September 2022 Kitchen Witch Newsletter

September is a month full of harvesting and we start to see the first signs of autumn. We still get warm Sunny days, but the morning and evening air carries the chill of autumn with it. September also brings the autumn equinox; a time of change. Mother Earth is making her final push of the summer to provide her bounty before the balance shifts at the equinox. A month of hearth and home, preparing and storing. Cooking, baking and preserving to fill the store cupboards for the winter ahead. The harvest is being brought in, just as the plants are sending out their seeds for the cycle of life to begin again. September is a pivitol point where we say our thankyous to summer and start to make preparation for the coming winter, it is a transitional month. September Magical Energy Rest after labour; balance of light and dark. Organise. De-clutter. Reap what you have sown. Clean and straighten up physical, mental, emotional and spiritual clutter – have an autumn clean. Take stock of your life in general and any projects you have been working with. Check your daily routine and make sure you have a good work/home/you time balance. This is a perfect time to make adjustments. Let go of things that no longer serve you. Give gratitude for what you have and then ask for re-balance or re-fuelling or increasing. Pay it forward to. Rachel x

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

As we approach September, we have had the hottest August on record here in the UK. The fields were harvested at the beginning of August and now there is just yellow stubble and dry parched earth in the fields. In fact, everywhere you look, it is yellow. A lack of rain for the past couple of months have left the fields and grasses dry and crisp. Trees are wilting slightly too, despite their roots being so far down. We need rain - and lots of it! In the hedgerows, nature in places is thriving! Sloes are ripe now and blackberries are not far behind! There are early starters out there though - black, shiny and delicious! Haw berries and rosehips are ripe too and wild crab apples are beginning to fall from the tree. Elderberries have been spotted - these make an excellent Rob to ward off those winter sniffles. Elsewhere, a lot of the summer plants are spent. Nettles are tall, spindly and crisp, cleavers from spring are finished, they sort of form a web of brown across the hedgerow pathways - waiting for some passing feet so they can latch their sticky ripe seeds on to be carried away to other places for fertilisation next spring. Burdock flowers have made way for their sticky seed pods too and thistles now have their seed heads ready to be carried on the autumn breezes. The nights are slowly drawing in now and I can feel a slight shift in the energies around me - early mornings have a very slight chill to them and it won't be long until we celebrate the Autumn Equinox.

