#Lavender infused olive oil

[zeedpantry1]

Lavender infused olive oil — Zeed pantry

Lavender infused olive oil meticulously infused with the essence of freshly harvested lavender blooms, completely devoid of any artificial additives or preservatives. This exquisite infusion boasts a rich, full-bodied profile with a balanced mid-intensity, allowing it to impart a delightful floral essence to a myriad of culinary creations. Elevate your salads, desserts, and mixed drinks with this aromatic masterpiece, a harmonious blend where the natural essence of lavender meets the velvety smoothness of premium olive oil, creating an unparalleled sensory experience.

[theoccultmoon]

Candle Colors: A Beginner's Guide୨ৎ 

Candles are a fundamental tool in witchcraft, offering a powerful way to focus energy and intention. Every color carries its own unique vibrations, making it a versatile and customizable element for your magical practices. Let’s explore the meanings behind some common candle colors and how you can incorporate them into your rituals. 

Color Meanings in Candle Magic

🕯️ White: 

Represents: Purity, peace, clarity, and new beginnings. 

Use for: Cleansing, protection, and healing rituals. White candles are also great substitutes for any color if you're short on supplies. 

🕯️ Black: 

Represents: Banishing negativity, protection, and endings. 

Use for: Releasing bad habits, warding off unwanted energy, and grounding during transformative periods. 

🕯️ Red: 

Represents: Passion, strength, and vitality. 

Use for: Love spells, courage, and boosting energy. Perfect for rituals focused on physical desires or personal empowerment. 

🕯️ Green: 

Represents: Abundance, growth, and connection to nature. 

Use for: Prosperity magic, garden blessings, and healing related to the heart. 

🕯️ Blue: 

Represents: Tranquility, communication, and emotional healing. 

Use for: Enhancing intuition, calming conflicts, and strengthening spiritual connection. 

🕯️ Yellow: 

Represents: Joy, creativity, and mental clarity. 

Use for: Studying, attracting inspiration, and boosting self-confidence. 

🕯️ Purple: 

Represents: Spirituality, psychic abilities, and transformation. 

Use for: Enhancing meditation, connecting with higher powers, and deepening magical knowledge. 

🕯️ Pink: 

Represents: Love, friendship, and harmony. 

Use for: Self-care rituals, strengthening bonds, and emotional healing. 

🕯️ Orange: 

Represents: Energy, enthusiasm, and success. 

Use for: Career growth, creative breakthroughs, and manifesting opportunities. 

🕯️ Brown: 

Represents: Stability, grounding, and connection to the earth. 

Use for: Home blessings, financial security, and balancing scattered energy. 

How to Use Candle Colors in Practice ✮⋆˙

☽ Set Your Intention: 

Decide on your goal for the ritual or spell. Align it with the corresponding candle color. 

☽ Cleansing and Charging: 

Before lighting, cleanse your candle by passing it through the smoke of sage or incense. Hold it in your hands and visualize your intention, “charging” it with your energy. 

☽ Dress the Candle: 

Anoint the candle with oil (like olive or lavender oil) while focusing on your intent. This enhances the connection between your energy and the candle's purpose. 

☽ Light the Flame: 

When you’re ready, light the candle and let it burn completely, if possible. Never leave it unattended,always remember to be safe when working with fire!  

Budget-Friendly Candle Tips.☘︎ ݁˖

♡ Use What You Have: Even a white tea light can be infused with powerful intent. 

♡ DIY Candle Colors: Wrap colored thread or paper around plain candles to mimic the desired color energy. 

♡ Reuse Wax: Collect remnants of old candles to create new ones for future rituals. 

Share Your Candle Magic! ୨ৎ

Do you have a favorite candle color or a personal ritual you'd like to share? Comment below, I’d love to see your practice! 

✨blessings! 

[esoteric-chaos]

Hekate's Blessing Deity Oil

"HEKATE (Hecate) was the goddess of magic, witchcraft, the night, moon, ghosts and necromancy." - Theoi

I work with Mother Hekate to heal generational trauma, dream work, introspection, and my clairsenses. I venerate her on Saturdays as the planetary correspondences of Saturn fit her well.

She's been with me for over a decade, since the start of my practice. She took on the mother figure role when I personally did not have anyone.

This blog is actually dedicated to her for helping others learn about witchcraft and the occult.

She's a stern teacher, who will take off your training wheels on your bike and push you. However, she'll help you up when you fall. She's kind and nurturing when you need it.

I made an oil for her to call upon her. I use it to carry her with me, to wear for certain purposes and as a candle-dressing. It helps me with my intuition, clairsenses, protection, spiritual communication and divination.

You will need

A clean and cleansed jar

Myrrh - The moon, introspection, protection, spiritual connection, she just loves myrrh (UPG)

Cypress - Historical herb, strength, protection, enhances spirit connection, grief

Lavender - Dreamwork, enhances spirit connections, peace

Thyme - Clairsenses

Carrier Olive Oil - Traditional offering

You can either do the folk method or the hot method. You can find my post on infused oils here to learn how to make infused spell oils. I suggest if you are an animist or someone who wants more power from your oils. Speak to the herbs kindly, treat them less like an ingredient and ask them respectfully for their aid and the purpose they'll have in your oil. Use intention. The same goes for the Olive oil.

You can sub any of these, however, Cypress is historical for her. So is Olive Oil among the Greeks. Try to keep within the theme of the underworld, death, spiritual connection and psychic work.

Blessings!

Looking for all of my posts in one place? Check out the Masterpost

[violet-hearth]

Basic Spell Oils

I should have posted this a lot earlier, but I forgot ..

