I use this at the new turn of the Wheel and at the Gregorian New Year
Blessed New Year to All!
As many of us work our way out of the years vortex and into a bright new day, I know that a good bit of you will be preparing food and using herbs throughout the next few days to attune your new year.
Cabbage, black eyed peas, pork, and many other dishes will grace our homes with the hopes of bringing good health, abundance, and higher levels of consciousness. However - there are so many things that you can use to build an amazing beginning to your New Year both Spiritually and Therapeutically.
This year, after such a tumultuous time - I knew for my family, for my path, we needed something deep. Something out of the ordinary, away from our yearly tradition of Cabbage and Pork in varying styles. It was time to build a Ritual.
As an Herbalist, my first purpose of creating my Magick is to both represent it's Spiritual, Divine purpose with Therapeutic Medicinal qualities. Personally, I like the finer details of Ritual crafting - aligning multiple pieces together serving multiple purposes cohesively. Using Herbalism and Kitchen Magick help to ensure our Manipura Chakra is unblocked and balanced, ultimately ensuring the success of our purpose within opening our personal transformations.
So, what would I create? What in fact am I looking to bring into the New Year for myself, my family?
•Abundance
•Worry Free Living
•Health
•Protection
•Divine Connection
With Abundance both focusing financially, and in Abundance of everything else on this list of needs - this should be the base of my Spell. It was time to write out and begin an Abundance Bread Loaf.
*Quick overview of bread and Abundance*
• Wheat, the Harvest and Fertility have long stood as pillars of Abundance throughout history. Used also as the totems of many Gods and Goddesses, especially during the time of Lughnasadh and the Catholic Holiday Lammas.
The fiber and prebiotic nature of homemade bread not only helps to clean and aid in our digestion, but this is also representative of cleansing and starting a new. This gives this a boost for new beginnings in entering into the New Year.
Furthering ideas of Financial Prosperity, Strength and Divine Connections - Rosemary and Thyme are amazing additives to a bread loaf, providing a rich taste complimenting the Olive Oil that we will add to the recipe. This will also boost our immune function and our brain function in the same form as it's Spiritual Representation.
Here are the other herbs we will be adding that both represent Strength and Divine Connection and the health benefits they provide:
Basil - Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Magnesium
Garlic - Antibacterial, Antiviral, Immune Boosting
Olive Oil is another ingredient we will be adding which heavily represents Prosperity and Abundance in all of these forms. These herbs we will grind together and add to the top layer of the bread before baking. Enjoy this bread over the next few days to ensure that you begin the New Year on the note you'd like to.
Use this opportunity to chant and cast your spell as you create this bread. Focus your intentions of Healing, Abundance, and Divine Connection into the bread as your work with the mix in your hands. Envision your year, and how each of these ingredients are going to guide your intentions to manifestation. In my personal path, these intentions are made to the God Lugh, and the Goddess Macha. Being as they are both of the Harvest, and that they are a piece of each of these representations - we will make part of this an offering to both of them, as the also assist in our guidance to success.
Oven Temp: 450
2 Cups All Purpose Flour - Non bleached
2 Cups Water
1 oz Dry Active Yeast
1 tbsp Olive Oil
A pinch of salt
Add 2 Cups warm water to yeast and mix until thoroughly dissolved. Add Oil and Salt and mix. Then mix in 2 Cups Flour. Add flour or water as needed until ratio appears to be even and mixes well (if not accurately measured). Mix thoroughly until smooth. Let sit uncovered for one hour to allow rise.
Once risen, roll out and form into a baguette/french bread loaf. Place on baking sheet with parchment paper.
Use your kitchen knife to make 3 scores on the loaf, and carving your families name onto the bread. Before you put this into the oven, crush together 2 sprigs rosemary, 1 Clove garlic, 3 sprigs Thyme, and 3 Basil leaves and add to 2 TBSP Olive oil. Mix thoroughly and lightly brush A LITTLE onto the loaf. We don't want this too wet. Place in oven for 13 minutes. Lightly add more of Oil and Herbs until you're pleased and bake 3-5 minutes or until Golden. Remove from oven and let cool on bread cloth or cooling rack.
Eat, enjoy, and as you feed - thank this for the guidance, and keep envisioning this upcoming year full of your intentions.
Enjoy this beautiful New Year! May the Gods shine upon us all for this bountiful year to come!