HedgeWitchery
in Daily Life
The art and science of HedgeWitchery moves throughout your daily life if you only allow it to do so. Every day can be magick-filled if you so desire. You have the ultimate choice! This section of the HedgeWitch material provides tips, techniques, formulas, and recipes that can be used to enhance and fulfill your life in enchanting ways … every day!
HedgeWitch Days of the Week
Every day of the week provides opportunities for magick! The following list gives you general energy correspondences and ideas on what tasks might be best performed. Having a sense of task-defined order can free your mind from worrying about all those little items that seem to inundate us if we don’t pay attention.
Sunday
Rest and play: Sunday is ruled by the sun, bringing vibrant, successful and positive energy to any application or task. Above all, the sun symbolizes harmony in action, making Sunday a great day for family activities, enjoying the world around you, and having fun. Celebrating the light of the sun, Sunday provides great timing for working with gold jewelry. Light a white or yellow candle this day for future success in your life. Take time to enjoy your favorite hobby; it’s a perfect day to finish projects meant for loved ones! Add a sundial to your magickal garden and ask for weekly blessings every Sunday.
Sun-related garden plants: Plant, tend, harvest, or use these plants on their favorite day: angelica, bay, carnation, celandine, chamomile, eyebright, ginseng, juniper, lovage, marigold, palm, peony, rosemary, rue, saffron, St. John’s wort, sunflower, tea, witch hazel.
Work on issues regarding…prominent people, superiors, employers, executives, personal illumination, personal power, persons worthy of trust, men ages 30–45, good health, life force, success.
Sunday’s colors: yellow, gold/purple, gold, scarlet, purple, bright red, orange
Monday
Water and flow: Monday is ruled by the moon, bringing the powerful element of water into play. In magick, we know that water conveys the energy we put into it, helping our work to flow into the goals we wish to achieve. Monday is a great day for working with water—washing the car, doing the laundry, taking a long, luxurious bath or shower. It’s also a great day to make magickal perfumes, oils, floor washes, and air fresheners! Designing silver jewelry also vibrates well with Monday’s energy. Given the moon’s representation of our emotions, this is a good day for a longer-than-usual meditation, creating new affirmations that fit what we truly want in life, and considering the flow of our emotional well-being. It’s a good day for painting, developing new dance steps, or composing music. Monday is also considered the primary day for workings for women (mothers, daughters, grandmothers, female friends, female partners, etc.). Light a white or blue candle on this day for emotional well-being. Add an outdoor water element to your magickal garden!
Moon-related garden plants: Plant, tend, harvest, or use these plants on their favorite day: aloe, lemon balm, cabbage, cucumber, eucalyptus, gardenia, gourd, grape, honesty, jasmine, lettuce, lily, mallow, moonflower, poppy, potato, purslane, turnip, willow.
Work on issues regarding…mothers, women in general, the public and the public eye, change, your feelings, liquids, runaways, lost items, the sea, short trips, your perception on various issues.
Monday’s colors: colors spotted or striped with white, cream, opalescent, pale yellow, pale green, pale lavender, pale blue, pearl, silver, white
Tuesday
Fire and energy: Tuesday is ruled by Mars, the planet of success, action, and derring-do! Fire and metal are the featured energies on this day. Save Tuesday for dealing with difficult people and issues, cultivating the warrior energy within yourself and channeling that emotion in the right direction through positive action. It’s a good day to buy small tools or have old ones repaired and cleaned. Also a day for contacting mentors (who are ruled by the element of metal) and people of strength who may be able to help you. Baking, working with wax, firing pottery, or forging alliances all fall under Mars energy. Celebrating the element of fire, this is a great day to make HedgeWitch grubby, or overdipped, herbal candles. Tuesday is also considered the primary day for workings for men (fathers, sons, grandfathers, male friends, and male partners). Light a white or red candle on this day for personal success through action! Add a fire element to your outdoor magickal garden, such as a new grill, burn pit, offering cauldron, etc. Make use of it every Tuesday!
Mars-related garden plants: Plant, tend, harvest, or use these herbs on their favorite day: basil, cactus, carrots, chili peppers, coriander, garlic, holly, horseradish, mustard, nettle, onion, pennyroyal, pepper, peppermint, pine, radish, shallot, snapdragon, thistle, woodruff, wormwood.
Work on issues regarding…energy, sex, leadership, weapons, fire, assertiveness, doctors (especially surgeons), sewing, personal transformation, sports, winning, baking, cooking.
Tuesday’s colors: colors that shine—crimson, fiery red, lemon yellow, red ochre, rust, saffron, scarlet
Wednesday
Chatter box! Wednesday is ruled by Mercury, that quicksilver planet of thought and communication. Take care of all written stuff today—letters, e-mails, cards to friends and family, notification on a move or other important events in your life. Send birthday cards, holiday cards, and flowers to those you love! It’s a good day to compose the next entry in your blog, the next entry in your journal, study, take a written test, or communicate clearly through words. Research and gathering information also relate to Mercury energy, as well as designing scrapbook pages, bookmarks, altered books, and photo albums. Keep forgetting to send out your bills? Make Wednesday the day for such things. Today, send that book you promised to someone and never got around to doing. Wednesday is also a great day for giving things away, as you are sharing your love and personal energy with every gift you give. Light a white or silver candle on this day for mental growth and success in communicating with others. Add wind chimes, bells, flags, and ribbons to your outdoor magickal garden. Petitions to Spirit outdoors on Wednesday are perfect ways to use Mercury energy.
Mercury-related garden plants: Plant, tend, harvest, or use these herbs on their favorite day: beans, bergamot, caraway, celery, clover, dill, fennel, fern, goat’s rue, horehound, lavender, lemongrass, lemon verbena, marjoram, mint, parsley, savory.
Work on issues regarding…communication, books, letters, e-mails, messages, questions, blogs, writing in general, transport, contracts, bargaining, neighbors, research, young people, students, office employees, salespersons, tricksters.
Wednesday’s colors: dusky silver, light blue, azure, dove, light grey, clear, or new color blends
Thursday
To market, to market! Thursday is ruled by Jupiter, the Great Benefic, a planet of long-term good fortune and expansion, and also attributed to personal spirituality. Running errands that involve the transaction of large sums of money, charity, and your spiritual pursuits might be a great way of turning this day into a fulfilling use of your time. Jupiter’s job is to attract positive growth and good fortune, so this is a great day to start a new hobby, expand your garden by adding a spiritually related statue, or put in that new foot path. A great day to shop for large-ticket items, expanding your favorite collection, and another great day for gift-giving. Jupiter represents both fire and water (modern and classical astrological correspondences), making this a primary day for healing work. It’s a wonderful day to make healing sachets, herbal washes, and aura-cleaning products. Light a purple or white candle today, and welcome healing energies into your life.
Jupiter-related garden plants: Plant, tend, harvest, or use these herbs on their favorite day:anise, borage, chestnut, cinquefoil, clove, dandelion, endive, honeysuckle, hyssop, maple, pumpkin, sage, sarsaparilla, sassafras. It’s a great day to add new plants and expand your outdoor or indoor garden.
Work on issues regarding…good luck, expansion, good fortune, higher education, abundance, long trips, divination, gambling, professionals, the wealthy, lawyers, judges, horses, foreigners, middle-aged men.
Thursday’s colors: red and green combined, sea green, deep blue or purple, violet, ash, lime, forest green, green and gold combination
Friday
Just for pretty: From entertainment to personal beauty and fixing up the place, in all you do, Venus energy can be used dynamically for achieving the higher vibrations of love. Fridays are great days for personal beauty enhancements, making the home and garden an art-inspired sanctuary, building your altar, healing through love, and, of course, fast cash workings. Entertainment and get-togethers with friends and family also fall under the power of seductive Venus. Arts, crafts, and just plain being creative share in Venus pursuits. Make body powders, soaps, perfumes for love, passion sachets, love amulets, gemstone jewelry, and decorative clay pieces. Venus often represents the element of earth and growth, hence the occult association of the color green. Light a white, green, or pink candle today, and attract beauty into your life! Bring your garden inside! Work with potted plants today.
Venus-related garden plants: Plant, tend, harvest, or use these herbs on their favorite day: African violet, apple, barley, birch, blue flag (iris), cardamom, catnip, coltsfoot, columbine, corn, crocus, daffodil, daisy, geranium, hyacinth, lilac, magnolia, mugwort, myrtle, orchid, plantain, rose, sorrel, spearmint, strawberry, thyme, tomato, tulip, valerian, vervain, wheat.
Work on issues regarding…alliances, love, gifts, money, harmony, relationships, marriage, what you value, your resources, moveable goods, lost objects (especially those lost at a social affair), parties, young women, your best friend, wife, pleasures, arts of all types, luxury items.
Friday’s colors: any color that shines; white; purple; blue; green and brown combination; sky blue; copper; brass
Saturday
Heavy duty day: Saturday is ruled by Saturn, the planet of limits as well as rewards through hard work. Saturday’s tasks may include cleaning out the garage, the basement, the attic, or those overflowing closets. It’s often a day for choosing appliances such as stoves, air conditioning units, refrigerators, etc., where partners can shop together and take their time choosing what is right for them. It’s a good day for picking up clutter, vacuuming, washing windows, rearranging furniture, and banishing all negative items and emotions by the act of releasing and attracting good energies through positive tasks and aromas. Make furniture polish and carpet fresheners today. Light a white or brown candle today for drawing miracles! Erect a trellis, build a retaining wall, design a rock garden, or make major renovations to your outdoor garden on this day.
Saturn-related garden plants: Plant, tend, harvest, or use these herbs on their favorite day:amaranth, beets, boneset, comfrey, ivy, lobelia, morning glory, mullein, pansy, patchouli, solomon’s seal, yew.
Work on issues regarding…removing obstacles or limitations, lifting restrictions, hardscaping the garden, old people, debts, poverty, real estate, construction, karma, plumbers, fathers, overcoming delays.
Saturday’s colors: black, dark green, dark brown (for miracles), wood colors, dark blue
Note: Those herbs listed are the ones that are most commonly found in yards and gardens in the northeast. Feel free to substitute your own native plants.
HedgeWitch Moon Magick
How to Tell If the Moon Is Waxing or Waning
Magickal people use the moon as a vehicle for focus and order, flowing with the energy of the moon to accomplish particular tasks. Earlier in this book, you learned that:
Full moons equal the harvest of any given thing and are the perfect balance of opposites.
New moons are a time to begin new projects and take a fresh approach to any situation.
Waxing moons represent building and growing, giving more energy to a particular focus.
Waning moons herald closure, putting the last touches on a project, and the elimination of ideas, projects, and desires we no longer need.
The full moon and new moons are easy to tell when looking up at the sky. But what about the waxing and waning moons? You can use an almanac like the Farmer’s Almanac or one of Llewellyn’s many excellent magickal almanacs, check out the daily newspaper under the weather section, surf online, or you can simply step outside and look up at the sky, using the following guideline: When does the moon rise? The time the moon rises will indicate if it is waxing or waning. If the moon rises in the daytime, then it is waxing. If the moon rises in the nighttime, it is waning.
Circumference of the Moon
The second technique is to look at the circumference of the moon. If the outer edge is fullest toward the east, the moon is waxing, or growing towards the full moon. If the outer edge is fullest towards the west, the moon is waning to a new moon. If the circumference appears to be more horizontal than vertical, use the highest point of the moon as your guide.
Flowing by the Full Moon
Trying hard to find a schedule to get everything done this year? Try using the monthly full moons as harvest times for particular projects, using the name of the moon as a focus for your activities. Here are some suggestions:
Note: These moons apply to the Northern Hemisphere.
Historical Moon Names
January: Nursing Moon, Milk Moon, Wolf Moon—Concentrate on family activities this month. Take care of all wellness/health appointment scheduling for the coming year for yourself, family, and pets.
February: Storm Moon, Fasting Moon, Weaning Moon—Change your eating habits to match a more healthy way of life. You might choose to go on a diet, or perhaps slowly begin to adjust your diet, removing or adding one food type at a time. Go through those automatic payments and determine if there is something you could do without (magazines, memberships).
March: Seed Moon, Chaste Moon—Excellent time to start new projects and begin a new job or family activity. Great month for teaching yourself new skills. Choose which plants you will grow in your garden this year, and consider any hardscaping plans.
April: Mating Moon, Hare Moon—Focus on your partner this month. Review your behavior and what you can adjust in your own activities that will satisfy yourself and bring harmony to your partner. When the last frost hits, begin planting your garden.
May: Dyad Moon, Journey Moon—Try getting all those errands done this month that you’ve been putting off. Take several short weekend or day trips. Enjoy the season by visiting places you’ve never been.
June: Mother’s Moon, Mead Moon—Take care of any issues relating to females this month, including mothers, friends, sisters, daughters, etc. If you are interested in feng shui, activate the southwest corner of your home with an altar dedicated to the mother of the home.
July: Father’s Moon, Wort Moon—Take care of any issues relating to men this month, including fathers, friends, brothers, sons, etc. If you are interested in feng shui, activate the northwest corner of your home with an altar dedicated to the father of the home.
August: Nesting Moon, Barley Moon—Time to look over your winter wardrobe and household supplies. Prepare now for the winter. Mend or sew blankets, hang heavier curtains, etc. Decide what type of winter wear you would like to purchase this year.
September: Harvest Moon, Wine Moon—Tie up large projects with a sure completion by November (if the project is very large).
October: Blood Moon, Sorting Moon, Culling Moon—Time to sort through and clear out the attic and the basement, garage, closets, kitchen cabinets, etc.
November: Snow Moon, Death Moon—Remove any “dead-energy items” from the home. For example: compost dead flowers or plants, repair broken windows, and throw out torn carpets, broken furniture, etc. Make sure all clutter is removed (magazines, books, papers, clothing on the floor or under beds, extraneous junk).
December: Dark Moon, Birth Moon—Sort through seasonal decorations and throw out the torn, broken, or old things you’ll never use again. Take advantage of holiday pre-season and after-season bargains. Go through next year’s calendar and mark off special dates, magickal times, etc., and block off areas for specific projects.
Full Moon Magickal Oil Formula*
6 drops gardenia fragrance
2 drops lemon essential oil
2 drops sandalwood essential oil
1 ounce jojoba carrier oil (can use sweet almond oil)
Full Moon Herbal Charm for Attraction
You will need:
White candle
Cotton
Gris-gris bag
⅛ teaspoon lemon peel
⅛ teaspoon yellow sandalwood
⅛ teaspoon wild lettuce
⅛ teaspoon Irish moss
Your desire written on a small piece of paper
(with berry magickal ink—see page 258)
A lock of your hair
White or silver cord
Mortar and pestle
Choose a specific deity from the list provided on pages 193–194. Research this deity fully before petitioning. Using primal language, write your desire with berry magickal ink on a piece of paper. Place all items under the full moon for one hour.
When you are ready to perform this working, light incense and pass over all items. Spread the cotton like a small nest. Grind herbs together to make a powder. Place the ground mixture in the center of the cotton. Put your hair on top. Roll cotton and herbs around your folded petition (fold very small, toward yourself). Secure with white or silver cord. Place in gris-gris bag. Sprinkle bag with full moon magickal oil or your enchanted perfume, as explained in Section 2.
Place gris-gris bag beside white candle. Rub candle with sandalwood herb and hold up to the moon like a wand. Beckon, in your own words, the power of the full moon to enter the candle. Petition the deity chosen, paying special attention to your previous research. Light the candle and pass over the gris-gris bag seven times. Place candle in holder and repeat your desire seven times, remembering to use primal language and saying thank you when you are finished. Allow candle to burn completely. Carry gris-gris with you until your desire is achieved. Burn when your request has been granted. Note: Various flowers can be added to your altar along with favorite items associated with your chosen moon goddess to increase your connection with divinity.
Did you know: In early times, the sun was attributed to the Goddess, and the moon attributed to the God?
Full Moon Magick Water
Magickal waters are used to cleanse and empower objects, people, and sacred areas. Try this great no-salt recipe using magickal herbs!
Spring water (or white rum; see below)
⅛ teaspoon water lily root
⅛ teaspoon lemon peel
⅛ teaspoon poppy petals
1 clear bowl
1 round mirror (about 6 inches)
1 moonstone
Mortar and pestle, optional
1 white candle and candle holder
On a full moon, either grind herbs to a powder with mortar and pestle or leave whole, as you desire. Place clear bowl of spring water on top of a mirror where you can catch the light of the full moon in the water. Add herbal ingredients and moonstone. Stir water with finger, wooden stick (type of wood can be chosen by magickal correspondence), thin copper tube, or braided sterling silver wire. Both types of metal (sterling is a mix) are excellent for energy flow. Stir water nine times in a clockwise direction. Take three deep, even breaths before blessing and empowering, making sure your feet are firmly on the ground, shoulders straight yet relaxed. Rub white candle with a little sandalwood herb. Light candle. Place candle in the water so that the flame burns safely out of the water. Hold both hands over the water and candle, then speak any of the herbal empowerment conjurations given in this book that match your intended desire. When you are finished, seal the work by ringing your magickal bell to match your personal lucky number. Store water in a fluted potion bottle in refrigerator until needed throughout the month. Make new water each month. This magickal water is to be used for adding power to any working, esbat rituals, or harvest spells, so you may wish to indicate your desire accordingly.
Hint: Full moon water carries extra power if made in your own magickal garden. As a special touch, float carnations or moon flowers in the water for at least one hour.
Note: Salt is unnecessary in this formula, as the lemon peel and water lily root are natural herbal cleansers. For a healing moon formula, add eucalyptus herb. For divinatory pursuits, add eyebright herb. To move a particular spell along, use white rum instead of water (just don’t put it near a fire!). If you use white rum, you can steep the herbs for an entire month to make the brew more magickal, but don’t drink it!
Prayer Beads
Prayer beads are a vehicle used to focus the mind on a single intent by saying an affirmation or prayer as you touch each bead. Ideally, to focus the mind completely, the affirmations should be intoned for a minimum of sixty-five seconds. HedgeWitch prayer beads use twenty-eight beads on a string, with twenty-eight corresponding to one moon cycle (full moon to full moon). Your beads can be used in a variety of ways—there is no limit to their creative use.
You will need:
28 beads (your choice)
2 5-yard pieces of hemp or cord (your choice of color;
larger beads will require longer cord)
Full moon water
White candle
Sandalwood herb or full moon oil
A positive affirmation of your choice that fits your lifestyle
Fold cords in half and make a knot, leaving four dangling ends. On a full moon, cleanse and bless all supplies. Rub white candle with sandalwood herb. Keep candle lit as you work. String one bead onto the two center cords. Tie a plain knot with the two outer cords so that the bead sits within the cords, stabilized by the knot underneath, or use a macramé knot such as the square knot. Each time you string a bead or add a knot, repeat your chosen affirmation out loud. Add another bead. Knot. Continue until your project is completed. Sprinkle beaded cord with full moon water. Place beaded cord in the moonlight. As the month progresses, you can use the beaded cord for a variety of prayers and spell work. Re-empower every full moon. Additional charms can be added throughout the year—you can even add buttons! (That’s an Old Pennsylvania Dutch custom.) Your beads can become a year’s worth of magick. Retire them at the end of the year, or continue to use them the following year.
Note: Wooden beads with large holes work best. Add a sterling silver charm to the top or bottom (or both) of your newly made prayer beads. Hang beads on staff, over altar, or carry in purse or pocket.
Dark Moon Prayer Beads
Use only black or midnight blue beads. Use black cord. These beads are for banishing negativity and releasing our fears or worries. Touch each bead, saying: “I let go of _________,” naming whatever is upsetting you at the time. “I am free! I am filled with harmony, happiness, and peace of mind. I am cleansed! Thank you!” When you have finished touching all the beads and repeating your mantra, place prayer beads under the full moon to cleanse them after your working.
