While in most parts of the Western Hemisphere the sunny season is still picking up plenty of steam and will be around for at least a few more weeks, the Summer Solstice marks the point on the calendar after which the days gradually grow darker again for the next six months.

If the Pagan sabbats were light switches, Litha (which, north of the equator, corresponds with the Summer Solstice) would be the one that flicks off the light.

Half a year later, as the chilly season is hitting its stride, Yule, lovingly turns the light back on for us.

Though it can be strange to think of The Winter Solstice/Yule as a time of light and warmth, December plants the earliest seeds for the spring, summer, and autumn ahead – each of which will house its own distinct proportion of daylight.

Litha is a merry, upbeat, and beautiful sabbat. It might not be quite as youthful as Ostara and Beltane, but it is far from advanced in age either.

In the classic archetypical viewpoint that aligns parts of the year with human age cycles, come Litha, the Goddess has reached firmly reached the mother/mature stage of her life and the God his father/mature point as well.

Whereas some view the Summer Solstice/Litha as the start of summertime proper, many others – including no shortage of ancient and traditional cultures – see it instead as the halfway point of summer.

This is why another common and much-loved name for the longest day of the year is Midsummer.

The Summer Solstice occurs on Tuesday, June 21, 2022, this time around and is, scientifically speaking, the astronomical first day of summer.

I do not have a dog in the proverbial fight regarding whether one wishes to view Litha as the start, middle, or really, any other point of summer.

One’s feelings on the matter often pertain to things such as the weather patterns in their area, their spiritual path, and, in some instances, their profession.

For example, most teachers and professor sI have spoken to over the years about this topic views the Summer Solstice as the start of summer in their (text)books.

Whereas those who hold jobs that see them spending most or all of their working hours outdoors tend to land more in the Litha as Midsummer camp.

The bigger picture is what matters more and that is in observing, honouring, and celebrating the shifting seasons, (north of the equator) the hottest slice of the calendar, and the longest day of the entire year.

As a number of you have emailed and DMed me asking if this Litha would be the one to house a list of craft projects pertaining to the Summer Solstice, I am more than happy to oblige and bring you just such a selection several days in advance of the next Neopagan sabbat.

The majority of these projects were not actually created with the sole intention of being for Litha. However, each of them – to borrow a great expression from the UK – works a treat on that front and is an ideal match for the balmy days of Midsummer.

Should you be meeting this periodically occurring Solstice/Equinox/Sabbat craft series for the first time or if you would like to revisit prior entries, thus far, you can do so for the following sabbats.

–Ostara

–Beltane

–Mabon

–Yule

In the past, I have discussed many aspects of Litha in posts such as 12 Ways to Celebrate the Summer Solstice Indoors During Covid-19 and 15 Essential Oils That are Perfect for the Summer Solstice.

If you are new to the concept of Litha or would simply like to read more about this sunny season sabbat, I highly encourage you to check out both of those entries.

In addition, before we hop headfirst into an inspiring selection of 35 wonderful Litha craft ideas, let’s take delve a little further into what Litha is all about.

Is Litha the start or middle of summer?

As touched on above, while astronomically speaking the Summer Solstice is the start of summer, it is up to each person to decide whereabouts on their personal calendar they opt to view as the start of this season.

Living in Canada, where snow has been known to fall during every month of the year and spring has often scarcely begun before it has no choice but to pass the baton to summer, I lean more towards Litha being the start of summer.

And yet… I firmly view the next Pagan holiday – Lammas / Lughnasadh – at the start of August as the inaugural fall time sabbat. Therefore, in a matter of speaking, Litha does become Midsummer by default.

No matter what, it is safe to say that Litha is a sunny, upbeat sabbat with no shortage of reasons to celebrate its return.

Other names for Litha

In addition to the name Litha, the Summer Solstice has long been known by and/or associated with various other special occasions that transpire in the same general time period.

Therefore, amongst others, the Summer Solstice and/or Litha are also known as Vestalia, Alban, Thing-tide, Gathering Day, Sun Blessing, Whit Sunday, St. John’s Day, and Whitsuntide.

Most of these terms are rarely used anymore in the 21st century. However, is useful to know them, all the same should you encounter these alternative Summer Solstice names in the course of reading or otherwise studying history.

And on a similar note, Litha is classified as being one of the four “Lesser Sabbats” (aka, “Low Holidays” or “Low Sabbats”).

Lesser sabbats are cross-quarter festivals that occur between the four “Greater Sabbats” of Samhain, Imbolc, Beltane, and Lammas (with the other three Lesser Sabbats being those that also correspond with a solstice or equinox; thusly, Ostara, Mabon, and Yule, respectively).

Litha correspondences, Litha symbols, and Litha meanings

Broadly speaking, by this stage in the year the growing season – both wild and guided by humans – is well underway.

Many baby animals have been born in recent months and plenty still will come into the world between now and early autumn.

Though some crops have already been harvested or are on the cusp of being gathered, plenty of others are still hard at work growing to the best of their abilities.

They will be plucked, sorted, and sent to market at the tail end of summer and straight on into the golden days of fall.

Litha is a time to relax and savour nature, all that you have accomplished since last Yule/Winter Solstice, and to let the sun’s radiant light shine brightly on the plans, goals, and dreams that you may hope to achieve between now and the shortest day of the year in December.

Some of the most popular and beloved Litha correspondences and Litha symbols include the following:

-Litha symbols: The sun, sun wheels, sundials, fire including balefires and bonfires, torches, cauldrons, swords and daggers, athames, spirals, spinning wheels, candles in Litha colours, the Goddess in her mother/mature phase, the God in his father/mature phase, faeries and other wee folk, phoenixes, merfolk, the moon (as the Summer Solstice corresponds with the start of the astrological season of Cancer, which is ruled by the moon), stars, cleansing waters, sacred wells, seashells, feathers, and a wide array of flowers.

-Litha colours: Red, fuchsia, coral, salmon, peach, orange, yellow, gold, green, aquamarine, turquoise, vibrant blues and purples, tan, woody browns, gold, brass, bronze, silver, and white.

-Litha animals: Birds, butterflies, moths, dragonflies, fireflies, bees, ants, horses, cows, buffalo, wolves, bears, deer, lions, cougars/mountain lions, lizards, snakes, marine animals, and bats.

-Litha crystals and stones (amonst others): Sunstone, yellow apatite, citrine, pyrite, yellow fluorite, honey calcite, yellow topaz, amber, clear quartz, rose quartz, jasper, diamond, ruby (July’s birthstone), tiger’s eye, rhodonite, peridot, jade, malachite, aventurine, blue lace agate, ruby tourmaline, red beryl, carnelian, howlite, opal, and moonstone.

-Litha metals: Gold (including rose gold), brass, bronze, silver, and platinum.

-Litha foods: Fresh fruits (including berries, melons, and stone fruits, fresh vegetables (such as lettuce, tomatoes, corn, radishes, green and yellow beans, zucchini, and peas), potato salad, edible flowers and wild greens, dandelions, olives, lemons, oranges, grapefruits, limes, bread, cookies/biscuits, graham crackers, oatcakes, pies, pastries, cakes and cupcakes/fairy cakes, mead, ale, wine, ice tea, mint tea, lemonade, limeade, orange juice, grapefruit juice, fruit punch, milk (including non-dairy milks), sun tea, butter, cheese, cream and whipped cream, eggs, meringues, custards, frozen desserts (including ice cream), marshmallows, honey, honey cakes, olive oil, sunflower seeds, sunflower seed butter, popcorn, corn based foods such as tortillas, saffron, chives, lavender, mint, lemon balm, cinnamon, ginger, vanilla, paprika, chili powder, chili flakes, seafood, poultry, grilled foods, and spring water.

-Litha herbs and other plants: Lemon balm, heather, mint (all types), basil, thyme, rosemary, oregano, bay leaves, dill, sage, fennel, chicory, purslane, lavender, orange blossom, rue, yarrow, borage, summer savory, tansy leaves, lemongrass, elderflower, mugwort, vervain, lotus, roses, jasmine, honeysuckle, meadowsweet, calendula, red and white clover, dandelion, marigolds, chamomile, mistletoe, St. John’s Wart, moss, ferns, hemp, and flax.

-Litha flowers: Roses, marigolds, daisies, honeysuckle, wisteria, peonies, dahlias, lilies, jasmine, hydrangeas, rhododendrons, sunflowers, poppies, and wildflowers.

-Litha trees: Oak, Elder, fruit trees, linden, rowan, holly, Japanese maples, willow, hazel, laurel, and olive trees.

-Litha incense: Citrus fruits, berries, peach, mango, vanilla, sage, rosemary, cedar, pine, honeysuckle, jasmine, rose, lavender, verbena, patchouli, frankincense, myrrh, ylang-ylang, cinnamon, and mint.

Litha oils: See my list of 15 Essential Oils That are Perfect for the Summer Solstice, while also taking your cue from the many entries in this section that are available in essential oil form.

-Litha altar ideas: Draw from the many entries in this section when decorating your altar for Litha.

In particular, you may wish to include representations of the sun and/or moon, sun wheels, spirals, swods/daggers/athames, cauldrons, flowers, oak leaves, mistletoe, (garden) seeds, herbs, seashells, sand, candles in Litha colours, items pertaining to divination, floral garlands or crowns, Litha foods, dried slices of citrus fruit, objects relating to dragons and/or faeries, and crystals that suit Litha especially well.

Litha element: Fire (though all of the elements shine abundantly throughout the Litha season, very much including the element of water which has extremely close ties to the Cancer season).

-Litha planet/celestial object: The sun

-Astrological signs that correspond with the Litha season/Midsummer: Cancer and Leo (Leo season also corresponds with Lammas at the beginning of August).

-Litha goddesses: Alectrona/Electryone, Sol/Sunna/Sunne, Bast/Bastet, Freya, Beiwe, Aine, Flora, Ekhi, Brigit, Étaín/Édaín, Olwen, Aurora, Diana, Eos, Habondia, Persephone, Hepa/Arinna, Selene, Fotuna, Saulė, Amaterasu, Shemesh/Shepesh, Magec, Uelanuhi, Yhi, and Gnowee.

As well as the Goddess/Divine Feminine in her pregnant/motherly form.

-Litha gods: Ra, Sopdu, Inti, Huitzilopochtli, Tonatiuh, Savitr, Pan, Lugh, Apollo, Helios, Surya, Mithras, Belenos, Hathor, and Freyr.

As well as the archetypes/God personifications of the Holly King, the Oak King, and the Greenman.

(Note: These are not exhaustive lists of sun-related deities that would be a natural fit for the Summer Solstice. For a more thorough compilation, check out Wikipedia’s list of Solar Deities.)

As with each sabbat that comprises the modern Neopagan Wheel of The Year, Litha is not without its fair share of meanings and attributes that are closely associated with this poignant annual event.

Some of the most widely acknowledged Litha meanings and attributes include the following:

-Balance

-Harmony

-Abundance

-Revitalization

-Vitality

-Light

-Divine energy

-Youth

-The prime of life

-Advancement

-Divination

-Psychic abilities

-Dreams

-Growth

-Hope

-Prosperity

-Charging (crystals, candles, witches jars, magical tools, card decks, spiritually meaningful jewelry, etc)

-Fertility

-Healing

-Nurturing

-Caregiving

-Self-care and self-love

-Gardening (including faery gardens)

-Art and creativity

-Walking and hiking

-Remembrance

-Equality

-Family

-Nature

-Singing and chanting

-Dancing

-Drumming

-Solar energy

-Fire and fire magick

-The fae

-Dragons

-Harvest

If you are working magick at Litha, the entries above can each be excellent jumping-off points for your spells, rituals, blessings, prayers, ceremonies, and related activities.

35 stellar summer solstice crafts, DIY projects, and home décor ideas for Litha

1. Felt Midsummer Crown: Floral crowns are a timeless way to celebrate the abundance of blooms and greenery that calls the sunny half of the year home.

Fashion a Midsummer crown from felt that will last long after even the heartiest of summer flowers has gone into hibernation once again and enjoy wearing it or displaying it in your home.

Either way, it is a treasure of a creation and one that you will surely look forward to connecting with Summer Solstice after Summer Solstice.

2. How to Make a Pentagram Herb Dryer: Preserve the season’s choicest and most beneficial herbs with this fantastic DIY pentagram hanging herb dryer, which easily doubles as Pagan/witchy decor whether it is in use at the moment or not.

