SCROLL FROM THE EDITOR
Welcome to the November 2023 edition of The Midnight Sun!
It’s finally feeling like fall! Members of House Kheperu inhabit locations across the country, so while some of us had snow on Halloween, others of us are having our ‘one week of fall’ before winter hits, and all kinds of weather in between.
This month marks our annual House Member get-together for planning and hang-out time, and you should check out our other social media if you have an interest in seeing what some of that might look like!
This month brings a bounty of information; M. Belanger shares their personal recipe for a sore throat remedy that does more than sooth, The Soap Box this month is on Manifestation, Tea with Hex is Part 2 of Practicing Safe Hex continued from last month, and Suz brings us a look at Thanksgiving, From The Other Side of the Table.
Be it traveling to see family and friends, or them traveling to you, self-care in the winter months can be very important through the holidays. Remember to drink water, eat, breathe (intentionally with thought behind it), and take a little time for yourself where you can.
Harvesting the bounty in your life looks different for us all. As we prepare for the winter this year, may you find comfort, warmth and only the challenges that create healthy growth and transformation headed for the new year!
~Miranda (Frick)
Curator and Editor of TMS
NOMINATE THE MIDNIGHT SUN FOR A WITCHIE AWARD!
Nominations are open now, and will be open until December 15th, 2023
If you like the Midnight Sun, or really any of our social media content, The Witchcraft and Occult Media Awards are open for nominations! Really, for any Occult or Witchy media or content creator you want to see recognized for the hard work and teaching, or entertainment or sharing they do, this is a wonderful way to express your appreciation!
Check out Modern Witch for more information, and don’t forget to look into the Modern Witch’s Academy event Witch’s Sabbat (where the winners will be announced) for even more content by folks who care and are leaders of the community in education and all manner of occult practices!
Xosh’s Winter Throat Gargle
by M. Belanger
I know, I know – it’s not winter everywhere, but this home remedy is handy all year round and now is the time to start this year’s batch. I’ve made this throat gargle for years, and I always keep a bottle around to help with seasonal colds and sore throats. Like most home remedies, this gargle is not a replacement for a doctor’s care but can be used in a supplementary capacity to help ease symptoms. It will help clear up congestion, soothe the burning of a sore throat, and make your recovery time seem to go a little quicker.
This home remedy is an herbal tincture and most recipes for tinctures are going to suggest that you get a strong, clear, tasteless spirit like vodka to use as your base. Certainly, you need high-proof alcohol for a tincture because of the alcohol’s preservative effect and how it draws out the active elements of the herbs. Between forty to fifty percent alcohol by content is recommended, which comes out to 90-100 proof. Once you’ve steeped the herbs in the alcohol, you can store the tincture for as long as you need.
However, you don’t brew herbal remedies for their taste. Years ago, when I first started making herbal tinctures, I experimented instead with flavored alcohols because so many traditionally prepared tinctures were literally hard to swallow. There are plenty of flavored high-proof alcohols – many of which were initially brewed as medicines themselves – and their tastes can be paired with the herbs to create something a little more palatable than, say, valerian root-infused vodka (from the smell alone - 0/10 do not recommend).
For my winter throat gargle, I use cinnamon schnapps as the base (my initial choice was Goldschlager because it was high proof and popular among my friends at the time). For this recipe, not only does the cinnamon flavor make the herbal blend more palatable, the natural heat of the cinnamon adds to the effect of the final result. The cloves are important for their numbing effect: clove oil has long been used as a topical dental analgesic.
To create this home remedy you will need:
6 oz of cinnamon schnapps, 90-100 proof
1 20 oz glass canning jar with lid (amber glass preferred)
1 cup dried garden sage (the sage you cook with, not the kind you smudge with)
1 heaping tablespoon whole cloves
1 heaping tablespoon hyssop
2 teaspoons angelica root
1 stick cinnamon
The canning jar should be thoroughly washed and dried. Through the wide mouth, add the sage, cloves, cinnamon, hyssop, and angelica root. Open the cinnamon schnapps and pour the entire bottle of liquid over the herbs. Place the lid on the jar, sealing it tight. Shake gently to stir up the herbs, then store in a cool, dark place for a week. At the end of that week, take the jar out and give it a shake again. Store it for another week. Do this one more time, for a total of three weeks of steeping. At the end of this time, you can strain the herbs from the liquid using a fresh cheesecloth or clean wire strainer (I personally leave them in, although this results in the brew getting a little bitter as time wears on).
Using the Gargle
For a raw, sore, or scratchy throat and related congestion, pour a shotglass worth of the tincture, then gargle thoroughly, holding it in the back of your mouth for as long as is comfortable. It will not hurt you to swallow the liquid, although I recommend spitting it out unless you enjoy the effects of a shot of 90 proof liquor. You can do this two to three times a day as needed.
