Admin-013

The “New Moon Drifties” ~ In Defense of Aimlessness

Admin-013 on October 1, 2019

Perhaps it was the astrological flavor of a particular new moon that heightened a sensation I had previously been unable to identify? The dark Pisces moon had cast its spell on me, and I was swimming deliciously in circles. My consciousness like a speck of flotsam exploring every nook and cranny of my brain in an unchoreographed dance of water ballet. As I am a bit predisposed to attention deficit, and as it was the Pisces moon, I was of two minds about this state of affairs. On the one hand, free-floating felt good, but my other hand was busy swatting away a growing sense of shame. What the eff was that about? I floated on down to the deep end to unpack it.

Beltane ~ The Time is Now!

Admin-013 on April 29, 2019

Beltane marks the beginning of the Summer season in the Celtic calendar. It is one of four cross-quarter fire festivals and customs to celebrate this delicious day are both plentiful and varied. There is, of course the ubiquitous maypole dance symbolizing the sacred union of the God and Goddess. Perhaps you are also familiar with the crowning of the May Queen or the Catholic counterpart of May devotions to the Blessed Virgin Mother, which do include laying a wreath of flowers upon Mary’s sainted head. At Beltane the Celts built bonfires and drove their cattle through the smoke as a blessing upon the herd as part of the festivities. Just as the veil thins at the waning of the year on Samhain and we are gifted with the presence of our ancestors, so too does it thin at Beltane and the blossoming otherworld of the Fey is very close at hand. We leave festive baskets of flowers upon our friends and neighbors doorsteps taking care not to be caught lest the sprite-like mystery of it be spoiled. And then there is The Hunt, a ceremonial dance depicting the Goddess and the God’s pursuit of one another.

This year my circle was treated to an extraordinary ritual prepared for us by several members of our group. We met near Sun Prairie on the familial homestead of one of our members. I knew we were in for quite a show and I waited with excited anticipation. We even had to postpone by one week as our central Montana climate did not get the memo that Summer had started and instead dumped a season’s worth of rain upon us in matter of a few days. Waiting was a necessary sacrifice and it made the final event so much sweeter. As we made our way to the ritual gathering hawks flew along side us and when we arrived a bald eagle flew overhead, gracing us all with it’s presence. The magick had already begun!

No detail of beauty was spared. A delightful wreath of daisies marked the rural road leading us to our site. Glass lanterns illuminated our paths. Ribbons hung on a branch flocked with blossoms served as a portal to our circle. The circle itself was enclosed in strand after strand of fairy lights. As soon as we arrived we were all transported into a magickal fairy realm. We feasted on a grand potluck of delicacies brought by everyone who came. I contributed cucumber sandwiches and lilac syrup, saving my decadent chocolate cake for the morning. The fete was off to a proper start and as soon as nightfall came, our Priestess, Sara announced it was time for the ritual to begin.

We were anointed with rose oil and asked if we were prepared to enter the circle. Once we answered we passed through the ribbons and into sacred space. There were branches laid out in a circle around the fire pit, one for each of us and we were instructed to stand behind the branch of our choosing. As soon as I took my place I was overcome with emotion. Surveying the scene: the pink sunset; the bend in the creek; and my beautiful circle sisters and brothers. I welled up with joyful tears. Sara led the ritual with such strength and beauty. We all focused the intention of what we wished to cultivate into the sticks we held in our hands and then went around the circle sharing what we wished to manifest. After each participant declared their desire, the circle would erupt in a resounding chorus declaring, “The time is now!” Once we had finished our sticks were collected, bound and set upon the stacked tier of the bonfire to be used as the kindling which would set it ablaze. The flames rose up instinctively as did my sense of awe. It was primal, ancient and bone deep.

Sara taught us the chant we would use to raise energy,”Circle of Life ● Circle of Sound ● Circle of Beltane ● Circle Around.” We would add one voice after another and chant as The Hunt played out before us. As she began our God and Goddess appeared and started their playful chase. The sight of them took my breath away. They were stunning! The sound of our chant grew louder as the chase grew more intense. I drank in as deeply as possible the incredible beauty of the moment all the while feeling like I had been whisked off to another realm. This was magick! The chant and the hunt culminated in a powerful conclusion. The God and the Goddess exchanged vows of devotion, the beauty of the moment captivating all of us with its allure. The group, 14 strong let up a cheer loud enough for the Gods to hear and sent our wishes out on the embers and the breeze. We danced and drummed around the fire into the wee hours, our excitement for the season to come blossoming into fullness. Nestled into a tiny peninsula on a hairpin curve of Mill Coulee Creek we made stunning magic all night long.

“Little Black Dress” Chocolate Cake

Admin-013 on April 23, 2019

“A party without cake is just a meeting.” Julia Child

This recipe is the “little black dress” of chocolate cakes, it should be in everyone’s baking repertoire. Nobody ever believes a cake that tastes this good can be as simple to make as it is, but I promise you this recipe is a total cinch. It is also as versatile as it is simple, in a pinch I’ve substituted olive oil, almond flour, and a variety of different flavorings. A moderately well stocked pantry is likely to have all the necessary ingredients for this cake, making it perfect for impromptu entertaining. After you taste it though, you’ll see how it can easily be the star of a well planned special occasion, too.

“Little Black Dress” Chocolate Cake
By
Erin Duffy Osswald

Ingredients:

1 ⅛ Cups Butter cubed (2 sticks plus 2 Tablespoons)

12 oz Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips

¾ Cups Granulated Sugar

¾ Cups Cake Flour

3 Large Eggs

½ Cups Coffee

2 Tablespoons Vanilla

2 Tablespoons Almond Flavoring

Special Equipment:

Baking Dish large enough to hold Springform Cake Pan for Bain Marie (Water Bath)

Ramekins or any other type of object(s) to be used as a 1″ stand under the Springform Cake Pan

Aluminum foil

Instructions:

Preheat Oven to 350 Degrees.