Window Dressing
Lengthen cord and add additional colorful beads and bells. Use as a decoration on windows, doors, or over altar. Beads with dots and wild patterns are thought to ward off negativity, confusing the evil energy, making it lose its power. Bells cleanse the atmosphere of anger and negative intentions.
For Magickal Gardeners
Make your HedgeWitch prayer beads while sitting in your garden, allowing the natural touch of Spirit to flow through your fingers. If your basil or hyssop is flowering, add those tiny petals, too!
Full Moon Meditation/Affirmation
For a full month, repeat this affirmation each morning and upon retiring at the end of the day, beginning on the first day of the full moon:
In stillness, I find illumination.
By looking within, I learn the mysteries of the universe,
for therein lies the portal of understanding!
As you look within yourself, you will discover an amazing gateway to divine energy! Practice filling yourself with white light many times during the day. After one month of practice, you may find yourself happier, calmer, and healthier! Consider this inner light the illumination of Spirit, as we see in the face of the full moon. You may find that adding the sound of a singing bowl or tuning forks (particularly B, associated with the second chakra) is helpful in your full moon work. The “Om” sound also resonates well, whether you use a tuning fork or your own powerful voice.
Full Moon Scrying Bowl
Just like tea-leaf reading (see section starting on page 205), scrying bowls also use the intuitive mind and symbol association to find answers to questions, solutions, or creative ideas. Gazing calmly into a bowl of colored water or a black mirror is like looking directly at the still point of the universe, where opportunity always exists and the answers are always there. Scrying is normally done in a quiet place with low light and pleasant aromas—no interruptions to scatter one’s thoughts or intensify worries or negative emotions. The full moon and Wiccan high holidays are traditional scrying times. Before you begin, you may wish to invoke a particular moon goddess for assistance or focus directly on Spirit.
Here is a list of full moon goddesses:
Aido Hwedo (Haiti)
Amaterasu (Japan)
Aphrodite (Phoenician)
Arianrhod (Wales)
Astarte (Semitic)
Copper Woman (Native America)
Demeter (Greece)
Freya (Scandinavia)
Hathor (Egypt)
Hera (Greece)
Hina (Polynesia)
Ishtar (Babylon)
Isis (Egypt)
Kwan Yin (China)
Lilith (Hebrew)
Luna (Etruscan)
Luonnotar (Finland)
Mawu (Dahomey)
Parvati (India)
Selene (Greek)
Tiamat (Semitic)
Venus (Rome)
When scrying, the practitioner often positions a candle near the bowl to capture the reflection. You may also take the bowl outside to capture the reflection of the full moon during the scrying process. As in tea-leaf reading, shapes that seem to float across the water are deciphered using word association; therefore, full moon scrying becomes a very personal endeavor.
Here is a recipe for a divination water bowl, enhanced by the correspondences of empowered herbs. You will need:
1 clear bowl (about 3 inches in diameter works well)
1 bottle of India ink
⅛ teaspoon water lily herb
⅛ teaspoon poppy petals
Spring water
1 cotton gris-gris bag or tub tea bag
⅛ teaspoon eyebright (or one of the herbs listed in appendix 4
associated with divination or mental acuity)
⅛ teaspoon ancestral grave dirt (optional—
used to invoke the honored ancestors)
Mortar and pestle
Pen and paper
Magick bell or chimes
Directions: Grind water lily, poppy, eyebright, and grave dirt (from beloved ancestor’s grave) with mortar and pestle. Pour in cotton bag or tub tea bag. Tie or seal. Place in bowl of warm water. Set water under full moon for an hour (it is best if the moon is reflected in the surface of the water). Remove. Add India ink to water until water is completely black. Set under full moon for another hour (it is best if it can reflect the light of the moon). Seal the moon energy in the water using your magick bell or chimes.
Instructions for scrying: When you are ready to use the water, light your favorite incense and the white candle. Call upon a moon goddess, Spirit, or your sacred ancestors for blessings and assistance. You may wish to use this simple scrying charm by holding your hands over the water and slowly speaking the following words:
HedgeWitch Scrying Charm
Magick water, speak to me …
Tranquility (pause)
Harmony (pause)
Creativity (pause)
Positive activity (pause)
So mote it be. Thank you!
It always works. Always a blessing.
Smile. Now ask your question. Stare into the dark surface of the water. If your vision seems foggy, this is good! Write down any and all mental impressions, but don’t make any formulations at this time unless they are crystal-clear to you. Sleep on the information you have received, and the following day, when your mind is clear, in a quiet place, review the impressions. Review again the following week. Practice makes perfect! Do not store water; make it fresh each full moon.
Note: Water formula without ink can be used to paint the back of a prepared magick mirror to heighten its power.
To heighten your scrying experience, you may wish to employ other full moon correspondences, such as an oil or incense that relates to the moon; moon colors; or use moon powder (below).
Full moon color associations: silver, dark blue, light blue, white, lavender
Moon powder: Use this for scattering around magick candles and placing in poppets and gris-gris bags to enhance the power of any working. Grind together sandalwood, lemon peel (better if you have dried it yourself), and poppy. Add a pinch of bladderwrack. To increase fragrance, you can add three drops of any of the following full moon oils, as it suits your purpose: sandalwood essential oil, lemon essential oil, or lily fragrance.
You might also like to heighten your experience by placing your personal magickal symbols created in your HedgeWitch rites around the scrying bowl, or choose one particular symbol to assist in activating the water.
How the Void Moon Affects Your HedgeWitch Workings
Many HedgeWitch practitioners pattern their magickal work and daily tasks by the phases and the signs of the moon, following a magickal almanac for their information. From setting posts in the ground to breeding animals, from baking to canning, from hair cutting to going to the bank for a loan, the almanac and its advice are considered invaluable. These “best times” were calculated on the position of the planets in the heavens on a given day/night and the phase of the moon, as well as the sign the moon might be visiting. The moon passes to a new astrological sign approximately every two-and-a-half days, allowing the moon to visit each astrological sign at least twice a month. The moon’s path isn’t calculated by a calendar but by precise mathematical data, which means the moon switches signs any day or night according to her predestined movement. As the moon moves through the heavens, she communicates with the other planets (called aspects) while visiting the various signs. From the last conversation she has before leaving a sign to the first conversation she has in the next sign is called moon void-of-course. The moon is putting a busy signal on her phone, if you will, and isn’t taking any calls. This window of dead air (so to speak) can last from a few minutes to several hours. It, too, is mathematically calculated. In classical astrology, a void moon means “nothing will come of this”—meaning actions taken during this time will most likely result in nothing. Important actions begun during the void moon are often based on poor judgment, missing information, inaccurate evaluations, and wasted effort. Daily tasks, however, don’t seem to be affected by the moon void, other than producing an irritating delay or false starts, affecting our patience more than anything else.
Moon voids can be extremely useful. For example, it is a time when loopholes can be found and used. If you really don’t want to go to Aunt Susie’s house on Saturday, make your plans during a moon void. Most likely, something will occur later on to prevent you from going. Moon voids are a great time for meditation, reflection on goals, and a good old-fashioned power nap!
Try to avoid scheduling important meetings or signing sensitive documents during these times unless you want these things to come to nothing. Pay particular attention to phone calls and other missives received during moon voids—this will tell you the importance of the information, as well as the outcome of the issue. Try not to purchase any important items during a moon void, as the items may either be broken, torn, missing pieces, or break easily in the next few weeks. Spell work, magickal recipes, and formulations are best done with an eye on moon voids. If the void lasts only a few minutes, this won’t affect your working; however, if the void lasts several hours, you may wish to reschedule making that special love or healing formula!
Start Your Day the HedgeWitch Way!
Sunrise provides perfect timing for communing with Spirit. Greeting Spirit with the sun puts you in a positive psychological mindset that will help you move throughout the day. It seems that no matter what goes wrong, if you have connected with Spirit each morning, you can handle whatever comes your way. As you did on the first night rite, use the spiritual affirmations given for that day at the moment of sunrise for at least thirty days, or try the quick sunrise meditation below. You will be amazed at the results!
Quick Sunrise Meditation
Supplies: One glass of clear water; one white candle; your magick bell; your chosen affirmations for the day; your morning drink (coffee, tea, juice).
Timing: Sunrise; if you are unsure of the time, check your local newspaper, an almanac, or the Internet for the exact time.
Position: Best done if outside, facing the rising sun; however, as this is not always possible, at least face the east, with a view of the sun.
Preparation: Mornings can be super busy, so a bit of forethought may be in order to fit your meditation into your schedule. You might have to get up a little earlier than usual, move your shower time around, or set out your clothing the night before rather than searching for it at the last minute. College students may wish to have everything packed for their first class of the day the night before rather than rushing around in the morning. Maybe you are a person that is stuck in transit as the sun rises—that’s okay. Work around this by doing your meditation while it is still dark, but facing the east. When the sun does rise, silently repeat your affirmations. You can always welcome the energy of the sun into your life, no matter where you are!
Meditation: Settle yourself comfortably, facing east. You can be sitting or standing; the choice is up to you. Light the white candle and place the clear glass of water beside the candle. The candle represents your willingness to connect the flame within yourself to the living flame of Spirit. The water represents the ocean of possibilities for the new day. Root Witches say that if bubbles appear in the water throughout the day, Spirit will grant all your wishes and is pleased at your observance.
As the sun rises, close your eyes and let the light of the sun wash over and through you. Breathe deeply several times. I always begin by saying, “Thank you for my healing,” as a proactive approach to a healthy mind and body. Then I say several things I’m grateful for, because when you are grateful, a feeling of pleasure and relief washes over your body. Visualize white light flooding through and around your body. Allow yourself to feel that perfect connection with Spirit. You might next intone the names of your chosen divinity. For example, if Egyptian gods and goddesses fill you with a sense of peace and power, repeat those names that match the sun, or simply allow the general connection of Spirit to take place. This is entirely up to you.
Next, repeat your chosen affirmations for the day. These can be different every day, or you can use the same ones all the time. I usually start my affirmations by saying, “I am at peace with the gods; I am at peace with nature; I am at peace within; I am at peace with the world and everything in it,” and then I move on to affirmations that are pertinent to my present situation. For example, when writing this book, my affirmations went something like this: “Spirit flows through my fingers to create peace, prosperity, and healing for others through my words.” I finish by saying, “Peace with the gods; peace with nature; peace within. Thank you!” and smiling. Ring your magickal bell in your personal number.
If you have time, drink your morning juice, coffee, or tea while enjoying a few moments in the sunshine. With every swallow, believe you are drinking in the power and purity of the rising sun. Sit quietly and just observe the waking world. Keep any plans or thoughts of the coming day out of your mind; save those for later. For now, just be !
Extinguish the candle. If you can, leave the glass of water where you placed it for the day. At sunset, pour the water on the ground (or in a houseplant), repeating your affirmations and saying thank you.
For magickal gardeners: Place the candle and water on a special stone in your garden, and walk your garden at sunrise, enjoying this sacred space.
Everyday HedgeWitch Herbals for Hearth and Home
The following mixtures and recipes encourage connecting with Spirit and Nature with every task at hand, helping you to live in harmony every day!
Furniture Polish
10 drops ylang-ylang essential oil
5 drops lemon essential oil
5 drops lime essential oil
2 ounces jojoba carrier oil
Blend ingredients and store in airtight container. Makes a marvelous magickal furniture polish! Rub on with a soft, clean cloth. Then polish with a separate soft, clean cloth.
Carpet Freshener
60 drops lavender essential oil
20 drops orange essential oil
10 drops eucalyptus essential oil
10 drops spruce essential oil
½ cup bicarbonate of soda
Mix all ingredients in glass jar that has a tight lid. Cap tightly and shake thoroughly. Set aside for at least twenty-four hours to allow the oils to blend. Sprinkle over carpet. Leave for fifteen minutes. Vacuum.
Carpet Freshener for Good Luck and Prosperity
30 drops lime essential oil
30 drops orange essential oil
20 drops patchouli essential oil
10 drops clove essential oil
10 drops cedar essential oil
Mix all ingredients in glass jar that has a tight lid. Cap tightly and shake thoroughly. Set aside for at least twenty-four hours to allow the oils to blend. Sprinkle over carpet. Leave for fifteen minutes. Vacuum.
Air Fresheners
Natural air fresheners help to elevate our mood and can be used in place of incense in ritual. Use spring or distilled water as your liquid base. For all air fresheners, fill a four-ounce spray bottle, then add essential oils. Tighten cap. Shake well. The longer the mixture ages, the stronger the scent becomes. For ritual use, age your freshener for at least seven days before using, shaking bottle every day. Store in a dark place.
What’s terrific about these fresheners? You know what’s in them!
Sacred Woodland Air Freshener
A wonderful formula for creating sacred space, meditation, and for drawing good fortune.
40 drops pine essential oil
20 drops cypress essential oil
20 drops sandalwood essential oil
20 drops cedar essential oil
4 fluid ounces spring water
Money-Draw Air Freshener
40 drops peppermint or spearmint essential oil
40 drops bergamot essential oil
10 drops patchouli essential oil
10 drops cedar essential oil
10 drops calendula essential oil
10 drops allspice essential oil
4 fluid ounces spring water
Healing Glow Air Freshener
40 drops lime essential oil
40 drops eucalyptus essential oil
10 drops sandalwood essential oil
10 drops clove essential oil
10 drops rosemary essential oil
4 fluid ounces spring water
Harvest Spray Freshener
Spray at front and back door during the months of September and October (or your fall- related months in the Southern Hemisphere) to welcome an abundant harvest and good fortune. You can also use this same formula (without the water) to scent your harvest potpourri.
40 drops ginger essential oil
30 drops allspice essential oil
10 drops clove essential oil
10 drops dill essential oil
10 drops cinnamon essential oil
10 drops orange or tangerine essential oil
10 drops apple fragrance
4 fluid ounces spring water
Devil-Be-Gone Spray Freshener
This formula is terrific for a child who is afraid of the dark and things that go bump in the night, and for nervous pets during thunderstorms!
40 drops lavender essential oil
40 drops sandalwood essential oil
10 drops sweet bay essential oil
10 drops rosemary essential oil
10 drops chamomile essential oil
10 drops marjoram essential oil
4 fluid ounces of spring water
Merry Yule Spray Freshener
Welcome good fortune into the home by spraying the house with this mixture every day from the first of December through the Winter Solstice. Spray around a Yule bonfire to encourage good fortune in the home during the deep winter. You can also use this same blend (without the water) to scent your holiday potpourri.
40 drops spruce or pine essential oil
10 drops cedarwood essential oil
10 drops eucalyptus essential oil
10 drops sandalwood essential oil
10 drops allspice essential oil
10 drops clove essential oil
10 drops cinnamon essential oil
10 drops orange essential oil
10 drops cypress essential oil
4 fluid ounces of spring water
HedgeWitch Teas
The marvelous thing about blending your own tea is that you can use your recipes for other magickal endeavors as well. Load a bit of a dried special blend into a candle or use in sachets, incense, and even soaps! Experiment with different proportions until you find a blend that’s just right for you.
Herbs you can grow or process yourself that are great for teas include anise; bee balm; calendula flowers; chamomile; cinnamon basil; crushed and dried berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, etc.); dried apple slices; dried lemon, lime, or orange peels; fresh lemon balm; lemon thyme; lemon verbena; orange mint; peppermint; pineapple mint; rose geraniums; rosemary; sage; summer or winter savory; spearmint; and thyme.
To make your own magickally brewed herb teas, use a heaping teaspoon of each dried ingredient or three teaspoons of each fresh ingredient per cup. Add approximately ¼ or ½ teaspoon of dried fruits or spices and increase the quantity for a bolder cup of tea. Heat water to boiling and pour over herbs, allowing a five-minute steep time. Warm the cups and the pot before making the tea to enhance the flavor of your special brew.
Apple Abundance/Love Tea: Black tea, dried apples, and dried orange rind, flavored with honey. (A great attraction tea! You can also add apple mint for a bit of zest.)
Healing Glow Tea: Lemon balm, chamomile, and dried orange peel. Add a touch of sage or rosemary during flu season.
Prosperity Money Tea: A variety of mints (your choice; see appendix 4 for a listing) with a touch of bee balm and chamomile.
Note:
A food dehydrator
is a great investment
for home-grown herbals
Tea-Leaf Reading
The process of reading tea leaves is primarily an intuitive one based on symbol interpretation and word association. Some practitioners use the leaves to foretell the future, whereas others employ the process for spiritual and creative assistance. Therefore, tea-leaf reading can be a divinatory process or used as a practical psychological tool, showing you what energies you are specifically drawing toward you. If you don’t like what you are attracting, change your circumstances—it is as simple as that! Taking notes can be extremely helpful, especially if you are working in a spiritual or creative venue.
Supplies Needed for Tea-Leaf Reading
Loose tea
Clean spoon
Hot water
Teacup with saucer (preferred)
Paper towel or napkin
Sweetener
Table decorations
Incense (optional)
Candles (optional)
Tea Blend Choices for Readings
Various blends of teas can enhance the focus of the reading. You may wish to choose a matching incense as well. Here is a list of different blends and their associations:
Chamomile: Dreams and wishes
China Black: General
China White: Spiritual
Cinnamon Spice Tea: Action, movement, and creativity
Citrus Teas: Good fortune and business
English Breakfast Tea: Beginnings and new ventures
Fruit Teas: Matters of the heart
Green Tea: Health issues
Herbal Teas: Use magickal correspondence depending upon the herb chosen
Herb and Citrus: Aura cleansing
Holiday Teas: Blends that are available only during specific seasons with aromas traditionally matching the intended holiday. These teas are great for affirmations involving holiday projects, parties, and shopping.
Jasmine Tea: Matters of the heart
Mint Teas: Study, education, learning, and wisdom
Mint and Chamomile Blend: Money and prosperity
Tea-Leaf Conjuration
Repeat this conjuration nine times over the steeping tea, or use your own words of empowerment.
Herbs of earth and sun and rain
Speak to me of life and gain.
Sacred brew, treasured leaves
Reveal your secrets unto me.
Thank you!
It always works. Always a blessing!
General Tea Preparation
Method 1
1. Heat water to boiling.
2. Stir dry, loose tea clockwise three times.
3. With spoon, put loose tea to taste directly into cup. If tea spills outside the cup, this is a good omen.
4. Pour hot water slowly over tea. Allow tea to steep.
5. Querent (person asking question) should pass finger over rim of cup three times in a clockwise direction before drinking, and then make a silent wish. This wish should be formulated in primal language, as discussed in Section 1. Querent should then drink the tea.
Note: The only drawback to this method is trying to drink around the floating tea leaves.
Method 2
1. Heat water to boiling.
2. Stir dry, loose tea clockwise three times.
3. With spoon, put loose tea to taste into the water in the pot. If tea spills during transfer, this is a good omen.
4. When steeped, pour tea into cup.
5. Querent should pass finger over rim of cup three times in a clockwise direction, and then make a silent wish formulated in primal language. Querent should then drink tea.
Note: Fewer leaves flow into the cup with this method.
Method 3
1. Heat water to boiling.
2. Place strainer over cup.
3. Stir dry, loose tea clockwise three times.
4. Put leaves in strainer.
5. Pour water over leaves. Let set five minutes or to taste.
6. Set strainer to the side. Do not throw away leaves.
7. Querent should pass finger over rim of cup three times in a clockwise direction, and then make a silent wish formulated in primal language. Querent should then drink tea, leaving one teaspoon of liquid in the bottom of cup.