Oils are a great way to create herbal blends for spell work - oil preserves the scent, taste and herbal matter if stored away from sunlight (you can store in coloured glass) and can be adapted to make infused olive oil or cooking oils for your kitchen witchery, the dress candles, to add to glamour spells, or to make perfume bases.

Basic Recipe Formula:

Essential oils

Carrier oil such as sweet almond oil, jojoba oil, sunflower oil, apricot oil etc.

A small jar with a dropper or dropper top to store the oil in

Optional:

Vitamin E oil

herbs to create an infusion

Determine the intention of the oil (love, protection, confidence etc.) and gather the herbs and essential oils that have association (personal or common) with aspects of that intention

Add a few pinches of dried herbs to your bottle

Add a few drops of your essential oil (up to 10% of the bottle)

If using, add a drop of vitamin E oil - this can make it better for skin application and also stops the oil from going rancid from the herbal matters

Add the carrier oil and fill to the top, cap and shake to blend - as you shake you can say a prayer, chant, or focus your energy to charge the oil

Allow to sit for at least a week before use, as it ages it will start to macerate and smell more harmonious.

Date Night Dinner Oil

This is an olive cooking oil to be used in salads, sauces, to spread on breads, or to marinate meats and vegetables in. It is packed full of aphrodisiac herbs and summer spices

Olive oil

Garlic, rosemary, ginger, star anise, and chili

Strainer

For a quick infusion, add in your oil and herbs into a pan and simmer on a low heat for 30 minutes.

Allow to cool, strain and use within 1-2 weeks

Attraction Oil

The attraction oil combines aphrodisiacs and anti-anxiety herbs into an oil or perfume. The intention is to attract and command attention, to boost your confidence, and as a base for seduction work.

Add your carrier oil to your oil dropper or perfume bottle/roller - for this I’d recommend a rosehip oil, apricot oil or a neutral grapeseed oil.

Turn your herbs into oils either via essential oils or add them dried straight to your carrier oil to infuse: rose, clove, vervain, cinnamon, licorice, nutmeg, frankincense, apple blossom, jasmine, ylang ylang, lavender, cocoa, and/or gingseng - cater to personal preferences and match scents together, I recommend using between 3-8 oils or herbs.

Example scent profile: rose, lavender, apple blossom, vervain, cinnamon, licorice, gingeseng (spicy floral - I’d also add a little patchouli if turning into a perfume)

These types of recipes are where having a grimoire, notebook, or journal comes in very handy! Keep record of what you've tried, what scents match well, what is repellent, what works for you, plan out recipes before hand.

As always, adapt, change, and disregard as you like to suit your personal practice <3

[tiredwitchplant]

How to Use Herbs: Basil (Sweet Basil)

Hwello again! This time we shall be talking about how to use basil in different forms. If you want more information about basil, please click this link to get to my basil post: Basil Let's get started.

Alchemist Formulas:

*Remember always try to see one part as a teaspoon before going into other measurements. Doing a smaller amount first and then trial and error is better than making too much and a mess.

Mars:

two parts red sandalwood

one part honeysuckle flowers

one part basil

one part ginger oil

one part juniper oil

Health

one part frankincense (Sun; vitality)

one part basil (Mars; energy)

one part cinnamon (Mercury; nervous system)

one part bay oil (Sun; health)

one part sandalwood oil (Moon; Inner Self)

Oils

Basil Essential Oil:

Ingredients

12 ounces olive oil

2 ounces basil, 1 packed cup

Remove basil leaves from stems.

Place olive oil in a pint sized mason jar.

Carefully stuff basil into mason jar and close the lid.

Store on a sunny windowsill for 1 day.

Use a funnel to strain oil and a spoon to smash last bits of oil out of leaves and discard the leaves.

Transfer oil to a decorative jar and refrigerate for up to 1 week.

Prosperity Oil:

1 part mint

1 part basil

1 part cinnamon

1 part pine

Carrier oil of your choice (olive oil, jojoba oil and etc)

Simply take a small mason jar and fill it a 1/4 of the way up with your chosen oil.

Add in your herbs while thinking of your intentions of prosperity and abundance and swirl the jar around clockwise.

Then add a little bit more of the oil before closing the lid.

Awakening Oil:

*This needs to crafted on a full moon

1/4 cup carrier oil

Mason jar

2 drops of basil oil

2 drops of thyme oil

Pour your carrier oil into the mason jar and then added the drops of thyme and basil

Swirl it gently in a clockwise direction so it will mix thoroughly. Say, "I awaken, I listen, I see. Enlightenment come to me. Awareness, mindfulness, clarity. Illumination come to me."

Anoint your temples on your head and pulse points with your oil before doing divination work.

Spells

Basil Growth Spell

Chop fresh basil into fine threads.

Warm honey gently over the stove. (A double boiler or bain-marie is recommended, as honey scorches easily.)

Add the basil to the honey and simmer.

Remove the basil-enhanced honey from the source of heat and murmur over it something like this: "Flies flocks to honey, Customers flock to me, Bears flock to honey, Business flocks to me, Ants flock to honey, Contracts flock to me."

Run a warm bath for yourself.

Rub the honey over your body, and then enter the bath.

Soak in the water for a while. When you emerge, before you drain the water, reserve some of the used bathwater.

Toss this on the grounds of your business.

Sex Worker’s Better Business Spell

Dress a lodestone , a magnetite rock, with essential oils of basil, bergamot, and lavender. (In theory, the lodestones' gender may be coordinated with the gender of the clientele you wish to draw.)

Sprinkle with magnetic sand and a pinch of ground cinnamon.

Carry or wear to charm up added business.

