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| Sorry... I was channeling this guy |
Happy Fall/Autumn/Samhain/Best Time of Year!!!! Please pardon my excess enthusiasm but my favorite time of year has finally arrived and I couldn't be more
excited!! Fall has been my favorite time of year since I was a little girl so I
thought, you know what, let's talk about apples! Raise your hand if you're going apple picking at least once this season. I live in New England so apple picking is basically mandatory. Apple cider, apple cider donuts, apple pie, apple turnovers, candied apples, caramel apples, apple butter, caramel apple muffins, apple tarts, applesauce.... Apologies, how about some info before I destroy my kitchen making everything (and I do mean everything) I just listed above.
Beginning in mid-September, signs of the
changing season are everywhere. The shortening of days is becoming more
noticeable, temperatures begin to drop, leaves are changing, and people have the urge to go apple picking.
In fact, many families, groups of friends, covens, etc., go on apple
picking trips every year during September and October. Why? The apple has been
intertwined with human history for centuries. An apple struck Newton in the
head, cluing him in on gravity. Teachers,
the givers of knowledge and wisdom, are given apples on the first day of
school. Apple pie is a cultural icon in the United States, evidenced in the
phrase: as American as apple pie. This
fruit has the ability to repel doctors and has been used by one of the most
evil fairy tale characters in history as her weapon of choice. It's no wonder people are so enamored with
apples; they're everywhere and have been for quite some time.
The apple has a bushel full of folk names, including The Silver Bough, Tree of Love, Fruit of the
Gods and Fruit of the Underworld. The
ruling element of apples is water, its gender is feminine, and the ruling
planet is Venus. Apples have been
associated with a number of deities over the years. Venus, Freya, Zeus Diana, Athena, Pomona, Hera and Dionysus are
just some of the deities that have been linked with the apple. Magickal powers of the apple are abundant,
but the most prominent are healing, love, wisdom and immortality.
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| Cut an apple across its width (horizontally) and you'll find a pentagram inside. |
Apples are one of
the most common fruits throughout the United States and Europe. They grow almost anywhere and come in a wide
variety. Apples have grown wild in
Europe for centuries and have a long history there. Raise your hand if you've heard the tales of
King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
If you're currently waving your hand in the air like you just don't
care, then chances are you've also heard of Avalon. Avalon is a sacred place mentioned in the
Arthurian stories. Located on the Isle
of Avalon are women living and being trained as Priestesses of the
Goddess. Ancient wisdom was cultivated
there and magicks and healing was taught all during a time when Christianity
was violently sweeping through Europe. Avalon
is an ancient Welch word that translates to "apple". Therefore, The Isle of Avalon is also The
Isle of Apples.
Apples have also
received a shout out in the bible... sort of.
In the book of Genesis in the old testament Adam was told not to eat of
the tree of knowledge. God said, "You are free to eat from any tree in the
garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,
for when you eat of it you will surely die." -Genesis 2:16-17 This statement begs soooo many questions. If
you don't want Adam to eat from the tree of knowledge, why did you make the
tree in first place? Gaining knowledge is a good thing right? So why not have a
bite of that fruit and elevate your I.Q.. Clearly Eve just wanted to advance
her education, so she ate the fruit. Have women been looked down upon all these
years simply because Eve wanted a higher education? OK, I digress, back to the
apple. Did you notice what was omitted
from the quote above? The apple is never mentioned! Fruit from the tree of
knowledge is referred to as fruit in the bible, not an apple. Many scholars believe that early Christians
turned 'fruit' into 'apple' which has been popularized over the years via
depictions of the fall of Adam and Eve, fairy tales, and movies. Associating
the apple with evil was no accident either.
Early Christians recognized that the apple/fruit is associated with the
Goddess (wheat and grains represent the God) and it became the forbidden fruit
during a time when women were losing their power left, right and center.
Have apples gone the way of broomsticks, black cats, and
pointy hats? Is the apple yet another symbol/tool of the witch, healer and wisdom seeker that has
been transformed into something negative, evil and scary? Picking a few apples and making a pie is
acceptable but one step beyond that and we're in forbidden fruit territory. Apples have loving and healing
energies/properties (we'll get to that in a hot second). In this witch's humble
opinion, the apple was transformed into an evil tool of the witch by those that
misunderstood witches, healers and the nature of magick. Instead of being a tool of healing and wisdom
it became an evil, poisonous tool used by the equally evil witch wielding dark
powers. Whether good or bad, the apple
has been associated with witches and healers for centuries. Now let's talk
about the good.
What's Love Got To Do With It?
Apples carry
quite a bit of energy and have a long history with love spells. Use the blossoms from an apple tree in love
incense, potions and sachets. Rub apple blossom oil on red or pink candles to
attract love. Find a nice apple (one with no bruises, etc.) and leave it under
a tree as an offering to Venus and ask for love. Trying to make sure your lover
is faithful and that you will be happy together? Offer to share an apple with
your love, you eat half and give them the other half. Want to know if your feelings for someone
will be reciprocated? Hold an apple in your power hand (the power hand is your
dominant hand, usually the hand you write with) until it's nice and warm. Then,
give the apple to the person your interested in. If they eat the apple then
your feelings will be returned. Use red
apples for love, green apples for money and golden apples for fame.
An Apple A Day Keeps The Doctor Away.... Seriously, It Does
Maybe our need
to go apple picking every fall is because of some latent folk memory we're all
walking around with. We know that winter is approaching because the leaves are
changing and the temperature is dropping. The final harvest is just around the
corner and we need to stock up on food for the winter. Apples can be stored
whole for winter (if picked when ripe and kept at a temperature of 32-35
degrees) and canned as preserves.
