Monday 28 November 2011

The Power of Parsley

Parsley 
(petroselinum crispum, petroselinum sativum)



Gender: Masculine
Elements: Air and Earth
Planets: Mars and Mercury

Folk names: Devil’s Oatmeal, Persely, Persil, Petersili, Petroselinum, Rock Parsley

Parsley is a member of the carrot family and is widely used as a herb garnish to meals.  


It is also added to soups, sauces and stews.

The Ancient Greeks simply associated parsley with death as it was supposed to have sprung from the blood of Archemorus, whose name meant 'Forerunner of Death.'   Homer tells of chariot horses being fed parsley by warriors prior to battle in hopes of making the animals more fleet of foot. Victors at funeral games, athletic contests held in honor of a recently deceased person, were crowned with parsley.

The Romans did not generally eat parsley but they did wear garlands of parsley on their heads during feasts to ward off intoxication. Parsley was kept away from nursing mothers because it was thought to cause epilepsy in their babies.


Medicinal uses:

The chlorophyll in parsley helps to prevent bad breath.

Parsley helps to stimulate urination thus making it a good therapy for kidney stones, bladder stones and urinary infections.

It is also used to aid premenstrual discomfort.

Parsley can also help to inhibit the body’s histamines so can be useful in treating colds and congestions.

Parsley extract can help to treat bruising when applied topically.

Also useful for treating breast milk deficiency, frigidity, hair loss, heart problems, respiratory, arthritic pain, infection, high blood pressure, liver disease, skin problems and stomach ache.

Chew on a sprig or two after a meal, or drink daily – adding 1 or 2 teaspoons of dried parsley to a cup of hot water.  The root of the parsley is said to be more effective than the leaves.  (Pregnant women should avoid all but small quantities of parsley).

Parsley oil can be used to repel headlice and a parsley ointment can be used on swellings.   Try dipping a cloth in parsley tea and place over closed eyes for 10 minutes to reduce fatigue.

Magical uses:

Magical powers: Healing, lust, protection, purification, vitality

Call the power of Earth and drink as an infusion.

Restores a sense of well being.

Use to increase strength and vitality after surgery or illness, also to add new life to a stale situation.

When eaten parsley promotes lust and fertility, but old folklore says if you are in love don’t cut parsley as it will cut your love as well.

Use parsley in your bath for purification and to stop misfortune.  

Folklore states that you can only grow parsley in your garden if the man rules the house, if you can’t grow parsley then the woman is in charge!


Tansy
x




Thursday 24 November 2011

Yule Crafts

Some Yule craft ideas:


Salt Dough Decorations:

Salt dough is one of the easiest things in the world to make, and you can create just about anything from it. Use it with cookie cutters to make your own Sabbat ornaments.

Ingredients:
4 Cups flour
1 Cup salt
1 ½ Cups hot water
1 tsp vegetable oil

Preparation:
Combine the salt and flour, then add the water until the dough becomes elastic. Add the oil at this time and knead the dough (if it's too sticky, add more flour). Once it's a good consistency, make your decorations with cookie cutters. Bake ornaments at 200* until hard (about 20 - 30 minutes). Once they've cooled, paint them with designs and symbols, and seal with clear varnish.  If you're planning to hang them, poke a hole through the ornament BEFORE baking them. Then after you've varnished them, run a ribbon or thread through the hole. You can also add a teaspoon of cinnamon and/or some glitter into the mixture too!

Pine Cone Ornaments:

Simple things such as seeds, acorns, feathers, and other found items are easy to make into ornaments and other decorations.

For this simple project, you'll need the following:
Pinecones, of any shape or size
Equal amounts ginger, nutmeg and allspice, blended
A 1:1 mixture of water and craft glue
Glitter
Ribbon
A small paintbrush

To prepare the pinecones, rinse them under running water and then spread them out on a baking sheet. Bake at 250 for about 20 minutes - this will make them open up, and also get rid of any trace amounts of bacteria that might remain on them. Don't worry if there's sap on them - it will harden into a shiny glaze and look pretty. If you bought your pinecones from a craft store, they're probably open already, so you can skip the rinsing altogether.   Once the pinecones have cooled, use the small paintbrush to apply the glue to the cones (I'd recommend spreading out some newspaper ahead of time). You can either cover the entire cone, or just the outer tips of the petals for a more "frosted" look.  Add the spices and glitter to a zip-loc bag. Drop the pine cones in, and shake until coated with spices and glitter. Allow to dry thoroughly, and then tie a ribbon around the end so you can hang it up. Add a few springs of greenery if you like. Use it on a holiday tree, or place them in a bowl to scent your room.

Yule Log Ornaments:

These are super easy to make, and in addition to being cute ornaments for your holiday tree, they also make great favours to give to guests.