Exorcism Powder

Blend the following ingredients together and grind into a fine powder:

Dried basil

Frankincense

Rosemary

Rue

Yarrow

2. Blend this powder with arrowroot powder.

3. Sprinkle as needed.

Basil Cleansing Bath

Pour approximately one cup of boiling water over one heaped teaspoon of dried basil.

Allow this to stand until the water cools, creating a strong infusion.

Add this to your bath.

Financial Dreams (For Solutions)

Sprinkle either infused basil oil or essential oil of basil onto a lodestone, just before going to sleep.

Get into bed, turn out the lights and gently rub the scented lodestone in a sunwise direction on your forehead. (When you awake, your forehead will probably be dirty. Don’t panic; lodestone dust is lucky.)

Keep the lodestone near the bed, so that you can inhale the basil

Since two of these spells ask for lodestone, here is where you can get some and arrowroot powder. Lodestone , Arrowroot Powder

Kitchen Witch Recipe:

Wisdom Soup

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes, plus a little bit until it’s just right

1 cup red lentils

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 can coconut milk

1 lime, sliced into thin wheels

Oil Options: Olive oil, toasted sesame oil

Sour Options: lemon juice, lime juice, rice vinegar

1 onion, diced

Sweet Options: Sugar, honey, agave

2 sprigs basil, de-stemmed and chopped

Salt Options: Soy sauce, sea salt, sweet miso (make a paste with miso and water before adding)

2 inches fresh ginger, minced

2 cups water

2 sprigs cilantro, de-stemmed and chopped

2 sprigs mint, de-stemmed and chopped

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

In a pot, place the lentils, coconut milk, and water, and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer.

Add the onion, garlic, ginger, cayenne.Stir. Do not cover.

Once the lentils are cooked and not firm (about 15–20 minutes), add one thing from the sour category, one from the sweet category, one from the salty, and some oil (add about a teaspoon of oil at a time). Taste. Repeat with a different item from each category.

Garnish with sliced wheels of lime and minced-up basil, mint, and cilantro.

I hope you enjoy these spells, recipes, and formulas and put them to good use. Use them wisely and bye byes~

Sources

[grubloved]

sourdough focaccia with infused herb olive oil, garlic, herbs de provence, and lavender

[theblackdahliaemporium]

Medicinal Remedies

Medicinal Remedies-- This is a LONG one!

NOTE: This article is about 20 of my favorite medicinal healing herbs to grow in most garden areas and types of soil. There are 100’s more, though, that I just couldn’t include because of space. Enjoy this rundown of 20 of my favorites.

1) Calendula:

Calendula is one of my top five favorite herbs of all time. It's sunny yellow or orange face can't help but make me smile. In summer time, it grows like crazy, just about anywhere, and like other flowers, the bees love it.

Calendula has some super skin healing and strengthening properties, and I always have some infusing in olive oil in a sunny window for use in salves, soaps, and other body products.

Calendula is also edible, and it's so fun to toss some blooms in your salad! It really brightens things up and adds excellent color. I love Calendula.

Calendula just makes you smile.

2) Cayenne:

Here is another herb I think should be in every garden. Cayenne is a very hot and pretty red pepper with some excellent culinary uses for adding spice to foods.

It's also great for helping with circulatory problems, can be used to help stop bleeding since it's a hemostatic herb, and has been shown to be useful in helping slow or even stop a heart attack until help can arrive.

It's also a very attractive plant, and the bright red of the pepper is just gorgeous mixed Into the dark green of the plant's leaves. This is one herb you should definitely grow if you can, and have handy in your herbal medicine chest.

Cayenne grows like crazy, especially in warmer climates. They dry well, too.

3) Chamomile:

Like Lavender, what would an herbal garden be without sweet Chamomile? It's honey scent and sweet taste are an absolute pleasure. Besides that....Chamomile is a popular relaxant and mild sedative herb.

Need to de-stress? Drink a bit of Chamomile tea!

Chamomile is also useful as an anti-inflammatory, as it contains high levels of azulene. It helps with pain relief, including for arthritis. If you are heading to bed and are bothered by mild pain, try drinking some chamomile tea! In one clinical study, this helped 10 out of 12 people fall into a restful sleep. (Gladstar)

Growing Chamomile can be tricky in very hot climates. It likes full sun, but a cooler climate. Chamomile is also best grown in less maintained soil and doesn't need the rich fertilization other plants require.

4) Chickweed:

Chickweed is another one of those "weeds" that is completely misunderstood and has some excellent medicinal qualities.

It's Latin name, (stellaria) means "star," and that is because of its small, pretty starlike white flowers. It's easy to grow, and has many uses.

Chickweed supports liver and kidney health due to its high nutrition and diuretic properties. It's also wonderful in salves for healing skin issues, including rashes, eczema, and very dry skin.

Chickweed is a great diuretic and blood purifier.

5) Dandelion:

This prolific weed, as some people see when they notice Dandelion in their yard, is actually a powerfully helpful medicinal herb! Dandelion is terrific for your liver and kidney health, having diuretic properties.

It's also an edible plant! You can roast the roots and add it to teas and even your coffee for a delicious flavor that also packs a healthy punch. The leaves can be eaten in salads and other foods.

6) Feverfew:

Feverfew has lovely white flowers and at least where I live, is rather invasive. I don't mind, though, because it has a great number of medicinal benefits.

As its name connotes, feverfew is helpful with reducing fevers. Most recently, however, feverfew has become rather well-known for helping with migraines, both preventing and reducing the intensity and time.

