Summer is over. Samhain has passed. Leaves are falling and the dark days are approaching. This for me is a time when I feel like my flavor pallet changes for the year. My cravings for crunchy vibrant salads, crisp citrus, and smokey salmon has passed and suddenly I want rich warm soups, hot chili, and crusty bread. After hot days not wanting to be in the kitchen, I suddenly want to fire up my oven and bake like the world is ending

I want food that is rich in flavor, heavy on the spices, and warm enough to combat the damp chill that covers everything. For me, one of the best flavors that screams “Autumn” for me is Cloves. I love pumpkin as much as the next girl, but the sweet warmth of cloves and hint a bitterness has a heavy aroma I need and adds complexity to a lot of my favorite dishes.  

I believe in cooking with intention and purpose, I try to make sure my food has impact and poignancy behind it. After all, this is what I nurture myself and my family with. I have always maintained that food should make you feel something. This means knowing a lot about what you cook with. Today, let’s pay homage to what I consider to be the King of Spices, Syzygium aromaticum. 

Cloves in Science and Medicine: 

Cloves come from the flowers of a tropical evergreen tree in Indonesia. They are a notable ingredient in both Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine and have been used for centuries to help regulate the body. Not only are they dense in antioxidants but they are also high in fiber. Because they are rich in manganese- they are a great tool for regulating blood sugar if you struggle with diabetes. 

Cloves are Antibacterial and can also be used to specifically treat tooth aches as a result of the compound eugenol. Additionally, the eugonal found in cloves is a strong natural anti-inflammatory. It can be ingested in foods and teas, or applied topically as oil in this case. For inflammation specifically, I prefer tea as I haven’t has as much luch with the topical application. 

Cloves act as both an excellent cough suppressant as they help to relax the muscles of the throat. They can be chewed on directly in this case or brewed into tea and mixed with honey. I like to grind them up finely and make losenges with honey. Cloves can also be used to ease nausea, gas, and vomiting. If you’re like my sister and prone to being munched on by bugs- cloves are your best friend as they function as a natural insect repellent; Clove oil diluted in water and popped in a spray bottle works on people, plants, patios and gardens.  

Cloves in History & Mythology: 

The word ‘clove’ comes from the Latin word ‘Clavus’, meaning nail, in reference to their shape. Hailing from Indonesia they we heavily traded in Ancient Rome and China. The spice was so revered in Rome that it became more highly prized than gold. Because at times only the wealthy could afford them, they became heavily associated with prosperity.  

In the 18^th century, it became a custom at Christmas to push cloves into oranges and give them as fragrant gifts for protection and good luck charms for the new year. They were also traditionally used in perfume balls called Pommanders to ward off illness.  

Ancient Egyptians believed that Osiris was buried with cloves to ensure his rebirth and eternal life. Additionally, they were also frequently used as offerings to deities and rituals involving the spirit world. Cloves are also associated directly with Thor, the Norse god of Thunder and Agriculture and the protector of mankind. 

In Magic: 

Cloves are associated with prosperity, abundance, and cleansing. They are masculine and protective in nature, heavily associated with the element of fire and Jupiter.  

You can be grind up and sprinkle them to stop gossip, and burning them is an excellent way to cleanse and bring good luck to your home. They are commonly used as part of banishings, and can be used in conjuntion with rosemary to attract abundance. If you need to reset your space, cloves are your friend.  

Many people still hand orange and clove pomanders in their homes to attract abundance and raise the vibration of their personal space (plus, the smell is invigorating). They can be hung from strings or used to decorate yule trees.  

because of it’s high concentration of manganese, cloves can also be used as an essential oil to help you focus if you struggle to stay grounded and present (ADHD Yo) as well as added to sleep sachets can be used to get more restful and restorative sleep. 

Care and growing of cloves: 

Due to their natural native climate- cloves are not so easy to grow in most of the U.S. however, it is possible to have success in either a controlled greenhouse setting, and limitedly in pots inside. If you want to attempt growing your own the soil should be well draining, fertile, and similar to orchid mix. If the climate is to cool or dry, cloves will not bloom, and even in healthy conditions they may not reach flowering maturity for seven years. They need bright light and require soil temperatures above 75 degrees.

To date, commercially grafting cloves onto other plants has not been successful, and the majority of commercial clove production still comes from Indonesia. Cloves are not considered a begginner plant or easy to culivate and as the fruit requires processing- you’re most likely better off getting your gloves from a grocer or a local herbalist.  

What are some on your favorite things to cook with cloves or use them for? I use them in much of my fall baking as well as in my hommade chai blend, which is super easy to make in a larger batch and divvy out throught the season. Would you be interested in learning how to mke your own chai?

All the best, 

Mikaela. 

Holy Crow, It’s November. With the start of Daylight savings time and the onset of the holidays- we are quickly approaching the close of yet another year. For a lot of people, this is a time of gratitude (as well as a time of stress. but let’s manifest the positives, shall we)?  For me this is also a good time to start reflecting on myself and my year.  

We’ve covered the history of tarot and its traditional applications. As well as gone over my personal beliefs on its uses. If you missed that post, you can find it here. I figured now would be a good time to go over one of my favorite (and to me one of the most useful) spreads.  

Types of Tarot Decks and Spreads: 

As we discussed previously, not all spreads can be used with all decks. Some decks are designed more towards the traditional fortune telling. A few that focus on a particular subject or aspect. Then there are those that are more Oracle based, or introspective; these are my favorite. However, at its core, this one can be used with most I have found (if not with a little bit of modification).  

I originally found this spread as part of my favorite deck. That might be why I am more inclined to this one, but also, it prompts a lot of reflection and self-dialogue; which is what I am looking for. It’s very straightforward (or as straightforward as the concept of tarot can be) and very simple. This is not one of those spreads that involves 13 different cards in different positions, personally that’s not really my style, but we’ll build to that sort of stuff eventually, for educations’ sake. This spread only calls for 3 cards. 

The cards:  

The Aspect:

The first card, or the card on the left side of the triangle, is the Focus card. In this spread this is ‘the Aspect’ it represents a facet of yourself that needs to be addressed. This is the main source of reflection.

It could be in regards to a particular question or issue in your life, or it could be something that your attention is otherwise focused on. For good or ill, or just something that is; this card represents something that is prevalent in your life currently.  

The Soul:

The second card, or the card on the right side of the triangle, is the Soul Card. This card represents a facet of yourself that is one of your strengths. You may still need to address something within this strength (especially if this card appears inverted or reversed in the spread). However, it is an aspect that you are completely capable of addressing.

This card often seeks to highlight a strength that I may have neglected, taken for granted, ignored, or failed to harness. It can be a tool to remind you of skills and knowledge to help you on your journey or address your current question or situation. 

Let Two Become 1:

the final card, or Apex of the triangle, is the binding card. This serves to present you with a possible path or course of action that may allow you to marry the information set before you. It typically forces me to consider alternate solutions to whatever my current situation is.

This is the card that says, “this is your problem or obstacle, that is one of your best strengths, and here’s how you use that strength as a tool to solve your problem”. This is the card that helps you find wholeness and balance within whatever your quandary is. 

Setting up:  

Now that you know what each piece is for and represents, let’s go through the actual process. Make sure you set aside adequate time to really complete the reading. It’s not like in the movies where you shuffle a deck, flip a couple cards and have wisdom imparted from the beyond. This is a guide and a tool for meditation. Adequate time to reflect is really the whole point.  

I prefer somewhere quiet, where I know I’m not going to be interrupted, or my attention and focus called away constantly. Honestly, I typically try and wait until I am home alone, just for my own piece of mind and my dislike of being perceived. But, realistically this isn’t easy or doable for many of us, and I get it. Still, find a quiet space. A chair with an end table will do. Cross-legged on your bed is fine if that works for you. Hell, a blanket on the floor works if that’s your vibe. The point is to find a spot that is comfortable and that you feel you can relax in.  

I like dimmer lighting. Not for the hocus pocus fortune teller vibes, but because I find most artificial lighting to be really harsh and it hurts my eyes. I’ve switched most of the lights in our house to be flickering torch lights so the light is more diffuse which helps significantly. But again, not necessary. I just find it helps relax the muscles of my eyes, therebye allowing me to more easily relax as a whole.  

