Sweet Woodruff and May Wine

May Day is just around the corner and now is the time to prepare your traditional treats, libations and crafts. I was inspired to share one of the sacred herbs of the holiday and a libation recipe that many of my adult readers might enjoy.

Sweet Woodruff 

Galium odoratum
Aka: Waldmeister (wood master/ master of the forest)
Some of the old herbalists spelt the name Woodruff with an array of double consonants: Woodderowffe. Later this spelling was written in a rhyme, which children were fond of repeating:
W   O   O   D   D  E,
R   O   W   F   F   E.

As the scientific name might suggest, Sweet Woodruff is a fragrant herb and it is often used in perfumes, colognes, oils, sachets, etc. When cut or dried it smells of fresh mown hay, making it fantastic for home scents (think sachets in bedding or linens, laundry detergent or wool ball scenting, etc). This mown hay scent comes from the chemical coumarin which can be found in many perfumes and fragrances.
In the garden it is used as ground cover and grows best in shaded areas; zones 3-6. As for harvesting I have heard 2 accounts, one says to harvest before it blooms for things like cooking and May Wine, another source says to harvest after it blooms for drying. I would recommend experimenting with both methods.

Magical Associations:

Holy Days: Beltane/May Day, Spring festivals
Deities and Saints: Walpurga, Green Man and other woodland gods such as Herne and Cernunnos.
Uses: used in May Wine, spring festival punches, used to bless the young farm animals born in spring, used in satchets to keep out unwanted pests and spirits as well as bring sweet dreams. Spells and other magical devices use this herb for love, especially love that draws in a man as they are said to be particularly keen on the scent.
Sweet Woodruff was 'hung and strewn in churches, and St. Barnabas Day and on St. Peter's, bunches of box, Woodruff, lavender and roses found a place there.' ~ Mrs. Greive's A Modern Herbal
This is also an herb fairies are said to be particularly fond of and would not be out of place on their altars or in their offerings.

Medicinal Qualities and Warnings:

There is some concern over the toxic potential of the plant's coumarin content; therefore, avoid use during pregnancy and lactation. That being said, May Wine is not recommended for pregnant women due to alcohol content and always check with your health professional before imbibing when nursing.

Image Source: http://bristolharbourgolf.com

May Wine

This is a libation traditionally drunk on, you probably guessed, May Day. The wine is usually white and dry to sweet and flavored with the European spring herb Sweet Woodruff.
The tradition of May Wine in Germany goes back to the 13th century according to Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs.
To make May Wine you need:

• 1 bottle of preferred spring wine
• 1/2 oz dried sweet woodruff
• 2 tbs sugar
• Ripe strawberries to garnesh (optional but highly recommended)

Steep the wooddruff in the wine (I recommend overnight in a closed decanter but an hour before serving is also alright).
Serve chilled and garnished.

If you decide to use fresh sweet woodruff, either bundle the stems and place them upside down, so the cut ends are not leaking into the wine or strip the leaves off the stems right after cutting and then strain the liquid.

Martha Stewart* (the woman is brilliant and I'm pretty sure a witch even if she doesn't embrace the title) recommends the following wines (some with food pairings) for your May Wine:

• German Rieslings (perfect for pork meals)
• German Kabinetts
• American Rieslings (specifically those from Washington State)
• Austrian White Wines (especially those made from Gruner Veltliner)
• New Zealand Sauvgnon Blanc (good with spring greens)
• Beaujolais-Villages (good with smokey grilled meats and vegetables)

*Martha Stewart Living May 2002

5 Crystals Children Love

Kids love crystals. 

Every public or family friendly event I've read tarot at I've set up my table with all of its witchy decor including plenty of crystals. Not long after the guests arrive, kids are drawn in by the crystals. I adore how entranced they are by the stones, holding them in their little hands like excavated treasures. They ask, with awed voices, "What stone is this?" I tell them and their eyes widen as the knowledge seeps in. They show it to their family and tell them the name, whispered or shouted but both with a tone as if they are sharing an amazing secret.
As the season of gift-giving comes closer and closer and families wonder what to get their kids or young relatives or friends, I would like to suggest the not-so-humble crystal. These stones are perfect gifts for anyone whether its a child that loves to learn, a family that is spiritually driven, and parents, whether they are worried about electronics or not, will most likely approve of this sort of present for their child.
My friend Alisha gives gifts of stones to her nephews and niece for their birthdays. A small pouch of stones lovingly chosen to help them with whatever they are going through that year is received with grins and placed reverently beside their bed at the end of the day to dream upon.

