A Snake in the (Lemon) Grass

Van Van Tea's lemongrass, blood orange and ginger create a dark red tea that dances with citrus. Paired with a flavor profile of Glen Morangie,  orange and vanilla.  Bring that our with some delightful friends and you have a mildly citrus refreshment with character.

Prep Time: 2 minutes
Total Time: 3 minutes
Yield: 1 Cocktail

http://blackthornhoodooblends.com/collections/frontpage/products/van-van-tea

Ingredients:
4 oz hot, fresh brewed Van Van tea
2 oz  Glen Morangie The Original Scotch whisky
1/2 oz Orange Blossom honey
1/4 oz Yellow Chartreuse
1 dash Angostura bitters
Juice of one lemon wedge
Orange slice for garnish

Florida Water Wheel Cocktail

Florida Water Wheel Cocktail

Let the smooth sultry blend of Blood Orange peel, warm cinnamon and spices and a hint of lavender warm and soothe this cocktail into your evening.  Amaretto adds just enough sweetness to your tea and reminds you of happy times and fresh breezes.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 1 Cocktail

Ingredients:
3/4 oz Grand Marnier orange liqueur
3/4 oz amaretto liqueur
Florida Water Blood Orange tea
Orange wheel for garnish

http://blackthornhoodooblends.com/collections/frontpage/products/florida-water-tea

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. 

‘Juju’, Creepy Crawlies and Bad Omens

‘Juju’, Creepy Crawlies and Bad Omens:

 the Realities of Feelings

Black Salt, Good for Banishing Spirits & Protecting a Home

 
     A friend and former coworker tagged me in a comment on Facebook sometime during the night. I rolled over and checked my email as I wake up, the way I do every morning. (Hey, some people drink coffee, I read my email to get my brain in gear.) He had encountered an animal on his way home from work late and it left him with a feeling of foreboding. The discussion progressed to supernatural reasons for seeing such a thing. Without something to add, I moved about my morning.

     Once I’m at my office and settled in, I pulled up Facebook. Right now, my job involves a lot of hurry up and wait. So they allow me to occupy my brain, as long as I make sure the customers are taken care of. So, back to Facebook, I’m looking through my feed when I see an update from the same friend.

     “So update to last night's story- I had a flat tire this morning and I'm just waiting for something bad to happen. Creepy, eh?”

     I told this friend I’d be writing a blog post about our interaction because this is something I’ve seen more than once and it’s something I wanted to discuss.

     Amy Blackthorn: Fuck that waiting around shit. Don't allow it into your space. Do something. Dump a McDonald’s packet of salt into a cup of water and anoint yourself. Say a prayer. Say, "Fuck off!" Light a birthday candle. Cast a circle. Cast a Square. Don't just sit and wait for bad shit to happen. Well protected is good. Just remember what they say in martial arts, "No matter how good you are, somewhere there's someone better." We have those senses for a reason. Any time I've had that sense and didn't do something about it,

BAD SHIT happened.

(Hello Tractor trailer, 27 broken bones, 72 pins and years in a wheelchair).

     I’m trying to figure out where we are in our personal evolutions. Go to a gathering of Pagans or Witchy folk and you’ll likely hear a mention at some point about feelings, ‘juju’, or the like. Most people are quick to jump in with their experience, but that’s usually where it ends. People want to talk and share their experiences and occasionally they’ll ask for opinions, personal revelations or simply validation of their feelings on the subject.

     I’ve noticed this outside of our little world in one place in particular, “Reality” ghost hunting television shows. People hear something go bump in the night, and the next thing you know, you’ve got a bunch of yahoos in fatigues running around your house with night vision cameras strapped to their heads. Viewers see people attempting to antagonize the dead, using dramatic pauses and fervent “Did you hear that?” questioning. One of the issues I have with shows of this ilk is If they find something they feel is compelling evidence, they show the owner of the property, and then pack up and go home. “Yup, it’s haunted. Bye!” Wait. What just happened?

