Family tree - beech leaf noyau
A drink of ancestral connection
The longer I am at this witchcraft game the more I realise that (at least for me) the real power isn’t found by reaching out to Gods and demons, but comes from first building relationships with those closer by. Time taken to connect yourself with the spirits of the place you live and of ancestry (both direct and indirect) is incredibly valuable. The bigger stuff can of course work without it, but firm foundations make for a stronger building in the long run.
Most ancient magic is really necromantic at heart - the magicians and priests of the ancient world did their daily work with the spirits of the dead - using them to relay messages to and from the lands of the afterlife.
There are many ways to connect with local spirits - but most of them do involve some kind of offering. Regular offerings usually involve fire (a candle), air (incense) and water (an offering glass left out) but a more lavish offering can often be useful to aid a deeper bond or when you might need urgent assistance in a particular area. I see this as a bit like asking your friends to come help you pack for a move, and paying them in pizza and beer…your mileage may vary…
One of my favourite personal traditions is to make a particular drink of ancestral connection - a beech leaf noyau. Noyau is a French word for the stone of a fruit - which can also be translated to mean core or centre. The drink creme de noyau is usually made from fruit kernels such as apricot and cherry - creating a creamy tasting drink with a nutty edge. Beech noyau however is made from young leaves, rather than from beech nuts, and is said to come from the UK rather than France
The beech tree has been here since before the UK was even an island, and pollen has been found dating back to 6000 BC. The tree is both Saturnian and Mercurial - both necromantic and a symbol of communication. What better combination to forge and strengthen ancestral connection?
This recipe is for the traditional version (but made magical). Beech leaves picked around Beltane steeped in gin for a month, then drained, mixed with syrup and a tot of brandy, and stored again til Samhain, til it darkens to a rich gold. Technically you can drink this after a month - but I find that window between these two celebrations to be key to infusing this preparation with magic and purpose.
Gin is an especially good spirit for my ancestral line, being British as far back as I can trace...with links to London workhouses, but you could easily use something more resonant for you and your line, vodka, white rum etc.
You will need:
A wide necked jar or several smaller jars with a total capacity of around 750ml or 1 litre
enough young, light green, beech leaves to fill the jar (around a carrier bag worth)
700ml gin or other spirit
125ml brandy
100g honey (or sugar)
200ml water
bottles for the finished product - total capacity around 1.5 litres
Method (at all stages of preparation I call in ancestors and speak intentions to ingredients - examples below)
Pick your young beech leaves, ensuring you have the permission of the trees. Try to spread your picking across a number of trees rather than just one.
Loosely pack these beech leaves into the jar and pour the gin over them. Ensure all of the leaves are covered - remove any that don’t stay submerged.
Put lids on the jars, label and date, and store in a cool, dark place for at least a month.
Shake every Wednesday and Saturday while speaking your intention to the preparation (don’t panic if you miss a few days - really - perfection is the enemy of the good)
Strain the infused gin through a sieve into a jug or bowl, let the leaves sit in the sieve for a while as you want as much liquid as possible without squeezing them (squeezing makes a cloudy end product)
In a separate pan or bowl, mix the honey or sugar with hot water and stir until the sugar dissolves. Leave to cool.
Add the brandy and cooled sugar water to the gin, mix well and pour into storage bottles (don’t forget to sterilise these beforehand)
You can either drink the noyau immediately, or leave it in the dark to mature until Samhain
Serve chilled / over ice.
As well as being delicious, this drink is now empowered magically. I use it as offering on my ancestor altar and also take a drink myself with the intention of connection before I do any magical work where I need their involvement. At can also be taken to cemeteries as offering for local spirits and I have found it incredibly useful in propitiating the spirits of place around London.
