Lemon Aid: Healthful Lemon Curd

We all know the adage that starts out, “when life gives you lemons,” but we would update this classic with the suggestion to make lemon curd! With only four ingredients, it is not a complex chore but a delightful way to take your bounty of citrus and create a sweet and creamy joy-filled treat for you and your loved ones to enjoy for many months to come. What you’ll need:

• 8 whole lemons (Meyer lemons are ideal, but any and all lemons will do)
• 2½ cups white sugar, granulated
• 2 cups fresh, unsalted butter
• 8 whole eggs, beaten

Have at the ready: eight clean glass jars previously sterilized in hot water; half-pint Mason jars preferred.

Grate the zest of the lemons into a medium-sized saucepan. Squeeze the juice from the lemons into a bowl, go for every drop!

You should have around 1½ cups of juice. Add the lemon juice to the saucepan along with the sugar. Cut butter into small pieces and add to the pan gradually.

Place your saucepan on a burner over low heat and stir until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves. Strain the beaten eggs through a fine-mesh sieve into the pan with the lemon mixture. Cook on a medium heat for ten to fifteen minutes, stirring frequently. As it heats up, the mixture will begin to thicken and take on a creamy consistency. When it coats the back of a spoon, you are well on your way to lemon curd!

When the lemon sauce is thick, remove the pan from the heat. Fill hot sterilized jars with the lemon curd to within ⅛ inch of rims. Wipe the rims clean, then top the jars with hot lids. Screw down the bands securing the lids onto the jars until finger tight. Process jars in a hot water bath for ten minutes. Remove jars and stand them upright on a clean towel, away from drafts. Let jars sit undisturbed for twelve hours. Check for proper seals. Label the jars and store in a cool, dry place for up to a year.

Fruitful Magic

While we often think of herbs and flowers as having special properties, it is much less commonly known that fruits also contain much magic you must try for yourself:

Apple

This beloved “one a day” fruit is associated with the goddess Pomona and contains the powers of healing, love and abundance. Samhain, the highest holiday of the Wheel of the Year, is also called the “Feast of Apples,” and they are used on the Halloween altar during this festival. Cutting an apple in half and sharing the other half with your beloved is a traditional way to make a wish that the two of you will stay happy together for as long as apple trees grow.

Apricot

This juicy treasure is associated with Venus and the power of love, and it is believed that drinking the nectar will make you more appealing romantically. The juice of the apricot is used in rituals and love potions. Truly a food of the goddess!

Avocado

The lusciousness of the avocado fruit is not just delicious, it also brings forth beauty and lustfulness.

Banana

A bunch of bananas packs a magical punch with powers of abundance and fertility for both men and women. Anyone who gets married beneath a banana tree bower will have a lucky marriage. One caveat: never cut a banana open, only break it apart. Otherwise, you’ll bring bad luck to your household.

Blackberry

Blackberries are the medicine that pops up anywhere, offering a delightful snack and serious healing, love, and abundance. Both the vine and the berries can be used for money-bringing spells. Thorny blackberry vines are wonderful as protective wreaths for your home, and the plant’s vine and berry can be used for prosperity and money spells. 

Blueberry

These berries are almost like an evil eye charm made of fruit, since they offer great protection. You can tuck a few of them under the mat at the threshold of your front door to ward off bad energy and evil if you feel someone is attempting to do you harm with hexes or sending bad energy your way,

Cherry

Beloved for their bright red color and taste, cherries are associated with romance as well as powers of divination. Useful in love spells, the Japanese believe tying a strand of hair from your head onto the blossom of a cherry tree will bring a lover to you.

Figs

Figs hold a place in our culture from the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Unsurprisingly, they are associated with sexuality and fecundity. If eaten ripe off the tree, this fruit will aid in conception and helps men with issues of impotence. A fig tree, if grown outside the bedroom, will bring deeply restful sleep and prophetic dreams. Outside your kitchen, a fig tree will ensure there will always be plenty of food for your family. Anywhere a fig tree grows it will bring luck and safety. A folk charm claims that gifting someone a fig grown by your own hand binds them to you. Wield your figs wisely.

Grapes

Planting grapevines grants abilities for money magic as well as with gardening and farming: the ancient Romans painted pictures of grapes on the garden walls to ensure good harvest and fertility for women. For mental focus, eat some grapes; magical spell workings for money are abetted greatly by placing a bowl of grapes on the altar.

