#winged sumac

[whatnext10]

Winter Solstice is a Beautiful Time in Florida

Solstice Sumac Many people consider the period around the winter solstice to be a beautiful time of the year. They have fresh snow (or the hope of fresh snow) on the ground and covering the trees and shrubs. But down in central Florida, we don’t get snow but it is cool enough to keep our colorful wildflowers from growing and our grasses and tree leaves from being green. It tends to be a rather…

[piesbitch]

winged sumac

[rjalker]

saddest thing ever.

Someone had what was clearly a giant, fruiting winged sumac growing and chopped it down :(

[ID: Two photos of a white hand holding a compound leaf from a winged sumac plant. The leaf is very long, with long, skinny leaflets with smooth edges. The tops of the leaves are dark green, and paler green on the bottom with some fuzziness on the stem. Along the top side of the stem are thinner leaf-like surfaces where it gets the name "Winged" sumac from. End Id.]

I got a big section of stem, so maybe I'll be able to clone it?

Also got some dried clusters of berries so might actually get to save seeds.

The berries of this species are used to make a drink by steeping the berries in water to make a fruity "sumac-aid" (a pun on lemonaid).

Haven't tried it yet because for some reason last year I had identified this one correctly somehow thought this one was poisonous...but no that's a completely different one that looks completely different. I've got not clue how I managed that.

Maybe I was mixed up because the ones in PA weren't edible...

also dyslexia strikes again. This is Rhus copallinum. I was saying copanellium.

Also called shining sumac. But winged sumac is more descriptive.

[goosehadfood]

My oc Sumac. She is my baby and I love her forever. She is based of my favorite shrub ever Staghorn Sumac. Sumac is really cool cuz you can make a lemonade out of its fruit and it is very tasty. While Staghorn Sumac is not poisonous there are many poisonous variations so please be careful around them. That is why I am unsure if I should make her a Sapwing or a Poisonwing. The only likes gardening and hates any other creatures

Additional photo:

[lilybug-02]

Texas Winter 2023 🌧️

The Common Clover, Smooth Sumac, and various succulents and cacti my dogs photobombed.

The Smooth Sumac is one one of the most vibrant, fall colored shrubs I have ever seen. In a sea of brown and green it is a mini sunset bursting to life.

[breelandwalker]

Magical Oil Recipes - Glamour Edition

For anyone looking to brew up some magic related to glamours, confidence, physical appearance, or eloquence, here are some recipes I’ve created that you might find useful.

To prepare them, blend the ingredients in such proportions as feels correct for your purposes (or as supplies allow). Use dried material except where indicated. Place a few spoonfuls in a mason jar with a screwtop lid and fill the jar with a bland oil of your choice. (Vegetable oil of the sort you would buy for cooking works fine.) Screw the lid on tightly and shake well to combine, then leave the jar in a dark dry place for 2-4 weeks to steep.

Once steeped, prepare a clean storage bottle (also with a secure lid) and label with the type of oil and the bottling date. Strain the oil through paper towels or cheesecloth to remove the plant material, then bottle immediately. Store away from sunlight and heat for up to one year. Use for spellwork as you see fit.

(Please note that NONE of these potions are meant to be taken internally by any means. Observe all proper safety measures related to glass, fire, and potentially harmful plants as necessary during preparation.)

*- Ingredient is potentially harmful if inhaled or ingested. **- Ingredient should not be used or handled if you are pregnant or nursing.

Belle of the Ball Beauty Oil For beauty glamours.

Orange Peel

Magnolia Petal

Maidenhair Fern

Primrose Blossoms**

Brand New Me Transformation Oil For self-improvement, physical changes, or personal growth.

Fennel

Lady's Mantle**

Pine Needles

Geranium Essential Oil Note: If your personal journey includes adjusting to a change in gender or sexuality, add a few Persimmon seeds to the mix.

Honeytongue Eloquence Oil For verbal persuasion and effective speech.

Honeysuckle

Orris Root

Licorice Root

Marshmallow Root** Note: Do not consume.

Increase the Thing Empowerment Oil For self-empowerment and glamours pertaining thereto.

Petunia Petals

Bergamot

Lemon Verbena

Sunflower Petals

It Wasn't Me Diversion Oil For diverting suspicion from yourself or your actions.

