Beltane

Today is May 1st  so we celebrate the Spring and marriage of the God and Goddess you can learn more about this by clicking the link below.

Beltane Celebrations

each year I like to make something for Beltane and this year I created a Fairy Garden.

It is a simple little garden that I created using of all things a dog bowl. Yes it may be an odd thing to use but it is silver and will not break in the frost and will not rot away like a wicker basket would.
I added some beads that would make it look pretty and attached them to the holes in the side on a length of bead elastic again this will not rot away.

In this picture you can see the fairy statues that I used.

This picture shows the Mushroom  ornaments, stones, bark and the plants that are growing plus the stone welcoming the Fae to my garden. Last year I had made a small garden but the basket I used rotted so I used the compost and plants from that to make the new Fae Garden.

Inside I have a tiny Altar to the Fae and this year I have changed it around and added some new things

I love this ornament and simply had to have her. I used a terracotta plant saucer some fine sand, some fossils, a piece of pottery I dug up in the garden  ( the grey piece top right) and some stone I found a long time ago top left. A mini cauldron with quartz crystals in it and a tiny acorn that I found, yes it is real. The fairy statues in the front are made of pewter as is the unicorn.

Here is a close up of the altar.

For the Beltane Ritual I created my a mini Maypole. I uses a small candle holder some card, ribbons, a gold bead and some yarn

I rolled the card up so it would fit into the candle holder and used some ribbons that I had and pushed these into the top. The Gold bead holds them in place and the yarn is yellow, white and pink plaited together to go around the top of the Maypole. I also plaited a tiny Goddess out of yellow yarn and sewed in some french knots as flowers in the head part.

This is my Beltane Altar. I use the counter top in the kitchen as I do not have space anywhere else.

A small pot of flowers  from the garden contains Lilac, Daisy, Forget-Me-Nots and some White blossom.

I created cards for my rituals as I find it easier to use them rather than using the Book of Shadows. I bought some cards for each Sabbat and used them for my rituals.

The Card I bought for Beltane

Inside the card I have my ritual along with various pictures. I covered the card inside with paper that has hearts on it as it is romantic time of year I thought it went well with marriage of the God and Goddess.
I also decorated the envelope and I store all my Sabbat cards in my altar box.

Tonight we will be having a Curry as our Beltane meal as it is spicy and I like to have something spicy on Beltane. Each year I make different meal for the various Sabbats.
Here are some ideas for things to do for Beltane     Beltane Activities 

Each year I like to something different that way I keep things interesting and it is fun to make new things.

How to create a Magical Kitchen

My Mother always said a clean kitchen is the first place to start and always insisted the kitchen was clean and tidy before and after cooking.
So I have done the same thing with the addition to adding a little extra in the form of magical intent.

So this is what I do always do what feels right to you just because someone else does it does not mean you have to.
I get all my cleaning things together and select a chant that I want to use.

Cleaning products

This is personal you can use store bought bio-degradable products and there are plenty to chose from. Take a look around and you will find them in supermarkets, they can be expensive but a lot safer than the chemical stuff. You can also make your own.

Home made cleaning products

Please be careful as some surfaces do not like vinegar and essential oils tend to build up.I like to use lemon, lime or orange juice  from fresh fruit added to the vinegar rather than essential oils. The vinegar smell goes away after a while but it is far more pleasant then some of the chemical products.

Cleaning Chant
 

I banish Negative energy

Fly now far from me

I send you on your way

You have no home you cannot stay.

Cupboards
 Sort out the cupboards one at a time and decide if you need everything that is there. You will be amazed at how much stuff you have packed away and forgotten about.
 My rule is  if I have not used it in a year I don't need it.
Sort out what you really need and put the rest on one side to be given to a charity shop.

Work Surface
Clear off all the items and scrub the work surface so it is free from stains and grease.
Then clean odd all the items like the Toaster, kettle, or anything else housed on the work surface.

Stove
This is usually a job we all dislike but once it is done it is easy to keep it clean if you wipe up spills on a daily basis.
Fridge Freezer
Don't forget to clean out the fridge of any old food that is really out of date. Defrost the freezer as well and sort out the food as you go along.

Microwave, Crockpot and any other electrical item
These too will need attention and a good cleaning taking care not to immerse them in water.
The same goes for sockets and plugs it is amazing how grubby they can get.

Floor
The floor is gong to be messy by the time you have finished so a good sweep and mopping will be needed.

Sink
I do this last as I will be pouring the water from the floor down it and I like to see a nice clean sparking sink afterwards.

All this will take some time to do so I split it over a week doing a little at a time so my floor gets cleaned a lot.
I have mobility problems so cannot tackle cleaning in one go so I modify things to suit me.

Once this is done I use a Blessing for my Kitchen one that is appropriate to my Kitchen Goddess.

A neat and tidy Drinks Cupboard after my Spring Cleaning ritual.

Herbs Spies and dried goods cupboard

I found this blessing a while back and cannot recall where I found it but is lovely and no doubt you will find more in books or the internet.

Hearth/Kitchen Deity

I was drawn to Brighid a long time ago and did not realise it at first but then I finally got the message. Every time I looked up things about a Kitchen Goddess there she was so I started to find out more about her.

Goddess Brighid  Her name is pronounced so many ways that you really can not say it wrong. Brigit is a popular way of saying her name and one that is easy to recall as well.

There are many other Goddesses that you  can chose from I always go with the one I am most drawn to have a look here at a selection of Goddesses.
Kitchen Goddesses

I have created a collage that I made and have it on top of my Fridge freezer so she watches over me as I cook.

I chose an image I liked and added some other things like the cross stitch utensils and fire along with the image of the bread and a goblet. I placed them in a picture frame that I felt was appropriate and placed it on the Fridge freezer.
Of course you don't need to do this I just liked the idea of having an image that meant something to me.

I found a great website that is all about Hearth Witchery you can find the link here and to the left in Sites I Use.
Kitchen Magic

I will go into what I do in other posts.

Being a Hearth Witch

Some people are known as Kitchen Witches, Cottage Witch, Hedge Witch and Hearth Witch.
All focus on the home and nature in various ways, they do differ but to me only slightly.
For me being a Hearth Witch means I focus my Craft on the Home and that means everything in the home, cooking, cleaning, sewing, knitting, making my own altar tools, using spells, chants and blessings.

Sounds complicated?
Well I can assure you it is not and I do not believe in making life complicated I like it to be simple, practical and inexpensive. Lets face it we all have to budget these days and it makes sense to create something yourself, it will have your energy in it and that will make it extra special.

Now before you say I am hopeless at sewing or making something I will let you into a secret, I am not great at sewing and everything I make is easy to do, so if I can do it anyone can.
I love knitting and make all sorts of things for Charities as a way of  giving to the community and helping others.
I make things for friends, family and the home along with making items I like to use in my rituals.

Over the years I have changed what I do and have found that I have simplified things and now have tools that I have made or bought from various sources like Charity shops, Market stalls or found when out on day trips.

The reality is we do not need tools for rituals they are there to help us focus on what we do and each person uses the tools they feel most comfortable with.

So feel free to browse my blog and use what you find of interest.