Wherever we live—whether in a large, beautiful home, a small studio, a trailer, a rented room, or even just corner in someone else’s house—it’s important to make that space into a magical sanctuary. In a world of fast-paced social media, a peaceful space of one’s own is critical to mental health. Each one of us should have a personal sanctuary where we can unwind, connect with ourselves, and make our own magic.

For me, being creative requires a space where I can get away from the outside world, a place to meditate and allow my inner muse to express herself. I need to be able to putter around, play a bit, allow the magic to flow without restraint or critique. And while “magic” might mean different things to different people, I believe that at root it’s always about transformation—a shift from ordinary to sacred, mundane to meaningful. A curated space allows that transformation to happen.

Your own space doesn’t have to be elaborate. It can be anything you want: an entire studio to yourself or just a chair by a window, maybe a corner in the attic kitted out with cozy poufs and stacked books, or a favorite tree in a quiet park. It can even be so simple as an old suitcase holding beloved items—your journal, a few photos, a favorite candle. A simple box can store sacred writing tools and precious mementos to help you shift into magical mind space. What matters most is that this place feels like yours.

A special space of one’s own is not just about aesthetics (though for me, that’s a significant part of it). It’s also emotional. Just as the body needs rest, the spirit needs retreat; having a place to return to that can ground and soothe you is essential to well-being and creative flow. Here you breathe, think, feel, and create. The setting holds you and gives you permission to simply be.

Rituals also help transform an ordinary area into a sacred one. Lighting a candle, brewing tea, opening a journal—these small acts send a signal to the unconscious that you’re shifting into a different state of being. Rituals don’t need to be elaborate; their power lies in the intention behind them.

TIPS FOR CREATING A MAGICAL SPACE ON A BUDGET

It’s easy to design a dreamy sanctuary in a large home with no budget constraints. But how do you do it with limited funds or a landlord who doesn’t allow alterations?

• You don’t need a large budget or extravagant décor. The process begins with intention. Start by listing what’s important to you. Ask yourself, What sensations or objects make me feel grounded, happy, and inspired? Where do I feel most myself ? Meditate on those answers, then browse Pinterest or magazines for inspiration. Ask yourself, Am I drawn to cozy reading nooks? Old-fashioned desks? Cloudlike beds draped in linen?

• Once you know your vibe, map out your space and list priorities. Pay close attention to lighting, scent, and sound; these elements deeply affect your mood and focus. The sound of silence, the comforting scent of essential oils, or a soft reading light can turn any four walls into a haven.
• Wall color can dramatically change a room on a small budget. Start by buying sample sizes to test the hues. If painting isn’t allowed, try hanging fabric instead. You can drape fabric on curtain rods or staple it to thin wood slats and mount them at the top of the wall like a tapestry. Just be prepared to patch and paint over holes when you move out. The transformation is worth the effort.
• Facebook Marketplace, thrift stores, and swap meets are treasure troves for inexpensive furniture, lighting, and décor. If you’re an artist, lay down an old thrifted rug or use painted cardboard to catch your mess. Bibliophiles can create affordable, stylish bookshelves with boards and bricks or decorative cinder blocks. Stores like Home Depot will cut boards to your desired size.

• Old lace tablecloths—especially ones with damage—can be tea- or coffee-stained and repurposed as charming bed or couch covers. Layer them to hide holes, or let their imperfections show—they can add character and vintage charm.

• If you love herbs and flowers, hang bunches to dry from bamboo plant stakes. This adds a witchy, earthy vibe and naturally perfumes the space. Houseplants are another great way to bring vibrancy and life into a room. Consult a local nursery to find varieties that match your lighting conditions.
• Baskets are both beautiful and practical. You’ll find plenty in thrift stores—use them to organize clothes, desk supplies, or creative tools. You can even hang them from the ceiling to create an old-world feel.
• Even everyday items can be made beautiful when arranged with care. The key to a sacred magical space lies in intention and respect. Root in, slow down, and make each corner meaningful.

Photos by ALANA ADETOLA ARTS PHOTOGRAPHY

When the cool finally starts to creep in, I feel an anticipation like no other deep in my bones. Every year the wheel turns and spirals, the clockwork ticks over to September, and I grab my first-remembered tools of magic. A perfect pen, a new notebook (and just where did this giant stack of pretty, empty journals come from!), a delicious pile of stickers, carefully saved images, and dried plant-ephemera. If I want to get maximally nostalgic, I splurge on a new box of crayons just to huff the smell and spend a moment putting them into
perfect rainbow-order.

