flamekeeperwitch

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How I Dry Herbs and Flowers

I was asked recently how to I like to dry my flowers, and my explanation just got longer and longer, so I decided to make it a post. These are my personal methods, but they’re certainly not unique to me!

Hanging

Hanging is one of my favorite methods, especially for full-bodied flowers that won’t press well, like roses or baby’s breath. Hanging works with nearly everything I’ve done it with! Example: roses, lavender, basil.

It’s super easy! Take your flowers or stems of leafy herbs and cut them so they’re about the same length. I usually do about a foot, but if you have at least 8-ish inches, it should be good! When cutting from a larger plant, cut diagonally to protect the original plant. If drying flowers, strip off any excess leaves. 

Then get some twine or rubber bands and bundle them together, like max 7 per bundle, less if you want to play it safe, but it really depends on what you’re drying. Wrap the twine / rubber band once or twice around the end of the bundle that doesn’t have the flowers on it, then once or twice around each individual stem. 

Hang upside-down in a cool, dry place with decent air circulation. If you care about keeping the colors, hang them in a place away from sunlight, which will bleach out the colors. Check back once every week or so until dry, usually 2-3 weeks.

Pressing

Pressing is better for flat flowers or individual petals. This is a little too tedious for herbs. If using full flowers, cut as much of the stem off as possible unless it’s really thin. If drying individual petals, just pluck them off the flower. 

You’ll need a large book or two flat surfaces and something very heavy. Place a few layers of paper towel (preferably without pattern) on one flat surface (or one side of an open book), lay out your flowers / petals in a single later on the paper towel, making sure they don’t overlap, and cover with more paper towel. Then place the other flat surface on top (or close the book). Put some heavy stuff on top. This takes about 2-3 weeks as well. Be careful when opening to check on them as the petals might move around. 

Oven

This is best for herbs that you need soon. You can also do with flower petals, though I don’t like doing it with full-body flowers because they can become flat on whatever side is pressed against the oven tray. 

Preheat your oven to it’s lowest temperature, usually 250 degrees F. Get an oven tray and cover with a sheet of parchment paper. Strip your herbs (sage, rosemary, thyme, basil) from the stems and lay them out in one layer. Place in the oven for about 30-40 minutes then take them out and give them a stir / flip. Bake for another 30 minutes, or until dry. Leave the oven door cracked open while drying to release moisture. 

What to do with your new dry stuff?

I like to use hung flowers for decorations… like wall hangings. You can also make potpourri, or burn them as an offering. There’s tons of other decorative uses! With flattened ones, I love gluing them into my notebook with a very, very thin layer of Mod Podge applied on the paper and on top of the petals / flowers. I’ve always wanted to put some in snail mail, but I never send mail. You could also frame them! Oven dried herbs are great for spells, cooking, etc. 

Make sure to store your dry herbs in an airtight container. 

[flamekeeperwitch]

Hey, everyone! So, my Herbology witchcraft journal is now available in hardcover on Amazon! I'm sharing my author Tumblr account if you want to check it out!

I'm currently working on the second witchcraft journal in the series for ✨ CRYSTALS ✨ and I'm so excited with how it's coming along. So, check this one out here ➡️ https://bit.ly/herbwitchjournal

Happy Samhain! 🎃👻💀

It’s official! A Witch’s Herbology Journal is now available in #hardcover on #Amazon! Get yours this #Samhain ➡️ https://bit.ly/herbwitchjournal

#WritingCommunity #Indieauthor #witchcraft #journaling #herbology #Halloween #witchesofinstagram #witchyvibes #witchtober https://www.instagram.com/p/CVk5Kvgrwch/?utm_medium=tumblr

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Witch Trials: Secrets of Loudun is ✨FREE✨ for a limited time!

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A post shared by Lauren Eason | Author (@lady_rowan)

Witch Trials: Secrets of Loudun is ✨FREE✨ for a limited time on #AmazonKindle

Check it out today at: https://bit.ly/witchtrialsloudun

Accused of murdering a prominent French Lord, Sarah and Anne flee their home to escape being persecuted for witchcraft. Sarah is captured and taken to the infamous Loudun Prison at the heart of the Witch Trials while Anne is injured during her daring escape. Refusing to leave her friend behind, Anne forges alliances while uncovering political scandal in an attempt to rescue those wrongly persecuted.

#witchtrials #witches #historicalfantasy #historicalfiction #alternativehistory #politicalthriller #freebook #free #books #novels #mystery #womensupportingwomen #indieauthor #booklife #bookstagrammer #bookstagram #bookseries https://www.instagram.com/p/CRBkj2eF1wt/?utm_medium=tumblr

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Sharing this from my author blog to my witchcraft blog for all my witchy followers!

