Timeless (20 page)

Ready in 1 hour.

What you'll need.

5 cups of blueberries.

1 cup of sugar.

8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes – leave some for the pan.

1/2 cup all-purpose flour.

1/2 teaspoon baking powder.

Pinch of salt.

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon.

1 egg.

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract.

What you have to do:

Heat the oven to 375°F. Toss the berries with half the sugar and spread into a lightly greased 8-inch square or 9-inch round baking pan.

Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter and blend for 10 seconds. Beat the egg and vanilla by hand.

Drop this mixture onto the fruit; do not spread it out. Bake until golden, approximately 35 to 45 minutes. Serve immediately with love, whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

MARTHA'S HERBAL TEA

Martha's Calming Tea

1/4
ounces -
about 3 heaped teaspoons of
lemon balm.

1/4
ounces -
about 3 heaped teaspoons of
chamomile.

1/4
ounces -
about 3 heaped teaspoons of
passionflower.

1/4
ounces -
about 3 heaped teaspoons of
rosebuds or rose petals.

Sprinkle of dried lavender
.

Store in cool dry place.

Directions

In a bowl, combine dried herbs: lemon balm, chamomile, passionflower, and rosebuds or rose petals and mix well. Spoon 1 heaped teaspoon of the blend into teapot. Let steep for 3 - 6 minutes. When tea settles on the bottom of the pot, pour into cup.

TREE MAGIC.

Alder
-The alder, a shrub or tree of the birch family has special implications in Celtic tradition.

In Ireland the alder was regarded with awe, apparently because when cut the wood turns from white to red. It is also believed that Alder allowed access into the faery realms. At one time the felling of an alder was punishable, and it is still avoided. The alder was thought to have power of divination, especially in the diagnosing of diseases. Alder or yew might be used in the fé, a rod for measuring corpses and graves in pre-Christian Ireland.

Apple
- The pome fruit and tree of the apple is celebrated in numerous functions in Celtic mythology, legend, and folklore; it is an emblem of fruitfulness and sometimes a means to immortality. Apple is a great wood for a magical wand. It is a favorite witch tree. Eating an apple opens the gateway into other realms, most often fairyland. It provides illumination and the gaining of knowledge. The apple is also considered one of the foods of the dead. Wands of druids were made from wood either of the yew or of the apple. Use apple cider in any old spells calling for blood or wine. Apple indicates choice, and is useful for love and healing magic. 

Ash
- The ash tree was a tree regarded with awe in Celtic countries, especially Ireland. Together with the oak and thorn, the ash is part of a magical triune in fairy lore. Ash seedpods may be used in divination, and the wood has the power to ward off fairies. In Gaelic Scotland, children were given the astringent sap of the tree as a medicine and as a protection against witchcraft. Druid wands were often made of ash because of its straight grain. Ash wands are good for healing, general and solar magic. Put fresh ash leaves under your pillow to stimulate psychic dreams. 

Cedar
- Also known as the Tree of Life, Arbor Vitae, Yellow Cedar. Cedar above the entry door will drive away negative influences and evil spirits. Cedar wood is often used to cleanse, heal, and protect. Many Gypsy wagons and caravans are made with cedar. Valued for its ability to keep insects away, it also has strong magic. Burned during scrying, it enhances the seer’s powers.

Elder
-The elder is commonly thought of as the ‘fairy tree’. In Ireland many individual elder trees were thought to be haunted by fairies or demons. Standing under an elder tree at Midsummer, like standing in a Fairy Ring of mushrooms, will help you see the "little people." Elder wands can be used to drive out evil spirits or thought forms. Music on panpipes or flutes of elder have the same power as does an Elder wand.

Elm
- Elm adds stability and grounding to a spell. Use of Elm wands is strong in magic used concerning endurance, fertility, passage through death and the phases of life, rebirth, and invocation of the Goddess. The tree essence energizes the mind and balances the heart. It attracts love, protects, and aids in sharpening psychic powers. It was found in the underworld and at the crossroads leading to the faery world. Elm is very popular with the Elves. Elm adds stability, grounding, and focus to spell working.

Hawthorn
- Wands made of this wood are of great power. The May Pole is traditionally made of hawthorn or decorated with hawthorn flowers. As the tree is sacred to fairies, one must ask permission before taking the blooms or sprigs, and must certainly leave an offering when cutting down a whole tree. Planting it as a hedge around your home will keep out unfriendly spirits. Adding hawthorn to an amulet will protect you from spirits and harmful magic. The blossoms are highly erotic to men. Hawthorn can be used for protection, love and marriage spells. 

Hazel
- Wands made of this wood symbolize white magic and healing. For magical protection, draw a circle around yourself with a hazel branch. In legend and folklore, the hazel, along with the apple and hawthorn, is a tree often found at the border between the worlds where magical things may happen. Both the wood and the edible nuts of the hazel have played important roles in Irish and Welsh traditions. Hazel leaves and nuts are found in early British burial mounds and shaft-wells. Legends tell how the hazel without leaves was thought to be evil, dripping poisonous milk, and the home of vultures. Thought a fairy tree in both Ireland and Wales, the hazel’s wood was sacred to poets and was thus a taboo fuel on any hearth. Witches' wands are often made of hazel, as are divining rods, used to find underground water. Even more esteemed than the hazel's wood were its nuts, often described as the ‘nuts of wisdom’, e.g. esoteric or occult knowledge.

Holly
- Holly is associated with the death and rebirth symbolism of winter in both Pagan and Christian lore, and is important to the Winter Solstice. Holly may be used in spells having to do with sleep or rest, and to ease the passage of death. Holly wood makes very good wands, which can be used to banish unwanted entities and command evoked spirits. Planting holly around the house, or decorating the house with holly boughs, will protect the household from spells cast by unfriendly witches. Holly brought into the home at Yule invites the faerie folk to shelter with you in the cold of winter. A small branch can be hung outside the house to protect it from lightening. A bag of leaves and berries carried by a man is said to increase his ability to attract women. 

Oak
- This mighty deciduous hardwood has played a prominent role in the Celtic imagination from ancient to modern times. Druids made their wands from only three woods: yew, oak, and apple. In both British and Irish fairy lore, the oak is one of three magical woods, along with ash and thorn. Acorns gathered at night held the greatest fertility powers. The Druids and Priestesses listened to the rustling oak leaves and the wrens in the trees for divinatory messages. Burning oak leaves purifies the atmosphere. It can be used in spells for protection, strength, success and stability.

Yew
-The evergreen yew with dark green, needle-like leaves and red berries has commonly symbolized immortality. Both Druids, with their belief in reincarnation, and later Christians with their teaching of the resurrection, regarded it as a natural emblem of everlasting life. Its capacity for great age enriched its symbolic value. It is still commonly planted in Christian churchyards and cemeteries. The druids preferred yew for wand-making over their other favorite woods, apple and oak.

Flowers.

Witches and apothecaries have known about the medicinal uses and the magical properties of flowers for centuries, using them for healing purposes and magic spells.

Blue:
Rich, deep blues, found in the hydrangea and iris, offer serenity. Blue flowers have a calming effect. They cool the emotions. Blue flowers also speak of intimacy and long-term relationships. They communicate deep and enduring trust. Blue flowers also make appropriate sympathy or get well flowers.