Reblogged gwinrivers
RECIPE INDEX
(This is a continuously updated quick-access list of all my uploaded recipes.)
BAKED GOODS AND SWEETS:
SAVORY THINGS AND DINNERS:
SNACKING:
SABBATS:
{Updated 08/10/23}
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🌊 Types of Mermaids 🌊
please be respectful of cultural boundaries when working with mermaids from various cultures and traditions, and be mindful not to intrude.
🌊 Rusalkas - slavic in origin, disturbed spirits of the “unclean dead”, ghosts of women who died violent deaths, with a penchant for drowning young men. they live only in rivers and lakes, and are known to have green hair like aquatic plants, only appearing in the night.
🌊 Melusina - a mermaid that walks among humans, but returns to their two-tailed form during baths and when they bathe their children. often a water spirit of a nearby lake or river. french origin.
🌊 Siren - greek mythology. servants and companions of persephone, whom searched for her when she was abducted. they are known to sometimes have the body of a bird, and for their song, which lured sailors to their doom. cannibalism implied folklore. have the power of prophecy.
🌊 Merrow - irish mermaid. known to have green hair and webbed fingers. particular noted love of music and their red cap, which when stolen, they will live with the thief until they find it, and then return to the water, leaving even a whole family behind.
🌊 Ben-varrey - from the isle of man, known to bless those that are kind to them with prosperity, gifts, and even the location of treasure.
🌊 Aicaya - Caribbean mermaid, humans who become mermaids when they are shunned from their community and go to live in the sea.
🌊 Amabie - japanese merpeople, with birdlike torsos and three legs and scales. they are gifted with prophecy, usually foretelling abundant harvests or epidemics
🌊 Ningyo - “human faced fish” known to have golden scales, that brings bad weather and misfortune when caught, but when their flesh is eaten the consumer is granted youth and beauty, even agelessness.
🌊 Finman / Finwife - magical shapeshifters that disguise themselves as sea creatures or plants to lure humans, unlike most mermaids they kidnap people from the shores to be their spouses or servants. they have a greed for jewelry and coins, particularly silver, and prefer humans over other finfolk.
🌊 Sirena Chilota - considered the more friendly mermaids, caring for all fish life and rescuing drowned sailors to restore life to them. known for their human-like beauty and youth, according to legend they are the child of a human and a “king of seas”, tears are a powerful substance. from chilote mythology.
🌊 Cecealia - sometimes known as “sea witches”, they are half human and half octopus. origins in native american and japanese mythology.
🌊 Sirena / Siyokoy - the philippine version of mermaid and merman respectively. also called “magindara”, they are known to protect the waters from raiders, and protect the boy moon from sea monsters. Siyokoys can sometimes have legs however, covered with scales and webbed feet
🌊 Sea Mither - scottish/orcadian mythology, a spirit that personifies the sea during spring and summer, battles along scottish isles using storms to bring the summer about. a mother figure to all aquatic life.
🌊 Ceasg - a fresh-water mermaid, specifically half-salmon, said to grant three wishes if captured. sometimes called maighdean na tuinne (maid of the wave) or maighdean mhara (maid of the sea). scottish.
🌊 Selkie - though somewhat different from the typical mermaid, as they are not cold-blooded, have the body of a seal in the water and are human on land. in legends their skins are often stolen and they are kept by fishermen as spouses, or become lovers to fishermen’s wives who shed tears into the sea.
Reblogged orriculum-grimoire
🌊 Sea Foam Latte 🌊
a bath spell and coffee scrub for motivation and clarity
coffee scrub ☕
☕ 1 cup coffee grounds ☕ 1 cup sea salt, finely ground ☕ ½ cup coconut oil ☕ store in airtight container.
scrub instructions:
mix together in a bowl, melt coconut oil slightly to mix ingredients, cool to semi-solidify mixture.
bath soak spell 🌊
🌊 pour bath, charge water with seashells. 🌊 remove shells to avoid breaking them and being harmed by them. 🌊 mix in ½ cup dried milk to the water 🌊 line edges with shells and light a white candle 🌊 stay in the water and charge, rinse and drain.
