March 15: Beware the Ides of March—an unlucky day.

March 17: St. Patrick's Day. The luck o' the Irish to ye!

March 18: In the Celtic Tree Calendar, today is the first day of the Month of the Alder.

March 21: Today is the first day of spring.

If unlucky days make you nervous, defend yourself with some of the traditional protective herbs that have been used for millennia to ward off evil. (Click on the links to read a description of these herbs, in Maud Grieve's famous Modern Herbal, 1931.)

• Dill: Hang a bunch of dill over a child's bed to protect against evil fairies.

• Borage: If you're concerned about dishonesty, plots, or secrets, place borage leaves or blossoms nearby and listen in. (Borage is said to encourage people to tell the truth.)

• Angelica: Wear it to protect yourself against evil spirits, but beware that it may also keep you from seeing opportunities. Brew a tea it and sprinkle it in the corners of a house.

• Caraway: Wear the seeds in an amulet to protect against disease and ill health. Put some into your spouse's pocket to protect against infidelity.

Good luck!

Read more about the protective properties of herbs:

• Magical Herbalism: The Secret Craft of the Wise, by Scott Cunningham
• Herb Magic for Beginners, by Ellen Dugan

On St. Patrick's Day, throw an Irish tea party, with a little help from your friends, China Bayles and Ruby Wilcox. For recipes, decorations, and all the fixin's, check out China's and Ruby's tea room.

If St. Patrick's Day makes you feel lucky, it'll be a fine day to enter China's quiz—you might win a free copy of Holly Blues (coming in April)! The questions are easy (free hints provided!) Better hurry—this week's quiz closes Wednesday, March 17, at noon.

At the end of a cold, windy March day, brew up a fragrant lavender bath tea (learn how in Susan's podcast "Lovely, Luscious Lavender") and soak while you read a good book. We recommend the China Bayles' short-story collection, An Unthymely Death and Other Garden Mysteries.

If you're interested in herbs and astrology (and especially if you're an Aries), you'll want to read the March 21 entry in The China Bayles Book of Days. There, you'll find descriptions of garlic, nettle, mustard, and other important Mars'-ruled herbs. What? You don't have a copy? Get yours here!

Do you belong to a book club? Register your group with Susan's Book Club Friends, and become eligible to participate in contests, giveaways, and phone chats with China's creator.

Investigate the fascinating Celtic Tree Calendar, most likely the poetic invention of Robert Graves, although some say it dates back to the Druids.

In Irish legend the first human male was created from alder, as the first female was created from rowan. Alder was anciently regarded as a "faerie tree," able to grant access to faerie realms. —Jacqueline Memory Paterson, Tree Wisdom