Join me as I brew up an Autumn Abundance Simmer Pot Spell for the end of Summer. I’ll walk you through the herbs and botanicals I chose for this recipe and why I chose them, and take you along with me as I stir up some magic in my cottage kitchen.
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission on qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.
It feels like the year has hardly begun, and yet Autumn is just around the corner! Here in Texas we’re still suffering through the heat most days, but this week has been just grey and misty enough in the early mornings to make me feel like maybe Autumn really is almost here.
So, I decided to pull out my pumpkin cauldron and stir up a simmer pot to thank Summer for all her bounteous gifts, bid her farewell, and beckon Autumn and her abundant blessings with a warm and fragrant welcome.
What is a Simmer Pot Spell?
A simmer pot spell, often simply referred to as a simmer pot, is a technique within kitchen witchery that involves simmering a pot of water (or potentially another liquid, but water is typical) on the stove or over a fire with botanicals and various magical ingredients such as herbs, spices, fruit, flowers, and even essential oils.
As the pot simmers, the various ingredients infuse the water with their energy and their aromas, and then as the steam rises, the enchantment and accompanying aroma are diffused throughout the kitchen and surrounding area.
A simmer pot is not typically meant to be consumed, although you could certainly argue that dishes like spiced cider, mulled wine, and bone broth could be simmer pot spells with the right mindset and intentionality. With a simmer pot, the mere act of simmering is the purpose, no ingestion necessary.
Selecting Ingredients & Setting Intentions for an Autumn Abundance Simmer Pot Spell
With this simmer pot, my intention was to clear away any irrelevant loose energy leftover from Summer, while welcoming Autumn and her promise of prosperity and abundance with open arms. I felt guided to include a few other Autumn intentions along the way, as well as a more specific goal that falls under the umbrella of all that I’ve already described.
With these intentions in mind, I set out to collect the herbs, spices, and botanicals I would need for my Autumn abundance simmer pot.
Sage for Cleansing, Clearing, & Blessing
All types of sage are great for blessing and energy cleansing, which is perfect for this simmer pot spell, since I’m aiming to clear away the dregs of Summer. Sage is also associated with blessing, which is certainly is always good. As luck would have it, there are two plants on my property that fall into the rather broad category of “all types of sage.”
There’s a huge patch of brush out by the road on the front of my property, and I recently identified it as being Artemisia ludoviciana, one of the plants commonly known as white sage, despite not being a Salvia. Artemisia ludoviciana is also known as silver wormwood, white mugwort, prairie sage, western mugwort, Mexican sagewort, and several other names, and has a rich history of use by various Native American tribespeople for purification, blessing, and medicinal use.
It has been calling to me to study and work with it, so today I took my baby out into the front yard with some clippers and a foraging basket, asked the Artemisia for permission to harvest, and waited a moment. My intuition said I was good to go ahead, so I harvested a decently full basket of sprigs, which I would estimate was still less than 1% of the total plant. When there were dead and dry leaves curled up at the base of a sprig, I plucked them off and returned them to the earth before placing the sprig in my basket.
I only intended to use one sprig for this Autumn abundance simmer pot spell, but I figured I’d turn a bunch into burn bundles for smoke cleansing or ritual incense, and dry some for later use as a tisane, perhaps as an infusion for dreaming or divination. (According to my research, this plant is edible enough that the small doses typical of magical or medicinal use should be fine.) As an Artemisia, I’m sure it has some interesting properties.
I then harvested a few sprigs from the Russian Sage plant (Salvia yangii) in my garden – she had such pretty purple flowers the last couple months, and they’ve recently faded away, but her leaves are still sticky and fragrant. The leaves are not strictly speaking edible (although the flowers are), but they’re not really toxic, either, so they’re just fine to use in a simmer pot that won’t be consumed, and oh my goodness it smells amazing!
Lemon for Cleansing, Joy, Abundance, & Prosperity
Back in my kitchen, I picked out a lemon. If I’d had an orange, I would have used that instead, since orange feels more autumnal to me, but in retrospect I’m actually kind of glad I only had lemons. Both citrus fruits are associated with joy, happiness, love, and prosperity, but lemon has a cleansing and purifying property as well.