Inner-child me is delighted: Time for sweaters and scones and perfectly sharpened pencils. With everything laid out, I start to plot and plan and dream. Lists on lists on lists. (Autumn must-dos: Gotta pick apples. Gotta revisit my favorite dark-academia books. Gotta hide behind the blanket during that part of The X-Files rewatch.) Piles of vision-board materials from ripped-out magazine pages. At least half of these are spiced baked goods I must seek out and savor. Soothing music pulses in the background. This is a full-on montage. This ritual always features a cup of tea, steaming hot, because the oppressive heat of summer has blessedly given way to harvest time. This feels like the deepest magic to me every year: to be chill enough to want warming up again. This is the time to speak new worlds into being, to cozy up to a stack of books, to blend summer herbs that have been drying and are at last ready to steep. Something in me thrills to this preparation.

The harvest is here, and now we alchemize our labors into the tools that will carry us over the threshold from one year to the next. I’m packing my wagon on the Oregon Trail with just the right supplies to make the journey. I’m choosing the very best outfit for my first day of school. I’m setting aside lavender, rose hips, and sweet citrus for a long cold time ahead where soothing potions will make all the difference. At the tea shop, a wise owl watches over me while I blend. Under a starry blue ceiling, I painted her with a fierce expression to remind me to keep doing the work. She stares at me from the wall as if to say, “Don’t you already know what you really should be doing?” I feel like I can always use a reminder to return to the center—to question if my current work is truly mine, that which I love, work that calls to me with fascination and wonder. It’s so easy to get distracted, to trip into something “good enough” and forget what my real work is.

For me, the only way to discover this true work is to stop, slow down, and listen deeply. What has been catching my eye? What song lyrics snag in my brain? If my plans were canceled at the last minute tonight, what would I love to do with that surprise free time? If I could wipe the board of my life clean and start anew, what would be different?

These breadcrumbs lead me to what I need to know, and in the crisp air of autumn I seem to see them more clearly. Maybe this is from a lifetime of heading “back to school” as a student or a teacher, but I think there’s something essential about this rhythm deep in all of us: In autumn we instinctively slow down, turn inward, and dream differently. We sense that we can slow and deepen into more complexity. We can hold a paradox and examine it slowly, like a cup of tea warming in our hands. I prefer to dream in as cinematic a setting as possible. To romance the edges, to place myself in a story. My tea shop is filled with dried herbs, materia magica picked from my forest garden and ready to be turned into potions. These plants and their properties, their myths and tales, enthrall me and keep me mixing, sketching, experimenting, and sipping.

I adore how the sun once hit tiny seeds in my garden, and that energy blossoms into calendula blooms, spicy and rich in beneficial antioxidants, with an intensity so golden it feels like I’m saving the sunlight for later as I dry the petals for tea. When my body needs support, these plants will be there, carefully kept in autumn for a year of adventure. I saved the seeds last year, planted them in winter, and brought them around again in a spiral that goes on and on. They nurtured countless bees. They bloomed in the sun, in organic dirt I tended; they soaked in rain and sought the sky.

They persist—and it buoys my ability to persist to see it. I mail packets of tea all over the world, but I think the best magic comes when you make it yourself and share it with someone you love to have a cozy chat with: You welcome in a moment of rest and reverie. The botanicals bloom in the swirling water. Ideas unfold like music, layering over each other. The tea itself breathes steam into the air. Like any good potion, it transforms you in the moment, and it also holds the moment, present and precious. So here is a tea ritual for you to blend your own elixir, and then share it over a little talk with your best friend, your familiar, or with yourself in your favorite journal.

TEA TUTORIAL

“Golden hour” captures the fading light of a cozy autumn day, and this recipe makes a full pot of tea so you can share it with cottage guests. The fruits and botanicals blend to be a delicious and soothing support, full of anti-inflammatory ingredients (like calendula) and vitamin C to bolster your immunity and resilience.

Ingredients
5 apricots
1 tablespoon dried calendula petals
1 tablespoon chamomile blossoms
¼ teaspoon nutmeg (best grated fresh)
3-inch strip or 1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1 teaspoon rose hips

Pour 4 cups of boiling water over the blend above and steep five-plus minutes for a strong cuppa. Delightful with a touch of honey or maple syrup, and the extra stores well as iced tea for later. (This recipe is for dried ingredients, but you can always use fresh fruit, herbs, and flowers as well—just double the recipe so the flavor stays at full strength!)

TEA RITUAL

Now that you have your tea brewing, settle down with your journal or your friend, stir some sweetness into your cup, and ask:

Photography by Steve Parke

There is a quiet, everyday magic in caring for a home. When we polish a mirror, sweep a floor, or wipe down a table, we’re not merely chasing away dust. We’re inviting freshness, beauty, and warmth to return—tending not just to the surfaces we see but to the spirit of the space itself.

In a world that often pulls us toward hurry and distraction, the simple act of cleaning offers a chance to slow down, to reconnect, and to infuse our surroundings with love. Even the most practical tasks can become magical when approached with care and intention.

