We don't talk nearly enough about how messed up Metis' story is in the Library of Pseudo-Apollodoros (the source that provides the fullest account of her mythological career) where she is the one who gives Kronos the drug that makes him regurgitate his devoured children (1.2.1) only to be repaid by Zeus with sexual assault and the same fate she saved his siblings from (1.3.6). She really gets screwed over more than most.
It’s been awhile but I’m ready to tackle this project. Follow along to see how I turn this shed into my Hag Hut.
This is the Tarot of the Greek Magical Papyri from Jason Augustus Newsone who was a fellow 2nd Cohort class member in Jack Grayle’s brilliant PGM course. Jason crowd funded this deck and I bought the 100 card deck, which came with a beautiful 150 page book and it’s just a gorgeous labor of love from Jason. The drawings are based on black figure pottery and include talismanic renditions from the PGM. It’s available on Etsy. Just an astonishingly layered deck that was so laboriously researched that I love it more every time I use it. 🖤🖤🖤
The first big herb harvest came early this year, and all the rain this spring meant rampant growth. The mugwort is 6 feet tall right now, the skullcap is aggressively trying to take over, and the yarrow for once is not the most abundant grower in my garden.
My skullcap chose to take over the yarrow and mugwort bed, so I have an abundance to share. If you order anything for the rest of May, I’ll tuck enough into your package to make tincture, tea, or a potion. 🖤
Eastern Red Cedar (Essential Herbs for Witches)
*Notes from the Hekate ritual kits that were released October 23'.
Latin name: Juniperus virginiana
Planet: Sun, Saturn
Element: Fire
Parts used: foliage, wood, essential oil
Astrological Association: Leo
Energy: Masculine
Magical properties: Longevity, protection, preservation, strength, wisdom, perseverance, renewal, transformation, balance, connection to the divine through nature, return of stolen goods, defense.
Healing properties: Fever, cough, skin conditions, respiratory issues
Eastern Red Cedar is not actually a true cedar, it’s a juniper, as its latin name, Juniperus virginiana, indicates. Naturalized in Europe, Asia, and North America, Eastern Red Cedar is present in all temperate regions of the northern hemisphere and stretches into parts of the southern hemisphere. This hardy tree has deep roots and tolerates poor rocky soil, salt, heat, and wind, and is drought tolerant.
Medicinally juniper has been used in bathing, sometimes as a scourge, to alleviate rheumatoid arthritis and to relieve depression symptoms and exhaustion. It’s also been used to heal open wounds. Juniper is warming and pungent and affects the liver and kidneys. Its bitter action stimulates the gallbladder and liver and it aids in digestion. Juniper is also used for respiratory issues, urinary tract infections, and skin ailments like psoriasis and eczema. The warming effect of juniper makes it helpful in breaking fevers. Eastern red cedar is an abortifacient and should not be used by pregnant women.
Juniper berries have been used to flavor food, beer, and notably gin, and in Ireland the unripe berries are tinctured with whiskey and used as a general health tonic.
As for juniper’s use in folklore and witchcraft, around the Mediterranean and Aegean seas, it was planted to protect a home from evil spirits and malicious men. It was sometimes built into a new house as a structural beam or to fill cracks between stone to drive away illness and evil spirits. Branches were hung above doors to repel witches.
Because it is an evergreen, it’s also used in fertility rites and the berries are sometimes used as an aphrodisiac.
Shamans in Siberia burned and inhaled the smoke of juniper to induce trance, and because of its high thujone contain, it can indeed induce altered states. Thujone does build in the liver over time so care should be taken to limit smoke inhalation to occasional use.
Burning juniper as a smudge was common in Native American rituals for purification and to cleanse sacred ritual space. Cherokee natives believed that the wood of this cedar held the spirits of their ancestors. In other native ritual practices, it was believed that messages were sent to the Creator when it was burnt ceremonially.
In Scottish folk magic, juniper is used to ‘sain’ livestock and homes during Beltaine and Samhain. Saining is done by lighting bonfires and driving cattle between them. These fires would be lit from sacred Neid fires and extinguished home fires would be relit with this fire. People also hopped over these fires to rid themselves of negative spirits. Juniper (lubhar beinne) was used, and to a lesser extent, mountain ash or rowan (caorran). The cattle byre was sained, and the lintel over the byre was anointed with wine or human urine. Homes were also sained with burning juniper and “in such quantities to fill the whole house with smoke.” Juniper would have also hung at windows to ward off witches and evil spirits and to rid the house of pests and diseases.
