Chicken Soup for the Soul
Not many things are constant in our world, but if there’s one thing to count on, it is that cold and flu season is upon us. Additionally, this time of year comes with its own challenges and stresses, which can take a toll on our souls. One thing I’ve come to understand through dealing with ample amounts of stress is that all that negative energy lingering in our systems can often reflect in our physical health.
Just a small disclaimer: some spiritual teachers take this idea to an extreme level by stating that serious health issues are often caused by spiritual distress. This belief seems to blame people for their own illnesses, which is a concept I strongly disagree with. Sometimes, coping with difficult health problems is a part of our path and is something we agreed to withstand in this life to learn to appreciate the time we are given, however short. Sometimes it’s meant to be a motivator to bring some positivity to the lives we interact with while we are here. My point is, life is stressful, and holding onto negativity and stress can lower our immune systems, making us susceptible to minor illnesses. Unless you have an illness/physical disability that is known to be directly linked to high stress levels, the cause is not spiritual in nature. And if it is, it is certainly not your fault. (I plan on going into this concept in more detail in a later article because this is something I struggle with in my own life, but for the sake of continuity, just keep in mind for now that I am in that boat and I understand.)
One goal I have in my practice is to create spells that combat both the physical and spiritual symptoms of various issues. A simple one that is my go-to for cold and flu season is homemade chicken noodle soup. Since I was a kid, I’ve found chicken broth to be the most soothing trick for knocking out a cold quickly. As an adult, I’ve tweaked my recipe time and time again to create the ultimate healing soup. There are simpler ways to make this that will do the trick, or just using store bought soup, stirring with intention, can work in a pinch. But the recipe I’m sharing with you, today, is specifically designed to completely clear out any lingering negative energy from your energetic system while treating the cold and flu symptoms. It is the most powerful version of this spell that I’ve created, yet, so I trust it will serve you well during these wintery months.
As much as I have a distain for recipes that ramble too much with background information, I want to throw in some information concerning the side effects of this spell and what the healing looks like afterward before continuing.
The cold and flu symptoms will begin subsiding immediately, but the first stage of this spell is drowsiness and fatigue. Clearing your energy, just like cleansing your home or doing any sort of energy work, can be exhausting. This spell is no different, and because of its intensity, the sleepiness is a natural part of the process. Please plan to eat the soup in the evening or on a day where you’re going to be sleeping it off anyway, and no driving or doing anything that requires you to have full focus and attention.
Drink plenty of water and make sure you get a full night’s rest. In the morning, you will wake up energized and motivated.
Other documented results reported by people who have used this spell:
Able to accomplish any goal set with ease
Increased efficiency
Increased planning ability
Increased endurance
Increased self-esteem
Enhanced positive emotions
Increased satisfaction
The broth will take at least 4 hours to simmer, but if you have the time to start in advance, for best results allow 24-48 hours to simmer.
Ingredients:
1 Chicken carcass (you can buy a whole chicken from the store and butcher it yourself, or see if your local butcher will lend you a hand. I usually get the whole chicken, carve it up and set the pieces aside for other uses, and then leave the carcass in the freezer until I need to make broth)
Filtered water
2 cups of spinach
1 large carrot
1 yellow onion
1 head of garlic
1/2 medium summer squash
1/2 medium zucchini
Salt and pepper
Turmeric
Onion powder
Garlic powder
Cumin
Thyme
Paprika
Rosemary
1 cup of rice/noodles of your choice (optional)
For the herbs, I don’t use measurements but suggest starting with 1/2 TBSP of each and adjusting the amounts to taste. These ingredients are great natural antibiotics and anti-inflammatories and offer spiritual protection and strength. A perfect combination for a spell designed for full physical and mental health, clarity, and spiritual cleansing.
Start by placing the chicken carcass in a large stock pot and add water until the entire carcass is covered. Make sure you speak your healing intentions into the water as you pour it in.
Set to high heat. Once the water is boiling, lower the heat to a simmer and add in your spices. I cook mine on the stove but if you have a crockpot, adjust your heat settings and timing accordingly.
Stir the spices in the broth counter-clockwise while focusing your intention on banishing negative energy. In my practice, it’s important to stir in counts of 3 (3 full circles, 6 full circles, 9 full circles, etc) but you can also stir by drawing out personal symbols or sigils if that’s more oriented to your practice. As long as the focus is on banishing negative energy, stir as it suits you.
Then, change focus to intentions on inviting positive energy. You can choose whatever effect you desire, but for this spell, I focus on strength, mental clarity, and protection from negative energy. As you do this, change your direction to stirring clockwise. Again, in counts of 3 or using whatever pattern you wish.
Cover the pot with a lid and let simmer for at least 4 hours. Check in on it regularly, and if you notice the water level getting lower, pour in more water to make sure the whole carcass stays covered, and don’t forget to speak your intentions into it as you do so.
If you plan on eating the soup the same day, at this point you can remove the carcass. If you plan on letting the broth simmer for longer to allow more nutrients from the chicken to absorb, continue simmering for up to 24-48 hours.
Cut your vegetables however you wish—I prefer meatier chunks, but this is your soup so make it yours. Add the vegetables to the pot, stir with intention in the same fashion that you did with the herbs and spices. At this point, you can taste-test the broth and add more spices if you need to. Replace the lid and let simmer for another hour.
Once everything is cooked thoroughly, you can add rice or noodles to make the soup more filling. Sometimes I’ll add potatoes, too. If that is the case, add what you desire, stir only once, and let it cook covered for another 20 minutes.
Turn off the heat and it’s ready to serve! This recipe should comfortably serve the whole family but if you have leftovers, they’ll last stored in the refrigerator for a week. To reheat, heat in a pot on the stove until simmering or covered in the microwave for 3 minutes, stopping every minute to stir.
Wishing you warmth, comfort, and good health this season!
Much love,