Little by little, the last vestiges of winter are melting back into the seasonal ethers.

For some, spring weather and new life begin as early as February. For others, it gradually inches its way out in March, April, or even May.

No matter when spring begins in your particular corner of the Western Hemisphere, it is safe to say that the dark, soulful, mysterious days of autumn may not be the first thing on everybody’s mind.

Exceptions made for those of us who are fall-obsessed and rarely, if ever, go a day without thinking about our beloved autumn.

At first glance, these fresh days of mid-spring might not seem to have a lot in common with autumn – let alone with the month of October.

Sure, they both lean towards lovely temps and a hearty mix of rain + sunshine, but beyond that, they are, admittedly rather different creatures.

And yet…

Much like opposite sides of a colour wheel that compliment and have a natural affinity for one another, so too do spring and autumn jive surprisingly well.

And I am not just talking about Springoween (awesome as that is!).

The present season of spring starts or recharges much of the natural world anew and autumn witnesses its eventual demise. One houses Beltane, the other Samhain.

Mid-spring and mid-autumn are linked by the poignant fact that both are highly liminal times. Periods of transition and change, when the veil between the world thins and, in some instances, reality can be perceived differently or feel altered in various respects.

Both time and places can be liminal. In the case of the latter, they are often called liminal spaces – though this term, can somewhat confusingly (especially for those who are new to the concept of liminality), also be applied to liminal time periods.

Like many a modern word, “liminal” has its roots in ancient Latin. Stemming in this instance from “limen”, which means threshold.

Practitioners of witchery, Paganism, and magically inclined paths often view liminal times as being a threshold between this world and that of the next, and/or of spirits, fairies, elementals, and other beings that are both of and outside of our own mortal realm.

Liminal times (including the annual solstices and equinoxes, cross-quarter dates, and leap years) are exceptionally well suited to working and communicating with ancestors, the departed in general, faeries, spirit guides, and other entities of a nonhuman nature.

As well as a terrific period in which to engage in acts such as meditation, astral travel, divination, hedgeriding, spellwork, sacred rituals, dumb suppers, visiting burial grounds, and starting or wrapping up shadow work journeys.

In the Northern Hemisphere, many view Samhain as the most liminal chapter of the year. I hold this view myself, but have long felt that at least a few other points in the calendar came quite close to Samhain on the liminality front.

Samhain’s partner sabbat (that is to say, the sabbat that sits directly across from it on The Wheel of the Year and which occurs in the Southern Hemisphere as we are celebrating its partner sabbat on this side of the globe) is Beltane. As such, there is a great deal of liminality to this sacred Pagan date.

Now, Autumn, I hear you thinking, this is interesting and topical (given that many who observe it will be celebrating Beltane tomorrow), but what does it have to do with the book that this post provides a detailed review for?

Excellent question, my inquisitive friend.

Given the liminal nature of the days surrounding and housing Beltane, it is natural to think about and work with the spirit world (be it in literal, archetypical, or metaphorical form).

One of the most engaging, well-researched, and delightful books I have read on the subject of some of the entities which call the other side of the veil home is Susan Owen’s highly acclaimed, Ghosts: A Cultural History.

This in-depth look at the history of spectres was first published in 2017, making it a relatively young book still.

While it will no doubt hold particular appeal for many a fellow witch/Wiccan/Pagan, The Ghost: A Cultural History is in no way targeted specifically towards this audience.

Instead, this book is a historical peek behind the curtain – or would that be the white bedsheet? – at how the concept of ghosts has impacted and shaped history, literature, art, and daily life in general for many a century now.  

Book Specs

Name: The Ghost: A Cultural History

Author: Susan Owens

Publisher: Tate Publishing

Page Count: 288

Binding: Hardcover (also available in paperback)

A hauntingly engaging look at the history of ghosts… in the United Kingdom

A sleek, elegant cover in shades of mysterious black and equally beguiling white greets the reader as they approach The Ghost: A Cultural History by Susan Owens.

Though not a huge book in terms of page count, this title has some heft to it thanks to the thick, high-quality cover and paper that the pages themselves are printed on.

Make no mistake, this is a beautiful-looking book. It is one which you may be inspired to not only post a cover shot of on social media, but to display prominently on a bookshelf, coffee table or elsewhere in your humble abode.

The title of this book would, at the onset, lead most readers to assume that The Ghost: A Cultural History cast a wide net in terms of the geographical locations it covers.

However, for all intents and purposes, the focus of this book is squarely on the history of ghosts throughout the British Isles.

Occasional mentions of ghostly happenings in continental Europe and other international locations are made throughout the book. However, again, the United Kingdom is where we find ourselves for the bulk of The Ghost: A Cultural History’s 288 pages.

The Brits have a long-standing history of ghosts. Throughout the UK, apparitions have made countless appearances in literature, art, plays, films, folklore, the popular imagination, and the lives of many a living soul – both past and present – alike.

Though I do think a more accurate subtitle for this book would have been something along the lines of “A British Cultural History” or “The British Ghost”, I understand that it may not have appealed to as broad an audience had it been billed outright as such.

I would not call the title false advertising per se, but do feel that the omission of wording pertaining to the UK or otherwise specifying that this book is not a global history of ghosts would have been a more factually accurate approach.

Putting that point aside and diving straight into this book, it is easy to quickly fall head-over-heels for The Ghost: A Cultural History by Susan Owens.

As this book touches on, even in the fast-paced, electronically driven 21^st century, ghosts – or, depending on who you ask about the subject, the archetype of apparitions – are still with us in a litany of forms. And, likewise, ghost sightings show no signs of slowing down.

Whether ghosts spook, terrify, thrill, delight, perplex, comfort, or amuse us, there is little denying their ability to weather the passing of time, pervading religious views, and scientific scrutiny alike.

Nor can one easily discount the inspirational springboards – not to mention money-making potential – ghost sightings, haunted locations, ghost stories, and other spirited going-ons have long provided for innumerable books, plays, movies, works of art, and Halloween, over the course of time.

This book does not set out to prove or disprove the existence of the spectral entity that we generally refer to as ghosts. Nor, by any means, is it a ghost hunting how-to guide.

The Ghost: A Cultural History instead presents a relatively unbiased look at how ghosts have impacted and influenced British culture for many hundreds of years.

Arranged chronologically, this title brings ghosts to life, so to speak, via not only historical accounts and the author’s own insight, but also through a vast array of cultural figures whose work tackled the subject of ghosts in one form or another.

No less illustrious names than William Blake, Shake sphere, Mary and Percy Shelley, Samuel Pepys, Henry James, Emily Bronte, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Wilkie Collins, and – naturally – Charles Dickens, amongst others, all visit us from the other side of the veil care their own words and works.

In addition, one finds a curated selection of relevant artwork from centuries past right on up to our own lifetime housed in this book.

Beginning in the Middle Ages (although ghostly happenings during earlier ages are touched on at times as well) and floating straight on into the start of the 21^st century, The Ghost: A Cultural Review is a riveting exploration of how and why ghosts have embedded themselves so much in the lives and minds of Britons for a great many years now.

This book examines why that is, where some of our common beliefs about ghosts arose from, how the concept of apparitions has changed over the years, and ultimately ponders why ghosts will not just go gently into that good night which is our collective human history.

In addition, the evolution of the ghost story itself is explored, with due emphasis given to the immense popularity that ghost stories enjoyed during the 1700s to early 1900s. A popularity, which as this book discusses, is still with us in a wide range of forms to the present day.

Throughout The Ghost: A Cultural History a steady course is plotted that shows how the perception and appearance of British apparations have changed over the course of the last millennia or so. And, in doing as much, also asks how it may continue to redefine itself for future generations yet to come.

In this book, author Susan Owens posits that ghosts can be seen as a sort of mirror for a society, its beliefs (both religious/spiritual and secular), customs (including such things as burial attire), and the perpetual question of if there really is something waiting for us on the other side of this mortal coil.

Sandwiched between an introduction and a heartfelt postscript (as well as a bibliography, source notes, and an index), one finds seven chapters (each with a few subchapters apiece) in The Ghost: A Cultural History.

The chapters are as follows:

1. The Living and the Dead

2. Questionable Shapes

3. Ghosts for a New Age

4. Terror and Wonder

5. Appearances and Disappearances

6. Haunted Century

7. Re-inventing Ghosts

As someone with an immense lifelong passion for history, I greatly enjoyed that this book kicks off in the 11^th century and across the course of those seven engaging chapters, leads us all the way up to the 2010s.

I have a particular penchant for history that spans the 18^th to the mid-20^th century, so was especially pleased that Owens paid these periods no shortage of attention.