3. Felt Mermaid Dolls: One of my oldest and dearest online friends is a fabulously creative soul who makes the absolute sweetest felt and fabric creations.

I thought of her immediately when I spied this summertime perfect sewing project post that guides you through how to make adorable little felt mermaids.

These cutie pies are fabulous as toys, home decor pieces, party (or wedding) favours, or to give as gifts to all of the landlocked mermaids in your life.

4. Clay Pot Toadstools: Delightfully simple to make, these adorable clay pot toadstools are just the thing to inject a serious hit of whimsy into any garden (very much including faery gardens).

You could also use them as indoor decor, too, and there is no stopping you from including one (or more) of these darling handmade toadstools on your Litha altar.

5. Sun’s Out Crochet Drink Coasters: Celebrate the majesty of summertime sunshine with these vibrant yellow crocheted sun-shaped coasters, which could easily be used for many other purposes as well.

Place them under candle jars, adorn your altar with them, string a row together to make bunting, hang one in the window to honour summer’s warmth – the possibilities are nearly endless!

6. How to Make Cute Washcloth Teddy Bears: Far more adorable than fierce, these precious little washcloth bears are a great way to pay homage to one of the animals most closely linked to Litha/Midsummer (plus they make terrific gifts for baby showers, tea parties, hostesses, and anyone else you think would enjoy a cuddly washcloth teddy bear).

7. Dehydrated Citrus Gardaland DIY: Often associated with the winter holiday season, slices of dried citrus fruit can just as easily and effectively be utilized at other times of the year as well.

Two of my personal favourites are Imbolc and Litha, where, in both instances, glassine-like wheels of dehydrated lemons and oranges do a superb job of representing the sun.

Thankfully, making your own dried citrus fruit is not terribly tricky and once you have whipped up a batch or two, you can put them to work in a wide array of ways. Including, should you wish, this awesome dehydrated citrus garland (that would look amazing drapped across or hung over your Litha altar).

8. How to Make a Beaded Suncatcher: If ever there was a (Northern Hemisphere) sabbat that suited suncatchers to a tee, surely it would be Litha.

A handful of pretty beads, a crystal or charm, clear beading thread, and a key ring (or other suitable ring) are all you need to create your own captivatingly gorgeous suncatcher(s0 that will help you enjoy the season’s vibrant light all the more.

9. Gorgeous Free Dragonfly Cross Stitch Pattern: Soft, summery hues, beautiful blooms, and a trio of dazzling dragonflies combine to make one seriously lovely cross stitch pattern that doesn’t cost you a dime (though you may need to spring for the materials involved).

10. Decorated Mid-Summer Candles: How delightful are these lively patterned and beautifully hued DIY decorated candles?

A cinch to whip up, one need only reach for plain candles and either wax sheets or candle paint are all you need to whip up your own Summer Solstice perfect candles (two other similar candle decorating approaches would be to use melted candle ends or wax crayons in much the same manner).

11. Peach Bellini Sugar Scrub: Few fruits – and this is saying a lot considering how many of them are in their prime during the sunny season – sing with the heart and soul of summer more than peaches.

Having spent much of my youth (and no shortage of my adult years, too) in one of North America’s largest peach-growing regions, I have a particular soft spot for this scrumptious fruit and, in turn, just about anything that is peach-scented.

Should you melt for this lush fruit as well, why not give yourself a peach field pampering session by making a batch of your own peach bellini sugar scrub and putting it to good use in the tub anytime you are in the mood to savour the unmistakably beautiful aroma of this beloved summertime staple.

12. Cardboard Tube Grasshoppers: Despite their ubiquitousness with summer in many corners of the world, it is surprising how infrequently crickets and grasshoppers appear in summertime art, crafts, and home decor.

This sweet, very easy-to-make craft- which is terrific to create with kids – utilizes a humble cardboard tube and some pipe cleaners to make an adorable grasshopper that can you can either have leap around the house or park in one spot all summer long.

13. How to Transfer Photos onto Stones: Pretty much since I have been able to walk, I’ve been collecting little treasures (rocks very much included) from nature wherever I go.

If you do the same or just happen to have some suitable rocks (likely, quite literally) sitting around, why not turn them into impressively lovely works of art by transferring photos onto stones?

And should you happen to be a fellow Pagan/witch, this would be an awesome technique to use when making everything from altar decor to amulets.

14. Cherry Pompom Keychains: While the actual cherry growing season is but a few brief weeks or months in most parts of the world, when you create one of these super fun cherry pompom keychains you can keep the spirit of this delicious summertime classic going strong the whole year through.

15. Salt Dough Sun Plaque: As returning readers of this sabbat craft series may have noticed, salt dough lends itself marvellously to each point that comprises The Wheel of The Year.

In this instance, it is utilized to make an eye-catchingly lovely sun-themed plaque that, if stored correctly, should last you for many years to come (and which makes for a fantastic Litha altar decoration).

And fear not, if -like me – you must avoid gluten or are crafting with/for someone who does, it is entirely possible to make gluten-free salt dough that works every bit as well as the original version in the context of most salt dough crafts.

16. Easy Paper Plate Lemon Slice Bunting: Paper plates are an underrated craft supply item if you ask me. As this stylish DIY lemon slice bunting proves, there is no end in sight to what paper plates can do in the hands of creative individuals (in fact, the website that this tutorial hails from is devoted entirely to paper plate craft – how cool is that!).

17. DIY Underwater Seashell Candles: Many a long year ago, I managed a location of one of Canada’s most popular home goods stores called Stokes. It never failed to delight me as I watched certain items fly off the shelves. Back then (we’re talking roughly twenty years ago now), one such item was jelly candles.

Also known as gel wax candles, these eye-catching candles are fun, versatile, and can easily be made at home with the right supplies.

And while I cannot speak to how well they sell these days, based on the number of tutorials I have seen online for DIY jelly candles over the years, it is safe to say that they continue to have a loyal following.

Should you wish to try your hand at making some gel wax candles during the sunny season, may I suggest this beautiful version that utilizes real sand and seashells to create what surely must be one of the most summertime perfect forms of lighting ever devised!

18. Cute Painted Bottlecap Ladybugs: Those who were alive during and are old enough to remember the 1990s, may well recall the vogue for bottlecap crafts and jewelry that wove its way throughout that decade.

I was instantly reminded of this trend the moment I spied these darling little painted bottlecap ladybugs, which are a cinch to create and turn into magnets, papercrafting embellishments, jewelry, hair accessories, tiered tray decor, and more!

19. How to Make a No-Sew Fairy Doll: There is cute and then there is no-sew fairy doll cute!

Whether you create a single fairy friend or a whole garden’s worth, these delightful little handmade fairy dolls are a fantastic way to celebrate the strong connection between the fae and Midsummer.

20. DIY Sun Wheel Garden Decoration: If you are looking for an eye-catchingly terrific way to celebrate and honour the sun at Litha, this generously sized sun wheel may do the trick superbly.

You could also utilize the same general design approach to make a smaller version, should you wish to display or hang a DIY sunwheel up inside your home instead of outdoors.

21. Strawberry Acorn Magnets: Combine one of the spring + summer’s most beloved fruits with one of the fall’s most iconic natural treasures, stir some craft paint into the equation, and you are well on your way to making a shortcake’s worth of these super sweet little strawberry acorn magnets.

22. DIY Dollar Store Beehive Candleholder: Which sabbats (or months of the year, if you do not observe the Pagan sabbats) do you associate most closely with bees? For me, I would say that August takes top billing, but June and July are certainly close on its heels.

Bees are by far one of the hardest working members of the animal kingdom and their diligent activities have long helped to ensure plants and flowers the world over have been able flourish.

Shining the (tiny) spotlight on bees at Litha is a wonderful way to celebrate the natural world during the Summer Solstice season.

This darling DIY beehive candleholder is a great way to do just that without breaking the bank – meaning you’ll have more leftover in your pocket to pick up some delicious artisan honey at your local farmer’s market.

23. Lavendar Shower Steamers without Citric Acid: The shower time equivalent to bath bombs, shower steamers are surprisingly easy to make, infuse your wash with dreamily pretty aromas, and also make for fab handmade gifts (especially for those who have a shower stall, but not a bathtub at their residence).

This wonderfully in-depth tutorial guides you through how you can make lavender shower streamers that utilize one of the season’s most iconic and beloved plants. Plus, you can also use the same general recipe to make other types of essential oil-infused shower steamers as well.

24. DIY Pompom Watermelon Wreath: If you’re keen to whip up a bevy of your own pompoms and are a fan of watermelon-themed decor, this super charming wreath may be just the thing to jazz up any door or wall in your home summer after summer.

25. Citrus Stamped Tea Towels: I don’t know about you, but personally I can never have too many linens on hand in the kitchen and adore – as many people do – rotating seasonal ones throughout the year.

This delightful and very easy DIY project turns lemons into stamps and creates chic, beautiful tea towels that are works of art unto themselves.

26. Sea Glass Wind Chimes: Whether you are fortunate to live near the ocean or daydream about doing so, these awesome DIY sea glass wind chimes are a creative, beautiful way to bring one of the (modern) beach’s most resplendent treasures into your indoor or outdoor decor.

27. Herb Candle Rings (or Mini Wreaths): Gather up one or more of your favourite Midsummer herbs, a small embroidery hoop or wreath base, some thread, and a pair of scissors, then set to work creating this timelessly lovely Litha herb candle ring that makes for a fantastic altar decoration or way to imbue a sense of the season all the more into a centrepiece.

28. Maple Seed Dragonflies: When I was growing up, one of the houses that my family lived in for a few years had a magnificent, multi-decade old maple tree in the centre of its small front yard. My siblings and I enjoyed connecting with this tree in various capacities the whole year through, one of which was deftly twirling maple seed pods between our fingers to launch them into the air as “helicopters”.

To this day, anytime I spy maple seed pods on the ground, I think of the many hours spent engaged in this sweet, simple, entirely free outdoor activity as a child.

Now, as an adult, I love looking for ways to utilize maple pods in my crafting and home decor (and have been known to still send a helicopter or two up into the sky every now and then ).

If you or any of the little ones in your life enjoy doing the same, these elegant maple seed dragonflies are such an attractive way to do just that while honouring one of the season’s most adored insects in the process.

29. Sunflower Kissing Balls: Though they are most commonly associated with Christmas, kissing balls can just as easily be enjoyed throughout the rest of the year as well.

This delightful version sees them rendered in (faux) sunflower form for a piece of home decor that is bright, seasonally perfect, and sure to be a fun talking point when you have summertime guests over.

30. DIY Lavendar Stars: Fresh stalks from one of the most universally enjoyed plants and some slender ribbon are all you need to create these thoroughly beautiful lavender stars (which Pagans/Wiccans/witches may opt to see and use as summertime pentagrams).

31. Oyster Shell DIY Candles: Humans have been using shells as vessels for light-emitting products (such as oil and tallow) for thousands of years.

This fabulous contemporary project utilizes oyster shells as the containers for hand-poured candles that tap into the spirit of the sea, mermaids, tropical getaways and so much of what makes the ocean perpetually easy to adore.

32. Cherry Pie Food Amigurumi Crochet Free Pattern: There is no need to heat up the house further during the summer in order to bake a cherry pie when you can bust out the crochet hooks instead and whip up this adorable amigurumi version that does indeed look good enough to eat!

33. How To Make A Burlap Horse Head Wreath: Like countless others throughout the course of time, I absolutely LOVE horses and just about any craft, piece of art, or home decor item starring them.

I was not one of those lucky youngsters who had a horse or was given riding lessons (heck, I barely got a My Little Pony ), but I was fortunate all the same to engage with horses on a few occasions while I was growing up.

Horses – much like their farmyard companions, cows – are closely associated with Litha/Midsummer, and I can think of few more beautiful or creative ways to honour this majestic creature come the Summer Solstice than by making and proudly displaying this stunning burlap horse head wreath.

34. Quilted Strawberry Coasters: Keep furniture surfaces protected from the inevitable condensation that stems from refreshingly cold summertime beverages by sewing up a set of these sweet, charmingly lovely quilted strawberry coasters.

35. Air Dry Clay Sun Disks: Fun fact, air dry clay is one of my favourite mediums to work in. It is extremely versatile, readily available both online and off, does not require a kiln (or even an oven), and can be used to create countless types of handmade craft and decor projects.

