Search This Blog

Natural Weed Killer

Last year I had a whole new garden space. 
I was over the moon tickled.

It started off AMAZING - and ended TERRIBLE.

Besides the neverending downpour of rain last summer, 
my garden was overgrown with weeds.

So many damn weeds. 

It was completely out of my control. I gave up. 

This year I'm not gonna take it. 

I found this recipe online for a natural weed killer. 
It seems to be a pretty common recipe found on multiple sites, 
not sure who came up with the concoction first.
All you need - 
A bucket
1 gallon vinegar
1 cup salt
1 tablespoon of dish soap
funnel
spray bottle

Mix it all together in the bucket, use the funnel to pour the concoction into the spray bottle, and start spraying.

I covered the area pretty well. I sprayed and sprayed and sprayed until the whole gallon was used up.

The results?

So far, so good.

No weeds.

I read that once you do this, nothing will grow.

Which is fine with me, because I wasn't happy with the soil.

I now have all new dirt. I am also adding my very own compost collected from the pulp of my morning juices. 

The garden is ready for planting.
My Garden Space

Peace, Inspiration, & Love,
 ~Amy
 The Magick Muse

Amy Riddle, C.C., Holistic Alchemist and Manifestor of Dreams
is a life coach, crafter of sorts, writer, herbalist, reverend, and all out muse.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Alternative Medicine with an emphasis on herbs. 
She is a certified professional life coach with the Life Coach Institute of Orange County. 
Amy craves to inspire others to be healthy and whole in body, mind, and spirit. 
She has an affinity for striped socks, stinging nettle, and all things faery.

I is for Inspiration - Pagan Blog Project

Inspiration Amy
Who or what inspires you?

My Top Ten Inspirations

Movie - Harold and Maude
Every single time I watch this movie,
I'm so inspired by Maude.
Ruth Gordon's Maude is an incredible role model for women.
She may be turning 80, but 
the spirit of her character was ageless.
Fiery, sexy, and full of life,
Maude is the kind of woman you want around.
I strive to be like Maude.
Read more about my love for this flick here

Song - The Creationist by Kerli
"It's time to start believing
that everything you want is on its way."
It's a manifestation song!
Listen and enjoy.

TV Guru - Oprah
Not only do we share a birthday,
but participating in the meditation challenges with her 
and Deepak - 
I've become quite the fan.
She is a source of pure delight.

Biz-spiration - Marie Forleo
Do you watch Marie TV?
It's the place to be.
So says Marie.
She has been uber informative and inspiring
in my business research this past year.
I suggest any entrepreneur add Marie 
to their list of biz-spiration.
You will learn crucial lessons for your business, trust me. 

Social Media - Pinterest
Oh, look at all the pretty pictures!

Book - Someplace to Be Flying by Charles de Lint
Crow Girls.
Do I need to say anything else?
I'm in love with de Lint's magical world of urban fantasy.

Drink - Shak-Tea
I had shak-tea at Dobra Tea in 
Black Mountain, NC the other night.
It was like drinking pure bliss.
Here is the description -
A heart and mind opening blend of damiana, shatavari, ashwaganda, lotus seeds, jasmine blossoms, and rose petals simmered in local milk and organic sugar. Taste the divine nectar!

Artist - Flora Bowley
What I love about Flora is how intuitively she paints.
She really connects with her creative flow 
and just lets go.
I get her weekly "Seeds of Inspiration" newsletter
and it's always a refreshing read in my inbox.
Just reading it feels like a good meditation.

Favorite Place to Be - Max Patch, NC
I am completely in love with Max Patch.
It is a bald mountain, 4616 ft elevation, and 
you feel on top of the world. 
It's so "Sound of Music" with a 360 degree view 
surrounded by mountains. 
It's a great place to go for inspiration.
Read about my profound Max Patch journey here
Max Patch, NC
Quote 
“There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and will be lost.”

 - Martha Graham

That sums up my top 10 list.
Who or what inspires you?
Tell me about it in the comment section.
Let's spread inspiration!

*************
I'm super excited to be a part of 
The Pagan Blog Project

Every Friday experience the alphabet of spirituality 
and pagan goodness.

Check out the list of excellent blogs for week 17 of the letter I.
The Pagan Blog Project Week 17 - I

Peace, Inspiration, & Love,
 ~Amy
 The Magick Muse
Amy Riddle, C.C., Holistic Alchemist and Manifestor of Dreams
is a life coach, crafter of sorts, writer, herbalist, reverend, and all out muse.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Alternative Medicine with an emphasis on herbs. 
She is a certified professional life coach with the Life Coach Institute of Orange County. 
Amy craves to inspire others to be healthy and whole in body, mind, and spirit. 
She has an affinity for striped socks, stinging nettle, and all things faery.

