The Gauntlet of Change

Don't be like this guy. Please be safe this New Year! 

Magickal Graphics  

It's hard to believe that we are on the last day of 2012! Can I just say, "WE SURVIVED!"

Not just survived the Mayan end of the world prophecy, but survived all the crazy things happening in our world. Which leads me to think about those who didn't survive, like the people who died in natural and un-natural disasters. I think we can all agree that the Sandy Elementary students and staff lost will always be in our hearts.

We cannot dwell on sad things though. The living must go on. So what will be new in your life? I will continue to work on manifesting good things in my life. I hope that DH will be able to find a better job. I hope that within this new year we will be able to bring my dog Kota home. She's been away from me for far too long.

What I will not be doing is making a New Years Resolution. I think resolutions are just setting yourself up for failure. If you were not willing to change something about yourself at any other time of the year, then you won't change them at the beginning of the year either.

Of course, I do wish all those good luck if you do decide to take up the gauntlet of change. I have thought about trying to loose weight again, but I go back to my belief that if I wasn't willing to change before, I won't now. I think instead of calling it a resolution,  I will say that a good change to manifest for my whole family would be to just be more active. Perhaps do more physical things as a family but not worry about whether we are loosing weight or not.

Will you change anything about your life this coming year? Or are you content to make no New Years resolutions?

Toddler Freeplay

Since I'm talking about parenting styles a lot lately, here is a perfect example. I was making dinner last night. Homemade pizza was on the menu in case you're wondering. Wyatt was getting into a lot of things and being his usual distraction so once I was done with the rolling pin I just handed it to him and a little flour. He had a blast. Take a look. :)

My best advice for any new parents out there, don't worry about the little things. A slightly messy home is probably a happy one. 

Have a wonderful Yule!

Everyone have a wonderful Yule! So what are your plans? I'm note sure what we're doing yet. Yes I know I'm a procrastinator. I may spend this evening educating my daughter on the day and perhaps asking what she would like to end in her life, and what she would like to begin.

We spent a few minutes outside throwing a bit of snow around, but it's so windy we couldn't stay outside for long.

Have a very blessed Yule my friends, and thanks for reading my blog!

~Magickal Graphics~

How does your spirituality affect your parenting?

A new blog I was introduced to me titled "The Baby, The Mother, and the Goddess". The author of this blog has a question. How does my spirituality affect my parenting?

I just want to say I have a new found respect for all those video bloggers out there. This is the first time I've attempted a video blog, and it wasn't easy! I think I had about 5 takes before I got something even resembling a coherent answer. I'm still not 100% happy with it. I thought it would be fun to try this way though just for the experience. :)

So without further ado, here's the video! Please like and share it and I'd love to hear your answers as well.

How does your spirituality affect your parenting style?

A Years Reflection

Source unknown

The year is almost over and now is the time when I usually go back through my pictures and writing to see where I've been. Often through reflection I can see where I might be headed in the future.

Here are some posts I am very proud to have written and I think deserve a second read.





There's been a lot of talk lately about mental illness. Here's a post written in January on mental illness and psychic ability.

Is Psychic Ability & Mental Illness linked?

Who could forget the gentleman who decided to punish his daughter in a very public way by making a Youtube video and shooting her computer!

Tough Love Parenting

I've often said that I don't meditate enough. As a busy mom with two kids it's hard to find time to myself. However in March I did find a little time to receive this message from my great Granny. Her message of patience is a good one. Sometimes we just have to wait because what we want isn't the right time to manifest.

A message from my ancestors.

Do you like to keep candle magick simple? This candle magick I performed didn't work out as I had envisioned it, but my husband did have a job soon thereafter.

Keep Candle Magick simple

Here's a personal tale of caution. Good intentions sometimes have very bad consequences.

Be careful what you witch for.


Do you like tradition? I don't like to feel boxed in. Tradition is fine and daddy when it uplifts you. However when it is restrictive and discourages growth I feel it is harmful. Which is why I'm eclectic. Here is a message from me encouraging you to break free from those traditions that suppress your nature and personal potential.

Tradition limits creativity & spiritual growth

Sometimes I don't know everything! Shocking I know. So here's a post I made after learning the true meaning of the Ichthys symbol. This post wins the best catchy title award and is one of the most visited posts this year.

Vagina On My Car Please

Here's a personal change of mine. Cernunnos came into my life. At the time when Cernunnos offered to "teach me to hunt", I took it to mean teach me how to be successful. I no longer think that. I think he meant teach me how to love a man in a fatherly way.

Lord of the Hunt

It's not often that I share rituals. Here is a ritual I wrote for a friend and shared here on my blog.

A Year & a Day ritual

It's not often I write poems, however this one I think is one of the best I've ever written.

Celebration of the Stag

We're almost to that moment of truth when we find out if Dec 21st is the most important day in history if if it'll turn into a dud like Y2K. Here's my thoughts on the Mayan calendar and the end of days.

Spiritual & Personal Awakening

The year couldn't be complete without my opinion on telling children about Santa.

No good lie: A discussion of Santa Clause

Reflect on your life this year. What has been your major success and major downfall? If you're a blogger, what is the one blog post you're the most proud of?