Delving into (as she does throughout the book in general) the cultural role that spirits and ghost sightings have played throughout those years, as well as how they helped to influence a wide range of artists, writers, playwrights, and plenty of other folks, too.

As we reach the 19^th century, topics such as séances, Spiritualism, and spirit photography are all covered. As one would hope for and expect in a book about the history of British ghosts (or ghosts in general).

Upon getting to the 20^th and 21^st centuries, I really appreciated that Owens explored the shifting face and nature (in some contexts at least) of ghosts as they have been portrayed through mediums such as film, TV, literature, and the internet.

I was also very pleased to see her raise the point that as ghosts began, for a time at least, to hold less cultural sway during the early to mid-20^th century, aliens and the concept of a different forms of life other than our own took hold all the more in (Western) society’s collective mind.  

The Ghost: A Cultural History does a wonderful job of merging scholarly research and a corresponding academic tone with friendly, lively writing that feels akin to a lecture on the history of ghosts from the kind of professor one would instantly adore taking any course from.

How The Ghost: A Cultural History by Susan Owens rates with me

The Ghost: A Cultural History probes deep into the heart of the past to explore why ghosts matter, how they have adapted and changed with time, and what fate ghosts may experience in the thus far unwritten future.

This book is not a sensationalistic, hokey, slapdash, or heavily recycled look at the age-old subject of spirits. Rather, it is a respectful and insightful investigation of the topic that gives ghosts their rightful place alongside the (then) living over the course of many centuries.  

Whether you are a skeptic, firm believer, or rather agnostic when it comes to the possibility of actual phantasms, if one has even the slightest interest in the history and cultural significance of ghosts, this book is for you.

Ghosts and the spirit realm have fascinated me for my entire life. I have experienced what I believe to be ghost/apparition encounters on multiple occasions, and involve both the concept of spirits and the other side of the veil that they inhabit extensively in my spiritual practices all throughout the year.

At this highly liminal time, with Beltane returning here and Samhain reappearing in the Southern Hemisphere, I feel intuitively all the more connected with the spirit realm. Therefore, it does not surprise me that some of my own ghostly encounters over the years have occurred right around this poignant date.

Coincidence? Possibly, but the connection remains all the same and as such, I have come to associate apparitions nearly as much with mid-spring as I do when they take centre stage come October.

Despite its title, as touched on above, The Ghost: A Cultural History is not a global or even single continent-based look at the history of spirits.  

Once you move beyond that, however, this book is rife with thought-provoking discussions, as well as myriad excellent quotes and works of art from some of history’s most famous names. All coupled with a thorough sociological overview of how and why ghosts, despite their ethereal nature, are firmly cemented in our collective conscious.

Working on a scale of 1 – 5, with five being the highest possible rating, I would give The Ghost: A Cultural History by Susan Owens 4.5 stars out of 5.

Have you read The Ghost: A Cultural History? Do you have any ghostly encounters of your own that you’d like to share?

The post Book Review: The Ghost: A Cultural History by Susan Owens appeared first on Witchcrafted Life.

For those in the Northern Hemisphere who follow the Wheel of the Year, the Pagan sabbat of Beltane is upon us again.

Beltane focuses heavily on concepts pertaining to light (sunlight, bonfires, etc), a thriving growing season, love and passion, new life, embracing the liminal, the realm of the fae, and making the most of the sunny months of late spring, summer, and early autumn that lay ahead.

Beltane – which is generally observed on, or right around, May 1^st – ushers in the month of May and serves as the precise halfway point on the journey to the witch’s New Year of Samhain.

As the Wheel of the Year is reversed between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres of the world, south of the equator, Beltane is observed at the end of October (when those in the north are celebrating Halloween and Samhain).

Like its fellow Pagan sabbats, Beltane is a poignant, beautiful annual event with ancient roots and plenty of modern-day observants.

Historically, Beltane was particularly observed in Ireland, Scotland, and elsewhere throughout the UK, and was one of the four primary Gaelic seasonal festivals (with the others being Samhain, Imbolc, and Lughnasadh, respectively).

However, it is important to remember that many other cultures (both inside and beyond the borders of Europe) have long standing traditions of celebrating the arrival of spring and/or summertime as well.

The traditional Gaelic celebration of Beltane predates the introduction of Christianity in Europe. As this new religion took hold across much of the European continent, Beltane gradually morphed into the celebration of Mayday.

Fortunately, though, many of the ancient traditions of Beltane lived on in Mayday activities, including dancing around maypoles and lighting bonfires.

(Speaking of maypoles, I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Fading Year’s recent posts about The Maypole Tradition in Ireland and The May Bush Tradition in Ireland, respectively.)

Interestingly, to the ancient inhabitants of Ireland (and various other parts of the world as well), Beltane was seen as the start of summer, not the midway point of spring.

Today, some modern Pagans, Wiccans and witches view Beltane in the same light, with others opting to celebrate it as the final sabbat of spring.

Interestingly, it is because Beltane historically served as a marker for the start of summer in some areas that one of Litha’s alternative names was, and still is, Midsummer (as, in these traditions, the Summer Solstice in June was/is seen as being part way through the summer season).

Of all the Pagan sabbats, Beltane is arguably the one most closely linked to concepts of (romantic) love, lust, and sexuality. Though, importantly, it is not essential to engage or connect with these themes or archetypes, if they do not resonate with you personally.

For some who follow earth-based paths, Beltane symbols the union (aka, handfasting) of the God and Goddess coming together each spring/summer.

Beltane is a marvellously apt time of the year to shift, or further concentrate, our attention on nature, green magick, herbology, fire and candle magick, seasonal kitchen witchcraft, the wild kingdom (domestic animals very much included), faeries, concepts of union and/or family, folklore and customs, and ways to help create a brighter future for ourselves.

If you’d like to learn more about some of the history, traditions, and foods associated with Beltane, be sure to check out my post 15 Excellent Pantry Staple Foods for Beltane and Their Magickal Properties.

Books about Beltane

Over the years, a handful of books have been written specifically about Beltane.

However, this number is relatively small and a list housing just those Beltane books alone would have but a scant few entries on it.

To flesh out such as list, what I’ve done is to round up a selection of 25 books pertaining to subjects that are especially well suited to Beltane and the sunny months ahead.

The following assortment of books delves into topics such as Celtic mythology, foraging, faery magick, and even witchy cocktails!

A fair number of these books pertain to nature, as the start of May is often one of the most pleasant and enjoyable times of the year to spend outdoors.

I sincerely understand, however, that not everyone is head-over-heels for the great outdoors, is able to safely access nature (be it for health or other reasons), nor lives in an area with a rich natural landscape.

If nature isn’t (or is currently unable to be, for whatever reason), your jam, fear not. There are other Beltane related books on this list that you may connect with instead.

As well, if you do love nature, but aren’t able to engage with it in all the ways you may like, remember that it is sometimes possible to connect with the great outdoors through various methods other than literally going outside.

These include such things as the types of items we include on our altars, working with crystals, magickal correspondences, visualizations, guided meditations, hedgeriding, connecting and working with animal spirit guides, arts and crafts, cooking and eating, stargazing, and by surrounding ourselves with (or wearing) nature-related items.

While some of the following books are, unquestionably, penned from a Pagan/Wiccan/witchcraft focused perspective, many are either more broadly spiritual or have little to no focus on anything pertaining to spirituality.

As such, I hope that both fellow Pagans and witches, as well as many of my other (non-Pagan/witchy) readers will enjoy the 25 Beltane related books showcased in this alphabetically arranged list.

25 books that are wonderfully well-suited to Beltane

Beltane: Rituals, Recipes, & Lore for May Day

Author: Melanie Marquis

Publisher: Llewellyn

From Llewellyn’s popular, informative, and highly enjoyable eight-part Sabbat Essentials series comes this in-depth look at Beltane.

In Beltane: Rituals, Recipes, & Lore for May Day readers are guided through the history of Beltane, as well presented with many different as modern ways to celebrate, honour, and delight in the sabbat that kicks off May and the sunny season ahead.

These include, but are not limited to, Beltane rituals, Beltane recipes, Beltane spells, Beltane correspondences, Beltane prayers, and Beltane divination.

As one of the few books on the market today that focuses solely on Beltane, this is a title you will want to add to your collection (or borrow from the library) if you’re keen to expand your knowledge of Beltane or just want to read up more on this joyful sabbat.

