The weather has been a lovely mix of sun and wet lately, and there are flowers everywhere. I notice the birds all the time, maybe not so loudly as when mating season first kicked off, but still: It is quite clear how very much spring is here. Witches and Pagan types would normally be out in nature somewhere to celebrate Beltane, or Mayday, but that's a no-go this year with a decidedly non-Pan-friendly pandemic going on. Stay at home is the order of the day for Mayday along with the rest.
And yet, I'm as aware as ever of just how nice a place home can be. If I had my choice and didn't work elsewhere, I might never leave the house (especially a home as sweet as this, but I like the space I'm in, too, small as it is), if I had a big enough food garden to supply my needs.
I've always been an introvert, someone fairly at home in my own home space, nature, and my spirit. That's the nice way to put it. The less-nice way is that most of my problems have to do with other people, and right now, with politics and the general childish idiocy of my own kind, I'm utterly sick of them. Fertility rites? The thought of humans being any more fertile these days makes me feel ill. I do like a good festival, with a maypole and plenty of food and a fire, but Nature seems to be telling us it's not only unecessary --- the Sun will shine, and Earth will turn and flowers bloom without us, thank you --- but that our most potent work at the moment may be inward: Healing starts inside us, and in the home, and we are each our only round-the-clock companion . . . be it in healing or in pain.
As I hold my floppy altar mat made of a section of last year's maypole ribbons, I remember the magick we danced into them for healing and abundance. The word abundance does not mean greed, and this year, it points to what can evolve if resources are equally shared: Covid-19 or not, we have plenty for all, if food is not simply tossed in dumpsters by the industrial system. Abundance is what so many people, especially those with inner resilience, are finding at home --- arts and crafts, ways to help and protect each other such as making protective masks, new sources of entertainment . . . and huge gardens.
Our garden isn't huge, but even on a tiny urban lot, we've got a lot. Roses and, soon, sunflowers vie for dirt and sky space along with fennel, mullein, half a dozen members of the mint family, beets, garlic, tomatoes, spinach, lettuce, potatoes, rosemary and thyme and oregano and other herbs, and a decorative weeping tree or two. We simply don't have a front "yard", just plants everywhere, and a patch of grass in back barely big enough to lay across. It's so exciting to watch our "babies" developing! It's a miracle anyway, but sometimes it's a real mystery: What's this one, elecampane? We won't know til it blooms!
My embrace of a homebound spring continues, with making oils and other goods from our neighborhood flowers while their blooming season is peaking. Rosemary-dandelion shortbreads were a success, my friend Wanda dubbing them the best things she's ever tasted! Then I gathered both lilac and wisteria blooms to add to floral oils (above). It's hard "working around work", which comes in consecutive blocks with zero free time, but I have to hurry, since lilac season lasts about two seconds. There's also a knack to the infused oils: Too dry, or beyond wilted, and the flowers lose much of their scent; too fresh, with too high a water content, and the oil molds. Ew.
I can't wait to try more oils, syrups, baked goods, and other experiments with our robust home community of plants! I figure that's as Beltane as it gets.
What's going on in the sky lately? The flowers may be pretty, but the planets seem to agree more with Covid-19 that we need to focus on deeper work than our (currently on pause, for many) day jobs. Besides a good Scorpio full moon next week, Pluto went retrograde April 25th and Saturn goes retro on May 12th; earlier this year, these two had one of their rare and notorious conjunctions. Sparing details, to me that means it's no surprise that lately shit has been hitting fan, or that before it's over a lot more shit will hit fan. Both Saturn and Pluto like to topple or at least shake systems of order when they go retro, and a lot of our systems today are, let's face it, shit --- or at least erected on a foundation of shit. Once it hits the fan, we can spot it easily and start to clean it up. (Hopefully.)
Times like these also make folks very uncomfortable, while reminding us it's not what life dishes us, but how we handle it. A non-discriminating blanket threat like a virus is a good example. People in my community are supporting each other, physically and emotionally, despite many facing chronic illness or depression. Elsewhere, I see the less resilient --- the supposedly individualistic, physically able and outwardly tough-acting, but clearly inwardly weak --- throwing adult tantrums about their "rights" to fast food or other conveniences being taken away, willing to risk death by pandemic than find inner resources. We are enmeshed in a test of our human character at the most basic level. It goes beyond just, "Can you garden?" and into, "Can your emotional landscape go without distractions and stimulus for a few weeks? Is your faith truly strong, enough to let you ride this out and not crack?"
