Love and Money Jam

July is one of the sweetest times to enjoy your garden and strawberries are a harbinger of the good summertimes ahead. To make this lucky jam, get the following ingredients:

• 5 cups of strawberries
• 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
• 1-3/4 ounces) powdered fruit pectin
• 7 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 9 clean and sterilized 1-pint canning jars

Macerate the strawberries in a big bowl. In a large pot, melt the butter and pour in the crushed strawberries. Fold in the powdered pectin. Heat the mixture to a full boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Add in the sugar and bring again to a full rolling boil. Boil and stir for 1 more minute. Now, add in the chopped basil.

Remove the pot from heat and skim off any foam. Ladle the hot mixture into nine half-pint jars, leaving 1/4-inch at the top. Look for and remove any air bubbles. If you need to fill in, add in more hot jam mixture. Carefully wipe the jar rims, then seal the lids on the jars. Place jars into a canner with simmering water, ensuring that they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil; process for 10 minutes. Remove jars and cool. Strawberries are widely regarded as an aphrodisiac and basil brings money to your house. Making this “Love and Money Jam” will be a great gift to everyone in your household and anyone who is served this jolliest of jams.

Ultimate Glamour

Few people know that the word “glamour” comes from the seventeenth-century Scottish word “glamour,” which meant to cast a spell or enchantment over anyone who looks upon you.

During the waxing moon, take the rings, necklace, and earrings you are planning to wear during a special tryst and lay them on your altar to imbue them with magic. Mix together one tablespoon each of the dried herbs vervain, thistle, chamomile, and elderflower. Cover your jewelry with the herb mixture and then sprinkle salt on top. Leave for at least 5 minutes, then shake off the herbs and pick up your gems. Hold the jewelry in your hands and chant:

    Bless these jewels and the hand and heart of the wearer

    with the light of heaven above.

    May all who look upon me

    See me through the eyes of love.

Now put on the empowered and enchanted jewelry and go off for your special date.

Herbal Helpers for Quick Protection Magic

You need look no further than your kitchen cabinet for other commonplace herbs to ward off unsettling energy:

    * Lemon rind: Rubbed on furniture, doorjambs, and window frames, cleanses negative energy.

    * Rosemary: When added to potpourri, woven into a wreath, or sprinkled on your doorstep, helps                 protect you.

    * Salt: On the threshold of your home will keep away unwanted guests.

    * Kava kava: Kava kava root guards against negative energy. Boil ground kava kava in a quart (1 liter)     of water, let it cool and pour the water on your front step and walkway. To ramp the power up even            more, add in 1 tablespoon each of ground cloves and cinnamon. Safety first!

The Meaning of Flowers Part V

V, W

Valerian: An accommodating disposition

Valerian, Greek: Rupture

Venus’ Car: Fly with me

Venus’ Looking Glass: Flattery

Venus Trap: Deceit

Verbena, Scarlet: Sensibility

Verbena, White: Pure and guileless

Vernal Grass: Poor, but happy

Veronica: Fidelity

Vervain: Enchantment

Vine: Intoxication

Violet, Blue: Faithfulness

Violet, Dame: Watchfulness

Violet, Sweet: Modesty

Violet, Yellow: Rural happiness

Virginia Creeper: Ever changing

Virgin’s Bower: Filial love

Volkmannia: May you be happy

Walnut: Intellect, stratagem

Wallflower: Fidelity in adversity

Water Lily: Purity of heart

Wax Plant: Susceptibility

Weigela: Accept a faithful heart

Wheat Stalk: Riches

Whin: Anger

White Lily: Purity and modesty

White Mullein: Good nature

White Oak: Independent

Whortleberry: Treason

Willow, Creeping: Love forsaken

Willow, Water: Freedom

Willow, Weeping: Mourning

Willow, Herb: Pretension

Willow, French: Bravery, humanity

Wisteria: I cling to thee

Witch Hazel: A spell

Woodbine: Fraternal love

X, Y, Z

Xanthium: Rudeness, pertinacity

Xeranthemum: Cheerfulness under adversity

Yew: Sorrow

Zephyr Flower: Expectation

Zinnia: Thoughts of absent friends

Herbal Wreaths Make a Home

Oftentimes, your kitchen is the heart of the home. Something about cooking and sharing food brings people together. An herbal wreath hanging on the kitchen door can be a source of love and luck. You’ll need the following for your creation:

This is truly one of the simplest craft projects you can ever make; simply use the wreath frame as a base, and use string or the florist’s wire to anchor the fresh herbs into place. Finish it off with a colorful ribbon or other magical decorative touches you may want to add.

