Mulled Cider: A Cup of Blessings

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There’s nothing quite like the scent of mulled cider simmering on the stove — apples, cinnamon, cloves, and oranges blending into a potion of warmth. At Samhain, this drink carries deep meaning. It harks back to wassailing, the old tradition of blessing orchards with song and drink to ensure a fertile harvest.

To sip mulled cider is to drink joy and protection, to gather around the hearth with loved ones and raise a cup to the turning of the year.

Magical Correspondences

  • Apples – Wisdom, love, blessings, immortality

  • Cinnamon – Sacred fire, protection, passion

  • Cloves – Prosperity, banishing negativity

  • Star Anise – Spirit connection, divination, clarity

  • Orange – Solar energy, joy, renewal

Ingredients

  • 1 gallon apple cider

  • 1 orange, sliced into rounds

  • 3 cinnamon sticks

  • 6 whole cloves

  • 2 star anise (optional)

  • ¼ tsp nutmeg

  • 2–3 tbsp brown sugar (to taste)

  • Optional: ½–1 cup brandy or rum for adult version

Instructions

  1. Pour cider into a large pot. Add orange slices, cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise, nutmeg, and sugar.

  2. Bring to a gentle simmer (do not boil). Let it warm for 20–30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

  3. Taste and adjust sweetness if needed.

  4. Strain into mugs and serve hot. Add brandy or rum just before serving if desired.

Ritual Notes

  • As it simmers, walk by the pot often — stir clockwise and whisper blessings into the cider.

  • If you’re serving a group, invite each person to make a small toast of gratitude before sipping.

  • Pour a small cup as an offering to the ancestors or the land.

  • Save the orange slices — dry them afterward to hang as charms for joy and protection.

Your Recipe Card

A cup of blessing and warmth for all who gather.
Keep your recipe on a Hearthblossom card, and note who you shared it with — friends, family, or spirits honored at your table.

👉 Download your recipe card printable card HERE


Mulled cider is more than a cozy drink. It is laughter around the hearth, a blessing carried on steam, a way of honoring the orchard and the harvest that sustains us. Raise a cup this Samhain — to ancestors, to loved ones, to the turning wheel — and drink in the magic of the season.

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