I’m happy to announce that the Summer 2012 issue is on (virtual) stands! I want to thank everyone who contributed in any way – I couldn’t do it without them!
(Click the image to view the new issue…)
Pagan Living: Summer 2012
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San Francisco Trip
So, I had a request (from the awesome Magaly over at Pagan Culture who is one of my many heroes in regards to Pagan Living) for pictures from my trip to San Francisco!
And me, looking rather windblown (the wind down on Crissy Field didn’t let up for about 6 hours!)
Plus, the fireworks:
The show was fantastic, even from halfway across the city at the Pier. There is just something really magickal about San Francisco, all those different people and cultures and ideas squashed into 7 square miles. Even though I don’t get down there as much as I might like, it’s worth the drive when I do. 
Memorial Day
I hope everyone is having a fantastic Memorial Day weekend! Mine was pretty great (although my sunburn is less than wonderful)… we drove allll the way down to San Francisco for the Golden Gate Bridge’s 75th Birthday!
For a few red, white and blue (if belated) ideas to honor our troops and remember those who have fallen, check out the Labor Day and Veterans’ Day post back in August:
http://witchofhowlingcreek.wordpress.com/2011/08/21/wheel-of-the-year-secular-holidays/
Magickal Lemonade Mix-Ins
Hey – I’m back! The summer issue of Pagan Living is close to done and will be out the first week in June.
I thought since we’re coming into the warm months, I’d do a post about lemonade. As we know, lemons represent love and friendship, making an ice-cold glass of lemonade the perfect drink to share among friends. Even lemonade can be spiced up a bit though, in delicious and magickal ways.
Orange Blossom Water: Lemons and oranges go hand-in-hand and share many of the same magickal properties, namely love and friendship. So add a few drops of orange blossom water to your lemonade to give it an extra boost! If you can’t find orange blossom water, trying replacing half the water with orange juice for a similar effect.
Tea: Replace the water in your lemonade with iced tea for a fun, flavorful change. Use green tea for health and energy or black tea for strength. You also might want to try experimenting with different flavored teas such as peach or pomegranate!
Cinnamon: Add a cinnamon stick to each glass of lemonade for a sweet, spicy kick of good fortune and wealth.
MIA….
Eeep, it’s been a week and a half! Major apologies. I am right in the middle of finals and getting the summer issue of Pagan Living squared away – I will be back soon!!
Top 5 Magickal Flowers
April showers bring May flowers… magickal flowers! It’s been a while since I did a Top 10 list (okay, so it’s a Top 5 list) so I thought this would be fun, just in time for warm weather and blooming gardens:
Top 5 Magickal Flowers
- Roses – Without a doubt, one of the most popular flowers of all time, roses of all sizes and colors are brimming with beauty and magick. At heart, all roses encourage love but yellow roses are also known for friendship and pink for happiness.
- Geranium – Geraniums are known for their protective properties and the red variety are especially popular with witches. Fill window boxes or porch pots with them for a cheerful greeting and protection for your house.
- Lavender – No list is complete without lavender, right? Love, dreams, sleep and protection are just a few of the things this magickal little flower imbues. It looks lovely planted in pots or the ground, not to mention it goes great in everything from sachets to cookies!
- Statice – Though not exactly a traditional flower, statice comes in a variety of bright and beautiful colors. You might recall it under the name “Lethe’s Bramble,” which is what Willow called it in the infamous Buffy episode “Tabula Rasa” in which a spell gone awry gave all of the main characters total amnesia. Although it’s not quite that severe in real life, statice is associated with memory, remembrance and psychic abilities.
- Lily – Lilies are often associated with the month of May and are a symbol of spring. In their endless varieties, they are also related to love, family, fertility and peace.
Kentucky Derby
Okay, so the Kentucky Derby isn’t exactly a pagan holiday but it is a lot of fun! Horses have been loyal companions and workers for thousands of years all across Europe and the Middle East and in America for the last few hundred. But, let’s be honest, the day is really more about the hats and the drinks than the race (after all, it only lasts two minutes!)
Tuck a red rose in your hat in honor of the beautiful red rose bouquets presented to the winners and to attract a little love into your life. Or, present your significant other (or wished for significant other!) with a red rose for their hat.
Mint juleps are a Southern classic and the official drink of the Kentucky Derby. But, if you’re like me and bourbon isn’t exactly your favorite… try this rather more girly spin bursting with magick to promote healing, prosperity and love:
For the Mint Simple Syrup
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 stems fresh mint (each has about 6-10 leaves on it)
For the Mint Sugar Garnish
1/4 cup sugar
2 stems mint, leaves plucked from the stalk
1 slice lemon
For Each Wintergreen
1 1/2 tablespoons mint simple syrup
1 tablespoon cold clear crème de menthe
Champagne, chilled
Mint sugar for garnish
Mint leaf for garnish
Make mint simple syrup : put sugar, water, and mint in a saucepot, and bring to a boil, stirring so sugar dissolves. Shut off the heat, and allow syrup to come to room temperature. Remove the mint.
While syrup is cooling, make mint sugar by combining the sugar and fresh mint in a mini food processor. Blitz the two until completely combined into a mint-green sugar. Place the mint sugar on a salad plate.
Rub the slice of lemon around the rims of the champagne flutes. Dip the wet rims into the mint sugar. It should stick and form a sparkling crown on the glass.
Trying to avoid disturbing the sugared rim, pour 1 1/2 tablespoons mint simple syrup and 1 tablespoon clear crème de menthe into the each champagne flute. Top with champagne; be careful not to pour too quickly, or the fizz will ruin the sugar rim. Float a single mint leaf in each glass.
