindications with prescribed or over the counter medication you may be taking. Many essential oils are also not safe to use when you’re pregnant or breast feeding. It is also highly advisable to do patch test first too!‼‼
• 8ml Coconut Oil (carrier) – As all essential oils are dangerous when used on the skin neat or undiluted, so you MUST use a carrier oil to dilute them, so they can safely be used.
• 1ml Vitamin E Oil – Vitamin E is used as a stabilising agent, which means the pulse point roll-on oil will have a longer shelf life (around 4-6 months).
• 1 drop Therapeutic Grade Lemongrass Essential Oil – Lemongrass Oil helps to relieve stress, anxiety and depression. It is also good for purification, protection, health and cleansing. With regards to cleansing, it has a dual quality of being able to assist you with clearing obstacles standing in your way and is also known for ‘Road Opening’ (something that open paths and roads in magick, so that what you want can be achieved). It is also known to help with changing bad luck to good luck, especially for those who have been affected by negative energies. It can also help to detox your thyroid while maintaining it’s natural lymphatic function.
• 1 drop Therapeutic Grade Peppermint Essential Oil – Peppermint Oil can be used to encourage better mental and physical health. It can also be used for increasing your energy and concentration, bring mental clarity and assists with regeneration and vibrancy. Peppermint oil is known to aid digestion and, if your metabolism is sluggish from an underactive thyroid, you can use it to stimulate your metabolism.
• 1 drop Therapeutic Grade Eucalyptus Essential Oil – Eucalyptus Oil can be used to bring fresh energy to a situation, reduce worries and relieve mental exhaustion. It is also great for improving concentration, balancing and grounding you and for purification.
• 1 drop Therapeutic Grade Frankincense Essential Oil – Frankincense oil is packed with anti-inflammatory, immune-boosting and pain-relieving properties. It is also beneficial in improving skin disorders, which are caused by thyroid imbalances. This essential oil also protects the thyroid gland, by destroying free radicals in the body. Additionally, it also promotes good cellular health.
• Aquamarine crystal chip – This crystal works as an effective regulator and balancer for the thyroid.
• Citrine crystal chip – This crystal is excellent for energising and recharging, in addition to balancing the thyroid and fortifying the nerves.
• Lapis Lazuli crystal chip – This crystal harmonises the thyroid and has been popular with healers for centuries. It also overcomes depression and helps to alleviate insomnia.
I placed the crystals into the blue glass roller-ball bottle first, reminding myself of each of their properties. I then added the coconut carrier oil and the Vitamin E stabilising oil. Lastly, I put one drop of each of the essential oils, again reminding myself of each ones properties and purpose as I added them. I lastly put in the roller-ball and popped on the lid and gave it a good shake to mix everything up, whilst imbuing it with my intention for it to help energise me and help to support my thyroid gland.
My husband struggles with his stomach and from pretty savage heartburn, so I’ve been trying to devise a way to create something that will settle his stomach, but that won’t irritate his throat or trigger his heartburn.
I researched some of the herbs and spices I already had and found that juniper berries (Juniperus communis) can be used for digestion problems, including an upset stomach, intestinal gas (flatulence), heartburn, bloating and loss of appetite. They are also said to have antimicrobial, antibacterial and antifungal properties, in addition to being helpful for coughs, congestion and may have antidiabetic properties.
In addition to this, I have fresh peppermint growing (with a ton of other plants and herbs!) on my kitchen windowsill. Peppermint is also known to relieve digestive symptoms, such as gas, bloating and indigestion. It is also thought to fight bacterial infections.
**Please note, juniper berries can have a diuretic effect (need to pee more often) and should be avoided during pregnancy, lactation and by persons suffering with kidney stones or other kidney disorders. Please also ensure that neither juniper berries, nor peppermint, present any contradictions with any medication you may be currently taking, or that you are allergic to either of them**.
Juniper Berry and Peppermint Tea Ingredients
✧ 1/2 tsp of dried juniper berries (Juniperus communis) ✧ 8-10 good sized peppermint leaves ✧ 2 cups of boiling water ✧ Honey to taste
Method
Place the juniper berries, peppermint leaves and water in a pan of boiling water and simmer for around 10 minutes. Carefully strain through a fine sieve, pour into a cup and sweeten with honey to taste.
