Supermarket Magic: Creating Spells, Brews, Potions and Powders From Everyday Ingredients (22 page)

chicken breast that has been sautéed in 2 tablespoons oil

and 1 teaspoon minced garlic.

Shopping List

Here is the listing of ingredients used in the Midsummer

section.

❏ Apple cider

❏ Lettuce

❏ Spinach (baby

vinegar

leaves)

❏ Basil

❏ Mushrooms

❏ Sunflower

(seeds and oil)

❏ Chervil

❏ Peppermint

❏ Tarragon

❏ Chives

❏ Parsley

❏ Thyme

❏ Cloth (yellow, ❏ Rosemary

❏ Tomato

gold, or green)

❏ Corn seeds

❏ Sage

❏ Wheat kernels

(or whole

wheat flour)

❏ Fennel seeds

❏ Salt

❏ Zucchini

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Lughnasadh

This holiday marks the beginning of the harvest season

and is celebrated as the first festival of harvest. Lughnasadh is the origin of the county and state fairs that we

have today. Anciently, large gatherings were held for

trade, horse racing, games and feasting, all in celebration of the harvest as well as for commerce and preparation for the coming winter. It is the time of year to take stock and evaluate whether or not you have what you need to make

it through the dark half of the year.

For most of us, the fear of actually completely run-

ning out of food, water or firewood before springtime

with no way to get more is no longer a reality, but it is

still wise at this time to make sure you are prepared, that everything is in order, to get through the winter months.

Modern concerns that can be addressed at this time in-

clude finances, auto and home repairs and any insurance

needs as well as the traditional concerns regarding food,

animals, water and firewood. None of this is meant to

imply that Lughnasadh is a boring holiday, far from it. It is a night devoted to feasting, games, honoring the earth

Goddess and God and working sympathetic magic to

cool the heat of the sun. This magic is worked in order to prevent the often scorching August heat from damaging

the crops before they can be fully harvested.

Sabbats and Esbats 241

Brews

The attunement tea for Lughnasadh isn’t so much a tea

as a juice blend. Since this Sabbat marks the beginning

of harvest, berries and apples are just beginning to reach their peak which makes them perfect choices to help us

connect to the energy of the day.

Lughnasadh Juice Blend

• 1 cup blackberry or raspberry juice

• 1 cup apple juice

Mix the two juices together and sip slowly while fo-

cusing on the power of the sun.

Oils

Lughnasadh Oil

• 1 teaspoon pearl barley

• 1 tablespoon grated apple peel

• 3 dried mushrooms (any edible variety)

• 1 crushed hazelnut

• ¼ cup sunflower oil

• ¼ cup corn oil

Heat the oils and other ingredients in a pot over low

heat until you can smell the scent in the air. Remove from
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heat and allow the oil to cool. Charge the oil with intent, strain and bottle for use.

Oil Spells

This spell is designed for the positive people, things and experiences in your life. It is both a show of appreciation for these things and also a call for their protection and

preservation in your life.

Lughnasadh Spell for Preserving Blessings

• 1 white candle

• 1 black candle

• 1 yellow or gold candle

• Pin

• Pen

• Piece of paper

• Lughnasadh oil

Anoint the candles with the oil and set the black

candle on the left side of the table and the white candle

on the right. Carve a sun symbol (a circle with eight rays coming off of it) in the yellow candle and place the candle in the center of the table. Next, take the pen and paper

and write out your blessing list; the list of people, things and experiences that you are grateful for and would like to preserve. Anoint the blessing list with Lughnasadh Oil by

Sabbats and Esbats 243

dabbing a bit on each corner and set it under the yellow/

gold candle. Light the black candle and say, ”Goddess,

eternal one, sovereign origin of creation, you who never

wane, but merely change your focus; please preserve the

wondrous gifts you have bestowed upon me. I am truly

grateful for all you have given me and pledge my vigi-

lance in caring for my blessings.” Light the white candle

and say, “Mighty God, you who has provided abundance

for all your children and whose cycle of life, death and

rebirth shall be mirrored by us all, I ask that you grant

continued existence of and connection to my blessings.

I give my thanks and pledge my lasting appreciation for

what I have been given.” Light the yellow/gold candle

and say, “Power of the sun; golden, fiery orb, empower the blessings in my life with continued strength and protection. Blessed be.”

Allow the candles to burn for as long as you can, then

extinguish in reverse order of lighting with thanks.

Powders

This powder can be used not only in Lughnasadh celebra-

tions but also in prosperity magic.

Lughnasadh Powder

• 1 tablespoon cornmeal

• 1 tablespoon whole wheat flour

• 1 tablespoon rye flour

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• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Combine the cornmeal, flours and cornstarch and

charge with your intent. Bottle the powder for use.

Powder Spells

Harvest Money Spell

• 1 green candle

• 1 yellow or gold candle

• 1 piece of whole grain bread

• Butter

• Lughnasadh powder

Charge both candles; the gold candle to bring in the

power of the sun and the green candle for the energy of

the earth. Set the green candle on the left and the gold

candle on the right. Pour a ring of powder around each

candle. Light the candles. Spread the butter on the whole

grain bread and with your finger charge the bread with

intent by focusing your energy and tracing a sun symbol

in the butter. Fold the bread in half to capture the sun

symbol within and say, “The power of the sun and power

of the earth have here conjoined to give form to abun-

dance. I have in my hands the gift of harvest. I partake

of the harvest so that I may reap my own prosperity. So

mote it be.” Eat the bread and butter to take the energy

of abundance into yourself.

