Skarlett
I’ve been a practicing pagan and witch for over 20 years. I was raised Catholic (in such that my parents sent me to Catholic school as they believed it would give me a better education..my parents were agnostic at best) and got over it quickly enough. It never touched me, but the school library had really good books on mythology and divination, so there was that. I began my path at the age of 14 after seeing The Occult Explosion on late night TV and then raiding the occult section at B Daltons with a pocketful of babysitting money and allowance. Paganism made sense to me. I started out Wiccan as that was what was available on the shelves and grew from there. At 16 I was handed a copy of the Principia Discordia and well…I added chaos magic to the mix. I was a solitary who occasionally attended discussion groups and rituals when living in Chicago. I then moved to Ohio (Gods know why). Through a series of interesting coincidences I ended up with Three Cranes Grove and made wonderful friends and learned a lot. Though I have wandered off again, I still consider myself a Crane..albeit an out dwelling one. My path can be best described as Discordian-Eclectic Kitchen Witch. Heh. You have been warned…
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Cat Magick Weekly Planner By: Rieka Moonsong
This hardcover book is sturdy and handsome with a silvery elastic to keep it closed and a built in, deep blue, satin ribbon bookmark to indicate where you left off. 18 full-month calendar spreads with no set dates…you you can use it immediately and don’t have wasted space and sheets from past dates. There is plenty of space to write and it it is conveniently sized for carrying in a book bag, briefcase, or purse. The illustrations are a pure delight for any cat lover and the lore and spellwork are well researched and no nonsense. I especially liked the in-depth descriptions of feline energy, elements, planetary companions, and folklore.…
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In The Kitchen With Skarlett Mayday! Mayday!
Beltane, AKA May Day, falls on the first of May. It is the festival that marks the midway point between Ostara and the Summer Solstice. In Celtic traditions, it also means the start of the summer season. Other Earth-Centered Religions have celebrated this rebirth of the Earth in many forms: The Germanic festival of Walpurgis Night is a boisterous and beloved celebration involving bonfires and much, noisy merry making; The Greeks would have celebrated Protomagia, Summer’s victory over Winter by making and hanging flower wreaths on their doors. and Vappu in Finland honors the Earth waking up with raucous picnics and mead known as sima shared round. This is only…
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Witches Through History Grimoire And Oracle Deck
The Book and the deck are gorgeously illustrated. I love how the author/artist evokes a sense of folktale whimsy through both the book and deck with the individualistic and expressive artwork. Now to the book. Though well written and interesting, it was rather vague in certain areas. The biographies of the historical witches were well researched and presented in an engaging fashion, however. I would have liked to see him expand from the Eurocentric/American subjects he chose to include histories from multicultural settings. So we might learn history and archetypes from around the world and have a broader understanding of such. The author also has a good grasp on the…
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In The Kitchen With Skarlett: Bunnies And Flowers And Eggs..Oh My!!!!
As the wheel turns, we see the icy grip of winter is receding and the days frow longer and warmer. All around new life is blooming, chirping and hopping…yes dear folk Spring has sprung!! With the Equinox comes the need for balance as we shake of the sleepy days of winter to begin new projects, to plant our seeds to grow them to fruition. The chill in the air still warns us that we need to plan and not go off half cocked. Some of the things we can do is get out and breathe in the good spring air. So welcome after being confined for the winter. Take a…
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Deck Review – Kitchen Magick: A Recipe Deck for Witches by Carla Torrents Murcia
Deck Review Kitchen Magick: A Recipe Deck for Witches by Carla Torrents Publisher: David & Charles 52 Cards Release Date: June 27, 2023 This a very pretty set of cards with lovely pictures. The little pamphlet inside gave a nice, simple explanation of the wheel of the year and a nice measurement conversion chart. They are not without their problems however. The print is very small. I had to wear readers and use a magnifying glass to read the recipes. On some of the cards, the background colours and the text is too similar in shade and that makes it even harder to read. The cards are…
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In The Kitchen With Skarlett
Apple Cider Donut Cake Apples are one of the sacred foods of Samhain. In Celtic tradition, apples were buried at Samhain to feed the dead as well as used in various forms of divination. Apples are good for faerie protection, abundance, protection, long life, health and creativity. Butter is there to bind things together and to ease transitions. Cake mix for happiness. Eggs for fertility and beauty. Sugar for attraction, love and romance. Now to the apple pie spice: Allspice for money drawing and good fortune. Cinnamon for protection, wealth and passion. Cloves for abundance, lust, protection and courage. Ginger for protection, power and prosperity. Nutmeg…
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The Halloweenification of Black Cats
As the proud kitty mama of my own feline void, we are going to discuss the associations that black cats have with witches and more especially, Samhain. Black cats are most often associated with Halloween, Samhain or witchcraft. In most Western cultures, black cats have typically been looked upon as agents of misfortune. In a lot of other cultures, black cats are seen as lucky. Bringers of prosperity and happiness. So just how did cats become so intertwined with witches? A number of Pagan deities hold the cat in high esteem. Bastet tops the list with being pictured as a being with a woman’s body and a black cat’s…
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Book Review – The Unofficial Wednesday Cookbook: Recipes Inspired by the Deliciously Macabre TV Show by Iphigenia Jones
Book Review The Unofficial Wednesday Cookbook: Recipes Inspired by the Deliciously Macabre TV Show by Iphigenia Jones Publisher: Ulysses Press 144 Pages Release Date: August 29, 2023 My inner child is Wednesday Addams. So when I was offered the chance to review The Unofficial Wednesday Addams Cookbook, how could I refuse? First, the book is in purple and black; those are so my colours. It is entertainingly written. It is not too cutesy, but kitschy enough to be cool. It’s almost too much to hope that the recipes are any good… The recipes are fantastic. They are presented in a simple, straight forward manner (so easy,…
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In the Kitchen with Skarlett
Slow Cooker Chili for Mabon With Mabon upons us, thoughts turn to goat’s horn bearing fruit, grain and other harvesty goodness. No..I did not eat the funny mushrooms. I am referring to the Cornucopia also called the horn of plenty. It is a symbol of abundance and good fortune. It is commonly pictured as a large horn-shaped basket overflowing with the fruits of the harvest such as grains, fruits, vegetables and nuts. Small wonder it is adorning American tables at Thanksgiving and various other harvest related celebrations. A possible origin for the cornucopia was in ancient Greece. When Zeus was a baby, his mother hid him away from Cronus…
