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.

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.