Supermarket Magic: Creating Spells, Brews, Potions and Powders From Everyday Ingredients (21 page)

shopping lists at the end of each chapter to find herbs

that magically relate to your goals.

• 1 packet of seeds (from a plant aligned

with your magical intent)

• 1 cup of blessed fresh water

• Flower pot or seed starter tray

• Potting soil

Pack the potting soil into the flower pot or seed trays.

Bless the water that it be free of all impurities. Open the seed packet and pour all the seeds into your strong hand.

Will your energy into the seeds and charge them with

your desire. Carefully plant a few seeds in each tray or

spread out the seeds in the flower pot. Chant this spell

as you sprinkle the blessed water over the seeds, “This is my aim, this is my goal; state goal will manifest for me as you grow.”

Make sure to tend to the seeds and water them regu-

larly. Transplant them to your garden after a few weeks

growth and nurture them to maturity.

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Foods

The foods of spring are any early fresh fruits and veg-

etables, eggs, and mixed greens.

Quick Spring Soup

• 3 large potatoes, diced

• 2 large carrots, sliced

• 1 cup macaroni noodles

• 1 zucchini, sliced thick

• 2 cups tomato (or spaghetti) sauce

• 2 teaspoons thyme

• 2 teaspoons oregano

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• 4 cups water

Add all ingredients except tomato sauce in a pot and

boil until the vegetables are tender. Add the tomato sauce and simmer until thickened slightly. Serve warm.

Shopping List

Here are the ingredients used in the Spring Equinox reci-

pes.

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❏ Black pepper

❏ Macaroni

❏ Sugar

(granulated)

❏ Broom

❏ Marjoram/

❏ Sunflower oil

oregano

❏ Candles (pink, ❏ Packet of seeds ❏ Tarragon

yellow, light

blue)

❏ Carrots

❏ Peppermint

❏ Thyme

❏ Cornstarch

❏ Potatoes

❏ Tomato sauce

❏ Eggs

❏ Potting soil

❏ Vinegar

❏ Food coloring ❏ Salt

❏ Zucchini

or water-based

paint

❏ Lemon

Bealtaine

The May Eve/May Day Sabbat is the equal counterpart

to Samhain/Halloween. Where Samhain initiates the

dark half of the year, Bealtaine brings in the light half

of the year and the full force of nature’s power. On both

holidays, the veil between this world and the Otherworld

thins and spirits and faeries roam the night. In the mod-

ern craft, this day is seen as the mating/wedding of the

Goddess and God.

Sabbats and Esbats 229

Brews

Bealtaine is a time of flowers and herbs, bees and honey,

growth and greenery and the attunement tea for this hol-

iday draws this energy.

Bealtaine tea

• 1 hibiscus tea bag

• 1 passionflower tea bag

• 1 tablespoon honey

• 1 peppermint sprig

• 2 cups water

Heat the water to boiling and remove from heat. Add

the peppermint and the two tea bags. Allow to steep for

ten minutes and pour a cup. Sweeten with honey if de-

sired.

Oils

This oil can be used to anoint candles for growth spells

and for Bealtaine rituals. It can also be used to anoint the body for Bealtaine and also to encourage strength.

Bealtaine Oil

• 1 tablespoon marjoram/oregano

• 1 tablespoon coriander

• Pinch paprika

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• ½ cup almond oil

Heat the herbs and oil on low until you can smell

the scent in the air. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Once cooled, charge the oil and bottle for use.

Powders

This powder can be sprinkled around the candles on your

Bealtaine altar during rituals to increase your ability to connect with the energy of the holiday.

Bealtaine Powder

• 1 tablespoon marjoram/oregano, dried

• 2 teaspoons cilantro, dried

• 1 teaspoon curry powder

• 1 teaspoon paprika

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Grind and mix the herbs together then add the corn-

starch, charge the powder with your intent and bottle for

use.

Charms

Most of the magical work of Bealtaine centers around

fertility and growth. Any of the fertility spells and recipes in Chapter 5 can be used at this time for an extra boost

Sabbats and Esbats 231

of power. Here is a way to charm a plant to encourage it

to grow.

Charmed Plant

During Bealtaine, it is a wise to bless plants for growth.

If you have a garden and want to bless it subtly, you can

bless one plant indoors and plant it in your garden with

the intent that the blessing will spread to all the other

plants.

• 1 small potted plant (tomato, zucchini, or

whatever is available)

• Cauldron or large bowl

• 1 besom (or regular broom anointed with

a bit of Bealtaine Oil)

Set the plant in the cauldron and place the cauldron

on the ground in the middle of the room. Focus your in-

tent while holding the besom and lightly sweep a clock-

wise circle around the cauldron and plant with the intent

of cleansing the plant of any negativity or ill health. Finally, hop over the plant on the broom (seriously!) and

state with conviction, “I bless this plant and the earth!”

Now you can plant it in the garden and as you do, visual-

ize it growing strong and healthy and affirm in your mind

that this blessing shall spread to all the plants in your

garden.

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This blessing is reminiscent of ancient crop blessings

in which people leapt high in the fields astride poles to

bless and encourage plant growth. That practice is one

of the origins of the belief that Witches fly on brooms,

which is one reason that I recommend doing it indoors to

avoid developing an odd reputation amongst your neigh-

bors.

Foods

Any and all fruits and vegetables are appropriate for Bealtaine, but especially strawberries. Their rich red color and sweetness capture the vibrancy of this time of year. Early grains are also appropriate and oat cakes are an ancient

traditional food eaten at this time.

Bealtaine Oat Cakes

• ¾ cup oatmeal

• ½ cup flour, plus extra

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• ½ cup water

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Mix together the dry ingredients then stir in the water.

