Spent the morning plucking flowers to make my annual dandelion wine. Since these are some of the first flowers in my area, I try not to take too many from one spot. Also, since I'm using them for food, I make sure not to pick any that are within 50 ft of the road because of the potential car exhaust.

So, that means I went ranging far to get the quart of blossoms that I needed. I ended up having a fairytale moment where I was so focused on just plucking the next flower I saw that I looked up and realized I was nearly a mile from home, oops!

Now time to turn my fingers yellow and pluck all these petals off. It's a hassle, but the wine will be much tastier without the bitter green parts.

#Hedgewitch #Fermenting #Homebrew

The hyacinths are up! Their return marks Beltane in my region every year, so here is my annual appreciation post:

The story goes that Hyacinth was a Spartan prince, and a lover of Apollo. He died tragically when struck by a discus, and the gods made a flower bloom where his blood fell on the soil.

Hyacinthus had a large cult at Amyclae, which he shared with Apollo. Though, some scholars have noted that his name is pre-hellenic, and he may be an earlier cthonic god of the early spring vegetation that dies out before summer. It makes sense, then, that in his myth he is struck down while still in his beautiful youth.
Io Hyacinthus, your blooms are sweet and fleeting!

#Beltane #Hedgewitch

Went for a cold hike through the local bog to see if the land was waking up yet for spring. The spirit of the place was still dormant, though I saw some Canadian geese migrating high in sky, like distant spring alarms trying to keep everyone on schedule.

The locals call this place the "Myr," (pronounced MEER) which is a Swedish word for peatland. It's open to the public, but nobody's ever there. It's protected by the government, but also by nature, because it is inaccessible for a large portion of the spring and summer due to flooding, thick vegetation, and hoards of flies and mosquitos.

#HedgeWitch

I will be delaying my Spring Equinox celebrations until Sunday this year because the once-in-a-lifetime snowstorm we got last week has borked everyone's schedules. I hardly ever move equinox/solstice stuff because I like to celebrate when the event is actually happening, but even mother nature has decided to delay spring by dumping over 3 feet of snow on us, so I figure it's okay, lol.

I still took a little time outside this morning for a cup of tea and a breath of fresh air. I also waded through the snow to fill the bird feeder and put out a little hay for my furred and feathered neighbors, who are no doubt struggling with the snow just as we are.

#HedgeWitch

The daffodils are coming up! These are planted on the highest, south-facing rise of my land. I use them as a seasonal indicator to tell me when it's time to start my seeds indoors.

To record the seasonal shifts, I take a picture when they get about 2 inches tall. Then, I can compare the dates:

March 12, 2026
March 26, 2025
March 6, 2024
March 20, 2023

#Witch #HedgeWitch #WitchesGarden #PoisonousGarden #Gardening

Happy Yule/Winter Solstice!

❄️🔥❄️

Witch's Familiar & Whimsical Stories includes a sardonic talking cat and a cross-dressing witch:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0CVQTPYSS/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?ie=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.tfQoz8HnKf2VombwqWN6ceNs9aoSJw0fCg6SP_N95VaUXN9mBlHPTh43SnuWTlJZ8GUmJmEgUtqkTU54yC0ofnkSLHBRIr3cSPU4yYu8mY_03qVChv-WFP3p2X5DIs528wt14gm8wp2njj9s8TQuljFTydNwLkI5v1lThRBvCc15NqXMD1hBUT-MEkyVjK-dHbGFc8c1EgXbYbxWM00ahQ.NAHE-CcYMjQsp3w8LXhwxz0aJlYUf40fxJbxXqYq7cc&qid=1725151995&sr=8-1

#Yule #witches #fantasyfiction #whimsical #Paganism #hedgewitch #hexthepatriarchy #whimsicalfiction #fantasy #feministfiction #WritingCommunity

For the past few years, I've taken a picture of the sugar maple in the front of my house on October 14/15th. Building a record of the seasonal cycle helps me feel closer with the land I live on, and it's good to have on hand for weather predictions.

#HedgeWitch

It's mushroom season! This is basically going to be a mushroom stan account for the next few days.

This glorious specimin is Hypsizygus ulmarius, the 'Elm Oyster Mushroom.' Yes, it's edible. I found it growing out of the knot of a fallen boxelder, and it's about 8 inches tall.

#Mushtodon #HedgeWitch