Plus, IMO, it is a very user-friendly material that need not intimidate newcomers and which is also a great product to use when crafting with kids.

Celebrate the Summer Solstice by putting air dry clay to work in this cheerful DIY sun disk project that creates artistic pieces which can be used and enjoyed all sunny season long (and/or anytime you wish to focus on solar energy or solar deities).

PS: These lists of Solstice/Equinox/Pagan sabbat craft ideas and decor inspiration posts do not contain recipes. One day, I would like to launch a similar multiopart series that puts the spotlight on recipes that suit each of these special days to a tee as well.

In the meantime, though, I recently came across this gorgeous recipe for Lemon Pine Drizzle Loaf from Scottish blogger Rosie from Everything Looks Rosie that struck me as being endlessly perfect for Litha and so I just knew that I needed to include it here. (The general concept of this lovely loaf cake can be rendered in other iterations, too, such as gluten-free, vegan, paleo, and low carb, should you need/desire to forgo wheat flour and/or animal products.)

Ditto for her elegantly delicious Lavender Creme Brule, which would be a sublime way to cap off any spring or summertime meal.

Litha: the longest day and the shortest night

It is easy to focus on the fact that the Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year and in the process forget that as a result this sacred day also houses the shortest night.

These two points, which will reverse order come Yule (and which are, in fact, doing just that right now south of the equator, where many Pagans/Wiccans/witches in that hemisphere will soon opt to observe Yule), are unique to this day and this day alone each year.

It will be some time before we start to see a major decline in the number of daylight hours that illuminate our lives. When that point comes, we know that summer is getting ready to bow out and give autumn its due place in the eternal parade of the seasons.

I find there is a heightened sense of energy and vitality that emerges at the Summer Solstice – as though the universe is working overtime to charge our internal batteries which are often severely depleted by the colder months.

When I think of summer, I recall my youth and the sense of freedom that the dog days housed. Not just from school (which, bullying and a few teachers who will remain unnamed aside, I generally adored), but from the weight of winter’s chill as well.

Long hours of daylight meant afternoons that spilled into evenings spent at the beach, the water at the lake vying with that of a warm bath.

Night swimming – as the REM song of the same name states – “deserves a quiet night” and while the evenings were not always silent by any means, the noises that comprised their soundtrack only helped to cement the memory of backstroking under the moonlight.

Summer can be a challenging season, no two ways about it, but there is also endless reasons to fall all the more in love with it each year as well.

This season all but begs us to use each of our senses to the best of their abilities. There are brilliant sights, enchanting textures (from warm sand to the ticklish fuzz of a peach, gooey roasted marshmallows to lanky blades of grass beneath our bare feet), incredible scents and tastes, and no shortage of memorable sounds.

Think water splashing, warm evening breezes rustling through picturesquely green leaves, crickets serenading us with their nightly choir performances, squawking seagulls, fresh peapods being crisply snapped open, travelling fun fair rides operating late into the night, upbeat voices floating through the sunny sky, kids ringing bicycle bells, line-dried linens flapping merrily in the breeze, the iconic song of the much-welcome ice cream truck, and the unmistakable slip-slop of sunscreen being rubbed on one’s skin to name a but a few.

The crafts and décor ideas above tap into these sensory delights of summertime as well, reminding us even in the moment itself of the pleasures, gifts, and blessings of the growing season. Of vitality, hope, and – with any luck – at least three or more months until the first snowflake comes tumbling down again.

My birthday falls almost precisely between Litha and Lammas, and so both of those sabbats are all the dearer to my heart.

Naturally, you need not have a “cake day” during this period of the year to adore the Summer Solstice/Litha.

As with each rotation of the year’s mighty wheel these wonderful days, those that lie ahead of them, and the comfort that comes from knowing that no matter what life throws our ways, the seasons remain a steadfast constant, are there to be celebrated by one and all.

Springtime proper arrived mighty late here this time around and it remains anyone’s guess as to how long summer plans to set up shop.

No matter the duration, summer will propel us onward to autumn, the heart of harvest time, and all the tantalizing joys of the year’s next chapter.

Right here and now, though, there are summer fruits to be topped with lashings of pillowy whipped cream, games of frisbee to be played, concerts in the park to attend, and a whole slew of new sun-baked memories to be made throughout the coming summer months.

Happiest Summer Solstice and Litha wishes to each of you, my dear friends!

Let us all raise a glass of our favourite perfectly chilled beverage to that fact and to all that makes summer so unforgettably wonderful!

Are you planning to celebrate Midsummer this year? Which of the Litha/Summer Solstice projects featured in this post would you most like to try your hand at making?

The post 35 Stellar Summer Solstice Crafts, DIY Projects, and Décor Ideas for Litha appeared first on Witchcrafted Life.

To those of us who bide our time patiently each year for our beloved October, November can bring about a certainly melancholy stemming from the reality that we must begin that long wait over again.

And yet, November’s presence is neither a bad nor an unfortunate thing. Regardless of what the weather may get up to, November is still fall time in the Northern Hemisphere.

In fact, it is the last full month of the present season, which will officially conclude when the Winter Solstice comes calling in December.

Instead of viewing November merely as the first step on the journey until next October, I consciously choose to bask in the lingering afterglow of my favourite month and to celebrate each precious moment of autumn while it is still here.

Since time immemorial, for those in colder climates, fall has often meant a return to heartier fare. One needs sustenance, fortitude, and flavours that both warm the belly and the heart alike as the mercury plummets.

To my mind, few cuisines anywhere on the globe can deliver that quite like the classic offerings that hail from the Celtic lands.

With the nights dropping well below freezing, arctic winds screeching past like frenzied owls, and the near-certain promise of multiple months of bone-chilling winter ahead, November means it is time for me to reach for an especially beloved book once again.

And, moreover, to share some of my thoughts on that very title here with all of you.

The book I’m speaking about is Celtic Folklore Cooking by Joanne Asala.

This title is not particularly new, having first been released in 1998 (I currently own the fifteenth printing, which came out in 2017). Yet, like many an excellent book, it has qualities that make it both endearing and timeless.

As we will soon dive into, Celtic Folklore Cooking is much more than “just” a compendium of excellent Celtic recipes.

This book is also chock-a-block with engaging Celtic folklore, proverbs, and poetry from countries such as Scotland, Ireland, and Wales; and is by far one of the most compressive looks at traditional Celtic cuisine that I have come across.

Book specs

Name: Celtic Folklore Cooking

Author: Joanne Asala

Page count: 384

Publisher: Llewellyn

Binding: Softcover

A feast for the tastebuds and imagination alike

Have you ever walked into someone’s kitchen, be it for the first time or the five hundredth and instantly felt comfortable, at peace, and warmed from the inside out before you’d even eaten a single morsel of food?

Just as some kitchens and the home cooks behind them are able to impart this sense of nurturing serenity, so too are certain books pertaining to the culinary arts.

Celtic Folklore Cooking by Joanne Asala is one of those books.

Asala is the author/compiler of more than 25 books pertaining to folklore, fairy tales, cooking, and traditional customs from various parts of Europe. A native of Chicago, she has travelled across the continent extensively to learn and gather information for her books. This point shines out vibrantly in the depth and scope of knowledge that she imparts throughout Celtic Folklore Cooking.

Clocking in at a touch under 400 pages, this hefty paperback title features more than 200 traditional dishes hailing from the land of the Celts.

While this book does not have any photographs or (save for the front cover) colour illustrations, it does house a selection of charming black and white illustrations that accompany some, but not all, of the recipes and tales that this engaging book includes.

No doubt Celtic Folklore Cooking would have been an even more captivating book with colour photos and/or illustrations. Yet, the strength of the author’s writing and the breadth of fascinating folklore covered here adds proverbial colour to each delightful page in its own right and as such, I rarely find myself longing for photos or drawings when reading this book.  

On top of the 200+ dishes included in this cookbook, one also finds an enchantingly selection of folktales, poems, proverbs, and customs hailing from traditional Celtic lands, such as Scotland and Ireland.

Before we go any further this review, I should mention that though this book will find favour with many a witch, Wiccan, and Pagan, it was not written solely for that audience.  

And while Asala begins her introduction by stating that, “The goal of Celtic Folklore Cooking is to help you select foods to serve at your celebrations of the Sabbats and Esbats”, the dishes and captivating folklore contained within this book can just as easily be utilized for every other day of the year as well.

Celtic Folklore Cooking is a culturally rich, expansive, captivating look at the traditions and history of Celtic cuisine and is bound to appeal to a wide range of readers, both inside and out of the Pagan/witchy sphere.

For those who fall under the former header, you will be interested to know that the author does make a point of mentioning which Pagan sabbats she feels best suit each recipe in the book.

Broadly speaking, I agree with the majority of her choices for corresponding sabbats and if anything, wouldn’t so much change her suggestions as add on an additional sabbat or two in some cases.

Of course, these recipes – like nearly any recipe, for that matter – can be utilized whenever you desire, be it for the sabbats, esbats, or otherwise.

Celtic Folklore Cooking is arranged into the following nine chapters:

-The Celtic Wheel of The Year

-Beverages (which includes recipes for numerous homemade alcoholic beverages such as Mead, Blas Meala, Welsh Posset Cup, Eggnog, and Wassail)

-Breads, Porridges, and Breakfast Foods

-Milk, Eggs, and Cheese

-Soups and Stews

-Vegetables

-Fish, Shellfish, and Seaweed

-Meat and Wild Game

-Desserts

In addition, there is an introduction, bibliography and related reading, glossary, and index. The latter of which is especially handy if you’re keen to look up recipes for a specific ingredient.

Speaking of which, a good many of the ingredients called for in these recipes are classic ones that strive to mirror the traditional cuisine of the Celtic nations.

In the very earliest days of our relationship, Tony and I lived in Ireland (ROI) for a couple of years. Getting to experience both contemporary and traditional Irish firsthand in its homeland stands out as one of my most treasured memories from our adventure in the Emerald Isle.

Each time I dip into Celtic Folklore Cooking, I feel as though I am reliving our time in Ireland and the incredible food we got to experience there.

The recipes in this book are accessible and welcoming. Many are relatively simple and quite a few are fairly budget-friendly.

This book is not geared specifically to any one type of diet (such as vegetarianism or eating gluten-free, for example) and, as with the bulk of generalized cookbooks pertaining to almost any cuisine, if you follow a specific type of diet for medical, cultural, religious or other reasons, some of the recipes in Celtic Folklore Cooking may not work for your dietary requirements.

Or, perhaps, in certain instances, you could alter them so that they were able to work. Switching out, say, animal dairy products nut, plant, or seed options instead. Those (like myself) who eat Low FODMAP could also make certain substitutions, such as using the green parts of scallions/spring onions or leeks in place of onions.

These are just a couple of examples, of course. You know your diet and health best, so should hopefully be able to determine if some of the recipes in Celtic Folklore Cooking are able to be adapted to your specific dietary needs or not.

If the answer is “not” across the board, that is 100% okay, naturally, and you may still enjoy the culinary history and folklore that abounds in this book all the same.

It is worth noting that there are some ingredients in this book that were not native to the lands the ancient Celts inhabited and others that have become commonplace mainstays of these corners of Europe in more recent centuries.

This point doesn’t bother me personally, as I feel it is generally unrealistic to expect most 21^st century cookbooks to ask readers to solely use ingredients that were available in a given part of the world during a specific long-ago time period.

Another element of this book that does not trouble me, but which might put some readers off a touch is that not all of the recipes are presented in the same format. Some are arranged in paragraph form, while most are laid out in the usual contemporary way of presenting recipes (as in the photo above), starting with their ingredients and then how to prepare and cook a given dish.

I am a massive proponent and long-time adoptee of eating traditionally/ancestrally, eschewing heavily processed foods whenever possible and seeking out healthy local offerings for as much of what we consume as is realistically (and economically) possible.

This book embraces traditional foods, cooking methods, and meals that, in many instances, take longer than a few minutes to bring to the table.

That isn’t to say they are challenging or require ages to prepare or make. With relatively few exceptions this is not the case.

Instead, they are homey, classic dishes (think soups, stews, and hot breakfast cereals, for example) that benefit from decent cooking times and which may taste even better when reheated in the following days after they have been prepared.

These are recipes that encourage you, if so desired and if such is feasible, to live (or to live all the more) in tune with the seasons and the foodstuffs that are most readily available through each chapter of the year.