I typically light a candle, or incense, or turn on an oil diffuser. Again, not technically necessary; but something I find to be hugely beneficial. Meditation is a multi-sensory process. Having a scent or oil within that experience that is different than the average smell of your space can help you focus in the moment, and if you build the habit using the same sent every time you can pretty much Pavlov yourself into that state of focus and relaxation more easily over time using that scent as a trigger.  

You can play music if you want. I know a lot of people that use abstract music or ambient meditation tracks in the background. Personally, that has never helped me because I find it too distracting for myself. But I do see the value in it for other people.  

Performing the Tarot Spread: 

Get comfortable, spend a minute or two settling into a position that is easy to maintain. Let your body work through its fidgets. Spend a moment or two focusing on your question or current situation. Shuffle. There is no right or wrong way- you can’t over shuffle. I tell people to shuffle until it feels right, focusing on your question as you do so. It is up to you to decide if you’d like to cut your deck or just deal from the card on top.  

Make sure you pull all three tarot cards the same way. That means if you are side turner- all three cards need to be turned to the side. If you are a top flipper, then you need to flip all three long ways as you deal. This is how you get accurate pulls. Otherwise, you may end up inverting a card that wasn’t meant to be inverted, or vice verse. 

Your first card should be placed to the left side of your cloth, blanket, table, or space. The second card should go to the right. When you pull your third card this should go at the bottom, or inverted apex of the triangle closest to you.  

Take a moment to just look at the cards, see what the artwork looks like, what it might mean, how it makes you feel. Make sure you have your guidebook handy; begin reading the meanings of each card, reflecting on its overall meaning as a card, but also in regards to its position in the spread. Each tarot card on its own has meaning, but the same card might inspire totally different thoughts in the ‘aspect’ vs the ‘soul’.  

Once you have looked at and reviewed each card individually, take a few moments to reflect on their meaning together. Especially the ‘two become one’ card. Ask yourself follow up questions. Be honest with yourself during your evaluation. Nobody else is here to judge you, and the cards themselves are not a judgement. The only person that stands to gain anything is you. All the cards serve to do is present possibilities and prompts.  

At this time I take a few minutes to just sit and meditate. Yes, I am still reflecting on the thoughts as a whole, but as opposed to reading the meanings, and reflecting on myself and actively thinking and examining the cards; this is when I close my eyes and simply sit, allowing myself a few moments to passively process everything.  

Closing the Tarot Spread

When I’m done, and feel calm and settled, I typically spend some time journaling about the experience and my thoughts. This functions both as another form of review, which sometimes prompts new thoughts. But also gives me a tool and something to refer back to if I ever want it, as well as a resource if I ever find myself in a similar situation. I also like to look at my entries at the end of the year as a way of reflecting on my personal growth and journey.  

As a final note:

Don’t take yourself too seriously. Yes, there is a level of solemnity to Tarot, because you should always evaluate yourself with grace and compassion and there’s no point doing it if you’re not going to take it seriously. But, the universe isn’t going to strike you down for not having all the pomp and ceremony in the world or because your card pull wasn’t the smoothest most choreographed thing since Cher’s “Dark Lady”. You should be relaxed and calm. The ambiance tips I laid out are meant to help guide you to that space of relaxation. If it becomes something that is about the ambiance and not about the reflection, peace, and finding inner balance; then that defeats the purpose. 

Have fun! If you’d like to know what Tarot deck this spread came with is Ravynn Phelan’s Dreams of Gaia. You can find more about her, her art, and her other works here. We’d love to hear about your own journey!  

All the best, 

Mikaela  

So, you want to play Dungeons & Dragons? But you’re an introvert. You’ve got your dice. You’ve got a basic idea for a character in your head. Hell, you may even have a group of friends to play with. But you’re not sure where to go from there.

Not to worry young adventurer, the Guild has got your back. Below is a list of our favorite resources for beginners. By no means comprehensive because the resources are endless. However, we’ve sorted and shlogged through the ones we’ve used over the years and narrowed it down to the ones that we love the best for the absolute beginners.

Those of you that, like us, want to learn the in-depth mechanics and nitty gritty character-building aspects without feeling like you have to ask a million questions in front of others. You’ll still probably have to ask some questions, but we get it; we don’t like feeling publicly inept either.

DND Player Guidebook:

This kind of goes without saying because honestly, for a beginner it’s hard to play without one. but honest-to-god this is also still on this list because at the end of the day, this is the DND basics bible. You can pick it up at any Barnes N Nobles, most gaming stores, and like everything else these days, Amazon: Amazon.com: D&D Player’s Handbook (Dungeons & Dragons Core Rulebook): 9780786965601: Wizards RPG Team: Everything Else

Note Book or Campaign Journal:

This is a preference thing. But for me, I wanted to be able to record our campaign as well as anything else I thought would be noteworthy or useful. Especially since while you’re learning it can be hard to catch every detail since you’re focusing on mechanics. For me, it came in handy because I was able to refer back to things months later that ended up being useful for my party as a whole. Its also a great place to sketch things for reference.

Technically speaking you can use anything from a binder with paper in it, to a spiral notebook etc. You can even use a laptop and type things if you are so inclined. It’s not my preferred method because personally I prefer to write and it limits my ability to sketch. But, at the end of the day- its up to you. As we know, my sister and I can be a little extra so I typically try and find a notebook or record keeper that I feel really fits and reflects my character.

For my barbarian I had a brown raw leather bound book. For my last rogue I actually found one that had a lock on it that I thought fit her vibe. This one in the link is the one I just bought for the new character I just built that I’m going to use in Taylor’s first DMing Campaign. Amazon.com : Rosmryx DND Notebook or Journal, 200 Pages Hardcover Dragon Embossed Leather A5 Notebook, RPG & DM Character Notebook, Dragon Journal for DND Gifts or Accessories, and Players Handbook or Spell Book : Office Products I encourage you to have fun with it. It’ll add to your overall experience playing.

DND Character Sheets:

Now, some of those notebooks come with character sheets in them already. And the players handbook has a master copy that you can always scan and print if you have access to a scanner. Or, you can print them from online. dungeon and dragon character sheets – Search Images (bing.com)

For a beginner- I have found that the best thing to do is to print one and then go to Kinkos or something and get it laminated. You spend a lot of time erasing in the beginning. Honestly, its just faster and less paper waste. When you’re not playing you can slide it into a sleeve protector, so nothing gets smudged and then pull it out next time you play.

RPG Player Character Building Book:

This is by far my favorite thing on this list. On one level, character building isn’t hard, don’t let people intimidate you with that. On another level, it can be overwhelming as a first time player. The DND handbook will walk you through the basics: Race, Class, Background, Alignment, backstory, etc. BUT, then there’s making a character that is layered, detailed, and roll-playable. You can go basic, sure. But DND is one of those things that the more you put into it, the more detail and life you give it- the more you’ll get out of it.

This book is a great tool for figuring out how you want to play your character once you’ve built them. The Beauty of this book? You can get it in hard copy/ paper copy if you’re like me and want the tangible thing, or want to actually fill out the prompts in the book. OR its also available on kindle unlimited (AKA FREE) for on-the-go endless use. The Ultimate RPG Character Backstory Guide: Prompts and Activities to Create the Most Interesting Story for Your Character (Ultimate Role Playing Game Series) – Kindle edition by D’Amato, James. Humor & Entertainment Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

DND Beyond:

This is technically the grand cheat code of beginners guides for actual game mechanics. Basic access is free- which is a great place to start. If you want access to some of the more obscure races (or are going more non-traditional/ homebrew) then there are things you end up paying for. Either way, totally worth it if you want to focus on getting into character instead of how to roll your dice and do the math portion.

This takes out ninety percent of the guess work involved if this is the part that intimidates you. You can create your character, run your sheet, even roll digital dice (if you happen to forget yours) and it will do all the modifier math for you. If you want the action, social, role-play adventure part but looking at all the variables and what goes with what makes you nauseous- then this is your best friend. You can find the link to start for free here: D&D Beyond Character Sheet (dndbeyond.com)

Hopefully, these resources make your early days of adventuring less intimidating. If you’re new to the blog or just trying to decide if you think DND is for you- check out our guild talk post Q&A on DND here. We’re excited to continue our Dungeons and Dragons Series with you. We have a new campaign starting soon as Taylor steps into the roll of Dungeon Master for the first time. Are there other resources you have tried or really love? Let us know!

