Day 26 - Great Release Program by Silver RavenWolf

Day 26

Theme:  Gather, glow, and grace, the day after holiday fun can feel like a snow globe that got shaken hard.

Reward:  10 Stars

Magickal Moment — Chef Marmalade, Head Chef of Boogie Knight Castle

The first thing you notice when you push open the kitchen door at Boogie Knight Castle is the smell, not just food, but comfort wearing a crown. Butter browning in a pan, onions going sweet and glossy, rosemary waking up in the heat like it’s been waiting all year to speak. The second thing you notice is the sound, pots clinking like cheerful bells, a wooden spoon tapping the rim of a copper kettle in a steady, patient rhythm.  Somewhere near the hearth, ten little sets of feet trying very hard not to “help” too much.

In the Great Hall, the Countess declares today the Wrapping Paper Blizzard Marathon. The Ten Little Boogers dash in like gleeful ravens, and the Count holds up a ribbon streamer like a sacred relic. If you listen closely, you can hear the kingdom whisper, gather the scattered, tame the glitter, restore the calm. The castle responds the way it always does when chaos gets festive, it divides and conquers, Great Hall to the brave, kitchen to the wise.

Because while the Boogers are busy chasing runaway tape and wrestling bows into submission, Chef Marmalade is already in her domain, running the castle kitchen the way some folks run a bustling inn on a stormy night, with sleeves rolled up, hair pinned back, and an expression that says, yes, we can absolutely make magic, but we are going to do it with clean hands and a sharp knife. She’s the Head Chef, the keeper of recipes and remedies, the one who can turn pantry odds and ends into a feast that makes everybody feel safe.

On the long prep table sits a fat sack of potatoes, a heaping bowl of carrots, corn and peas, a crock of butter, onions, garlic cloves, and a little dish of fragrant, fresh herbs. “Tonight,” Cousin Marmalade announces, “we’re making shepherd’s pie. It’s a blanket meal. The kind you eat when the wind is rude and the world is loud.” She sets a cast-iron pan on the stove and tosses in onions with a soft hiss, and the kitchen instantly feels warmer, like the castle itself has leaned in to listen.

Chef Marmalade holds her enchanted wooden spoon over the prep table, and begins to chant in a sing-song voice.

Steam and savor, hearth and heat,

Turn these portions into sweet.

Onion soften, troubles cease,

Garlic guard this home with peace.

Thyme bring courage, steady flame,

Rosemary keep harm from name.

Sage make worry slip away,

Bless this pot and bless this day.

By spoon and stir, by kettle’s song,

May laughter bloom and woes be gone.

As this pie bakes, calm settles in,

Only good may enter in.

The Boogers hover, eyes wide, noses twitching, because the scent is doing something to them, smoothing their edges, calming their jitters, making them warm and happy inside. Cousin Marmalade stirs, tastes, adjusts the salt, then points the spoon at the assembled dish as if knighting it. “When you spread the potatoes,” she says, “you seal in the good. When you rake the top with a fork, you make little ridges for courage to crisp into. This is how we feed the body and the spirit at the same time.”

And when the dish comes out of the oven, bubbling and golden, Cousin Marmalade sets it down like an offering to the Gods. For one blessed minute, nobody argues, nobody worries, nobody remembers the outside world. There is only steam, and warmth, and the quiet, powerful truth of a well-made meal, the kind that says, you are safe, you are here, and you can begin again.

Main Release:   Today is about the loose ends of celebration, not the big deep cleaning, choose one “gather zone,” a corner, a table, the hearth, the car, and collect what is out of place, bags, bows, boxes, cards, gift tissue, and the mysterious twist ties that breed in winter, sort into keep, recycle, donate, trash, and stop when the zone looks peaceful again.

Everyone is a winner in the Ribbons n' Bags Game!

15-minute Quick Task:  Play Ribbons n’ Bags Rescue, set a timer, and race yourself to gather every ribbon, bow, gift bag, and gift tag you can find, when the timer ends, put the keepers into one container, and toss the rest where it belongs, you are not saving the kingdom, you are saving your future self.

Challenge# 2 :  If you feel really brave, Chef Marmalade has shared her Shepherd’s Pie Recipe below along with the magickal correspondences of the ingredients.  Enjoy her comfort meal.