As you lap up the recipes in Celtic Folklore Cooking, you are treated to a multi-course meal for the mind via the delightful array of folklore tales, proverbs, poetry, and general folk wisdom that Asala has generously peppered throughout the book.

Even if one opted to never cook a single recipe from this book, the Celtic lore, charming folk wisdom, and history that call this title home would make reading Celtic Folklore Cooking more than worth it.

Celtic Folklore Cooking is a terrific year-round cookbook. It boasts an impressive selection of over 200 delicious recipes from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and Cornwall.

This point is especially refreshing, as it is fairly common for books pertaining to Celtic culture (be it Celtic cuisine or otherwise) to lock their sights on Ireland and budge nary an inch from that one country, when in truth the lands that the Celts called home spanned multiple modern-day countries.

How Celtic Folklore Cooking rates with me

Cooking, the culinary arts, and food history have been some of my greatest passions in life since I was a young child.

Even though the scope of my own diet is profoundly restricted due to needing to eat for/around several different chronic illnesses and I have a metabolism that’s so slow it makes a snail look like a supersonic rocket by comparison, nothing life has thrown my way has dulled this important interest.

I am the kind of person who reads cookbooks with the intensity and interest many reserve for their favourite novels.

Toss not only culinary history and traditions but also folklore into the mix and my head nearly explodes with joy!

Celtic Folklore Cooking by Joanne Asala ticks each of those boxes and more. It is wonderfully well suited to Pagan/witchy individuals, while being no less appealing or accessible to those who are neither of those things.

The layout of its chapters invites you to read this book cover to cover, eager not only to see what recipe comes next, but to savour the captivating Celtic folklore, proverbs, and traditional writing this book houses in abundance as well.

There are many excellent books on Irish, Scottish, Welsh, (broadly) Celtic and similar cuisine to be had these days, but few marry folklore and wisdom with 200+ recipes – nor do so with the same level of knowledge and passion that Asala liberally garnishes each page in this fantastic book with.

Learning more about the traditions and/or folklore associated with each recipe in this book further endears it to my heart – just as I’m sure it will for many fellow readers as well.

This is the kind of cookbook that you don’t just read once, try out a recipe or two from, tuck it away on a shelf and pretty much forget about.

It is an engaging, beautifully written, well-presented book that honours the culinary traditions of the Celtic lands and presents a true feast’s worth of inviting recipes that are sure to appeal to a wide range of people from around the globe.

With autumn out in full force and winter barrelling around the corner, this is the kind of book I reach for time and time again, not only for our own daily meals, but also when we entertain company and when I’m asked to bring a hearty dish to a meal elsewhere.

In addition, I love that as someone whose ancestry is comprised almost exclusively of Celtic, Norse, Germanic, and Slavic origins, the recipes in this book are likely not far off from some of those that were enjoyed by many generations of my ancestors.

Not to mention the fact that this book is many a kitchen witch’s dream cookbook – particularly if you work with The Wheel of The Year and/or British, Scottish, Welsh, Irish or similar branches/traditions of Druidism, Wicca, and/or witchcraft.

If I could only pick one book about Celtic cookery to work with for the rest of my days, Celtic Folklore Cooking by Joanne Asala would surely be it.

And as such, it warms my heart every bit as much as one of the truly delicious traditional Celtic recipes it contains to bestow my highest rating on this book.

Working on a scale of 1 – 5, with five being the highest possible rating, I would give Celtic Folklore Cooking 5 stars out of 5.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Have you read Celtic Folklore Cooking by Joanne Asala? Are you a fellow fan of traditional Celtic cuisine?

The post Book Review: Celtic Folklore Cooking by Joanne Asala appeared first on Witchcrafted Life.

There may be berries aplenty, lush and juicy watermelon, perhaps citrus or tropical fruits, and, I’d venture to guess, at least a couple of stone fruits.

From the alluring dark blush of cherries to the nearly criminally delicious taste of a perfectly sun-ripened peach, summertime is awash with stone fruits in many parts of the world.

Those areas where stone fruits do not grow locally often import them in during the summer months – if not year-round. And many of us have access to various types of stone fruits in either fresh, frozen, juice, syrup, tinned, canned or otherwise preserved form regardless of the season.

During the sizzling hot days of summer, stone fruits are one of nature’s most delectably appealing culinary treasures.

Not only are they highly nutritious, relatively low in calories, and bursting with various vitamins and minerals (such as vitamins A and C), they’re magickal powerhouses as well!

I’ve spent what collectively amounts to a large chunk of my life living in different parts of British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley.

This arid, lake-filled corner of Western Canada is famous the world over for its fruit growing climate, which orchardists, farmers, and vintners have been availing of for well over a century now.

A wide array of fresh produce – and some truly spectacular wines – are grown and produced in this part of the world, with few being more beloved or abundant than the area’s stone fruits.

My childhood summers weren’t just chock-a-block with eating stone fruits, I also picked my fair share, helped my mom and paternal grandma can enough peaches and assorted stone fruit jams to feed a small army, and learned to appreciate both the culinary – and as I grew older – magickal properties of these wonderful fruits.

Depending on where you live in the world stone fruit season can start as early as May. In other spots, the growing season kicks off in June, July or even August, just depending on the particular type(s) of fruit at hand and the local climate.

In our area, June tends to start the season, which can run as far into the year as September.

It’s currently mid-July and multiple varieties of locally grown stone fruit are now readily available. Thus, today seemed like a great time to shine the witchy spotlight on these summertime staple fruits.

We’re going to be doing so by taking a look at 25 magickal ways to use summertime stone fruits in your witchcraft.

But first…

What are stone fruits?

No fruit produces an actual stone in the sense of a rock or pebble. In this instance, the word “stone” refers to the pit that grows inside of a piece of fruit.

Some of the most common stone fruits – and the ones that this post is going to focus on – are cherries, peaches, nectarines, apricots, plums, and stone fruit hybrids such as plumcots, apriums, peacharines, and peacotums (each of which is created by successfully crossing two or more different stone fruits together).

These are not the only stone fruits out there, however. Others such as dates, mangos, lychees, and green almonds all fall under this header.

However, for the sake of this post, we’re going to focus on the stone fruits that are most associated with summer in North America and various other parts of the world.

And while not at the heart of this post either (seasonally applicable as they are), you might be fascinated to know that raspberries, blackberries, and mulberries are technically stone fruits, too.

They are classified as such because they are comprised of clusters of jewel-like drupelets, each of which has a tiny stone (seed/pit) inside of it. Pretty cool, no?

How to use stone fruits in witchcraft

As with a lot of different types of foods, the clear blue summer sky is the limit when it comes to ways to use stone fruits in your witchcraft.

Whether you intend to eat or work with the food magickally (or both), remember to properly wash and dry your stone fruit before using it.

You may wish to utilize a charged water when cleaning your stone fruit – just make sure it’s safe for human consumption if you plan to eat the fruit yourself or serve it others.

Look through your fruit and remove any that are clearly rotten, have been chomped on by wee critters, or which are oozing juices.

If stone fruits require ripening, do so in a warm, but not excessively hot, location, such as a kitchen table or counter. If they are already ripe and you wish to prolong their life a little bit, store them in the fridge or a very cool spot, such as a cold cellar.

When working with stone fruits – or food of any kind – try to be thankful for the edible blessing that is in your hands. You may wish to give thanks aloud or in your heart or mind, perhaps even saying a prayer of thanksgiving for this summertime bounty.

Stone fruits can be used magickally on their own or combined to create all manner of delicious dishes and magickal spells and workings.

Select fruits with harmonious or complementary properties or whose energies resonate with you and your intended purposes.

When preparing your stone fruit, mindfully think about the purpose it will be used for, the desired outcome you’re seeking to manifest, and what spiritual allies or forces, if applicable, you will be calling upon to aid you in your magickal workings.

I find stone fruit magick to be especially effective when carried out in direct summer sunlight (though have also found, that cherries have a fondness for the night and apricots delight in the early morning hours).

This is certainly not essential though. Just an additional way to imbue your workings with summertime energy and correspondence, if and when such is possible.

While this is also not mandatory, you may wish to have a designated cutting board and knife, and possibly a vegetable peeler, too, that you use specifically for food that you’ll be using in a witchy capacity.

By only using these kitchen tools for magickal workings, you will direct and concentrate your own personal energy, as well as that of the foods that come in contact with them, into these items.

Think of this concept a bit like the way a cast-iron skillet that has been expertly seasoned and maintained is able to perform at its best each time, so long as the person using it knows what they’re doing and takes care to maintain the integrity of that skillet.

Magickal properties of summer stone fruits

The following is a list of some of the magickal properties and correspondences that are ascribed to the most common types of summertime stone fruits.

They will apply regardless of if a given fruit is eaten/used in its fresh, frozen, canned, etc form. That said, if you’re able to procure fresh stone fruit when it is in season, all the better and more charged with the energy of the present growing season it will be.

–Apricots: Warmth, soothing anxiety, hopefulness, peace, sunshine, healing, positive health, well-being, longevity, beauty, elegance, love, positivity, carefreeness, beauty, travel, relaxation, wisdom, learning, morning and afternoon, and sunshine.

–Cherries: Divination, love, sex, fertility, youth, sweetness, femininity, emotions, water, air, spirituality, blood, friendship, dreams, beauty, healing, relationships,

In addition, black cherries are particularly tied to repelling negativity, banishing, protection, strength, masculinity, dark moon magick, death and the afterlife.

And sour cherries are beneficial when you wish to focus on riding negativity or gossip, hexes, ending relationships, and aligning order or fairness (balancing sweet and sour).

–Nectarines: Stability, strength, love, warmth, sweetness, hope, moving and new homes, heightening psychic abilities, sunshine, positivity, memories, dreams, and nurturing.

–Peaches: Joy, sweetness, fun, creativity, wisdom, femininity, fertility, longevity, protection, warding, banishing, finding missing or lost items, banishing, motivation, personal expression, ancestry, summer, afternoon and early evening.

(New World Witchery has a wonderfully informative post packed with peach folklore, which you may also enjoy.)

–Plums: Dreams, sleep, love, lust, prosperity, transition, resilience, beauty, writing, art, regality, grace, sophistication, dusk and evening.

–Hybrids, such as pluouts/plumcots and apriums, will generally embody the magickal properties of each fruit that contributed to their genetic makeup. The higher the percentage of a given fruit in the hybrid, the more it stands to channel the properties and correspondences of that fruit.

25 magickal uses for stone fruits

Stone fruits are one of summer’s greatest and most versatile offerings.

They’re an excellent way to inject kitchen and cottage witchery into your sunny weather workings, but are equally open to a wide array of magickal purposes.

Without further ado, here are twenty-five wonderful ways to use stone fruits in your witchcraft.

1. Create a jam spell by making homemade jam (canned, fresh, or freezer) with the stone fruit or fruits of your choice. Mindfully stir your intentions into the jam, set them with the gelling action of the jam, and use the end product for sweetness, abundance, positivity, and a wide range of other magickal purposes.

2. Whip up a magickal fruit salad, sunny sangria, or another dish that includes two or more stone fruits. Enjoy it in the summer sun, indoors or out, eating mindfully and allowing each bite to deliver both physical and spiritual nourishment to your body this season.

3. Use dried flowers, leaves, stems, pits, and (ethically sourced) bark from trees in spells, spell and mojo bags, spell bottles, potpourri mixes, elixirs, offerings, altar decorations, and so forth.

4. Place leaves (or the fruits themselves, though they may attract unwanted insect and animal visitors) around your property for protection, calling on the spirits of the trees they came from to help guard your home.

5. (Carefully!) carve sigils, runes signs, planetary or astrological signs, or other magickal symbols into pits and stones. This is generally best (and more easily) done when the pit or stone has been allowed to dry out first.

6. Work with a wand made from the wood of one of these trees (handmade or made by a source that you trust).

7. Essential oils in the flavours and scents of these fruits can be utilized in a plethora of different ways. Use them as is, as part of spell jars or pillows, to anoint candles, to draw signs and sigils on suitable materials, to aid in sleep and relaxation, as part of ritual baths and showers, and worn on the body, to name but a few possible uses.

8. Use cherry juice in place of blood (and cheery flesh instead of meat or animal flesh) in rituals, spells, offerings and other magickal workings where blood (or meat) may be called for or needed.

