PBP: Candle Magick

Prompt: Candle Magic

Do you use candle magic in your spells/rituals?

How do you do it?

What would you recommend for beginners?

Candle Magick is one of the most basic magickal works IMO. I certainly do recommend it for beginners. Even if your not a beginner, it has its place in your magical repertoire.  Each spell is different, and I'm not a witch who shares spells. But with candle magick there's always a "formula" I follow. 

1. First, if you can, make your candle from scratch. I know that's not always possible and store bought candles do work. But the more energy you put into your purpose the better. 
2. Second, carve key words into the side of your candle such as prosperity for more money or new job, success, protection, love, etc... Choose the appropriate buzz word(s) for your purpose. 
3. Anoint your candle with an herbal oil appropriate to your purpose. You can find these oils at most metaphysical stores or you can make your own.
4. I like to place my candle in a bed of loose herbs as well. Please be careful of a fire. Never leave your candle unattended. As the wax melts it blends in with the herbs and adds energy to your purpose. 
5. Write your ritual and at the end, I always burn the paper I've written it on. While burning, I visualize my words as the smoke going up to spirit. 
6. Burn the entire candle. DO NOT reuse the candle for something else. Since most paraffin candles burn for many hours, you can extinguish the candle and re-light it later. In this case, save your written ritual and repeat it every time you light the candle. When you know your candle is about to go out for the last time, burn the paper.
   

I'm NOT a Gardening Failure!

I don't know how all those gardening witches do it. When it comes to plants I have a black thumb, but maybe not so black as I thought.

A week ago I bought a parsley plant in hopes of having fresh parsley on my meals. Its one herb I pretty much use on almost everything. Unfortunately one incident with over-watering and its life was over. It was a sad sad day my friends. But then I decided to try again. Can't succeed if you give up right? So I went out and bought parsley seeds and planted them.

I noticed today they are sprouting! yay. I feel like doing a little victory dance. Now if I don't kill it, I'll be doing good! lol

What accomplishment have you achieved this week?

NOOOO. I had the plant in the kitchen window sill. I had to open the window for it to fit up there but its the best place for it to get indirect sunlight. But a strong wind came and knocked it out of the window. So I had soil all over the counter and floor. I saved as much as I could. But its a conspiracy people! Maybe I'm just not meant to grow things. :(

Wicca Is Not A Feminist Religion

Image Source

There is certainly no denying that there is an imbalance in Wicca regarding female to male members. Just go to a festival and you'll notice women outnumber the men by a large percent. Even my husband technically isn't Wiccan though he shares a large part of the beliefs. This isn't to cast Wicca in a bad light. It just isn't his calling to label himself as any religion. So why is Wicca lacking in men?

Perhaps we just put too much emphasis on the feminine and so males don't feel comfortable in circle. Maybe we need to give men more roles and control in rituals. I also think its natural for women to focus more on the feminine. We are women after all. As a woman who grew up without a father, I haven't much need for the masculine. I try to bring him into my life because I do believe we should have an equal duality, but I don't feel especially connected to the Lord.

Then there's the stigma of people thinking that if your Wiccan and male you are gay. While homosexuality is becoming more accepted [especially among the Pagan community], I don't know any straight male who wants to be called gay. So I can see this as a major deterrent.

As a Wiccan practitioner how do you bring the masculine energy into your life? How have you tried to change pre-conceived perceptions in regards to male gender roles? If you are a male Wiccan or witch, what challenges have you faced in the Pagan community?

Ghost Hunt Anyone?

Have you ever gone on a ghost hunt? Personally I'd never pay to go on a ghost hunt, but that is what Waverly, Ohio residents get to do this Saturday at the Emmitt House. I've never been to the Emmitt house so I can't vouch for its spiritual inhabitants, but if your in for a little spooky fun it might be worth checking out. Entry is $20 and the event starts at 7pm on Saturday, June 23rd.

A number of paranormal investigators have been to the Emmitt house. Check out one of the videos below. 

Personally I don't see why I should pay to see spirits when I can communicate with them all I like. One of my favorite things to do before I had motherly responsibilities is take a stroll through a cemetery with my husband. Back then I wasn't as strong of a medium, but I did OK sensing the spirits.

Have you ever toured a haunted house? Did you have any sightings or sense any spirits?

Have a Wonderful Summer Solstice

Wow it is hot today! Today is Summer Solstice and we are burning up here. Well not literally. I'm fortunate enough to be inside in an air conditioned area. But I feel sorry for those out in this heat. I know I couldn't stand it. With my pale skin I'd turn into a boiled bright red lobster very quickly.

OK so I'm not a very good plant mom. Last week I bought a parsley plant thinking I'd be a little kitchen witch and have fresh parsley for my meals. I love parsley and put it in almost everything. Problem is, I do not have a green thumb. I watered the plant, and so did DD. Which means it got way too much water and it died. :( Poor plant. I'd do a little funeral but hey, I'm not that kind of tree huger. So, I bought Parsley seeds and planted them today. Hopefully within 14 days I'll see some sprouts. More than likely given my history with anything growing I won't see a sprout. But hey, I'm trying to be positive. Maybe I should talk with them? lol. What do you say to a plant?

I have some good news on DH's job. He was getting about 25 hrs. Because of an altercation in the Goodwill parking lot, the owner wants Dh to be at work more because he is "Intimidating" and can protect the other people who work there. DH is the only man on the staff, so I guess that makes him desirable for the job. Which works for us. Though technically he still isn't full time, he's at least getting 34 hrs a week. More money for us which means were one step closer to moving out of MIL's house. And that my friends, is my main goal right now!

Do you have any plans for Summer solstice? Any planting going on at your house? If so, I'd love some gardening tips because I really suck at it!

Magickal Graphics
Magickal Graphics

Early Morning Thoughts

So here it is at 7:30 on a Saturday morning with no plans because we have no money to do anything. Doesn't that suck?! I know I've ignored my blog all week. Its not that I've forgotten or been busy. I just have felt a disconnect with the world this week. I think its because I haven't been visiting my Pagan friends, doing anything witchy, and I haven't even been crafty. I did bake a pie the other day which made me a little happy. I poured myself into cooking 4 homemade healthy meals this week. I went all out and everyone was happy with what I made. Friday was a hot dogs and leftovers day. What can I say, this heat makes me feel a bit lazy!

Dh's job is going well. He seems to be happy other than it not being a full time job. Who knows maybe once he has more experience they'll give him more hours. I hope so because MIL is driving me batty yet again. I won't go into details though since I don't wish for this post to be a rant.

Little man had a doctors appointment yesterday. His doctor must think I'm a complete idiot or something. I may be on public assistance, but that doesn't mean I'm inept or don't know how to raise a child. He actually asked me if I had baby proofed the house. Well duh! I do have a 10 yr old I managed to keep safe from sticking her fingers in light sockets. I think I got it covered doc.
Anyway, little man got two vaccines, weighed 24 lbs and 30 inches long. Honestly I thought he weighed more than that. He certainly feels like he weighs more than that!

DD joined a summer reading program, and I've been reading more myself. I think part of my problem is that I am not doing any hobby right now. Crochet is kind of a winter thing for me. It just gets too hot handling all that yarn in warm weather.

If your in the Chillicothe area check out Inanna's Spiritual Center. There are a lot of Pagan things going on so drop by or call and ask Lynn what's going on.

I Will Survive

Meet Mumbah. I think his life perfectly showcases what it takes to have a will to survive. He's one of the oldest gorillas to live a whopping 47 years! Sadly he passed away at the Columbus zoo on my sons birthday, May 18th 2012. RIP to this gentleman.

Well everyone I'm one day post-op and I'm doing fine. Even had the energy to take my daughter to the library today and do a few errands. I'm not in pain that much. My lower jaw and my neck muscles hurt. I'm swollen and a bit bruised but I'm not near as in much pain as they told me I'd be in.