Dogbane (Black Hemp)

Cherry Bark

Blueberry Leaves

Marshmallow Root**

Lionheart Courage Oil For bravery and confidence spells.

Black Tea Leaves

Bay Leaf

Cedar Tips

Thyme Sprigs

Own the Runway Confidence Oil For supreme confidence.

Yarrow**

Sumac Berries

Ginger Root, Fresh

Pass Unseen Stealth Oil For perceived invisibility glamours.

Cherry Bark or Blossoms

Poppy Seeds**

Devil's Shoestring**

Dogwood Blossoms (if available)

Tearoom Forbearance Oil For when you need to keep your temper…no matter what.

Tea Leaves

Meadowsweet**

Echinacea**

Fir Balsam Essential Oil

Should the reader require supplies, I recommend the following:

Penn Herb Company

Starwest Botanicals

Bulk Apothecary

Mountain Rose Herbs

Specialty Bottle

Photo Credit - VeraPetruk

All recipes are © 2017 Bree NicGarran, published in Pestlework: A Book of Magical Powders & Oils. Please check out the book if you would like more recipes.

If you’re enjoying my content, please feel free to drop a little something in the tip jar, tune in to my podcast Hex Positive, or check out my published works on Amazon or in the Willow Wings Witch Shop.

[bunny-claws]

common toxic plants

this is not a complete list by any means, but these commonly noted plants, herbs, and flowers should be handled with care or avoided altogether. 

aconite (wolfsbane, monkshood) - all parts: dermatoxic, hepatotoxic, and neurotoxic

adam and eve (jack-in-the-pulpit, wild arum) - root: dermatoxic and gastrotoxic if ingested

african sumac - leaves: dermatoxic; possibly fatal

agave - juice: dermatoxic  

angel’s trumpet - all parts: cardiotoxic; often fatal

apple - seeds: cytotoxic in large doses

apricot - leaves and seeds: cytotoxic in large doses

arnica - gastrotoxic 

asparagus - berries: dermatoxic and gastrotoxic if ingested

azalea - all parts: cytotoxic and neurotoxic; rarely fatal

betel nut palm (pinyang) - all parts: gastrotoxic if ingested

bittersweet nightshade - all parts: neurotoxic and gastrotoxic; rarely fatal

black hellebore - all parts: cardiotoxic and gastrotoxic; possibly fatal

black locust (false acacia) - root bark and flowers: gastrotoxic

black nightshade - all parts except ripe fruit: neurotoxic and gastrotoxic; possibly fatal

bleeding heart - leaves and roots: neurotoxic

bloodroot - rhizomes: cytotoxic

blue passion flower (common passion flower) - leaves: cytotoxic

bracken - all parts: carcinogenic

buttercup - all parts: gastrotoxic and dermatoxic 

calabar bean (ordeal beans) - seeds: neurotoxic and gastrotoxic if ingested in large doses

cassava - leaves and roots: cytotoxic in large doses

castor bean (castor oil plant) - seeds:cytotoxic if ingested or inhaled

celandine - nephrotoxic 

cherry - leaves and seeds: cytotoxic in large doses

christmas rose - all parts: gastrotoxic

cocklebur - seedlings and seeds: gastrotoxic and neurotoxic

columbine - seeds and roots: cardiotoxic; easily fatal

corn lily (false hellebore) - all parts: cardiotoxic; often fatal

cowbane (water hemlock, snakeweed) - root: neurotoxic if ingested

daffodil - bulbs and stems: gastrotoxic; possibly fatal

datura/moonflower - all parts: gastrotoxic and cardiotoxic

deadly nightshade (belladonna) - all parts: cardiotoxic and neurotoxic; often fatal

desert rose (sabi star, kudu) - sap: cardiotoxic with skin contact

dumbcane - all parts: dermatoxic; possibly fatal

elder (elderberry) - root: gastrotoxic

elephant ear (angel wings) - all parts: dermatoxic and gastrotoxic

ergot - neurotoxic 

foxglove - leaves, seeds, and flowers: cardiotoxic; often fatal

garlic - all parts: gastrotoxic in animals

giant hogweed - all parts: dermatoxic

golden chain - all parts, especially seeds: neurotoxic and gastrotoxic; possibly fatal

