My Blood and the Blood of My Mothers

The tl;dr Back-Story
When I got my first period when I was 12, it wasn't at all the experience that I thought it would be. I was actually very excited to get it (I think I knew even then, before I had a spiritual context for it, that it was something very special), and I don't know what I expected when it did finally come, but I do know that I was expecting something more than just a package of Kotex, an awkward lesson from my mother in how to use them, an even more awkward "Mazel tov" from my dad, and a green pair of sweatpants. It was, in a word, a serious letdown. I didn't expect the world to fall on its hands and knees in the face of my bloody glory, of course, but it seemed a bit more important to me than all that. From that first experience, I learned that my period wasn't something to honor and cherish; it was something to hate, something to hide, something to be ashamed of, and for the next six years, that was exactly what it was for me. I dreaded the pain, I gagged at the blood, I religiously hid my menstrual products from my classmates for fear that they would know.

It wasn't until I had been involved in the Craft for about seven years (I began when I was 11 but didn't really get into the religious/spiritual aspect of it until I was about 15) that my perception of my menstrual cycle began to change. I began to question why so many women felt they needed to hide their cycles from other people, especially from other women. 'Don't most of us get periods?' I thought to myself. 'Why is it that, if it's such a common occurrence, that we feel the need to hide it from one another?' It wasn't until a little while later that I learned such words as "patriarchy" and "misogyny" (that's a whole other post entirely!), but from that first question I was determined to form a new relationship with my blood. I began to try and look at everything from a new perspective, and instead of seeing my blood as a curse, I began to see it as a blessing. 'It is a blessing that I can bleed so much and for so long without an injury present and not lose strength, but gain it instead. It is a blessing that I can endure days upon days of pain month after month and not lose hope, but gain it instead. It is a blessing that I can experience the tides of the moon and the cycle of life, death, and rebirth through my own body and my blood.' These were my mantras that, repeated each month, helped me to reshape my relationship with my cycle and heal the psychological and emotional scars that arose from that very rocky start.

My relationship with Sekhmet also helped me to heal my relationship with my menstrual cycle, in that She presides over menstruation due to Her connection with blood. When I first began my relationship with Her, She was very patient with me and my awkward relationship with my blood. However, after a while, She demanded that I very quickly get over myself and start really attuning with my blood; She told me in no uncertain terms that my blood was Her blood, and to disrespect my blood by being disgusted by it was to disrespect Her. I started off slowly, wringing used pads into water and using the bloody water to anoint myself in ritual each time my period arrived. Eventually, I began to use direct menstrual blood in my rituals, anointing the mouth of my statue of Sekhmet with the rich red liquid as an offering of myself to Her, and then partaking of whatever blood was left staining my finger as a shared libation. The first time I did this, it was an apology. I was apologizing for disrespecting the life that She had given me, and I was asking for Her forgiveness. She did forgive me, and in turn, She granted me a physically and emotionally healthy relationship with my cycle. I can now truthfully say that I actually enjoy when I get my period; there's a certain energy rush that I get, a power that flows through me, when my flow is at its heaviest and my cramps are at their most painful. This month, I decided that I wanted a talisman to carry with me that would hold that energy and power and allow me to experience it throughout each month, not just when I'm menstruating!

The Spell
For this menstrual cycle, the second day of menstruation fell on the Full Moon, which very rarely happens. This Full Moon also happened to fall on Lammas, the first harvest, and I felt that this was absolutely a perfect time to do a spell like this; with the fertile energy of the Full Moon and the bountiful, abundant energy of the harvest, it was time for me to honor my own personal harvest. The reason the second day of my menstruation is the most powerful for me is because that's when my flow and my cramps are at their peak, and that's when I feel that indescribable energy rush the most. For this spell, my goal was to honor the cycle of my blood and to charge my talisman. The object that I chose for this was a full moon pendant made out of a lovely dark red carnelian; I felt that the color was appropriate for my intent, it's a very popular stone to use during one's menstruation, and it happens to be one of Sekhmet's sacred stones.

For the spell itself, I didn't have any particular words in mind to say, so I began by speaking to Sekhmet and to my female ancestors, my paternal grandmother in particular, and I informed them of my intent to honor my menstrual cycle as sacred, and to charge my talisman with the distinctive energy that comes with my menstruation. After this, I took a white candle and carved the words "Blood," "Strength," and "Power" into it, and then anointed it and the pendant with my menstrual blood and some "Blood" oil from Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab. Right before lighting the candle, I placed the pendant next to the candle holder that was holding it and repeated my intent, asked for the blessings of both Sekhmet and my female ancestors, and then lit the candle with the utmost reverence for my blood and the blood of my Mothers.

What's particularly interesting to me is that, despite everything that I spoke about in the first paragraph about my first period being a depressing experience, that wasn't my motivation for doing the spell/charging that I did. In fact, I wasn't even aware that that was something that was bothering me until a few days after I had done the spell/charging. I'm pretty convinced that doing the spell helped to bring that up from my subconscious, and I'm very much grateful for that, because even though it's somewhat depressing to remember exactly what brought me to hate my body and my blood for so many years, it's pretty damn uplifting to see how far I've come since then.

A Triad of Spells

Hey all,

Once again I apologize for being M.I.A. Aside from the job hunting stress, there's been a family emergency regarding one of my Aunts. She reconnected with an ex from 20+ years ago, they started dating, and he turned out to be an emotionally abusive and verbally abusive loon. Said relative is also Bipolar II, so you can imagine how well that helped her state of mind.

Anyway, the ex was a real nasty piece of work and after I found out he was abusive too, I decided to do a bit of protection work for my Aunt. I created two sachets and anointed them with Protection oil and herbs. One was for protection against this loser, the other was to banish him from my Aunt's life so he couldn't be a negative influence in her life anymore. I called upon Aine, Goddess of Summer, Sovereignty, Love, Flame, Sunlight, and who is a Protector of Women, especially women who have been abused. Aine and Brighid often go hand in hand, and I think They see each other as a type of surrogate sister, as Aine is said to be the daughter of the Sea-God Manannan Mac Lir. Whatever Their exact relationship is, I often see Them as two sides of the same coin as both are Fire/Solar Goddesses. It's a similar relationship between Bast and Hethert-Sekhmet, if you want a comparison.

Moving on, I blessed each sachet with fire, thanked Aine, and ended the ritual. In two days time, my Aunt and her now-ex broke up after a really bad fight. Because of her already fragile mental health, while my Aunt knew intellectually that this was a good thing, emotionally she was a mess. I'd already decided to make a healing sachet for her when she had to be taken to the E.R. a few days ago.

To make a long story short, she had a pulmonary embolism and there's a nodule on her lung. For whatever reason, when she went on BC pills she neglected to tell her doctor that she's diabetic. Combine that with a very sedentary lifestyle and struggling with her weight, and it was a perfect storm for a blood clot to form.

The night she was taken to the hospital, I set up my altar and invoked my Mother, Brighid as I made my healing sachet for my Aunt. I rummaged through our spice cabinet for herbs associated with healing, put in a little salt for protection, added a dash of Protection oil, and voila! Another sachet, which I gave her today and told her to keep it on her dresser until she feels better.

In all honesty, she needs every little bit of help she can get. Her BPD has gotten much worse, to the point where it's practically resistant to medications (it doesn't help that she doesn't really want to get better), she mentioned several times that she'd be better off if the PE killed her, and her eyes just look….lifeless. Like there was no emotion, no spark, nothing. Just a psychic black hole. Her skin was ashen and there were bruises under her eyes. It was heart-breaking.

My Mum's going with her to the psychiatrist to discuss treatment options-she might have to get ECT once the pulmonary embolism's taken care of and once they determine if the nodule's cancerous or not. So yea, I hope they can find a good treatment option that helps her with her current depression. I don't know what's going to happen in the future, but I will do my duty as a Witch and try to help her anyway I can. Even if it's just sending good energy her way or including her name in my nightly prayers, any little bit helps, especially in this kind of situation.

Quick and Clean: Tealight Magic

(NB: This is going to be a very pic-heavy post.  I got carried away, what can I say?  As always, click to enlarge.)


Ilyssa and I were talking a while back about our preferences in spell candles and I thought this would make a good topic for discussion.  I'm going to talk about my favorite type of candle to use and I'm hoping Ilyssa and Amanda (and anyone else who joins us later) will also share theirs.

I can't remember when I started preferring tealights for both spells and devotional candles, but it's been some years now.  I'll still use other types--I prefer figure candles for healing, for example, and sometimes small pillar or even larger pull-out candles are necessary if I want to inscribe more than a word or two and need the space--but tealights are my go-to candles.  It's not just because they're quick, it's because I like how self-contained they are: all your magic goes into one little candle cup.

So I was telling Ilyssa that I'd do a post on this the next time I made up a spell candle.  Well, I ended up needing to do not a spell candle but a devotional candle.  I light a devotional candle for Hekate every night and, since I use tealights, have to replace it every two to four weeks.  I had to make up a new one last night, so I figured I'd take some step-by-step photos to post, showing how versatile my favorite "one-cup magic" candles are.

Here's everything I need, all lined up: a beeswax tealight candle*, a bottle of Ambrosia oil from Conjured Cardea, my "overflow jar" of lavender (I've got so much that it couldn't all fit into the pretty purple jar I normally use for it), and my candle-carving tool (which is actually from a wood-carving set and works beautifully):

The first thing I do is lay down a tissue or paper towel to catch the little bits of wax.  Then I pull the tealight out of its cup and carve whatever I need to carve into the bottom.  For this, I carved Hekate's name (in English, since I've yet to memorize how to do it in Greek) and a symbol I use for her.  When I'm using a tealight for a spell, I carve whatever word(s) and symbol(s) are appropriate.  Space is a challenge, though, and sometimes I've carved all around the side and top of the candle, too.

Next, I add whatever herbs I've chosen for my purpose. For Hekate, I normally use a special herbal blend that I concocted to honor Her, but since I ran out of one of the components (willow bark) I've just been using lavender, one of the herbs sacred to Her, until I can get more.  This, by the way, is probably the main reason I love using tealights so much for magic--it's the quickest, cleanest, easiest way to load a candle.

Next, I anoint the candle with the oil (or whatever I'm using) on the bottom, around the side, and on the top.  I usually use cypress (also sacred to Hekate) oil for Hekate's candle, but I recently bought this Ambrosia oil because it was created specifically as an offering to the Hellenic deities, and my gods are Hellenic and pre-Hellenic so it's perfect.  It smells, appropriately enough, divine.

After that, I pop the candle back into its cup and trim the wick (you can do that at any point, I just usually forget until now).  Then, back into the votive cup it goes.

Of course, you don't have to use a fancy votive holder for every tealight candle you use for a spell (though you should definitely have something heat-proof to set it on), but I bought this glass votive holder for Hekate's candle because it's pretty, and because when the candle is lit and the lights are off, it casts a beautiful star pattern on the wall behind it.  Fitting for the Daughter of the Stars.  (Hekate's parents, at least by some accounts, were the Titans, Perses and Asteria.)

And done!  As I said, this tealight will last anywhere from two to four weeks, depending on how long I leave it lit each night.  If you're using one for a spell, though, you can expect it to burn anywhere from two to six hours.  Anyone who's lit a spell candle in the middle of the day and ended up staying awake half the night to babysit it because they didn't want to put it out but also didn't want to leave it burning while they slept will appreciate this.



