The Art of Beauty: We Are Not All So Small

I work hard in a toxic environment. There is nothing I can do about that, needing the job and all, but stories come to my mind and they have their own way of being and so - here we go:

I work with a woman who is obsessed with her looks and her size. At a 30-something average she believes that fake boobs, botox and zero calorie count will win her immorality.

Meanwhile I roam the halls with one boob and a good attitude.

Go figure.

Thanks to my dearest of dear friends Undine I now know what's what in the way of body image. Enter my new best friend Hida. Seriously. This girl is all that. And her best friend is an odd dog. What could possibly be better?

Thank you Hilda. Thank you Messy Nessy. And especially thank you Undine. On a bleak and barren Friday, all y'all brought joy to my quiet, weird, bizarrely silent corner of the world.

Header: The great and glorious Hilda wasting her time on a scale

Jeudi: Curios

Amber, as Scott Cunningham notes in his Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem & Metal Magic, is quite possibly the oldest form of adornment in the world. The solidified sap of now extinct coniferous trees, amber ranges in color from a deep reddish-orange to sunny yellow. And, of course, there are sometimes little bugs and leaves permanently captured in the stones.

Amber has a myriad of magickal uses and is certainly the jewel of choice for Wiccans and particularly High Priests and Priestesses. Considered a source of energy, amber is believed to represent the so called fifth element or Akasha that binds the four visible elements - fire, air, earth and water - together. Thus wearing of amber, usually in silver settings, is thought to increase the power of the worker and the efficacy of his or her spellcraft.

Viking children were often given simple amber necklaces to protect their health. This habit is still common today in colder areas of the world where amber is most plentiful. In Siberia, Canada and here in Alaska, natives wear amber and ivory together to bring prosperity and turn away the evil eye.

Wearing amber has for centuries been thought to improve the wearer's looks. Cunningham notes the irony of this: during the Renaissance, women wore amber in order to gain weight while in our times it is worn to assist in healthy weight loss. The efficacy of both these approaches may be a little spurious, but I have found that wearing amber regularly does lift one's mood which in turn makes one more attractive.

If you feel you are under psychic attack, or perhaps just having a run of "bad luck," add a few amber beads to a warm bath, settle in and soak. Then wear or carry the beads with you until your next bath. Taking loose amber or wearing a piece of amber jewelry to a job or other interview will also increase you confidence and by turns your chances of landing that job.

A bit of powdered amber added to any incense is said to increase the intended purpose of same. In Ancient Sumer, Babylon and Phoenicia, amber dust was burned during labor to ensure a safe birthing for both mother and child.

When buying amber, be sure to do your research. Items labeled amber are sometimes nothing more than glass or resin. Know your dealer and choose wisely. Amber is not cheap by any means so you will want to purchase the best quality you can afford. I have found that the right piece of amber will often find you rather than you finding it. You may receive it as a gift, stumble upon it at a flea market or run across an ad in the paper or online. For instance, I found the amber ring I now wear regularly at a local art store that was reducing their inventory. I knew the store owner well and therefore had no concerns about quality. The real kicker was when the ring fit - which I did not at all expect given my unfortunate "man hands," to use a "Seinfeld" reference. Reduced price, trusted source and it slipped on perfectly; ring me up, if you'll pardon the pun. Bonne chance ~

Header: Amber pendants via Wikipedia

Jeudi: Weather Wise

The Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, is a well known phenomena hear at the top of the world. The beautiful streaks of blue, green and purple that dance across the cold night sky are accompanied by an eerie pop and crackle which is similar to the sound of a wood fire. While gorgeous, explaining the lights and sounds prior to the dawn of the scientific age was a difficult endeavor. Our various ancestors spoke of various possible explanations, many of which are remarkably similar.

In North America, and in what is now Canada, Alaska and the northern U.S. in particular, the lights were often linked to the spirits of the dead, be they human or animal. In what is now the province of Labrador, Canada, the native people believed that the crackling sounds made by the lights were the voices of those who had died a violent or sudden death. People were told to reply only in a whisper, for fear of disturbing these ancestors who were finally at peace.

The Tlingit of southeastern Alaska saw the lights as the spirits of the dead, while in the Yukon, native people said the lights were spirits, but those of salmon, seals and deer. Sometimes the spirits were said to be dancing. In other stories, they were playing ball, often with the skull of an animal. If it was the spirits of animals playing, however, they were said to use a human skull.

The Mandan said the lights were fires built by shaman and warriors who had passed into death. They were lit to boil the bodies of dead enemies in giant pots. It was only in the Point Barrow region of modern Alaska that the lights were thought to bode ill. Seeing them could bring on bad luck, but carrying a knife, particularly one made of metal, would repel the evil energy.

Meanwhile, in northern Europe, people tended to agree with the Point Barrow natives. While the Vikings imagined the lights as nothing more than the gods at play, most of the Celtic nations in Great Britain believed the Aurora ushered in a time of great turmoil, aggression, illness and want.

These beliefs trickled down into the 17th, 18th and 19th century. In Arctic Zoology written in 1784, the author tells us that, at the sight of the lights, "the rustic sages become prophetic, and terrify the gazing spectators with the dread of war, pestilence and famine." Though Pennant calls these beliefs superstitions, it is clear that they are held by many people. In Scotland, the lights were seen as a portend of the death of the famous. Aytoun writes in 1849 of "Fearful lights, that never beckon Save when kings or heroes die." As late as the 1870s, writers mentioned that the lights portended disaster, especially toward their own nation.