goldenseal - all parts: gastrotoxic and neurotoxic in large doses

grapes/raisins - all parts: gastrotoxic in dogs

greater celandine - all parts: gastrotoxic in large doses

hemlock (spotted cowbane, poison snakeweed) - all parts: neurotoxic; possibly fatal

hemlock water dropwort - roots: neurotoxic if ingested; possibly fatal

henbane - all parts: neurotoxic and cardiotoxic

holly - berries: gastrotoxic

honeybush - all parts: gastrotoxic

honeysuckle - berries: gastrotoxic in mild cases and cardiotoxic in severe cases

horse chestnut - all parts: neurotoxic

hyacinth - bulbs: gastrotoxic and neurotoxic; possibly fatal

iris - rhizomes: gastrotoxic and dermatoxic 

kava kava - nephrotoxic, hepatotoxic 

kidney bean - raw: gastrotoxic

larkspur - young plants and seeds: neurotoxic; often fatal

lemon - oil: dermatoxic and gastrotoxic to animals  

lily - all parts: nephrotoxic

lily of the nile (calla lily) - all parts: dermatoxic and gastrotoxic if ingested; possibly fatal

lily of the valley - all parts: cardiotoxic; possibly fatal

lima beans - raw: gastrotoxic

lime - oil: dermatoxic and gastrotoxic in animals

lobelia - all parts: gastrotoxic 

mandrake - roots and leaves: gastrotoxic and neurotoxic

mango - peel and sap: dermatoxic

mangrove - bark and sap: dermatoxic and eye irritation

mayapple - all green parts and unripe fruit: gastrotoxic

meadow saffron (autumn crocus) - bulbs: gastrotoxic; possibly fatal

mistletoe - leaves and berries: gastrotoxic, cardiotoxic, and neurotoxic; rarely lethal in adults

moonseed - fruits and seeds: gastrotoxic; often fatal

mountain laurel - all green parts: gastrotoxic

nutmeg - raw: psychoactive in large doses

oak - leaves and acorns: gastrotoxic; rarely fatal

odollam tree (suicide tree) - seeds: cardiotoxic; often fatal

oleander - all parts: dermatoxic, cardiotoxic, and gastrotoxic; possibly fatal

onions - all parts: gastrotoxic in animals

orange - oil: dermatoxic and gastrotoxic in animals

peach - seeds and leaves: cytotoxic in large doses

periwinkle (vinca) - all parts: neurotoxic and potentially fatal

pokeweed - leaves, berries, and roots: gastrotoxic; often fatal

poison ivy/oak/sumac - all parts, especially leaves: dermatoxic; possibly fatal

poison ryegrass (darnel) - seeds: neurotoxic

potato - raw: cytotoxic

privet - berries and leaves: neurotoxic and gastrotoxic; possibly fatal

ragwort - all parts: hepatotoxic

redoul - all parts: gastrotoxic, neurotoxic, and causes respiratory issues; can be fatal in children

rhubarb - leaves: nephrotoxic

rosary pea - seeds: neurotoxic and gastrotoxic; often fatal

skullcap - hepatotoxic

spindle (spindle tree) - fruit: hepatotoxic and nephrotoxic; possibly fatal  

stinging tree (gympie gympie) - bark and sap: dermatoxic; sometimes fatal

strychnine tree - seeds: neurotoxic; often fatal

sweet pea - seeds: neurotoxic and damaging to connective tissues

tomato - leaves and stems: cytotoxic in large doses

uva ursi - neurotoxic, dermatoxic 

white baneberry (doll’s eyes) - all parts, especially berries: cardiotoxic; possibly fatal

white snakeroot - all parts: gastrotoxic; often fatal

winter cherry (jerusalem cherry) - all parts, especially berries: gastrotoxic; occasionally fatal, especially to children

wisteria - gastrotoxic

yew (english yew, common yew) - leaves and seeds: gastrotoxic if ingested and respiratory issues if inhaled

glossary:  carcinogenic - a substance that can cause cancer cardiotoxic - toxic to the heart cytotoxic - toxic to living cells dermatoxic - toxic to the skin gastrotoxic - toxic to the gastrointestinal system (stomach, intestines, etc.) hepatotoxic - toxic to the liver nephrotoxic - toxic to the kidneys and urological system (ureters, bladder) neurotoxic - toxic to the neurological system (brain, nerves, brainstem, spinal cord, etc.) psychoactive - pertaining to substances that change brain function and result in alterations in perception, mood, or consciousness

© 2025 bunny-claws

[thechurchofsplatterdaysaints]

October road trips are pretty unparalleled tbh. Found a Jesus that matches my Mary and even with frame damage it was a magnificent steal. Had some shit weather towards the end but it was a much needed get-the-fuck-outta-Dodge.