*After being stuck with several tealights that smelled, mysteriously and worryingly, like fried chicken, I decided to buy only soy or beeswax tealights if possible.  Soy candles are more expensive, and beeswax ones are more expensive still, but they sure do smell better!  Beeswax smells heavenly, so rich and evocative, it's just a magical smell in and of itself, even before you add oils or herbs.  Since I'm not made of money, I've only been using the beeswax candles for devotional purposes and am going to buy some soy ones for spellwork.

Spell For Courage

Hey all,
I apologize for being MIA for a while. Things have gotten pretty rough lately, as I lost my part-time job teaching belly dance at a local gym and I'm unemployed again. To make a very long story short, I'll give you the Cliff Notes version:

Basically, I was on Craigslist just seeing what (little) legitimate jobs were recently posted; I just happened to click on the Salon/Spa/Fitness category and lo and behold, there was an ad for a new belly dance teacher….at the place I worked at. They had already given rumblings of displeasure about the low attendance, but in all honesty, that's due to their nastiness and lack of good customer service skills, plus the high rate just to join said gym but I digress. Plus, I had been having some very bizarre lucid dreams that I'm pretty sure were premonitions so I wasn't entirely surprised. I just thought they'd be more mature but guess not.

Anyway, the next day I went to print it out so I could talk to them about it after the staff meeting last Monday and there was another help wanted ad for the same position. I printed both out, and planned to confront them because I was furious. It's not the fact that they wanted to get rid of me, that's not a big deal, it's the fact that instead of discussing the low attendance with me face to face and us talking it out, they went behind my back in an incredibly sneaky manner and posted the job ad. That is not cool.

Moving on, I'd recently bought a lion head's necklace at the 5th Avenue Fair and had planned to wear it in honor of the Eyes of Re. I have anxiety, usually brought about by my PMDD, so I decided to do a ritual to turn my new necklace into a talisman for courage.

I called upon my Mother Bast, Aset, and Hethert-Sekhmet to give me courage and to help keep my anxiety down and anointed it with Protection Oil from Practical Magick in SI, as well as Bergamot oil and Dragon's Blood oil I picked up at Pagan Pride Day this past September. Did a bit of energy work and voila! A brand spankin' new talisman.

This past Monday, I took a half of a Xanax to calm my nerves, donned my new talisman, took the print outs of the ads and confronted them about it. They knew they got caught in a lie and kept making up some silly story about how "oh, it was for a SUBSTITUTE instructor"…which made me laugh,because if that was the case, they would've included it in the advertisement y'know?

Then the owner tried to placate me, as he viewed me as some silly empty-headed girl he could manipulate, but what he found out is that I'm no kitten, I'm a lioness and I have claws to boot. Next he tried the condescending route, but when that didn't work, he gave up the ghost and I quit. Yea, I need a job and a steady paycheck, but there's no way I'd work in those conditions or with those incredibly sneaky people ever again.

Trust me, being unemployed is no fun but the Gods do not give you any more than you can handle. They have made me strong, and I have faith that They will lead me to the right job where I won't have to deal with people like that, a place that won't trigger my anxiety or PMDD the way my last full-time job did, and where I can put my strengths (namely writing) and my intelligence to good use. Everything happens for a reason, and bigger and better things await me.

Dua Bast! Dua Aset! Dua Sekhmet-Hethert!

The Vagina Saga Continues (aka Give Me a Break Already!)

 [Tl;dr (too long, didn't read) warning! Enter at your own risk! xD]

About three days ago, give or take, I discovered to my chagrin that I had yet another yeast infection. I took very small comfort in the fact that I hadn't had one since February, but it didn't stop me from being super pissed. It's interesting to note that in the few days before the infection really set in and made itself known, I instinctively did a mini-ritual where I worked solely with my sacral chakra; I must have sensed that something was off, and I was having some mild symptoms at the time, but as usual, only my hindsight was 20/20. Once I realized that I had the infection, I immediately refilled my prescription for Diflucan and bought a product called Yeastaway from a company called Boiron, which sells homeopathic medicine. Quick product promotion: it's a pack of 7 homeopathic vaginal suppositories that you use for 7 consecutive nights, and while it is SUPER messy (seriously, wear an overnight pad, or you will very much regret it), it is also super effective in relieving symptoms quickly. I tend to use homeopathic medicine in conjunction with modern medicine, but your mileage may vary!

But I digress; earlier today, I began experiencing what I believed to be early signs of a urinary tract infection (UTI), so I purchased some UTI test strips and some Cystex to help relieve some of the pain. Both UTI strips came up negative (I had to use two because I accidentally placed one pad-side down on the paper towel and I was unsure if that affected the results at all), and Thea advised me that it was most likely irritation from the yeast infection. Needless to say, the negative UTI strip results were very cheering, but the fact that I was so uncomfortable was really frustrating me; I realized that these medical issues were probably causing a ridiculous blockage in my sacral chakra, and that blockage was exacerbating my medical issues in a horrific Catch-22. I decided to do a combination healing spell and chakra cleansing/realignment specific to the sacral chakra in order to combat this problem.

I went on a trip to the East Village with my boyfriend earlier this evening, and we stopped in a little shop on St. Mark's Place whose name has completely escaped me (I'm sorry!). Usually when I walk into a crystal shop, the first thing that will happen is that my attention will immediately be drawn to a particular crystal for whatever reason; it's a pretty color, has an interesting pattern, etc. The next thing that will happen is I will either read on the placard or hear from the shop owner what the properties of the crystal are, and I will find that it's exactly what I need in that moment. That's exactly what happened with this crystal, which happened to be fire agate. Not only is fire agate perfect for the sacral chakra, but it also has a specific attribution of healing problems with one's sexual organs. I of course bought that crystal, and then went on to Enchantments to stock up on my usual chime candles, along with a white yoni candle to use for the healing portion of the spell. I decided to buy a new candle even though I already had a red yoni candle that had been used for a similar purpose because of two things; one, it was technically a brand new problem (even though I'd had the same problem before, it was happening at a relatively far-removed time from the previous problem), and two, I noticed that white candles were popular for uncrossings, and since the point of my healing spell was to uncross that area of my body and remove all the negativity, I felt that it was fitting!