8. Use teaspoon to scoop one helping of wet leaves from strainer into cup.
9. Swirl cup nine times clockwise.
10. Drain, then dump the residual liquid on saucer, trying not to remove any of the tea sediment from the cup (see more detailed instructions below).
Dumping the Residue Tea Water
Once the querent, or seeker, has drunk the tea, the reading is about to begin. The querent should swirl the residue three or nine times, and state aloud the purpose of the reading. This should be done in primal language, as explained in Section 1 of this book; the more defined the question or statement, the more defined the answer. Querent hands cup to the reader. As reader, do not turn the cup. Take the cup as it is handed to you, as this has its own significance. Gently pour any remaining liquid onto a napkin or paper towel, trying not to remove any of the tea sediment.
Reading Position and Placement of Symbols
The top of the cup (rim) relates to things, ideas, or events that will manifest in a few hours or are currently present in the life of the seeker. The middle section of the cup indicates a few days away. The bottom of the cup signifies the root of the question as well as the ultimate future for this query. Read clockwise from the handle of the teacup. If your cup has no handle, read from the twelve o’clock position around in a clockwise manner. Some readers believe that the dregs closest to the reader represent real issues, whereas the dregs and their associated symbols closest to the querent stand for thoughts, wishes, and dreams.
If you are reading for others just for fun, make sure the tea-leaf-reading area is well lit, filled with pleasant, natural aromas, and very colorful. These props aid the mind to reach for its fullest potential. In HedgeWitchery tea-leaf reading, the reader is really the orchestrator of the event, allowing the querent’s intuition to blossom (not the reader’s). When the seeker, not the reader, identifies the symbols and does their own word association, they are an active participant in the reading, which allows for a more fulfilling experience.
Omens While Pouring the Tea and During the Reading
Bubbles across top of the cup: Good fortune, money on the way; prosperity and happiness
Stalk bits or leaf pieces floating to top: Visitor or news on the way; hard stalk=man; soft stalk=woman. Place stalk on the back of the hand. Tap hand until leaf or stalk drops. The number of taps it takes for the stalk to drop is the number of days it will take until the seeker receives news or a visit.
If the querent requests sweeteners:
Honey: They are actively working to attract things into their life.
Artificial: Concentrating on dieting and health issues.
Raw sugar: Working to touch Spirit and the inner self.
Processed sugar: Possible resistance to change.
No sweetener: Possible concentration on health issues or living a constrained life.
If the querent is splashed with hot water: A sudden shock may be forthcoming, and it is highly possible the querent is not truly interested in the reading.
Foam across the top of the cup: Busy life and much activity ahead.
Tea too strong: New friendship or partnership on the horizon.
Tea too weak: Querent is working on “endings” in their life.
Spilled liquid or tea: Seeker is surrounded by unhappiness.
Querent who requests strong tea: Likes a full-bodied, adventurous life. Always on the go. Likes to take charge and be in control.
Querent who requests weak tea: Tentative individual, plagued with worries, problems, accidents and unfortunate circumstances. Possible health (body or mind) problems.
Querent who requests whiskey in tea: High stress; however, some readers pour a cup of tea for “the spirits” and add whiskey as an offering. This tea is never drunk, but sits steaming on the table until the reading is completed. Tea is poured outside on the ground at the end of the reading.
Querent who breaks or cracks teacup: Desperately desires to escape current circumstances.
Tea-Leaf Symbol Key
Acorn: Good fortune; growth
Arrow up: Success; action
Arrow down: Working within; don’t miss a good opportunity
Bag, box: Constraint
Ball, circle: Movement; protection from negative influences
Beetle: Change
Bell: Good news; happiness
Birds flying: Information arriving
Butterfly: Freedom; new, exciting experiences
Candle: Transformation; clarity
Cat: Mystery
Chain: Business success or success in a current goal
Clouds: Happiness; success ahead
Crescent: Spirituality
Cross, equal arm: Gateway to prosperity and happiness; protection
Diamond: Gift; partnership; marriage of like ideas
Door: Opportunity; looking for good fortune or a needed change
Dots: Busy time ahead; pathway to success
Egg: Birth, beginnings; new project
Eye: Wisdom; healing; knowledge
Fan: Beauty; flirting
Fire: Lust; passion; zeal
Flowers: Gifts; nature spirits
Frog, toad: Good fortune; money
Glass: Social opportunities; parties
Hand: Your desires are unfolding as you think about them
Hat: Change
Heart: Love; harmony
Hourglass: Patience
Kite: Wishes; hopes
Knot: Problems; blocks; scattered thoughts
Leaves: Success (usually by the end of the season)
Lightning: Sudden event; power; bold thoughts
Lines, straight: Travel
Lines, wavy: Career luck
Mask: Secrets; hidden opportunities
Mountain: Stability; treasure within
Rectangle: Business luck
Ring: Proposal
Shell: Treasure; travel over water
Shoe: Move of house or job
Snake, single: Gossip
Snake, double: Healing or the root of the matter
Spade, shovel: Growth and achievement
Spiral: Power
Star: Wishes granted, good timing to make decisions
Sun: New beginning; personal success
Table: Family happiness and abundance
Tree: Unity and growth
Umbrella: Protection; new buildings; renovation
Wings: Guardian; spirituality
Empowering Your Tea for Creative Potential
1. Clearly state your intention as the water begins to boil. Be sure to use primal language (remember, primal language uses the least amount of words, yet clearly gets your point across in a positive way); for example: “I want ideas to make my work creative, interesting, and useful to myself as well as others.”
2. Prepare tea as indicated in the general instructions.
3. Position empowered crystals (optional) around cup.
4. Decorate tea-leaf-reading area to match your desired intention. For example, if you are making Halloween or Yule cards for gift giving, place some of your supplies in the tea-leaf-reading area.
5. Breathe deeply several times, relax, and sink comfortably into your chair, feet flat on the floor. Hold your hands over the teacup. Form a triangle with index fingers and thumbs touching. Breathe softly into the triangle formed by your fingers, your breath just touching the surface of the liquid. As you breathe on the tea, visualize white light entering the liquid. Now visualize spirals of energy leaving the palms of your hands and entering the liquid as you intone an affirmation of power. For example: “My work will be creative, interesting, and useful to myself and others.”
6. If you desire, light incense that matches your purpose. Pass the incense over the cup three times. Rub a light blue candle with a bit of the same brand of dry tea you are using. Light candle and repeat your affirmation. Pass light of candle over your cup three times. Scatter a bit of the dry tea around the candle holder.
7. Read the tea leaves, then set the cup out to dry. The following day, place the dry tea, a bit of the cold candle wax, and one of the crystals in a gris-gris bag. Carry with you as long as you work on your current project. Burn bag when work is successfully completed.
HedgeWitch Candle Magick
Grungy Candles for Attraction
Country prim (as it is now called) fits right in with HedgeWitch magick, and grungy candles, a representation of this type of candle art design, are very easy to make. These primitive candles are perfect for attraction magick due to the wide variety of herbs, spices, and scents you can choose to create just the right magickal formula! Grungy candles take about two hours to make (from the initial wax melting to completion), and you can use dollar-store tapers, pillar candles, or highly scented votives to begin, or you can dip candles you have poured yourself. Grungy candles employ a technique called “overdipping,” where you dip the cool candle into the hot wax several times, building up a beautiful shell around the original candle. With grungy candles, the shell contains clumps of herbs and spices, making the surface bumpy and misshapen. Therefore, no matter what the candles look like, they are perfect country prim!
Supplies Needed
A double boiler: This is a double pot: the bottom pot holds water that boils and heats the contents of the second pot that sits atop the bottom pot. Warning: The water must never boil dry during your candlemaking process. You must use a dedicated double boiler for making candles, as you cannot melt wax directly on the stove: a flash fire may occur. Also, once you heat the wax, the pot can’t be used for future food preparation.
Your choice of candles: Pillars, votives, or tapers that can be dipped in the double boiler. Be sure your candles aren’t bigger than your pot!
Wax or candy thermometer
2 to 4 pounds of candle wax: You can actually melt down already colored and scented brown candles, depending upon the diameter of your chosen pot.
Brown candle dye: If you can’t get candle dye, do not use crayons: melt a variety of colored candles in shades of red, orange, green, and blue to create the brown color you desire.
Your choice of candle scent: If your candle is already highly scented, you don’t need to use an additional scent unless you want to.
1 pound of good, strong ground coffee
Powdered cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves: At least ½ cup of each.
Baker’s parchment paper
Spray candle gloss (optional)
Good needle-nosed pliers: You will use these for dipping the candle by firmly holding the wick with the pliers.
Directions
Fill the bottom pot with water (not so much that it will boil over and not so little that it will boil dry). Fill the top pot with the cold, broken wax. Insert the candy thermometer. Melt the wax on medium heat (the boiling water will eventually melt the wax) until you reach a temperature of 170 degrees. This part of the process takes the most time and must be constantly monitored due to danger of flash fire. (Granted, I’ve made thousands of candles and never had a flash fire, but you must be cognizant of what could happen at all times. Do not walk away from the melting pot. If someone calls, knocks at the door, or you must leave the area, turn off the heat. You can always turn it back on again. This is not a project you can walk away from!) Once the wax has reached about 170 degrees, add your color and scent as directed on the package. Either turn the heat down or off—your choice. The trick is to maintain that 170-degree temperature and keep the pot from boiling dry.
While your wax is melting, mix the ground coffee and spices together in a bowl. Set out the candles you wish to dip. Cover your working area with parchment paper. Bless your ingredients, and with primal language, state the purpose for your finished candles. Just as when you make cookies, place parchment paper on a separate table where your finished candles will cool. Pour ½ to ¾ cup of the coffee and spice mix in the center of the parchment. Spread it out a bit with your fingers (not too thin).
To Dip Candles:
Firmly hold the wick with the pliers and immerse the entire candle in wax (this is where the importance of the pot size and amount of wax is evident). The wax must cover the dipped candle. Raise the candle above the wax and let it drip a bit, then move over to your working area. Roll warm candle in the coffee and spice mix. Never put your fingers in the hot wax, as serious burns can occur. If the candle slips out of the pliers’ grip, fish it out with an old spoon. Once rolled in the coffee and spice mix, set the candle aside (still on the working area). Do the next candle in the same manner. When you have dipped all your candles once, check your temperature and then dip them all again and roll them in the coffee and spice mixture. Repeat this procedure—dip, roll, and cool—five to sixteen times, depending on how thick you want your grungy shell. Renew the coffee and spice mixture as necessary. If the wax becomes too cool or too hot, the shell will begin to bubble and crack, which you really don’t want, so watch that temperature carefully. If you’ve done this and they still crack and bubble, it could be that your thermometer is off. Atmospheric conditions can also cause this phenomenon. The cracks and bubbles won’t hurt the finished product, it just looks better if they aren’t there. Also, the more dips, the more possibility of bubbles and cracking.
When you are finished dipping all the candles, turn off the heat. Do not pour the remaining wax down the drain; this will completely block your plumbing! Either allow the remainder to cool in the pot to use at a later date, or pour the wax outside on the ground. Place your dipped candles on the cooling paper. Allow to dry undisturbed at least twenty-four hours. Do not touch the candles while they are drying, as you could smear off the dipped shell or crack the shell. After twenty-four hours, spray the candles with manufacturer’s candle gloss (available at most craft stores) for a lovely sheen.
Magickal Uses of Grungy Candles
The recipe given here corresponds to attraction energies. The coffee and cinnamon are for movement, and the nutmeg and cloves represent good fortune and an excellent harvest of any project. The traditional brown “grungy” color invites the element of earth, prosperity, stability, abundance, treasure, and miracles. These candles make wonderful gifts throughout the harvest and winter season, especially if you use apple, vanilla, or pine-scented candles. Seven tapers bound together with a checkered ribbon and a magickal good fortune tag designed by yourself would be a welcome gift! Burn one a day for seven days by a rooster statue to encourage prosperity and good fortune.
Herb Candle Variation: Clear Wax Dip
For striking candle designs, omit the brown dye, leaving the dipping wax clear. Dip the candle once, then carefully press dried herbs and flowers into the wax. Dip again. Wait sixty seconds. Dip again. Wait sixty seconds. Dip a third time, and set aside to dry.
Caution: Too many dried herbs can turn your burning candle into a fireball! To burn a candle packed with dried herbs, use only a fire-safe cauldron.
Tip for Magickal Gardeners:
During the height of your growing season, harvest flowers and petals just after the morning dew has dried. Press petals and leaves between paper towels inside heavy books. When dry (this can take several days or weeks, depending upon your choice), use these pressed florals on candles or in scrapbooking projects. You can heat-laminate dried florals if they are not too thick. I made several bookmarks for prosperity one year using dried marigold and sunflower petals, a bit of glitter, and a heat-laminating machine.
HedgeWitch Painted Herb Candles
You will need: a double boiler; one pillar candle; two to three votives with color that matches pillar; herbals to decorate the pillar—choose herbs, flowers, leaves, etc. that are very thin; an old paintbrush.
Instructions: Melt votive candles in double boiler. Do not let the wax go over 170 degrees. With this type of project, we really just need the wax to melt to liquid. Choose whether you wish to apply your herbals randomly or if you would like an overall pattern or special design. If you choose to make a design, try arranging your herbals on white paper first. When you are ready to apply the herbals to the pillar, dip paintbrush into hot wax. Dab hot wax onto pillar where you wish to place your first herbal. Quickly place herbal onto hot wax area. Immediately dip the paintbrush into the hot wax again, and apply a thin coat of wax gently over the herbal. Continue adding herbs and flowers until your design is completed. Apply one last thin coat of wax over entire candle. Allow to completely cool. For gift giving, tie a ribbon or raffia around the candle. If the wick is long enough, you can add beads and other baubles to create a striking gift. Empower candle at sunrise or noon for ultimate fire power!
Hand-Dipped HedgeWitch Taper Candles
You will need: a double boiler that is six inches taller than the length of the candle desired; candle thermometer; two or more pounds of wax, depending on the desired length of candle; scent and fragrance; candle wicking; chopstick or thin dowel rod cut to eleven or twelve inches; steel nut (for weight); powdered herbs; wooden stirring spoon.
Instructions: Melt wax to 170 degrees. Add scent and color per manufacturer’s instructions. Add ¼ to ½ teaspoon of powdered herb to wax. Stir. (The herbs often will settle; this is okay. In these herbal candles, we are infusing the wax with the power of the herb.) Cut wicking to the desired length of candle plus three inches. Fasten steel nut to one end of the wick. Tie the other end of the wick in the center of the chopstick or dowel rod. Dip the wick into the hot wax while holding the chopstick. With smooth motion, pull the wick straight up and out of the hot wax. Count to five in an easy cadence. Dip again. Count to five. Dip again. Repeat this procedure until you reach the desired thickness of candle. If outer wax begins to bubble, your wax is either too cold or too hot. If you leave the candle in the hot wax too long during dipping, you will melt off the previous layers. When finished, hang candle to cool. Candles should not touch each other when hanging and should hang free (not touching anything). Candle suppliers sell special spinning racks, or you can improvise.
HedgeWitch Dipping Charm
Try this easy magickal charm when dipping candles. Remember to state your purpose clearly in primal language as you learned in Section 1 before you begin.
(Dip candle) One—the magick’s begun
(Dip candle) Two—my wish comes true
(Dip candle) Three—I attract it (meaning your desire) to me
(Dip candle) Four—I open the door (meaning you welcome and accept your desire)
(Dip candle) Five—the thing (what you asked for) is mine!
Keep repeating chant until you reach the desired thickness of candle.
Holiday Heat-Gun Tissue-Paper Candles
Tissue-paper candles bring a whole new level to creating fast magickal gifts for the busy HedgeWitch. In just fifteen minutes (or less) you can create unusual designer candles suitable for sharing or using yourself! The trick to these types of candles is to just barely heat the surface of the candle around the edges of the tissue paper without burning the tissue with the heat gun and seriously melting the candle or seriously burning your hands. Therefore, this isn’t a project for young children.
You will need: pillar candles in colors of your choice; tissue paper in colors that match your intent, or you can also use tissue papers with designs such as leaves, pumpkins, flowers, etc.; heat gun (I use an embossing gun); candle gloss (optional—can be obtained at your local craft store or craft candle supplier)
Instructions: Tear tissue paper in various small shapes. Lay one piece of torn tissue on candle. Heat edges of tissue just enough to where you see the wax glisten (this will take only a few seconds). Move around the edges of the tissue evenly with the heat gun. If the wax begins to drip, wipe drip off lightly and quickly before it solidifies. Once all the edges are adhered, heat center of tissue lightly, just enough to allow the tissue to begin sinking into the wax. Apply the next piece of tissue in the same manner. When you are satisfied with the design, set the candle aside to cool completely. For a professionally finished look, spray candles with candle gloss. Tie ribbon or raffia around candle for a gift-giving finishing touch! Empower cooled candles with tuning forks or bells.
How these candles burn: In my experience, the outer tissue forms a shell and the center of the candle burns down completely. However, every candle is different, and to be safe,
I would burn them in a fire-safe cauldron.
The HedgeWitch Magickal Garden
One of the easiest ways to connect to Spirit through nature is to dive into the wonders of your own enchanted garden! From planning in February (in the Northern Hemisphere) to planting after the first major frost, to growing and harvesting, your magickal garden will provide thousands of hours of peace and enjoyment. Even if you have never gardened in your life, there is nothing so difficult that you can’t accomplish it, if you only try! If you can’t work outside, try building your own rock garden inside, using potted plants and herbs. Begin small, and watch your garden grow! Here are some magickal tips to help bring you an amazing connection to nature.
Planning: Start small, and build. What type of environment suits you best—an Oriental feel? Celtic? Victorian? Walk your property. Your focal point sets the stage for the future of your garden, as well as your outside life. Choose one small area to change first. Close your eyes and visualize what you might like to have. Use primal language (see Section 1) to formulate what you desire. Look through magazines, garden catalogs, and books. Take several trips to various local greenhouses. Ask questions! In designing my garden, I chose two focal points: a meditative statue of Buddha for the general yard and toads for prosperity in my raised-bed herb garden. Even though we had a dry year, my garden and yard flourished! I even built a toad habitat, and the week after I did so, I received a large check in the mail I wasn’t expecting. By providing for nature, nature provides for you!
Watch the path of the sun: Different areas of your property will have different access to light throughout the year. By learning the light, you will know what will suit your plants best and where you can change their placement, if necessary, later on.
Plant tags: Plants from the greenhouse normally come with a tag that explains light, temperature, and water requirements. Seed packets also carry this information. However, I found that these mini write-ups aren’t always accurate, and the only way you will know this is your experience through the growing season. When trying a new plant in your garden, why not put it in a pot first and see how the plant behaves in its prospective placement? If it does well, transplant it where you originally placed it, but if not, move the plant rather than throw it out. A plant can lose quite a lot of leaves and still be revitalized in a different location. For example, I bought patchouli and Chinese sunflowers last year and put them in pots rather than directly into the ground. I’m glad I did! The patchouli tag said it took full sunlight. The Chinese sunflowers said they required indirect lighting. In both cases, this wasn’t how the plants reacted. The patchouli did horribly in full sunlight, but when I moved it to partial shade, it grew beautifully. The Chinese sunflowers did well at first and then began to die. I cut out all the dead foliage and moved these plants to a more lighted area. They did beautifully and bloomed into October.
Your Garden Matches Your Life
Working in your garden provides an easy, open pathway to Spirit. Yes, at first your mind is full of the other parts of your life, but as you work the soil and study and care for the plants, everyday problems slip away and your energy naturally starts to vibrate with that of the earth. By caring for your garden, you are also caring for your life. If something is wrong in your garden (not enough water, a particular weed, a bug infestation), this often equates to what is going on in your own life. By correcting the problem in your garden, you will naturally move to correct the difficulty in your life outside of your garden. You and your garden are actually vibrating together and are really companions throughout the seasons. Here are a few intuitive tips that might help you when problems occur in your garden:
Overwatering: You are overindulging yourself or someone else in a particular area of your life.