One of my favorite teas to provide for people who suffer from migraines is: 1 part feverfew, 1 part spearmint, and 1 part lemon balm. This is a soothing, nervine combination, that along with the powers of feverfew, can be used as daily tonic.

Feverfew is also great for minor bug bites. Just apply the tincture topically. Since it has mild pain relieving properties, it will help with the discomfort too.

7) Garlic:

Garlic is one of the BEST all around medicinal herbs anyone can grow, in my opinion. It's useful for treating colds, flus, sore throats, and digestive issues. Garlic boosts the immune system by increasing and stimulating the production of white blood cells.

Garlic is antiseptic, anti-bacterial, and vermifuge (kills parasites). It is also useful as a blood purifier and helps promote healthy circulation. It may also help regulate blood sugar levels in those with type 2 diabetes.

Besides all these wonderful benefits, garlic is delicious! It's added to so many foods and dishes because of the flavor it imparts. Granted, using garlic medicinally is different than in culinary uses, but if you really want to "eat thy medicine," as Hippocrates famously stated, garlic is a great place to start.

8) Ginger:

Oh, what would the herb world be without Ginger? This sweet and spicy pungent herb is actually a rhizome, not a root, as many believe. The useful part grows under ground, so is often confused.

Ginger is stimulating and is a great additive for teas, tinctures, and fermented foods, as well as culinary uses. Ginger is anti-inflammatory, decongesting, and increases circulation, promoting warmth. Ginger is also excellent for flatulence and stomach issues, including nausea.

Ginger likes a tropical environment---hot and humid. Therefore, unless you live down South, Ginger would most likely need to be grown in a green house.

9) Lavender:

What would the herbal world be without lavender? It's good for SO many things. Lavender smells wonderful, the bees love it, it's great for medicinal uses, AND it's a gorgeous flower. Lavender is useful for air freshening and cleaning the air or freshening closed up places such as drawers. It's popular in sachets for this reason.

Lavender is actually relatively hardy, growing well in Zones 5 through 8. If you are in a colder zone, be sure to plant your lavender in an area where it will get plenty of sunshine and be as warm as possible. If your winters are rough, you'll need to provide your lavender with some type of protection, especially from harsh winds.

I had some planted in pots here in the mountains, and it did very well all summer long. Even through snows, it was fine. But we get wind speeds over 125 miles an hour at times, and lavender just didn't last through that. Not much will, I guess.

Lavender is useful for so many things---AND it smells incredible.

10) Lemon Balm:

Lemon Balm....I LOVE this species of mint. It smells lovely, the bees love it, and it grows well nearly everywhere. Lemon Balm has a pleasant lemony taste and is a great additive in herbal teas, both for the nutritive value as well as the soothing nature and relaxing effects it has on the body.

11) Marshmallow:

This probably isn't included in too many herbalist's garden lists, but I think Marshmallow is seriously necessary. It's a demulcent and soothing herb, and it complements "hotter" herbs very well. It also soothes inflammation in mucous membranes and is one of my favorite herbs to use for allergy blends or teas for any kind of inflammation in the body for this reason.

Marshmallow is an upright plant, similar to a very small hollyhock. In fact, if you can grow hollyhocks where you are---you can use it pretty much interchangeably with Marshmallow as their chemical constituents are very similar.

The flowers are light pink and very pretty, too. The entire plant is edible and useful for medicinal purposes. Go ahead and throw a few flowers into your salad for a beautiful and surprising presentation!

Marshmallow is a demulcent anti-inflammatory. Plus, it's pretty.

12) Mullein:

This is yet another plant many see as just a weed, but has some truly wonderful medicinal qualities. Mullein is a plant that grows from a rosette of fuzzy large leaves into a tall stalk (sometimes as high as 7 feet tall) and is covered with yellow flowers in mid-summer.

Mullein does best in full sun, with lots of water, in cooler areas. It grows really well in the creek beds up here in our mountains, but I've heard it is very common in almost all places. It's worth trying to cultivate, in my opinion, if you don't have it growing naturally in your area.

Mullein is one of the best herbs you can use to support and heal the respiratory system and illnesses that affect the lungs, sinuses, and breathing. It's useful as a tea, tincture, and the large leaves can be used in an emergency to cover a poultice.

In my opinion, Mullein is the premier herb for respiratory issues.

13) Oregano

Oregano seems to be the bane of many gardener's existence. They plant it, and it just goes crazy. I can't tell you how many neighbors, family members, and friends have given me Oregano from their yards over the years! And I'm glad to have it! The thing with Oregano is you have to know how to manage it.

Oregano is a fabulous culinary herb, and if you have ever had pizza or marinara sauce, then you've tasted this delicious Mediterranean herb. Oregano grows best in warm, dry climates, but I have found in my experience that it is quite hardy and can survive winter lows in the single digits (at least it does in my yard).

Oregano (also known as Mountain of Joy in Greek) has some excellent medicinal uses, including having anti-viral, anti-biotic, anti-fungal properties, as well as being very high in anti-oxidants. It's a great skin care herb and also a digestive aid.

Oregano can be used in many forms, too: As a tincture, an herbal infused oil, eaten in foods, and as an essential oil. These all have different strengths, potencies, and uses.

The tincture is an easy way to use the herb medicinally, along with making or using in an herbal tea.

14) Peppermint:

Super easy to grow just about anywhere, Peppermint is a spreading perennial that has the propensity to take over your garden if you allow it! It's spicy, pungent scent is well known to just about everyone, since it's a popular culinary additive in many foods and candies.

Medicinally, Peppermint is useful for aiding digestion and getting rid of flatulence (gas). It has mild anti-spasmodic properties, so if you are experiencing cramps, especially digestive types or menstrual cramps, it can be very helpful.