That stacks with the two sages, and also feels like a nod to Summer – and, after all, I’m not banishing Summer like some evil spirit; I’m grateful for the bounty Summer brings, for the long sunlit days, and this year, I’m grateful to have had such a beautiful first few months of my beautiful baby’s life. I’m ready for Summer to be over, but I’m also happy to enjoy these last few weeks of it together. (Am I overthinking this lemon? And if so, isn’t “overthinking” part of what makes kitchen craft into kitchen witchcraft?)
For this simmer pot spell, in the name of abundance I sliced my lemon into rounds like golden coins.
Then digging through my spice cabinet, I found a few things that seemed appropriate: cinnamon sticks (actually Cassia, but the two are often confused/conflated and the properties are extremely similar), star anise pods, and a bay leaf.
Cinnamon for Prosperity & Abundance
Cinnamon and Cassia are associated with prosperity and abundance as well as protection and warmth. Have you ever blown powdered cinnamon through your front door to invite prosperity and abundance into your home? Plus, if you’ve ever had pumpkin spice anything, you’ll know they’re definitely associated with Autumn!
The associations with protection may come from cinnamon’s antiviral and antifungal properties, and/or from its association with the element of fire. For this simmer pot, I picked out three cinnamon sticks.
(By the way, if you love these spice jars as much as I do, you can get them here!)
Star Anise for Love, Good Fortune, & Protection
Star Anise has magical associations with love, good fortune, prosperity, abundance, and protection. It is thought that star anise’s slightly bitter smell promotes energetic protection, keeping unwanted energies and unwelcome spirits at bay. Its subtly sweet taste, on the other hand, may be why star anise is thought to attract sweetness and love into one’s life.All of these associations are energies I’m happy to call into this spell, and besides… stars! Star anise just FEELS magical because it’s STARS! The star shape may actually be the source of anise’s magical association with prosperity and good fortune.
Bay Leaf for Victory, Success, & Granting Wishes
As for the bay leaf, bay’s associations with victory and success make it a great addition to any simmer pot spell. Plus, in my early days of magical research over a decade ago, I came across several bay leaf wishing spells that involved writing a wish on a bay leaf and burning it, so I still associate Laurus nobilis with the power to grant wishes. I think the ingredients I’ve chosen represent my desired intentions pretty well, but just for good measure, I’ll whisper my specific goals and desires for the coming season to this bay leaf just before I add it to the pot.
Speaking of the pot, it feels worth mentioning that my choice of pot was a meaningful magical choice, too. Perhaps you only have one pot, and that pot will certainly do the job, so don’t get caught up in needing the perfect pot; but as someone who does have many pots to choose from, there seemed no better choice for this Autumn abundance simmer pot spell than my Staub cast iron pumpkin Dutch oven, which I have previously fondly referred to as my pumpkin cauldron.
Assembling the Autumn Abundance Simmer Pot Spell
To begin, I filled my pumpkin cauldron with water, the first ingredient in any simmer pot. Once I add the botanicals, as the water heats and the steam rises, my home will be filled with both the aroma and the energy of the simmer pot spell I’m about to craft and cast.
Then I added the Salvia and the Artemisia, focusing on their powers of spiritual purification.
Next I added the lemon, envisioning its bright and joyful energy providing another layer of spiritual cleansing, and visualizing the yellow slices like golden coins of prosperity and good fortune.
Then I added the cinnamon sticks, focusing on cinnamon’s associations with protection, prosperity, and good health.
Then the star anise, imagining loving energy and good fortune filling my life like the stars fill the summer and autumn sky.
Finally I whispered my wishes to the bay leaf, submerged it in the water in my cauldron, and began to stir, visualizing all the aforementioned energetic qualities combining to manifest my intentions.
Continuing to stir, I recited the following incantation:
Cleanse and clear, cleanse and clear,
Autumn’s gold is almost here.