I had taken a print out of Kellymom.com breastfeeding pain medicine list so I could let them know what kind of pain med I could take. I'm not about to give up breastfeeding for the surgery. One mouthy little nurse told me she couldn't take "Information you print out on the net" and that only a medical doctors reference would work. I was livid. I told her it wasn't just info off the net. It was well researched info off the net! She refused to even look at it. All the while mouthing off about how I should really have talked with my OB or pediatrician. Neither my OB or pediatrician is breastfeeding friendly. So I wasn't about to take their advice which would be "Don't breastfeed past a year".

Anyway, she ended up giving me a narcotic pain med that she said should be OK with my son over 1 yr old and 30+lbs. He's a big baby! I just shrugged and said fine I'll just take Tylenol unless I really can't stand the pain. She quickly laughed and said I'd need more than Tylenol.

Well little miss priss. Its one day after the surgery and I have YET to need that stupid pain pill. And I'm not toughing anything out. It just doesn't hurt. I've had worse scrapes than the pain I feel right now. Not to say it might not get worse. But I have 3 different prescription pain pills here. And I'm sure one of them will take care of it before that narcotic will be needed. *Sticks out tongue here to that stupid nurse*.

There was also some excitement later today that resulted in me calling the Sheriffs office. My daughter was outside riding her bike and when she came around the corner she noticed a tan car with two men looking at my car. One had remained in the drivers seat, the other had got out and was looking INSIDE my car! They told her (And I've already lectured about her talking with the men instead of coming to get me immediately) that my car had been involved in an accident. She told them we had not and they quickly left. Well I went to talk with the neighbor who is having a yard sale today figuring he might have scene something. He told me they had asked him about a Lumina that is for sale. I drive a Lumina btw but my car is not for sale. (I also don't owe on the car so it wasn't repo men or anything).

It was all very odd. I couldn't see why they should be snooping around and lying. At least no good reason. So I've made sure the doors are locked on all our vehicles and called the Sheriff to report suspicious activity. They won't take a police report unless they come back. But I feel good that they'll watch the area a bit more closely for a few days. And one Sheriff works right down the road so that's good too.

For now, I'm going to relax and allow my Tylenol and cold compress to do their thing. Night all!

The Web We Weave

Grandmother Spider. Photographed on June 6th 2012 by Robin LC

Spider totems bring us a message of mystery, power, and growth. The spider's web is a symbol for how we weave our own life. Each choice takes us in a direction that is far-reaching with consequences beyond our perception at the time decisions are made.

In December of last year I made the decision to visit the dentist to talk about my options to fix my teeth. The dentist took a look and decided there wasn't much to save. Its the answer I thought I'd hear but I didn't know if I was quite ready for dentures. I went ahead and made the appointment to have my teeth pulled. The appointment was 6 months away, so that was plenty of time to come to terms with my impending change.

Tonight is the last night I will have my natural teeth. At 9am I have my appointment to pull all my teeth. In a way, I morn their loss. Even though they are broken, yellowed and just plain ugly, they are still mine and its hard to let go for someone like me who hates change. There is also the unknown. The pain I don't worry much about. But will I like having dentures? I have a few people in my life who have them. An old high school friend tells me its the best thing she ever did. Yet my own mother got them and doesn't wear them because they don't fit her right. My step-father-in-law also has dentures and I never even knew it until he told me one day. So these various people in my life gives me a diverse example of what can happen. Only time will tell if I've made the right decision for me.

This spider was waiting for me today on our lamp in the yard. She reminds me that each decision has a consequence. Each web I weave effects myself - hopefully in a positive way.

For many years now I knew one day I'd move back to Ohio. But yet I also dreamed there would be a period of death. I now think that the dream was a premonition. Not of physical death but a major change. In this dream I changed not only my career and home, but my physical appearance as well. In the dream my teeth were beautiful and I lost weight. I was successful and happy.

Perhaps this decision is one more step toward that reality.