Reblogged orriculum-grimoire
princess sleep spell💤
a pillow spell for sleeping well with pleasant dreams
💤 gather: pillow, sachet, lavender or chamomile, and cucumber peel
💤 combine the cucumber peel and lavender/chamomile in the sachet
💤 keep the sachet inside your pillowcase, amethyst under the pillow
💤 place amethyst under bed during your sleep.
💤 place amethyst under pillow during the day, or when not sleeping.
Reblogged orriculum-grimoire
🌹“La Vie en Rose” Hot Chocolate Potion ☕
a potion to surround you with love from others and yourself.
“Nights of love to never end // A great happiness that takes its place Troubles, sorrows, fade away // Happy, happy to die When he takes me in his arms // He whispers to me, I see life in p i n k.”
🌹 gather: cup and saucer, rose petals, cloves, cinnamon ginger, rose tea leaves, and rose quartz.
🌹 prepare a cup and saucer, draw a pentagram on the saucer
🌹 place a pink petal at each corner of the pentagram.
🌹 prepare a cup of hot chocolate
🌹 create a sigil for ‘rose’ on your palm, where you will place a pinch of cloves, cinnamon and ginger, before brushing into the cup
🌹 add a spoonful of rose tea leaves, stir in and let steep.
🌹 charge the rim of the cup with rose quartz, enjoy the potion
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🍂🌙Recipes for the Festivals 🌙🍂
Celebrate the turning of the wheel of the year with these magical recipes for the festivals:
- Imbolc: Warm up with a hearty bowl of creamy potato soup, infused with the comforting flavors of garlic and thyme.
- Ostara: Embrace the arrival of spring with a vibrant salad featuring fresh greens, strawberries, and edible flowers, dressed with a zesty citrus vinaigrette.
- Beltane: Indulge in the sweetness of the season with a decadent dessert of honey lavender cheesecake, adorned with edible rose petals.
- Litha: Fire up the grill and feast on grilled vegetables skewers marinated in a tangy balsamic glaze, accompanied by crusty bread and herb-infused olive oil.
- Lughnasadh: Enjoy the bounty of the harvest with a rustic vegetable tart, filled with roasted root vegetables, caramelized onions, and creamy goat cheese.
- Mabon: Cozy up with a comforting apple cinnamon bread pudding, drizzled with a warm bourbon caramel sauce.
- Samhain: Delight in the flavors of fall with a spiced pumpkin soup served in hollowed-out mini pumpkins, garnished with toasted pumpkin seeds and a dollop of crème fraîche.
May your festive feasts be filled with magic and merriment! 🍁🥧
Reblogged
What is Beltane? Beltane, also known as May Day, is a vibrant and ancient festival that marks the beginning of summer. It falls around May 1st, nestled between the spring equinox and the summer solstice. Let’s dive into the rich history of Beltane and explore how to celebrate this magical time.
The Origins:
- Beltane has deep roots in Celtic traditions, particularly among the Gaels in Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man.
- The name “Beltane” likely comes from the Gaelic word “beloteniâ,” meaning “bright fire.”
- It’s a time when the veil between the living and the spirit world is thin, making it perfect for honoring ancestors and practicing spiritual communication.
Historical Practices:
- 🔥 Light the Beltane Fire: Light bonfires using nine sacred woods (like rowan, apple, and pine). These flames symbolize love, passion, and protection.
- 🌺 Dance Around the Maypole: Gather friends and dance around a maypole, weaving ribbons and celebrating fertility.
- 💐 Make Flower Crowns: Flowers represent fertility and growth. Braid them into your hair, create wreaths, and use them in recipes.
- 💞 Celebrate Love and Fertility: Honor the union of the Lord and Lady (masculine and feminine energies) through simple or elaborate rituals.
- 🍓 Share a Beltane Feast: Enjoy these traditional treats, invoking the spirit of Beltane.