This is a sneak peek of the inside of my first journal in this witchcraft journal series! Check it out on my blog on my author website!

There's also a timeline for the next three journals in the series and their subjects.

A Journal Series for Witches

A Journal Series for Witches - I recently released my first witchcraft journal in a brand new series of journals. Fine it on Amazon: https://bit.ly/herbwitch #witchcraft #witch #journal #journaling #bookofshadows #indieauthor #writingcommunity #books

It’s no secret that I’m attracted to the dark and macabre. Many of my stories reflect that – just look at the genre I love to write in! A lesser known fact would be that I’ve been a practicing witch for over half my life, following a Celtic path. I would say it’s “traditional,” but I was heavily influenced by Wicca and have created a sort of mixture that’s suited me well in life. When I led my…

[flamekeeperwitch]

Hey! So, I have a question… I’m just starting out with witchcraft and I need candles. However we cannot go out because of coronavirus. We do have these birthday candles with different colors, so I was wondering if that would work. Thanks!!

Of course!

I actually prefer to use smaller candles like birthday candles when I do quick spells and rituals. Some spells and rituals require for the whole candle to burn down and they're a lot quicker than a regular candle making them perfect for magick on the go.

You can also use other things in place of candles if you find yourself out of certain colors/scents etc. Here's a list of items you can use depending on your intentions for the candles:

Elemental/Spell/Ritual Work Representations:

Colored Crystals/Gems

Corresponding Herbs

Statues of Gods/Goddesses

Sigils

Colored Ribbon or Yarn

Ritual Items (Pentacle - Earth, Sword/Athame - Fire, Wand - Air, and Chalice - Water, or however your path does it)

Colored Beads/Buttons

Whole Plants (sometimes, I place different potted plants around)

I hope this helps you make the most of your candles and gives you a few ideas of what other items you can use around your house!

Blessed Be.

[flamekeeperwitch]

A Witch’s Herbology Journal

My new journal has just been released on Amazon! Check it out: https://bit.ly/herbwitch

A journal for the new or seasoned witch! A Witch’s Herbology Journal is the perfect gift to yourself or to a loved one who has a unique green thumb. This journal contains 60+ herbs with their magickal and medicinal associations along with a spell tip for those wanting a little inspiration for their craft. Over 130 pages are lined for your writing pleasure with 15 blank recipe pages for teas, oils, and tinctures. Each section contains an elegant title page for organization of notes with a few reference pages at the end.

[flamekeeperwitch]

Witchcraft is not a substitute for medical treatment. Witchcraft is not a substitute for medical treatment. Witchcraft is not a substitute for medical treatment.

Witchcraft is not a substitute for medical treatment.

Witchcraft is not a substitute for medical treatment.

Witchcraft is not a substitute for medical treatment.

[flamekeeperwitch]

Hello, witches! Since I’m always harping on about learning your history and checking your sources, I thought I’d help folks get a head start by compiling some source material.

To that end, I’ve started a Dropbox folder with a stash of historical texts on witchcraft, magic, and related topics. Nearly everything I’ve managed to find so far is public domain (thank you Project Gutenberg), with the exception of a very thorough herbal grimoire I found online some years ago and a book of witchcraft from the 1970s that appears to be out of print.

I will be continuing in this vein with future texts that I find. Everything will be public domain or cited to the source that it came from, in PDF format. I will NOT be including PDFs of any book currently in circulation with a copyright linked to a living author or estate. The point of this folder is that everything in it should be free for sharing and open use as research materials.

Below is the initial list of titles. I tried to include as many as I could find, with a focus on some oft-cited classics. I will be adding new texts as I find them.

A Collection of Rare and Curious Tracts on Witchcraft and the Second Sight, by David Webster (1820)

A History of Witchcraft in England from 1558 to 1718, by Wallace Notestein (1909)

British Goblins, Welsh Folk-lore, Fairy Mythology, Legends and Traditions, by Wirt Sikes (1880)

Curiosities of Superstition, by W. H. Davenport Adams (1882)

Daemonologie, by King James I/VI (1597)

Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry, Edited and Selected by W. B. Yeats (1888)

Irish Witchcraft and Demonology, by St. John Drelincourt Seymour (1913)

La Sorcière, or The Witch of the Middle Ages, by Jules Michelet (1863)

Lives of the Necromancers, by William Godwin (1834)

Magic and Fetishism, by Alfred C. Haddon (1906)

