Moving Forward

At last! I can finally say we are moving forward. It's been a long hard road, but we are finally going to move out of my MIL's home. We just signed the lease today. We'll have to wait till DH's day off this Saturday to move. But I've been doing all of the paperwork and getting utilities in our name. We stayed and walked around the apartment for a bit and Sierra is in love with her room.

The bad news is that we have very little household items in our name. DH's aunt is giving us two love seats, one of them is a sleeper sofa. We have a table that Dh's PC can go on. Other than that, we don't have a lot and not a lot of money to buy things either. I've posted on Freecycle asking for some essentials. We also won't have Internet for a few weeks, so I'm sorry to say I won't be able to write on my own blog or indulge myself in reading your lovely blog posts. It's just a temporary hiatus though so I'll be back with fresh content and much happier for having my own space!

I'll leave you with this. It's my latest clay creation. They are Elder Futhark Runes. They are carved on both sides. I also will be working on a clay box for these to go in. Once I'm finished they will be going in my new Etsy store, Pagan Creation. I may also do a little something for a giveaway in October. So stay tuned for that!

So until next time, Blessings, love, and light to all.

SWC

Leaping Forward & Altars around small children.

I don't want to say things are definite yet, but I see light at the end of the tunnel! If you've been a long time reader of my blog you know that we live with my MIL. She is a nice woman, but living so close is, to put it mildly, a huge irritation. Since my husbands employment with Goodwill we have been saving to move, albeit slowly. I received a call and had a meeting the other day with the apartment manager, and I think we have an apartment that we can afford. To my understanding, they are cleaning up the apartment and doing some repairs. I should hear back from them within a week or two. It sounds like once that's done it is ours, but until I have the keys in hand I'm not calling it mine yet.

The downside is that my daughter would have to change schools, and the school in this district is rated poorly by the state. My options are limited. I could drive her to her current school, which is not the best but is rated better according to state rankings. Or perhaps do the K-12 program. 

Do you have any experience with the K-12 program? I'd love to hear your opinions on enrolling your child.

Of course this chance to have our own space leads to dreaming about how I'm going to decorate it. In the past I've not really "decorated". Our version of home decoration was to allow our daughter to make pictures which ranged from early childhood scribbles to nice pictures and hang them on the wall. They were beautiful to us because it was our daughters artwork, not so beautiful to visitors though.

I'd like to make an extra effort to make sure our home look nice on a low income budget. This is a new beginning after all. I'd also like to keep a few small altars out. In the past I've kept our altar packed away and take out when needed. That was the result of having a small child who liked to get into everything. Of course, I have a toddler son now so that concern has not changed.

My only other option I can think of is hanging altars. I know I'll keep one beside the door. Perhaps a hanging basket you would use for plants would work for my purposes. I don't particularly like to keep altars up high, but I feel the need for permanently set up altars instead of my temporary ones.

If you have small children and have open altars, how do you make it safe for small children? I'd love any more ideas and pictures if you'd like to share.

How To Spiritually Cleanse Your Home

Why You Should Spiritually Cleanse Your Home

Every interaction with natural materials leaves an energy impression upon the material. Over time that energy builds up and gives us an atmosphere that can be positive or negative depending on the person(s) leaving behind the energy. If someone is venting or negative while handling that material, then when an energy sensitive person holds that item they will feel uneasy, depressed, angry, etc... The same for the opposite. If a person is happy and energetic, the items they handle will feel happy and energizing.

Think of two people who are opposites. One person is the happy positive person. The other negative. Which person would you rather spend your time with? If they live in separate houses, the next time you visit pay attention to how the home makes you feel. Are you comfortable there? Do you want to spend a lot of time there? Or do you try to get in and out as soon as you possibly can? Our environment affects our own energy. When we have an unhealthy environment we feel drained, unhappy and unfocused.

When you spiritually cleanse your home you are removing any negativity that has built up and returning it to a positive state.

You may have heard of people "Cleansing their Aura". This is the removal of your negativity that you have built up in your Aura. The same thing happens in your home.

Methods Used to Cleanse Your Home

So how do we cleanse our home? Well there are different methods and which one you use is a personal choice. However don't forget the "mundane" cleaning and decorating. I know my husband is a pack rat, so everything can become cluttered. Cleaning out the clutter can help your flow of energy tremendously. Decorating also sets the mood for any room. If you want a little extra help in setting up a room for its maximum energy potential, check out Feng Shui techniques.

Elemental Cleanse : Salt & Water:

Probably the most common and easiest way to cleanse your home is to use elements like salt and water. When I have a new necklace I wish to cleanse I bury it in salt and set it in the sun for 3 days. At the end of the 3rd day I cleanse it with water.

The same can be done in your home. Spread salt (Any kind is fine) around the borders of your home and property. Create a ritual. What you say during the ritual is up to you as long as your intent is clear. All negativity should be banished and positive energy welcomed. As I do with the necklace, at the end of the 3rd day wash away the salt with water. This can be done during the full moon for maximum effect.  


