Adam and Eve's Affair

This torrid affair in black tea blend is perfect for all matters of love, faithful partnership and attraction. 

http://blackthornhoodooblends.com/products/adam-and-eve-tea

Ingredients:
4 tsp Adam and Eve tea
6 ounces gin
1 ounce sweet vermouth
1/4 cup sugar
5 dashes orange bitters
Orange and/or lemon twists, for garnish

Directions:
Place a saucepan over medium heat, add 3 cups water and sugar. Reduce the heat and simmer until the mixture is reduced to 2 cups, about 10 minutes. Strain the syrup into a glass measuring cup; if you have less than 2 cups syrup, add hot water. Add the tea and steep, about 3 minutes. Gently strain the tea and cool the syrup to room temperature. Combine the syrup, gin, vermouth and bitters in a large cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously, about 20 seconds, then pour into a pitcher filled with ice. Garnish with orange and/or lemon twists.

Pagan Festival season approaches: Safety Concerns

Trigger Warning: This article discusses the topic of sexual assault and rape.

Here's another excerpt from my old Pagan advice column, originally appearing in Thorn Magazine. Reposted for Festival season. -Amy Blackthorn

Of Green and Glass: Where Down to Earth Solutions and a Glass Edge Meet. By Goewin GreenWitch

Dear Goewin,

         The pagan festival season is fast approaching, and I’ve had a group of friends ask me to go with them.  I’m able to take the time off of work, and I’ve saved what I need.  I’m kind of worried, though: I heard from a friend that a dear friend of hers was raped at a festival last year. I want to go, but I’m worried about my safety. Is there a way I can be safe?  Are my fears grounded in reality, or am I just being paranoid as my friends have suggested?

                             Signed, Safe Camper

Dear Safe,

        According to a study reported by womenshealth.about.com, sexual assault is the most rapidly growing violent crime in the US, with fewer than 50% of rapes reported.  Many victims are ashamed of what happens, and may believe they are at fault in some way. This is not the case.  Rape is about power, not sex.  Eighty percent of rapes are committed by someone who knows the victim, and 61% of female victims are under 18 years old. Although the majority involves male perpetrators and female victims, 5% of reported rapes happen to male victims.

Unfortunately, there have been recorded cases of sexual assault at festivals, and not just pagan ones.  Mainstream festivals, campouts and concerts, as well as many other public events, have been known to attract predators.  But don’t let this keep you home and afraid-- then they will have won. 

Just because they walk around hearing “Harm None,” people think that nothing bad could ever happen in a pagan community event. Pagan campouts involve just as much common sense as every other camping event. I have a black belt, I've taken Tae Kwon Do, Judo and Aikido, but I don't go walking down dark alleys, with iPod headphones in my ears.  

Any good friend would be worried about your safety no matter where you’re going, so use that to your advantage and remember the buddy system.  I don’t care if you have to use the Spot-a-Pot at three AM, take a friend with you!  Make a habit of walking with others and stick to paths with good lighting, in public view whenever possible.

Get to know the security at the event you're attending.  You're paying to be here, know what you are paying for.  Ask registration how to contact security in case of an emergency.  What protocols are in place for someone's violation of laws? 

Parties are often found at festivals.  Observe the same rules you would at a bar.  Don’t leave your drinks unattended.  If you MUST, go get a new one.  Don’t take the chance that something went into your drink while you weren’t around. Don’t drink to excess, you want to be in control of your faculties to be able to say “No” if you need to!  If you are too drunk to walk back to your tent, then you are too drunk to fend off an attacker. 

Many police agencies suggest carrying pepper spray with you, but since every state has their own restrictions, please check with local law enforcement.  The states with the stricter restrictions include New York, Michigan, Hawaii and Wisconsin. Also, don’t just throw it in your purse, as it is unlikely that you will be able to find it in the bottom of a bag if you need it.  If you have a belt, many spray canisters come with holsters.  It’s a lot less recognizable in a holster than carried in hand.  A few rules to remember when buying pepper spray: When you buy, but two.  Take one outside away from people and pets.  Spray it until it's empty.  You need to know whether it is a stream or fog, how long it sprays, how far the spray will reach, and how long before it is empty.  If you are going to use it on someone, empty that thing.  It's cheap, you can buy another.  You cannot buy another you.  Always buy pepper spray with an expiration date.  That tiny, pink, pen sized canister may be cute, but you need safety, not another accessory.  If it doesn't have an expiration date, it's not worth your life.  Re-purchase yearly.  The propellant that forces the spray out of the can will dissipate over time.  You want to know it'll be there if you need it.  Some brands come with UV dye.  This means that if your attacker escapes and washes their spray soaked face, and the police locate them a few days later, they may still have UV dye on their skin they didn't scrub off. 

