Mabon Crafts

Merry meet all,

Yesterday I was out on a walk on the nature trail behind my apartment. I selected a few colourful leaves and brought them home. I also brought home a fallen branch about 16 inches long. I cleaned the leaves and the branch. I chopped up paraffin wax and added it to a double boiler. I let the wax melt and added the leaves, one at a time. I removed the leaves once the leaves were coated in wax. I let them dry on wax paper. The leaves will look glossy and last a long time. I kept the leaves in the wax paper and put them in my Book  of Shadows. 

I put the branch aside and let it dry. I plan to make a bat mobile with the branch. I plan to paint the branch black with craft paint and cut out bats using a template from black bristle board and hole punch each bat. Then I will string the bats onto the branch. It is a lot of work but it is fun to do. I leave my black bat mobile hanging up all year. The bat mobile is a gift for some friends who I am going to visit for Samhain. 

I hope you are inspired by these two crafts and try them at home. Have a wonderful Mabon/ Samhain!!

And for all you horror fans out there, check out this trailer for the upcoming move Carrie. I plan to catch this flick!! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dz2gdXP6Zs

Please still send in your short horror flash fiction stories!! I can’t afford to pay you but I am trying to come up with some prizes!!

Blessed Be,

Lady Spiderwitch 

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Root vegetable Recipe for Autumn

Merry meet all,

The sun’s radiant  and the sky is a bright robin’s egg blue. I believe that October skies are the bluest. This is a time to celebrate. Root veggies are abundant now in stores and farmers markets. I found a delicious recipe in a past Martha Stewart magazine. It was a Hallowe’en issue. Trust me, this recipe is good and all of the root veggies are available now at a local farmers market. 

Roasted Autumn Vegetables and Herbs

• 11/2 pounds medium carrots (about 8), scrubbed, peeled, if desired, / 1 1/2 pounds medium parsnips
• 8 shallotts
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• Olive oil-Herb Relish, for serving

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. In a large bowl, toss carrots and parsnips, and shallots with salt and pepper. Divide mixture in a single-layer. 

2. Roast, turning from front to back twice and rotating from top to bottom once, until vegetables are golden-brown and tender, about 35 minutes. Remove shallots if they are finished cooking first. Transfer vegetables to a bowl, toss with olive relish, and serve.

Olive-Herb Relish

• 20 green olives, pitted and coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh mint
• 2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Mix olives, parsley, olive oil, and vinegar, season with salt and pepper. Relish can be refrigerated  up to 1 week in an airtight container. Bring to room temperature. and stir in mint just before serving. 

This recipe is delicious. I have cooked it every fall. I hope you enjoy it. Many blessings to you. 

 

Lady Spiderwitch

 

 

 

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Cerridwen the cauldron

 

Merry meet all,

I finally have my large cauldron home. I’m proud to own such a beauitful cauldron. I plan to do many magickal spellworkings with the cauldron. The cauldron is so big and heavy that I had to take a cab to get it home and even then, it was hard carrying it up the steps to the door and to my apartment. 

I have already cleansed and dedicated the cauldron. The cauldron is home in time for Samhain. What witch doesn’t want a big cast-iron cauldron to work spells with? I do, I do. The cauldron is shown in the photo above. The cauldron is also already pre-seasoned. 

The cauldron is a symbol of the Goddess, the womb of the goddess, and representative of mystery, magick, the water and fire elements. A Witch can scry using water or oils in a cauldron. A Witch can burn incenses and resins too. I am sure I will have many wonderful magickal workings with my cauldron. I named her Cerridwen, which I feel is appropriate. 

It’s 33 more days to Samhain! I will be prepared!

Blessings,

Lady Spiderwitch

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Grapevine Magic at Mabon

Merry meet all,

I am delighted to share a link with you all about the bees. Bees have been dying worldwide. But this is a landmark victory. Here is the link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-24112752 I am so relieved to know that bees have survived. They are essential to our survival.