Non-Alcoholic Variation
If, like me, you can’t actually drink alcohol (allergies are funny!), it is possible to brew a tea with these same ingredients. If you do, add a tablespoon of sea salt to the final brew and gargle while it’s still warm – ideally, as hot as you can take it. In this case, you will not be able to store the liquid, but instead will have to brew a fresh pot each day.
Also, with the salt added, do not swallow. That much salt tends to be emetic.
Manifestation
Pulls out Soap Box
“Do you know you can get everything you want and why you’re not getting it? Follow/Buy my thing and I can teach you how to manifest and not fail at it!”
Hoo buddy, that shit grinds my gears.
I don’t fault anyone for trying to pay their bills in this economy, but man the marketing for stuff, preying on vulnerable spots of FOMO and promises of teaching someone how to better their situation in life… really crawls directly up my ass and dies.
Manifestation and the practice over the last decade or more have been sold as a product and things you can only learn if you take the 13-step course for a variable amount of money, from a wide variety of folks who know what they’re doing to charlatains with charisma.
You wanna know how to manifest things in your life?
Make-Believe.
No, I’m not kidding.
Back when you were a kid, playing in the woods or your yard, being pirates, princesses, dragons, ninja turtles, where you could see the world in your mind - or if you didn’t see the world game in your mind, you at least worked with your friends or siblings to play a game together within the defined space, you were all doing, playing, being the same thing as a group, and doing your little piece of it. We blended together Thundercats with GI Joe and Barbies, Disney with The Addams Family and Willow (No? Just me?) and it worked - we figured out a way to make it all work that most of us accepted for the span of time we were playing.
Some of us (likely many of you reading this) then went into Adult Make Believe; Dungeons & Dragons, Vampire The Masquerade, LARP of all kinds, and any table-top or Live-action roleplaying games that gave us a shared rules structure so Steve didn’t say “BANG BANG I SHOT YOU!” and Marie couldn’t say “NUH-UH I’M BULLETPROOF” without having rules in place to resolve the conflict.
But Frick, you say, Those are games and just make believe! What does that have to do with manifesting?
Everything.
How many times were you playing make-believe as a kid, your parent asked you “What are you playing?” only for you to answer “I’m RAPHAEL THE NINJA TURTLE!” and then your parent called for dinner time saying; “Hey Raphael the Ninja Turtle! Dinner’s ready!”
Or even more immersive, you make a character for a LARP game, and not only do the other players and your friends call you by that character name, and treat you like that story while the game is on, but folks that get to know you through that game them call you by your character name cause they’ve used it more, and that’s literally how you became familiar to them?
I have in the past had trouble speaking in public with confidence. So, I made a vampire character for a game that had the skills on the sheet as a backup, if I needed to do so I could make the challenges and back it with numbers even if I couldn’t act it out. In the process, I learned… actually how to speak in public and improv speeches and discussions with confidence and charisma. “You can be anyone on the internet” Set aside the warning that often comes from that, and put it in a different context. I have friends who use my internet handle more than they use my government name - because Frick is how they got to know me. Hilariously, my sister-from-another-mister best friend who doesn’t know all of my internet-made friends? They use HER nickname/handle, Frack, since they know of her through me, and to them; that’s just her name.
These are manifestations of my will in reality - I was make-believing to be someone with confidence in public speaking and became that. We chose Frick and Frack, and now we are known as Frick and Frack.
You want to manifest things in your life? Think about them. Think about yourself already having them - what it feels like. How would that look? How would you look? Make a character sheet with the rules of your favorite RPG if you need to - and carry that sheet folded up in your pocket if you need to. Wear the mein, the persona of Being The Person That Has The Thing You Want.
Confidence?
Self-Esteem?
The Job Of Your Dreams?
Insights?
Networking?
Charisma?
All that and more, walk around like you’ve already got it. Feel it in your mind even if you don’t see pictures in your imagination - know that you already have it. Don’t think about wanting it, don’t think how nice it will be when it gets there - that manifests the fact that it’s not there yet and will keep it in the “not here yet” phase indefinitely because you are manifesting the waiting, not the having.
Manifest the having.
Make-believe, Role-play, things that we use the power of our creativity, willpower, and desire to don raiment as if we already are these things? THAT is Manifestation and can be used in the day to day life. There may also be other effective methods, more that you can add to it and ramp up the effects - do your research, and find things that help you get to that headspace. Enchant items, charm your makeup or skincare routine and put things on your altar. But fundamentally? The power of your mind is all you need.
You are all you need.
And now, when you see those ads for teaching you to manifest for beaucoups of money, you can just chuckle to yourself and say, “Thanks, but I’m already a Ninja Turtle.”