**WARNING – Please do not use essential oils if pregnant or breast feeding, as they can be very harmful. Also, please ensure any ingredients do not have any contraindications with medication you are using, or that you are not allergic to any of the ingredients. Thank you!**
A few months back, I was struggling to sleep, due to some of my medical conditions flaring up and causing me pain. Despite the herbal tea (Sleepy Tea Blog) and bath salts (Bath Salts Blog) I make and use, I needed something a bit more powerful to add to my bedtime arsenal. Therefore, I decided to make a herbal sleep sachet for inside my pillow.
I do a lot of crafts and have drawers full of bits and bobs, including some cute Disney fat quarters (I found these in Aldi a few years ago). I chose a nice pattern and cut it to the size I needed and hand sewed it, inside out, along two sides, with one side left open and a flap to tuck in. Once sewn, I then turned it inside out again, so that it was the right way round and the two sewn sides were now on the inside.
I put the following dried herbs into a bowl:
• 2 chamomile teabags (opened and emptied, but you could use loose, dried chamomile flowers) – for it’s mild tranquillising effect and sleep inducing properties; • 1 piece of star anise – to repel nightmares (use sparingly); • 2 teaspoons of catnip – for increasing restful sleep; • 2 teaspoons of lemon balm – for it’s ability to reduce anxiety and insomnia, in addition to relieving stress; • 2 teaspoons of jasmine flowers – to reduce stress and anxiety, help with symptoms of depression and to help get a good night’s sleep; • 2 teaspoons of mugwort – for pleasant dreams and to help fall back to sleep if awoken (I do this a lot, so need something to help me fall back to sleep again); • 2 teaspoons of rose petals (mine were pinky red, but you could use any colour) – for loving and peaceful thoughts and dreams; and • 2 teaspoons of Lavender – for it’s anxiolytic (anxiety relieving) properties and as a sedative, to increase relaxation and calm, and help for bringing about sleep.
I then put 8-10 drops of each of the following essential oils into the dried herbs and stirred deosil (clockwise), imbuing the mixture with my intent for peaceful, relaxing and restorative sleep.
• Frankincense – for it’s aromatherapeutic benefits, which help relieve stress and promote relaxation; • Clary sage – for it’s natural sedative properties, which can provide a calming effect to help fall and stay asleep. It is also known to reduce the levels of hormones associated with stress, such as cortisol, which helps your body prepare for a good night’s rest; and • Bergamot – for it’s calming effect and ability to induce physiological changes that precede sleep, such as lowering heart rate and blood pressure.
I also wanted to include some crystals in my sachet that are associated with sleep, so I looked into the properties and correspondences of various crystals and chose the following.
• Amethyst – this crystal helps with sleep by blocking stress and negative energies. It is especially helpful when insomnia is caused by stress and over thinking. It also protects against nightmares; • Rose quartz – this crystal is helpful as it is the stone of unconditional love and peace. It can remove negative energy and replace it with positive vibes and can provide restorative healing and self love; • Moonstone – this crystal has been used for centuries as a sleep stone and can also increase sleep quality. It is also fantastic for calming and stabilising the emotions and promoting a restful sleep; and • Clear quartz – this is the most powerful healing crystal, in addition to being a great energy amplifier and can be used to enhance the energies of other crystals. Therefore, I added it to my sleep sachet to increase and amplify the energies of the amethyst, rose quartz and moonstone.
Once everything is thoroughly mixed, I carefully spooned the mixture into the open end of the sachet, until all the mixture was inside. I then folded in the edges, along with the flap, and sewed it shut.
It’s been in my pillow ever since and if it needs refreshing, I just sprinkle a few drops of each of the essential oils I used onto the material of the sachet. I’ve honestly been sleeping so much better!
I have been fascinated by witchcraft, forteana, the paranormal and cryptozoology (I had a subscription to the Fortean Times from about 11/12 years old onwards) for as long as I can remember (I am 44 now). There’s a bit of paranormal history in my family too, with both my mum and my grandma on my dad’s side having had encounters with Spirits on a couple of occasions. My mum was also once told by a psychic medium that she had latent psychic abilities that she should develop, but she never did as far as I’m aware. I was also one of those kids that had an imaginary friend. Mine was a pony called Poppet and he was with me for years!
