plant dye alchemy

alchemy: any magical power or process of transmuting a common substance, usually of little value, into a substance of great value. 

plant dye alchemy: magical power or process of transmuting common orange marigold flower petals (Tagetes sp.), usually of little value, into a gorgeous watermelon-colored dye-bath, a substance of great value.

                                                                                   orange marigold dye-bath

Following a method described by India Flint in Eco Colour, a dye-bath was brewed with fresh marigold (Tagetes sp.) flower petals infused in water (with a dribble of vinegar as mordant) for 2 days at room temperature, and then strained (setting aside the flowers). A piece of white silk was then layered with the set-aside flowers, tightly rolled up & tied with string, placed into the jar of marigold dye-bath, and refrigerated for about 2 weeks. After air-drying completely which took about 4 days, the bundle was unrolled.

Voilà!

                                                       alchemy, yes?

               still in the refrigerator!         

             

This same dye-bath has been used on several other pieces of fabric as well. It is still transferring color so I will continue using it until it either fails or starts smelling funny. Times, amounts, type of fiber, and choice of mordant are all experiential.

I'm collecting red and yellow onion skins next. I'm wondering what graces allium will bestow.

we wish makers know this for a fact

                          red moon has hair like Pippi Longstocking

"Right down to the level of individual cells the lunar wind is blowing and bringing all living creatures into vibrant motion. The ability to feel this and become a good sailing ship in this breeze can greatly assist a healthy way of life, a life in harmonious equilibrium."  MoonTime by Johanna Paungger & Thomas Poppe

Today is what I call a New Moonday. It is a Moonday with an hours-old new moon that began under the influence of Sagittarius. Even though the moon will move into Capricorn later today, I'm looking at Sagittarius because that is when this new moon entered and it will continue to reflect that Sagittarian energy throughout this cycle. Sagittarius is a good time to heal and strengthen the thighs, lower back, and hips. Pain relievers for those areas may prove more effective as well -- a visit to a hot springs or a good soak in the bathtub would be extra-soothing. A hot compress on a strained lower back might offer more pain relief. St. John's Wort oil used as a liniment and rubbed on the area for sciatica or where there are sore muscles in the upper legs can magically lift the pain.

The reverse holds true as well -- those same body parts, when stressed, may be more affected in an adverse way -- a grueling run or walk or hike might actually cause some issues. If you find yourself in the situation of overdoing it today, applying that same St. John's Wort oil can help you deal with tomorrow's day-after muscle pain.

The most amazing thing about this Moonday is that it is a time for new beginnings. Right now the moon has begun to wax (grow) and right now its magnetic force is affecting all water on the planet -- the oceans, our bodies, seeds in the earth -- enhancing and strengthening growth.

This is the best possible time ever-ever to make wishes, to visualize, to affirm, and to begin new projects.The way I see it is -- a wish is a thought charged with desire. The desire energizes and propels the thought towards manifestation. We are learning a lot these days about how manifestation comes about -- it's just another thing in life that can be really complicated or really simple depending on how deep you want or need to go.

Each new moon, I write up to 10 wishes in a notebook, making notations with the date and what planetary influence the new moon is under. My first wish on this new moon is "I want to easily and joyfully make, or find and purchase, the perfect Yule gifts for all the people I am giving gifts to this month."

New moon wishes can be about anything that you would like to bring into your life -- just make sure they are for you and not someone else. Wishes made now on healing the thighs, sciatica, hip pain, etc. will be very powerful with the added energies of Sagittarius. Be specific. You can end each wish with "or for the greatest good for all" or something like that if you question your wording.

If When you make your list, be careful what you wish for as wishes do come true. We wish makers know this for a fact.

handwork

A different kind of handwork. Will probably be enough weirdness for the whole day. See you next week with some sewing and knitting and something crazy cool from the garden.

a long-lasting flame

                                                  our lady of guadalupe

I am thinking quite a bit about my dad these days. He is a long-lived man, still in fairly good physical condition, about 3 months away from 100 years on this planet. When you read this, I will be visiting him in North Dakota.

Sometimes life analogies seem to pop up all over the place. Do you ever have that happen? Already today, maybe because of my dad, I've thought of life as 1) a notebook of blank pages, each line a day. And then 2) as a clock, ticking until it stops. Then 3) as a candle . . .