Magic and Witchcraft, by Anonymous (1852)

Modern Magic, by M. Schele de Vere (1873)

Plant Lore, Legends, and Lyrics, by Richard Folkard (1884)

Practical Psychomancy and Crystal Gazing, by William Walker Atkinson (1908)

The Devil in Britain and America, by John Ashton (1896)

The Discoverie of Witchcraft, by Reginald Scot (1594, 1886 reprint)

The Extremely Large Herbal Grimoire (date unknown, internet publication)

The Golden Bough : A Study of Magic and Religion, by Sir James George Frazer (1890)

The Illustrated Key to the Tarot, by L.W. de Laurence (1918)

The Magic of the Horse-shoe, by Robert Means Lawrence (1898)

The Mysteries of All Nations, by James Grant (1880)

The Mystery and Romance of Alchemy and Pharmacy, by Charles John Samuel Thompson (1897)

The Superstitions of Witchcraft, by Howard Williams (1865)

The Witchcraft Delusion in Colonial Connecticut by John M. Taylor (1908)

The Wonders of the Invisible World, by Cotton Mather and A Farther Account of the Tryals of the New-England Witches, by Increase Mather (1693, 1862 reprint)

Witch Stories, by E. Lynn (Elizabeth Lynn) Linton (1861)

Witch, Warlock, And Magician, by W. H. Davenport Adams (1889)

Witchcraft & Second Sight in the Highlands & Islands of Scotland, by John Gregorson Campbell (1902)

Witches’ Potions & Spells, ed. by Kathryn Paulsen (1971)

Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that these texts are (with few exceptions) more than a century old, and may contain depictions, references, or language that are outdated and inappropriate. The point of including these documents is to provide access to historical texts for research and reference. Inclusion in the collection does not equal unconditional agreement with or wholesale approval of the contents.

Take everything with a grain of salt and remember to do your due diligence!

Happy Witching!   -Bree

[flamekeeperwitch]

Check out my new journal coming out soon from my author page @authorlauren

It's finally here! My book cover for my new journal coming out soon!

This is the first journal in a series of journals based off different aspects of witchcraft. The first one is about Herbology and features 60+ herbs with spell tips, blank recipe pages for your tea and oil creations, and some reference pages in the back.

[flamekeeperwitch]

Things aren't always black and white. It's okay to be a shade of gray. And as I've gotten older, that shade has gotten darker.

[flamekeeperwitch]

Witch Tips: Common Sense Edition

Always remember that sometimes the things that happen to us have a mundane explanation to them, not a supernatural one. Here are some tips and things to remember, for safety and otherwise.

Do not overload your spell candles with herbs, crystals, etc. They’re made to be that size and WILL crack/break if overloaded. On that note– NEVER leave candles unattended. Things can catch fire, burn, etc.

Do NOT consume Essential Oils, for the love of what you believe in. I never thought I would have to specify this.

Colored candles tend to stain so leave a cloth, paper, plate, etc under the candle as to not stain the surface underneath it.

If you have dogs, cats, etc PLEASE research plants that are not okay to keep around them and NOT keep them around them, if you keep them a all. For example: Aloe Vera and a lot of Lily family are toxic for cats

Please don’t just eat any old herb/plant/etc. Once more, research before you do so, ask a medical professional, etc. If you want to use something on your skin, do a small test on a small patch of skin first.

YOU ARE NOT STUPID FOR ASKING QUESTIONS.

[flamekeeperwitch]

That golden glow.

St Nicholas, Worth, West Sussex.

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Morgan Daimler, a practicing witch for almost three decades, focuses primarily on the Celtic Fairy Faith. They are considered by many to be the foremost expert on the Fair Folk in neopaganism today. 

I just finished reading their recent book, Fairies: A Guide to the Celtic Fair Folk about a month ago. If you know much about me, you know that, while very little in the Craft scares me, I’ve always been wary when contemplating the Fair Folk and related concepts. 

I suppose you could say that everyone, witch or otherwise, has some odd fear here or there, and for me, it’s the Gentry. 

Still, with anxiety comes fascination. I was lucky enough to snag a short interview with Morgan, who answered some of my pressing questions about the Fair Folk, their own beliefs, and their work with the Gentry

Eliza: “Do you think that the Fae remain as they were in ancient times, despite legends about them changing? Or, do you believe they, too, have evolved and changed?” 

Morgan: “I think it’s a bit of both to be honest. I think that much like humans and animals are a lot like they were 3000 or 2000 years ago in the sense of physical appearances and abilities and such the Fey are as well. I don’t think they’ve evolved to become something entirely different from what they were in stories and anecdotal accounts from a few hundred years ago either. 

