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.