Sabbats and Esbats 245

Charms

A good charm for this holiday is the making of a corn

husk doll. You can buy corn husks in the store because

tamales are wrapped in them.

Lughnasadh Corn Doll

• Corn husks

If the husks are to dry to work with you can soak

them in water for a little while to make them more pli-

able. Twist the corn husks into a roughly human shape.

Make a loop for the head and twist arms and legs. You

can bless the corn husk doll as a symbol of abundance and

keep in the home until the next Imbolg, where it is then

buried in the garden.

Foods

The foods of Lughnasadh are the first harvest gleanings;

nuts, berries, squashes, breads, beans and also, lamb. Corn has also become a main staple of food at this time, so here is a recipe for cornbread.

Lughnasadh Cornbread

• 1 ½ cups cornmeal

• 1 cup unbleached flour

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 4 tablespoons sugar

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• ¾ teaspoon salt

• 2 large eggs

• 1 cup milk

• 4 tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Grease a square baking

pan with butter. In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs and add

the butter, milk, flour, corn meal, sugar, salt and baking powder until well blended. Pour batter into pan and bake

20 to 25 minutes. Allow to cool and cut into eight pieces.

Shopping List

Here are the ingredients used in the Lughnasadh section.

❏ Apple (fruit

❏ Cornstarch

❏ Pearl barley

and juice)

❏ Baking powder ❏ Eggs

❏ Rye flour

❏ Blackberry

❏ Flour

❏ Salt

juice (or

(unbleached)

raspberry

juice)

❏ Butter

❏ Garlic

❏ Sugar

❏ Candles

❏ Hazelnut

❏ Sunflower oil

(white, black,

yellow or gold,

and green)

Sabbats and Esbats 247

❏ Corn (meal

❏ Milk

❏ Whole grain

and oil)

bread

❏ Corn husks

❏ Mushroom

❏ Whole wheat

flour

Autumn Equinox

This is the second festival of harvest is a time of giving thanks for the bounty of the earth. This holiday is often

known as “the Witches’ Thanksgiving” and that name is

very appropriate. The autumn equinox is the true time of

thanksgiving as late November is well past harvest season.

Now that the blazing heat has cooled and the leaves are

beginning to change, we return to a time of balance. The

day and night are equal once more as this day is the dark

twin to the spring equinox with the sun positioned di-

rectly over the equator. The two days (spring and autumn

equinoxes) would be identical but for the fact of one

being on the upswing and the other being on the down

slope of the year. This is the beginning of nature’s period of rest; the focus of the life energy of plants is more to the roots versus the rush of energy needed in spring to create and sustain new flowers and green leaves.

The majority of the celebration of this Sabbat is in

regards to giving thanks to the Mother Goddess for the

bounty of the earth and also drawing the remaining light

and heat of the sun into our bodies and into the earth

to help sustain us through the time of darkness. If we

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were comparing the Sabbats to the lunar phases, Autumn

Equinox would be the last quarter moon before the “dark

moon” time of Samhain. On this equinox, we celebrate

the mother Goddess as this is the time when she is just

beginning to transform into the crone. It is a bittersweet festival of giving thanks and releasing anything holding

us back so we are ready to journey into the unknown; the

New Year.

Brews

The attunement “tea” for the autumnal equinox is a blend

of harvest time juices and herbs which serve to connect

us to the energy shift.

Autumn Tonic

• 2 cups apple juice

• 1 cup pomegranate juice

• 1 passionflower tea bag

• 1 teaspoon sage

• Honey

Heat the apple juice to just under boiling then re-

move from heat and add the sage and tea bag. Allow to

steep for ten minutes. Add the pomegranate juice and ei-

ther reheat (if you want it warm) or stir in honey to taste and drink.

Sabbats and Esbats 249

Oils

This oil carries with it the energies of the harvest; falling leaves, cool breezes, longer nights and that cozy feeling of Fall. It can be used in spells for wisdom and protection as well as in the Sabbat celebration.

Autumn Equinox Oil

• 1 tablespoon rosemary

• 1 tablespoon apple peel

• 2 hazelnuts, crushed

• ½ cup almond oil

Combine all ingredients in a pot and heat over low

until you can smell the scent in the air. Remove the pot

from heat and allow to cool. Once cooled, charge the oil

with intent and strain and bottle it for use.

Oil Spells

This spell is a rite of pure thanksgiving. It transmits your gratitude to the Goddess and God.

Autumn Rite of Giving Thanks

• 1 dark red candle

• 1 brown candle

• 1 orange candle

• 1 yellow candle

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• 1 green candle

Autumn Equinox Oil

Anoint all the candles with the oil and place them in a

semi circle on the table starting with the dark red candle on the left and moving forward with the brown, orange,

yellow and finally the green candle on the right. Light

the candles from left to right saying, “The earth begins

her time of slumber, for my blessings, I give thanks to

you. My heart and mind are filled with wonder; the gifts

of harvest shall see us through. My loyalty and heart, you have always and forever, my devotion is eternal; ceasing

never. Blessed be.” Allow the candles to burn for as long

as possible in sacrifice to the Goddess and then extin-

guish them in reverse order of lighting.

Powders

This powder can be used for protection of home and

property as well as used in the Sabbat celebration.

Fall Harvest Powder

• 1 tablespoon rosemary

• 1 tablespoon sage

• 1 tablespoon autumn leaves, dried and

crushed

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Sabbats and Esbats 251

Grind and combine the herbs and leaves then add

the cornstarch. Charge with your intent and bottle the

powder.

Powder Spells

Circle of Protection