Bannock Bread: Bannock is a flatbread oatcake that has endured through the ages. It’s simple, hearty, and perfect for Beltane. Bake it over an open fire to connect with the festival’s fiery energy. Caudle: Caudle is a warm, spiced drink made with milk, eggs, and ale or wine. It symbolizes nourishment, abundance, and the return of life after winter. Butter and Milk: Dairy products represent fertility and prosperity. Enjoy fresh butter and milk as part of your Beltane feast. Goat Meat: In ancient times, a sacrificed lamb was often cooked over the Beltane bonfire. Goat meat can be a modern alternative, symbolizing abundance and sustenance. Honey and Sweet Foods: Beltane celebrates the sweetness of life and passion. Incorporate honey, sweet pastries, and desserts into your menu. Fresh Fruits and Vegetables: Beltane falls during a time when the earth is abundant with grain. Enjoy strawberries, asparagus, and other seasonal produce to honor the season. Mead: Mead, the ancient honey wine, is associated with Beltane’s joyful and passionate energy. Raise a toast to the turning of the wheel and the promise of warmer days.
Modern Celebrations:
- Nature Walks: Embrace the beauty of spring by taking a walk in nature.
- Goddess Rituals: Connect with the divine feminine energy.
- Ancestor Honoring: Light a candle for passed ancestors and express gratitude.
- Romantic Date Night: Celebrate love and passion with your partner.
- Journaling: Reflect on what Beltane means to you.
Remember, Beltane is a time of renewal, passion, and growth. Whether you’re dancing around a fire or sipping lavender lemonade, let the magic of this season infuse your spirit. 🌸🔥✨
Learn more:
🌿🌞 Blessed Beltane! 🌞🌿
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Persian Love Cake for Beltane
This honey syrup soaked cake adorned with rose petals and fragrant with cardamom is the perfect dessert to represent an amorous holiday full of love. While traditional recipes include bannocks and honey cakes, this persian delicacy truly fills the senses and corresponds beautifully with the height of spring.
You can find the full recipe here from the above photo, but my version is below.
For the cake: ¾ cups granulated sugar ½ cup canola oil ½ teaspoon ground cardamom 3 large eggs ¼ cup milk 1 cup almond meal 1 cup all purpose flour 1.5 teaspoons baking powder ¼ teaspoon salt
For the syrup: 1 cup honey 1 cup granulated sugar ¾ cup cold water ½ teaspoon rose water Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9 inch square pan.
In a large bowl, mix ¾ cups sugar, canola oil, and eggs, until well combined.
Add the remaining dry ingredients and stir until smooth. Pour into the cake pan and bake 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
While the cake is baking, combine all syrup ingredients into a pot over medium high heat and bring to a boil. Turn down to low heat and simmer 5 - 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to sit until cake is out of the oven.
Allow the cake to cool for ten minutes and then slowly pour honey syrup over cake. It will take a moment for the cake to absorb all of the syrup, so if you pour all of it right away it may spill over!
Let cake come to room temperature before cutting. Serve warm or cold! Adorn with chopped pistachios and edible rose petals optionally.
Reblogged
Beltane (May 1st) is almost here, we celebrate spring being at its peak and everything around us being in bloom. The sun is shining bright again, and the days are now longer.
Beltane correspondences: Symbols | bonfire, lots of candles, sun, flowers and flower crowns, maypoles, colored ribbons Colors | yellow, white, green, pink, reds Spells | fertility, love, cleansing, spellss for creativity and beauty Crystals | rose quartz, carnelian, jasper Herbs and flowers | tulips, violets, mint, rosemary Foods to make | salad, cake or pie, dishes with honey, breads, nuts How to celebrate | Light a bonfire, go out in nature, make love, dancing, make a maypole
Reblogged gwinrivers
Solitary Beltane Ideas
- Wear a flower crown
- Dress in red and white
- Bake some Beltane recipes
- Light a bonfire or candles
- Do some divination
- Take a ritual bath
- Do some beauty/sex/love spells
- Leave out offerings for the fae
- Do some gardening
- Have a picnic
- Put on some music and dance
- Meditate or astral travel
- Make a mini maypole for your altar
- Roast marshmellows
- Take a hike
- Start on a new creative project
- Do “fertility” spells for things other than sex (creativity, energy, ect.)
- Pick flowers
Feel free to add your own!