According to Scottish folklore, juniper needed to be harvested in a particular way, like all magical plants. It was pulled by the roots, taking 4 branches between 5 fingers while an incantation was repeated. Today we should probably refrain from yanking bushes from the ground and taking a branch or some berries after asking permission should suffice. The branches can be dried and burned or the berries can be burned on a charcoal disc, or dip the branch into sea salted water and sprinkle a bit on yourself and your magical working space.
While we generally think of juniper as a plant of the Sun, it does have older Saturnian associations perhaps because they are very long lived, but maybe also because of their often gnarled wood and spiky foliage, giving them a dark, ominous aspect. Like both yew and cypress trees, Easter red cedar is common in older cemeteries in the southern united states. This may be because its evergreen leaves have come to symbolize ‘eternal life’, but through the ancient Greeks, we have an association with juniper as a plant of Hekate, perhaps because she led the procession of the dead. Through Hekate, it is also associated with Medea, a Hekatean priestess.
I choose to substitute Eastern red cedar for the yews, cypress, and cedar we traditionally see aligned with Hekate because ERC happens to grow in abundance in my bioregion and has a long history of use in sacred rites across the world. Eastern red cedar is a plant of protection and is excellent for banishing, inspiring courage and strength, purification and release.
Last year was pretty poor for my daturas so when I planted dozens of seeds this winter and only a single one sprouted, I thought this might be the first year in a long time that I would have no plants. I had jars of seeds from Mescalero that were a bit old, and jars of various seed varieties from my own plants, plus a few seed packets from Eimi and I tossed a bunch in a plastic strawberry tray and didn’t feel hopeful. But lo, datura seedlings have sprouted, 125 by my count and I have no idea what varieties I’ve got here.
I made the girls a nursery out of an old display box I made and I’ll know in a week or so which varieties I’ve got. So far I think I’ve got inoxia and wrightii but I’m really hoping for a few metels. If I have lots of survivors, I’ll be building a new bed because I’m out of space and didn’t expect to need to find room for dozens more plants. 🖤
It took me two years to collect my wits enough to make these Gemini candles and only the gods know how much I considered and contemplated, really struggled to try to put a finger on Gemini. My dad was a Gemini and I’ve never known a more complex soul, like all Geminis really. Each time you think you understand this sign, they shapeshift and become a whole new thing altogether. Smartest of all the signs, crazy like a fox, and deviously charming, cheers to all of you delicious, disarming, fascinating Geminis.
I’m working on the description for new Gemini candles today and wanted to share my favorite astrology reference book, Sun Signs. Published in 1968, Linda Goodman was one of Nanny Carlton’s favorite writers on astrology and she used this book in her astrology practice until it was nearly falling apart, and she then passed it on to my mom back in the 80s. My mom passed it on to me when I was in my 20s and it’s been my go to for in-depth sun sign profiles for decades. I don’t know if it’s still in print but if you ever see a copy, don’t pass it up.
Made with calendula and chamomile infused sunflower oil, St. John’s wort, shea butter and tea tree and lavender essential oils, my tattoo butter soothes and helps new tattoos heal and helps keep color fresh on healed tattoos. No weird ingredients; just herbs, plant derived fats, and beeswax. In the shop now.
“Commander Vimes didn’t like the phrase ‘The innocent have nothing to fear’, believing the innocent had everything to fear, mostly from the guilty but in the longer term even more from those who say things like ‘The innocent have nothing to fear’.”
–Terry Pratchett, Snuff
Just added to the shop. I’ve only got a few of these left so grab one if you were waiting for me to get them on the site. ♥️
Lemon Verbena body butter is in the shop now. Artemis candles and other favorites are restocked, and I’ll be adding a few new things in the coming days. 🖤
It’s a wrap for the season and I forgot to take a single picture of closing weekend. If you visited Prairie Fire at @sherwoodforestfaire thank you so much for your support. We had a great season thanks to Veronica and sitting this season out so I could stay home and make stuff was a true blessing and saved my sanity. It was great to see everyone on the weekends we popped in and were excited and inspired for next year’s season. ♥️
"Reapers in the Roman Countryside", 1850s, by Jules-Elie Delaunay (1828-1891). Musée des beaux-arts de Bayonne, FR. oil on canvas
