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Artwork courtesy of Xander Gael! (Of the Stones Lodge, of course!)

Worried about that next big Pagan family holiday?

Note: I added this to my blog because I thought it was humorous-- and if I, a Pagan, can't laugh at myself, who will? Well, okay... you all will, but that's not my point. I think this is a funny piece-- 'gotta love The Onion--and if it offends anyone, I'm sorry. (My personal opinion would be that you should lighten up, but each to his or her own.)

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From The Onion

Area Pagan Dreading Big Family Vernal Equinox Celebration

March 12, 2007 | Issue 43•11

MEDFORD, OR—Despite evidence that the planets are aligned in his favor, local pagan Jeff Birch, 27, said Monday that he would "rather have a peaceful weekend at home" than attend his family's Vernal Equinox celebration on March 21.

"I realize it's supposed to be a festive time of conception and new growth in the womb of Mother Earth and all," Birch said. "But I just know that within an hour of arriving, things will get so bad that I'll be reverting to my 12-year-old self, hiding in the rec room downstairs, wearing my Iroquois false face mask and fingering my runes for comfort. It's not worth it."

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The Birches try to have a "nice, sacrificial meal."

"Anyway, wasn't I just back home for Mabon?" Birch added.

Most pagans look forward to marking the Vernal Equinox, when the hours of sunlight equal the hours of darkness. Yet for some, like Birch, this sacred springtime celebration of balance and harmony means contending with family infighting and undue stress.

"Talking to Mom the other day, it was the same old manipulative 'You're coming home, right?'" said Birch, referring to a recent phone conversation with his mother, Freyja Birch. "If I hesitate for even a second, she piles on the guilt—like how this may be the last year Nana Hippolyta can perform the garden fertility ritual, or that without my masculine energy, the yin-and-yang balance will be thrown off—until I finally give in."

"But I don't want to have to use up my vacation time and travel almost 300 miles to Portland just to listen to Grandma Moon Odin Rhiannon complain during the sunrise ritual that Mom's not putting enough rose petals in the cauldron or is letting the bonfire get too low," Birch continued. "That will just set Mom off bitching at Grandma for constantly trying to undermine her spiritual relationship with the Pagan Goddess of Dawn and then no one will speak to each other until nightfall."

Birch said he has little sympathy for his perfectionist mother, who reportedly tries to do too much and invites too many people. He says she is known to spend countless hours weaving thistle wreaths and sun-drying her own currants for hot cross buns in preparation for the Equinox. "It's hard to feel sorry for her when things don't go exactly according to her elaborate, impossible plans," Birch said. "And she knows better than to invite Aunt Isolde, who always has too much mulled mead and starts moaning about the lack of a good high priest in her life."

Besides the usual maiden-mother-crone conflicts, the strained relationship between Birch's sister, Pythia, who recently converted to Wicca, and his father, a devout Dionysian, is another source of tension, according to Birch. "Last year, Pythia brought her covenmate home, and Dad's still having a hard time with it," Birch said. "It's obvious that he doesn't approve of her lifestyle. He's always asking her why doesn't she find a nice warlock to settle down with, or telling her maybe what she really needs is a good old-fashioned bacchanalia. Are other pagan families like this?"

Pythia isn't the first family member to stray from the fold. Fifteen years ago, Birch's uncle Jack married a Presbyterian and has raised two children in the faith. While he is still included in family celebrations, his eccentric monotheism is the source of much awkwardness, Birch said. Two years ago, the black-sheep uncle almost didn't get invited back.

"Having a celestial deity worshipper in our home angered the Goddess Eostre and she punished us with an April freeze," Birch said. "My mom was barely able to salvage her herb garden."

Of all the unpleasant experiences, however, Birch said he dreads the "inevitable" questions about his love life most. "My folks can't wrap their heads around the idea that a man in his late twenties isn't handfasted yet and is okay with it," Birch said. "There's always some new Church of the Sacred Pentacle virgin or a cute single witch from the last Full Moon ritual who they just have to set me up with."