Here you can see all of my spell ingredients, including an herbal mixture of hyssop, raspberry leaf, and lavender, as well as a moderately sized orange candle for the chakra cleansing/realignment and the white yoni candle for the healing spell. There's also my Hygeia and Uncrossing oils from Enchantments; it was actually Thea who inspired me to use Uncrossing oil for a healing spell, and considering the conjunction of the sacral chakra cleansing/realignment with that spell, it was a perfect fit! Next to the yoni candle is the fire agate, and behind that are two pouches; one black one in which I placed the remainder of the herbal mixture after finishing the dressing of the candles, and a red one which I created as part of the first healing spell and planned on recharging with this new spell. Finally, you can see my homeopathic medicine; as I mentioned in my post about the first healing spell, I've taken a great liking to blessing my medicine. It just makes sense!

For the actual spell itself, I carved the phrases "Healing," "Balancing," and "Realignment" into the orange candle, anointed it with both Uncrossing and Hygeia oil, and then sprinkled the herb mixture onto the candle. Next, I carved the phrases "Heal me," "Protect me," and "Release me" on the back of the yoni candle (I felt quite squeamish about carving the actual anatomical part!) along with a pentacle on the flat top of the candle, followed by an anointing of both Uncrossing and Hygeia oil and an application of the herbal mixture to the carvings on the back, the pentacle on the top, and the anatomical portion at the front of the candle. I placed the fire agate between the two so that it would be charged from both spell candles, and it was at about this point that I realized that I had no incantation ready to recite. I could feel that I had already built up quite a bit of energy just from creating the spell candles, and it felt right to simply recite what I had carved into each candle before lighting it. After lighting the candles, I anointed the fire agate and the medicine box with both Uncrossing and Hygeia oil and some of the herbal mixture.

After allowing the candles to burn for about 15 minutes or so, my boyfriend assisted me in deducing whether or not the spell had had any immediate effects by using a pendulum over my sacral chakra; at first the pendulum barely moved, but after placing the agate over the chakra and using a quartz point to help reactivate it, it began swirling in healthy, strong circles. I'm beyond confident that this spell is going to help me regain my sexual health (at least for the time being), and even as I speak, knock on wood, my UTI-like symptoms are gone. Hurray for witchcraft! haha

ETA: Just wanted to add a picture of the way my sacral chakra candle EXPLODED literally the second after I finished this blog entry: 

Ending a Connection Ritual

You know, no matter how much you care about someone, sometimes you have to let them go. I'm a fighter by Nature-it's not in me to give up and I'm stubborn as hell. One of the hardest things I've had to learn IS when to let go and move on when there's no hope, and to end it on MY terms, not the other person's.

I was in a tangled emotional situation for a few months, and it took a thwack upside the head from a few Gods, some vivid lucid dreams, and my soul-sister telling me I really needed to just.let.it.go. before I decided to move on and get out of this really stressful situation before I lost my mind and my heart was broken.

Being a spontaneous Aries, I performed a ritual on the fly last night to "cut the cord" so to speak so I wouldn't have any lingering psychic connection to the other person and so I could move on. I set up my alter, grabbed a candle, my Boleyn "B" necklace (I feel a strong connection to Anne Boleyn. In a lot of ways, I think there's quite a few similarities between us, and goodness knows I have her personality, haha), two rocks, thread, scissors, and my Athame.

I wrote my name and the other person's name on a piece of paper, taped it to a rock and a crystal I had on my alter, and tied the black cord around them both, to symbolize said connection. I asked my Gods, my Blessed Dead, and the Elements to break the connection, and also to empower my B necklace with protection (to help keep me from getting hurt, just in case there's still some lingering psychic tendrils). I cut the cord, and let it sit in my cauldron over night.

This afternoon, I purified my B necklace over fire, and used a candle to kindle a fire that burned the tape, the pieces of paper, and the thread--thus ending the psychic connection to the person in question.

I won't lie, it was tough. I started crying in my circle because I know I'll probably never see this person again. It's over, once and for all. I had my iPhone (what I use to take the pictures of my ritual set up) and started to play a few songs I had uploaded on there that reminded me of the situation. It made me cry even more, but I felt cleansed and more balanced afterwards.

I'll also be wearing my B necklace tomorrow, in honor of Queen Anne Boleyn and also as a reminder that like her, I too am a strong woman.

Purification: A Spell for Good Spiritual and Psychic Hygiene

I've been meaning to write this one up for a while.  It was the second of a group of three spells that I did, beginning with the first one I posted.  (The third was private, so I probably won't be posting it here.)  This spell was done for cleansing and purification, sort of getting rid of a lot of psychic "gunk" that I could feel had built up.  I've done this type of spell before and I always feel both cleansed and protected afterward.  Which is good, since that's the point.

Here's the before photo, with all my supplies gathered together, but before I dressed the candle.

From left to right:
-my bottle of sea salt, which is my go-to for any kind of cleansing, clearing, and purification
-the small bowl I used for mixing the herbs
-peppermint, a refreshing, cleansing herb, in a teabag which I ripped open (I drink it all the time, so I always have some on hand and don't bother to keep a separate stock in with my magical herbs)
-a packet of hyssop, which is my favorite herb for purification
-a small vial of Uncrossing oil from Enchantments
-a bottle of White Light oil from Twilight Alchemy Lab
-my candle carving tool
-a white figure candle
-a silver candle plate
-my feather altar cloth (it's actually a napkin)
-my three big chunks of quartz, which I use to amplify and direct energy (one of them is long and straight enough that I sometimes use it as a wand)
-my athame

Here's the after photo:

First, I mixed the hyssop, peppermint, and sea salt together.  Then I carved my name and a purifying/uncrossing symbol into the candle, anointed it with both of the oils, and covered it in the herb/salt mixture.  I raised energy, but it was a bit unusual in that, unlike the previous spell, the energy I raised didn't seem to "fit" the aim of my spell.  In fact, it was very similar to the energy I raised with my previous spell, possibly because I used the same chant as last time.  This wasn't disastrous, it just meant that I had to work harder to sort of "bend" the energy into the right psychic direction.  It may have even been a happy accident because the energy was so strong that, once I managed to bend it the right way, it seemed to really pack a punch.