Despite all this, and perhaps because we now know their origin, the lights continue to fascinate. Even for the most cynical among us, a little chill must run up the spine at the sight of those dancing ribbons and the sound of spirit fires.

Header: Aurora Borealis over Anchorage, Alaska via Wikipedia

Mardi: Herbal-Wise

The ash tree is a long-standing staple in European folk healing, magick and Wicca. Some of those teachings have rubbed off on hoodoo as well although, as you can imagine, the rituals are a little different.

Ash trees are hearty, long-lived and usually found in cooler climates. Like birch, they're easy to find up here in my current home. It really is no wonder than that much of our current folklore about the ash and its uses comes to us from Teutonic and Celtic legend.

To the Vikings, an ash tree was the World Tree, Ygdrasill, from which Odin hung to obtain his knowledge of the sacred runes. Similarly in Celtic imagery the ash tree, drawn with roots and branches forming a sacred and continuous circle, represented the ongoing nature of the life/death cycle.

Staffs and wands of ash wood have been a staple in European magick for centuries. A branch of ash was hung over the cottage door to ward of the Evil Eye and other troubles. Staffs of ash wood were used in healing rituals, as were the trees leaves. Scott Cunningham notes that ash leaves were floated in a bowl of water which was placed next to one's bed at night. This was thought to catch and prevent illness from troubling the sleeper. In the morning, the water was thrown out and the ritual repeated the next night. Women also fashioned garters of the green bark to turn away the jealousy of other, perhaps witchy, women.

Ash leaves placed under one's pillow are thought to bring prophetic dreams. An equal-armed cross carved of ash wood and carried to sea was a popular sailor's charm to prevent death by drowning.

Burning an ash log at Yule is considered an excellent way to ensure prosperity in the coming year. The fresh leaves, carried near the skin, are thought to attract the love of the opposite sex.

Hoodoo also recommends ash leaves for love. Add a few, along with rose buds and dried lavender, to a pink flannel bag. Dress this with whiskey or Oil of Attraction and carry the mojo daily. It is said you will be irresistible to the opposite sex.

Ash is also used in hoodoo for protection while traveling, much as sailors of old once did. Write your name, or the name of a loved one about to travel, on brown paper in blue pen. Place this name-paper along with three ash leaves and a comfrey root in a yellow flannel bag. Carry this mojo, or make sure your loved one does, until returning home. Bonne chance ~

Header: Tree-Clouds-Sky via EcoInteractive on Twitter

Lundi: Recipes

Over Yuletide I had the great good fortune to receive a time machine in book form. The door stop of a book, entitled The White House Cookbook, was originally published in 1887. The authors, Hugo Ziemann and Mrs. F. L. Gillette, both cooked at the White House and the book is full to bursting with curious recipes written in old-timey paragraph form with rarely a measure in sight.

One thing that did catch my eye right away was the recipes - there are twelve of them - for catsup (or ketchup if you're my husband.) Catsup was and is a curiously American condiment that was originally made by ladies at home. It was a wonderful way to store and use tomatoes but the cookbook includes recipes for such curious variations as oyster and gooseberry. One wonders how those might turn out. I'll focus, though, on the traditional recipe for tomato catsup which, in all fairness, may be a timely thing to have handy given that Super Bowl is coming up this Sunday. Here is Mrs. Gillette's homey recipe:

Put into two quarts of tomato pulp (or two cans of canned tomatoes) one onion, cut fine, two tablespoonfuls of salt and tree tablespoonfuls of brown sugar. Boil until quite thick; then take from the fire and strain it through a sieve, working it until it is all through but the seeds. Put it back on the stove, and add tow tablespoonfuls of mustard, one of allspice, one of black pepper and one of cinnamon, one teaspoonful of ground cloves, half a teaspoonful of cayenne pepper, one grated nutmeg, one pint of good vinegar; boil it until it will just run from the mouth of a bottle. It should be watched, stirred often, that it does not burn. If sealed tight while hot, in large-mouthed bottles, it will keep good for years.

Now doesn't that sound delicious? It would certainly be more flavorful than the stuff one gets in squeeze bottles at the modern market. But it is a deal of work and surely not a task for a hot day. Since it is 0 degrees on my front porch, perhaps I should foray into catsup making this afternoon.

More from The White House Cookbook another time. Until then, you can find it online here.

Header: Family dining room at the White House c 1900 via The White House Museum website

Mardi: Herbal-Wise

We're having a troublesome day here at chez Pauline. It is time to say good-bye to our very old and very sick Saint Bernard, Thor. The wait for the vet appointment at 11:30 Alaska time is like slow torture. How fortunate we are, though, to be able to stop the animal's pain and see an old friend off to a better place.

My thoughts turn to something that will help bring peace and piece of mind to me and my family as we say adieu to one of our own. I'm wishing I had a few bachelor buttons, those pretty blue blooms also known as corn flowers, to help me do the trick.

In Wicca, corn flowers are used to draw and/or prognosticate about love. Women should wear them on the lapel as a corsage to attract affection. Scott Cunningham advises that men should carry a flower in their pocket. The freshness or wilting of the flower at the end of the day is said to predict future success - or lack thereof - in love.