In this spirit, I invite you to explore the art of enchanted cleaning—using simple homemade cleaners imbued with a few gentle, soulful touches to refresh both home and heart.

True enchantment begins not with what we use but how we use it.

When you pick up your cloth or broom, begin with a pause. Close your eyes, breathe deeply, and set a small intention. It can be as simple as whispering, “May this home be a place of peace.”

Move slowly and deliberately, treating each act, whether it’s dusting, sweeping, or scrubbing, as a quiet offering. As you work (top to bottom and left to right!), imagine clearing not just physical clutter but old energy, worries, and weariness.

Little touches, like natural fragrances, sunlight spilling through open windows, or a piece of tumbled stone tucked inside a spray bottle, can transform the ordinary into the enchanted.

And now, a few recipes to carry this magic into your home:

LOVE AND LIGHT
ALL-PURPOSE CLEANER

A gentle cleaner to refresh your surfaces and invite loving energy into your space.

Ingredients:

1 cup distilled water 1 cup white vinegar

10 drops lavender essential oil (for peace)

10 drops sweet orange essential oil (for positive energy)

1 small piece of rose quartz, dedicated to cleaning hereafter as etching may occur (for love and emotional healing)

Instructions:

In a glass spray bottle, combine the water and vinegar. Add the essential oils, swirling gently as you imagine light filling the bottle.

Before sealing, slip a small, smooth piece of rose quartz inside—a stone long cherished as a symbol of unconditional love.

Use this spray across countertops, tables, and handles, letting each sweep of your hand leave kindness. Store for up to three months, or up to one month if tap water is used.

MORNING MEADOW
FLOOR WASH

Sweep away the old and make space for joy.

Ingredients:

1 gallon warm water

2.5 tablespoons castile soap

10 drops eucalyptus essential oil (for energy and renewal) 10 drops lemon essential oil (for clarity and brightness)

A sprig of fresh rosemary or thyme (for protection and healing)

Instructions:

Blend the water, castile soap, and oils in a pail.

Tuck the rosemary or thyme—herbs long associated with protection and vitality—into the bucket.

As you mop, envision your floors absorbing strength and freshness, every stroke clearing the way for new blessings.

Imagine worries and weariness flowing out with the rinse water, leaving behind only clean, spirited ground beneath your feet.

HEAVENLY REST
LINEN SPRAY

Wrap your evenings in peace.

Ingredients:

1 cup distilled water

½ cup witch hazel

½ cup vodka, unflavored, 140 proof if you want to disinfect 1 teabag chamomile tea (for calming and cleansing)

10 drops eucalyptus oil (for purification and protection) A pinch of dried lavender flowers (for peace)

Instructions:

Bring distilled water to a boil and add chamomile teabag. Turn off heat and allow to cool, then discard teabag. Combine all ingredients in a spray bottle.

Shake gently before each use. Lightly mist pillows, blankets, and curtains to invite restful sleep and tender dreams.

Store for up to three months, store for up to one month if tap water is used.

SIMPLE WAYS TO DEEPEN THE ENCHANTMENT

Bless as You Clean: As you dust a bookshelf or wipe a table, silently send a prayer or blessing: “May those who gather here find joy.”

Invite Nature Indoors: A simple sprig of rosemary, a few rose petals, or an open window can fill a room with living beauty.

Finish With Intention: Light a candle or put on a favorite uplifting song—a gentle way to “seal” your work with gratitude.

Let Cleaning Be Prayerful: Whatever your beliefs, treat the care of your home as a prayer of gratitude—each sweep and scrub a humble, joyful offering.

A Gentle Reminder

There is no need for elaborate ceremonies. No need for perfection. The real magic is in the heart you bring, a heart willing to love the simple spaces of everyday life, and a spirit willing to see beauty in the ordinary. May your home shine not just with cleanliness but with love, laughter, and the soft, enduring light of your own care.

Scientifically peer-reviewed by Anastasia McRoberts, M.S.

Broom and dusters by High Point Crafts; follow them on Facebook @highpointcrafts.

Cleaning cloth by Widdershins Weaving; follow them on Instagram @widdershins_weaving.

Butterfly pants by The Silk Road Traders; visit thesilkroadtraders.net.

Kimberly Workman is the owner of Busy Bees Maid Service in Frederick, Maryland. Find more at thebusybeemaids.com.

Follow Steve Parke on Instagram @steve.parke and peruse his work at steveparke.com.

Unique nesting and nurturing behaviors have made the female oriole a beloved symbol of the home. This fascinating bird encourages us to move intentionally within our environment: She’s solicitous when building her nest, beginning it only where she feels safest, then choosing her materials carefully. As she works, she creates a haven that provides enduring comfort and protection for her young.

