B is for Basil

I’ve done posts on basil before because it’s such a fantastic herb.  It’s so sweet and fragrant and it just exudes loooooovvvvve.  When I lived in Istanbul, some of the restaurants I visited along the Bosphorus placed pots of basil on the tables for decoration.   The leaves were very small and the shape of the plant was bushier than the basil we typically see here.   I had one, but my brown thumb killed it.  I may be a good cook, but I am a lousy gardener, as I’ve written before.

Basil is ruled by the planet Mars.  It carries the element of fire, and its energies include love, money, and protection.  (Cunningham, 1990).

Once upon a time in Malta, when a household had a young girl of marriageable age, a pot of basil was placed on a windowsill to let potential suitors know ‘here there be baebes’.  Or something like that.

A nice tomato-basil salad or soup are both great love dishes.  Eat pasta with pesto sauce to attract money (with proper visualization and real world steps, too, of course.) For purification and protection, add basil to citrus.   

The following recipe is part of a brunch menu for the winter solstice.  If you have a pot of basil in the kitchen, you have access to this lovely herb all year long.  If you don’t have fresh and do not wish to buy it out of season, I suppose half the amount of dried basil could be substituted, but I’ve not tried it.

I serve this salad with smoky duck and sweet potato hash with eggs, buttermilk biscuits, and spiked coffee.   What better way to warm up after a sunrise solstice ritual, right?

Citrus Fruit Salad with Sweet Basil Dressing

3 oranges, peeled and sectioned

2 mandarins or clementines, peeled and sectioned

1 grapefruit, peeled and sectioned

1 ruby grapefruit, peeled and sectioned

Place citrus fruit sections into a bowl.  Mix gently to combine.  Drizzle with Sweet Basil Dressing. Toss gently.  Chill before serving.

Serves 4

Cunningham, S. (1990). Cunningham's encyclopedia of wicca in the kitchen. (p. 130). Woodbury: Llewellyn

Fruits of the Season: Oranges

Oranges, like most citrus fruits, are good for purification. They also, according to Cunningham, carry love energy as well. Oranges are one of the fruits that are fresh during the winter and their bright orange color reminds us of the sun that slowly starts to return at Yule.

Oranges, tangerines and grapefruits are wonderful little reminders of the sun. Dried slices of these fruits can be used to decorate wreaths or hung around the kitchen as a garland for Yule. Just having a bowl of citrus fruits on the table in the kitchen or dining room can bring some cheer. Their bright hues add a splash of color to what is an otherwise drab time of year.

A garland of dried citrus slices can also add a nice touch to your Yule/Christmas/Holiday tree. Add some sticks of cinnamon hung with festive ribbon, a garland of cranberries, and some lights and you have a beautifully decorated tree.

To dry citrus fruits, slice them into ¼-inch slices. Squeeze out some of the excess juice and dry on a wire rack placed over a baking sheet in your oven. Set the oven to about 150 degrees F. Leave the door slightly ajar and dry for 5-6 hours.


Another idea for this holiday season is a pomander. What, you may be asking, is a pomander? Well, a pomander is basically a medieval air freshener. It’s a preserved orange, usually, that has been studded with cloves. They aren’t terribly difficult to make. You can find instructions all over the internet. For your convenience, I will include instructions below.





A pomander is a great thing to have in your house, not only because it smells good but also because of the combination of citrus and cloves. These make great protection/purification charms. Get together with your family or magical group and make these. Make some out of small tangerines and hang them on the tree. They make great housewarming gifts. I clearly remember the pomander hanging in the broom closet at my mom’s house when I was growing up. I believe my granny had at least one as well.

To make a pomander you need:

1 orange
1 ounce whole cloves
1 tablespoon each ground cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves
Sandalwood oil or orris root powder *
Toothpick, ice pick, or something else to make holes in the orange
Tape
Paper bag
Ribbon

*Orris root powder comes from a type of orchid. One website recommends using the sandalwood as a preservative instead, as some people are allergic to orris root. It’s used to make ice cream here in Turkey, as well as sahlep, a popular winter beverage. You may not be able to find it, so sandalwood oil is probably your best bet.

1.Knead the fruit in your hands to loosen it up a bit.

2. Mix the spices together with the sandalwood oil (several drops).

3. Use masking tape to mark off a crisscross design on your fruit. This is where you will place the ribbon.

4. Using the toothpick or other sharp object, poke holes on the parts of the orange that aren’t covered in tape. Insert a whole clove into each hole.

5.Place the spice mixture into a paper bag. Roll the orange in this mixture until it is completely covered.

6. Leave the orange in the bag in a cool, dry place for 4-6 weeks until is it completely dried out. Roll the orange in the spice and oil mixture daily. If you notice any mold on your fruit, throw it out and start again. You’ll know it’s ready when it sounds hollow when you tap on it.

7. Shake off the spice mixture. Place the ribbon where the tape was. Sew the ends of the ribbon together to make a loop for hanging. Now your pomander is ready.

If you are using this as a protective charm, separately charge the spices and oil and the fruit. You can recharge the spice mixture every day when you roll the orange in it, or as you see fit.