Looking back, I think my journey into witchcraft started when I was about 12 or 13. I found some dream books and books on herbs in the loft at my parents house that were my mum’s. I started foraging for the herbs in the books, or finding them in our garden, and made teas, tinctures, soups and condiments, anything I could really. I once made my dad nettle soup, which was truly awful, but, bless him, he ate every drop and pretended to love it! I also persuaded my mum to buy me more herb and natural remedy books from the garden centre too.
I also had what I now realise as being an altar of sorts, from about 13/14 onwards (without actually realising what it was), which was a big shelf above my radiator, over which I painted a big Mandala on the wall with a Yin Yang symbol in the middle.
On this shelf I kept interesting stones, fossils and minerals I’d found, shells and feathers, bits of plants and dried flowers. I also burned incense, had candles and drank herbal teas, sometimes with added herbs from the garden or spices from my mums spice rack. Here I’d make wishes on candles to do well in a test, or to get that boy I liked to notice me, which were in essence my first spells. I’d also write things down on paper and burn them, which I now know is a way of manifesting your desires.
I used shufflemancy with my CDs, and my own version of bibliomancy with my books, to make decisions, long before I found out these were forms of divination. I would also have little fires at the bottom of the garden and just sit out there, watching the moon and stars whilst drinking my tea.
We didn’t have the internet at home when I was younger and the local librarian was loathed to lend me Stephen King books, let alone anything to do with witchcraft or the occult, so I had no choice but to make things up as I went along. Even at university there was limited access to the internet! It’s so much easier nowadays for people to do research, watch videos and join online groups and communities to learn about witchcraft. I wish there’d have been something like that when I was younger.
It’s only really been since my mid 30’s that I realised the things I’ve been intuitively doing since I was a young teen could be classed as witchcraft. I just didn’t realise, because these things just came naturally to me. As I’ve got older, the pull towards properly learning and researching has become stronger and our house has become more cluttered with stones, feathers, shells and dried flowers I’ve found, in addition to crystals.
Over the years I’ve read so much more into it and got so invested in the idea and history of witchcraft, that to NOT develop it was becoming impossible to resist!! So here I am! I’ve only recently started to refer to myself as a Witch, or even been comfortable in telling people about it.
However, I found a few communities for Witchcraft online and became an active member, writing blogs and articles on things I’d researched, or spells/rituals I’d developed/undertaken and hosted/co-hosted chats on crystals, nature, kitchen witchery and candle magick etc. I also found out, through helping and advising the younger or more inexperienced members of these communities, that I knew a lot more about witchcraft than I realised.
For me, the next logical step was setting up this website, and associated social media, as a way of recording what I know and have done and to help others starting out in their journeys into witchcraft
One of my favourite bath salt blends to make is this one, for helping to relax, unwind, de-stress and sleep. I always have some made up on hand at all times, stored in a recycled gherkin jar (washed out, obviously!), so it’s there ready if I need to use it. I also try and make it well enough in advance to give the ingredients time to meld together and infuse.
These sleepy salts really help me to relax and unwind and, combined with some sleepy tea that I make (Sleepy Tea Recipe), along with playing rainstorm or crashing wave sounds through Alexa in our bedroom, or guided meditation through my headphones, I am guaranteed a full nights sleep.
Here’s the ingredients I used:
• Himalayan pink salt for cleansing, centering and grounding;
• Dried jasmine flowers for their sedative effects and use for reducing anxiety and depression;
• 6-8 drops of ylang ylang essential oil to boost my mood, alleviate anxiety and reduce depression;
• 6-8 drops of rose essential oil for also relieving anxiety and stress; and
• 6-8 drops of patchouli essential oil to relieve depression, provide feelings of relaxation and helping to ease stress or anxiety.
I first put the salt into the jar. I then added each essential oils, 2-3 drops at a time, putting the lid on and shaking to mix well in between each addition. Each time I shook it I thought of my intention for this to help me destress, not be as anxious and to try and relax more, whilst soaking in a bath containing a handful.
The last thing I added was the dried jasmine and gave it a final shake.
It smells divine and the other thing about it that soothes me, is that it smells of my mum’s favourite perfume. I lost my mum very suddenly and quite traumatically in 2016. It took me a long time to get over that. This smell reminds me of her, and how wonderful and loving she was, and makes me feel connected to her. The label at the bottom of the jar has her initials as I’ve dedicated this blend to her.
