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.

Spring Greens and Spring Awakening

Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs's avatarGood Witches Homestead

Spring has arrived in our mountain forest. The emergence from the long cold nights of winter gives way to spring and the eternal reminder of rebirth and renewal. Dandelion flowers are everywhere, basking in the warming of the earth, opening to the sun. I’ve been gathering the young leaves for cooking and adding to smoothies. The grosbeaks have returned and our bears have awoken; hungrily eating the young grasses and soaking in our pond. This year the “fever” has been strong. I’ve cleaned the closets, put away winter clothes, worked compost into the garden beds, sowed seeds, and bulbs, put out the hummingbird feeders, spent hours brushing out the horses, changed the shavings in the coop, and am hiking longer.

This strong drive seems ancient. Many cultures believed springtime was the optimal season for “cleansing” – home, land, mind, and body. People would eat the early bitter greens, aiding digestion…

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Severing Draining Energy Connections: Waning Moon Crystal Magic w/ Black Obsidian

 

The new and full moons have become powerful focal points in our community, but when we tune into the additional moon phases (the quarter moons), the magical rhythm of our lives can take on greater form and meaning.

We’ve now entered the 4th quarter or waning crescent moon (until the new moon on May 4th at 6:45pm).

This phase is a deep and internal time of facing that which we need to heal or release, or cultivate in the darker or more hidden parts of ourselves (psychic + intuitive development, past life or karmic healing, and banishment).

It’s timing is elegant and purposeful, because if we use it wisely, it empowers us for the new moon and our intentions.

Manifestation tip: The art of manifestation requires energy + focus. If your energy is split in too many directions in your life, or if it’s being too drained, there’s less potency available to help activate and manifest your intentions into being.

I’ve included a ritual below that will guide you through working with the energy of the waning crescent moon phase, and using a piece of black obsidian to sever draining energy connections that are pulling you away from your potential, holding you back from positive co-creation.

Read the complete article at: Krista Mitchell ~ SEVERING DRAINING ENERGY CONNECTIONS: WANING MOON CRYSTAL MAGIC W/ BLACK OBSIDIAN

Embracing Ancestral Fires and Fire-starting at Beltane

Dana's avatarThe Druid's Garden

An awen-shaped sacred fire, created from my flint and steel An awen-shaped sacred fire, created from my flint and steel

The tiny sparks from my flint and steel shower down on my char cloth.  This flint and steel set was a gift from a fellow druid from almost a decade ago, a gift that has long offered me a connection with my ancestors.  It takes me a few moments to remember the technique he taught me, striking the steel against the flint in a particular way with a particulary angle to my body.  Starting a fire in an ancestral way isn’t just a mental act; its an emboded one.  I breathe deeply and remember, and the tiny sparks fly from my tools to the char cloth. After a few more attempts, a single spark lands on the cloth and starts to glow orange. I carefully pick up the char cloth and blow on it to increase the ember size, then…

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Old-fashioned Banana Fritters

Sheryl's avatarA Hundred Years Ago

Banana Fritters are a wonderful comfort food, so I was thrilled to find a hundred-year-old recipe for them. The fritters were crispy; and, when served with a little confectioners sugar sprinkled on top, had just the right amount of sweetness. The fritters are made using banana slices or chunks, and when I bit into them, the embedded fruit was pure delight. This recipe is a keeper.

Here’s the original recipe:

Source: American Cookery (March, 1919)

And, here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

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The Finesse of Grossing Mommy Out

Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs's avatarGood Witches Homestead

Little Granddaughter has developed a way to utterly gross out her mommy, but also adds to the many reasons why we are an herbalist. Herbal infusions come to play and thank goodness she takes her herbal vitamins every day.

We also raise and rescue German Shepherds, Bones is a rescue, but maybe in this video, Bones again needs rescuing from one very precocious Granddaughter…

Herbal infusions, which are basically strong teas,  are incredibly useful for providing the body with easy to assimilate nutrition.  It is best to use gentle, nutritive and tonifying herbs which act mostly as food for the body.  Examples are nettles,  chamomile, oatstraw and raspberry leaf.  This type of herbal preparation is used for extracting and making bio-available the richness of vitamins and minerals found in many plants.  It is important to note that herbs work overtime to bring about health and increased vitality.  They do not offer quick fixes, but…

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Herb Fairies: A Magical Tale of Plants & Their Remedies

Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs's avatarGood Witches Homestead

Herb Fairies is a children’s herbal learning system that engages kids through stories and encourages them to learn more by providing exciting hands-on activities. Download our Herb Fairies cookbook as our gift to you.

Source: Herb Fairies: A Magical Tale of Plants & Their Remedies

Herb Fairies will only be open till this coming Tuesday, April 30, but might close earlier if we run out of box sets.

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Purpose for Pain

Mountain Rose Herbs ~ How to Make Natural DIY Cleaning Products

Bowl of natural herbal carpet deodorizer powder with wooden spoon surrounded by citrus slices.

We all know that many conventional cleaning products contain harsh chemicals that can be harmful to both our bodies and the planet (not to mention the budget-busting expense and all the waste produced by those empty plastic bottles and extra packaging!). We’ve been creating our own cleaning formulas for years, and we love how easy and inexpensive they are to whip up.

Great to have on hand year-round, these homemade cleansers can easily and naturally replace that questionable collection of store-bought formulas in your cupboard. With just a few basic ingredients like vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice, and essential oils, you’ll be on your way to (really!) cleaning up your act —while reducing waste and saving money!

DIY Kitchen & Bathroom Spray

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Combine all ingredients in 16 oz. spray bottle and shake well before each use.
  2. Use this aromatic solution for kitchen counters, cabinets, refrigerator shelves, glass, blinds, tile, sinks, tubs, and fan blades.

Read the entire post here:  Mountain Rose Herbs ~ How to Make Natural DIY Cleaning Products

What FDA Dietary Supplement Regulations Mean For Herbalists — Good Witches Homestead

Learn how potential changes to FDA dietary supplement regulations surrounding the use and sale of herbs as dietary supplements may effect herbalists. Source: What FDA Dietary Supplement Regulations Mean For Herbalists

via What FDA Dietary Supplement Regulations Mean For Herbalists — Good Witches Homestead

The Business of Herbalism

Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs's avatarGood Witches Homestead

Botanical medicine, the art, and science of collecting, preparing, and utilizing plants for healing, is one of the oldest healing methods in human history. The World Health Organization estimates that 80 percent of the world’s population presently uses herbal medicine for some aspect of primary healthcare.

There is a wide range, however, in what is marketed as herbal medicine. The effectiveness of botanical medicine necessarily depends on the quality and vitality of the original plant material and on the care and attention brought to harvesting, processing, and storage. These issues are crucial to the quality of any product we consume; they are especially important when we use remedies as medicine for healing.

As the natural products industry has grown—it was measured to be $5 billion in the United States alone in 2009—compromises have been made along the chain of production that undermine the integrity and efficacy of the medicines produced…

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