Celebrating the Seasons of Life: Beltane to Mabon

Author: Ashleen O’Gaea

Publisher: Llewellyn

One of a two-part series of books released in the 2000s by renowned Pagan author Ashleen O’Gaea, Celebrating the Seasons of Life: Beltane to Mabon delves into the sabbats that comprise the warmer half of the year and presents readers with a plethora of ideas that can be done as solitary witches or in groups, inside or outdoors, with children, and even, in some instances, with non-Pagans.

I love the idea this series. The concept of approaching the sabbats as belonging to either the warm or cold half of the year aligns with my own practices – just as I know it does with those of many of my fellow witches, Wiccans, and Pagans as well.

Celtic Tales: Fairy Tales and Stories of Enchantment from Ireland, Scotland, Brittany, and Wales

Illustrated by: Kate Forrester

Publisher: Chronicle Books

In the instantly engaging pages of Celtic Tales: Fairy Tales and Stories of Enchantment from Ireland, Scotland, Brittany, and Wales one finds sixteen stories that were translated and recorded by 19th and 20th folklorists, all presented alongside marvellous illustrations by Kate Forrester.

As a Gaelic/Celtic festival, Beltane is a superb time to delve into reading about some of Ireland and the UK’s most fascinating and compelling traditional tales of wonder, fantasy, and more than a wee bit of magick!

Crafting with Nature: Simple Creations Using Things You Grow or Gather

Author: Amy Renea

Publisher: Page Street Publishing Co.

If, like me, you are one of those people who always seem to come home from being outdoors with your pockets overflowing with found wild treasures, or who delights in growing plants and herbs to use you in your handmade creations, then this book is sure to strike a chord with you.

Crafting with Nature guides readers through 58 detailed tutorials and 44 quick-and-easy inspiration ideas, all of which utilize found or grown natural products to create a wide array of crafts that are every bit as practical and fun to make as they are beautiful.

Why not take a walk this Beltane, or pop out to your garden, and see what kinds of wildcrafted treasures you can find to make some of the projects in Crafting with Nature?

Cross Stitch for the Earth: 20 Designs to Cherish

Author: Emma Congdon

Publisher: David & Charles

As the (Western Hemisphere) sabbat that falls closest to Earth Day, Beltane is a superb occasion to marry witchery and Paganism all the more with subjects pertaining to the health, preservation, conservation, and future of our planet.

If you’re a fellow cross stitcher, one way you may wish to honour Mother Nature is with your stitchery.

While a cross stitch design is rather unlikely to save the planet unto itself, the important themes and messages conveyed in the 20 different charts housed in Cross Stitch for the Earth are beautiful, poignant reminders of just how vital it is that we act as responsible, loving stewards of our one and only planet.

Fairies: A Guide to the Celtic Fair Folk

Author: Morgan Daimler

Publisher: Moon Books

While, by no means, exclusive to the Emerald Isle, it’s safe to say that Ireland has one of the one of the richest histories in the world when it comes to faeries (fairies).

In Fairies: A Guide to the Celtic Fair Folk, author Morgan Daimler delves deep into the complex relationship between fairies and humans throughout the history of Celtic culture, while also exploring who these otherworldly beings are and how we can actively engage with them in the modern era.

In my opinion, few books are better suited to Beltane than this title, which combines Celtic history and fairies – two points with far-reaching ties to May 1^st – together in one thoroughly engaging read.

(If the subject of fairies resonates with you, I highly recommend checking A New Dictionary of Fairies: A 21^st Century Exploration of Celtic and Related Western European Fairies by the same author.)

Living the Faery Life: A Guide to Connecting with the Magic, Power and Joy of the Enchanted Realm

Author: Kac Young, PhD

Publisher: Mango Media

One of the most recent books on faery magick and spirituality to be released, Living the Faery Life is an enchanting, informative look at the world of the fae as approached through an array of different lenses, such as Paganism, Wicca, and even that of non-believers in faeries.

Many who do believe in the fae, or wish to honour the spiritual significance of the archetypes and history they represent, chose to incorporate working with these magickal beings into Beltane rituals, offerings, alters, spellwork and so forth.

 As such, a book on Faery Magic is an especially apt read as we head into the beating heart of spring and all the wonderous things – both seen and unseen – that it houses.

Nature Art Workshop: Tips, Techniques, and Step-by-Step Projects for Creating Nature Inspired Art

Authors: Allison Hetzell, Mikko Sumulong, Katie Brooks, and Sarah Lorraine Edwards

Publisher: Walter Foster Publishing

In Nature Art Workshop, four wonderfully talented artists show readers how to prepare and create a wide range of hands-on craft projects featuring manmade and natural components.

Amongst the projects in this gorgeous book, one finds Beltane perfect ideas such as a fresh floral crown and flower-adorned candles, as well as how to paint everything from stones to leaves, feathers to shells.

Many of these projects are not only a great fit for Beltane and the other sabbats (and esbats), but for use on one’s altars and in various magickal workings as well.

100 Things to See in the Night Sky: From Plants to Satellites to Meteors and Constellations, Your Guide to Stargazing

Author: Dean Regas

Publisher: Adams Media

As the weather warms up again and nighttime temperatures are apt to be a lot more bearable, venturing outside to explore the evening sky can be an enjoyable and meaningful way to celebrate both Beltane and springtime as a whole.

If you’re keen to search the heavens for exciting new (to you) celestial discoveries, or to better identify what you spy while gazing upwards, 100 Things to See in the Night Sky is here to help.

This terrific field guide provides information on objects – both natural and manmade – that you can see in the sky at night, with or without a telescope. As some stargazing guides are geared towards being used with a telescope, it is a welcome treat to find that many of the entries in this book can be spotted without any special equipment being needed.

Rupert’s Tale: The Wheel of the Year – Beltane, Litha, Lammas, and Mabon

Author: Kyrja

Publisher: Schiffer

In this sweet, beautifully illustrated children’s book, a curious little bunny named Rupert sets out to learn why some people are gathering in the woods where he lives to celebrate at certain times of the year. As he does so, Rupert encounters woodland creatures and fairies who help to teach him about The Wheel of the Year.

Rupert’s Tale is a charming book about the sabbats that comprise warmer months and which serves as an excellent introduction (or further connection to) the sabbats for youngsters. Rest assured though, that its lovely premise, delightful illustrations, and Pagan message will appeal to plenty of adults as well.

The Perfect Afternoon Tea Recipe Book: More than 200 Classic Recipes for Every Kind of Traditional Teatime Treat

Authors: Anthony Wild and Carol Pastor

Publisher: Lorenz Books

It could arguably be said no other (non-alcoholic) drink is more closely linked to modern-day witchery than tea. Whether in true tea or tisane form, we witchy souls often gravitate towards teas and many enjoy making their own magickal blends from scratch or further enhance store-bought options.

Couple that point with the return of balmy weather, which often calls for lighter fare than the (sometimes) rich, heavy meals of the colder months, and one cannot help but find themselves in the mood for a tea party.

Now granted, during these challenging ongoing pandemic times, tea parties with lengthy guest lists may not be feasible, but a party can be any size – one person very much included.

Whether with a few loved ones, on your own, or for a much larger group, holding a tea party – or simply treating yourself to a traditional afternoon teatime spread – can be a great joy and a marvellous excuse to indulge in some extra special culinary delights.

If you are on the prowl for an excellent selection of teatime perfect recipes, then the photo-filled gem that is The Perfect Afternoon Tea Recipe Book is sure to be of abundant service and inspiration alike.

The Picnic: Recipes and Inspiration from Basket to Blanket

Authors: Marnie Hanel, Jen Stevenson, and Andrea Slonecker

Publisher: Artisan

A bevy of fantastic watercolour illustrations partners up with a charming and very tasty looking selection of outdoor dining recipes in The Picnic: Recipes and Inspiration from Basket to Blanket.

In addition to scrumptious picnic menu ideas, this book provides readers with handy tip pertaining to planning a successful outdoor get-together, 99 uses for mason jars, lawn game info, and more – all of which are here to help you have some of the best alfresco dining experiences of your life.

Beltane is a superb time to embrace the picnic lifestyle. Why not pack up a basket or hamper of your favourite seasonal eats (imbued with kitchen witchery if so desired) and connect with nature as you toast to the return of picnic season?

In doing so, you may wish to bring an offering or two to leave for the local spirits or fae of the area where you’re picnicking.

(I should note that if – due to the pandemic or any other reason – outdoor picnics are not possible, you can still embrace the picnic spirit with a festive indoor meal instead. Red gingham tablecloth optional, but definitely a fun touch. )

Sing a Song of Seasons: A Nature Poem for Each Day of the Year

Editor: Fiona Waters

Publisher: Nosy Crow

There are certain books that are true works of art, Sing a Song of Seasons is one of them.

