A small announcement.....

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Harry Potter Facebook Day!

I'm posting Harry Potter recipe links, Wizard Rock and articles on Facebook today!  Join in for the countdown to the midnight showing!

http://www.facebook.com/ConfessionsofaPaganSoccerMom




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Herb Hunting in Your Neighborhood, Part 2: Plantain

Many folks here the word "plantain" and think of those banana-like fruit.  Others think of this wonderful little herb that I will bet you have a ton of right in your own yard!

There are two basic types of plantain to find in your neighborhood (though there are over 200 types of the plant!): broad leaf and narrow leaf.  If you have a yard that you let grow naturally, you almost are guaranteed to have a plantain plant or two.  I've read some sources that claim up to 1/3 of most yards are made up of this plant!

So where do you look for it?  It grows in pretty much any soil almost everywhere in the US and Europe. It's self-seeding, so if you find one plant, you'll probably find more.  Most people consider it a weed.  I consider it the perfect plant for easing mosquito bite torture, lol!


 Let's take a look at narrow leaf first, shall we?

Today is Rhea's Day!

Today is one of Rhea's sacred days.

Called "The Great Mother" or "Mother of the Gods",  Rhea is a patroness of fertility; petition her for all things pregnancy and childbirth related.  Her name actually means "flow", indicating the menstrual flow, birthing waters, the ocean's tide, the moon and mother's milk.

Rhea is mother to Hestia, Hera, Demeter (all great domestic deities!) and Hades, Poseidon and Zeus.  She is daughter of Gaia (the Earth) and Ouranos (the Heavens).  Her Roman counterpart is Cybele.  Rhea rides in a chariot pulled by lions.

Sacred to Rhea is the oak, myrrh,  the almond, grapes and the grape vine.  Her day is Saturday, her symbol the lion.  Her sacred stones include smoky quartz, obsidian and black tourmaline.

To ask for fertility, anoint your belly with almond oil while praying for Rhea's blessing.  Leave an offering of wine, grapes or milk on your altar for her. Carry a smoky quartz in your or wear a lion symbol to honor her.  As the inventor of dancing,  dancing can be done in her honor as well.

Read more in depth about the Goddess Rhea here.





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And the winner is....

Thanks to everyone who took the time to enter my little reader appreciation contest!  I wish I could send something to each and every one of you.  Perhaps when I finally win the lottery...

It took a bit to go through and get rid of double entries and get everything straight for the random number generator to do it's job, but finally all was said and done and the winner of a set of vintage housewife goodies, along with some of my favorite magical recipes  (and some other stuff I threw in for fun!) is.....

Making a Perfect Pot of Rice - and a little magic!

One of the hardest things to cook well is also one of the simplest foods: plain white* rice.  You can get it in a box of course and do it in 5 minutes.  You can use a rice cooker (which is a nifty thing to have if you make a lot of rice!).  But with a simple process, you really can cook perfect rice every time!

First up, the mundane basics: 1 1/2 cups water per 1 cup of rice.  Easy peasy!

People will debate whether to rinse your rice or not til the end of time.  I am in the "rinse it" club.

Why?  Mostly because I just like to rinse things that I'm going to eat.  So measure out your rice and give it a good wash.

Add the rice and water into a pan that will be large enough for the finished product.

I usually make a big batch - enough for the 5 or 6 people eating at my house, and  bit for leftovers - 5 cups rice, 7 1/2 cups water in a nice big pot.

Bring the water to a boil at high heat.  When it's a nice rolling boil, turn the heat down to medium, and put the lid on with a gap.

Set a timer for 5 minutes.  After 5 minutes, you'll have a soupy rice mix, but it will have at least some drier areas on the top:

Now put the lid on tight, lower the heat to low, and cook for 15 minutes.  At the end, you'll have wonderfully cooked, nice and sticky rice!  Perfect for a side dish or under a stir fry - whatever you can dream up for it!

While you are cooking the rice, be sure to consider it's magical properties as well!  It can be used for fertility, prosperity, protection and for rain magic!  Add rice to a home protection mojo bag to hang near your door.

According to Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs, throwing uncooked rice in the air will cause rain.

If you're having spooky visitors at night, leave a pile of uncooked rice on the floor - spirits are said to be unable to resist stopping to count the kernels, which will keep them too busy to haunt you while you sleep in peace.