     Why do we stop there? Why acknowledge the fact that you feel something bad is going to happen, only to sit around and wait for the other shoe to drop? Magic is supposed to be a last resort, after all of the ‘real world’ things have been ruled out. That doesn’t mean we have to sit idly by and wonder at our fate. If it really is fate, that the other shoe drops, it will. However, if taking a step out of the way saves your bacon, I’d take that step. Wouldn’t you?

     If we accept that we have developed these feelings for a purpose, then it stands to reason that we were meant to DO something with them. So do it. Rearrange the furniture so that energy doesn’t have a place to lie. Smudge the house. Open the windows and let the fresh air in. Get rid of your clutter. Just do Something.

The Broom Closet In and Out and Back In Again?

IPCOD Pt 3:

In and Out and Back In Again—a Career in Law Enforcement

For those of you who have been with me since the first of the series you’ll remember this:

Two years ago, I made the decision to go back to school. My goal: to kick ass and take names in school such that the FBI will welcome me with open arms when I graduate with Honors. I’m doing very well on that end, if I do say so myself. But let’s face it, you didn’t stop by to listen to me toot my own horn, did you?

I discussed it with a friend when I made the choice. She’s been working with Law Enforcement Officers of all stripes (Pun intended) for all of her adult life. She warned me that LEOs were a conservative lot. I assured her that I knew because I come from a LEO extended family. The words ‘Conservative’ and ‘Liberal’ both give me hives, but that’s a topic for another day. We’re talking about being out of the broom closet.

As I got closer and closer to the first week of school I got more and more nervous. My inner monologue was replaying the above conversation and worrying about how my faith might affect my career advancement. It’s pretty sad that I felt I had to agonize over it this much, but I try to be honest with myself about such things.

So when school rolled around I decided it was a non-issue. I don’t introduce myself to people as “I’m Amy and I’m Pagan.” So why should it be an issue. I wear my pentacle every day, just like I always have. It’s not really that noticeable, I’m told. The chain also carries a single cabochon in a plain setting. This blue stone looks somewhat unremarkable to the uninitiated (pun completely intended!). This blend of Dolomite, Rhyolite and Slate is found in one place in the world, and my necklace is the same stone that Stonehenge is built from. As they hang from the same chain, the blue stone usually covers the pentacle to some degree.

Two good friends from school wound up earning my trust to the point where I answered questions about my faith with them, but I don’t advertise. I stopped putting my magnetic bumper stickers with witchy slogans on them. (Honestly, part of that was school, and part of that was a crazy person trying to run me off the road while screaming obscenities.)

Now at my job I still wear my necklace daily, but as it’s under a security uniform, no one knows it is there, at least until last week. One of the relief guys noticed the chain for the first time since I started working here almost a year ago. When he asked what was on it, I merely pulled the Stonehenge piece out of my shirt and left the pentacle hanging inside my shirt, because honestly, he hasn’t earned it. My coworkers know I’m a minister, because my last partner was president of the Jesus wagon. So we had great discussions about religion and when asked I state I’m ‘non-denominational’.

For a time I worried that this meant I was denying who I was. I had flashbacks to Sunday school in the second grade when they were telling us about Peter denying God three times in the Book of John. I wondered if I was doing a disservice to my community by not shouting my faith to the rooftops. Then I had a deep breath and got over myself. /grin

I still have a runic license plate frame that reads, “If you can read this, you’re my kind of Witch” but it’s almost an in-joke. I can display my faith to those who would understand it, and those that don’t, have no bearing on the subject anyway.

So instead of panicking that I’ve somehow put myself back in the closet, I’ve stopped worrying about it. My family and friends all know. Anyone I’m friends with on (my personal) Facebook knows. It’s okay to consider yourself when discussing your faith with others. I’m not ashamed. I still do my outreach work and occasionally have my photo out there. For pity’s sake, I appeared on TLC and the AP News Wire in ritual. It’s just that I don’t feel I need a flag to wave anymore. I’m more secure than that. And honestly, me being secure in who I am will land me my dream job, or the job I’m meant to have, more than any flag waving in my faith. I’m happy with that.

