Vegetable Soup: A Bit of Kitchen Witchery

Life with two toddlers is hard.  I go to bed exhausted at the end of the day and climb out of bed still tired.  It just doesn't seem fair that these little people get so much more energy than we do!  Often, I feel like a lackluster witch.  By the end of the day, I just have no energy left for magic.  Then I remember that the magic doesn't make me, I make the magic.  Anything I do can be magic.  And one thing I do a lot of this time of year make soup. 

Soup is not just the perfect cold weather food, it is the perfect busy mommy food.  It requires the use of just four utensils: a cutting board, a knife, a pot, and a spoon.  It is prepared ahead of time i.e. while the kids nap so there is no end of day rush.  It can be a great way to use up odds and ends in the produce bin before grocery day.  And for me atleast it comes with an amazing sense of accomplishment. 

Best of all soup is really delicious, nutritious magic!  Any time there is a  big cauldron bubbling on the stove there is magic in the air.  Superman comes home on soup days swearing he could smell his witch's kitchen for an entire block! So I love soup!  I think that fact is well established, lets get to the making of this magic.

A my house, there is no recipe for soup. Just like a spell, soup is full of love and intent.  It is really more art than science.  That said, I do have three rules for soup.

1. Start with onions and garlic, plenty of both.   
2. Clarify the pan with alcohol, drink a little too if you're not pregnant.
3. Salt is your friend, use it liberally. 

How I make my soup:

I start by heating up my largest pan over medium heat with a splash of oil in the bottom.  When the oil is hot, I add a whole diced onion and at least two cloves of garlic.  This is like prepping the canvas. 

While the onion softens, I start dicing a whole mountain of vegetables.   Starting with the root vegetables that take longer to cook. The goal is to fill my pot halfway line.  Everything gets tossed in the pot with a good stir as it comes off the cutting board.  Just about anything that grows in the garden is subject to my soup pot.  Zucchini, celery, kale, and dried tomatoes are some of my favorites.  While I dice, I focus on the love and care I feel for my family and the strength they will gain from eating my concoction.  Since my hands are all over the vegetables at this stage, it is the perfect time to charge them!  If you're feeling creative now is the time to add some herbs. Go with flavors you know work elsewhere and be generous. 

Once everything is in the pot, I look at it with a painters eye and ask myself if anything is missing.  If it is looking at bit too beige, I add some more tomatoes or carrots.  If it seems to heavy, I add corn or peas for a hint of brightness.  Ha!  Imagine reading these instructions in a cookbook!  When the veggies feel balanced, add salt and cover them with the lid to cook slowly for 30-45 minutes, stirring frequently.  This is a great time to clean the kitchen. 

Now it's time to break open the bottle! White or red wine are probably the acceptable choices, but I have been known to use Wild Turkey very successfully.   Clarifying the pan with the alcohol of your choice helps create a very light and lively broth.  To me, this step is the blessing of the vegetables.  So, pour at least a serving of spirits in the pan and listen to it sizzle happily while the aroma rolls around the kitchen.  Let the alcohol stew directly into the vegetable for a few minutes before adding fresh water to fill the pan.  I consider full to be about two inches below the lip.  At this point I will add 1/2 cup of raw grain and possibly some precooked, mashed squash.  Replace lid and turn heat to simmer. 

Now, go enjoy your afternoon.  Take the kids out to play, sit down with glass of wine, call a friend... Super is well on the way to being ready and you have the evening handled like a boss.  In about an hour, peek at your soup and give it a taste.  There is a good chance you'll need to add more salt.  After three hours or so, your soup is ready and your house smells amazing.  I always think of the aroma as my magic diffusing to all corners of our home.  If it's not quite supper time, turn the heat to low.  Super will be hot and ready when the time comes. 

Mama Magick

Some days, with the inherent business of mothering two little people, I feel like my life has lost all of it's magickal aspects.  Although I make a point to light my altar a few times a week, it has been months since I've done any spell work or meditated.  There just isn't a moment where I can take my eyes off Miss Busy that long and, when her naptime rolls around, I fall asleep every time I sit down to meditate.  Rituals are hit and miss too since, by the time the moon is up, the only place I want to be is in my bed.  It's enough to become discouraging at times, but then I remember that "mother" is one of the magickal phases of a women's life.

Mothering is not just a chore like washing the dishes or filing paperwork.  The very act of being Mama is magick.  If you're feeling skeptical, consider breast milk.  Everyday, all day, my body and the body of every breastfeeding mama produces a very special magickal elixir.  It is far more than nutrition.  It is comfort and love and security.  It is healing tonic and soothing salve.  It is the start to a life time of good physical and emotional health. 

Just like knowingly casting a spell takes huge quantities of energy, the bodies automatic act of creating breast milk and nursing can be physically taxing.  When I choose to nourish my children with my own body, I choose not just to fill their stomachs with the healthiest substance known to man, I also choose to give them large blocks of time to soak in my love and affection unhindered.  Love is the intent of all I do for my children and intent is at the base of all magickal working. 

