Kitchen Ideas for the Bohemian
Your Kitchen Apothecary
By GG Collins (Copyright 03-25-2026)
More frequently our kitchens are becoming a place of comfort, not just for preparing food but a place for creating atmosphere and mystery.
Perhaps you’ve discovered the power of the mortar and pestle for combining herbs and spices. While we aren’t talking about compounding drugs, although an apothecary cabinet is always a nice touch. Our kitchen can become a different kind of apothecary with enchanting fragrances and tastes.
First, consider the color of your room. Is it bright and white? Try adding multihued herbs and drying flowers hanging in bunches from the ceiling or pot rack. Floating shelves can hold spices and herbs stored in amber jars made even more interesting if antique. Check the closest estate sale or flea market. Use hand written labels for identification. If you have a sunny window, set some live herbs on the sill for quick additions to stews and stir fries.
Glass jars are available for a number of purposes and come in interesting shapes and sizes. Use these for vinegars and oils. Find these new or old at kitchen stores, garage sales and vintage shops.
If you prefer darker colors, by all means go with purple haze or botanical green. Light it up with candles, expansive windows and a pale floor. Adding fairy lights around the ceiling adds a magickal glow. Place colorful jars and bottles around for more depth and beauty.
The apothecary kitchen for Bohos knows no limits. Let your imagination flow.
This one was created by AI Image Generator.
For a witchy aura, add crystals. Favorite stones for the kitchen include amethyst, suspected of augmenting positivity. Citrine won’t make you a social butterfly but it may enhance those warm feelings of hearth and home. Sunstone increases creativity so every dish is scrumptious. Selenite placed over the outer doors and windows is reputed to provide protection from negative energies. Be certain to place a stool or pet bed for your furry family members. They love the warmth and delectables of the kitchen.
Add sage bundles, a moon water jar (see my post on making your own moon water. https://reluctantmediumatlarge.wordpress.com/2025/11/30/charging-moon-water/) Hang witch bells on the doors. You’ll always know when someone is opening it and the bells may also provide protection, if only a heads up. Always have salt on hand in case of vamps or other uninvited guests. In this photo is a container of black salt, the most powerful kind.
There are many other fanciful items that can be used to personalize your kitchen. Use pieces that speak to you. Enjoy your apothecary kitchen with witchy touches. 🔮🪄🐈⬛
Contact Page
Why We Removed the Contact Page
Dear Readers. The Contact Page has been closed due to the many scammers trying to sell us marketing and promotions. We do this for the author at no cost to the author.
We are sorry, but we have been forced to close it. Perhaps in the future we can try it again. But know, GG Collins has cherished your kind comments and enthusiastic reception of her books. She is on Twitter (now X) and you can reach her at https://x.com/GGCollins1
She is currently working on the new Taylor Browning Cozy Mystery, Editor Die Line. We understand it has something to do with a good witch, an owl and spies! Her next Rachel Blackstone Paranormal Mystery will be Bruja Medium. Stay tuned to these pages.
Yours in reading: Chamisa Canyon Publishing
Tarot Reading is Easy
Tempted to Try Tarot?
By GG Collins Copyright 2026
Taylor Browning meets a good witch in her next cozy mystery. As part of a cover, the new character does Tarot readings. Having never had a reading, I dove into some research. I chose the Gilded Tarot card pack by Ciro Marchetti. These beautiful cards accompany a book called the Easy Tarot Handbook. Each major and minor arcane card is described in detail and there is a handy “cheat sheet” at the back for quicker reference.
The spreads are explained and I chose the Nine-Card Spread as my first effort. In fact, I used this spread in Editor Die Line as part of the storyline.
I wrote Easy Tarot in the hope that I could make readers’ paths easier and prevent some of the struggles that are sometimes encountered. Find this book and cards at Amazon https://a.co/d/0al40IeG
First you need to shuffle the cards. This must be done with the left hand as it is more closely associated with the subconscious. No fancy card game shuffling please. Center yourself and slowly mix the cards. Cut the cards three times and then begin to lay out the cards. Draw three cards from the top. Those are your past. The next three cards represent your present. The last three cards are your future.
Check the cheat sheet in the back of the book for a quick idea of what the cards mean. For more information read each description. If you draw the Death card, please be aware that doesn’t mean that you or anyone else is going to die, but that something else may be ending.
Here is how I used the Tarot scene in the upcoming book. Skye, the Tarot reader, didn’t like the outward behavior of this man and even thought she had met him in the past. Here’s how the reading went.
