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.

Farmer’s Favorite Nettle Soup: Medieval Superfood for Modern Times

Nettles are a farmer’s favorite due to all their usefulness as a healing plant bringing good cheer and for their usefulness in breaking hexes. They are also a green that can be used as you might use kale or watercress. They were regarded and used as a “superfood” by wise women for centuries and are so packed with vitamin A and iron, and they also have a high protein count. They are best harvested when they are young in the springtime. Nevertheless, they are an excellent element in cookery year ’round and have a surprisingly delicate flavor. They are another generous genus, since they sprout up and reseed themselves as true gifts from Mother Earth. Try this old-time recipe and you will be soon be out hunting nettles in the wild so you can enjoy this medieval meal at all times.

• 2 cups rinsed nettles
• 1 cup black-eyed peas, cleaned and soaked overnight
• 3 cups vegetable stock
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 cups yellow onions, chopped
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon celery salt, salt and pepper to taste

Start cooking the presoaked black-eyed peas in a large pan with just enough water to cover them. Once they have boiled, keep them on a high simmer. Keep an eye on them while you sauté the onions and garlic to transparency in the olive oil in a skillet. Add water to the peas as needed and continue simmering them for thirty-five minutes or until the legumes have softened; then add the veggie stock or yeasty water.

Add the softened garlic and onions to the bean pot and simmer on low for twenty-five minutes. Add the nettles to the big pot and cook for a half hour. Season to taste and then share this nurturing soup. Make sure to give thanks to the guardian spirits of the earth for this gift of great greens.

Rhodonite

Musicians, sound technicians, and singers love this heart- chakra crystal for its peerless capacity to help with hearing and listening. Rhodonite is sometimes confused with the rosy pink crystal rhodochrosite, but it is identifiably different in that it has white streaks or black mottling. Like many other pink stones, however, it is a love stone and a nurturing stone, and has a specialty: It is tremendous for dealing with the pain and suffering associated with grief and the loss of a loved one. This is a rock that will enable anyone to become more heart centered while stabilizing the emotions. This stone also assists by revealing both sides of an issue for clear thinking and real fairness in decision making. Rhodonite aligns the physical, emotional, and mental facets of your entire being and brings balance to them. If you are feeling ungrounded and a bit scattered, this crystal will soothe and uplift. Rhodonite can help you attain your greatest potential. This is a confidence crystal. The highest-grade gem form of rhodonite awakens the intuition.

Found in India, Japan, Spain, North America, Brazil, and Russia, this rock can also come in darker colors ranging from red to brown. As a healer, rhodonite alleviates the shock that accompanies a grievous loss. It is also used for issues involving the ears and hearing and is said to be very good for bone growth. Rhodonite helps build a healthy emotional foundation, making for a stronger personality and stronger person.

Rhodonite is a favorite carving stone in Russia; it was used for the sarcophagi of czars and emperors and is still popular as an Easter egg carving exchanged among the children of that country. I think the best and highest use of rhodonite is for healing old emotional wounds and scars, and growing from the experience. If you are feeling low-grade anxiety, this is an excellent crystal to carry in your pocket as a touchstone.

Love Your Mother: Spells to Heal Nature

Unlike our forebears, modern witches have to help heal Mother Earth. We are charged with crafting spells to restore and nurture the planet, which in turn nurtures us. In spring, on the Vernal Equinox, March 21, sprinkle clover leaves, ground mistletoe, and cinnamon on the ground while walking widdershins, or counterclockwise. Face north with right arm raised, and say aloud:

I call upon the great powers in the north 
Bless and protect this land,
Bless and protect our beloved Mother Earth! 
Harm to None. So mote it be.

Love Your Mother: Spells to Heal Nature

Unlike our forebears, modern witches have to help heal Mother Earth. We are charged with crafting spells to restore and nurture the planet, which in turn nurtures us. In spring, on the Vernal Equinox, March 21, sprinkle clover leaves, ground mistletoe, and cinnamon on the ground while walking widdershins, or counterclockwise. Face north with right arm raised, and say aloud:

I call upon the great powers in the north 
Bless and protect this land,
Bless and protect our beloved Mother Earth! 
Harm to None. So mote it be.