While he treasures happy memories of Vernal Equinoxes from his childhood, Birch said he comes away from today's holidays a few pounds heavier from the rich holiday food, several hundred dollars in debt from buying gifts "that will probably just get returned or regifted at Samhain anyway," and reeling from a fresh family conflict bound to last for months or years.

"I just have to learn how to say no," Birch said. "Maybe I'll skip Beltane this year. I want to lose some weight and work on my six-pack before Summer Solstice."

Brighid's crosses!

Aaran, Rain Storm, and I met on Feb. 3 for a GSW Portland Imbolc get-together.

We did a brief ritual firelighting, then shared bread, honey, and apples by the fire.

Then we made Brighid's crosses out of wheat! Great fun, and lovely results.

Imbolc is a cross-quarter Sabbat that occurs between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. It is traditionally celebrated on Feb. 2, but falls astrologically several days later.

During Imbolc, we celebrate the earliest return of life to the earth after the barren darkness of winter. Although it is still the cold, dark time of the year, the days are slowly becoming longer and we prepare to re-meet the world of spring. Small but sturdy signs of new life begin to appear. Lambs are born and new grasses appear. Ravens begin to build their nests, larks sing with a clear voice, and winter bulbs push up through the soil.

Scotland’s Old Woman of winter, the Cailleach, is reborn as Brighid, Young Maiden of Spring, fragile yet growing stronger each day as the sun rekindles its fire. With her snowy white wand, Brighid breathes life into the land and asks Winter to open his eyes.

A Brighid’s cross is made from straw or wheat. The cross-- a powerful solar symbol-- offers a blessing of protection when hung up; it's especially effective in the kitchen, where Brighid's influence can bless your food.

Gardening 601- Thematic Design

This topic will show the work that I am doing as a student for this class. It’s from the Dept. of Wortcunning, taught by Prof. Barrette. It’s one of three gardening classes I’m working on right now.

Here’s the class description:

One key to effective garden design is the concept of themes. This class explains how to design a garden based on a central idea. The two examples included are a Moon Garden and a Healing Garden. You need a bit of space to grow one modest-sized garden, preferably outdoors but you can grow a container garden indoors if necessary. Expect this to take 2-3 months. You may choose either theme or design your own. You’ll need suitable gardening tools and a camera (digital, or film with a scanner) to take snapshots.

I'm going to be planting a "tea garden," one that will feature medicinal and culinary herbs for making into teas and infusions.

Above is a view (from the second-story deck) of my two raised planting beds. The one in the foreground will hold my veggies-- tomatoes, basil, lettuce, etc. The one in the rear will be the site of the tea garden. As you can see, there's lots to do first!

June 17, 2006. My email to EB, explaining my initial thoughts and plans:

For 601, I propose planting a "tea garden." I have an unused framed, raised bed, about 4' x 12 feet. I will use a combination of seeds and plants to create a garden that will provide me with materials for making infusions, both for delicious and medicinal reasons. This will be especially important as I'm taking many of my bottles of dried goodies to Conclave for student use, so I'll be ready to replenish my stocks. A formal plan is to follow.

In all cases, my funds are somewhat limited. But I have a lot of raw materials at hand-- garden tools, compost, etc.--and am gifted to live in Zone 8, with a growing season that has become almost year-round. I also have an all-organic garden, which helps it thrive. I also have some volunteer starts from rosemary and summer savory plants already growing in my yard.

June 19, 2006. EB has said “yes” to all three and has officially approved me to work on W401, 402, and 601 simultaneously.

Email note from EB: “All my gardening classes include keeping a Garden Journal for the duration of the class. For our special arrangement, 1) you can keep just one Journal for all your gardens, as long as you keep notes on all three of them, and 2) you should start journaling for each garden when you beginning planning or working on it.”

June 24, 2006. Saturday. HOT today—92 degrees and supposed to be pushing 100 in the next two days. I had planned to start putting in my tea garden a couple of days ago but got busy and didn’t get around to it—now I’m really glad I didn’t. The baby seeds and plants would have been cooked.

