On the 4th day of yule!

On the 4th day of yule!

A day of giving thanks to someone close, or to the gods and goddess. 

Think of someone in your heart whom you wish to thank for being a part of your life. Standing in front of your Alter, Light a white candle and from it a sage incense. 

Inhale the sage incense in and recite these words: 

The THANK YOU Spell 

A thank you spell from me to thee brings blessings to you one, two, three:

The gift of joy sparks firebright

The gift of freedom day and night 

The gift of love I give to thee 

This is my will, so shall it be! 

Put out bird seed, fruits, berries and nuts as an offering. 

Make a Birdseed bell or Block. 

Homemade suet consists of unflavored gelatin, water and birdseed. After making the suet recipe, you can mold it into various forms to hang in your birdcage or outside for your visiting birds. 

Suet Recipe

Items you will need:

Bowl 

1 packet of unflavored gelatin 

2 tablespoons of cold water 

1/3 cup boiling water 

2 cups birdseed 

Pour 1 packet of unflavored gelatin in a bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of cold water. Allow the water and gelatin to sit in the bowl while you boil 1/3 cup of water. Pour the boiling water into the bowl and stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Add 2 cups of birdseed to the mixture and stir it thoroughly. 

Birdseed Blocks

Items you will need: 

Standard muffin tin 

Cooking spray 

Butter knife 

Suet cage 

Floral wire 

Scissors 

Plastic baggie 

Grease a standard muffin tin with aerosol cooking spray. Divide the suet recipe evenly between each prepared muffin cups and press it into each cup firmly. Place the muffin tin in the refrigerator for two hours to allow the blocks to set. Remove the muffin tin and allow the mixture to return to room temperature. Slide a butter knife around each block and lift it out of the tin. Place one block inside of a suet cage and close the door. Tie floral wire to the suet cage and tie the loose end inside your birdcage. Place remaining birdseed blocks in a baggie for future use. 

Birdseed Bells 

Items you will need: 

Plastic wrap 

6, 2-inch terra-cotta pots 

Floral wire 

Scissors 

Plastic baggie 

Make the suet recipe. Line six 2-inch terra-cotta pots with plastic wrap. Cut six pieces of floral wire about 8 inches long. Insert one end of the wire into the center of each pot and through the drainage hole in the bottom. Bend the top of the wire into a loop and flatten it against the top of the birdseed. Add the suet recipe around the floral wire and press it into each lined pot. Place the pots in the refrigerator for approximately two hours. Remove the pots and allow them to return to room temperature. Pull the edges of the plastic wrap upward to release the bells from each pot. Hang one or more birdseed bells by the top of the floral wire in your cage and store the remaining bells in a plastic baggie. 

Birdseed Sticks

Items you will need: 

Wooden craft sticks 

Hammer 

Nail 

Floral wire 

Scissors 

Plastic baggie 

Make a recipe of bird suet. Drive a nail with a hammer about 1/2 inch from one end of a wooden stick to make a hole in it. Remove the nail. Cut about 6 inches of floral wire with scissors. Insert one end of the wire through the hole and tie it together around the stick. Press the birdseed mixture firmly onto the craft stick. Prepare the remaining bird suet on to additional craft sticks. Place the birdseed sticks in the refrigerator for about two hours, remove them and let them come to room temperature. Hang one or more in your birdcage with the floral wire hanger and store additional birdseed sticks in a plastic baggie.