“To determine the future, we’ll begin with the past.” Skye pulled the first card from the deck. It was the hanging man. This card didn’t seem to fit the man across the table. She didn’t see him as self-sacrificing but maybe he had been in the past. Next was the five of swords. This one might be more accurate as it indicated deceit. The final draw for the past was the four of swords. Skye wondered if he had to recover from something he had caused. She explained what the cards said about his past, but he had nothing to say.
Next, she drew a card for the present. The first was the emperor. This fit like a tailor-made suit. It was the card of ambition and authority. He steepled his fingers, a mannerism of the confident and powerful, as if to confirm this personality. Hierophant came next. But this puzzled Skye as it indication a wise person with traditional values. She assumed he was wise because of his age, but her interpretation of him visually was that he didn’t have values except those one would call ostentatious. His clothing was immaculate. His ring was gold, but not a wedding ring. She didn’t know what kind of car he drove but she thought expensive. The final card for the present was the wheel of fortune. This indicated a change that he was either going through now or would soon.
Again, she explained what the cards told and he remained silent. This wasn’t all that unusual because some people didn’t want to influence her reading and would remain quiet. Most, however, usually had something to say if only to confirm or deny.
“You should protect yourself physically and spiritually,” Skye told the man. “You could be at risk.”
She turned to the future. The first card was the six of cups. This card can signify nostalgia or a situation of the past returning. But the aura this man exuded was not one of a happy past.
The devil showed up next. It was full of manipulation and overindulgence, but of what she had no clue. It could mean danger but not necessarily to one’s body.
Skye was becoming more alarmed by the moment. She hadn’t liked this guy from the get-go and the cards she was pulling weren’t making her feel any easier.
The last card for his future was the knight of swords. This meant that danger could be imminent. The knight sat on his horse holding high his sword high in the air. While this card can be used to help someone cope with challenges in this case, the overall reading concerned Skye immensely.
“You should protect yourself physically and spiritually,” Skye told the man. “You could be at risk.”
Try it for yourself and see into your future.
Editor Die Line is coming later 2026. See the rest of the series here. https://tinyurl.com/3c28wj5e
Book Review: Scott’s Tulsa by S.L. Chalmers
There Are Eight Million Stories in the Naked City. This Has Been One of Them. — The Naked City, 1948
Wyatt Scott is weary. It’s summer in Tulsa and hot. In 1948 there were few if any air conditioned spaces. Fortunately, his cherry red 1934 LaSalle is a convertible. It drives like new because its odometer reads like new. Stints in academia and the U.S. Army prevented him from adding miles. So did a wrecked baseball career. These days he practices private investigation at the Art Deco masterpiece downtown called the Pythian Building, coming and going at his leisure. Things are about to change.
On a visit to the May Rooms, a local brothel competently run by madam Queena Capps, where Scott is a regular, he learns three of her “girls” are missing and one has been killed. One evening Queena asks for his assistance. She can’t help but be concerned … about their welfare or her profits? But she’s feeling magnanimous and offers Scott double his fee; triple if he locates the murderer before the police. Queena wants to mete out justice of her own making.
“Sure. They’ll wonder where he went.” She stepped from the alley’s mouth and scanned the street. Resolve, marinated in hate, flared in her eyes. “And they’ll wonder a long time.”
From there Scott rumbles with blackmailers and red-neck law enforcement officers while the Cold War throttles up in the background. He meets with the city elite and powerful at the Zigzag Moderne Tulsa Club, a white tablecloth, highball and chandelier place. But he seems more comfortable at Wilton’s Café where people are a little more willing to chat.
The mystery will lead Scott through the asphalt jungle of chaotic clues, a drive-in movie theatre for clandestine colecte d’information and a knockout punch during a house search. This hard-boiled noir detective story will keep you in suspense and turning pages. Scott has more stories to tell with moral ambiguity, harsh realism and dynamic characters.
Get Scott’s Tulsa at Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/4fxb9dm6
Charging Moon Water
Benefits of Moon Water
By GG Collins Copyright 2025
The moon has long been used to determine the best time for planting gardens, it controls the tides and has reputed powers over humans as well. This is a primer in selecting the best moon phase for the purpose and setting your intention.
You may use most any jar, bottle or bowl to hold your water for charging but there are beautiful jars available just for this purpose.
I chose this lovely jar from AliCatJewels https://tinyurl.com/ypfujm2w store on Etsy. There are many more styles and sizes on Etsy.
Now that we have our vessel selected let’s talk about the moon phases and which do what. The full moon is the most potent phase. It is said to be the best phase for manifesting. The new moon is for setting new goals and projects. For growth and planning choose the waxing moon. And for letting go and releasing emotions that no longer serve you, it’s the waning moon phase.
