Public - Newsletter

Welcome to our May 2023 Kitchen Witch newsletter.

The magic of May and Beltane – and so begins the active part of the year, the earth is sending forth new life, the sap is rising, the birds are singing and growth is all around us.

This month is all about passion, power and raw energy, the fertility of new life and growth and the union of male and female energy in whatever form…nuddy prod games optional… The male and female energy is a traditional reflection of the god and goddess but in today’s enlightened society let’s go with unions of all kinds, no matter what flavour you are.

Everything you do in this month will bring you closer to your goals; use the energy that is all around you to focus your intent. Work with May’s powerful, bawdy, raucous energy. Although it is not just about the animal instincts, this month also brings the magical properties of abundance and growth. It is time to work some magic to increase your bank balance and improve your health.

1st May is Beltane or May Day and it is all about that va va voom passion, jump on board and get carried away with the fiery energy and make it work for you.

Don’t forget to show some love for Mother Earth too…

May Magical Energy

Full creating energy; propagation. Intuition, contact with faeries and other supernatural beings. Strengthen connection with supernatural protectors and beings around you. Power flowing from nature. Work magic concerning your career or a new job, making changes or furthering your education. Light up the fire (or a candle) and read some flame or smoke divination for guidance. Do some planting rituals or spells to set the seeds for future projects. Workings for fertility whether it is the pitter patter of tiny feet or new projects will be on fire if set in motion this month. Hold an abundance ritual or work with abundance spells – not just for material wealth but spiritual and emotional too.

Rachel x

What's Going on in Nature this Month from Ness Armstrong

Spring has been a bit delayed in arriving - what we associate with spring anyway. The temperatures have not been very spring-like this month. We are still having chilly days despite the sunshine and nature doesn't seem to be at full throttle, just yet! Beltane is upon us and the days here in the UK should be glorious! Nature's growth is there but not quite as it should be for this time of year. Come on warmer days - we and our lands need you - enough with the rainfall and the chilly winds!

Spotted out in the hedgerows this month are red dead nettles, cow parsley, nettles, bluebells, celendine and wild garlic. Birds are busy gathering nesting materials and Mr Blackbird sings loud and proud first thing in the morning, which is quite lovely to hear.

Wood sorrel and an abundance of dandelions are also welcoming colours on a spring day.

I've heard the call of a cuckoo, which is said to herald the true beginning of Spring.

Trees and shrubs are full of leaf now and many are in blossom. The sparseness of the hedgerows has gone and has been replaced by lots of beautiful greenery of all kinds.

Lets hope that I report on some warmer days next month.

Bumblebee Jasper from Sue Perryman

Chakra: Sacral and Solar Plexus

Zodiac: Cancer and Leo

Planet: The Sun

Element: Fire

Magical Properties: Happiness, joy, manifestation, problem solving, positivity, courage, releasing/ clearing negative energies, beauty, inspiration, self-confidence, supportive, protection, transformation, change, creativity

In May, flowers are springing up everywhere, and if you spend any time near them you can’t fail to see a fuzzy Bumblebee or two working hard gathering pollen and nectar. So, for May I decided to find out more about Bumblebee Jasper in honour of those industrious little insects.

Bumblebee Jasper is not actually a Jasper at all. It is a rare form of limestone with the vibrant colours of the beautiful bumblebee, the white/grey colour is calcite, the black is pyrite, and the yellow/orange colour is Realgar. It does contain trace amounts of sulphur and arsenic, but it is completely safe to handle when polished, which must be done very carefully and while wearing appropriate breathing protection.

Despite being safe, I would not make a Bumblebee Jasper infusion with the direct method, instead place your crystal into a small glass and place it into a larger bowl containing water. Leave it for a few hours on a sunny windowsill before transferring the water to a labelled glass bottle. The water can be used as a spray to cleanse yourself or your home of negativity, added to bath water, and to bring any of the magical properties mentioned above into your life.

Bumblebee Jasper has only been found so far on or near Mount Papandayan, an active volcano in West Java Indonesia. It was discovered in the 1990’s so is a relatively new crystal. It can be found easily with a quick search online and there are some good deals available if you are prepared to shop around.

A crystal infused with happiness, joy and positivity, no matter what you are going through, Bumblebee Jasper will help you to see your situation in a more positive light and encourage you to look for the silver lining. It can inspire us to be more self-confident, face our fears and maintain a positive and upbeat frame of mind.