Make sure to avoid areas that seem deserted, and stay aware of your surroundings!  It’s harder to sneak up on someone who knows where she is and where she’s going.  An aware and confident stance makes you less desirable as a potential victim.

Just because this is a pagan gathering, don’t fall into the thinking that everyone there thinks the same way you do.  Just because “Harm None” is your motto doesn’t mean that the creepy guy on the other side of the fire circle thinks so too.  Don’t go off with strangers, don’t let them into your camps, and don’t go back to a stranger’s tent. 

What to do if you are assaulted while at festival:

• Get to a safe place, away from your attacker! Many rapists will threaten to hurt you if you report them. They are trying to command power over you. After all, that is why they forced themselves on you to begin with: to command power. Take your power back by taking control of the situation.
• If you are raped, your first instinct might be to take a shower or bath to wash away what has happened to you.  DO NOT bathe, change your clothes, or wash your hands or face! Valuable forensic evidence can and will be lost! If you’re able, you can bring a change of clothes for after your discussion with hospital personnel or doctors. 
• Do not alter the scene, straighten anything, or remove items. If the scene is your tent, zip it up and get out as soon as possible.  The police will want to examine the scene to determine if there is any additional evidence they can use to prosecute.  Fingerprints, fibers and the like can be lost or destroyed, so it’s best to let the forensic team do their job.
• If you are there with friends, find one you trust to come with you to report. You are allowed to have someone support you at the hospital and with police. Witness statements have been proven to be the most reliable within the first twenty minutes of any traumatic event, so you need to get help. If your cell phone has a voice memo feature record your voice relating details of what happened as soon as possible so you don't lose any details with time.
• Every festival has someone in charge. Go to a registration area or find security-- usually, those in charge will have radios. If there isn’t a phone available, get someone you trust or someone in charge to get you a ride to the hospital as soon as possible.  This is very important due to the number of diseases that are spread through sexual contact. In most states, the hospital will have to report the rape to the police.  If no one is available to go to the hospital with you, or you feel shame or fear, victim's advocates are on call 24 hours a day 7 days a week in most states to go to the process with you.
• Some victims choose not to press charges because they “just want it to go away.”  Immediate medical attention helps when deciding to report the crime, providing evidence needed to prosecute the rapist if a criminal case is pursued. If you've been raped and think you don't want to report it, you could change your mind later — this often happens — and having the results of a medical exam can help you do this. If evidence is collected, then you are protected no matter what you decide to do.  At any time during the medical exam, you can say if you don't want a certain test performed or evidence collected. Your body is your own, the hospital just wants to help catch the person who assaulted you and make everyone safer.
• If you think you've been given a rape drug, a doctor or technician can test for this, too. Be aware that this toxicology test covers any and all illegal drugs.  If you have used illegal drugs, this does not mean you are at fault for what happened to you, police and hospitals ask this so that they can better understand the timeline of events and possible interactions.
• Lastly, seek professional counseling. Make sure you allow yourself to talk to those around you. Your friends and family are there for you. If you feel you can’t talk to them and don’t have the ability to talk to a therapist, there are many free and anonymous help lines you call to talk to someone who knows what you are going through.  Please, if you or someone you know has been the victim of sexual violence or rape, talk to someone.  Don't deal with this by yourself. 

Now, I hope you understand that I’m not telling you this to keep you away from festival; I want you, all of you, to be safe.  Unfortunately, it seems our society believes that it is more socially acceptable to gossip about who is in what coven now than how to protect oneself in the real world. Discussing protection and pagans doesn’t have to be about which herbs to place around your tent: the real world belongs here, too!  

National Sexual Assault Hotline | 1.800.656.HOPE

For more information please visit:

http://womenshealth.about.com/cs/azhealthtopics/a/rapehealsurvive.htm 

http://www.rainn.org/  The Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network
http://rapecrisis.com/ The Rape crisis hotline 24hrs

http://www.malesurvivor.org/

About:  Amy Blackthorn has been Greening her magical world for 22 years.  When she isn’t writing, she can be found teaching classes on Tasseomancy, Floriography, Hoodoo, Magical Perfumery, Herbal Wisdom, Astrology, and a variety of other topics.  She also enjoys reading (with her Tarot Cards, her gardening books or a good Paranormal Romance), cooking for her husband and friends, and walking her dogs. 

Her new Tea Store Blackthorn Hoodoo Blends is now online. 

Of Green and Glass: After the 101 phase

Of Green and Glass:

Where Down to Earth Solutions and a Glass Edge Meet

By Goewin GreenWitch

Dear Goewin,

            I feel like I’m drowning.  I go to the bookstore and all I see are Wicca 101 books!  I’ve read most of them and own about half.  I get it already.  Earth is green, Air in the East, think before you cast a spell.  Where are the books for the “next step”?  I think I’m interested in Green Magic, but how do I know what’s good and what’s crap?  Seeing as you use GreenWitch as your last name, I figured I could ask you.    How do I know if this is really for me if I can’t find the right books?

-Next Not New

Dear Next,

            It’s okay, it’s not just you.  I’m pretty sure many people have a bone to pick with the publishing industry.  Authors get paid squat, and publishing companies can only produce what has already sold.  This is especially true when you are talking about a “specialty” topic like a non-mainstream religion.  They need to publish books on advanced topics, but they have to concentrate on what sells to make money.  Wicca, Witchcraft and Paganism are a small enough minority, and when you factor the number of newbies versus the number of experienced practitioners of any given form or Tradition, the seekers are going to outnumber us at any given point.  Is it fair?  No, but I never promised things would be fair, just correct.

 So, how do you know if a book is right for you?  Just because a book calls itself “everything you could ever want to know”, doesn’t mean it is.  Progressing past “101” to individual paths, practices and traditions is just natural.  Some great Authors of Green Magic themed books are Ann Murphy–Hiscock,  Judika Illes (Judika doesn’t get billed as “green magic” but she has a fantastic connection with plants and their uses, Ellen Dugan (who also happens to be a Master Gardener, by the way),  Scott Cunningham, Lexa Rosean, and Poppy Palin also have several books on Herb uses, in spell work.

Keep in mind, that no matter how much you read, nothing will take the place of real world experience.  Jump online and see if there are any shops around you, check out some Open circles!  If you’re out in the middle of nowhere, there are plenty of correspondence courses for things you can learn from home.  Susun Weed offers correspondence courses as do many other famous, ‘green’ authors.  I would however caution you against joining ‘online schools’ because there is no real way of checking credentials, much of that information is available in books.  You need to be able to see what you’re paying for.

            I know it can be hard to find the next step in your faith and your practice, but please don’t let this frustration take you away from your true purpose.  Besides, let’s face it.  If you can be pulled away from a religion by one bump in the road, it must not really be for you.

Of Green and Glass: Make (Martial) Arts, not War

Dear Goewin,

            I’ve been on the Wiccan path for quite a few years now, and recently started attending Tae Kwon Do classes with my kids.  It’s fun for us, and I like being able to do something with them, instead of dropping them off somewhere.  How do I reconcile my enjoyment of martial arts with what I have been taught about the Rede and rules governing “harm none”?
                                                                                                            -Martial, not Mean

Dear Martial,

            Doing things with your kids is not wrong.  Enjoying activities that get them out of the house, away from TV and video games is not wrong.  While we’re at it, protecting yourself is not wrong!  

What is wrong is the people in the world that think it’s  okay to get what they want in the world by taking it from other people.  Every day I see it.  Even in this “small town”.  On the news each night, I see people kicking in doors on other people’s homes, to steal and do whatever they like to get whatever they like.  