Learn how geodes are created at
How Its Made

Geodes

My friend Valesa gifts these pieces of magic to her children on their birthday. They hurriedly take them to the garage where they are handed a hammer (an added bones to the birthday excitement) and set free to crack open their rocks. Once they break in, they are thrilled by the tiny crystals growing inside what otherwise looks like an ordinary rock.
Geodes contain not only shiny stones but also lessons about not judging based on the exterior and excavating the treasures within. In the movie, Whisper of the Heart, ---, the little girl the film focuses on, is gifted a geode and told that, like the gems within, her talents are waiting to be discovered, pulled out, and polished up.
These stones are a magic trick waiting to be discovered by children.

Quartz

Not only are these stones perfect for just about any metaphysical need, quartz are well loved by children. Looking like ice they can keep or diamonds with less cost involved, I've seen children form whole fantasy games around a quartz crystal. When handed a piece of quartz the stone's magic is immediately sensed and the child becomes a knight chosen to protect the kingdom with this artifact or a wizard or witch with ancient powers locked within the stone.

Amethyst

Much like clear quartz, amethysts are often loved by children for their gem-like beauty. These stones are loved not only for their unique color (which can make them even more valued in fantasy play) but also for the feeling it gives to perceptive children.
Amethysts help drive away nightmares and anxieties from a troubled child's mind when placed near the bed at night. It is a stone of psychic protection and sobriety - an excellent choice for a child that is bothered or hyperactive.

Pyrite

Fool's Gold is a loved gift for children. It can play a role in any imagination game as gold treasure either kept in a secret pirate chest or mined from caves by cowboys.
Pyrite also has protective and grounding qualities.

Fluorite, Rainbow

Coming in various colors ranging from green-yellow to purple-blue, flourite is a great choice for children, even those that change their favorite color every day. Stones that show the variety of color all at once can be especially mesmerizing for children.
A really cool gift idea for kids who like stones or are collecting stones is to buy a combined crystal. Aforementioned pyrite is often found in beautiful matrices with fluorite.

Bonus:

Birthstones are also a fantastic gift to kids. Many will scoff at the idea, thinking of modern day birthstones that include diamonds and sapphires that would be inappropriate for young people. However, metaphysical or traditional birthstones aren't so precious. Below is a list of various stones to choose from based on month and zodiac sign.

Where can you find these crystals? 

Online is, of course, super easy with stones sold on eBay, Amazon, Etsy, and specialty shops. Many towns and cities may also have a rock shop in their area that not only carries the stones listed here but local stones that can also be added to the collection for kids or adults that want to learn about their area's finds.
When I go to my local rock shop, I almost always see a child there, in awe of the stones and crystals and excited to fill a little pouch full of the smaller stones all of their choosing. These are treasure to them. I've even come upon a few children who told me the uses of these stones with witchy mama in tow smiling somewhat apologetically until I assure her that the conversation was enlightening, not annoying.

Stones Can Come in Various Forms

Pendulum by Terrestrials

Don't worry too much about finding stones unpolished and singular. Stones in jewelry or put in or made into other items can also make lovely gifts. Treasure boxes set with stones are very loved by most kids. Older children in spiritual or pagan homes might also enjoy a gift of a wand set with a crystal or a pendulum.

New Site Coming Soon

Working on revamping Terrestrials as my husband, Damon the Piscean Blacksmith, is coming on board and working with me!
We will reveal the new look and new products January 2017! This little friend of ours will give you a taste of things to come.

Thanksgiving: Unmasking the Pilgrim Narrative

As we enter into the month of November, in the United States we are inundated with the beginning of the Holiday consumerism season with commercials, store displays, radio ads, people on roadsides flipping signs, and more all about Thanksgiving.
I didn't think much about it before - I saw it as a day full of family obligations, food preparation and eating, a parade on television, and the pre-Christmas stress starter. Now that I am a parent, I find myself thinking hard about holidays, family traditions, national traditions, and why it is we do what we do all in preparations for that fateful day when my son will ask me "Why?" - Why do we celebrate Thanksgiving?
With this in mind, I was intrigued when I read some of the following articles. Please be sure to read them even if you are busy, save them for later and actually read and think about some of these things. I'll wait here for when you're done ;)