I own this book and have read it cover to cover multiple times, savouring and finding inspiration in every line of prose and each enchantingly pretty illustration (by artist Frann Preston-Gannon) that is houses.

This hefty tomb combines serene nature centered illustrations with 366 different poems – one for each day of the year (leap year include) – from some of the most gifted poets to ever pen a verse.

While not a Pagan or witchery book, I am delighted to report that the selection of springtime poems in Sing a Song of Seasons suit Beltane to a tee, just as those centred around the other seasons do for the remaining seven sabbats in The Wheel of the Year.

If you want to treat yourself or someone you care about to an instant treasure of an art-meets-poetry book, this stellar title is an ideal choice.

The Art of Edible Flowers: Recipes and Ideas for Floral Salads, Drinks, Desserts, and More

Author: Rebecca Sullivan

Publisher: Kyle Books

At just 80 pages, The Art of Edible Flowers is not a huge book. However, what it may lack in size, this book more than makes up for via the gorgeous photos and diverse, creative edible flower recipes that it contains.

Happily, gardens are often out in full bloom at Beltane and many grocery stores, health food stores, and specialty food stores now sell a selection of edible flowers (if you cannot find any in your area, try contacting a local florist to see if they sell food-grade flowers or know where you can source some from).

With recipes such as Jasmine and Green Tea Ice Cream (yum!) and Artichoke Flower with Borage Butter, this beautiful cookbook is apt to bring out the springtime kitchen witch in all of us!

The Backyard Herbal Apothecary: Effective Medicinal Remedies Using Commonly Found Herbs & Plants

Author: Devon Young

Publisher: Page Street Publishing

From Nitty Gritty Life blog founder Devon Young comes this recently released (2019) look at the diverse and appealing practical world of creating herbal medicinal remedies with common herbs and plants.

These are not rare, exotic, or exceedingly hard to find plants and herbs, but rather ones that can often either be grown at home and/or readily sourced in some natural settings.

Herbal medicine is the original medicine, and it is no surprise that as more and more people embrace traditional approaches to living and healing, we have seen a surge in the popularity of herbalism as of late.

If you’re looking to deepen your knowledge on the subject or widen your repertoire of herbal medicines this spring (or anytime!), then The Backyard Herbal Apothecary is here to help you do the job.

The Book of Candle Magic: Candle Spell Secrets to Change Your Life

Author: Madame Pamita

Publisher: Llewellyn

One of the most prevalent traditions and continuing themes of Beltane is that of light, sunshine, and fire, each of which celebrates the life-giving and sustaining blessing that is the returning spring/summer sunshine (and the harvest season it will ultimately help to bring into being).

As such, Beltane is an especially awesome time to work candle magick.

Enter, The Book of Candle Magic, a 2020 release that is teeming with candle magick related advice and tutorials, including how to make your own candles, how to perform candle readings, and various other ways you can weave candles into your magickal practices.

Whether at Beltane or any other point in the year, candle magick is one the most accessible and (I would personally argue) effective ways forms of witchcraft. As such, it certainly does not hurt to have a great body of knowledge on the subject like this book on hand when performing candle workings.

The Hidden Life of Trees: The Illustrated Edition

Author: Peter Wohlleben

Publisher: Greystone Books

This book is the abridged, photo-filled edition of author Peter Wohlleben’s beloved bestseller, The Hidden Life of Trees.

In The Hidden Life of Trees: The Illustrated Edition, readers are treated to some of this modern science writing classic’s highlights, along with a dreamily gorgeous selection of nature photographs that highlight Wohlleben’s desire to showcase the importance, majesty, interconnected relationships between, and diversity of, trees all the more.

With nature springing to life again, Beltane (and May in general) is an excellent time to not only connect with trees in person, but to deepen our knowledge surrounding these indespensible natural entities that help to sustain life on this planet as we know it.

The New Wildcrafted Cuisine: Exploring the Exotic Gastronomy of Local Terroir

Author: Pascal Baudar

Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing

While humans have been trading and bartering with foodstuffs for many thousands of years now, originally, everything we ate as a species was either gathered, caught, or hunted for locally.

The sabbats are an especially well-suited time to look to this important aspect of our collective past and to connect all the more with the foods of our own immediate area.

In The New Wildcrafted Cuisine, wild food researcher Pascal Baudar uses the state of California, where he resides, to highlight a multitude of recipes featuring foods that are indigenous to this area of the world. In doing so, he inspires readers to look to their own backyards (perhaps quite literally in some cases) so as to see what foods and plants grown in their region can likewise be utilized and savoured throughout the year.

The Reason for Flowers: Their History, Culture, Biology, and How They Change Our Lives

Author: Stephen Buchmann

Publisher: Scribner

In the Northern Hemisphere, flowers and Beltane go hand-in-hand in many areas.

Thousands upon thousands of different flowers and flowering plants exist throughout the world. They have an omnipresent role in many of our lives and have served as everything from creative muse to healing medicine for humanity since time immemorial.

However, despite this fact, there is much we do not yet know or fully understand about how flowers function in nature, nor the complete extent to which life on this planet relies on them.

In The Reason for Flowers, pollination ecologist Stephen Buchmann takes on an intriguing, fact filled journey though the world of flowers and some of the many diverse ways that humans have long utilized these crucial natural treasures.

This book is just the ticket if you love flowers, are a gardener, work with flowers in a magickal setting, or simply enjoy a fascinating science-based read.

The Sacred Herbs of Spring: Magical, Healing, and Edible Plants to Celebrate Beltaine

Author: Ellen Evert Hopman

Publisher: Destiny Books

From the author of the much adored The Sacred Herbs of Samhain, comes the equally terrific book, The Sacred Herbs of Spring.

In this title, Ellen Evert Hopman explores not only the subject of Beltane (Beltaine) itself, but also details over 90 different plants and trees that can be harvest and utilized for magickal purposes at Beltane.

As well, readers are treated to instructions on how to perform various rituals that honour the traditional gods and goddesses of spring, in addition to information pertaining to springtime herbs that are useful for everything from working with faeries and elves to embarking on (hedgeriding) journeys to the Otherworld.

The Secret World of Weather: How to Read Signs in Every Cloud, Breeze, Hill, Street, Plant, Animal, and Dewdrop

Author: Tristan Gooley

Publisher: The Experiment

These days, if we want to know what sort of mood the weather is likely to be in, many of us turn to an app on our phone or flip on the Weather Network.

Yet, for nearly all of human history, the weather was read, understood, forecasted, and worked with via traditional means and methods involving the natural landscape that people lived. Approaches to, and knowledge of, the weather were passed down generationally and/or within communities and were often vital to the survival of humans, animals, and crops alike.

If you’ve ever had a hankering to better learn how to interpret and understand the weather without the aid of fancy modern devices, then The Secret World of Weather is for you.

Given the often precarious nature of the weather in mid-spring (sunny one moment, torrential rain the next, windy a few minutes later… ), Beltane is a fantastic time to hone your weather reading abilities – as well as to work weather magick.

This book doesn’t focus on the latter, but it will certainly help you with the former and in the process you will likely be able to apply what you learn about reading nature’s signs to help you in your magickal weather workings.

The Skillful Forger: Essential Techniques for Responsible Foraging and Making the Most of Your Wild Edibles

Author: Leda Meredith

Publisher: Roost Books

As the natural world bursts forth with a slew of diverse and often highly delicious crops once more, you may be feeling the urge to forage.

Whether you’re new to this ancient art or have been foraging with the best of them for quite some time already, Leda Meredith’s excellent book, The Skillful Forger, is here to inform and inspire you as you venture forth to gather some of nature’s bounty for your own table (or other uses).

Beyond serving merely as a foraging identification guide, this book places an emphasis on the importance of practicing sustainable harvesting techniques, while also providing advice on how to gather, preserve, and prepare the foraged foods that you collect.

Whether for kitchen witchery, herbology, spellwork, or simply to feed yourself and your loved ones, foraging (of which I am a long-time practitioner myself) can be a beneficial, meaningful, practical, and spiritually rewarding activity.

What It’s Like to Be a Bird: What Birds Are Doing and Why – From Flying to Nesting, Eating to Singing

Author: David Allen Sibley

Publisher: Random House of Canada

In this delightful exploration of the life and inner workings of the bird kingdom, renowned avian expert David Allen Sibley answers some of the most frequently asked questions about the bird kingdom, covering more than two hundred species in the process.

Not only will you find a plethora of information about birds in What It’s Like to Be a Bird, but you’ll also be treated over 330 different bird illustrations by the author himself.

