By Erica Lee
Colloquially, anecdotally, we've heard of whiskey referred to as “fire water,” and I like that. It might be because of the warming sensation it can bring to our chest while we drink it, which is where the heart center lies. Truth be told, whiskey as a word is taken from the original Irish where the stuff originated; “uisce beatha,” where “uisce” sounds roughly like “whiskey,” and uisce beatha itself literally translates to “water of life.” Just like water, fire is essential to life, and under these Sagittarian skies, what better toast can we have for the solstice, but one that engenders the life sustaining force of fire? Add some Catch Fire Carnelian vibrational elixir, and we have the extra power of life giving warmth to inspire us right there in the glass in front of us.
Now, as witches we know that all true power lives in the fire within, and intention is everything. As within, so without. So, if you make instead a mocktail of this cocktail, invoke any firey sustaining presence that you choose. As always, just the simple and strong force of your own light creates all the generative power to fuel all dreams and warm all nights. Your spirit light will work its magic better than any whiskey ever can. Alcohol is unnecessary; but carnelian and cinnamon is definitely recommended.
I crafted this with our new Feast Secret Spell Candle in mind, and as you light your Feast candle, it will be an interesting sensory experiment to see what you experience! If you're like me, you may notice several notes in both candle and cocktail that create an essence of warmth, celebration, inspiration, and comfort. I'd be interested to hear your experience! For a fully-immersive Feast ritual, check out our Not-So-Secret Spell for Abundance!
Sage begged to be a part of this liminal libation! Sage is a note in Feast, and I have not once until now tried to either make or consume a drink containing sage. I also included some nutmeg and cinnamon too, and orange essence, because they all lend well to the cocktail ambience of this creation, but also because I like what they imply, magically. Altogether you'll find some great strength to add to your magical intention with the herbal allies herein. We'll get to more of that in a minute, but first, the coven cocktail for the solstice (er, apocalypse)!
RECIPE:
Makes one cocktail, and like all firey things, it lends well to easy expansion. Double it for two, etc. Great as a holiday punch!
MAGICAL INGREDIENTS:
-HausWitch Catch Fire Carnelian Essence
-Fresh sage leaves
-Nutmeg
-Cinnamon Stick
-Bourbon (which is in the whiskey family) of your choosing (here I used Bulleit)
-Apple Bourbon of your choosing (here I used Jim Beam)
-Irish Cream of your choosing (here I used the homemade family stuff, but love Baileys though!)
-Goldschlager (this is a cinnamon schnapps and you can use any variant of that that you choose, of course; but I find the gold sparkles add more magic because the Libra in me loves sparkle and glow)
-Egg Nog (Puleo's is Salems best; but there are lot of high quality options conveniently available)
-Orange Liqueur (you only need a very small bit of this, just a flick of the wrist. I used Gran Marnier here, and Cointreau would work just as well).
First, connect with your sage leaves and appreciate the sensuality of these furry herbal allies. Twist them ever so slightly and make three small tears in the edges of the leaves. I stagger two tears on one side and an alternating tear on the other side, in the middle. Don't squish or muddle them (unless you feel called, of course, for free will and if you want double extra sage flavor and magic) but just caress them to release the beauty of the savory oils inside. When you're ready and have set your sage intentions, place these with the ice in your shaker. I do three leaves per cocktail and actually place them just gently among the ice cubes and not on the bottom (put the ice in your shaker first) to get the most balanced flavor profile.You'll instinctively know what you need to do! You can use the three leaves as your base and add an additional leaf for each additional cocktail (so for two cocktails, use four leaves in your shaker, as an example). Reserve a few extra leaves to garnish, and top with extra magic!
Now, we're going to “wash the rocks” with some orange liqueur for a very subtle flavor addition! Put a dash of the Gran Marnier (or Cointreau, or orange liqueur of your choosing) in with your sage and ice. Just a dash (you'll know when it's right). Now very gently shake your ice with the sage and the rinse of orange liqueur (we're going for a quarter ounce of the orange liqueur, at most). Pour off the orange liqueur from the ice, leaving the sage leaves inside the shaker. (Pro Tip: Again, similar to with the sage, you don't have to add much more orange liquor per additional cocktail. A little goes a long way, and it's here to impart some depth and texture, along with firey sacral protective energy - and not to overpower the drink). Orange itself is connected to the sun and is hugely protective and cleansing. If you have an actual orange handy, you can get creative and increase the solar, sacral, firey power of this cocktail by garnishing with a twist of rind at the end for an added element! Now you'll have your ice and sage wet and enhanced with the vague hint of orange!
Most of the hard work is done, and with your ice prepared and your intentions set, it's now time to build the cocktail.
Add to the shaker:
1⁄2 ounce of Bourbon
1⁄2 ounce of Apple Bourbon
1⁄2 ounce of Goldschlager
1 ounce of Irish Cream
2 ounces of Egg Nog
If you choose, you can cast your magic with your energy and intention into each element of the drink while pouring them. Now, shake your cocktail with the faint rhythm of falling snow, and not the ferocity of a lion in winter! Remember, we are cool to bruise the sage leaves inside to release more flavor; but we don't want to pulverize them to have pieces in the finished product.
Pour into a glass of your choice! I enjoy mine in a martini glass, straight up. You can also pour the entire contents of the shaker directly into a rocks glass, if you want to experience a deeper herbal citrus flavor. For less elegance and more chaos, it's quite different this way. Less smooth and airy with the original rocks and sage, but more earthy and elemental. Both experiences are equally valid and magical.
Now, when you have your cocktail in your glass, add three drops of Catch Fire Carnelian. This gem elixir is an excellent addition to your everyday energetic hygiene, and it is *SO GOOD* added here to increase the firey sacral elements of this magical drink, imbuing it with the enhanced creativity and passion that we love at solstice times.
Now, take another fresh sage leaf for garnish. I use a fresh new one for aesthetics but also scentscape, so as not to be overwhelmed by the different, more raw and less velvety profile of a torn and shaken one. But have at it and use one from your original shaker, if you're into that sort of thing. Sage is long known to be associated with wisdom and also good fortune, so it's a great element to use with intention in your cocktail crafting or any other kitchen magic. Associated with the element Air and also Jupiter, it's pretty excellent for a Sagittarius season cocktail (Jupiter and wisdom) and together the swiftness of Air and luck of Jupiter can be invoked to bring good fortune into your life quickly. Pretty excellent for the change of the year and shift of the light.
Now for a pinch (or two) of nutmeg. Nutmeg is great for magic and a magical ingredient I always have on hand. You could not find a better herb for Sag season as well, being associated with Jupiter and fire (hello)! Nutmeg is also touted as a magical proponent for increasing your energy levels, clarity, and
clairvoyance! Useful skills for a centaur on the hunt with a bow. Both sage and nutmeg are associated with comfort and general wellness, as well as good cheer, and who doesn't want that for solstice season! I mean, really? In Salem, we're entering midwinter, so deeper comfort and enhanced energy are a huge boon to our winter energetic hygiene.
Now for cinnamon! This resonates so well to carnelian (and sunstone!) and also is a natural warming agent, which of course we associate with fire; and during Salem winters I don't need to tell you again that warmth is something I personally crave more of. So there's that. But for all of our Southern Hemisphere witches, cinnamon is associated with fire and the sun. I use it most in winter here, because I want more warmth and sun, but it would be equally magical to invoke the full beauty and blessing of summer solstice too, with the obvious associations. Cinnamon is such an excellent herbal ally to have at your ready disposal. An expediter, it can serve to speed up the results of your magical intentions. Being firey and sacred, it is very protective. Associated for millennia with success and good luck, call on it for protection and prosperity, and for speed and strength too.
So here, you have your cocktail to toast the season, with carnelian, sage, nutmeg, and now a cinnamon stick as well for good measure. Take a breath, and focus on your intentions. For added potency, I invite you to gaze at your new everyday potion and stir with a cinnamon stick as you breathe more magic into it from your inner fire. With a little cinnamon and carnelian there is nothing you can't do. And yet, you don't even have to “do” anything! You can just enjoy the warmth and comfort of a feast, inspired by the light that burns brightest within!
Wishing you magic this Solstice Sagittarius Season. Let me know about your magical cocktail experiences and edits, I'd love to hear all about them @ericaleemedium
