Author: A Solitary Pagan

(Oryza sativa) Planet: Sun Element: Air Energies: Money, Sex, Fertility, Protection Lore: Rice is to Asia what corn is to the Americas. It has been laboriously cultivated and eaten in the East for thousands of years. Linked with deity and served at every meal, rice was and still is a vital staple food for many peoples. More than half of the world’s population regularly eats rice. It’s of central i...

Here are 13 easy to find ingredients A Kitchen Witch should always have on hand for everyday use, general use, and of course Magickal use. Sometimes knowing where to start is the hardest part. Discovering the most effective ingredients to always have on hand, can be tricky. After all, there are thousands of ingredients available. You will find that many ingredients are useful in variable ways; as ...

Just stop and think about the Magickal properties of cooking…The Goddess and God energy that is in your kitchen…Well..if you haven’t given it a thought let me see if I can change your perspective about the chore of cooking! Let us start in your kitchen cabinets…What can be found upon these shelves? Herbs of course! Every herb has magickal, medicinal, and cooking uses…For example: 1) SALT…EARTH…PEN...

Salvia Rosmarinus, commonly known as rosemary, is a shrub with fragrant, evergreen, needle-like leaves and white, pink, purple, or blue flowers, native to the Mediterranean region. Until 2017, it was known by the scientific name Rosmarinus officinalis, now a synonym. It is a member of the sage family Lamiaceae, which includes many other medicinal and culinary herbs. The name “rosemary” derives fro...

Beef: basil, horseradish, marjoram, mustard, thyme, savory Lamb: marjoram, mint, rosemary, savory Pork: basil, chives, elder, rosemary, sage Poultry: parsley, rosemary, sage, tarragon, thyme, savory Fish: basil, bay, chervil, chives, dill, fennel, parsley, sage, thyme, tansy VEGETABLES Tomatoes: basil, chives, tansy Carrots: basil, mint, parsley, thyme, savory Beets: basil, coriander, fennel Cucum...

Anise* Planet: Mercury/Jupiter Element: Air Main magickal uses: Contacting other planes, divination, love, passion, preventing nightmares, protection, psychic development, psychic protection, purification Other magickal uses: Clairvoyance, cleansing, consecration, fertility, gain, good luck, happiness, money, weddings Lore: Paul Beyerl attributes anise to Mercury and Apollo, and suggests that it b...

This ancient Celtic festival lives on in the United States and in other countries as Halloween, a degraded version of both the earlier Pagan holiday as well as the later Christian variant—All Hallow’s Eve. The word “eve” in the Christian name reminds us that this festival begins the night before its calendar date. Samhain marks the close of the year. Skies may still be blue, but the wind is chilly...

Imbolc is an old festival connected with the coming of spring and the growing warmth of the sun. In some areas of Europe, this day marked the emergence of a few brave plants from beneath the snow. As such, Imbolc was an occasion for feasting. Because the sun was usually seen as the source of the earth’s fertility, Imbolc (known in Catholicism as Candlemas) was a solar festival. Practitioners of pr...

Altar Cloth Amulets, Talismans, Jewelry Athame’ or sharp Knife Baskets Beads Bells (brass or glass?) Book of Shadows Bowls, Platters, Pitcher Candles and Holders Capes and/or Robes Cauldron Censor or Thurible Chalice Charged, pure water Compass Crystals and Gems Crystal Ball (scrying tools) Decanter Divination Tools (tarot, runes, pendulum, etc.) Earth Feathers Felt Glass jars w/lids Glue Herbs, S...

In general: Greens are linked with fairies in Scotland and Ireland. This may be one reason why green has long been thought to be an unlucky colour. Additionally, greens were once rarely found at wedding feasts and receptions for the same reason—the celebrants didn’t wish to offend the little

(Daucus carota) Planet: Mars Element: Fire Energies: Sex Magical uses: Carrots have been consumed since the days of ancient Greece to induce the desire for sexual contact. Prepared and eaten with the correct visualization, carrots may play a part in overcoming psychological impotency. Cook them with parsley and caraway for the best results.

Bread, the basic product of grain, was offered to the deities. Ishtar, Shamash, and Marduk were each given thirty loaves a day in Sumer. Ra, Amon, Ptah, and Nekhbet received their share in Egypt.  Demeter, the Greek goddess of bread, grain, and agriculture, was also similarly honoured. The Phoenicians stamped Astarte’s loaves with a horned symbol (linked with the moon) to deify the bread. The anci...