This is an ideal substation for those who follow vegetarian, vegan and plant-based diets or who may otherwise prefer not to work with animal products in their witchcraft.

9. Make besoms or other types/sizes of brooms with small branches from stone fruit trees. Bless and concrete your besom or broom with juice from the type of fruit that the tree(s) you sourced your branches from produces.

If you can gather the branches and fruit on a sabbat, such as Beltane, Litha or Lammas, or under the light of a full moon, it may be all the more magickally charged, but this is by no means essential to create a highly effective besom or broom.

You can also extend this DIY witchy tool making method to other types of fruits, nuts, olives, and some very woody herbs that grow on trees or bushes with suitable branches.

It is wise to ask for and receive permission (your own inner voice will usually let you know what the answer is) from the tree before taking anything from a plant/tree/flower/similar, give direct thanks to the plant, and leave an offering or say a blessing aloud for its health and longevity.

10. Cast worries away by focusing one concern per stone or pit and flinging it away from your body into a running body of water (ensure that doing so will not hurt the natural ecosystem of the river or creek you’re working with).

11. Research if the deity(ies) you currently work with have any known connections to stone fruits or the months when they’re most commonly in season. If so, consider leaving an offering of this fruit or otherwise including it in some of the workings you do with this deity.

Cherries, for example, are linked to such gods and goddesses as Artemis, Mars, Herne, (the) Morrigan, Thor, Vertumnus, and Pan. Whereas peaches are connected to such deities as Hathor, Freya, Venus, and Aphrodite, to name but a few.

12. Peach sticks have a longstanding tradition, particularly in traditional American folk magick, of being used as dowsing rods. If dowsing appeals to you and you have access to a peach tree from which a suitable branch can safely be removed, why not give it a go and see where a bit of peach wood dowsing leads you?

13. Split a suitable sized stone fruit partially open, carefully remove the pit, and place a written spell or intention inside of it. Close the fruit over the paper and bury the fruit, thus allow the mighty earth below to help bring your desired outcome into being. This type of stone fruit working lends itself especially nicely to spells pertaining to success, prosperity and the desire to have something blossom abundantly in your life.

14. Gather stone fruit by hand yourself. Research local stone fruit growers in your area and see if any of them allow the public to come and pick their own fruit.

Alternatively, harvest fruit from your own garden, or with permission, from a neighbour, friend, or relative’s yard. Or, if you’re extra lucky and have edible varieties of stone fruit growing wild in your area, forge some when it is in season.

By directly picking, handling, and bringing home the fruit yourself, you are preserving even more of the source-to-working (or simply eating) energy and magick that is inherent in the fruit tree itself.

15. Work with cherries in your spells or other magickal purposes on Fridays. The last day before the weekend is connected with Venus, as are cherries, so you get double the energy and connection one of earth’s nearest planetary neighbours.

16. Dried peach pits can be carved and/or drilled to create a hole and then strung on a cord, chain, or suitable jump ring and used a protective amulet if you’re in need of some extra safety when it comes to your well being, health, or state of mind.

You could also create several such peach pits and make a belt or sash, a pair of anklets, earrings, hair accessories (glue them to a barrette or place one pit on the each end of a pair or hair sticks, for example), or embellishments for a hand drum.

17. Stone fruits have long been associated with love, lust, passion, and sex, and therefore are considered to have aphrodisiacal properties. One has only to look at the sloping curves and mounds of a ripe peach, nectarine or plum to see why this is the case!

If you’re in need of some extra oomph or wish to spice things up in this area of your life, work with stone fruit spells and enjoy a hearty helping of them with your special someone to help get your own juices flowing all the more. (Always bearing in mind the importance of not interfering with another person’s free will.)

18. Use stone fruit juice – darker varieties such as cherries tend to work best, though peaches and other paler hued fruits can be used as well – to dye fabric for use in magickal applications, such as spell and amulet bags, spell pillows and sachets, altar clothes (how fabulous would a stone fruit dyed altar cloth be for Litha or Lammas?), to line forging or gardening baskets, to make tarot or oracle deck bags, for sabbat table linens, or any other suitable purpose you think of.

You’ll most likely want to ensure the colourfastness of your hand dyed fabric by setting it with a natural fixative, such as a vinegar or salt fixative.

Once dried, and colourfastness has been established, use your naturally dyed fabric for the purposes mentioned above or scores of others, from poppet making to sewing magick.

19. Utilize stone fruit tree wood or leaves in summertime bonfires, particularly those held on sabbats and esbats. If you can’t obtain suitably dry stone fruit tree wood or branches, use leaves instead. If leaves aren’t possible, consider adding a few pieces of the actual fruit or fruit peels to your summertime blaze.

20. Use stone fruit to help you connect with the Elements during the summer months. While many stone fruits are primarily associated with water and earth, they are also directly linked to the air (in which they grow, that blows through their leaves, etc) and fire via the roasty-toasty summer sunshine that facilitates their growth and ripening.

21. Cherry wood is said to have many wonderful properties and magickal uses. These include such things as helping one to focus and stabilize, deepening intuition, helping with (or being used in) divination, working with the animal kingdom, unifying couples or groups, for protection and shielding, and when working with the planet Venus.

As well, cherry wood magickal tools such as wands (or can be handmade), altar tables and tarot card boxes are available for sale from various online and offline sources.

22. Obtain enough of one or more types of stone fruits to use some fresh as part of a spell and then to make homemade fruit leather with the remaining fruit.

Charge the fruit leather with the intention and desired outcome of the spell and eat it a piece of it on a regular (e.g., daily or weekly) basis to help strengthen and manifest your working.

23. Utilize summertime stone fruits in colour magick. The beautiful hues of peaches, cherries, apricots, plums, nectarines and stone fruit hybrids makes them ideal food sources to use in color magick workings. The leaves, bark, branches, and blossoms (both fresh and dried) of stone fruit trees can be used in colour magick as well.

24. On Litha or Lammas, make pancakes to represent the glowing, life-giving and harvest facilitating sunshine of summer. Top them with the stone fruit, jam, preserved or fresh stone fruit of your choice.

Pancakes are also excellent representations for the full moon at esbats and can be used in the same way for these special, highly spiritually charged days as well.

25. Use cherry juice to write magickal spells. Cherry juice use can be used instead of dragon’s blood ink, actual blood (as discussed above), and most dark inks.

Cherry juice starts off paler than many actual red and black inks, fades to an even lighter shade over time, and may not be as archivally long-lasting as some other inks.

However, it is a wonderful material to utilize in written spells, incantations, journal entries, and when writing love letters where a red or brown ink, or an ink derived straight from nature, is the order of the day.

Turn to cherry juice ink for love, sex, fertility, stamina, strength, divination, grief, healing, death, and afterlife related spellwork in particular.

Stone fruits for kitchen witchery and much more!

The magickal uses for peaches, cherries, apricots, nectarines, plums and the like are abundant. I find these fruits to be wonderfully enjoyable to work with. Most tend to have a sunny disposition and energy, borne of the season that helped bring them to maturity.

In addition to the many possible ways to use stone fruits that we just discussed, you may wish to gather a small amount of dirt from around the base of stone fruit trees.

Use this earth in spells and other workings involving dirt for which the magickal properties of the tree(s) that grew in the soil you collected would be beneficial to your desired outcome.

Likewise – though it may take some patience – gathering dew or rainwater from the leaves of fruit trees is also a great form of charmed/magickally imbued water. A quicker approach is to place a bucket or other waterproof receptacle under the branches of a stone fruit tree and gather the water that runs through the leaves.

You can also utilize stone fruit scented products such as candles and incense – all the better if they contain at least a small amount of some portion (for example, the juice or dried fruit) of the actual fruit itself, not merely a synthetic version.

And, if you’re looking for a longer-lasting version of stone fruits to use as part of your magickal workings, consider those rendered in everything from crochet to ceramic, crystal to beadwork. These kinds of fruit shaped items can be awesome additions to altars, sabbat table décor, as a stand-in for the real deal in some types of spells and rituals, and many other uses.

If you have a chance to work some stone fruit magick this summer, I highly encourage you to give it go and hope that the results you achieve will be as sweet and wonderful as the taste of these delectable warm weather treats themselves.

The post 25 magickal ways to use summertime stone fruits appeared first on Witchcrafted Life.

Historically, Beltane has often marked the start of the light half of the year, which is characterized by such things as abundant sunlight, warmth, and a wide variety of fresh crops.

This light-filled half will conclude, from a sabbat standpoint, with Samhain at the end of October, from which point onward the world will experience the darker half of the year. Until, in a dance that has played out since time immemorial, the cycle begins anew once more the following Beltane.

For those north of the equator (south of this point, the seasons – and, optionally, Wheel of the Year – are experienced in reverse order to those in the northern hemisphere), May and June are often a gloriously lovely time.

All of nature has come out of hibernation, the sky rivals tropical seas with the depth of its azure tones, the grass is verdant, lush and inviting to our sandal clad feet, and some of the most delicious fresh food of the entire year is once again in season.

This year, however, while all of those same things still ring true, the Covid-19 pandemic and continued need to remain in self-isolation, coupled with global food chain and supply shortages of certain products means that popping down to the nearest grocery store or farmer’s market for fresh produce may not be possible at present

Even if our local supermarkets are open, there’s no guarantee that the items we’re after will be on their shelves. Nor that we’ll be in a position – be it due to health, finances, or safety – to reach the stores nearest to us in the first place.

I’m a huge proponent of eating fresh, shopping locally, and (if feasible and so desired) growing some of your own food.

Tough times alter our lives, however. The types and availability of food that we presently have available to us is currently one of the ways in which many people are experiencing the impacts of this devastating global pandemic.

In today’s post, we are going to explore some of the foods that are closely associated with Beltane coupled with ways to make the most of those foods in store cupboard form, as that is what an ever-increasing number of us are working with for our daily menus and sabbat meals alike.

What foods are traditionally associated with Beltane?

Beltane is the Celtic May Day festival whose roots stretch far back in history, to a time of a primarily agrarian-based society the predated the industrial revolutions by hundreds upon hundreds of years.

It is one of the four traditional Celtic/Gaelic festivals that helped to delineate the seasons for these early people (the others were Samhain, Imbolc, and Lughnasadh/Lammas, respectively).

Beltane was heavily associated with the start of the summer pastoral season, fresh produce, and energy filled life, plus fiery passion, and was seen to be a time when – much as at Samhain – the veil between the worlds thinned.

The ancient Celts were certainly not the only culture to celebrate, honour and/or worship the start of May, but it is largely through their observance of this annual happening that we’ve derived much of our 21^st century interpretation of Beltane. Influences from other early European cultures, including the Norse and the Germanic peoples can be felt as well.

As this springtime sabbat is typically observed on, or right around, May 1^st, the foods that have traditionally been associated with Beltane tend to be those that are at are in season at that point in the spring.

These include, but are not limited to, the following:

-Asparagus

-Artichokes

-Baby/new potatoes

-Bannock

-Blueberries

-Carrots

-Celery

-Dairy products (vegetarians, vegans, and those who do not otherwise consume animal milk products can easily swap in dairy alternatives instead)

-Garlic (as well as wild garlic)

-Green beans

-Green peas

-Edible springtime flowers such as honeysuckle, lilacs, jasmine, roses, and violets

*IMPORTANT NOTE* Only Jasminum officinale is edible. All other jasmine species, including “false jasmine” are poisonous. Please see this page on edible flowers for more details.

-Honey

-Leeks

-Lemons

-Lettuce

-May Wine (alcoholic or non-alcoholic versions; here is a lovely May Wine recipe that you may enjoy)

-Oatcakes

-Radishes

-Ramps (a species of wild onions)

-Roses (and rose water)

-Rhubarb (in some areas, in others it may be ready later in the summer)

-Scones

-Spinach

-Spring onions

-Strawberries

-Swiss chard

-Various herbs such as chives, dill, lavender, lemon balm, rosemary, tarragon, and thyme

-Watercress

Importantly, it should be noted that the ancients did not have had access to all of these foods at the same time and in the same place. (Ye olde Whole Foods Market was definitely not a thing yet! )

However, chances are that of those they were able to harvest or otherwise obtain (such as through trading), they would likely have included a variety of these healthy offerings into their diet during the spring and early summer months.

Some of the above listed foods are going to be explored in further detail below, complete with their respective magickal correspondences.

Are fresh foods a better choice for Beltane?

