As Ostara fast approaches, falling on Thursday March 19th, We wanted to share some recipes, decorations, and ways to celebrate the Spring Equinox as the Wheel turns again.

Ostara is a wonderful time of year to ask blessings of and give offering to the Triple Goddess. In Dragonfyre Wicca, this is the time of year when the Queen of the Witches features prominently in our rites and rituals, and we set our altar with items sacred to Hecate. No matter which Deity you prefer to work with, it is easy to use our setup as a guide.

As you can see in the picture above, we have the main items set in the shape of a pentagram, with a framed print of the Triple Goddess representing Spirit, a beautiful chalice that belonged to my grandmother filled with spring water representing the Water Element, a patchouli-scented candle resting in a glittery holder represents Fire, Earth is represented with a soapstone trinket box containing pink salt*, and finally, a black brass incense burner contains purple sand, a charcoal disc, and some dried lavender, ready to burn during prayer. For an offering bowl, we used a tiny selenite bowl and filled it with apple chips that just came out of the oven.
*Why pink salt? Salt representing the Earth Element goes without saying, but we chose pink because its colour is perfect for the season.

This is the basic setup, which features items sacred to Hecate. Since it is Ostara, we like to add a few extra decorations which represent the Sabbat:

We’ve included a picture of our decorated altar, where we’ve added some yellow flowers and a potted shamrock, an egg (dyed using turmeric, see below) in a 'nest' of fresh thyme, and some rose quartz. Feel free to add any of the above, or mix it up a little with a floral wreath made from springtime wildflowers, which you can wear during ritual, then place around your statue or picture, statues of small springtime animals such as bunnies or lambs, and herbs and stones of the season such as lemon balm, sunflower seeds, rosehips, vervain, clear quartz, agates, lapis lazuli, and amazonite.

Ostara is all about springtime and the celebration of new life, and so at this time, it is a good idea to perform spells for prosperity, growth, and agriculture.

In the days leading up to Ostara, dyeing hard boiled eggs is an ancient tradition that survives to the present day among Wiccans, Christians, and many others. Highlight your wishes for the new season by decorating them with symbols of the season, and then consecrate them in the name of the Goddess of Spring and the God of the Sun.

Dyeing eggs from natural foods you may already have in your home is incredibly easy. Here are the basics:

Bring 4 cups of water and 2 tablespoons of white vinegar to a boil. Add colouring ingredient, lower heat, and simmer for a half hour. When the 30 minutes are up, remove pot from heat and let cool completely and strain to remove foodstuffs. Now, you can add your eggs, and once they reach the shade you like, remove them (with tongs!), dry them with a paper towel, and enjoy!

4 cups chopped beets will make pink eggs, 4 cups of onion skins orange, 3 tablespoons ground turmeric yellow, 3 cups of chopped red cabbage light blue, and 4 cups of blueberries dark blue.

I found this recipe and the colour combinations at goodhousekeeping.com, click on the link to be taken to their page with full instructions.

You can also create magickal amulets and talismans for fertility, protection, and prosperity. wisewitches&witchcraft.com has a great article with step by step instructions how to make portable magickal items.

On Ostara Eve, place some patchouli incense in a hanging censer (or any incense burner you can carry without dropping or burning yourself) and light a lavender candle (also in a receptacle that enables you to safely carry it). Carry both throughout your home, briefly visiting each room, and bid farewell to Winter and welcome the Spring.

Once your celebrations are done, take your crushed eggshells and toss them into your garden as an offering to the Fae Folk and as fertilizer for the new plants that will soon begin to poke their heads through the soil.

Traditional foods to enjoy and share with friends and family during Ostara include: biscuits, cheese, eggs, fish, ham, honey cakes, lamb, nuts, seeds, and sprouts. Here are a few of our favorite recipes for you to try out:

Deviled Eggs

6 eggs [hard boiled, cooled, and peeled]
1 shallot, finely diced
3 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
Smoky (sweet) or Hungarian (hot) paprika

*Slice eggs lengthwise and remove yolks with a small spoon, being careful not to damage the white. Place whites on a plate and yolks in a small bowl.
*Add all remaining ingredients except paprika and mash and stir together with a fork.
*Spoon (or pipe) mixture back into holes left by the yolks, and top each with a pinch of paprika.

Honey Cakes

(I found this wonderful recipe for Medieval Honey Cake online! I bake them in ramekins so they’re smaller, and bake for only about 30 minutes. Source: poppyandprune.com)

3 cups cake flour
1 cup honey
½ cup oil
½ cup milk

*Preheat oven to 350°. Line the bottom of a 9” round cake pan with parchment paper and oil the interior.
*Mix together flour and honey. When reasonably combined, mix in oil. Then add the milk. When thoroughly mixed, the batter should have a consistency not unlike that of Play-Doh.
*Spread the batter into the pan, smoothing with a spatula. Bake 35-40 minutes. This cake is best served warm.

Ham & Spinach Quiche

(Source: catzinthekitchen.com)

1 store bought pie crust
7 eggs
1 cup chopped fresh spinach
1 cup chopped cooked ham
Salt and pepper
1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
2 cups shredded cheese (a blend of cheddar, mozzarella, and monterey jack)

*Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
*Place pie crust in pan, flattening it into the sides and trimming any excess. Place in fridge while preparing filling.
*Crack eggs into a large bowl, and add heavy cream. Beat until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste, and then stir in cheeses. Add ham and spinach and stir the entire mixture until well combined.
*Pour mixture into pie crust, using a spoon to ensure that it spreads about evenly. Carefully place quiche in oven, and bake for 35 minutes, or until texture is “jiggly” but solid.
*Remove from oven and let sit for three to four minutes, then cut and serve immediately.