Smoke:

Smoke can also be used to cleanse. We call this smudging and if your like me, you hate smoke. I know it seems contradictory to think of smoke as a cleansing tool. If you have asthma or young children I would not use this method.  Many cultures view tobacco and herbs such as sage as sacred. Smudging is burning these herbs in a container (I suggest a shell. Nothing metallic that will get hot and burn you) while you fan the smoke with a feather and do your ritual. This is a very effective way to spiritually cleanse as long as you don't mind the smoke and smell it leaves behind.




Any of my Pagan brethren have other ways you like to cleanse your home?

A picture of a witchy I-Want-It-Now!

I know it seems like a simple thing, but it really isn't. Its not particularly witchy, but can be with a little tlc. Its a house. Or rather, a home! This is what is missing in our life. Well that, and the funds to get one. I've picked a picture of a lovely little (or not so little) cottage with a lovely garden. Before DH lost his job in DEC we were working on buying a home. Plans fell through though and it was a good thing because we would have lost the house. But it was lovely. 4 bedrooms, in the country, two car garage, and room for the garden I want. Someday I'll get that. Until that happens, I can only dream.

Source

A magical recipe.

What better way to embody magick than in the making of bread. I think this is a lost art and its one I'm trying to get back. I think as early as 100 years ago it would be shameful to not know how to make a simple loaf of bread. How many of us have to look up recipes now? I know I did! So today I decided to make bread. Now let me start off by saying I am in no way a perfect baker. I have my issues with bread. Either it doesn't rise, rises too much, is too gooey in the center or crumbles too much. Today's loaf crumbles too much, but at least I can eat it will a little butter or jam. I didn't get a good color on it though unfortunately. I think it could have used a bit more browning, but it was already very hard on the outer layer and I didn't want it to get too much harder.

One cup warm water (Not hot)

1 package active dry yeast

3 tablespoons sugar

Let yeast proof for 10 minutes.

Proof the yeast

 Mix in all-purpose flour till it has a sticky consistency. Should be able to pinch off a piece of dough easily.

Added my flour

Allow dough to rise

 Allow dough to rise (About 2 hours)

Add 1/2 cup of flour and kneed. Add more flour if too sticky

Finished product. As you can see I couldn't wait till I cut into it! Sorry for not taking a picture before I cut it.

 Allow to rise and bake @ 350 degrees for 1 hour. If your like me, you can't wait till you can cut into it. You really should wait till it cools though. And there we have yummy homemade bread! The magick is in the sharing with family. :)

Happy Full Moon!

Harvest Moon

Its the Harvest moon and that means what seeds we have sown are coming to fruition. So what are your plans for celebrating this time? What are you waiting to come full circle in your life?

In January we began our journey of moving back home to Ohio. We have yet to settle ourselves into our new life. We are still waiting to come full circle. I hope as we enter the harvest time our life will change and settle.

My the Lord & Lady help us find the right job and housing so that we may lead a better life. And may our dog Kota be protected and loved while she is in my mothers care.

Blessings, Love & Light

SalemWitchChild

Looking for a breakthrough

This year has been nothing but road blocks and dead ends so far. Today we were going to go to Ohio. We applied for housing but need a background check. We wanted to avoid the approximate two weeks it would take to get them done by mail. (We can't use an online service, must come from KY State Police). We wired the money to my mother and she was going to have it done. However it seems you can't get a background check done without our signature. Which is weird since you can get a background check online as long as you have the persons info! See, road blocks. Ok fine, so we were going to go to KY and besides it gave us an excuse to let my mother see the baby. She's been dying to see Wyatt anyway.

Except our car needed to be tagged. We have another car we've been driving but we don't trust it to go all the way to KY. We do (Or did) trust the Lumina. So we tag it and come back home. But noticed the tail lights were not working again. That wasn't unusual. DH has been trying to figure out why they sometimes work and sometimes not. So he messes with it a bit and thinks he's fixed it. I go out to start it while he watches the back to see if they come on. Problem #2. The car doesn't start. WTF! So the trip was canceled and everyone was disappointed. I know there has to be a reason we have so much constraint in our life. I just wish we could hurry up and get our life together again. I know, patience is a virtue. But it wasn't a virtue I inherited. So I'm just a woman looking for a breakthrough!

Missing my dog

Kota Blue Storm

Kota is my 7 yr old blue merle rough collie. She's like a second, more furrier daughter to me. She's my baby-dog and I really really miss giving her kisses on her cold black nose. See we've gone through a lot of changes since December. Dh lost his job, we moved to Ohio, and now we are living with my MIL. We have yet to find another job. DS was just born in May. Just too many things going on and no way to care for my dog. My mother has her and I know she is ok. Though no one can provide for my dog like I can (Or use to! )

Me & Kota

I can't afford her usual diet. Kota is allergic to corn so she normally is on a grain free food. My mother cannot afford that so Kota's skin is broken out. I feel so bad that she's itchy and I can't do much about it. My mother gives benadryl but that doesn't help much. I just can't wait till we are past this change in our life and we are finally able to bring Kota home.