I do this spell (or some version of it) every few months.  I'll use either a plain white candle carved with protective symbols, or a white figure candle.  I've used this spell for easing anxiety, depression, and even physical ailments.  When I was having a series of "lady problems" (i.e., gynecological problems) a year or so ago, I used hyssop for its purifying properties, raspberry leaf, which is known as a beneficial herb for the female reproductive system, and lavender for general calming.

...and thorns again

I have a funny little coda to add to my "Salt and Thorns" post.  I mentioned that I used a tiny twig with thorns that I'd found lying on the ground up the street from me.  It's not very visible in the photo unless you know where to look--if you click to enlarge the photo it's on the left, in front of the piece of hematite, already partially embedded in the melted wax.

I remember it being almost completely embedded in the melted, hardened wax by the time the candle had completely burned out, and then I disposed of the wax.  I kept the mirror and hematite and cleansed them to be used again, but the thorns were stuck in the wax--and they seem more like a "onetime use" spell ingredient to me anyway, like herbs.

The other night, as I was getting ready for bed, I looked down and saw something on the floor in front of the cabinet that is my altar.  When I picked it up, I was amazed to see that it was the tiny "thorn twig" I had used in my spell.  (It was barely visible, being brown on a brown wooden floor, and I'm really glad I didn't step on it since my feet were bare.)  I kind of just stared at it for a moment, and then I stuck it back in my cabinet, right back in the spot on the top shelf where it had been before.  Obviously, it wasn't done being useful to me!  And since I had just been praying for health and protection for me and my family and loved ones, I took it as an auspicious sign.  I think I'll be keeping it as a talisman now rather than using it as a "consumable" like I do with most plant materials.

Blog Note

I don't know if anyone other than the three of us is reading this blog yet, but just in case, I wanted to make this a separate post instead of sticking it in one of the many comments I've fallen behind on.

I'm sorry for my recent absence.  As Ilyssa and Amanda know, my husband has been ill recently with pertussis* (whooping cough).  He's  on the mend, though it's a slow process, but unfortunately I think I've caught it.  I'm not sure--I'm hoping really hard that it's just a random cough!--but in case it's not, I'll probably be out of the loop for even longer.  But I'm going to try to catch up now.  It may take a while because I'm so freaking exhausted.

Whenever I'm back to my usual self, I've got some pics/text from a purification spell that I've been meaning to post.  I was actually saving it because I didn't want to post too much at once.  Um, oops.  Joke's on me!

(*PSA: If you're in your thirties, PLEASE GET THE ADULT PERTUSSIS VACCINE.  I'm telling everyone because even if you don't have contact with kids you might infect, TRUST ME, you don't want to get this yourself.  It's horrid.)

"Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep": Sending a Pet into the Afterlife

This is my baby Cuddles. She was born on July 5, 2003, to one of my mom's friend's cats, and she and her mommy came to live with us shortly thereafter. She lived a good, long life with us, filled with love and treats and lots of snuggles, but then in March of 2011, we noticed that she was vomiting way more than usual and that she was losing weight. We took her to the vet, and she gave us the worst news that any vet will ever have to give: our baby was dying. She had terminal lymphoma, and she had anywhere from a few weeks to a few months left to live.

Over a year later on May 9, 2012, at the tender age of 8, after a long and valiant fight, she crossed over to the Summerlands. I came home from school yesterday to find her lying on the floor and struggling to breathe. My dad and I didn't want to make any decisions without talking to my mother and my brother first, but the second they came home, my mother took one look at her and said that she wasn't going to live through the next 24 hours. We made the very difficult decision to take her to the vet so that she could have a quick, painless, and peaceful passing, rather than wait the 24 hours and allow her to suffer any further. The vet gave Cuddles a blanket to lie on, and I crouched down at the head of the cold, metal table and stroked her head, telling her that we love her and that Bast would take good care of her. I made sure to keep eye contact with her as the vet gave her the injection, and I watched as she passed quickly and peacefully from this life into the next.

When we got home from the vet's office, I allowed myself to just sit and grieve for a while before getting started with the crossing over ceremony, which my friend Monica sent to me. Once I was ready, I arranged the altar; I used a white candle and a green candle, in which I carved her name and her birth and death dates. I placed these around the Bast statuette that I had sitting on my altar, I propped up the Bast card from Doreen Valiente's Goddess Guidance Oracle Cards behind that, and then I placed Cuddles' picture in front of the Bast card. For the ceremony, I asked Bast and Anubis to guide Cuddles into the afterlife, and then I recited the poem Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep by Mary Elizabeth Frye. After this, I gave Cuddles one last can of her favorite food, as well as a nice healthy pinch of catnip, to take with her into the afterlife. I sent her all of my love and as much energy as I could give to her, and I asked Bast and Anubis to watch over her and to take good care of her until I can meet up with her again.

After the ceremony was finished, I didn't feel any better, but I felt confident that Cuddles had gone where she needed to go. At one point, I was in the kitchen and I could feel her presence on the counter, where she always used to rest. And then, right before I went to bed, I caught a glimpse of her in the upstairs hallway. She was plump, healthy, and full of energy, and that was when I knew for sure that she was ok.

Spontaneous Spell: For The Passing Of A Beloved Pet

While it's nice to have a perfectly laid out ritual with all your tools on hand, sometimes life throws a curveball at you and you have to make do.