Tips for Honoring Earth Day


Photo Credit
Did you know the first Earth Day was in 1970?
I hadn't realized it's been going on since then.

How can you make a difference? Super glad you asked.

Here is...
Your Earth Day To Do List

Recycle.

Reuse.

Plant a tree.

Create an herb garden.

Grow your own food.

Carpool.

Ride your bike to work.

Walk.

Hug a tree.

Really, hug a tree!
Treehugging Amy at Joyce Kilmer

Switch out your lightbulbs for compact florescent light bulbs.

Turn off water when not in use.

Turn off lights when not in use.

Unplug all unused appliances in your home.

Unplug that cell phone charger.

Drive the speed limit increasing your miles per gallon.

Save laundry
for big loads, and stop washing small loads.

Shower together!

Use glass containers for leftovers.

Use a glass bottle for water.

Stop using plastic.

Clean up your local park.

Keep cloth grocery bags in your car for when you shop.

Buy locally grown and organic produce at 
your local farmer’s markets.

Support your local businesses.

Respect the planet.

One person can make a difference.
Let it be you.


Peace, Inspiration, & Love,
 ~Amy
 The Magick Muse

Amy Riddle, C.C., Holistic Alchemist and Manifestor of Dreams
is a life coach, crafter of sorts, writer, herbalist, reverend, and all out muse.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Alternative Medicine with an emphasis on herbs. 
She is a certified professional life coach with the Life Coach Institute of Orange County. 
Amy craves to inspire others to be healthy and whole in body, mind, and spirit. 
She has an affinity for striped socks, stinging nettle, and all things faery.

H is for Herbs - Pagan Blog Project

Photo Credit
I am counting down until the
Asheville Herb Festival.

It's just 2 weeks away, almost time
!

Oh how I've been anticipating this event.


This is when I go all out for my herb garden. 

It's my tradition. 

This year I'm extra excited 'cause
I'm kind of starting over with my herb garden.

I have 6 surviving herbs from the harsh winter 
and last year's wet wet summer. 


I live and breathe herbs. 
I grow them. I eat them. 
I use them to heal myself. 
From tinctures to tea to aromatherapy, 
I've realized that I incorporate herbs daily in my life. 

I'm delighted to expand my herb garden this year. 

I have a stinging nettle patch, a yarrow patch, and 100 square feet of soil just waiting to be filled with herbal goodness. 

Do you have an herb garden?
I urge you to bring herbs into your life. 

Drink them, eat them, smell them, and love them.

Oh, glorious herbs!

*************
I'm super excited to be a part of 
The Pagan Blog Project

Every Friday experience the alphabet of spirituality 
and pagan goodness.

Check out the list of excellent blogs for week 16 of the letter H.
The Pagan Blog Project Week 16 - H

Peace, Inspiration, & Love,
 ~Amy
 The Magick Muse
Amy Riddle, C.C., Holistic Alchemist and Manifestor of Dreams
is a life coach, crafter of sorts, writer, herbalist, reverend, and all out muse.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Alternative Medicine with an emphasis on herbs. 
She is a certified professional life coach with the Life Coach Institute of Orange County. 
Amy craves to inspire others to be healthy and whole in body, mind, and spirit. 
She has an affinity for striped socks, stinging nettle, and all things faery.

This is a story about a rose quartz.

My personal rose quartz.
I have a story to tell.

It's bittersweet.

It deals with the 2 most difficult things 
I've ever had to deal with-
my divorce in 2001 and
my father's death this year.

Through my profound grief in both of these situations,
I had my personal rose quartz
to carry me through my sadness. 

2001 was the year of my major spiritual development.

I got a divorce. 

It threw me into a spiral of self-discovery and spirituality.

My witchy-ness came out in full force.
I began studying all things wiccan related.

I was entranced with gemstones. 
The first stone I ever bought was a rose quartz.
I read that rose quartz is the "love" stone. 
It helps heal a broken heart.
My heart was shattered. 
So, what better stone to start with?

I carried the rose quartz with me every single day. 
I mean, every single day.
I held it when I cried. I held it when I slept. 
It was always in my hand, in my pocket, 
or next to where I was sitting.

Through the years, whenever I need some extra lovin', 
I would reach for my very own personal rose quartz.