For me, faith means honoring my own stoic strength and resourcefulness, and that of my ancestors who survived so much, and also honoring the very goddess of the Underworld itself, of the Plutonian realm, who has been calling me all year. "I", she says, "am the test. This is only one small taste of an entire era. Those who come through it will burn even more brightly, in spirit if not in body!"
We must remember that Beltane is also a holiday of fire, when flaming bonfires and the energy of rebirth are at full power; this year that flame may simply be deeper and hotter than most. Yet to me, the flowers have also seemed unusually beautiful. I have felt so close to the Earth --- both above, and below. The magick is embracing me with love and power, reminding my soul where true Home always lives.
Beltane Recipes.
Besides the one above, all of whose ingredients I currently have either growing or in the fridge, here are a few more I've either made or plan to make:
1. Sweet and Savoury Dandelion-Rosemary Shortbreads
• 2 cups brown or white rice flour
• 1 cup organic, unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup organic sugar of your choice
• 1/4 cup emmental cheese (Swiss cheese – You can substitute sharper hard cheeses, but watch the salt! If you go for parmesan or asiago, then skip the sea salt)
• 1/4 cup dandelion petals & greens, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons finely-chopped rosemary
• black pepper to taste
• sea salt to sprinkle on top
In a large bowl, beat butter with sugar and honey until light & fluffy. Add in dandelion petals and chopped leaves. Be sure to remove the green sepals. I just pinch them until petals pop out. Mix in just until combined.
Stir the rice flour into butter mixture in 2 additions. After the first addition, stir in the emmental cheese, rosemary and a bit of fresh ground black pepper (to taste). Stir in the 2nd addition of flour to make smooth dough.
Roll the dough in waxed paper to form a firm cylinder. Cover and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C)
Slice your cylinder of gorgeous, dandelion/rosemary/pepper-flecked dough into 1 inch thick rounds (*note* in the photo the cookies are thinner – I was running short on dough and needed A LOT of cookies for an event, so I cut them thinner and reduced the time)using a sharp knife and place a good 2 inches apart. Sprinkle with a little sea salt.
Bake for 20 minutes—rotating your pan half-way through. Keep a keen eyeball on them during the last few minutes. You want them just golden.
The cookies will be very delicate when they first come out of the oven. Spare yourself some heartache and let them cool on the cookie sheet.
Dandelion: powerful, yet gentle diuretic; liver-supporting; stabilizes blood sugar levels; contains Vitamins C & A; high in iron; rich in potassium, regulates excess fluids—good for skin, liver & kidneys
Magical properties: Divination, wishes, calling spirits
Rosemary: tonic; astringent; diaphoretic; stimulant; excellent stomachic and nervine; good for headaches; externally used to treat dandruff
Magical properties: Fidelity, remembrance, dispels jealousy
This isn't my recipe --- I got it from:
https://gathervictoria.com/2014/04/06/sweet-savoury-dandelion-rosemary-shortbread/
2. Lilac Syrup.
• 1 quart Lilac Blossoms, tightly packed
• 2 cups Raw Cane Sugar
• 2 cups Water
• 3-4 Blackberries or Blueberries
• 2 teaspoons Fresh Lemon Juice
Before packing your lilac blossoms into a quart sized glass jar, make sure they are free of bugs and that there are no green stems attached. Add the blueberries or blackberries to the jar, as well. This will give your syrup a nice lavender color.
Place the sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium/high heat, whisking together to dissolve the sugar into the water. Let boil for 2 minutes, then remove from heat.
Pour the hot syrup carefully into the jar of lilacs until the syrup reaches the top of the jar.
Cover the jar with a cloth and let sit on the counter for 4-5 hours, or even overnight for the strongest flavor.
When you have finished steeping the syrup in the blossoms, strain the syrup through a fine mesh sieve, pressing on the blossoms to extract all of the syrup. Stir the lemon juice into the syrup. Place syrup in an airtight container and store in the fridge.
