Tomato Basil Pasta

Serves 4 with some left over.
Inspired by CharmingPixieFlora on Youtube.

Box of whole wheat spaghetti
4 cans of diced tomatoes
2 small or 1 large bunch of fresh basil
Bunch of green onions
Italian Seasoning
Olive Oil

Start your water in a big pasta pot on to boil.

Heat olive oil in skillet on low heat. Dice green onions, and put in skillet. Chop basil and add to onion, adding olive oil, if you feel it needs it. Add cans of diced tomatoes, and turn heat up to simmer. Add Italian Seasoning to taste (I added probably about 1 tablespoon or so). Let simmer.

Once water comes to a boil in your pasta pot, cook your spaghetti. Once it's done, strain, and then you are good to make your dishes!

I like to buy frozen garlic bread.Preheat the oven when you start your pasta water, and then put the bread in halfway through your pasta cooking, this way it will all be done at the same time.

Building a Garden Bed!

 

Last year, I just plunked some plants in the ground, and had some success, so I’m going bigger this year, with carrots, lettuce, radishes, beans and more. I’m very excited. This weekend, my husband and I build a garden bed. It was super simple, and while it was more expensive that I expected, now that we have the correct screws and the weed preventative, it will be less expensive the next time we do it. I chose redwood, as it’s a harder wood, and less prone to rot. Our bed is 6’ x 3’. We purchased our wood at Lowe’s, where they were kind enough to cut it for us, saving us a big step. We bought a 2 x 8 that was 12 feet long (had them cut in half), and a 2” x 8” that was 8 feet long (cut in 3 foot sections with 2’ left over). When we got home, we attached them with the screws we bought, and then cut stakes and staked it in the ground so it wouldn’t move. We then filled it with 4 bags of soil we purchased. Ta da! Garden bed. Just in time, as my Ostara seedlings are beginning to sprout! I have two seedling greenhouses I’m starting this week, too, so I think we’ll probably build a second bed. I’m going to also clean out a bunch of pots as well, and may even try growing potatoes. I’m hoping to have a lot of tomatoes this year, and learn how to make pasta sauce from scratch! I’m so blessed to have family that doesn’t mind me taking over their front yard with plants!

 

Ostara Altar

Just realized I didn't have a photo of my Ostara altar up on my bloggity.

Fiery Wall of Protection

A friend of mine has had some trouble lately, and I was thinking about what I might do if I was in her position. From this personal musing, came some research, and ultimately a recipe. The Fiery Wall of Protection incense/powder/oil is a pretty basic recipe, and it is purported to invoke the flaming sword of the archangel, Michael. Angels really aren't part of my personal path (not that I disbelieve), but if it works, it works.*

The main ingredients for Fiery wall of Protection are:

• Salt
• Dragon's Blood
• Frankencense
• Myrrh

Grind these up into a powder, and you have your base powder. Add to castor oil for an oil, or you cal also burn it over charcoal as incense. Some people like to add cayenne pepper, cinnamon, agrimony or other things, but keep in mind, that many "fiery" additives are skin irritants, so don't use them in an oil.

*I believe that many rituals and recipes work based not only on religion and evocation, but also work based upon the egregore created by decades of usage with specific intent. LBRP, for example.

Vegetarian Meatloaf

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2- packages of Smart Ground (faux ground beef)
1- packet of Lipton's Onion Soup
1/3- cup of ketchup
3/4- cup of breadcrumbs
3/4- cup of water
1- egg

Combine all together, and form into loaf on baking pan. Grease your pan- I found that it stuck to my foil. Cook for 55 minutes at 350. Serve with mashed potatoes and green beans!

Black Bean Quesadillas

Makes two 8" quesadillas

1- can black beans
1- yellow onion
4- 8" tortillas
shredded cheese
garlic salt

Slice onion however you like (I like 1.5" strips). Warm a little olive oil in a skillet, and place onion in the skillet. Saute until the onions are clear, and a little brown. Remove from skillet and set aside. Open the can of beans and drain most of the liquid out. Dump into the skillet, and sprinkle with garlic salt. Heat the beans up over medium heat until they are a little soft- and easily squished with a fork (think about what texture you'd want in your quesadilla).

For the quesadillas, butter or oil one side of a torilla and place butter side down in a skillet. layer a bit of shredded chesse, then spread half of the beans out over the cheese. Add half of the grilled onions, and follow that up with more cheese. I like to make sure the cheese reaches the outer rim of the tortilla to make it stick better. Butter/oil one side of another tortilla and place that butter side up atop the quesadilla innards. Let cheese melt and then flip over (I am unskilled and need two spatulas, because it's the middle is full of yummy stuff). Continue cooking until the other side is cooked through. If your tortilla is mushy/oily, just turn up the fire and keep an eye on it to make the tortilla crunchy.

Repeat process with the remaining two tortillas.

My plan is to serve this with a sante fe style salad (lettuces + green onions + corn + tortilla strips and possibly red bell pepper) for dinner. Vegetarian yumminess.

Edit: I added bell peppers and made this spread out into 4 total quesadillas (8 tortillas). It's possible. :)

The Difference Between Wiccan and Pagan

Disclaimer: This is all MY opinion and experience, as a Wiccan, teaching other Wiccans and Pagans. I'm not the end all-be all grand poobah of path naming.