Underwatering: You are being too stingy with yourself or someone closely related to you.
Japanese beetles and other chewing bugs: These are a major pain, and some years, of course, in some areas will be worse than others. Let’s say you’ve taken appropriate gardening steps to solve this problem, but for some reason, those darned beetles left your garden alone but went after your marigolds. Japanese beetles and other chewing predators (deer, rabbits, bugs) indicate that you have allowed negative thoughts to chew away at your personal harmony. Release the negativity, as explained in Section 2 of this book (such as the Rite of Wind), as you take appropriate action to remove the beetles from your marigolds.
Slugs: Lure them into the sun with a mixture of beer and grape juice—and at the same time, consider where in your life you’ve been lazy and negative.
Weeds: Your schedule is way too busy, and you’ve allowed things that mean nothing to take up your valuable time. Think about what you can release, and be sure to give yourself time to peacefully meditate and commune in your garden.
Creeping vines: You’ve allowed one particular negative issue or fear to infiltrate your entire lifestyle. Release this issue and make active, aggressive changes to bring harmony into focus.
Fungus and root rot: You are ignoring your real feelings. Get in touch with them!
White flies and aphids: You can actually use a DustBuster to suck these babies up, or try the soap-spray recipes given on pages 248–249. In life, however, the appearance of these nasty critters may mean that your thoughts are scattered and rather than accomplishing one thing, you are destroying many good things in your life.
What is that bug? Not all bugs in the garden are bad ones! If you see a new, unusual bug in your garden, take a picture of it and research the critter on the Net or visit a local greenhouse and ask. Good bugs such as mud wasps and ladybugs actually help to keep your garden healthy. A new bug in the garden means a new opportunity is coming to call. If the bug is helpful to your garden, consider this a good omen. For example, late in the growing season I found amazing, fat caterpillars on my parsley. At first, I was alarmed, but after researching them, I discovered that these caterpillars would turn into beautiful swallowtail butterflies and they don’t eat enough to destroy a parsley crop. Not long after, I received a terrific opportunity in my life.
Forgetting to fertilize: There is something in your life you are refusing to do, and because of this refusal you are not allowing new and fresh opportunities to help you grow. Get out there and fertilize!
Never say: “I don’t have any luck with…” and name the plant. Granted, you have to be aware of the particular environment a plant needs to survive. You can’t put a jungle plant outside in the desert without some sort of dramatic hothouse, but in regards to plants native to your environment, there is always a way to raise it, and in doing so, you bring a special measure of Spirit into your life. When I was a little girl, my grandmother had the most beautiful Boston ferns on her porch every year. When I first tried to raise them, they died; so, for years, I passed by these plants longingly at the nursery but never purchased them, fearing that once again I would waste my money. Once I developed the HedgeWitch guide and worked through the material myself, I decided I would be daring and try once again. I bought two beautiful ferns and re-potted them immediately, using organic soil and fish fertilizer, then I blessed them and put them on the back porch. Each week I monitored their progress, moving them on various occasions to different locations on the porch until they seemed happy and settled. By fall, I had the most gorgeous ferns! I learned that people are like plants—we need to change our environment when necessary to that which is most conducive to our personal growth. Now and then, we need a bit of fertilizer (new information) to boost our productivity!
When you are troubled, work in your garden: Connecting with nature can be one of the most healing activities you will ever try. By concentrating on growth, maintenance, and harvest (depending upon the time of year), you are allowing your mind, body, and spirit to commune directly with Spirit. Sometimes it will take at least thirty minutes for you to get into the swing of nature, but that’s okay. Keep at it until your troubles melt away and you are totally concentrated on the garden task at hand. When you are finished for the day, you will find a renewed sense of healing and purpose.
Remove dead and diseased leaves: Just like in your own life, there are times when your garden plants will need what I call a magickal haircut. Many times a plant isn’t dead, even though it looks like it is past all saving. Remove dead, dying, or diseased leaves, apply a remedy if necessary (for example, an organic bug killer), give it a little water and fertilizer, and move the plant to a better location, if necessary. Our lives need to be maintained the same way, especially if we remember that change can always be made to our advantage. Dead-heading flowers, or taking off the dead blooms, encourages new growth in the plant. Dead-heading in our lives can be very advantageous, too. Learn to release so that new growth can take place.
Keep the paths in your garden free of weeds: If you want a bright, clear future ahead, keep those garden paths clean and free of weeds! As you remove the weeds in your garden, you are psychologically removing the blocks in your outside life. Solutions will come easy and quickly to you!
Share your harvest! Incorporate the harvest of your garden into the lives of others by giving away some of the fruits of your labor. As you release by gift giving, so will you benefit with new growth in the future! As you work in your garden, in your mind set aside specific plants that will help others. If you can, show them the plants while they are growing. Last year I grew eucalyptus for my daughter because she makes beautiful fall and winter wreaths. Eucalyptus is a plant well known for healing. During that summer, she was able to extricate herself from a chronic medical problem, and by fall, she had benefited from the relief of healing.
As another example, I bought six sickly ceremonial sage plants at the beginning of the season. Until I understood the nature of patience, I lost three of them. But with determination I decided that the remaining three were going to grow and be productive because I wanted to share the dried leaves with a particular friend in October. To enhance the growth of these plants, I placed palm-sized stones at the base of the plants that were engraved with the words luck, prosperity, wealth, and happiness. I paid special attention to fertilization and watering. During this time, I didn’t know that the person I’d intended sharing these plants with was having a really hard time in life, and in the beginning of the season, around the time I purchased the plants, he was having a “sickly” financial period. By the end of the season, just about at harvest, my ceremonial sage plants were doing beautifully! It was then I’d heard of his tough spring and difficult summer. But by fall, things had really turned around for him! Your thoughts while tending plants for future harvest for a particular person will benefit that person throughout the entire growing season. You must simply believe.
HedgeWitch Scarecrow Timing—
Spring Butzeman Garden Magick
The beloved scarecrow—called a butzeman in Pennsylvania Dutch—normally conjures up golden harvests, sparkling autumn skies, and pumpkins plump for the carving, yet its empowerment and placement were always part of spring rites and an intricate piece of HedgeWitchery garden magick. Like many enchanted vehicles from the Old Country, there were specific rules on how to prepare and handle one’s garden guardian. A protective and good fortune device, the butzeman didn’t secure just the garden, it protected the prosperity and welfare of the entire family. Here are the rules, should you care to follow them:
1. When building your scarecrow, always use natural fibers and old clothes—never use clothes from an enemy to dress your scarecrow!
2. Sew or stuff protective charms in the arms and sleeves of the device. From runic sigils to specially blessed charms, trinkets, and dried herbs, each choice should be associated with your true desires.
3. Like it or not, the energy of the butzeman is often used to create protection through humor—think of it as the light of laughter.
4. A healer’s scarecrow should contain both comfrey and horehound.
5. It is bad luck to erect your scarecrow before Easter.
6. It is bad luck to erect your scarecrow on May Day.
7. Never, ever wear any item that has been worn by a scarecrow—this is thought to bring death to the household.
8. Your scarecrow must be given shade on the longest day of the year to ensure luck and prosperity.
9. Finally, and most importantly, your scarecrow must be burned before November 1, preferably on Halloween Night of October 31. Every single part of the butzeman must be destroyed—the clothing, the charms, even the pole he rests on. If this is not done, bad luck will plague the entire family.
Many magickal practitioners from the Old Country believe the butzeman was used to hold magick for the homestead securely in place, and it was generally agreed by all members of the community that it was capable of conjuring good weather for the well-being of the farm or garden. For example, if it is too dry, place a glass of water at the base of the pole. If it is too wet, retire the butzeman to a dry spot or cover it with an umbrella so it can conjure the return of the sun. It can be dressed in any manner you desire, although its clothes should not be torn. If the clothes tear over the summer months, they should be mended. The butzeman can even be given special things on special days or hold a sign to welcome visitors—however, anything given to the butzeman must be burned at the end of the season and not taken back into the house. Above all, your scarecrow must always be treated with respect, because it carries the spirit of HedgeWitch magick!
Butterfly Garden Magick
When working healing magick for others, we send out a visualization of light, love, peace, and good fortune. Like beautiful butterflies, these vibrations of our thoughts float in quantum fashion to an end conclusion of happiness, success, and wholeness. If you are having trouble visualizing what you need, then try sending your thoughts on the wings of butterflies. HedgeWitchery works by the law of attraction. Don’t think of what you don’t want—think about what you do want! If you need information, wish to promote a healing, or desire wealth in your life, simply go outside, face the east at 7:00 am (the time of healing power), and think about what you want. Throw your right hand out to the horizon. As you extend your hand, imagine that your thoughts are beautiful butterflies, winging their way out into the universe to capture what you desire and bring it back to you. Surround your butterflies with beautiful white, sparkling light, then close your eyes and say thank you three times (and truly believe you are saying that because you have already received your desire). Once you begin using this technique, don’t be surprised if you are often visited by beautiful butterflies, see images of them in places you frequent, and hear about them in conversation. This is Spirit’s way of telling you that your prayers have been answered. Remember, your pure thoughts are angels with golden wings that by the nature of their very being can accomplish anything! If you have something very special you want to create, visit a local butterfly garden and make your wishes there among the thousands of gorgeous butterflies!
Keep These HedgeWitch Tips in Mind When Creating Your Own Butterfly Garden:
Butterflies simply adore bright colors—the more vibrant, the more butterflies you’ll attract! They seem to especially love deep purples, bright yellows, sizzling reds, and hot oranges, particularly with single petals, as these flowers are easier for butterflies to obtain nectar from. Mix the flowers in your garden with an attractive variety of annuals and perennials to ensure pretty flowers (and magickal butterflies) all season long.
Butterflies don’t mind lots of sun, but they do get thirsty, just like our bird friends. An attractive birdbath in the center of your butterfly garden will help to lure them in, and don’t forget the host plants—those herbs and flowers that provide food for butterfly caterpillars. Often called nature’s pruners, these catepillars never eat enough to destroy the host plant.
Want to create your own butterfly garden? Here are the plants that naturally attract lovely butterflies:
Anise
Aster
Azalea
Basil
Bee balm
Bugle
Butterfly weed
Carnation
Chrysanthemum
Coltsfoot
Cosmos
Dill
Echinacea
Heartsease
Honeysuckle
Hyssop
Impatiens
Lavender
Marjoram
Mints
Musk mallow
Purple loosestrife
Rosemary
Rue
Sage
St. John’s wort
Sunflowers
Thyme
Valerian
Yarrow
Zinnia
Herbs that encourage
butterfly larvae to lay eggs
and provide food:
Cowslip (Primula veris)
Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)
Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea)
Horseradish (Armoracia rusticana)
Musk mallow (Malva moschata)
Nettles (Urtica dioica)
Parsley (invites the beautiful swallowtail)
Rocket (Eruca vesicaria, subsp. Sativa)
Sweet violet (Viola odorata)
Wild strawberry (Fragaria vesca)
*Other herbs and plants that attract butterflies include borage, marigold, selfheal, and catnip.
Easy-to-Grow HedgeWitch Herbs
If you choose to grow your own herbal garden, these great herbs have a compendium of uses, are super easy to maintain, and can be used for both cooking and magick! The information in this section is taken directly from my experience with my own organic herb garden, grown in six large raised beds and one ground bed during the spring, summer, and fall of 2007. Weeding, watering, and a bit of organic liquid fish fertilizer was all it took for a bountiful harvest, even though the summer was comparatively dry. You’ll notice that my space-between- plants requirements are a little larger than most herb books, because by harvest, all of my plants were huge, and I had plenty to share with friends and family. In planting, I set two beds aside as the “no eat” beds. These were the herbs I wished to grow specifically for magickal purposes, which included hyssop, lavender, white sage (for incense), eucalyptus, myrtle, patchouli, and horehound. These herbs are not listed below. I also grew a variety of vegetables, including broccoli, green and hot peppers, tomatoes, pumpkins, and cucumbers. For floor strewing, I grew chamomile and rue in separate areas of the property, as rue has a habit of not playing well with others. Rue is sometimes called Queen Mother of the Garden, and she likes to rule her own little area.
Basil
Growth and care: Requires a sunny area. There are a wide variety of basils, so choose a few to widen your culinary cabinet! Purple leafy basil is a must if you wish to make lavender-colored vinegar for hostess or holiday gifts. African basil and sweet basil are also wonderful choices. Basil likes more than its share of water, especially if you have it planted in a raised-bed environment. Planting basil with tomatoes creates a healthy combination for both plants; however, be sure you put enough room between your basils and your tomatoes, as the tomato plants tend to try to overwhelm the basils. Basils can turn into large, leafy bushes by the end of the growing season, so take this into consideration when planting. Prune all season long to use in your magickal cooking. Cut off flower heads before they flower to keep the flavor in the leaves. Harvest in the morning after the dew is dry for best flavor. Basil tends to lose some of its flavor in the drying process. You can freeze basil, but you must blanch it first or the leaves will turn black. Basil is thought to repel flies and mosquitoes, and it improves the growth and flavor of other vegetables except for cucumbers, rue, and snap beans. Basil will probably be the last plant you put in your garden each year, as it is extremely fussy about temperature—it hates to be chilly. To nurse a difficult basil plant back to health, re-pot, take out of direct sunlight, and choose a warm area with strong, indirect light.
Fertilizer requirements: light application of your choice (I used organic fish fertilizer)
Space between plants: 18 to 24 inches
Incompatible planting with: cucumbers, rue, and snap beans
Compatible with: peppers and tomatoes
Magickal basil: Above all, magickal basil is thought to promote harmony in the home, soothe unhappy feelings, and blend energies to reach a happy conclusion. Used for good luck, wealth, and love spells.
Culinary basil: Use in pesto, tomato sauces, salads, vinegars, omelets, soups, corn, cream cheese, eggplant, peas, white beans, zucchini, pasta, and red meats.
Goes well with: chives, garlic, marjoram, oregano, mint, parsley, rosemary, thyme
Parts used for food: fresh and dried leaves; buds from flower spikes are often used as garnish
Bay
Growth and care: Light requirements for Bay seem to depend upon your climate and location. If you plant in a tub, you can easily move it until you find just the right spot where it seems happy. Bay can actually grow into a small tree if you let it. Requires semi-shade and may need to be brought indoors in tough winter areas until the plant has reached several feet high. If you are going to let your bay grow large, you may prefer large tub planting, as the plant will eventually require several feet of space. Once your bay takes off, you can harvest leaves for cooking throughout the summer months.
Fertilizer requirements: light application of your choice (I used organic fish fertilizer)
Space between plants: 3 feet
Incompatible planting with: (see below)
Compatible with: As it grows into a tree, bay is not particularly compatible with anything, unless you give it lots of space to grow.
Magickal bay: Popular in spells for divination, seeing clearly, and understanding the information you are receiving. Also used for protection, cleansings, banishing ghosts, doing well in physical activities, and wish magick.
Culinary bay: Use leaves in herbal bouquets and marinades as well as soups, stews, lamb, game, lentils, rice, chicken, beef, and casseroles. (Two to three leaves flavor a dish for four to five people.)
Goes well with: allspice, garlic, marjoram, oregano, parsley, sage, savory, thyme
Parts used for food: fresh and dried leaves (soak dried leaves in water first)
Chives
Growth and care: Chives are a perennial warm-season herb that like a rich, well-drained soil and lots of water. Very resistant to bugs and diseases, chives are easily grown indoors as well as out. Chives enjoy full sun to light shade and can be divided each spring to encourage new growth. Chives are best frozen but can be dried, though they do lose a great deal of their flavor in the drying process. To preserve chive flavor, layer your cuttings alternatively in a glass jar—one inch of kosher salt, then one inch of chives, packing down each layer with a spoon. Use dried chives and salt in cooking. Chives are great in vinegars as well. Plant chives with roses to keep those blooms of love disease-free! Chives can be harvested all summer long.
Fertilizer requirements: light application of your choice (I used organic fish fertilizer)
Space between plants: 6 inches
Incompatible planting with: beans
Compatible with: carrots, celery, grapes, peas, and roses
Magickal chives: Used in spells for good health, cleansings, and protecting love. Mix with dried hot peppers and rose petals to keep your partner close!
Culinary chives: Salads, cheeses, breads, butters, dressings, and as food decoration over fish (cut and sprinkle over food right before serving). Flavor your potatoes with a mixture of chives, parsley, and rosemary while cooking.
Goes well with: basil, parsley, and tarragon
Parts used for food: stems and flowers
Dill
Growth and care: Can grow very tall, so companion stakes are well worth your investment. Dill functions as an annual in areas with hard winters, but it may be a perennial if your climate is conducive. Dill will re-seed itself throughout the growing season, so make sure your dill patch has plenty of room to grow! Dill enjoys full sun. Harvest the seeds for pickling and the feathery leaves for cooking. Can reach 4 feet in height and 24 inches in breadth. May require extra watering in dry weather. Dill isn’t called an abundance herb for nothing. Your dill will seed all over the place—in other beds, on the path, among other plants. It can be a social nuisance.
Fertilizer requirements: light application of your choice (I used organic fish fertilizer)
Space between plants: at least 18 inches
Incompatible planting with: carrots, fennel (will cross-pollinate), tomatoes
Compatible with: fruit trees and cabbage
Magickal dill: As dill re-seeds itself, this herb is great for endeavors of long life, preservation of hearth and home, protection on the job, and cultivating opportunity.
Culinary dill: Seed heads are used in pickled cucumbers and herbal breads and butters. Fresh dill leaves are great for fish and other seafood, cabbage, cauliflower and cucumber dishes, beef, beans, potatoes, lentils, and spinach, as well as light sauces. Great for vinegars.
Goes well with: Leaves—basil, garlic, horseradish, mustard, and parsley. Seeds—combine with garlic and ginger.
Parts used for food: fresh and dried leaves, seeds
Lemon Verbena
Growth and care: Can reach a height of 6 feet and will bush out if pruned repeatedly, growing into a graceful shrub. Can be a perennial if winter is not too cold. Likes full sun and can be a good outdoor container pot herb. Lemon verbena has an intense, fresh lemon aroma, but the taste is less strong. Until about a hundred years ago, the plant was considered for its merit in potpourris and garden aroma. Lemon verbena is still used today in the more expensive perfumes. Now, however, it is used in teas and fatty meat dishes as well as a light flavoring for fish. In my experience, this plant takes a little over-average water and lush, organic soil.
Fertilizer requirements: light application of your choice (I used organic fish fertilizer)
Space between plants: 24 inches
Incompatible planting with: none
Compatible with: plants arranged in garden for aromatic and meditative qualities
Magickal lemon verbena: Used in love spells and potions, workings for personal strength, attracting passion for any person or thing, and banishing nightmares. Steep lemon verbena in hot water, cool, strain, and use to asperge sacred space.
Culinary lemon verbena: teas, fatty meats such as duck, flavoring for desserts and drinks, pork chops, chicken, fish, stuffings, marinades
Goes well with: basil, hot peppers, chives, lemon thyme, mints, garlic
Parts used for food: leaves, fresh or dried
Marjoram
Growth and care: Winter-hardy only in the South. Requires full sun and well-drained soil and can be harvested throughout the growing season. Some varieties make attractive border plants. Marcelka marjoram is similar to oregano and has an aromatic hint of pine—great for mushroom sauces! Sweet marjoram is wonderful for salads, vinegars, and Italian cuisine. Pinch out regularly to ensure bushy, compact plants.