In hoodoo, the flowers are steeped in water along with other blue or bluish-purple blooms like periwinkle and forget-me-not. Rosemary, which is very affective at improving one's mood, is often added as well. The water is strained and used to sprinkle in the corners of the home to bring peace to those who live there, people and animals alike. You can add some of the water to your floor wash to achieve the same end.

Dried corn flowers are also sprinkled into the corners of a room where a fight has occurred. This is said to restore harmony to the environment as well as relax the tensions of those who are at odds.

As an aside, the forget-me-not, which happens to be Alaska's state flower, is said to bring peace and prosperity to a home when grown in the kitchen. I have a big yellow pot with a thriving forget-me-not in our kitchen. With luck, it will help us through this difficult process. Bonne chance ~

Header: Letters by Annie Stegg via American Gallery

Jeudi: Root Work

Let's talk about something most people - especially around this time of year - would prefer not so speak of: negativity. We're all positive as the end of the year festivities bear down on us like, well, a charging grizzly sow, aren't we? You know the answer to that so let's move on to negativity, how to handle it and most of all, how to banish it.

The best way to remove negativity from your life is to keep yourself and your environments clean and organized. Really and truly, that is no joke. Dust, clutter, ring-around-the-toilet-bowl and what have you all attract and hold negative energy. This then breeds and festers in those neglected corners like some alchemical homunculus until it takes over your life and stifles your abilities to succeed and enjoy. Its an issue not so much of doing it right as doing it often, and thoroughly. And by "It" I mean cleaning. I know you didn't want to hear that - I didn't either, frankly - but it's true.

So how about some easy but effective cleaning tips that will help you both magickally and practicly to stay on top of negativity? I've got that. Here is a by no means complete list of things that will make your spirits bright this Holiday season and all through the New Year:

* Vanilla: the scent of vanilla is like bug spray to negativity. The little nasties that cause negative energy cannot stand it and will run as fast as they can to their usual hiding places (more on that in a minute) once they catch a whiff of it. So burn vanilla scented candles, use air fresheners or oil warmers with vanilla in them or just plain bake a whole lot. Whatever your scent disperser of choice, vanilla will not only help eliminate negativity but improve your mood as well. (Ladies and gentlemen with husbands/partners/callers: you should be aware that the scent of vanilla increases male libido; you've been warned.)

* Dust: get rid of it; dust thoroughly and often. I know you didn't want to hear that but if you make a daily routine of running one of those nifty dusters over every surface in one room a day you really can stay ahead of it. Sing a happy song or chant a banishing as you do if the mood strikes; it couldn't hurt.

* Clutter: get rid of that too. With all the "things" we acquire over the Holidays, this is a perfect time to box up that unwanted, unused, unworn and un-played with stuff and haul it off to a local charity. If you don't quite have time for that just now, box it or bag it and set it aside. Then it's all in one place for handling when the demands on your time slow down. And giving is a great mood elevator when those "January blues" hit.

* Drains: indoor plumbing is a great convenience but it is also a literal drain on positive energy. Seal your drains and toilets against their power to suck your personal energy by putting lemon juice down all open drains and toilets every six months. The juice of one half of a fresh lemon per drain is best but, in a pinch, plain old white vinegar is an excellent substitute. I knew a witch out on a local homestead who used hydrogen peroxide for this ritual to excellent result.

* Floors: sweep, vacuum and mop often. A good floor wash, with lemon juice or tea made from a protective herb added, is wonderful for mopping hard floors. You can add a bit of lemon juice to Murphy's Oil Soap if you have wood floors. Sprinkle a 50/50 blend of baking soda and salt on carpets before vacuuming to help pull up those little negative trolls. The bonus there is pest control: this treatment, if left on overnight, kills fleas. Repeat about a week later to catch the occasional egg that may have managed to hatch.

* Fresh Air: open your windows - just a crack will do if you're like me and it is 1 degree Fahrenheit outside - while you clean. Now all those little negative bugs you are chasing away will run outside rather than into any remaining clutter or cobwebs.

* Add Salt: When you're done, seal your hard work with a little sea or kosher salt. Throw a pinch in each corner of every room and drop a few grains on window sills and along the bottoms of all doors leading to the outside. A nice trick is to put some under doormats on the outside of the house; again, adding a protective herb to the salt just increases its efficacy. Wipe your feet all you want, negativity; you won't get back in here!

What ever ritual you follow, clean with intention and know that every bit of your hard work will encourage a positive environment. And don't forget your cubicle at work; that's kind of a living space too.

In the end, I hope you are as carefree and happy as the lady pictured above. And now: its time for me to go follow my own sage advice... A votre sante ~

Header: Christmas Shopper from a 1950s ad via Mid-Century

Lundi: Recipes

Up in my neck of the woods, where salmon is king (you might be from the Pacific Northwest if you get that lame joke), it is not uncommon for fishermen to stow the biggest salmon they catch in their freezer whole. There it will wait, lovingly wrapped to guard against freezer burn after been split and gutted, to await just this time of year. Some families serve this delight one night during Chanukah or as Christmas dinner. It is a real treat. If you happen to have access to a whole salmon, I have a wonderful recipe for grilled salmon with Pinot Blanc sauce.