Wicca is a religious path, one of many within the Pagan path. Wiccans heed the Rede, celebrate the eight sabbats, utilize a Wiccan ritual structure, honor polarity in regards to the gods (God/dess) as well as within themselves, and groups are hierarchal in nature.

Pagans can be of many flavors and traditions, but the most prevalent is Eclectic Pagan, doing what works for them. Usually Eclectic Pagans start out with Wiccan-type practices (and call themselves Wiccan), as that ritual information is pretty easily attainable. Then, when their practices change to suit their own personal gnosis and path, they continue to call themselves Wiccan, though their practices have chaanged so they are outside of the scope of Wicca.

(this was my reply to a post from a newbie witch asking for the difference between Wicca and Pagan)

Joining a Coven

I often get asked, “How does one go about joining a group?” Coven work isn’t for everyone; there any many witches who enjoy and prefer working alone. However, coven work can be part of a fulfilling spiritual experience. There are many ways to find a coven that fits your needs. While sometimes it can be difficult to even find a group of Pagans in your area, much less find a group that is perfect for you, one will never know unless one embarks upon the journey.



The most popular way to find a local group is witchvox.com. The Witches Voice at witchvox.com is the most comprehensive witch and Pagan networking engine on the internet today. Organized and easy to navigate, this is the best place for one to start, especially if you rather communicate via text and email than phone calls. Another way to find a group is to search the groups on yahoo. Many covens use these email-friendly lists to communicate. Be aware, though, that many large social and solely online groups call themselves covens. You can always visit your local occult or metaphysical store. Many times, local covens either rent/use space in a local shop, or post notices on the shops bulletin board. You can always ask the proprietor of the shop about local groups. Also, subscribe to mailing lists of meetup groups, social groups, or Pagan events. Going to open events and networking may lead you to a group.



Once you do find a group that you are interested in, you’ll probably be asked to meet with the leadership of the coven, or attend a meet and greet to meet the coven in its entirety. These meetings are the place to ask any questions you may have of the coven, and answer any questions that they might ask you. It’s important, not just that they fit your needs, but that you fit theirs as well. Make sure your goals and your participation expectations are very clear. You’ll want to make sure the coven is structured in a way in which you could be happy.



My suggestion is to be at your best at these meetings. Once you are part of the coven family, then you’ll get to know the issues that your coven brethren have. This is not the time to tell your potential coven family that your wages have been garnished because you don’t pay your child support, that you have problems having orgasms, or that the Dagda has chosen you as his personal songstress and sends you unicorn dreams that you just KNOW means that you were a priestess of Brighid in a past life. Unless you are asked a question, don’t overshare; whether it’s personal life issues, or UPG (universal personal gnosis). Don’t lie, either. Ever. A coven is based on perfect love and perfect trust, and a little lie (even lies that you think don’t matter) will come out sooner or later.



Don’t come in with an entitled attitude. Realize that the coven is taking their time to meet you. They aren’t doing you a favor, and most likely they aren’t feeling like they NEED another member. Realize that even if you’ve been part of other groups before, or have studied for over ten years, you may still need to take dedicant/ newbie classes. These classes may include “Wicca 101” material, but there may be other reasons why one is expected to take these classes.



In my group, “beginners classes” help the initiates get to know the dedicants. It also gives the dedicants a chance to learn what the coven believes, how they perform ritual and other important concepts. In our coven, every dedicant goes through these classes, like a rite of passage. If you gripe or fight us on taking our classes, that shows us that you want to be part of a coven, not our coven. Usually, if you are aspiring to be part of a group, that group has traditions, and certain ways of doing things. Don’t come in hoping to change it into something you want to join. Also, realize your role in the coven at this point- if you are a newbie to the coven, don’t expect to plan rituals, or have large parts (if any) in ritual, etc. Entitlement is a big turn off.



I’ve heard someone say, “I was SO bored with the open event that [insert coven name here] put on. They just talked afterwards, and didn’t do anything witchy. Should I say something to the high priestess?” Um, no. They are opening their ritual to give you an opportunity to circle with a group. Putting on an open (or public) ritual is a very time consuming endeavor. Being invited to one is a privilege.



One the subject of non-witchy activities, one of the most common misconceptions of coven behavior is that it’s all witchcraft all the time. This isn’t true. It’s not all ritual/ trance/ meditation/ divination. If you want to be part of a well-balanced family-type group, you’ll get to know one another really well, which means that at some point, you’ll need to put the wands down and socialize. Sure, there may be scheduled classes and workshops, but realize that some of the best spiritual discussions can happen organically out of regular conversations.



Another question I get is “what does a coven look for in a potential member?” In my experience, sanity and the absence of icky drama, first and foremost. Adult life skills are also helpful. Be able to balance your checkbook, do your laundry, be aware of your hygiene, clean your house. Craft skills are also helpful, as are camping skills. If you’ve been on a Craft path for awhile, it might be helpful to choose and focus on one facet of the craft. Have a solid solitary practice going on.



Coven life shouldn’t take the place of your personal practice and relationship with the gods, but should complement your practice. Finding the perfect group for you might take time, but it is definitely worth it in the end.