Author: Paula Cas

I write fiction, non-fiction, verbiage for all our websites, and have been publishing my fan fiction on my various sites for many years. https://paulacas.com I am a Spiritual Medium and use Tarot cards as one my primary tools in doing readings. For 30 plus years have been doing readings in settings from my living room to truck stops. I tell you what Spirit wants you know for your betterment, not what you think you need to know. I’ve worked on computers since before there was such a creature as Windows. A Mountain Maryland native, but have spent years spent living in Oklahoma, Colorado, Texas, Oregon, California, Nevada, and Arizona. My husband, Oro Cas, and I spent 10 years driving tractor-trailer across the 48 contiguous states. Oro Cas and I produced and hosted Internet Radio shows on BlogTalk Radio, video productions on KDCL Media and Oro Expeditions YouTube Channels.

The Energies of August — Good Witches Homestead

If you have emerged from the intensity of the energetics over the last month feeling as though you have been through the spin cycle in a washing machine, please know that you are not alone. In one form or another, this seems to be a common feeling for many people. Take a moment to reflect […]

via The Energies of August — Good Witches Homestead

Caring With Calendula

Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

This vibrant orange blossom pops in the garden add a burst of color to cuisine and is a powerhouse in the medicine cabinet. Learn more about this amazing, autumn-loving species.

Brilliantly striking, calendula’s gorgeous yellow and deep-orange blossoms bring a smile to both gardener and herbalist alike. In the fall, you’ll find this plant gracing many doorways, a staple among other autumn harbingers that herald the colder weather to come. But this dazzling ornamental’s long, storied history and powerful medicine make it a must-have for the home.

Sunshine in the Yard

Visually delightful, sun-loving Calendula officinalis is also commonly called marigold, but don’t confuse it with Mexican marigold {Tagetes erecta}, which is another species entirely. A member of the Asteraceae family along with chamomile, dandelion, and Echinacea, calendula is native to southern Europe and parts of the Middle East, but now grows in temperate climates throughout the world…

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Back to School; Finding Your Herbal Path — Good Witches Homestead

Looking for a career in the burgeoning and rewarding field of herbs? Start by finding the right educational program to suit your individual needs and goals. By some estimates, 70 percent of Americans are not fully satisfied with their current jobs, and this lack of contentment impacts not only the workplace but also our personal […]

via Back to School; Finding Your Herbal Path — Good Witches Homestead

10 Wild Summer Mushrooms — Polypores, Boletes, Gilled Fungi, & More!

Greetings!

This summer season has been full of programs, traveling, turnpike tolls, ticks, and of course… mushrooms! A big “thank you!” goes out to everyone who has attended a recent event in which I’ve led a walk or have given a presentation.

I’m excited to announce that I’ll be participating in two upcoming events this September. On Saturday, September 21st, the Western Pennsylvania Mushroom Club is hosting its annual Gary Lincoff Memorial Foray. I, along with Bill Russell (author of Field Guide to Wild Mushrooms of Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic) and Rick Kerrigan (the foremost authority on North American Agaricus mushrooms) will be presenting during the afternoon lecture sessions.

Also, I’ll be leading mushroom programs at the annual Midwest Wild Harvest Festival in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin from September 27th-29th. Additional instructors for this year’s festival include Samuel Thayer, Ellen Zachos, Leda Meredith, and Erica Davis.

More events are forthcoming. Stay tuned!

And now on to this week’s brand new video!

One of the benefits of traveling during the summer season is seeing, documenting, and filming different kinds of fungi that grow in varied habitats.

Over the past several weeks, I’ve been physically in the presence of hundreds of mushrooms (over 400 species just this past weekend alone!) and I’ve enjoyed immensely their unique shapes, sizes, smells, and spores.

For this week’s video, I thought I’d narrow down the list a bit and showcase some of the more fascinating fungi that I’ve recently encountered.

If you’re interested in learning a few neat things about 10 different mushrooms (all of which may be growing in your neck of the woods!), check out the brand new video!

Even during dry periods, a hardy group of mushrooms can reliably be found. Pictured here is one such species that fruits in seemingly fungally-barren woods during the summer and autumn months. Check out this Instagram post to learn more!

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Thanks for reading and watching, and as always, thank you for your support!

-Adam Haritan

A Coping Mind

CRYSTALS + WATER ELEMENT: HEALING & NURTURING

The realm of water is that of the emotions, the collective unconscious, receptivity, and intuition.

It is abundant and divine flow, and a place where secrets and other worlds lay hidden.

