Alchemy Apothecary

12/23/2025

Third Night of Yule… Kinship & Gratitude 🌲🕯️

The third night of Yule turns outward, from the hearth to kinship.

In winter traditions, survival was never solitary. This night honors the bonds that carried people through the dark months: family, chosen family, community, and mutual care.

This is a night of gratitude, not performance. Of recognizing who stood beside you. Who shared warmth. Who showed up, quietly or consistently, when it mattered.

If you observe tonight, keep it gentle:
Light a candle.
Think of those who supported you this year.
Offer thanks, aloud or in silence.

Gratitude strengthens bonds.
Strong bonds carry us through winter.

💙 Alchemy Apothecary

Third Night of Yule. Kin remembered. Gratitude given.

12/22/2025

Second Night of Yule… Hearth & Protection 🕯️🌲

The second night of Yule turns our attention to the hearth… the heart of the home and the ancient center of protection.

In old winter traditions, once the sacred fire was lit on Mother’s Night, it was tended carefully in the nights that followed. The flame was believed to guard the household, hold warmth through the dark, and keep ill intent at bay during the harshest season of the year.

This night is about shelter:
• protecting the home
• protecting the family
• protecting the spirit

Not through force… but through presence, care, and intention.

If you observe tonight, let it be simple:
Tend a candle or hearth fire.
Tidy or bless your space.
Speak protection over what matters most.

What you guard through winter is what carries forward into spring.

-Alchemy Apothecary

Second Night of Yule. Hearth lit. Home held.

12/21/2025

12/21/2025

Mother’s Night.. First Night of Yule 🌲🕯️

The first night of Yule is known as Mother’s Night, a sacred night of beginnings, ancestry, and quiet reverence. It is traditionally observed at sunset on the Winter Solstice.

In old Northern European traditions, this night honored the Mothers: the ancestral women, the earth as mother, and the unseen hands that shaped our lives long before we were born. This is a night of roots, not spectacle.

It is also the night the Yule log or hearth fire is first lit, welcoming warmth, protection, and continuity into the home for the nights ahead.

This is not a night for asking.
It is a night for remembering.

Candles or the Yule log are lit to honor:
• the mothers of blood and lineage
• the mothers of spirit and tradition
• the wisdom carried through generations

If you observe Mother’s Night, keep it simple:
A single flame.
A moment of gratitude.
A name spoken softly, or held in silence.

What is honored on the first night becomes the foundation for the year ahead.

- Alchemy Apothecary

✨ Mother’s Night. First Night of Yule. Rooted in remembrance.

12/17/2025

With my post about the upcoming winter solstice and the start of Yule, that leads me to this weeks, rooted in truth moment…

Rooted in Truth: When Does Yule Actually Begin? If you’ve spent any time on social media this week, you’ve probably seen conflicting claims about when Yule starts, some say December 20, others December 21. Let’s ground this in history instead of algorithms.

Yule begins with the Winter Solstice, which is traditionally observed from sunset on December 21 in Northern European and Celtic-aligned practices. The Solstice marks the longest night of the year, the turning point where the light is reborn and days slowly begin to lengthen again. This is the heart of Yule.

Why Some People Say December 20. This confusion comes from astronomical timing, not tradition. The exact moment of the Solstice can occur late on December 20 depending on time zone. Some modern practitioners choose to begin their observance at the first night that contains that astronomical moment.

This is a personal or modern choice, not a historical requirement.

Why December 21 Is Most Common. Historically, Yule was not timed to the minute. It was observed by the sun’s behavior, seasonal rhythm, and communal recognition of the longest night.

For clarity and continuity, Yule has long been marked on December 21, beginning at sunset and continuing through twelve nights in many traditions. Both dates come from different frameworks, one astronomical, one traditional.

Neither is malicious. But only one is widely teachable, historically grounded, and consistent across generations.

How We Observe at Alchemy Apothecary: We honor Yule with the Winter Solstice on December 21, beginning at sunset. Preparation may happen the night before, but the sacred fire is lit on the Solstice itself.

Tradition doesn’t need to be loud to be true.

Rooted in history. Grounded in practice. Shared with care.

— Alchemy Apothecary

12/17/2025

Winter Solstice • Yule •
The Turning of the Wheel

This weekend we honor Yule - the Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year and the sacred turning of the wheel.

In old Celtic tradition, this is the moment when the Sun is reborn, not in fire or force, but in quiet promise. The earth sleeps. The dark holds us. And slowly, the light begins its return.

The Yule log or candle is lit not to banish the darkness, but to bless it, to thank the shadows for what they taught us and to call warmth, protection, and renewal back into our homes.

Light your candle or Yule log at sunset on December 21, welcoming the longest night and honoring the return of the light. If you’re called to begin the night before, use December 20 for cleansing, reflection, and preparation.