We’ll see you on the battlefield!

Mikaela

It feels like every single year goes a little bit faster. The blinks get closer together. I blinked and it was spring. I blinked and it was midsummer. Another and now not only is it fall, but October is essentially over and Samhain is here. The holidays are approaching at a rate that would alarm even an Olympic sprinter. This year went faster than most of them because I feel like this year for me, has been packed with more monumental or life-altering changes & milestones than many of the recent years combined.

That sense of time speeding by in pockets might make me feel melancholy, but at the same time, this is the gateway to my favorite time of year. The shifting of seasons is always an interesting time, but autumn makes me feel such a specific way that it stands out in my memory every year. It’s something I try to savor.

I’ve tried to describe to several people over the years- and I don’t know if I’ll ever do it in a way that truly conveys the sense of wonder that I feel. Even spending most of my life in Phoenix, Arizona, a place that we jokes has 2 seasons: hot and dry cold; no snow, no changing colors and falling leaves, no spring bulbs. Just prickly trees, greens that still look brown, and pollen such a violent shade of yellow that you know its going to make you sneeze.

Don’t Blink

No matter where I have been in the country, October somehow brings this one specific day. You wake up and the air smells different. It doesn’t matter that 2 days before it was still 92 degrees outside, or the summer flowers were still in full bloom here in Washington. All of a sudden it’s crisp, the air somehow looks cleaner and less dusty; it’s not as heavy. Colors seem brighter, and sunshine looks less oppressive, more blue. All of a sudden there are more people outside in the park; telling you that even if it sounds goofy in a way, other people feel it too. We’re all somehow still running on the same primordial clock. That was always the morning that I knew Summer had said goodbye for the year.

Here in Washington, it’s a much easier thing to describe, because it’s such a visual change- and I treasure it even more. There are big crunchy orange and red leaves on the ground. I wake up to crows between the sleepy trees along the trail outside my apartment. The sunlight is extra sparkly on the mornings it’s out between the growing days of grey clouds and rain. All of a sudden, it smells like mulch and harvest. Its much different than Phoenix, but no less specific of a feeling.

There’s this anticipation in the air. The long hot days are over, and we’re entering a season of rest and closing. Of quiet evenings in warm homes, and soon of louder nights filled with laughter, family, and glittering lights. This is my favorite time of year. It’s the quiet deep breathe before I get to fill my cup with chaos, joy, family, and connection. I get to take quiet time for myself to rest before the big outpouring of myself over the holidays.

Tomorrow is Samhain again already. Given my current contemplative mood, I thought today would be a good day to discuss the history of Samhain and share some easy ways to celebrate at home- if you so choose.

A Festival of Fire:

Not be confused with Halloween, Samhain (pronounced sow-win) was originally a pagan festival celebrated by the Celts. Samhain was the most significant and largest of the Great Feast days and the most important of the four Fire Festivals; traditionally the only day of the year that the Hearth fire was allowed to go out while the final harvest was collected, before being relit as part of the communities celebration after being blessed by the Druids. It was a sacred time. Certain accounts even mention death sentences for people who violated rules or committed violent crimes during this time. Prayers were said, blessings given, cattle were sacrificed, and community bonfires were used to sanctify the Hearth’s for the upcoming year.

A Festival of Souls

Originally it was celebrated as the day that the veil between the physical world and the spirit world was at its thinnest, allowing more interaction with the beings of the otherworld. (Samhain – Celtic Origins, Rituals & Halloween | HISTORY)

Offerings were left outside of doors, villages, and fields for the Sidhe, to protect them and earn goodwill from anything crossing the barrier between worlds. People often wore animal or monster costumes so the fairies would not kidnap them.

During the middle ages, carvings on turnips and pumpkins were used to ward of fairies and other wicked beings. It was during this time that the “Dumb Supper” became a tradition. During which spirits were invited to dine with the family as a way to interact with ancestors and other deceased friends and relatives.

Christian Involvement in Samhain:

Over time, and through the rise of the Christian Church, Samhain traditions became intermingled with other Christian practices. First adapting to “All Saints and Martyrs” in the 5^th Century, and then as “All Hallows Eve”, “All Saints Day”, and “All Souls Day” in the 9^th century by Pope Gregory. Eventually, many of  Samhain’s practices and traditions became synonymous with the modern celebration of Halloween.

“The Farther we’ve gotten from the magic and mystery of our past; the more we’ve come to need Halloween”

Paula Guran

That doesn’t mean that the original spirit of the festival isn’t still there. The growing season is over, the harvest is complete, the long nights are approaching. Now is a good time to reflect on what you have accomplished this year, and settle in for a rest, while blessing and protecting your home for the upcoming dark season.

Celebrating Samhain at home:

Just because most towns are no longer holding massive feasts and community bonfires- does not mean that you cannot acknowledge the significance of this time in the natural world. Samhain is not about devil worship, black magic, or the macabre and grotesque. It’s about harvest and celebrating the role that each season plays. It’s a time to honor those that are gone, with maybe just a smidge of the magical and mystical peaking through the thinning veil for those of us that are superstitious. Below are my favorite ways to have intentionality in savoring this time.

• Take a nature walk: you’ve probably seen me say this in any ‘celebratory’ holiday post. That’s because many of these holidays center around the changing of the seasons, and one of the best ways to experience that and appreciate it is to get out in it. See it, touch it, taste it, smell it. It was particularly easy for me this year, being in a new space with vibrant colors and so much to soak up.
  Make sure you aren’t glued to your phone while you’re out. Look at the leaves, or the clouds, or whatever it may be. Smell the crispness in the air. Let the wind sit on your face and focus on what right now feels like.

• Set up or refresh your altar: Yes there are the stereotypical symbols or Halloween, but so much more can go into the sacred space this season. Symbols have power. Skulls, ghosts, I tend to decorate with my favorite leaves that I’ve picked up on the aforementioned nature walk. allspice berries, broom, catnip, mountain ash berries, mugwort, mullein, oak leaves, acorns, rosemary, sage, pine cones, and straw are also good symbols.
  Taylor tends to merge this a little bit with her appreciation of Dia De Los Muertos. She always puts up pictures of people we loved and lost, with a special focus on any recently significant losses. We light candles for each loved one and spend time talking about them together, honoring their part in our lives.

• Host a Dumb Supper for yourself and your family: This meal is traditionally mostly silent, thus the name. Leave an empty place at your table to honor the deceased. Focus your meal on products of the harvest: dark grain breads, the darkest of summers berries, root vegetables, game meats, cider or wine. On this day the table is a sacred space. Before sitting down to eat, gather everyone for a prayer:

“Tonight we celebrate Samhain. It is the end of the harvest, the last days of summer, and the cold nights wait on the other side for us. The bounty of our labor, the abundance of the harvest, and the success of the hunt all lie before us. We thank the earth for all it has given us this season, and yet we look forward to winter, a time of sacred darkness.”

• Visit a cemetery: I know- this is where I lose some of you, or you think I’m going to tell you to perform seances in disrespectful places. Not so. But this is a time of honoring the dead. Now is a good time to visit graves of loved ones. If I was home, this would be the time I would go to my grandfather’s and grandmother’s memorial; or stop to chat with my Uncle Alois. Its another way to feel close to them and honor their memory. To let them know that I’m still thinking about them.
  Since I can’t be home this year I instead visited a local cemetery.
  There are two where I live, and the old historic one is no longer active and doesn’t get a lot of visitors. I spent some time walking rows and reading names, I can’t help but wonder who they were and what they were like. I like to lay flowers at some of the ones that catch my eye or feel right. I like to think that this way, they aren’t forgotten.
• Reflect: look back on your season of growing. Review Journals, planners, photographs, evidences of your growths this year. Look back on whatever goals you set yourself and assess how you faired. Meditate. When you are done introspecting- write down your thoughts and feelings about your experience.