1 whole salmon, 4 to 6 pounds, gutted, rinsed and dried (I like to remove the head and tail for aesthetic purposes but, if you like your food staring at you, who am I to argue?)
1 6 ounce jar nonpareil capers, drained
6 green onions, cut in half lengthwise
1 lemon, thinly sliced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Season the inside of your fish with salt and pepper. Place capers, green onions, lemon and onion slices along the inside of the fish and tie it up with three or four lengths of twine. Score the thickest parts of the salmon with a knife to ensure even cooking. Drizzle the salmon skin with olive oil to prevent sticking.

Warm grill to 325. Pop in the salmon and, with lid vents open, grill on one side about 20 minutes or until skin is crisp and brown. Now turn the salmon and continue to cook for another 15 to 20 minutes. Fish should reach an internal temperature of 130. Remove from heat and let rest for carry-over cooking, about another 15 minutes. Meanwhile...

For the sauce:

1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon red chili flakes
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups Pinot Blanc (my favorite: Michel-Schlumberger)
Juice of one lemon
1/2 cup butter, cubed
Salt and pepper to taste

Saute chili flakes and garlic in olive oil until soft (not brown). Add Pinot Blanc and lemon juice. Let this simmer to reduce by about half. Add butter one cube at a time to tighten up the sauce.

Cut up your fish and serve skin side down. Drizzle a little sauce over each slice just before serving.

This is great with a nice green salad, rice or garlic mashed potatoes and - of course - a bottle of Pinot Blanc. Bon appetite ~

Header: Still Life with Two Glasses of Wine by Albert Anker via Old Paint

Samedi: Ghost Stories

Today's story comes to us from the Arkansas. Yes, I am duty bound by familial ties to speak of it the way my ancestors would have when their associate and then spy for Spain Jean Laffite went off into its wilds to map out the U.S. settlements there abouts circa 1816. My Aunt Bette used to only refer to the state above Louisiana as "the" Arkansas, and that with a disparaging tint to her voice. Sorry Razor Back fans; I can only say that it's in the blood.

In many rural areas along the Mississippi River, Arkansas for instance, the landscape is dotted with hunting shacks. These are used only during "the season", at least for the most part, and to a large degree they are not furnished with the finest amenities. They are "shacks" more than cabins or homes, meant to be used for a brief time and then closed up to the next round.

This is the case in my adoptive home as well. Here in Alaska, hunting shacks are not unusual out in what locals call "the bush." While they may be hundreds of miles from one another, they are not all that uncommon and, in some cases, are literally open to all who happen upon them. In these instances they are as spare as they probably sound, but they are better than sleeping out in the raw environment of hunting season which encompasses the short, cold months of September and October. It's not January, of course, but it can be pretty bleak.

All that said, this story translates beautifully to Alaska. What happens in the bush stays in the bush for the most part. And none of what happens in this story would make an "old timer" do much more than shake his or her head...

Around the night fire the talk turned to the cabin by the lake. It had been there for ages as far as anyone knew, its timbers gray and its moss-covered roof sagging. No sane hunter had the gumption to go inside, even though it was in sight of the fire. The stories of men driven mad by the screams and wails of long dead souls were too numerous to ignore. The ancient cabin was haunted; everyone said so. No one wanted to challenge the idea if they could possibly avoid it.

No one, that is, but the grizzled hunter known as Old Pete. Pete had come up from Montana ten years ago and had soon put his tracking talents to good use showing greenhorns the best place to find a slow bull moose. He had a good reputation as a guide but a bad reputation as a companion. Old Pete was obnoxious, and when talk around the fire turned to the shack he spoke up right away.

"I'll stay up there all night," Pete said, standing up and planting his feet wide. "But I'll need money to do it."

How much money was settled on quickly - fifty dollars seemed reasonable - and the men laid out their cash. Pete also took a slab of good bacon and six cans of beer and, shouldering his pack, he hiked the short distance to the shack.

"Haunted," he mused, standing in front of the dark, low lump that would be his home for the night. "I'm more haunted than you are." And then he went in.

With his flashlight Pete could see that the place wasn't much. There were a couple of chairs and sleeping ledges built of pine. He smiled when he saw a stone hearth already laid with kindling and wood. Someone had been here and failed to light a fire; Pete wouldn't be so foolish.

When the fire was crackling, Pete unfurled his sleeping bag and put his little cast iron pot on the flames. "Time for bacon," he said and he threw the slab in the pot. Settling back in a chair, he cracked a can of beer and smiled. It was a quiet night, and not too cold. "Dinner and then to bed. Fifty dollars easy."

As Pete relaxed, he heard a shuffling sound along one wall. He didn't think too much of it; shrews and voles loved to hole up in places like this for the winter. Hell, he'd even run into a raven in a place like this once. He took a long swig of his beer, and turned the sweet smelling bacon with his fork.

The shuffling noise grew louder but Pete was comfortable. He opened another beer and thought how glad he was not to be a rodent. As he settled further back he heard something else; something like a voice...

"Smells good, Mister."

Pete sat up. "What?" He called out: "Is that you, Len?"

"Ain't Len," the voice whispered. Hissed, really. "Smells good, Mister."

The voice made Pete's skin crawl. It was like a snake or a roach, dry and sneaky. "This isn't funny," Pete called. "Len; this isn't - "

Pete saw a shadow, dark and small, move from a corner and jump - he swore later it jumped - right into his cast iron pot. The bacon let out a hiss and some steam and then he heard that voice again. But this time it came right out of the fire. "Thanks for dinner, Pete."

