How to Boost Your Immune System with Herbs

Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

The coming cold and flu season is only one of the hundreds of reasons that immune function should always be at the top of your list of health priorities. The immune system doesn’t just keep sniffles away—it also is the body’s best defense against potentially deadly diseases, such as H1N1 flu, and well-known killers, such as cancer. Your daily habits, including the foods you eat and your exercise and sleep routines, have a significant effect on your immune function. And even if your lifestyle choices are exemplary, environmental toxins, emotional stress, and the wear and tear of aging all conspire to weaken immunity.

How to Protect Your Immune System

The most complex system of the body, the immune system includes the thymus gland, the spleen, bone marrow and a vast network of lymph nodes that are scattered throughout the body. The immune system also maintains a variety of white blood…

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Remembrance Potpourri

Good Witches Homestead

Memories of those we have loved and lost are always with us. With time, hopefully, we smile instead of cry when a particularly poignant memory is triggered. And sometimes we intentionally evoke memories with special objects that remind us of those who have passed on to the Summerland. This special remembrance potpourri is one such object. Made from dried flowers from the funeral of a loved one, as well as special herbs and flowers that have ages-old connections to death, bereavement, and funerals, it serves to help one not only remember the deceased but also to honor their life and hopefully ease the grief that comes with such loss.

This project came about as a special way to honor my father. As is often the case, there were plenty of beautiful flower arrangements present at the funeral, including those from us — his immediate family. In some families, like mine…

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Samhain: Honoring Ancestors of Craft and Tradition | Coby Michael Ward

Good Witches Homestead

Samhain, the season of the witch, is a time for us to honor the powers that underlie our Craft. The hidden powers behinds the scenes, guiding our movements and our inspiration. The Dead guide us; they are present when we weave our magic. Those who have laid the foundations for our Great Arte, fertilizing our holy ground with their blood. The Dead are always with us, but this is their time. The mothers and fathers of our traditions, great witches, teachers, and keepers of lore make their presence known, returning to celebrate with us. Hallowmas is the great twilight when the worlds of the living and the dead move as one. The fires we light shine like beacons in the spirit world. This is also the time to honor spirits of tradition, the collective familiar spirits called egregores that are the manifestation of us coming together.

Honor the Witch Within

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A Journey through the Senses: Breathe Deeply

The Druid's Garden

An Ancient Black Oak

Over the summer, I spent the weekend at a beautiful farm with my family for a family reunion. That land had gifted me, and all of us, much that weekend. I had found some stunning new stones for pigments, I had spent tranquil time on the lake, and I had talked with many of the trees there. So, as I was preparing to leave, I walked up to a giant oak on my way out. I gave it a big hug. It had rained the night before and the trunk was covered in lichen. I took a breath and the smell was that sweet and earthy smell of lichen. I remember the smell the first time I smelled such a lichen. It was down in Louisiana, and I had visited an ancient live oak with some druid friends. A branch had fallen on the ground…

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October Herb of the Month, Safflower

Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

Safflower, Carthamus tinctorius

Did You Know?

• Safflower produces a thistle-like flower ranging in color from yellow to dark red.
• It is one of the oldest cultivated plants, originally grown to use the flowers as coloring agents for food,
cosmetics, and textiles.
• Safflower garlands were found in Tutankhamun’s tomb (around 1323 BCE).
• The pigment from the flower petals is known as carthamin and was used to dye Egyptian textiles dating back to the 12th dynasty.
• As a food additive, carthamin is known as Natural Red 26.
• The flower petals have been substituted for saffron since they do produce a similar color and flavor.
• Commercial production of safflower is primarily for oil pressed from the seeds. By-products of this process create livestock meal and are used in making soap.
• A small amount of commercially grown safflower is for birdseed.
• There are two types of safflower…

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Cake For The Priestesses Of The Dead — Gather Victoria

