HedgeWitch (28 page)

Garlic

Ginger

Lavender

Mint

Nasturtium flowers

Rose petals

Rosemary

Savory

Tarragon

Thyme

Here are several combination ideas for you to try:

Come-to-Me Love:
To make this lovely lavender-colored vinegar, use purple basil that will naturally turn the vinegar a light lavender color, and add a few rose petals and lavender buds.

Home-Blessing:
Basil, rosemary, and sage

Long Life:
Ginger, chives, and savory

Healing:
Chive flowers with lemon balm

Happiness:
Parsley, thyme, and basil in red wine vinegar

Family Harmony:
White distilled vinegar, purple ruffled basil, African basil, oregano, and rosemary

The nice thing about making your own vinegar is that you can also try using red vinegars, wine, or cider to come up with recipes that are truly your own. You can put in 8 to 10 springs as I indicated, or you can pack the jar with herbs if you like! If you don't want to mess with jars, just buy a plastic gallon jug of your favorite vinegar and pack with chosen herbals. Purchase small designer bottles and sterilize. Allow to cool, then transfer your aged vinegar from the gallon jug into the smaller bottles. Add a fresh sprig or two of one of the ingredients, seal, and decorate bottle with ribbon or raffia.

The length of time that herbs and flavors steep in vinegar depends upon taste. Some folks steep only for a week; others, like myself, steep for a month, strain the vinegar, add fresh herbs, and steep again. Vinegars are best kept steeping in a dark place at room temperature. Shake or stir contents at least twice a week. Make sure that the herbs are completely covered by the vinegar so they do not mold and turn into a health hazard! Be sure you sterilize decorative glass bottles before adding your brew, and strain all herbs and flavorings out of the vinegar. Be sure to date the bottles and keep them out of sunlight. Fruit vinegars tend to last as few as three months; herbal vinegars, about six months after opening. Always keep vinegar bottles capped tightly. As the grocery-store base vinegars in these recipes have at least a 5 percent acidity for safety, you shouldn't have a food-poisoning problem. Homemade vinegars, wherein you use apple cider or some other base, can be attacked by airborne bacteria, which is why such recipes are not offered here. Should you love making vinegars and purchase books on the subject, you will find that instructions, flavorings, and recipes vary widely. For additional instructions and an array of recipes, information, and tips, try the book
Herbal Vinegar
by Maggie Oster through Storey Books Publishing.

Herbal Bouquets for Cooking and Magick

Fresh or dried, herbal bouquets are great for both magick and cooking! In magick, hang the bouquets over the altar or place in a conjuring bag, or dip in spring water to asperge an area, candle, or other item. For cooking, just drop in the boiling water or frying pan for a great taste and easy cleanup!

To make the bouquet, simply gather the herbs together and tie with clean string, leaving a long tail (so you can easily pull the bouquet out of the cooking pot and toss away).

Happy home:
basil, marjoram, and chives (for red meat or chicken)

Harmony:
parsley, rosemary, thyme, and savory (for red meat or flavoring for beans)

Uncrossing:
marjoram, thyme, sage, parsley, and bay (for red meat, pork, or chicken)

Love:
dill, tarragon, parsley, basil, and lovage (flavoring for beans or fish)

Good fortune:
savory, sage, celery tops, and chives (flavoring for beans, chicken, or red meat)

Growth and success:
tarragon, chives, oregano, and parsley (for eggs and sauces)

Healing:
sage, basil, onion tops, and bay (for red meat)

Banishing and cleansing:
parsley, lemon verbena, rosemary, and red pepper (for fish)

Herbal Butters

Herb butters make wonderful gifts and will have your family amazed at the variety of new flavors they can experience on their breakfast breads, dinner rolls, vegetables, pasta, rice, and grilled meats. To make an herbal butter, wash herbs and pat dry. Chop finely. Add a few drops of lemon juice (for preservation) and mix into soft, room-temperature butter. Butter can be whipped until frothy, or you can form the butter by filling silicone novelty molds (used to make cupcakes or soaps) and refrigerate. Herb butters can also be frozen for a few months. Here are some great combinations:

Good fortune:
parsley, marjoram, thyme, sage, basil, and a hint of garlic

Happy lunch:
chives and dill

Prosperous bean butter:
rosemary or winter savory, or a combination of the two

Abundance:
garlic, thyme, and marjoram (for basting red meats)

Rooster:
fennel or tarragon with dill (add a touch of lemon verbena for fish)

Herbal Sugars

In magick, sugar is often used as an attraction vehicle. Adding herbs that can be used in hot brewed or iced tea makes them invaluable for magick as well as food consumption, and they are so easy to make! Pack fresh herb leaves in granulated white sugar in airtight containers, such as Mason jars or small, plastic containers. Stir each day to prevent lumps and clumping. When the sugar remains dry and loose, remove herbs. Herbs you may consider using for sugars include a variety of mints, lemon and orange peel, or rose petals. To make unusual magickal sugars, try packaging herbal tea bags such as chamomile in the sugar, or mixtures such as a berry tea or apple tea. Dried apple slices can also be placed in the sugar. Using tea bags leaves only a trace of aroma but may serve your magickal purposes well.

Herbal Salts

Salt has always been a primary magickal cleanser that can be made more powerful with herbs from your garden. An added bonus? It's edible! The salt dries the herbs and at the same time absorbs the essential oils. Use only the parts of the herbs that are edible—that way you can use the salt either in magick or on the dinner table!

Finely chop chosen herbs, layering ¼-inch at the bottom of a Mason jar. Sprinkle with a thin layer of salt. Put in another layer of herbs, followed by the salt. Continue this layering technique until the jar is almost full. Cover the top layer of herbs completely with salt, and seal the jar. Let set for about one week. Herbs should be dry. Dump into a clean bowl, and stir thoroughly. You can put your herb salt in smaller, airtight containers or pour it back into the original Mason jar. For recipes, try the combinations listed under herbal butters or herbal bouquets.

Herbal Salt Substitutes

Can't have salt in your diet? Try these recipes, which are especially powerful if you have grown the herbs yourself! Powder the dried herbs in a spice grinder, blender, or use your mortar and pestle.

Happy Home Salt Substitute

Great for stews, soups, eggs, beans, and meats. Excellent for bland and no-salt dietary restrictions.

3 tablespoons dried basil

3 tablespoons dried thyme

3 tablespoons dried marjoram

3 tablespoons dried sage

3 tablespoons dried winter savory

3 tablespoons powdered milk (to keep the mixture from clumping)

When mixed thoroughly, transfer to shaker if you will use immediately or an airtight container if you plan to keep it for a while. You can purchase shakers with airtight caps at places like Bed, Bath and Beyond, kitchen supply stores, etc., or you can wash and sterilize glass spice containers from the grocery store when you have used all the contents (soak off the label before sterilizing, and add your own label and cap when container is completely dry after sterilizing).

Abundant Life Salt Substitute

2 tablespoons dried parsley

2 tablespoons dried basil

2 tablespoons dried oregano

2 tablespoons dried sage

2 teaspoons dried rosemary

1 teaspoon dried garlic

1 teaspoon dried onion

1 teaspoon dried black pepper

3 tablespoons powdered milk (optional)

When mixed thoroughly, transfer to shaker. Excellent as a general seasoning. For succulent baked fish, add 1 teaspoon of paprika and ¼ cup dried Parmesan cheese. Store in airtight container.

No-Salt Substitute for Chicken

2 tablespoons dried rosemary

1 tablespoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon dried sage

1 tablespoon dried marjoram

1 tablespoon dried winter savory

1 tablespoon dried basil

1 tablespoon dried parsley

½
teaspoon white pepper

Berry Magickal Ink

Some practitioners believe that writing petitions in magickal ink (liquid that contains herbals, scented oils, and color that has been blessed and empowered before use) makes the attraction power of their work extremely powerful. Here's a natural recipe to juice up your spells!