When my husband or I struggle to sleep, I make us both this ‘sleepy tea’ and it works really well (with the added bonus of vivid dreams and occasional lucid dreaming!). I know most people have their own version of this, but here’s the recipe I use.
The ingredients are as follows:
🚫 Please check that you aren’t allergic to any ingredients, that they’re safe to take whilst pregnant or breast feeding or there aren’t any contraindications with medication you are prescribed or taking over the counter. 🚫
• Dried mugwort to relieve sleeplessness and induce vivid dreams (do NOT use if you are pregnant); • Dried lemon balm to improve sleep quality; • Dried chamomile to induce/initiate sleep (you can use chamomile teabags); and • Dried Yarrow for it’s mild sedative properties.
I add one teaspoon of each herb per person, boiled up in just over two mugs worth of water (as some water will steam off) in a pan for 5/6 minutes.
Stirring clockwise occasionally, imbued with your intent for a good nights sleep. I often combine this with a spray I created, made from a around 200ml moon water and 10-12 drops of lavender essential oil, sprayed on our pillows and the tops of our duvet, 10-15 minutes before bed.
Drain and strain the herby liquid mixture through muslin (or a clean tea towel, even kitchen roll) in a fine sieve and squeeze the pulp in the muslin to get every drop of lovely liquid out. Sweeten with honey (or sweetening of your choice) to taste.
Drink around half an hour before bed and you’ll have a great nights sleep and some pretty awesome dreams!!
I’ve always, right from being a toddler, been fascinated by the sea and my absolute most favourite place on Earth to be is on a beach or in the ocean. I love the sea so much, that I have got two coastal/marine related degrees/qualifications and have worked for the past 21 years protecting and enhancing the environment of multiple areas along the UK’s coast.
Kelp beds at Cullercoats Bay, North Shields, England, taken whilst on marine biology field work with Newcastle University
If you’re lucky enough to live by the ocean, or can travel to one without much difficulty, there’s a plethora of items and treasures you can forage to use within your craft.
One of my coastal defence schemes at St. Annes, England
Whenever I do go foraging on the coast, I usually take an empty rubbish bag with me to pick up and take home any rubbish I find, as my way of giving thanks for the items I’ve taken.
Gorgeous clean beaches at Bentota, Sri Lanka
Here’s a run down of the various types of treasures you could pick up from a day at the seaside, in addition to their magickal and metaphysical properties.
TYPES OF WATER
• Seawater: Used for health, magickal power and manifestation of goals. An old Welsh belief states that a spoonful of seawater a day will ensure a long and healthy life.
• Beach Water (e.g. from rockpools or beach ponds): Used for rituals, spells, fascinations and meditations.
Beach pond at one of my coastal defence sites in Bispham, Blackpool, UK
• Harbor water: Used to promote abundance and prosperity, in addition to also serving as an aid in banishing things.
SEA GLASS
Sea glass is thought to be a symbol of renewal, relaxation and have healing properties.
Spiritually, our relationship to sea glass shows us that, like sea glass, as it’s been eroded, tumbled and smoothed, we too often have to lose some of our ‘selves’, when we overcome pressures and work through our adversities. We lose our sharp and jagged edges, wash away some of our impurities and our labels peel away. Just like sea glass, we are also often lead on a trajectory or down a road we do not plan, even after we tried our best to stay on course. Often we are thrown away, only to be reshaped by our environment, in order that we may come back more beautiful than ever.
It all depends on how we learn to adjust, cope and adapt, to make the best of the situation we’ve been thrust into and also how we learn to take advantage of opportunities as they present themselves to us.
• Clear sea glass – Can be used for healing, peace, spirituality, purity and sincerity.
• Green sea glass – Useful for abundance, prosperity, hope, growth, emotional stability, helping to navigate through loss/grief and increasing love and compassion. Good for working with panic attacks and addiction.
• Blue sea glass – Can be used in spells and rituals relating to creativity, intuition, inspiration, peace, joy, tranquility, faith in yourself, trusting others and easing loneliness.
• Foggy sea glass – Can be used in curses to interfere with the target’s ability to think clearly.
BEACH STONES AND PEBBLES
Beach stones can be any class of stone that has been touched my the water of oceans, seas or the waves along the coast. They have all been moved around, nurtured, tumbled and tossed by the waves and currents. I don’t know about you guys, but I have a huge affinity for smooth pebbles and have loads dotted all over the house. They make me feel grounded and the tactile nature of them instantly calms me.