We can take a lot of inspiration from the oriole when practicing hearthcraft—also known as cottage witchcraft, a practice rooted in domesticity, the home, and other apparently mundane traditions. Hearthcraft allows us to engage directly with the spirit of our home and build a practice that’s both intentional and magical each and every day.

When it comes to this sort of crafting, we need to begin with the most basic of tasks, the ones you already perform each day: cooking, cleaning, self-care, textile arts, perhaps tending to your garden. Each of these daily activities can be charged with magical purpose.

My personal favorite way to practice my craft at home is with textiles. Sewing, quilting, knitting, crocheting, fabric dyeing, weaving, and embroidery (to name just some of the textile arts) are rooted in tradition. They’ve been an essential part of our development and technological advancement— think sewing machines and jacquard looms, which were early forms of the computer in the decades around 1800— and still play a crucial role in our world today.

I enjoy the textile arts because they allow you to work with your hands and create a deep connection with whatever it is you’re making. You literally stitch, weave, and otherwise distill your personal magic into something tangible that others can feel as well, whether you’re piecing quilts, stitching sigils into clothing, or creating fabric sachet bags (like the ones pictured on page 82).

I began my witchcraft practice many years ago, but it wasn’t until I experienced a major transition into parenthood, which brought its own series of challenges, that I eased into cottage craft. I found myself physically unable to keep up with the more ritualistic and structured routine I’d been following, so I began to look at my home with new perspective. I decided to take my practice and turn it into a lifestyle that would imbue all aspects of my day-to- day life with enchantment.

While the foundations of any witchcraft practice are subjective and personal, a few common key elements within cottage witchery are green and kitchen witchcraft, animism, and natural magic.

I’d already started out as a green witch, focusing on plants and herbs to create healing potions and elixirs for common ailments. I added a related discipline, kitchen witchcraft, which uses alchemy to choose ingredients to cast spells, then cook and bake foods that not only pack a punch but taste good too. These two practices combine to aid us in caring for our home itself, with cleaning magic by enhancing cleansers, washes, laundry powders, and more with spells—spreading a nurturing intention throughout the home and its inhabitants.

Through animism, or the idea that all things hold a spirit essence, we deepen our connection to our surroundings. Each home holds its own spirit. The wood in the walls, the bricks in the foundation—they’re all alive with energy. This belief is crucial for the cottage witch, as it helps to establish the deep relationship between us and our dwelling space.

Natural magic asserts that just as our environment ebbs and flows with the seasons, so do our spirits and our home. We can take inspiration from the changes of the Earth to embody these shifts within our dwelling space. We learn from the process.

During autumn, for example, we take extra care in tending to these spirits and connecting with them on a more personal level. Autumn brings about a mystical energy as the veil between worlds thins and we experience the transition into a season of transformation, the shedding of layers, and the cycles of life and death.

These are themes we can carry into our dwelling space as we craft and conjure throughout the season.

This is also the time of year for honoring connections to passed loved ones and ancestors. I like to honor the spirits of my home too, and any lingering energy within my space. For example, I craft an altar, similar to an ancestor altar, and keep it on my dining- room table. I adorn it with flora from the fading garden, fresh-baked goods, and milk or water. I often express a small sentiment before it: “Spirits and souls of this space, I honor you this autumn day. As the veil now thins, I feel your spirit near, with a sudden chill down my spine and soft whisper in my ear. I will honor you here as long as I dwell, until our paths one day separate and I bid you farewell.”

Creating a small, dedicated space for the spirits of your home is not only an act of connection but one of gratitude. You’re showing appreciation for the opportunity to live in that space. This is important for any home you’re inhabiting—whether it’s a rental, an apartment, a condo, or a cottage you own. This space is an invitation to mutual habitation; it means safety for all who dwell there.

I rent my little New England cottage. I’ve been honored to steward this space for as long as I have, and I will continue to do so for however long we’re meant to be here. I know that someday I’ll say goodbye to it, and that brings sadness to my heart. But my craft, my connection to the land, and my nurturing oriole spirit have thrived in this space, and I’ll be forever thankful to it for what it has provided both magically and mundanely. It’s been a safe haven. It has absorbed my tears and celebrated with me. It has sat with me on sleepless nights as my thoughts meandered from one subject to another. It is by far my favorite place out of all I’ve ever had the pleasure of living. I cherish it now and will remember it forever.

You perhaps know by now that the ever-expanding and astonishingly enchanted Vaughan House, where this cover feature is set, is located near Lynchburg, Virginia, off an unassuming road and nestled in the backyard of married couple Megan and Mitch Vaughan. What began as an impulse on Megan’s part to fill the couple’s yard with plants—with a whole greenhouse full of plants in the wake of a devastating miscarriage—then became a hugely popular and Instagram- worthy micro-wedding venue where the couple hosts ninety weddings a year. Now it has grown into something of a mini- empire. In fact, there’s a whole cottage back there too.