Puts soapbox away
Keep it Honest, my friends.
~Frick
Practicing Safe Hex, Part Two
Sunday, November 5, 2023
8:00 PM
Hello friends! Welcome to the November edition of Tea With Hex. This month we'll be continuing the subject of "practicing safe hex" and discussing methods of utilizing baneful magic with relatively minimal personal risk to yourself and your energy. Last month, we discussed power, secrecy, and energetic cleanliness. This month, we're going to talk about preparation and execution.
You see, magic takes the path of least resistance, and to make sure that path is the one you want, you need to clear the way. In witchcraft, we talk about using "correspondences", tools and favorable aspects that resonate with the intent of your spell. In candle magic, this refers to the colors of candles and ingredients (like herbs and oils) that may be included in the wax. Different colors are associated with different concepts, such as red with strength and love, green with prosperity, and white with purity. Herbs and oils are similarly associated with different concepts; lavender can bring luck, rosemary is good for peace and happiness, and cinnamon awakens passions. Planets and their associated planetary hours are also good correspondences to utilize.
For baneful magic, we turn to other correspondences. For binding spells or magic designed to weaken or disorient, you'll want materials that are aligned with the planetary energies of Saturn and Pluto. Saturn has long been associated with Cronus, the Greek titan who represents time, the greatest limiting factor of all. Indeed, Saturn is his Roman name. Pluto is similarly the Roman name for Hades, the Greek lord of the dead. Morning glory, belladonna, myrrh, cypress, all of these and more bear the magic of restriction and death. Black is their color, and night is their time.
Speaking of time, there are some interesting theories regarding what you may have heard referred to as "the witching hour", the time of night when magic is most powerful and accessible. Some say the hour before midnight is the best time for positive magic, and the hour after midnight is best for dark magic. Others say 3am is the witching hour, the number three being a number of power. Science has also told us that the hour between 3am and 4am is when the human body is at its weakest for folks who are asleep at night, and when the majority of natural deaths occur, making it a liminal time. I can't say that I favor one philosophy over the other, as I've had great success using both. Staying up until 3am is difficult for those of us who have day jobs, but I've found that making the sacrifice of a little sleep is something spirits pay attention to. This is also something that speaks to our subconscious, an act that tells our spiritual selves that we are doing something meaningful and important.
The workspace we utilize for hex craft is just as important as the materials. In chemical manufacturing, there are fume hoods and containment boxes that are used to keep the worker safe. In much the same manner, a space that is used for baneful magic should be warded for the protection of the practitioner. You don't want the dark magical energies you'll be calling upon sticking to your ritual space. Runes and sigils can be crafted for this purpose, as well as tools such as wind chimes, the sound of which will purify a space of negative energy. Crystal grids can also ensure that baneful energies don't stick to your space.
Executing your hexes and dark magic requires more than just correspondences and herbs. It will also require a significant investment of your own personal power. This is where many practitioners stall in their process. I'm sure you've heard people say things like "Oh, he's not worth the energy or effort" in reference to deciding whether to work spells against somebody. Once you've uttered those words, forget about working a hex. If you're conflicted, your magic will be working at odds against your will, and no spell will be successful in a crossed condition. You have to be committed to the magic you work, for good or for ill. Your intention must be clear, and you have to mean it, without looking back. There can be no half-measures in magic. Intent is not all there is to successful spellwork, but it's certainly a driving force. The most effective hex craft you will ever cast will draw from a well of deep anger and indignance over mistreatment. Righteous fury packs a serious punch, and very little can stop it once you get that train moving. It is, however, important not to live in these emotions after you have worked your magic. Anger is healthy and useful, but you can't let yourself live in White-Hot Livid Pissed Land. Letting anger, hate, or pain consume you will erode the aspects of your life that you enjoy. So instead, once you have channeled those energies into your spellwork, release them, and let them go where you intend, disconnected from you.
I hope that this two-part series has helped inform your awareness of baneful magic, and prepared you for the time when you might eventually want to pursue it. Remember, your will is a potent tool, for both light and dark, and your power is your own.
HK JAMS - Reaper’s Harvest
Dive into this month’s harvest jams. Curated by our very own Abri for a reaper’s delight audio adventure.
Thanksgiving from the other side of the table
By Suz
As a child of the 80's my earliest memories of Thanksgiving are school related. Making the infamous hand-print turkeys out of construction paper, and being sent home with a craft supply list that included brown paper bags to cut up and make an Indian costume for a horrible presentation. Already an established introvert and shy kid I loathed having to stand on risers and recite stories that as someone who grew up with a Native American family, I knew were what my mother called "polite lies".
