My first memory of incense came from a church service when I was very young.  My parents did not often attend church but would make an exception when my mother's parents would come to visit.  My grandparents firmly believed in the Episcopalian faith so when they visited we made our yearly pilgrimage to our local church to attend Sunday service.  It may come as a surprise to hear, but I actually enjoyed going to church. As a child I was captivated by not the words of the service, but by the atmosphere of the church itself.  The stained glass windows gleamed with bold colors as the Sunday sun streamed through. I would look at the sequence of windows and wonder if the images were all related, as if they told one continuous story like a comic book or graphic novel.  

As the service began the altar boys clad in their crisp white robes would swing incense burners back and forth as they walked down the aisle.  The scent of the smoke filtered all the way to the back pews and made the whole church smell, well...heavenly. I would breath deeply as they passed and the scent would transport me somewhere other than my little upstate New York village.  I would get visions of spice markets from far away lands and imagine myself traveling there someday.

I believe that atmosphere is strongly underrated when it comes to ritual.  It is often the feeling you get, not the words, of a religious service that brings you closer to divinity.  I think the Catholic church has always understood this and this is why they consistently fill their services with pageantry, gilded statues, and of course incense.  

Incense goes back much farther than the Christian or Jewish faith.  There is evidence of incense being used as far back as the early Indus Valley Civilizations.  Quickly after incense was developed it began to be used in rituals and ceremonies to honor the Gods and Goddesses.  I sometimes like to close my eyes and imagine what some of the ancient Pagan temples must have felt like. I imagine that incense must have enhanced the mysterious quality that imbued these ancient mystic sites.

Nowadays we mostly use incense in our homes as a way to improve the smell or help us relax.  Though as practitioners of witchcraft we have the ability to tap into the esoteric qualities of incense and use it to enhance our spellwork and rituals.  You can of course purchase incense from many places but by taking it a step further and choosing to make your own incense cones you are tapping into a spiritual craft that has been done for centuries.  Making the incense cones yourself allows you to choose the herbs which best correspond to the intention of your spellwork and ritual so that your practice will be imbued with even more meaning and purpose.

MAKING YOUR OWN INCENSE CONES

Step 1 - Choose your dried herbs

You can use many different dried herbs to create incense.  The most common ones to use for homemade incense are Sage, Cedar, and Sweetgrass.  It’s even better if you’re able to use herbs that you’ve grown and dried yourself. You can also choose the herbs for your incense based on the magical qualities of the plant.

Step 2 - Crush the herbs into a powder

Using a mortar and pestle crush the leaves until they are the consistency of a rough powder.  This process may take awhile depending on which herbs you are using.

Step 3 - Add makko powder

Add one teaspoon of makko powder for every three teaspoons of ground herbs.  Makko powder is from the bark of the Thunbergi tree. The makko powder will act as a binding agent when water is added, helping to shape the incense into cones.  It’s also a natural combustible material that will allow the incense cones to burn slowly and evenly. While you can grind your own makko powder from Thunbergi tree bark it is much easier to purchase it online for the purpose of making your incense.

Step 4 - Add distilled water

Add water very slowly, a couple drops at a time, to the powder mixture until a ‘dough’ is created that you can mold in your hands.

Step 5 - Form the cones

You can either form the incense ‘dough’ into cones by hand or you can use a small conical mold.  I recommend checking your kitchen cupboard to see if you have any piping bags. The metal tips on these bags can be detached to make a perfect mold for your incense cones.  Measure out a ½ teaspoon of the mixture and press it into the mold. To help release the cone you can insert a pin or twisty tie into the tip of the mold.

Step 5 - Dry the cones

Place your cones on wax paper and allow them to dry for at least 12 hours.  Turn the cones over so the bottoms are exposed half way through to insure they have time to dry as well.

Step 6 - Burning the incense

Fill a heat-resistant bowl or small cauldron with sand or salt and then place the cone on top.  Light the tip of the cone, wait a couple seconds, and blow it out. The cone will continue to smoke for about an hour.