15) Plantain:

Here is another weed that many people find repugnant, but that is actually an incredibly useful medicinal herb!

According to Rosemary Gladstar, Plantain grows everywhere, and if you invite it in, it will definitely show up.

Plantain is great for liver health, detoxifying and cleansing the blood, and drawing out toxins. I like to infuse it in oil for use in healing salves.

Like Dandelion, this easy to find weed is edible and useful.

16) Rosemary:

Rosemary is a famous culinary herb, and is great for use on red meats and very pungent dishes. Besides this, rosemary has been proven to be helpful for the brain, especially memory functions.

It's high in anti-oxidants, and has mild analgesic (pain relief) properties. Rosemary is a stimulant herb, and is helpful with circulation and low blood pressure. People with high blood pressure need to exercise caution using rosemary medicinally.

Rosemary grows best in hot, dry climates and is native to the Southern European countries.

Besides being a pungent and delicious culinary herb, rosemary provides medicinal qualities and enhances memory.

17) St. John's Wort:

St. John's Wort is a misunderstood plant, in my opinion. It went through a popular phase a few years ago and was touted as being the new natural anti-depressant. St. John's Wort can absolutely help with feelings of mild depression, sadness, grief, and Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), but it's not a cure-all.

Important to know---St. John's Wort can interact with certain drugs, so be sure you discuss usage with your doctor (as you should with any of these herbs mentioned).

St. John's Wort is also great for neuralgia, and I personally use it as part of my back pain and sciatica regimen with excellent results. I also use it in a tincture form to lift my spirits if I'm feeling down.

Besides all the medicinal qualities of St. John's Wort, it's a really pretty plant. You won't be able to grow it in a super hot area, however, at least it's unlikely. I tried growing it in Las Vegas, and it was a total fail. However, it does well here in the mountains in full sun or partial shade and the cooler climate.

One of my favorite ways to prepare St. John's Wort is as an herbal infused oil. The medicinal species (H. perforatum) releases bright red juices into the oil, creating the most lovely infused oil.

Another safety note for the garden: St. John's Wort has been shown to have potential for phototoxicity, especially in grazing animals if they eat too much. Just be aware and watch what your pastured animals eat.

St. John's Wort is a wonderful healing herb that positively affects the emotions.

18) Thyme:

Thyme, in my opinion, is one of the best plants to use in your garden. It attracts bees, smells lovely, and is incredibly useful for medicinal purposes. It's a small, spreading herb (although some species will grow upright) that is fairly hardy, so if you have rough winters, it may do just fine---you'll be seeing it again in the Spring, with it's pretty scented purple flowers.

Many herbalists forget all about using thyme as a preventative medicinal herb or for helping heal quickly from colds and flus---but it has been shown to fight off colds.

It also has disinfectant properties, and can be used as an effective wash for skin infections or as great sore throat rinse. For medicinal purposes, Thymus vulgaris or Thymus citriodorus (Lemon Thyme) are the best to use.

19) Valerian:

This stately flowering plant can grow to about four feet tall and has lacy white flower clusters. Not only is it a lovely addition to your garden, but it is very useful. It's a strong but safe sedative and is very useful for helping with anxious feelings, sleep issues, and pain relief.

Contraindications: Valerian has the opposite effect on some people, so if you are using it for the first time, do so on a the eve of a day that won't affect you much. These folks are rare, but there are definitely some that don't tolerate it well.

One of nature's best gifts---Valerian is lovely and it is an excellent safe sedative.

20) Yarrow:

Yarrow has many tiny flowers that grow in bunches, and feathery grayish leaves. It's a very pretty plant for your garden. Besides, the parts that grow above ground (leaves, stems, flowers) have medicinal purposes and have been used for thousands of years.

Yarrow is a vulnerary, hemostatic herb. Besides helping with healing and clotting of wounds, yarrow is good for helping reduce fevers, hay fever, and fighting colds. As a fever reducer, it is important to note that yarrow induces sweating, so if the person already has a hot fever, yarrow is probably not the best choice to use.

Article: healing harvest homestead Picture: Nikolaydonetsk – photodune . net

[magickkate]

🍂🌙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! 🍁🥧

[dragons-breathwitch]

𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒚 & 𝑱𝒐𝒚 𝑯𝒆𝒓𝒃𝒂𝒍 𝑰𝒏𝒇𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝑶𝒊𝒍

Hello witches, I want to share with you a recent magic oil I made for candle dressing & spell making🕯✨️ you can also use it for your overall craft,

You'll need:

🌼 Chamomile

🌼 Calendula Flower

🌼 Lavender

🌼 Clove Powder (*can be replaced with whole clove)

🌼 Copal Incense (*I used copal resin for a concentrated infusion)

🌼 Carrier Oil (*I used olive oil)

🌼 Small Jar

Instructions ~

Cleanse your jar with salvia/sage incense, or cleanse with your preferred method,

Gather your dry ingredients into your jar: the chamomile, calendula flower, lavender, love & copal resin,

Set your intentions for your herbs, I like using my hand over each herb before putting them inside the jar, guiding each herb with which correspondence or property I'll need,

Pour in your carrier oil of choice, do it slowly allowing the oil to get to the bottom, this will get rid of any air bubbles,

Say your last intentions for the overall oil, close with the cork or cover, and let it sit for a few days to allow the infusion to set in,

When the oil is done resting, pour your concentration infusion unto another bigger jar without the herbs, it's okay if bits go in though,

Finally, top off the remaining or the jar with more olive oil,

And that's it! Your Prosperity & Joy Oil is ready for use, whether you want to dress a yellow candle to bring joy, happiness, prosperity & clarity to your daily life, or use topically before bed, etc.,

*Please note that this or any oil infusion posted here is NOT meant to be ingested/eaten, keep away from children & animals !!

Happy Crafting!

[indigomarina]

(Reverse Love Square AU) Syren Rewrite

Scene: Marinette's room.

She is lying on her chaise lounge, playing with Ladybug and Chat Noir action figures. Marinette: (imitating Chat Noir) Hey, M'lady, do you trust me? (as herself) Of course, Chat Noir; do you trust me? (as Chat Noir) Are you kidding? I will never trust you! Ha ha ha ha! (normally, to Tikki) Come on, you've gotta know what Chat Noir's hiding from me, Tikki. Tikki: I'm sorry, Marinette, but I can't tell you anything.. Marinette: Really... (gets out her phone) Just when I was about to order you some very tasty cookies. Have you ever sampled the macarons from Pierre Hermé? It says here they have flavors like olive oil and vanilla. Tikki: (swallows the rest of her chocolate chip cookie, crosses her arms and turns away) I know you what you're trying to do, Marinette, and it won't work! (Tikki starts shaking, trying to resist the temptation) Marinette: Did you know about the Kouign-amann? Apparently, it's one of the most delicious pastries in the world. Tikki: (turns around curiously) ...In the world? (Marinette begins swaying her phone in a circular motion; Tikki follows) Marinette: Yes… and do you know why it's so flaky? Because they fold it with layers of butter and sugar. Tikki: (snaps out of her trance) Gotta find something else that smells as good as cookies! AH! (realizes something and flies higher) (Tikki sniffs heavily from one of Marinette's fabric swatches in a sewing basket. Suddenly, Marinette walks up while she sniffs the fabric.) Marinette: Which one do you prefer, the lavender-scented or the vanilla-scented fabric softener? (Tikki screams.) Marinette continues to bribe Tikki with sweets, while the latter keeps singing to get distracted. Tikki: (continuously, flying around inside Marinette's fabric swatch, trying to drown out Marinette while she follows Tikki around the room) Marinette: Matcha green tea macarons; handmade chocolate truffles, infused with lavender and sprinkled with edible gold leaf. (Marinette stops when she sees water flooding the floor of her room.) Tikki: Looks like your whole sweet strategy will have to tread water. Marinette: (tersely) Don't worry, this isn't over.

[triflesandparsnips]

hey hey guess what it's time for

Update 4: Return of the (Soap) King

For those who haven't been following along, I've been having a nice time doing experimental archaeology and recreating cosmetics/household goods that are historically plausible for local idiot pirate Stede Bonnet to have had around.

Figure 1. Me, addressing my kitchen appliances.

So far we've had successful lip balm, yet-to-be-completed Oil of Lavender, the terrible tragedies that have so far befallen the pearl face cream, and, finally, the unending journey of the one household item actually mentioned on the dang show: the lavender soap (with updates 1-3 and several mini-updates).

Did this all secretly derive from my researching period-appropriate medical horror? Yes. Am I still going to write about it? Of course come on now I can't just keep that enema information to myself--

But TODAY IS NOT THAT DAY.

Figure 2. One very excited ship's surgeon who will unfortunately have to bide his fuckin time.

Nope, today we're on the next iteration of the lavender soap, because we're still at the "fuck around and find out" portion of this experimental process-- and so, behold:

Version 3.0 7 oz. dried soap 4 oz. ground orrisroot 1 oz. ground whole cloves 1 oz. ground benjamin 10 drops lavender essential oil oil of lavender, q.s. rosewater, q.s.

You may notice that I have, tragically, only added enough of anything lavenderish to allow myself the honesty of still calling this "lavender" soap -- as previously discussed, lavender essential oils (as we know them today) were not really a Thing, and the Oil of Lavender (...which is not an essential oil, but rather an infusion of lavender flowers and olive oil) is not quite ready for primetime scent vibes, so I genuinely don't think these are comparable to actually just grinding up and shoving in the dried flowers.

But for the sake of Science, I needed to find out if removing the flowers would help with the browning issue of previous versions, so-- out went the lavender. For now.

Figure 3. Oh no, I-- oh man, don't cry, I'm sorry, I'll put it back omg.

Other changes in this version are:

store-bought ground orrisroot (...listen, Thomas is but a wee lad, and not yet hearty enough to wreck regular orrisroot as hard as it needs);

store-bought ground benzoin (because it was cheaper to buy in bulk that the solid resin from the woo-woo shop);

increased the amount of orrisroot from 1 ounce to 4 ounces, in keeping with some other recipes, to try and bulk up the myristic acid content (i.e., the thing wot makes olive-oil based Nabulsi soap actually produce a bubbly lather)

I should at this point say that typically the scientific process recommends making only one change at a time when conducting Experiments, so that one may know what exactly affected a change in a positive, negative, or neutral manner.

Consider, however, that I have no patience. So fuck it, we ball.

Show us the soap, trifles

To get to the soap, you must first suffer through mortifying ordeal of process photos.

Figure 4. The ground orrisroot on my tiny digital scale (that actually measures grains, which itself is a holdover from apothecary measurements!)

Wait wait wait actually look at my tiny bullshit scale, I love it, look at its little one-gram calibration weight:

Figure 5. A baby.

Figures 6 and 7. An ounce of whole cloves (left) and the results of young Thomas's efforts thrown on top of the orrisroot and benjamin in the mortar (right).