And by “cottage,” we mean this. Tower, winding stairway, and all.

It came about this way: In 2020, Mitch was on the Geographic Information System and realized the trees beside their house were owned by the couple. “Always fun to learn you have more land than you thought!” Megan says. They cut some of the trees to make the land easier to access. For a year, they enjoyed exploring and letting their kids play in the creek.

One day Mitch suggested building a small deck by the creek to put a rooftop tent on, a place to relax with the kids and maybe camp. He casually commented that such a place could work as a guest rental too. Megan proposed that this hypothetical space be “worthy enough for photographers to want to rent for photoshoots.” But wait, she said … “What about a stone cottage? 700 square feet max? Nothing big! Super small. One room, a tiny bathroom. Just enough for our greenhouse couples to get ready in and have a cozy honeymoon night …” And the idea spiraled from there. As Megan admits now, “I take something that could have been simple … to the extreme.” But how else does one end up with a 1,300-square-foot castle in one’s backyard?

And as you can see from our cover shoot, The Cottage, as it’s now officially called, and which was finished in 2024, when this shoot took place, is full of custom details—all dreamed up by Megan and Mitch and brought to life by a team of small artisans. Just a few of these include the custom hobbit door designed by the Vaughans and made by Jeremy Jessop of Lynchburg, with hinge work by Forged Commodities in Kyiv, Ukraine. The library was designed by the Vaughans and features cabinetry from Scott’s Cabinet in Forest, Virginia; live edge shelving by Black Dog Salvage in Roanoke, Virginia; and a ceiling hand-painted with ivy by Elizabeth Gray (who added ivy to the kitchen as well).

“Supporting small businesses was something we were incredibly passionate about when it came to designing the cottage,” Megan says. “So many of our followers ask for the blueprints, but there’s nothing special about those. What makes the cottage special is the many, many small businesses who saw our vision for it and blessed us with their incredible art and hard work. Without them, the cottage wouldn’t be what it is, have the charm that it has, and truly be one of a kind.”

When designing the cottage’s atrium, Megan knew exactly what she wanted. In fact, the entire main level was designed around this space and, very specifically, the gorgeous multi-colored leaf tile you see on the right, designed by Karen of MacMillan Aimes Studios and found by Megan on Pinterest. The entire process from the first email

to installation took about two years, with Karen handmaking each individual tile and creating a template for the installers to use. “The way she puzzle-pieced this together was actual genius,” Megan says. “It was truly a labor of love.”

Read more about The Cottage at vaughan-house.com/cottage.

Art by Thistlemoon

Autumn brings crisp temperatures to invigorate and inspire your suddenly homebody self. While you’re hunkering down and cozying up for the season, you might also be reading more, exercising with new vigor, and giving your home a good clean and your wardrobe a makeover. This autumn is about renewal—with appreciation for the past that has given you strong foundations. Nothing is as important now as protecting the emotional and spiritual integrity of your special space, which is the best way to ensure that creativity and happiness will also be at home with you. Here are some cottage-friendly ways to make your place even homier.

• This one is a classic for a reason: Upon moving into a new home, or anytime you feel an odd and unwelcome presence in your place, try smudging it to cleanse the energy. Whether you burn incense, bay leaves, sage, or a green wax candle, you’ll take in good energy along with the heavenly aroma. Of course you’ll do it with all respect for the long tradition each item carries with it—the best way to connect with people of the past. As a bonus, many smudgeable substances (such as green candles and peppermint incense) enhance creativity.

• To gather a community of lives and hearts with wisdom and goodwill from the past, fill your space with secondhand objects of art and sentimental significance. If you’ve inherited ancestral pieces from your family, lucky you! You might also have had your eye on a beautiful art nouveau lamp at a nice antique store, or maybe the local thrift store offers some great deco dishes and cast-iron candlesticks at a dollar apiece. You don’t have to spend a ton. A flea-market find will work just as well as a major auction purchase to plug you into the passions and ideas of the other people who have used those objects before. When you eat from those plates, you sit down with a nice big company of fellow diners. And when you’re done with the fabulous time-traveling object, you can pass it on to someone else who needs the connection.
• Another classic is this warding spell used all over Europe. Use black rock salt or sea salt to make a line across the doorway. For added strength, try chanting, “Disappear, disappear; you are not welcome here.”
• Nothing says cottage couture like homespun fabrics woven with colored threads (as opposed to fabrics printed with color later on). Because it’s dyed in the wool or in the cotton, homespun promotes truth telling and honest interactions.
• Then again, we love velvet. No other fabric is so soft and elegantly cozy. It also has a unique relationship to light—rippling under a fickle light source, soaking up light when the nap (the fuzzy bits) runs one way, reflecting a lush shimmer when you reverse direction. Even the simplest of cottages has room for a bit of velvet in a beautiful color.
• The use of a horseshoe as a home mascot goes back to ancient Egypt, where the crescent shape was associated with Isis, goddess of magic, healing, fertility, and so many other good things. Just about everywhere except China, horseshoes are talismans bringing good luck and good health to a home. You can nail one up over a door, or bury one at the roots of an ash tree; just be sure to hang it so the U shape keeps the benefits from spilling out. If you’re in Bermuda and you feel a malevolent witch approaching your home, thrust a horseshoe into the flames to make her go away.
• Hearts are a much-loved motif in many traditions. Paint a red one on a wall and you’ll encourage not only love but also safety, tranquility, and balance in your life.