What is your earliest memory of experiencing incense?  Have you ever tried to make your own incense?  Share your thoughts in the comments below. 

*Images on this post are from Pinterest

Imbolc falls on February 1st and 2nd in the Northern Hemisphere and it marks the center point for the dark half of the year.  What I love about Imbolc is that it is a celebration of hope; a reminder that Spring is just around the corner.  This is the time of year when the lambs give birth and the earliest of flowers reach upwards towards the sun.  As a whole this sabbat represents ideas like growth, renewal, and purity.  This is a time to appreciate the budding fertility of the earth and it is also a time to purify both our spaces and our minds.  A great activity to do for Imbolc is to go for a simple walk outdoors and try to notice and subtle hints that spring is on it’s way.

Imbolc may also be called St. Brigit’s Day or Candlemas.  Brigit is a Celtic fire goddess and is considered a guardian of the home and the hearth.  She is also tied to things like healing, midwifery, and smithcraft.  When early Christians were unable to stop pagans from worshiping Brigit they decided to make her a Saint and you will often she her referred to as St. Brigit in various sources.

The Christian holiday of Candlemas also comes from the reinterpretation of the older pagan traditions celebrated at this time of year.  During Candlemas all the candles in the home are to be lit.  This ties into celebrations of Brigit who is seen as a guardian of the eternal flame.   

Here in America, we have the unusual holiday of Groundhogs Day which usually falls on the same day of Imbolc.  The unusual superstition of a groundhog predicting the remaining weeks of winter is certainly in alignment with Imbolc divination traditions that used this day look for signs that heralded the hope of spring.

You can place items on your altar that you feel relate to this time of year.  As Brigit is considered a fire goddess, candles would be an excellent item to place on your altar.  You can also use an altar cloth in one of the colors associated with Imboc, which are white, pink, yellow, and green.  If you’d like to incorporate stones, the ones connected to Imbolc are amethyst, bloodstone, and garnet.  You may also place plant seeds on your altar and ask Brigit to bless them with fertility for the upcoming planting season.  

More importantly you should think about what in your local environment makes you feel connected to this time of year.  As the seasons and weather differs around the world, what you feel connects to this time of year may be different.  Don’t be afraid to find inspiration from your local environment in items to collect for your altar or for activities that will help you connect with this specific time of year.  

What are your plans for Imbolc this year?  Share in the comments below.  You can watch my video below for more ideas on how to celebrate Imbolc.

Upon rising each morning I pull the curtains back from my bedroom window and let the morning light stream into my Chicago apartment.  I reach my hands high above my head and try to stretch myself into wakefulness.  Once I get up I put the kettle on gather some herbs for my morning tea ritual.  This little ritual I perform each morning helps to get me in the right mindset for day.  It gives me the time and space to set my intentions and bring in positivity and vitality into my body.  

I first learned of tea ritual when I was studying abroad in Japan. Soon after I began my classes at Kansai Gaidai University I noticed a humble little tea room towards the back of campus.  It was a small structure with sliding doors and a simple brazier in the floor where the tea would be made.  Upon realizing that I could sign up to receive a tea ceremony session I immediately did without much understanding of what tea ceremony actually was or what I could expect.  

When it came time for the ceremony I entered the structure and sat down upon the tatami floor.  After several minutes all the other guests had arrived and finally the women who would be performing our ritual entered.  Instead of closing the pocket door behind her, she opened it wider to fully expose the scene of nature around us.  It was autumn at the time and the hills beyond the campus were a riot of flaming colors as the maples turned to umber and burgundy.  The walls and roof of the tea room seemed to create a frame around this natural scene causing the illusion that we were looking at a painting or artwork instead of the nature around us.

