There Is Easy Low Hanging Fruit Here, Especially About The US And Salty Tea. And I'm So SO Tempted.

Watch Michelle Obama’s inspiring speech at the Democratic National Convention

“Our motto is when they go low, we go high” was just one of about a billion amazing Michelle Obama-isms. See how she drops the mic when explaining why Trump is toast.

Gifs: PBS NewsHour

WATCH THE FULL SPEECH

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““My first religious experiences came to me both in wild places and in very human places, but perhaps the most poignant were where the two were intimately blended, at least in my perception. An example that I would share here is that of lying on a warm stone in rural Spanish sunshine, alone, my eyes closed, my soul infused with the scents of cistus and thyme, listening to the sound of goat bells above the tumbling rush of the river beside me, and I knew—with that subjective certainty which so thoroughly imbues such moments—that time did not exist: everything around me was the wholeness of all that had ever happened in that ancient valley. It was not crowded with humanity, but human culture was fully involved, scratching its living in the dusty hills, quietly but so very deeply rooted, and perpetually narrated by the stories and songs of those people generation after generation. Eight years old, for me it was an experience of feeling completely held, in peace and security—home—to the extent that I recognise my spiritual journey to have been in some measure a seeking to recreate that exceptional feeling.””

— Emma Restall Orr, in her essay Pagan Ecology: on our perception of nature, ancestry, and home, in the book The Wanton Green, Contemporary Pagan Writings on Place. I promised I would post these descriptions of childhood moments sometimes. Here’s one.

Blackberry Rose Swirl Mascarpone Ice Cream Cake

Difficult Damsels by Nikita Gill

I want to do this at the new year and see what I can take people up on.

• ask your friends to teach you something new •

if you follow me, you may know that have been making a real effort to actively engage in my own existence - to recognize and do away with the things in my life that do not matter, to work harder, to have higher standards when it comes to the company I keep and what sort of treatment I am going to put up with (see my post Notes to Self). it has been a battle against myself, social media, and my unwillingness to face the feelings that the internet distracts me from, but one I ultimately believe I will win.

I’ve decided that instead of leaving social media completely, I’m going to use it to further my connection with people and hope that it catches on (we’ll see). I asked my facebook friends “what is a skill that you can teach me?” expecting a few jokes and maybe one real reply.

all these people came out of the woodwork; folks I met once or twice and friends I’ve known for years, excitedly offering to teach me skills I did not know they had because I never thought to ask. mending, scrapbooking, dance, CPR, organization techniques, canning, wedding planning, dyeing and spinning wool.

ask your friends what they can teach you.

if, like me, you yearn for connection beyond just shopping trips and movie nights and going out for drinks, just ask. you get to learn (which is knowing), your friend gets to teach (which is sharing), and a real conversation is so valuable.

a friend and I met at her house for a meal and a mending lesson a few weeks ago. we ate together and caught up on lost time while she showed me how to repair the torn sweater I brought from home. there was so much peace - sitting on the living room floor with her and laughing at my crooked stitches. I’ve since mended a pair of my husband’s pants, patched a hole in my dad’s jacket, and gave my dress some stronger buttons.

a crooked stitch still strengthens the cloth. I am that much closer to needing less.

what could you teach me?

Hunting for merfolk. Another one in the "captured in a net" series, a merman dodging a harpoon and trying to escape the net. Some haunting motifs for this Mermay, inspired by my life at the moment. Will continue this series of pendants, the mood is perfect

Plant Witchcraft: A Beginner’s Guide to Growing

I would like to start this post out by saying I am in no way a professional and have only been studying/practicing witchcraft for about a year. I just know a lot about plants and the ability to sense the health/needs of a plant comes very naturally to me (I will make a post about how to do this soon!)

EASIEST PLANTS TO GROW IN WITCHCRAFT~

IN ORDER FROM EASIEST TO HARDEST

• Chives- can grow in limited light and  space, very easily propagate (regrow)

• Mint- very hardy, requires shade and some light, start from seeds

• Cilantro- fast growing, can be planted indoors, does not transplant easily, Is NOT perpetual (dies after it flowers, wilts quickly, pretty much dead after one growing season. @rwt-mystic-corner)

• Basil- can grow in small spaces, require sun, start from seeds

• Parsley- easy to grow, low maintenance and limited lights, though hard to germinate 

• Oregano (wild marjoram)- very hardy, easy to grow in winter, requires full sun

• Sage- large, hardy, start from cuttings, requires full sun

• Thyme- requires full sun, hardy, easy to propagate from seeds or cuttings

• Aloe Vera- easy to overwater, low maintenance, slow growing, little water, full sun (they are a desert plant)

• Chamomile- low maintenance, little water, full sun with some shade, easy to overwater

• Dill- start as seeds, small, easy to grow indoors, hard to overwater, requires full sun

• Rosemary- though very large, easy to grow indoors and easy to overwater

• Bay laurel- requires well-draining soil, full sun, water often, grows large, slow growing

• Lavender- hard to grow indoors, requires little water, best in dry conditions, start from seeds

• Roses- requires full sun, seasonal, grows only outside, requires fertilizer, best grown from transplants

SOURCES: Easy to grow herbs | More easy to grow herbs | Gardening resource | @thesigilwitch helped to compile this list

INDOOR VS. OUTDOOR~

THE ONGOING ARGUMENT

Pro-Outdoors

As a green witch with a strong yearning to be at one with nature, I prefer to grow my plants outside. I have a small garden (about 4’ by 4’ and 10” deep) that I have several plants in, mostly succulents. Though my garden is small, it’s very peaceful for me to have my own little space that I can survey all at once. I’ve never grown a large garden and so can’t say if it is better/worse. If you are going to plant outside but have little space to do so, a little garden is a simple solution. This also allows your plants to get more sun, fresh air and space to grow.