That does not mean that you are somehow a “bad” person for wanting to protect you and yours!  The Rede may say “Harm None” but allowing someone to come into your home to hurt you, or your family, steal from you and abuse you and then to walk away unscathed?  That’s harm.  That person is going to go do it to someone else, and then their harm is on you as well because you allowed this person to continue harming others.  Let's not forget, there are plenty of Wiccans who don't even follow the Rede, but that's a topic for another day.

Does this make you a “mean” person?  No.  You are not going around kicking puppies, right?  Then to Tartarus with them.  Does this mean that you are looking to get into a fight “just so you can use what you know”?  Absolutely not.  I’m sure that by now you have gotten that from your instructor. The aim of martial arts is not to start fights, but to be able to avoid them. 

            

            I’m sure you have no moral objection to carrying an umbrella in case of rain, am I right?  I look at martial arts in the same way. What you learn in the dojo and its real world application is a tool.  You have it in case you need it, not so you can use it every day.  I feel the same way about responsible gun ownership, but that’s a different topic.  

The bottom line here is, don’t ever let anyone tell you that it is not okay to protect your family in the way you see fit, as long as it is responsible and legally protected.  They don’t have to live your life, or protect your family, that’s your job.  If it feels right to you, go for it. If it bothers them that much, they don’t need to be your friend. 

Of Green and Glass: Funeral wishes and last requests

While going through materials I've written for a book, I thought I'd share some of my 

'Of Green and Glass'  columns I wrote for "Thorn Magazine".

Dear Goewin,

            My family has recently suffered a death in the family.   While it was difficult to process at first, this is not the reason I’m writing to you.  During this mourning process, and funeral I started to wonder about how my funeral would be handled by my loved ones.  If I am not married to a Pagan, or my family does not share my beliefs, how can I explain the funeral customs I would like to partake in? Should I just leave instructions?  What basis do current society’s rituals have in common with earlier pagan rites?  What does a “Pagan Funeral” consist of? 

-Planning Ahead

Dear Planning Ahead,

            I’m sorry to hear of your loss, and hope by the time you read this, the grief will have dulled some.

            Let me start by saying that writing your wishes down only helps if you explain them to the person or people you are going to ask to carry out those wishes once you have crossed to the Other Side.    

            There are many funeral customs that have their roots in superstitions surrounding death and dying.  For instance flowers were placed at the graveside to appease the spirit of the deceased, and special clothing was worn by mourners to disguise their identities from returning spirits.   The loud and rowdy parties referred to as a “wake” were just that, the townspeople and family were trying to see if the person was indeed deceased, or just sleeping.  Twenty one gun salutes started in an earlier form where tribes believed that evil spirits hovered near the dead and the grieving, so they would hurl spears into the sky to drive off the spirits.

            When it comes to Pagan funerals, it’s just like many other things in the realm of Paganism, in that it’s up to individual Traditions and practices.  I polled about sixty Pagans in order to find out what they wanted done after they die.  The two most popular responses I got were, “Bury me without chemicals in the most natural way possible, and plant my favorite tree over my grave,” and “Cremate me, scatter my ashes in a beautiful, meaningful spot and have a party without tears”.   I only got one response of “bury me in the way of my parent faith”.  I did however get a few, “I’m not there anymore so it won’t matter to me” answers. 

            When it comes down to it?  The thing that is important is that you know your wishes will be taken care of by someone you trust.  Whether that person is a spouse / family member or a friend / coven mate that is up to you.  Just try to be as clear as possible, and it’ll all work out.

Kyrja, public Pagan, once shot at, now regaining security.

Hate Lives in a Small Town?

     With appologies to Voltaire, hate can be found just about anywhere.  Even in Florida, as Pagan children's author, Kyrja learned recently.  For those of you unfamiliar with the story, either from Facebook or the subsequent post on The Wild Hunt, Kyrja started getting harassing messages on her YouTube Channel, prank phonecalls and late night visitors who would scream obsenties at her home indicating that they knew she was a Witch. 

      The scariest part was during the evening of late March Kyrja's home was shot at.  The first bullets piercing the window where she sits to upload Rupert's Tales to the world.  Kyrja did the right thing, and called the police as well as the Lady Liberty League. 