It became clear to me that all sensory details were meant to be part of the experience: the sounds of the birds outside, the single birch branch carefully arranged in the corner, and the beautiful silk kimono she wore patterned with the vibrant ocher and red hues of autumn.  All were meant to evoke both a meditative atmosphere and an appreciation for the present moment.  As she began the ceremony the movement of her hands and body were like a dance; each motion deliberate and carefully thought out to maximize beauty and sensation.  

When I received my cup of tea and took my first sip the warmth spread through my body and seemed to flow all the way to my toes.  I was filled with a sense of gratitude.  Gratitude for the woman that made the tea, gratitude for this beautiful moment in time, and gratitude to the nearby tea fields that provided the nourishing drink that flowed through my body.  

Paul Coelho, author of The Alchemist, wrote “Tea Ceremony is a way of worshipping the beautiful and the simple.  All one’s efforts are concentrated on trying to achieve perfection through the imperfect gestures of daily life.  It’s beauty consists in the respect with which it performed.  If a mere cup of tea can bring us closer to God, we should watch out for all the other dozen opportunities that each ordinary day offers.”  I can see so many parallels between tea ceremony and many of the witchcraft practices I perform for I too create connection with the God, Goddess and other spirits through my own ritual practices. In my own witchcraft practice I aim to notice the spiritual throughout my daily life with the understanding that even the simplest task, such as making tea, is an opportunity to connect with the divine.

Of course with our own busy schedules it is not realistic for us to regularly participate in an elaborate tea ceremony.  My solution is the distill the essence of tea ceremony into a simple ritual you can perform each morning before you start your day.  I’ve also adapted components of the ritual to fit in more succinctly with my own witchcraft practice.  In my version I still use the time to focus on mindfulness and gratitude.  However, the components of my ‘tea’ are also of great importance as I use herbs that I’ve either grown or foraged.  In this way, I am able to literally drink in the inherent power of my local environment. 

You can choose to either use fresh herbs or to dry them for later use.  If using fresh herbs tear or crush the leaves to release the essential oils.  Keep in mind that fresh herbs may take longer to infuse into the water than dried herbs.  If using dried herbs first crush them using a mortar and pestle and use one tablespoon of crushed herbs for every 2 cups of water.  Bring your water to a boil, add your ingredients, and simmer for about 5 minutes before straining out the herbs.  

Images via Pinterest

As I make my tea I work to clear my mind and begin to think about what I would like to accomplish for that day.  I usually decide on a particular intention or goal.   I then add honey to my cup and as it drips I move my hand in an invoking pentagram and state what I would like to bring towards me. 

For example, while the honey is dripping in the tea I might say:
“Upon this day I bring in light, positivity, health, and joy”

I drink my tea slowly and try to be present in the moment.  I think about how the herbs taste and envision the power of the earth as a light that flows into my body with each sip.  As the warmth of the teacup travels through my hands I smile with gratitude that I have been given this moment in time to connect with and appreciate the beauty our natural realm.

Do you participate in any daily morning rituals?  Share yours in the comments below. 

Chicago is swimming in Arctic air at the moment.  I cover up in scarves, hats, and mittens yet still the bracing cold seems to find a way to chatter my teeth and send shivers down my spine.  I’m currently seeking refuge in the warmth of a local cafe as I write this.  I choose a seat furthest from the frosty windows and quickly order a steaming mug of hot coffee with hope that my hair will soon defrost from the winter’s chill.  The holiday season is now officially over and for us cold-weather dwellers that means looking towards more months of snow and frost.  Luckily, we can find ways to supersede seasonal depression by using the time ahead for a life reboot.

So as I look ahead to the upcoming year, here are some things that I will be working on to improve my Pagan practice.

Regularly Update (and Clean) My Altar

A couple weeks ago I was adding some Yule touches to my altar and discovered that a few of my statues had not been dusted in a while and there was incense ash in various places on my altar cloth.  I’ll admit that cleaning is not my favorite task.  I know that I should be taking better care of my sacred objects so this year I’m aiming to make sure I clean all my altar tools and objects monthly.  In addition, I will strive to update my altar more often so that it more accurately reflects the seasonal changes.