Lighting a candle for Newtown, Connecticut

I'm lighting a candle for those who have been affected by the school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. I'm sure you've probably already heard of it. Right now the news is reporting 27 people dead including 18 children.

As a parent I cannot fathom what these parents and children are going through. I'm so glad my children are home safe and sound and DD is home schooled! This is one of my worst fears.

Blessings, love and light to all those families in Connecticut.

Vintage Romance Bookstore

As an avid reader of romance books, I have a very large collection that keeps growing occasionally. So I've decided to purge my inventory. You may see what I have for sale on Amazon's Vintage Romance store. The link is also in my navigation bar above. Please take a look and in the next month or so I may do a sale along with a giveaway! So stay tuned for that.

No Good Lie. A Discussion of Santa Clause.

Pagan Dad has a post about whether we should tell kids about Santa Clause. I've seen and replied to this topic several times over the past few days. There's always the argument that if you don't tell your kids Santa is real you're robbing them of their childhood. Verses telling them about Santa and teaching them all parents lie to their kids.

We choose not to do Santa. Though it isn't a simple matter of telling lies. Certainly lying to children is wrong, however for my case our decision not to participate in the Santa tale stems from my childhood. My mother, though she is a well meaning woman, constantly stretches the truth so far that I always have to decipher what is a lie or truth. It's like a puzzle each time she speaks!

I never believed in Santa as a child. Even at a young age I was smart enough to figure out it would be pretty impossible for Santa to bring toys to each child in one night and squeeze his overly large behind down chimneys. Don't get me started on those houses without a fire place!

"Santa brings a sense of magical wonder to children."

I find this one a bit laughable considering people who say this also berate me for being the "weird woman who thinks she's a witch." So what about that "magical wonder" children are suppose to have? Well personally I feel they can still have that without the tale of Santa or the Tooth fairy or whatever other tale parents want to tell. I can also teach my child about the spirit of giving without a big fat man in a suit.

"But there's no difference in telling about God/Goddess and Santa"

I hear that reasoning often too. They have a point, neither can be proved and we just have to have faith. However I don't force my beliefs on my children. I tell them what I believe, and if they choose to believe it to so be it. If not, that's OK too. Same with Santa. If they wish to believe I'm not going to be mad. But I will tell them I really buy the presents.

"But your children will ruin it for my kids."

Children inevitably hear it from other kids. By this time, their probably ready to hear the truth anyway. However I do teach my children that other parents choose to have their children believe in Santa, and that we shouldn't discuss Santa with other kids.



"St. Nicholas was a real person, therefore Santa is real."

Unless you believe in immortal beings, St. Nick is dead! Do you really want kids telling other kids Santa is dead? No, didn't think you did. Yes there really was a St. Nicholas. It's also a good idea to teach your kids about this very real person. If you home school this is a wonderful history lesson. However that doesn't mean you should tell kids he's alive, living at the North pole, and handing out toys to all kids in the world one day a year. A small kernel of truth does not make the whole story true. I don't believe St. Nick is a "Spirit of Christmas", because I believe after so long his spirit would have moved onto many different lives. 

Bottom line is that I strive to teach my kids never to lie by not lying to them myself. There is no harmless lie. Truth and honesty are major moral lessons in this household. I feel that the truth is best even if it hurts ourselves and others at the time. In the end my children know I will always tell them the truth and can be trusted to never deceive them.

That said, I respect a parents right to choose what is right for their kids. If you want them to believe in Santa, go right ahead. Just don't assume my children believe in Santa, and don't force your choice on us. We'll also make sure our kids don't force our choice on your family.


Do you tell your kids about Santa or the Holly King?

Spiritual & Personal Awakening

I've heard it said often that more and more people are awakening to a new spiritual beginning. I guess I can sort of see that happening. More and more people are leaving mainstream religions in favor of either agnosticism or some other minority religion. However I think "awakening" is a misleading term. It's more like fed up with what they were raised to believe and what society tells them they should believe in order to fit into the "norm". I see so many people mention daily that they aren't (Insert religion here) anymore because of various bad experiences or they generally just don't agree with or are confused by the faith. As we become more and more comfortable with being ourselves without fear of others ridiculing ourselves and family, then we begin to explore what it really is we believe.

Many years ago my husband was more in tune with his spiritual nature. I was just beginning my Pagan journey. Something he said then has always stuck with me. After his meditation he would often talk about what he had seen. One particular meditation he spoke of natural disasters and a spiritual awakening happening after 2007.  Of course as December 21st nears we are also hearing a lot about the Mayan calendar and end time prophecies.

I think these prophecies are not speaking of physical death of the world, but the death of society as we know it. More and more people are standing up to society's expectations and instead are living their life their way. You can see this in many aspects of life. Anything from religion to sexual orientation make the news frequently. More and more people are saying, "I won't hide behind the norm. I believe in this, and I should be accepted for who and what I am."

Do you believe we are going through a spiritual and personal awakening? Do you believe our world will change or end in December or the near future?

The Bewitching Home

Join me for the Bewitching Home blog party! I haven't done one of these in a long time. Not sure what I'll write about. Any suggestions?

Click to go to The Witch of Howling Creek blog

Smile!

I think everyone that has a naturally beautiful smile takes for granted how pivotal to society it is to be able to smile without fear. I wasn't one of the lucky ones. Blame it on genetics, growing up poor, or just plain bad habits. In my case, it's a combination of all three. By the time I was 7 I already had learned not to smile. Of course childhood teasing started early and really lead to low self esteem and just not caring in my teen years.

People have considered me stuck up because I don't smile or look cheerful. I was even fired for a job for "not being cheerful enough." I tried a little half smile, but I'm afraid it just came off as a grimace rather than a friendly gesture. Today, I can fully smile and be proud! I finally got my dentures. It's been almost a year since I started this transformation. I'm sure there is going to be an adjustment period. But I can already feel my outlook on life changing. There's no more need to hide!

Smile, and be happy. :) 

Wyatt shows us he has a great smile too!

Positive Thoughts Equals Positive Action

Image Source

So looking around my normal haunts on the net, I've come to the conclusion that everyone likes to complain way too much! Where is the good? It's not seen enough. So here are some quotes on being positive. I hope they help brighten your day.

Choosing to be positive and having a grateful attitude is going to determine how you're going to live your life.
Joel Osteen

When I examine myself and my methods of thought, I come to the conclusion that the gift of fantasy has meant more to me than any talent for abstract, positive thinking.
Albert Einstein

Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will.
Zig Ziglar

Frustration, although quite painful at times, is a very positive and essential part of success.
Bo Bennett

A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events and outcomes. It is a catalyst and it sparks extraordinary results.
Wade Boggs

Read more at www.brainyquote.com

PBP: Old or New Path?

Prompt: Old Ways or Modern Path?

As I was skimming through a friend's blog, something she said sparked a good question in my mind.
The path that you follow - is it purely the Old Ways? Is it more 'modern Wicca'? Or somewhere in between?

There are lots of sources for information on the age of what we call Wicca or Paganism in the modern day, and most of them agree that the alternative paths of today are actually quite different than 'normal life' of ancient history.

So I wonder, what parts of your path are based on ancient methods and teachings? What aspects of modern spirituality do you employ? Why the difference?

This week's prompt is definitely all about you, your mind, your self, and what you think and feel. I completely understand if this is too deep of a subject for you to comfortably share, and take no offense if you don't post your link. First and foremost, these prompts are to help you explore yourself. Meeting others of like-mind is only a side bonus.

__________________________

Because my path is a hodge-podge of various beliefs, my faith is mostly modern with and old world twist. Honestly, I can't separate the old from the new. I don't think most other Pagans can either. I don't get caught up in labels. It doesn't matter to me one bit if something is new. The oldest religions were at one time new. It doesn't make them any less valid IMO. When someone brings it up I just listen politely and change the subject. Not to be mean, but when someone is caught up in the "I practice the old ways", I wonder if they truly believe in Paganism, or if they are in it for the "status". I get that a lot of Pagans feel like they don't fit into society so are looking for something that speaks to them. I've felt that way too over the years. But you won't find what is truly right for you if all you're worried about is status within the community. 

Just learn, grow as a spiritual person and eventually that feeling of belonging will come to you.

Kota Blue Storm

Magaly over on Pagan Culture has invited us to share our fur-kids. My mother takes care of mine since I moved and cannot have a pet right now. There isn't a day goes by that I don't think about Kota and wish I could bury my nose in her fur and give her a big kiss on her wet nose.

I suppose I'll answer the same questions as Magaly.

1. Do all Witches keep familiars? Like Magaly, I think of my furry children as family, not tools. I did have a black cat once that loved to sit with me at my altar though. ;)

2. Has Kota ever assisted during a magic ritual? No not that I remember. But she has helped with Halloween, much to her dismay.

"I don't like you right now mommy, so I stick my tongue out at you and refuse to look at the camera!"

3. Most Witches prefer cats. Is Kota a kitty in disguise? I'm not quite sure Kota realizes she is not a human. We've treated her as part of our family so well that she automatically expects full family privileges. Such as stealing my bed. 

"What? This isn't my sleeping spot?"

4. Does Kota have her own broomstick? Who needs a broomstick when you can do zoomies instead?

5. What’s Kota favorite color for witchy robes? Robes are not quite her style, but tiara's are not out of the question. 

6. Kota is a collie. Has she ever considered joining the fierce and elitist children of Thor?  When most people think of rough collies they think of the lovable and smart Lassie - a great family pet. Well I won't argue on the family part, but Kota has her tough side too. Just look how she defends herself against the evil villain, daddy's hand! Don't be fooled by it's normal appearance, it's pure evil! (No human flesh was consumed in the making of this picture)

7. So… is Kota part of any coven? If you consider coven family [I do] then yes, totally apart of this coven. :) 

This is how it all started. 

Baby Kota (left) with her sister Kayla (right).

Pagan Home School Project

For the past couple of months I have been home schooling my daughter through the K12 program. Technically it's public school at home, but that's besides the point.

The point is that I am her "learning coach", and I've made it a priority to teach her more about different subjects K12 doesn't cover. One of those subjects is Paganism.

When searching online for Pagan home school worksheets I realized there really isn't a lot offered out there. So I decided I would make it my new mission to create my own printable work sheets.

