:Stew: Weekly Witchy CHALLENGE - Simmer Pots

[BryWisteria]

Merry meet!

Thank you once again to all those who joined in for last week’s Weekly Witchy Challenge - Spirit Animals

Calling all kitchen witches, potion brewers, and cauldron enthusiasts - grab your pots and cauldrons, we’re brewing up something magically divine this week!

The theme for this week’s challenge is…

Simmer Pots

Who knew magick could smell this good?

Simmer pots are the simple yet potent combination of water and plants (such as herbs, spices, or fruits). Placed over a low heat, they fill a space with the magickal properties of the ingredients within.

Depending on what herbs or spices are used, simmer pots can cleanse, banish negativity, remove curses, increase wealth, serve as a deity offering, protect the space and those within, etc.

Although quite popular with Kitchen Witches and Green Witches, simmer pots can be used by anyone to serve any magickal intention. As they only require a minimum of two ingredients (water and at least one plant), they are a simple and adaptable activity suitable for witches at all stages in their magickal journeys

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This week’s challenge is all about simmer pots - how you choose to take on this theme is up to you.

So are you ready? Because it’s…

CHALLENGE TIME!

Halloween Simmer Pot by @Peaches

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STEP 1 : Simmering Magick

This challenge is all about simmer pots - but as always, feel free to explore the theme in a way that aligns with you and your unique practice.

Still not sure where to begin? To help you get started, here are a few ways in which a witch might approach this challenge.

Please make sure you are logged into your Spells8 Account so you can view all of the resources shared!

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Follow a Recipe

New to simmer pots, or want to try a classic combo? You’re in luck! In additional to being popular in magick, simmer pots are also a traditional and beloved home fragrance method. There are numerous recipes out there ready to go.

Simmer Pot Discussion

More discussions and resources:

• A Taste of Autumn Simmer Pot
• Seasonal Simmer Pot
• Spring/Summer Simmer Pot
• My Weekend Simmer Pot
• 12 Herb Yule Simmer Pot Recipe
• Ailey’s Yule Simmer Pot Recipe
• Janelle’s Simmer Pot Recipe
• Carrie’s Protection Simmer Pot with Moonwater and Runes
• Citrus and Spice Simmer Pot Recipe (from the Spells8 Newsletter)

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Design a Recipe

The heart of simmer pots is simple (water + plant), but the possibilities are endless! If you’re feeling particularly crafty in your Craft this week, consider designing your own simmer pot recipe. You might start with an intention and use correspondences to find plants with matching properties. Then simmer away!

Magickal Correspondence Charts to Help You Make Spells

Witch Plants: Herbs Every Witch Should Know

Herbs & Spices Associated with Protection

Herbs Associated with Healing

The Magickal Properties of Lemon

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… And More!

The suggestions above are just a few ideas to help kickstart your creativity- if you feel called to explore simmer pots in another way, you are welcome to do so!

As always, all witches are encouraged to embrace their own unique practice with how they explore the challenge theme

12 Herb Yule Simmer Pot Recipe

12 Herb Yule Simmer Pot Recipe by @Silverbear, shared in Holiday Cheer

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STEP 2 : Share Your Experience

Click here for a note about challenge inclusivity

Everyone is welcome to join the challenge by practicing magick in line with the current theme. For lurkers and those who don’t feel comfortable sharing, it is absolutely okay to follow along with the challenge but keep your entry personal. Feel free to join in spirit and do what feels most comfortable for you!

That being said, please know that if you would like to receive a prize and a public shout-out, it is required that you share your experience.

Getting Your Credit

In order for your entry to be counted, all you have to do is write/share about your experience and label it as your challenge entry. There is a lot of chatting here (which is awesome- chatting and discussion are very welcome!) so please clearly write that it is your entry so I know to count it!

Where Should I Share My Entry?

Click here to learn where to share your challenge entry

You are welcome to post it right here- just click “reply” to this post and write your experience in the text box that pops up!