Booger Boost:  The Boogers cheer because you turned chaos into a tidy little victory, and that is real magic.

Weekly Check-In: You are entering the final stretch, look at your weekly goal and ask, is it still serving you, if yes, keep it, if no, adjust it with zero guilt, this program rewards follow-through, not suffering.

Astro Snapshot: The Moon is in Pisces in the first-quarter stretch, with the Sun sextile the Moon and the Moon sextile Mars, which favors gentle momentum, soft effort, and compassionate action that still gets results. The emotional field stays sensitive, intuitive, and a little porous, it is the kind of sky that picks up everyone’s mood in the room, including the mood you were trying not to have. With the Sun freshly in Capricorn season, there is a quiet push toward structure and “let’s get life back in order,” even if the holiday week is still swirling around you.The day has a very specific rhythm, in the morning the Pisces Moon squares Mercury in Sagittarius, so words can slip, texts can go sideways, travel plans can get confusing, and people can hear what you said instead of what you meant, double-check directions, receipts, and group chats, and keep your tone gentle on purpose. By late morning the Moon trines Jupiter in Cancer, which is a sweet window for kindness, good food, forgiveness, and family grace, it helps you remember what matters and soften where you can. Later, the Moon meets Saturn in Pisces, and you may feel the emotional “drop,” fatigue, seriousness, a need to retreat, or that strange after-holiday heaviness, treat that as a cue for boundaries and rest, not as a sign something is wrong. Late evening brings a Moon sextile Uranus in Taurus, which is perfect for a small change that makes life easier, a new system, a clever fix, a different route home, an unexpected good laugh, or a simple tradition tweak that you decide you’re keeping forever.

Today’s Reward:  A favorite snack, a quiet corner, and five minutes where nobody needs anything from you.

Holiday celebrations can take a lot of time an energy.  I often make Shepard’s Pie (Cottage Pie) as a quick and easy meal for the family.

Easy Shepherd’s Pie Recipe

Ingredients for the potato topping:

·       2 lb potatoes, peeled and cut

·       4 tbsp butter

·       1/3–1/2 cup milk or cream

·       Salt and pepper

·       Optional: shredded cheddar

·       Optional: pinch of garlic powder

Ingredients for the meat filling:

·       1 lb ground lamb for true shepherd’s pie, or 1 lb ground beef for cottage pie

·       1 small onion, diced

·       Optional: minced garlic

·       1–2 cups frozen mixed vegetables

·       1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

·       2 tbsp tomato paste, or 1/2 cup ketchup in a pinch

·       1 cup beef broth, or water with bouillon

·       Worcestershire sauce

·       1 tsp dried thyme or Italian seasoning

·       1 tsp crushed rosemary

·       Salt and pepper

·       Optional thickener: 1 tbsp flour or cornstarch

·       Optional: 1 14-ounce can of Hunts Fire Roasted Diced Garlic Tomatoes – you can puree if you don’t like tomato chunks

Potatoes:

·       Put the potatoes in salted water, bring to a boil, and cook 12–15 minutes until fork-tender

·       Drain, then mash with butter and enough milk to make them creamy

·       Season well, and stir in cheese if you want it richer

Meat filling:

·       Brown the meat in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then drain excess fat if needed

·       Add the onion (and garlic if using) and cook 3–4 minutes until softened

·       Stir in tomato paste, Hunts Diced Tomatoes, Worcestershire, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper

·       Pour in the broth and simmer about 5 minutes

·       To thicken: stir in flour and cook 1 minute before adding broth, or add a cornstarch slurry at the end

·       Stir in the thawed frozen vegetables and cook 2–3 minutes

Bake:

·       Heat the oven to 400°F

·       Spread the meat filling in a baking dish

·       Sprinkle with cheddar cheese

·       Spoon mashed potatoes over the top, spread to the edges, and rake with a fork for crisp ridges

·       Bake 15–20 minutes until bubbling

·       Broil 1–3 minutes for extra browning, watching closely

·       Rest 5 minutes before serving

Quick swaps & shortcuts

Fastest version: use store-bought mashed potatoes or leftover mash.

No broth? Water + bouillon works fine.

More flavor: add a splash of red wine, a pinch of smoked paprika, or a spoon of Dijon.

