Ingredient of the Day - Ginger

One of the most medicinal foods found in the modern kitchen is ginger root. Ginger root is the underground rhizome of the ginger plant and can have flesh that is yellow, white or red, depending upon the variety. The yellow variety is what is commonly found in North American supermarkets.

Ginger is widely known for its healing properties, especially its anti-inflammatory properties and effect on inflammation based pain such as that from arthritis and menstrual cramps.

At this stage of my life I do not use prescription or OTC drugs (with the exception of vitamins and supplements) so ginger tea has become my "drug" of choice in relieving menstrual cramps. It takes about an hour to kick in but its effects last at least 3 or 4 hours. Having a cup or two the day prior to your cycle will get the ginger into your system possibly preventing the cramps from becoming as severe.

There have been tests conducted on the effect of ginger extract on cancer cells but I won't get into that here. For more information visit the World's Healthiest Foods article on Ginger here.

Ginger's other medicinal uses include: relieving nausea and vomiting (including motion and morning sickness- see below cautions), reducing intestinal gas, relaxing/soothing the digestive tract, detoxification and boosting immunity.

For nausea - Steep one or two 1/2-inch slices of fresh ginger root in a cup of hot water for 15 minutes.
For inflammatory pain (arthritis, menstrual cramps etc.) - Peel a 2 inch piece of ginger root and slice into thin slices. Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a saucepan. Once boiling, add the ginger. Cover and reduce to a simmer for 15-20 minutes. Strain the tea. If it's too spicy, dilute with a little fresh water until tolerable.

To store unpeeled: Wrap in paper towel and store in its own plastic bag in your fridge's crisper drawer for up to 3 weeks. It can be frozen for up to 6 months.

Magickally speaking ginger is associated with power, love, money, healing, and success (including enhancing the success of spell work). It can be used in an amulet, mojo or medicine bag to promote healing and protection. Eating some ginger before working magickally with ginger helps to slightly raise your energy level in turn helping the spell.

In aromatherapy the uplifting and energizing scent warms the heart and cold, dull or fearful emotional states. It helps to open up feeling and improve communication, improve memory, sharpen the senses and stimulate energy.

Cautions:
Ginger in all forms is usually very safe however it should not be taken in the 4 days prior to surgery as it can make blood platelets less sticky, affecting bleeding time. It's fine to take the day after. Those on blood thinners should also consult with their doctor.
Do not take ginger for the first 2 months of pregnancy.
Ginger increases bile flow so people with gallstones should consult their doctor prior to taking.
250g or 1 cup of tea, 4x a day is the safe recommended dose.

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. This information is not intended to be medical advice. As with all herbs and drugs, research is a must and consult with your health care professional before using medicinally.

Ingredient of the Day - Chickpeas

Beans are not just for food and chairs! They can also be used in magick for protection, prosperity and to increase fertility.

My favorite bean would have to be the Garbanzo bean or Chickpea, as it's commonly known. I use the canned ones since they are so much quicker to prepare; no soaking or boiling required. Simply rinse and do with them what you will!

Chickpeas are probably the most versatile legume out there. They can be pureed for hummus or snuck into smoothies or brownies. I know what you're thinking but with other, stronger flavor elements in the food, you won't even know they are there and the added fibre and protein will do you good. They can be put on salads or roasted for a crunchy snack and the chickpea flour can be used for baking and flat breads.

Roasted chickpeas have become a favorite of mine since giving up packaged snack food. They fill the salty, crunchy void that I thought would remain forever.

Crunchy Chickpeas: 1 15oz can drained chickpeas. 

Toss with 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp cumin & smoked paprika. Season with salt. 

Or, try cinnamon and nutmeg if you prefer.

Bake 20 mins @ 425F.
They can keep for up to 2 or 3 days in an airtight container as long as they are completely crunchy. If they are on the soft side, they will get soggy which isn't good in my experience.


~City

Waxing Moon

The Waxing Moon phase occurs approximately 3 days after the New Moon and lasts about 14 days.

