It would seem that my post-holiday, pre-before-school-starts self-care gift to myself this year so far has been in the form of teas. And then, I go into the library to browse for a minute before yoga (I should know better; every time I do that, I’m nearly late for class), and I find Wiccan Teas & Brews: Recipes for magical drinks, essences, and tinctures. Obviously, I had to check that out.
There really are lot of interesting recipes in here, and I do not deny that herbal/home-lore/folk remedies are still around for good reason; I am not however a practitioner of Wicca. That said, the biggest problem I have is that quite a few of the recipes kind of depend of having an extensive home garden of herbs and other plants which I do not. Fresh chicory with roots attached is not something I’m likely to be able to get, putting “Chicory Root Cheer” out of my reach (basically, chicory brew aka coffee substitute). On the other hand, “Longevity Pear Elixer”, which also has applications in love potions, has cardamom pods, pears, lemon, and vodka. Slice pears, add the spices and peel on top, cover in vodka, shake, and leave for 10 days. This I could do. I also do like that the love spells and rituals included do seem to be based on consent and mutual-ness, which goes slightly against the general representation of love potions in fairy tales and the like; I have no idea on the actual practical history, but I do appreciate the versions here.
I’ve never really felt strongly an association with my actual zodiac sign (Aries); however, it turns out that the healing flower recommended for Aries’ happens to be one of my favorites, the impatiens (I spent most of my life believing that flower was named “impatients”). I had no idea that impatiens essence was a thing, but it’s an interesting connection for me. I also learned that dandelion root is good for both helping you find lost things or people via your dreams, as well as assisting in a ritual designed to help you contact the spirit of anyone you might want advice from; I’m not sure if there’s a required living or not status attached to that. Dandelion wine can also help induce visions of foresight should the future be a concern at some point.
This is an interesting and fun little book, although, again, it probably does not have a lot of practical use for me personally.