Working on pics and cooking. Chicken stock, air fryer wing rub experiments, arrabiata for weekend, choco/pb no bake cookies, sumac rice, tzatziki, toum, hummus and all the mf fresh herbs & veg money can buy. Watermelon radishes never been bought(en) so fast. ydek

Gone exactly long enough to feel snuggled by jake brakes and the nonsensical chattering from random packs of wild Jennifers. It won't last but I'll enjoy it til I can't. Missed you fuckers. 308's main though! Thunderstorm rolling in at night with Halloween around the corner? I'll have it, thanks.

Time for a few beers and something scary. Maybe some hits. S'mores w/ a torch. (ok, dabs)

[rustbeltjessie]

This is where we learned love and where we learned depth and where we learned layers and where we learned connections between layers. We learned and we loved the black sandshell, the ash, the american bittern, the harelip sucker, the yellow bullhead, the beech, the great blue heron, the dobsonfly larva, the water penny larva, the birch, the redhead, the white catspaw, the elephant ear, the buckeye, the king eider, the river darter, the sauger, the burning bush, the common merganser, the limpet, the mayfly nymph, the cedar, the turkey vulture, the spectacle case, the flat floater, the cherry, the red tailed hawk, the longnose gar, the brook trout, the chestnut, the killdeer, the river snail, the giant floater, the chokeberry, gray catbird, the rabbitsfoot, the slenderhead darter, the crabapple, the american robin, the creek chub, the stonefly nymph, the dogwood, the warbling vireo, the sow bug, the elktoe, the elm, the marsh wren, the monkeyface, the central mudminnow, the fir, the gray-cheeked thrush, the white bass, the predaceous diving beetle, the hawthorn, the scud, the salamander mussel, the hazelnut, the warbler, the mapleleaf, the american eel, the hemlock, the speckled chub, the whirligig beetle larva, the hickory, the sparrow, the caddisfly larva, the fluted shell, the horse chestnut, the wartyback, the white heelsplitter, the larch, the pine grosbeak, the brook stickleback, the river redhorse, the locust, the ebonyshelf, the giant water bug, the maple, the eastern phoebe, the white sucker, the creek heelsplitter, the mulberry, the crane fly larva, the mountain madtom, the oak, the bank swallow, the wabash pigtoe, the damselfly larva, the pine, the stonecat, the kidneyshell, the plum, the midge larva, the eastern sand darter, the rose, the purple wartyback, the narrow-winged damselfly, the spruce, the pirate perch, the threehorn wartyback, the sumac, the black fly larva, the redside dace, the tree-of-heaven, the orange-foot pimpleback, the dragonfly larva, the walnut, the gold fish, the butterfly, the striped fly larva, the willow, the freshwater drum, the ohio pigtoe, the warmouth, the mayfly nymph, the clubshell. And this was just the beginning of the list. Our hearts took on many things. Our hearts took on new shapes, new shapes every day as we went to the stream every day. Our hearts took on the shape of well-defined riffles and pools, clean substrates, woody debris, meandering channels, floodplains, and mature streamside forests. Our hearts took on the shape of the stream and became riffled and calmed and muddy and clean and flooded and shrunken dry. Our hearts took on the shape of whirligigs swirling across the water. We shaped our hearts into the sycamore trees along the side of the stream and we let into our hearts the long pendulous polygamous racemes of its small green flowers, the first-formed male flowers with no pistil and then the later arriving hairy ovary with its two curved stigmas. We let ourselves love the one day of the adult life of the mayfly as it warms, mates in flight, and dies all without eating. And we shaped our hearts into the water willow and into the eggs spawned in the water willow. Our hearts took on the brilliant blues, reds, and oranges of breeding male rainbow darter and our hearts swam to the female rainbow darter and we poked her side with our snout as she buried herself under the gravel and we laid upon her as she vibrated. We let leaves and algae into our hearts and then we let the mollusks and the insects and we let the midge larvae into our heart and then the stonefly nymph and then a minnow came into our heart and with it a bass and then we let the blue heron fly in, the raccoon amble by, the snapping turtle and the watersnake also. We immersed ourselves in the shallow stream. We lied down on the rocks on our narrow pillow stone and let the water pass over us and our heart was bathed in glochida and other things that attach to the flesh. And as we did this we sang.

