Hearth and Home // A New Addition

Meet Florence - the newest member of our family.

Hearth and Home // Changes

Hello dear faithful readers...assuming that is, that I have any readers left!

My absence from Hearthwitch Cottage can, in part, be explained by the fact that B and I have recently moved house and there has been much change and upheaval in recent months. 

Once we had made the decision to move, to a flat in Bath, to be nearer friends and a bit more bustle - as well as practical things like a train station - an acquaintance of mine said: 'But how will you carry on writing your blog, in the city?' I think he was meaning that so much of what I write about is inspired by a life outdoors, in the countryside and at our allotment. 

I have been pondering this a lot over the past few weeks. One thing I will need to get my head round is the idea of being a practising pagan in the city again. I have done this before and, although it is not as easy as when you have lots of outdoor space at your fingertips, it is by no means impossible. Hearthwitch Cottage is a metaphorical place - a symbol of my lifestyle and the things I hold dear. My hearth and home are in the heart, not made of bricks and mortar. So, what will I still be able to write about here?

We are, for the time being, continuing to rent our allotment. We will see out the season and, if it is too much to continue travelling to, will hopefully get involved in a similar scheme here. Plus, we have large window boxes, so I will have a new challenge: gardening in a space-efficient way.

Luckily for us, although Bath is a city, it is a small a green one. The river is two minutes walk from where we are now living and there are woods, fields and the canal nearby. Plenty of opportunity for hedgerow ramblings. 

I will still be cooking up some kitchen magick - making our meals from scratch and trying to do so frugally and seasonally. I hope to still gather and dry my own herbs and I will certainly be using them as I have always done and continuing to write about these practises. 

The wheel still turns. 

So, I'm not really sure why 'Hearthwitch Cottage' can't continue to be the space it has always been: somewhere to pull up a chair, sip a cup of warm tea and read stories of a pagan life in a modern world. 

I hope you continue to join me here - I will endeavour to get back into a routine of writing as soon as I can, with my regular features. But what would you like to see here, dear readers, as we begin this new chapter? Are there any topics you would like me to write about, or any questions you have been wanting to ask? Now is the time to share your thoughts. Write a comment to this post and I will do my best to respond in the coming weeks.

Brightest blessings to you all - I have missed you.

Hearthwitch. 

Hearth and Home // Falling again...

...into a world of magic as woven by masters of word craft and storytelling.

In the past few days I have immersed myself in my most favourite of pastimes - reading. Not for work, for study or school - but for my own joy. I have finally made the time to read these recommendations, both of which I absolutely loved.

This is largely because I was incredibly lucky to be treated to an iPad for Christmas and therefore have instant access to a wealth of literature almost anywhere. But perhaps also because as the year draws to a close I am reflecting on where I am and where I want to be - and realising that I have neglected this love of mine. Wherever I find myself next year, I would like it to always be a small step away from falling back into that world of magical word craft.

Hearth and Home // Yuletide Movies

After autumn's seasonal movie marathon, I am now working my way through my traditional Yuletide movie list.

These are my favourites...

That last one we always watch on Christmas Eve...I love family holiday traditions. 

What are your favourite Christmas, winter or Yuletide movies?

Hearth and Home // Crafting a Robin Branch

As promised last week, this post will hopefully show you how to craft a beautiful Yuletide branch of robins as a seasonal decoration. It is so simple, it barely needs any explanation!

You will need: 

* Feather robin ornaments (as many as you wish). Ours came from a garden centre, but you should be able to find them at craft shops or on ebay too.

* A log or branch which is big enough to sit your robins on.

* A drill with a small drill bit.

As the robin ornaments are intended to adorn a Christmas tree, they come with wire already attached. If you have robins which don't, simply use a large embroidery needle to make a hole in the robin and push some craft wire into the underside, looped in half and twisted to secure in place - or twist the wire around their little feet.

Once your robins are ready, you will need to drill small holes in your log - one for each robin. Twist the wire attached to the robin until it is thick enough to push into the hole and stay in place.

All done!

You could spray the log with fake snow, or glitter - or for a natural look adorn with some pieces of real holly, glued in place. 

Yuletide blessings and happy crafting!

Hearth and Home // Holidays are coming...

B and I have had a wonderful weekend at home, which is a rare pleasure these days.

We decided, as we are now into December (how did that happen?!) that we would put up a little tree...

It is our first Christmas tree as last year I opted for foliage from the hedgerow instead.

We decorated it together, made ourselves some winter spiced tea, ate mince pies and listened to Christmas tunes. Now I really feel in the festive spirit.

Don't you just love those cute little robins sitting in a row on a branch? There are some flying their way over to  me in the next few days and once they arrive I will share some crafty tips on how to make your own little robin branch decoration just in time for Yule.

Festive blessings everyone!

Hearth and Home // Links to the past

Several months ago I found an old 'Lubitel' camera that was my dad's. He had it when he was in his late teens and early 20s - back in the 1970s. 

It looks beautiful - the twin-lens reflex instantly highlights its vintage appeal and we loved experimenting with different shots, using it as a prop this summer.

I love this picture of B, reflecting through the 'viewfinder'!

More exciting than that, however, are the results we got from testing a film...

As it is a medium format camera, we put some of our 120mm black and white film in and hoped for the best. The images we got back are quite eerie. They look exactly like they're from another time - softly focussed and grainy. Aside from the fact that, in some of the shots I'm carrying a digital camera over my shoulder, you wouldn't be able to tell these weren't taken back in the 1970s. 

Hearth and Home // Magickal Movies

As the nights draw in and we creep towards Hallowe'en and the darkening winter months, one of my favourite pastimes is snuggling up under a warm blanket, with a steaming mug of mulled cider or hot chocolate and magickal stories unfolding before my eyes. 

 B and I kicked off this year's traditional 'hibernation' with one of my favourites last weekend - Edward Scissorhands - Tim Burton's gothic take on the familiar 'Beauty and the Beast' yarn.

Over the next few weeks, the following will provide comfort and warmth from the cold outside...

(Always a favourite at any time of year!)

(I have a valid excuse this year - my sixth form class are studying Harry Potter!)

It has become a long-standing tradition that this childhood favourite is watched at Hallowe'en in my house...

And then before you know it we'll be on to the Christmas ones - and that will be a whole other post!

I can't wait! Do you have any seasonal movie traditions? 

Hearth and Home // Autumnal Altar

Ashamedly, my altar had not been attended to in a long, long time, until today. 

My time and energy has been focussed elsewhere - the allotment becoming my 'alfresco' altar over summer - and when I came to tend to it earlier today I was horrified to see a thick layer of dust covering its surface!

Now, I'm a real believer in the idea that the space you live in reflects your state of mind. 

Looking at the sad, neglected, dust-covered tools that lay, untouched, on the small wooden table, I realised its no wonder my life is feeling somewhat stagnate and my mind rather 'fuzzy' at the moment. 

The change in seasons marked by this week's equinox seems the perfect time to get my special, reflective space - and to some extent, my life - in order. So, as today was sunny and mild, B and I went for an autumnal walk and cleared the cobwebs away with a couple of hours spent tending the allotment. Clearing away patches of the earth, and collecting autumnal offerings along the way to adorn my newly dust-free altar, has helped me feel calmer and replenished my spirit.

As always, the change in seasons makes me reflect on where I am and where I would like to be as the coming months pass. The simple ritual of updating my altar has given me time to do this and enabled me to clear my mind of some of the 'fog' and tiredness caused by my job in recent weeks. Work can be like the dust on my table -  it clings to and covers everything and works its way into every element of my life, making all else feel dull and lacking energy. Its essential for us all to clear work away sometimes; to take time for ourselves and put just as much energy into the things we want to achieve in other areas of life. 

Autumn blessings. 

Every witch needs one of these...

I feel sad that she's so far away. Four weeks and we'll have our next rendezvous.

Hopefully one day I'll have a familiar of my own at home. 

Hearth and Home // Returned and rested...

...after a wonderful holiday.

Thank you for your well-wishes - I hope you have been enjoying the last few days of August.

Back to school for me tomorrow - how time flies!

I will be back later this week with allotment and kitchen updates - keep your eyes peeled.

Hearth and Home // Lemon, Blueberry & Poppyseed Muffins

I have discovered a really tasty way of using up some of our courgette glut!

These healthy muffins contain very little fat or calories, thanks to the secret ingredient which acts in place of butter: grated courgette. Thanks to the rice flour and almonds, they are also wheat and gluten free.

You will need:

* Muffin tray (and cases if you prefer)

* 160g rice flour

* 180g ground almonds

* 2 tsp baking powder

* 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

* 60g poppy seeds

* 3 medium free-range eggs

* 160g fruit sugar

* 250 g grated courgette

* Zest of 3 and juice of 2 large lemons

* 100ml buttermilk

* 150g blueberries

* Pinch of salt

1. Preheat the oven to 200c and line the muffin tray with cases. Combine dry ingredients (flour, almonds, baking powder, bicarb, salt and poppy seeds) in a bowl and set aside.

2. In another bowl whisk the eggs and sugar until a light creamy colour and consistency; then add the courgette, lemon zest and juice, blueberries and buttermilk.

3. Quickly stir the dry mixture into the wet and fold lightly, so as to keep as much air in as possible. 

4. Spoon the mixture evenly into the muffin cases and cook in the oven for 25-30 minutes. Allow to cool thoroughly (they tend to stick to the muffin cases if they haven't cooled properly) before enjoying with a steaming cup of tea. Delicious for breakfast! 

Hearth and Home // Eating Seasonally - Zuccini cakes with dill and feta

It was one of my resolutions this year to try and eat more locally sourced, seasonal produce. This mostly means vegetables as B and I barely eat meat nowadays and only really when we visit friends and family. The thinking behind these goals was both environmental and economical - buying produce which is out of season is costly and often requires long distance shipping. There were discussions about getting seasonal veg boxes delivered but then we lucked out with our allotment and we are now naturally eating what is in season and is locally grown!

Two of our favourite food writers - Hugh Furnly-Wurnly (as he is known in our household - to everyone else he is Hugh Fernley-Whittingstall) and Nigel Slater - have long championed fresh, seasonal, locally sourced produce and, as a result, their books are filled with delicious recipes categorised by season. Nigel Slater's The Kitchen Diaries has rapidly become my all-time favourite recipe book - if you can really call it that. There are recipes in it (by the fistful) but it is also a journal in the traditional sense, chronicling Mr Slater's day-to-day encounters with food. It is absolutely delightful to read and this recipe, from the July section was absolutely perfect for us to make use of the two things we have a glut of in the allotment currently:  courgettes (zuccini) and dill! You can read my recent post about the benefits and other culinary uses of dill here, but this recipe is a great starting point. 

You will need: 

* 3 large courgettes (about 500 grams)

* 4 spring onions (or a medium onion)

* Olive oil

* 1 clove garlic

* 3 tbsp plain flour

* 1 large egg

* 100 g feta cheese

* A small bunch of dill (chopped)

* Salt and black pepper to season

Grate the courgette into a colander, sprinkle lightly with salt and allow to drain over the sink for around 30 minutes (you could do this into a tea towel and squeeze the water out if you are in a rush).

Chop the onions finely and warm them gently with a little oil in a pan. Add the garlic and courgette to the pan. When all is soft and turning a pale golden colour, add the flour and continue cooking for a couple of minutes, stirring occasionally. Beat the egg lightly and stir into the onion mixture, then crumble in the feta and chopped dill. Season to taste.

Finally, heat three tablespoons of oil in a shallow pan and drop heaped tablespoons of the mixture into the hot oil to cook. When golden on one side, turn over gently (they are pretty delicate so you will to be careful!). Lift the cakes out and drain on some kitchen paper. Serve as you wish...

We had ours with some home-made tzatziki and chunky potato wedges - also home-grown. Very satisfying!

Hearth and Home // Magick Mojitos

Summer, to me, means BBQs, picnics and any other form of al fresco dining you can think of, preferably with lots of family and/or friends and refreshing drinks a-plenty. Yesterday, we decided to add a little minty magic to our annual family June BBQ and make mojitos. Mmmmm.