Throw a few pieces of rice after your children when they leave the house for school - it's said to bring them protection while they are away from you!

Rice is a sacred food of many deities, including Amaterasu; Oinari, the Fox Spirit; Lakshmi; Dewi Sri; and Inari.


*Yes, brown rice is so much healthier, but darn it, I like white rice!




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Days of Note for July 2011

July 1: New Moon
July 5: Sacred Day of Maat
July 8: First Quarter Moon
July 8: Sacred Day of Juno
July 9: Asatru Day of Remembrance for Unnr the Deep-Minded
July 9: Sacred Day of Dionysus
July 10: Feast Day of the Witch- Goddess Holda
July 11: Feast Day of Rhea
July 13: Sacred Day of Osiris
July 14: Sacred Day of Horus
July 15: Full Moon
July 15: Sacred Day of Rowana, patroness of the secret of runes
July 16: Sacred Day of Erzulie Freda
July 17: Feast Day of the Shinto Goddess Amaterasu
July 18: Feast Day of the Chinese God Lu Pan
July 19: Lucaria
July 19: Feast Day of Isis
July 22: Last Quarter Moon
July 23 Neptunalia
July 25: Furinalia
July 26: Festival of Sleipnir
July 28: Sacred Day of Thor
July 30: New Moon
July 31: Sacred Day of Lugh
July 31: Lammas Eve

Seasonal Eating in July!

Photo by Kintaiyo via Wikimedia Commons

One of the easiest (not to mention healthiest and most economical!) ways to feel close to the earth and deity is to make a conscious effort to eat in season.

Peruse the local farm markets to find the most ripe, full of flavor fruits and veggies.  When you buy from local farms, you are not only supporting your community and avoiding the pollution associated with trucking fruit all over the country, you can ask the farmer directly exactly what s/he is putting on the plants offered.  Many small farmers these days are practicing sustainable, natural ways of planting, but haven't earned their organic certification yet.  Check out Local Harvest to find local farms offering a variety of seasonal foods, honey and eggs.  Check out Pick Your Own to see what local farms have in season for you to gather for yourself!

Find a local fishmonger that can supply you with fresh, healthy fish and seafood.  Buying fish at a shop that sells seafood exclusively will generally not only get you a better, fresher quality of fish, but will also get you a knowledgeable salesperson who can tell you what's at peak season, what the best sustainable choices are, and give you ideas for cooking.  Meanwhile, get your free, printable pocket guide to the best, most sustainable choices for your area here!   Find out what fish are most at risk or get an app for your iPhone as well.

At Eat Wild you can search for local farms that offer grass-fed meat and dairy products in both the US and Canada.  Those listed at Eat Wild certify that their animals and land are treated well and that their products are free of antibiotics and/or added hormones.  Products you can find through Eat Wild include meats, poultry, eggs, milk, cheese, produce, nuts, berries - even wild-caught salmon.

Though foods in season vary from area to area, here is a list of foods that are typically in season in the US in late July:

Veggies:  Beets, broccoli, cabbage, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, green beans, lettuce, lima beans, okra, onions, potatoes, summer squash, tomatoes (yeah, it's really a fruit, lol!), zucchini

Fruits: Apples, apricots, blackberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, cherries, kiwi, nectarines, peaches, plums, raspberries, strawberries, watermelon

For a list of foods in season in your particular area, check out Sustainable Table.

And don't forget to add a bit of magic to your food before you eat!  

• Light a candle to honor your kitchen/cooking deity while you prepare your food.  Consider having an offering bowl to share a bit of your meal.
• Offer a word or two of thanks for the ability to have such fresh, nutritious foods available and to be able to afford it.  If you're partaking of meat, poultry or fish, honor the animal that it came from.
• While preparing your meal, concentrate on what attributes you'd like to add to it  and concentrate on your intentions - whether you'd like to increase the prosperity of your household or you'd just like to get through the meal with the kids not fighting, lol!
• Have a natural teaching moment with the kids: look up the origins of one of the foods you'll be eating and check out deities that come from that country.  Explore what types of religions the country has or what type of divination practices are traditional there.

This is post (and photos) copyright to the author. It may not be reposted, reprinted or distributed in its entirety without express written permission of the author. Links to the article can be freely shared and are very appreciated!