Curative Wreath: These are the ideal herbs for a wreath that brings curative healing properties: lavender, barley, comfrey, rosemary, peppermint, borage, olive, eucalyptus, and apple blossom. Brown and green ribbon add a touch of healing color.

Security Wreath: Hang a guardian wreath on your front door made with heather, holly, dill, foxglove, garlic, sandalwood, snapdragon, mustard, foxglove, mistletoe, and mugwort. White and blue ribbons add security and serenity.

Prosperity Wreath: Greet prosperity at the door with herbs associated with money magic including clover, chamomile, sunflower, apple, cinnamon, myrtle, basil, and bay leaf. Weave in gold and green ribbons to add to your luck.

Heart Wreath: Don’t wait until Valentine’s Day to try this; love should be twenty-four-seven, 365. Invite love into your home than by hanging a wreath full of love herbs on your door. Any combination of these will work beautifully, and I recommend using herbs that personally resonate for you among these options: allspice, clove, catnip, fig, bleeding heart, periwinkle, tulip, peppermint, violet, daffodil, lavender, and marjoram to light up your love light. Adorn with pink and red ribbons to let the universe know you’re ready to welcome love into your life.

Salt is Magic!

Some people swear by scouring pots, pans, and cooking surfaces with salt. It absorbs oil and grease, making it great for the stovetop, which can have cooking splatters that can be tough to remove. Sprinkle it on and scrub away with a sponge or enamel-safe scrubber.

Natural Cleaning with Vinegar

If I could only use one item to clean my home with, it would be vinegar. A natural disinfectant that only costs pennies, vinegar deals with dirt, smells, stains, grease, and mold—especially in the shower. I’ve cleaned my whole house with just a spray bottle of vinegar and a little liquid soap. To make it smell really clean and good, add a few drops of calming lavender oil (also a natural disinfectant), easily found at a reasonable cost at your local health food stores. Just remember, you’re not making gallons, you’re making a small bottle. Because they contain no preservatives, DIY cleaning mixes don’t last very long, so use regularly for a clean green home and then fill your spray bottle anew!

The Scent of Happiness

The minute you walk into someone’s home, you can almost immediately tell how happy a household it is. Much of that is determined by the smell. A home with the fragrance of sugar cookies or a freshly baked pumpkin pie is one you may well want to visit often. Similarly, a space redolent of the bouquet of lilies or tea roses is one where the residents take care to make their home beautiful to both the eye and the other senses. There are lots of small things we can do in regard to “energy maintenance” for our home. To sweeten any mood, this recipe works wonders on you or anyone in your environment who might need a lift. Combine the following essential oils:

• 2 drops neroli
• 4 drops bergamot
• 4 drops lavender
• 2 drops rosemary

Add the mixture to a quart of distilled or fresh spring water and spray the air for an easy home makeover!

Power Potpourri

Simmer this mixture on your stove whenever you feel the need to infuse your space with protection or do an energetic turnaround from negative to positive. When a bad day at work, a family squabble, or an unfortunate incident in your neighborhood happens, instead of just muddling along, you can do something “about it, and your creating positive energy will help you and your loved ones as well as your neighbors. This Power Potpourri will also safeguard your home from outside influences that can be disruptive. Set your intention and gather these herbs together:

• ¼ cup rosemary
• 4 bay laurel leaves
• ⅛ cup sage
• 1 teaspoon juniper berries

Mix the herbs together by hand. While you are stirring, close your eyes and visualize your home protected by a boundary of glowing white light. Imagine the light runs through you to the herbs in your hand and charges them with the energy of safety, sanctity, and protection. Add the herbs to slowly simmering water and breathe in the newly charged air.

Soothing Sandalwood Meditation

Sandalwood, lavender, and clary sage create a deeply relaxing blend with a warm and soothing scent. Here is what you need:

• 6 tablespoons almond oil
• 2 tablespoons jojoba oil
• 20 drops sandalwood essential oil
• 15 drops lavender essential oil
• 5 drops clary sage essential oil

Mix oils together in a tightly capped blue, dark green, or brown bottle. Shake well and pour a bit into the palm of your hand to warm before using. Rub it lightly onto your shoulder and neck as well as your temples and wrists. Sit comfortably and breathe deeply with your eyes closed. Chant aloud:

Remove from me all worry.

Remove all stress in a hurry.

No more will I lack sleep.

No more will I weep.

Tranquility and calm, come to me now.

