LAST MEETING INFORMATION

Merry Meet to All of You!

If you would like to see the handout about kitchen herbs and their properties we gave out at the meeting on Tuesday, go to:

http://theherbalchalice.blogspot.com/2009/06/kitchencupboard-magick.html

Warm Blessings,

Ilona

TIP IF THE DAY - A MAGIC BREW

Merry Meet to All of You!

Hope you are all enjoying the sunshine as we are closing in on Misummer?!

I know, the lovely wheather makes you crave cold drinks more tham anything, but I found this tea recipe I want to share with you regardless.

It's called 'Magical Working Tea' and helps you with your preparation and mindset before undertaking, well, magickal work.

It is dead simple, just make an infusion out of:

2 teaspoons rosemary

1 teaspoon lavender

grated peel of 1 orange

let it infuse for 10 minutes and drink about an hour before your magickal workings.

Rosemary stimulates the brain while lavender relaxes you and orange is linked with solar energies, thus this tea can help putting yourself in the required mindset for your purposes.

(Recipe taken from: 'The Real Witches Kitchen' by Kate West, page 141; see: http://richmondchalice.blogspot.com/2009/05/tip-of-day-good-book.html)

So, even in this warm weather, the right cup of tea can still work wonders (my next tip will probably be a cold alcoholic bewerage, sunshine permitting)!

Enjoy this lovely summer weather and make the most of it outdoors,

Sunny Blessings,Ilona

TIP OF THE DAY - A GOOD BOOK

Merry Meet to All!

You might have noticed that the main theme of our next chalice meeting is "Kitchen Cupboard Magick", e.g. using everyday kitchen ingredients for magic and/or healing purposes, so if you would like to find out more, pop along!

If you haven't got the time here is a good book for you to read, which shows you how to utilise your kitchen for magick purposes.

It's called:


and gives you plenty of ideas and inspiration, from candle and incense making, body care, feasting in tune with and cooking for the Wheel of the Year and its' Sabbats, potions and healing remedies. It also gives you tips on how to buy, store and use your herbs and what equipment you will need.

All in all, it's a great book, well written and easily accessible, even to the greenest novice.

So, if you have chance, take five, make a cuppa and bury your noses in some kitchen Magick!

Warm Blessings,

Ilona

TIP OF THE DAY - A GOOD CUPPA

Merry Meet to All!

As nice as spring is, it can be a pesky time for colds and such, can't it?

I for one have a quite nasty cold, which did me the honour to turn into a horrible ear infection.

Being a good girl, I went to the doctor for a course of antibiotics (as you should), but this hasn't stopped me from complementing them with some herbal remedies from ... my kitchen cupboard.

If you suffer from ear ache or discharge, one of the easiest complementary herbal medicines you can turn to is a good cuppa to help you fight the infection and reduce inflammation - in this case rosemary tea.

Simply put 2-4g of dried rosemary in a cup of boiling water and let it infuse for about 10 minutes. Drink three cups a day after your meals.

Rosemary is a very powerful herb with many medicinal properties. It contains flavanoids which stimulate the blood flow and as such can be used to improve memory and concentration as well as easing headaches. Rosemary is also beneficial to digestion, on which is has a calming effect, and can be taken if you suffer from stomach cramps, bloating or constipation. It also acts as a detoxing agent to help clean the liver.

In the above mentioned case of ear infection, as well as bronchial, nose and throat infections, it acts as an effective anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial agent.

In external use, you can dilute rosemary oil with a neutral oil (eg sunflower) and use it as a rub to help with muscular and rheumatic pain and inflammation. An infusion into the bathwater also eases rheumatism.

Because of the powerful properties of rosemary, it should not be used on children and if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, make sure the amount taken does not exceed the one normally found in your diet.

For further information on rosemary and recipes for aspects of it in magick got to:

http://www.gardensablaze.com/HerbRosemaryMed.htm

So, next time you suffer from ear, nose or chest infections, why not try a good cup of rosemary tea to help you on your way (don't forget though, if symptoms persist, always go to your doctor!).

Spring Blessings and Good Health

Ilona

TIP OF THE DAY - CLEAR THE CLUTTER

Clear your house, clear your head!

This is the time of the year for a good spring clean, to blitz your home and get rid of all the unwanted and unused items that mounted up over the last 12 months.

The old saying "A messy house means a messy head" really is true, so a good clean out will not only make your home more inviting but also clear your thoughts and mindset.

If it seems a too big a task, just tackle one room at the time, best beginning with your bedroom, because a clutter-free, serene bedroom will aid good sleep and thus boost your energy levels.

When you finished the physical clean, why not add little extra touches for your mind and spirit, like a bunch of fresh lavender in the bedroom or a bowl of rock salt on a sunny window ledge. The lavender will, again, aid good sleep, and the rock salt will warm up in the sunlight, emanating particles in the process, which act like a natural ionizer, adding to the quality of the air.

Also, for a clear head you need fresh air, open your windows wide for at least 15 minutes a day, to allow a total exchange of air in your house. Not only is this cheaper than shop-bought fresheners, it is also kinder on the environment.

So, get in the spirit of spring, be inspired by the sun and rejuvenate the soul of your home and in the process your own spirit!

Bright Blessings,

Ilona

TIP OF THE DAY: KITCHEN CUPBOARD MAGICK

You don't need to buy expensive and exotic ingredients to add a little bit of natural magic and holistic approach to your lifestyle.

Just have a good look in your kitchen cupboard (and garden, if you have one) and you'd be amazed what you can do with the 'everyday things' in there.

Here, for example, is a really nice recipe for herbal bath sachets, which are very simple to make and will give you an invigorating, 100% natural bath experience, which puts the spring back in your step.

All you need is:

4 cups of dried lemon verbenna *

2 cups of dried thyme

1 cup of dried peppermint

fabric, like muslin or organdie, which can be easily penetrated by water

*lemon verbenna is a common garden herb (see picture), but if you can't get hold of it, you can use dried lemon rind

Take to needle and threat and make little sachets of the fabric, which you fill with the hers - that's all there's to it!

When running a bath, hold the sachets under the tab or simply float in the water. A filled sachet can be used twice, and the sachets themselves can be refilled with fresh herbs again and again.

Enjoy! Ilona