Today’s the day, make way, make way,
for what I wish shall soon appear!
By golden fruit and verdant leaf,
by open heart and true belief,
by anise star and cinnamon fire,
I now receive my heart’s desire!
Then I turned on the flame, and only a few minutes later, my kitchen was filled with such a wonderful aroma! I felt that I could smell the magic in the air.
Simmering Down & Finishing Up
I let the cauldron simmer for a few hours, adding another pitcher of water any time it got too low. Soon, the fragrance of joy and good fortune filled my entire home, and every time my senses brought the aroma to my awareness, my mind returned to focus on the intentions I had set and the wishes I had whispered to the bay leaf.
I have my work cut out for me in the material world if I’m going to do my part to see that today’s intentions come to fruition, but I know that the magic is on my side, is already working for me and through me, and has already set events in motion such that my success will be there to meet me when I am able to rise to the occasion.
When I was done, I composted what remained of this simmer pot spell so that it could return to the earth. I love knowing that residual energy from my magical workings is working its way into my compost and therefore eventually my garden. Think about it – next year the plants that grow in my garden will literally have been fed from the magic I made and composted this year!
Substitutions & Variations on this Autumn Abundance Simmer Pot
If you want to create something like this autumn abundance simmer pot spell for yourself, you’ll likely have your own specific goals and intentions. You’ll probably have different herbs in your garden, or none at all, and different spices in your cabinet, and that’s okay. A little research and a lot of trust in your intuition will take you where you need to be to fill your own home with the smell of prosperity, joy, and good fortune, or whatever energies you desire. That said, if you do have a lemon, some sage, some star anise, and some cinnamon sticks, I think you’ll find that it feels potent and smells wonderful.
If you don’t have dried bay leaves, consider using a leaf picked fresh from a plant you have a special connection with (as long as it’s not toxic enough to risk contaminating your cookware). The history and symbolism of Laurus nobilis is potent, but a spiritual connection with a living plant may be even more potent in some cases. That said, if you don’t have bay leaves, I do suggest that you acquire some at your earliest convenience. Aside from being magically useful, they add a delicious layer of flavor and fragrance to soups, stews, and sauces!
Well that’s it for today, friends! But before you go, I’m curious…
- Have you ever made a simmer pot spell for yourself? If so, what did you include and why?
- If you’ve never brewed up a simmer pot spell, is it something you’d like to try?
- Are you doing anything to usher Autumn in and bid farewell to Summer?
- Would you like to read about other simmer pots I make in the future?
- Do you have any simmer pot tips or ideas to share with other readers who come to this page for inspiration?
Let me know in the comments! It’s always a joy to hear from you.
Until our paths cross again – be well, seek beauty, and leave a little magic everywhere you go.
Blessings,
Autumn Abundance Simmer Pot Spell
Equipment
- 1 Cauldron (any cooking pot will do!)
Ingredients
- 1 bunch Sage
- 1 Lemon (sliced into rounds)
- 3 Cinnamon Sticks (cassia or ceylon, either will work)
- 1 handful Star Anise
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1 gallon water (or more for a longer simmer)
Instructions
- Fill your cauldron with water.
- Focusing on the specific intention for each ingredient, add your other ingredients to the cauldron of water one at a time.
- Add the bay leaf last, after whispering your specific wishes for the impending season to the leaf. If you want, you can inscribe the leaf with a word, sigil, rune, or bindrune representing your wish.
- Bring the cauldron to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. While the water heats, optionally recite the following incantation:Cleanse and clear, cleanse and clear, Autumn's gold is almost here. Today's the day, make way, make way, for what I wish shall soon appear! By golden fruit and verdant leaf, by open heart and true belief, by anise star and cinnamon fire, I now receive my heart's desire!
- Simmer for as long as necessary to fill your home and lift your spirits with the desired energy and aroma. As the water level falls, be sure to add more water to prevent burning.
- When the spell is done, remove the cauldron from the heat, allow everything to cool, pour out liquids onto the earth, and add solid remains to the compost if possible, thanking the ingredients for their contribution to your magical working.