—Juliana Spahr, from “Gentle Now, Don’t Add to Heartache” (x)

[whatnext10]

Beautiful Winged Sumac is Currently in Full Bloom

Beautiful Winged Sumac is Currently in Full Bloom shows readers one of Florida’s earliest fall wildflowers. It explains a bit about their blooming cycle and how attractive they are to pollinators.

Star of Sumac On my last trip out to Gothe State Forest the winged sumac (Rhus copallinum) was blooming everywhere. It’s one of our earliest fall wildflowers and is very impressive when in full bloom. Each plant has multiple stalks and each stalk has hundreds of small yellow and red flowers and light green buds in clusters. The flowers are very short lived, but all of the buds don’t open at…

[breeyn]

Black Viscount Moth - usually called the bat moth, scientific name Gothica morsus cranii

Indigenous to the Americas, the Black Viscount is found in mid-growth wooded areas, primarily feeding on nectar and sumac. They are very large - they can get up to fifteen inches in length. Despite the similarities in wing shape, they are not closely related to Luna moths.

They do not share the fame and sinister reputation of Deathshead hawk moths, being far less widely known outside entomology circles - which is unfortunate for humans, as bat moths are far more deadly. Deathsheads are quite gentle and are only legendary harbingers of doom because of their markings and squeaks. Unlike most other moth species, bat moths can be aggressive if threatened and cause severe reactions in humans. Just brief contact with the tails can cause dizziness and disorientation, and contact with the full wings can often result in nausea and vomiting. Adult moths do not have mouths - they have instead proboscises, used to suck liquid from plants or other sources. The bat moth proboscis is unique - it is rigid and doubles as a defence mechanism. A threatened bat moth can puncture skin with its “fang”, resulting in coma or even death.

They “hibernate” in the winter, and have a lifespan of up to five years. If you see one on a walk, be sure to admire it from afar.

[honey-minded-hivemind]

And rooting itself in final place as number ten of the 🐉Wings of Fire aus names lists are...

The 🌲LeafWings🍂!

The X-Men Members:

• Charles Xavier/Professor Xavier: Xanthium

• Ororo Munroe/Storm: Oleander

• Logan Howlett/Wolverine: Walnut

• Scott Summers/Cyclops: Sumac

• Jean Grey/Marvel Girl/Phoenix: Juniper

• Hank McCoy/Beast: Hawthorn

• Anne-Marie/Rogue: Mahogany

• Remy LeBeau/Gambit: Redwood

• Kitty Pryde/Shadowcat: Pecan

• Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler: Nightshade

• Jubilation Lee/Jubilee: Lily

• Evan Daniels/Spyke: Spruce

• Bobby Drake/Iceman: Mandrake

• Piotr Rasputin/Colossus: Columbine

• Illyana Rasputin/Magik: Iris

• Rahne Sinclair/Wolfsbane: Wolfsbane

• Samuel "Sam" Guthrie/Cannonball: Calla

• Roberto da Costa/Sunspot: Sundew

• Danielle "Dani" Moonstar/Mirage: Mistletoe

• Laura Kinney/Wolverine 2.0: Laurel

•Tabitha "Tabby" Smith/Boom-Boom: Tansy

The Brotherhood:

• Erik Lehnsherr/Magnus/Magneto: Magnolia

• Raven Darkholme/Mystique: Holly

• Victor Creed/Sabretooth: Cedar

• Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver: Poplar

• Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch: Willow

• Mortymer Tonybee/Todd Tolansky/Toad: Sycamore

• Fred "Freddy" Dukes/Blob: Bloodroot

• Lance Alvers/Avalanche: Larkspur

• St. John Allerdyce/Pyro: Pine

(I believe this has grown its' way to the end... but we have one more bud to bloom before this is over, and it is the...)