I should note that rather than grinding the cloves in my granite mortar and pestle first, I put them straight into Thomas's maw-- I don't know if that led to how intensely clove-oily these grounds are, or the fact that the lavender flowers were not present to soak it up. Previously I got a grey-green powder out of grinding the both together, so this rich, wet clove-color did not bode well for my "can I stop this from being brown?" soap plans...

Figure 8. ...Or maybe it'll be fine? I added the dried soap, and now look at them all mixed together!

As a note, I had to actually use a whisk at this point rather than just rely on my pestle to do the work -- my mortar is Too Small for these shenanigans, and the four ounces' worth of orrisroot did not help matters. I won't say how much of this mix ended up outside the mortar and on my clothes, but it was... it was a non-zero amount.

Whatever, thought I. This is Science. This is me experiencing the divine art of creation across space-time with my alchemical forebears, and also this is why I should not be allowed in other people's kitchens.

Notably, the upped powder content meant that I had to add a lot more splashes of rosewater to get to a dough-y state where the soap could be hand-rolled, and I had to work significantly longer with the pestle-- while version 2.0 was, per my notes, about 8-10 minutes' worth of work, I would call this a solid 20 minutes at least of beating the ever-loving shit outta this mix until everything was incorporated.

And once it was, well--

Figure 9. Hello, brown.

As you can see, the soap mix does form up very nicely, though it still requires a spatula to clear the sides of the mortar and pestle.

At this point, remembering that the last time I hand-rolled wash balls my palms came away Very Brown, I donned some latex gloves before I commenced my rolling. However, because (and again, I cannot stress this enough) I lack patience, I threw in another change: rather than leaving them as balls, I squished them slightly between my palms to flatten them into slightly more traditional soap shapes.

Figure 10. Cookie dough or falafel: you decide.

A note regarding the scent: Whether it's the relative lack of the lavender, or the big bump to the orrisroot (or some magic alchemical combination of the two), the soaps, while still smelling strongly like spice cookies, now have an oddly-unfamiliar-but-fascinating scent profile, similar to what I found happened when I made the lip pomatum. There's no good reason why this should make me believe that I've come closer to a "real" recipe, but the feeling is there nonetheless -- and it's definitely interesting.

Finally, and because the flat sides of these soaps looked too innocent, too pure, I decided to try that octopus stamp again. For future reference, stamping immediately after making these? Not a great idea. The soap stuck to the stamp like a motherfucker, and so a lot of detail was lost. But regardless--

Figure 11. Spice cookie kraken soap cakes, holy shit.

And now, I actually do have to wait a few days before I can try them out, or they'll fall the fuck to pieces. Keep watch for mini-updates, though, as I check out how they dry and probably do more unfortunate stamp experiments on them.

[zeedpantry1]

Buy Lavender infused olive oil – ZEED

Indulge in the soothing essence of lavender with our meticulously crafted lavender-infused olive oil. Perfect for culinary delights or self-care rituals, this aromatic infusion adds a touch of floral elegance to your dishes or skincare routine. Elevate your senses and experience the calming properties of lavender in every drop of our premium olive oil infusion.

[searenbound]

You gonna drop the potion recipe or…

You’ll need a few things first so items list

A thick metal pitcher or bowl with pouring spout+ spoon to stir

Reusable teabags

Olive oil

Coconut oil

Avocado oil

I use these essential oils but they are optional and customizable based on your preference: rosemary, lavender, lemongrass, ginger, frankincense, and tea tree oils

Dried rosemary and peppermint/tea infuser

Oatmeal

Rice

Beeswax

Baby shampoo(I use Johnson’s but that’s optional, all that matters is it’s a gentle cleanser)

About 32 ounces of water(I use bottled water but once again it’s optional)

Measuring spoons

Cheesecloth and funnel/strainer to filter

Something large enough to hold the mixture,

A spray bottle(s)

Let’s make our base

You’ll need 1 tbs oatmeal and 1 teaspoons each of the rosemary and mint inside your infuser method of choice.

Place in pot with a cup of water and bring it to a rolling boil then let sit to steep

While boiling/steeping your oat mixture, you can make your rice water

Measure out a cup of rice and wash with clean water 3-4 times until no longer cloudy, the last wash is what you’ll keep

You’ll need at least a cup of this rice water and can do as you please with the access if you have any

Now you combine both mixtures, this is your base for the rest of the conditioner spray

Adding the oils and beeswax

Add your base and a cup of plain water into the pitcher on medium high heat

Add 2 teaspoons of each of olive, avocado and coconut oils

1 1/2 teaspoons of beeswax

3 tablespoons of baby shampoo

Mix until fully incorporated, you’ll know once your wax is fully melted.

Take off heat and mix in 1/4 teaspoons each of your essential oils if you’re using any

Straining

Since we’re using wax and oils in this you’ll have to strain the mixture to filter out the excess oils that didn’t dissolve into the mixture

Take your second container and place the funnel/strainer over it and place the cheesecloth in the funnel/strainer

Pour slowly and take brakes between pours to prevent spills

Once all poured move the funnel/strainer and cheesecloth to the original container or a third container and filter a second time

Repeat at least 2 more times or however many times you feel necessary

Now you can finally bottle it and use how you please, I use it to condition and detangle my hair as well as a toner and makeup remover

[esoteric-chaos]

What are Infused Oils?

What are they?

Infused oils are herbal components or spices placed in a jar of carrier oil like Olive Oil, Grapeseed Oil, Avacado Oil, Jojoba Oil, Coconut Oil, etc. Can be used in cooking, herbal ailments and skincare.

Are they essential oils?