On Easter, we had to put down my anam cara, my Aunt's beloved 18 year old Schnauzer-Poodle mix, Buttons. I grew up with Buttons; it was due to our instant bond that we took her home instead of her sister, Patches. She was my baby, my beloved pet before I was able to own a dog of my very own. There's also a certain irony that she came into my life: like Anpu and Anupet, Buttons was as black as night. Even in my mundane life, I was always watched over by a black canid.

No one was expecting it, least of all me. Sure, she was 18 and moved more stiffly with each passing week. But she was still so full of life that I thought she'd live to see at least 19 or 20. When my poor hysterical Aunt called to tell us the news, it hit me like a sack of bricks. The only thing I could think of was that it was my duty as a Daughter of Anpu, Wepwawet, and Anupet to do everything in my power to ease the pain of Buttons' passing for her and for my family.

I couldn't bring my tools and I was too much in shock to think to bring some prayers from my Book of Shadows, so I winged it: I donned my talismans, anointed myself with some of my magickal oils, and used my very outfit as part of the ritual. I wore a black shirt with a black skirt and boots: black, like the fur of Buttons, black like the land of Kemet, and black like the color of my Jackals. For eyeshadow, I wore silver and lined my eyes with kohl, almost mimicking the Wedjat.

As we brought her to the emergency vet, I was Googling Kemetic akhu prayers on my iPhone and even making up a few of my own, right off the top of my head. Once we were in the room, I began invoking my Gods who dealt with death and dying-Anpu, Manannan Mac Lir, Wesir, Het-Hert, etc and praying for an easy passing for her.

I started petting her and sending energy to her in my attempt to make her transition from this world to the Next as quick and painless as possible. I sent a few prayers to my akhu too, asking them to aide Buttons on her journey and to welcome her with open arms.

I held on as they put the IV in, and whatever I'd been doing, this spontaneous ritual…it helped. One moment she was here, and the next, I reached out to sense her energy, and she was gone.

When we got back to my house, the first thing I did was to find a picture of Buttons and place her on the Ancestor Alter in my living room, and over the course of the next few days, I wrote a series of poems in her honor and to thank my Gods for Their help in my spontaneous ritual.

While I pretty much made up this ritual as I went along, I believe that my efforts did help: that night, as I was falling asleep, I bolted upright because I could swear I felt Buttons nuzzle my knee. I'd like to think it was her way of thanking me for what I did.

Sometimes, the best and most effective rituals are one borne out of spontaneity, need, strong emotions, and some energy work.

"Fire My Spirit" - Another Elements Spell

Tonight I decided to do yet another elements-related spell, simply because Snake has been poking at me to do some reconnecting with the world around me and I haven't exactly been doing that (sorry Snake!). I decided that I could either blame it on grad school or listen to his advice, and I decided I should probably listen to him!

This is what I would call the "before" picture, which I have not as of yet done when it comes to documenting my spellwork; usually I just take a picture after everything's already been taken care of, so I decided that this time I wanted to photograph what my spell candles look like before I do that. Here you can see the candle that I'm going to use, my Witches Brew oil (which I bought on 13 Moons but is currently out of stock :( ), sea salt for Earth, lavender for Air, cloves for Fire, and a dried red rose for Water. I was going to use the silver Sharpie to outline the carvings I planned on making in the candle, but it didn't pan out the way I hoped it would. In other words, it didn't do anything. Boo.

And here is the finished product! I carved the name of each element and its corresponding triangle symbol on four sides of the candle, and carved the word "Spirit" and a pentacle across the bottom of the candle so that the words wrapped around it. After that, I anointed the candle with the Witches Brew oil, and then I sprinkled each element's corresponding herb onto the appropriate carving (sea salt for Earth, lavender for Air, etc.). I used Wendy Rule's song "Elemental Chant" to raise energy, and then I recited a prayer to the elements for balance featured in Dorothy Morrison's book Everyday Magic: Spells and Rituals for Modern Living before lighting the candle.

 

This is the shiny that I chose to use as an amulet, something that I can keep on my person at all times in order to keep the energies of this spell with me. One of the reasons I chose it is because of its five-petaled design: hello subtle pentacle! haha Another reason I chose it is because it features the five colors that represent the elements: garnet (red) for Fire, peridot (green) for Earth, topaz (blue) for Water, citrine (yellow) for Air, and amethyst (purple) for Spirit. Why is it that I keep choosing to do work with the elements? That I couldn't really tell you for sure. All I know is that I really enjoy this type of spellwork and it really does make me feel more connected to the world around me...who knew that my spirit animal would know what he was talking about? ;D

Beltane Ritual 2012

Hello all!

As promised, here is my Beltane 2012 Ritual. I'm not going to post the entire ritual, but the break down looked like this:

Invoke The Deities With Prayer: I was working with my Mother, Brighid and An Dagda, Boann, Aengus Og, Caer Ibormeith, Aine, Manannan Mac Lir, and Fand, who are the Deities I honor on the Irish side of my spirituality.

State Goals for This Year's Ritual: New growth, one goal of which involves finding a full-time job doing what I love: writing/editing.

Now, the spell I used for this ritual involved apple seeds, as apples are often equated with Female Divinity and what better way to invoke new growth into my life than by using fruit? I also used a magickally charged green candle for money and prosperity that I bought in Salem from the store Hex Old World Witchcraft and Witchery to represent the power of fire and of prosperity and new growth.

I anointed the seeds with my magickal oils (Protection, Bergamot for luck, etc) and then charged them after my Invocation to my Gods and Goddesses. So they'd be charged for things like finding a new job doing what I love, good health, things like that.

Then I held the seeds over the fire and recited the spell, visualizing a positive outcome for each goal and asking my Gods to bring it forth as the Wheel of the Year turned. Once that was finished, I thanked my Gods for Their help in this endeavor and for all of the good things in my life and ended the ritual.

