As promised, a donation towards hurricane relief has been made by Cynnamon Charmed. Initially, I promised 20% of Cynnamon Charmed proceeds would go towards the organization you all voted to select. However, you all have been amazing this month and so we are proud to announce we made a 30% donation towards the ASPCA.
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Here in Missouri we have very cold winters and we must take precautions to save our beloved herbs and flowers if want to keep them around for next year. I have LOTS of outdoor herbs and plants that I take advantage of throughout the warmer season and harvest all that I hope I need to make it through the winter. I am not a huge user of fresh herbs in the kitchen. If I have them then I use them fresh, but if not, I have no problem using dried herbs that I have harvested in the past. Therefore, the need of growing herbs indoors is limited to the need I would have of them fresh or my ability of saving a plant that would otherwise die in our cold and not return the next year. Some plants are real iffy and may skim by one year but not make it the next. The plants that are a toss-up in our weather and that I like having around are mostly Rosemary, Oregano, Sage. Some people say that if you mulch around them really well in the Fall then they will survive. I have always brought them in and this year I am leaving them out to see how they do. I plan on mulching with some straw after the leaves have all fallen and been cleaned up. I don’t worry too much about bringing annuals inside because these plants can easily be planted directly in pots. Most of the time they are at the end of their life cycle by the end of the Summer anyways and so transplanting would be unneeded. My favorite FIVE (plus a bonus) plants to grow inside just to have them available for magickal uses are Rosemary, Sage, Oregano, Basil and Thyme. Basil is pretty simple and I plant it directly in a potting soil from seed. Keep it in a sunny window and let it dry out between watering. The other four plants seem to do the best planted in a cactus mix potting soil. They love the sandy soil and the cactus mix seems to work really well. These all need to be in a window with at least 6 hrs of light, kept at around 70 degrees and they tend to get root rot easily if over-watered. It’s best to let them dry out between watering and then water thoroughly. The Rosemary likes it even drier than the rest. I like to frequently mist the air around the plants to increase the humidity. This also will deter red spider mites on indoor rosemary plants which tend to be a real problem. If you are bringing these plants inside from a summer outdoors then you will need to do so slowly. Pot them in the mixes described above and then place them in a semi shaded area outside so that they can get use to their new soil. After a week or two you can begin bringing them in at night and returning them outdoors during the days. After a few weeks or if temperatures drop go ahead and bring them indoors permanently and place in that sunny window. Be sure to inspect them for bugs before bringing inside. This is really a process that is best done slowly to avoid too much of a shock in your plants. The “bonus” plant I mentioned earlier is the Stevia. This is my first year growing this plant but I have really loved keeping this and would love to have it fresh all year so that I can benefit from its sweetness in my teas throughout the winter. Since this is my first year bringing it in I am still experimenting with it. I put it in a pot and allowed it to get used to the soil before bringing in. Now, it is inside full time and in front of a west facing window. So far it seems to be doing really well. I am a little concerned about how it will do as we lose daylight over the next month or two. I may have to move it to a different window. It likes to be thoroughly watered about once a week. The key in keeping your herbs inside for the winter is knowing your plants (and occasionally it is also just experimenting). Each one has unique tolerances and requirements that will need to be met in order to be successful. In addition, some are not worth the effort to transplant while others, like expensive plants or those you want to propagate in the Spring will be worth it in the end. Over on our Facebook page I introduced one of our newest products in a video. This product was our Premium Dream Pillow. Most people have heard of the dream pillow and we do carry the normal dream pillow in our shop as well. However, this one is special because it contains an extra layer and a zipper to keep the herbs and the fill separate so that they can be changed and extend the life of the pillow. The normal dream pillow is only good for 3-6 months before it must be replaced. The Premium pillow is washable and can be kept and used over and over again with different herbs, saving YOU money. Come on over to our Facebook page or click HERE to watch my video about how this works and what makes it so special.
Wreaths are now available in the shop and start at only $20.....AND as always have flat rate $5 shipping. Our wreaths are not just for decoration. They contain our powerful herbal blends, black salt and stone chips so that they can offer great benefits to a vulnerable spot in our home....the front door! Come take a look )0( New styles coming soon!!! I wish you all a very blessed Mabon and encourage you to take this time to consider all that has come to harvest for you this year and to be thankful. Mother Earth blesses us daily with her beauty and her resources....thank her. What other areas of your life should you show gratitude? Even in darkness there is light, we may struggle to see that light; however, the search for it alone makes us stronger.
As we enter the season of the crone, we take the opportunity to look within ourselves. We can spend time nourishing and replenishing ourselves from the inside out this season. This is a very important part of the annual cycle that many people over look. It's easy to think of the crone as only a stage of life based on age but the truth is that this is a stage we cycle through routinely. The crone is a part of us all every day. You can recall that cycle as we think of our sleep. We awaken the Maiden, ready and alert just to transform into the Mother as we get fully into our daily activities. But as the day is complete and we get ready to withdraw from the outside world, to recover within in our hours of sleep, we too are crone. The seasons of the year, progress much the same way but on a larger, deeper scale.
Traditional thinking of the crone (the old) in terms of the end is a very sad and closed mind way of being. The truth is that the crone is the embodiment of life lived, truth told, wisdom held and secrets kept. She is the knowledge we all want to gain. The crone has experienced all, gained all, lost all and rebuilt. She is powerful, confident, strong, hard, all knowing, and when you have the advantage to stop and listen.....do it. Don't just hear the ramblings of the old woman, truly listen to the knowledge of the crone. Blessed Be )O( Come on over to our Facebook page to see our new video on how-to make these beautiful altar/home decorations for your harvest celebration!!!