I often fry up several pounds of hamburger with onions and herbs and then freeze ½ pound portions to use for spaghetti sauce, tacos, and other quick meals.  That way, many recipes take half the time because the meat is already prepared.

Chef Marmalade’s Notes:

Thyme brings brave, bright steadiness. It’s the little nudge that says, keep going, you can handle this, and it’s wonderful when you’re cooking for stamina, recovery, or when the house feels tense and you want the air to soften without getting syrupy. I use thyme when I want everyone to leave the table feeling calmer and a little more capable.

Rosemary is the house-guardian herb. It’s cleansing in a practical way, like opening windows and changing the sheets. It’s excellent for meals meant to reset the tone of the home, clear out lingering grumpiness, and help minds feel sharper. Rosemary also carries a “remember who you are” vibe, so it’s lovely for family meals and ancestor-leaning holidays.

Onion is the truth-teller and the layer-peeler. In cooking, it’s literally the base that becomes sweetness and depth when you give it time. Magickally, onions are great for “let’s get to the root of this and let it go” energy, especially for emotional clearing and household protection. If you’re sautéing onions slowly, you’re basically brewing patience.

Garlic is your boundary in a clove. It’s protective, it’s banishing, and it does not apologize for existing. In kitchen witchery, garlic is what you add when you want the meal to feel like a shield around the people you love, especially during stressful weeks, family gatherings, or when you’ve been around difficult energy and you want it off you.

Sage is wise, grounded clearing. Culinary sage is perfect for settling scattered thoughts, easing frazzled nerves, and putting a calm “adult in the room” feeling into the food. It’s also wonderful for endings and transitions, the kind of meal that helps everyone exhale and move forward.

A simple way to work magick while cooking is to set a single intention at the start, like, “This meal restores peace and strength in this home,” then match ingredients to that intention. When you sauté onions, think “soften what’s hard.” When garlic hits the pan, think “only what’s good stays here.” When thyme and rosemary go in, think “steady hearts, clear minds.” When sage goes in, think “release what’s stale, keep what’s wise.” No drama, just direction.

Start with onions as your foundation. When you dice them, you’re “cutting up what’s been weighing on the house.” When they hit the pan, keep the heat medium and let them go soft and glossy, because onions teach that patience turns sharpness into sweetness. If you sauté them slowly, you’re literally building comfort and stability into the filling.

Add garlic next, but don’t burn it. Garlic is your boundary herb, so I add it once the onions are softened, then stir just 30 seconds until fragrant. In your mind, it’s the firm little line that says, only kindness and health belong at this table.

Thyme is the classic shepherd’s pie herb for a reason, it supports the “hearty and steady” flavor. Add thyme when the meat is browned and you’re ready to stir in your tomato paste and broth. Thyme rides the steam upward, so it’s great for calming household tension and putting a backbone into the meal.

Rosemary is powerful, but it can bully if you use too much. Use a small amount, finely chopped, or even infuse it and remove it. Add it with the thyme, but keep it light, because rosemary is the “house guardian” note. It’s ideal for that feeling of, we’re safe here, we’re fed here, we’re okay.

Sage is the “wise hearth” herb and it pairs beautifully with meat and potatoes. The trick is restraint, because sage can go medicinal fast. If you’re using dried sage, use a pinch. If fresh, use a few leaves finely chopped. Add sage after the broth goes in and you’ve simmered a couple minutes, so it rounds out instead of shouting. In the vibe-language of cooking, sage says, let the day be done, let the nerves settle, let the home return to itself.

When you spread the mashed potatoes on top, that’s your sealing layer. Smooth it like you’re tucking everyone in. Then rake it with a fork for those crisp ridges, because crisp edges feel like “protection,” and soft middle feels like “comfort.” If you want a little extra kitchen blessing, brush the top with melted butter before baking, because butter represents warmth, abundance and welcome.

A good, flavor-forward ratio for 1 pound of meat is about one medium onion, two to three cloves garlic, one teaspoon thyme, one quarter teaspoon rosemary, and one quarter teaspoon sage, then taste and adjust. If you want it gentler flavor, skip the rosemary and go thyme plus sage only.

I hope you enjoyed this bit of Kitchen Witchery!

Peace with the Gods

Peace with Nature

Peace Within!

Silver