Alternatively, you could create a new post in the forum (this is good for when you have a lot to share and/or would like to discuss aspects of your entry not related to the current theme)

Note : If you do choose to create a new thread, please add the “challenge-entry” tag and/or add a hyperlink back to this post so that it can be easily found- thank you!

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Deadline

This challenge will close in 6 DAYS

To join in, please share your experience by:

Tuesday, October 15 at 7:00 AM EDT (Eastern US Time)
2024-10-15T11:00:00Z

(Note that the time zone is ET- if you don’t see your time displayed above, you can use this time zone calculator to check for your time zone!)

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Prizes

For their efforts, all participants will receive a special shout-out and a small prize!

Acknowledgments will be given in a Props and Presents Post that will appear in the forums on Tuesday.

After the challenge closes, you are still very welcome to post but please be aware that no additional prizes will be given. This discussion will remain open for about a week after the challenge finishes.

Picture from Seasonal Simmer Pot

A warm reminder that the challenges are designed to be very open- everyone is encouraged to participate in a way that honors and reflects their unique practice

If you have any doubts about if something is acceptable to post or say, please double-check with the Forum FAQ and/or reach out to your friendly Moderator Team.

And for those new to challenges- welcome! Know that the goal of these activities is to help you further diversify and strengthen your abilities and to bring together the Spells8 forum family to inspire and support one another in creative ways

Protection Simmer Pot with Moon Water by @carrie13

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A pinch of herbs and a splash of spice
Are all you need to make something nice
So without stress and no need to toil-
Let your cauldron meld and boil
You’ll be surprised when it’s all done
How simmer pots are easy and fun!

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Blessed Be

[georgia]

Ah! I miss my simmer pots!

Challenge entry

When I first learned to use one, I found out that a simmer pot of rose petals has a leftover which can be used to make beads! Roll a few petals between the palms of your hands to make a bead. Pierce with a needle. Let dry thoroughly.

Use the bead in another spell such as an amulet worn around the neck or charm on the door. Add the bead to a spell bag or jar. Give as natural gifts in thanksgiving for harvest or manifestations. Leave on the altar for deities. Toss in the cauldron as homemade incense. Offer to local fairies.

When I made my first beads, I found them a bit flaky and easy to break. It may have been my inexperience with the process, though.

The other leftover of a rose simmer pot is rose water. Strain well! It doesn’t keep very long (use up in just a few days because it will mold before the week is out), but it can be used as a blessing oil or add to cream for a nightly softening regimen. Add to a bath for a magickal addition to a cleansing or self care spell.

Add moon water, hurricane water, or other spell potions as the simmering medium for added energy for the spell.

Home grown roses are edible if you remove the bitter white dot where the petal attached to the stem, so the rose water can be drunk, if you’re in the mood for a love potion. I’ve had a Greek or Turkish dessert using rose water which was sumptious. Be careful with unfamiliar roses, though: other growers may use fertilizers or bug killers which my be harmful to your health.

My other favorite was a potion I put together to ease symptoms of pneumonia. I used pine needles and willow leaves. Kept the simmer pot by my bedside. I can’t say it healed anything on its own, but I thought it smelled soothing. The mix promoted humidity at just the right levels to ease congestion a bit with positive memories of gathering the ingredients wafting through the air to draw my mind away from the misery of being ill.

Gentle reminder: don’t let your simmer pot go dry. The herbs inside can burn, leaving a nasty scent which covers the positive energy of the spell, getting into clothes, sheets, curtains and furniture in a way which is a nightmare to remove- not to mention that if you use a ceramic pot, it can break when it goes dry. Never add cold water to a simmering pot to keep the ceramic pot from shattering.

[mary25]

Weekly Witchy challenge Entry - Simmer Pots. My healing simmer pot entry is ultra simple. I make this when I feel I am getting a cold. To a large pot, add water, a sliced lemon and some fresh or dried thyme . Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and bend slightly over the pot to carefully inhale the steam. I find this helps with nasal congestion and lessens my other cold symptoms. You can allow the pot to simmer to add humidity to the home (e.g., for dry winter air) for more benefits. Thyme is a natural expectorant with antimicrobial properties and combined with lemon, it smells wonderful. According to the Spells8 herb info sheets, lemon is a magical mood booster and also clarifies the mind, while the scent of thyme can make you feel brave and strong. I hope it helps anyone who gets the sniffles!

