Day 35-44 Days of Witchery-Something that I think people who don’t know much about paganism/witchcraft should know.

Samhuinn 2009 ancestral altar

Many of us who are pagan, are not wiccan, we are not the stereotypical *witch*, pagan or whatever.  Not all of us go around wearing big assed pentacles the size of a dinner plate (we have a guy in town who does this).  Appearances are often very deceiving.   I find my spiritual path to be VERY personal.  I am not in the closet, per se, however as a mother I am guarded and careful who knows what about me.  I live my spirituality so people who get to know me eventually discover this about me on their own.  This is the case for many pagans, I've found.  We are from all walks of life, I'd like to say we are no different from non-pagans however I don't often see that.  Having lived in the Christian and non-Christian worlds I have witnessed more loving, generous,thoughtful acts from pagans who frequently act with more respect than most christians I come across.  They honor the divine in themselves, their world and the earth far more consistently than I see from any others.  We tend to not be a one day a week pagan, we walk our walks and talk our talks.

This post is part of the 44 Days of Witchery

Day 31-31 Days of Samhuinn Cooking-Spiced Apples

We have half a bushel of apples left from our apple picking adventures. What better than sweet, flavorful and gooey apples to top waffles, pancakes, ice cream, pork chops, roast, chicken, turkey, whatever you can think of.  I have been poking about here and there trying to find a good recipe for spiced apples and have come up empty.  So I have come up with my own combo using the last of the apples.  The ratios are probably a bit off, I'm working with nearly 2 dozen apples of varying sizes. We'll be canning our spiced apples as soon as they are ready.

Spiced Apples

6-8 apples, peeled, cored and sliced 1-1 1/2in thick
1 cup apple cider
1/2 cup demarera sugar (or brown sugar)
1-2 tsp cornstarch (mixed with the cold apple cider)
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp ground cloves
pinch of sea salt

Over medium high heat bring apple cider/cornstarch mixture nearly to a boil. Reduce heat and add apples, sugar and spices. Cover and let simmer until apples are soft and liquid has thickened.


~Stephanie Lowell-Libby

31 Days of Samhuinn Cooking!

Day 30-31 Days of Samhuinn Cooking-Pumpkin Pasties

Our surprise 13 1/2 inches of snow that fell this weekend has put a wrench in my to do list so I am behind on my Samhuinn preparations.  However, we enjoyed making a snow witch yesterday and enjoyed a family gathering. Hoping to get our pumpkins carved this afternoon and thankfully our city has not cancelled trick or treating tonight so Pixie can go experience her first ToT in snow. 


So my Day 30 entry for the 31 Days of Samhuinn Cooking is a fun one on my "to try" list.  Possibly for Pixie's 13th birthday party next October as she loves Harry Potter....and pumpkin.


Pumpkin Pasties

Makes about 3 dozen miniature pasties.

2 eggs, slightly beaten
3/4 cup sugar
1 1 lb. can pumpkin
(or 2 cups fresh, roasted in the oven then pressed
through a strainer to save your Pumpkin Juice to drink!)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. cloves
1 2/3 cups evap. milk (1 can)
1/2 tsp. allspice
9 oz pie crust pastry (enough for two single standard pie crusts)

Bake the pie filling only (no crust) in a large casserole dish in hot oven (425 degrees) for 15 minutes. Keep oven door closed and reduce temp to moderate (350 degrees F/180 degrees Celsius) and continue baking for 45 minutes or until table knife inserted in center of dish comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.

Make or purchase pie crust pastry. Roll thin and cut into circles approx 4" in diameter. Put a spoonful of the cool pumpkin mixture towards one side of the center of the circle. Fold over the crust into a half-circle and firmly crimp the edges closed. Slice three small slits in the top for venting, place on a greased cookie sheet, and bake only until crust is a light golden-brown.

www.britta.com/hogwarts/recipes.html

31 Days of Samhuinn Cooking!

Day 34-44 Days of Witchery-Rune of your choice.

This piece was made by my friend Dawn years back when she first started her journey to polymer artist.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/intothedawn
http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/studio/intothedawn





Laguz - “Log-uhz” – Literally: “Water” or Ocean – Esoteric: Unconscious, Collective Memory

Rune of the unconscious context of becoming or the evolutionary process. Rune of Life’s longing for itself.