Now this is a very new project and in its infancy. I would really like some help with this, so if anyone out there thinks they'd like to join me in creating work sheets please email me!

The website for this project is: paganhomeschooling.webs.com

There is one available document I put together yesterday. It's about Sabbats. My next project will be about Yule since it's coming up.

Bloggers, there is a forum there that you are more than welcome to post content or links on as long as it's useful to help teach students. You will need to join the site to post the content.

I hope this site will become a large resource for Pagan parents. Share with your friends!

Blessings, Love and Light.

SWC

PBP: Buy or Make Tools?

Prompt: Who Makes Your Tools?

credit: daillywicca.com

A lot of Pagans perform rituals. Even those who do not, still have at least one tool that belongs to their practice, whether it be a Book of Shadows or a candle....

When it come to the tools of your practice, does it matter who made them or where they come from?
Does something you made yourself have more power? Or can you simply purchase what you need, then cleanse and charge it for your use?

Remember, what works best for you may not be for everyone, so please don't get too 'preachy' on this subject...

~Magickal Graphics~  

I definitely believe the more energy you put into the tool the better that tool will work for you. That doesn't mean you have to craft every single tool you use. It can be as simple as buying a statue that isn't painted, and doing the painting yourself. It doesn't need to be perfectly painted! As a matter of fact, imperfect art is absolutely perfect for my craft. Which is why I set out to make clay art to sell. I've been a bit lax in making more art. That's because I'm a busy homeschooling momma with a toddler. You can see my imperfect art in my Pagan Creation Etsy store. The Isis statue you see in my store is a apart of my current altar. I also have a Cernunnos statue I use on my altar that I made.

My Cernunnos statue. Pic taken while he was still in the mold and drying.

There are some things that you may not be able to craft or just feel like you don't have the talent to do. That's OK too! That's what cleansing and charging is for.

My Book of Shadows is just a simple notebook. Your tools do not have to be fancy or expensive. We are the craft of the wise. It's not wise to spend all your money on an expensive item when it's not necessary. Often the most simplest of tools is what you feel most connected with.

Finally it's over!

Well like most Americans I am happy that the election is over so we can get back to our daily lives without the political debates and attack ads airing every 5 minutes.

I voted for Obama. I can't remember any other election where I felt trepidation while waiting for the results.

In 2008 I almost voted Republican. I just wasn't sure if I wanted to take the chance with Obama's health care bill. I'm still not quite sure about it. I am afraid, like a lot of Americans against the health care bill, that the government will legislate the crap out of it and make visiting a doctor or hospital one of the worst experiences we all must suffer through. I definitely like the law in other ways though. My husband is Bipolar, so pre-existing conditions made it difficult when we needed to buy private insurance. He went a year without any insurance at all because it was just impossible to find health care that would even cover him let alone be affordable. In the end doing some research, and listening to family and friends swayed me to vote for Obama in 2008. I'm glad I did. One of the best things he did was save the car industry and prevent another recession. I was happy to vote for him again this year and overjoyed that he won.

I'll leave you with this quote from my daughter last night.

"I don't care if Obama wins as long as Romney doesn't."

I think that's exactly what some Americans felt like when voting yesterday.

Change in Comment System

I'm having a bit of trouble with the comment system. I've liked Disqus and used it for a long time but it seems to have stopped working on me. So I've added the Facebook social plug in. This should connect directly to my Facebook Page. If you haven't already liked the page, please do.

Please give me a shout out below and let me know this is working for you.

Happy Birthaversary to me!

 I'm bringing last year's post back to just update. Today is once again my 33rd birthday and our anniversary. 15 years now! We lovingly call it my Birthaversary. How the hell did I put up with him for so long? lol

 We're spending the day with Lance in bed because he's sick, and I'm irritated because I was given a table on Freecycle and he won't go get it. Such is life right? But I still love him, even though he's a big baby when he's sick.

No presents, no cake. All the usual bit. We wake up, he says Happy Birthaversary. I say thank you and happy Anniversary. Then we're back to our daily lives. Perfect marriage right? lol 

Wyatt fell asleep like this last night. lol

           I couldn't resist adding a picture of my little man. I think I've neglected to mention on here that we are now cloth diapering. A friend and I made a trade. My breast pump for 10 cloth diapers yesterday. This blue jeans one was apart of that trade. Isn't he adorable in it?!

We've been cloth diapering for about a month now. Because my apartment has no washer/dryer hookup I wash by hand. It's going well though and I see no reason I can't continue cloth diapering up till he's potty trained. :)










~Magickal Graphics~



Posted: November 4th, 2011

Lance, the Kiss freak

This man, right to the left there, is the goofiest man alive! And he's all mine. :) November 4th marks 14 happily married years of putting up with silly antics from the man of my dreams. We have a 10 yr difference in our ages, and I can remember from a small girl I was infatuated with him!
Our relationship is kinda , well , weird. Without going into all the details, he's always been in my life. We saw each other occasionally. I was a little girl in pig tails who followed him around constantly. Then we moved away and I didn't see him for a long time. When I was 14 he moved to KY and lived with us for awhile. I still remember that day vividly. When we came home he was sitting in a chair by our front door. He had long hair and a gray t-shirt and jeans on. He looked like the bad tattoo man. You know the one you wouldn't want your daughter to go out with. Instant puppy love I tell you!
Over the next couple of years I'd have to see him date other women and it was torture for me! I knew they were not good enough, but I didn't let my feelings get in between us or stop me from dating others. We both went our separate ways as far as relationships.