While you might prefer the taste or texture of fresh versions of certain foods, from a magickal standpoint, I do not personally believe that canned, tinned, frozen, dehydrated, or otherwise non-perishable forms of food are automatically less effective, magickal, or meaningful (especially if little to no preservatives or artificial ingredients have been added to them).

You can impart, bless, charge, or otherwise imbue anything that you eat or work with in your practice with the energy and intent of your choosing.

Doing so should help to ensure that foods with far off expiration dates are just as useful and beneficial in your workings (and daily meals) as those that were just plucked from the field or tree.

Objectively, while some foods are seen as being fairly common non-perishable pantry or store cupboard staples, I have no way of knowing what you have on hand and/or may readily have access to at present.

I encourage you to keep in mind as you continue reading from this point onward, that this is not a checklist. It is totally okay if you do not currently have some or even all of these different foods at your house.

Necessity is the mother of invention and of substitution. As lovely as it is to try and eat foods that are traditionally in season – or otherwise plentifully available – at the time of each of the sabbats, if that isn’t feasible for you, please try not to worry about it.

As an alternative, you could aim instead to focus more on the colour of your food. For example, luscious greens and sunny yellows, pretty reds and elegant purples to mirror and correspond to the hues that we see in abundant in the natural world during the month of May.

As well, for the purpose of keeping things concise, I have used the terms “pantry” and “store cupboard” quite liberally here, extending them to cover various foods that you may have in canned, tinned, packaged, frozen or otherwise non-perishable form.

Naturally, if you currently have ready access to the fresh versions of these foods and wish to enjoy them during the Beltane season, by all means do so.

That said, we witchy folk are nothing if not resourceful and know that making the best of what we have at our disposal right now is one of the keys to a happier, more content, and abundantly blessed life and magickal practice alike – so reach for those store cupboard staples!

15 foods for Beltane and their magickal correspondences

1. Asparagus: Magickal properties for asparagus pertain in no small part to lust, sex, power, and fertility – making it one of the most well-suited foods to tuck into at Beltane. In addition, asparagus is linked magickally to cleansing, purifying, healing, water magick, money magick, fortitude, keeping a calm head, standing up for yourself and others, boldness, and masculine energy.

Common non-perishable forms of asparagus include frozen, pickled, and canned/tinned.

2. Artichokes: Magickal properties for artichokes tend to gravitate heavily towards matters of shielding and protection, as well as areas of personal growth, getting to the heart of the matter, letting your inner desires shine or manifest, exposing the truth, boldness, honesty, caring for others, and love of all sorts.

Common non-perishable forms of artichokes include frozen, pickled, and canned/tinned.

3. Blueberries: Magickal properties for blueberries abound – much like the healthy properties of these powerhouse fruits. Turn to blueberry magick for protection (including of pets and other animals, as well as houses and property protection), the moon, feminine energy, health, healing, restoration, aura cleansing and strengthening, divination, faeries, sweetness, vitality, completion (of projects, goals, tasks, etc), shielding and protecting from energy vampires and psychic attacks, and optimism.

Common non-perishable forms of blueberries include frozen, dehydrated, powdered, freeze-dried, syrups, jams, jellies, preserves, and canned/tinned.

4. Carrots: Magickal properties for carrots – by far one of the most iconic and beloved of springtime vegetables – include such things as grounding, healing, protection, desire, sexuality, fertility, seeing things for what they truly are, planting seeds of your desires, positivity and fun, sweetness, healing, opening your third eye, dreams, visions, youthfulness, and playfulness.

Common non-perishable forms of carrots include frozen, dehydrated, freeze-dried, jams, preserved in sweet syrups, relishes, pickled, and canned/tinned.

5. Celery: Magickal properties for celery include those that can help with a number of important areas of our lives, including mental clarity, releasing, banishing, concentration, psychic awareness and gifts, soothing, helping to pass or speed along unwanted situations, serenity, calming, weight related matters, balance and harmony, unearthing the truth, and (much like asparagus) water workings and rituals.

Common non-perishable forms of celery include frozen, dehydrated, celery salt, celery seeds, and canned/tinned.

6. Garlic: Magickal properties for garlic, one of the world’s most frequently used and adored culinary ingredients, are quite abundant and pertain to matters such as protection, luck, distancing yourself from unwanted energies and individuals, health, personal growth, masculinity, strength inclusion in witch jars, spell jars, mojo bags, and poppets; home protection, cleansing, purification, ancestor work, spell breaking, hex and curse breaking, working at the crossroads, and nighttime magick.

Common non-perishable forms of garlic include minced and crushed forms of garlic sold in jars, frozen, freeze dried, garlic salt, garlic powder, garlic paste, pickled, and canned/tinned.

7. Green Beans: Magickal properties for green beans are plentiful – much like the culinary applications for perineal springtime vegetables. Matters of divination, money, creativity, new starts, standing tall (standing up for yourself), insight, wisdom, communication, clarity, personal space, getting out of ruts, hopefulness, creativity, garden and the fae are some of the key areas where green beans can help your magickal spells and other witchy workings. (Note, these magickal properties apply to yellow wax beans as well.)

Common non-perishable forms of green beans include frozen, freeze-dried, pickled, and canned/tinned.

8. Green Peas: Magickal properties for green peas (including sugar snap peas) share points in common with those of green beans, as well as some of their own special strengths. Turn to green pea magick when you want to focus on areas relating to new growth, love, traditions, family matters, ancestor work, history, gardening, environmental protection, Gaia, strength, grounding, acceptance, serenity, and money matters.

Common non-perishable forms of green peas include frozen, freeze-dried, canned/tinned, and green pea snack crisps.

9. Honey: Magickal properties for honey flow as abundantly and beautifully as this ancient, much adored culinary treasure. Work with honey in your spells, rituals, offerings and other magickal activities that pertain to love, happiness, peace, serenity, creativity, femininity, fertility, healing, self care, vital energy, binding, friendships, reaching amicable outcomes, traditions, family, celebrating both life and death (including as an offering at cemeteries, launching new project and businesses, sweetness, kindness, romance, longevity, the sun, in hoodoo honey jars, and as an offering to a wide array of gods, goddesses, and spirit allies.

Most forms of honey, assuming they are properly stored are inherently long-lasting. If needed, honey can be frozen and thawed for later use (or used straight from its frozen form in some types of recipes).

10. Lemons: Magickal properties for lemons are generally upbeat and sunny, reminding one of the vibrant hue of this beloved citrus fruit. Make lemons your magickal main squeeze when you want to focus on spells, rituals, offerings and other witchy workings pertaining to awareness, spirituality, clarity, purification, cleansing, rejuvenation, happiness, compassion, prosperity, warm and friendly relationships, friendship, femininity, fertility, children, auras, lightness of being, dreams, breaking negative ties, optimism, and the moon. (And, my fellow Cancers may enjoy knowing that lemons are closely associated with our astrological sign, much as it is with that of Pisces.)

Common non-perishable forms of lemons include frozen, freeze-dried, dehydrated, preserved, dried lemon peel, lemon extract, lemon juice, lemon concentrate, lemon pepper, jams, marmalades, and candied lemon peel.

11. Oats: Magickal properties for oats stretch far back into the past and oats remain one of the most versatile and useful magickal ingredients you can keep in your kitchen or witchy ingredient cabinet to this day. Use oats in your magickal workings when you’re focusing on areas of happiness, health, tradition, stability, fertility, ancestor work, family matters, fortitude, endurance, persistence, personal change, meditation, house and home, beauty, friendship, faithfulness, good luck, stick-to-itiveness, comfort, healing, respect, spiritual growth, venturing out into the world, education, employment, and achieving balance in your life.

Most varieties of oats, assuming they are properly stored are inherently long-lasting. Some of the most common forms of oats include oatmeal, quick cooking oats, old-fashioned oats, rolled oats, steel-cut oats, oat flour, oatbreads, oatcakes, oat crackers, oat based breakfast cereals, granola, musali, granola bars, British flapjacks, oatmeal cookies, and oat milk.

12. Rosemary: Magickal properties for rosemary abound and this beautiful herb is one that should have a standing spot in both your magickal workings and your kitchen. Use rosemary when you’re focusing on areas pertaining to love, attraction, spicing up your life, the solar plexus, dream work, warding off nightmares, memories, loyalty, sleep, strength, kitchen witchery, home blessings and protection, family, jealousy, bonding, purification, divination, protection from the evil eye, cleaning your space, offerings, the dead, hedge riding, spirits, ancient history, creativity, strengthening relationships, rejuvenation, bathing, and the element of air.

Common non-perishable forms of rosemary include dried, frozen, rosemary paste, rosemary-infused oils, and rosemary salt.

13. Spinach: Magickal properties for spinach are strong and ample (much like the delicious culinary possibilities when cooking with spinach). Tap into the green goodness of spinach when you wish to focus your magickal workings on areas of personal growth, money, fertility, passion, strength, determination, shielding, charging, the forest (and nature in general), travel, transportation, ley lines, astral projection, or the planet Jupiter.

Common non-perishable forms of spinach include frozen, canned/tinned, and dehydrated.

14. Strawberries: Magickal properties for strawberries are generally sweet, upbeat and highly welcome – much like this sunny weather culinary staple. Turn to strawberries in your magickal workings when you’re centering your attention on romance, love, pregnancy, family, youth, beauty, femininity, positivity, hope, truthfulness, creativity, warmth, friendship, overcoming hardships, dedication, success, stamina, reliability, giving, spiritual detoxification and cleansing, good luck, or the goddess Venus.  

Common non-perishable forms of strawberries include frozen, dehydrated, freeze-dried, powdered, syrups, jams, jellies, preserves, and canned/tinned.

15. Thyme: Magickal properties for thyme include those pertaining to purifying, cleansing, releasing and banishing negativity, happiness, personal style, prosperity, sweetness, hope, stability, tradition, balance, personal freedom, boldness, positive outlooks, letting go, compassion, reaching peaceful agreements, easing anxiety and nervousness, grief, trauma processing, releasing negativity, the fae, forest spirits, history, ancestors work, finding lost items, house hunting, financial matters, longevity, creativity, performing arts, writing, and honoring the dead.

Common non-perishable forms of thyme include dried, frozen, thyme paste, thyme-infused oils, and thyme salt.

As discussed earlier in this post, it is useful to remember that the magickal properties of each of the above listed foods apply whether a given food is fresh or preserved in some manner.

I aimed to include foods in this list that are, under normal (aka, pre-Coronavirus) circumstances, relatively readily available in many parts of the world in at least one non-perishable form, such as canned, tinned, frozen or dried.

Thus making them more likely to be a store cupboard (or freezer, spice rack, etc) item that you already have in your home or which you may be able to purchase – depending on what the shops or online sources for groceries (and magickal ingredients) in your area still have in stock at the moment.

Ways to work with food at Beltane

If you’re wondering how to work with food at Beltane, you’ve come to the right place!

The following are some lovely and meaningful ways to involve springtime foods in your Beltane celebrations, rituals and magickal workings.

Before hopping into this list, I need to preface it by making an important point. If you – or anyone in your household/family – need every last bite of food at present, please do not sacrifice even so much as a single blueberry or crumb of oatcake for purposes that do not involve human or pet consumption of said food.

It is a wonderful thing to celebrate the sabbats with food-related activities and festive meals, but we are currently living through some exceptionally different and difficult times and survival must always come first.

So with that important point established, let’s continue on and explore a number of different ways to perform Beltane kitchen witchery and otherwise work with food at Beltane in a magickal context.

–Place offerings of food on your altar or in another spot in your house (or yard) for whatever spirit allies, deities, elementals, angels, or other entities you presently work with.

–Hold a dumb supper. While most commonly associated in a modern Pagan sense with Samhain, the act of holding a silent – or “dumb” – supper in order to honour the departed is a poignant act that is inherently at home come Beltane as well.

This is especially true since Beltane and Samhain are exactly opposite each other on the Wheel of the Year and both are liminal times when the veil between the worlds grows thinner. If you’d like to learn more about Dumb Suppers, I suggest checking out this guest post I wrote on the subject back in 2018.

-Whip up some delicious Beltane recipes and have an early morning feast to welcome the rising sun on Beltane morn (or later in the day as a fun and festive May Day brunch.

-Make a batch of beautiful Beltane cupcakes or a charmingly lovely May Pole Cake, both of which honour the centuries old tradition of dancing around a maypole at the start of May.