Fertilizer requirements: light application of your choice (I used organic fish fertilizer)
Space between plants: 12 inches
Incompatible planting with: cucumbers
Compatible with: sage and vegetables
Magickal marjoram: A well-rounded herb used in workings for love, protection, health, happiness, strength, wealth, and money. Create a money sachet using marjoram, chamomile flowers, and marigold petals in a green bag decorated with a bee motif to attract fast cash!
Culinary marjoram: Use in stuffings, sausage dishes, pasta, pizza, and sauces, as well as root vegetable, mushroom, and bean dishes. Marjoram should be added in the last few minutes of cooking so that the flavor is not lost.
Goes well with: basil, bay, hot peppers, garlic, parsley, rosemary, sage, thyme
Parts used for food: fresh and dried leaves; flower knots are also edible
Mints
Growth and care: Mints have a tendency to overtake any garden, so planting them in pots really is the best choice. Extremely hardy, most mints have a strong aroma, grow rapidly, and spread underground runners. As perennials, mints need plenty of water and prefer a rich soil in a shady area. Mints can reach 16 to 20 inches in height and are a primary choice for teas and money magick.
Fertilizer requirements: light, if at all, application of your choice (I used organic fish fertilizer)
Space between plants: best if potted
Incompatible planting with: none, but see growth and care, above, for caution about planting mints in your garden
Compatible with: broccoli, cabbage, peas
Magickal mints: Most commonly used in money spells, but you will also find magickal mint in safety and travel workings, love potions, cleansings, study aids, and stress-relieving formulas. Mix with lavender and chamomile for a nice, no-stress herbal sachet. Check out appendix 4 for a list of different types of mint.
Culinary mints: Teas, jellies, and salads. Great flavoring for lamb as well as carrots, eggplant, tomatoes, potatoes, zucchini, chicken, pork, Asian dipping sauces, and desserts.
Goes well with: basil, cloves, dill, ginger, marjoram, oregano, parsley, pepper, thyme
Parts used for food: fresh and dried leaves, flowers for salads and garnishes
Oregano
Growth and care: Perennial warm-season plant that is a stronger, more peppery version of marjoram. Some oreganos are creepers, keeping close to the ground, and make good border plants, where others such as the autumn flowering variety can grow into a small bush. Oreganos enjoy full sun and are not usually harvested until the plant begins to flower, as this is the time of highest flavor content; however, oregano snippets can be taken all season long for cooking requirements. If happy, some types of oregano will bush to the diameter of a barrel!
Fertilizer requirements: light application of your choice (I used organic fish fertilizer)
Space between plants: 18 inches
Incompatible planting with: none
Compatible with: beans, cucumbers, and squash
Magickal oregano: A great money-draw herb. Much like marjoram, this herb is used in a variety of workings for love, lust, good health, protection and general happiness.
Culinary oregano: Italian cuisine, sauces, red meats, beans, potatoes, duck, shellfish, cauliflower, corn, lamb, mushrooms, spinach, squash, veal, venison and root vegetables such as turnips and carrots, soups, stews and roasts. Add oregano near the end of cooking to retain flavor.
Goes well with: basil, bay, garlic, parsley, rosemary, sage, thyme
Parts used for food: fresh and dried leaves and flower knots
Parsley
Growth and care: Cool-season biennial that usually does well under winter conditions and is probably the easiest herb to grow on our magickal list. Parsley enjoys full sun to partial shade and does well if your summer is drier than usual, although you should take care to water during that time. Can be harvested all season long—the more you cut, the more the plant will bush out with fresh, new greenery and grow 18 to 20 inches in height.
Fertilizer requirements: light application of your choice (I used organic fish fertilizer)
Space between plants: at least 18 inches
Incompatible planting with: none
Compatible with: asparagus, corn, peppers, and tomatoes
Magickal parsley: Used in magickal growth and birth workings; also used in cleansings and for protection against accidents at home and while traveling.
Culinary parsley: Great as a garnish. Use in soups, stews, potatoes, herbal bouquets, eggs, fish, lentils, rice, and sauces.
Goes well with: basil, bay, chives, garlic, lemon balm, marjoram, mint, oregano, pepper, rosemary, tarragon
Parts used for food: fresh and dried leaves; fresh stalks for soups and stews
Rosemary
Growth and care: Although rosemary is a perennial herb, it doesn’t take well to hard winters. Rosemary will grow in bushlike form and can reach 6 feet in height in excellent conditions. This is the most-used herb in our home, from magick to making soaps to cooking. To dry, hang cuttings upside down. When dry, remove leaves and keep them whole in storage. Throw away stems. Grind dried leaves right before use for best flavor and aroma. Rosemary requires full sun and good drainage and will do well during a dry summer if watered occasionally. If raised indoors, rosemary can be harvested year-round.
Fertilizer requirements: light application of your choice (I used organic fish fertilizer)
Space between plants: 24 inches
Incompatible planting with: cucumbers
Compatible with: cabbage, beans, carrots, and sage, as both sage and rosemary require the same type of well-drained soil.
Magickal rosemary: Extremely versatile herb used in workings for love, protection, cleansings, mental acuity, lust, healing, restful sleep, stress removal, and retaining one’s youth.
Culinary rosemary: Use with pork, lamb, game, and beef. Great for marinades, flavoring oils, or vinegars. Use sparingly in herbal breads and butters. Excellent if cooked with potatoes, mushrooms, rabbit, veal, and winter squashes. Not diminished by long cooking so is great for stews and oven-baked casseroles.
Goes well with: bay, chives, garlic, lavender, mint, oregano, parsley, sage, savory, thyme
Parts used for food: needlelike leaves, young sprigs and stems, flowers
Sage
Growth and care: Sage is certainly not fussy when it comes to soil content and prefers sun and well-drained soil. Sage is a natural antibacterial and has been used as a preservative for meats, poultry, and fish. There are several varieties of sage, each with their own unique flavor, so I suggest planting several to see which you like the best. We grow white sage for incense and broad-leaf sage for meats and stuffings. As with rosemary, when dried, remove leaves and throw away stems. Do not crush leaves until you are ready to use them. Sage takes approximately two full years to grow into a shrub. White sage is edible and makes an excellent addition to herbal mixes—just use sparingly, as this particular sage is extremely potent in taste and aroma. Pineapple sage can be placed in the bottom of a cake pan to scent a plain cake. Variegated golden sage is very mild, should you not like a more robust flavor. Tricolor sage also has a gentle aroma.
Fertilizer requirements: light application of your choice (I used organic fish fertilizer)
Space between plants: depends on variety you choose
Incompatible planting with: cucumbers and onions
Compatible with: rosemary, carrots, marjoram, strawberries, tomatoes, and lavender, as they require the same type of soil
Magickal sage: Used in workings for wisdom, wishes, knowledge, strength, long life, and immortality through your actions or talents.
Culinary sage: Poultry, beef, stuffing, stews, poultry, tea, apples, beans, onions, sauces, herbal breads, and butters. Strong flavor, use sparingly.
Goes well with: bay, celery, marjoram, parsley, savory, thyme
Parts used for food: fresh or dried leaves, flowers for garnish
Savory
Growth and care: There are two types of savory: winter, which is a perennial, and summer savory, which is an annual. Winter savory has more aromatic leaves, where the summer variety is much lighter and a bit peppery. Savory doesn’t dry well, but it can be frozen. Savory is called the poor man’s sauce and is a must-have to empower and cook beans!
Fertilizer requirements: light application of your choice (I used organic fish fertilizer)
Space between plants: 18 inches
Incompatible planting with: none
Compatible with: beans, onions, and sweet potatoes
Magickal savory: Used in spells to obtain secrets, answers to questions, general knowledge, and mental acuity. Also used in love spells and potions.
Culinary savory: Beans, beets, cabbage, peas and other veggies, sausages, lamb, pork, game, oil-rich fish, bean and potato salads, and stuffings. Strong flavor.
Goes well with: basil, bay, garlic, marjoram, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, thyme
Parts used for food: dried and fresh leaves, fresh sprigs, flowers for garnishes and salads
Tarragon
Growth and care: Choose only French tarragon if your plant will be used for culinary purposes. This was the touchiest of the plants on my list. It doesn’t like high-acid soil and is fussy about needing water, even though they say it needs little. It was worth the fuss, though it was my least-yielding plant. Tarragon likes full sun to partial shade and doesn’t take well to being moved. Tarragon can reach a height of 36 inches—mine didn’t, topping out at 10.
Fertilizer requirements: light application of your choice (I used organic fish fertilizer)
Space between plants: 18 inches
Incompatible planting with: none
Compatible with: vegetables
Magickal tarragon: Use for harmony in the home, protection, and cleansings.
Culinary tarragon: Excellent in vinegars, chicken, egg dishes, and salad dressings. Also good in soups, salads, stuffings, sauces, fish, cheese, mushroom, seafood, potatoes, and zucchini. Strong flavor.
Goes well with: basil, bay, chives, dill, and parsley
Parts used for food: fresh leaves and sprigs
Thyme
Growth and care: Like basil, oregano, and marjoram, there are several types of thymes that you can choose to grow. Some grow into upright shrubs, where others creep along the ground. Thymes are cut as needed before the plant blossoms around midsummer. Thyme can be dried, but it doesn’t freeze particularly well. Requiring full sun to partial shade, thyme requires average watering, although I found in a dry summer, thyme will suffer more than the other herbs, so keep it well watered if the rainman forgets your neck of the woods.
Fertilizer requirements: light application of your choice (I used organic fish fertilizer)
Space between plants: depends on the variety you choose
Incompatible planting with: cucumbers
Compatible with: cabbage, lettuce, eggplant, potatoes, strawberries, and tomatoes
Magickal thyme: Used in workings for courage, long life, health and healing issues, cleansings, love potions, dream magick, restful sleep, and gaining knowledge.
Culinary thyme: Casseroles, soups, root vegetables, stuffings, lamb, onions, potato, rabbit, mushrooms, sausage, fish, vinegars, herbal breads and butters, chicken, and stews.
Goes well with: allspice, basil, bay, hot peppers, clove, garlic, marjoram, nutmeg, oregano, parsley, rosemary, savory
Parts used for food: dried leaves, fresh sprigs, flowers for garnish
Herbs That Do Well in Pots and Containers
Can’t go to the expense or don’t have the room for an outdoor garden? Here is a list of herbs that do well in pots. If you are using plants rather than seeds, an hour before planting, soak the root ball in a tub of water.
Basil
Fennel
Horseradish
Hyssop
Lemon balm
Lemon verbena
Marjoram
Mints
Myrtle
Nasturtium
Parsley
Pot marigolds
Sage
Tarragon
Thyme
Plants That Might Require Tubs Rather Than Pots, As They Tend to Grow into Small Bushes
Bay
English lavender
Rosemary
Try grouping your herbs in large pots for color and aromatic effect. Planting distances shown on the back of seed packets or labels from the nursery aren’t indicative for pot planting. You can begin with small plants or seeds and move the plants out when they grow too large, just as you would with any potted plant. To keep your potted arrangements looking beautiful and healthy, replace larger plants with small specimens of the same herbs. Many of the herbs listed here can grow extremely large and will become pot-bound, choking out other herbs in decorative arrangements. You can either re-pot them in a larger pot when they get too big, give them to friends, or transfer them to the garden in the spring after danger of frost is over.
Organic Garden Bug Killers
In HedgeWitchery, we try to be as safely organic as possible! This is good for you as well as the environment. To minimize predators in your magickal garden (and therefore extending into your life), try the following tips:
Build a toad habitat: This is extremely easy to do. I took an old bird bath without the stand and placed it in the corner of the garden that had the most shade. Then break up several large clay pots and arrange the pieces in and around the bird bath. Fill the bird bath with water. That’s it. You have your very own toad habitat. Keep the bird bath filled with water to encourage your toads to stay. I also decorated my toad habitat with toad statues and magickal gems, then planted chamomile nearby. Toads bring prosperity to any garden and eat a lot of nasty bugs! The average toad consumes about 15,000 bugs in a single year, and they love slugs!
Erect a bat house: You can find these at garden supply stores. Each night, a bat can eat approximately 600 pests per hour, with prime targets being mosquitoes, cutworms, cabbageworms, and beetles. Hang your bat house in a tree or on a pole at least 15 feet above ground. You can even decorate the outside of the house with magickal symbols.
Hang a hummingbird feeder: Hummingbirds love red tubular flowers (trumpet vines draw them big time!). If you can’t use a natural floral feeder, you can purchase one from your garden supply store along with the nectar mix. Hummingbirds eat tons of nasty insects. Some of their favorite flowers are lilies, snapdragons, and fuchsias.
Plant hot peppers, radishes, and marigolds in your garden: Even if you don’t eat hot peppers, the plants are natural deterrents to insects and garden predators. You can also use the juice from the hot peppers in a safe plant wash (given on opposite page).
Plants that attract good bugs: Asters, black-eyed susans, dill, lavender, mints, morning glories, sunflowers, and yarrow. Good bugs eat bad bugs and help to keep your garden healthy.You can pick up a list of good bugs for your planting zone at most reputable home and garden stores.
Last year, I incorporated all five of these natural ideas into my garden and backyard plans. As a result, I had little difficulty with bugs, even though it was a bad year for Japanese beetles and whiteflies. To remove the Japanese beetles, I erected a large bamboo broom twenty feet away from my garden and hung a Japanese beetle trap there, along with magickal runes for banishment. To remove the whiteflies/aphids, I used the following natural formula:
Formula One (for Aphids)
I used this for my marigolds. Water plant before application. First, make garlic oil: mince one whole garlic bulb in a cup of vegetable oil. Put in jar and cap tightly. Set in refrigerator for two to three days. Then, mix together in a spray bottle:
1 tablespoon garlic oil
3 drops liquid dish soap
1 quart water
½ teaspoon lavender essential oil
Test formula on one plant. Wait 24 hours. If no damage, spray plants liberally.
Formula Two (for Japanese Beetles)
I used this for my garden. Water plant before application.
½ cup dried cayenne peppers
½ cup dried jalapeño peppers
1 gallon water
Optional: substitute 1 cup of dried habana peppers
for jalapeño and cayenne
Boil water, add peppers, and simmer for thirty minutes. Keep the pot covered while simmering, as the steam is highly potent! Cool. Strain. Pour into spray bottle. Test formula on one plant. Wait 24 hours. If no damage, spray plants after every rain or once a week during the height of Japanese beetle season in your area.
Formula Three
This is a general bug killer—I used this on my hostas. Water plant before application.
3 hot peppers
3 cloves garlic
1 small onion
1 tablespoon liquid dish soap
2 tablespoons peppermint essential oil
3 cups water
Purée peppers, garlic, and onion in blender. Add dish soap and water. Let stand for 24 hours. Strain. Pour in mister bottle. Test formula on one plant. Wait 24 hours. If no damage, spray plants.
Organic Sprays
(To Keep Plants Happy!)
Essential oils can keep your plants happy and healthy—just add formula to one gallon of water. Water plant well before applying solution. Shake bottle vigorously and spray your floral friends. Spray plants lightly every thirty days. If you don’t wish to make your own sprays, buy organic soap sprays at your local nursery.
Bee Sweet Formula
10 drops peppermint essential oil
5 drops cinnamon essential oil
1 gallon water
Moon Wish Formula
5 drops lavender essential oil
5 drops sweet bay essential oil
5 drops clove essential oil
1 gallon water
Herbal Garden Gifts
Gifts from your magickal garden can bring great joy and healing into the lives of others. Here are a few ideas that share the fruits of your enchanted labor!
Magickal Vinegar
If you’ve raised plenty of herbs and have lots left over, why not make your own herbal vinegar? Not only will your vinegar make amazing hostess gifts during the fall and winter seasons for salads and cooking, you can use the vinegars in a variety of banishing spells! The use of vinegar in magick, cooking, healing, and even housework dates back over 10,000 years.
All you need is:
8 to 10 fresh herb sprigs
1 quart good-quality white vinegar
1 quart-sized glass canning jar with lid
Plastic wrap
Gift jars or small bottles
Ribbon
Wash and dry your herbs and place in quart canning jar. Add warm vinegar. Place plastic wrap over glass lip (metal lids will react with vinegar). Screw on lid. Put in warm, dark place for two to four weeks. Strain. Place vinegar in designer jars or bottles with plastic lids or cork tops. Add a sprig of the fresh herb inside the bottle. Decorate with fancy ribbon around neck of bottle or lid of jar. Feel free to mix and match your garden herbs for truly designer vinegars!
Here is a list of herbs that combine well in vinegar:
Basil
Bay leaf
Borage flowers
Chile peppers
Chive flowers
Dill seeds and leaves
Fennel
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.
Drying Your Herbs
Harvest your herbs in the morning after the dew has dried. I usually sing or chant as I cut the plants, shake off dirt, and remove dead or unsightly leaves now, rather than having to go through the herbs later. While still in the garden, I use rubber bands to make one-inch-thick stalk bundles, then tie with long cotton cord, leaving plenty of length at both ends so that I can easily hang the bunches later. I loosely tie the bundles on the garden fence until I’m ready to bring them all in. This saves time and keeps the bundles out of the dirt. I also label the bundles with tags from the craft store, looping one end of the cord onto a tag while I am still in the garden. This way I can easily identify the herb bundles at any given time. Bring your bundles inside and lightly rinse them, being careful not to get the tags wet. If you have not used pesticides and do not live in a high-pollution area, you don’t need to wash off the leaves. Some organic gardeners believe that washing the leaves destroys some of the oils in the plants. You might wish to wash the herbs you will consume, but not the ones you will use in potpourris or gris-gris bags (such as patchouli, which isn’t edible). Whether you wash your herbs or not is entirely up to you.
Hang bunches upside down in a warm, dark, dust-free area with good ventilation. When bunches are dry and brittle (about two to three weeks), take them down and carefully remove leaves. Store leaves in jars or plastic bags. Do not crush leaves until you are ready to use them in cooking or magick.
For short-stalk herbs such as thyme or needle-type herbs such as rosemary, I poke a small hole in the bottom of a paper bag, then insert the herb bundle in the bag with the cut stalks at the top of the bag and plenty of empty space in the bottom of the bag. Twist the top of the bag, secure with rubber band, tie cotton cord around bag, and hang. This will keep the small leaves from falling all over the floor and help to retain the flavor of the herb. These herbs can also be dried loose on a clean window screen placed on a few bricks (to allow air circulation under the screen). Flip herbs every few days until dry, then store as indicated above.
Pumpkin Seed Recipe
In magick, the pumpkin is a symbol of abundance and good fortune. Toasted pumpkin seeds are a great snack, and they can be ground (once toasted and flavored) and added to your favorite bean dish (also served to draw abundance and good fortune to the home). Being able to eat the seeds makes Halloween pumpkin carving even more magickal, especially if you have empowered your pumpkin for abundance and good fortune!
You will need: Pumpkin seeds; cooking oil, olive oil, or butter; garlic salt or other herbal flavorings such as onion powder, cayenne pepper, or one of the no-salt recipes given in this book; cookie sheet; paper towels.
Instructions: Wash and pat dry pumpkin seeds. Lay out seeds on paper towels and allow to dry for 24 hours. In bowl, toss pumpkin seeds in oil, then add your herbal flavoring. Preheat oven to 250 degrees and bake for one hour, tossing every 15 minutes until golden brown. Cool thoroughly. Store in airtight container. Lasts about three months at room temperature.
Yule Hostess Good Fortune Gift
A lovely basket of your herbal delights will be most welcome at Yule! Add this recipe and a bottle of wine for a truly heartwarming gift.
