by Sue DeGregorio-Rosen, RN, CLNC, Contributing Editor

Eating is a blessed and sacred act.  We honor our bodies and nature through the food we eat!  It’s a process and ritual in which we celebrate nature’s presence in our lives. 

Let’s take a look and explore some of the foods we find to be remarkably pleasing, and necessary to sustain life, as we know it.  We can eat both animal based or plant based as a source for energy and survival, depending on how we choose to feed our bodies and our minds. 

 Let’s start with fruit!

An excellent way to consume seasonal nourishment, different fruits appear at different times and have a magical association with our bodies.

We can select from a variety of fruit for salads, pies, and smoothies.

Spring- strawberries, cantaloupe, cherries

Summer- any citrus, peaches, nectarines, blueberries, plums

Autumn- apples, peaches, pears, grapes

Winter- nuts, apples, oranges

 Wash your fruit, and pat it dry, arranging it as a breakfast or dessert.

One of my own favorite fruit smoothies consists of blueberries, bananas, 1/2 avocado, 2 scoops of cacao powder, 1 scoop of collagen/protein plant-based supplement, 1/3 cup of almond milk, some ice and blend!  Delicious and healthy!

Vegetables have many magical associations and those too, are seasonal.

The most common are garlic, onion, lettuce, carrots, peas, cucumbers, tomatoes, mushroom, leek, broccoli, beans, potatoes.

Soup is a great way as a main dish with hearty bread……… 

Chicken soup (my favorite dish)

Trader Joe’s or any food store has organic broth, any kind you want to use. Sauté using olive oil, some onion. garlic and celery until they are soft. add the broth and the chicken of your liking, carrots, and some herbs (parsley, basil, marjoram, thyme), a little salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then simmer.

When the soup and veggies are cooked, I like to add some farro or orzo or rice, grains represent security and abundance…….

Onion soup, tomato soup, butternut squash soup are all delicious and help provide us with happiness and health.  

Tomato Soup

Heat some olive oil in a pot and add onion, garlic, and a touch of pesto until the onion is soft.  Add 4 cups of chopped fresh tomatoes and some vegetable broth.  Stir well and bring to a boil. Simmer, stirring for about 15-20 minutes.  Remove it from the heat and let it cool.  When the soup is cool enough add it to a blender until it’s smooth.  Return it to the pot and warm it, if the soup is too thick, add more broth to your liking. serve it hot, sprinkled with some fresh basil, asiago cheese and some fresh pepper.  

Homemade Peasant Bread……….to add to your soups on the side.

Make your own dough, or buy it prepared from one of your local markets.  Add some rosemary, dill, thyme, chives, and a tablespoon of olive oil in a bowl. Stir it up to combine all.  Remove dough from the bowl and place it on a floured surface, Knead it for about 5 minutes until it’s smooth, and sprinkle a bit more flour to avoid the dough from sticking.  Shape it into a flattened circle or loaf and brush the top with olive oil.  Let the dough rise to your liking. Place on a baking sheet and bake your bread in a 400-degree oven for about 10 minutes, or until it looks golden brown.   

HERBS

Flowers and plants carry so much energy.  We love using herbs, a part of nature that is intrinsic in its delivery, and powerful in magic.

Here are some herbs and flowers that you might find interesting and in the Green Witch Garden.

Lavender, our perennial favorite, contains both magic and non-magic harmony.  Used both in sleep and relaxation, lavender is very popular in all cultures.  It’s an ideal herb because of its gentleness to use for children.  Magical, lavender creates an aura of peace, harmony, love, healing, and purification.

Rose, the most famous flower of all, the scent of a rose symbolizes beauty and love, romance.  Magically the rose is associated with tranquility, psychic abilities, and protection.  One of our favorite recipes is rose geranium water because of its fragrance.  Use 3 large rose geranium leaves in a glass jar with 2 cups of boiling water, allow it to steep, remove the leaves and store in the refrigerator.  It can last up to a week.

Calendula. Sometimes known as the pot marigold is edible.  It has been used medicinally to treat skin irritations, bruises, scars, eczema and magically identifies with happiness and harmony.  

Chamomile is versatile and used quite frequently for its medicinal properties. An excellent herb used in all ages, with soothing stomach problems, headaches and widely used as a cold remedy. This herb grows wild, as do most of our herbs and flowers and is known magically for peace and prosperity.

Sage is perhaps the most widely used herb for purification and protection.  Infused as a tea will help with a sour stomach and ease digestion.  Sage can also calm anxiety.  Known for its purification and protection, sage is commonly burned in a bundle, allowing the smoke to purify the air and protect oneself and/or environment.

Basil or sweet basil is also known as St. John’s Wort.  It is found in most kitchens all over the US and Europe as a food additive. It is extremely versatile, and is an all-purpose magical herb, known for peace, protection, purification, and love.

My All-time favorite and cure-all is Cannabis Sativa/Indica.

Used for centuries for therapeutic purposes, this plant was unfairly demonized by the federal government for a variety of reasons that I would rather not get into. The interest, as of today, has paved the way for its medicinal value and has led the way for marketing authorizations of cannabis-based products.  Cannabis is an herb, in its raw form, it grows like a weed and has so many different uses.  Cannabis can be infused as a tea, it can be added to food, smoked, taken as an oil preparation for anxiety, sleep, cancer, epilepsy, pain……the list goes on and on.  I could go on and on and for those of you that are interested in learning more please join us on social media, we have so much to hold your interest and curiosity.  www.cannabisnursesnetwork.com

The sources of the Green Witch’s knowledge, wisdom, magic, and empowerment is one of nature……..and we, as healers, interact with nature and the various elements of nature, as in the sun, the phases of the moon, stones, and crystals, and most of all the beauty of plant medicine. That is what a holistic practitioner does, we interact with what nature provides.