Thank you for spending some of your time with me.
I wish you a blessed Ostara!

One of the reasons that Canadians are envious of Americans is because they have so much choice. No matter what you're looking for, there are a multitude of options available. Canucks have access to a large percentage of these choices, but we often have to worry about the exchange rate and sometimes insane shipping fees. And, let's not forget customs and duties. I haven't had to pay duty on the vast majority of items I've ordered from the States, but it's always a thought in the back of my mind. I once ordered a really cool jacket for about $50. The exchange rate was phenomenal at that time and I thought I was getting a steal. Not so much when I had to pay almost $100 at the post office in duties just to claim my package. Once bitten, twice shy.

If you're like me, you love finding cool witchy stuff. Yeah, I make a lot of my own stuff (we witches are a crafty lot), but I am a sucker for a cool looking box of mystery. This extends to all aspects of my shopping life. I have subscribed to subscription boxes for clothing, makeup and skincare, food, gifts, snacks, and even one that was like a horror novel sent in increments with props. So of course, I wanted to find a great subscription box with metaphysical and Wiccan items. There's something special about looking out your front door and seeing a box of mystery sitting there waiting to be discovered. A subscription box with crystals, herbs, candles, and other things to bulk up my cabinet of curios sounded fantastic to me.

Here is where the Canadian catalogue of availability versus the American one becomes glaringly evident. There are probably close to 20 (decent) Witchy / Spiritual / Metaphysical subscription boxes available in the States. About a quarter of those do ship to Canada, but with the current exchange rate and extra shipping, you're looking at an increase of about 40-50% on the price of the box that you see. That seems a bit excessive. Sadly, I had to put aside my thoughts of a sub box for the time being. Although some of these boxes have absolutely gorgeous offerings, it is definitely more wallet friendly to just buy my own supplies here.

One day I was chatting on a forum and we were discussing our favorite sub boxes. One of the Canadians there named a service she was using that was Canadian. I checked it out immediately, and found that it was, and as far as I can tell, the only one in Canada. They (and the multitude of International offerings) were the inspiration behind Mysterious Dragonfyre.

So I signed up for the Canadian sub box. Sadly, I missed the Samhain box, which looked so great, but I got in in time for Yule. I love what I get in my box, and everything looks and smells fantastic. Slowly, ideas started formulating in my head, curated boxes that weren't subject to subscriptions. No need to sign up for anything, and no getting that notice that your card was charged and your stuff is on the way when you forgot about it and were actually going to cancel three months ago. The idea that I could put something together that was fun and cool and useful and practical, and everyone could just see what it was and buy it whenever they wanted. I was also excited about putting together themed packages, I have probably the next eight or nine sets already in my mind. Above everything else, I knew that I would not be able to extend the level of service to my customers that I myself expect, and so there was no way that I could consider a monthly subscription model.

The first set of boxed kits I am offering are created with the days of the week in mind. Many Witches don't really put too much thought into the days of the week, even though there are special correspondences for each. Every day of the week holds it's own power and can make or break the spell or ritual you're preparing to perform. Each of these seven boxes holds a selection of items special to the specific day plus a spell that is especially powerful on that day, and a surprise gift.  I put a lot of thought and effort into each box, and I truly hope you'll love them.

As each new series of boxes is released (and I am planning to release each in sets), I will make an announcement on this website. I will soon be offering the option to sign up for an email list where you get to see what's coming a full week before everyone else, and you have the option of pre-ordering and having the new box(es) shipped the day they're released.

Thanks for dropping by and for reading my origin story. I hope you find something magical here at Mysterious Dragonfyre.

Merry Meet and Welcome to the brand spanking new Mysterious Dragonfyre Shop!

My original idea was to carve out my own little corner of the monthly subscription box market, since at the time of this launch there is only one Canadian subscription box service that charges in CAD and ships to and from Canada. We're getting more and more access to the abundance of boxes available to those who live Stateside, but exchange rates are not the greatest and shipping can be a deal breaker.

If you're here reading this, you've probably noticed that my whole business model is NOT getting charged monthly. So what happened? It's kind of a cross between I didn't want the pressure of trying to put together one great box every month and I had the great idea to do magickal boxes, or kits, in a series. The two might work together as a subscription service, but I didn't think so. Tune in to my next post to read a little more about the origins of MysteriousDragonfyre.com.

Our selection of magickal items is small right now, but will be growing exponentially as we move forward. New items will be added weekly, so be sure to check back often. If you are looking for something specific, comment below and we'll do our best to get it in the shop for you ASAP!

I'm very excited to introduce my very first line of Witchy boxes, each one thoughtfully put together to represent the day of the week that they correspond to. Each box also contains a correspondence sheet and unique, newly created,  spell printed on parchment paper for your Book of Shadows. Now hop onto your virtual broom and fly on over to my shop to grab one (or more!) that speak to you.

Thanks for stopping by, I'm looking forward to putting together a box just for you!

-Auriela