Cultivating Creativity with an Assist from Mulled Wine

by Candice Covington, author of Vibrational Nutrition and Essential Oils in Spiritual Practice

Mulled wine originated in the 2nd century and was created by the Romans who would heat wine fortified with spices and herbs to defend their bodies against the cold winter. As the Romans conquered much of Europe throughout the next century, their love for mulled wine spread across their empire and the regions they traded with. Europeans during the Middle Ages quickly grafted onto this idea and mixed heated wine with spices, herbs, and flowers as natural sweeteners to enhance the healing abilities. The following recipe is crafted to bring out your most creative impulse and offer support in finding this time fruitful and full of personal expression!

Creativity in a Mug

• 1 bottle wine – full-bodied red
• Cheesecloth
• 4 whole cloves
• 3 whole star anise
• 1 whole cardamom pod
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 10 whole black peppercorns
• 1 small spring rosemary
• Nutmeg – grated   
• 1 ½ cups blood orange juice
• 2 strips of blood orange zest – large, use a vegetable peeler
• Optional: up to ¼ cup of brown sugar or sweetener of choice

Place spices, herbs, and orange zest in cheesecloth and secure it with kitchen twine. Combine the wine, sugar if using, blood orange juice, and cheesecloth bundle in a slow cooker on low heat until hot, about 1 hour, and then remove cheesecloth bundle. Adjust temperature to the warm setting. To serve ladle into mugs and top off with grated nutmeg and a twist of blood orange peel. 

Now let’s explore the energies that make this a creative beverage!  

Wine: Soulfulness. This is an expression of incredible depth, which provides softness toward human experience. It is not the quest for perfection but instead the practice of exploring what it means to be fully human within all of our shades. It is growing to love the seemingly disorderly and paradoxical aspects of a human incarnation and staying within that process, without shutting down, until the rich gift of experience has bloomed. 

Star anise: Opens the crown chakra and third eye.

Black pepper: Supports being precise and a specialist in whatever endeavor you’re currently exploring.

Cardamom: Fosters feelings of contentment regardless of outside circumstances.

Clove: Deepens the creative impulse.

Nutmeg: Supports abstract understanding and dreaming as well as visualizing what could be.

Blood orange: Teaches you how to share your gifts and talents, allowing your natural charisma to shine forth.

Narrative: A fun aspect of being creative is being a bit messy and not knowing the whole picture as you start. It is great to have an objective and clear insight into what you want to bring into this world and it is equally as important to leave room for divine inspiration or your muse to lend a hand. To really allow yourself to shine do not worry about public opinion as you are in creation mode and allow your deepest self to take the reins.

Formula: Sip + ponder + slip into flow + bring your idea into the concrete + rejoice + share.