Kitchen Home News

I was out in the back yard early this evening.  I watched as the light fled from the approaching dusk, and felt the temperature drop so swiftly that it startled me.  One moment I was eating blood-red raspberries from the canes rescued from an abandoned lot, and the next I was staring at my misty breath hanging in the air. I noticed that, not too far from the still-producing raspberries, the rhubarb has died off.  The impossible to kill plant is one of the first to return in the early spring, but I'm in awe of how completely dead it looks now. Not an ounce of life appears to remain in its withered leaves that are already prostrate on the earth, preparing to become a part of it again. Across the yard, the sunflowers still follow the short and swift path of the sun, blooming as if they had all the time in the world.  The chickweed looks better than it has all summer.  The yarrow is bright and bushy again, growing a second crop of fuzzy leaves, while the skullcap has long dropped its f

This month has been a blast for me, and padded envelopes carrying books are going out each week, winging their way across the world to you.  Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving a comment. It's been wonderful to see familiar faces, as well as meet fab new folks! Few things go off completely without a hitch, and there were a few little bumps along this ride, but it's all a lesson in organization for me.  Fortunately, this year I planned ahead a bought a few extra books in case an author fell through.  So, to finish out our month, I'm handing out a few almanacs to help your get your new magical year started smoothly.   I've got two each of: Llewellyn's 2014 Magica Almanac "This edition features compelling articles, grouped by element, on solar power and the home, carnival magic, recycling and refurbishing, enlightened eats, emergency healing, faery offerings and shrines, folk clothing, alcohol and the gods, soap magic, animism, transforming negativity, and

Here are the winners of the copies of "54 Devils" by Cory Thomas Hutcheson: Stephanie Clayton - You are taking home the Zombie card deck. Rebecca Powell - You are receiving the Guardians deck. Dean - You are getting the Club Tattoo deck. If you could pop your mailing address over to me at:  rueandhyssop AT gmail DOT com, that would be great  - I'll get these out to you this week! Congrats!

I'm pretty excited about this next book for several reasons.  I adore folklore in all its forms, I'm a big fan of cartomancy, and the fellow that wrote this book is a fiercely intelligent lore-seeker and one half of the super-duo that host the podcast New World Witchery .  He's also just all-around awesome AND he sent three autographed books for me to pass on to you! I'm reading this right now and appreciating that Cory breaks down this reading system in a way that even people like me, who never really did anything with playing cards besides throwing down some "Go Fish," can understand.  I'm also drooling through the appendix of folklore, of course.  Here's our next book: " Fifty-Four Devils:     The Art & Folklore of Fortune-telling with Playing Cards This brief-but-richly drawn book explores the practice of divination by playing cards—known as cartomancy. It reveals the “secrets in plain sight” which hide within the pips, kings, queens, and

Another lot of names chosen from the hat tonight!  Here's who will be getting their hands on books: "New Paths to Animal Totems" goes to..... ridethewhitehorse "Baneful" goes to...... syncretic mystic (Soli) The 2014 Herbal Almanac goes to....... Kallan Kennedy Congrats everyone!  Please send your mailing address to me via rueandhyssop AT gmail (DOT) com.

Our next giveaway is a handful of books for those who love to spend some time outdoors (or even the armchair nature admirer.) First up, by the talented Lupa from The Green Wolf,  (whom I met at Faerieworlds and begged an autograph for you) we have New Paths To Animal Totems : "I've written a great deal for people of an intermediate to advanced experience level, but this time I'm offering something for a more general audience, to include people who may never have even heard of totems before! To give readers, especially those new to totemism, some guidance, I've offered a variety of exercises, meditations, and ritual ideas to play with along with the theory. And to illustrate the material further, there are examples seeded throughout the text. However, as with all my books, there's plenty for the more experienced practitioner to play with, and none of it is strictly "by the book", as it were." Next up is a favourite author and a super cool lady - The H

Alright - time for the goodies! The winner of "The Weiser Field Guide To Witches" is ... Linda Wildenstein! And the winner of "Pure Magic" is... Karen Sullivan! And - since there was no response from the winner of Deborah Blake's book "Circle, Coven and Grove" - I've drawn another name.... Jennifer! If you would all be so kind as to send me your mailing address to: rueandhyssop AT gmail DOT com - then I will get these books off to you! Special thanks to Judika for signing these books and sending folks my way!  Don't forget to hit her Facebook fan page for all sorts of October awesomeness!

Our next featured author is the wonderful Judika Illes ! Judika is the author of many beloved books, such as The Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells and her latest, The Encyclopedia of Mystics, Saints, and Sages, as well as two fantastic Weiser Field Guides. Judika is also quite active on Facebook and is currently featuring "a month of witches" on her fan page , as well as hosting some giveaways of her own - do check her out! As for this little corner of the interwebs - I've got two delicious reads for you from Judika: From:   www.JudikaIlles.com  : A compendium of witches through the ages, from earliest prehistory to some of the most significant modern practitioners, The Weiser Field Guide to Witches explores who and what is a witch. Appropriate for readers of all ages, this book serves as an excellent and entertaining introduction for those fascinated by the topic. A comprehensive course in practical magic contained in one single book. No jargon, no agenda: Pure Magic si

The winner of T. Thorn Coyle's book "Make Magic Of Your Life" is..... LaTrice Lott! Please send your mailing address to rueandhyssop AT gmail DOT com and I'll get the book off to you! Congrats! Also - last call to Kathy S. - you won the Deborah Blake book "Circle, Coven & Grove."  Please have your address to me by Wednesday, October 16th or I'll have to draw another name for the book. Thanks! The next giveaway will be up tomorrow, and you don't want to miss this author!

