A core memory for me was coming home to the sweet smell of cinnamon, and oranges. Now one would typically equate the warm aroma coming from the kitchen to be a delicious treat, and although I love my mother... a baker she is not. For this spicy citrus smell was not an edible treat but rather the calling of fall in my home... It was a simmer pot.
Simmer pots are pretty self explanatory haha it is a pot of "things" set to simmer, as it does the room/house/ space is filled with the aroma and steam of the pots ingredients. My mother although not a witch was cleansing our house without realizing it. She would clean both figuratively and literally as the pot simmered and you sniffed the air like a hound on the hunt.
Now I use this in my personal practice as a way to weave Magick into the mundane. I allow my home to fill with aroma and intention, setting not only the mood but the energy of my space.
So how do you start your simmer pot luckily this is an easy process and gives you lots of room to use your personal correspondences and intuition. Simply boil a pot of water, add your simmer pot ingredients ( stir clockwise to invite and counterclockwise to dispell). Reduce heat to a simmer, envision the rays of steam coming from the pot as your intention filling the space.
But what do I put in the pot
The awesome part about simmer pots is how simple they truly can be. You can literally add as much or as little of any ingredient as you want. I personally love making pots that correspond to the season but you can make mini pots in candle warmer, or big pots on the stove that correspond to the spell your doing or the energy you're seeking (i.e something to cleanse the space, or something to invite creativity into the room etc.) Below is a list of seasonal simmer pot recipes.
I typically let the pot boil down and will refresh with water if I feel like it boiled off too fast. After I'm done, i turn the stove completely off ( don't burn your house down witches) and allow the contents to cool.
Here's where things get interesting
After the contents have cooled I have a couple different options. One being , tossing the contents; preferably into the compost but the trash is understandable. The second is my super sneaky multitasking option, if there is liquid left in the pot I will strain out all the "chunks" and mix the liquid with witch hazel or rubbing alcohol into a glass spray bottle. This is now an active room spray infused with the same intentions as the simmer pot!
This is a great option for cleansing when you need to be inconspicuous or cant use smoke. the steam is pure and fills the space equally if not better than any smoke could.
What's in your pot?
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