August Newsletter 2024
Welcome to our August 2024 Kitchen Witch newsletter.
It's been another full on month for the Kitchen Witches and this year is whizzing by faster and faster it seems. In June we spent a few days at the wonderful Pagan Tribal Gathering and took along our own personal sets of divination to give readings to whoever would like one. We found out quite by accident that the three of us work very well together when it came to the readings - working as a three, instead of individually and so the Unique Triad Readings came into being. We had been practicing for a while but then things escalated very quickly and we have been blessed to have given readings to some lovely people over the past week. If you would like a reading from us, there are details at the bottom of the newsletter.
Lots more going on in the Kitchen Witch camp - keep an eye out on our social pages/groups for all details.
Have a great August
Ness x
What's Going on in Nature this Month from Ness Armstrong
Ah, the lazy hazy days of summer have arrived. Its now very late July, August is around the corner and nature continues to thrive. The lack of rains and the strong sunshine have turned the grasses a sandy colour and the wheat has ripened in the fields. Flowers are still blooming but some of the earlier flowers of hawthorn and elder have berries on them which are starting to ripen in the summer sun. I've seen a ripe blackberry or two and although i am enjoying this warm (not too hot please!) weather, thoughts are turning to autumn. Spotted in the hedgerows this month are Nipplewort, Ragwort, Bindweed, Rowan Berries, Thistle, Red Clover, Mugwort, Burdock, Blackberry, Hawberries, Sloes, Rosehips, Queen Anne's Lace (which sounds so much better than Wild Carrot). This time last year, I felt the early shift of energy from the earth but have not felt it as yet this year. For now, lets all enjoy this British sunshine!
Flower of the Month by Heather
The August birth flower are the gladiolus and the poppy, are both colourful, and share rich symbolism tied to remembrance.
I am choosing to look at the gladiolus this month, as other than Dame Edna Everage often carried them with her at interviews (those of a certain age will know what I’m talking about), I haven’t investigated their magical or spiritual associations.
The gladiolus is a member of the Iris family (Iridaceae), is native to Africa, the Mediterranean, and southern Europe, with more than 300 species that come in a range of dazzling colours. One of its other names - sword lily, the gladiolus got from the sword-like appearance of its leaves. Gladiolus itself comes from the Latin word gladius, meaning sword, and Roman Gladiators would wear the flowers around their necks when competing in games, whilst spectators would throw the blooms down to the winner of the fight.
The first South African species was brought to Europe in the mid-18th century. By the early 19th century, enthusiasts in England began the process of hybridizing the flowers, so making them better suited for growing in gardens. In fact, they became so popular in the U.S. around the turn of the 20th century, it lead to the founding of the American Gladiolus Society in Boston in 1910.
Gladiolus Meanings and Symbolism
The flower has a long history of being a symbol of strength, victory, healing, and honour. It has also been associated with moral character, remembrance, and intelligence.
The Victorian romantics believed that the beauty of the gladiolus could pierce another’s heart with love. In floral meanings, the flower symbolizes infatuation, love at first sight, and faithfulness.
Each colour will resonate with a different meaning: red symbolizes love, romance, and passion; pink means compassion and a mother’s love; white represents innocence and purity; yellow symbolizes friendship and joy; and purple means fortune and beauty.
In addition to being one of the August birth flowers, the gladiolus is traditionally given as a gift for the 40th anniversary.
Magical Properties
Plant in your garden, or in pots on a patio or balcony, to bring courage, strength, integrity and success to your family and home.
Use any part of the plant dried, or the flowers with the colour association which aligns with your intention, in spells, poppets or sachets for -
Integrity, strength, victory, success, love, romance, compassion, truth, honesty, happiness, luck, abundance, attraction, endurance.
Picture from Unsplash.
Sources –
https://florgeous.com/gladiolus-flower-meaning/
https://symbolsandsynchronicity.com/spiritual-meaning-of-the-gladiolus-flower/
Fruit for August - Gooseberry by Heather
As a child I can remember these growing in ours and most of our neighbours’ gardens, but they seem to have gone out of fashion, not many grocery stores even sell them. This is a shame as they have a wonderfully stimulating lemony sweet flavour, it is a versatile fruit that can be used in jams, pies, fools, sauces, crumbles, to name but a few!
Gooseberries (Latin Ribes uva-crispa) are an easy-to-grow soft fruit, they can be grown in the ground, in containers or trained against a wall to save space, making them ideal for small plots. The gooseberry is indigenous to most of Europe and western Asia, growing in alpine thickets and rocky woods from France eastward, into the Himalayas and India.
In Britain, gooseberries were commonly called goosegogs. Gooseberry bush was 19th-century slang for pubic hair, and from this comes the old saying that babies are born under a gooseberry bush.
Gooseberries are nutritious, low-calorie fruits that are rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Though research on gooseberries is limited, many of the nutrients in these berries have been linked to significant health benefits, including lower blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure levels, reducing risk of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and age-related illnesses of the brain.
Magical Properties
Use the dried leaves in spells, poppets, incense or sachet for healing, health, fertility, death and rebirth, protection, endurance, fairy, working with the Genius Loci, shadow work, removing obstacles.
Gooseberry Clafoutis
Recipe by Nigel Slater
This gooseberry clafoutis is a tasty and summery twist on the French classic dessert.
INGREDIENTS
400 g gooseberries
30 g butter plus extra to grease your baking dish
2 eggs
150 ml milk
90 g granulated sugar
90 g flour
2 tablespoons of icing sugar
1.5 teaspoons of vanilla extract
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat your oven to 180°C/gas mark four.
Cut the tops and stalks off of your gooseberries and give them a good wash.
Butter a roughly 20cm pie dish or baking tin and then lightly sprinkle with a little bit of icing sugar. Place your gooseberries in the dish.
Beat your eggs and sugar together until creamy. Then add your flour (sifted), vanilla essence and milk and mix well until combined.
Melt your butter in a small pan and add to the mix, stirring well.
Pour the batter over the gooseberries and place your pan in the oven for around 35 minutes, or until your clafoutis is puffed and golden brown and a skewer or knife comes out clean. I had to place some baking parchment over my clafoutis at around the 20 minute mark to stop it burning, so keep an eye out!
Dust with icing sugar and serve warm, perhaps with cream.
Sources –
www.healthline.com/nutrition/gooseberries
www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/grow-plants/how-to-grow-gooseberries/
www.rhs.org.uk/fruit/gooseberries/grow-your-own
https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/gooseberry
https://magic-spells-and-potions.com/herbs/gooseberry.htm
How to Celebrate Lughnasadh by Heather
Lughnasadh (Loo-nah-sah) or Lammas (it's Christianized name) heralds the first harvest, not yet summers end (Samhain) but ever closer to autumn. It celebrates the first of the crops being harvested and is often related to bread/corn and berries.
The Goddess is still Mother and Consort is still Holly King, both thankful for the gift of the child they’ve been given and the success of their kingdom. The Consort begins to sacrifice (the Goddess is resting due to pregnancy) much of his time and energy to seek balance for all they’ve been given; just as we should offer sacrifices to seek balance and be thankful for all we’ve been given as the land sacrifices much to feed us. (This theme continues on and plays more of a role in the next 2 sabbats) Now is a time to be thankful for all that you've been given and honor the Sun God for his hard work.
Bake some bread. In the sources on this forum you will find lots of recipes. You see, certain smells will bring up happy memories of the year before just like Christmas music does and the smell of a warm loaf is sure to keep the family happy, especially if the children can help you make it. It represents the first loaf of harvest and some use it in ritual whereas some have it as part of their meal.
Plan your meals. A magnificent feast is very important so make sure you plan it well! Pumpkin soup, harvest broth and casserole made with seasonal vegetables such as spring onions and potatoes will be great. Blackberry pie and cream made with fat ripe brambles will be delicious for a dessert. There are plenty of harvest recipes on here and on the net so explore them and discuss them and plan out your menu.
Take time to meditate and praying. Encourage your family members to prayer or meditate to give thanks for the abundance and generosity of nature. If you sit in a circle you can share your spiritual energies with one another.
Do this in the garden or somewhere natural and quiet and hope the weather stays fair and bright. Some will use the loaf they have baked to eat after their ritual. It's because of nature that they can enjoy this food. You could always have the meal on the late afternoon and go for a picnic for lunch in the warm countryside with all the family.
Go to a local festival. Harvest is a popular time of year for anyone whatever their religion so it's no wonder why many villages and towns have their own celebrations. Try to attend one of these even if they're a bit out of your way. It will get the family into it more to see other people having fun in ways that can only be done in community games. Perhaps you could even get work joining in the harvest and truly get into the spirit of it all.
Tell stories about the Lughnasadh. If you have young children think of a story and tell it to them either the night before or on the day itself. It will be easier for them to understand the festival like this. Try singing some songs as well to the wheels on the bus (e.g. The leaves on the tree come falling down, falling down, falling down) which was invented by Tracy Roe
image from Unsplash
Rune of the month from Ness Armstrong
This months rune is Tiwaz or Tyr - the rune of justice, bravery and sometimes of sacrifice. This image depicts an eagle flying high with a sword in his talons. This rune is about speaking your truth, standing up for what you believe in and having the courage to do so. But don't forget that there are two sides to every story. Have you listened, have you weighed up all other possibilities first? Emotional conflicts need to dealt with carefully and thoughfully.
With blessings of the month from
Rachel Patterson, Ness Armstrong, Heather Dewhurst
