my garden – Non Omnis Moriar

Humongous Tulsi Harvest!

constantia — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 18:15:17 +0000

Rue from the TAL garden!

constantia — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 23:17:32 +0000

Today.

constantia — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 00:51:02 +0000

Today I…
… played Rapunzel with my daughter. She calls me Mother Goblin, and makes me climb stretched out t-shirts in order to get onto the couch.
… did a shitload in the garden, including transplanting the tulsi and fertilizing pretty much everything.
… put a crapload of brahmi amla oil in my hair to try to repair eleven years of dreadlock damage.
… wrote two whopping sentences of my short story.
… still didn’t finish answering emails.
… got nowhere cleaning the still room.
… attempted to archive more Lilith Stories onto my blog.

The demoness is in bed, and Teddy is home from work, taking a Dad Nap on the couch. I’m heading up to the bath while the house is quiet.

Let’s see what I can get done tonight. Idle hands, and all that.

[ mirror ]

Spider mites, prepare to meet your maker.

constantia — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 16:45:39 +0000

Have any of you gardenin’ types had any luck controlling spider mites with these suckas? I’m thinking about picking some up for my mite problem (they’re already gathering on my jasmine), and getting some of the beneficial nematodes and lacewings, too, while I’m at it. Fun fact: lacewings have been my favorite insect since I was Lilith’s age.

Today in the garden.

constantia — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:39:03 +0000

Ladybug annual inspection and muster.

constantia — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 04:55:56 +0000

10,000 ladybugs are now running amok in my garden.

Lettuce flowers.

constantia — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 07:25:26 +0000

Lettuce flowers from the TAL garden. Governed by Luna. Used primarily in spellwork that cools tempers and libidos.

Tomato

constantia — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 03:15:38 +0000

TOMATO
Historically, tomato is not a widely-used note in perfumery, but it is gaining a little traction. Its pungent, spicy scent is evocative of summer gardens, and lends well to fresh, wild, outdoorsy fragrances.

The correspondences of the tomato in magical work is complex. The bisexual flowers of the tomato plant can be used in works of transformation, duality, and the combination of opposing forces. The tomato plant corresponds to Saturn or Venus, depending on your tradition, your intent, and your point of view. In contemporary magick, the fruit is used in love work – their voluptuous shape and piquant-sweet flavor are very much in tune with the Venus aspect. Tomatoes are, however, members of the nightshade family – a clan of plants that relates to death, transformation, invisibility, authority, discipline, and, to the unscrupulous, malefic magick. This firmly thrusts the plant back under the auspices of Saturn. Until the early nineteenth century, many believed that the fruit of the tomato was poisonous. Poison and toxicity, as concepts, are another manifestation of Saturn’s power. In our Twilight Alchemy Lab division, we generally use the fruit of the plant for Venus work, and the leaves and roots for Saturnian operations.

The tomato is much more complicated than it seems, no?

Notable tomato-laden BPAL scent:
JERSEY DEVIL
The scent of the wild, hauntingly beautiful Pine Barrens of New Jersey! Pitch pine with blackberry leaf, cranberry, cedar wood and tomato leaf.

(Photo by m’self of a tomato plant in my garden.)

Carnations

constantia — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 17:14:41 +0000

The fairest flowers o’ the season
Are our Carnations and streak’d Gillyvors,
Which some call Nature’s bastards.

Carnations from the TAL garden. It corresponds to Sol and used in works of protection, love, pleasure, joy, friendship, healing, and strength.

Licorice

constantia — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 06:59:02 +0000

Licorice from the TAL garden. Groovy-lookin’ plant, and it smells amazing. Most will agree that licorice is the province of Venus, but some feel it should be attributed to Jupiter or Mercury. Licorice is used in works of fidelity, loyalty, passion, pleasure, youthfulness, reconciliation, and friendship. It is used extensively in love philters.

A tea of licorice root that stimulates the libido and binds love through friendship and mutual delight:

1 tsp licorice root
1 tsp fennel
½ tsp anise
½ tsp orange peel
Half a stick of cinnamon

Caveat: TAL and I are not responsible for any averse reactions you may have if you put info that I’ve presented here to use. It is presented as lore. Please exercise caution and prudence.