It's totally mine. I've put all my energy into it.

So, when I got the news that my dad died this year 
I reached for my rose quartz.

I've never known such grief.

Divorce is hard. Really hard.

However, losing a parent sucks in ways I can't even explain.

I'm the lone wolf that moved away when I was 20. 
All of my family is in Southern Illinois.

So, Chris and I had a 7 hour drive ahead of us. We packed up and off to Metropolis, IL we went for dad's funeral. 

With my rose quartz tucked in the pocket 
of my Joan Jett hoodie, I had my security blanket.

I started off the driving. Not sure why I wanted to drive. Maybe I thought it would keep my mind off things, give me focus.

We were about 20-30 minutes outside of Asheville when I called Debbie, dad's wife. I wanted to let her know we were on the road and see what was going on.

She told me the visitation and the funeral may not happen until Friday/Saturday. I got off the phone and 
had a complete meltdown.

It was Monday. This was hard enough, but I'm going to have to delay the grieving process? My stomach churned. Uncontrollable tears. A thousand thoughts screamed through my head, "I can't be in Metropolis a whole week. Chris can't be in Metropolis a whole week. Am I losing money from not working? I don't want to work. I can't work. I don't want to ever go back. I can't believe my dad is gone. Is he really dead? This can't be happening."

Chris made me pull over so he could take the wheel. He proceeded to some random exit and pulled off to a church in the middle of nowhere so we could collect our thoughts 
and see what we were doing.

Our choices - keep going, get to Metropolis and be with the family, hope the arrangements are sooner
or
turn around, go back home, unpack, sit around and wait, pack again and go.

No way I was going to work. I'd rather grieve with family then grieve alone in North Carolina.

And then I have a major breakdown.

I got out of car, walked behind a building behind the church, fell on the ground, and sobbed my eyes out. 
My stomach was a mess and I started throwing up. 

I finally got myself together (as much as I could) and 
walked back to the car.

Chris and I decided to keep going to Metropolis.

 - with him driving of course.

Later I put my hands in my pockets,
and discovered my rose quartz was gone.

Gone. Poof. 

I told Chris.

He said I probably lost behind that church 
when I had my breakdown.

Crap.

My rose quartz gone. My security blanket gone.

I was bummed. 
Not as bummed as losing my dad obviously, but bummed.

I came to the conclusion it needed to move on. 
Someone else must need it.

However, I kept feeling like something was missing. 


A few weeks ago, I came across my first "witchy" journal from 2001. I read through it and found an 
entry where I bought that rose quartz.
I sighed. 
"Dammit, I can't believe I lost my shit and 
then I really lost my shit. My rose quartz is gone."

That was a Friday evening. The following Sunday morning I was in the kitchen getting my giant mug of coffee. Chris came in and we said our good mornings. He told me he loved me like 10 times and said he had something for me. He was so giddy and happy and loving, I couldn't figure out what it was. My first thought was "he got me a glue stick" - cause the other night I was saying I needed more glue sticks - but no - he was too giddy and smiley and adorable to be giving me a glue stick.

He left the kitchen to get whatever it was. When he came back he had something in his hands. He told me again that he loved me, really loved me, and he opened his hands.

There was my rose quartz.

My rose quartz. Mine.

What the holy hell? How? Huh? 

I was in shock.

Chris, "That's your rose quartz, baby."

Me, "I know - but how did it get here?"

Chris drives a cab. Yup, he's a cool cab driver dude. The night before, he had a ride way out somewhere - he said when he was heading back towards the interstate he started thinking his surroundings were looking awfully familiar. He realized he was passing that church. The church where we had pulled over. Now, it had been about 11 weeks since we were there, but Chris thought he would look. The universe put him there, so why not? It was about 1:00 am and fully dark. He grabbed his phone to use as a flashlight and went back behind the church looking in the grass. 

Can you believe it? He found my rose quartz. 

What an act of love.

So, I pretty much gushed all day holding my rose quartz tight and feeling all of the love permeate into my being.

Ahh, serendipity. 


Peace, Inspiration, & Love,
 ~Amy
 The Magick Muse

Amy Riddle, C.C., Holistic Alchemist and Manifestor of Dreams
is a life coach, crafter of sorts, writer, herbalist, reverend, and all out muse.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Alternative Medicine with an emphasis on herbs. 
She is a certified professional life coach with the Life Coach Institute of Orange County. 
Amy craves to inspire others to be healthy and whole in body, mind, and spirit. 
She has an affinity for striped socks, stinging nettle, and all things faery.