July 9, 2006. Still haven’t planted my garden, as it has been blazingly hot. The starts are in a sheltered spot in the driveway, out of the Sun, Fortunately, our growing season goes into October, so there’s still plenty of time.

July 10, 2006. Picked up some bags of mushroom compost and topsoil and topped off the raised bed that the tea garden will be planted in. When you use raised beds, they inevitably settle over time, and you also lose soil if/when you pull up and discard plants. Last year my tomatoes were in this bed, and at season’s end I pulled up the plants whole, as tomatoes can harbor diseases that one doesn’t want to propagate.

I laid a soaker hose atop the soil for later irrigation. I’ve always used soaker hoses on my veggies and herbs, with great results—and it saves water, too. Once the plants have reached a certain size, I’ll lay mulch around the plants and over the hose; it’s a great way to conserve water.

July 12-13, 2006. Today I planted my tea garden! I planted in the morning, a time of day synonymous with growing energies and new starts. We’re on the waning Moon, but I am already late getting this garden into the ground—I’m going to count on the soil and Sun to make up for a less-than-favorable lunar influence.

The planting box is on a north-south axis, which means I had to be careful about plant heights, so that as the sun moves from east to west along its ecliptic path, it doesn’t cause taller plants to shade shorter ones behind them. I’ve actually sketched out an arrangement that should work.

Before planting, I weeded the raised bed thoroughly and used a small shrub rake to tumble up and loosen the soil. I planted both plants and seeds: rosemary, variegated sage, summer savory, rue, anise, fennel, hyssop, anise hyssop, thyme, and calendula. At left is the result.

Note: I have lemon balm, basil, parsley, catnip, mint, oregano, echinacea, and several other herbs growing in other locations in my yard, so I intentionally didn't include these in my tea garden. I have several other varieties of sage and thyme as well.

July 19, 2006. So far, so good. The starts and transplants are all doing well—I haven’t lost even one, as best I can tell. And the first seeds—some of the thyme—have germinated.

Tomorrow is Conclave, which means I have to leave my babies behind during a 100+ degree week! Augh! Luckily Bill will be home all but one day and evening, and he’ll water them in the morning before work and then again when he gets home.

July 20-23, 2006. CONCLAVE! It was even hot in the forest, and in Portland, one of the days reached 105! All I could do was hope Bill was taking care of all of the plants—not just my tea garden. He’s really good with plants, so I felt pretty good about it. But hey, it really didn’t matter, because no way was I missing Conclave!

Bill came out to Conclave on the evening of the 22nd; he’d watered the heck out of everything before he left: he added some mulch to the tea garden and put a sheet/awning over it to shield the babies from the hot sun during the 24 hours they wouldn’t be watered.

July 24, 2006. Everything survived our absence--the starts and transplants are all fine, and all of my seeds except the anise hyssop (which are slow germinators) have sprouted. Below is a photo of the garden and a closer image showing a row of nicely sprouted anise.




July 27, 2006. Everything is thriving—the starts have actually begun to add size. All of the seeds have sprouted except for the anise hyssop, which seems to have gone MIA. Wonder if I got a tired bunch of seeds?


August 2, 2006. Today is Lughnasadh! It’s a waxing moon--a fine time to plant or honor things that grow mostly above ground. I went out very early (not at sunrise, I confess—but still early) and did a short ritual to honor the fecundity of the Earth and her elements. The ritual was spontaneous and not written down, but here is a quick summary of what I did:

• I washed my hands and face, slipped on a cloak and a green (wortcunning) shawl, and gathered my materials in a wicker gardening basket.
• The irony of Imbolc being the "First Harvest" wasn't lost on me-- I had no harvest yet, thanks to planting late. But I was still thrilled with the garden's progress, and anxious to honor that.
• My materials included: an altarcloth; a piece of bread; an abalone shell; matches; a sweetgrass bundle (from sweetgrass grown in my yard); salt; small containers of cream, water, and marionberry cordial (the latter made in the fall of 2005); and my applewood wand.
• I processed silently out to the garden space. I arranged my materials on an altarcloth on the grass next to the planting box.
• I spent several minutes in silence, listening and meditating, trying to connect with the energy of the place. It was a sunny morning, and already warm. There was a light breeze.
• I raised my hands and wand and called the quarters/elements.
• I then paid homage to the elements by "annointing" the garden; I lit a sweetgrass smudge and wafted its smoke over the garden's eastern corner, and then over the rest of the garden, and then over myself. I snuffed out the smudge and sprinkled a few of the cooling ashes over the garden's southern edge. I sprinkled water on the western edge, and finished by scattering salt in the northern portion.
• I then thanks the garden for its enthusiasm and fecundity. I drizzled a small portion of cream over the soil, and then toasted with my own glass of cordial (drinking it-- not pouring it on the ground!).
• I then pulled back the quarters, and offered a murmured blessing over the land before gathering my goodies and going back to the house.
• Shortly after, I returned and gave the garden the blessing of a thorough watering!

I have officially given up on the anise hyssop—there’s absolutely no sign of it germinating. Either I got some old seeds, or the heat was too much for them. I suspect the latter—it’s my own fault for starting so late. Anyway, I still have hyssop-- even though it's quite different in flavor and use than anise hyssop-- and I also have anise. Anise hyssop is my all-time favorite tasty tea ingredient, so I'm mourning its absence. Wll try again next year.

August 8, 2006. Things are coming along. Even though I got a late start planting, everything is growing robustly, probably thanks to our long, very warm, days and the fact that the tea garden is in a raised bed and sited where it gets 12-14 or more hours of sun each day. Yay! Our climate stays warm into early October, so I think there's still plenty of time for growing. The raised bed is a real plus; it provides good drainage and also keeps the soil warm, speeding everything along. Ditto for the fact that the bed is brimming with organic compost.

August 28, 2006. Here's a photo of the garden.... The fennel and anise are shooting up and the summer savory is just beginning to flower. Tomorrow morning I'll cut the summer savory back and save it for drying-- it is amazing when added to vegetable and egg dishes. (I can’t imagine cooking without it!) The bees also love it, if you allow it to go into full flower, which I don’t usually do, as the herb itself is much better if you harvest it before it flowers.


Notice the volunteer sunflower-- a gift from the birds!

(I thought I had another picture of the garden taken around mid- to late September, but I can't find it. I must have accidentally deleted it. Imagine the same picture as above, but with everything even bigger. The little raised bed looked as if it was overflowing!)

One thing I've noticed about using raised beds is that you can cram a lot more into them than in a similar space in the ground. I suspect it's because the warmth and good drainage create an optimum setting that can support more than the usual amount of plant mass.

Sept. 18, 2006. I was tempted to start harvesting, but the days were still warm and the nights hadn't really begun to cool yet. I decided to hold out for another week or two. The fennel hasn't produced mature seed heads yet, and it would be nice it I could get some seeds before the garden begins to fade.

Sept. 30, 2006. Bill is off on his annual hunting trip, and this was a perfect time to harvest my garden. I cut herbs early in the morning. I soaked them in a sink full of mild salt water (a good way to cleanse them and to kill bugs or parasites), then rinsed them and allowed them to dry on newspaper set out all over the living and dining room (again, it was very convenient that Bill was gone!).

I left the fennel in place for now-- the seed heads aren't ripe yet, and I'm hoping there's still some time for them to finish up. The nights are cooling a little, but still staying around 48-50, and the raised beds will stay warm for lots longer than the earthly soil.

I also went around the yard and harvested mint, lemon balm, oregano, catnip, and others.

Oct. 1, 2006. After checking the herbs to make sure the were dry, I bound them into loose bundles and hung them in Bill's office room to dry. It already smells great in there.

I've had a great result, I think, considering it's a relatively small garden and I started late. I'm honestly a bit suprised at how productive it was-- I can only imagine the results I'd have gotten if I'd planted a month or two sooner.

Oct. 16, 2006. I harvested the fennel, both the seedheads (only a few matured)-- which will dry on flat trays-- and the bulbs (small, but should still be tasty), which I will use in the kitchen. I have a great fresh green bean and fennel recipe.