You will need:

½ cup ripe berries (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries,
cherries, etc., or a mixture of various berries)

½
teaspoon vinegar (you can use your herbal vinegar—
vinegar helps to hold the color)

½ teaspoon salt (to deter mold)

1 bowl

1 clean baby food jar

Strainer

Wooden spoon

Instructions:

Place berries in strainer. Hold strainer over bowl. With rounded back of wooden spoon, crush juice from berries and allow to drip into the bowl. Continue to add berries and crush until only pulp remains in strainer. Add salt and vinegar to the berry juice. Stir thoroughly. If your ink is too thick, add one tablespoon of distilled water. Store in baby food jar.

Note:
Natural ink does not keep long. You can scent your mixture by adding a few drops of your favorite essential oil. Use this ink with a crow quill pen or feather pen you have made yourself. To make a feather pen, cut the tip of a large feather at an angle with a sharp craft knife, then carefully cut a slit in the angle. Dip pen in ink, dab on paper towel, then write! Repeat dipping the pen and dabbing on towel as needed.

Herbal Potpourri

Herb potpourris are extremely easy to make—you just need time for the mixture to age appropriately.

You will need:

A large glass jar with lid (or a huge airtight Rubbermaid container
with lid)

Dried herbs, flowers, and spices

A fixative such as orris root or calamus root (1 tablespoon of fixative
per 1 quart of flowers, herbs, and spices)

Your choice of essential oil for added fragrance

Instructions:

Mix dried herbs, spices, and flowers in large bowl. Add fixative. Toss like salad. Add your essential oil five drops at a time until you reach the aromatic level you desire. Toss again. Place in airtight container. Let sit for about thirty days, checking each week and tossing to ensure you are reaching the desired aroma. Add more essential oil if necessary. Once the mixture has cured, you can use the potpourri in sachets, around candles, in decorator bowls on the fireplace mantle, etc.

Fixatives can add their own aroma.

Here's a quick list:

Frankincense

Myrrh

Orris root

Gum benzoin

Calamus root

Storax

*Avoid powders—try to use chunks
instead.

Harvest Home Bonfire/Cauldron Fire

Winter's not far off, and it is time to harvest those lovely herbs you've been growing all year. Time to thank Mother Nature and cut those herbs the HedgeWitch way! Note that this rite uses only primal language.

Timing:
Morning, just after the dew has left the plants

Supplies:

Large cauldron (use candle), burn barrel, or fire pit

13 apples (for love and long life)

4 large pumpkins (for abundance and good fortune)

Dried straw or hay (for food in the house throughout the winter)

Fire supplies (to unite with Spirit)—Supplies depend on whether you are
using a candle in a cauldron or a fire pit in your back yard. For the fire
pit, you will need logs, lighter fluid or pre-soaked logs, and a long-
handled lighter manufactured for grill and bonfire use. Follow the
directions carefully to avoid accidents and serious burns. For the candle,
a handheld lighter will do.

Pumpkin spice powder (for luck)

2 cups of any no-salt recipe (for cleansing; see recipes on pages 256–257)

Pumpkin Spice Powder

5 tablespoons ground cinnamon

3 teaspoons ground ginger

2 teaspoons ground allspice

2 teaspoons ground cloves

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon powdered sweet chocolate

Place the pumpkins (each standing for a direction—north, east, south, west) around the burn barrel. Intersperse the shined apples (for the thirteen moons of the wheel of the year). If you are using a bonfire or burn barrel, place a little straw in the barrel. If you are using a cauldron, place bound straw near the cauldron but not in it. Sprinkle unlit logs or candle with the pumpkin spice.

Face the east, and intone this chant three times:

Eastwards I stand, for favors I pray

From goddess divine and lord of the day

Earth lends her power and breath sends the spell

Day's end will reveal that all will be well!
It always works. Always a blessing!

Smile, and breathe deeply. Light the candle or bonfire. Turn and face your garden. In your own way, thank the plants and earth for the bounty you are about to receive. Sprinkle any tools you will use to harvest with a little of the pumpkin spice. After you have harvested your herbs and dug up the annuals, turn the earth in the garden three times, removing any weeds you may find. Sprinkle the perimeter of your garden with any of the no-salt recipes to cleanse the earth and prepare her for her deep sleep. Return to your fire or candle, and thank Spirit for your fruitful harvest. Allow your garden to sit for three days, then cover the garden with straw or a winter compost mixture. Clean and disinfect garden tools so that they will be ready for next year.