H is for Honoring - Pagan Blog Project

I've realized lately that I'm 
continually fighting my natural rhythms.

It's true.

My routine and life is 
closely tied to my day job.

It is exhausting.

Everything I do is natural, except for my day job.
It comes with absolutely no flexibility. 

I took off yesterday and today from work
so I could focus on my coaching business.

It's been incredible.

I'm getting so much accomplished and 
opportunities are opening up.

All by honoring my natural rhythms.

It's amazing how when you surrender to the flow, 
good things happen with ease

I'm able to listen even more clearly to my inner muse, 
my authentic self.

My favorite goddess for honoring your own personal flow 
is Morgan le Faye.
Morgan Le Faye
Goddess Oracle 
Illustrated by Hrana Janto

When I dance with Life
I dance my own rhythm
I keep my own time
My soul's tides are aligned
and flow
with my beat: my own unique expression
By honoring myself
I honor all
When you dance with Life
what's your rhythm
Is it quick or slow
lively or liturgical
repetitious or ever-changing
Do you let the tempo serve you
or unnerve you
soothe you
or seethe you
mettle you
or unsettle you
Do you know?

Morgan le Faye is a triple goddess of death and rebirth 
in the Celtic lore.
She appears as the beautiful young maiden,
the powerful creator/mother,
or the death-giving crone.

Do you know your personal rhythms?

Morgan le Faye dances into your life with her magic
to invite you to discover and honor your natural flow.

How well do you know yourself?

Do you know the best times for you to
sleep, eat, exercise, work, be creative, make love, etc?

Or are you submerged into someone's else's rhythms?

It is vital for you to live according to your own personal rhythms!

Honoring and flowing with your own rhythm 
brings you greater energy because 
you are no longer suppressing what is natural to you.

Morgan le Faye says vitality, health, and wholeness are nurtured when you flow with your own unique beat rather than against it.

*************
YES! YES! YES!
Thank you Morgan le Faye.
How I look forward to the day that 
I keep my own time.
Soon, I'll transition out of my day job
and into my dream job.
I will then, honor my personal rhythms 24/7.

I cannot wait.

*************
I'm super excited to be a part of 
The Pagan Blog Project

Every Friday experience the alphabet of spirituality 
and pagan goodness.

Check out the list of excellent blogs for week 15 of the letter H.
The Pagan Blog Project Week 15 - H

Peace, Inspiration, & Love,
 ~Amy
 The Magick Muse
Amy Riddle, C.C., Holistic Alchemist and Manifestor of Dreams
is a life coach, crafter of sorts, writer, herbalist, reverend, and all out muse.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Alternative Medicine with an emphasis on herbs. 
She is a certified professional life coach with the Life Coach Institute of Orange County. 
Amy craves to inspire others to be healthy and whole in body, mind, and spirit. 
She has an affinity for striped socks, stinging nettle, and all things faery.

Take It Off

It is time.

It is time to let it all go.

It is time to let go of all the negative aspects of Asheville, all of the difficulties and challenges.

You see, all of the negative has manifested onto my body.

When I see pictures of myself, I don't know who I am.

I don't physically look like the way I think I look.

Crazy, right?

So, I am facing reality. I let go and release.

It is time to be mindful of my body.

Really, really mindful.

I believe the more you put into something, 
the more you get out of it.

If you want to really accomplish a goal, 
you declare it to the world - 
you create a vision board, you practice affirmations, 
you make it so.

You live and breathe that goal and you begin the transformation.

To start preparing my mind, I found an old picture of myself. 
I don't want to look like some skinny scrawny celebrity 
or anything like that. 

Hell, no. 

I want to look like me.

I've been putting this picture on everything - candles, notebook paper, my calendar, my desktop background -

Puerto Vallarta June 1998

This version of Amy is the symbol of my weight loss journey.

I plan on losing 5 lbs a month.

How do I plan on transforming myself?

With my mind for starters!
I am mindful of my actions.

Juicing.
I've replaced breakfast with a yummy and healthy juice.

Having healthy meal portions and 
eating slower - really chewing my food.
I'm putting a reasonable amount of yummy and healthy 
food on my plate. 
I'm working on putting the leftovers away 
before I sit down to eat.
That way there isn't even temptation to eat more.

Walking
3 weeks ago I got back into my gym routine. 
I love hopping on the treadmill.
I'm also spending more time wandering around 
downtown Asheville, 
which is a fantastic environment to walk around in.
The mountainous uphill/downhill sidewalks can get
challenging and exhausting.
The shops and people watching make it so worth it.