Psi: emotion, psychic powers, unconscious mental processes, love, dreaming

Energy: life energy, ocean spirit, origins of life, collective unconscious, the astral plane, love as unity, evolution

Mundane: water, imagination, occultism, dreams

Divinations: Life, passing a test, sea of vitality and of the unconscious growth, memory, dreams; or fear, circular motion, avoidance, withering, depression, manipulations, emotional blackmail, lack of moral fiber, fantasy, poison, toxicity

Governs:
Transpersonal powers
Mastery of emotion in order to shape wyrd
Guidance through difficult initiatory tests, ie. initiation into life
Increase in vitality and life force
Communication between your conscious mind to another’s unconscious mind
Development of ‘second sight’ or prophetic wisdom
All powers of dreaming (lucid dreams, astral projection)

from: runesecrets.com/rune-meanings/laguz

This post is part of the 44 days of Witchery

Day 29-31 Days of Samhuinn Cooking-Avocado Goat Cheese Dip

Getting today's recipe in under the wire.  We spent the afternoon at a Witches Tea Party, so much fun with free mini classes, readings, lots of witchy folk, and delicious food and herbal tea blends.  There was this dip there that I could not stop heading back for.  It was some sort of cheesy-guac combo so I'm on the search for recipes to try until I get the right flavor.  The following is the one that looks most interesting so far, especially considering we are lactose intolerant and love our goat cheese!  I find this fits in with my Samhuinn collection of recipes because I can see this as a *slime* themed appetizer at a Hallowe'en party, with finger shaped crackers!


Avocado Goat Cheese Dip with Whole-Wheat Pita Chips

1 package whole-wheat pita chips (cut into 6 triangles each)
3 ripe avocados, peeled pitted and cut into chunks
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more, if needed
3 tablespoons lime juice
4 ounces cream cheese
4 ounces goat cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread pita triangles on a sheet tray. Bake in the oven until crisp and slightly toasted. Chips will need to be rotated twice while baking.

In a bowl combine avocados, garlic, cumin and salt. Use an electric hand mixer to mix ingredients together. Add lime juice, cream cheese and goat cheese pulsing until smooth and blended well. Add a bit more salt, if necessary.


Serves:
2 to 3 cups

Recipe courtesy Libbie Summers

31 Days of Samhuinn Cooking!

Day 33-44 Days of Witchery-Faerie of your choice.

I have no idea what to call it, Dryad, Sidhe Draoi, who knows.   However, six or seven years ago when I lived in western NH, deep in the boonies.  I was living in an amazing area-earth and water were in abundance as I lived in the mountains that was home to the watersheds for three large rivers.  The energy here was amazing and the land welcomed Pixie and I with open arms.  It was here I saw my first *faerie*, a nature spirit that ran by me while I was out hanging laundry one early June afternoon.  Movement out of the corner of my eye caught my attention and I turned to see this being about 2 1/2-3ft tall and it sprinted past me from a grouping up saplings and out past a large pine tree. *Her* (I felt a feminine presence to it) hair was leaves, with a brown/coppery hue to them and she was thin and delicate, with limbs that were proportionately longer than a human form would have.  They also had more of a branch like look to them.  The figure skipped/ran past me.  there were no trees or bushes to obscure my vision, it was all open and the ground dappled with sunlight and I stood there staring.  Minutes passed by and I just stood there, in shock, questioning my sanity, confirming I had not been drinking or taking any drugs (I didn't drink then even socially when Pixie was small).  It took several minutes to absorb what I had just seen and months of searching imagery to try and relate what I saw.  I cannot draw or paint to save my life so I've never been able to fully capture what I saw, or even identify it.  It was this time I really became connected and enamoured by nature spirits. 

We were so connected to the hum and rhythm there and when it came time to leave we sadly said goodbye and gave our love and thanks for the welcome we received.  When I returned a year later, to collect garden plants I was unable to take with me the year before, the energy was no longer there.  It was empty, bleak and remote.  As if whomever was there to welcome me four years earlier and moved on.

This post is part of the 44 Days of Witchery

Day 28-31 Days of Samhuinn Cooking-Cream of Roasted Garlic Soup

While visiting my grandfather and his families hometown of Wiscasset, Maine I ate at a local restaurant there that served cream of roast garlic soup.  It was the BEST soup I have ever tasted.  That was about 20 years ago and a longtime search led me to this recipe several years back.


Cream of Roasted Garlic Soup

2 med heads fresh garlic
Olive oil
1/2 c onion, finely chopped
2 TB unsalted butter
1 1/2 c buttermilk
1/2 c cream
2 small potatoes, baked, skins removed
2 tb cognac
1/8 ts fresh dill
Salt to taste

Place garlic heads on cookie sheet, sprinkle with olive oil and bake in 350-degree oven for 1 hour. Let cool. Cut off end of each clove and squeeze out contents. (Garlic will be soft and creamy.) Set aside.

Saute chopped onion in butter until softened. Add buttermilk and cream and simmer for 5 minutes. Pour mixture into a food processor. Rice potato and add with garlic to onion and buttermilk mixture. Puree until smooth. Return mixture to saute pan. Add cognac, dill and salt. Heat thoroughly. If soup is too thin, add additional potato. If soup is too thick, add additional buttermilk. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: unknown

31 Days of Samhuinn Cooking!