Gardening by the Moon

Good Evening,

I was recently interviewed on a local Regional Farm and Food radio program. The topic was gardening by the moon phases. I wanted to share this information with you.

There are two phases of the moon where one can garden by.   The light of the moon and the dark of the moon. The light of the moon is the two week period of time from the new moon as it waxes towards full.  The dark of the moon is the two week period of time from the day after the full moon to the day before the new moon.

The gardening to be done during the light of the moon is planting any fruits or vegetables that grow above the ground, like pumpkins, strawberries, cucumbers and tomatoes. Gardening to be done during the dark of the moon is for any flowering bulbs and vegetables that grow underground like potatoes, carrots and turnips.

It's important to note you can garden during the day, gardening by the moon does not have to be done during the nighttime hours. Anytime within the two week window for the moon phase is acceptable.

The moon in regards to gardening simply has to do with water. When the moon is waxing towards full it has filled up things in nature with water. When it's waning towards new it has taken the water away. This is the natural ebb and flow to be found in nature, in all things.

Besides gardening, there are other areas in farming where the light and dark of the moon make a difference. For instance, rail fences cut during the waning, dry moon will stay straighter as will wooden shingles and shakes.
Crabbing, shrimping ad clamming should be done when the moon is full, whereas the best days for fishing is between the new moon and full moon.

These are just a few things to be done by the phases of the moon. For more information consult the 'Old Farmer's Almanac' as this is the resource I referenced for this article today. Happy Gardening!

Peace and Happiness







© 2010-2014 Faith M. McCann. Portions of this blog posting may include materials from my book “Enchantments School for the Magickal Arts First Year Magickal Studies.” For more information, see www.enchantmentsschool.com or go to the title of tonight's discussion and click, it will link you to my school's website. Please note that the copying and/or further distribution of this work without express written permission is prohibited. 


If you know someone who would like my work, please send them this link. If you or they would like to be included on our daily email distribution list send me an e mail with your email address to be included. If you ever wish to unsubscribe to this blog, please contact me and you will be immediately removed from our list.

Happy Litha! Enchantments celebrates the Summer Solstice Saturday!

 Good Afternoon,



Well, it's that time of year again, the Summer Solstice is almost upon us! We look at the Solstice as mid- Summer, and we consider the beginning of Summer having  occurred May 1st. This Saturday we will hold our Mid - Summer celebration at Enchantments. We are celebrating the first harvest, but not of food crops. This first harvest is for medicinal and magickal herbs and plants. We celebrate the Sun being at it's zenith and at it's full strength and power.

The herbs we harvest are considered to be at their peak of magickal power.  If you wish to harvest during this time, harvesting anytime during the day of the Solstice is acceptable. Even three days before and three days afterwards is good. The magickal power takes time to dissipate over the rest of the Summer, just as it takes time to build during the Spring and early Summer. 

Don't get all crazy about having to do it NOW! Plants and herbs are in no rush like humans are, and many times I've seen humans place our own sensibilities onto plants and animals and that's not necessary.  Harvest with intent and love and harmony within you. A sense of being rushed and needing to get it done is not the way of the witch. We do things in their time, but we make sure we are present and part of the process while we do it.

The celebration starts at Enchantments at 10 am, and those who wish to attend must be there by 10 as we cast the circle shortly thereafter. Also if you come, be sure to bring a dish for the pot luck feast to be held right after the Sabbat celebration. It would be great to  have you there!

Happy Litha!


Peace and Happiness






© 2010-2014 Faith M. McCann. Portions of this blog posting may include materials from my book “Enchantments School for the Magickal Arts First Year Magickal Studies.” For more information, see www.enchantmentsschool.com or go to the title of tonight's discussion and click, it will link you to my school's website. Please note that the copying and/or further distribution of this work without express written permission is prohibited.

 If you know someone who would like my work, please send them this link. If you or they would like to be included on our daily email distribution list send me an e mail with your email address to be included. If you ever wish to unsubscribe to this blog, please contact me and you will be immediately removed from our list.

A Magickal Garden Tour

Good Afternoon,

Last Saturday, The wonderful students of Enchantments went on a field trip to a local nursery. Woodland Gardens in Manchester is simply one of the best nurseries around! I walked the class through the trees and shrubs, the perennials and then the annuals from flower to vegetable.

There was so much to see and learn. I tried to give the students the 'witch's' point of view of the plants. The magickal properties of the plants and little known secrets of the plants. I will cover just a few of them with you here, today.

 This first plant is Lady's Mantle. It's magickal property is love. It can be used in love spells and sachets. It also has a drop of what appears to be dew in the center of each leaf in the morning, but it is really a sap from the plant. Legend has it, that this drop of sap can be used magickally to create the philosopher's stone.  The philosopher's stone is reputed to be able to alchemically turn base metals into gold and in some legends for one to achieve immortality. 