I took a picture of me smiling tonight. Its the first I've taken that I didn't immediately erase. I never smile on purpose because of my teeth. I'll be extremely happy when I don't have to worry about someone recoiling in horror when I smile. I won't post it today though. I want that after picture before I share.

For now I'll just thank Grandmother spider for bringing this message of change, and say Blessed Be.

Writing: Creation

Once in awhile I get the writing bug but don't want to work on my previous ideas. So I just open a document and write what comes to me. I honestly don't care if its a good or bad story, but I use these little exercises to improve my writing style. I tend to write in the 3rd person, so for today I decided to write in the 1st person.


Tell me what you think. Btw, I couldn't think of a good title so I just picked Creation. If you have a better suggestion I'd love to hear it. In which direction do you think this story might go?

Humans dream up stories of people who live forever. They dream of eternal youth and mythological creatures who mate with humans to give them eternal life. All just fairy tales of course. I am not a fairy tale though. I am as old as the Earth – I am the Earth, in a way. I created her. Don't ask me how. On the first day of my existence I just was. Nothing but blackness and myself existed. I explored myself and my power for many days. Then I decided I needed to create life, and Earth was born.

My options were only limited by my imagination. In those early years I made some very odd choices. Animals that started out small, and then grew so huge they towered over me. I was an ant compared to them. Even the ant I created was huge in comparison to modern standards.

My favorite was the Jurassic period. Such regal creatures. A T-Rex tried to eat me one time. Silly creature - he didn't recognize his Lord and Master. He pissed me off to tell you the truth. So I killed them all off. When you have your version of perfection, life gets really boring. Man dreams of a Utopia society, but if I allowed them to have it they'd hate life.

So I began to create the imperfect world that would be perfect for me. Early man was born, and over the centuries I made little tweaks to my design. When they say that man is made in Gods image, they aren't completely wrong. Man or woman, technically I am both and neither. I am what I wish to be. Most of the time I am feminine. My legs are long, lean and strong. I change my hair color daily depending on my mood. Most of the time I love to be a brunette. I've gone by many names throughout the centuries, but my favorite name is Gaia.

In April of 972 A.D. I attended the marriage of Otto II to Theophano, daughter of Romanus II. During that year I just couldn't get enough of Roman civilization. Theophano had the gall to call my brunette hair a mousy brown. In case all you blondes wonder why so many of you get teased for being a dumb blonde, you have her to thank for that. Now I know what you're thinking, that sounds really petty of me to curse blondes with stupidity. Well, it is. I'm not perfect either. I get angry, I take retribution, but I also have great compassion.

Take for instance, Noah. The people had become cocky and cruel. They had no respect for themselves, the Earth, or myself - except for Noah. I could have killed him and all the animals. I could have started over just like I did with the dinosaurs. But I took pity on man. See? Am I not compassionate to give mankind a second chance? I certainly think so.

Still, sometimes its good that a civilization falls. Take the Mayans for instance. They were so stupid it was really best they not be apart of the gene pool. I arrived as an old Mayan man, a seer by their standards. I played the part and in truth gave them a few true predictions. Which may have been a mistake because soon I became famous. Then came a time when the Mayan King ordered me to attend a party. I was amused to be ordered, but I bit back my irritation at the mans audacity and attended. It was then that the King asked when the world would end. I was flippant and said December 21, 2012. The date was so far away and I was already plotting how I would destroy the Mayan people and culture. How was I suppose to know that date would live on in peoples minds?

People ask me if God can die. I tell them no. At least as far as I know. They ask, but who created God? That's an answer not even I know. What I do know is that its 2012, and I no longer think my date was a flippant remark. At the time I didn't think about it, I just spoke. But everything else I said that night was a true prediction. Maybe the date was true to? I feel a change, and not one I've instigated. Natural disasters are happening without me making it so. I feel my powers are fading. I've been in denial for some time, but I can no longer deny that something is very wrong. But I won't give up, not without a fight. Whatever comes on December 21^st, I'll be ready.

