Kris Bradley - Mrs. Bs Guide to Household Witchery: Everyday Magic, Spells, and Recipes

About the Author

Kris Bradley started on her path to witchcraft around the age of eight, with a spiral notebook full of facts about the Roman gods and goddesses copied from an encyclopedia. When she was twelve, she received her first deck of tarot cards from her sister, and she's never looked back. Author of the popular blog Confessions of a Pagan Soccer Mom, Kris is also a certified Reiki practitioner/teacher and ordained minister. Her interests include tarot, gardening, the magical history of food, crafting, cooking, paranormal investigations, and various forms of energy healing. Kris lives in New Jersey with her husband, three children, a dog, and three cats.

Visit her online at www.confessionsofapagansoccermom.com.

Acknowledgments

T his book would not have been possible without the support and assistance of a multitude of people. Many thanks and much love to my husband and children who picked up slack and ate a lot of sandwiches while this book was being written. A huge thank-you to my parents for a childhood lost in books, sitting in trees, and open to a million possibilities. Thanks to my sister for buying me my first tarot deck when I was twelve, and to my brother who was more of an inspiration than he probably realizes. Much love to all of the members of the Monmouth County Broom & Brew. You ladies make me laugh, keep me sane(ish), and I am so blessed to have you in my lifeyou've earned your monkey wings, one and all!

I would never have been in the position to write this book if it weren't for everyone who reads Confessions of a Pagan Soccer Mom. Thanks for sharing all my mutterings and ramblings. And a special thanks to Nydia Macedo, the very first person to read and comment to the blog! If it hadn't been for you, I might have stopped there.

And thanks to the wonderful people at Weiser Books for holding the hand of a blogger writing her very first book. Your work, help, and tips were more than I could have hoped for.

Appendix I

Herbs and Foods Listed by Need

Addiction (overcoming; see also Bad Habits): bergamot

Ancestor Work/Appeases the Dead: apples, beans, chocolate, corn, honey, molasses, oats, orange, poppy seed, rosemary, wine

Anger Management: almond, basil, chamomile, peppermint

Anxiety Management: avocado, chamomile, rice, sage

Attraction: cloves, nutmeg, thyme

Bad Habits (overcoming): almond, bergamot

Banishment: basil, beets, black pepper, cumin, onion, rosemary

Business Success: allspice, basil, sage, seaweed, yeast

Clairvoyance: bay leaf

Cleansing/Clearing Negativity: baking soda, bay leaf, beer, chamomile, eggshell, garlic, lemon, onion, orange peel, parsley, peppermint, rosemary, sage, salt, thyme

Communication: beans, caraway seed, cilantro, rosemary, rye, tarragon, thyme

Compassion: potato

Community (to strengthen bonds): tamarind

Confidence Booster: bergamot, orange

Courage: ginger, rosemary

Creativity: barley, basil, blackberries, chives, cilantro, cinnamon, coffee, dried beans, orange peel, yeast

Divination: anise, basil, bay leaf, nutmeg, thyme

Employment: alfalfa, allspice, bay leaf, buckwheat, cilantro, cinnamon, flaxseed, oats, soy milk

Energy Boosters (magical): apricot, asparagus, bergamot, coffee, ginger

Exorcism: basil, bay leaf, black pepper, dried beans, garlic, lemon, parsley, rosemary, salt

Fertility: almond, avocado, banana, barley, basil, bread, coconut, corn, dill, egg, eggshells, flaxseed, garlic, honey, mustard seed, parsley, poppy seed, raspberry, rice, sesame seed, walnut, wheat

Fidelity: anise, apple, basil, caraway seed, cinnamon, cumin, dill, ginger, parsley, raspberry, rosemary, rye, sesame seed

Friendship (to attract or strengthen): Brazil nut, dill, lemon, orange, rosemary, tamarind

Glamour: apple, orange

Gossip (to stop): cloves

Grounding: potato

Happiness/Joy: avocado, basil, chamomile, cloves, oregano, seaweed, spearmint

Healing (spiritual): fennel seed

Health/Healing: allspice, apricot, bay leaf, beer, cinnamon, fennel seed, flaxseed, garlic, ginger, honey, lemongrass, nutmeg, olive oil, orange, oregano, peppermint, sage, thyme