For more information on the moon phases check out Moon Rituals: Harness Lunar Power for Manifestation, Healing, and Spiritual Growth by Ann Westwood.
“Each phase of the moon holds unique qualities that offer guidance on when to reflect, when to release, and when to manifest.” — Ann Westwood
To make your moon water, pour filtered or naturally occurring water into your jar. Set outside when the moon rises and leave for at least 3 hours, more for extra potency. But be certain to retrieve it before the sun rises or you won’t have moon water. Set your intention by writing it on paper and attaching to the receptacle. Once the water is charged you may drink it — if it is potable, pour it in the bath, make a spritzer or use it in healing and spiritual rituals.
Keep in mind, that in the States, December 4th is the full moon. This one is a supermoon and is referred to as the Cold Moon.
As the writer of mysteries, I am introducing a new character to my Taylor Browning Cozy Mystery series. She is a good witch and will be using moon water as a part of her character while helping Taylor solve the puzzle. She shares her life with a cat named Astral and on occasion, she can change her persona.
May your intention be fulfilled. ✨
Book Review: Echoes of Trouble: Dreams and Secrets, Book 1 by Helen G. Huntley
Bridge Over Troubled Water
Review by GG Collins (Copyright November 2025)
Raised in the Colorado frontier of 1875 outside Golden City, Potter Evans doesn’t have a lot of choices. Of age, she is betrothed to a nearby rancher, Rad Scaithe. But when he visits, he mostly speaks with her father about the intricacies of ranching. Only a week before their wedding, Potter has yet to feel his love for her and is worried that he will never open up. After two years of courting, she’s having grave doubts this relationship can be successful.
And then there was the yellow ball gown. Rad picked it out for her and insisted she wear it to their engagement party. Potter hated yellow and refused to wear it. That was it, the engagement was off. She would not be told what to do even by her fiancé. Potter packs a bag and goes to the nearby Arapahoe village where she has friends.
This was the most interesting portion of the book for me as Huntley relates the ideals and beliefs of the tribe. Her descriptions of daily life inside the Arapahoe give depth and realism. You almost feel as if you could walk inside a teepee with Potter. Huntley did her research to give the reader a realistic view of life in a tribe.
Potter stays with the tribe and begins teaching English while studying Arapahoe. She also learns about the traditions of marriage in the tribe. It seems they are more knowledgeable than Potter and Rad. The tribe names her Running Doe, appropriate because she ran from Rad’s bluster. Things at the village get a little complicated when Potter finds that she has somehow been promised to Soaring Eagle. She disputes this and asserts she is going to university.
The Arapahoe chief tells Potter, “You are a joy. I understand a lot of things now that I’ve me you. I would like to call you ‘Running Doe.’”
There are other obstacles in their way. Tensions exist between some white settlers and the Arapahoe. Potter’s mother makes a horrible decision that has drastic results. A killer is massacring homesteaders and blaming the tribe. There doesn’t seem to be a way for the besotted couple to finally be married.
Be sure and read the chapter titles that Huntley uses to give the reader a preview of what is to come. Huntley is a multi-genre author writing romance, fantasy, mystery and paranormal. Enjoy this western romance and absorb a little history along with cowboy action and star-crossed lovers.
Book 2, Echoes of Betrayal is available now. Find her books at: https://tinyurl.com/jrecvcxs
New Mexico Book Awards
Skinwalker Medium Finalist in New Mexico Book Awards
Word today from 2025 New Mexico Book Awards that Skinwalker Medium is a finalist in the Fiction: Mystery/Thriller category. My thanks to director, Lisa McCoy and the many people who read the books and voted their favorites. I’m thrilled to be among the talented authors who write about beautiful New Mexico, its history and culture.
Finalist in New Mexico Books Awards. Read it at Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/4t257v6p
Reluctant Medium Meets Power Animal
Rachel Learns Kiyiya’s Story
By GG Collins — Copyright 2024
Joseph, the Hopi shaman Rachel Blackstone met in the first book in this series, Reluctant Medium, tells Rachel the story of how Yiyiya came to be her power animal. The magical wolf alerts her to danger, communicates to her what to do and eventually fights for his life and hers in Skinwalker Medium. We start as she speaks with Joseph while walking a labyrinth in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Eddy is a friend, a defrocked priest, who helps her.
Open your eyes. Slowly, looking down first, she glimpsed a pair of bare feet. Having expected something military in nature, this confused her. When she raised her line of vision, there was Joseph standing before her, smiling with some amusement. His skin was brown from decades in the sun and his eyes laced with lines from squinting. He was a slight man, but a giant spiritually. Rachel could see aura glowing around him. Usually he wore the white aura of a spiritual guide, but today he it was the purest of blue which she knew to represent harmony and great understanding of people and other creatures.