Reblogged gwinrivers
Beltane Correspondences
Activities and Rituals: fertilize, nurture and boost existing goals, games, activities of pleasure, leaping bonfires, making garlands, May Pole dance, planting seeds, walking one’s property, feasting
Colors: Red, White, Brown, Pink, Green
Tools: Broom, May Pole, cauldron
Stones/Gems: Emerald, malachite, amber, orange carnelian, sapphire, rose quartz Symbols & Decorations: May Pole, fires, fertility, flowers, growing things, ploughs, cauldrons of flowers
Foods: plant-based dairy, bread, cereals
Flowers, Herbs: Lily of the valley, foxglove, rose, broom, Hawthorne, Dittany of Crete, elder, mint, mugwort, thyme, yarrow, almond tree/shrub, clover, ivy, marigold, meadowsweet, rowan, sorrel, woodruff
Deities: Aphrodite, Artemis, Bast, Diana, Faunus, Flora, Maia, Pan, the Horned God, Venus, and all Gods and Goddesses who preside over fertility.
Animals: Swallow, dove, swan, Cats, lynx, leopard
Other Names: Cetsamhain (opposite Samhain),May Day, Fairy Day,Sacred Thorn Day, Rood Day, Roodmas (the Christian term for Rood Day, Old Beltane, Beltaine, Beltain, Baltane, Walpurgis Night, Floriala (Roman feast of flowers from April 29 to May 1), Walpurgisnacht (Germanic-feast of St. Walpurga), Thrimilce (Anglo-saxon), Bloumaand (Old Dutch)
Reblogged gwinrivers
Beltane Activities and Ideas
- Walk the perimeter of your property to check that everything is in good order. Bring trash bags and do a general clean up of anything that is not where it should be.
- Make a miniature maypole for your altar if you can not make a full size version
- Get a new mirror, or use one you have already, and decorate it with ribbons and flowers for your bedroom
- Fill a cauldron or a large bowl with fresh flowers (wildflowers are best)
- Braid bracelets out of white ribbons and give them as gifts to friends or family
- Make a dish of fruits, berries, nuts and leave in the wood for the animals and fae folk to enjoy
- Cut branches of fresh green from budding trees, or make garlands of flowers to decorate the home for this celebration. Hang them on the doors and windows early, so the may sunrise finds them there!
- Create a special wreath for the top of the May Pole
- Make “May Day” baskets of flowers and leave on friends and family’s doorsteps as a surprise gift. Maybe they’ll think a faerie did it!
- Create hair pieces and garlands for decorating your head or around your neck from flowers that are in bloom
- Tie ribbons to trees to celebrate the coming of spring. Make a wish each time you tie a ribbon as it’s good luck to wish for things on this day!
- Bathe your face in the morning dew to retain youth. The fair maid who, the first of May Goes to the fields at break of day And washes in dew from the hawthorn tree Will ever after handsome be. Other sources suggest using the dew found under oaks or on ivy leaves. Make a special wish as you wash your face in it or as you drink from a well before sunrise.
- Dance the May Pole
- During the Maypole dance, think about what you wish to weave into, or out of, your spirit. The Maypole is an ancient symbol of the male aspect of the Divine, while the ribbons are strands of life. Have small baskets of goodies around the room to symbolize the coming abundance and to enjoy after the Circle. Magic is hungry work. (from Trish Telesco’s Victorian Grimoire)
Reblogged gwinrivers
✨🌷 Beltane for Lazy Witches 🌷✨
I’m always that witch that never has time (or the energy/resources) for an elaborate ritual or spell on any Sabbat. So if you’re lazy, chronically ill, a newbie witch, or don’t have the time, energy, or resources, here are some correspondences to incorporate into your celebration and some easy activities.
Beltane is associated with sexuality, fertility, and fire. It marks the peak of spring and the beginning of summer. It also represents the union of the Goddess and the God.
Activities:
- Take a bath.
- Gather wildflowers, plants, and stones or tree bark.
- Drink some herbal tea (preferably floral or fruity).
- Decorate your altar.
- Burn some incense or light a candle.
- Divination.
- Sex/masturbation.
- Bonfire.
Scents:
- Anything floral.
- Frankincense.
- Ylang-ylang.
- Lemon.
Stones:
- Rose quartz.
- Carnelian.
- Sunstone.
- Quartz.
- Garnet.
- Emerald.
Flowers/Herbs:
- Spring/summer flowers.
- Roses, daisies, dandelions, violets, lilies.
- Rosemary, mint, thyme, mugwort, woodruff.
Colors:
- Pink.
- Green.
- Brown.
- Red.
- White/silver.
- Gold.
Trees:
- Birch, rowan, hawthorn.