The natural world is alive and buzzing at Beltane, with birds being one of the most commonly seen and heard animals in our environments. Why not celebrate our winged friends all the more this spring by reading up on what it’s like to live the life of a bird?

Wild Magic: Celtic Folk Traditions for the Solitary Practitioner

Author: Danu Forest

Publisher: Llewellyn

Whether you practice Celtic magick, are yearning to do so, or simply wish to expand your knowledge on the subject, Wild Magic: Celtic Folk Traditions for the Solitary Practitioner is the book for you.

A detailed, fascinating title, this book guides readers on way to approach magick and witchery from a traditional Celtic perspective, delving into such areas as Celtic faerie faith, deepening your connection to the divine in nature, ancestor work, and connecting with the spirits of the land (aka, the genius loci).

In addition, Wild Magic explores areas such as ley lines and dragon lines, spirit paths, spellwork, wildcrafting, and no shortage of folk traditions from Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

As a book about Celtic magick, this informative and enchanting title is an ideal reading choice for the traditional Gaelic festival of Beltane.  

WitchCraft Cocktails: 70 Seasonal Drinks Infused with Magic and Ritual

Author: Julia Halina Hadas

Publisher: Adams Media

If you enjoy a good tipple and are keen to weave some potent kitchen witchery into your mixed drinks, then WitchCraft Cocktails – which is bursting with breathtaking food photography – might be just the ticket.

Each of the sabbats is a joyous time in its own right. Arguably, however, some have an inherently lighter and more upbeat note to them.

Beltane leads the pack on that front and is a superb time, if one drinks, to raise a glass to this sacred day – and all the more so if you have imbued your glass with one of the magickal workings laid out in this delightful book.

Joyful Beltane wishes!

Which of these Beltane perfect books leaps out at you?

What are some of your favourite seasonal topics to read about in the spring?

Like many a witchy soul, I lap up books like it’s going out of style and know that I am far from alone on that front. Scores of Pagans, Wiccans, and witches – as well as countless other people around the globe – love reading and expanding their knowledge on an array of different subjects.

I hope that the selection of books highlighted in this post will introduce you to some new titles and give you plenty of inspiration and enjoyment both for Beltane 2021 and many future Maydays to come!

Wishing you a safe, serene, sunny, and splendidly blessed Beltane season, dear friends!

PS: If you are interested in having this list turn into the first in an ongoing series of posts devoted to books that are a great match for each of the eight different Pagan sabbats, please let me know in the comment section below.

The post 25 Books That Are Wonderfully Well-Suited to Beltane 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.

While many of us are presently in self-isolation or, if that is not possible, engaging in vital social distancing and limiting time spent in public places as much as possible, the seasons are still, thankfully, proceeding along as usual.

One of the most iconic natural phenomena associated with springtime is the majestic rainbow.

Rainbows occur when the right set of circumstances involving reflection, refraction and dispersion of light take place within droplets of water in the atmosphere. When this happens, a gorgeous spectrum of different shades of arcing light can suddenly span a portion of the sky for a little while (the longest known duration that a rainbow has lasted is just under nine hours).

While we might not be able to conjure up rainbows overhead at will and rainbows are certainly more common in some parts of the world than others, we can all avail of rainbow magick regardless of where we live or if there’s presently a stunning bow of multiple colours smiling down upon us.

This spring, perhaps more than ever in many of our lives, we need all the light we can get coupled with the positivity and beauty inherent in rainbows.

With that in mind (and rainbow loving child of the 1980s that I am) I’ve put together an in-depth guide to rainbow magick to help make this spring a bit brighter and hopefully more positive for all of us.

What is rainbow magick?

Rainbows are as real as an apple, a sunflower, or your beloved pet cat and yet unlike these things, it is not possible to physically hold an actual rainbow in your hands.

This means that the magick we work with rainbows is generally symbolic, correspondence based, or that it involves materials (such as water, magickal tools, crystals, or food) that we’ve charged in the presence of a rainbow.

Of course, one can use a physical item that is designed in the shape (and/or colours) of a rainbow as a stand-in for the real deal, too.

And many a witch, Pagan, and other spiritually driven soul has one or more items, works of art, photographs, or candles depicting a rainbow or the colours of one in their home.

Rainbow magick is magick that involves either actual rainbows, items charged or gathered in the presence of real rainbows, colours that appear in a classic red/orange/yellow/green/blue/indigo/violet order (aka, Roy G Biv, an acronym many of us learned during our schooldays to help us memorize the colours in a prismatic rainbow), working with deities or other entities with ties to rainbows, items or foods (I have a whole Pinterest board devoted to Rainbow Foods, if you’re looking for rainbow food recipes and ideas), or any other type of rainbow related capacity as it pertains to your witchy workings.

Naturally, those who are familiar with the chakra energy system of the body are likely aware that it utilizes a rainbow-like system of colours.

You can engage with chakra colours either individually or as a collective whole in ways akin to working with other forms of rainbows, especially when performing healing, cleansing, energy balancing, or negativity banishing spells, reiki, and so forth.

What is a rainbow witch?

You may have heard or read the term “rainbow witch” before, but weren’t quite sure what it meant.

Broadly speaking, a rainbow witch is someone whose practice is quite eclectic and who embraces the joys, magick, properties, importance, inspiration and beauty of all manner of colours, including their connection to healing and nature.

Anyone can be a rainbow witch, if they desire, and can in turn define what being a rainbow witch means on their own terms.

For more on what a rainbow witch is, I highly recommend this lovely post by Nixie Vale – Are You a Rainbow Witch?

Are there different types of rainbows?

Absolutely! While most of us have seen – or at least familiar – with the usual multi-coloured arching rainbows (which are officially known as primary rainbows) that can occur either during or after a rain shower or rainstorm, there are various other kinds of rainbows as well.

The following describes some of the other types of rainbows that have been identified over the course of human history.

-Double or multiple rainbows: As their name implies, double or multiple rainbows are instances when two or more rainbows appear in the sky at the same time. They are formed by a double reflection of sunlight inside of raindrops and are between 130 and 127 degrees in width. Generally, there will be a primary rainbow and secondary rainbow (and, if applicable, a third or even an extremely rare fourth rainbow).

Fascinatingly, there is a word for the area of blank sky, so to speak, between the rainbows. This is known as Alexander’s band in honour of a 2^nd century AD Peripatetic philosopher called Alexander of Aphrodisias who was the first known person to describe this band.

-Twinned rainbows: Not to be confused with double rainbows (described above), this rare form of rainbow occurs when two rainbows form from a single base point, splitting partway along the arc. On even rarer occurrences, rainbows have been known to split into three branches, each sharing the same spectrum and order of colours (just as with twinned rainbows).

-Monochrome rainbows: While we generally think of rainbows as housing several different colours, it is possible for a rainbow to occur in just one colour.

This happens when sunlight is travelling the farthest away through the atmosphere at either sunrise or sunset and generally results in a solidly red rainbow which makes for a rare and very striking sight to behold (especially since the red tends to temporarily colour the sky immediately surrounding it quite red, purply-red, or peachy red coloured as well).

-Pastel rainbows, aka, supernumerary rainbows: Another relatively uncommon form of rainbow, supernumerary rainbows take place as an extra band within a primary rainbow (known as the stacker rainbow) or as an additional rainbow right outside of the first.

This form of rainbow is most commonly associated with fog and fogbows. The further away a supernumerary rainbow is from the stacker rainbow, the fainter and paler it appears, which generally results in bands of colours that are less vivid and pronounced than those of the primary rainbow.

-Reflected rainbows: These lovely rainbows appear on the surface of bodies of water that are present below the horizon (sunlight is deflected by rainbows before reflecting off of a body of water). If the conditions are right, a reflected rainbow can appear in something as small as a puddle or birdbath right on up to part of the surface area of a lake, sea or ocean.

-Full circle rainbows: When one calls to mind a rainbow, the classic semi-circle arc shape is one of this weather phenomenon’s most iconic elements. But did you know that under the right conditions, a rainbow can appear as a full circle?

In fact, almost any rainbow can, in theory, be a circular rainbow. However, when viewed from lower vantage points, such as the ground or most forms of housing, the majority of rainbows will appear as arcs, not circles.

If you happen to spot a rainbow when you’re atop a lofty mountain or building or high up in the air, such as in an airplane, then you might just be lucky enough to spot a full circle rainbow (which, occasionally, can appear in twin rainbow form as well).

-Rainbow wheels: While this name might make you think of those fun, noisy and very colourful clip-on beads we put in the spokes of our bike tires as kids, rainbow wheels are in fact a form of rainbow that occurs when dense rain showers or dark clouds create shadows over part(s) of a rainbow, causing lines of light to reach out to the arc of a primary rainbow, which in turn can give the appearance of a wagon wheel-like shape in the sky.

