Aunt Kitty's Garden of wonders

It is cherry-picking season in the Garden of Wonders. Today we harvested both our tart Montmorency cherries for future pies, and our sweet cherries of a forgotten variety for eating fresh. If we want more cherries for canning or drying, there is a lovely U-Pick orchard on the other side of town. Growing, harvesting, and preserving fruits keep us close in heart to the sources of our food, and help cultivate spiritual ties to the land. Plus, there’s something heartily satisfying about lining up shining jars of canned fruits, jams, or dried fruits in a cupboard or pantry, as though you could survive a blizzard with the outcome of your labors. Or at least a short power outage.

Since cherries are associated across many folkways with both love and prosperity, you can infuse some kitchen magic into your humble cherry pies with some energy work, pouring your energy and intent into the tart red fruits and while assembling the pie, keeping focused on your work the whole time. Add vanilla if your intention is contented love or a contented life, a touch of almond flavoring or kirsch for intentions around prosperity, or a pinch of nutmeg or ginger for… spicier intentions.

Here is a shareable infographic with more about cherries: