Public - Newsletter

Welcome to our November 2023 Kitchen Witch newsletter.

Hello and Welcome! The Kitchen Witch gang met up in Burley in the New Forest in Hampshire last month for a general catch up and plotting and planning all things Kitchen Witch. The energies must have been a bit hinky as not one of us had cake (insert shocked face emoji). This year has flown by but we still have a few things going on before the end of the year. Check the forum, our Facebook groups or Rachel's website for a round up of where you can find us generally making mischief! Blessings of the month to you all

Ness x

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

So, here we are at November - another month has passed. We've had an unusually warm autumn but mid October, autumn had finally arrived. The temperatures dropped down a few degrees and the leaves are falling from the trees in earnest. The warm autumn together with the early morning dew on the ground has confused Mother Nature just a little bit. My apple tree has blossom on one branch and my flowers in the garden have come into bud again. It will be a bit of a shock when the frosty mornings come - which I feel wont be long! So, what about the hedgerows?.. blackberries are all gone now and rosehips and hawberries are quite dark and shrivelled in many places. Nettles are hugely abundant as well as cleavers. Cleavers make an excellent addition to a salad but I find the ones that come up this time of year to be tougher than the spring variety.

Horse Chestnuts (buckeyes), Sweet Chestnuts (perfect for roasting on an open fire) and Beech Nuts can be also be found in abundance this month. There is a scent of decay in the air as the rains mix with the fallen leaves and nature continues to wind down. The nights are quickly drawing in - the season of the witch is upon us!

Malachite from Sue Perryman

Malachite is a beautiful mineral with a bad reputation. Some books and websites will tell you that it is toxic, but they don’t go on to explain why, or the fact that in its tumbled or polished form it is perfectly safe, if you are careful with it. 

Malachite contains up to 70% of Copper Oxide which is toxic if it is handled, ingested or inhaled which is why you should never buy it in its raw form. If your tumble stone becomes chipped or broken, you will need to be extremely careful in disposing of it. I would advise wearing medical or washing up gloves and placing it in some type of freezer bag which can be sealed before putting it in the bin.  

If you wish to make a gem elixir with Malachite, you will have to use the indirect method. Place the crystal in a small glass container and stand that in a larger glass container of spring water for several hours. When you are ready, take the small container out of the water and pour the water into a bottle to be used as desired. 

Now the warning is over, I’m going to look at the positive uses of this stunning stone. 

Malachite can soak up harmful energies like a sponge, making it beneficial when kept on or near a TV, microwave or computer. Because of this it should always be cleansed before and after use, either by holding it under running water, visualisation, sound or by placing it on a quartz cluster or selenite. 

This versatile crystal can clear and balance the chakras. It can enhance visualisation and psychic vision if placed on the third eye. Place it on your heart chakra to bring balance and harmony and to attune your heart to unconditional love. It can bring deep emotional healing when placed on the solar plexus and can release past traumas. 

Gazing at Malachite's beautiful shades of green swirling patterns for several minutes a day is highly recommended. Working with it in this way can calm the mind and enhance your intuition and insight. 

Malachite is a stone of transformation and change; it can encourage you to make the necessary changes in your life that you have been holding back on and highlight what is blocking your spiritual path. 

A powerful stone for healing. It is sometimes known as a midwife stone as it is believed to ease labour pains and support women through the birthing process. 

Malachite may help with asthma, arthritis, broken bones, travel sickness, vertigo, high blood pressure and the immune system. It is also said to help with fear of flying and support those suffering with depression and anxiety. 

If you speak your fears into a Malachite stone while holding it, then leave it in a safe place outside overnight, your fears will be carried away on the winds. 

Malachite has been used for magical purposes since ancient times. The ancient Greeks and Egyptians used it for protection and healing, in the form of talismans, headdresses and jewellery. The Egyptians were mining for Malachite as early as 400BC. The name Malachite comes from Greek word ‘malakos’ meaning soft. 

 In the Middle Ages Malachite was used as a protective amulet against the ‘Evil Eye’ and to protect against various ailments. 

A supportive stone for friendship, teaching empathy for others and easing shyness. It can heal emotional abuse from your past and overcome the fear of confrontation. 

While this blog was still in its planning stages, I came across some obviously fake Malachite in a shop. I was unaware that it was a thing, but apparently fake Malachite is quite common! However, it’s easy to spot, if you know what real Malachite looks like. Instead of different shades of green swirls and patterns, the stones I saw were one shade of green all over with thin black lines that looked like they were drawn on. Real Malachite doesn’t have black in it and the patterns were all wrong. If you are going to buy some, make sure you know what the real thing looks like. 

Element: Earth 

Planet: Venus 

Zodiac: Capricorn, Scorpio 

Chakra: Heart 

Magical Properties: changes, transformation, clarity, emotions, protection, supports healing, peace, travel, fears, growth, creativity, renewal, energy, wealth, money, opportunities, abundance, new beginnings, finances, success, business, focus, strength, wisdom, releasing, prosperity, breaking barriers, psychic abilities, manifestation, soothing, stress, love, power. 

Late to the Tea Party by Heather Dewhurst

I chose this title because I am going to chat about something that has probably been around for a long time, however I’ve only just discovered them.

The item in question is – a tea warmer!

Tea is magical, as long as there is a cuppa available, I can cope with most things, it not being unusual for me to return for the final warm dregs of a pot at work.

With the darker days, the importance of that cheering mug grows.   I have two tea pots at home, one as part of a cup set (can get couple of cups from this, but as said, do like my tea!), the other larger from which I can get three mugs – happy me!   However, by the time I pour the 2nd, even with a cosy over the pot, it is warm, by the 3rd usually barely drinkable!   So, when I saw someone with their pot on a warmer, I was probably as excited about that, as I was the information I was getting from their talk!

A search provided me with many choices, eventually picking the one in the photo.   For me it symbolises a variation of the hearth, with all elements represented - a tealight for fire within the steel, the teapot (cauldron) above to warm the contents, I can stir my intention into the water as the leaves release their flavour, the air filling with fragrant steam.

As said tea has magical properties –

herbal blends will have their plant correspondences.

Tea (camellia sinensis) as in loose or teabags – meditation, courage, strength, prosperity, energy, luck, divination, health.

As we head into the darker months you'll find me sitting beside my cauldron.

For further reading –

A Kitchen Witch’s World of Magical Food by Rachel Patterson; this book has a chapter entitled The Magic of Tea.

Rune of the month from Ness Armstrong

This months rune is Hagalaz or Hagal. The Hail rune. The rune of disruption and destruction, which sounds quite harsh! It is the rune of change which does tie in with the energies of this month. We should be settling into winter now in the Northern Hemisphere and the temperatures will have dropped by a good few more degrees. Change is inevitable and we may not always like it, but it needs to happen for us to move forwards. Change brings growth and we learn from the experiences too! When the hail clears, we can clearly see what needed to be done in order for us to evolve.

With Blessings of the month from Rachel, Ness, Sue and Heather