Lance before we were together

Over the years his antics would make me laugh, cry, and shake my head in disbelief a few times!

2008

So what is a Birthaversary? Well it is my Anniversary and My Birthday! Today marks my 32 days young birthday.

Since money is an issue we've never really been able to do much for our anniversary. This year DH bought me a crochet hook and yarn so I get to finally start learning a new craft!  I've been wanting to do this for some time now. I spent 4 hours doing a simple chain over and over again. I think I unraveled it 2 or 3 times. But anything worth doing takes practice!

So here is what I finally accomplished.

My first attempt before I unraveled it. See I wasn't counting my rows and was getting lost a bit at the ends.

My finished product!

Now I'm going to spend some time on crochet websites learning more and then I'm going to attempt a baby blanket for Wyatt. I may also try a little hoodie or booties too. :) I simply love being a crafty little witch.

Blessings Love and Light my darlings.

Understanding Visions

Visions are one of those experiences that if you've had one you understand how much of a gift it is to receive one. If you've never had a vision then you're left wondering what the big deal is, and if persons who do have them are possibly mentally ill.

I can't vouch for the mental illness, but I have had a couple of visions. The one that was the most vivid is a vision of a past life of mine. I know now that I needed to see it before I could fully embrace my spiritual path. That's the deal with visions. If you don't need to have one, but want and actively seek to have one, you're likely never to experience it.

I've only had visions when there is something I needed to learn from them. Whether to experience one is decided by spirits, the Lord and Lady or the fates, I don't know. I do know that they are real and in my case life altering.

It was at a Samhain festival hosted by the Circle of the Blue Moon. They do an annual Samhain festival and a friend of mine is the High Priestess of that coven. Every year her festivals have a theme and several fun activities. One of the activities was a play. So we all gather around a makeshift stage. ( Btw, sitting on the ground in late October sucks! Only downside to outdoor Samhain festivals. lol)

As I was watching the play unfold I soon slipped into a trance. I no longer saw the actors in the play, but the real people in this historical event, and I was one of them. I also know the High priestess was one of them too. The whole thing brought me to tears because I was witnessing my death by suicide in a past life. Our coven/family was about to be lynched by a mob. Instead of allowing that to happen, we chose to die by walking to the sea. I could taste the brine and dirt of the water as I watched my vision unfold. 

I needed this vision to show me that I was on the right path before. I was good at what we did. It wasn't evil or wrong. I helped others and enjoyed my life. This is all I've ever wanted to do.

My advice for those who truly are trying to seek visions is to just continue with your Pagan studies. Especially make sure you are meditating often if not every day and just don't stress about it. Visions will come if you need one. 

Samhain On The East Coast

Well hurricane Sandy is coming and it looks like it's going to change plans for most trick or treaters. We are in the south east part of Ohio so we may have snow next week.

I had already decided weeks ago that we would not be joining a group this year for Samhain. I felt a need to stay home and keep it all in the family. Especially since this will be the first time we will do a ritual in our new apartment.

My ritual also involves bringing out my genealogy records. That's what I love about rituals, you can use virtually anything that has meaning to you! Have you ever used your family tree during Samhain or when evoking your ancestors? So many pages and I only know the stories of a short few; which is sad when you think about it.

Someone posted a poem on FB yesterday that I thought really put my feelings into words perfectly. I'll also be using this poem in our Samhain ritual. I do not know the author of this poem, so if this is your work or if you know who wrote it please tell me so I may give credit.

STRANGERS IN THE BOX
Come, look with me inside this drawer,
In this box I've often seen,
At the pictures, black and white,
Faces proud, still, and serene.

I wish I knew the people,
These strangers in the box,
Their names and all their memories,
Are lost among my socks.

I wonder what their lives were like,
How did they spend their days?
What about their special times?
I'll never know their ways.

If only someone had taken time,
To tell, who, what, where, and when,
These faces of my heritage,
Would come to life again.

Could this become the fate,
Of the pictures we take today?
The faces and the memories,
Someday to be passed away?

Take time to save your stories,
Seize the opportunity when it knocks,
Or someday you and yours,
Could be strangers in the box.

Will you be changing your Samhain or Halloween plans because of hurricane Sandy?

The Ladies Settee. Introducing a New Blog of Mine

It's not often that I spend money on myself. I think I have a 10 yr old bra that barely fits me and is falling apart. I won't spend the $20 to buy a new one. I always feel guilty when I buy for myself even if I need it because I know there is so much more we need. Yes I'm big on self-sacrifice. It's what my mother taught me when she fed me before her self. It's one of the things I know she did right.