My friend grew corn at her ranch again this year. I don't know the variety, but I can tell you that it was the sweetest corn I've ever tasted.  It was so good that you could eat it off the cob, standing right there in the field if you wanted to. It tasted like candy. We had several corn-on-the-cob feasts this summer.  My friend created a tequila-lime butter that we coated the hot corn in.  We sounded like a pack of wild animals while chewing on those cobs. I took some corn home too, and messed around with corn fritter recipes and then settled into a pot of corn chowder that I wish had been triple the size so I'd have some in the freezer to take out and eat now.  I don't even know if chowder freezes well.  I'd have tried it though. When I make soup, I toss a handfull of this and that in the pot, and hope for the best.  If you've noticed the few recipes I post here, they are very easy.  I'd love to be a Martha - but I'm more of a simple Sally. I'll try

The next author featured in The Great October Book Giveaway, is T. Thorn Coyle! I had the pleasure of meeting Thorn at Faerieworlds this summer and she was kind enough to autograph this book for a lucky person.  Her newest offering, "Make Magic Of Your Life" is a delicious read! From thorncoyle.com : Activate the magical formula known the Four Powers of the Sphinx. These four powers — To Know, To Will, To Dare, and To Keep Silence — help bring about a profound shift in how we view and move through the world. They point us toward our highest purpose and show us what to do, both practically and spiritually, once we’ve found it. They will lead us to a life of magic. As always, to walk away with this signed copy, leave a comment with your name and how we connect.  If you've listed how we connect on a previous entry, don't worry about repeating yourself.  If you want to earn an extra entry, feel free to share the giveaway however you like - just pop back and leave a separ

Here are the lucky folks who will be getting a book in the mail........... carolg - Everyday Witch Book of Rituals Danu Brighid - The Goddess is in the Details Kathy S - Circle, Coven & Grove Congrats!  Please send me (rueandhyssop AT gmail DOT com)  your mailing address this week and I will get your books off to you! Stay tuned... next giveaway is moments away.......

Our next author is the magical and clever Deborah Blake ! The first book of hers I discovered was "The Goddess is in the Details" and I resonated immediately with her view of weaving your magical practice into your everyday life.  I loved this book and am sharing a copy with you!  Deborah has several upcoming books (one on broom lore - right up my alley) as well as a pair of fiction novels and a fun book of 13 rituals (titled " A Witch's Dozen ") currently available in e-book format. I'm giving away three of her books here this week, including her newest release "Everyday Witch Book of Rituals" and her first book (now out of print) which she so generously offered up especially for you, from her personal stash, "Circle, Coven & Grove." "Amplify your wishes and manifest positive changes all year long with Deborah Blake’s inspiring collection of simple rituals. Whether practicing alone or with a group, these empowering ceremonies,

The name drawn for "The Mighty Dead" is..... Mario Zeleny! Please send your mailing address to me at: RueandHyssop @ gmail (dot) com. Congrats! Check in tomorrow for the next author - and the chance to walk away with one of three books!

It's no secret that I'm a Christopher Penczak fan.  I've taken two years of his Temple of Witchcraft courses, and there is a goodly number of his books on my shelf.  I did also feature Christopher last year.  I won't normally be passing along books from the same authors each year in the October giveaway, but if the author has a new book out - it's fair game.  Plus, I wanted a copy of this one myself - so I picked up one for you too! "Traditions across the world honor and recognize the sanctified dead-not just the ancestors of flesh and blood we knew in life – but the ancestors of our spiritual traditions, who died in a state of alignment and union with the divine. Known as the Bodhisattvas, Saints, Secret Chiefs, Ascended Masters and Inner Plane Adepts in other traditions, Witches know our ancestors as the Hidden Company, the Mighty Dead of our Timeless Tradition in the Nameless Art. In truth, they are the guiding principles of our modern tradition, as inner

****UPDATE 2: October 15/13 Please do not leave a comment here if you want to enter the book giveaways. This is simply a post on how this giveaway is run. Please find the current giveaway post by scrolling up to the top of the blog OR refreshing the blog by clicking on the header. The first or second post you see will be the current giveaway. Please leave your entry on that post. Thanks! **UPDATE:  October 12/13 There has been a couple questions about entering the giveaways.  The lowdown is below, but I just want to be clear about the process.  If you want in on the current giveaway, you need to leave a comment on the current giveaway post.  If you were directed here, to this intro post, via a link - just click up there on the blog header "Rue and Hysosp" and the page will reload for you.  The most recent post should be the current giveaway (unless I've posted about some of my October adventures - then just scroll down - you'll find it.)  You'll need to commen