–Anoint candles with dried or fresh herbs or flower petals (ensure that anything you burn is safe to be inhaled by humans and any animal friends who live with you).

–Mix dried or fresh herbs with salt (white, black, pink, etc – depending on what you’re aiming to accomplish or manifest) and use it to cleanse, bless, protect, or banish unwanted elements or energies from your house, by sprinkling the herbed salt mixture in various areas inside or out of your home (again, make sure any ingredients you use are safe for pets and humans – especially if you live with children).

–Create healthy, all-natural treats for your beloved pets using some of the same store cupboard ingredients that you may be tucking into this Beltane. For example, these 4-Ingredient Dog Treats that star blueberries and whole wheat flour or these inviting looking Carrot and Catnip Kitty Treats.

-Make a loaf of bread, cake, batch of cookies, tray of brownies, or another recipe that includes two or more of the Beltane foods listed in this post for extra seasonal potency.

For example, what about a carrot, thyme and lemon cake? Why not a vegan pot pie with green peas, spinach, leeks and assorted herbs? Or why not a delicious overnight oatmeal loaded with strawberries and blueberries, plus rosemary or lavender, if you have some to hand.

–Connecting all the more with the fae is one of the key elements of Beltane for some folks, myself included. Why not bake classic oatcakes, scones, Fried Honey Cakes, or Elderflower Fritters to leave as an offering for those faeries who inhabit your immediate environment.

-If you have access to pesticide-free edible flowers that are safe for human consumption, consider creating a gorgeous flower-infused honey that celebrates two of spring’s most meaningful (and delicious elements).

This Rose Honey recipe does the trick superbly (and would also make for a wonderful drizzle atop a wide range of Beltane baked goods, from muffins to cakes to berry crisps, crumbles, and buckles).

-If you’re imbibing this Beltane or otherwise utilizing alcohol in your workings, rituals or offerings, consider adding some delectable spring fruits – such as strawberries and blueberries or, if you can get them, early season or frozen peaches – to the wine or your choice for a delectable Beltane sangria.

–Start a book of your favourite sabbat recipes or magickal recipes, including those for Beltane, and add to it each time you hit upon a dish that’s a winner. Alternatively, jot down your sabbat recipes in your grimoire, book of shadows, or another existing book in which you record information pertaining to your path.

Creating our own light during the darkest of times

Beltane is a time to actively embrace, honour and celebrate the sunshine generated light that has returned to our world.

To this end, bonfires have long been a traditional part of many Mayday festivities and rituals. They are not the only way to let the light shine all the more brightly in our lives, however.

Things are not just tough, they’re out and out brutal for the planet as a whole right now.

At Beltane, I encourage you to look for safe, meaningful ways that you transmit energy, positivity and hope out into the world.

Ensure that you focus on your own well being, while also remembering that of others and the countless ways that we are each doing our best to stay afloat, keep our worlds intact as best we can, and remain alive during the Covid-19 pandemic.

In addition to working with seasonal foods and kitchen witchery in general, ask yourself what are some things you could do right now to brighten your days or those of others?

Much as there is a limitless amount of energy in the universe, so too do we have a profound amount of both inner energy and light that resides within ourselves.

This Beltane, tap into and honour that light.

Let it shine, allow it to help you process and cope with the current state that the world is in, and permit it to guide you onward through the remaining months of 2020 that lay beyond May 1^st.

With all my might, I wish you a safe, sacred, beautiful, and blessed Beltane.

The post 15 excellent pantry staple foods for Beltane and their magickal properties appeared first on Witchcrafted Life.

Frequently observed on February 1^st, Imbolc is a traditional Gaelic festival which celebrates and honours the start of spring.

While in many parts of the world snowy weather is still out in full force and an event that gets the ball rolling on the coming season may seem a tad premature in early February, that is all the more reason why mid-winter is an excellent time for Imbolc.

Imbolc’s ancient past

In connection with Beltane, Lammas/Lughnasadh, and Samhain, Imbolc (or Imbolg, as it is also spelled) is one of the four Gaelic festivals that were observed throughout the British Isles by the ancients.

It is believed that the goddess Brigid was strongly connected to Imbolc, which is further evidenced by the fact that as Christianity spread across the area, Imbolc was reworked by the early church to become Saint Brigid’s Day.

If observed on February 1^st, Imbolc is immediately followed the next day by the Christian holy day of Candlemas (the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus Christ) and by, on the same date, the more secular observance of Groundhog Day. 

While some of us might enjoy the good-natured fun of Punxsutawney Phil, the Christian observance of Candlemas is not something a great many contemporary Pagans and witches observe.

Yet Imbolc itself is a day to celebrate and give thanks for the longer hours of daylight that are gradually returning to our world.

This point is one of the first signs that spring isn’t quite as far away as the present icicle covered weather may have us believe.

Newness is an overriding theme at Imbolc. It relates to the lambing season, to the first stirrings of spring, to the prospect of brighter days ahead, and to making the most of the blessings of mid-winter.

Fertility, vitality, reunification, growth, optimism, fresh starts, hope, abundance, comfort, caring, light and love (including that expressed through the rejoining of the god and goddess at Imbolc) are just some of the themes and meanings that people have long imbued Imbolc with and derived from its happening alike.

These are all excellent points for the modern observer of Imbolc to incorporate into their magickal workings, spiritual practices, and daily lives.

Why is Imbolc associated with dairy foods?

Imbolc is deeply connected to themes of hearth, home and livestock. While far fewer of us today raise our own sheep, goats, and cows for dairy production, the connection to the calving season and to the historical significance that the return of spring had on the diets and daily lives of many earlier peoples ties dairy products to Imbolc.

Further, dairy was often a key source of vitamin D, something that the diminished sunlight fails to deliver in potent enough quantities to those living in more northerly parts of the world, including Ireland and Scotland, during the colder half of the year.

Thus dairy, which contains this vital vitamin, was one way to help to maintain healthy levels of vitamin D until spring and summer returned.

The modern dairy industry

To go even slightly in-depth into the workings, practises and atrocities of the modern dairy world is beyond the scope or intended key focus on this post.

It warrants mentioning, however, that the ways in which milk is generally obtained from cows, how the calves that are produced to trigger (or sustain) the production of cow’s milk are treated/dealt with, and what problems can accompany dairy products differs radically in many respects from how small scale milk production was often achieved in centuries past (particularly those before the industrial revolution and widescale shift towards city living).

I am not here, however, to judge or criticize those who opt to eat dairy. We must each make our own dietary and ethical decisions based on a myriad of factors, and this post is not about telling you why you may not want to eat/drink dairy products.

Instead, it suggests alternatives for those who cannot, or do not wish, to consume milk and other animal-derived dairy foods, whatever the reason(s) behind such a decision or dietary requirement.

Why bother with milk alternatives for Imbolc?

Firstly, I should point out that there are, of course, no hard and fast rules that say you “must” consume dairy – or any other specific type of food – for Imbolc. You can eat whatever your heart desires on this beautiful sabbat celebration.

Dairy and dairy alternatives are logical choices for this special day, however. They represent the calving season, as well as the bond between mother and baby (animals and humans alike)

In addition, milk and dairy-free alternative milks are often white or cream coloured, which corresponds with the snowy landscape that is common in many parts of the world in early February, as well as newness, peace, hope, and possibility. All themes that jive marvelously with Imbolc and the promise of spring’s return.

If you cannot, or choose not to, eat dairy, that does not mean that you have to forgo foods that pay homage to the meaning and historical importance of dairy at Imbolc and throughout the coming spring months.

Imbolc is a time for hearty foods that dig into our modern-day winter caches or which represents those held by the ancients.

Rich, filling, stick-to-your-ribs fare is a common theme at this time, as are warming/spicy foods that represent the returning light and increased temperatures of spring.

Although lighter menu options are no less appropriate for Imbolc, as well.

Reasons to choose dairy substitutes for Imbolc

There are numerous reasons why someone may not, or cannot, consume animal-based dairy products.

These include, but are not limited to, the following:

-Medical reasons: Including allergies, lactose intolerance, digestive disorders, and various other serious health issues.

-Religious or cultural reasons.

-Dietary reasons: Whereas some vegetarians (including lacto-vegetarians) will consume dairy products, others, and all vegans and plant-based eaters eschew animal-derived dairy products.

-Ethical reasons: Similar to the entry above, though there are some people who consume certain animal products (for example, meat, fish, or game they’ve hunted themselves) yet do not eat/drink dairy because of their personal views on the modern dairy industry, milk’s potential to cause health issues, or other reasons.

And, again, all vegans and strictly plant-based eaters avoid dairy in any form. Whereas not everyone on a plant-based diet may do so from a purely ethical standpoint (dairy avoidance thus being a by-product of their chosen animal product-free diet, which may be adopted for health, weight management or other reasons), vegans typically refuse to eat/drink any animal products on the grounds of ethical reasons.

-Unavailability of dairy products: Sometimes, a person may not have immediate assess to dairy foods where they live, simply be out of them at home that day, or have a food budget that does not allow for some/all dairy products at present.

-Dislike of dairy: Common as dairy products are, not everyone enjoys eating them, even if they are technically able to do so from health, diet and/or ethical standpoints.

12 plant-based milk alternatives for Imbolc

-Almond milk: For those who are able to eat nuts, specifically almonds, almond milk is a wonderful alternative to dairy milk for Imbolc, especially since nuts and seeds are often associated with this sabbat, housed as it is in the depth winter, when, traditionally, by and large, only foods could last for months on end were available to those in many parts of the world.

As well, almond milk is low in calories (roughly 30 calories per 240 ml of unsweetened almond milk), very low in carbs, and, I’ve personally found, one of the easiest alternatives to substitute for dairy when cooking and, especially, baking.

Magickally speaking, almonds have a rich history around the world and are associated with the element of Air, quite a few different gods and goddesses, and on the magickal working front abundance, psychic abilities, luck, love, banishing, fertility, hope, healing, prosperity, and clarity.

-Cashew milk: Someone of a newcomer on the mainstream alternative milk scene. It is generally creamy, somewhat earthy flavoured, fairly interchangeable with almond milk, low in calories (some brands are as low as 25 calories per cup) and carbs, and great, I find, for sweet and savoury dishes (especially those involving sauces, Asian and tropical flavours).

Cashews are linked magickally with love, communication, prosperity, career, travel, adventure, and stability.

-Coconut milk: A stable of many household cupboards, both in the homes of animal product eaters and non-animal product eaters alike. Commercially prepared coconut milk and its associated products, such as coconut cream, have become fairly easy to find in some parts of the world over the past couple of decades in particular.

Coconut milk is lovely, creamy, versatile, and a good alternative for those who cannot eat, or dislike the taste of, nut milks. It is, however, more caloric on a cup per cup basis than most other dairy milk alternatives, with pure coconut milk averaging around 230 calories per cup.

In addition to coconut milk and cream, coconut oil can be a great choice for Imbolc, used in place of dairy fats, such as butter or ghee.

Magickally, coconuts are linked with water magick, the moon and lunar magick, purification, travel, happiness, protection, summertime, and revitalization.

-Hemp milk: An increasingly popular alternative to dairy milk, hemp milk (which averages about 80 – 90 calories per cup) is a good source of plant-derived protein and while it does come from the same type of plant that produces marijuana, drinking hemp milk will not cause one to get high as it contains only trace amounts of THC.

Hemp has been a vital crop in various parts of the world for thousands of years, its fibres being used for everything from rope to paper, wicks to clothing. Magickally, hemp is linked to many of the same things that pot itself is, including grounding, visions, happiness, prosperity, peace, serenity, meditation, removing negativity, relaxation, healing, helpfulness, and love.

-Flax Milk: Earthy, mild and pleasant tasting, flaxseed milk is low in calories (25 calories per cup of some brands), low in carbs and fat, and is rich in omega-3 fatty acids.

On the magickal front, flax seeds are associated with areas such as physic visions and abilities, protection, hearth and home, guarding, protection (especially of babies and children), luck, interpersonal relationships, increasing the accuracy of divination, and weaving things into being/reality.

-Macadamia milk: A gentle, appealing flavoured nut milk, macadamia milk is somewhat higher in calories than almond and cashew milk (50 – 70 calories per cup, on average), but still lower than certain other dairy milk alternatives, such as coconut milk and hazelnut milk, respectively.