Blessed Batch of Pickles: A Garden in a Jar

This is a recipe handed down from generation to generation in my family. My mother was very proud of and famous for her pickles. This same cucumber recipe can be used to pickle almost any vegetable, including onions, peppers, squash, baby corn, green tomatoes, cauliflower, and anything else you might fancy. Growing your own dill will be a wonderful finishing touch. Gather:

• 3 dozen baby cucumbers (three to four inches long)
• 3 cups water
• 3 cups vinegar
• 6 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 bunch fresh dill or ½ teaspoon dried dill per jar (you can use seed heads, leaves, and stems, too)
• ½ to 1 clove garlic per jar, blanched and sliced
• ½ tablespoon mustard seed per jar
• 2-quart Mason canning jars (or 6 one-pint jars), sterilized

Wash all the cucumbers using cool water. In a big stockpot, pour in the vinegar, three cups of water, and the kosher salt and bring to a boil. This is the brining liquid. In the bottom of a sterilized quart jar, place a generous layer of dill, a clove of garlic, and ½ tablespoon mustard seed. Pack the cucumbers vertically into the jar until half full, then add another layer of dill and fill the remainder of the jar with cucumbers. Fill all the jars in the exact same way, leaving a half-inch at the top for brine. After you have poured in the brining liquid, go ahead and seal the Mason jars. Place the jars in a boiling-water bath for fifteen minutes. Label once your pickle jars have cooled and store on a cool, dark shelf for two weeks to allow the flavor to develop.

Magical correspondences to draw from in labeling your fresh batch of pickles:

• Cucumber: healing, peace
• Vinegar: security, cleansing
• Dill: prosperity, safety, luck
• Garlic: protection, healing
• Salt: purification

Old Thyme Tincture: Medicinal Herbal Vinegar

Every kitchen garden should be strewn with thyme plantings, fragrantly growing amongst the flagstones in the path as well as in the rows of herbs, filling the air with their magnificent scent and elegant beauty. You will need to keep a plentitude growing and several bunches drying in a dark corner of your panty at all times, as this plant makes a mighty fine tincture with many medicinal uses. I also suggest you start gathering together some supplies: clean muslin or cheesecloth, several colored glass bottles, and an assortment of canning jars with lids for storing your handiwork. For this tincture, take one of the larger jars and the following ingredients:

• 1¼ cup dried thyme leaves
• 2 cups apple cider vinegar

Put the dried thyme in the jar and carefully pour the vinegar inside. Stir well and seal. Place on a dark shelf and make sure to shake it every day. At the end of the one month, strain through muslin. Compost the thyme residue in your garden and store the tincture in a pretty glass jar.

Having this herbal helper around will come in handy for mouthwashes, hair rinses, and ritual baths, and you can even rub it on achy joints and sore muscles. For a cup of thyme tea, add one teaspoon of the tincture to a cup of hot water, then add a teaspoon of honey, stir, and enjoy.

Blessings on a Budget

Instead of composting all the herbs, twigs, and stems from your brews, you can store them in a burlap or muslin sack and allow them to dry. Keep stuffing in twigs of lavender, rosemary, mint, and all the leftover aromatic plant material until you have a big bag. On some special evening, burn it in your fireplace or an outdoor bonfire, and it will be like a gigantic incense burner with the lovely scents wafting from the flames. And the best part? It’s 100 percent free!

Baking Soda Basics

Baking soda is great in a bath if your skin is irritated, especially if the cause is poison oak or ivy, as the soda will help dry up wet blisters as well as greatly reducing the itch. Applying a baking soda and water paste to the site of a bee sting or other insect bite will neutralize the pain and itch. Just remove the actual stinger first, and then smooth on the baking soda paste for instant relief.

A headache can be treated with a teaspoon of baking soda dissolved in a cup of warm water with ¼ cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Last but not least, whiten your teeth and freshen your breath by brushing with baking soda and water.

Aloe Vera Juice and Gel

As a topical application, aloe vera gel is great for all kinds of burns, including sunburn. It has been shown to have therapeutic value in the healing of skin lesions caused by psoriasis. The juice is a great general tonic as it is recommended as an aid to digestion, a stimulus for intestinal health, and a gentle colon cleanse. Aloe vera is one of the few vegetarian sources of vitamin B12 and contains nineteen amino acids, twenty minerals, and twelve vitamins, all of which have a beneficial effect on general health. Drinking four to eight ounces daily diluted in juice or taken neat is recommended, but even just a couple of times a week will be beneficial.

Two Simples Every Woman Should Know

Red raspberry leaf and chasteberry are each simples that are invaluable for women’s health and healing. Raspberry leaf taken as an infusion can prevent menstrual cramps for most women. Take a teaspoon to a small handful (depending on severity of cramps experienced) and steep covered in freshly boiled water for ten minutes. Head those cramps off at the pass by drinking one cup per day for a week before you expect your cycle to begin. (For severe cramps, take this herb every day of the month!) This herb actually has a pleasant flavor and can be used to make caffeine-free ice tea or sweet tea (but if you are having cramps on the day you plan to drink it, its healing effect will work better if you drink it warm). Raspberry leaf combines well both in taste and effect with many other common simples, such as chamomile or mint, so you can experiment with flavor combinations…or even invent your own custom moon time tea!