• Clean and reset your hearth space: homes have certainly changed since everyone had a functional hearth. The concept remains the same. The hearth was the center of the home. A place of nourishment, gathering, and safety. The touchstone that grounded most families. When I did have a fireplace, this was the time I would deep clean it and pull it apart in preparation for winter use. If you don’t have a fireplace, it is still a good time to deep clean your kitchen. Spend some time caring for the space that nourishes you. On a practical note: you’ll thank me when the holidays roll around.
• Bonfires: Samhain was the greatest of the fire festivals. Go outside, light a fire- a firepit will do if a bonfire isn’t an option. Let the smell of woodsmoke seep into your skin and relax you. Let the heat from the fire keep away the growing snap in the air. Spend time welcoming the chillier evenings and long nights. This is a good time to meditate.

• Connect with your community: This might feel harder in the anti-social, demanding, fast-paced world we currently live in. But in times past, Samhain was an important time to connect with your community because everyone relied on everyone during the long winter months. Now is a good time to check in on friends and relatives and make sure they’re okay.
  Find a local organization to help- lots of communities will look for volunteers at this time of year to help with food and shelter for the homeless, or under privileged. There is a need for community now more than ever. Get out of your house- go to a fall festival or a pumpkin patch. Make new connections and friends in your community.

However you choose to celebrate, make sure you do so with intentionality. Focus on the feeling in your heart as this season closes. Take time to rest, recharge and prepare before the glitter and sparkle of the holidays suck us in for another grand finale. Take a minute to make sure your eyes are wide open before you blink and its spring again.

When black cats howl and pumpkins gleam, may luck be yours on Halloween.

Happy Samhain!

Mikaela

I hope you know it is with 100% sincerity that I say we are so sorry that we have not been as active recently on our social media accounts or our blog. It’s not that we have not been thinking about it, RavenWerks is forever on our mind. Honestly, more so than ever lately.  

But the truth of it is we have been getting sucker punched by the universe one after another lately and have been reminding ourselves to give each other grace. Between losses in the family, the move, the new job, the final stages of wedding planning, then the wedding (yay!), and an exploded water heater that has since turned into a mold-meets-asbestos demolition zone; we have just been taking everything one day at a time and reminding each other constantly to take the day as it comes. That sometimes just getting through the day IS the win. Not a win, or part of the win but the whole and only win. 

Which brings me, weirdly, to my topic for the day. I don’t mean to come at you from left field, because I feel like its not my usual sort of topic. It’s something that has been coming up a lot lately for me. With everything going on in my world I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting on life, and the cycles it offers us.  

Life Has Seasons

Only so much can happen in a brief period of time before you must stop and ask yourself “What is the universe trying to tell me? What is this season of my life trying to teach me?” Sometimes, in seasons like this, I have to think about it for a while and search for the answer. Other times, someone might as well have screamed it in my ear. I feel like this has been one of those times.  

So, in case you are experiencing a season like me, I thought I’d share. Because I’m beginning to get the feeling that this is what she wants me to do. 

Discover the Freeing Power of Giving Yourself Grace to be Human

Sometimes, you just have to be happy that you made it through the day. I know that sounds backwards from the woman trying to build a huge multi-level all-inclusive safe-space, creative center, and nerd zone. I feel like I have a purpose. And I am passionate. About a lot of things.  

BUT what I learned this season is that it’s hard to convey passion about things you ARE passionate about when you are over-extended, burnt out, and drained. You end up feeling mad and disappointed in yourself because you don’t feel like you did something justice or gave it the room or attention it deserved. That to grow healthy roots for a tree we mean to nurture for a long time; sometimes you need to take a step back and nourish yourself so you can grow correctly. Even trees go dormant in the winter. Grow when you are able. grow in your spring. Listen to your body and acknowledge that life has seasons.  

I have learned that sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself is give yourself grace and move forward when the time is right to do so. I’m not saying don’t work for things or don’t try to work through things. Heaven’s no. growth happens in the area just outside your comfort zone and I want you to be all that you can be with reckless abandon. But it’s okay to do what you can and give yourself grace with the rest. 

A “Higher Calling isn’t Required

Finding your “purpose” or having a passion is great. It’s an amazing feeling to feel like you have “found your calling”. But you were not put on this earth to have a ‘purpose’. Your life is not a waste or somehow worth less if it takes you longer to find it. Some people never find it. Or when they find it, it’s not what they thought it would be. You don’t have to save the world, cure cancer, or even get a degree.  

Those things are noteworthy and amazing. But dial your DNA back a bit and look at humanity as whole. Just a few short centuries ago. Your purpose is to survive. Your purpose is to wake up , look at the sky, fill your lungs with air, smell flowers, feel the earth, eat food, and survive. You are not a machine. You are not a worker bee. You are not a cog in a clock or a gear in an engine. You are a living, breathing, human being. And that is magic enough.  

So, if you are in one of those seasons where you are treading water, and just trying to keep your head above water: that is okay. Take deep breaths and remember that floating sometimes saves a lot of energy.  I know that it can be hard in the fast paced, achievement based society we live in. Consider starting yourself the practice of “Mindfulness Minutes” first thing in the morning before the chaos of the day begins, or maybe right before bed if you’re a night owl. If you haven’t heard me talk about mindfulness and medititation, that’s okay! You can check out my intro post on the topic of mindfulness and medidation. Its got some resources for anybody looking to start.

It is okay to say, “maybe not today, because I am tired, or I just can’t yet; but there is always tomorrow, and I will try again tomorrow.” It is okay to ground yourself with the reminder that “I am just one person.” If you haven’t taken time yet today to go outside and breathe, go do it. Take some time, take deep slow breaths. And remember that Existing is enough.  

All the best, 

Mikaela  (and Taylor)

An overview of ‘dirty’ and ‘clean’ crops 

Good morning, friends!  

As promised, today we’ll be taking a brief foray into the Dirty Dozen and the clean fifteen. You may have seen our previous post regarding kitchen sustainability where we discussed being aware as a consumer and changing the framework of your diet. This takes a bit of a deeper dive into one particular aspect of that. 

This is one of those controversial topics that I love. GMO vs non-GMO, organic vs nonorganic, food deserts and food accessibility. Through sheer population, food demand, and economic structure the United States has resorted to and evolved some pretty intense farming techniques and farming alternatives to try and keep up.  

Now I’m not here to bash the system as a whole. We did what we thought we had to at certain hard times in history to make things work and we thought that what we were doing would make food in general more accessible to all. Over time, however we have found that some of those developments may have had unexpected long term consequences. 

Whilst I hate info-dumping and lengthy definitions, some things bear defining. so let’s go over a brief glossary of some of those terms: 

GMO: Genetically modified organism. In food, this refers to the use of recombinant DNA technology or biotechnology to alter foods. This may be to increase yields, or fruit bearing years. It can also make certain crops more resistant to pests or specific chemicals. In animals it can make them resistant to certain illnesses, or be hormonal to help with milk production or egg production. 

Organic: specifically in regards to food, the US requires that all ‘certified organic foods’ are grown without artificial chemicals, hormones, antibiotics, or GMO’s. Now, this can be a bit misleading because not all organics are created equal; and we’ll get to that in later posts if you haven’t yet taken Michael Polan’s Masterclass. But at it’s root means that the food or crop was grown or raised the way it organically would on its own. 

Food desert: a geographic area where fresh food is harder to come by due to drought, geology, or the requirement for import- thereby driving local food costs higher due to demand.  

As science has developed and we now have the data to show the long term effects of some of these modifications, there is a growing demand for Organic or ‘clean’ food. This doesn’t mean washing your strawberries (though you should be doing that still). It refers to the production method of your food from start to finish. This is for a number of reasons: 

1. Several studies are beginning to suggest that organic food has more nutritional value. This is not concrete yet as there are a variety of factors that affect nutritional content at the time of testing, but a lot of the evidence points in that direction.  

2. Organically grown crops do have more antioxidants and vitamins in them. This is visibly documentable. Specifically  vitamin C, zinc, and iron. In fact, antioxidant levels can be up to 69% higher in these foods. Organic plants do not rely on chemical pesticide sprays to protect themselves. Instead, they produce more of their own protective compounds, namely antioxidants. This may partly explain the higher levels of antioxidants in these plants.  (https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/what-is-organic-food#more-nutrients). 

3. Organic crops reduce your exposure to artificial chemicals and pesticides. GMO’s and pesticides have been linked to an increase in childhood allergies, autoimmune issues, cancers, and birth defects.  