Also note that I offered my dinner in thanks for all of the positive things in my life and in honor of Beltane to my Gods. It was one of my favorite dishes from Fuel if anyone is curious, and it seemed to be a hit.

I'm going to leave the seeds outside in my backyard garden to help them grow to fruition; there's a nice purple flower in one part and aside from being one of my favorite colors, purple is also a power color as well, which will give the spell a boost (magickally speaking).

All in all, it was a great Beltane and I'm looking forward to celebrating the Solstice in June!

Introduction: Amanda

Hey all!  I’m Amanda, and like Thea and Ilyssa, I consider myself to be a Witch; or more specifically, a dual-faith Eclectic Irish Celtic and Kemetic Pagan Witch. On the Irish “side”, I am the Daughter of Brighid and on the Kemetic “side” my “Parents” are Bast, Anpu (Anubis), Anupet, and Wepwawet. Lots of Fire and Chthonic energies in my spiritual line-up, heh. Makes life interesting is all I can say.

I’ve been some form of Pagan since I was about eleven or twelve, but it was until I hit sixteen that I really took the first steps on my Path. However, it’s only been in the past few years that I really buckled down and started working on honing my Witchcraft. I’m an energy reader (clairsentient, to be exact) and for a long time I’d work with visualizing and manipulating energies to manifest the goal of whatever ritual I was working on. I have also been working more with my Beloved Dead, having recently expanded my ancestor alter and started to deepen the relationship I have with them.

With my spells, since I’m currently working part-time and can’t afford all the nifty Pagan tools I’d love to own, I use what I have with a dash of energy work. Like Thea and Ilyssa, I completely agree that you don’t need to spend a fortune to get the job done.  Need illumination on a topic that’s been bugging me? I’ve used a candle and a crescent Moon necklace I own to represent the power of the Moon to bring the right answer into my life. As a belly dancer, I’ve often incorporated not only the actual dance itself, but also various props and accoutrements that I’ve acquired over the years too.

Sometime over the weekend I’ll post my Beltane ritual for new growth, which involved a candle, a cauldron, and some apple seeds.

Elementary, My Dear Pagan! (Reconnecting with the elements)

 

These candles are the result of a month-long journey that I took from Full Moon to Full Moon, starting from the February FM and lasting until the March FM. The purpose of this month-long spell was to help myself reconnect with the four elements of earth, air, fire, and water. I was very much in need of a reminder that nature and I are one and the same, and I had been wanting to do something like this for a very long time. After gaining some inspiration from my friend Monica, I decided to get cracking!

I created a separate candle for each element, and for the week that I was working with that particular element, each morning and evening I would light the candle, say the appropriate incantation (which I got from Silver Ravenwolf's book Hedgewitch, which I borrowed from Monica), and meditate on the element for about ten or fifteen minutes. For the air candle, I used a yellow votive candle, anointed it with oil (I don't remember what kind unfortunately), and rolled it in lavender; for the fire candle, I used a red votive candle, anointed it with Fire oil that I purchased at the NYC Pagan Pride festival a few years back, and rolled it in crushed cloves; for the earth candle, I used a green votive candle, anointed it with Eucalyptus oil, and rolled it in salt; and for the water candle, I used a blue votive candle, anointed it with rose oil, and rolled it in crushed rose petals. I worked with the elements in that order: air, fire, earth, and water.

As an example of me using shiny things as talismans, I wore this pendant for the entirety of the spell:

I found this on an Etsy shop back in June 2011, about eight months before I even began to think about starting this journey, and I had worn it pretty frequently before then, but the moment I decided to commit myself to the process, I felt that this was the obvious choice as a representation of it. This happens to be one of my favorite pendants, and it's probably the one I wear the most these days, so I had absolutely no problem with wearing it non-stop for a month while I completed the venture! 

I found that with each week, depending on the element that I was working with, I noticed that element in relation to nature and in relation to its more "mundane" characteristics (for lack of a better term). During air week, not only was I paying more attention to the feel and scent of the air itself (the air had that "snow" feel/smell), as well as other scents (both pleasant and not-so-pleasant) of NYC, I noticed that anything sensory was very much amplified. My music seemed more meaningful, the scents more potent, the sights more beautiful. During fire week, everything having to do with creativity and passion was amplified tenfold; fire week also happened to correspond with my menstrual period, and that was definitely an interesting combination (I blame Sekhmet). During earth week, the focus was on the varying meanings of abundance, and also on mortality; one of my dad's friends died during this week, and as a result, my subconscious fears about death and mortality came to the surface. However, because of the element I was working with, I was able to work through and move past these issues. During water week, it rained almost the entire week, and I noticed that it was much harder to hide my emotions; I was wearing my heart on my sleeve that whole time. 

By the end of the lunar cycle, I felt that I had learned a lot, not just about the elements, but about myself. These were all lessons that I needed to learn, all experiences that I needed to have, and I am very happy that I decided to commit myself to this.

Earth My Body (A Healing Spell)

This is a healing spell I did in mid-February when I was having some issues under the belt (I think we've all been there at least once). I had a nasty yeast infection that I didn't realize was a YI until after it was already well in full swing (the bastard snuck up on me ): ). I had also been having issues relating to recurring urinary tract infections that I had finally cured with a three-month-long course of low-dose antibiotics, but I had some residual pain from having one after the other after the other for so long. I decided that my body, specifically my reproductive and urinary systems, needed a thorough cleansing and healing, and that was how this spell came to be!

The ingredients I used for this spell included the medicine (which worked like a charm, no pun intended), a red yoni candle, a blue chime candle, Hygeia oil (specifically made for women's health issues), raspberry leaf, and hyssop, all from the shop Enchantments located in New York City. There's actually an interesting story behind the blue candle, which is that while I was browsing the other candles on that particular shelf, this candle actually rolled itself towards me from inside the box where it was located...and nobody had touched or shaken that shelf. I took that as a sign! As for deciding to place the medicine on my altar, ever since I became more adept at crafting my own spells, whenever it came to healing spells, I would always charge any medicine that I was going to use, and I figured that this time should be no different!