What are polite lies you ask? According to my Cherokee mother, polite lies were what were taught in school because the School Board felt the truth was too brutal for children to comprehend or understand. My parents didn't believe in polite lies. Growing up with a Cherokee mother who was an English and Spanish teacher and a father who taught History I was told the stories and histories without the polite filter. I survived it just fine, thanks for asking, but it did make it difficult to mingle with the other children and mill about in our paper bag outfits.
When the teacher would ask us about our Thanksgiving day festivities with family they tended to skip me. After the first couple of times I had to explain we didn't celebrate Thanksgiving they stopped asking. The word genocide coming from a third grader tends to make teachers nervous. (Yeah, that was a trip to the office.)
I grew up on Cherokee land, in my Grandfather's house and when I asked him why we couldn't have Thanksgiving like my friends he told me "As Natives we have a responsibility to live in balance and harmony with all living things. We are thankful every day, not just one day a year." but he was always up for some turkey and ham. From third grade on he made sure I got a dinner but he also made sure I knew that we were grateful every day.
Do I celebrate Thanksgiving as an adult? No in our family we refer to it as Fat Thursday, but we do take advantage of the holiday and get together with family and friends to share a large meal without once thinking of the Thanksgiving in 1621. I think it is the same in many Native households.
It is ironic that Thanksgiving takes place during American Indian and Alaskan Native Heritage Month. An even greater irony is that more Americans today identify the day after Thanksgiving as Black Friday rather than as National Native American Heritage Day.
I am not trying to shame anyone and I am not going to go into the dark history of the holiday, your google-fu is as strong as mine and you can look it up if you really want to know.
Enjoy the day and the holiday! Eat till you are bursting with gratefulness and stuffing! Just remember that the polite lies are still lies and teach the real history to the young. They are more resilient than they are given credit for and should know the truth behind their traditions.
The Gentle Revolution
Excerpt from the Tome of the Darkside Ritualist
In a world often defined by its fast pace and relentless demands, the concept of gentleness may seem incongruous with the drive for progress and change. However, embracing gentleness as a guiding principle can, in fact, be a catalyst for sustainable and powerful transformations. House Kheperu just had their annual Private Gather and at this event we perform the Rite of Im Kheperu, the Rite of Transformation. For many, this is a powerful rite in which there is a potent and immediate sensation of force, a wash of power that targets specific points within an individual, customized to their needs, that help to propel them further into the transformation their life holds.
This is the second year for me as Darkside Ritualist and I have discovered that the gentle, slow, time-released method of change seems to result in more potent and powerful change. Why is it then that we do not acknowledge the boon and massive potential of gentleness? Why is it potentially viewed as weak or less potent?
Gentleness acts as a balm for the tumultuous journey of change, creating a safe and supportive space where individuals feel secure enough to explore new possibilities. Unlike the rigidity of force, gentleness invites openness, reducing resistance to change. In this nurturing environment, people are more likely to embrace transformative experiences, unlocking their true potential. It also encourages more authentic growth and strengthens the foundations one will need to support continued change and transformation. This is important for a heartiness in one’s life. Rapid change may propelle you further faster, but may be subject to less resilience when faced with challenges of deeper change.
At the core of gentleness is empathy, the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. When applied to the process of change, empathy establishes a profound connection between individuals, fostering a sense of unity and collaboration. Sustainable change often requires collective effort, and gentleness facilitates the creation of communities driven by compassion and understanding. It is why House Kheperu takes our community seriously and we custodian our Discord and greater communities with care. Gentleness is a necessary and needed ingredient to grow, and our support network is critical in that process. Within the House, our members act as support for each other and in-turn we are able to turn to our communities and also hold that space while encouraging others to do the same
Forceful approaches to change can often be met with resistance, as individuals instinctively push back against coercion. Gentleness, on the other hand, breaks this cycle of resistance by appealing to the innate human desire for kindness and understanding. When people feel respected and heard, they are more likely to engage willingly in the process of change, leading to lasting and meaningful transformations.
Gentleness does not equate to weakness; rather, it cultivates resilience. In the face of challenges, a gentle approach encourages individuals to respond with strength and grace. This resilience is essential for navigating the complexities of change, helping individuals to bounce back from setbacks and persevere in their journey towards sustainable transformation. The gentle method isn’t the only answer- there are times that rapidity, force, and swift changes are necessary, but I believe that gentleness is often overlooked. Even some steel can be brittle when incorrectly fired and the most powerful among us may be subject to crumbling when their foundations were wrought from rapid and unsupported development, devoid of gentleness.
In a world where the need for positive and sustainable change is ever-present, embracing gentleness emerges as a powerful and transformative strategy. By creating safe spaces for transformation, fostering empathy and connection, breaking the cycle of resistance, and cultivating resilience, we lay the foundation for a future marked by meaningful progress and enduring positive change. The journey towards a better world starts with a gentle touch and a compassionate heart.