If we look at the folklore and the anecdotes we see that they are pretty consistent across time; while its true that the Good People do seem to follow and mimic human society they also stay true to who and what they themselves are. 

We only start to see stories of radically different fairies very recently, comparatively speaking, and those are coming from fiction and authors who generally didn’t believe in the actual reality of fairies. 

On the same hand, yes I do think we see that the fairies do adapt and evolve like any other beings do with time and change. Their clothing changes, their speech and language changes, they modernize with the humans around them albeit at a slightly delayed rate.”

Eliza: “What’s the best bit of advice would you give witches who would like to begin working with the Fae within the context of modern life?”

Morgan: “The single best bit of advice I can give is to really dig into the living cultures that still believe in these beings as real or have a deep cultural folklore related to them. 

There’s such a pervasive idea around fairies from modern pop culture but if you look past that to what we can still find in places like Ireland, Scotland, and Iceland you can get a much more accurate idea of what exactly you’re dealing with. 

And knowing what you’re dealing with, I think, is the single most important thing.”

Eliza: “You’ve spoken often about some of the downright dangerous misinformation out there about the Fae. What would be the worst piece of recent advice you’ve heard? Why?”

Morgan: “I don’t want to give an actual example because it wouldn’t be fair to have anyone read this and think I was calling them out, but I think to paraphrase the worst advice I’ve heard recently was the suggestion for people with little or no experience with these beings to invoke fairies known in folklore to be homicidally dangerous. 

I think that entire concept comes down to people who don’t believe these types of fairies actually exist as independent beings with power and agency, like the humans are just reading a book or playing a game. The thing is as much as I’m sure people think I overdo the warnings I have seen people get really hurt by some of these things - and I mean like nearly dying, going mad, being physically injured. 

So when I talk about the dangerous misinformation it’s usually connected to things like that example, invoking the ones that are known to kill people, or treating them all to lightly, or doing anything that folklore makes clear can have severe consequences. 

Obviously Fairy being what it is sometimes any action can bring a blessing that would normally be dangerous or bring a blow that would normally be safe. It has a lot of uncertainty to it. But for people with no practical knowledge or experience to go straight into dealing with the most dangerous beings, that always makes me cringe.”

Eliza: “In recent years, we’ve seen new and modernized legends about the Fae develop, such as the idea of Fae becoming human. What’re your thoughts on otherkins and related concepts?”

Morgan: “I think modern legends built from genuine experiences and lore are vital. There’s some really great work being done in some corners by people working on this like Aine Llewellyn’s Otherfaith on the more spiritual end or Sam Dow’s Elsewhere University on the more fictional. 

Otherkin is a very complicated subject and I have mixed views on it. Certainly there is a ton of folklore supporting the idea that the Fey and humans have sometimes interbred; we see that with the Irish aos sidhe, Scottish Selkies, and the Norse Hiddenfolk just to give a few cultural examples. 

The idea of people having some kind of non-human or Otherworldly ancestry or connection is something I fully believe is possible. I’m more skeptical though of the idea of a non-human soul in a human body in this world, because I usually don’t see what the purpose of that would be or how it would happen and also because so far the lists I’ve seen for identifying if you have such-and-such a type of soul tend to be based more on common stereotypes of a particular kind of fairy than actual folklore. 

Which isn’t to say I disbelieve, just that of all the people I’ve encountered claiming to be non-human souled I’ve very rarely - like only 2 or 3 times ever - believed it was true.

In a much wider sense there is folklore of both humans being taken into Fairy and becoming fairies as well as fairies taken out of Fairy who were turned into humans (but entirely into humans) so that’s definitely a thing.”

Eliza: “What’s your thoughts on commonalities between older legends about the Fae, and modern, science-inspired stories about alien abductions?”

Morgan: “My personal opinion is that modern alien abduction stories are actually how we now interpret fairy abductions. speaking of fairies adapting and evolving I think that as humans have moved into the sci-fi era the fairies have adapted to using that paradigm to give us what we expect with their glamour. So instead of seeing fairies people see aliens. 

It’s certainly worth noting that the first alien abduction happened well after literary and cinematic aliens became a cultural trope. So now we have fewer fairy encounters but we have alien abductions in their place. 

Given how powerful fairy illusion is it would be simple enough for them to make a human think they are seeing a spaceship and aliens instead of whatever is actually going on, and it’s very clever on their part given how much folklore has taught humans about fighting back against fairies - where aliens seem like a force a captured person can’t resist or fight back against.”