When we were young, we didn’t think twice about expressing our own unique creativity, completely free from self-criticism or fear of the judgement of others. We were just simply being ourselves. But somewhere in the process of growing up many of us lost touch with that playful-child part of ourselves. For many it was squashed out by society as we were told we needed to grow up, be serious and responsible. For some, the demands of adulthood took their toll, and that beautiful innocent part of us slowly receded into the background. But I believe we still have that magical, wondrous child inside, and if we can connect with it, I think it could show us who we truly are in our soul, without all the programming and the shoulds and supposed tos. At our core we are a miraculous spark of the divine—full of curiosity, deeply creative, full of delight in the simple joy of living.

I believe that if we can uncover that inner magical child, it will help us reconnect with this important, sacred part of ourselves. It can help us remember how we played, what we loved to do, and how we created. It can help us get in touch with who we really are and tap into our innate creativity—not to mention have a lot more fun! I believe that this creativity is unique, divinely given, and a clue to what we came to this world to offer. At the very least, connecting with our child selves and remembering how we played will help us enjoy our lives more. It’s so easy to get lost in the seriousness of the world and forget to see the beauty, to play, and to enjoy the precious gift of our lives.

One way I used to play was to lie under trees or large plants and imagine an entire world of fairies and elves set among the branches and leaves. I think this memory is behind my desire to create imaginative settings and tablescapes. And I truly felt the presence of magic when I was creating this tablescape. I’d been having a rough time, so I asked the fairies for help and allowed myself to get lost in the simple joy of playing. I love setting a fantastical table that makes people gasp and drop into their own child self and imagination. One of the most beautiful things you can do for those you love is to create a space for that to happen. You don’t have to go over the top like I do.

You can start by simply incorporating small bits of magical fun and play in your everyday. Take some of the elements I use in my tablescapes and put them into your own gatherings or even in your home as permanent magical decor. If you have children, let them help you. Take their lead as they unleash their own imaginations. Read a fairy story or watch a beautiful movie for inspiration. When you create a fantasy setting, you allow people a moment to pause, smile, and settle into their hearts. Best of all, you get to play and have fun creating the setting. I believe that when people are delighted, they’re filled with the light of the divine and are simply happier. What a lovely gift to give those you love—and indeed the world!

HOW TO BRING A SIMILAR MAGICAL LOOK TO YOUR OWN GATHERING

• Unite your look with a color story of no more than 3 or 4 colors to help the decor read cohesively and not feel overwhelming.

• You can also unite your design with a theme. Here are some ideas: Secret Garden, Magical Tea Party, Decadent Delightful Desserts, Through the Looking Glass, Enchanted Forest, Magic by the Stream. Or draw on a specific fairy tale, or a theme from the natural world, like beautiful bugs, butterflies, mushrooms, wildflowers, moss, and lichen.

Tips on setting up:

• Cluster your decor and have some open spaces to keep your table from looking too messy.

• Create different heights with nooks and crannies so the look doesn’t read as one-dimensional.

• For risers use books, cake plates, upturned baskets, logs, tree slices, fun boxes, and garden items.

• Use mismatched dishes and stemware for whimsy.

• Use live plants from your home or garden to save money.

• Think rustic with elegant, outside mixed with inside.

• Search for props in your garden and mix with elegant elements from your china cabinet.

• Sprinkle the decadent desserts or teas with edible glitter for an infusion of magic!

Encountering a butterfly often evokes feelings of joy, lightness, and a sense of wonder at nature’s magical beauty. As an avid gardener living in Maine, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing the most stunning gossamer-winged butterflies (officially known as Lycaenidae, the second-largest family of butterflies, with more than 6,000 species worldwide) as they flutter their delicate, shimmering wings around me, alighting on the garden flowers and pollinating their tender centers. It gives me enormous pleasure to cultivate my garden alongside these fairylike creatures so that we can live among the beautiful flowers together. I’ve been mesmerized by the likes of brightly colored American coppers, atalas, great purple hairstreaks, spring azures, and white admirals.