Incredibly, if the clouds are moving fast enough in the sky at the moment, rainbow wheels can even appear to rotate – giving even more credence to their name.

-Fog rainbows, aka, fogbows: As you might guess from their name, fogbows are rainbows that are caused when sunlight passes through fog and the moisture droplets in said fog diffract the sunlight.

Fogbow tend to form over bodies of water or those with thin fog, and the colours they house are typically red, blue and (especially) white, as opposed to the broader spectrum of various other types of rainbows.

-Cloud rainbows: Whereas most other types of atmospheric rainbows occur when light comes in contact with water drops in the air, cloud rainbows occur when light strikes water droplets that are presently forming clouds.

Cloud rainbows tend to be quite broad and may have less of a stereotypical arcing rainbow shape. There’s something very gentle, mysterious and beautiful about cloudbows, which while more common over bodies of water, can be seen occasionally over land as well.

-Moonbows: By far one of the most enchantingly beautiful forms of rainbow, moonbows are rainbows that take place in much the same way as daytime (solar) rainbows, however in this instance, it is moon, not sun, light that is responsible for their appearance.

Moonbows are also known as moon rainbows, lunar rainbows, and white rainbows. They may be fainter than their daytime counterparts and are certainly a considerably rarer sight. Much as with solar rainbows, lunar rainbows have piqued human interest for countless generations, with recorded descriptions of nighttime rainbows stretching back to Aristotle’s c. 350 BCE work, Meteorology.

If you’re keen to try and spot a moonbow of your own (and you really should – they’re an extremely beautiful and spiritually charged experience), you may have better luck if you do so when the moon is not blocked by clouds, the moon is low in the sky (42 degrees or lower), the moon is at – or very nearly at – its fullest stage, and there are water droplets (rain, mist, fog, or spray – such as that from powerful waterfalls) in the air opposite the glowing moon. As well, it helps matters if the sky is very dark during the later hours of night, such as two to three hours prior to the sun rising.

-Snow rainbows (aka, snowbows, snow bows, icebow, parhelions, halos, or sun dogs): While only rain or other forms of spherical water droplets can cause true rainbows, similar forms of arcing or circular light (generally white or pale yellow in colour) can occur as a result of light striking the intricately shaped surfaces of snowflakes or ice crystals (see this newspaper article for photos of super rare ice rainbows).

In addition to the above mentioned form of rainbows, it is possible to observe rainbow-like occurrences on surfaces such as dew slicked spiderwebs (known as spiderweb rainbows), in various sprays and streams of water (think fountains, geysers, water garden hoses and sprinklers, waves at the beach, and the spray from a waterfall), as well as other similar types of optical phenomena such as cloud iridescence in which some of the clouds overhead take on a colour pattern similar to that of the hues seen in soap bubbles, mother-of-pearl, or oil slicks.

All rainbows have an intensely ethereal quality to them and rainbow magick can be carried out in the presence of, or when thinking about (or meditating on, etc) any type of rainbow that resonates with you or that fits the magickal working that you’re engaging in.

I encourage you to keep this list of different types of rainbows in mind, bookmark, or pin this post on Pinterest so that you can refer back to it later, if you’re keen to utilize the properties of a particular type of rainbow in your spellwork, rituals, sabbat celebrations, self-generated guided meditations, or other witchy workings.

Religious, spiritual, and cultural connections to rainbows

Rainbows have been admired, awed over, and believed to have magickal or spiritual abilities or connections to the Divine since time immemorial.

Some faiths and cultures see rainbows as a bridge between the worlds of heaven and earth or life and death, and most people, regardless of their spiritual beliefs, find beauty and personal meaning in the sighting of a rainbow overhead. Be it as a sign of positivity or good luck, a blessing, or a comforting message of brighter days ahead.

It would take a very lengthy blog post (if not a whole book) to delve into the huge range of such connections that have existed across various cultures for thousands upon thousands of years, and doing so is beyond the scope of this post.

That said, as rainbows are such inherently magickal happenings with great significance to many cultures and faiths, I would like to share a few examples of the importance rainbows have played in various religions, spiritualities, and cultures over the years (including some of the gods and goddesses that are associated with rainbows).

-In ancient Greek mythology, the rainbow is viewed to be a pathway created by the goddess Iris between heaven and earth.

-Chinese mythology has a beautiful tale that says that a rainbow is a split in the sky which has been patched or sealed by the goddess Nuwa using five different coloured rocks or stones.

-The flood narrative of the Christian bible which sees a rainbow used to represent God’s promise to never again destroy the earth with a cataclysmic flood.

-Babylonian mythology also tells of a megaflood and how the goddess Ishtar was rather cross with the god who had caused such an epic catastrophe. To get back at him, Ishtar placed a rainbow in the sky to prevent the god from partaking of offerings left for him down on earth.  

-To the Norse, a burning rainbow bridged known as the Bifrost connects earth (Midgard) with Asgard, the home of the gods. Only the gods and those are who were slain in battled were permitted to use Bifrost.

-Armenian mythology speaks of the god Tir’s belt being a rainbow (Tir is especially associated with the sun and knowledge).

-Many Native American cultures have rainbow related myths and spiritual connections. The Navajo, for example, saw rainbows as a multi-coloured serpent that young braves chased after as part of a highly meaningful and important coming-of-age initiation right.

-Pre-Islamic Arabian mythology included a weather god named Quzah, for whom rainbows were seen to be his (hunting) bow. This reference remains in legacy to the present day by way of the Arabic word for rainbow, qaws Quzah.

-In Australian Aboriginal mythology, the rainbow snake is the Creator in the Dreaming, an ever-lasting time period that began with the creation of the world and which has no end.

-The shamans of Siberia’s Buryat people believe that they can ascend to the sky-spirit world via rainbows.

What are rainbows associated with?

Rainbows have long been associated with a wide number of things at a broader cultural level, as well as on a deeply personal level for many individuals.

These include, but are not limited to gay pride, racial equality and race-related rights, inclusivity, acceptance, spirituality, health, healing, optimism, good luck, promises, Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day, luck, hope, peace, springtime, Ostara, Beltane, rain, the sun, unicorns, faeries, the magickal arts in general, creativity and artistry, endurance, serenity, happiness, personal message from Spirit/the divine/the universe, childhood and youth, auras, ascension, liminal spaces, transcending the earthly realm, and immortality.

To say nothing of the myriad brands (including Apple) who have used rainbows or rainbow colours as part of their logos and company branding over the years.

As well, arcs themselves are commonly associated with such things as openings, bridges, paths, portals, gateways, other realms (including of consciousness), femininity, fertility, crescent moons, and unions of various sorts.

The shape of the boline – a knife that often has a white handle and a curved blade and which is used by some Wiccans, witches and those of similar spiritual paths – also lends itself well to rainbow related symbolism and workings (such as harvesting herbs, drawing or writing in the dirt or sand, or cutting cords).

What does seeing a rainbow mean?

The honest answer to this question is that seeing a rainbow is going to mean different things to different people.

Many of us have positive personal memories with rainbows which help to imbue those we see nowadays with a pleasant or happy sense of nostalgia.

While seeing a rainbow is generally an auspicious, positive event that some feel is a personal blessing, not all rainbows necessarily carry intensely deep meanings or messages for those who view them.

That said, they certain can and some of the more common messages or signs that a rainbow may be presenting you with include the following:

-Brighter, better and/or luckier days lay ahead for you.

–You are not alone. Spiritual allies, angels, or other types of guardian spirits or beings are with you and are watching over, protecting, guiding or otherwise helping you.

-Validation or confirmation that you are on the right path for your present life.

–A departed loved ones (human or animal) is letting you know that they’ve crossed over and are doing well/are at peace on the other side or that they have another (generally positive) message that they want you to know.

-It’s time for you to take a leap of faith and begin a new project, goal, or other area of your life that you may have been putting off.

-You are loved and are an important part of the earth who is here right now in this point in time because there is one or more meaningful reasons for you to be.

-It’s time to finally make a concrete choice about two or more things that you’ve been contemplating.

-Honour what your heart is telling you to do.

–Opening ourselves up to light, love, positivity, compassion, healing, and/or new beginnings.

-Make sure to stop and take note of the incredible beauty and blessings that surround us on this planet.

-Do not become so busy or stressed that life loses its sense of wonder, magic, and possibility.

-Something positive is likely coming your way.

-Passing through a rainbow (such as driving or swimming, if a rainbow is reflected on the water’s surface) may increase spiritual awareness, personal energy, and one’s sense of connection to the divine.

-Savour the present moment. Rainbows are fleeting, incredibly beautiful and highly meaningful events. They capture our attention and justifiably ask of us to slow down or briefly stop what we’re doing entirely and live in the moment. Take this important reminder with you after a rainbow has passed and remember to do the same throughout your daily life, even when a rainbow is nowhere to be seen overhead.

Rainbows encourage us to see and understand things as being diverse, multi-faceted and often far more complex than “just” being black and white.

They can represent the whole or the sum of all parts, are a universal phenomenon, and are generally viewed in a positive light and are believed to present us with optimistic or otherwise helpful messages and meanings.

Ideas for how to work rainbow magick

The sky – fittingly – is the limit when it comes to ways in which you can work with rainbows in magickal and spiritual capacities.

The following is a selection of ways that you can connect with rainbows, use rainbows in your magickal practice, and make them a year-round part of your witchy life.

-Gather rainwater during a rainbow to use for a wide range of magickal purposes. Store as you would most other magically related or magickally charged waters, labelling your rainbow water accordingly.

-Few things lend themselves better to colour magick than rainbows. Colour magick is a broad, highly fascinating topics that can easily fill many a post or book (Raymond Buckland’s Color Magick: Unleash Your Inner Powers is a great place to start if you’re looking for a detailed book on this topic).  

What colours or colours jump out at you or are most visible in the next rainbow that you see? Could these colours be a sign?

Consider working with that colour, or those particular colours, in the near future and applying them to situations that are relevant to your current life.

For example, if you saw green most dominantly, it may mean that you should focus on new beginnings, earth magick, money magick, herbology, gardening, or healthy eating. Whereas red or pink could pertain to matters of the heart, power, strength, survival, sexuality, fertility, or passion, to name but a few possible connections.

-Use makeup, face paint or another similar skin safe product to draw a rainbow or other design in rainbow colours on your body as an added measure of personal strength, protection, positivity, hope, or any other reason that you desire. You can do so in conjunction with other rainbow workings or as a standalone activity (which is especially well suited to Ostara, Beltane, and Litha).

-Wear or make jewelry or another accessory or item of clothing in a rainbow colourway or which depicts a rainbow. If possible, charge this item either with rainwater or dew gathered during a rainbow or when an actual rainbow is in sight.

By doing so, you are embedding some of the essential energy of that rainbow into your lovely piece of jewelry, which you can then wear anytime you wish to connect with, or strength a magickal working pertaining to, rainbows, their meanings or correspondences.

-For instant, on the spot magick, consider working a quick spell or other magickal act that can be done with little forewarning when a rainbow is present. If you’re able to safely to do outdoors, all the better, but doing so inside is highly effective as well – especially if you’re able to see the rainbow (such as through a window or skylight) while working your spell.

The presence of rainbows can be a terrific time to set intentions, say or sing chants or prayers, give thanks, connect with faeries, receive messages or signs from spiritual guides and angels, do releasing or banishing work, make promises to yourself or others, and to focus on matters pertaining to your aura, personal energy, or chakras.

-Work candle magick with a single candle in rainbow or chakra colours (such as these lovely rainbow taper candles), or an array of different induvial candles in the classic rainbow palette. Here’s a fantastic rainbow candle magick spell from Madame Pamita that you may enjoy.

If possible (though such is by no means essential), bless or concrete your candle with rainbow water, herbs or flower petals picked during a rainbow (either fresh or dried, depending on what you have to hand), or magickal essential oils that you’ve either charged during a rainbow or which you’ve focused rainbow inspired energy into.

And if you’re looking for an especially cool candle to use when working with rainbow candle magick, consider giving Rainbow Color Drip Candles a try.

-Much like candles, crystals come in a huge array of different colours and are a beautiful, tangible way to weave colour magick into your spellwork, altars, rituals, offerings, and other magickal activities.

A handful of crystals are somewhat rainbow-looking in terms of their colours (be they naturally occurring, artificially enhanced, or straight up manmade), such as rainbow quartz, angel aura quartz, opals, bismuth, labradorite, and fluorite.

These crystals are gorgeous and can be a fabulous way to channel the energy and correspondences of rainbows, but you can certainly use other crystals in conjunction with rainbows as well.

For example, why not try making crystal grids, crystal spell bags, crystal spell jars, crystal jewelry or charms, crystal displays on an altar, or crystal placement around your home with various crystals that collectively team up to form the colours of a rainbow?

-Make set of runes in rainbow colours or on stones, pieces of wood, shells, etc that you’ve painted in the colours of a rainbow. If possible, charge your handmade runes in the line of sight of a rainbow or bless/concrete them with rainbow water.

-Incorporate rainbow imagery into your sabbat celebrations and related spells or rituals, in particular those of the spring and summer months (Ostara, Beltane, Litha and Lammas) during which rainbows are most frequently seen.

You can also use rainbows anytime and in connection with any sabbat or other sacred day (handfastings very much included) that your heart desires.

-Create an altar set up in a rainbow colour palette or designate a portion of an existing altar to honour rainbows. Work with this sacred spot in your home anytime you need to tap into the deep meaning and spiritual guidance that rainbows can offer.

-Draw, paint, sew, stitch, bead, or otherwise create a craft project in rainbow colours or which depicts a rainbow. Think a rainbow poppet, rainbow dream sachet, rainbow wand, rainbow painted chalice or offering bowl, rainbow wreath, rainbow floral arrangement or a centrepiece in rainbow colours, rainbow dream catcher, set of garden or herb pot markers in rainbow colours, rainbow robe or cloak, rainbow soap, rainbow bath salts, or handmade rainbow candles.

-Do a rainbow tarot spread. This can take on many forms, from an arc-shaped spread to one pertaining to LGBTQ+ related readings (such as this wonderful rainbow tarot spread from Interrobang Tarot) to using a deck that includes rainbow imagery.

In some tarot decks, the Temperance and Ten of Cups cards depict rainbows, though other tarot and oracle card decks may include rainbow images in their own specific imagery on any number of different cards.

-Create a positive affirmation pertaining to rainbows. For example, you could make a point of looking at yourself in the mirror each morning and saying something along the lines of, “I am bright, I am special, I am strong, I am beautiful, and I am capable of incredible things”.

-Rainbows aren’t just in the sky! Sure, that may be one of their favourite places to reside, but don’t forget to pay attention to if the universe, Spirit, your spiritual allies, or other positive forces are trying to deliver a message or sign to you via rainbows in other forms.

Have you been seeing rainbows on things everywhere you go all of a sudden? Hearing one or more songs that star the word rainbow, such as that beloved classic, Somewhere Over the Rainbow, She’s a Rainbow by The Rolling Stones, Pocket Full of Rainbows by Elvis Presley, or Rainbow by Kacey Musgraves?

Are you dreaming or thinking about rainbows frequently as of latte?

If so, consider the possibility that a rainbow message or sign is trying to make its way through to you. Ask yourself what that could be, how you can proactively avail of the blessing of that insight from the universe, and how you can support its benefits for your life through your witchy workings.

-Photograph a rainbow, print and display that image on your altar or elsewhere in your home (or office) as a reminder of the beauty, wonder, blessings, abundance, hope, and positivity that both exist in the world at large and which you can help to bring into being in your daily life. Or for any other reason that rainbows hold personal significance for you.

-Tap into the energy that comes from a rainbow. Rainbows generally appear as the calm following a storm and may indicate that you’re entering (or are now able to create or manifest) such a state in your own life.

If you’re been going through an especially difficult or challenging time, this might feel like the gift from above that it truly is and may just be an important turning point towards brighter days ahead in your life.

Rainbow are magickal!

No two ways about it, rainbows are seriously magickal. There’s a reason they’re commonly used in conjunction with fantasy stories, to convey positivity, and as a link between this world and others beyond our mortal realm.

Like many people, I’ve had times when rainbows appeared in my life precisely when I needed the comfort, reassurance, support, or sense of joy they brought my way.

No other stands out more for me than the rainbow that appeared exactly six months to the date after the destructive arson house fire we experienced in October 2016.

It was so vivid that my husband and I pulled over onto the shoulder of the road to observe and bask in its meaningful beauty. I was moved to tears and knew that, as incredibly difficult as the past few months had been, brighter days and a return to feeling happier were coming our way again.

Seeing a rainbow never fails to spark a deep sense of wonder in me. They are mesmerizing and meaningful, relatively rare and highly poignant.

This spring and for the duration of the Covid-19 pandemic, I encourage you to consider working with rainbow magick.

You might also find that placing images the depict rainbows or items that feature rainbows on them on your altar or elsewhere in your home helps you to feel more at peace, connected to the divine, and optimistic during these highly challenging times – just as various forms of rainbow magick themselves can as well.

And the next time you see a rainbow, why not enact that long-practiced ritual all its own and make a wish from deep within your heart that you hope will soon come true for yourself or a loved.

Doing so is a lovely act – and who knows, with enough intention and, for added oomph, some corresponding rainbow magick, your wish might just come true!

The post A witch’s guide to rainbow magick and working with rainbows appeared first on Witchcrafted Life.

Like many of us, I’m drawn to the sweet, tender shades of the current season when paper crafting during the spring months (which I got the ball rolling on a few weeks ago with my Be Amazing Springtime Bird’s Nest Card).

With that very palette in mind, as my paternal grandma’s birthday rounds the bend next month, I recently set to work creating a card for her special day.

Shabby chic springtime happy birthday card

My grandma is a lovely woman who has had a lifelong passion for crafting (particularly knitting, sewing, and fabric doll making) and beautiful home décor.

Years before the term “shabby chic” entered mainstream vernacular, she had peppered her home with elements that would now fit squarely under that banner – along with ones that were rustic country and American primitive.

I learned about Victoria magazine, how to make a sublime English trifle, the best way to hang laundry on an outdoor line, and when a raspberry is perfectly ripe for the picking all from my grandma.

I attribute several of my own lifelong interests and passions to her as well – not the least of which is my unending love of, and interest in, the 19^th and early 20^th centuries.

Growing up, my grandma’s house was full of soft, sweet, thoroughly feminine touches. There was white wicker furniture on the covered deck, cabbage rose print bedding, a pale blue bathroom, crisply pressed table linens in Easter worthy shades, and much more.

My grandparents moved from that house over twenty years ago now. Some of those same elements went with them to the home they relocated to after retiring. Naturally though, a fair number changed with their new abode, downsizing, and shifting interests.

Still, when I think of my grandparent’s home as it looked in my early youth, the colours that I used in this birthday card are amongst those that jump out at me first. As such, I was eager to incorporate them in my grandma’s birthday greeting this year.

As much as I would have loved to go for an even more dimensional card, Canada Post has a rather irksome letter mail height limit of just 2cm (not inches, centimetres!) under which letter-sized mail must fit. If it goes over that thickness, you’re looking at parcel rates, which even at a national level are nothing short of comically steep in this country.

Therefore, if I know a card that I make is going to be mailed off (be it within Canada or abroad), I try to keep it on the flatter side.

This doesn’t automatically mean that I can’t still involve multiple layers, embellishments and plenty of engaging details. Thankfully that remains possible for many different types of cards.

Putting this feminine spring birthday card together

Funnily enough, I had originally taken some of the elements used on this card out to make a different birthday card that day. As soon as this design started to take shape, however, I knew that it was destined for my grandma.

I began with a sheet of lightly textured pale pink cardstock for my card base. This was then topped with a beautiful piece of white on cream lace print paper.

Another layer of the same light pink cardstock, pale blue printed paper that I embossed (though the embossing ended by being so obscured here, I won’t even mention the folder in the product list), and  various ornate die cut frames and border pieces were the next to be added.

I then fussy cut the large piece of floral print paper from a gorgeous sheet of Prima paper and positioned it to intentionally overhang a wee bit off the left-hand side of the card.

Next, I dug around in my stash for a vintage-y looking piece that tied into the theme of birthdays and found it in the lovely Webster’s Pages mini calendar page that I tucked behind the flowers (and banner).

After that, it was on to the banner. A few die cut banner pieces created from pale sage green and the same light pink cardstock used before, each of which I added faux stitching to with a white Uniball pen.

I topped each banner flag with a round pink and white Jenni Bowlin alphabet sticker to spell the word “happy” and strung them on a length of rustic braided garden twine that I attached to my card with mini clothes pegs.

If you don’t have banner flag/pennant dies, you can cut as many matching shaped and sized strips of paper or cardstock as you need by hand instead (I’ve done this many times for various projects over the years).

I wanted a bit more texture on this card, so I included a springtime perfect piece of classic daisy chain style white trim. To complement this trim and to help the fussy cut floral panel stand out a bit more, I die cut some leaves with trailing vines from basic white cardstock.

Next, I die cut the banner outline from pale brown cardstock and the decorative label shaped piece from light sage green cardstock. I stamped my classic sentiment of “happy birthday” in dark green ink and added some faux stitching around it with a white Uniball pen.

A few soft pink Prima gems nestled here and there, a flourish of pink pearls atop the fussy cut flower panel, and some strategically placed Glossy Accents on various parts of that panel finished off this pastel hued birthday greeting that I suspect many shabby chic lovers would enjoy receiving.

Card making tips and ideas from this project

-Obvious though this may sound, card bases do not have to be white, kraft, or black. They can be any colour that works for your project and are a great way to help set the tone for the rest of the palette that you’ll build on top of it.

-Look for trims that match or complement your die cuts and vice versa. Here, the white fabric trim goes awesomely with the border on the rectangular die cut piece that I used behind my sentiment.

-If you’re working with a large area of patterned paper (in this case, the fussy cut floral panel), try to match/harmonize as many of the other elements used on your card to that panel. This is what I did with my choice of light pink, blue, and green cardstocks.

–Hand drawn stitching works fabulously for small pieces and fiddly shapes that might be tricky to machine stitch on without potentially damaging (or if you don’t have – or don’t want to use – a sewing machine).

If you don’t already have a good quality white gel pen, I suggest investing in one if possible. They’re hugely useful for drawing stitches by hand on a huge range of different cardstocks and papers.

-I used rustic garden twine here for the string that the banner flags hang from, but you could easily swap in baker’s twine, hemp cord (natural or dyed), yarn or wool, a skinny piece of ribbon, beading chain, or a strip of paper or cardstock instead.

-Mini clothes pegs/pins are one of my favourite embellishments (they last appeared here in my Only Love Lets Us See scrapbook layout). They’re tons of fun, can be found from various online and offline sources (from eBay to Etsy to some dollar stores and craft stores), and add heaps of charm to any most any project.

-Let a little bit of your card base show. A design this full and eye-catching isn’t exactly overflowing with empty space. To help the eye rest and the design stops short of being too busy, I often like to ensure that a wee bit of the card base is visible in at least two areas of my design. In this case, that occurs at the top and bottom of the card.

Repeating the same pale pink colour of cardstock in the center panel of the card also helps to give a sense of open or white space, as it tricks, so to speak, the eye into thinking that it’s part of the largest area of the card (the base), when in fact it’s one of the last layers.

Products used to make this pastel floral birthday card

-White, light pink, light blue, light sage (or similar toned) green, and light brown or kraft coloured cardstocks

-Floral print paper – Rose Avenue Suite Collection Paper from Kaisercraft (the white + cream lace print paper that I also used here is the pattern on the back of this sheet)

-Happy birthday sentiment stamp

-Dark green ink pad – Ranger Archival Ink in Library Green

-Various decorative frame metal dies (or border punched pieces)

-Elegant border die (or punch or premade fancy border strip)

-Mini calendar page – Mini Calendar Cards from Webster’s Pages

-Mini alphabet stickers – Butterfly Pink Stickers from Jenni Bowlin

–Mini wooden clothes pins

-Natural braided twine (see tips above for alternative product ideas that you can use here, too)

-Pink pearl embellishment flourish (this one is from Zva Creative – Prima and Recollections have released similar ones over the years as well)

-Light pink faceted adhesive gems – Midnight Garden Say It In Crystals from Prima

-White floral design trim – Vicki B. Wraps from Bo Bunny

–Ranger Glossy Accents (optional)

–Signo Uniball white ink pen

-Dimensional foam, pop dots, or similar to elevate some of your layers

-Adhesive, such as a tape runner, of your choice (I often use my Scotch Tape Glider)

Keep your recipients in mind when creating cards

While it’s definitely useful to have some general purpose cards on hand for birthdays and various other occasions that work well for a wide range of recipients, whenever possible, I truly love tailoring my projects to the person (or people – say a couple or family) who is going to be receiving it.

That’s exactly what I did with this cheerful, confectionary hued birthday card for my dear Grandma.

The past couple of years have not been the easiest for my grandparents, including on the health front, and I really wanted to convey my wishes for a positive b-day celebration and year ahead (which is why I purposefully used the word “happy” here two times).

I sincerely hope that my grandma’s birthday abounds with happiness – just as trips to her house did for me when I was growing up – and that this pastel floral card helps to make her special day all the more so.

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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.

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