Today I done, what could be, the final clipping of my outside plants for the year. They are so beautiful and will be missed dearly until next Spring. I was going to dry them and put them up for our Cynnamon Charmed Herbal Blend Collection but decided to do something a little different. So these were made into 9 smudge sticks that turned out AMAZING!
A few weeks ago I done a few smudge sticks in a how to video for you guys, showing you how to make your own. Those sticks are now dried and available online to purchase in the shop. These 9 will be available October 6 (possibly sooner) to ship out but I will put them up in the store for pre-order. This will be the last of the Spring, Summer, Harvest type smudge sticks for this year. Available NOW! 1- Lavender Rosemary 1-Sage Basil Lavender 1- Rose Lavender Bergamot 1- Thyme Mint Available to Pre-Order for shipment by October 6 3- Mint, Purple Basil, Sage, Marigold (Pictured Above 2 and 3) 2- Grape Vine Leaf, Bergamot, Lavender, Crysanthimum (Pictured Above 6 and 7) 4- Rosemary, Sage, Mint, Rose (Pictured Above 4 and 5) Dries at 6" min. length Flat rate shipping is $5 so be sure to stock up. )O( Click below on our SHOP NOW link to place your orders! What celebration would be complete without a cake??? Nothing says Mabon like the flavors of pumpkin and maple along side a nice hot cup of coffee. With only 7 days until Mabon, don't forget to add these ingredients to your shopping list.
Pumpkin Maple Coffee Cake 1 1/2 c flour 3/4 c brown sugar, packed 1/2 tsp salt 2 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp baking soda 2/3 c buttermilk 1/2 c pumpkin 1/3 c oil 1/2 tsp imitation maple 2 eggs, beaten Topping: 1/2 c sugar 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp imitation maple Mix all the dry ingredients and set aside. Mix all the wet ingredients and set aside. Mix all the topping ingredients, divide into half and set aside. Now mix together the wet (not topping) and dry ingredients. Pour half of those ingredients into a greased 9" pan. Sprinkle 1/2 of the topping ingredients over that layer. Add the rest of the cake mix and then using the rest of the topping mix sprinkle over the cake. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes. In honor of the season of Samhain we are doing a brand new GIVEAWAY!!! The lucky winner will receive a powerful addition to their celebration!
1- SAMHAIN HERBAL BLEND as pictured in corked glass bottle with skull crossbone accent from our shop. Here's what you must do to be entered to win: 1. Like our Facebook page 2. Like this post (on Facebook) 3. Share this post (on Facebook) If you do all three steps above, you will be entered for a chance to win in the drawing. Deadline to like and share will be October 18, 2017. Drawing will be October 20th (either live or in video) and I will announce winner on our Facebook page. OH....and it ships free too:) That's right, absolutely NO cost to you. So like, share, and help us reach even more people and you may just win our Cynnamon Charmed Samhain Blend! )O( In order to guarantee delivery by October 31st, I need the giveaway winner to send me their shipping address by October 22!!!! As always, we have the Samhain Blend and the Samhain Ritual Kit available for purchase, as well, at www.etsy.com/shop/cynnamoncharmed. Our Samhain blend is a perfect blend for honoring and remembering our ancestors and yet still providing the highest level of protection around ourselves for that time when the veil between the worlds are the thinnest and we are most vulnerable to negative energies. This blend combines all the fantastic Fall herbs and flowers that we grow here to make the ultimate harvest blend for this special event. Ingredients: Cynnamon Charmed Calling Spirit herbal blend, Chrysanthemum, St. Johns Wort, Bay Leaves, Calendula, Rosemary, Sunflower, Corn Tassel, Frankincense Resin, Grape Vine Leaves Our herbal mixtures have multiple uses for working within listed intention. Some our favorite uses are: • Sprinkled on altar • Used as offering • Used to stuff poppets • Infusing and/or ringing candles • Added to baths – wrap and tie in cheese cloth/steep in a tea pot to add to bath water or tie cheese cloth containing herbs to shower head to allow water to run through it while you shower. • Added to sachets to carry with you • Added to charm necklaces • Added to pillows • As a fire throw • Made into infused oils or potions • Burnt on charcoal disks as incense As always, please use caution with any sprays, salves or anything containing herbs, herbal extracts or essential oils. Some of these are not safe around pregnant women or animals so do your research before using. Cynnamon Charmed handcrafts unique items to enrich people’s lives on a spiritual level. Please note that these blends have been tried and tested highly successful within the work of multiple individuals over time. However, we cannot guarantee the outcome of any of our products because creating the blend is only half the work. As a practitioner you have to create the desired outcome for yourself, as well, through visualization, meditation, ritual and spell work. The law requires that I say that I sell these products only as Curios and I make no claims in regard to them. These items are for entertainment purposes only. When purchasing my products you are verifying you an adult who is 18 years or older and are, therefore, responsible for yourself, your actions and any results from your actions. Cynnamon Charmed will not be held responsible for injury, reactions, misuse or mishandling of any product we sell. Our products are not intended to diagnose or treat any medical condition. Always use essential oils under supervision of your doctor. The content/photos in our shop are copyright to Cynnamon Charmed. They are not to be used without my prior written permission. All rights reserved. |
Keri Nichol
Founder, Artist, Herbalist, and Writer Archives
August 2018
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