Once in awhile though, I splurge on myself. A girl has to keep herself happy and sane right? I wrote before about waist training. I said I wanted to try it, and the feedback I received was a mixture of opinions. There's a lot of negative connotations associated with corsetry. Many see it as a torture device. Some see it as a naughty little garment meant to be kept only in the bedroom. Well it is a garment, but it's no more naughty than my 10 year old bra. It's also not a torture device. As a matter of fact, it shouldn't hurt when wearing it. If it does hurt, you've laced too tightly.

I bought a corset from eBay a few months ago. See my post here about that experience. Needless to say, I don't recommend buying a corset on eBay. I have bought another corset from Corset UK, which I am eagerly awaiting it's arrival.

I'm not sure if there are many who visit this blog who are interested in corsetry and waist training, but if you are please follow me on my other blog.

Click the image to visit The Ladies Settee

I'm a Child of a Salem Witch

I don't remember if I've explained my user name on my blog before or if I've discussed my ancestry. However I had a question in my email that is actually pretty common. This person wanted to know the best places to visit in Salem, Mass. Because my name is SalemWitchChild people automatically assume I live or have at least visited Salem, Massachusetts. I haven't! Though one of my life goals one day is to visit, I have never had the pleasure of visiting. FYI, if and when I visit Salem, the first place I'm going is the museum there. *wink*

I use to go by the name White Feathers online. It's my tribal name however it was no longer really fitting my spirituality. I was slowly moving away from Native American shamanism and incorporating Wiccan beliefs into my life at the time. I went through a period in my life where I ignored my "white" ancestry and wanted to connect to my native heritage. I realized I was living an unbalanced life and it wasn't healthy to ignore a whole generation of ancestry and tradition.

At the same time I was feeling I needed to delve into another path, I started to research my ancestry. My grandmother had most of my work done for me. My great grandmothers family tree traced back to early 1500's England. In the family tree I recognized that an ancestor had lived close to and died in Salem, Mass during the Salem Witch Trials. I did more digging and sure enough, one of my ancestors was hung as a Salem witch. Therefore, I am a child of a Salem witch and my new Internet ID was born.

 Susannah North Martin lived in Amesbury Mass,. She was married to George Martin. At the time of her death she was a widow and was hanged July 19th, 1692. She is my 10th generation great grandmother. Over the years I would connect with her spirit and research more of her life and death. In a way she helped me embrace the part of me I at one time wanted no part of and ignored completely. 

So, back to my original intent of this post, while I'd love to visit or even live in the New England states for a time, I have never been there. Maybe one day though. ;)

Celebration of the Stag

 Celebration of the Stag

By: SalemWitchChild, Oct. 2007

 Autumn time and we all dance to the chime. 

Fires burn and hearts sublime. 

Goddess sleeps and God now reigns. 

Leaves sing a tune that sustains.

Harvest moon bright and soaring.

Under her light now we're mourning.

For our ancestors we sing a spritely tune,

Gather 'round for the feast of the hunters moon.

The stag is here to lead our games.

"It's Samhain time", the stag exclaims.

Honor ourselves, ancestors, and everyone. 

May all our days be blessed and with light. 

For our God is here this night.

Friendship Means the World to Me.

It's not often that I'm an emotional person. I am anti-social, have very little friendships in the real world and stick to myself. I do this because experience has taught me that if you give people the opportunity to harm you, they will. That may seem a little harsh to you, but it's the truth.

I'll Put it this way. One of my first lessons in life was when my own grandfather (Who was also our landlord) kicked us out of the house and made us homeless. We lived by camping in the back yard of what use to be our home. It was the fall, and I can remember stealing corn out of a neighbors field to eat. My mothers boyfriend gave my brother his only pair of boots just so my brother could go to school. We spent several months camping out there all huddled together under a blanket for warmth until enough money could be saved that my mother could buy a  trailer and move it to a run down, cheap, and very dirty trailer park. To others, it was the lowest of low living. To us, it was salvation.

We would live in that trailer park, with raw sewage running down the side of our trailer, until I was 12 years old. We moved to Kentucky where my uncle lived and eventually would find an old house with a lot of history. But that's getting away from what I want to talk about. My point is that, people aren't nice. In my experience, people don't make "real" friends. They may be friends for a time but there's usually a barter involved.

I may be disillusioned and pessimistic when it comes to friendship, but that is why when someone does something for me without asking anything in return I get very emotional. The other day was just such a day.

Thank YOU!

I've talked about our struggles once our family moved back to Ohio. I've talked about how we finally have our own apartment after living with my MIL for more than a year. Another fellow witch, who shall remain nameless since I don't have her permission to post it, sent me a wonderful housewarming gift. At first one small package arrived. It's a book I've been wanting to read. That gift itself is wonderful and really all I could ask for. However this dear friend wasn't done. Another larger package arrived the next day. In it was even more books, a hand bag, incense, and lots of other things I can best describe as love. In reality, love isn't the material things you buy. However when you've gone without kindness and material things your whole life, a small gesture such as this is amazing.

Some people say your online friends are not your "real" friends. I beg to differ. My real friends may be hundreds of miles away from me, but I feel their love all the same.  

Blessings, Love, and Light my dear friend.

SWC

My Samhain Spell

First, let it be known I do not normally share ritual spells. To my pagan friends, you may draw inspiration from this post to create your own with my blessings. 