Lemon

This beloved member of the citrus family confers the rare power of longevity as well as those of faithful friendship, purification, love, and luck. The juice from a lemon mixed with water can be used to consecrate magical tools and items during the full moon. Dried lemon flowers and peel can also be used in love potions and sachets. Bake a lemon pie for the object of your desire, and he or she will remain faithful to you for all time. Imbibing lemon leaf tea stirs lust.

Orange

In keeping with the joyful color of this fruit, oranges are a fruit of happiness in love and marriage. Dried blossoms added to a hot bath make you more beautiful. A spritz of orange juice will add to the potency of any love potion, especially if freshly squeezed. Orange sachets, pomanders, and other gifts with this fruit offer the recipient utter felicity; thus, it is an ideal gift for newlyweds.

Peach

It might seem obvious, but eating peaches encourages love. They also enhance wisdom. An amulet made with the pit can ward off evil. A fallen branch from a peach tree can make an excellent magic wand, while a piece of the tree’s wood carried in your pocket is an excellent talisman for a long life.

Pear

It is believed this uniquely shaped fruit brings prosperity and a long life. Somewhat similarly to peaches, the pear correlates with powers of lust and love. By sharing them with a partner, pears can be used to induce sexual arousal; pears cooked in wine or with a little rum or brandy make for an irresistible dessert with a little whipped cream. Pear wood is also very good for magical wands.

Pineapple

While renowned as the symbol of hospitality, pineapple represents neighborliness, abundance, and chastity. Dried pineapple in a sachet added to bath water will bring great luck. The juice hinders lust when drunken, and its dried peel is great in money spells and mixtures.

Raspberry

This sweet berry has tremendous powers for true love and safety in your home. Hang the vines at all of a house’s doors when a person in the house has died so that the spirit won’t enter the home again. The leaves are carried by pregnant woman to help with the pains of childbirth and pregnancy itself. Raspberries often served to induce love. Strawberry leaves also help with childbirth and the leaves are also carried for luck.

Tomato

Reminder that like the “alligator pear” or avocado, the tomato is a fruit! An easy money spell is to place a fresh-off-the-vine tomato on the mantle every few days to bring prosperity. Eating tomatoes “inspires love. They are excellent to plant in your garden as an aid to ward off pests of all kinds!

Blackberry Malt Vinegar Syrup

Blackberries are one of life’s sweetest gifts, growing abundantly in the bramble along the rambling path. An extremely effective medicinal tonic can be made by soaking a quart of berries in a quart of malt vinegar for three days. Drain and strain the liquid into a pan. Simmer and stir in sugar, one pound to every two cups of tonic. Boil gently for five minutes and skim off any foam. Cool and pour into a sealable jar. This potion is so powerful, you can add a teaspoon into a cup of water and cure tummy aches, cramps, fevers, coughs, and colds. Best of all, blackberry vinegar is both a medicine and a highly prized dessert topping in the UK. Pour some over your apple pie and cream, and you will soon scurry off to pick blackberries all summer.

Lunar Almanac: Moon Signs of the Times

The astrological signs of the moon are of great significance. Each moon sign has special meanings set down through the centuries. Ancient and medieval folks paid strict attention to moon phases and moon signs for planting, harvesting, and canning and preserving stores for the long winter. Here is a guide to each sign with tried-and-true lore from olden days along with applications for today’s rituals.

Aries is a barren and dry sign that is perfect for planting, weeding, haying, and harvesting. Moon in Aries is the optimum time for rituals pertaining to leadership, pioneering, ambition, and authority, as well as rebirth. Any healing regarding the face and head is more successful during Aries.

Taurus is an earthy and moist sign that is excellent for planting root crops like potatoes and peanuts. Love, money, and luxury are watchwords for the moon in Taurus. If you are buying real estate, moon in Taurus is an excellent time for that. Because the throat and neck are ruled by Taurus, this is a prime time both for singing and speaking.

Gemini is another dry sign that is a great time for mowing, cutting, and getting rid of plants or pests. Communication is improved during moon in Gemini. Healing of the arms and hands and pulmonary system is well advised during a Gemini moon.

Cancer is a fruitful watery sign conductive to planting; in fact, it is the most productive sign of all. Hearth and home are the focus now, and lunar rituals are well timed during moon in Cancer. Healing rituals for the stomach are best done at this time.

Leo is the driest and least fertile of all moon signs, good only for cutting and mowing. Leo moon is good for bravery, striking out in a new direction, like performing on stage or taking a position of authority. Matters of the heart and literal healing of that organ are auspicious and advisable now.

Virgo is both damp and barren, but is a great time for cultivation. Virgo moon is good for working hard and seeking employment, tending to all aspects of health and nutrition, and healing the nervous system and bowel.