Long Life Mulled Cider Spice
1½ cups smashed cinnamon chips
1½ cups dried, chopped orange peel
1 cup whole allspice berries
½ cup whole cloves
1 tablespoon dried nutmeg
(smashed, not powdered)
½ teaspoon star anise (smashed)
4 small pieces of dried ginger root
(add one root to each bag)
4 small cotton bags
Plastic wrap
4 glass mugs
Ribbon or pine or holly sprigs, optional
Mix ingredients thoroughly and pack in cotton bags. Wrap in plastic. Place one bag in each glass mug. Add ribbon and sprigs of pine or holly as decoration.
In keeping with the flow of the seasons and Spirit in Nature,
I began this HedgeWitchery course in the spring of the year, right before the first thaw. Now, as autumn leads to winter and my magickal garden lies sleeping,
it is time to celebrate the harvest!
I do hope that the rites, tips, techniques, and formulas provided
in this book have brought you hours of fulfillment and months of pure joy. Remember: changing your life is as simple as a choice.
Believe!
Sincerely,
Silver RavenWolf
If you liked this book, or would enjoy more information on various topics, you may wish to read those listed below:
Witchcraft
Solitary Witch by Silver RavenWolf (Llewellyn)—a full-bodied reference on modern Witchcraft/Wicca.
The Witches’ Sabbats by Mike Nichols (Acorn Guild Press)—an excellent reference on Wiccan holidays.
Herb Gardening and Herbal References
A Heritage of Herbs: History, Early Gardening and Old Recipes by Bertha P. Reppert (Early American Society Publishing)
Beginner’s Guide to Herb Gardening by Yvonne Cuthbertson (Guild of Master Craftsman Publications)
Brother Cadfael’s Herb Garden by Rob Talbot and Robin Whiteman (Little, Brown and Co.)
Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs by Scott Cunningham (Llewellyn)
Gardening on a Shoestring by Rob Proctor (Johnson Books)
Giant Book of Garden Solutions: 1,954 Natural Remedies to Handle Your Toughest Garden Problems by Jerry Baker (American Master Products)
Herb Mixtures and Spicy Blends, Introduction by Maggie Oster (Storey Publishing)
Herbs and Spices: The Cook’s Reference by Jill Norman (DK Publications)
Herbs for Health and Healing: A Drug-Free Guide to Prevention and Cure by Kathi Keville (Rodale Publishing)
Rodale’s Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs by Claire Kowalchik and William H. Hylton, editors (Rodale Publications)
Spiritual Gardening: Creating Sacred Space Outdoors by Peg Streep (Inner Ocean Publications)
The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy by Valerie Anne Worwood (New World Library)
The Gardener’s A–Z Guide to Growing Organic Food by Tanya L. K. Denckla (Storey Publishing)
The Herb Gardener: A Guide for All Seasons by Susan McClure (Storey Books)
The Organic Garden Book by Geoff Hamilton (DK Publishing)
Soap Making
300 Handcrafted Soaps by Marie Browning (Sterling)
Making Transparent Soap: The Art of Crafting, Molding, Scenting & Coloring by Catherine Failor (Storey Publishing)
Melt & Mold Soap Crafting by C. Kaila Westerman (Storey Books)
Melt & Pour Soapmaking by Marie Browning (Sterling)
The Soapmaker by Janita Morris (Watson-Guptill Publications)
Feng Shui Techniques
Feng Shui Life Planner by Lillian Too (Hamlyn Publishing)
Lillian Too’s Easy-to-Use Feng Shui: 168 Ways to Success (Sterling)
Practical Feng Shui by Simon Brown (Cassell Publishing)
Total Feng Shui: Bring Health, Wealth and Happiness Into Your Life by Lillian Too (Chronicle Books)
Candle Making
Great Candles by Stewart D’Arcy Hyder (Sterling)
One summer I ordered some beautiful rubber stamps from the Stampington company, many of them focusing on artistic herbal themes. About a month or so after I received my box of goodies, a package came in the mail. Someone at the company took a composition book and covered it with interesting paper designs and stamped artwork, with the finishing touch of a brad and a bow. I knew immediately that this surprise gift would become my gardening journal.
This journal grew into a combination of the business of gardening (what I bought, where, when, and why) to small entries on what I’d accomplished over the growing season. When the moon turned to new in April 2008, I dug out the journal and reviewed what I’d written last year in preparation for the gardening year to come. I was amazed at how invaluable the information I’d written proved to be. Use some of your April days to create your own truly magickal gardening journal. To give you some ideas, here’s how I originally set up my entries:
Plants purchased: By the end of 2007, I had three pages filled with plants purchased, noting where I bought them (a note that proved invaluable as a shopping guide for the following year). I also recorded the number of plants purchased. For example, one entry read: “3 Rosemary—Country Market.” Another: “8 White Sage—poor condition—Blinkers—6 survived.” The “6 survived” means that six of these plants survived through that growing season.
Supplies and tools purchased: Again, another three pages here by the time the season was done. Under this category, I wrote down everything from mulch and tools to garden goodies (statues, fountains, supplies for my toad house, etc.). Here, too, I wrote down where I purchased what. For example, I bought twenty garden stepping stones with a Celtic knot design from a large retailer. When spring 2008 rolled around, I found seven of these stepping stones either completely disintegrated or broken in half, so I updated the entry to show they were a poor long-term buy. Granted, I should have collected the stones in the fall and brought them in, but they added a bit of mental light to the autumn and winter gloom, and so I left them. If I choose to replace them this year, I’m now more informed on maintenance, but to save myself money and lugging, I think I’ll just stick with the colored flagstone and be done with it. So, a note to self on this one: choose wisely when purchasing concrete manmade items for the garden.
Purchased fertilizer and repellants: When I first began my HedgeWitch project, I decided that I would go totally organic unless something drastic should occur (which it didn’t). I read every label thoroughly before I bought the product to ensure that if I said the plant was raised organically, it really was! I also learned a few inexpensive tricks along the way, like using three doses of white vinegar to kill dandelions, strong sea salt water for getting rid of weeds around the patio stones (just don’t put it where you want something to grow), soap spray for getting rid of aphids, and fox/wolf urine (yup) on the stones of the raised beds to keep the bunnies, groundhogs, and cats away. For these entries, I added how many bottles or bags of the product I bought and whether, over the season, it worked or not.
Planting hints: On these pages, I kept a record of plant compatibility. For example, put chives with roses to keep black spots off your fragrant blooms. Basil goes with tomatoes (both need a lot of water). Add hot peppers to all your garden beds to discourage bug pests, and plenty of marigolds to ward off the vicious, long-fanged bunnies! This page helped me to choose what and how many plants of this type to buy and grow in my next year’s crop.
Plant-buying guide: To all things there is a season and timing, and each locality will be different, and each year will vary based on the weather. Last year, due to my granddaughter’s birth, my growing season started late. On top of that, we had a cold spell in early July, and nothing wanted to ripen. When I first put in my herbs last year, by the time I got to the greenhouses and began choosing what I wanted to raise, many of the plants I needed were sold out. This year, I recorded in my journal which plants were available when. For example, it is April yet, and although it’s a warm one, the greenhouses follow the traditional timing for this area: don’t plant much outside before May Day due to fear of a late frost. Even so, every flat of green peppers was sold out of the local greenhouses by the end of the second week in April. This led me to believe that many folks buy early and then place the plants in a protected area, most likely in the home, until they can plant outside. That way they get the healthiest, earliest choices.
My entries look something like this: “2008 Seeds—available in March; 2008 Seed Starters—available in March; Replacement Garden Tools—available in March; Most Herbs—available mid-April; Most peppers and tomatoes—available late April” (and so on). “Ferns—available in April, but wait for more lush varieties in May.”
Following the rules of the moon (plant above-ground crops new to full, below-ground full to new), I started most of my own seed plants (moonflowers, broccoli, beans, sugar peas, snapdragons, foxglove, and morning glory) between the new and full moons in April so that they would be ready to go into the ground in May. I placed the compact mini greenhouses in an upstairs room with the most light. They are doing great! My daughter, however, started her seeds two weeks before mine, during the waning moon. She reported that her seeds did absolutely nothing until the moon turned to new and began growing, yet my seeds sprouted in just three days and literally blew off the greenhouse covers with their accelerated growth! Here is an excellent example of moon garden timing!
My plant-buying guide page also has best-price information as well as notations for garden-related trips. For example, the local greenhouses this year are charging $2.49 for a single herb or tomato/pepper plant. Before we shopped at the greenhouses, we decided to visit a few other places. For the first time this year, our family went to the Herb Fest at the York Fair Grounds in mid-April. Here, about a hundred (or so, didn’t really count) vendors plied their 2008 seasonal wares. As we’d never been there, we didn’t know what to expect, but we decided no matter what we thought of it, a day out with our grown daughters and a great lunch would be a lot of fun. The show focused mostly on herbs and herb-related products (which was great, because that’s what I grow), but only a handful of vendors actually sold live herbs. The remainder carried herb-related products—such as soaps, oils, teas, crafty thingamabobs, and such. Like many magickal gardeners, I’ve learned to make these things on my own over the years and therefore put my buying dollars in other areas. For the plants, however, prices here ranged either a bit below market or, more usually, at market price. If, however, you bought in bulk, some herb vendors gave a discount. At the Herb Fest, we found what I call local exotics (stuff you can’t really find at the greenhouses or, if you do, there’s only a plant or two), such as patchouli, valerian, vervain, etc., making the trip worthwhile as far as stocking my garden with some unusual varieties. Too, the show was well organized and aesthetically pleasing—overall a worthwhile trip for us. My journal notes that we should visit again next year.
The following week, our shopping agenda stop was the flea market at Williams Grove. Here, local farmers and small growers bring their plants and produce (along with all the other expected flea market regalia). Price range here was below market—from $1.00 to $1.69 a plant. Although everything looked great and healthy, the herb selection was somewhat limited—rosemary, globe basil, tomatoes, peppers—nothing too exotic, but if you were in the market for a nice azalea or other garden trimmings, this was definitely the place to shop, and absolutely the choice in pricing for those regular garden-variety herbs. So, I made a note in my journal to be sure and check out the flea market first next year before purchasing elsewhere. Perhaps there is a flea market or open market near you that will carry bargains like I found.
Items removed: This category lists all the things I removed from the garden and property area, regardless of whether they directly affected the gardening process. I kept a record of this effort because sometimes you simply don’t see the rewards in cleaning and organizing. I also listed whether or not this process cost me any money. For example, I had three trees and several bushes removed last year by a local boy. I listed how much I paid him for this service. This year, if I have him remove something else, I’ll know how much I gave him last year and increase it. My personal motto is never insult hard labor; help him make his time valuable to both of you.
Gifts received: When people know you are totally into gardening, they will purchase gifts for you that revolve around that interest. I kept track of all the gifts I received that related to my gardening, and then, in the fall when harvesting (and throughout the growing season when possible), I made sure that these individuals enjoyed the proceeds of their gifts, which ties into the next category …
Gifts given: This can be separate or go along with the Gifts Received page. Not everyone likes everything you produce. For example, I make great herbal vinegars, but not a lot of my family members use herbal vinegars—yet they love herbal butters. I also make soap, and like other products, everyone has a particular soap they adore and those types of soaps they hate. On this page, I have listed who likes what, and what it is I gave them, so that during the 2008 growing season I can pay special attention to what is appreciated where. That way, no one is disappointed and the right energy goes to the right person.
Fertilizer chart: Most plants should be fertilized about every two weeks or so. When I fertilized, I would write down the date and what plants received the fertilizer. I think I’m the only person in my area that fertilizes at midnight, but as the old moon lore goes, it certainly works, and it is kinda cool to be tromping around out there in the dead of night encouraging your babies to grow! I also till in the dark for optimum weed control. This page of the journal also lists how much fertilizer I use, so that I know next year how much of what to buy to last me through the season.
Watering chart: Different plants require different amounts of water. I kept a list of which plants needed the most water and which needed the least so that I wouldn’t overlook anybody, and next year I will plant accordingly.
Winter survivors/losses: This is a new category I designed for spring 2008. Many herbs, such as basil, are annuals, so you know they aren’t going to survive through the winter—dig out the roots when the season is done. There are those, however, like rosemary, hyssop, tarragon, and savory that can make it through at least one or two winters if the weather hasn’t been too blustering. In early April, I began walking the garden, looking to see who would wake up and who had bitten the big one and gone on to garden summerland. At first, I thought nothing survived, but as the days grew warmer, I was pleasantly surprised at which plants had made it through my first bumbling attempts at winterizing. My list this year looked like this:
Winter survivors: 1 rosemary bush, 2 oregano plants, summer savory, winter savory, tarragon, hyssop, 2 Berggarten sage, 2 golden thyme (just barely); 1 crawling thyme; chives.
Winter losses: All the lavender (this I attributed to really lousy soil in that area); both bay trees (started too late and the root system just wasn’t strong enough); 2 rosemary bushes (this surprised me); parsley (this was also a surprise, as usually my parsley makes it through anything); all white sage (this was a disappointment); lemon verbena (caught a blight).
By keeping this list, I knew what I had to replace this growing season, which helped to save me money when shopping for 2008, which brings us to the last list …
2008 garden universal shopping list: Here, in the spring, I write down everything I want. This doesn’t necessarily mean I will buy everything on this list, so really it is a combination wish list and purchase list. I don’t write “wish” because often people believe that many wishes don’t come true. The word “wish” isn’t a nice, sturdy, I’m-a-gonna-git-it wording. I find that if I write what I want in black and white (or green and white), many times I will be gifted with something I really wanted on this list (even though I didn’t specifically ask anyone for it). That’s why I call it a universal shopping list. The universe loves to give you a bargain, you just have to want to receive it! As the season progresses, I check off everything I’ve purchased or received and add new items as I think of them to the bottom of the list. For example, this year I knew I had to replace the fire pit, but like every other American family, we are minding our budget because of the horrendous gas prices. I didn’t need the fire pit for gardening per se, I needed the pit for ritual and magick, so I figured I’d get the garden together first and then see what was left over for the pit. However, I still wrote down exactly what I wanted in regard to the fire pit. Here’s a sample of this year’s list and a note or two of what I generally use the items for (just in case you were wondering—also, this isn’t everything in my gardens, simply what I want to buy or replace for the 2008 season):
Rosemary (food, ritual, magick, and for soap)
White sage (food, ritual, magick, and for soap)
African basil (food)
Golden thyme (food and soap)
Eucalyptus (for cleansing rituals, winter decoration, and soap)
Horehound (for cleansing rituals)
Valerian (for ritual)
Vervain (for ritual and magick)
Patchouli (for money rituals and soap)
Red wagon (for hauling)
Globe basil (food)
Peppers (red and green)
Tomatoes
Lettuce
Beans (seeds)
Moonflowers (seeds; ritual)
Four o’clocks (seeds; ritual and magick)
Morning glory (seeds; ritual and magick)
Cucumbers (seeds)
Marigolds (seeds; magick and garden protection, soap)
Sugar peas (seeds)
Parsley
Larkspur (seeds; ghost protection)
Sunflower (seeds; success magick)
Variegated sage (food)
Berggarten sage (food)
Purple basil (food and lavender-colored vinegars)
Lemongrass (cleansing rituals, dream pillows)
Chamomile (success and cleansing rituals, dream pillows, soap)
Trellises (need at least 10)
Gardening pots (large, need at least 8, 10 better for growing different varieties of mint)
Mulch (11 bags to start)
Lavender (cleansing rituals, dream pillows)
Electronic owl
Bird bath
Starter garden panels for seeds (8)
Selection of mints (for magick, teas, ritual, soaps)
1 load of topsoil for new flower garden area
1 load of organic soil for herb garden area
Shovel, red
Rake, red
Fire pit, moon and stars design with cover and grate
Bunny fence
Fish fertilizer
I wrote this list the first week of April. As of today, approximately two and a half weeks later, I have purchased or received everything on this list except for one item, the organic topsoil for the herb garden stash, and that is on the way—just stalled in transit due to inclement weather. It pays to write your list! Many of the items on this list were gifts from the universe (meaning I didn’t have to spend any money to get them—like my new fire pit!). Get out your pen and start listing what you want!
Notes for next year: These are just quickies, and for me they have a lot to do with timing. For example: “Put herbs in earlier next year—June was too late. Start moonflowers and other seeds beginning of April. Front bed receives too much shade, move tomatoes and peppers to middle or back bed. Cold snap in July split tomatoes. Front area needs better soil next year” (and so forth).
Journal entries: These are by date, and I simply wrote down what I did on that day, or sometimes, what I had accomplished that week if the time of the season was slow. Last year’s entries for April and May were minimal. We were waiting for our granddaughter to be born, and I knew I would be away for at least a week when the happy event occurred. I spent these two months cleaning, weeding, and designing. I began with a single spade (as I had no garden tools of my own, I’d always borrowed my father’s tools) and did all the work by hand on my knees down in the dirt. As the season progressed, I purchased more tools to make the work easier. I’m glad I did it this way, because I learned what I really needed, and more importantly, what type of tools I liked to work with. I also learned which tools were not worth their cost. For example, I bought this weed grabber thing, thinking how much work it would save. It isn’t worth the metal it was made of. I gave it away, thinking maybe I wasn’t using it right, and told the person so. They couldn’t make it work, either. Sometimes my journal entries would be only a line or two, and other times I would go on for a page or so. Just depended on my mood and how much I accomplished. Many of my entries contained the ingredients I used when designing a soap, butter, food recipe, or vinegar using the proceeds from my garden (many of these formulas can be found in this book). Here are some entries from my 2007 journal, to give you an example:
July 14: Most of my moonflowers started at the end of May became potbound, so I had to prepare a bed (been meaning to do it) of their own. I transplanted several along the back porch (11 plants) and 7 plants along the garden fence row. The soil there isn’t the best, but I have to put them somewhere. Moonflowers are climbers, and I had a heck of a time finding them something to climb on. Began clearing the weeds between the beds this week. My daughter’s rose bloomed! Added 6 bags of organic Black Forest soil to herb beds. Could use 2 more. Cleansing ritual for Arnold. Made empowered herb water. Note to self: Buy more trellises next year.
July 15: Another rose today!!! Began tearing up the pathways between beds. What a terrible job. Several years ago, Dad put down old carpet because some gardening book told him to do it. What an unbelievable mess. I’d like to call that author out here and have them clean up this mess. The trash collector is going to hate me this week. I’m covered head to foot with black soot. Yuck. Six done, one to go. I have decided to go with red tan bark. Maybe 7 bags will do. Healing ritual for Heather. Created a healing soap for her to use.
July 16: Finished clearing out all the pathways. Super high humidity. Picked my first beefsteak tomato. Grilled ham with an herb bundle of sage, thyme, and basil. Added savory and tarragon to the asparagus with a nice sauce. Baked potatoes in foil with fresh sage and rosemary. Excellent!
July 20: I can’t believe it: the dogs mowed down the rose bush. Broke to bits. Such a shame! It took 11 bags of tan bark for the pathways. Built my toad habitat! The garden looks super! Made another batch of gardening soap. Prosperity ritual for Joanne. Poured a prosperity candle for her.
August 10: Finally, the moonflowers bloomed! Moonflowers have been my signature plant for years, and I have always been able to grow them. I thought they would never flower this year. I know I put them in too late and moved them around too much. I’m so glad that they finally took off. Several super hot days and three whopper thunderstorms. I made nine bottles of thunder water for magick and ritual during those storms. Peppers finally getting big, but the tomatoes split because of all the rain. Mints all died from some sort of blight. Too much sun, I think. Next year I’ll plant them in container pots so I can control their environment better. My ferns are so beautiful on the back porch! Grandma, you would be proud!