Mabon is coming up soon. Mabon is a time of balance and harmony. I already feel the chill in the air. Now the idea of the harvest is more exciting because the carrots, radishes, and peas in my garden are growing. The neighbors planted a grape vine. You can try grape vine magic this Mabon.

Grapes are a symbol of fertility and prosperity.

Decorate your altar with grapes and vines. I intend to do this one- make a grapevine pentacle. I just cut and brought in grape vines from the yard here. When it dries, I will weave it into a pentacle.

Paint or stencil grapevines onto your walls. This ensures a bountiful crop.

Use grape leaves as an ingredient in spells to attract abundance. For a talisman, fold a grape leaf around a coin, and tie with green string. Carry the talisman with you.

Plant grapes in pots on either side of your door and train the vines to grow up around the doorframe. This helps abundance enters your home.

Use wine to asperge thee home or to help mark a sacred circle.

Good luck with your grapevine magic!

Mabon Blessings,

Lady Spiderwitch

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Countdown to Mabon

Merry meet all,

A busy week is ahead for us. The Wheel of the Year blew in rustic colourful leaves, pumpkins, and a crisp chill in the air. I love autumn equinox as much as any other Witch. So let’s get ready. 

Fall is the most magickal time of year. I squealed when I saw large pumpkins in the bins in the grocery store. I couldn’t help it. It was like a confirmation that fall had truly arrived. The Harvest Moon shines luminously on the 19th. Mabon occurs on September 22nd. We get a harvest moon and harvest celebration in one week. I plan to be prepared. I may still have to scoop out slugs from my pots but my small lawn is now spotted with fallen fiery leaves. The Sun enters Libra on the 22nd. The Libra sign represents balance, harmony and friendship. The autumn equinox is when day and night are divided equally. 

Now is a good time to give thanks for your herb garden and crops. You may also acknowledge that the earth is dying back and preparing itself for the cold harsh winter. The petals on the Black Eyed Susans and coneflower are dying back. The beautiful velvety seed heads mature on the stems. I plan to save some seeds from them to plant in the spring. 

Plan a nice meal with wine, cider, natural bread, squash or pumpkin soup, cheese, and grapes. Invite friends or your coven members over to share the meal. Remember to offer thanks to your deities of choice and to the fairy spirits in your garden who protected and helped your garden grow. Enjoy the magical bounty of Mabon. 

Up next; Ways to celebrate Mabon

Blessed Be,
Lady Spiderwitch )O(

 

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Garden in Repose

Merry meet all,

I see the signs of my garden transitioning to fall. The flower seed heads are turning brown and losing their petals. The seed heads are beautiful. Well my mugwort which I cut back, is still growing. Leaves are yellowing and some plants are dying back. The peas are past their time. Good thing I started a second pot. I have a while to go yet before I harvest my shallots, peas, carrots, tomatoes and radishes. Some of the veggies are cool season veggies. I am not worried.

Once the harvest is over, I plan to delight earthworms by spilling the organic nutrient rich soil onto the garden. I am growing the peas, shallots, carrots and radishes in pots. The soil will go to the garden. The soil will be recycled and enrich the garden soil. This will help the soil. I choose to do this because it is one way to create good composted soil. The soil will have lots of nutrients because I grew veggies in that soil.

I always let the leaves blanket the soil all winter. This is always a great way to take care of the plants in the garden and add nutrients to the soil. It is even better if the leaves are torn up and mulched. The plants nestle beneath the layer of leaves to be blanketed by the snow and ice. Come spring, I rake away the leaves and toss them into the green compost bin. Then I add fresh soil and await the cheerful arrival of the early plants of spring.

This method has never hurt my garden. I will never understand why people rake up leaves to toss into a landfill site. They are losing out on a great way to help the soil in their gardens, if they have a garden. Leaf mold is the best enriching kind of compost out there. It’s free, too. So do this!

I also always green my pumpkin. I leave my used up carved pumpkin in my garden to decompose and add more nutrients to the garden. A pumpkin takes a long time to decompose so put it somewhere maybe slightly away from the garden.