Will keep for several months.
Recipe at:
https://www.thekitchenmccabe.com/2017/05/25/lilac-syrup/
3. Dandelion-Violet Lemonade
Lemonade again! If there are any dandelions left after making tinctures, fritters, and baked noms, I plan to try this tasty drink recipe. Both these plants (three, if you count the lemon, and I will!) are medicinal, so this lemonade is in fact a healing tonic potion:
"Violets strengthen the immune system, are extremely anti-inflammatory and are rich in Vitamin C and Vitamin A. They are wonderful at stimulating the lymphatic glands to help the body get rid of toxins. Historically, they were used for respiratory conditions, to soothe sore throats, and treat sinus infections, coughs and colds.
Dandelions are highly nutritious and a wonderful source of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. They are are anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antibacterial, anti-fungal & antimicrobial. Dandelion supports skin health, liver health, immune health and bone health. Dandelion also helps balance blood sugar and improves digestion."
Per serving:
• 12 ounces hot water
• handful fresh violet flowers
• handful fresh dandelion petals
• 1 tablespoon honey or sweetener of choice (add more to taste, if desired)
• ½ lemon, juiced
Pour hot water over the violet flowers and dandelion petals and let steep overnight or 8 hours (it will likely not have much color at this point or may be a light blue/green). Stir in the honey and lemon juice and watch it turn to vibrant pink! Enjoy!
Full recipe and tips at:
https://www.primallyinspired.com/violet-dandelion-lemonade-recipe/?fbclid=IwAR198Y7H3HQad41JIiscjxORFegiSOAThpnXEpf6cUAC9kvEJlmI8-lKEN8
4. Plantain Salve.
Spring is a wonderful time to create a stash of natural medicines that will heal and soothe all year long. Plantain, dead nettle, calendula, yarrow, and comfrey are all great herbs to include in salves for treating skin conditions like cuts, scrapes and insect bites. This recipe is for Plantain salve, but also gives directions for the infused oils that form the medicine carrier in a base of beeswax.
MATERIALS
1 1/2 to 2 cups fresh plantain herb
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups Olive oil (or other neutral oil)
1 ounce Bees Wax
TOOLS
Double Boiler (or saucepan and heatproof bowl)
Salve Tins (or small mason jars)
INSTRUCTIONS
Harvest fresh plantain from a clean, uncontaminated area. As with any wild plant, always be 100% positive on your identification before harvesting.
Chop the plantain leaves and use them to fill a pint mason jar most the way to the top.
Cover the fresh herb with a neutral oil, such as olive oil or grapeseed oil.
Place the mason jar on a trivet in a double boiler or crockpot and add water to the pot.
Gently heat the water until it's 110 to 120 degrees and turn off the heat.
Periodically turn on the heat to maintain this warm infusing environment for 24 to 48 hours. (Never leat the heat on overnight or for long periods, and be careful not to overheat and cook the plant material.)
Once the fresh plantain has infused into the oil, strain out the plant material.
Place the strained plantain infused oil into a heatproof bowl and then put that bowl above a pot of gently simmering water (again, creating a double boiler).
Add the beeswax and gently heat the oil just until the beeswax melts.
Stir to ensure the beeswax is evenly distributed and then pour into prepared salve tins (or small mason jars).
Allow the salve to cool completely and set up before using (usually around 30 minutes).
Note: If using dried plantain herb, you can use this same quick warm infusion method, or you can use a longer room temperature infusion for 4-6 weeks in a cool dark place. When using fresh herb material, you must use the warm infusion method because the fresh herbs will spoil in a long slow infusion.
Be sure to spot test before using, as there's always the possibility for allergic reaction.
Recipe and more tips found at:
https://practicalselfreliance.com/plantain-salve/?fbclid=IwAR3SNo5qoqvSahV_XBDE_WPogERVR3yKjHdwK0Exlku_qNGg0ZHZEQG8j-E
Times may be strange and uncertain, but I am comforted in bringing myself back to the Earth through crafting, and working with natural ingredients to create pleasure and healing. Fortunately, I have the internet, and no shortage of like-minded souls to inspire me as they impart the wisdom of ages!
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