The apple has
also be relied on over the years for its healing abilities. Apples are easily digested which makes them a
great baby food option. The natural
acids in an apple help neutralize the acids produced during indigestion Apples are high in fiber (especially granny
smith apples) and stewed apples create a gentle but effective laxative. To rid
yourself of constipation and help you sleep eat an apple at bedtime. Eating an
apple will also help keep teeth clean and your breath fresh. Eat an apple to ward off a fever and lower
your cholesterol Have an apple if your
blood sugar is low and crushed apple leaves placed on a fresh wound help fight
infection. "For all feverish conditions; slice an apple and place in a
saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then simmer till the apple is
soft. Strain and chill. Serve cold." (3)
Interesting Tidbits:
1) Centuries ago, in some parts of Britain, people sang to
their apple orchards on Christmas Eve. This practice was to ensure a bountiful
harvest in the coming year. Entire
families would go out to the orchard, place cakes in the trees branches and
pour cider on the roots. Then they would
drink to the trees health and sing songs.
2) Apples are considered to be a food of the dead and are
popular altar decorations during Samhain. Because of this, Samhain is sometimes
referred to as the "Feast of Apples".
3) In some traditions the apple represents the soul. During
Samhain the apple is buried so that those that will be reborn in the spring
will have food during the winter.
4) Apple Cider poured onto fresh dirt will bring new life to
your garden. Do this right before you begin planting.
5) Wood from the apple tree makes amazing/powerful wands.
6) Some traditions believe that eating apples give you
immortality and wisdom.
7) Apples are healthy and wonderful but the seeds, if
consumed in large quantities, are poisonous!! Especially for small children and
pregnant women. When you eat an apple avoid the seeds and remove the seeds when
cooking/baking with apples. ***
Fun With Apples
I love a nice
caramel or candied apple in the fall. There's nothing like a granny smith apple
dipped in caramel! I do have to confess that I don't like making them, I'm more
interested in the finished product. If
you feel like making some caramel apples for your next get together this fall
(send some to me) here's a simple recipe for home made caramel apples. This
recipe comes from tastykitchen.com (direct link posted below).
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 20 Minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Serves: 12
Ingredients:
12 whole Apples
¼ cups Butter
1 cup White Syrup
14 ounces, fluid Eagle Brand Condensed Milk
2 cups White Granulated Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Preparation Instructions
Assemble all ingredients: wash and dry apples, insert
sticks, and butter a cookie sheet and dinner plate before starting to cook.
Heat all ingredients except vanilla in a heavy 2-quart
saucepan over medium/low heat. Stir constantly! (Unless you really like the
look of scorched bits on your apples.)
When caramel reaches soft ball stage (235°F–240°F) remove
from heat and add vanilla. Let cool a few minutes.
Using the stick inserted in the apples, dunk apples in the
hot caramel and twirl slowly away from the heat for a couple of minutes. It’s
nice to have a helper or two at this point.
Place caramel-covered apples on a buttered cookie sheet.
Optional: drizzle with melted chocolate or roll in chopped
nuts.
Extra caramel from the bottom of the pan:
1. Can be scraped out with a spatula into a buttered plate
or dish to be cut into individual pieces when cool.
2. Can be thinned in the pan with half-and-half and eaten
warm, as a dip for apple wedges.
For caramel apples that are a little witchier, try
decorating the apples' stick. I may have
to change my policy on making caramel apples because these are so cute!
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| Seen on Pinterest.com |
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| Seen on Pinterest.com |
Apple Cider Cups
Ingredients:
large apples
lemon juice
apple cider, either homemade or store-bought
optional: cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, allspice and/or
star anise for garnish
On a cutting board or sturdy surface, use a knife to cut off
the top of the apple. Then take a paring knife and carefully outline where
you’d like the “rim” of your apple cup to be. (My rims were about 1/4″ wide.)
Use a spoon to carefully begin scooping out the center of your apple until you
have a nice “cup”. (A melon baller also works well for this.)
Also, if your apple doesn't sit exactly level, take your
paring knife and just slice off a few millimeters to even off the bottom to
make it even. Just be careful not to let your knife cut through the bottom or
sides of the apple when hollowing it out, or the cider will leak out!
Once you have the inside of the apples hollowed out, brush a
little lemon juice over the inside of the apples (to prevent browning). Then
fill with your favorite apple cider, garnish with cinnamon or spices if you’d
like, and serve! You could also warm the apple cups in the oven before
serving. I just wouldn't leave them in too long, or they will lose their
firmness.
The apple, it's
more than a piece of fruit. Bearer of
wisdom and knowledge, cut an apple horizontally to find a pentagram
inside. It was most likely not the fruit
Adam and Eve ate without permission and has been wrongfully associated with
evil doers and scary witches. Try the
apple divination to figure out your love life and make sure you use an apple to
keep the doctors at bay (eat the apple, don't throw it at the doctor). Rub the oil onto a red or pink candle to draw
in love and make a powerful wand from the apple tree. Don't forget the seeds
can be poisonous, especially for small children and pregnant women. Have fun
picking apples this season! What's your favorite apple? I'm a granny smith
girl. All this talk of apples, I need a cup of hot apple cider stat!
Bright Blessings,
~Amethyst~
***I am not a doctor and I don't play one on TV. Do your
research before you consume any herbs via potions etc.
Sources:
1)Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs by: Scott
Cunningham
2)The Encyclopedia of Magickal Ingredients by: Lexa Rosean
3)witchipedia.com
4)Caramel apple recipe ~
http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/desserts/grandma-bettye28099s-caramel-apples/
5)Apple cidar cups recipe ~
http://gimmesomeoven.com/apple-cider-cups/
Love it.