Con-Outdoors

Winds, heavy rain or a hot/cold front can easily kill off more delicate herbs and plants. Animals like birds, cats and mice might be attracted to outdoor gardens, and though these animals are delightful to be around, they rarely leave your garden at peace. Planting outdoors is all-in-all a less controlled environment and, though it is more natural, can be tough with little experience.

Pro-Indoors 

If you live in an apartment or can’t plant outdoors, an indoor garden is ideal for you. Plants used in witchcraft like herbs and flowers can be easily grown indoors provided they have enough light and proper care. Having plants inside can really help create a safe space and keeps them from the harm of rain and unwanted animals or bugs. It also gives you easy surveillance of your plants.

Con-Indoors

Plants can easily die if they are strangled by too much care, and beginner gardeners can be over-bearing. The biggest problem with growing indoors is that most plants require 4-6 hours of full sunlight a day and windows are just unable to provide this amount of light. Also, keeping plants in small pots tends to strangle new growth, and limits a plants ability to grow very large. While your plants might be kept warm in the winter, it’s less worth watching large plants struggle indoors.

Conclusion~

Indoor planting is good for beginners or those with little outside space or building ability, but don’t be too over-bearing and make sure they get enough light and fresh air. Outside gardening is better if your plants are healthy and hardy and should be left to more experienced gardeners with enough space to tackle the project.

HOW TO PLANT ANYTHING~

IF YOU DON’T HAVE A “GREEN THUMB”

My Experience

Even though I consider myself a green witch, I also struggled with this in the beginning. Before I really learned to read the health of my plants, they would die without me even knowing it. I thought, “I can’t even keep a cactus alive!” Well, cacti are actually quite hard to care for if you don’t know what to look for. In fact, everything is. Plants are hard to care for if you don’t know what to look for. So first, do your research. Plants have two basic needs: food and water.

Research

Research how this plant grows in the wild. If it grows in the desert, it probably needs a lot of sun and little water. If it grows on the rainforest floor, it needs to be consistently moist and doesn’t need much light. It is important to replicate plants’ natural conditions to keep them healthy. Research is everything.

Food

Plants need sun, and most need lots of it. Plants have to have sun or they can’t produce enough “food” for themselves and they starve. 4-6 hours of good window sun is enough for most plants. If a plant is growing in an odd direction, growing too tall or dropping leaves at the bottom while wilting, it is probably not getting enough sun. Slide it towards a window or put it outside on sunny days.  

Water

On that note, plants need water. This is by far the biggest thing “black-thumb” people struggle with! If you buy the wrong kind of soil, it can drown a plant even if you never water it. If you over-water in the winter, your plant may freeze. Again, think about the plant in the wild. A good tip is to see how thick the leaves are! A cactus is essentially one big leaf, and they are very thick and round, therefore they need very little water because they store it in their “leaf.” A big tree with many leaves or a stalky plant needs a lot of water because it can’t retain any. If a plant is yellowing, mushy or dropping leaves while others remain plump, it is being overwatered. Do not water it again until all the soil feels bone-dry. If it is being under-watered, a plant will be wilted, brown or yellow and the soil will be very dry.

SOURCES: Growing herbs indoors 

PLANT IDENTIFICATION~

WHAT IF I CAN’T I.D. MY PLANT?

Help

A lot of people struggle with this and, if you didn’t buy your plant as a baby from a store that includes labels, then you might not know what your plant even is! Stores like Home Depot, most plant nurseries and private growers label their plants and how to care for them. But if you find yourself not knowing what your plant is, here are some helpful tips.

I’ll divide this plant identification into 2 categories: simple and advanced.

Simple I.D. information

(simple identification tools such as types of leaves, plant anatomy, and easy to use interactive identification)

How to I.D. leaves

How to I.D. flowers

Quiz for determining plant species

Types of Plants

Popular Houseplants

Advanced Resources

(requires knowledge of dichotomous keys, latin names and meanings, and some complex plant anatomy. These are probably more accurate.)

Understanding Latin Binomencalture

Latin Nomenclature of Plant Species

Dichotomous Key to Plant Families

How to Google your Plant-

Of course, Google is always your best friend! If you can determine the type of leaf, flower, color or species from the easy-to-use guides, you can just google it!

SOURCES: The ask this information came from asked by @fuzzzyuniverse

WHERE TO GET HERBS IF YOU CAN’T PLANT THEM~

CONVENIENCE OF STORE-BOUGHT HERBS

Most local supermarkets sell herbs with other spices, in small containers, either ground or whole. While these herbs have already been preserved and possibly seasoned, it is a quick, easy and time/money-saving option for any witch. There is a certain magickal property to growing your own herbs, but it is by no means necessary! I don’t grow any herbs at all; I buy them all from the store. Preparing your own herbs goes much farther than just being able to grow them, and knowing it has been done right by a professional is certainly magickal. They work just fine and are often more enjoyable to smell or eat because they have been grown professionally.

HELPFUL GARDENING TIPS~

AWESOME LINKS N’ STUFF

Herb list from @thebluechicory HERE | More about indoor growing | Micro-gardening tips (outdoors)

I hope this had been of some help to you! If any links are broken or you would like me to add/edit something, just shoot me a message. Happy growing!

Cozy mornings 🍂