The Witches Digest

Before you start, you will need:

A plant pot

Enough good soil to fill the pot

Some compost or manure

A watering can

Salad plant seeds, such as – lettuce, spring onion, cherry tomato, peas and cucumbers

A trowel, spade and rake

An adult for assistance

This is a long term project that will need to be looked at often. It’s best to start this in the spring or the summer.

Step One.

Chose an area of the garden in which you will be able to plant – make sure it’s not too near any trees or hedges (the roots of these will eat the nutrients needed to make your salad grow).

Dig over the ground and mix in some compost or manure.

Step Two.

Read the backs of the seed packs and follow the planting guidance given. Decide if you want orderly rows of vegetables, spirals or if you wish to plant in window boxes or pots. Make sure you leave enough space to get to the plants to water, weed and remove slugs from.

Step Three.

Once the seeds are planted, they need to be carefully watered – not too much, or they will drown. Then, each evening during dry weather, they will need to be watered again. Seed will only grow if they are kept moist.

Step Four.

When the plants begin to grow, it is important to do a Slug Patrol and make sure they are kept well away – if slugs get into the patch, they will eat all your hard work!

Step Five.

Your salad patch needs to be kept weed free – use the trowel to carefully remove any that spring up, but be careful not to accidently remove your plants! If you’ve planted pea plants, you could get some twigs or sticks and carefully embed them next to them; this will allow the plants to grow up them.

Step Six.

Once your salad crops look ready to eat, carefully remove them from the ground and wash them. The peas can go raw into the salad too – but they must be removed from their pods.

A Salad Extra.

As well as the cherry tomatoes, you might also like to grow full sized tomatoes.

To start, take a small flowerpot and fill it with fresh compost. Press the soil down until it’s firmly in, then sprinkle tomato seeds on the top. Now, put a little compost over the seeds – shake the soil on gently, like if you were using a pepper pot.

Take some cling film – or a plastic bag, and cover the top. Keep it in place with an elastic band and then put your flowerpot in a warm, light place until the seeds have started to sprout.

When the seedlings are big enough, transfer them into their own pots (one each) and when the weather gets warmer, plant them in a larger pot, or in your salad garden. Again, keep them well watered – and if you want, give them plant food once a week. Once the tomatoes are grown, pick them, water them – and eat!

Remember – always wash the food you’ve grown before eating, and always wash your hands once you’ve finished your gardening!

From the Witches Digest Imbolc 2008

Technorati Tags: Ideas for Children, pagan crafts

The Dream Catcher originated in the Ojibwa Nation and was adopted by the Native Americans of many different nations. Traditionally made on a willow frame with sinew strands, the finished item was hung over the bed and used as a charm to protect sleeping children from nightmares. The dream catcher wasn’t intended to last forever, but to dry out and collapse over time as the child it protected entered adulthood.

The Ojibwa believe that a dream catcher changes peoples’ dreams, allowing the good to be filtered through, and the bad to hang in the net and disappear in the light of day.

To make your own, you will need:

A supple piece of wood or branch,
about 1m in length
4 yards / 12 feet of wool (or suede)
3 yards / 9 feet of string (or sinew / imitation sinew)
Beads
Feathers
Scissors
Glue
A Clothes Peg
The colour scheme is a personal choice.

Step One.
Bend the branch around into shape and bind the ends together with a dab of glue and some string.

Step Two.

Cut 8ft of the wool (or suede). Glue one end to the ring and clip in place with the clothes peg until the glue is dry.

Wind the strand around the frame until you reach the starting point, leaving the entire outer ring wrapped neatly before gluing into place; again using the clothes peg to hold it until it dries. Be careful not to twist the thread as it goes round, it must lie flat.

Step Three.

Tie one end of the string (sinew) to the ring and then make nine half hitch knots around the ring, spacing them around ½” to 1” apart. Make the last knot a little closer to the first – this will prevent a large gap forming. Make sure the thread is pulled snugly between the knots.

Step Four.

Make the next row of the web by tying the hitches into the middle of the pre-woven row. Continue weaving in the same way until you have a small hole left in the centre. Once finished, tie a double knot in the cord, add a tiny drop of glue to the knot to give it extra security. When the glue is dry, cut off the remaining thread as close to the knot as possible.

Step Five.

From your remaining wool (suede), cut a 12” piece and fold it in half. Tie a knot in the open end.

At the top of the ring, attach the cord by slipping the loop end through the ring and then around the ring and over the knot. Pull the lacing tight to secure it in place.

Step Six.

Cut three 8” pieces of wool (suede). Tie two of them approximately one third of the way up the ring on each side, use a double knot and a small dab of glue to keep them in place. Slip on the beads in whatever order you’ve chosen, then secure with another knot and spot of glue.

Take the last piece and attach any remaining beads or decorative piece, like a concho to the top middle of the ring.

Step Seven.

Finally, push two feathers up inside the beads on each piece of lacing. Glue the feathers if they’re loose.

To make larger sizes:

Follow the same instructions as above, but the materials needed will vary.

12 inch rings needs approx. 7 yards / 21 feet of wool or suede lacing to bind it
9 inch ring – approx 6 yards / 18 feet
6 inch ring – approx 4 yards / 12 feet
Remember that you will need extra suede for the laces and hanger.

Technorati Tags: dreamcatcher, how to make a dream catcher, making a dream catcher, pagan crafts