VIOLET-A Witch's Garden

VIOLET  – Botanical name: Viola odorata, Folk names: Blue Violet, Sweet Violet

Plant type: perennial
Planetary ruler: Venus
Elemental ruler: Water
Gender: Feminine
Deity: Venus
Both the leaves and flower are put into use.

Powers: Protection, Luck, Love, Lust, Wishes, Peace, Healing, Modesty, Secrecy, Uncovers hidden talents, Once thought to be sacred to the Fairy Queen

MAGICKAL: Carry or give to newly married couples or new baby & mother to bring luck to the bearer, and mixed with lavender, they are a powerful love stimulant and also arouse lust. Calms the nerves, draws prophetic dreams and visions, stimulates creativity, and promotes peace & tranquility. Violet leaf provides protection from all evil. Keep a spray of violets on the altar to enhance night magick.

MEDICINAL: Violet is effective in healing internal ulcers. It is used both internally and externally for pimples, abscesses, tumors, and swollen glands. It is useful in treating malignant growths, as well. Violet in a pillow will help ease headaches away and bring sleep. Wear the leaves in a green sachet to help wounds heal and to prevent evil spirits from making the wounds worse.

Collect violets.  Remember to NOT pick ALL of them.  If there are 10 flowers in clump, pick 5 or less.
You will need enough to fill a jar full..  not packed tight..but full.
Rinse your violets in cold water and drain, Poor into your jar, over the blossoms, Boiling water..  enough to cover them.
There are a few ways to do this- a jar with a lid.  A bowl, then lay a plate on top to keep the blossoms under water..  I use an old Coffee press and lower the plunger just to the surface.
Let the flowers steep for about 24 hours.

*side note..  Look at the petals.  you will see them white...with a purple bubble in the center..

You will need to press then drain the blossoms.  Keeping the liquid.

*It probably WON'T be purple.  It'll likely be teal (greenish).

Measure your Extract.
For every cup of liquid, add 2 cups sugar and the juice of half a lemon.
* it will turn purple when you add the Lemon...  Acid indicators anyone?
Bring this to a boil.
DO NOT OVERCOOK.
Once it reaches a boil, remove it from heat, let it cool.
You should have a Thick Liquid of deep purple colour, and a cool taste:).
Keep refrigerated...  unless you can it like jelly.

Speaking of jelly.
2 cups extract juice of 1 lemon
4 cups sugar
1 pkg pectin Bring to a boil, Boil hard one minute Jar.


This can also be done with Queen Anne's Lace, or Rose petals, Old fashioned style rosesor rugosas..  Also..  make sure they are not covered in pesticides.

..Most of the "modern Roses" taste Awful.

Oh..  The syrups can be used on crepes, in ice water, Tea, cold soda water.
lemonade is good with rose syrup.

If you know how to make hard candy..try it as well:)..  but be careful..
over cooking may kill the colour.

Have fun.

*ps* be careful eating flowers.  many are poisonous.
***
I think violets are nummy.  ;D

Violet Syrup

Violet syrup is easy to make, and quite good.

Fill a glass jar (any size) with violet flowers, and cover with boiling
water.  Put a lid on the jar, and let stand a day.  (The water will be
blue).  Strain the blue water, discarding the flowers.   For every cup of
violet water, add the juice of 1/2 lemon, and 2 cups of sugar.  Bring to a
boil, then pour into sterilized containers, and seal.


Violet Jelly

Add a package of pectin to violet syrup, like making any type of jelly from
sugar & juice.

The violet water itself can be used for many things as well - put in your
iron to mist the scent into your clothes, pour into your washing machine on
the rinse cycle.  Put in a mister and spray your pillows and sheets light
before you go to sleep.  Use as a magickal wash for tools and other items.
Pour into your bathwater.  These are just a few ways I use floral waters
(lavender water can be used the same way).

This is more for summer, but speaking of lavender... I grow a ton of
lavender because it's so very useful for just about everything - magick to
mundane!  I usually make some lavender sugar.  I occasionally use it in
black tea (I don't sugar my tea usually) but I always make up a batch of
lavender sugar cookies.  It's simple!  Just put an amount (however much you
want to perfume) of sugar in an airtight container and bury 4-5 sprigs of
lavender in it (I usually make a quart).  Make sure the lavender is clean,
fresh and *dry*!  Leave for several weeks.  This does NOT have a strong
scent or flavor; it is very delicate but you CAN tell it's there!  It's also
yummy in plain pound or white cakes, or white icing (scent confectioners
sugar or grind regular scented sugar in a blender or food processor).

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