So it should come as no surprise that I’d be delighted by the butterfly pea flower (Clitoria ternatea), an herbaceous climbing plant native to Thailand and Malaysia with large solitary butterfly-shaped flowers that give the plant its name. These flowers can be lovingly wildcrafted into an enchanting and whimsical tea—a potion of natural brilliant blue that turns mystical hues of purple and pink when a splash of citrus juice is added. This earthy, floral tea can be served iced with lemon as a refreshing summer beverage, one perfect for sipping in the garden among these enchanted beings.

Not only is this magnificent flower celebrated for its vivid hue; it’s also cherished for its wellness benefits. Butterfly pea flower is known to sharpen memory, induce a sense of calm, lift one’s mood, reduce inflammation, maintain healthy blood sugar levels, and promote glowing skin. What’s not to love?

Brew some of this magical elixir for your next garden party and let the fairy tale begin!

Butterfly Pea Flower Iced Tea Recipe

Makes 4 servings

• Quart-sized mason jar
• 1 quart water
• 8 teaspoons dried butterfly pea flower
(you can order online from wildhibiscus.com)
• 2 lemons
• Maple syrup, or other sweetener

Brew the Tea
Boil 4 cups of water.
Add the butterfly pea flower to the mason jar.
Pour boiling water over it.
Steep for five minutes and strain out the plant matter. Cool gradually to room temperature before chilling in the refrigerator, to avoid cracking glass due to sudden temperature change. Chill in the refrigerator.
Tip: A tea strainer perfectly fits the top of a small-mouth mason jar and allows for easy removal of the plant matter after steeping.

Make the Iced Tea
Fill 4 glasses with ice cubes and 2 or 3 small slices of lemon.
Sweeten to taste. I recommend maple syrup.
Squeeze the juice of one lemon and divide equally into the four glasses.Pour chilled tea into each glass and stir. Garnish with a lemon slice. Enjoy!

When spring finally arrives after a long winter’s nap, you’ll find me foraging in the forests and fields that surround my home, harvesting medicinal wildflowers, plants, and mushrooms. As with any kind of activity, it’s nice to pause and fully take in the beauty that’s waking up all around us.

One of my favorite ways to carve out slow-paced, quiet time for myself and luxuriate with the plants and fungi is through a ritual of making and drinking a relaxing yet energizing natural brew made of infused chaga mushroom. Chaga grows in abundance in the dense Maine woods that surround my home.

About Chaga

Chaga, commonly known as Black Gold, the Diamond of the Forest, and the Mushroom of Immortality, is considered a powerful medicinal and magical fungus. Humans have been working with it for thousands of years, and it has an especially deep-rooted history in Siberian folk medicine. The word chaga comes from the Russian word czaga, which means mushroom.

I’ll let you in on a little secret: Chaga is not actually a mushroom (a fleshy, fruiting body) but hard mycelial armor known as sclerotia. This bulbous, parasitic body matures slowly into a corky conk (a mushroom growing from a tree trunk) with a rough, blocky texture, typically on white and yellow birch trees in the coldest regions of North America, Siberia, and Scandinavia. Maine is a chaga hotspot.

Chaga is considered an adaptogenic superfood and is revered for its high concentration of beta-glucan, a micronutrient believed to have immune-supporting properties. Sadly, chaga has become subject to commercial exploitation and overharvesting. That is why it’s imperative to harvest it in a responsible and sustainable way, from a living, standing birch tree. Look for chaga specimens that are at least the size of a large grapefruit, preferably larger, and that have a vibrant orange-brown interior. It’s best practice to leave some of it behind for regeneration, though regrowth is highly variable; it may regenerate fully in two years or not at all. It takes eight or more years for chaga to mature enough for harvesting.

Once chaga is harvested and broken into smaller chunks, it’s best dried in a dehydrator on a low temperature (around 100°F) for 24 hours. Give it a rest for one day, then dry it again for another 24 hours. If you’d rather purchase your chaga, Birch Boys is a great place to do so, as it is transparent about its use of sustainable practices. And if you’re interested in foraging for chaga yourself, I recommend doing more research: birchboys. com is a wonderful place to start.

Medicinal and Magical Attributes Disclaimer: Before starting any course
of healing, including natural remedies and supplements, consult with a health-care professional who can help find what’s best and safest for you. If you’re taking medications, pregnant, or nursing, definitely do not start using chaga until you speak to a qualified medical caregiver. Chaga may interact with certain medications or cause allergic reactions in some people.

Chaga is not a psychedelic fungus, as it does not contain psilocybin. But research shows that it is rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatories, boosts the immune system, improves energy, and can be used for soothing arthritis and managing high blood pressure. It contains antiviral properties, supports healthy blood sugar levels, lowers cholesterol, supports a healthy liver, is beneficial for digestive health, and is used in cancer therapy.