Macadamia nuts are connected magickally with areas such as protection, love, friendship, communication, and protection.

-Oat milk: Oat milk is similar in calories to (what is known here in Canada as) 1% milk, at about 130 calories per cup. It has around 2 grams of fibre and 4 grams of protein per cup and is a rising star in the dairy milk alternative field.

While delicious – and terrific in everything from hot cereals to baked goods – it is important to note that oat milk may not be suitable for some people with gluten sensitivities, gluten intolerances, and celiac disease.

Certain brands of oat milk are made from gluten-free oats, however, the risk of cross-contamination with gluten may still be present. In addition, not all celiacs (myself included) are able to eat gluten-free oats. One reason for this is the presence of a protein in oats called avenin which has a similar amino acid structure to that of gluten itself, which some with gluten sensitivities and celiac disease are sensitive to as well. If oats trouble you for any reason, then you’ll naturally want to opt for a different dairy milk alternative instead (I’m partial to almond milk myself).

Oats are a stellar choice from Imbolc from a spiritual and magickal perspective, as they have longstanding ties to the goddess Brigid. Corn dollies, for example, which are sometimes used to represent Brigid or the goddess/feminine divine in general, are a traditional part of Imbolc celebrations. Despite their name, they often created from wheat or oat straw, which makes oat milk an especially apt choice for Imbolc.

In addition, oats are linked to prosperity, abundance, helping to harvest the seeds of your efforts, comfort, the sacred feminine, healing, nurturing, ancestry, support, fortitude, mindfulness, tradition, and both fall and winter.

-Quinoa milk: Quinoa has emerged, over the past decade or so, as a beloved and widely used super grain far outside of its native region of Lake Titicaca. It’s not surprising then quinoa milk would quickly spring into being at a commerical level and enter the dairy milk alternative sense as one of its fastest rising stars.

Quinoa milk has about 70 calories, 2 grams of protein, and 12 grams of carbs per cup. It is taste is generally mild, fairly neutral, a little earthy, a touch nutty, and great in both cooking and baking.

Magickally, quinoa is a handy grain (or grain-based milk) to utilize in magickal workings pertaining to strength, well-being, harmony, wholeness, clarity, serenity, stability, bonding, and abundance.

-Rice milk: Back in the day, when I first started adapting my diet for medical reasons, rice milk was one of the few dairy alternatives that existed in many parts of Canada (soy and almond were the other two biggies at that time). These days, as this list highlights, many other options exist, but rice milk remains popular and for good reason.

Rice milk has about 110 – 120 calories per cup. It is awesome for drinking as is, cooking, and baking; naturally subtly sweet tasting, and produced by a wide range of brands.

You can also easily make your own rice milk at home if you’d like (the blog Simply Vegan has a simple three-ingredient rice milk recipe, for example, if you’d like to give doing so a shot yourself).

Rice is one of the most abundantly eaten grains in the world and it has strong cultural and spiritual ties to, and for, many cultures around the world. Magickally, rice is associated with a number of different areas, including good fortune, love, fertility, wealth and money matter, abundance, tradition, stability, commonsense, stick-to-itness, keeping unwanted spirits at bay, wellness, blessings, mothering and motherly energy, and cleansing.

-Soy milk: Another long-time player on the dairy milk alternative shelf, soy milk is great for adding to warm beverages, drinking on its own, cooking and baking with. It is more caloric than some other milk substitute options, coming in at about 130 – 140 calories per cup. While I do not generally drink soy milk myself, my husband (who also eats a plant-based diet) loves frothing it and adding it to his daily coffee.

In terms of its magickal connections, soy is linked to many things and, much like rice, has been an integral part of many traditional cultures and diets, particularly in Asia, for thousands of years. Use soy in your magickal workings when you’re focusing on areas such as psychic abilities and awareness, protection, strength, balance, unity, creativity, newness, spiritual health and wellness, being flexible, and grounding.

In recent decades, we’ve seen an explosion in the number of non-dairy substitutes and alternatives hitting supermarket and health food store shelves in many parts of the world.

As well, more and more people are appreciating the cultural significance that non-dairy milks and the foods made from them have long had in the traditional diets of scores of different cultures.

If you wish to make your own dairy milk alternatives, recipes abound online and in various cookbooks nowadays that can help novice and veteran cooks like create healthy dairy-free milks at home themselves.

The act of doing so can be a wonderful way to incorporate further kitchen and hearth/cottage witchery into your Imbolc celebration.

It is also a terrific activity to get kids (and non-Pagan household members, too) who are old enough to help out involved with.

Of course, store-bought or farmer’s market sourced versions are great choices, too, and it is by no means essential that one creates their own non-dairy milk alternatives for Imbolc.

In addition to drinkable liquid forms of dairy substitutes and alternatives, there is an ever-increasing number of foods such as cheese, butter, cream cheese, heavy cream, yogurt, sour cream, mayonnaise, condensed milk, whipped topping, and eggnog available nowadays.

Such products can make for great options at Imbolc, either as standalone foods or to be used as ingredients in recipes for this festive Pagan occasion.

Other foods that are associated with Imbolc (and that make great Imbolc menu options)

In addition to dairy, and as we’ve discussed in this post, dairy-free milk alternatives, numerous other foods have both long-standing and more contemporary connections to Imbolc.

Many represent what was available to earlier peoples at this time of the year, long before the modern, life-changing invention of things such as refrigeration, global food transportation, and supermarkets were mainstays of most peoples’ lives in the industrialized world.

Some other tasty, meaningful options for Imbolc include:

-Bread: Especially breads with Irish (including Irish soda bread), Scottish, British or otherwise Northern European roots, those made with traditional recipes, and options that include one or more of the other foods listed in this post.

-Pancakes and crepes: The shape and colour (light golden brown) of pancakes and crepes represents the returning sun. Plus, both pancakes and crepes can include other foods on this list, such as dairy/dairy alternatives, eggs, oats, dried fruits, preserved fruits, warm spices, or certain root vegetables (carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc).

–Oats: Harvested in the golden sunshine of late summer and early autumn, oats, when properly stored, can keep well for many months.

Their connection both to the warmer months that we’re eager to usher into our lives again, as well as the traditional diet of the Scottish people, plus their pale, creamy colour and nutritiously rich composition make oats (as well as foods such as oatcakes) a natural fit for Imbolc.

Enjoy oats in oatmeal and porridge, cookies, muffins, crackers, breads, as a coating for other foods, cakes, smoothies, granola and muesli, crumble toppings for fruit dishes, dumplings, and numerous other recipes.

-Root vegetables: Onions, potatoes, yams, sweet potatoes, garlic, beets, turnips, carrots, parsnips and other vegetables that, when properly stored, helped many of our ancestors to survive the long winter months when food stores and sources were often scarce and the threat of starvation could be a frighteningly real possibility.

-Preserved fruits and vegetables: Canned, tinned, frozen – you name it! Now is the time to put those tasty warm weather produce items that you preserved or purchased to good use.

-Dried and dehydrated fruits: From raisins to apricots, currants to dates, dried fruits are another food that tends to hold up well during the long months of winter. Their sweetness suits the optimism of Imbolc and their culinary abilities make them a tasty standalone treat or addition to other dishes spanning rice puddings to salads to baked apples.

-Dried legumes and pulses: Again, another traditional form of food preservation that helped generations past to endure the fresh food shortages of the cold half of the year. Lentils, especially yellow and orange varieties are a beautiful – and nutritious way – to represent the light, warmth and revitalized energy that we welcome back into our lives at Imbolc (chickpeas and hummus do the job there wonderfully as well).

-Rice and pasta: Hearty, versatile, easy to store and keep fresh, as well as often being vegetarian and/or vegan in their natural states (some pastas though, for example, include animal products such as eggs, milk or squid ink), these are wonderful ingredients to combine with dairy or dairy alternatives or enjoy as is at Imbolc.

-Warm spices and hot foods: Think cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, turmeric, curry, cumin, fenugreek, mustard, horseradish, wasabi, chili peppers, cayenne, paprika, lemongrass, and pepper (including white, red and pink peppercorns).

These are ingredients that bring much-needed pizzazz and warmth or heat to dishes, something that is often welcome in the dark heart of winter that Imbolc calls home.

Again, these are awesome options to help impart kitchen magick into your dishes and have the added bonus of often residing already in a witch’s herbal collection.

-Saffron: By far one of the most vibrantly golden yellow naturally foods that we can eat, saffron is a brilliant – albeit, somewhat pricey – option to include in your Imbolc dishes (though a small bit goes a long way, which can cut down on the cost per dish).

From creamy risottos to a silk pasta sauces, saffron – which is harvested from the crocus sativus, or saffron crocus – is a beautiful addition to your Imbolc menu.

-Nuts and seeds: Are you noticing a trend towards foods with long shelf lives, high nutrient content, and versatility?

Nuts and seeds often excel on that front. While the oil content in some does mean that you need to keep an eye on their expiration dates, in general nuts and seeds are hearty and relatively shelf-stable.

Both, but particularly seeds, are a mightly apt representation of the seeds from which countless new plants with soon grow again come springtime.

As well as symbolizing the agricultural process in general, renewal and rebirth, and the germination of new ideas, prospects, hopes and dreams that we can plant and nurture at Imbolc.

-Eggs: If you eat eggs, they are a sound choice for Imbolc dishes (as well as magickal workings and altar setups), as they represent new life, rebirth, faith, hope, and warmth. Their iconic colours of white and yellow also correspond excellently with the hues of both wintertime snow and the returning sunshine of spring.

-Honey: While some people (myself included) tend to think of honey as being associated more with Litha and Lammas, its long shelf life, warm gold and amber colours, health-giving properties, ability to be substituted for refined sugars in many dishes, and ancient history all make honey a natural partner for Imbolc.

Naturally, those who eat animal-product free plant-based or vegan diets, or who are unable to consume honey for medical reasons, will want to bypass its usage.

Interestingly, and excitingly, more “vegan honeys” are hitting the shelves these days.

Much like dairy alternatives, these products generally do not include any actual animal products or by-products and are honeys simply in name. Examples include Vegan Honae and Blenditup Bee Free Vegan Honey.

Additionally, you can make your own vegan “honey” from various commonplace ingredients, including apples, as this YouTube recipe for vegan honey demonstrates.

-Chocolate and cacao products: Store cupboard staples and beloved foods alike for many of us, chocolate and cocoa are terrific choices for Imbolc.

Their sweetness, richness and near-universal appeal make chocolate (both dairy and dairy-free versions) a great choice for the chilly days of Imbolc season, representing the pleasures of bright, warm spring days ahead.

These are just some of the possible culinary options that can help you to celebrate and honour Imbolc.

In addition, various herbs are strongly associated with Imbolc, these include basil, pine, dandelion, lemon verbena, tansy, bay, violet, angelica, blackberry leaves, and jasmine.

Dive into your favourite cookbooks, personal recipe collection, or online recipe sources (Raven and Crone has a lovely list of Imbolc recipes, for example) and let your creative juices flow as you mindfully put together an Imbolc menu – be if for yourself, two people, a group, your coven, or any other gathering – that helps to honour the first of the three springtime sabbats.

Imbolc is more than just what’s on the menu

As much as food can be a key component of our sabbat celebrations (and/or altars and ancestor or spirit ally offerings), there is more to Imbolc, of course.

This chapter of the year invites us to honour Brigid, the sacred feminine/goddess in general, to light a proverbial spark inside ourselves for the changes we wish to create in our lives, to cleanse and refresh ourselves and our homes, to reflect on what the heart of winter means to us, and to prepare for spring’s return.

It encourages us to be patient and remember that even the coldest winter will eventually pass.

Imbolc is an excellent time to lean into hygge, to use the dark nights as times of either peaceful rest or busy productivity, and to begin activity keeping an eye out for the shifts in nature that will facilitate spring’s return.

Whether you involve real dairy, dairy alternatives or neither of these types of food in your Imbolc happenings, this sabbat can be a time of warmth, rekindling, hope, positivity, and joy.

Bust out the candles, light a fire, create a new altar setup, whip up a festive feast or humble, hearty meal and activity look for ways to let your own inner light shine brightly as the current year embraces its second month and all that remains in store for us between now and the end of December.

Blessings of warmth, love, happiness and serenity to you at Imbolc and always, dear friends!

Note: This post is not sponsored in any way. My household purchased all of the food used in the photographs above. These foods are shown for illustrative purposes only.

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