Go for A Walk Everyday

Yes, this means even when it’s February and the thermostat reads -1 degree.  There’s a Scandinavian saying that roughly translates to ‘there is no such thing as bad weather; there is merely the possibility of not being dressed appropriately.’  So this year I aim to be ready for any type of weather so that I can make connecting with nature a part of my daily routine.

Eat Seasonally

Along with going for walks I would like to incorporate more seasonally appropriate vegetables and fruits in my diet as a way to further connect with our natural world.  In this way I will be celebrating the Wheel of the Year not just through my Sabbat rituals but during each meal.

Find A Community

Being a solitary pagan can be lonely sometimes, especially around the sabbats.  While there are occasional pagan events and rituals in my area, they always seem too far away or I’m too busy to make it.  Though honestly, I could make more of an effort.  So this year I will strive to make room in my schedule to attend Pagan events in my local area and hopefully make some more Pagan friends.  

Attend A Public Festival or Convention

Along with working to connect with my local Pagan groups I would like to meet others in the wider pagan community.  While I have attended Chicago Pagan Pride before I would like to travel this year to one of the larger pagan festivals or conventions in America.  Message in the comments below if you would like to recommend a specific pagan convention or festival.

Master the Runes

As a full time tarot reader most of my day consists of giving readings and continuing to build my knowledge of the cards.  This year I would like to expand my divination experience and learn more about the runes.  While I’ve already begun my education on runes, their meanings, and various Norse myths, this year I would like to further expand my knowledge.  Do you have a favorite book about runes?  Let me know in the comments below and I’ll be sure to add it to my reading list.

What are your Pagan New Year’s Resolutions?  List yours in the comments below.  

The first thing you notice when you drive into Savannah is the trees. The branches reach far over the roads creating a thick canopy of green that shades the road from the blazing Georgia sun.  Spanish moss trickles down in a delicate lace that adds a sense of sophisticated decay to the atmosphere.  As the wheels bump along the cobblestones below you begin to slow down and get the sense that rushing for anything down here is strongly discouraged.  Indeed, this is a city that runs on it’s own sense of time.  It is a clock built around mimosas at noon, leisurely walks among the verdant squares, and evening carriage rides.  I could not envision a place more diametrically opposed to our rat-race style of living than Savannah.

I had been wanting to visit Savannah for a while and I was pleased to see that the city looked just like I thought it would be.  This "city in a garden" truly looks like a place that time forgot.  The homes that line the grids of public squares are heavy with history.  To be in Savannah is to be surrounded by visions of the antebellum south.

I began my trip with a visit to the Davenport house, a beautiful home from the early 1800s.  As I toured the home I was struck by the french patterned wallpaper that draped the rooms in a vision of luxury.  Of course, I knew that this wealth came with a dark reality we must acknowledge - that all this financial success in the antebellum south came from the work of enslaved people.  This dark history permeates every aspect of the historic south and must be understood and recognized.  

The Davenport house was well known to have it’s fair share of ghosts and as I toured the home I could almost hear uncanny piano chords floating in the air.  The sound seemed to linger in my ears for several stanzas then delicately seeped beneath the wood and disappeared. 

Moving into the study a large black and white art print hung dramatically on the wall.  It depicted a scene we all know well--the signing of the Declaration of Independence.  The tour guide told me that in the antebellum south almost everyone had a copy of this image displayed prominently in their home.  He said back then people understood the fragility of their new country so they felt the need to declare allegiance to this great experiment in state- building we call America.  For some reason that idea stuck with me.  America seems so powerful and impenetrable now.  But yes, at one time, we were small and delicate.  A nation built upon radical ideas of democracy and religious freedom.  At that time the future of America must have seemed like a blank chalkboard: full of possibilities, but also with the risk that everything could quickly be erased.  

The other event that market my stay in Savannah was a nighttime ghost tour.  The coming of night cast a blanket of silence around the city.  Savannah is mostly free of the type of rambunctious tourist noise you would find in New Orleans.  When you walk the streets at night you feel the quiet in your bones and in the hairs standing upright on your neck.  You feel alone among the brick facades as you walk the cobblestone streets.  Any rustle of noise causes your head to snap towards the source of sound as you stretch your eyes to find the culprit.  

I passed through the Colonial Park Cemetery on my way to the tour.  The tall grasses seemed to quiver between the gravestones and shadows hung heavy beneath the spanish moss.  “I’m sure I'll be fine”, I said to myself as I walked along a pathway lit only by the yellow moon glowing above.  ‘Were ghostly phantoms passing behind me?’ I wondered.  Did they float swamp-like among the trees? I resisted turning my head around, fearing that I might see something from beyond the veil.  

As I finally made it to Reynolds Square, I breathed a sigh of relief that I would soon be among other travelers for the tour.  Shortly after the tour began we came across a particular house that was lit from the flickering flame of a single gas-lit lantern.  It was a very unassuming home set back from the sidewalk and behind a garden of tall grass.  With first glance at this home I felt something different.

Do you believe that magic can be in the air?  That it can follow along the air currents till it finds a receptive host.  What I will say is that the air near this small home had a particular taste.  It filled my nose with an unusual electric and heavy scent.

The tour guide told us this small home was called ‘Laura’s House’ named after a slave who once lived here when she took care of the mansion next door.  According to the story, her master once promised her freedom and that he would give her the deed for the small carriage house he let her stay in.  However, he reneged on his vow and she remained a slave till her death.  It seems she has claimed the carriage house in death and passers by often claim to see her sitting on the rocking chair of her small porch.

If there was a shade of paint that could be considered notorious, it would be the color known as ‘haint’ blue.  It is thought that this color prevents ghosts and evil spirits from entering the premises so people today still cover sections of their home in this color.  The homes next to The Laura House covered their doors, window frames, and porches this color to prevent her from coming in. Even the Laura House has this blue shade around the porch, but not the door.  The door was left empty of color so that the ghost of Laura might someday find a way out.  

The Laura House is now an airbnb so you can even spend the night there if you wish.  Though I wouldn't recommend it if you’re male.  It is said that men who stay there are often awoken with a sensation of hands clasped tightly around their throat, constricting their ability to breathe.  It seems that Laura doesn’t like men too much, and given her life story I don’t blame her.

You must be wondering if I actually saw a ghost during my trip to Savannah?  I must be honest and say no.  I did, however, feel their presence. I felt it rattle my bones as I walked along the cemetery.  I felt the electricity in the air as I stared into the Laura House.  A question I often ask myself is if these feelings are truly real.  Or, does just being in a place filled with old homes and ghost stories cause us to have these sensations.  I guess I’ll never really know for sure.  But if ghosts are real and they are out there, I’m confident that many of them call Savannah their home.

Have you ever been to Savannah?  Did you get the sense that the city was haunted?  Share below in the comments.

A gathering approaches.  I’m in the heart of my home tending to a bubbling brew atop the stove.  Cozy knitted socks warm my feet against the October chill and the steam from the pot of wine tickles my nose with the scents of late fall.  Warm clove and cardamom meld with the bright citrus of orange peels.  Five-pointed anise stars and thick cinnamon sticks bubble to the top of my burgundy brew.  I swirl the collection of herbs around with a wooden spoon and my cat jumps up onto the kitchen counter, trying to get a better view.   

The doorbell chimes.  My fellow witches have arrived!  I let them in and we share our tales of magic and mischief as I carefully pour the mulled wine.  The steam spirals above the mugs and twirls towards the window.  I catch a glimpse of the trees outside.  The crackled brown leaves of late October are frosted with ice crystals, yet they still dance as the wild wind whispers through the branches.   

We move to the living room and get cozy by the crackling fireplace. Cheers! We chime our haphazard collection of glasses and mugs together and begin to warm our bellies and hearts with our autumnal witches brew.

MULLED WINE

Recipe adapted from Ina Garten
Makes 8 Servings

Ingredients

4 cups apple cider
1 bottle of red wine
¼ cup honey
2 cinnamon sticks
1 orange, juiced & zested
4 whole cloves
3 star anise
4 oranges, peeled for garnishes (optional)

Instructions

Take a large pot and add the wine, cider, cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise, honey, and orange zest & juice.  Bring to boil then simmer over low for around 10 minutes.  Pour into mugs and add an orange peel as a garnish.  Enjoy!

The grain swells against the morning wind as waves of amber and gold ripple through the fields.  I envision what these wheat fields of Illinois might have looked like a long time ago.  Farm boys swinging scythes, their calloused hands aching with a summer of hard labor.  I envision horses neighing in the distance, their glossy chestnut mains shining in the summer sun.  I imagine a large farm table filled with sun-ripened tomatoes and loaves of freshly baked bread.  The delicate sounds of a summer afternoon, the wild hum of grasshoppers leading to the warm and hazy glow of lightning bugs as the sun falls below the horizon.

Today when I look upon the fields outside my city, I find endless rows of wheat and corn.  The fields go on for miles, a never ending surface reflecting the color of our summer sun.  In the midwest it seems we have our own ocean, but instead of water, our ocean is a sea of harvest.  Our modern fields take on an otherworldly quality in their grandness.  The visions of amber punctuated only by roaring machines that have taken the place of of scythes.  

Living in the Midwest I feel a great connection to the harvest festival of Lammas.  While other regions may provide more glamorous resources, the midwest has taken on the role of Ceres, the goddess of grain.  Our wheat and corn travels across the country and beyond to nourish millions.  It’s so easy to become complacent and unaware of the skill and hard work necessary to create this endless sea of golden fields.  So upon this harvest festival, us Pagans take a moment to give thanks for the summer bounty nature has provided.  

Looking upon my modern feast, I see not only the foods from my region.  I see the success of our beautiful country united.  I see grains from the midwest baked into an herbed loaf.  I see goat cheese from New York, and olives grown in California.  I see beer made from the hops of Washington and charcuterie from Kansas.  To hear people speak, you would think we are more divided as a nation than ever.  Yet looking at my harvest table I see value in each region of our country and feel united in this celebration of the summer bounty.  So upon this harvest day, let us come together ‘round our tables.  And let us take a moment to appreciate and give thanks to all that makes our feasts possible.

How will you be celebrating this harvest festival?  Let me know in the comments below. 

This image from Local Milk Blog

The waitress poured my coffee into a delicate porcelain cup as I stared out the window looking towards the old cobblestones that my feet would soon tread.  It was hot that morning and the trees in the nearby park hung thick and languid waiting for a breeze to sway their leaves.  I was staying at the Hawthorne Hotel right in the heart of Salem, Massachusetts.  I had read that the place was haunted so of course I booked a room hoping to investigate later in the evening.  At the moment though, ghostly apparitions were far from my mind.  Instead, I was thinking about what these streets and buildings might have looked like in the spring of 1692.  

My trip to New England had taken me across Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts.  There was one main constant across these states and that was the forest.  Tall pine trees and heavy maples grouped together.  Looking into the forest the sunlight soon became obscured under a canopy of leaves.  Even today, in our modern world, I felt that the forests of New England seemed to conceal mysteries and magic.  

It is no wonder that the settlers of New England feared the woods.  The early villagers of Salem must have worked relentlessly to carve their town from these forests.  The ‘civilization’ they created for themselves still did not allow them to escape fear.  Their fear came, not from the forest, but from each other.  Their fear built and built until the fear created a life of itself.  Accusations and hangings ran rampant through the town, spreading like a virus.  And then, in about a year it somehow died off and the great witch trials were over.

