Butternut Squash & Apple Soup

A Witch’s Ingredients: Sand

Sand is an abundant resource that can be found across the world including along the coasts, through deserts and even in many people’s yards and gardens. Sand is rather easy to obtain and natural making it ideal for witchcraft. Though some types of sand may be harder to obtain, and more costly, than others, let this post be a guide on how to utilize it for its magical properties.

Types of Sand & Their Correspondences

Beach/Coastal Sand: calming, grounding, cleansing, connecting to the sea, self-love, protection and warding, motivation, memory, spiritual clarity, purification of the heart, easing pain, physical and spiritual strength, can represent both the elements of earth and water

Ocean Sand (from the ocean floor/deep sea): primordial energy, banishing negative emotions and energy, grounding, mental clarity, psychic clarity and strengthening, divination, guidance, ancient wisdom and power, connections to the sea and primordial waters, birth, creation, can represent both the elements of earth and water

Desert Sand: curses and removing energy from others, weakening, draining, banishing, grounding, mental clarity, physical health, enduring hardships, “drying up” love and past emotions, healing heartbreak, burying the past, often related to burial ceremonies

Volcanic Sand: destruction, intense energy, strength, death, rebirth, banishing, secrets or hidden messages, warding, baneful magic, offensive magic, often represents both earth and fire at once

River Sand/Silt: fertility, procreation, movement, flowing energy, travels, change

Lake/Pond Sand: the present, calmness, serenity, inner focus, self-reflection and meditation

Swamp/Wetland Sand: mystery, secret keeping, silencing lies and rumors, binding, curses related to becoming lost or emotional heaviness, often represents both water and earth at once, often related to animal magic specifically those that live in swamp land

Unearthed/Buried Sand: grounding, hidden power, addressing past issues and mistakes, overcoming controversy, self-discovery, introspection, emotional healing, moving on from past scars

Biogenic Sand/Bone Sand/Shell Sand: healing, moving on emotionally, remembrance but letting go of the pain and loss, honoring those lost (often at or to the sea), close connections to necromancy

Black Sand: protection, warding, banishing, relates to necromancy and spirit work

Pink Sand: love, beauty, youth, harmony, adjusting to change, remembering the past and lost loved ones, rebirth, emotional and mental healing, forgiveness of self and others

Red Sand: strength, courage, valor, relates to fire rather than earth

Yellow Sand: divination, focus, improving memory and skills, mental health, grounding and centering, represents both earth and air elements sometimes both at once

White Sand: purity, cleansing, protection, wisdom, preparing for change, physical and emotional balance, harmonizes all aspects of oneself

Combinations of Sand and Other Ingredients

Sand and Soil: grounding, balance, cleansing, protection of loved ones and family

Sand and Salt: change, growing power, dreams, purification, warding, protection, longevity

Sand and Ash: remembrance, the past, divination

Sand and Clay: change, mental fortitude

Sand and Kelp/Seaweed: beauty, youth, birth, fertility, the ocean

The History

Not much history on the use of sand in magic from what I can find that is a reliable source, but I was able to find some bits about its use.

Sand has been used in connections to rituals for the dead and in burial practices in many different cultures to a varying degree. In some sand was used for burying the deceased such as very early Ancient Egypt for its mummification properties before better mummification methods were invented and utilized. Placing sand into graves or coffins of the deceased somethings as a means to connect them to their homelands if that person was traveling into foreign lands or countries. Some stories speak about mixing the ashes of the dead with sand to be kept in the home. Other stories tell of people mixes ashes from fires or the hearth with sand and casting it out into the sea for lost sailors who could not be brought home. 

Sand was also used historical in some types of spell jars and vessels. In some places sand was put into jars and bottles and given to sailors to keep them connected to home even when sailing. Others said carrying sand could protect one from being lost at sea or from disaster, likely where the history of sand being used for protection properties came from. It has also been used in witch’s bottles and for burying spells for varying purposes. Some cultures would bury offerings to deities into the sand of beaches or deserts.

Modern Use

Sand is still a common ingredient for many sea witches and worshipers of ocean related deities to utilize in their craft and in their altars. Deities commonly related to sand are Poseidon, Aphrodite, Psamathe, Thalassa, Aegir, Neptune and Veles. Sand is also often used in altars to represent either earth or water when representing the cardinal directions or the 4 elements. Some will use sand to represent both in cases of smaller altars.

Modernly, sand is often used in spell jars and bottles when used in spellwork or as a vessel to charge, cleanse and bury objects or tools such as crystals, poppets, amulets and trinkets. Sea witches or witches with accesses to large amount of sand will often use it for grounding and circle casting. Some will use it for runes and sigils as well.