• Reader/Bby: Ginkgo, Oak, Banyan, Maple, Beech, Palm, Elm, Chestnut, Birch, Hickory, Eucalyptus, Yew, Fir, Ivy, Sumac, Snakeroot, Hellebore, Foxglove, Crocus, Saffron, Poinsettia, Snowdrop, Hyacinth, Azalea...

[sycamorefibers]

Next on the menu 🍽️ is a steaming pot of fresh winged sumac (Rhus copallinum) leaves. I’m using these for the tannin content to prep cotton fabric. Even though I only used a 1:5 leaf:cotton, it turned out a beautiful lemon yellow color.

[violettesiren]

—for Elizabeth Bishop

Tuwee, calls a bird near the house, Tuwee, cries another, downhill in the woods. No wind, early September, beeches and pines,

Sumac aflame, tuwee, tuwee, a question and a faint But definite response, tuwee, tuwee, as if engaged In a conversation expected to continue all afternoon,

Where is?—I’m here?—an upward inflection in Query and in response, a genetic libretto rehearsed Tens of thousands of years beginning to leave its indelible trace,

Clawprint of language, ritual, dense winged seed, Or as someone were slowly buttoning a shirt. I am happy to lie in the grass and listen, as if at the dawn of reason,

To the clear communal command That is flinging creaturely will into existence, Designing itself to desire survival,

Liberty, companionship, Then the bird near me, my bird, stops inquiring, while the other Off in the woods continues calling faintly, but with that upward

Inflection, I’m here, I’m here, I’m here, here, the call opens a path through boughs still clothed By foliage, until it sounds like entreaty, like anxiety, like life

Imitating the pivotal move of Whitman’s "Out of the Cradle," Where the lovebird’s futile song to its absent mate teaches the child Death—which the ocean also whispers—

Death, death, death it softly whispers, Like an old crone bending aside over a cradle, Whitman says, Or the like the teapot in Elizabeth Bishop’s grandmother’s kitchen,

Here at one end of the chain of being, That whistles a song of presence and departure, Creating comfort but also calling for tears.

Birdcall by Alicia Ostriker

[breelandwalker]

Magical Oil Recipes - Buffs and Blessings Edition

For anyone looking to brew up a potion for the purposes of augmentation or blessing, here are some recipes I’ve created that you might find useful.

To prepare them, blend the ingredients in such proportions as feels correct for your purposes (or as supplies allow). Use dried material except where indicated. Place a few spoonfuls in a mason jar with a screwtop lid and fill the jar with a bland oil of your choice. (Vegetable oil of the sort you would buy for cooking works fine.) Screw the lid on tightly and shake well to combine, then leave the jar in a dark dry place for 2-4 weeks to steep.

Once steeped, prepare a clean storage bottle (also with a secure lid) and label with the type of oil and the bottling date. Strain the oil through paper towels or cheesecloth to remove the plant material, then bottle immediately. Store away from sunlight and heat for up to one year. Use for spellwork as you see fit.

(Please note that NONE of these potions are meant to be taken internally by any means. Observe all proper safety measures related to glass, fire, and potentially harmful plants as necessary during preparation.)

*- Ingredient is potentially harmful if inhaled or ingested. **- Ingredient should not be used or handled if you are pregnant or nursing.

All-Purpose Blessing Oil For blessing, purification, and consecration.

Lavender

Sweet Basil

Bay Leaf

Patchouli Note: Use Olive Oil for the base.

Brim With Vim Vitality Oil To restore flagging magical energy and clear post-spell haze.

Tangerine (Satsuma) Peel

Cinnamon Stick

Ginger Root

Vervain

Cauldronkeeper Wisdom Oil To enhance intuition and wisdom.

Hazel (leaves or bark)

Elder (berries or bark)

Sage (any color)

Peach Pit (in master bottle) Note: Peach pits contain a small amount of cyanide, which may be released if the pit is broken down. Exercise caution with the finished oil.

Clear the Way Obstacle Remover Oil For overcoming difficulty and attracting new opportunities.

Dried Sumac Berries

Ginger Root

Sweet Basil

Full Moon Lunar Affinity Oil For augmentation of spells attuned to the lunar cycle.