Old Pete looked carefully at his pot and he saw two eyes staring back at him over the rim. They were as red as the hot fire and as he looked, unable to move or blink, he heard that voice again: "My friends and I are grateful."

Suddenly a howling, squealing, groaning and screaming came right out of the wood that the shack was built from. It was as if a hurricane raged outside, but the night remained calm. Pete clapped his hands over his ears as the sound pummeled him like punches. He screamed right back, loud and long. All the same he couldn't hear himself. These noises would drive a sane man crazy.

Pete jumped up, grabbed his pack and, leaving his pot and sleeping bag behind, burst out of that old shack and ran toward his companions' fire.

When he reached them they stood up, shocked by Pete's sudden return and riveted by his appearance: from head to toe Pete was as pale as new fog - even his brown hair had turned white.

"Holy Hell, Pete;" Len asked. "What - "

"Here," Pete threw the money at his friends. "You keep it. I'm goin' home. Don't go in there. Don't none of you ever go in there!"

Old Pete left the hunt, called for the plane and paid the extra for the unexpected lift. He went to work on the North Slope and never went back to hunting ever again.

Header The Old Hunting Shack by Les Kouba via Alliance Art Publishing

Lundi: Recipes

As of last Saturday it's officially fall in the Northern Hemisphere. Where I live, fall comes quite a while earlier than the equinox. In fact, it corresponds to the old Celtic harvest holiday known as Lughnashad or Lammas on the Catholic calendar. The leaves are turning by August 1 so we're hustling to get the bounty of our short summers put away and preserved.

One of the few fruits that we can still get fresh this time of year is berries. It's now that the raspberry brambles are heavy with fruit and the blueberries are as sumptuous as they will ever be. What better use for these good-for-you fruits - aside from jam of course - than a berry cake? Here's what you'll need:

1 cup each blueberries and raspberries (washed and patted dry)
1 21 oz can blueberry pie filling
2 cups self-rising flour
1 cup sugar
1 stick cool butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp lemon juice
Lemon zest for topping (optional)

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 13x9x2 inch loaf pan an line with parchment paper.

Mix the fresh berries together and set aside.

Mix the flour and sugar in a large bowl. Add the butter and mix with your fingers until crumbly, as you would with pie crust. Set aside 1/2 cup of this mixture, stir in lemon zest to taste if desired. This will be the topping for your cake.

To the rest of the flour and sugar mixture, add the milk, eggs and vanilla. Combine each ingredient with the flour and sugar before adding the next one. Add the berries and combine. Pour this batter into your prepared pan.

Combine the blueberry pie filling and the lemon juice and spread this mixture in a relatively even layer over the cake batter. Finish by sprinkling the reserved flour, sugar and lemon zest over all.

Bake about 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool in the pan for a few minutes, then turn the cake out on a rack to finish cooling. Cut and enjoy!

Berries really are a super-food full of anti-oxidants and excellent for all kinds of health issues. If you're so inclined, concentrate on healing and helping the immune systems of those who enjoy your berry cake while you bake. This is old fashioned "kitchen witch" magick. It's simple, easy and can be done any time you prepare food.

Last, remember to leave any berries not picked by Hallowe'en on the brambles. According to Irish legend, these berries are the rightful domain of those goblins known as pucas. They sustain themselves through the winter with these last fruits, and will become bitter and destructive if they must go hungry. No one wants to anger the pucas after all...

Header: Hazel Scott with the harvest preserves c 1940 via Mid-Century

Jeudi: Curios

The alligator is an amphibian both maligned and adored along the Gulf coast of the United States. Feared for their quiet ferocity, they are also appreciated as sources of magickal instruments. They just happen to taste great, too.

In old time hoodoo, animal curios were used quite literally all the time. Though the practice is discouraged more or less in our modern age, alligator curios continue to be popular. Bats, cats, frogs and toads have been set aside to a large degree but alligator parts can often be found, usually because they are raised commercially. The majority of the animal is sold for meat or hide - much like cattle - while feet and teeth are doled out to root workers. For a fee, of course.

Alligator teeth are popular amulets worn for protection in the South, particularly around the neck. This is no different than the practice in my current home state of Alaska, where bear and wolf teeth are worn to protect and impart the strength of the animal. The nice thing about gators is that they shed their teeth throughout their life. The truly lucky person will find a gator tooth along the bayou and then use it for the most common intention of this curio: good fortune in gambling.

Both the feet and teeth of alligators are considered extremely lucky as pocket pieces for those who frequent the gambling table. The tooth probably obtained this reputation for the reason just mentioned. Carrying the foot - usually of a small alligator - can reasonably be considered a form of like-makes-like magick. These amputated parts somewhat resemble an outstretched human hand, just waiting for money to be deposited in it.

Here are two old time recipes for gambling luck pocket pieces. One enlisting a gator's tooth, the other its foot.

Take an alligators tooth and, while visualizing yourself winning consistently at your chosen game of chance, dress it with whiskey, Van Van oil or Easy Life oil. Carry this in your pocket when you go out to gamble, and re-anoint it frequently.

On a piece of brown paper (a piece of paper bag works well), write down your wish for money in red ink. This may be specific to gambling or any other way of getting an income. Dress a gator foot with Van Van oil or whiskey and wrap the brown paper tightly around it. Wrap red thread or twine around this packet three times and tie this off with three knots. Carry this with you, in your pocket or purse, as you pursue your chosen source of money. As with the tooth, dress this mojo frequently with your chosen libation.

Some folks also attach an alligator foot to a key chain and use this daily to bring general luck and, as always, money. If you are really old school, attaching the foot to your watch fob harkens back to the very old days of New Orleans voodoo/hoodoo. Legend has it that Jean Laffite had a bejeweled gator foot that dangled from his watch fob. This was lost, depending on the story you hear, either at the Battle of New Orleans or in the great Galveston hurricane of 1818. Either way, his luck seemed to go with it.

And there's the lesson; hold on to your alligator foot, or tooth, for dear luck. Bonne chance ~

Header: Alligators by Tom Root via American Gallery

Mardi: Herbal-Wise

As I mentioned over at Triple P, we are preparing for a "storm of the century" sort of scenario here in Anchorage. A hurricane has formed in the Bering Sea, and the weather prognosticators say we can expect winds up to 100 miles per hour in our area. Needless to say, that's a little scary.

So I went to the hoodoo cupboard to see if I could find a nice combination of herbs to create a "throw" to calm the storm - at least to some degree. Click here for a previous post on just this sort of situation.

I'm off to put together my sage and basil mixture, and hopeful encourage the worst of this thing to calm down before it hits us. Bonne chance to you all, and to us here in the Far North ~

Header: The Venerable Sergius of Radonehz by Mikhail Nesterov via Old Paint ~ the Venerable Sergius is sometimes invoked to protect gardens and homes from storms

Lundi: Recipes

The time for finishing up last year’s salmon has arrived in the Frozen North.  People are already out in the icy streams fishing for trout and very soon the spawning salmon will be jumping onto hooks all over Alaska.  It’s the usual cycle.

One of the best things to do with not-so-well-frozen salmon is to smoke it, and smoked salmon makes a wonderful, bagels-and-lox style sandwich.  The inspiration for this recipe is French in origin but the addition of hardboiled egg and cucumber make it awfully similar to the old New York favorite.  Feel free to use cream cheese rather than mayo if you’ve a hankering for a shmear, which would convert this into a lovely brunch dish.

Good baguette, preferably fresh from the bakery

Mayonnaise

Smoked salmon

1 hardboiled egg, thinly sliced

1 large tomato, thinly sliced

½ cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced

Salt and pepper to taste

Slice and/or split your baguette and dress both sides with a good quality mayo.  Layer smoked salmon, egg, tomato and cucumber then salt and pepper as you prefer.  This makes a great buffet item as people can chose the ingredients they like.  Thinly sliced red onion, capers, lemon wedges and lettuce are some other additions you might consider.  Bon appetite ~

Header: Copper Pot with Cheese and Garlic by Roy Hodrien via Old Paint

Jeudi: Curios

As we’ve discussed before, crystals, gems and metals that are frequently used in all forms of magick would probably be classified under the heading of curios in hoodoo. Many of these items are new to root work, although some use of rocks and minerals has a long-standing tradition in Voudon. Sometimes there is a bit of a cross-over, however, and today’s metal is one of those exceptions.

Copper is a very old metal that has been used in religious and ritual magick for centuries. Copper was sacred to the Queen of Heaven in ancient Sumerian, Babylonian, Persian and Arab cultures. Copper objects have been dedicated to all the goddesses of love and battle, Inanna, Astarte, Ishtar and Al-Uzza for instance. This in turn has led to copper’s association with Venus, the Morning Star. Copper talismans were common in Ancient Egypt and usually worn by people who could not purchase gold or silver. Copper was also sacred to the Native cultures of the Pacific Northwest.

As copper is an excellent conductor of energy, it is often used in the making of “magick wands”. These are used by individuals and groups to focus magickal energy.

The use of copper as both healer and protector is also long standing. Indigenous healers in Central and South America use copper, often in the form of old, all-copper pennies, as a conductor for removing physical or psychological illness from a body. This has translated to the New Age habit of wearing copper bracelets or anklets to balance bodily energy. According to Scott Cunningham, these should be worn on the left side by right-hand-dominant people, and vice versa.

Old Indian Head pennies are used in hoodoo for protection. The idea is that the Native American on the copper coin stands as a “watcher” to keep trouble away from a person or place. This usage of a copper penny is thought to be particularly effective for shady or outright illegal businesses. Such pennies are also believed to bring luck and money, particularly if minted in a leap year.
Finally, probably because of its ancient affiliation with Venus, copper is thought to attract love. Scott Cunningham advises that an emerald set in a copper ring is an excellent talisman for improving one’s love life. Bonne chance ~

Header: Babylonian Statue of Ishtar wearing copper jewelry c 1,000 BCE

Jeudi: Weather-Wise

Birds were the village wise person’s first weather indicator in times gone by.  Neither past events, the shapes and colors of clouds, the stars nor even the calendar date were as trustworthy as animals, and particularly birds, when it came to day to day forecasts.  Animals on the ground, especially the familiar rodents that hibernate in winter, were excellent harbingers of the seasons.  It was the birds, though, that told an old wife whether or not she could hang out laundry, walk down to the village or thatch her roof tomorrow.