For whipping up some of these oh-so-fresh summery cocktails you will need...

* Limes

*Fresh mint sprigs

*Soft brown sugar

* Soda water

* Crushed ice

* White rum (this can be omitted if you're going 'virgin')

You should squeeze the juice of your lime(s) - the quantity you need will obviously depend on the number of drinks you are serving. 

In the bottom of each glass put two teaspoons of the sugar and then pour over your squeezed lime juice. You don't need much, just enough to cover the sugar. 

Next place two or three sprigs of mint (you can leave the stalks for extra minty flavour) and one or two lime wedges in the glass. 

Now you're going to 'muddle'...

You can use the end of a wooden spoon or anything similar you have to hand in your kitchen for this. You basically bash the ingredients in the glass, to release all the minty, limy flavour.

Once this is done, add your crushed ice to the glass, pour a 50ml shot of white rum over the ice, (or not, if you're going alcohol-free) top up with soda water and stir.

Finally, enjoy!

Hearth and Home // Orange Tree Progress

You may remember a while back I was having a few problems with our orange tree.

I was really worried it wasn't going to make it, but eventually new leaves sprouted.

And now this...

...flower buds!

What a reward for a perseverance. 

Hearth and Home // Pottery

On my Saturday mornings, I have begun a short course in pottery at the quirky Bristol Potstop, where master of clay, Neil, is teaching us to open our minds as we create with our hands. 

So far, I would describe my attempts as 'rustic'...

...and tentative...

...but I am learning...

...that 'perfect' and 'perfectionism'...

...are two totally different things.

Hearth and Home // Orange Tree Healing

Although I have had a fair bit of luck with my first real attempts at nurturing my own garden, my green fingers sadly lose their magickal touch when it comes to orange trees.

B brought one with him when he came to live with me and that promptly shed its leaves and left this world, never to return. I felt awful. To console ourselves we bought a new, beautifully healthy orange tree earlier this month. I viewed this tree as a new start for a new year and I was so looking forward to seeing (and smelling) the beautifully scented blossoms in late Spring.

Two weeks in and there was a growing pile of leaves on the carpet. A few more days pass: cue mini oranges dropping with quiet thuds that seem to reverberate in my ears; little echoes of guilt at my inability to look after this special tree. 

We have read countless blogs, forum posts and advice websites about orange tree care and all seem to say the following: don't over-water and keep warm. If the tree is getting lots of light but the roots aren't above at least 10 degrees C, the tree will lose its leaves (and probably die, says my brain).

Yesterday, as I watched our tree dropping its leaves, at a rate that seemed like every few minutes throughout the morning, I decided to take hasty action. I ran over to the local garden centre and asked to speak with a citrus expert. If they even had a citrus expert. Luckily they did. 

She told me to keep the tree in a cool spot over winter. Around 5 degrees C will do, as long as it has loads and loads of light. Only if the tree is at risk of frost should you move it away from the light of a windowsill. Central heating is the most likely reason for my tree losing its leaves.

So I bought my tree a beautiful new terracotta pot, which should prevent frost getting to the roots, re-potted it in nourishing citrus compost and fed it with citrus feed for winter (there are different kinds for winter and summer, according to my new favourite citrus expert). I also kept whispering softly to the tree how sorry I was for not going sooner to find accurate information and how much I really hope it will be okay. 

Come on, little tree.

Hearth and Home // Faerie Lanterns

I have been wanting to do this for ages.

The necessary items were gathered together - an empty jar, a small amount of salt, some strong wire, hedgerow berries and leaves and a pair of scissors. 

Wire was wrapped and looped tightly around the jar, providing a sturdy handle from which to hang the faerie lantern.

Salt was sprinkled in to the bottom of the jar, providing a layer of sparkly 'snow'. 

Twined around the handle, ivy and hawthorn berries bring Nature's Yule offerings and the colours of the season. 

A candle was lit and the lantern is bringing light and cheer to my living room.

I loved making this! So simple yet it brings together my favourite aspects of the season; the berry red and evergreen plants from outside and the flickering light of a candle.

Blessings.