Latest Posts by shelivesinshadows - Page 8

Hey there!!! Today I felt inspired, and it's been a while since my last good quality post, so we're gonna make a fabric pin of a death moth! You can also follow the steps here to make your own patterns of another bug. If you make this, I'd *really, really* love to see it. Let's start!

You'll need: Dark fabric, a small piece of cardboard, a paper with the patterns (you can print or trace them, glue, a little of wire and bleach or white paint

1- First, you have to cut the patterns and pass them onto the fabric.

2- Cut the pieces off.

3- Now, in order for the fabric to not fall apart, we're gonna add a little of glue around the edges. If you have synthetic fabric you can melt the edges with a lighter, but be extremely careful with that.

4- Cut another B piece, of cardboard now, and glue it to the back of A

5- Glue four small wires to the wings of A and C making sure they overlap with the body a little. This is in order to make them stronger. You wont need them if you use fabric that doesn't bend easily.

6- Take another wire, fold it slightly in half and paint it black. This is to make the antennas. You can also use cardboard, or pipe cleaner to make them fuzzy.

7- Glue the pieces together in this order from back to front: A, B, C and D (unexpected, I know). Don't forget the antennas between C and D.

8- This is the fun part; paint the moth. Go wild. I went for the classic but you can make geometric shapes, eyes, spirals... I used bleach because I like the look, but be careful with that. You can use white paint too.

9- Glue a pin to the back. If you prefer it to be a necklace or anything else, glue whatever you want.

I hope you liked it!!!

To build a space together, to grow and love and create something magical 🍄🌙🌿

dark cottagecore 🍄🥀

cows!!🐮🌱🌸🍄🦋

bread but aesthetic

(done by @ blondieandrye on instagram!)

Mushroom spoons

Mushroom mugs

Stone Cottage, Oxford

Will o’ the Wisp by Maciej Laszkiewicz

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_4VApvp7eJ/

lighthousecore is in babey

“I’m Not Getting Sick!” Broth

Whenever I have a day where I wake up feeling gross and I feel off all day, but I’m DEFINITELY NOT GETTING SICK!!! this broth is my go-to. It’s got immune boosting ingredients to help you fight off whatever you’re definitely not coming down with. It’s also comforting and helps relieve cold & flu symptoms, so if a couple days later, you’re like “Bleh, I’m sick” it’ll still help.

Ingredients: 3 cloves garlic 1 inch ginger 1 cup garlic paper & skins (if you’ve got it, if not add 3 more cloves garlic) 1 cup onion peels & trimmings 1 cup carrot peels and trimmings 3 dried hot chilis a bunch of peppercorns a generous pinch of salt

Take the ginger and cut it through the skin almost to the middle in a slit down the side. Repeat this all the way around so it’s still one piece but has a lot of cuts around the sides. Put everything in a pot or pressure cooker with 6 cups of water. On the stove, simmer it for about 30 minutes, in a pressure cooker cook at pressure for 10 minutes. Let it cool, strain it, and store it in the fridge.

To use it, I’ll throw some sliced carrots, tofu cubes, green onions, or whatever I’ve got in this and bring it just up to a simmer. Sometimes I’ll add miso paste or gochujang and stir it to dissolve. Drink it while it’s hot and you’ll feel your sinuses draining. You can also add a dash of vinegar (rice or cider) to help it clear any throat congestion.

An alternate version, if you don’t have ginger on hand or plan on using it for more European cuisine is to leave out the ginger and add a teaspoon of thyme and a teaspoon of oregano (maybe rosemary or sage, if you’ve got it). You can also add some mushroom (fresh or dried) and tomato before you cook it to make it feel a bit richer.

Garlic and ginger are great for your immune system, and thyme and oregano can help to clear up infections. Vinegar (or lemon juice or what have you) can help to push congestion out of your throat, and the chilis + steam from drinking it hot will help clear & soothe your sinuses.

Feel better! Not that you’re sick, of course…

The Hedge Witches Grimoire. A beautiful spell book of herbal magick 🌿

To be a Local Witch

Throughout history and our legends, Witches and Wizards were the crazy men and women that lived on the outskirts of the village. Their craft was wild and strange to those that lived in the village, but, nonetheless, people would seek after their wisdom of the land, the plants, the local spirits, and for wisdom or guidance in their path. These men and women, often bachelors, would know the ins and outs of the region and often went walking alone. 

Today, our villages are less rustic and more like local towns, and suburbs. But one can still be a Local Witch, and develop special connections with the land you call home. 

Become a Local Witch: 

Learn Local Lore Folktales, legends, and even tall tales develop the culture of a town or area. Learn these. Retell them over summer campfires, and over drinks with friends. People will start to LOVE your stories. 

Start Frequenting locally owned shops and stores Develop connections and relationships with the owners and those that work there every day. Learn their names, and introduce yourself after visiting more often. Supporting locally owned shops helps small business owners and provides nourishment to your community. This is putting down roots, and develops your connection with the people that shape your town.

Find a Local Bookstore This is an extension of 1 and 2. Locally owned bookstores always have a Local Writers, Local Plants, and Local History sections. Ask inside where these sections are, and start devouring these books. Not only will you be supporting a local shop, but you have a direct source of helpful information. Oftentimes, employees and owners also know a lot of Lore. Talk to them about what you’re interested in learning. They probably have some hidden gems of information. 

Learn about your Indigenous Plants Start researching and learning about the flora that grows locally, learn their lore, their uses, and magical or folklore associations. If Natives from your area used these plants, find out how. Learn where these plants grow and research local foraging. If you’ve never foraged, see if you can find a local group that can serve as helpful guides to stay safe. Never ingest anything unless you are SURE. 

Start a local Plant Grimoire Keep dried presses of flowers and plants in it, draw and diagram to help you remember what they look like. 

Learn about the indigenous animals Research their folklore and mythology. Start finding out what they eat, and what their habitats are. (Safely) Do your part to help foster their growth and health. This could be making insect houses to help local endangered pollinators, or leaving out special birdseed for endangered bird species in the area. (Safely) Start interacting with the non-aggressive species and leave them treats. This is great for birds, deer, rabbits, moles, chipmunks, hedgehogs, etc 

Join local Conservation Projects  Getting directly involved in wildlife conservation strengthens our spiritual and natural ties to the land we call our home. Taking personal responsibility and interest in it’s stewardship is honoring the spirits of the land, and the Gods. 

Use Google Maps while exploring parks, or protected open spaces to drop pins and places where you find animal habitats or useful plants for foraging. 

That’s all for now. More will come later I’m sure. Now go be the best local Witch or Druid you can be! 

“The human spirit needs places where nature has not been rearranged by the hand of man.”

A Botanical Alphabet (2019, watercolor)

Available on Etsy here

Shundarbans Mangrove Forest, Bangladesh

Yessssssssss go go gooooo yeeeeeeeeeeeeah aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Oh to live in an abandoned conservatory

Obtained a spinning wheel second hand and immediately has to decorate it 🖤