Tradition Limits Creativity & Spiritual Growth

Experiment with new ideas and rituals 

to open yourself to new possibilities.

One of the reasons I am Eclectic Wiccan is because I don't like to limit myself. I feel too boxed in when someone says I must do something a certain way. That just challenges me to prove them wrong.

When I began learning how to meditate I thought I had to "quiet my mind". That's what the meditation Guru's say isn't it? But what exactly does quiet your mind mean? If its pure nothingness, I consider that impossible. My mind is constantly full of something. Daily worries, goals I have yet to achieve, or new crafty projects I'd like to attempt. There's always something to think about.

My success with meditation didn't come till I stopped trying to quiet my mind and instead focused my mind and imagination on something else. I learned to create new worlds in my mind to explore. Soon it wasn't just me imagining these new worlds. They took on a life of their own.

My point is that our pre-conceived ideas of what should be limits what could be if we are not open to all possibilities. This is why I am Eclectic, because other paths tell you what you should do and don't give the freedom to experiment. Tradition is well and good, but if its limiting your ability then its not really a tradition that works for you.   

Do you find certain traditions limiting? Or do you prefer the ritual of tradition to keep you on the path? Can you give an example of a tradition you tried to follow but ultimately had better success with your own method?

Corset Giveaway

I've posted before that I'd like to try waist training with a custom made corset. That post was sparked by one late night boredom surfing on Youtube where I found the channel of a lovely young woman who makes her own corsets. I've learned a lot about custom corsets and waist training. She has a lot of informational videos I highly recommend to anyone interested in waist training.

In honor of one of her friends who sadly passed away, she is going to make and giveaway one of her creations. To find out how to enter to win, please watch her video. Don't forget to leave a comment about her departed friend.

An Extension of Me

My daughter, just after a haircut. We kept her hair short for practical reasons.

Atreya over on 2 Witches 1 Blog has posted about our hair being an extension of our energy. I must say this is an intriguing idea that I've never considered before.

Throughout most of my life I've kept my hair medium to very long. My longest was right below my butt. However as I got older my hair began to give me headaches. So I made the decision to cut it to just above my shoulders.

The cut gave me a feeling of freedom. Not just from the weight of the hair but a freedom of changing my life. At every major change in my life there's also been a sudden need to cut my hair. So subconsciously, I think that energy the hair stores may be why I had a need to "start over". Sort of a subconscious reboot of energy.

Lately I've thought about letting my hair grow out, and if we continue with this theory that hair holds the energy of our life, that means I have a need to build energy. Which given my current living situation, is certainly true.

Do you feel that our hair holds apart of our energy? Do you see haircuts as a cosmic reboot of energy? Or is a haircut just a haircut and for aesthetic purposes only?

PBP: Nature Escape

Prompt: Nature Escapes

Revisiting an old prompt for this week...

"Everyone needs to get away from the daily life sometimes, and more often than not, Pagans need it more. An escape into Nature, even if just for a couple hours, or a whole day.

What kind of nature escapes do you have where you are? Do you have a local trail that you can simply take a walk on to escape? Or perhaps you have some neat hiking nearby... Or maybe you are one of the lucky ones that can simply escape into your own backyard, literally. Share pictures if you have them."

 

I unfortunately don't have a lot of natural areas around me easily accessible. Our area has a paved circle I walk around if I just want to leave the house for a minute. Its easy enough to put Wyatt in his stroller and just enjoy the day. My favorite time is in the late evening just before sundown. Its so peaceful, especially as we enter warmer months. 

Of course I live close by Serpent Mound, and as a Pagan its a wonderful place to go and relax and do a ritual if you want. But I have yet to go there. Life always gets in the way. But I'm sure one day we'll get the time to go. 

If I absolutely must get away, I seek the company of friends. Inanna's Spiritual Center is in Chillicothe, Ohio and it's my go to place if I'm seeking a little Pagan company and to touch base with a few friends.