If you are growing comfrey, consider making comfrey tea. Comfrey tea is a liquid compost for your garden made from water and comfrey leaves. At the end of the season, cut up the comfrey leaves and add them to a jug or pitcher outside. Let it steep a long time then pour the rich earthy compost tea on your garden. Your garden will thank you. Trust me.

 

Other tips I can share are to fill a large jug with clear clean water, and add a dime, a bit of camphor and let it sit. Then after a while, remove the dime and on a Full Moon night, empty the jug onto the garden. Or every time that you boil veggies in water, save the water and add that to your garden.

Try these tips for your own gardens this autumn season. Your garden will be prepared for spring with these helpful ideas.

 

Blessed Be,
Lady Spiderwitch )O(

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Early autumn musings

Merry meet all,

Today the moon travels from Sagittarius to void of course to Capricorn. The moon is in Mercury and today’s corresponding colour is purple. Capricorn represents structure and Mercury represents action and wisdom. Also, Friday is Freya’s Day. Magickally speaking, today is perfect for perhaps planning a date or a romantic outing. On August 20th, the full moon rules the night sky. 

My garden looks beautiful today. The tomatoes are growing large on the vines, I began a fresh crop of shallots, radishes, and peas. The vines smell absolutely delicious. I love to run my hands over the vines because the scent is divine. The flowers and herbs are great too. Bees love to visit the bee balm. Of course. 

I see signs now that the garden is preparing for fall. The sea holly thistles are brown, and i can soon save the seed from the sea holly. The comfrey isn’t producing more flowers. The early pea vines are withering. I don’t like to think it but fall is around the corner. Lammas is the first of the three harvest Sabbats. The next turn in the Wheel of the year is Mabon, and following that is Samhain. Every Witch anticipates Samhain. 

I enjoy Mabon, not nearly as much as I do for Samhain. Mabon is magickal on its’ own. The chill is in the air and leaves turn those gorgeous colours of crimson and gold. Pumpkins ripen on the vine. We’ll be ready for the fall festivities on this blog. 

Blessed Be,

Lady Spiderwitch

Autumn Magic

Merry Meet All,

I hope you enjoyed reading the previous post about the ghost tour I was on. This post will be a different topic than that. But not to worry, fall is almost upon us and there is plenty to look forward to. The dark half of the year is coming.

Here are some ways for you to enjoy the rest of the summer vacation. Go for a nice long walk on a nature trail and enjoy the sights of bees, birds, dragonflies and butterflies buzzing around the flowers. Collect the seed heads if they are dried to plant them next spring. Dry some herbs to make a refreshing cup of herbal tea and share with your friends. Put plant supports in your garden if some of your herbs and flowers have grown tall. Remember to water your garden on hot days and to mow the lawn to keep the lawn in good shape. Keep your gardening tools in good condition. Watch a sunrise.

Trim back plants and spread fallen leaves on your garden. The leaves will turn into mineral nutrients. Earthworms turn them into fertilizer. Plan where and which spring bulbs you want to grow next spring. The leaves protect the spring bulbs from a harsh frost. Plant chrysanthemums in your garden for a splash of fall color.

Keep your garden, lawn, and decks clean. Put tools away and after the frost, put your garden knickknacks such as ceramic toadstools, fairy statues, or what you use to decorate your garden in an easy to find spot for next spring. Leave an offering of thanks to the spirits and faeries who assisted in tending and protecting your garden.

Decorate your altar to correspond with the arrival of autumn. For example, my altar cloth is a light beige brown print with white and beige oak leaves all over it. The light beige brown color of the cloth reminds me that fall is not far. Make a wreath of corn, leaves, dried leaves, or corn stalks and hang it at the door. Display leaves in a basket with corn, gourds, or small pumpkins. Add a ribbon for flair. Other activities can include candle making, soap making, salve potions, visiting an apple orchard, and making ciders and bread recipes.

The cold season seems a long way off, but with the proper preparation, the transition will be easier. It is almost time to prepare for that. Autumn Equinox lands on September 21-22 next month. I wish you all a wonderful autumn season.

Blessings,
Lady Spiderwitch</i>