Heartbreak Ease: almond, apple, chives, cloves, marjoram

Hex Breaking: beer, black pepper, cayenne, crushed red pepper, dill, eggshells, peppermint, rosemary

House Blessing: basil, cabbage, flaxseed, olive oil, sage

Humor: rye

Hunting: apple, sage, tarragon

Justice: sesame seed

Love: alfalfa, almond, apple, avocado, barley, basil, beet, cardamom, cheese, chocolate, cinnamon, cloves, coffee, coriander, corn, cumin, dill, fennel seed, garlic, honey, lemon, lemongrass, marjoram, orange, oregano, parsley, peppermint, raspberry, rosemary, rye, sugar, thyme, wine

Luck: allspice, aloe vera, anise, basil, bay leaf, beans, ginger, honey, marjoram, nutmeg, olive oil, oregano, peanut, soy beans, tarragon

Lunar magic: lemon

Lust: anchovies, apple, apricot, artichoke, arugula, asparagus, avocado, basil, bay leaf, beans (dried), blackberries, caraway seed, cardamom, cayenne, chocolate, cinnamon, coriander, crushed red pepper, cumin, ginger, marjoram, mustard seed, nutmeg, olive oil, parsley, sesame seed, tamarind, thyme

Marriage (to strengthen): basil, raspberry

Meditation: chamomile

Mental Awareness/Clarity: caraway seed, cilantro, coriander, lemongrass, mustard seed, peppermint, rosemary, spearmint

Money Draw: allspice, avocado, basil, bay leaf, chamomile, cinnamon, ginger, molasses, nutmeg, oregano, peppermint, sage, seaweed, yeast

Motivation: chives

New Beginnings/Rebirth: egg, peppermint, star anise

Nightmare Prevention: anise, dried beans, rosemary, sesame seed, thyme

Obstacle Movers (unblocking): allspice, chives, coffee, peppermint

Personal Growth: artichoke, ginger

Prosperity: alfalfa, almond, asparagus, banana, barley (especially in business), basil, blackberry, Brazil nut, bread, buckwheat, butter, cabbage, cardamom, chamomile, cilantro, cloves, corn, fennel seed, flaxseed (especially in business), milk, molasses (for business), nutmeg, oats, olive oil, orange, peanut, rice, sage, salt, sesame seed, wheat, yeast

Protection: aloe vera (home), anise (for spiritual protection while sleeping), artichoke (physical and spiritual), asparagus, basil, bay leaf, beans, blackberries, black pepper, blueberries (from psychic attack), bread, broccoli (spiritual), brussels sprouts (spiritual), butter, cabbage, caraway seed, cayenne, chives, cinnamon, corn, crushed red pepper, cumin, dill (from ghosts), fennel seed, flaxseed (of children), garlic, lemon (during sleep), marjoram (of families), milk, mustard seed (from ghosts), olive oil, onion, parsley, potato, rice, rosemary, sage, salt, seaweed (of sailors, swimmers, and fishermen), soy sauce, walnut, wheat

Psychic Abilities (to block): dried beans

Psychic Abilities (to strengthen): bay leaf, cinnamon, lemongrass, nutmeg, peppermint, seaweed, soy (eating), star anise, thyme

Psychic Dreams (to enhance): bay leaf, chamomile, poppy seed, rosemary, spearmint

Purification: anise, bay leaf, cinnamon, coconut, lemon, lemongrass, milk, parsley, peppermint, rosemary, sage, spearmint, star anise, thyme, wine

Relaxation: beer, chamomile, rice, sage, poppy seeds

Remembrance (also see Study Aids): mustard seed, rosemary

Repel Illness: garlic

Road opener: coffee, sesame seed

Sleep: beer, chamomile, poppy seed, thyme

Stamina: asparagus, barley

Strength (physical): bay leaf, ginger

Study Aids/Memory Retention: bay leaf, bergamot, caraway seed, cloves, fennel seed, rosemary, spearmint, walnut

Success: arugula, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, orange

Thanks Giving: bread, wheat

Theft Prevention: caraway seed, cumin