The empowering energy of Bumblebee Jasper can support us when going through big changes in our lives and can help us to find positive solutions to problems. It can also help us to ignore those pesky negative thoughts that crop up now and then and focus on enjoying life more. Emotionally, Bumblebee Jasper can remove energetic blocks, and show us how to live each day in a more positive way. Working closely with this crystal can reveal your true path in life and how to achieve it. Physically, Bumblebee Jasper is said to be a useful stone for those with allergies and for anyone who is immune compromised.

Place Bumblebee Jasper on your Solar Plexus chakra while meditating, even for a just a few minutes every day. You will soon notice that you have a more positive and confident outlook on life. Use Bumblebee Jasper for manifestation magic and to enhance creativity.

Bumblebee Jasper can be cleansed with smoke, sound or visualisation. Being a soft stone, I wouldn’t cleanse it in water. It could be left in sunlight for a short while, not too long in case the colours fade.

Spring Cleaning Tea from Heather Dewhurst

Around us everything is waking up a little later this year, cleavers having only just started growing. For this tea I wanted them, the tops of young nettles and dandelion leaves.

The following is an apparently old recipe for cleansing and detoxifying our bodies, as well as containing nourishing minerals and phytochemicals, which are normally lacking in winter diets, to help re-nourish and replenish our depleted stores. All with the additional bonus of being prolific ‘weed’, so are free to forage as long as you can do so safely and legally.

There are health warnings with this recipe –

If you have any liver or gall bladder problems, please consult your doctor before trying this.

If you are already taking prescribed diuretics, you should not drink this tea.

What you could do instead, is make and use the tea as a cleansing wash for your home.

There are already blog posts for cleavers and nettles –

www.kitchenwitchhearth.net/post/cleavers-by-unity

www.kitchenwitchhearth.net/post/nettles-a-mundane-magical-hero-by-heather

Dandelions

Scientific name: Taraxacum officinale

The name is thought to come from the shape of the leave which look a bit like lion's teeth in combination with the mane-like flower. The French for teeth is dent, so giving the name of dent-de-lion.

Another traditional name is an old English name not often used now: wet the beds. This name indicates how it helps the body rid itself of wastes. It is a diuretic and encourages removal of toxins by the increase of urine, through its effect on the kidneys. Unlike many pharmaceutical diuretics, which can leach potassium out of your system, it is high in potassium, and able to replace what is lost.

Dandelion is also a well-known liver remedy, encouraging healthy liver function, and bowel movements, which in turn supports the body in excreting body wastes.

I collected a handful of each, as you can see from the pictures, I have enough to either make more fresh tea, if I keep the leaves in the fridge; or dry and make a tea leaf version, which is what I have decided to experiment doing.

Method:

Once you have collected your leaves, wash them well.

In a jug (I used my cafetiere) tear up some of each leaf, pour boiling water over and leave to steep for 5 to 10 minutes.

Strain and drink.

I found the taste pleasant, its flavour similar to me of broad beans with pea shoots.

Rune of the month from Ness Armstrong

This month we will focus on the rune Laguz. Laguz is a water rune and it corresponds to emotions, intuition and going with the flow. The ebb and flow of the tides are there always - no matter what is going on in life, they are a constant.

Take this month to 'just be'. Don't let stresses get you down - take a few deep breaths, ignore the mind monkeys, the self doubt and worry and focus on being calm and of a relaxed mind.

Feeling irritated?.. Turn off the television, put away your mobile phone, walk away from that irritation. Work with Laguz for peace of mind this month.

Sending positive thoughts to those who need them xx

With blessings of the month from

Rachel Patterson, Ness Armstrong, Sue Perryman, Heather Dewhurst

What's On?

Every WEDNESDAY Morning, 9am UK time join Rachel for a live chat on www.facebook.com/RachelPattersonbooks

& www.youtube.com/c/RachelPattersonwitchauthor

2023

• Rachel has online courses running with The College of Psychic Studies, check out their website for details

https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/about-us/our-consultants/rachel-patterson/

• 27th May - Witchfest Midlands - https://witchfest.net/events/witchfest-midlands/

• 22nd - 25th June - Pagan Tribal Gathering - https://www.pagantribalgathering.org.uk/

For Kitchen Witch students - study hall and readings events - check the forum for details

Catch up

Find replays of our online talks and rituals over on the YouTube channels

YouTube - www.youtube.com/channel/UCglVkEiBII3NVPFgYGR7twQ

& www.youtube.com/user/Kitchenwitchuk

And our blogs

www.kitchenwitchhearth.net/blog and www.rachelpatterson.co.uk/blog

Contact

Email - HQ@kitchenwitchhearth.net

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