No. Short answer, no. Long answer? I'll give you an explanation. Essential oils are distilled using Steam Distillation, Solvent Extraction, CO2 Extraction, Maceration, Enfleurage, Cold Press Extraction, and or Water Distillation. Lotta words huh? It takes a lot of work to make essential oils. Unfortunately, it also takes quite a bit of that plant to make even those tiny 10ml bottles you purchase. Of course, each plant varies. However, it still can lead to a larger environmental impact.

For instance, one pound of essential oil can be extracted from approximately 250 pounds of rosemary leaves, or from 150 pounds of lavender buds, or say 50 pounds of eucalyptus leaves. This is why you see some as more expensive than others. Unfortunately, you can see where the problem lies in plants that are more threatened or endangered. If you must use essential oils, source responsibly (and not from a Pyramid scheme but I'm not opening that can of worms)

Can I use infused oils in my practice?

Yes! Absolutely! All these oil recipes you see for spell oils are exactly that. You can even use the elemental correspondences of the carrier oils you use for spell oils. As an example Olive Oil is traditionally known for the fire element and Coconut Oil is water. The possibilities for your personal correspondence are endless!

Now I'll stop rambling. Here are a few methods I learned to infuse oils in my courses and through self-herbalist study.

Method One:

The Folk Method - The most common

Directions

Place DRIED herbs in a clean, dry jar. Leave at least 1 to 3 inches of open space above your herbs to cover with oil.

Fill the remaining space in the jar with the oil of your choice, making sure to cover herbs by at least 1 inch or more. If the herbs emerge above the surface of the oil at any point while infusing, pour more oil on top to ensure the herbs remain covered.

Cap the jar tightly and shake well.

Place the jar in a sunny, warm windowsill and shake once or more per day.

After 2 to 3 weeks, strain the herbs out of the oil using cheesecloth or a mesh strainer. Or you can leave it in but straining is recommended if you are using dropper bottles as it clogs the caps.

Pour into clean glass bottles.

Remember to label your jars with the date, type of oil, and herbs used! You WILL forget! Trust me.

Store in a cool, dark place. The oil may keep for up to a year.

Method Two:

The Heat Infused Method - Quick Infusion

Directions

Place herbs in the crock pot or double boiler. Cover with extra virgin olive oil (or other carrier oil of choice), leaving at least an inch or two of oil above the herbs. 

Gently heat the herbs over very low heat (preferably between 100° and 140° F for 1 to 5 hours, until the oil takes on the colour and scent of the herb. Some recommend heating the oil for 48 to 72 hours at a controlled temperature of 100° F. Turn off the heat and allow it to cool. I personally prefer letting it sit in a crock pot for 72 hours as I feel like I get all of the benefits out of the herb.

Once oil is cooled, strain using cheesecloth.

Bottle in dry, sterilized glass bottles. LABEL your bottles with the date and contents before storing them.

Store in a cool, dark, dry place for up to six months.

Best herbs to infuse in oil

There are a countless number of herbs, spices and resins that can be infused into the oil. Please make sure these herbs are free from pesticides and chemicals (not found on the roadside). Dried herbs work best as you don't want your mixture spoiling sooner. Here are some great examples of herbs to use.

Pine needles

Calendula flowers

Chamomile flowers

Lavender

Lemon balm

Peppermint leaf

Rosemary leaf

Thyme leaf

There you have it! Now have fun and source responsibility.

Happy witching!

Want to read more?

On sustainability and impact:

Links:

Dangers of essential oils and pets:

Link:

Want to check out my other post? Look at my Masterpost

[miz-orque]

Lavender infused olive oil? I don't hate it, but...i don't think it works lol

[sappy-witch]

🌿🔮 Homemade Magical Infused Oils 🔮🌿

Hello lovelies 🥰

Today, I wanted to share with you how to make your own magical infused oils. Not only are they fun to make, but they can also add a touch of magic to your rituals and spells.

Ingredients:

A glass jar with a tight-fitting lid.

Carrier oil (such as olive oil, coconut oil, or almond oil).

Your preferred magical herbs, flowers, or crystals.

A small funnel.

Magical Properties:

Carrier oils: these represent the element of earth and can be used to ground and stabilize energy.

Herbs and flowers: these have a wide range of magical properties depending on the type and can be used for various spells and rituals.

Crystals: these can enhance the energy of the oil and be used for specific intentions.

Here are some magical herbs, flowers, and crystals you can use:

Lavender: peace, relaxation, purification

Rosemary: protection, clarity, memory

Chamomile: calming, sleep, luck

Sage: cleansing, wisdom, healing

Calendula: abundance, happiness, divination

Amethyst: intuition, protection, peace

Citrine: prosperity, abundance, creativity

Clear quartz: amplification, clarity, manifestation

Instructions:

Cleanse your glass jar and funnel with salt water or a cleansing herb like sage or palo santo.

Fill your jar about 3/4 of the way with your carrier oil.

Add your chosen herbs, flowers, or crystals to the jar using the small funnel. You can use one type of herb or a combination of several.

Once you've added all of your ingredients, seal the jar tightly and give it a good shake to mix everything together.

Place the jar in a cool, dark place for 1-2 weeks to allow the magic to infuse into the oil.

After 1-2 weeks, strain the oil through a cheesecloth or fine-mesh strainer into a clean jar or bottle. Your magical infused oil is now ready to use!

I love using these oils for anointing candles, adding to bathwater, and even using in my skincare routine. The possibilities are endless 🥰✨

I hope this inspires you to start making your own magical infused oils and get creative with different herbs, flowers, and crystals. Let me know if you've ever made your own magical oils before, I’d love to hear about your process!

————

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With love, from a Sappy Witch 🔮💕

Blessed be. 🕊✨