Tell Kids the Truth About Thanksgiving by Elizabeth Broadbent for Scary Mommy

Happy Thanksgiving? by Galina Krasskova for Pantheos

Thanksgiving – Gratitude, Family, & Citizenship – Apaturia by Cara Shulz

What the three articles have in common is a message that has been on my mind a lot lately - How can we celebrate holidays that further racism against Native Americans? With all the conflict at Standing Rock, this has been on the minds of many within my circle.
How will I explain Thanksgiving to my son, when the time comes that he is more interested in the Why behind Turkey Day? How will I express Thanksgiving history to him?
I have some time to think about and prepare for this but I know what I will not do - I have no intention of putting a headband on him with a plastic feather, giving him worksheets or story books depicting all Native Americans as the same culture group who all dress like characters out of the Lone Ranger, and who were just dark skin chums with the Pilgrims.

I remember being in a play in 2nd grade depicting the First Thanksgiving. I was a Pilgrim girl who was supposed to act super excited about the invention of popcorn. I was not thrilled about it as I wanted to be an Indian girl but there were no Indian girl parts in the play - only two boy roles. So i pouted over my rag doll and ate popcorn and posed for pictures, saving my budding-feminist arguments for the ride home from school.
It wasn't until later that evening, looking into one of my encyclopedia books, that I realized that the Indians in the play didn't look at all like those in the First Thanksgiving paintings and descriptions. I shared all the discrepancies with my family, who by this time was used to me being a know-it-all and listened without much input. My mother did point out that this was a lot of information to try and share in a twenty minute skit. I was not satisfied. All the stuff I had just read about the actual foods that would have been eaten, the hardships, and the racial tension, was to me far more interesting than trying to pretend to be excited about popcorn.

With this in mind, I will try and share that enthusiasm for Real, Honest information with my son. If he isn't old enough to learn about the genocide of a whole group of people, of the prejudice against them and their cultures that we are still sadly dealing with today - then we will focus on learning about local Native groups, their cultures, their real identities - not ubiquitous teepees and feathered headbands donned while offering a cooked turkey and popcorn.

What do you teach your children about Thanksgiving?

Do you have any curriculum, activities, books, or other resources that aren't based on racial stereotypes or a mythological story? Please share them in the comments below!

Call for Submissions for a Pagan Devotional Anthology

FRIGGA DEVOTIONAL CFS

Calling all who honor the Queen of Asgard. Seeking prayers, rituals, recipes, poetry, essays, tales of encounters, stories, and fiber craft tutorials created for or inspired by Frigga.
Submissions should be under 10,000 words and any photos should be visible in grey-scale. If submitting a fiber art tutorial, please include a picture of the finished product.  Previously published pieces are welcome so long as you have permissions and rights to them.

Please send submissions by April 1st, 2017 to my email address - ddfbryant (at) gmail.com with the name of the piece and your name (or pen name you want the piece published under) and the piece either in the body of the email or attached in .doc or .docx. After the book is published, I will contact you for your mailing info to send you a complimentary copy of the devotional.
Devotionals will be published through Asphodel Press.

I am thrilled to be working on this project for the beloved Queen is due for some attention I think.
Hail to the All-Mother!

Blessings,
December

For updates on the publication and other events and news, sign up for our Terrestrials Newsletter. 

National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day.

October 15th 
National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day

To My Little One
I call you daughter but I never knew
I never held you in my arms
I never nursed you
I never looked into your eyes
I never even felt you kick
But I felt you in my heart
When it broke for you
As it remains broken for you. 

I miscarried my child on Christmas Eve 2013. 
I had just learned I was pregnant a week earlier after intuitively knowing it for about a month. 
Years later, I miss her, even though I've had another child, I miss her. 
I think about how she would be playing now. How she would be reacting to her little brother. I see clothes in the story, toys I would be buying, birthday cakes I would be making. 
I cry for her still but not as much as I did that first year. 
I cry for all of us that have lost children. 

5 Convincing Reasons to Eat Your Placenta (and a quote)

An article I wrote for Ecocentric Mom on the awesome benefits of eating placenta after birth. Its not as gross as you might think.

In Other News

I have also been quoted on BabyGaga in 15 Mom-to-Mom Confessions About Pregnancy