Libra is both wet and fruitful and is wonderful for grains, vines, root crops, and flowers. Now is the time for artistic endeavors, romantic liaisons, and balancing your life. The lower back and kidneys can be restored to health during moon in Libra.

Scorpio is humid and bountiful and is good for all types of planting. Make your moves during moon in Scorpio. This sign is also conducive to plumbing the depths of the spirit and achieving psychic growth. Sex rituals are at their most potent during moon in Scorpio. Healing of the sensitive reproductive organs can happen during this moon time.

Sagittarius is another fire sign that is a poor time for planting and so is best spent harvesting and storing. Rites of passage and travel and rituals relating to higher truths and philosophical matters succeed during moon in Sagittarius. Sports and horses are also in the spotlight during this time. Healing for the legs can be undertaken during this time.

Capricorn is an earth sign that is also wet and is excellent for grafting, pruning, and planting trees and shrubs. Rituals relating to work, goals, and organizing can be commenced at this time. Political careers, dreams, and aspirations should be launched during moon in Capricorn. Skeletal wellness efforts are advisable during this cycle, as well.

Aquarius is an infertile and parched moon time that is best for harvesting, weeding, and dispelling pests. The Aquarian moon is appropriate for rites regarding personal freedom. Friendship, the intellect, and starting a new phase of life all come into play now. Rituals of a more radical nature are best during this sign. Shin and ankle health tend to go better now, too.

Pisces is fecund and fruitful and is good for all kinds of planting. It is remarkable for fruits of all kinds. The highly sensitive moon in Pisces is good for spells and charms for creativity, intuition, divination, dream work, and music. Care and healing for the feet are most favorable during this sign of moon in Pisces.

Astrological Herbology

You can also choose the herbs for your altar based on your sun or moon sign. Explore making tinctures, incenses, oils, potpourris, and other magical potions for your rituals using celestial correspondences. For example, if the new moon is in Aries when you are performing an attraction ritual, try using peppermint or fennel, two herbs sacred to the sign of the Ram. If you are creating a special altar for the time during which the sun is in the sign of Cancer, use incense oils, teas, and herbs corresponding to that astrological energy, including jasmine and lemon. These correspondences create a synthesis of energies that adds to the effectiveness of your magical work.

Auntie’s Apple Brandy Spirits

Here is a delightfully easy recipe that will produce a flavorful homemade liqueur that smells as good as it tastes. If you are interested in making a hassle-free bottle of spirits, apples are a wonderful way to start. Start with these ingredients:

• 4 apples (sweet ones, not sour)
• 2 cups brandy
• 2 cups vodka
• 1 quart clean and sterilized Mason jar

First, clean, core, and slice your apples. Place the slices in a Mason canning jar. Pour in the alcohol to cover, using equal parts brandy and vodka. Put the jar in a cool dark place in your pantry. Allow the infusion process to alchemize for a month or until it is to your taste. The combination of sweet apples and brandy gives a luscious fruit-forward flavor, with no need for sugar. After infusing, strain the apple slices out using a strainer to filter the liqueur. Pour the spirits into a pretty and sealable bottle and enjoy at your next pagan party.

Bonus tip: apples can really be used with any spirit so let your imagination run wild!

Imbued with Love: Lavender Rosemary Infused Vodka

This clear alcoholic drink is also easily infused with the flavor of flowers, herbs, fruits and even vegetables. Try combinations such as the light and sweet floral taste of lavender and rosemary. Lavender brings calming and healing and rosemary dispels negative spirits. Both of these are love herbs. What could be better? You’ll need the following:

• A quart bottle of vodka
• 2 sprigs of rosemary
• 3 springs of lavender
• Larger canning jar with sealable lid

After you have rinsed your herbs in cool water and gently patted them dry, put them in the one-quart (32 ounce) Mason or Bell jar. Pour in vodka, making sure to cover the herbs to the top, then seal tightly. Give it a vigorous shake and place the jar in your pantry or dark closet for five days, making sure to shake at least once a day. After the second day, take a spoon and taste the vodka. If the taste suits you before the full five days are up, go ahead and strain the herbs out using cheesecloth or a paper coffee filter, Set the herbs aside and let them dry. After the vodka is thoroughly strained of any herbs or residue, pour it into a bottle; label the bottle with the date and what herbs you used. Tie the dry herbs into a bundle with string and use their aroma when you next make a fire in the hearth. Their scentful smoke will imbue your home with coziness, calm, healing and love.