In a perfect world, crops would just be able to grow the way they were meant to and everybody would be able to access fresh clean food. But the world isn’t perfect, and not everybody (myself included) can always afford to buy everything organic. It’s pricey. This leads us to the dirty dozen. The dirty dozen is a list put out by the EWG or Environmental Working Group every year to name the top 12 crops with the highest residual pesticide content. 

If you want to start towards a “cleaner” diet, and being more cognizant of what you’re ingesting; but you can’t afford to buy everything organic, I get it. The dirty dozen is a good place to start. If you’re only going to buy a few things organic because that’s what’s in your budget- start there. It’s important to note that this list changes every year because how companies grow crops changes, so make sure you make an annual check in. 

The current dirty dozen is: 

Now, for everything, there is an opposite. The EWG also has what they consider the “Clean 15” this is the annual list of produce crops that are considered to be the lowest risk with the lowest alteration/pesticide rate and therefore safer to buy conventionally. 

If you ever want to check back or look into the EWG farther you can find the link to their organization here.

Keep your eyes open as we move further into food sustainability. I hope this was beneficial and informative. As always, chime in with questions, thoughts, or additions.  

All the best, 

Mikaela  

An Open conversation on Religion…

Good morning!

This is the kind of thing that I usually hesitate to post, because I do not want to make anybody uncomfortable by getting too political or too religious ever. We are fostering an open and welcoming place- so I typically try to steer clear of overly divisive topics. 

But I was flipping through old journals whilst looking for inspiration and the right words as I was writing my wedding vows and I came upon something I wrote awhile ago very early on in my own spiritual journey and I had to remind myself that the topic is only divisive if you make it divisive, and that part of the way to create an open and welcoming space where people CAN discuss things, and learn from each other, and decide WHAT they believe for themselves is by talking CALMLY to people who believe differently.  

That specifically, the reflection in question was full of questions I was asking myself and that I wished I could ask somebody else. It has always amused me, talking to the parents of friends or other people’s families who don’t allow their kids to learn about other religions because they are afraid their children will be “taken in” or “converted” and it never made sense to me growing up. How are our young people supposed to know what they believe in if they don’t know what they don’t believe in, or what other people believe. I always wanted to say “you must really not trust how you have raised and taught your children, or in their decision-making abilities if you think that learning about the rest of the world is going to change them that quickly. What are you afraid of them finding?” It always sounded to me like people were trying to teach their kids what to think instead of how to think. Which is a very different thing.  

However, I digress. As I was rereading this old reflection it reminded me that what Taylor and I are trying to do requires courage. You must be open, and self-exposing, welcoming, and willing to discuss difficult topics yourself first before you can ever hope to inspire somebody else to be willing to do the same. That this is the place for those intimidating conversations to happen. We want to normalize the inner thoughts and the questions that we all have.  

So, in what I truly hope is the first of many conversations, I have posted below my thoughts from a younger Mikaela who was just beginning to find herself after a rough period of growth and self-awareness. It’s okay if you don’t agree. I hope you ask questions. I hope these sparks thoughts and reflections of your own. I hope we can talk and teach and learn from each other. I hope if we do disagree- we can do so with grace. So, from a much younger me: 

It’s been a long time since I originally wrote that in 2017 and there were a number of upheavals and hate crimes happening in the world at the time. But I think the bulk of this thought process still holds true for me. 

No matter your beliefs, or your stance on the matter, I hope we can discuss it with kindness, curiosity, and a genuine desire to understand and love others.  

All the best, Always.  

Mikaela 

Salutations! In light of the upcoming holiday, I thought we’d do a bit of a dive into the history and practice of the Lammas Feast Day. 

Lammas AKA Lughnasadh is the first of three harvest festivals of the Pagan wheel of the year. Typically, Sundown July 31^st– Sundown August 1^st. Although technically you would need to consult an Almanac yearly to see what day of the year the stars would be in the right position if we were following the original way of tracking the Wheel of the Year. 

Lammas has been known by many names. In Ireland its known as Lugnasad or Lughnasadh. In Scotland it has been called Lunasda, The Welsh refer to it as Gwyl Awst. It was the English that called it Lammas, evolving from the Old Anglo-Saxon word Hlafmaesse, or Loaf Mass. 

Lughnasadh or ‘Lugnasad’ gets its name from the Celtic Deity Lugh (pronounced Loo). 

Lugh in modern times is frequently referred to as a solar god or harvest deity; though originally seems to have been understood as a god of human skill & craftsmen, kings, and a patron of heroes. Lugh was king of the Tuatha De Dannan, a race of divine beings whose name translates to “People of the Goddess Danu”. (Marquis 2015) 

Danu was the Celtic Mother Goddess. In the old Sagas, Lugh together with Danu displaced the Fir Bolg and the Fomoiri who were the cruel previous rulers of Tuatha. 

There are 2 popular theories around the origin of Lughnasadh as a holiday: 

1. Lugh’s wedding feast.  

2. And more commonly a funeral festival Lugh started in honor of Tailtiu; wife of the last king of Fir Bolg. Whilst we cannot prove that exactly, we can prove there was an annual festival August 1^st called the Fair of Tailteann equidistant between Navan and Kells near a reputed gravesite of Tailtiu in what is now County Meath, Ireland. 

Marriages were common or Trial Marriages and partnerships were commonly declared at this time (feeding into the story of Lugh’s wedding Feast). This would last for a year and a day until the next festival at which time the marriage could be dissolved if it didn’t work out (similar to a handfasting- which typically followed if things worked out). 

Originally Hlafmaesse was a celebration of pagan deities, but as the Germanic Peoples converted to Christianity and began settling in what is now Britain, Hlafmaesse was absorbed into the rites of the Church and celebrated as the Feast of First Fruits. This was celebrated by baking a loaf of hallowed bread, cutting it into fours and burying or crumbling each quarter into the corners of the barn intending to invite blessing and sanctify the harvest in the upcoming year.  

As Anglo-Saxons began to more heavily influence local culture, some of the older Lughnasadh traditions became replaced or hybridized, making it very hard to distinguish the exact origins of many practices. In many places across the United Kingdom, we can document where Lughnasadh traditions and Lammas traditions have been meshed together.  

In modern times, many people struggle to find ways to celebrate Lughnasadh and feel connected to the holiday with how removed most of us are from our Agriculture. As well as struggling to find distinctive ways to celebrate it separately from the other Harvest festivals. It is the first of three annual harvest festivals, ending with Samhain- or the closing of the growing season. But where Lughnasadh shines is in the bearing of the first fruits. The first crops of the year are coming to maturity, and we can enjoy them, but the true celebration is in knowing that the Harvest and bounty is still in front of you and is just beginning.  

Whilst most of us are no longer actively tilling the land, planting and harvesting- we still depend on the Mother Earth every bit as much as our ancestors did. Common Modern themes to celebrate and honor the holiday include: Harvest, Gratitude, and Reflection. Potlucks, Picnics and feasts are common practices. Offerings are also traditional, either to the Mother Earth, Lugh, ancestors, or the dead in general. Regardless of the nuances in regional celebration practices, the overall message is the same: Giving Thanks!  

Bear in Mind, that Pagans are a diverse group, and you will find Nuances in celebrations between Celtic Reconstructionism, Wiccans, Asatru (also referred to as Heathens or modern Norse Pagan), Modern Druidism, traditional Witchcraft, & Neopagan. 

Celebrating at Home: 

1. If you do Garden, or grow your own crops or herbs, Celebrating Lughnasadh is commonly celebrated by pulling your first harvest of the year, picking berries, gathering herbs or other wild crops.  

2. Many rural communities also celebrate with Bonfires.  

3. Another way to honor the beginning of the harvest season is to cook with what it offers. After all, it is one of the Great Feast Days- this is why potlucks or gatherings are a common and great way to celebrate.  

4. Lughnasadh is also a great time to get out into the great outdoors and search for new magical tools while the ground is open and easy to view. Unique branches and sticks that can be turned into staffs and conduits. Rocks and sticks that draw your attention and call your name are also always good to hunt for. Remember to never harvest or take things from compromised or protected land, and respect the spaces you are in.  