You'll need the following:
A stick about an inch thick
Red yarn
Small feathers (you can find these in the craft store)
Small pieces of evergreen plants - pine, fir, spruce, etc.
Seed beads in your choice of colours
A hot glue gun

Cut the stick into 2 - 3" lengths. Decorate each small log with the feathers, evergreens and seed beads as you would a full-sized Yule log. Tie a piece of red yarn around the center and knot in a bow, like a ribbon. To hang as a tree ornament, use a bent paperclip or wire hanger. To give as a party favor, you may want to attach your miniature log to a piece of cardstock, on which you can write a note to friends, such as "Wishing you the blessings of Yule."

Pine Cone Wreath

Pine cones are excellent material for making art and crafts. They come in lots of shapes and sizes. When collecting, it's important to leave behind the cones that haven't opened. The seeds from these cones should be left so that the animals such as squirrels and chipmunks have something to eat. Find the cones that have the tips spread open. After you bring home the cones and allow them to dry, you need a wreath base to attach the cones to. A pizza box or other sturdy cardboard could be used to make a doughnut shape or any other shape you might like. You can attach the cones with a hot glue gun or tub and tile caulk that comes in tubes. You can add other natural materials such as dried flowers, leaves, moss, or stones if you like. Attach a wire loop to the back of the wreath and hang.

Pomander Balls

You need:
oranges, lemons or apples
push pins or small nails
whole cloves
spice mixture:ground, allspice, cardamom, cloves — mix you own combination
shallow pan to hold the spice mixture
yarn or ribbon for hanging

What to do: If necessary (when using a thick-skinned fruit), use the nail or push pin to puncture holes in the skin of the fruit about 1/4 inch apart. Press the whole cloves directly into the fruit, working to cover most of the skin of the fruit. This can be done over several days. When the fruit is studded with cloves, roll the fruit in the spice mixture. Knot two pieces of yarn or ribbon together at the middle and place the pomander over the knot. Take up the four ends, tie them together in a firm knot and then tie a bow.

Dress Up Your Candles for Yule

You can do this with existing candles...it's quick, easy, and can be free! Tie on some greens with raffia or ribbon, glue on some pinecones in a star pattern. Use brass tacks from the dollar store to press into the candles in patterns. You could even glue on coffee beans or kitchen beans to add texture and color and pattern. (Use a glue gun!) Group candles on a mirror top reflect the dancing light. Don't have a mirror? Use an empty picture frame, cover the cardboard insert with foil, then place back in the frame, group candles on the frame and enjoy the sparkle! Note: Always use care when using candles, never leave them unattended, and be careful whatever you craft your candles with cannot be reached by flame.

Hand & Feet Reindeer

You may use brown paper bags, construction paper, poster board for this project. Help to trace o the child's shoes and both hands onto the paper, then cut them out. Using the shoe for the reindeer's head, glue on the hands to make the antlers. You may do the nose by gluing either a red pom-pom, piece of red construction paper, or it may be drawn with colours. Now have the child finish it by either drawing on eyes and mouth or you may wish to use larger sized "wiggle" eyes and a piece of pink felt for the mouth.

Table Decorations

You will need:
Cinnamon sticks, 4-5 inches long
natural raffia
dried flowers of your choice
hot glue gun, glue sticks

To make a centerpiece glue together two cinnamon sticks, then top with two more, gluing the four of them together. Glue dried flowers to the top of the sticks to decorate, but not overwhelm. Tie a few pieces of raffia around the middle of the sticks and flowers to form a bow with a few ends hanging slightly off the piece. Place one in front of each place setting during your holiday meal. Guests can then take home their cinnamon craft.

Cinnamon Stick Candle Holder

You will need:
1 clear glass votive candle holder
about 20 cinnamon sticks
transparent tape
scissors
hot glue gun, glue sticks

Measure the height of your holder, and add 1/2 inch. This is the length you will need to cut your cinnamon sticks. Cover the holder completely with tape. Hot glue does not adhere well to glass, so this will give you a good surface to glue to. Glue each stick vertically to the holder, making sure they are placed evenly, until the entire surface is covered. Use like this, or decorate with raffia, or other small holiday decorations.

Wishing Stars

Whether the kids are getting a bit antsy as the big day approaches or you're just looking for a very simple, yet wonderful accent that can be used as a tree ornament, a napkin ring, or party favor - your imagination is the limit with this totally simple craft:

wide black marker pen
star cookie cutter
shirt cardboard
wax paper
craft glue
assorted glitter
transparent fishing line or thin ribbon
staples
scissors

With a marker pen, mark around the cookie cutter star to make a template on the cardboard. Cover each board with wax paper, stapling it into place. Using the bottle of glue trace the star shapes onto the wax paper with thick, wide lines of glue. Using one colour glitter immediately sprinkle a lavish amount of glitter onto each star so it is completely covered. Allow to dry for one day or overnight. Shake off the excess glitter. Cut away the excess wax paper, then carefully peel the glitter star away from the backing. Use as ornaments, package decorations, etc. Use fishing line or thin ribbon to hang the stars. Don't forget to wish on a star this Solstice Eve and let the glow from these heavenly ornaments light up your Yule Tide.