Particularly in cold climates in the Northern Hemisphere, the beautiful birds known as Bohemian wax wings were a harbinger of either bitter cold or relief from same; usually the former, unfortunately.  These birds wing their way across the sky in large flocks, darting, swooping and changing directions with abandon and precision that would make the Blue Angels jealous.  In North America they currently range over most of Canada and the northern U.S. and they are listed as “permanent residents” in South Central Alaska and Pacific coastal Canada.

An average group of wax wings, which can range from 20 to 50 birds, massing on a tree, flying off and then returning is said to be a sign of snow within 24 hours.  Large numbers of more than 50, perhaps two or three flocks together, huddled in rows on the branches of trees, the roofs of barns or the tops of fences are said to signify very harsh weather and unusual cold. 

In colonial times, this sign also foretold more illness than usual in both men and domestic beasts.  Some even imagined it as a portend of the end of the world.  Old wives would advise that people safeguard their health and that of their children.  Animals should be brought into barns and not left out to pasture as well, and the next spring’s seed stock should be checked frequently for mildew and rodents to prevent future famine.

While I’ve yet to witness apocalyptic occurrences after odd behavior in wax wings, they surely have a way of showing up and then leaving.  The next day, almost without fail, the snowfall will arrive.  Some old weather “superstitions” are still worth paying attention to.  Bonne chance ~

Header: Alaskan Bohemian wax wings, photo by the talented Clark James Mishler from his website; this photo also appeared in Anchorage Daily News

Vendredi: Leaves, Masks and Needles

It has been snowing for the last seven hours here, and so I have had more than one cup of tea already today – to say nothing of coffee.  Should I have found any of the shapes in my spent tea leaves, they might just indicate…

                                                                                                                    

Ladder ~ climbing the ladder of success; slow, steady advancement

Lamp ~ the petitioner is searching for enlightenment.  They will need to study and seek sage advice to achieve their goal

Leaves ~ these have various meanings: a garland of leaves means acclaim while falling leaves indicate illness or a downturn in fortune.  Grape leaves indicate anger on the part of the petitioner or one close to them.  Fig leaves tend to indicate negative gossip against the petitioner; fern leaves mean someone is disloyal.  Oak leaves may point to a long, healthy life.  Two or more relatively unidentifiable leaves foretell good fortune in the near future

Letter or envelope ~ news, perhaps that the petitioner has been waiting for, will soon arrive

Lock ~ a roadblock that the petitioner must work through rather than around

Mantle, robe or shawl ~ the petitioner is covering up something personal

Mask ~ deception which works either for or against the petitioner, depending on nearby shapes

Mountain ~ the petitioner has an altruistic goal that should be pursued

Mushroom ~ movement in business; takeovers, expansion

Nail ~ possible false accusation or unjust court decision against the petitioner

Needle ~ a love affair; if near a cat, deer or shawl, an illicit one

Nurse ~ someone close to the petitioner may be in danger of serious illness

Oyster ~ a very propitious sign; joy, wealth of all kinds

And so we will close for today.  I wish you far fewer hazards than are faced by those in my neck of the woods today, and Vendredi heureux ~

Header: Veil of Winter by William St John Harper c 1890

Lundi: Recipes

Eighty percent of the world’s population lives near – basically within driving distance of – a major body of water such as an ocean, lake or river.  We can reasonably surmise, then, that only slightly less of the people on Earth are eating seafood and/or freshwater fish regularly.  That is certainly the case here in Alaska, which has a longer coastline than the contiguous U.S. and Hawai’i combined. 

With that in mind, I’m offering a recipe for fish today.  This one is from one of my favorite local restaurants, The Double Musky.  Not only is this eclectic and fun restaurant just a scenic drive away from where I live, it also offers Cajun and Creole cuisine from the heart of my father’s family home: southeastern Louisiana.  Here then, from the Double Musky cookbook by owners Bob and Deanna Persons, Cajun Scampi:

½ cup garlic butter (made by combining butter with granulated garlic, as you would to make garlic bread)

½ cup white wine

¼ cup sherry

2 tsps hot pepper sauce

2 tsps lemon juice

2 tbsps granulated garlic

4 cloves garlic, crushed

½ cup sliced mushrooms

½ cup white onions, diced

½ cup green onions whites & greens, sliced

2 tbsps sliced black olives

½ cup tomatoes, diced

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

4 cups cooked white rice

Salt & pepper to taste

Melt the garlic butter in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add all other sauce ingredients in the order above (excluding shrimp and rice).  Cook until the white onions clarify.

Add the shrimp and turn the heat to high.  Cover and cook for about two minutes or until the shrimp are opaque.

Serve over hot, fluffy rice.  Makes about 4 servings.  Thanks Bob and Deanna. Bon appetite ~

Header: Dining room at the Double Musky via That Food Guy (read his review here)

Lundi: Recipes

Last Monday I posted some recipes for warm drinks from our local paper’s quarterly magazine 61 Degrees North.  Mulled cider and hot chocolate are great, but if you’re looking for something with a little grown up kick, I’ve got two more recipes from the same article that might just hit the spot.  Particularly if it’s as cold where you are as it is here in Anchorage, AK.

Hot Toddy

1 ounce whiskey or bourbon (the recipe recommends “Alaska’s own Outlaw Whiskey")

1 tbsp honey

1 cup hot water

Squeeze of lemon

Pour honey and liquor into the bottom of a mug.  Fill with hot water and finish with a squeeze of lemon.  You can add tea, if you like, to turn this into a nice pick me up if you’re feeling under the weather.