Now for a little bit about my component plants:

Anise
Pimpinella anisum; a member of the parsley (apiaceae or umbelliferae) family.
Folk names: Anneys, Aniseseed, Yanisin, Sweet Cumin (1).
Culinary uses: Has a light licorice taste; very tasty in tea, used in some breads, pastries, etc.
Medicinal uses: digestive upsets, toothache (when applied locally to the affected tooth). The essential oil can treat lice and scabies infestations. Magickal uses: Protection, purification, youthfulness (1).
Garden notes: Germinates quickly, then grows robustly.


Calendula
Calendula officinalis; Aster family: asteraceae or, alternatively, compositae.
Folk names: Bride of the sun, Drunkard, Goldes, Holigolde, Husbandman's Dial, Marybud, Marygold, Mary Gowles, Ruddes, Ruddles, Spousa Solis (Summer's Bride) (1). Also known as "pot marigold."
Culinary uses: the petals are edible and attractive additions to salads.
Medicinal uses: a petal infusion or tincture can be taken orally for GI upset, ulcer, and sore throat. The infusion can also be used topically as a treatment for skin infections, blisters, etc. A mixture of dried or frozen petals, carrier oil, and either beeswax or melted petroleum jelly makes a soothing ointment or cream, useful for any local skin problems, rashes, etc. (2). The leaves can be macerated for a poultice for gout or arthritis (2).
Magickal uses: Protection, prophetic dreams, legal matters, psychic powers (1).
Garden notes: very easy to grow with little. Produces more flowers if pruned. Annual plant, but self-seeds and regrows year after year.

Fennel
Foeniculum vulgare; a member of the parsley (apiaceae or umbelliferae) family.
Folk names: Samar, Sweet Fennel, Sheeh (1).
Culinary uses: Yet another licorice-flavored plant. Bulb, foliage, and seeds used in cooking.
Medicinal uses: Fennel is seen as a warming herb, and is often used to treat chills (and associated fever), as well as asthma and lung problems. Infusions, tinctures, and decoctions are used to treat digestive problems (2). the essential oil makes a good chest rub for congestion (2). A root decoction is affective for kidney stones (2).
Magickal uses: Protection, healing, purification. In Dionysian ceremonies, the staff-like thyrsus was a twined combination of pine cone, staff, and fennel stalks (1).
Cautions: Fennel is a known uterine stimulant and should be avoided during pregancy and the post-partum period (2).
Garden notes: Easy to grow; likes well-drained soil and a fair amount of water.


Hyssop
Hyssopus officinalis; member of the mint (Laminaceae) family. Folk names: Hyssop Herb, Isopo, Ysopo, Yssop (1).
Culinary uses: imparts a strong minty flavor with bitter undertones; useful in teas.
Medicinal uses: an infusion of aerial parts is superb for treating cough, colds, and upper respiratory infections (URIs); hyssop can likewise be added to any other URI-deisgnated infusion. Thought to have antiinflammatory properties. The infusion is also effective in treating bruises and simple wounds. The essential oil may be used as a nerve tonic. A cogh syrup made from an infusion or decoction is very effective, especially if mixed with licorice root, anise, and/or mullein (2).
Magickal uses: Protection and purification; according to Cunningham, hyssop is the most widely used purifying herb (1).
Garden notes: Easy to grow; responds to pruning by doubling growth. Beloved by honeybees!


Rosemary
Rosmarinus officinalis; mint (Laminaceae) family.
Folk names: Compass Weed, Dew of the Sea, Elf Leaf, Guardrobe, Incensier, Libanotis (Greek), Polar Plant, Sea Dew (1)
Culinary uses: Lovely flavoring for meats and roasted vegetables. Woody stems can be used a skewers for grilling.
Medicinal uses: The infusion is excellent for colds, flu, and other upper respiratory infections. A concentrated tincture is a powerful tonic/stimulant, and useful for depression (2). The essential oil may be added to a bath to ease joint and muscle pain, or diluted in a carrier oil for a soothing massage (esp. good for arthritic conditions (2)).
Magickal uses: Protection, love, lust, mental powers, exeorcism, purification, healing, sleep, youth (1).
Garden notes: Rosemary will grow well regardless of what you do to it. It's about the most tolerant plant I know--surviving heat, cold, varied water, bad soil, etc.--and grows robustly. If you prune a branch, the plant will set a "fork" and grow bushier. Rosemary is an evergreen perennial shrub.


Rue
Ruta graveolens. Family Rutaceae ("citrus fruit" family (3)).
Folk names: Bashoush (Coptic), Garden Rue, German Rue, Herb of Grace, Herbygrass, Hreow, Mother of the Herbs, Rewe, Ruta (1). Culinary uses: The leaves are bitter, but rich in iron and trace minerals; they are a powerful addition to salads when used sparingly. Traditional flavoring for grappa and other alcholic beverages (3).
Medicinal uses: Stimulant and antispasmodic actions. Used to treat a wide variety of conditions, including hypertension, colic, digestive problems, skin rashes, and (arcane use) epilepsy (3). A leaf infusion makes a soothing eye wash (supposedly used by Michelangelo and da Vinci (3)). The dried aerial parts are useful in insecticidal mxtures.
Magickal uses: Healing, health, mental powers, exorcism, love (1).
Garden notes: Slow-growing, but durable. Rue is an evergreen.


Summer savory.
Family Labiateae (mint family)
Folk names: Herbe de St. Julien, Garden Savory (1), Herb of Grace (3). Culinary uses: With its peppery flavor, summer savory is a delicious addition to eggs, fish, and vegetables.
Medicinal uses: Aids digestion and soothes dyspepsia. A leaf infusion helps treat skin infections and abrasions. A leaf poultice releves bee stings (3).
Magickal uses: Mental powers (1).
Garden notes: If grown from seed, germinates slowly. Once growing, it's a very sturdy plant that thrives in hot sun and with little water. Self-seeds and creates new plants with ease (these plants are then very easily transplanted.) Best flavor comes when harvested before flowerins begins. A favorite of honeybees.


Thyme
Thymus vulgaris. Family Labiatae (mint).
Folk names: Common Thyme, Garden Thyme (1).
Culinary uses: Used in flavoring soups and stews; also tasty in egg and vegetable dishes. A traditional flavoring for Benedictine liquers (3).
Medicinal uses: An infusion of aerial parts settles the stomach and bowels and treats sore throats, colds, and respiratory problems. A syrup made from the infusion is effective for cough and bronchitis. The essential oil is antiseptic and a nerve stimulant.
Magickal uses: health, healing, sleep, psychic powers, love, purification, courage (1).
Cautions: Has uterine stimulating properties; avoid use during pregnancy. Can irritate skin and mucous membranes; always dilute well when usign topically.
Garden notes: Easy to grow; needs little water and lots of sun. responds beautifully to trimming. Can be harvest before or during flowering.


Golden Variegated Sage
Salvia officinalis, var. Icterina. Family Labiatae (3).
Folk names: Garden Sage, Red Sage, Sawge (1).
Culinary uses: roasted meats, especially pork; stuffings; poultry, Medicinal uses: A leaf infusion is a good nerve tonic, and also is a powerful remedy for coughs and bronchial constriction; as a gargloe, the infusion soothes sore throats and inflamed tonsils. May aid with menopausal symptoms through presence of hormonal precursors (3). The root is used in Chinese medicine; I have no experience with this.
Magickal uses: Immortality, longevity, wisdom, protection, wishes (1).
Cautions: Because of hormonal actions, avoid during pregnancy or lactation.
Garden notes: Very easy to grow; loves hot sun and doesn't need much water. Responds well to pruning. A perennial plant, sage survives well through cold winters, although it tends to get woody and a little homely with time, so if it's also being grown as an ornamental, it may need periodic replacing.


Herbal Information Sources:

1. Cunningham, Scott. Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn, 2005.

2. Ody, Penelope. The Complete Medicinal Herbal. New York: DK Publishing, 1993.

3. Bremness, Lesley. Herbs. The Visual Guide to More Than 700 Herb Species from Around the World. London: DK Books, 1994.

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Recipes

A favorite culinary tea recipe:

• Boil 1 cup spring water. Pre-warm a mug with hot water.
• Empty water from mug. Fill an infuser with 1 tsp each of dried spearmint, 1 tsp. anise leaves, and 1 tsp chamomile. Pour boiling water over and steep for 5 minutes. Serve with honey, if desired.

A favorite medicinal tea recipe: good for cold, sore throat, etc.

• Boil 1 cup spring water. Pre-warm a mug with hot water.
• Empty water from mug. Fill an infuser with 1 tsp each of dried peppermint, 1 tsp. hyssop blossoms, and 1 tsp sage. Pour boiling water over and steep for 5 minutes. Serve with honey, if desired. For a 'toddy,' add a generous squeeze of fresh lemon, a tablespoon of honey, and 1 oz. spirits of choice (rum or brandy are excellent).

Moonwriter’s cough and cold infusion:

• Boil 1 cup spring water. Pre-warm a mug with hot water.
• Empty water from mug. Stir in: 1 tsp. dried mint (any variety), 1/2 tsp. dried blended sage, 1 tsp. dried hyssop flowers, 1/2 tsp. dried chamomile flowers, pinch tsp. crushed anise seed, tiny pinch dried stevia.
• Cover and steep for 5-10 minutes. Strain into a heated mug and drink while as hot as possible, holding the mug under your chin and breathing the steam while drinking.
  

Sage and lemon decoction: excellent for bronchitis and asthma.

• Boil 1 quart spring water. Remove from heat.
  
• Stir in 1/2 cup dried sage leaves (any variety). Steep for 30 minutes. Strain. Stir in 1 tablespoon honey and the juice from 1/2 lemon.
• Store in refrigerator. Drink 1/2 cup, 3-4 times per day. Warm slightly before drinking.
  

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And, the Moon tattoos, as promised in my homework.... Here I am with my daughter Erin.

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Last but not least, we had a major snow day on Jan. 16, 2007. I was out in the yard taking pictures, and snapped this one of the tea garden bed. The rosemary is still hanging on!



The end! (Two gardens down.... one to go!)

Red-tailed hawk

Caught this image of a big red-tailed hawk perched on a utility pole just behind my house and just after sunset (in late December, 2006).


This guy lives in the wetland behind the house, and comes by to peruse my bird feeders (a.k.a., the hawk smorgasbord!). He's huge, and very handsome. I love knowing that something so wild lives, literally, in my back yard.

The Yule Wolf Clock

Thanks to the hard work of the Stones' current Prefect, Cashew, the Lodge gave our Headmaster and Headmistress a wonderful Yule gift this year: a wolf clock (see above).

Cashew mailed it to the HM and HMs along with a card containing wishes from individual Stones. The clock was signed and on the back with:

"Happy Yule from the Stones Lodge!"

Winter Altar

My winter altar is very informal, consisting of an arrangement of small lighted houses on a "snowscape." Earth is represented by the snowy ground and by trees; air by the suggestion of snowflakes and the birds on the fences; fire by the lights, and by the crystalline wreath that hangs above the altar; and water by the snow itself, and by the tiny birdfeeder.

Weather images

Ice storm:


Giant hailstones:

Black ice:



Snow:

Tasseomancy

At last night's "Grey School Portland" meeting, Aaran and I practiced tasseomancy, the art of reading tea leaves.

Of course, we had to start by brewing some tea. We used organic herbs from my own garden-- mint and some anise hyssop: 1 tsp. dried herb to 1 C. freshly-boiled water, steeped for 5 minutes.

We had two written guidelines to use, and each was different. So we went through the process a couple of times, and here's what we ended up with.

Tasseomancy: The Aaran-Moonwriter Method

1. Use a real tea cup and saucer--the inside should be completely white (or solid color)-- patterns make it very hard to read the leaf patterns.