Much thanks to Morgan for providing this interview! You can visit their author page on Amazon here, and I highly recommend picking up Fairies: A Guide to the Celtic Fair Folk as introductory material on the matter.

Overall, I found the idea of the Gentry adapting to our own cultural landscape (see: the comments regarding aliens) most fascinating. This has sparked my further curiosity about the Gentry, and I’ll likely do some more research. 

I hope you enjoyed this short discussion of the Fair Folk. Yes, I still feel a bit intimidated by the Gentry, but c’mon! 

Everyone, even witches, ultimately get spooked sometimes… it’s not that weird to be afraid of fairies, is it? 

Is it?

[flamekeeperwitch]

Hello! As promised, here’s the first segment in my giant series of book recommendations. Below you’ll find books helpful to the absolute beginner in the area of witchcraft.

Just starting out and unsure how to proceed? These books have you covered, from cover to cover! They’re also of interest for those just curious about magick or who would like to know about witchcraft practices and beliefs.

Another note: I finally set up affiliate links for these. I’m still a bit fuzzy on how it works, but if you were to buy these books through these links, I’ll be able to ultimately buy more books (or, maybe energy drinks)… Hope I did the links right, but who knows?

Making Magic, by Briana Saussy. Great for younger readers and secular witches. A nice, non-denominational overview of basic Craft concepts. Contains many unique exercises.

Weave the Liminal by Laura Tempest Zakroff. With a highly philosophical focus, this book leads the reading into the necessary soul-searching to begin their journey into witchcraft.

Encyclopedia of Witchcraft, by Judika Illes. Even better than the Weiser Field Guide to Witches - this book is huge and chock-full of information. It’ll explain in easy-to-understand language how the concept has developed throughout time, why witches do what they do, and different types of witches.

The Weiser Field Guide to Witches, by Judika Illes. This gives an excellent look at the historical lore concerning witches, from the perspective of a witch herself. It’s kind of tongue-in-cheek, but it does have some information that won’t be found elsewhere.

The Modern Guide to Witchcraft, by Skye Alexander. Great book for those who’re really absolute beginners and are wondering what witchcraft is all about. Skye takes a very postmodern, utilitarian, and unfailingly honest approach, and it’s geared towards those of almost any belief system.

Grimoire for the Apprentice Wizard, by Oberon Zell-Ravenheart. Attractively packaged and readible for almost all ages, this is a great (mostly) non-denominational look at the foundations of magical practice. It’s extremely detailed. Some of it only applies to Zell’s own tradition, but it’s quite useful, anyways.

Of Witchcraft and Whimsy, by Rose Orriculum. Written by Tumblr’s own @orriculum, this is one of the best, most modern an no-nonsense Craft introductory books I’ve seen. It’s unabashedly up-to-date and self-aware in its portrayal of the contemporary Craft.

True Magick: A Beginner’s Guide, by Amber K. This older (and quite classic) book has been reissued in new editions, and it’s well worth picking up. Amber K covers witchcraft as well as its ceremonial heritage. She provides practices and addresses important topics, all appropriately for beginners.

Where to Park Your Broomstick, by Lauren Manoy. I get requests for teen resources occasionally, and this one is pretty good. It’s balanced and skips drama in favor of realistic expectations and training. If you’d like to introduce your children to magick and they’re interested, this is a solid bet.

This is basically post one out of seventeen in this series. Next, I’ll be sharing books about spellcraft. I’m going to be ghost-tagging all of these as #annobib on my blog, so check that tag out if you want to see the rest of the series once I’ve posted it!

[flamekeeperwitch]

For updates on this journal, check out my author tumblr account @authorlauren

So excited to announce a new project I’m working on! It’s a #series of #journals related to #witchcraft #paganism and #newage interests.

The first in the series will be centered around #herbology and contain 60+ #herbs with their physical, medicinal, and magickal properties along with a little spell tip!

The journal will have 150 pages for your writing pleasure - 135 for simple writing with the herbal tips and an extra 15 pages to write recipes for teas, tinctures, or oils!

I hope to have this available by October with the next two coming out in 2022!

#journaling #writing #witchcraft #spells #recipes #oils #teas #tinctures #journalseries #bookofshadows #witches #pagans #newage #metaphysical #witchesofinstagram #witchesofinstagram🔮🌙 #indieauthor https://www.instagram.com/p/CP8X5v6r0Yh/?utm_medium=tumblr

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This is Cotton, my youngest son. He recently had his first birthday 🎉🎂