The Yule Wish Tree

Find a small, potted evergreen and a few yards of red, green, and white ribbon. During the Thanksgiving supper, introduce the tree to the family and the tribe to the tree. Each member of your clan should tie a ribbon on the tree to represent an intangible blessing they would like for the upcoming Yule season. Wishes could be for peace, enough rest, health, etc. Bless the tree and set it where it will have enough light.

When family and friends visit, explain the purpose of the wish tree to them and give them a ribbon to tie on the tree, too. The tree is for everyone. If you plan to use the tree in ritual, have everyone participating make a small ornament, empowered for strengths like self-esteem, goal planning, security, etc. And hang it on the tree while connecting with the divinity of their choice.

On the first day of February, remove all the ornaments and ribbons. Burn the ribbons and cast the ashes to the winds. Pack the ornaments away. Next year, when you open the box, you can de-magick the ornaments and return them to their owners, or hang them on your big tree in memory of last year's prosperity. Continue to take good care of the tree over the remaining winter months. Don't forget to give it water and plenty of love. In the spring, you can plant the tree outside on your property or on the property of a friend.

Bay Balls

Take some Bay leaves. Fresh is best but if all you have is dried, then soak them overnight in warm water to make them pliable (that means you can bend them more easily without breaking them). The next morning, pat them dry. Next, take a Styrofoam ball and use Tacky Glue to cover it with bay leaves. Start at the bottom of the ball and work your way toward the top so they overlap a bit. Some of the leaves you may have to hold in place while the glue dries so they don’t pop up. Cloves or rosebuds stuck through the leaves into the ball will help hold the leaves in place and look pretty besides. A very pretty effect is to “dust” your finished ball with a light spray of gold paint. Pin a pretty loop of ribbon or gold cording to the top to hang it by.

Gilded Acorns

Often, when you find acorns on the ground, their little caps have come off. If that’s the case, then collect both caps and bases. If not, then remove the caps yourself when you get home. Paint both halves with spray paint or craft paint using either gold or silver. Then cut a slender ribbon about 3 inches long and glue each end to the inside of the cap so that it forms a loop. Then glue the cap back on to the base of the acorn. When it’s done, you can paint the cap with watered down white glue and dust it with glitter.

Have fun!

Tansy
x

Sources:
Aboutwiccan.com
adf.org
grannymoons morning feast
daughtersofearthwisdom.org
pookapages.com
Silver Ravenwolf

Monday 21 November 2011

Blog for your Kindle!

Kitchen Witch is very pleased to announce that our blog is now available via Amazon - auto delivered direct to your Kindle! 


Ooooh get us going all techno!!!


Let us know if you want us to blog about particular subjects, we are always happy to help if we can.


Kindle Blogs are auto-delivered wirelessly to your Kindle and updated throughout the day so you can stay current.


It's risk free – all Kindle Blog subscriptions start with a 14-day free trial. If you enjoy your subscription, do nothing and it will automatically continue at the regular price.  You can cancel at any time during the trial period at no cost. If you cancel at any time after the trial period, you will pay only for the items you've already received.


NB: Kitchen Witch blog has only just been registered with Amazon so it may take 48 hours before it becomes available for order.


Tansy
x

Friday 18 November 2011

Glastonbury Abbey

I spent yesterday in Glastonbury and spent some time wandering around the Abbey ruins.  The Abbey has such a special energy to it, so calm and peaceful.  It helped that the weather was gorgeous with beautiful blue skies but the Abbey itself is beautiful.

From the Abbey website (glastonburyabbey.com)


The Saxons, who had been converted to Christianity, conquered the ancient county of Somerset in the 7th Century. Their King was Ine of Wessex, who was widely regarded as one of the most important figures in the history of the Abbey. He was a local man who boosted the status and income of the Abbey, and it is said that he put up a stone church, the base of which forms the west end of the nave.


This church was enlarged in the 10th century by the Abbot of Glastonbury, St. Dunstan, who became the Archbishop of Canterbury in 960.

In 1066, the wealth of the Abbey could not cushion the Saxon monks from the disruption caused by the foreign invasion and subsequent conquest of England by the Normans.

The Norman betterment of the Abbey was extensive. In 1086, when the Domesday Book was commissioned to provide records and a census of life in England, Glastonbury Abbey was the richest monastery in the country.Even though the first Norman Abbot, Turstin, exerted force on any of the brothers who failed to toe the new party line, skilled Norman craftspeople contributed much to the Abbey by adding magnificent buildings, built to the east of the older church and away from the ancient cemetery, to the existing Saxon church.