Chair 5 Coffee

Directly from the article:

If you’re in Girdwood, stop by Chair 5 for this hot treat: coffee with Kahlua, Baileys Irish Cream, Tuaco, cognac and crème de menthe with a tall cup of whipped cream drizzled with crème de menthe.  Yum.

Yum pretty much says it all.

Header: Chair 5 in Girdwood, Alaska via tripadvisor.com

Lundi: Recipes

In the most recent issue of the magazine 61 Degrees North, published by our local paper, Anchorage Daily News, there was a page full of recipes for cold-weather beverages.  Some I’ve tried, some I’m new to; some are good for you and the kids, some are strictly for grown-ups.  This week, I’d like to offer two of the non-alcoholic delights.  We’ll save the booze for next Monday.

Mulled Cider

2 quarts apple cider (raw pressed if possible)

3 cinnamon sticks plus 8 more for garnish

2 whole allspice berries

5 whole cloves

5 cardamom pods

1 tsp grated nutmeg

1 orange, thinly sliced

In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients on the stove.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.  Pour into eight mugs and garnish with reserved cinnamon sticks.

Hot Chocolate from Modern Dwellers

2 cups powdered sugar

1 cup cocoa

2 ½ cups powdered milk

1 tsp salt

2 tsp cornstarch

Hot milk

Cayenne pepper (optional)

Marshmallows (per the recipe, not optional)

Combine the first five ingredients.  Fill two mugs half full with this mixture, then top with hot milk.  Add cayenne if you like; leave room for marshmallows.  Bon appetite ~

Header: Modern Dwellers Chocolate Lounge in midtown Anchorage, AK via Superwife

Jeudi: Great Spirits

Western Alaska is experiencing a pretty nasty storm right now.  I’m thankful to be on the outskirts of the weather but I’m thinking often of the battered coast of my state, where the sea, the ice, the wind and the cold can conjure up some pretty terrifying things.  Some of these things have come down to us as tales of the spirits of the north and one of the greatest of these is the Old Woman of the Ocean, Sedna.

The Inuit people tell us that Sedna was one of the most beautiful young women among them.  She lived in a comfortable home with her father Anguta (whose name means “he who has something to cut”) and men from all around her village came to court her with soft pelts and seafood.  Though Sedna could have her pick of a husband, she was seduced away by a minion of the trickster, Raven.  The bird promised her a life of luxury where she would never have to work another day and she flew off with him.

Instead of the warm, bearskin-lined hut she was promised, Sedna found herself keeping house in a filthy nest where she was exposed to the elements and forced to labor day and night.  When, after a year and a day, Anguta came to visit his daughter she fell before him in tears.  She apologized for leaving him and then told him of all the evils that her corvine mate had brought down upon her.  Anguta, moved by his daughter’s misery, bundled her up in his kayak and paddled for home under cover of night.

Unwilling to give Sedna up, her husband called upon his cousins and a host of bird-people chased after the girl and her father.  Anguta worked to escape but the birds were relentless and the cold, dark sea threatened to swallow him and his daughter alive.  As the bird-people closed in, Anguta threw Sedna into the sea.  Why he did this varies in different versions of the story; he was selfish and sacrificed her life for his own, he wished to save her from the revenge of her husband’s family, he planned to follow her into the murky depths.  Whatever the reason, Sedna would have none of it.  She clung to the boat desperately while her father, also in desperation, cut off first her fingers, then her hands, then her arms up to the elbows.  Finally he shoved her with his oar, mutilating one of her eyes, and she sank pitifully to the bottom of the icy sea.

There, Sedna underwent a miraculous transformation.  She was remade into a half-seal, half-woman whose regenerated arms, hands and fingers gave birth to all the fish and mammals of the sea.  She set up house in a palace made of whale ribs, made a companion in the form of an ugly and vicious dog-seal and called her kingdom Adlivun.  From here, she sent her sea-children to the shores to feed the humans who had once been her family.  Her father, Anguta, eventually joined her and became the harvester of the souls of those who died at sea.  These drown shades also lived with Sedna in Adlivun.

Sedna’s generosity had parameters, however, and the souls of her slaughtered sea-children would return to her to tattle on the humans if they broke her rules.  In such cases Sedna would bring her sea-children back to Adlivun and deny the humans their much-needed meat. 

When this happened, a skilled shaman would need to take up a trance and journey to Adlivun to beseech Sedna for their people’s lives.  He or she would meet many terrible challenges including the realm of those who died by drowning, a razor-sharp wheel of ice and Sedna’s terrifying dog.  If the shaman passed through each challenge successfully, he or she would be asked to ease the pain in Sedna’s arms and hands; the pain caused by the inappropriate killing of her sea-children.  Should the shaman succeed, Sedna might relent and allow the creatures over whom she held sway to return to the sight of men.

Among her people, Sedna was spoken of as Old Food Dish, the spirit who gave life or death depending on the unspoken contract long established between herself and the Inuit people.  Sedna is a favorite subject for Native Alaskan and Native Canadian art and her story is told and retold around stoves and in schools to this day.

Header: Sedna with a Mask by Alaska Yupik and Inupiaq artist Susie Silook c 1999