Little Magics Everywhere – Wedding Edition Part Two

I’ve got ginger snaps in the oven right now. They’re full of candied ginger and a little bit of orange extract and vanilla, along with the usual ginger, cinamon, nutmeg, and cloves. These are basically the edible version of the happy-home candles that I made ages ago.
(I’ve also made shortbread – my grandmother’s recipe – cooling on a wire rack. But, beyond the good luck association it has with New Year’s, they aren’t blowing magic around the place… that I know of. They are super-tasty, though. :-D)

We’ll be serving these – along with umpteen million other things, the majority of which have been home-made by me, my maid-of-honour, or my bride’s baking buddy.
I’m brining some of the Tomato-Peach Salsa I made back in July, as well as some of my Spicy Peach Chutney (which I made in August). I figure they’ll go really well with the cheese plate and some of the other dips. 🙂

Beyond that… I’ve pulled together a few vases (and one silver pitcher, borrowed from my mother) and some black, wire-edged “velvet” ribbon, and my Plan is to do flower arrangements featuring red and white flowers (probably chrysanthemums, but we’ll see what’s easily available…) plus whatever seasonal greenery I could snip with my sheers while sauntering around the neighbourhood.
What I’ve got:
Cedar – for prosperity and longevity
Juniper – for protection
Spruce – for adaptability
Yew – for altered states of consciousness
Fir – for immortality

… Although I’m actually guessing about having spruce and fir. The “fir” is something I was able to pick up from a heap of discarded tree-trimmings (someone giving their xmas tree a hair cut to make it fit into their house better), and those tend to be douglas firs often as not. Plus it looks right. Likewise, the spruce was also a guess but… chances are good it’s a Norway Spruce, as it’s got the same feathery fronds and weeping branches as this one.

Strictly speaking, altered states of consciousness aren’t… typical(?) for wedding-blessing but we’ll go with it. The rest are good ones for anybody. 🙂 (Although, I grant you, I’m reading “immortality” as “posterity” more than “can’t die”).

Anyway. Lots of good fun there. 🙂

TTFN,
Meliad the Birch Maiden. 🙂

Little Magics Everywhere – Wedding Edition Part One

I hand-sewed my bride’s wedding skirt. It’s cotton, it’s red, and I’ve pricked my fingers often enough to have my blood poured into it.

She came into the bedroom this morning to see my carfully extracting a strand of my hair. She said: “I caught you haggin'” – as the feegles would put it. And she did. She’s well aware of what I’ve stitched into the lining of her skirt: A strand of her hair, and one of mine, twisted together. A single bead of rose quartz for love, friendship, and joy. 🙂

nine times nine
let the rune shine
she and I entwined together
in love and happiness for ever

We’ll be married tomorrow, on the longest night of the year – waxing moon, stepping over the threshold into waxing sun. And on a Friday, no less. 🙂

I’ve got some last errands to run (on my own, the ones where I don’t need a car at my disposal) and a couple of altars to set up before tomorrow. But it’s getting there. It’s getting there. 🙂

TTFN,
Meliad the Birch Maiden