Hiking
Spring is upon us and I plan on exploring 
more North Carolina mountain trails
and journeying to waterfalls. 

Yoga
I am having my own personal Yoga Sundays.
Every Sunday afternoon, I'm doing yoga in my sacred space.

Strength Training
I love lifting weights at the gym.
Strength training is part of my routine. 
My body craves it and I can really tell the difference 
when I incorporate weights.

Boxing
I want, really, really want
my own boxing stand.
I love to box. 
If I had one at home, I could
 kick its ass any time I felt like it.

Gardening
I plan on being one with my garden this year.
At least once a week I'm going to be out there,
weeding, harvesting, and connecting with my special plants. 

Meditation
I meditate every morning after my morning pages, 
focusing on breathing, relaxing, and 
envisioning my authentic self. 

Finishing and moving through the exercises 
of the fabulous book, 
"A Course in Weight Loss" by Marianne Williamson.

Practicing Affirmations
My chosen affirmations:

I choose perfect health.

I am beautiful inside and out.

I am lighter, tighter, and brighter.

I am my Authentic Self!

Having Monthly Check-Ins
I am having New Moon check-ins. 
Every New Moon, I am going to measure myself and 
check my weight. 

I can do this.

I must be healthy inside and out.


"Spiritually, your wanting to lose weight 
is not a desire to become less of yourself, 
but rather a desire to become more of your true self." 
~Marianne Williamson 


Peace, Inspiration, & Love,
 ~Amy
 The Magick Muse

Amy Riddle, C.C., Holistic Alchemist and Manifestor of Dreams
is a life coach, crafter of sorts, writer, herbalist, reverend, and all out muse.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Alternative Medicine with an emphasis on herbs. 
She is a certified professional life coach with the Life Coach Institute of Orange County. 
Amy craves to inspire others to be healthy and whole in body, mind, and spirit. 
She has an affinity for striped socks, stinging nettle, and all things faery.

G is for Go Local - Pagan Blog Project

G is for 
Go Local

Do you support local?

I really feel that local is where it's at.

There are loads of benefits of supporting local.

My favorite is the way it builds
community.

Don't we all want to be part of a community that
grows and thrives?

I'm super fortunate to live in Asheville, North Carolina 
where "local is the new black."


"Asheville Grown Business Alliance is a grassroots organization whose mission is to support independently owned businesses in the community, to continue growing a vibrant local economy while preserving the unique character of Asheville and to emphasize the critical importance of thinking locally first when considering the impact of national and global chains."

Asheville Grown Business Alliance puts out the 
Go Local card every year.

I freakin' love this card!


The card is a win-win for everyone.

By flashing your card at participating local businesses 
you get perks.

(My favorite is the free dessert at Mayfel's. Soooo yummy.)

Support a dynamic living economy as a way of life.

Help your community thrive and grow.

Go local!


I'm proud to be a participating local business
with the Go Local card. 
Check it out here

*************

I'm super excited to be a part of 

Every Friday experience the alphabet of spirituality 
and pagan goodness.

Check out the list of excellent blogs for week 14 of the letter G.


Peace, Inspiration, & Love,
 ~Amy
 The Magick Muse
Amy Riddle, C.C., Holistic Alchemist and Manifestor of Dreams
is a life coach, crafter of sorts, writer, herbalist, reverend, and all out muse.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Alternative Medicine with an emphasis on herbs. 
She is a certified professional life coach with the Life Coach Institute of Orange County. 
Amy craves to inspire others to be healthy and whole in body, mind, and spirit. 
She has an affinity for striped socks, stinging nettle, and all things faery.

Live Life Fabulously

How are you living your life?

Are you living fabulously?

If you aren't, 
what can you do to make your life more fab?

I challenge you to live your life fabulously.

Go ahead, do it.

What's stopping you?

Photo from Fabulous Flowers

Peace, Inspiration, & Love,
 ~Amy
 The Magick Muse

Amy Riddle, C.C., Holistic Alchemist and Manifestor of Dreams
is a life coach, crafter of sorts, writer, herbalist, reverend, and all out muse.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Alternative Medicine with an emphasis on herbs. 
She is a certified professional life coach with the Life Coach Institute of Orange County. 
Amy craves to inspire others to be healthy and whole in body, mind, and spirit. 
She has an affinity for striped socks, stinging nettle, and all things faery.