5. Play Games! Lughnasadh was traditionally a time for competitive sports and games to show off skill and prowess. Host your own Tailtaenn fair. Invite friends over for a game of football, a foot race or any other manner of sports. Remember to keep it lighthearted and fun. Add in an element of silliness and award prizes for winners of competitions. Ribbons, goofy hats, pies, pastries, or decorated brooms all make great winnings. 

Lugnashadh and Magick:  

Many different types of Magick were performed around Lughnasadh, but it is an especially good time for protection magic. Below is a more modern interpretation of a traditional Irish Practicing Herbal Spell for protecting livestock (which can these days also be translated into protecting anything that is of value or considered an asset to you). 

All you need is a selection of fresh herbs of your choosing (best to stay in season if possible). Make a list of the ‘assests’ or valuables that you want to protect and then choose a corresponding herb for each one. You can do this by either following your intuition and gut feeling or, if you choose, you can always consult an herbal guide for different symbolism in plants if you need help. I find it best with things like this to pick whatever resonates best with you.  

Set yourself up someplace quiet, with a small bowl of water. 

Pick up an herb and focus your intentions on the topic you have ascribed to that herb. Repeat the following: 

Now hold the herb in the bowl of water and focus on strength and protection and say:  

You will need to repeat this with each herb/intention. Then take the pile of wet herbs outside to a place in nature that feels good to you (you will need to bring an apple). Place the Pile of Herbs on the ground and on top set the apple, stem facing up as a final offering. Pour the water from bowl over the top and give thanks for the welfare and protection of your assets.  

Here in the next few days, I’ll be uploading one of the recipes I will be using for our own Lammas feast. Have fun, be safe, and be well. 

Happy Harvest, 

Mikaela 

Join RavenWerks guild Leaders Mikaela and Taylor talking about their favorite parts of Dungeons and Dragons and what they would or wouldn’t change about their early campaigns based on their experience as players.

[Taylor] Hey! If you’re just tuning  into our channel, I’m Taylor… 

[Mikaela] Mikaela.

[Taylor] This little nugget back here is Mini. 

[Mikaela] Um… and we just wanted to to turn  around and chime in. We know it’s been a while  since we launched our… um… intro videos and  it was like kind of a second way to try to connect  with you guys on our platform. For those of you  who don’t know, most of our business and our work  is on our website and our blog. You can find the  link in the description box below. Um… But we  wanted to turn around and take today- you know so  far we have focused more on our sustainability and  spirituality and being environmentally friendly  and that kind of stuff – but a big purpose behind  RavenWerks that we have kind of discussed in the  past is making those alternative hobbies and those  other interests you want to pursue in life and  learn about, more approachable, and removing  alot of the the stigmas from around them. And  one of our favorite topics in that area is…  um… Dungeons and Dragons. There are kind of  a lot of- i feel like- misconseptions about  what playing Dungeons and Dragons is. You know,  for the longest time, it was labeled as the nerd  geek pastime. And especially- it’s begining to  become more mainstream and more accepted but it’s  still… there’s a lot of fear and trepidation  around -you know- starting to try and play or  find people that have those common interests.  And especially starting playing as an adult,  without that backstory. And especially as a  female. So… um… we kind of just wanted to take  some time to reflect on our previous experiences  and have a bit of a conversation there. Sooo…

[Taylor] Sooo… we just have a couple questions  today to start with and we’ll cover more in the  future BUT to start, I guess… uh…  FIRST QUESTION… What is your fart… *DIES LAUGHING* Word salad… it happens… What is your favorite part of DnD as a  whole? *still struggling not to laugh* 

[Mikaela] As a whole (repeated). Ummm… For me -I think- favorite part  of DnD as a whole is the community.  Not just the playing and of itself  and um the other people that you connect with.  For instance, if you watch critical role or if  you are on some of the Facebook groups and that.  But like whoever you’re actually playing with,  it’s a good social interaction especially  if you’re an introvert because it’s usually  like a small group of people. You can relax, have  fun, get in character and kind of out of yourself  and have that adventure but have it with other  people…um… in really most of the time in a non  overwhelming setting. So for somebody like me  that’s… when I played my first campaign there  was like 6 of us that played. It was once  a week. That was our Sunday event. That was  basically the majority of our day and I came home  feeling relaxed, like I had had a healthy social  interaction but I also wasn’t drained from it.

[Taylor] Uh. I would actually agree. So I feel  like my favorite part from DnD as a whole is  very much the social aspect because it’s…  it’s a different outlet of social. Like there’s  one thing if I like to get dressed up and go out  and party or if I go to the movies with friends or  I interact with people at work or whatever. But…  ummm… DnD is a little bit more of like a- I  don’t want to say, uh, intimate setting- but  it’s like it’s your friends and it’s a different  outlet because you get to be artistic with them.  It’s… some of my friends are more long distance  too so I get to interact with them and video chat  and that and I don’t have another outlet for it  because they aren’t going to drive, you know,  6 hours once a week to hang out with me.

[Mikaela] Also I feel like it challenges  you to get to know you friends in a different way.

[Taylor] Yeah. You do definitely start to realize  things about them… because you get to be silly  about things and play with different scenarios  you wouldn’t come across in real life. So feel  like… yeah… social aspect for me for sure. 

[Mikaela] Ummm… so then what was your biggest  challenge in wanting to start playing and what  would you say to someone wanting to learn  to play that’s never touched it before? 

[Taylor] So I actually feel like for me it was  finding a group of people to start with. It was  kind of intimidating because I… I actually  wanted to play for years. I kept bringing  it up. Uh… You even bought me like little  miniatures and like a book and I still didn’t  start playing for a while. I think I had a set  of dice set aside for like 4 or 5 years because  it seems daunting when you look at it. There’s  a lot of different, like, processes for combat  and things like that…that once you know are  super easy but it takes having somebody maybe  walk you through it for a couple of sessions  for you to feel comfortable. And it’s also hard,  or it least it felt intimidating to me to find a  group to play with to initially start it because  I feel like you either think that everybody’s  already got an established group and you can’t  come into it and you can’t come into an  established campaign OR you think that if  you bring it up with your friends you are just  going to get weird looks. Maybe I just didn’t  have the right friends though. I don’t know.

[Mikaela] No. I- Honestly for me I would say  it was a two pronged thing. Number 1, yes.  Finding the right group of friends. Cuz I had  a very small social circle. Um. And at least for  me, my friends were the right kind of nerds. They  were all as geeky wierd as I was if not wierder.  Um. But some of their nerd wasn’t necessarily the  same kind of nerd.

[Taylor] Yeah. 

[Mikaela] Ummm… It was a little bit easier  for me to find a group because I actually  got invited. Thomas and I actually got invited to  play by his brother and his brother’s girlfriend.  So that was a good experience but I think for me,  I think having the right group of people is part  of it because it plays a part in your comfort  level of putting yourself outside of yourself.  Which for me was the hardest part because it’s  real easy to have your character and your timeline  and this awesome story adventure in your head and  it is sometimes a lot more uncomfortable to then  role play that in front of people because it  does feel goofy when you are first learning. 

[ Taylor] Yeah!

[Mikaela] You’re sitting at a table  making strange voices, whole equally asking does  this work? How does this work? Can I do this? If  you are playing with a more experienced player.  So for me the scariest thing was putting myself  outside myself in public. Um… but what  I think made all the difference was having  a big enough group to fun but a small enough group  to have it not be overwhelming and have them be  people that had played before that could teach me  what to do and had the patience for it. As far as  what I would say to somebody wanting to start, I  would just say don’t do what I did and hold back  for as long as I did because the second I into  it- not so much the mechanics, that takes time,  learning what dice to use with what thing and what  you have an action and a talking or a movement…  that part is going to take time- but I was gonna  say throw three sheets to the wind, get out of  your own head, and get into it. Because the more  you put into it as far as your character goes,  the more you are going to get out of it.

[Taylor] Well, and I would also say, um,  I just…. I want to say real quick that  we are coming at this right now for like  a player perspective… not so much like  a DM perspective. And I… I mean I am  writing my own campaign right now. I do have  ideas. I do want to be a DM but just haven’t- 

[Mikaela] Haven’t had the oportunity yet.