 

 

At this stage in my life, magick looks a little different than it did before.  I cannot let the spiritual side of myself go, but I do have to recognize that being a mama and a witch are not two different things.  I am both and as of this moment, my intent is focused mainly on two very small people.  Although I sometimes want to follow modern society and demand more of myself, in my heart I know that this is the natural order of things.  I may be doing the greatest magick of my life right now. 

Mrs. Weasley Magic

I know it's Mabon and I should probably be posting something seasonally related, but today all I can think about is how much I envy Mrs. Weasley.  I am a witch who firmly believes in searching for mundane answers before turning to magic, but with a new baby and both Superman and Miss Busy being ill I could really use a bit of Mrs. Weasley's housekeeping magic. 

Here are is my top 5 wish list for magical housekeeping solutions: 

1. I'm doing pretty well on keeping up with the dishes, but what about a magical washing machine?  Maybe washer/dryer/folder combo?  I could handle putting them away myself. 
2. Those enchanted knitting needles?!  I know the boys hate the sweaters Mrs. W creates with them, but I am so envious.  If I knew how to make my needles do that, I wouldn't have one fingerless glove on the computer desk waiting for the creation of it's mate.  Also, I would absolutely have me a colorful witchy mama sweater...gotta love that! 
3. A toy box that pulls scattered toys neatly back into itself.  This would really cut down on the number of bruised feet in our house.  Legos are murder to step on. 
4. Grocery delivery by owl.  Running to the store to pick up a few things is such a chore with the littles.  Wouldn't it be wonderful to send the grocer a short note via family owl and have the trusty bird return with a paper wrapped parcel of essentials. 
5. The epic Mrs. Weasley clock.  Luckily my "George" doesn't have a Fred to worry me as well, but it would be so great to know what everyone was up to in a quick glance. 

Love Reflected

The Stone Charged with Love and Sunshine

This morning, I found a "new" stone sitting with my art supplies on the kitchen counter.  Since Superman is constantly bringing me stones I knew it had been left there for me to find,  but from the moment I picked it up I knew this one was special.  It isn't the most beautiful or unique stone he has brought me and like many others in my collection it emits a low steady pulse of energy, along with something else I couldn't identify right away. 

By the time my husband had emerged from the shower, I knew that this stone wasn't going to be added to the collection on the shrine.  I wanted it near me.  I envisioned wrapping it in wire and wearing it around my neck, but the truth was I was already becoming addicted to the feel of it in my hand.  I needed to know more about this stone that I had so quickly become fascinated with, so I asked Superman about it.  Then I understood. 

This past weekend, he and Miss Busy had been outside playing while I fixed a snack in the kitchen.  When I emerged from the apartment, I found her toddling around his Harley and he very patiently telling her the names of all the parts and explaining what they did.  At some point during their time together, Miss Busy had latched on to this particular rock and had been very reluctant to let it go (she is still in the stage where she mouths everything, so letting her keep it wasn't an option).  When he had finally convinced her to relinquish it, he had slipped it in his pocket then promptly forgot about it for a day or two. 

Somehow, the magic of love and sunshine had become infused in this stone.  It holds the memory of a beautiful daddy/daughter moment that was so generously shared with me.  I have always known that one can attach certain emotions to an item associated with an event, but this is the first time I have experienced being "given" a moment that I did not share in.  What a wonderful way to experience love this Beltane week.

That Magic Moment

Elemental Shrine

All of us, witches and non-witches alike, long for a bit of magic in our life.  That subtle difference that makes everyday life a little less mundane.  Some women find this in the flavored coffee creamer they keep hidden way in the back of the fridge or in a favorite lipstick they feel particularly pretty in.  I find it in a quiet morning routine that ends with a few moments of greeting and honor at my elemental shrine.  The moments spent in front of the shrine help center me for the day and the flickering candles that continue to glow once I've walked away and the aroma of incense that follows me give additional meaning to the everyday chores of a SAHM.  I am not just scrubbing a floor or loading a dishwasher.  I am creating a magical space that not only shelters my family, but protects and nurtures them as well.

From many years as a SAHM, I know that having a routine is essential.  It gives meaning and structure and keeps hyperactive spirits (such as myself) from running off on endless tangents and getting nothing constructive done.  So once Superman is off to work and Miss Busy is bathed and down for her nap, I officially begin my day. 

At this point it takes a lot of discipline not to hop all over the ever calling internet, but the strength required to resist is worth the gain of a day that is well balanced and productive.  My first order of business is yoga (pregnancy yoga right now) to ground me both emotionally and spiritually.  Then I visit my shrine to greet the elementals and welcome them to my day with the lighting of the candles.  I spend a few moments honoring their power and acknowledging that they and I are one.   I finish up with the Blessing of the Green Witch as taught by Ann Moura in her Green Witchcraft manuals and then read my Oracle cards for daily direction.  I have created a bit of a daily liturgy for myself, but it is fluid and changes slightly from day to day.  With all this done, I am ready to go about my day by pouring a cup of coffee and enjoying a quiet breakfast or using the consecrated atmosphere to finish small magical tasks (cleansing the energy of my recent thrift store finds or lighting candles and sending blessings to those in need).  I have started my day off on a good note and feel ready to tackle anything, even a tantrum at the grocery store.