For the blue candle, I carved my name and some symbols for healing, anointed it with the Hygeia oil, and rolled it in the hyssop/raspberry leaf mixture. For the red yoni candle, I honestly don't remember if I carved any symbols or anything into it...I think I decided to leave it be, since I didn't really like the idea of carving anything into my vagina, and simply anointed the anatomical portion with the Hygeia oil, along with the hyssop/raspberry leaf mixture. I did the same with the YI medicine, anointing the box with the oil and the herbs. After I was finished with all of this, I lit the blue healing candle, and then lit the red yoni candle with the blue healing one in order to transfer that healing power to myself. I can honestly say it worked wonders; ever since then (knock on wood), to date, I haven't had any women's health issues!

Salt and Thorns (protection spell)

This is a protection candle spell I did for myself a few weeks ago.  It was for both general protection and to repel negative energy directed at me by others, whether deliberately or unconsciously.  This was one of those happy instances in which my mood was perfectly in line with the aim of my spell, so everything seemed to fall into place easily and I didn't really have to think too hard about what to do.  I also performed it when the Moon was waning and in Scorpio, and I was really feeling that dark lunar energy.

I used a black candle which I'd carved with my name and various words and symbols of protection.  I anointed it with Szemmel Veres oil from Conjured Cardea's Etsy shop and then rolled it in fine sea salt.  Then I placed it in the center of a circle of sea salt on a black metal candle plate and surrounded it with a small piece of hematite, a compact mirror (one which I keep for use in spells), and a small twig with thorns.  (No, I don't know the type of plant the twig was from.  Although I have a few pieces of blackthorn, I didn't feel the need to use them for this spell.  I decided to use this tiny bit of twig that I found quite some time ago, fallen from a hedge on the street where I live.  It's been in my magic cabinet ever since, waiting to be called into service.)  I also poured a bit of spring water at the base of the candle

The music I used to raise energy was Hex by Jade Sol Luna, which is one of my favorite songs/chants to use for this purpose.

As I said, the timing worked out so that both my mood and the lunar energy of the day were perfectly in sync with the spell and everything seemed to work smoothly.  Everything I needed was just right there, waiting to be used.

In the background, you can see Hekate's candle and the figure of Kerberos that always stands beside it.  I didn't invoke them in working this spell, but they are always present on my altar.  There used to be a statue of Hekate there, as well, but one of my cats knocked it off the altar so it broke *shakes fist* and I have yet to find a replacement that I like.

Introduction: Ilyssa

Hello folks! My name is Ilyssa, and I'm the other resident witch here. I'm a Pagan and a Witch, and like Thea, I consider Witchcraft to be a part of my spiritual path. I started walking this path eleven years ago when I was eleven years old (there's gotta be some numerological significance there!). I began as a Witch, only doing spells and honoring the elements sort of offhandedly, and added the Pagan spirituality later on, when I was about fourteen or fifteen. I worship both Sekhmet and Dionysos (which makes for very interesting rituals); Sekhmet called me in October of 2008, and Dionysos not too long after! I consider myself to be a Fire witch, since that's the element that I work with the best (and the most!).

That being said, candle magic is my strong point, and with the help of herbs, stones, oils, and all sorts of magical goodies, I tend to have my strongest and most immediate effects when I use it. I very much enjoy making my candles look pretty, although I don't always do it consciously! Sometimes they just come out that way. I'm a big fan of sympathetic magic, and I enjoy using the principle of "like attracts like" to my advantage. For example, if I want to sever ties with someone, I'll create two candles (one for each of us), tie the candles together with a ribbon, and then cut it. Afterwards, I'll cauterize the ribbon with a lit match to prevent the connection from re-forming. I also very much enjoy using shiny things as talismans, often using a combination of candles, herbs, oils, and stones to charge them up with energies that I need.

Again, much like Thea, I don't believe that you have to go bankrupt in order to create effective magic. I used to believe that you needed all sorts of mystical, "special" props in order for my magic to work, but I've found that cloves from the grocery store work just as well as cloves from the local Pagan shop. Do I enjoy using stuff from local Pagan shops? Of course (and I'm a HUGE proponent of supporting your local Pagans!), but sometimes I just can't afford it, and that's where the supermarket comes in handy. Remember: you don't have to break the bank to be magical!

Introduction: Thea

Welcome to SpellCrafting!  My name is Thea and I'm one of the resident witches here.  I'm a Pagan and a witch, and I consider those to be two separate things.  However, I do view witchcraft as part of my spiritual path because my matron goddess is a goddess of (among other things) magic.  I live in New York City, so while I'm as Nature-loving as the next Pagan, I'm definitely a city witch.  And a Water witch.  And a crossroads witch.  Hey, I'm a multitasker!

My spells are usually pretty straightforward--a carved candle dressed with oils and herbs, salt and stones, and occasionally backed up with a few more props.  I like to raise energy with the help of good music.  My iPod has turned out to be an invaluable magical tool, although sometimes I rely on my own voice.

One of my favorite aspects of spellcrafting is finding spell components in everyday places such as the supermarket, the home goods section of my local department store, the office supply store, and of course the natural world.  I don't believe it's necessary to spend buckets of money on making magic, and I find that having to hunt around a bit helps me to be more creative, which is a fun challenge.

Speaking of creativity, despite being one of the least craft-y (in the non-magical sense) people I know, I really enjoy magically and spiritually themed craft projects such as making spell boxes and--still in the planning stages--deity masks.  Being able to totally customize spells and magical items in such a way makes them feel more personal.  And, if I'm being really honest, I have to admit that I'll take just about any excuse to throw some glitter around.