A small selection of stones and pebbles I’ve collected over the years
PIECES OF CORAL
Corals are developed through an ancient and unique partnership known as symbiosis. This is a collaboration that benefits both animal and plant alike. Corals are classified as animals, as they do not make their own food, like plants do.
Corals themselves have tiny, tentacle-like, ‘arms’ that they use to capture their food from the water, then they use these arms to sweep the food into their mouths. Most structures that we call “coral” are, in fact, made up of hundreds, to thousands upon thousands, of tiny coral creatures called polyps. Each soft-bodied polyp secretes a hard exoskeleton of limestone (calcium carbonate) that attaches to either rocks in the sea, or the dead skeletons of other polyp colonies.
Corals under UV light at The Deep Aquarium, Hull, England during an evening conference dinner
In the case of stony or hard corals, which you find most often washed up on the shore, these polyp conglomerates grow, die and endlessly repeat this cycle over time, often hundreds, to hundreds of thousands, of years (the Great Barrier Reef is thought to be approximately 500,000 years old!!), slowly laying the limestone foundation for coral reefs and giving shape to the familiar corals that reside there. Because of this cycle of growth, death, and regeneration among individual polyps, many coral colonies can live for a very long time. Corals, as a species, have been around for 500 Million years!
Although coral is not a crystal, it has been used for centuries for its healing properties. Also, since ancient times, coral has been used as a divination tool for casting (similar to runes or bone throwing) and the stone is thought to tap into your intuitive nature to help with psychic and energy work.
SHELLS
Seashells are natural vessels. which can be used for cleansing and make a great carrier for incense. They can be placed on your altar, as a reminder of fun times on holiday or at your local beach, or as a tribute to nature and all her powers.
Limpet shell, carrying barnacles and periwinkles
They can also represent the element of water when casting a circle. As they protect the soft bodied invertebrates they contain, such as molluscs or hermit crabs, they can be used in protection and shielding rituals and spells.
Selection of shells on a wall underwater at Porth Dafarch beach, Anglesey, Wales
SEA SALT
Salt is one of the easiest and most effective remedies on the earth! Sea salt, which is a salt obtained by evaporating seawater, is used for cleansing negative energy and life’s impurities. It can be used to cleanse (salt safe) crystals and be used in a multitude of spells and rituals due to it’s metaphysical properties of and for abundance, manifestation, anchoring and grounding, devotion, spiritual development, hospitality, domestic harmony, purification, spiritual protection, balancing emotions, well being, vitality, and longevity.
FOSSILIZED SHARKS TEETH
As fossilized shark teeth are the remains of predatory animals, they can be used to cause harm through curses and hexes, as they’re seen as an aggressive tool in magick.
Fossilized shark teeth found on beaches in Florida, USA
I recently refreshed the protection on our home and made a protection sachet for my husband to take to work as, after being off work for ten months (due to the Covid Pandemic), he’s recently gone back to works as a train driver.
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I made a spell bottle to tie onto the inside handle of each of the three external doors to our home, so I found some which were really thick walled, so if they somehow slipped off, they wouldn’t smash as easily on the floor. For the sachet for my husband, I used a red Chinese silk bag, which has a drawstring tie closure.
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Inside each of the three bottles and the sachet we put the following:
• Black Salt – Black salt is a powerful protective charm that absorbs negative energies and curses into itself and will rid you or your home of their harmful influence.
• Cascarilla – This is made from crushed eggshells, and can be used for protection, due to it’s natural property of protecting a chick embryo as it develops. The protective quality is therefore embodied within the shells when they are used for protective magick. The protective nature of cascarilla also stems from its banishing qualities, as negative energy can’t exist in the presence of cascarilla and it is said that harmful spirits find it repulsive. Therefore, the cascarilla acts as a barrier against harmful spirits and negative or destructive energies.
• Dried Basil – Basil brings happiness, love and peace to a home and can be used to protect the home and family. Haitians also use Basil to keep away thieves. In addition to this, and for the sachet for my husband, it can also be used to bring luck in physical journeys.
• Heather – Keeping heather around the house will attract friendly spirits and bring peace to the household. For the sachet, carrying heather with you will attract positive energies, general good luck and protect against assaults or attacks, making it useful for traveling sachets.