 A call to deities: 

Lord & Lady, your sister witch calls. A Samhain song, the harvest has come.

We call to the ancestors to join us now as we prepare for winter and give our thanks. 

A call to your ancestors: Think of your ancestors personality. What trait would they likely to bring to your circle? 

{Ancestors name} Granny Pence. A woman so kind. May your presence give us compassion. 

{2nd ancestors name} Grandfather Smith. A man I adore. May your presence give us strength. 

{3rd ancestors name} Granny Carpenter. A woman steadfast. May your presence give us loyalty. 

{4th ancestors name} Father Smith. May your presence give us peace. 

Samhain is a time for the harvest. When the years labor comes to an end and we reap what we sow. Yet in endings there are always beginnings. At this time may each of us put aside the pain of life, and rejoice in the celebration of our ancestors. We give thanks for their life. For without those before us, we could not be. 

We honor the Lord & Lady this night. Without them, nothing would be.

May we go forth with compassion, strength, loyalty, and peace. 

So mote it be. 

SalemWitchChild

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Ramblings

For the past few days I've had odd thoughts but not enough to blog about. So here is a mix mash of those thoughts.

First of all, I think any parent knows the frustration of not being able to get close to your DH/ SO without a child getting in the middle. This was especially true the other night, when Wyatt knew exactly the most inopportune time to wake up. So put the first notch under frustrated witch.

Then we ran out of soda.  I normally drink cherry 7up which is caffeine free (because I breastfeed I no longer drink caffeinated drinks on a daily basis) but I have got to have a bit of sugar at least! I use to be a Pepsi drinker. Dh and I would go through 4 liters of Pepsi daily. I stole one of DH's 24oz Pepsi's because I ran out of mine, only for him to take the very last one to work yesterday. Put a second notch under frustrated and getting even more mad witch. The more the day went the more I got mad. Especially when DS dumped my crappy lemonade all over the floor. Enter 3rd most irritating part of my day, because other than water that was the last thing to drink in the household. And I don't drink tap water.

I thought today would get even worse when a truancy officer showed up at my door today. Not to worry though, he was here looking for a different family. I wonder though if he read my note on the door saying to knock loudly because we home school. Technically it's K12, but same diff.

After all those gray spots in my week. Something wonderful happened. A neighbor bought too much food she couldn't fit in the freezer so she gave us some fresh veggies and some microwavable dinners. This is greatly needed since our pantry is looking bare and still a couple more days till I'm able to buy food. It never ceases to amaze me when people give to others without expectation of compensation. In my world, good deeds are almost never free. So I'm thankful to this woman and to the Lord and Lady for looking over us.

Ok I know all that doesn't make for a very cohesive post, but I warned you it was ramblings.

Blessings, Love and Light.
SWC

Changed Background

I felt a need for a change. My blog has looked the same for a long time now and it was starting to look jumbled and unkempt to me. My goal was to lighten it up a bit and make the background go a little bit better with my banner. So I think I've accomplished that. Tell me what you think!

I don't believe I've explained before why I chose butterflies on my blog. Indeed their more of a spring and summer kind of theme. But to me they remind me of magick. ;) Healing magick to be exact.

When I was a little girl and outside playing with one of my friends, we saw a butterfly that was about to die. My friend and I held the butterfly in our hands, joined together and prayed for it to be healed. The next thing we knew it was flying again and appeared to be in perfect health. This is my first experience with energy healing and why I chose butterflies as my theme.

“All great changes are preceded by chaos.” -Deepak Chopra

Healing Massage

Like everyone of my topics, I try to draw from my everyday life and past experiences. My husband currently has a headache. I don't use my normal methods of healing with him because he knows I would feel his pain, and he's made me promise to not help him. You can read about those healing methods here.

However one method of pain relief I've practiced since I was a little girl is healing massage. I can remember myself at 5 yrs old being asked to do a massage. Generally, my prize was a sweet something or a dollar or two to buy my own sweets. At one point in my life I wanted to become a masseuse. My school counselor discouraged me though because, "they don't make much money." At the time I wasn't very strong willed and dropped the issue after my talk with the counselor. Then life got in the way when I did look into schools that offered courses in massage and I was not able to pursue that dream.

However, I probably wouldn't have married young without massage therapy. Lance lived with us from the time I was 14 till we moved out of my mothers house when I was 18. I gave massages to him frequently and they were innocent at first. Lets just say a certain teen had seduction on her mind and massage was my weapon of choice. ;) Now I didn't start this at 14. Dh had some other girlfriends. I wanted to rip their hair out every time they came around for a couple of years. I was just waiting to get older so he would notice me. ;) When he started to feel pain from his many years of bodily abuse, I would focus on making the pain go away. Little did I know at the time I was doing energy work already!

But on to adding healing into massage. The way I heal is to send energy through my hands into the muscles of my "patient". This involves focus of the mind and ability to manipulate energy, and a basic knowledge of muscles and ligaments. If someone has a headache, you focus more on massaging the shoulders, neck, and their skull right behind the ears. Massaging arms and hands can also be relaxing. This is especially helpful for a tension headache. As with any energy work, you should be grounding before doing the healing. Otherwise your own energy may become drained.