Keep it simple:
A flame.
A whispered intention.
A moment of stillness.

What is ready to be released into the dark? What light are you willing to tend as it returns?

The wheel turns.
The old year fades.
The light is born again.

— Alchemy Apothecary

12/14/2025

🥰🥰🥰

12/12/2025

Introducing: Rooted in Truth
A new series I’m starting because too many people in the spiritual community are being confused, corrected, or intimidated by gatekeeping and misinformation.

Spirituality was never meant to be a competition. It’s supposed to be connection, lineage, intuition, and learning.

But today, it’s very easy to get:
• talked down to by people who learned one buzzword
• corrected by someone outside the culture they’re “defending”
• shamed for practicing differently
• pressured into believing one narrow version of a huge, ancient tradition

So Rooted in Truth is my way of helping people feel grounded, informed, and protected in their spiritual path.

In this series, I’ll be covering:

🌿 The real origins behind common concepts
🌿 How different cultures shaped the practices we see today
🌿 What’s actually closed vs. what’s just gatekept
🌿 How to use accurate language without losing your personal style
🌿 How to work with your ancestry instead of trends
🌿 How to spot (and ignore) spiritual superiority
🌿 Ways to practice that feel empowering, not intimidating

My goal isn’t to tell anyone what to believe, it’s to give clarity, history, and confidence so you don’t feel bullied out of your own craft.

Because when we’re rooted in truth, we’re harder to shake, we’re harder to mislead and we’re impossible to gatekeep.

Stay tuned. 🌙✨
Let’s grow this knowledge together.

12/10/2025

The Truth About the Evil Eye (and Why Words Matter)
Lately I’ve noticed some confusion about the term “evil eye,” so here’s a little bit of real history for anyone who loves folk magic, ancestry, and cultural traditions as much as I do.

Where the Evil Eye Actually Comes From: The belief in the evil eye is thousands of years old. It began in ancient Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq/Syria) and spread across the entire Mediterranean world through trade, migration, and spiritual exchange. You’ll find versions of the evil eye in:
Greece - mati
Italy - malocchio
Spain & Latin America - mal de ojo
Middle Eastern and Jewish traditions - al-’ayn, ayin hara
North Africa
The Balkans
Celtic & European folk magic
Even parts of South Asia
So “evil eye” is the universal term for the concept shared by dozens of cultures.

Where the Word “Nazar” Comes From: “Nazar” is simply the Turkish name for the blue glass amulet that protects against the evil eye. It’s one cultural style of charm, not the name of the belief itself.

In most cultures, people do call the amulet “an evil eye.” Even in Greece and Italy, two of the biggest folk-magic cultures tied to this belief, people casually say:
“I’m wearing my evil eye.”
“This is my evil eye bracelet.”“Put the evil eye near the door.”

Because in everyday language, “evil eye” = the whole system of protection, including the charm.

Using “evil eye” isn’t wrong; it’s historically accurate. Using “Nazar” isn’t wrong either, it’s just specific to Turkey. Though one of my best friends, Ilknur, who was born and raised in Turkey and has moved back there now, when she gives me a bracelet, she refers to it as the evil eye.

Correcting someone for using “evil eye” shows a misunderstanding of the history, and honestly, a little gatekeeping.

My own ancestry touches several cultures that have their own protections from harmful gaze:

(My predominant) Welsh / Celtic traditions use spirals, knotwork, rowan wood, and protection charms.
German / Alpine folk magic uses hex signs, rosettes, iron, and red thread. (you see this in a lot of Pennsylvania Dutch artwork)
French folk practices use blessed candles, salt, and small talismans.
Middle Eastern ancestry (thanks to a Palestinian Jew who came to the US 😊) connects directly to ancient forms of the Evil Eye belief, including the Hamsa and blue protective beads.

Because of this, I connect with the evil eye through multiple lineages, not just one. I blend these traditions respectfully and intentionally rather than limiting myself to one trendy name.

If someone tries to “correct” the term you use, just remember:

Most of the time, it’s just confusion or incomplete information, the Evil Eye is much older and broader than people realize.

The Evil Eye belongs to many cultures. Use the language that aligns with your heritage, or your practice, or your understanding.

Protect yourself and stay rooted in truth. That’s real magic.

12/10/2025

More info coming after Christmas!! 🎄

12/09/2025

So many goodies headed out this week. Etsy orders and website orders. It still blows my mind watching my creations travel from New Orleans to California to Illinois and everywhere in between.
Every time I’m standing in line at the post office with an armful of packages, I’m reminded how magical it feels that something I made in my little Pennsylvania workspace is finding its way into homes all across the country. 💛

Thank you all for keeping me busy, inspired, and shipping nonstop. Your support means everything!! 💙💙

12/07/2025

Yule Log Workshop fun! We had the best group today! 💙