[Taylor] Yeah. I haven’t had the oportunity  yet. So like, we will touch on that  later as I get more experience there but,  um… As a player I agree 100%. Like I just  feel like I wish I could back and tell myself  a little bit just like put my big girl panties on  and…. or even just go to like a gaming bar and  just talk to some people because I almost  guarantee there are people… there’s a  hund-… I mean there’s tons of people out there  that would want to play, would welcome you in,  even if they are mid campaign.

[Mikaela] They are excited when  people ask questions.

[Taylor] Yeah. Yeah.  The people in the DnD community, for the most  part -Like there are some real hard asses out  there- But like, for the most part as very,  very accepting and they want to teach you,  they want to bring more people into it even if  it’s mid campaign or even if they do like a one  shot. They will find ways to work around that.

[Mikaela] You can be a guest character. 

[Taylor] Yeah. Yeah. So just go out.  Just do it. Just do it. Just do it. Okay so…um. Next question here.  Looking back at your first campaign,  what would you have changed about the experience?

[Mikaela] It kind of ties in with that last  one. I would, i would honestly say, get into  it farther, faster. As far as, as far as like,  I spent a lot of time out of character  asking, like, can I do this? Most of the time,  if you go and try and do something in character  that doesn’t work, your DM (Dungeon Master) is  going to tell you. So it would be really  hard to have that mental shift between  character and then breaking character to talk to  somebody. So I guess if I could change anything,  I would, I would approach it a little bit  more comfortably and open minded from the  get go and I would be hopefully less afraid to ask  questions because part of it- nobody likes to feel  you know dumb of stupid or like they are  not picking it up and I felt like I was  afraid to ask certain questions because  I felt like I had already asked it and  so I should have understood it at that point.

[Taylor] Sometimes it takes hearing it a couple  different ways for it to click. [Mikaela] Or watching somebody  else do it before you are like  “OOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH… That’s how that works.” 

[Taylor] Mmmmhmmmm…

[Mikaela] But… But there really is,  like she said, so much acceptance in that  community that like, they really don’t care  if you ask a question repeatedly cuz they want  you to enjoy it. They want you to come back. They  want you to part of their group. Ummm… I really  honestly think that’s my biggest one. That like,  I was so afraid of being social with it for so  long, that like, I hesitated to go every single  week. And then when I was there I had fun.

[Taylor] Yeah. Okay. So for me, this is a… *sigh*… I think  there is three things. And I think I am going  to contradict myself, some of the things I have  said before, just a little bit. And I will explain  why. So, the first thing that I would say is,  ummm… really get into character.Like, do not be  afraid to get into character. I feel like my first  campaign, IIIIIII- and I, this is something I want  to work on a couple of others because I am now on  like 3rd campaign kind of situation- ummm… none  of my characters, I have really played with like  voices and things like that and I really wish I  had. It doesn’t have to be an accent, it could  just be like the way you change your tone… 

[Mikaela & Taylor] Your vocabulary…

[Taylor] I feel like I have really gotten  into character in the way my actions play out in  things like that but I really want to play more  with like ACTUALLY PORTRAYING IT. So like  when you here me speak as my character vs  when you hear me speak META, you can tell, because  again it’s a way to play with the different- it’s  just like… yeah. That would be the first thing.

[Mikaela] There are some words that one  character wouldn’t use or terminology  because they aren’t relevent to them. 

[Taylor] Exactly. The second thing  I really wish that I had done is….  I know I said just do go out and just, like, do  it. But like, also do be careful of who you do it  with. (Are we talking about DnD or safe sex???)

[Mikaela & Taylor] For a first campaign. 

[Taylor] Like, later it’s whatever, but my  first campaign I just have to bring up, we  all knew each other except for the DM. We had  a DM… Mini please stop (she was scratching  and shaking the whole couch). So we had a DM who  basically ghosted us maybe siiiii…. oh, maybe  a year into the campaign. He was long distance  (DMing online), we onlyu really knew him over  the video chat. And it was just such a bummer  because I felt that we, as newer players,  were just finally just starting to get really into  it and that, I just complete… I don’t know… 

[Mikaela] It kills momentum.

[Taylor] It was just such a let  down. We had to find a new DM, Start a whole new  campaign. And it’s one thing, sometimes campaigns  fall apart (especially really long ongoing  ones) but I guess, just, that was my first  campaign and that was such a bummer so I guess  at least know somebody in your first campaign or  know that they are serious about it. And that  was going to be my next thing (#3), is that,  maybe make sure you find people who are just as  invested as you. Like if you’ve got people who are  really just not into it, and they are not paying  attention and they are not really, don’t care at  all. Like they are there JUST for the talking, it  kind of puts a damper on you playing and learning  because if you are really invested and nobody  else is and you are the only one that really  wants to get into character and do things…

[Mikaela] That almost adds to the discomfort. 

[Taylor] It makes it harder for you to learn,  it makes it harder for you to get into it. It’s  just… so yeah… I feel like those are the  biggest things with my first campaign that I  really was just (nonverbal emphasis with  hands lol), I struggled to get into it,  the first one. So yeah. I think that’s it.

[Taylor & Mikaela] *A whole lot of yeahs* 

[Mikaela] Last Question. Describe  your perfect DnD setting or ambience. 

[Taylor] For me… I really like to get into it.  Like if you have got mood music for it, depending  on the situation. Like I have different play lists  set up for my campaign. I am very ready for this.  My current campaign is, that I am in is One Piece  based and we actually started as a bigger group-  which can also be challenging, So don’t go  too big. Like 9 people in combat is a lot-  ummm but we all kind of fallen into kind of a role  like what we bring. Like I tend to bring salty  snacks and somebody brings alcohol, and somebody  like candy and everybody is swapping stuff around.  So I really personally like having that. And  it’s not something we set up at all. It’s just  kind of roles we’ve… it just happened. It’s  just really nice because we’re all able to like  bring something to it. We like to like dim the  lights a little bit (I do in my campaigns at  least) sometimes. It depends on the mood.  It depends on the campaign and who you are  with too. So like part of that depends on  the situation. I also prefer if everybody  is around a table. It’s hard to do it in like a  living room setting or something like that just  because there’s no central area and I like to see  people and talk to them when I am in character.  I would say that that’s my biggest thing. I  tend to prefer mine a little bit more relaxed  um, vs, like really, rigid.

[Mikaela] Yeah. As far as like, rigidity goes,  I will say I prefer a little more relaxed beccause especially if it’s your first campaign. Not only  do you have to have some give and take with  your DM, and when people have like a… like  if your working with a DM that has absolutly no  flexability in what they will allow and are very  by the book- and for some people that’s great- I’m  not one of those people. So I like the flexability  aspect of it. As far as ambience goes, we always-  my friends are all kind of like I said, extra-  so we allways went extra. It was our Sunday thing  and the ambience of the room adds- if you are in a  well lit, blank walled room with a table…  yeah you can play if you’ve got your character  sheets and a good group of people that are  really invested. You could totally do it.  But especially if you’re nervous and are coming  into it, having the right ambience almost makes  it easier for somebody that’s shy to get out of  that box and get themselves into that character.  So like what Macey would do, we had our long  table, and the five of us would be around it  and she either when she was creating her own  world, drew her own maps or we had the minis,  and she built landscapes and we had all of our  character pieces and she would move them around  to give us distance examples. She at one point had  a little fog thing set up on the table. Someday… 

[Taylor] That’s sick.

[Mikaela] Someday… those  tables… Someday I will have one. I will build  one, I will whatever. That it’s inset and that you  can move your people and you can make the mist  set up and have the light and everything. But  in the meantime, she had music and she changed it  for whatever. She would sometimes have the actual  playlist set up because she actually knew what  timeline we were going to be on. But obviously  then your characters threw a wrench into that so  then if we ended up in a fight she switched it to  like if it was dungeon fight music or bar fight  music music or whatever. And we did, we rotated  who cooked because it was usually like a whole day  think which I thought was awesome. I would usually  bring like one or 2 snacks or baked goods. If we  were doing it at whoevers house was hosting it,  they provided dinner, whether that was ordering  food in or like- we all like to try different  recipes. So sometimes what we would do – and  this was super cool but super goofy I guess- was,  each person, when it was their week to cook, would  prepare a meal or food that would have been custom  and normal for their character and we shared it.

