Yuletime is when I get really excited about apples. Though they are harvested in the fall they can keep much longer since they store well in cool cellars without refrigeration throughout the winter. So Yule apples have always been a traditional holiday food and beverage at this time of year. One winter tradition called Wassailing, …
In autumn I begin harvesting my dried scarlet runner bean pods to have dry beans throughout the winter. Scarlet runner beans are an heirloom and many heirloom bean varieties are being rediscovered for their flavor and beauty. These beans have many uses throughout the seasons. Their scarlet flowers are a delicious edible flower in the …
Babalon’s Blood is a rich black cherry mead. Read on to follow along with the process as Sylvia and I make a splendid batch. This dark red mead is named for the goddess Babalon, a powerful deity of sexuality and power. One of my favorite chants by Sharon Knight honors three Great Goddesses, Inanna, Ishtar, …
Mabon, the holiday of harvest feasting! When the “cakes and ale” moment comes in your celebration, pull out these glorious muffins for Mabon. It’s a perfect time to sing A Pagan Grace, too. I loved recording this delightful little song for our Seasons album, with Shannon and Alane. “Dear Goddess, we ask you to bless …
As Lughnassad approaches, I am excited to harvest my favorite fruit for mead making: wild plums. The fruit heavily loads down the branches of a tree behind my house as I wait in anticipation until they have ripened to sweet perfection. Which is perfect timing for giving thanks at the first harvest festival feast, and …
The days are growing longer and hotter as we arrive at the longest day of the year. The natural world is busy and bright with bees collecting the succulent nectar of flowers. The Crow Women have a number of songs to honor the Summer Solstice including Suncycle on Crow Magic, which I love to listen …
Today I had the pleasure of inventing a new recipe for mead with Sylvia, mead mistress extraordinaire. She had a lot of gallon bags of pears in her freezer; gifts from friends with pear trees who know that brewers are always happy to accept ingredients for mead. (Brewers who have chest freezers, anyway.) As soon …
And the wheel turns to springand the wheel turns to spring… I got to hear that Crow song (Dance of Spring) frequently over the past year. It took a lot of rehearsal. Of course my human Mom would prance around the house singing “And the bunny turns to spring!” because she is ridiculous and likes to insert …
Beltane is one of my favorite holidays. By May 1st springtime has really arrived, the flowers are bursting forth and joyful sexy energy is upon us. The symbolism of the Maypole being placed in the earth and sheathed by ribbons, while being a fun and joyful ritual in its own right, is also a symbolic …
Welcome to the first installment of our series on brewing for pagan ceremonies. Our featured brewer this time is Sylvia, who showed me how to make a pomegranate mead for the autumn holidays. Sylvia emphasized the importance of sterilizing everything. Sometimes she uses an oxygen cleaner, such as One Step. She didn’t have any on …