 This next beautiful plant is the Scotch Broom or Witches Broom. It is a member of the sweet pea family and now comes in many beautiful colors, from yellows to reds, oranges and even white. It's natural color is a pale yellow flower. Burning broom is thought to bring the rains. This could be done if an area is experiencing a drought. The magickal properties of broom are Purification, wind spells, divination, protection.  If using broom be sure to carry with you and never drink or eat as the plant is poisonous.

 This plant is the lovely foxglove. It's magickal property is protection. It is the basis for Digitalis which is it's Latin name, and has been used in a heart medicine for heart patients. Be sure to never use this on your own for medicinal purposes. It needs to be modified in a laboratory for one to use the medicine it contains safely. It is said to never cut and bring foxglove indoors as it is bad luck and will irritate the faerie spirits that are near.

 This is sweet woodruff. It's magickal properties is victory, protection and money. Carry a sprig of woodruff with you to draw money to you and to increase protection around you. This is the herb used in May Wine at Beltaine and is also a source of coumadin an anti-coagulant or blood thinner. If you are on blood thinners be very careful about using woodruff in food or drink. When the leaves are crushed it smells like new mown hay.

These are just some of the secrets these plants have in store for you. Each one is a lovely addition to your garden and none spread except for the woodruff. It can be mown to keep it in check and to also release its wonderful fragrance.

If you would like to know more about the magickal properties of plants and herbs I recommend a wonderful book by Mr. Scott Cunningham "Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs". We sell this book at Enchantments, and as it's so popular we try to always have it in stock.

Please save the following dates for upcoming witchy activities at Enchantments:  Saturday June 21st, we celebrate the Summer Solstice at Enchantments with a Sabbat ritual and a Pagan feast. Everyone is welcome. More about this in next week's discussion.

Wednesday July 2, 2014 we host the bi-monthly Women's Spirituality Group at Enchantments at 5 pm. This is a free group for women who wish to discuss their spiritual path with others of like mind.


Peace and Happiness









© 2010-2014 Faith M. McCann. Portions of this blog posting may include materials from my book “Enchantments School for the Magickal Arts First Year Magickal Studies.” For more information, see www.enchantmentsschool.com or go to the title of tonight's discussion and click, it will link you to my school's website. Please note that the copying and/or further distribution of this work without express written permission is prohibited.


 If you know someone who would like my work, please send them this link. If you or they would like to be included on our daily email distribution list send me an e mail with your email address to be included. If you ever wish to unsubscribe to this blog, please contact me and you will be immediately removed from our list.

Raven Grimassi & Stephanie Taylor Grimassi are coming to Enchantments!

 

 

 

 

 

Good Afternoon!

I have some exciting news to share!! Raven Grimassi and Stephanie Taylor Grimassi will be coming to Enchantments to conduct a new workshop based on their soon to be published book "Grimoire of the Thorn Blood Witch"  It will be a cord magick workshop, and you'll be working with a green cord which will become a shamanic talisman to work with plant spirits.

They will be conducting this workshop on Friday evening August 29th, from 5-appx 7 or 7:30 pm. The cost is $35.00 a person and we will have his new book for sale that day. Anyone who purchases the book that night will receive a free poster of the book's cover which will become a collector's piece. 

 

Raven Grimassi is the award winning author of more than a dozen books on Witchcraft and Wicca such as  the  Encyclopedia of Witchcraft and Wicca, The Cauldron of Memory and Old World Magick to name a few. A teacher and practitioner of magickal systems  for more than thirty-five years, he is also the co-founder and co-director of the College of the Crossroads, a mystery school devoted to preserving the Old Ways of pre-Christian European religion and spirituality.

I hope to fill up the class, we have room for 16 people. If you've met Raven in the past you know why I'm so excited, if you haven't yet, trust me. You do not want to miss this opportunity to meet one of the greatest Witchcraft scholars alive today!


Reservations and pre-payment required to take this awesome workshop! Please stop by Enchantments to make your reservation.

Peace and Happiness 













© 2010-2014 Faith M. McCann. Portions of this blog posting may include materials from my book “Enchantments School for the Magickal Arts First Year Magickal Studies.” For more information, see www.enchantmentsschool.com or go to the title of tonight's discussion and click, it will link you to my school's website. Please note that the copying and/or further distribution of this work without express written permission is prohibited.


 If you know someone who would like my work, please send them this link. If you or they would like to be included on our daily email distribution list send me an e mail with your email address to be included. If you ever wish to unsubscribe to this blog, please contact me and you will be immediately removed from our list.