Mixture will be sticky. Knead the dough on a floured sur-

face, adding flour just until the dough is no longer sticky.

Press dough into a circle ¼ inch thick. Cut the circle into eight wedges. Add the oil to a pan and cook each wedge

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on medium-high heat until browned on both sides; 3 to 5

minutes per side. Remove to a cookie sheet. Once all the

wedges are cooked, place them in a 250 degree oven for

ten minutes or so to make them crisp. Serve with butter

and strawberry jam.

Shopping List

Here are the ingredients used in the Bealtaine section.

❏ Almond oil

❏ Flour

❏ Paprika

❏ Cilantro

❏ Garden plant

❏ Passionflower

tea

❏ Coriander

❏ Hibiscus tea

❏ Peppermint

sprigs

❏ Cornstarch

❏ Honey

❏ Salt

❏ Curry powder ❏ Marjoram/

❏ Vegetable oil

oregano

❏ Flax seed

❏ Oatmeal

Summer Solstice

The first day of summer (around June 21st in the north-

ern hemisphere) marks the time when the earth is at her

place in her orbit that the sun is directly over the tropic of Cancer and the northern hemisphere receives the larg-est amount of sunlight. In the southern hemisphere, the

summer solstice is around December 21st when the sun is

directly over the tropic of Capricorn. The summer solstice
234 Chapter 12

is the longest day and is the counterpart to the winter

solstice; the longest night. It is a time for celebrating the high point of the solar cycle, protecting crops and animals through this time of continued growth and honoring the

power of fire, especially for its cleansing and protective qualities.

Brews

The midsummer attunement tea contains parsley, sage,

rosemary and thyme, but I’m not breaking out into song.

These herbs just have an affinity for the summer season

and help us better connect to its energy.

Midsummer tea

• 1 tablespoon rosemary

• 1 tablespoon thyme

• 1 teaspoon sage

• ½ teaspoon parsley

• 2 cups water

Heat the water to boiling then remove from heat.

Add the herbs, cover and allow it to steep for at least ten minutes. Strain and sweeten with honey if desired.

Sabbats and Esbats 235

Oils

This oil can be worn on the body or used to anoint can-

dles during midsummer celebrations to better connect

with the energy of this day. This oil recipe can be used for cooking midsummer meals to bring the summer energy

within.

Midsummer Oil

• 1 tablespoon basil

• 1 teaspoon sage

• 1 teaspoon chives

• 1 teaspoon chervil

• ½ cup sunflower oil

Combine oil and herbs in a pot and heat over low

until you can smell the scent in the air. Remove from heat and allow the oil to cool. Charge the oil with your intent that it will capture the energy of summer and strain and

bottle it for use.

Powders

It should be noted that this powder recipe does not con-

tain any cornstarch. The reason for this is the spell that follows requires the burning of the powder and burning

cornstarch smells weird. If you are using this powder to

circle candles of for any other noncombustible purpose,

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you can add the 1 tablespoon of cornstarch as it does a

good job of holding the powder together.

Midsummer Powder

• 1 tablespoon basil

• 1 tablespoon thyme

• 1 tablespoon sage

Grind and combine the herbs and charge them with

your intent.

Powder Spells

This spell is used to offer up something from ourselves to the Gods with thanks and also to ask them for a blessing

that disease will be kept from us and that we will flourish and prosper though the summer. If you have a garden, ask

also that the plants will continue to thrive and that the

harvest will be bountiful.

Midsummer Sacrifice

• Midsummer powder

• Small bonfire

If you have an outdoor fire pit, it would be ideal to

have a midsummer gathering or barbeque and light a fire

in the fire pit for this spell. You could also use a cauldron on the ground outdoors with a small fire kindled within

Sabbats and Esbats 237

it or a cauldron indoors with a candle in it. Light the fire (in whichever form), pick up the container of powder and

focus on your desire for blessing. When you are ready, toss the powder into the fire (or sprinkle a bit on the candle’s flame) with the words, “Mighty Gods of summer’s glory, I

offer these herbs in sacrifice. May disease be kept far from me and through the summer may I thrive. Blessed be.”

Charms

This charm captures the energy of midsummer and con-

fers luck, protection and abundance to its wearer if you

keep these qualities in mind as you create the charm bag.

Midsummer Charm Bag

• 1 teaspoon dried corn seeds

• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds

• 1 teaspoon wheat kernels (or whole wheat

flour)

• 1 teaspoon sunflower seeds

• 1 tablespoon dried rosemary

• 1 yellow, gold or green charm bag

Combine the seeds and herb in a bowl or cauldron

and charge them with your desire. Pour the mixture into

the charm bag and seal it. Wear or carry as often as pos-

238 Chapter 12

sible to keep the powerful energy of the summer solstice

with you until the next Sabbat.

Foods

The foods of summer are barbeque, fresh salads, and fruit.

I am including a salad recipe that is light and perfect for this time of year.

Midsummer Salad

• 1 head of lettuce (any type), shredded

• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped

• 1 medium zucchini, grated

• 4 mushrooms, sliced

• ½ cup baby spinach leaves, shredded or

torn

Dressing

• ½ cup Midsummer Oil

• 2 tablespoons plus one teaspoon apple

cider vinegar

• ½ teaspoon salt

Combine and toss the salad ingredients. Mix the in-

gredients for the dressing in a bottle with a tight-fitting screw top. Shake the bottle vigorously for a minute or so

Sabbats and Esbats 239

to combine the vinaigrette dressing. Pour dressing over

the salad and toss once more before serving.

Optional: If desired, you can add ¼ cup sunflower

seeds and/or ½ cup of shredded cheese and 1 cup cubed