Willow Bark

Jasmine Flowers

Fennel

Mugwort** Note: Use With Caution.

High Noon Solar Affinity Oil For augmentation of spells attuned to the solar cycle.

Calendula Petals

Chamomile

Bay Leaf

Eyebright Note: Use With Caution.

Golden Fields Prosperity Oil For abundance, good fortune, and general well-being.

Sesame or Pumpkin Seeds

Wheat or Barley Kernels

Orange Peel

Honeysuckle

Get Me Through the Day Endurance Oil For a tiny extra boost on those low-energy days.

Lemon Verbena

White Oak Bark

Rosemary

Echinacea**

Hearthside Home Blessing Oil For a comfortable and harmonious home.

Sweet Basil

Vervain

Pine Needles

Willow Bark

Jack-of-all-Trades Work Enhancement Oil For augmentation of workplace abilities.

Sweet Basil

Meadowsweet**

Borage Flowers

Vanilla Bean

Magical Me Power Boost Oil For augmentation of spellcasting.

Ginger Root

Rosemary

Bergamot

Cedar Tips

Steel Backbone Fortitude Oil For bravery and endurance.

Blue Vervain

Pine Needles

Cedar Tips

Yarrow**

Truthteller Divination Oil For augmentation of divinatory practices.

Evening Primrose**

Hibiscus Flowers

Celery Seeds

Tea Leaves

Watchful Eye Viewing Oil To enhance powers of observation.

Grape Leaf

Lemon Balm

Rosemary

Celery Seed (or dried leaf from stalks) Note: Do not apply to skin around eyes. Do not apply directly to eyeballs either.

Should the reader require supplies, I recommend the following:

Penn Herb Company

Starwest Botanicals

Bulk Apothecary

Mountain Rose Herbs

Specialty Bottle

Image Credit - VeraPetruk

All recipes are © 2017 Bree NicGarran, published in Pestlework: A Book of Magical Powders & Oils. Please check out the book if you would like more recipes.

If you’re enjoying my content, please feel free to drop a little something in the tip jar, tune in to my podcast Hex Positive, or check out my published works on Amazon or in the Willow Wings Witch Shop.

[uncovering-sumac]

Local Spotlight: Amy's Wildlife Watch, by Del Blaushild

Winter is upon us, and for a lot of us that means spending all our time inside. But if you're looking for some outdoor fun instead, today's spotlight is for you! I discovered Amy Olson's wildlife club by a happy accident while researching a reader suggestion. SOME of you have manners and chose to use my blog instead of carving up the local rodent life, and for that I thank you. This request was about Sumac's cute, lively, and chillingly intelligent black squirrels!

Black squirrels are a melanistic subgroup of eastern gray squirrels, thought to develop in cold climates to retain heat and blend into dimly-lit environments. Since the melanistic gene is recessive they're hit hard by hunting and deforestation, but they're observed to be more tolerant of humans than the dominant variant. Sumac's black squirrels definitely fit this description, bravely leaping across our porches and squeezing under our garden fences. No covered vegetable or well-tarped secret is safe from our fuzzy little neighbors. They tend to avoid the lake, sticking to wooded areas or places where they can steal a bite of some human treat. One particular part of the woods seems to be their favorite- the area bordering Amy Olson's home.

Many of you remember Amy from her time chairing the Outdoor Recreation Committee several years ago when she was married to Mayor Richardson. But when I ran into her in the woods this weekend, failing to get a clear shot of a one-eyed squirrel demolishing a Buffalo wing, she was a totally new woman. Amy now leads the town's most popular wildlife-spotting club with grace, wit, and plenty of patience for inept city-dwellers like me. She encourages an environment of kindness and curiosity that makes every member of her club feel welcome. She credits her success to the healing power of nature. "I was going through a really tough time around my divorce," she says, "and I spent a lot of time alone in the woods. It brought me so much peace, and that's when I decided to start the club. It's really helped me reconnect with myself. We're all amateurs here, so we do our best and share whatever knowledge we have. I hope everyone in this town can discover that peace someday."

I think that says it all. If you're curious about nature and want to get started with a friendly community, this is the place. And however your first spotting session goes, just know your pictures can't be any worse than mine.