The Moon appears to be growing larger each day making this a great time for magick involving gain and bringing things toward you such as spells for: Abundance, Artistic creation, Career advancement, Divination, Energy raising, Fertility, Friendship, Garden planting, Goals, Good luck, Growth, Harmony, Happiness, Health, Judgement, Inspiration, Love, Money, Obtaining, Power, Protection, Real estate (buy), Sexual desire, Strength, Travel, Unions, Weather working (bring forth), Weight gain, Wisdom and Wishes.

Happy Casting!

Employment Spell

Almost every Witch has one or more "Go To" spells that they have had great results with on more than one occasion. Mine is a spell I created to find a job. Spells that you create on your own will certainly be more powerful than ones you have gotten from someone else or copied out of a book because they come from you and more of your personal energy is involved. However, if something out a book speaks to you or seems right, by all means use it!

For this spell I used one book to determine which herbs would work best and another for a pre-written prayer that I ended up changing to better reflect my situation but the rest was me. I believe that's why this spell was so successful. *

Resume Spell

Materials: A copy of your current resume
Green or gold candle
Money drawing herbs (I used Bay leaves and cloves)
Green marker
Glue stick
Refrigerator magnet
Best timing: Thursday or Sunday during a waxing moon

*I am only including the mechanics of the spell. Charging the items with your intent, visualization and raising/releasing the energy are also necessary.

1) Carve eight dollar signs into the candle and light it while visualizing your goal.
2) Write your wish for a new job in green marker in the middle of your resume.
You can either find a ready made money/job prayer or write your own being as specific as possible. Here is one that I found and tweaked a bit.

Mother and Father please sustain my spirit as I search for new and meaningful work. You have blessed me with a healthy body and a keen mind for which I am grateful. I ask that you open my path as I seek employment that will allow me to support my family and myself.
In gratitude and grace, So Mote It Be.

3) Glue the money herbs along the border of your resume on all sides. Easiest way is to run the glue stick along each side and sprinkle/press the herbs into the glue and shake off the excess. At this point you can simply continue visualizing your goal but I like to add a chant to the mix; something like, "Job come to me". Whatever you feel like.

4) Stick the resume to your fridge with the magnet to "draw a new job toward you".

Let the candle burn out on its own but do not leave it unattended. Never blow out a candle used for magick. If you must put it out, snuff it out and mentally shut down the spell temporarily until you are able to relight the candle.

Now get out there and hand out some real resumes!

*Results not guaranteed!

~City

Daily Ingredient - Basil

Basil

No Kitchen Witch's pantry is complete without basil. A staple in any kitchen, basil is one of the most versatile herbs in cooking and magick. It can be used for spells involving: Love, Removing negativity, Wealth, Protection, Sympathy, Fidelity, Healing relationships and Courage to name a few!

Basil and many other herbs can be used in a variety of ways such as herb sachets (mojo bags), herbal baths, teas, infusions, incense and of course added to your cooking after being magickally charged.

Simple Basil Spell:

Decide what your goal is going to be out of the above list. For our purposes we will say courage.

Make a dinner recipe containing basil.

Before adding the basil to the dish, hold the quantity you are going to use in your dominant hand and close your eyes. Clear your mind as best as possible as try to become aware of the herb's energy. You may start to feel the basil tingle in your hand. If you don't that's okay, it will come with practice.

Next, visualize the color you would associate with courage. To me, it is a strong orange but there are no rules here, whatever color speaks to you will be most powerful.
Visualize this color filling your body while at the same time visualizing yourself feeling courageous and facing whatever issue it is you need the extra courage for.

Mentally transfer the color and images to the basil. I visualize the color flowing from by body, down my arm, into the hand holding the basil then into the basil itself. Picture the basil glowing with not only the color but the strong, courageous feelings you invoked.

Add the basil to the dish, confident that by ingesting it you have given yourself the extra courage you need to face your issue.

Magick isn't a "ZAP!" but it gets the wheels of the Universe turning and sets the stage for some major change to take place. The spell is just the first step. The next step is working toward the goal on the physical level. In this case it might be to face whatever issue you need to face instead of shying away and putting it off.

This spell could just as easily be used for any of the above mentioned purposes simply by changing the color and images you visualize.