2. Measure the amount of water that the cup holds-- most tea cups will hold 4-5 ounces.

3. Brew your tea. Work from a base recipe of 1 tesp. dried herb per cup of freshly boiled water.

4. For best results, grind the herbs slightly. You don't wnat them powdered, but you also want the leaf mix of a more uniform size, i.e., whole leaves and big chunks will keep the leaves from settlign into patterns as easily.

5. Measure the herbs into the cup, pour water atop, cover with the saucer, and steep for 5 minutes.

4. When time is up, sit down and drink your tea. As you do, think about the question you wish to have answered in the tea leaves.

5. Drink almost all the water, leaving only enough to create a watery film over the tea leaves.

6. Swirl the tea cup several times with your left hand, while thinkign hard about your question.

7. Put the saucer over the cup. Holding cup and saucer tightly together, flip them over. Do this very quickly.

8. Lift the now-inverted cup off of the saucer and turn it over slowly, so as not to disturb the leaves.

9. You can now read the leaves in both the cup and the saucer.

10. Use a guide to help interpret obvious symbols (see the Companion for the Apprentice Wizard for a staring guide). But also rely on your own intuition, and on any meanings the caom to you from the leaves. This can be even more valuable that pre-assigned pattern/meaning.

11. According to a compilation of sources:

The tea cup represents information that pertains directly to you and those around you. Patterns near the cup handle or at the point where your lips touched the cup are especially meaningful, while those further from the handle are more distant and less immediately relevant. Patterns closest to the rim relect the present, while those in the cup's bottom foretell the future.

The saucer contains information more relevant to the world or sphere around you.

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Here is a snake (generally a symbol of changing luck)in Aaran's cup... and it's near the rim (the present):
Below is Moonwriter's cup (this is how we learned, the hard way, not to use cups with interior patterns!), showing a horse (or dog?) in the center. The horse appears to leap or gallop toward the viewer's left. Note that just above it is a bird. The horse is a sign of courage and fidelity, while the bird portends good luck.

Fun! Once you've got the hang of this, it would be a terrific-- and easy-- type of personal divination to add to one's day. (And tasty, too!)

Good sites for learning more:

• So you wanna read tea leaves?
• Tea leaf reading-- Tasseography (also mentions coffee ground reading)
• Tea Society of the USA
• Tasseography-- Wikipedia

Samhain Altar

My altars are generally placed atop an antique radio cabinet-- I use it as a book and curio shelf. It sits at the top of the stairs, at a location I believe to be very close to the center of the house. the nice thing about it is that it's visible to anyone who enters the house, walks through the main living/kitchen/hallway area, or comes up the stairs.

My Samhain altar is pictured above, along with a seasonal autumn dried berry wreath (I change the wreath on the solstices and equinoxes):

Close-up of the altar:


Samhain altar at night.....

Get your official Oregon Conclave DVD!

The Conclave DVDs are ready! Each DVD includes 524 images and runs for about 36 minutes.

DVDs are recorded on DVD-R video, playable on computer or on a television screen via a standard DVD player. All DVDs are mailed in a jewel case and inside a padded mailer.

Cost: $10 + $2 for postage & handling

(Anyone outside continental US—please add $1.)

A portion of the proceeds goes back to the Grey School, so don't hesitate to toss in something extra as a donation!

Payment must be in cash (send at your own risk) or post office money order. I’m doing this from my home and don’t have the ability to handle PayPal or credit cards, and I don’t want the risk of dealing with checks.

To order a DVD:

1. Email me (Moonwriter@greyschool.com) with your order request.
2. I will reply to you with a mailing address; you can then send in payment.
3. As soon as I receive your payment, I’ll mail your DVD! I’ll do my best get them mailed out promptly, but if I get a bunch of requests all at one, it may take a week or two.

1. Welcome to Oregon Conclave 2006!

We camped at Silver Falls State Park, Oregon, at an elevation of about 1200 feet and in the foothills of Oregon’s Cascade range.

Temperature: upper 90s to 100-ish, but surprisingly comfortable in the shade. Staying hydrated was important!


Check-in was at 4 pm. The next few hours were devoted to setting up camp, having dinner, and introducing ourselves to one another.