Amber from Sue Perryman

This one’s a bit controversial as Amber isn't really a crystal or a mineral, it is fossilised tree resin and comes from what are now extinct trees. Resin is a protective substance that some trees produce to protect themselves from disease, injury, insects and fungi. As the resin dripped down the trees it sometimes trapped insects and plant matter, and if you are lucky enough you can sometimes buy pieces of Amber containing these. I have a piece of Amber with what looks like a tiny bit of bark inside which you can see below. Amber is strongly connected to both the Sun and the Earth, and as it is mainly found on seashores in the Baltic after tides and storms have washed it up from the sea floor it also has a connection to water. It is mainly found in Russia, Poland and Lithuania, but there is some found in Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Burma and Sumatra in Indonesia. Amber has been used as jewellery and talismans for good luck since ancient times. Jewellery made of Amber has been found that dates back to 8000BCE. Most amber today is between 30-90 million years old! The name Amber is believed to come from the word ambar, the Arabic word for ambergris, a similarly coloured material that is discharged from Sperm whales that is also found on beaches and is used in perfumes. In Ancient Greece the name for Amber was ‘Elektron’ which referred to the sun – it is the origin of the word electricity. Amber is associated with the Greek goddess Elektra, the Oceanid-nymph of the amber sunlit edge of breaking storm clouds (the Greeks truly had Deities for everything!) She is the wife of the sea god Thaumus and mother of the rainbow goddess Iris and the Harpies. Other deities who are associated with Amber are: Jurate, the Lithuanian goddess of the sea, who lived in a castle made of Amber. Freya, the Norse goddess of beauty, love, sex, lust and sorcery, who’s tears that fell on the land turned to gold and tears that fell in the sea turned to Amber. Oshun, the African Yoruba goddess of love, beauty, fresh water, fertility and healing. Amber is a powerful healer and cleanser that draws disease, pain and negative energies from the body and the environment. It can also be used to cleanse and clear the Chakras. Wearing Amber jewellery, carrying or placing pieces of it on parts of your body is believed to enhance intellect, ease depression, stress and anxiety and increase vitality. It’s warming soothing solar energy brings happiness and joy and supports the body during convalescence. It is particularly healing for children and the elderly. Amber has a powerful protective energy and is especially protective for children. Place pieces of amber around a room or use amber elixir in a spray bottle to clear negative energies. I have done this using the indirect method of making an elixir, which is done by placing the amber into a small glass container and then placing this into a larger glass bowl which you then pour spring or filtered water into. This can be left in the sun for 12 hours and then poured into a spray bottle for protection, added to bath water, taken internally or used for anointing. Emotionally I find Amber has a very calming, peaceful and balancing energy, holding it feels like having a hug from a loved one, but don’t let this fool you into forgetting how powerful Amber is. Medicinally, in the past Amber was ground into a powder and mixed with water, oil or honey and used as a cure all for many ailments. Ground up Amber was also added to incense believed to kill germs and disinfect areas. Ancient Amber is perfect for connecting with ancestors, past life work and wisdom. Amber’s beautiful golden colour reminds me of the golden light that we get on sunny days in late September, when the sun isn’t quite as harsh and bright as it is in Summer. Amber brings happiness, joy and positivity, something we all need as we face the dark days of winter. Amber magical properties: Manifesting, positive energy, cleansing, healing, protective, beauty, sun magic, intellect, wisdom, balance, calm, love, good luck, success, vitality, joy Element: Fire, Earth and Water Planet: Sun Zodiac: Leo and Virgo

Home Cleansing Magic from Heather Dewhurst

Can you feel it in the air…well that’s got Phil Collins in my head for the day! It’s feeling the chill in the morning and evening, seeing the angle of the sun lower during the day, that makes me want to prepare our home for the darker months, (I get a similar message around April/May). I am not going to mention the mundane washing and clearing out, although that needs to happen first, to allow me to concentrate on my final step, working on the energetic cleaning. I can’t use incense due to family members having asthma. What I can use is my drum but before this I do a damp dust, using water infused with essential oils and a peppermint teabag, together with my intent of happiness and contentment through the next turning of the nature cycle. My choices of essential oils this year are - Frankincense Oil helps to relax your mind and body. It has a calming effect when you are anxious, agitated, depressed. It helps to rejuvenate the body and eases signs of tiredness and fatigue. Clary Sage Essential Oil helps to alleviate negative feelings like fear, anger, anxiety and promotes the feeling of mental peace and relaxation. It helps in uplifting your mood, increase the level of confidence. Bergamot Oil is known to aid relaxation. It helps to alleviate pain, stress and anxiety due to the presence of flavonoids in the oil which has a relaxing effect on the mind and body. With my damp cloth, everything will be wiped, the cloth put on a walking stick to get into all the corners of the rooms (sorry spiders you will have to rebuild!). I will have some happy uplifting songs playing to sing along to, to uplift the energy and wash negativity away.

Rune for September from Ness Armstrong

This month brings us the rune Raido/Reid - the rune of the chariots of the Norse Gods. A rune of travel - of a journey - physical or spiritual. Going from one path to another. A journey to reach a destination can be long, it can be difficult, but it is to be ultimately enjoyed. Make sure that you take in everything along the way! Reid can also signify that we have come full circle on something. Did we achieve what we set out to do? Did we accomplish our goals? Time to assess, plan and move forward..

With blessings of the month from Rachel Patterson, Ness Armstrong, Sue Perryman, Heather Dewhurst