[Taylor] I like that. I like that idea. 

[Mikaela] We had drinks and they weren’t always  alcoholic but there were. And that way you didn’t  have to get up and feel rushed or leave or  if you were uncomfortable and needed a break  or a bathroom break, you had something to break  those moments. And it just made the whole thing  relaxed. She would sometimes, depending on where  we were, have a candle lit with a certain scent  that… it was like it added to the…

[Taylor] Scent therapy is a thing. 

[Mikaela] The whole thing was just very emersive.

[Taylor] Yeah. So I have to say that… ummm…  so we are actually… the One Piece campaign is  actually building one of those tables and I am  super stoked. I LURV the idea of the food for your  character thing. So, previous campaign, we would  rotate houses and who hosted and whoever hosted  was in charge of food but I never thought about  doing a character thing. That is a whole different  level. I really like that. I will say, the One  Piece campaign, we all, maybe some of us did get  a little more into this than others. I spent like  a year making a costume. But depending on my mood  and like how rushed I am to get to the campaign,  I still wear that. Like, pieces and parts. Not  all of it but sometimes pieces and parts. Because  for me it does help a little bit to fall into that  character. And there’s something else to consider  there too. When you write your backstory, you’ve  got this idea of who your character is. Don’t be  so attached to it that your character doesn’t  grow. Like my characters have become something  else sometimes. Sorry. That just popped into  my head. BUT… ummm yeah… I feel like…  PROPS… props are so huge. Not just for a  DM but for a character, because, like I said,  I haven’t DM’d yet, but I know when my DM has a  prop- like they’ve brought a picture of one of the  NPC’s or like they’ve built something and have it  in the middle of the table or they’ve done their  own map- like that visual for me is amazing. But  as a character, I have to tell you how excited the  other people at the table are if I thought ahead  of something my character would have. For example,  in my One Piece session, there’s something  called vivre cards in that world that I like  pre prepped and I been like, as I get to develope  relationships with other players characters, been  like, rolling for stealth to hide them in their  belongings, slipping it into their belongings in  real life, not explaining what they are, and then  in like a session or 2 they will find them and  be like, what the hell is this? And it’s, like an  extra layer of excitment. Or like if something is  happening and I whip something out (like my own  photo’s of my summons or transformations etc),  like everybody else’s excitent. So you aren’t-  the DM’s not only doing ambience, you are just  as responsible for adding that extra little bit  ambience or UMPF to all those other character too. 

[Mikaela] Yeah. So like if you know up partially  in costume, it give them a visual for you as  well other than… hey there’s a girl with cool  colored hair sitting in the chair accross from me. 

[Taylor] Exactly. So that’s what I was talking  about too with like finding a group that’s as  invested as you because if you that they want to  do that and they are into that kind of stuff too,  it’s going to be so much more fun for you.

[Mikaela] And it’s a good reflection of DM’s  time too. It’s really depressing to watch somebody  that’s spent all this time building a diorama or a  map on top off writing the actual campaign and the  frame work of your story and then you have a group  of people that just sit around the table and they  are like mike character is going to doooooo this.  And that’s just kind of, there is no give and  take, there’s no…. I don’t do the whole,  I am going to do this anymore… I just in  character say it and my party can either respond  or… sometimes if it is out of line or it doesn’t  work, then my DM will out of character by like….  so I love you but you can’t do that.

[Taylor] Well I will also say too though that  it takes a little bit to work up to that because  the first sessions… we’re probably, maybe,  I don’t know, like 30 sessions into this One  Piece campaign right now and we’re just finally  getting to the point where I feel like, like for  example, my character…. I knew my character,  but you have to KNOW your character. Like it  takes a little bit to get to the point where  you are ready enough to be like IN character that  much because you are learning the character as  much as they are. So like. don’t beat yourself  up if the first 2 or 3 sessions or more, like I  said it took a little while, we have a really  big group so it took a while to get everybody  really in character. But don’t beat yourself  up if right off the bat, you’re not like…  I don’t know what I am saying.

[Mikaela] Give yourself some grace.  It does take time.

[Taylor] It does. 

[Mikaela] And I will be interested in future  conversations- because you brought up a couple  of things make me want to start talking about  them now but obviously in the interest of time  we wont do that. But in future talks, to be able  to talk about character building and yourself  vs your character. Because that’s like a whole  different dichotomy thing. SO… if you guys found  this interesting and you really liked it, give  us a shout, let us know if you have specific DnD  questions or things you would like us to cover.  Obviously our video blog portion is not just  limited to DnD, But we figured this was a great  place to start because especially for women there  aren’t, I feel I don’t meet as many women playing  DnD. Most of my campaigns have been full of guys.  So like if you have questions, if you want to  reach out, if you are looking to connect with  people. Or if you certain things you would like  us to go over or cover in the future… Let us  know. Otherwise you can find the link to our blog  down below and just keep tuned. Keep coming back! 

[Taylor] Down below. *whispered* Also…

[Mikaela] You had to with the fingers. 

[Taylor] I had to, I had  to. Also, I just want to say  you will be seeing more videos on some of the  other topics but we are also going to have a  blog post kind of related to this on our website  here, later this week as well. So just keep an  eye openand we will be covering more topics  and we look forward to talking to you soon. 

[Mikaela] Yeah.

[Taylor] Bye!

Last time we spoke I had been talking about basic steps for kitchen sustainability. Now it wasn’t nearly a comprehensive list, but it was a good building block to point you in the right direction if you’re starting out.  

In that post I said I would include a basic how- to for making your own stock. And then I didn’t.  

So today is the day. The stars have aligned. This is a pretty simple process, and I’ve included notes on varying it if you need/want to or for dietary reasons. It’s not really a precise recipe as much as it is a concept and process. 

All you need:  

• 1 tub for veggie scraps 
• 1 tub for animal scraps (if using) 
• Salt and pepper (optional) 
• Stock pot 
• Water (quantity varies on size of batch) 

As I mentioned previously, I keep a tub in the fridge for veggie scraps and any time I cook, my veggie scraps go in that bucket. The classic veggies used for Mirepoix are carrots, celery, and onions; but you can use almost any vegetable. ESPECIALLY if you are making a veggie stock and not a meat stock because it will deepen the flavor. Green onions, squash, broccoli, bell pepper scraps, cabbage, Brussel sprouts, asparagus. Anything that is not molding or decaying (let’s not confuse making stock with compositing here).  

I tend to keep my animal scraps in the freezer. This is both because they keep longer, but also because it saves room in the fridge. You can use any animal scraps, but I try to stick to bone and meat. It is up to you if you are just making generic stock, or if you want to specify an animal and keep them separate. Some people just make ‘stock’ if you eat enough meat and are using things regularly enough or have a particular left over you want to use that is fine too. Save all the casings from your seafood as you prep it and make “seafood broth” any time we have a bird of any kind I boil the carcass. “Duck,” “Turkey,” “Goose,” Even rotisserie chicken. The fattier the animal, the more flavor.  

So there’s the concept. Let’s get down to ratio and process. Below is the basic ratio. You can scale it up or down if need be. You can also technically increase the amount of “boiler” to water if you want to for fuller flavor, but it’s really not necessary. 

1 Gallon water 

4 Cups Boiler 

Put your water and filler into a large pot. Bring to a boil. Let boil until meat is broken down and veg is soft. For a small batch this can be roughly an hour. For a higher gallonage this can take up to 7 hours. IF you choose to season your stock, do so at the end as the seasoning will change as it cooks. I tend to not add salt and pepper as I prefer to do so when I cook, and you don’t want to end up with a final product that is too salty. Strain and store in an airtight container. 

*** A note on the ‘boiler’ section: This is at your discretion. If you are completely an herbivore, then this can be 100% plant matter. If you are using an animal element you can play with the ratios as you like. I tend to prefer that 75% of my boiler portion be animal because I want the fattiness as a base for a lot of dishes, but you can do 50% or even less if that’s what you have available and you will still get a functional and flavorful stock.  

**** stock can also be cooked down into a fattier and more concentrated form before straining (if you are making an animal stock it will kind of gelatinize as it cools). This can make it easier to store and then you will just dilute it with water before using.  

Have Fun and get cooking!  

All the best, 

Mikaela