The great Norman structures were consumed by fire in 1184 when many of the ancient treasures were destroyed. One story goes, that in order to raise extra funds from pilgrims to rebuild the abbey the monks, in 1191, dug to find King Arthur and his Queen Guinevere; and bones from two bodies were raised from a deep grave in, the cemetery on the south side of the Lady Chapel. These bones were reburied, much later, in 1278 within the Abbey Church, in a black marble tomb, in the presence of King Edward I.

When the monastic buildings were destroyed in the fire of 1184, the medieval monks needed to find a new place to worship. There is evidence that the 12th century nave was renovated and used for this purpose for almost 30 years, until some of the work was completed on the new church. The monks reconsecrated the Great Church and began services there on Christmas Day, 1213, most likely before it was entirely completed.

In the 14th century, as the head of the second wealthiest Abbey in Britain (behind Westminster Abbey), the Abbot of Glastonbury lived in considerable splendour and wielded tremendous power. The main surviving example of this power and wealth is to be found in the Abbey kitchen - part of the magnificent Abbot's house begun by John de Breynton (1334-42).

Privileged pilgrims might once have stayed in the Abbey itself; excavations have disclosed a special apartment at the south end of the Abbot's house, erected for a visit from the English King, Henry VII.

In 1536, during the 27th year of the reign of Henry VIII, there were over 800 monasteries, nunneries and friaries in Britain. By 1541, there were none. More than 10,000 monks and nuns had been dispersed and the buildings had been seized by the Crown to be sold off or leased to new lay occupiers. Glastonbury Abbey was one of principal victims of this action by the King, during the social and religious upheaval known as the Dissolution of the Monasteries.


If you get the chance to visit I highly recommend it.

Tansy
x

Thursday 3 November 2011

Mind Mapping

When I am stuck, when I can't decide where to go or what to do next I do a mind map.


It is like brainstorming ideas onto paper. It helps layout all the ideas from you head and make some sort of sense of them and even prompts new ideas too.


It breaks down the subject into understandable pieces and makes connections so that you can see the 'big picture'.   It makes sense of things, stops you from becoming overwhelmed and lost and gives you direction and a master plan.


It also allows you to act like a kid and get the coloured crayons out ...


So how do you start?


1. Write the title of the subject that you are exploring in the middle of a piece of paper and draw a circle round it.


2. Then jot down around it major subheadings related to that topic - just whatever comes into your head, then draw lines out from the centre circle.  

3. As you continue you will discover further levels of information, more subheadings - draw lines linking these to the subheading circles.

4. Then for individual ideas, facts or details, draw lines out from the appropriate heading line.



5. As you discover new information link it into the mind map as you see fit.


A finished mind map will probably have lots of main topic lines radiating out in all directions from the centre, with sub headings all branching off like a mad spiders web.  You don't need to worry about how pretty or neat it looks.


Tips:


Use single words or keep the phrases simple.


Excess words clutter up the mind map so keep the words/phrases strong and short.


Don't use joined up writing it is not so easy to read.


Use different colours for separate sections or ideas.


Use symbols and images if this helps.


Some information in one section may link to another - join it up with a linking line.


This doesn't just work with mundane issues and subjects, try it for spiritual ideas too, spell working, crystals, herbs etc - see where it takes you!


Tansy
x

Tuesday 1 November 2011

Affirmations

Affirmations - do you use them? Even if you think you don't I bet you do!!

Affirmations are simple statements that we make, positive or negative. They can be made on purpose - when we want to change some aspect of our life. They may also be made automatically without even thinking about it - for instance when we tell ourselves "Oh I am no good at that".

What we say, positive or negative affects our behaviour.

In order to change your situation and create a new reality, you have to bombard your subconscious mind with positive thoughts. This is where affirmations come into play...

"I will live each day to the fullest"
"I am strong, confident and wonderful"
"Today and always, I am patient, kind and generous"
"I am worth it"
"I am in total control of my destiny"
"My life is full of love and happiness"

They all sound pretty positive don't they?

But what about the ones we do without thinking? Take a moment and think about the things you say automatically:

"I can't do that"
"I am no good at that"
"That is too scary"
"I can't attend that as I don't like crowds"

All of these statements or variations and similar ones I bet you make all the time without thinking.

See if you can catch yourself doing it, pay attention to what you say and how you say it, stop yourself and see if you can turn the negative comment into a positive affirmation.

You will be surprised how affective it is.

Start your day with a couple of positive affirmations, stop a few times throughout your day and think about what you have said or thought - positive or negative?

You have the power!

Tansy
x