. . . you never know with a candle how well it'll hold up until it really gets going. There are (questionable) directions on how to get the most flame for your buck, but honestly who does that? (I see mainstream dietary recommendations, parenting techniques, and some religions as (questionable) "directions".) Then there's what kind of wax it's made with -- if it's hard wax, it'll last longer -- if it's soft wax, it'll burn faster, lose shape quickly, and probably flood (kill) itself -- unless it has a good container to burn in. If it is to be fragrant, it should be the soft wax, so there again it won't last as long. The hard wax is plain old, plain old. Then there's the wick and how thick or thin, or strong, it is. And keeping the wick trimmed regularly so it doesn't keel over and, again, flood (kill) itself -- or worse, dirty itself. A flame can be upright and burn strong till the end. Or it can burn itself out fast and drip all over the place and leave a mess, to our grief and disappointment. Then again, it would probably flood (kill) itself. If it's placed in a bad environment like a windy spot, it'll have a heck of a time staying lit and may always be a little "off" after that --  whereas if it burns in good conditions, it stays symmetrical.

My dad is a hard-wax candle with a strong, well-maintained wick that burns in a fairly still environment. Oh, he's been in imperfect conditions, resulting in a little sputtering and flickering a few times, but has always regained that steady flame.

When his flame goes out, I think it will leave little behind. I hope I burn the same.

a nice label

Yule Craft: There are labels and there are labels. These are the nice kind. If you've been nice, that is.

                                                                                            yule gift labels

I'm making most of this year's gift labels with this self-inking stamp (Anthropologie) and self-adhesive labels or bits of paper. The box says it will stamp over 11,379 times. The self-adhesive labels are the easiest, of course. Sort of a greencraft if you use stash, yes?

Anthropologie must be sold out of the stamps online -- maybe they're still in stores. When I was just there looking, I saw this, yet another reason I m.u.s.t. learn to crochet.

a tutorial: lavender body oil

Lavender body oil was made. A jar was filled once with fresh lavender flowers and again with olive oil. Brewed in this kitchen, strained on a full moon. It smells heavenly, absolutely not like olive oil and absolutely not like lavender flowers. 'Tis herself.

Lavender is multi-versatile. From clearing depression to easing aches and pains to promoting better sleep. This oil is not for internal use, but you can dribble a little into your bath water or slather it all over yourself after a bath or shower. Or dab some on your temples if you feel a headache coming on or just plain old need to calm down. Or just whenever you feel like it.

When I see things like this that I can't possibly make now (unless you're waaayy down south), I mark my calendar to remind myself -- things like "plant calendula or you'll be sorry" under the month of May or "make rose petal milk shakes" under June, etc. So for this, you'd write a note for June "make luscious lavender body oil that WwW wrote about"!

lavender body oil:

Fill jar with freshly harvested blossoms of lavender, Lavendula officinalis, making sure plant material and jar are both completely dry to avoid the growth of mold. Fill jar again to the very top with olive oil. Put on lid and infuse in a cool, dark place 2-6 weeks or so -- on a protected surface because it may seep a little.

    Fast forward. Items needed: old cloth napkin, sieve, extra container.

To strain, place plant material in napkin-lined sieve set on top of extra container.

Twist ends of napkin to make a ball and squeeze hard;

add the spent lavender to the compost.

Pour oil back into clean, dry container; label; store in cool, dark place;

 keeps for at least a year. Decant into smaller containers if you like.

looser clothes

                                                                                                  violet moon
                                       
This moonday finds us with a waning moon in the sign of Virgo -- a good time to tend to the digestive system -- any foods or herbs used now for that purpose will be of greater benefit. That cup of chamomile or peppermint tea after dinner comes to mind. And recipes containing dandelion, of which the leaves are pretty tasty this time of year, so that's another plus.

Between the earth turning on its axis, the moon circling the earth, and the earth orbiting the sun, there's a lot going on out there. The way it looks to us is the new moon appears as a slim crescent shape as it waxes (grows) into a nice round full moon, and then wanes (shrinks) back into the mirror image of the crescent it started as, and finally becomes the dark moon (not visible). High in the sky in the winter, lower in the summer. Sometimes visible during the day, other times only at night. Lunar eclipses, quarters, void of courses, and planetary influences galore. It is pretty complicated.

The thing to keep in mind though is that no matter what your beliefs are or where you live or what you eat -- if you are a living creature on this planet, you are affected by the moon. Scientists have this one figured out. They know the moon is like a magnet for water -- affects tides, seed germination, humidity, and people.  We are 55-60% water, after all.

So that means that the extra fluid that we sometimes hold onto is now easier to let go of as the moon wanes. You may notice that your clothes are looser, that you can eat a bit more without gaining weight. And other things may be easier to let go of now, too, like being annoyed with someone or eating too many carbs or anything you would like to not have part of your life anymore. Write whatever it is you don't want on a piece of paper and then light a match to it over the kitchen sink. Or envision handing it over to your higher power during prayer or meditation. You probably don't need to make a big production out of this part as you are letting it go, not paying it homage.

Do you notice any effects from this waning moon?

Waxing or waning? "When the moon is D like Dios, it is growing to fill God's sky. When dying away it is C, like Cristo on the cross." The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver