Tonight we will see the longest Blood Moon solar eclipse of the century, and major electric storms are predicted. Get ready for a bumpy night!

If you see any black birds gathering near you, stay alert. These are psychopomps, very common at times of high supernatural activity and drawn to areas of potential trouble. It may be wise to move to another location if you see a lot of rooks or crows in your immediate neighbourhood.

2018 has seen unusually high levels of volcanic activity, which seems ominous given that volcanoes have traditionally been identified  as having divine presence,  as well as being physically connected to supernatural entities and powers.

In the Middle Ages, so notorious was the frequently erupting volcano, Hekla in Iceland, that it was referred to as “The Gateway to Hell” or “Hell’s Chimney”. The constant jets of steam and ash kept the whole country on its toes, as did its occasional habit of casually wiping out a large percentage of the population.

“The Hekla, perpetually condemned to storms and snow, vomits stones under terrible noise” – Abraham Ortelius‘ 1585

The locals recognised the erupting fissure as a doorway to the underworld, and the flaming lava bombs were believed to be demons flying from hell, while the crying birds that circled it were the remains of the souls of the victims of the eruptions.

It is still known today as a popular meeting place for witches and demons.

If you’d like to win the favour of Tūtū Pele; the goddess of fire who gave birth to the Hawaiian islands and is unusually active right now,  you can either go the traditional route of throwing a virgin into the crater of her volcano, or make a consumable facsimile of her sacred mountain to drink as it erupts.

As a goddess of fire, lightning, volcanoes and violence, Tūtū Pele will be abroad tonight.  If your tribute is effective, Madame Pele will endow you with increased physical health and strength.

The flaming volcano is a large tropical cocktail made mainly of rum and fruit juices which originated in Hawaii in the 1950’s.

They are usually served in a ritual vessel known as a volcano bowl – a decorative ceramic designed with a raised central feature resembling a volcano cone which is partially filled with extra strength rum – this liquid is then ignited, creating a volcanic ambiance with its central blue flame.

I am forming my own volcano in a shallow bowl, in accord with Tūtū Pele’s history as a creator of islands.

Tūtū Pele’s Flaming Volcano

3 shots golden rum

2 shots dark rum

1 shot brandy

½ pint of orange juice

6 dashes Angustura bitters

1 shot Old J Tiki Fire rum

1 lime

1 lemon

1 pink grapefruit

1 small pineapple

1 home-made sugar loaf, 1 oversized ice cube, 1 packet cherry popping candy, cinnamon, green jellies to garnish, extra length straws.

Sugar loaf: Mix a cup of sugar with a teaspoon of rum. Mix well with a fork until the sugar resembles damp sand. Use a glass or cup as a mould, and pack the sugar in gradually, tamping it down firmly with a muddler until it forms a solid loaf.

I used the top of a plastic bottle as a mould and inserted a glace cherry into the top of the loaf, which I later removed to reveal a small circular pit at the top of the loaf to hold flaming rum.

Upend the mould and turn your loaf out onto paper, then leave it to harden for a day before further handling.

I made an ice base for the sugar volcano loaf by using the other end of the plastic bottle as a mould.

Tūtū Pele’s volcano Kilauea has been erupting for over a month and has started to spew out peridots –also known as Evening Emeralds –  from its inner core, and they are now littering the surrounding landscape.

Peridots have been used for centuries to ward off evil and to promote physical well-being. These lucky gems will be represented by green little jelly sweets in the garnish.

Cut the pineapple up, saving a section for garnish. Discard the core. Put the pineapple flesh into a blender with the orange juice, rum, brandy and ice cubes and blend thoroughly.

Squeeze the grapefruit, lime and lemon and add those juices to the mix. Blend again, adding as much ice as will fit into the blender jug, until the drink is slushy.

Pour the blended cocktail into the bowl, add the bitters and stir gently. Place the ice cube in the centre, and top it with the sugar loaf. Fill the hollow at the top of the loaf with rum so that it is absorbed into the sugar.

Put some Old J Tiki Fire rum in a small ladle, set it on fire, then pour it flaming into and over the rum soaked sugar loaf.

Garnish the bowl with pineapple, green jelly sweets and the cherry from the sugar loaf. Add a flower, if you have one. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Sprinkle the popping candy over the volcano ad-hoc to create lava.

As the volcano burns, the drink will become sweeter as the sugar melts into the drink. If it becomes too sweet, remove the volcano loaf. You can top it up with any remaining cocktail from the blender.

Drink though a long straw so you don’t light your hair on fire, and ideally accompany with a smoky flaming meal of barbeque pork with apple sauce.