sea witch – Melusina The Green Witch

Sea Buckthorn Infusion

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.

Sources
https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-765/sea-buckthorn
https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/trees-and-shrubs/sea-buckthorn

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!

Coastal Foraging Haul

In October 2020 I was out on site all day with various clients and colleagues along the North West Coast of England (I’ve walked 7.75 miles!!). Even though I was doing my day job, I can still do some witchy foraging on the side!!

The first site was a Dockside adjacent to an estuary, with lovely mudflats and salt marsh. It was absolutely FREEZING and rained all morning, but I cheered myself up by collecting some rosehips, marsh marigold, red clover and rowan berries.

The second site was a huge expanse of sandy beach, with defences along the back and some lovely sand dunes to the south. It had thankfully brightened up and stopped raining, but was VERY windy. Bonus though, I got a free face exfoliation from all the sand whipping about! I didn’t find any nice shells unfortunately, but I found some bladderwrack and, my favourite, a couple of smooth pebbles!

Here’s some uses for what I found and brought home (from left to right).

1. Bladderwrack (Fucus vesiculosus) – Protection, sea and water spells, wish spells and money magic.

2. Rosehips (from Dog Rose (Rosa canina) – Can be used as a charm to attract health and wealth, are a symbol of prosperity and fertility and if you place them beneath your pillow, they can protect you against nightmares and nasty spirits that want to disturb your sleep.

3. Marsh marigold (Calendula officinalis) – Can be used for consecration, inner vision, love, peace and truthfulness.

4. Red Clover (Trifolium pratense) – Can be used for exorcism, fidelity, love, money, protection and success.

5. Rowan Berry (Sorbus aucuparia) – Can be used for protection, inspiration and to help open the gateway for spirit communication.

Grounding

I’m a proper magpie for pretty stones (and shells). Their look, the rounded or angular feel, the coldness or warmth, the textures, from rough and grainy, to smooth and glass like. They all resonate with me and I pick them up from everywhere!

These are some of my favourites (I have just cleansed them) and I keep them in a funky glass bowl that looks like it melted onto a piece of driftwood.

They help me ground myself and be calm, perfect for rebalancing my energy levels and releasing any excess energy left over.