• Cinnamon – Cinnamon can purify any negative energy within a home, protect your home and family from harmful energy and bad intentions of any outsiders.
• Bay leaves – Bay leaves can be used to protect against negative energies and misfortune.
• Obsidian – Obsidian is a protective stone that can be used to guard against all forms of negativity and in spells to remove negativity from an area.
• Red Jasper – Many of the magickal attributes of Red Jasper focus on its protective energies and ability to keep its user safe. It can also be used to combat the Evil Eye and makes an excellent talisman.
• Amethyst – Amethyst is a powerful protective stone, which can guard against psychic attack, by transmuting the negative or harmful energies into loving energy. It can also protect from all types of harm, including electromagnetic stress and ill wishes from others.
• Dragons Blood Incense – Dragons blood incense was used to cleanse the inside of the bottles and contents, as it is good for cleansing a space of negative entities, or influences, and to increase the potency of spells for protection.
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The final thing I did was securely tie up the sachet, so that none of the contents could escape, and drip black candle wax (black for protection and repelling negativity) over the rubber stoppers in the bottles, to seal everything inside.
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As it’s the last night of the first full moon this year, I have put the bottles and sachet in the garden to charge in the moonlight, making their power and effectiveness as strong as possible, before I securely tie the bottles onto the door handles with ribbon and put the sachet into my husband’s work bag.
I decided to do a simmer pot for prosperity, luck and wealth. I threw everything I could in there and stirred deosil, furiously chanting and alternatively beseeching Hecate!
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Here’s what I used, along with their magickal correspondences.
• Heather – for peace, attracting positive energies and good luck.
• Red rose petals – for peace, happiness and attracting good luck. • Orange – for fortune, good luck, money, peace and wealth. • Cinnamon sticks – for prosperity and luck. • Acorns – for money, abundance and luck. • Juniper berries – for prosperity and manifestation. • Pomegranate – for luck, prosperity, protection, wealth and wishes. • Blessed thistle – for spiritual healing and breaking hexes (just in case….). • Clary sage Essential Oil – for prosperity. • Bergamot Essential Oil – for prosperity, used to attract money and success and to lift spirits. • Cinnamon Essential Oil – for luck and prosperity. • Thyme – to attract prosperity. • Fresh Basil leaves – for good luck and attracting money. • Dried Bay leaves – for blessings, wishes, comfort, guidance, luck, defence, endurance, resilience, victory, success and wealth. • A selection of green crystals (adventurine, green jade, moss agate) – for prosperity, luck and wealth.
I poured the remainder (just under a litre) of my Blue Moon Water, left over from Samhain, into a pan and added each item individually, telling each one what it was for and it’s purpose. I wrote ‘luck’, ‘prosperity’ and ‘wealth’ on the bay leaves last and added them to the top of the pan and set it to heat up to just boiling. It’s now simmering and when most of the water has evaporated (I left the kitchen window open for the steam and intentions to go out into the Universe) and cooled down, I’ll take it into the garden and scatter it under the ash tree I’ve grown from sapling.
You don’t always need elaborate rituals or spells to work your craft. You can put magick and your intent in everyday things too. Kitchen witches do this all the time by using corresponding herbs, spices, fruits or vegetables, along with their love and energy, into creating in the kitchen.
I made pizza tonight. Pretty mundane you think? It can be, or…..it can be magickal (and full of health benefits)!
As well as the usual suspects (tomato and mascarpone base and four cheeses), I added the following (which aren’t really the most unusual of pizza toppings), with reasons why:
Fresh Basil – My husband hasn’t been feeling well today (he has stomach issues and had his gallbladder removed last year), so I added some basil as it is great for stomach and intestinal problems, stomach cramps, nausea, indigestion, gas and bloating.
Pineapple – A symbol of devotion and love, to my husband and stepson. Pineapple also has a multitude of health benefits and contain a lot of vitamin C. They also contain manganese, which can help with bone health and is especially important for me, as I have psoriatic arthritis and it can get quite annoying (not to mention painful) moving towards the colder months.
Pine Nuts – For prosperity, but also packed full of Vitamin A and magnesium (crucial for the health of my old lady bones!!).
Capers – Good for gas and bloating, again for my husband and his iffy tummy.
So next time you make a salad, bake a cake or brew a simple cup of tea, do a bit of research and see what you can add to make it even better!
Melusina The Green Witch 