August Newsletter
Welcome to our August 2023 Kitchen Witch newsletter.
This is a bit of an “on the edge” month—August could be included as part of the summer months, but it’s also when that first tinge of autumn makes an appearance. Regardless, it is most definitely a month of the first harvest. And that, for me, is the main theme of the month: harvesting what you have sown in the previous months or even years. August is abundance with a capital A. Be thankful for all that you have in your life, all that you have worked for, and all that has been provided for you.
The Anglo-Saxon names for August were Wedmonath and Weodmonath; both mean “weed month,” “plant month,” or “the fulfilment of the month of weeds.”
August takes its name from the Roman Augustus Caesar.
'From A Witch for Every Season'
Rachel x
What's Going on in Nature this Month from Ness Armstrong
July hasn't been particularly 'summery' so far. Where I live, it's been decidedly cooler with rain showers and a chilly breeze. Yes, the earth definitely appreciated the rain after June's long hot and dry spell but we would now like our summer back - please!
As you read this, the wheel has turned to another point and Lughnasadh/Lammas will see the first harvests across the UK. Berries are a prominence at the moment - hawberries, blackberries, rowan berries, all hard and green but hopefully we will see some warmer drier days to ripen them up nicely.
Burdock is flowering now and hedgerows sport many white trumpets of bindweed. I've seen an abundance of bees and butterflies this month, which is lovely and reassuring. Stag beetles are about, although I've not personally seen any.
Tall nettles are seeding and spring cleavers are giving up their seeds too.
It is time to start harvesting what has flourished this month - both physically and spiritually. Hope that we continue to have some warm summer days ahead of us for the next month or so - I'm not quite ready to put away those summer dresses, just yet!
Sodalite from Sue Perryman
While sorting through some of my crystals recently, I came across Sodalite, which I haven’t worked with for a while. It’s easily obtainable and a reasonably priced crystal compared to some others. I cleansed and charged it before meditating with it for a while. The words focus and speech came to me, and it became clear that sodalite’s calming energy would offer support if you were nervous of public speaking or had a job interview. After that I hit the books to find out more.
Sodalite is mainly made up of sodium, which it gets its name from, it is a blue stone with white inclusions of calcite and is often mistaken for Lapis Lazuli. Although it is mainly found in blue, it can sometimes be found in gray, green, yellow, red and lavender.
This stone encourages rational thought, truth and intuition
Sodalite is particularly good at enhancing meditation and journeying, you can either hold it in your hands or place it on your third eye while focusing on its energy.
A cleansing and protecting stone, Sodalite can be placed on or beside computers to clear electromagnetic pollution.
Sodalite is the perfect stone to keep the peace and encourage friendship and cooperation when working with others.
This stone is particularly useful in clearing brain fog and enhancing focus. It can also help you express your feelings to others.
Sodalites peaceful energy can help calm and soothe the mind, particularly if you are feeling anxious or on the verge of a panic attack.
Element: Water and Air
Planet: Jupiter and Venus
Zodiac: Sagittarius
Sodalite Magical Properties:
Creativity, communication, peace, friendship, clarity, calming, truth, connection, knowledge, wisdom, emotional balance, psychic abilities, clearing, confidence, fears, love, intuition, decisions, perseverance, anxiety, insight, self-esteem, releasing, understanding, focus, harmony, dreams, meditation.
Beetroot by Heather Dewhurst
Part of the Amaranthaceae family with many varieties, the most well-known is beetroot but chard and sugar beet are also included and the mangelwurzel which is used for animal feed.
The beetroot we are most familiar with has a beautiful deep red/purple colour although you can get golden varieties too. The juice makes a useful magical ingredient if you are squeamish and don’t want to use blood in any of your workings.
Beetroot Magical Properties - passion, love, beauty, grounding, protection, banishing
Ruling planet – Saturn
Element – Earth
Gender – Feminine
Taken from A Kitchen Witch’s World of Magical Food by Rachel Patterson
Beetroot is a really versatile vegetable and can be used in sweet (cakes) as well as savoury dishes. Here is a simple recipe for –
Beetroot hummus
Ingredients
1 x 400g/14oz can chickpeas, drained
150g/5oz cooked beetroot, drained
2 small garlic cloves
2 tbsp tahini
100ml extra virgin olive oil, plus a drizzle to serve
good squeeze of lemon juice
Method
Tip the chickpeas, the beetroot, garlic, tahini, oil and lemon juice into a food processor with a good pinch of salt. Blend until smooth, then check the seasoning, adding a little more salt or lemon if it needs it. Chill the hummus until you’re ready to serve (it will keep for up to two days).
Rune of the month from Ness Armstrong
This months rune is Thurisaz/Thurs ~ Thor's Hammer and also meaning 'thorn'
The rune of boundaries. There can be moments when you can feel shut out - that you cant progress forward as obstacles are in your way. Take a step back, is there another way around the obstacle? Does it take a different way of thinking or acting to get to where you'd like to be?...
