Winter Simmer Pot Guide
I will start by saying I LOVE simmer pots! We take cozy very seriously in our home, and have one of these going most nights. They are such a simple and accessible way to bring some energetic magic into your home, and not to mention smell incredible and actually purify the air in your home!
A simmer pot is essentially just water simmering over heat with fragrant plants in it. These plants release all their deliciousness into the steam released from the water. Just to clarify- these are not intended for consumption. There are methods to make tea this way, but that will be another post for another day!
Simmer pots are especially important to me during the winter months. Winter outside is harsh and cold, yet holds so much magic and beauty. It's really the time of year where I feel most alive and myself. The trees are naked and covered in moss, the animals find warmth underground, winter berries nourish us all, and even though it seems quiet, there is so much essential rest happening within us and everything around us. These winter simmer pots bring that beauty from the outdoors into our homes for the coziest time of rest and nourishment.
Below I've listed a ton of common ingredients that you likely already have in your kitchen. You can use any or all, or whatever is calling to you in the moment. Maybe you need a bit of brightening, or protection on a specific day. Or maybe you just need that touch of winter magic to bring joy into your day.
Winter Ingredients & their Magical Uses
Rosemary:
Protection, psychic wisdom, memory function, Rosemary brings forth inner and ancient knowledge and is a great protector against any negativity or evil.
Herbs
Fruits
Spices
Trees
Sage:
Thyme:
Bay:
Cleansing, purification, wisdom, determination. Sage seeks truth and clarity.
Protection, courage, Thyme opens portals between worlds, especially the fairy realm.
Abundance, manifestation, Bay brings great success, and is especially useful for manifesting money.
Ginger:
Nutmeg:
Cinnamon:
Clove:
Cardamom:
Star Anise:
Love, abundance, energizing, Cinnamon will enhance any spell and amplify all other ingredients
Strength, unblocking, relieving stress, Ginger will clear obstacles and help you move forward.
Clarity, strength, calming, Nutmeg strengthens energy and focus and brings good luck.
Abundance, love, protection, Clove invites love and new beginnings.
Psychic powers, balance, Star Anise invites truth and amplifies intuition
Love, lust, desire, Cardamom romanticizes life.
Blackberries:
Citrus:
Apples:
Pears:
Cranberry:
Cedar:
Pine:
Lemons, oranges and any citrus represent the sun and light. These bring a source of energy and brightening
Love, lust, Pears are nurturing and bring prosperity.
Abundance, fertility, manifesting, Apples are used to strengthen love and connections.
Prosperity, protection, Blackberries remove any evil and promote healing.
Protection, healing, purification, Cedar rids a space of any negative energy and transforms it into a sacred place.
Abundance, wisdom, portal between realms, Pine amplifies energy and holds great wisdom.
Fir:
Transformation, shadow work, rebirth, Fir is a purifier and represents the Yule season as a sacred evergreen.
Energy, action, Cranberries bring courage and confident emotions.
The Steps!
There really aren't any steps ;) Take whatever ingredients you have and place them in your cauldron (aka any sauce pot hehe) Cover with hot water and place on the stove over medium low heat and let the plants do their thing and bring beautiful aromas and energy into your home! Leave there all day, or however long you wish. Just keep an eye on the water level and replenish as it gets low. I love putting our simmer pots on the wood stove which I admit is a bit extra and entirely unnecessary, but especially cozy. Visualize what you are trying to bring into your life, or just close your eyes and take it in, and imagine you are living your happiest, coziest life.
Bibliography
Diaz, Juliet. Plant Witchery: Discover the Sacred Language, Wisdom, and Magic of 200 Plants. Hay House Inc., 2021.
Hopman, Ellen Evert. Secret Medicines from Your Garden. Healing Arts Press, 2016.
Cunningham, Scott. Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs. Llewellyn Publications, 2016.