… and so forth.
Recipes and formulas: This section holds my tried-and-true formulas, from organic bug spray to ingredients I use for family-favorite soaps, vinegars, teas, room sprays, and more.
***
Although the description of my journal pages may seem like a lot of work, it really didn’t take much time at all to put the book together. Once I had the categories the way I wanted them, I often spent only a few minutes jotting things down when the opportunity arose. Near the end of the growing year, I added pictures of the fruits of my labors. I used the journal many times over the growing season, then read it at the end of harvest and then once more in April when I was preparing for the new season. Not only did my little book become an invaluable record for the business of growing my own garden, it also became a written testament of how I spent my time throughout the planting and harvest year. These days with everything computerized and the threat of losing your data in a heartbeat, or of systems changing so fast your electronic diary of ten years ago can no longer be read, having a good, old-fashioned journal with a cover you can run your fingers over and pages you can lovingly turn isn’t a bad idea after all. Even if you are not a full or part-time gardener, perhaps you have a friend or family member that would love to receive a garden journal as a gift like I did. You never know how inspiring your creative efforts can be!
Appendix 2
How to Make Florida Water
Florida water can be made with or without alcohol, and can be made with raw herbs or with essential oils. The shelf life of waters made with alcohol is longer. Raw herb water should be refrigerated.
Do not ingest either of these waters! And as with all formulas, if you have sensitive skin, take care with any herbal recipe.
Florida Water with Alcohol and Oils
½ gallon 90-proof alcohol
1 ounce lavender essential oil
1 dram lemon essential oil
1 dram citrus (such as tangerine or bergamot) essential oil
1 dram lime essential oil
½ dram clove essential oil
HedgeWitch Florida Water with Water and Raw Herbs
Fill a one-quart Mason jar with the following:
Spring water
2 slices orange
2 slices lemon
2 slices lime
Fresh mint from the garden
Fresh lemon balm from the garden
Fresh hyssop from the garden
1 fresh rosemary sprig
1 fresh basil sprig
Pack jar with the herbs as full as you like. Boil spring water (enough to fill the jar). Pour into Mason jar (note: please use a canning jar or Pyrex brand glass container as these can withstand the boiling water). Make sure the jar is warm before pouring in the boiling water. Allow mixture to cool completely. Strain. Pour liquid into a sterlilized jar or bottle. Keep in refrigerator. Potent for three days.
A 5:50 am sunrise lurks somewhere behind the curtains of my bedroom window, and part of me refuses to believe I set the alarm for this early. I must be insane. By the time I’ve fried the bacon, flipped the eggs, and started the coffee pot, the western horizon is dark and foreboding with thick, nasty fog. Where the heck did the sun go? After breakfast, I step outside and shiver. Unpleasant black clouds stall overhead, anxious to dump yet another day of rain. What else is new? However, I have made up my mind that drops of water, no matter how big they plan to get, will not deter me from my mission.
I take the dogs out for their morning run, throw on my heaviest sweatshirt, comb my hair, brush my teeth (a nice smile is important today), and arm myself with cell phone and money pouch securely attached to my blue jean belt loops hidden under that oversized hoodie. Beats carrying a purse.
The sky looks really evil, but the clouds hold as I motor into the parking area. I’m surprised at the amount of people here, given the potential weather. Obviously, I am not the only determined soul out for a bargain at 8:00 am on a gloomy Sunday morning—but I will bet you that I’m one of the few people here with a magick formula for bargaining in my mythical back pocket! Today I have a special job to do: I am testing my HedgeWitch haggling secrets at the flea market.
I’m pretty excited as I huff my way up the hill and into the vendor area. I’ve never haggled for anything before. At least, not consciously. Up until now, I was one of the hundreds of thousands of Americans that listened to the rules of middle-class society in my youth: to ask the price, or to dicker over the amount of any object, was…well…uncouth, disrespectful, and greedy. The fact that just about every other culture on the face of the planet exercises the art and science of haggling somehow didn’t make it into my educational curriculum.
As children, many Americans are taught that the other side of bargaining—auctions—are good. Attempting to lower the price of anything else (other than coupons dictated by the seller) is considered rude. I believed this myth of misinformation up until last month when two things occurred—I wrote an article on belief and our economy went into the toilet. Now gas prices are high, and like everyone else, I have bills to pay—I need food and clothing, not to mention paying utilities and the mortgage. Let’s not forget house insurance, laundry detergent…you get the picture, because you’re right here with me.
Like you, I’m not into cheating anyone—I just want a fair price, and since I can’t get it at the gas pump, I’ve got to look for it in other venues. After watching the news the other day,
I found myself insulted that many large companies involved in the making and selling of creature-comfort items (soda, makeup, toys) don’t plan to lower their prices, feeling that Americans will continue to spend top dollar on their products to relieve themselves of the stress of higher prices they are experiencing elsewhere.
Oh yeah?
See ya soda, hello to making my own iced tea from my garden all summer long! Toys? I’m pretty darned crafty, so guess what my granddaughter will be getting for her first birthday? Cool handmade stuff. And cosmetics? Hrumph! A little sunshine for blush (if we ever get any sunshine), a splash of lip gloss, and a dash of eyeliner, and I’m good to go. If large corporations think they are gonna predict my behavior…well, we’ll just see about that!
Too, after writing on the subject of belief, I realized that some of my conscious and subconscious beliefs about the energy exchange of my buying behavior was only making other people richer and me poorer. Time to align my brain on that one! Today is my experiment of taking charge of my financial buying power.
The wind blows, and I can smell the impending rain. Undaunted, I adjust my hoodie. People around me walk either silently or exchange words in soft, low chatter. It’s either the weather, the time of day, or both, gently subduing the atmosphere. Not unpleasant, just slightly ghostie. I sort of wish I’d brought someone along, but my experiment this time requires I work solo.
Today will be my first official experience in haggling, but not at HedgeWitch shopping. For the past three weeks, I’ve been using a technique that helps me find exactly what I want, employing the primordial language you read about here. To date, this has been incredibly successful for me. Now, after researching how to haggle on the Net, and understanding this is an acceptable and even desirable social process for both buyer and vendor, I’m ready to combine my primordial language technique with the art of bargaining.
For me, step one in the science of shopping has always been to go with a plan. As my footsteps crunch on the gravel, I review in my mind what I want to find at the flea market today:
Item Number One: A good-condition, portable, sturdy, wire shopping cart that rolls well on any surface and collapses easily to go in the trunk of my car when I’m not using it. This is my highest priority.
Item Number Two: A new, plain sweatshirt for gardening. I plan to add embroidery to spice it up. I’m not into name-brand products unless the brand name is known for high quality.
Item Number Three: A handcrafted photo book for my granddaughter. I’d seen one last week that really caught my eye, but I thought the price a bit high. Yes, I could make my own, but her birthday is right around the corner, so time is a consideration here.
Armed with my new knowledge that it is okay to haggle, I’m ready to rock ’n’ roll! I particularly look for personal creativity when flea-market shopping. Seeing the creative, hard work of others always brings me joy, even if I don’t buy the item. As I round the first bend of the pathway, I remind myself of haggling rule number one: believe you will get a deal.
I’ve made a few “be prepared” alterations in my plan for today. I broke all the twenties I was carrying with me in my little money bag into ones, fives, and tens at the convenience store outside of the market. I put the money in various jean pockets: tens in the right upper pocket, ones in the left, fives in the lower right. Haggling for a few bucks, winning, and then handing the vendor a twenty seemed a bit on the gauche side. Plus, having exact change and knowing precisely where it was located on my person would save transaction time should I strike a fair bargain. This splitting the cash into denominations actually served me well by accident, as you will see.
I also know a bit of information that will be helpful today. This is my fourth week at this large flea market. I have a pretty good idea of who the regulars are and of who might be just passing through. I even look at license plates to see where the vendor is from. Stickers, decals, business addresses, and school slogans all give you a general point of origin if you are observant. Although I treat all vendors with respect, I remind myself to be extra nice to the regulars should I wish to visit them again. They might, or might not, remember me. I want to leave them with a good impression regardless of any deals.
Down the path I march, deciding to begin at the far end of the site and work back toward the car. Three quarters of the way down, I spy the shopping cart I want. I have already done general haggling rule number one: research the market value of the item.
The retail value of the type of cart I want ranges from $80 to $40 brand-new (this information was from a fast Google search). The asking price if I were selling such an article used at a yard sale would be 2/3 to 1/3 of the price, depending upon condition. This means the highest a seller might ask could be $54 and the lowest $13. I now follow haggling rule number two: scope out the item from a distance, then make a closer inspection. It’s best if the seller is busy with someone else at this time, as it gives you a nonstressful way to think about your opening bid…
Which allows you to now move into haggling rule number three: size up the seller, but don’t make snap judgments on hair, clothing, etc. This is a flea market, after all. Look at the general window of prices the seller has marked on their items (if they are marked at all). Remember, numbers are magickally powerful and can tell you something about the seller without him or her knowing it. For example, if he or she uses a lot of fives, they desire immediate change in their life. Number eight? Self-mastery and confidence on the physical plane has been reached in many areas. Lots of twos? They like socialization and partnership. They will compromise on most sales. Fours? They desire stability and may have a firm asking price or need a little extra coaxing. Of course, this rule fluctuates, but it is an interesting one to keep in mind. And if the seller is well coiffed, sports designer clothes, or is dripping with accoutrements of gold in a flea market environment, you’ve got a barracuda or a shyster on your hands—tread carefully (or not at all).
General haggling rule number four: once you have sized up your vendor and carefully observed your target item, set the price in your mind that you are willing to pay. Before you even begin, agree with yourself that you will not go over this price and that you will walk away if a satisfactory deal cannot be had. Now cut this number in half; this is your opening bid.
Haggling rule number five: clear your mind and focus. Before approaching the seller, remove all extraneous numbers from your mind and repeat your low-bid number nine times silently in your head. End with the HedgeWitch affirmation: “Always a blessing. Thank you.”
Okay. I’m ready. That shopping cart is calling to me. I now follow general haggling rule number six: do not haggle in front of other customers. Wait for a respite in sales. The vendor normally does not advertise that he or she is willing to make a deal.
I wait patiently, checking out a few other items, then circle back. I employ magickal haggling rule number seven: speak in a low, clear tone, and smile.
“Good morning,” I say.
She smiles.
“I’m interested in the shopping cart out front. Will you take four for it?” Notice I didn’t say, “I’ll give you four bucks for that cart out there” or “Bet you can do better on that price you’ve got listed on that cart” or “Tell ya what: I’ve got four bucks here that says I can walk outta here with that cart.” I’ve actually heard haggling like this. Here, the buyer is being a bully and tries to immediately, through language, remove the control from the vendor. Big mistake. “I’ll give you…you can do better…I can walk outta here”—all these phrases suggest that the vendor is a subservient, helpless stooge, and even if they don’t recognize the words, their inner selves will immediately bristle. This is definitely not the energy we want here. What we want is for the vendor to feel he or she is in control of the bargaining process. Back to the story…
She grins. “I paid more’n that for it. Nothin’ wrong with it. Good tires. Even collapses. Eight.”
Haggling rule number eight: speak as you are spoken to, succinctly and politely. This builds a light rapport with folks. If you launch into your best diction and lift your chin, you’ve just turned off 90 percent of the population. Empathy is the key. I learned this from signing thousands of books and giving hundreds of seminars. Divas have no place at the bargaining table.
This price, although incredibly reasonable, is over my agreed limit yet under the marked price on the cart. I find myself naturally hesitating, which is actually general haggling rule number nine: silence is your best friend when the vendor gives an offer you don’t like.
“Seven!” she says, naturally filling the void of my silence.
I smile again. “Sold!”
I now follow haggling rule number ten: silently thank the universe. Which takes us into haggling rule number eleven: always work in cash. Give exact cash if possible. That way, the vendor feels satisfied with the deal and has no idea about that fifty bucks lurking in your shoe for emergencies. Never pull out wads of cash and flash your good fortune—it’s bad for the vendor’s impression of his or her own generosity, and bad for you if someone is watching how much money you are carrying. Which also leads us into the way you’re dressed. Although it sounded like I slapped on clothes for simple utility this morning, that wasn’t the case at all. If you are shopping for a bargain, don’t overdress (and that includes jewelry and makeup). My sweatshirt color choice is black—a power choice, and clean. My jeans are in good condition. My walking shoes match the sweatshirt. I’m not carrying a purse. You can’t see my cell or my money bag. My good watch is home in its box. I don’t need it—I can always get the time off my cell if I have to. I have small pearls in my ears, and unless you’re into jewelry, you won’t know they are real, and yet I’m not walking around with unfilled punctures in my head. My religious necklace is tucked inside my sweatshirt; it holds more power there, anyway. Displaying your religious persuasion with gaudy jewelry tells some vendors you are insecure. I have a canvas shopping bag stuffed in the kangaroo pocket of my hoodie (and we’ll get to why I’m carrying this in a moment).
Grinning from ear to ear at my first haggling success, I march over to the cart and whisk away my purchase, but not before I turn and thank the seller and mention that this will be such a handy item on this day. She is a regular, so I make sure to look appropriately pleased, which wasn’t hard at all. As I trundle down the path, I am elated. I have completed my first successful haggle in less than ten minutes, saving myself top retail end $73, low retail end $33 by choosing a good-condition used item. I growl delightedly to myself—I am on a roll! The vendor initially wanted $23—a savings to me here at the flea market of $16. No matter how you slice it, I got a great deal! On top of that, a woman passes by with a cart much like mine. She has taken a collapsible laundry bag and used it for a liner for her cart. What a cool idea! I’m so pleased I’m about to bust. I’ll pick up my liner at the grocery store on the way home!
A little further down the path, a well-dressed woman stops me. “Where did you get that cart?” she demands. “Did you buy it here? Where? I’ve been looking all over for a cart like that since the market opened, and I can’t find one.”
Lucky me, I think, staring at her, because as yet I’ve not been able to get a word in edgewise. “I found it at one of the regular vendors,” I finally sputter, motioning with my hand and pointing, “up the path. It was the only one there that I saw.”
“I walked right by there ten minutes ago,” she said, “and I didn’t see any carts.” She looks at me suspiciously and leans closer, her paper cup sloshing hot coffee on the ground with her eagerness. “Where? Where did you get it? Where, up there?”
I looked at her rather helplessly. How do you give directions at a flea market? Turn right at the vendor with hundreds of junk boxes? Like…there are tons of those. Turn left at the hot dog stand (one of twenty along the way)?
“Oh, never mind,” she says, showing her exasperation at my bumbling brain by jerking her cup this way and that. Without warning, she spins on her heel and gallops off in the direction of my pointing finger, which I’d inappropriately not remembered to lower.
I shake my head, clutching my newly haggled cart protectively. Might not be a bad idea if she knocked off on that coffee. We see only what we choose to see, I muse to myself.
Now I’m doubly excited, because I’d found something that someone else wanted—she apparently walked right by it and missed it! I chide my victorious feelings on the matter. Gloating is base—not spiritual at all! Still, I nearly skip past the sweatshirts. I banter jauntily with the seller. With newfound confidence, I walk away with a sweatshirt for a buck. Current WalMart price for similar design and color? $16.22. Target? $9.99. Clearance Target, but only in limited colors? $4.00. Here, I could pick any color I wanted and still save money. Also, the drive to the market was much closer than that of the nearest Target, so I didn’t have to expend any extra gas. I have also followed haggling rule number twelve: carry your own canvas shopping bag empowered with chamomile and calendula essentials to attract positive energy. This way, the vendor doesn’t have to fiddle with stuffing your purchase in a nondisposable plastic bag, and you are being earth-friendly. Besides, it makes you smell nice.
Hot diggity, the dark clouds thicken overhead but I’m nearly dancing through the flea market. Two items purchased on my list, and so far I’ve spent only eight dollars. I make my way over to the vendor I saw last week that offered the handcrafted photo books. The Sunday before, she wanted $25. I didn’t buy one, not because I thought the price was unfair, but because I’d already spent my dollars elsewhere. It just wasn’t in the budget that week. As I walk up to the table, I see that she has only one left: the one I originally wanted! In perfect condition, marked for five dollars, beautifully handcrafted. No haggling here: sold. I sincerely thank her for her creativity and tuck the book in my canvas bag. Always a blessing!
I walk away from her table, smiling. I have now purchased all the items I wanted on my list for a grand total of $13, and for all intents and purposes, I am done shopping. However, I’m still working on my technique and haven’t experienced a full variety of haggling scenarios. My research isn’t finished. I pause, thinking about where I want to go next. It starts to drizzle.
My daughter calls me on my cell. Could I pick up something she had ordered from one of the inside vendors? She didn’t want to bring my granddaughter out in the rain, and I didn’t blame her. I enter the building and spy a table of rubber stamps (my secret passion). There is a huge selection. Some are priced and some are not. I decide to try general haggling rule number thirteen: if some items are marked, and some are not, and you like several items, make your selection that includes both priced and unpriced items, then offer half or a third of the market price of your total selection as your opening bid.
I observe that the stamps were brand-new. I’ve been buying stamps for several years and quickly calculate the retail price in my head, which would be thirty bucks without tax—more at a specialty shop. The vendor is an older woman with a weekly indoor stand, yet I’d never seen this large table of stamps before. “Good morning,” I say, holding out my choices. “Would you be willing to take ten dollars for these?”
She smiled a greeting (much like the first woman) and then muttered to herself, counting up the prices in her head of the marked and unmarked stamps. “Heck,” she said, “why not?”
I nearly fainted with my luck. I paid her the exact amount of cash, withdrawing only one ten from my pocket. I thanked her, made a comment about how much fun I would have using the stamps, and moved on to the next vendor to pick up my daughter’s order. As this was a transaction already agreed upon by my daughter and this vendor, I didn’t haggle. I paid the bill and walked over to pick up the item where she had it stored.
And fell in love with a basket. A very cool basket, just like the one I’d looked at in a department store a month ago and simply felt I couldn’t afford. That basket retailed, new, at $65. I turned to the vendor, eyebrow raised. “Not mine,” she said. “It belongs to that guy over there,” and she motioned toward a gentleman that appeared to deal in Civil War memorabilia. Now, this wasn’t something I’d researched, but as I like baskets, I have a general idea of their price range, what to look for condition-wise, etc. It was in perfect condition, exceptionally sturdy, and the lid fit securely. Okay, so it smelled a little musty. “Would you take ten dollars for this?” I asked, and fell, unaware, into haggling rule number fourteen: act dumb (except, of course, I was really being dumb).
“What’s it marked?” he asked.
I blushed, I know I did. “I don’t have my reading glasses on and I must have missed the price. I’m sorry.” Which, in my case, was totally true. Forget fine print without the spectacles.
He grinned as I handed the basket over. “Yeah, we get older, but it sure would be nice if our peepers remained the same.”
I agreed.
He flipped the basket around to check the small white sticker I’d missed, peered at me over his own glasses, and said, “Ten’ll do.”
I handed over the cash. One ten from the pocket of my jeans.
He pulled a pad over and began writing. “What d’ya think I should call that basket?” he asked.
I hefted the basket and turned it around, eyeing it carefully. “It looks like a cobra basket to me,” I replied.
“Then that’s what it’ll be,” he said, writing the words cobra basket on the pad. “Happy to make the sale,” he said.
“Always a blessing,” I replied, not realizing I’d said the words aloud.
“That it surely is.”
I tucked the basket in my new shopping cart and headed out the door, glancing down at that little white sticker: $26. Being sincerely dumb, I just saved myself sixteen bucks.
