Deborah J. Martin's Blog, page 11

Thank an Herbalist Day

Today, 17th April, is Thank an Herbalist Day. Based on my extensive research brief internet search, it was started by The Herbal Academy of New England. I think it’s a great idea.

If it weren’t for those who have gone before, I wouldn’t have the knowledge I have. I’m not only talking about those who put their insight into print (although they’re important, too). However, the grandmothers and grandfathers who kept herbal medicine alive even after the invention of synthetic drugs starting in th...

Magical Laundry

Yeah, no. Not me.

Today is Laundry Day around here. With only two of us and the husband wearing uniforms to work, it’s not a daily, or even weekly thing (thankfully) but it does occasionally have to be done. (I’m getting my exercise, too. My office is on the second floor and the washer/dryer in the basement. My own version of a Stairmaster.)

We wash our clothes so they’re clean. I even wash brand-new clothing to get the manufacturer’s fabric finish off. (It makes me itch.) But do you cleanse...

Planetary Hours

If you, like me, read old books on ceremonial magic, astrology, gardening, herbal medicine, or any combination of those subjects, you’ve probably read something like, “do X in the hour of Saturn”. For a lot of modern folks, that has no meaning. So, what in the blazes is the author talking about?

Chaldea was a small nation located in southeastern Babylonia. It flourished from about the 10th century BCE to around the 6th century BCE. The Chaldeans are thought to be the fathers of astrology and...

New Garden Markers

I’ve had my raised garden beds for quite a few years and, although I know what’s in the beds, others don’t. So, they need to be marked, right? Every single garden marker I’ve tried has been a write-on sort, and no matter the material or ink used, the writing has faded in the sun after less than one season. (Not to mention getting pulled up by the local critters who don’t seem to care what’s in the bed they’re eating out of.)

Sometime last fall, I saw something somewhere on the Internet that g...

Using Scent, Evoking Images

As I sit here in my nice, warm, cozy office, it is 15°F outside and the weather app tells me the windchill is -4°F. That’s warmer than when I woke: it was 2°F with a windchill somewhere around -15°F. There’s about an inch of snow on the ground. That will melt in today’s sun but probably be replaced by the next system that’s coming in tomorrow. While not bad compared to what’s happening farther north, it’s still cold for Georgia. It looks cold.

Leo, The-Not-So-Stray should be in his house but i...

Herb Puzzle!

I love puzzles. Especially word puzzles. Crosswords, word search, Wheel of Fortune… I can and do spend hours on them.

Yesterday, I was procrastinating had some time to kill so thought I’d make up one of my own. Naturally, it had to be herb-related.

For your enjoyment:

(click to enlarge to something actually legible, then print)

The post Herb Puzzle! appeared first on Author DJ Martin.

In 2015 I Resolve to…

…make no resolutions. I don’t believe in them. How many people say, “I’m going to go to the gym”, “I’m going to eat healthier”, ad nauseum, and then don’t follow through?

It seems to me that if something needs changing, addressing, or the like, once that issue is identified, it should be worked on immediately. Why wait for a specific day or year? No time like the present, eh?

My New Year came about ten days ago – I work on a solar calendar so the Winter Solstice is my New Year’s Eve and the day...

Christmas 2014

Hubby and I spent a quiet day yesterday. We always do…our kids are with their other families, and that’s just fine. That doesn’t mean there weren’t presents & I thought I’d share some with you:

My kids know me well, don’t they?

The boys couldn’t play with their gift from my oldest son’s family (we didn’t have the proper size batteries in stock) but the wrappings seemed to be a good substitute:

Leo The-Not-So-Stray even got a gift: his very own, custom-made, fully-insulated house:

We don’t know if...

Ev’s Christmas Party

Amy sez: I just had to get this down for blackmail posterity. You never know when an account of last week’s events might come in handy.

Ev poked his oversized head into my office. “We should have a Christmas party.”

“Don’t you give enough parties already?” I moaned.

For those of you who haven’t read my previous adventures, I should explain. My boss, Evander Angelich, was a for-real, smelly ogre who owned a personal security business. We provided non-human bodyguards to some of the rich and not-s...

Interview with a Witch: Jen Rue

Last but not least in my series of snooping into the lives of some friends: Jen Rue. Many of you know her fabulous blog or perhaps her shop (links below). Enjoy!

Do you have a favorite book on witchcraft – perhaps one that influenced you? Asking me to choose a favourite book is like asking me to choose a favourite plant. Oh look…you did that a little further down the page…

I will say that now in my practice, my favourite “witchcraft books” are my field guides to local flora, poetry books, and c...