Halloween takes its roots in ancient festivals and feasts honouring the dead, like Samhain. Which makes it a perfect time for cake…not just any cake, but a cake in remembrance of the Haliorunna. Never heard of them? They were the oracular priestesses of the “underworld mysteries” whose rites of divination and ancestor veneration were demonized and…

via Cake For The Priestesses Of The Dead — Gather Victoria

Urim and Thummim

Food as Medicine: Black Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa, Rosaceae)

Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

Black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa), also known as aronia berry, is a member of the economically important rose (Rosaceae) family, which includes other pome-producing plants like apple (Malus spp.), pear (Pyrus spp.), and quince (Cydonia oblonga). A pome is a fruit produced by the Malinae subtribe within Rosaceae. The genus Aronia includes two species of shrubs that are both native to North America: A. melanocarpa (black chokeberry) and A. arbutifolia (red chokeberry).¹ Aronia melanocarpa grows to a height of 4-8 feet (1.2-2.4 meters) and is a cold-hardy, deciduous, thicket-forming shrub that prefers full sun and woodland edges.^2,3 Black chokeberry’s natural range extends from the northeastern part of North America and the Great Lakes region to the Appalachian Mountains.¹

In spring, black chokeberry shrubs produce clusters of white-to-pink flowers that are 2-2.5 inches long and each form 10-15 pea-sized, purple-black pomes after…

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Samhain in the Devil’s Garden | Coby Michael Ward

Good Witches Homestead

All Hallows Eve is quickly approaching. The darkness is creeping closer every day. You can feel the cold grip of the coming winter slithering its way back up from its yearly resting place deep in the Underworld. The excitement and anticipation on both sides of the veil are tangible. It is during this time of year that most witches are at their witchiest, reveling in the sensory delights of the coming holiday. For me, Samhain/Halloween (because I celebrate both) is an entire season, not just one day. It begins at the autumnal equinox when the scales begin to tip in darkness’ favor. Then there is the October full moon known as the Hunter’s Moon or Blood Moon. I look at Samhain October 31st as the culmination of this strange energy that has been building which bleeds into November. The Sun hangs low in the sky, crows can be heard cawing…

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Full Blood Moon in Aries – To Summon The Spirit of A Loved One

This Full Moon in Aries can feel a little bit intense! Full Moons always heighten emotions, but this full moon is square Pluto and Trine Jupiter. This dynamic energy gives us opportunity to see through whatever crisis we might have been, or currently are facing with the perspective of growth and transformation. Emotions might be a little intense right now… but the heaviness is soon lifting. Pluto wants to uncover what has been hidden and keeping you from your growth, while Jupiter is pushing you to keep stepping into your potential.

Full Blood Moon in Aries Spell to Summon the Spirit of your loved ones and ancestors for Samhain

Many souls have been going through this period of transformation and we are needing to trust in the darkness that precedes rebirth. We have felt the urge for inner and spiritual growth by making positive changes in our daily lives, and this is the time to maintain that and keep those new habits up.

This full moon holds power for deep transformation… your intuition is heightened and you are being asked to step into your full power. Spiritual and personal growth are important right now if you want to see anything else grow in your life!

The full moon is in Aries which lends us extra inspiration and aids in the fires of rebirth and transformation. Aries wants you to face things head on and trust that your inner fire will light the way.

This Blood Moon takes place on the 13th of the month once again… While it’s not Friday the 13th, this is still a lucky and magical day.13 is the number of the Goddess and is often associated with witchcraft. Magic made on the 13th is extra potent!

As we get closer to Samhain and the next turning of the Wheel of the Year, the veil between realms thins as our ancestors and the spirits of our loved ones walk with us, feeling closer than ever. There are subtle but powerful forces walking with us and guiding us right now.

Your ancestors and guides are calling to you to help you awaken to your true power! Invite them in, listen to what they may be telling you during this transformational time. We are not here to walk this path alone.

Complete article at: Spirit de la Lune ~ Full Blood Moon in Aries – To Summon The Spirit of A Loved One