To the ancient Norse, water was a terrifying force that had to be met, appeased, challenged. To the Ancient Atlanteans, a tomb. It brings life but it can also take it away. It is a great cleanser and purifier, washing the world anew and baptizing new life and faith.

Water teaches us that there is an ebb and flow to all cycles in life, and to honor those cycles in our own lives. It is closely linked with our moon, as the moon moves the tides, and symbolically mirrors the mystical nature of water.

In my own life and work, I’ve found water to be a great emotional healer, nurturer, and cleanser, both it in its elemental form but also from the crystals that resonate with its energy. Anyone who’s ever gone to the beach, ocean, or river and found solace knows what I mean: there’s something very, very healing about water.

Water is something that those of us in “developed” countries often take for granted. The next time you wash your hands, bathe, or shower, consider taking a moment to greet the spirit of water, thank it, receive its healing and cleansing Grace.

Via: Krista Mitchell ~ CRYSTALS + WATER ELEMENT: HEALING & NURTURING

Old-fashioned Escalloped Squash — A Hundred Years Ago

August means a plethora of zucchini, so I’m always looking for new ideas (hmmm. . . I think that I really mean old ideas) for using zucchini and other summer squash. And, I lucked out. I found a nice hundred-year-old recipe for Escalloped Squash that is made with mashed squash, egg, and milk – and […]

via Old-fashioned Escalloped Squash — A Hundred Years Ago

Recycle Me Mosaics: Creating mosaic art from recycled bits and pieces — Life & Soul Magazine

Smashed plates, sweet wrappers and broken car windows, there’s a use in all of these discarded things for mosaic artist Katy Gailbraith. The Scottish artist, who works from her studio in Perthshire, creates mosaics from mostly recycled and upcycled bits and pieces. Among the artist’s creations include an Om plaque on slate; a turquoise tabletop […]

via Recycle Me Mosaics: Creating mosaic art from recycled bits and pieces — Life & Soul Magazine

Pharaoh’s Peridot – GemSelect Newsletter August 2019 — Good Witches Homestead

Peridot is a well-known gemstone with a history that dates back to the Pharaohs of Egypt. Its color ranges from light green to deep olive green, and it often has a yellowish tint. The most beautiful peridot gemstones, ones fit for a Pharaoh, have a deep olive-green color with good color saturation and excellent clarity. […]

via Pharaoh’s Peridot – GemSelect Newsletter August 2019 — Good Witches Homestead

New Black Moon in Leo Moonthly Energy Reading | Corn Moon

This New Moon in Leo is also a Black SuperMoon!

A black moon is similar to a blue moon… and like the blue moon, the definitions can get a little confusing. A black moon is typically seen as the fourth new moon in a season, (normally there are three) or when there are two new moons in one month, like what is happening this month!

This New Moon is also a Super Moon! This means that the moon is closer to the Earth than normal and the lunar effects on the water, tides and our emotions are amplified. Just because we can’t see her, doesn’t mean we won’t be feeling the effects of the supermoon.

Depending on your location and timezone, this New Moon could fall on August 1st for you, but it still holds the same energy of a Black New Moon, so don’t feel like you missed it.

Two New Moons in one month happens roughly every 3 years or so. They help us shift and breath through barriers that were holding us back. They offer us ability to use our new perspective to move forward. Almost like acting as a second chance for us to get up and claim our new path after such an intense month…

We will all be feeling a breath of fresh air after this New Moon!

This New Moon marks the end of the Summer Eclipse season, helping us to integrate the major karmic lessons of the month prior. This last month presented us with many opportunities to find lessons through the chaos, but thankfully much of that intense energy will settle as Mercury goes direct shortly after the New Moon.

We are also celebrating the Sabbat of Lammas around this time! This is the celebration of the first harvest and marks the another turn in the Wheel of the year.

In the second half of this month, Mars, Venus, the Sun and Mercury all enter Virgo. This will help us see things a bit more clearly in many areas of our lives.The shifts this month will help clear up some of that chaotic and dark energy that was stirred up in July. We will be able to move forward and claim our true power with clear intent.

In many ways, this New Moon will be helpling the dust settle around us so that we can step forward and fully integrate the lessons that came up during this Eclipse season. The cycle ahead looks to be a bit smoother than last months, but still holds potential to deliver the unexpected! One a month, using our planners and our decks, we look to the stars and moon phases to put together the Moonthly energy report!

Via Spirit de la Lune: New Black Moon in Leo Moonthly Energy Reading | Corn Moon