Why does raspberry leaf have this wonderful effect? An aromatherapist of my acquaintance tells me that in pharmacological research, this plant has been shown to improve the tone and condition of the uterus! Which is why it is also the number one simple an expectant mother ought to include in her regimen. At least one strong cup daily is recommended to support your body in the process of creation during every month of pregnancy.

Chasteberry (also known as “Vitex” from its scientific name, Vitex agnus castus), is the number one simple for the power surges known as hot flashes frequently experienced by ladies in their middle years. The part used is the berries; simmer a couple of teaspoons low in a cup or two of water after bringing the water to a boil, making sure to cover the pot so as not to lose the medicinal volatile essence. This herb tastes medicinal but not terrible and can be combined with any mild herbal tea for flavor. If you prefer convenience, either chasteberry or raspberry leaf can be purchased in capsules, though it is a bit more costly to take them that way.

Always choose organic medicinal herbs when you can find (and afford) them, not only to be kind to Mother Earth but because their healing effects are stronger.

Calming Balm: Bay Leaf

Any body oil or herbal oil can be turned into a salve with the addition of beeswax. The ratio for a salve is three ounces coconut oil to one ounce of beeswax. If you have a bay laurel tree nearby, pick some fresh leaves, or you can go to your spice rack and take three bay leaves from the jar. Grind the dried leaves in your mortar and pestle until broken up into fine little pieces. Set aside a fourth whole leaf. Use a double boiler to heat the oil and wax until completely melted. Test the viscosity of your salve by pouring a dab onto a cold plate. If you want the salve to have a denser texture, you will need to add more wax, and now is the time to do it. If satisfied with the consistency, pour off into jars to cool. Balms are simply salves with the addition of essential oils. Add two drops of eucalyptus essential oil and two drops of lemon oil while the mix is still warm. Sprinkle in the finely crushed bay laurel into the mix, stir well, and seal to preserve the aroma. Bay Leaf Balm will have a wonderfully calming effect anytime you use it and can be rubbed on your temples when you need to destress. I recommend Sunday night baths where you slather on the balm before stepping into a hot bath. Take a washcloth and massage your skin, then lie back and relax for twenty minutes. When you drain the tub, your stress will also empty out and you can start your week afresh, ready to handle anything that comes your way.

Witch Hazel Wisdom

Witch hazel is an excellent and inexpensive astringent and antiseptic to always keep on hand. Topical uses for witch hazel include cleaning cuts, reducing skin inflammations and abrasions, sunburns, insect bites, bruising, poison oak and ivy, diaper rash, eczema, varicose veins, and hemorrhoids.

Preparations of witch hazel from the pharmacy generally contain isopropyl alcohol, so make sure you only use it externally, as it is poisonous to ingest. Make cold compresses with witch hazel for painful hemorrhoids, varicose veins, or other skin inflammation and bruises. Take a witch hazel tincture, add fifteen drops to a small bowl of warm water, immerse a clean soft washcloth in the solution, and leave it soaking for five minutes. Wring out the washcloth and lay it on the affected area.

As an astringent, witch hazel works well for drying sores, diaper rash, and poison oak and ivy. Use witch hazel tincture (five drops to eight ounces water) if you want to avoid the isopropyl alcohol.

Yummy Spa Scrubs: Luxe Locks DIY Shampoo

For medium to oily hair only

• 1 cup warm water
• 1 tablespoon baking soda

Take a large bowl and pour the water in. Fold in the baking soda and stir well until it has dissolved. Now, pour it over your wet hair while in the bath or shower. Massage the mixture into your hair, paying special attention to the scalp. If you tend to have oily hair, concentrate your efforts around the hairline and at the crown of the head. If you have long hair, you can double up on the amounts. Rinse thoroughly.

Orgasmic Oil

I use this potion as a combination body care oil and mystical massage oil. You will need:

• 1 cup of sesame oil (you can cheat and get the sesame-scented oil from the pharmacy or grocery store, which works just as well in a pinch)
• Clove, cinnamon, and ginger (powdered)
• Bergamot, amber, and jasmine essential oils
• Amber-colored jar
• Magnetite

Take the sesame oil and add a pinch of each of the spices. Then add a drop of citrusy bergamot and a teaspoon each of the amber and jasmine oils.

Stir gently and then place in an amber-colored jar with a stopper. Place the jar beside a piece of magnetite, also known as lodestone, which draws people to you. Let it sit for a full week, and then use it to bring great happiness into your life.