Magically speaking, chaga is associated with intuition and wisdom, and it may be used in rituals to enhance psychic abilities and deepen meditation. It’s also associated with transformation (specifically with changing and letting go), inner peace, healing, vitality, and resilience.

Uses

Chaga is typically brewed as a tea, made into a tincture, or formulated as a powder or capsule. I like to brew my foraged chaga nuggets into a rich, brown, flavorful tea and combine it with warmed cream and maple syrup to make a decaffeinated chaga milk tea. It has a unique and delicious taste—earthy, full-flavored, creamy, and naturally sweet, with notes of vanilla, caramel, dark berries, and cocoa. You can drink it black, but

I prefer adding warmed cream and local maple sugar, which complement chaga’s flavor nicely.

You can also burn chaga as a sweet-smelling incense. I reserve this for special occasions, as chaga is a somewhat rare, precious medicinal, and it can be a little pricey.

Chaga Milk Tea Recipe

• Four 1-to-1½-inch chunks of chaga, or pieces that add up to the equivalent
• 1 quart water
• Cream or milk of your choice
• Maple syrup or other sweetener
• Makes 1 serving

Place water and your nuggets of chaga in a small pot on a stove.

Bring to a boil; boil for 20 minutes.
Turn the heat down to low and simmer for 30 minutes.

You’ll notice the brew darkening as it simmers.

Turn off the stove and remove the chunks of chaga with a large spoon or tongs. The good news is you can get several uses from these chunks, so allow them to dry and use them again for your subsequent brews.

Pour yourself a mug of the tea.

Add cream or your desired type of milk. I like to heat the cream prior to adding it to my brew.

Sweeten to taste with maple syrup. Other sweetener options include honey or sugar, but maple syrup, in my opinion, complements the flavor best.

Most of the water will evaporate in the boiling and simmering process, so you’ll be left with a large single portion or perhaps a small extra amount, depending on the size of your mug.

Important safety note: Chaga contains commonly occurring plant crystals called oxalates (as does spinach, for context), which can be harmful to the kidneys if ingested in large amounts. You can safely drink one to two cups of chaga tea a day, a few times a week.

Cake

1 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
1 cup sugar
¼ cup oil (vegetable or light olive, etc.)
2 large eggs
⅓ cup buttermilk
Zest of1 small orange
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup finely grated carrot
½ cup crushed pineapple (drained)

Preheat oven to 350°F and line a 10-by-15-inch jelly roll sheet pan or quarter sheet pan with parchment paper. Cut the paper so it goes up the sides of the pan.

Sift the flour, baking soda, spices, and salt into a medium bowl. Set aside.

Combine sugar, oil, eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, and orange zest in a large bowl and mix until smooth.

Add in the dry ingredients. Mix until smooth. Fold in the carrots and pineapple until fully incorporated.

Slowly pour the batter into your prepared pan and use an offset spatula to smooth out any pieces of carrot that may be sticking up. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. The cake is done when the center springs back when pressed lightly.

While baking, lay a kitchen towel flat on your counter and dust it with powdered sugar. Immediately upon removing the cake from the oven, carefully lift it out of the pan and invert onto the prepared towel.

Peel back the parchment paper and roll the cake tightly, then place the rolled cake on a wire rack to cool completely.

While the cake cools, prepare the frosting.

Frosting

1 cup salted butter, softened
4 to 5 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ cup heavy whipping cream, warmed slightly

¼ cup caramel sauce (your favorite recipe or store-bought)

In a mixing bowl, add the butter, a splash of heavy whipping cream, and the vanilla. With an electric mixer, beat together for 1 minute. Add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until desired consistency is achieved. Remove half the frosting to another bowl and set aside.

Add in the caramel sauce and mix until completely incorporated. Set aside.

Carefully unroll the cake and spread the plain buttercream frosting about a quarter inch thick on the inside of the cake. Roll the cake back up. Cover the outside of the roll with the caramel buttercream.

Use the tip of a spoon to lightly pull through the frosting horizontally

to make tree bark. Use a sharp knife to cut a thin slice from the front and back of the roll to cleanly expose the spiral inside.

I decorated my finished log with edible flowers from my garden, marzipan mushrooms, and cake-crumb moss. You can easily find edible flowers online. (I like magnoliasyarden.com, for example, but make sure you’re ordering flowers that are organic and definitely edible; pansies and violas are almost always safe.) I make my own marzipan, but you can buy ready-made marzipan at the store. Sculpt it like clay, and then paint your creations with gel coloring. To make cake-crumb moss, use your favorite white cake recipe (it can even be from a box), add green coloring to the batter, and bake normally. Once the cake is baked and completely cooled, simply crumble it up and voilà!

Store your woodland log cake in an airtight container in the fridge until it’s ready to serve.