A truly thoughtful gift from my friend Sharon who found this in Hatch, New Mexico during her yearly sojourn to buy chiles. Yiyiya howls on my desk inspiring my stories. My crystal ball stands in for a full moon. Thank you.
While he never spoke aloud, he was telling her a story. At first, she didn’t get it, but then it became clear he was talking about her spirit wolf, Kiyiya. The white wolf had been different all his life. Although his parents had been alphas in his family pack, and therefore he was deserving of respect, he had been aware that others judged him as unusual.
One day while drinking at a stream he took a moment to look at his reflection. He felt both exhilaration and shame at his differentness. He wanted to be like the other wolves. Troubled, he asked his mother why his fur was white as snow. She recognized his need for reassurance and told him white wolves were destined for greatness in the spirit world. Someday, he would understand why he had been created this way.
For several years, he lived with his pack, hunted with them, played with his siblings and howled into the night. It was a good life, but something seemed to be missing. On a particularly cold, crisp winter day, he arose early and strode up the rocks in search of food. Just as he was about to catch a rabbit he felt a sharp pain in his chest.
The falling was more frightening than painful, but as he continued to fall his rate of descent slowed and the terrain changed from mountainous to cloudy and then to night. He slowly righted himself as if he were a cat and landed on his feet in a place he didn’t know. A woman stood outside of a car in the middle of a big road. Confronted by a ghostly figure, she was alarmed. Instinctively, he knew she must be protected. His presence frightened the spirit away but also the woman. When he showed her no aggression she returned to her car to continue her way. Somehow he knew her journey was important.
In his new world he would shield others as well, but this woman was to be sheltered at all times. As he grew in the wisdom given by the Great Spirit, he learned ways of helping her when she was confused. His body could glow when light was needed. His shadow could change in size and shape. When he howled she knew that danger was near. She had much to learn, but he felt she had vital work to do.
And so he came to understand what his mother had told him. He was destined for greatness and he would do his very best to make her proud.
Rachel became cognizant of where she was and the tears streaming down her face. She began to sag but strong arms caught her.
Let me help you. Joseph found this way into her mind again. She felt sleepy and foggy and tried to shake it off.
“But what about the threshold?” Rachel said aloud. “Should I cross it?”
You will receive a message from the other side. It will come from an unlikely source. Be open to it. It will be true.
He was gone.
Rachel stepped over the stones and sat on a nearby bench. She was exhausted, drained. After resting for a few minutes, she returned to the parking lot where Eddy waited.
“Did you get what you needed?” he asked. “Was there an answer?”
“Yes,” she said. “It wasn’t the answer I was looking for, but it was something I wanted to know.” She described meeting Joseph and what he said.
“That’s the way labyrinths work,” Eddy said. “In mysterious ways they channel knowledge we need.”
“I’m so tired.”
“You had a spiritual experience,” Eddy replied. “You have arrived.”
Passage from Atomic Medium in Chapter 13. Find Atomic Medium on Amazon. https://tinyurl.com/4fp2afcv
Bewitching Book Tours: Skinwalker Medium
It’s the Season of the Witch. Are you Ready?
Beginning Monday July 14, 2025 my book Skinwalker Medium goes on tour. I’m happy to announce that Bewitching Book Tours is hosting this outing for Rachel Blackstone and her friend Chloe Valdez.
One of the most feared mythological Native American creatures is the skinwalker. Trouble is it’s not a myth.
Rachel Blackstone, the Reluctant Medium, must stop this fearsome force before anyone else dies. But first, she must identify the connection to the New Mexico state penitentiary riot. Rachel calls on her friends Chloe, Mari-Lynn and her new Navajo acquaintance, ranger Dave Chee, to help her solve the mystery hidden in the petroglyphs and reveal the killer.
Bewitching Book Tours specialize in paranormal romance and urban fantasy. Skinwalker Medium falls into the latter category. Tour stops follow so you may visit these websites full of books and reviews. Happy reading!