     The police responded quickly as did the LLL.  Lady Liberty League has now made the approprate recommendations, not the least of which include security system and cameras to act as a visual deterrant as well as to record evidence in case of a return offender or copy cat.  In order to do this, Kyrja has launched an indiegogo crowdfunding campaign to raise the money needed ($1,100) to make the suggested upgrades. 

     This is where we come in, dears.  If you can contribute, even $1, great.  Let's get the word out to help our fellow human feel safe in her own home again.  It doesn't matter if you're a Witch or not, Pagan or not.  We're all beautiful beings and deserve to feel safe in our homes.  Let's help Kyrja's family know the peace we all deserve in our homes, and any wishes toward Justice for her family would be appreciated. 

Thanks so much my dear friends.

Amy

--------------------
Thanks to the lovely Kallan Kennedy, goddess behind "The Secret Life of the American Working Witch" I'm updating. 

I hadn't heard, but Kyrja's home was also bombed almost three weeks after the inital shooting of her windows!  Two seperate pipe bombs were thrown at the home on April 22nd while Kyrja's step daughter was on the lawn!  Heather had to be treated for chemical inhalation and given medication.  Please help this family realize their dreams of getting a peaceful night's sleep.  The family is offering a reward leading to the capture of those responsible!

Updated story here

Boldness & Magic

Step Up!

     “Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. I learned a deep respect for one of Goethe's couplets:




Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it.

Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it!”

-William Hutchinson Murray (1913-1996), from his 1951 book entitled The Scottish Himalayan.

http://german.about.com/library/blgermyth12.htm



     I learned this as one of the belt creeds in my Martial arts training. (Even with the wrong attribution.) But the point for me wasn't the person who said it. It was this "stop living for everyone and everything else" mentality. Stop waiting to live your life. Grab life by the balls and do something with it.  

     When in my teens a dear friend once said to me,"If you're bored, you are boring."  I have lived my life since that moment, to never be bored again.

Chocolate: Food and Drink of the Gods

Chocolate!

     With my semester long project researching the ritual beverages of the Amazon river basin, and my local impending snow, I thought I'd share a recipe for my favorite Aztec drink, xocolatl.  This spicy warm beverage is the predecessor to our hot chocolate.  Today's Recipe is the work of beloved (at least by me!) Herbal author and mystery writer, Susan Wittig Albert. 
    
     For those not in the know, Susan writes mysteries centering on a small Texas town and the herb shop owner who left her high powered law firm in Texas to open her own shop. 

McQuaid's Hot 'n' Spicy Chocolate

This spicy chocolate beverage is just the thing to drive winter from your cold bones!

1/2 cup Cocoa

1 tsp. Chili Powder

1 tsp Cinnamon

3/4 tsp Ground clove

1/4 tsp Salt

2 cups Water

6 cups Milk

1 tsp vanilla extract (Learn to make your own Here!)

Whipped cream

Nutmeg

8 Cinnamon Sticks

Blend dry ingredients in large saucepan.  Add water stirring and simmer for 4 minutes.  Stir in milk and reheat.  Whisk in vanilla and pour into warm mugs.  Top with whipped cream and sprinkle with nutmeg.  Add cimmamon stir stick.  Makes 8 1 cup servings.

Learn more about Susan and her friends at her webpage!

Fox News mocked beliefs, Wiccans say

April Ford understands that paganism is a minority faith generally misunderstood in the mainstream, but it still stung when Fox News commentators mocked believers with stereotypes and jokes.




“When you say derogatory things about a religious group, you have taken our sacred traditions and spat on us,” she said. “It’s very hurtful.”



Ford practices Wicca, a form of paganism, in the Columbus area. She is among about 40,000 people who have signed petitions on causes.com and change.org asking for an apology for comments made Sunday during a Fox & Friends Weekend report about the University of Missouri adding pagan and Wiccan holidays to its “Guide to Religions.”



Paganism, also called neo-paganism, is a group of ancient religions that do not acknowledge the God of Judaism, Christianity or Islam. They are generally polytheistic and revere the earth and nature. Wiccans tend to worship goddesses and practice natural magic. Adherents.com estimates about 1 million neo-pagans worldwide.



Read the rest here: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2013/02/22/fox-news-mocked-beliefs-wiccans-say.html