Haggling rule number fifteen: affirm your good fortune. I used a HedgeWitch technique after I left the building (and well out of earshot of any vendor) and muttered with glee: “I always get a good deal.” (Always being the primary word). Words have incredible power if we use them correctly. However (very important rule here), a word or phrase is only special and powerful if it is special and powerful to you.
I have now reached the far end of the flea market, and my cart is loaded. I decide to go back to the car, drop off my purchases, and return to finish my haggling experiment in the upper area. Halfway back it starts to rain a bit harder. I lift my hoodie and make a beeline for the parking lot. Having sold my books at open-air festivals, I know that bad weather truly hurts sales, even if you are prepared for it. From the seller’s side, rain was always disheartening—but now I’m on the buyer’s side of the bargaining fence, and I know that this rain will actually be of benefit to me. I also know I haven’t much time: only the hardiest vendors will remain open. The rest will pack up quickly and get the heck out of the market. It is these vendors I will target.
Beep, beep squeals my car alarm as I lock up. The rain begins to pound the ground, and the upper area buzzes with vendors throwing items this way and that into their vehicles. Laughter, shouts, clanking, and the steady drum of rain on truck hoods and SUV roofs fills the air. I wrangle two pieces of furniture I can refinish myself and give as gifts later on in the year—one for a buck and one for five dollars. Both male sellers called these bargains “your lucky rainy day sale” as I struggled the furniture away.
It is here that haggling rule number sixteen came into play by accident: act like you ain’t got no more money other than your lowest bid (or when you hit your cut-off bid number).
One of my favorite opening lines at flea markets when I want to make a purchase is: “Who’s the boss?” This is a pleasant, empowering way to draw the vendor to you and makes him or her feel in charge. A smile from you is also very important—showing you’re not being flip. Boss-man (once I figured out who he was) and I begin to haggle in the pouring rain over that last piece of furniture. My highest bid number was five bucks—this wasn’t an antique, and I’d have to put some work into making it presentable. By now, the furniture was sopping wet and heavy as all get out, and he had a ton of stuff yet to load—all things in my favor. This being the case, I go real low. The sticker price is thirty-five bucks. “Five bucks,” I say.
“Seven,” he says.
I fall silent, look at the ground with consternation, rummage in my pockets. I have forgotten to say “Sold!” So far, I’ve been really successful in my haggling. Two bucks wasn’t going to kill me, and he was being pleasant even though we both might be going swimming in the parking lot in a minute or two. I sigh, resigned to give him the seven dollars, and shove my hands in my pocket again, except my one’s pocket is empty. I’m frustrated, and I know that expression showed on my face. I am sure I have more ones. I dig deeper, the rain is now slinging like spit from a boxer in the tenth round, and I truly am on the verge of saying, “No, thank you.” I manage to whip out a crumpled five, but no one-dollar bills. I look up, ready to open my mouth to let the object go, and he says, “Five bucks it is, missy.”
Sold.
Through the mud I slog, loading up the car, as yet unaware that the universe had decided I have one more lesson to learn. I head for the tented area, hoping to find a last-minute bargain. I’d seen a rack of dresses on my first trip down through the market. My husband and I are building a magickal scarecrow for my garden, and I wanted something unusual and inexpensive to dress my enchanted effigy. There are local magickal rules to creating a garden scarecrow, which is why I wanted something new, rather than clothing worn by someone I know. The vendors, a husband-and-wife team speaking Spanish, were packing up.
As I begin to haggle, I’m kicking my mental self for my incredibly weak knowledge of the language. I can speak nouns and verbs (thanks to Llewellyn author Ray Malbrough) but no pleasantries or modifiers. My broken non-skill makes for lousy rapport, and I’m silently wishing I’d dragged Ray along with me. Don’t get me wrong, the wife spoke perfect English—but I knew that to enter her comfort zone, I should be able to communicate better on her terms. To me, it is my responsibility as a buyer to make the vendor feel at ease, not the other way around. If the vendor feels they shine on center stage, then I actually have the upper hand in the bargaining process. Not too friendly, mind you. You can overdo it if you’re not careful.
And here is where I met my only failure of the day. First, she misunderstood why I wanted the dress. She was, naturally, assuming I wanted it to fit me. I could hardly tell her I desired a size obviously larger than me to hang on a magickal scarecrow, so I stuttered, searching for plausible words. Her main focus, at the moment, was to put me in a smaller dress. The price tags on both dresses said $20.
“Would you take $5 for this dress?” I asked, touching the larger dress.
She shook her head and pointed to the smaller dress. “Twenty dollar,” she said, restating the price on the tag.
“Seven,” I said and then remembered I didn’t have any ones on me.
She rolled her eyes (bad sign), her gold earrings swinging wildly with the jerky, aggravated movement of her head. “Twenty dollar,” she insisted. “New!” she exclaimed, pointing at the smaller dress.
“Ten.” I withdrew a ten from my pocket, reaching for the dress. This is haggling rule number seventeen: when all else fails, with cash in hand, reach for the item. Don’t take it. Just flash the money and reach for it. Leave the control decision with the vendor. He or she can hand over the item and make the sale, or not.
In this case, it was not. “Twenty dollar,” she repeated, one hand positioned firmly on her hip, smaller dress dangling from the other, and I could tell she was getting angry—that scowl on her face and her body language were definite warning signs. Uh-oh. At this point, her husband is grumbling at her in Spanish, telling her she ought to let me have the dress and get on with it. They can’t stay in this rain. They have to get moving, finish packing up, and go! (He said a few other things, too, but I’m not going to repeat them.)
It is a funny thing about me—I can’t speak the language, but if they enunciate their words and don’t rattle like a runaway freight train (which we are all apt to do when we are excited), I can ferret out those nouns and verbs just fine. And I could see this sale was not going to go my way, because now she was furious with her husband because he’d just insulted her, and I was second banana in her field of attention and a stubborn customer at that, trying to buy a dress that wouldn’t fit correctly.
I smiled politely and bowed out, saying, “It certainly is a beautiful dress. Thank you, but no thank you.” Which goes back to the fourth haggling rule: be prepared to walk away, no hard feelings.
Which goes hand in hand with haggling rule number eighteen: If the energy is bad or turns bad, or the seller has those bad vibes going, politely disengage and walk away. Speaking from an energetic point of view, the dress was now filled with negativity from our miscommunication and their argument. Who knows what other insults they hurled at each other that morning with the garment hanging right there to catch whatever? I could have cleansed the dress, but it simply wasn’t worth it to me. Bad mojo? Let it go. Don’t bring other people’s pain and anger into your life. No physical item is worth the angst.
I could have walked away dejected at this haggling lesson, but I viewed it as a lesson in human interaction. I had actually thought of a more creative way to dress the scarecrow last night and had even gotten out of bed at 2:00 am to draw up a diagram. The dress wasn’t on my list, and indeed, my creative focus did not include a dress at all. I realized that part of my failure in this instance had to do with my previous plans that I’d already committed to paper. I hadn’t released this plan in my mind (because I liked it) and so, without the release, there could be no attraction. This, my friends, is haggling rule number nineteen: attraction always requires some sort of release or alignment. It’s like breathing. You pull the air into your lungs, use what you need, and expel what your body doesn’t need. Attraction/release, or release/attraction, is a fundamental law of the universe. Without this process, you don’t get stuff. Ignore the process? You’ll find yourself unhappy and empty-handed.
As I avoided mud puddles back to the car, I reviewed what all I’d learned today and how my general haggling tips and magickal haggling ideas I’d worked on performed well in every instance but one, and how that experience in itself turned out to be the most valuable lesson of the day.
At home, I left my goodies on the back porch until I could cleanse them, took out the dogs, and then stepped into a luxurious hot shower. With that steaming water pounding away the morning chill, I thanked Spirit for my good fortune and released any negativity I’d collected along the way. It’s good to be a haggling HedgeWitch with a plan, I thought. When you believe all great things are possible in the universe, nothing can stop you—not even the poor economy or clouds dumping buckets of rain on your personal parade.
Welcome to my world!
Appendix 4
HedgeWitch Fast Herbal Reference
The following brief list is a composite of what you might grow in your garden, find in the wild, or purchase at the grocery store. Certain spices are here, as they historically enhance spellwork, herbal charms, or may be used in cooking magick.
Allspice: Money, love, success, healing, drawing charm. Element: Fire.
Angelica: Protection, releasing, cleansing, controlling difficult situations, stimulating creativity and desire, breaking negativity, strength, stress relief, helping you get out of tight places, opening locks. Element: Fire.
Basil: Cooperation, soothing hurt feelings between others, love divination, wealth, attracting customers, cleansing, good luck, house blessing, stopping situations or emotions that feel out of control, healing, helping in studying, making people stop bugging you, clearing the head, dream magick, banishing lies. Element: Fire.
Bay (Sweet): Healing, strength, clearing the mind, wishes, sweet dreams, money. Element: Fire.
Beans: Money, luck, growth, abundance (especially of food), prayers to the dead, preventing quarreling, fertility magick, good fortune, strength. Element: Air.
Cabbage: Luck, good relationships, happy marriage, balance, stress relief, bountiful partnership in business. Element: Water.
Calendula (marigold): Abundance, riches, self-control, happiness, cleansing, dream magick, strength, admiration, fast and healthful closing of wounds after accident or surgery. Element: Fire.
Carrots: Lust, passion, fertility magick, opportunity, creative ideas. Element: Fire.
Celery: Mental acuity, love, passion, lust, divination, dieting magick, attracting desires. Element: Fire.
Chamomile: Good fortune, money, cleansing, releasing, attuning to higher self, aligning with Spirit, beauty, peaceful sleep, happiness, dieting, reducing problems that have gotten out of control, curbing a burning tongue (people that talk too much or people who talk trash), magick for eating disorders, prayers for children. Element: Water.
Chervil: Awakening creativity or the positive spirit within the self, bringing warmth to a cold atmosphere, increasing vitality, clear sight, dreaming magicks, blessings for women. Element: Fire.
Chili pepper (hot peppers): Speed, love, lust, fidelity in marriage or business, attracting desires and personal success, removing unwanted energies from your life. Element: Fire.
Chives: Promoting flow in any situation, cleansing, use in new ventures. Element: Fire.
Cinnamon: Longevity, strength, speed, good fortune, happiness, cleansing, success, love, passion. Element: Fire.
Clove: Love, money, cleansing, passion, protection, spirituality, attracting fame and fortune, removing stress, meditation, easier breathing in tough situations, easing the pain of heartache. Element: Fire.
Comfrey: Healing, travel safety, stability, anti-theft and property protection, rebuilding anything broken (healing, business, career, spirit), fertilizer, money spells. Element: Water.
Cucumber: Fertility, harmony, fidelity, friendships, healing. Element: Water.
Daisy: Love, lust, fame, popularity, joy, boosting energy, healing wounds, assisting in magick done during the day (especially at the noon hour). Element: Water.
Dandelion: Flowers for wishes and calling good spirits, making money and bringing golden opportunity with courage, expansion in business; use the leaves for protection (the word dandelion is French, meaning “lion’s tooth” because of the shape of the leaves; mix dandelion and nettle leaves together, steep, and pour water around doorstep to keep evil people from your home). Element: Air.
Dill: Fast growth, help in starting a new venture, money, protection, lust, love, stopping gossip, prayers for children, abundance. Element: Fire.
Eucalyptus: Protection, cleansing, healing, harmony, longevity, family unity, joy, cooling down a hot situation, encouraging someone to cough up the truth, breaking fevers, purifying the sick room (rosemary boosts the power). Element: Water.
Fennel: Healing, protection, cleansing, remove evil spirits or energies. Element: Air.
Fern: Luck, protection, longevity, health, money-drawing, rain magick, good fortune, finding treasures within yourself, beauty. Element: Air.
Garlic: Protection for soldiers and emergency personnel, healing, anti-theft, cleansing, removing evil spirits, protection against foul weather or circumstances, protection against gossip, protection for travelers and vehicles, good luck, increasing personal strength and energy (mix with honey). Element: Fire.
Horehound: Healing, protection, petitions to the gods, mental acuity, quick thinking, studying, breaking evil spells, taking the hot air out of a bully, encouraging someone to face their fears and overcome them, overcoming sluggishness or feeling overwhelmed. Known as the master healer’s herb. Element: Air.
Hyssop: Cleansing, removing evil spirits and ghosts, purifying an area. Element: Fire.
Ivy: Used in magick to find the truth of any matter. Protection, healing, fidelity, abundance even during hard times, better listening habits or encouraging someone to listen to what you are saying. Element: Water.
Lavender: Cleansing, happiness, joy, protection, sleep magick, longevity, harmony, attracting customers to a business, divination, beauty, stress relief, spells against depression. Element: Air.
Lemon balm (melissa): Uplifting feelings, joy, harmony, laughter, increasing longevity, use to eliminate all those little headaches of life. Element: Air.
Lemongrass: Divination, clear thinking, cleansing, removing evil people from your life, lust. Element: Air.
Lemon verbena: Love, attraction, cleansing, anti-nightmare, friendship, encouraging people to see your worth, finding riches in unusual places, reducing anxiety, harmonizing your spirit, aligning your beliefs. Add to other herbal mixtures to increase their strength. Element: Air.
Lettuce: Good fortune, protection, sleep magick, fidelity, love. Element: Water.
Lovage: Love, attraction, cleansing, friendship, help in meeting new people. Element: Fire.
Mint: Money, healing, travel, protection, love, lust, friendships, happiness, joy. Element: Air.
Apple mint: Love, friendship, passion, money.
Chocolate mint: Love, lust, money.
Mountain mint: Money and stability.
Orange mint: Cleansing, money, happiness.
Peppermint: Stress relief, help in better understanding a situation, reduce the feeling of being pulled in too many directions too fast.
Pineapple mint: Family happiness, good fortune, positive abundance in the home.
Spearmint: Mental acuity, studying, taking tests, stress relief.
Morning glory: Considered poisonous, but added here as the blue flowers in your garden promote peace and happiness on the property. Seeds used in sleep magick pillows, and root can be used as a substitute for High John. Element: Water.
Nettle: Breaking curses, sending back negative energy, healing, lust, busting ghosts, stopping fears, stopping danger, stopping a run of bad luck, building personal strength, guarding against disease. Used in fertility magick to guard against impotence. Element: Fire.
Onion: Breaking a cycle of sickness in the home, cleansing, healing, money, dreams, wish magick (onion skins), protection against stalkers and gossip. Element: Fire.
Oregano: Love, joy, happiness, relief from depression, money, health, shielding your garden against evil. Element: Fire.
Parsley: Cleansing, lust, fertility, speaking with a clear head, stopping misfortune. Element: Air.
Patchouli: Earth Mother magick, petitions to the dead, money, lust, prosperity, separating someone from you who does not really love or like you, beauty, stress relief, focus, erotic dreams, mental energizer, helps to keep feet on the ground. Element: Earth.
Peas: Good fortune in business, money magick, love-drawing, holding on to your savings, attraction (especially the flowers). Element: Earth.
Radish: Love and lust, banishing people who are bugging you. Element: Fire.
Rosemary: Love, lust, mental powers, cleansing, sleep magick, youthful outlook on life, protection, relief from nightmares, anti-theft, happy family, attracting good garden spirits, stimulating ideas or an old project, fertility, courage and fortitude, heats up any situations, prevents bride or groom from getting “cold feet,” beauty aid. Element: Fire.
Rue: Offering to the Herb Mother, health, cleansing, love, recuperation from illness, mental acuity, breaking hexes, stopping gossip, banishing stalkers, house blessing, attracting money, circle casting. Element: Fire.
Sage: Expansion, wishes, wisdom, protection, longevity, abundance, money luck, toad guardian, cleansing. Element: Air.
Savory: Mental acuity, money (especially if added to dried beans), appreciating what you have (the thank-you herb), stimulating creativity, helping stop diarrhea of the mouth. Element: Air.
Sunflower: Strength, riches, fame, fortune, health, wisdom, wishes, guardian of the gardener. Element: Fire.
Thyme: Health, healing, sleep magick, divination, cleansing, courage, sports magick, intuition, increased energy, attracting good garden fairies, stopping panic attacks, cleansing the magickal area. Used against all poisons. Element: Water.
Tomato: Abundance in the home, prosperity, love, lust, home and garden protection. Element: Water.
Valerian: Sleep magick, love, cleansing, guarding against lightning and sudden strikes of misfortune, stopping quarrels, reducing worries, helping stop panic attacks, healing, balance during withdrawal symptoms. (Root smells awful.) Element: Water.
Vervain: Speeds up any spell. Love, cleansing, harmony, money magick, attaining the rank you desire, protection (particularly against the storms of life), healing, regaining stolen articles, acuity in speech. Element: Earth.
Woodruff: Protection, success, victory, attracting money, guarding the garden, often used dried in potpourri for money flowing into the home, keeping old ideas fresh, revitalizing a project, strength, breaking a stagnant situation, overcoming insomnia. Element: Fire.
Appendix 5
HedgeWitch Meditation for
Manifestation and Problem Solving
This is a very fast, very easy meditation that works best if done once in the morning and once at night for three days for a super big problem, and just one day for an itty-bitty difficulty. Do the meditation for seven days and seven nights to manifest large items, or three days and three nights for small items. Choose a signature fragrance that matches your intent. For example, mint is good for matters of the mind and money; lavender, chamomile, lemon, or orange work for healing. To manifest an object, like a new car, find something that smells like the object. (For a new car, they sell a “new car smell” at the automotive store as a spray freshener! Please be sensible in choosing your aroma. For example, inhaling gas fumes to bring gas for your car to you would be harmful; choose only safe scents and smells.)
Step One: Begin by taking three deep, even breaths. Close your eyes during this time, and imagine yourself surrounded by a circular hedge of your choice (ivy, flowers, bushes, etc.). This hedge is akin to a magick circle. Take three more deep, even breaths, this time inhaling your chosen aroma and visualizing your desire.
Step Two: Thank the gods, ancestors, or Spirit (whatever you believe in) for several good things that have recently happened to you. Remember to smile when finished with this part of the meditation, and repeat, “Always a blessing.” Inhale the aroma three more times and repeat, “Always a blessing.”
Step Three: Imagine that your right leg is guarded by a white snake and that your left leg is guarded by a green snake. In your mind, allow the snakes to grow in size, up to the trunk of your body. Let them intertwine like a caduceus.
Note: The snakes are in line with the caduceus and DNA. If you have an aversion to snakes, you might try envisioning climbing vegetation like a moonflower or morning glory.
Step Four (for Problem Solving): In your mind, allow the two heads of the snakes to become one, and let this large snake head jut out from your third eye. Command the snake by saying, “I want _________,” and be very specific. Repeat this desire three times, and remember to smile. Believe that you are more than capable of finding the solution you seek. Finish by saying, “Always a blessing,” and allow the snakes to return to their original position—the white guarding the right leg, the green guarding the left leg. Let them coil into perfect circles, one on either side of you. Take one deep breath, and smile.
(for Manifestation): In your mind, allow the white snake to cross over to your left arm and run out of your left arm. Allow the green snake to cross over and run out your right arm. Imagine that the snakes are magnetized. Say out loud, “I want _________,” and be very specific. Repeat this desire three times. In your mind, pull whatever it is that you desire toward you. Remember to smile. When the object reaches you, envision grabbing the item and pulling it to your chest. Believe that you are more than capable of receiving this item. Finish by saying, “Always a blessing,” and allow the snakes to return to their original position—the white guarding the right leg, the green guarding the left leg. Let them coil into perfect circles, one on either side of you. Take one deep breath, and smile.
Step Five: Take three deep, even breaths, again inhaling your chosen aroma. Say, “Thank you! Always a blessing. It always works,” and smile. Visualize your circle hedge melting into the ground. Take one deep breath, open your eyes, and smile again.