Blessed Be.

Festival for Isis: Lady of Ten Thousand Names

Isis

Isis of the winged arms was the first daughter of the Nut, the overarching sky, and the little earth-god Geb...From the beginning, Isis turned a kind eye on the pople of earth, teaching women to grind corn, spin flax. weave cloth and tame me sufficiently to live with them

-Patricia Monaghan, The Book of Goddesses & Heroines 

     Though a traditional fiber herb of Ancient Egypt, flax is also amazing for heart health and has been reported to help certain types of cancer.  They are commonly used as a source of Omega-3 fatty acids as well.  Remember if you pre-grind your flax seeds for ease of use, refridgerate them. 

     To add a pick me up to your daily diet, you can toss a handful or two into your salad for texture. (I like to add sunflower seeds too!) You can add flaxseed flour to breads and cakes as well. 

     In celebration of the day, I wanted to share a sweet treat recipe to help beat the winter blues!

Oatmeal-Flax Chocolate Chip Cookies

Total Time: 1 hr 0 min.

Prep: 48 min.

Cook: 12 min.

Yield: about 32 cookies .



Level: Easy



Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup quick-cooking oats

1/4 cup flaxseed,

finely ground in a spice grinder, or pre-ground flaxseed

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter,

softened 1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips



Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk the flour, oats, flaxseed, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a bowl.



Beat the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in a large bowl with a mixer

on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time,

beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low;

add the flour mixture and beat until just combined, scraping down the bowl as needed.

Stir in the chocolate chips.

Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart.

Bake until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Let the cookies cool 3 minutes on the baking

sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely.



Per Cookie: Calories: 151; Total Fat: 7 grams; Saturated Fat: 4 grams; Protein: 2 grams; Total carbohydrates: 21 grams; Sugar: 14 grams; Fiber: 1 grams; Cholesterol: 25 milligrams; Sodium: 83 milligrams



©Television Food Network G.P.

All Rights Reserved.



Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup quick-cooking oats

1/4 cup flaxseed, finely ground in a spice grinder, or pre-ground flaxseed

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.



Whisk the flour, oats, flaxseed, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a bowl.



Beat the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low; add the flour mixture and beat until just combined, scraping down the bowl as needed. Stir in the chocolate chips.



Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Let the cookies cool 3 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely.



Per Cookie: Calories: 151; Total Fat: 7 grams; Saturated Fat: 4 grams; Protein: 2 grams; Total carbohydrates: 21 grams; Sugar: 14 grams; Fiber: 1 grams; Cholesterol: 25 milligrams; Sodium: 83 milligrams

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

Thank you all!

Thank you all for your support! I finished with 1708 votes, and #38 out of the 88 pages of contestants and hundreds of entries. Being a part of the contest for only the last week of the competition and still making the top 40 makes me feel great. More importantly, some new people were able to find my blog, and that's what matters to me. Congratulations to ALL of the top 25 blogs. (I can happily report 12 of the top 25 were Pagan.)

I'd especially like to congratulate Mrs B. on winning the top spot! Even when the contest became a heated debate on "Us vs. Them" Kris didn't back down, or lose her cool. She made herself an example to all faith bloggers, no matter their path.

Angela had stiff competition, and ended up in the #4 spot. (I really rallied to keep you in #3!)

Congratulations to these amazing blogs for making it to the Top 25. They'll be interviewed about their faith for a newsletter reaching 6 million readers!
Parenting By the Light of the moon
JoniRae
Hearth n Home
Witchy Mama
Feflon Cauldron
Witchy Wonderland
Living Well
Pagan Presence
Something Oddly
Aoibheals Lair

A SPECIAL THANKS to the other Bloggers who feature my posts on their blog, and send new friends my way.

mypaganworld

wiccanwrites

canwehaveanewwitchoursmelted

witchesbrew-gardenwitchery

Edited to add
The Pagan Blog Directory