It seemed odd thinking about such historic tragedy on a hot summer day.  Walking through the town you discover a much different community.  I’m not quite sure why modern witches have gravitated towards Salem.  Perhaps they enjoy good irony or maybe it’s an attempt to reclaim and proclaim the real meaning of the word 'witch'.  You are reminded of what occurred in 1692 around each turn as you pass by shops, museums, and historic markers.  Regardless, it was enjoyable to walk through the quaint town and visit its many shops.  While some stores were filled mostly with tchotchkes and souvenirs, I did encounter a few stores providing supplies for the discerning modern witch.  

Returning to my hotel in the evening I wandered the halls for a bit passing by the two rooms where various hauntings had supposedly occurred.  I wish I could say different, but honestly I didn't get much of a ghostly feel from the hotel.  As the skies turned dark I looked off in the distance to the line of trees.  For some reason, I couldn’t keep my mind off the sensation of walking through the forests of New England.  Here I was in a haunted hotel in a town covered with dark history.  Yet I felt it was the woods in the distance that held the real mystery and only there would I gain an true understanding of this place.

My recommendations in salem

 

where to visit

The Witch House

Peabody Essex Museum

Witch Trials Memorial

The House of Seven Gables

places to eat & Drink

Notch Brewery & Tap Room

Far From The Tree Cider

Caramel Patisserie

Rockafellas

favorite shops

Circle of Stitches

Haus Witch

The Coven's Cottage

Wicked Good Books

Have you been to Salem before?  What were your thoughts?  Share your favorite places in the comments below. 

There it was, a lonely glass filled with "two-buck chuck" wine and next to it a small plate with four town-house crackers.  The ritual was over and as I turned to partake in the "cakes & ale" portion of my full moon ritual it somehow felt all wrong.  Here I was all exhilarated and energized from participating in this sacred rite.  I had just danced to the beat of drums with the summer air swirling around me.  I had called the energies of the elements and felt their presence within my circle.  I had pondered the beauty of the full moon and felt my own connection to its mysteries.  

And now it was over.  It was time to ground my energy and recover, which meant partaking in the "cakes & ale" I had laid out for myself.  Compared to the beauty and energy of the summer full moon, the wine and crackers before me seemed lackluster and uninspired.  While I have nothing against cheap wine, in fact I rather enjoy it, it somehow didn’t feel right for this ritual.  It was summertime and the flowers were in full bloom all across the city.  The scent of honeysuckle lingered in the air as the fresh breeze from the lake tempered the evening heat.  Summer was a time of sticky-sweet strawberries and cool lemonade.  Wine, on the other hand, reminded me of an autumn landscape filled with burgundy and chestnut-colored leaves.  

In general I’ve been trying to eat more seasonally as I know that doing so will make me feel more connected to the changing seasons.  I’m not sure why this intent hasn’t filtered down to my own solitary full moon rituals.  It seemed that I was just going with routine; casually picking whatever I happen to currently have in my apartment for the "cakes & ale" portion of my rituals.  A simple ‘cakes & ale’ definitely makes sense for group rituals, but as I practice mostly solitary I know that I can do more.  Besides, I really do enjoy cooking and know that with a bit more effort I can really end my full moon rituals with something unique and truly representative of the season.

Here’s some links to a couple recipes I've found that I’m planning to make for future summer full and new moon rituals.  These recipes and photos are adapted from Local Milk Blog and The Minimalist Baker.

I’d love to know if you ever change-up the "cakes & ale" portion of your full and new moon rituals.  If so, do you have a favorite recipe?  Share in the comments below.

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Summer "Cakes"

Lavender Blueberry & Ricotta Turnovers

White Peach, Rose, & Basil Hand Pies

Herbs de Provence & Rose Olive Oil Cake

Summer "Ales"

Blackberry Basil Mojito

Cardamom & Rose Iced Latte (non-alcoholic)

Rhubarb & Strawberry Margaritas