[Artemisia]

Challenge Entry - Simmer Pots

Considering the amount of kitten chaos currently, I won’t be able to try my simmer pot recipe now for safety but here’s my recipe for a fall simmer pot with healing, protective, and grounding properties

Fall Protection, Healing, and Grounding Simmer Pot Recipe

Ingredients

• Apple Slices (Healing, Abundance)
• Cinnamon Sticks (Protection, Warming)
• Clove (Protection, Healing)
• Orange Peels (Healing, Energy Cleansing)
• Rosemary Sprigs (Protection, Purification, Clarity)
• Bay Leaves (Protection, Strength)
• Juniper Berries (Grounding, Protection)
• Star Anise (Protection, Spiritual Connection, Grounding)

Optional:

• Fresh Pine Needles (Grounding, Protection)

[Kiara_Astra]

Challenge Entry

These are my favorite 2 fall simmer pot recipies

Apple Pie simmer pot

1-2 x sliced apples

2 x cinnamon sticks

1 x small knob of fresh ginger

2 x whole cloves

Optional:1 teaspoon of vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean (cut open, lengthwise down the middle)

Pumpkin Pie simmer pot

2 cups apple cider or apple juice {you could always use water too}
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
3-4 cinnamon sticks
1 tbsp. whole cloves
1 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
1/2 an apple or dried apple slices

[AileyGrey]

YES!!! I LOVE SIMMER POTS! I use them all the time!! Now tp find my favorite!!

[Ostara]

This is an amazing challenge! I (almost) have everything I need!

[Mystique]

Challenge Entry

I use simmer pots all winter to add humidity to the air. It gets so dry here in Minnesota in the winters.

Recipe 1

Cinnamon
Orange peels
Vanilla extract

Recipe 2

Cinnamon
Pumpkin pie spice

Recipe 3

Basil
Thyme
Rosemary
Marjoram
Sage

It all depends on my mood or how I want the house to smell in which recipe I use.

[AIRAM]

Challenge Entry
Velvet soup with lavender, ginger and sweet potato

Materials
4 servings
1 potato
1 medium sweet potato
1 leek
1 small onion
1 small and half regular fennel (fennel)
fresh or dry ginger grated to taste
3 teaspoons of lavender
salt
pepper
oil as much as we want
lemon (optional)
Implementation
Clean and wash the vegetables.
Boil them all together on high heat in 2-2.5 liters of water with an open pot (if we need to add water, we have hot water in the kettle, so as not to interrupt the cooking).
When they come to the first boil, lower the heat to medium, add the lavender, the oil and season with salt and pepper. We remove the foam that will be created.
Boil for about 30-40 minutes and if necessary in between add boiling water, depending on how thick we want our soup.
We regularly pinch our vegetables to see if they have softened.
When they are ready, turn off the heat, puree either in the food processor or with the blender.
Serve with a little lemon or grated ginger.

[MeganB]

I’ve been sick so I know what kind of simmer pot I’d like to do. However, I also have a dog so I need to make sure what I use is okay for my dog to inhale, too. I don’t have a lot of herbs I’d like to use for the sickness right now, but I do have some essential oils.

So, I went and did some research and wanted to share it all with you.

PetMD says the following essential oils are generally considered safe for most dogs.

1. Lavender
2. Chamomile
3. Myrrh
4. Ginger
5. Rosemary
6. Bergamot
7. Frankincense

PetMD also says these essential oils are generally considered unsafe for most dogs via ingestion and contact.

1. Cinnamon
2. Clove
3. Hyssop
4. Citrus
5. Pennyroyal
6. Peppermint
7. Pine
8. Sweet birch
9. Tea tree (melaleuca)
10. Wintergreen
11. Ylang ylang
12. Lemongrass

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I went through my essential oil collection which, since moving, has gone from many to three and the only one I’ve got that seems on the safer side to use is lavender. So, no simmer pots for me because the other two I have are lemongrass and tea tree, both on the “do not use” list.