Storing Sand

For those wishing to store and use collected sand ensure that there is nothing undesirable in it - garbage, sharp bits of glass, decomposing fish or animals, insects etc. Shift it thoroughly to ensure anything that could be potentially dangerous is removed and if needed properly disposed of. Once the sand has been shifted ensure it is dry before you seal it into anything.

Wet sand can house bacteria and mold - which can also smell quite foul when the container is opened again. You can use the sun to dry it or indoor heaters at a safe distance. Spread it out thin and flat to help ensure it is thoroughly dried if it is damp or wet.

Once dried the best way to store sand is inside of glass or ceramic vessels. Jars and bottles are the most ideal. Ensure that they are sealed tightly to ensure no spillage or condensation can get inside.

**this post was personally researched, compiled and directly from my personal grimoire. Please do not repost**

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Once again I was inspired by the coziness of Ghibli films to make a hearty soup!

I’m calling this one Forest Porridge 🍂💕

(Vegetarian and vegan substitution at the end!)

Melt a tablespoon of butter in a skillet. To the skillet add one diced sweet onion, Cook on medium heat until onions begin to become translucent. Then add 1 pound of mushrooms to the skillet (stems removed) and continue cooking until the mushrooms release their moisture.

In a soup pot melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Add three carrots and two ribs of celery, sliced, three or four diced red potatoes (more or less to your preference) and cook over medium heat until tender (about eight minutes).

Add three cloves of minced garlic and 1.5 teaspoons of dried thyme and 1 teaspoon of dried basil to the skillet with the onions and cook for about a minute, stirring.

Add onion mushroom mixture to the soup pot along with 6 cups of chicken broth and one cup of rice (I used jasmine). Cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.

In the skillet you used for the onions cook two diced chicken thighs until golden brown.

Add the chicken and any drippings to the soup pot to simmer with the rest for the remainder of the 30 minutes.

Finally, mix in 1 cup half-and-half, 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, and 1 to 2 cups chopped fresh spinach.

Salt and pepper the absolute hell out of it, to taste but anything with potatoes and needs boatloads of salt.

Enjoy!

For a vegetarian variation swap chicken broth for vegetable broth and omit the chicken, omit the parmesan cheese or use a vegetarian/vegan substitute.

For a vegan variation swap butter for preferred oil or vegan butter, chicken broth for vegetable broth, omit the chicken, use one can of full fat coconut milk in place of the half-and-half and omit the parmesan cheese or use a vegetarian/vegan substitute.

𝕞𝕠𝕧𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕨𝕒𝕣𝕕.

𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕨𝕒𝕪 𝕔𝕝𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕝𝕪 𝕞𝕒𝕣𝕜𝕖𝕕.

•ℍ𝕖𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕖•

𝕨𝕒𝕝𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕒 𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕡 𝕓𝕖𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕖 𝕞𝕖, 𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕔𝕙 𝕓𝕣𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕓𝕦𝕣𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘.

𝕒 𝕗𝕖𝕨 𝕣𝕠𝕒𝕕𝕤 𝕒𝕝𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕕𝕪 𝕓𝕝𝕠𝕔𝕜𝕖𝕕.

𝕗𝕒𝕚𝕥𝕙.

𝕥𝕣𝕦𝕤𝕥.

𝕚 𝕤𝕦𝕣𝕣𝕖𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣 𝕥𝕠 ℍ𝕖𝕣.

I view this as divination with animals, but also as indicators within our own body. My wrist hurts on the daily, therefore I'm being inflexible and strained- which is true.

Bone Correspondents

Note: Only aquire bones from ethical sources.

Ankle - catalyst. movement. moving on.

Antler - Cernunnos. deflecting. earth. endurance. hope. masculine energy. protection. strength.

Arm - blocking. helping. lifting others up. support.

Claw - balance. discovery. fighting. knowledge. opportunity. protection. struggle. 

Finger - endurance. fluidity. progress. 

Foot - endurance. hard work. independence. journeys. leaving things behind. luck. movement. moving on. travel.

Hand - art. artistic ability. creativity. energy. holding something or someone close. letting go. 

Hip - endurance. keeping it together. strength.

Horn - aggressive protection. cursing. determination. stubbornness. the home. wealth.

Leg - endurance. long journey(s). movement. strength. taking a stand. travel. 

Nail - (See claw) something or someone lost.

Skull - astral work. communication. deep thought. divination. stubbornness. spirit work. the mind.

Spine - asserting oneself. confidence. courage. level-headed. pride. support. 

Tail - adaptability. agility. alarm. cursing. distrust. secrecy. 

Teeth - communication. defense. fear. frustration. learning a new language. news.