The one biggest mistake I see people make when giving a massage is the amount of pressure they use with their hands. Either it's too little pressure or too much. Different areas of the body also require different amounts of pressure. For example, the lower back may need more pressure but to use the same amount of pressure on the shoulders may be painful.

I usually work from the base of the spine up in small circles. Starting on one side of the spine and working outward. Repeat on the opposite side starting at the base of the spine outward. Then move up and repeating. You can do circles, pressure along the spine, or petrissage, which means muscles are lightly grabbed and lifted. This last one is often useful for my husbands trouble area, which is his lower back. His spine curves inward a little too much so extra attention and pressure is needed for this area. Know what area needs to be targeted more. The challenge with energy work and massage is focusing on giving a good massage plus sending energy through your hands. If multitasking is difficult for you this may be a challenge.

See Top 10 Massage Techniques for more info on giving a great massage. Once you've mastered how to give a good massage and energy work separately, combining them to work together should be easy.

Moonstone Goddess & Tigers Eye God

I have finally found some time to start crafting again! I just made this beauty. As a matter of fact she hasn't dried out yet. But I couldn't wait to show her off.

Moonstone Goddess on Etsy by SalemWitchChild

Here is my Moonstone Goddess. She's made out of non-toxic air dry clay. She's approximately 6 inches tall and 1 1/2 inches wide at her hips. Click on the link under the picture to view the Etsy listing for her.















I've also created an ambiguous God. If your like me and have gone several years without really identifying which Patron God you have but want to bring the masculine to your altar, here is a male sculpture with a tigers eye crystal imbedded over his heart. He measures approximately 5 inches tall. 

Tigers Eye God on Etsy by SalemWitchChild

I'm also working on the second installment of Dragon Love. So hopefully you'll have something to read very soon. ;)

Much love and I'd appreciate it if you'd click the little button to share on FB down below! Thanks.

SWC

Exercise to learn how to manipulate energy

When I was first learning how to control energy my husband and I did this exercise. It really helped me in the beginning and I thought it might be good to pass the info along. You'll need a friend to help you. Hopefully this friend is already proficient in energy manipulation. If not that's OK, but don't get discouraged if neither of you feel the energy at first.

Sit facing your partner. Put your hands in front of you with your right palm up, and your left palm down. Your partner should put their palms an inch above your own. At this time you'll both need to ground. It may help at this point to close your eyes. Focus on your whole body and imagine an energy field around yourself. Begin with your feet, which should be grounded and magically connected to the earth. Feel the energy coming up through your feet, into your legs, torso, through your arms and into your hands. Now allow your hands to push out through your palms. (Note: some people have more success pushing out through your fingertips). You and your partner may feel your hands or whole body warm and tingle.

Once you've mastered sending the energy allow your right hand to continue sending energy, and with your left accept your partners energy. You can do this by focusing on your left hand, stop sending energy and feel the push of your partners energy. When you consciously accept the energy you should feel the flow coming into you. Feel this flow into you. At this point it may be possible to sense what your partner is feeling or thinking because you now have a psychic link with your partner.

At first you may just feel like a fool. I know I did! But keep at it. This exercise was certainly helpful for me and I hope it is for you as well.

I hope I've explained this method well. Much of it is just sensing the energy, which I really can't explain how to do well other than using your senses and feeling the heat and tingling. If you have questions please ask and I'll answer to the best of my ability. 

For my other experienced energy manipulators, in what ways did you learn to control energy?

Toads and Family

I'm back! Did you miss me? I know I missed all my favorite blogger peeps. We are settling in at our new place and DD is starting K12, which is online public education. However you might as well call it homeschooling, since it's done at home. ;) Technically I am not DD's teacher, I am her "learning coach". Which IMO is the same damn thing! lol She does have a teacher online though.

I ran across a little guy I want to introduce to you. As I was leaving today to go run an errand he was waiting outside for me. I think I'm calling him Cat Bait. Because as I was leaving one of the various cats running around here was spying this little guy. I hope he ran back into the pipe.

I looked up toad symbology and here is what this website had to say.

Frog/Toad: Frogs and toads symbolize feminine energy, fecundity, water, new life, new beginnings, the mystery of creation, cleansing, refreshing, purifying, refilling, clearing negativity, replenishment, positive energy, transformation, beginning a new cycle, long life, good luck, changing luck, starting new projects and prosperity. They are a Goddess symbol and are connected to the moon. They are connected to Heket, Isis, Hathor, Ch'ing-Wa Sheng, Aphrodite, Sabazius and Ahriman.

I'd say that has a lot to do with moving and starting over our household from scratch wouldn't it? Hehe. Sometimes you get a message and you're like, DUH! I already knew that. But thanks for giving me a sign that I'm on the right path. 

So while I was offline I shot a few pictures. These are mostly taken in my living room.

My goofy other half.

This was before we bought our bed. Sleeping on an air mattress when it has a slow leak sucks!

Laughing with daddy.

Baby man is so cute

Silly girl. She had no chance of turning out normal in this family. lol

He never smiles!

Awe mom put the camera away!

Sleepy time with sissy.

We went to the library and they colored these pictures.

PJ's and sleepers are a great fashion statement. lol