Honestly, at this point I’d just like to put vapor rub in a diffuser and shut myself in the office but that’s not possible. So, I have created a recipe for a simmer pot that I would use if I currently had the ingredients.

– lemon slices
– star anise
– oregano
– rosemary
– thyme

Each of these ingredients is associated with health and healing in both the mundane and magical worlds

[john1]

This is my entry:

Me and my ex used a simmer pot and boiled chamomile tea what she didn’t know I was using my intention and whispering my words into the pot it was for lower anxiety spell it worked well

[Cosmic_Curiosity]

Ok silly question coming. I have never made a simmer pot but i so want to try it. I get that you put everything in a pot and let it simmer but does it have to be kept simmering or can it be decanted into a small cauldron perhaps and placed on an altar?

Sorry for my ignorance

Alan

[MeganB]

@Cosmic_Curiosity

can it be decanted into a small cauldron perhaps and placed on an altar?

I don’t see why not you could turn the entire process of simmer pot & potion-making into one ritual. The simmer pot would be your potion prep but also intention setting and energy raising. Then when you’re done with that, you have a potion for whatever your intention was.

[georgia]

As I mentioned with roses above, some items don’t keep long. Otherwise, try it out and see.

What’s the worst that can happen? A simmer pot going dry or a potion getting moldy. It just means it’s time to start over. If a ceramic pot breaks, be careful to get up all the pieces so no one gets hurt, but it’s not too expensive to replace. What if your mixture doesn’t smell right? Try again. No big loss.

I really liked Scott Cunningham’s herbal properties lists because mixing things from within those lists (at the back of each of his books), even if I didn’t have everything from a list for my purpose, smelled so good together. Following his ingredients lists was how I started and gained confidence in the work.

You got this!

[Susurrus]

I love, love, love simmer pots. Especially this time of year

@Cosmic_Curiosity, I made simmer pots and then stored the liquid or ingredients to be used again. Depending on the simmering pot and the intentions, I have made a rinse, perfume, used it in offerings, etc. I will let them simmer for a while, then take them off the heat, then put them back on the heat. As long as there is still steam from it, I won’t keep the heat on it for a long time so the liquid doesn’t completely evaporate. Let me know if that came out confusing.

I was thinking that I needed to make a simmer pot soon It’s already October and as usual this year, I am far behind on things Once I get the living room and kitchen picked up, I will start one that will purify the air. It’s nice enough outside that I can open the windows out with the old and then in with the new! Since my daughter has the day off of school today, she has been nominated to help with cleaning the house

[amanda6]

Challenge entry

3 lemons
4 oranges
4 apples
3 Cinnamon sticks
Bay leaves
Cinnamon and sugar
Nutmeg
All spice
Basil
Rosemary
Thyme
Salt

Cleanse the pot
Line the bottom with salt
Add ingredients

[carol3]

My Challenge Entry.

Although I have made several liwuids to use in spells with water and herbs or spices I havent ever beates them up or “simmered them” I suppose it would just be dandelion water or whatever herb is being used “water” then. So I plan to make my first simmer pot tomorrow. I love georgias rose spell that reuses the leftovers from the simmer pot so I may do something similar to that by researching which other kinds of herbs can be used in more than one way from the starting point of a simmer pot.

Blessed Be
Carol

[BryWisteria]

This challenge will soon close

The challenge will end on: Tuesday, October 15 at 7:00 AM ET (Eastern US Time)

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If you haven’t already shared an entry with the coven but would like to join in, this is your friendly reminder that you still have time left to do so.

Blessed Be!

[Ostara]

Thanks for the reminder, I thought I had another day! Lol! I stopped at the store on my way home from work so now it’s time to get busy!

[crystal59]

Challenge entry just did my first Simmer Pot I added oranges
Apples
Star anise
Bay leaf’s
Cinnamon
Rosemary

It smelled great this was a lot of fun