Toe - balance. changing luck. help. money. prosperity.

Wing - adventure. comfort. deviating from the norm. hope. luck. movement. new adventures or endeavors. sending or receiving messages. travel. wishes.

Wrist - flexibility. hard work. strain. 

Limes packed with salt and cloves with psalm 91 recited over them. Hiding them in various corners of my home to ward off evil energy. 🧿💀

🌲🌿🪴🌻🪷🍂🌳

do you know any simple and discreet ways to protect a doorway from harmful things coming through it?

Threshold Warding Powder:

At twilight (ideally on a Saturday,) grind together Salt, Yarrow, Eggshells, Fennel, and Red Brick Dust within a Cast Iron vessel.

When the mixture has been satisfyingly pulverized, step outside and sprinkle the powder along the threshold of the doorway, from right to left. Having done this, walk backwards through the doorway, making sure not to touch your feet to the threshold. Once inside, close the door and turn the lock three times (i.e. lock it, unlock it, lock it again, unlock it again, lock it once more, and unlock it once more.) Thereafter, repeat the ritual as needed (when the powder is in need of replacing.)

There are innumerable ways to ward a threshold, from hanging certain talismans above the door, to sowing certain plants near the entryway, but this particular method is quite inconspicuous and fairly straightforward. I will also try and post a more in-depth warding rite soon, which calls on Janus to secure the threshold, should you, or anyone else, want a slightly more involved method with similar elements to this one.

In my search of bird proofing bee hotels, I gave come to a new hypothesis: since only those hotels with wire netting seem to fall victim to bird pecking (I suspect tits and starlings) I theorize that the birds are small, light and smart enough to hold themselves up to the wire and enjoy the buffet. So if they cant access the wire, they should leave my babies alone!

Originally,in winter, I wanted to remove all those wire parts and fill them up with tubes since they are virtually useless. The only ones I´ve ever seen using them are spiders and they have enough other hide-outs. But I could not find one merchant that had nesting tubes in stock and I do not have the time to start cutting bamboo rods myself. So I thought ´lets do it next year.´

Only the tubes situated above wired parts are pecked by birds as can be seen on these pictures, thus my theory.

So I removed the extra chickenwire (it was ineffective) and tried a new approach. I hope by spanning cord across them the birds will be discouraged since the rope is less stable to hold them up. My only worry is that they entangle themselves in the rope but we´ll see. I´ll check them at least twice daily to spot any potential trapped birds.

The bees do not appear bothered by the rope (they appear way less bothered than by the chicken wire) and it is visually more pleasing (though that is of course less important).

I’ve begun to feel under the weather, so I made this soup tonight. It’s one of my favorite recipes from my blog!

Cold Season Soup–Vegetable Soup with White Beans, Cauliflower, and Quinoa:

2 heads cauliflower, washed and roughly chopped

1 large white or yellow onion

1 shallot (not totally necessary, but I like to pack in the alliums when I’m sick)

5 large carrots

6 celery stalks

1 head of garlic (Yes, head, not clove. Go big or go home if you really want to clear the sinuses.) peeled and pressed, grated, or chopped

1 large or 2 small zucchini squash

1 c. dry red quinoa

2-3 c. cooked white or cannellini beans

4 large kale leaves, washed and roughly chopped

large handful of fresh parsley, washed and roughly chopped

3 quarts vegetable or chicken broth

½ t. ground black pepper

1 T dried thyme

1 T dried oregano

3 bay leaves

pinch of cayenne pepper

salt to taste

4-6 T olive oil

———————————————–

Preheat oven to 400.

Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Spread chopped cauliflower onto the baking sheet, and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste, and toss to coat. Roast in preheated oven until slightly charred and soft all the way through, about 40-60 minutes. Turn/mix cauliflower halfway through baking to ensure even browning.

While cauliflower is roasting, chop onion, shallot, carrots and celery to desired size. Bring a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot to medium high heat, and add a few tablespoons of olive oil. Once olive oil is fully heated, add onions, carrots, and celery, and cook 10 minutes, stirring often to keep from over browning. Add shallot and pressed, grated, or chopped garlic. Cook another 10 minutes or until onions are translucent and very fragrant. Add broth and all spices. Bring to a simmer and then taste and adjust spices/salt as needed. Add dry quinoa and bring to a simmer again.

Finely dice zucchini and add to the pot. Let simmer about 30 minutes or until quinoa is cooked through and all vegetables are tender. Add roasted cauliflower, chopped kale, beans, and parsley. Bring to a simmer and taste. Adjust salt and spices as needed, and don’t be afraid to add more olive oil if it lacks richness!

Also, t.= teaspoon and T= tablespoon