July 14 Paranormalists(Guest Blog)
https://paranormalists.blogspot.com/
July 14 Roxanne’s Realm
http://www.roxannesrealm.blogspot.com
July 15 The Creatively Green Write at Home Mom (Guest Blog)
http://creativelygreen.blogspot.com/
July 15 Sapphyria’s Books
https://saphsbooks.blogspot.com/
July 16 The Book Junkie Reads (Interview)
https://thebookjunkiereadspromos.blogspot.com/
July 16 Books1987
https://books0623.blogspot.com/
July 17 Lisa’s World of Books
http://www.lisasworldofbooks.net/
July 17 Fang-tastic Books
http://fang-tasticbooks.blogspot.com
July 18 Bewitching Book Tours
https://bewitchingbooktours.tumblr.com/
July 18 Liliyana Shadowlyn
https://lshadowlynauthor.com
July 21 A Bewitching Guide to Halloween
https://www.abewitchingguidetohalloween.com/
July 21 Supernatural Central (Interview)
http://supernaturalcentral.blogspot.com
July 21 Kim’s Book Reviews https://www.kimsbookreviewsandwritingahas.blog/
G G Collins
GG Collins Mysteries 
Personal Altars
Jun 25
Posted by G G Collins
Creating a Personal Altar
By GG Collins (Copyright 2026)
You don’t have to be religious to have a personal altar. It’s a grouping of pieces of importance to you or just esthetically pleasing. It reflects your interests and imagination. And it can be soothing in times of trouble to look at things that give you joy.
Getting Started
The best location is against an east wall. Most Christian churches face east. Navajo hogans also face east so the first thing you see upon awakening is Father Sun.
It’s possible to buy an altar kit from various places like Etsy and Amazon. It arrives in pieces and you assemble it. I chose a simple two-shelf system in black. But you can also use a dresser top, table or any flat surface already in your home.
From image-generator.com
Placements
Here’s where the fun really begins. I chose to start with the four elements: earth, air, fire and water. The four elements date back to the Greek philosopher Empedocles. Since then, a fifth element or essence has been added, that being spirit.
Earth
I have a wonderful friend who used to live in Colorado where crystals are in abundance. Over the years she has gifted me dozens and dozens of beautiful crystals. They are for protection, healing and a myriad of purposes. I know they are gorgeous and I love them. She hand-picked each one and that makes them special.
Two dishes of crystals now anchor the lower shelf. From there I added a crystal ball, which I used in writing one of my books. Two crystal geodes my husband gave me went on the top shelf. These crystals represent earth.
Copyright by GGCollins
Whenever you think of earth, also think of home, security and food. Earth colors are green brown and black.
Air
I needed to represent air next. I added a found feather to portray a bird flying across the sky. To further the realm of air I chose a sage bundle. Sage is often used by Native Americans for purifying and protection. Air is the symbol of creativity, knowledge and communication. Colors are yellow, white and pale blue.
Fire
For fire there are candles, both the kind that actually burn and battery operated. I never light a match to the real ones. I use the battery candles. They are very realistic and you don’t have to have a fire extinguisher handy. Fire symbolizes love, courage and energy. Colors are red, orange and gold.
Water
Water is the fourth element. Another friend chose sea shells for me on one of her vacations. I pictured her walking along a beach searching for just the right ones. In addition, there are cobalt jars that could hold water. Water is the symbol of healing, intuition and the unconscious. Colors are blue, silver and sea green.
The Four Elements. Image from freepik.com
Spiritual
If you are spiritual or belong to a house of worship, you can represent that as well. I have a small candle my church gives to all their members with a decorative holder. I also like to have holy water on hand. While I’m not Catholic, I visit their churches and purchase vessels of blessed water. There is a small sanctuary located in Chimayo, New Mexico that is reputed to have healing dirt in a small anteroom. People come out of there with plastic bags of soil and take it home. I am one of those people.
Significance
A few things are there because they are meaningful to me. My husband gave me a “grow your own crystal.” It was a thoughtful and fun project to watch the crystal grow inside the jar. A friend gave me a tiny turquoise horse. We were both horsy girls. I treasure it.
Be creative. Don`t be worried about what you are doing – one has to do many things – but do everything creatively, with devotion. Then your work becomes worship. Then whatsoever you do is a prayer. And whatsoever you do is an offering at the altar. — Rajneesh
From image-generator.com
Photos, flowers and herbs are often used, as are keys to symbolize new doors opening. You can see that setting up your altar is a very personal experience. It’s up to you how simple or enchanting you want to make it.
Purpose
Your altar can have a specific use or just be beautiful. But possibilities include honoring your loved ones, gods or goddesses of your choice, setting intentions, manifesting your wishes or even spellwork if you are so inclined.
An altar offers you comfort when times are hard as you gaze upon the loving gifts you have been given. Gifts remind you, you are loved.
From wallpapercave.com
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Tags: altar, Candles, crystals, G G Collins, healing, meditation, personal altar, Religion and Spirituality, Reluctant Medium at Large, spirituality, witchcraft