Tag Archives: Rosemary

Plant Apothecary

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!

Natural Aphid Spray

I grow a number of herbs in little pots that stick to the inside of my kitchen windows, as I like to have fresh herbs when I need them, they look really nice and the plants always get plenty of sunlight.

A few weeks ago I discovered (whilst talking to and tending to my herbs, as you do….), that my beloved Basil plant, which I’ve been growing for MONTHS, had dreaded aphids on him!

I whipped up a quick batch of natural aphid spray to gently encourage them to vacate (some may be sadly killed in the process and, for that, I am very sorry).

I used the following:

• Clean spray bottle (I reuse everything I can, so jam and pickle jars become herb containers or jar spells, old candle containers get new candles made inside them from soy wax, colourant wax and essential oils, and spray bottles, which have contained liquids that aren’t too toxic (fabulousa or febreeze spray bottles are ideal for this, but avoid anything that contained bleach or other harmful chemicals), get thoroughly washed out and reused, as more natural cleaning product bottles);

• 400ml fresh filtered water (we have hard water so everything we drink, cook with or give to the dogs gets filtered);

• 10-12 drops Rosemary essential oil;

• 10-12 drops Peppermint essential oil; and

• 10-12 drops Lemon essential oil.

I popped all the ingredients into the spray bottle, gave it a little shake and took my plant outside (to give them a chance to escape and bother someone else’s plants!) to spray the heck out of it!

I checked back the next day and they were all gone! I then gave my Basil a good spray with moonwater, as a little treat to help it recover from the vicious aphid onslaught and because I use this Basil in both my craft and my cooking, so I want to remove as much essential oil off the plant as I can.

Mr. Basil is doing very well now and not an interloper in sight!

Travel Altar

Following on from my post yesterday about my Altar, I wanted to show you a way you can still have an Altar, but for it to be a bit more discreet. So this will be perfect if you’re in the Broom Closet, don’t have the room, travel frequently, not allowed by your parents or, like me, enjoy taking your practice out into nature.

I found this cute oblong metal tin (I think it’s supposed to be a pencil case) in IKEA a while back, which is decorated to look like a little snake!!

On the inside, I personalised it with some stickers on the bottom part of the tin (from the top down):

• Triple Moon Fertility Goddess to represent my lifelong struggle with infertility;

• A beautiful and colourfull beetle to represent my love for nature; and

• A Mandala to represent my spiritual journey.

Inside the lid, I have three metal flower of life Metatron’s cube stickers, to represent the journey of energy throughout the universe, and of balance within the universe, to aid with meditation. (I am a bit annoyed I put them on a bit wonky, as they’re so thin, I can’t get them off again without ruining them). The contents of my travel altar are as follows:

• Mini besom to symbolically cleanse and purify wherever I decide to do any work;

• A lighter for my candles and incense;

• Mini green, yellow, white, orange, red and black rolled beeswax candles, for any spells, rituals or to signify the fire element when casting my circle;

• A metal disc incense holder;

• The tiniest bottle of Himalayan pink salt to represent the earth element when setting up a protective working space;

• Small glass jar of Samhain Blue Moon water to signify the water element when circle casting;

• ‘Meditation’ scent incense cones to represent the element of air;

• Clear quartz teardrop, to use as a substitute for any other crystal I may need;

• Rosemary essential oil, as Rosemary can be a substitute for any other herb/essential oil I may need;

• Pine cone to signify health and prosperity, healing and protection; and

• Chamomile tea bags, because they’re just lovely.

I just love how cute and organised it is (and that it all fits!) and I can’t wait for the warmer months to use it outside!

Remarkable Rosemary

Rosemary Is Another Of The Herbs That Thrives Best In Warm, Mediterranean Climes But Can Also Weather The Cold. Tough To Grow From Seed, Cuttings Are An Easier Way To Start Your Row Of Rosemary Plants In Your Garden. Pots Of This Bushy Plant Can Enjoy Spring And Summer And Come In From The Cold To A Sheltered Porch Or By A Sunny Window When Temperatures Drop. As A Bonus, It Requires Little Water. Rosemary Is Fantastic As A Seasoning For Potatoes, Roast Chicken, And Makes Any Sunday Supper Taste Better And Brighter. You Can Pinch Off The Aromatic Needles To Dress Plates Or Sprinkle Into Soups And Stews. Beyond Enhancing Your Cookery, This Is A Primary Plant For Rejuvenation And Is Prized For How It Helps Restore After Lingering Illness; Elixirs And Essential Oils Made From Rosemary Stimulate And Energize As They Comfort.

In Greco-Roman Times, Rosemary Was Believed To Help The Memory. An Excellent Kitchen Witchery Practice Is To Take Dried Or Fresh Rosemary And Add It To A Steam For An Easy Infusion, Where It Aids Breathing, Muscle Aches, And Anxiety. You Can Accomplish The Same By Adding Rosemary To A Hot Bath. Lie Back And Relax, Remembering Happy Times In Your Life, And Those That Lie Right Ahead Of You.

Rosemary Has Many Uses In Magic. Rosemary From One’s Garden Can Be Used In Magic, But It Is Also Found As Incense And An Essential Oil. The Primary Associations Of Rosemary Are: Healing, Protection, Purification, Love, Strength, Memory, Stress Relief, And Mental Clarity. Rosemary Is Associated With The Sun And With The Zodiac Sign Of Leo.