Wonât somebody think of the worms? Time was, a worm in a bottle of tequila was all the rage, everybody loved the tequila worms. They proved it was all natural and made of agave plant, not something brewed up in a lab. Some said they were aphrodisiacs. Some said they were hallucinogenic. Agave farms needed…
Category: cocktails
Beer – here? A Lagerita for Oktoberfest
Although we generally lean towards arcane cocktails of subtle and complex composition on this site, we admit that there is a time and place for beer. Â The ideal time and place is Oktoberfest in Germany. Beginning as a celebration for the wedding of Ludwig I of Bavaria in 1810, this has grown into a worldwide…
The Time of the Singing Moon
Like a circle in a spiral, like a wheel within a wheel â Mabon is here again, a time when light and dark balance before the winter draws in. The late harvest festival, it coincides with the Chinese Moon festival or the Time of the Singing Moon. Â To celebrate Mabon at home, you should gather…
Fomenting Friendship With Fermentation
Cue ominous music In the heart of HackneyâŚ..a storm is brewingâŚâŚ..a storm with a heart of fireâŚ. Or rather, a DarkânâStormy is brewingâŚ.. OK, Iâll just come out with it – I am brewing my own ginger beer. As a long time ginger fan, I can hardly believe itâs taken me this long to get…
The Last FrozĂŠ of Summer
Open all three of your eyes. Face south between 8.30pm and 9pm on a clear night this weekend. Youâll see a celestial triangle of three bright stars â Lyra, Cygnus and Aquila â also known as The Summer Triangle. starry starry night  As the end of summer approaches, this trio culminate and reach their…
Fizzy Flip for Luonnotar the Water Mother
Today is the feast day of Luonnotar or Ilmatar the Finnish creator-goddess, who inspired the tone-poem by Sibelius.  According to Finnish legend, in the beginning, there was only the Goddess Luonnotar. Tone poem  There was no world then, only the chaos of the Dream Time. She was becoming bored of being alone in the void…
Blues vs. Lavender
âSorrow can be alleviated by good sleep, a bath and a glass of wineâ –Â Â Â Â Â Â Thomas Aquinas (Philosopher, theologian, Catholic saint & priest b.1225-d.1274) Â How true that is, Doctor Angelicus – but why not take this a step further and involve lavender at each stage? Â With the power to relax and uplift simultaneously, it can…
Searching For The Blue Flower
âThis intense longing for things transcendent⌠make me a votary of the Blue Flowerâ â C.S. Lewis  âI used to think I was a romantic, always looking for the Blue Flowerâ â John Le Carre âA Small Town In Germanyâ  âItâs one of Coleâs Blue Rose casesâ â David Lynch âFire Walk With Meâ  A…
Passion Potion
Witches have been famous for supplying aids to seduction throughout the ages. A lot of these included revolting or hard-to-find ingredients like mandrake, powdered cats eyes, or that tired old “aphrodisiac” Spanish Fly. Spanish Fly is an irritant, that’s all, and can sometimes produce an uncomfortable stiffening effect on the male. It doesn’t affect women…
Cool as a Cucumber with Sage Advice
After the recent and ongoing panic and upheaval in Europe, now is a good time to cool down and cleanse, for which we can use mainly cucumbers and sage. Â Anybody behind you in the supermarket queue will be impressed by your basketful of vegetables, herbs and yoghurts as you gather some of Mother Natureâs Little…
The New City Witches Cocktail Coven 