Prepare a 9” springform pan for baking in a water bath by sealing around the outside with tin foil. Wrap lengthwise using 6 inch wide strips, from ¾ of the way up the side, down around the outer edge and under the bottom of the form. Compact the foil tightly around the bottom seam to keep water from getting in (a little is ok). Grease springform pan with baking spray or butter. Set the greased pan onto the stands in the baking dish you have chosen for the Bain Marie.

In a saucepan over low heat combine the coffee, flavorings, sugar and butter. Slowly melt all of the ingredients, stirring occasionally. When it is completely mixed together add the chocolate chips and remove from heat, stirring constantly. (If you have elected to use a different kind of chocolate, chop it into small pieces before adding to the saucepan.) As it cools, keep stirring the sauce pan to be certain all of the chocolate has dissolved. Let cool.

In a large mixing bowl whisk the eggs together thoroughly. Slowly fold the cake flour into the eggs. Once combined, add the chocolate mixture to the egg and flour mixture. Gently stir together until the two mixtures have formed a velvety cake batter, about one and not more than two minutes. Pour batter into the prepared springform pan in the baking dish.

Using a kettle or pitcher, carefully pour water into the baking dish until it reaches halfway up the side of the springform pan (be careful to stay below the top edge of the tin foil). Place the baking dish with the springform pan into the oven. This cake needs to bake for about 1 hour and 10 minutes. I recommend setting the timer for 45 minutes to rotate the baking cake halfway through. I start checking for doneness at one hour. The cake will test done, but the extra ten minutes creates a delicious crispy crunch on the top and edges. There is so much butter in this cake that over cooking it is probably impossible. Never underestimate the power of butter! Let cool for at least 20 minutes, but preferably an hour before digging in (which is going to be hard once you know this cake).

When the cake has cooled sprinkle the top with confectioners sugar. A standard sprinkle does the job nicely, but you can get a little fancier if you like. A paper doily makes a nice and easy design, for example. Now that the winter holiday season is upon us I think a nice paper snowflake would make the perfect stencil! Serve with a tiny dollop of whipped cream, a little scoop of vanilla ice cream, or on its own. A little goes a very long way with this delectable cake, small slices are the way to go.

Now that you’ve got the basics, how would you like to experiment with this recipe? Dress it up with cool mint flavors, or get a little nutty perhaps? Let your creative spark take you someplace unique, all the butter and chocolate in this recipe will ensure whatever you bake will taste great!

Rolling With the Rain

Admin-013 on April 23, 2019

You can see my whole process creating my Protection Magick cachepot from start to finish in this video!

It was a long winter, and that feels like the understatement of the century. In my fair city on the high mountain plains we flirted with breaking weather records for things that hardly seem brag-worthy like longest stretch of days below freezing (we had 33, most of which were below zero, actually) and highest accumulation of snow (88.5″). This explains my spring fever and why I’ve been determined to plant my ‘cool weather’ crops sooner rather than my usual ‘later.’

Factoring in my moon gardening ways means that some weekends are better than others for planting. Two weekends ago the waxing moon in Leo really put a crimp in my plans so I was determined to make up for it while the moon was full in Scorpio with lots of gardening on the agenda. It was a very scorpionic weekend, all right. Just not one for planting as the watery weather came and hoovered all of Saturday and Sunday.

Hello Black Tourmaline friend. Would you like to work together to create a powerful talisman of protection?

What’s a witch to do when her planting plans are foiled? I quickly pivoted and focused on tending to some of the houseplants that have been neglected this winter. Soon I’ll be too busy to pay them much mind, so I relished this opportunity to finish up the tasks at hand. And that Scorpio moon influence? I put it to optimum use! Transform, transcend, transmute, that’s just what Scorpio does!

Starting with the tough little cactus that stands guard by my front door, I decided to up the ante of her protective powers with a healthy dose of Garden Magick. I gathered some black tourmaline, black onyx, and a fresh cachepot. First, I energetically cleared all of my stones and tools. Then I charged up the stones with my intentions and asked them to help me create a psychic shield of protection for my home. In addition to its general protection powers, the black onyx was selected for its powerful ability to transmute negative energy into positive energy. Black tourmaline also cleanses and clears, but its crystalline structure helps amp up all the protection and transmutation energy in this working.

There are so many opportunities to add intention and boost magick when doing these types of spells: The soil, itself can be charged; the color of the vessel you plant in adds to the overall vibration of the work; the stones chosen to grid with and finally – the inherent magickal properties of whatever plant one chooses. Then there is the element of tending and intention. Don’t forget to charge the water you’ll give to your plant!

Let’s recap. Utilizing the full moon energy while the moon was in Scorpio, I created a powerful protection talisman with a cactus plant, black obsidian, and onyx. I blessed the soil and water with my intentions and I consecrated the cachepot by ceremonially putting it in place where it will stand guard in my home. This, my friends is Garden Magick. And ~ you don’t even need a garden to do it!

Standing Sentinel with Mama Bleu Belle. We are fortified!

Do you want to create your own power plants and “Living Altars Everywhere?” I’m teaching my signature Garden Magick course in May. We will be moon gardening together in real time from the new moon on the 4th to the 24th, just before the last quarter resting period begins. I only teach this course LIVE once a year, so don’t miss out! Click HERE to learn more.