Coming Up Roses

Hi and Merry Meet,
One of the things I wanted to work harder on this year was using more herbs in my practice.

I've got a few books on the subject, but I haven't put in too much effort recently. Tonight as part of my full moon esbat I gathered roses to dry the petals. I only gathered my red roses since they are blooming in abundance right now.

I took three blooms altogether from two different bushes. Last year I pruned them back something fearsome. This year they are rewarding me with a bounty of blooms. The smell is amazing.

After asking the plant's blessing and cutting them free I made a gift of egg shells to the plants. I read someplace that roses love egg shells so I saved the shells from my dinner preparations.

The picture  is my altar filled with drying rose petals. My goddess stature is watching over them.

Once they are dry, I plan to put them in a glass jar and label them with the date. It is a small step to workung more with herbs, but it is still a step. I have a lot of learning to do with herbs, but I want to start with things in my garden and things I already use. Once I can do that, then I might be ready to branch out. I want to take it slow and learn to use what I have around me and available to me.
Blessed be,
Autumn