Maiden to Crone

Here's a few beautiful Witchy jewelry items I found on the internet today.

Where do you go to connect with nature?  I'm lucky in that I live close to Lake Michigan so I tend to do a daily walk along the lake path.

As I walk toward the lake I pass endless buildings of brick until I reach the greenery of the Lakeshore path.  My mind calms and settles with each step away from the concrete chaos and towards the serene shades of sky and green.

Upon reaching the edge of the shore, the city skyscrapers become visible in the distance as they blur dark against the monochromatic horizon. They stand as charcoal sentinels balanced at the edge of the endless water.  Even in winter, Lake Michigan offers a respite from the harsh masculinity of Chicago's architecture.  A feminine note pushing against the industrial.  I savoir my walks as I listen to the soft sound of waves as they calm the roar of the nearby trains.  I watch with serenity as the grey winter waves froth and foam as they pirouette towards the stone walkway.

Walking in nature and feeling the breeze against your face has a beautiful meditative quality.  And with each step I am reminded of our connection to the God and Goddess.  Where do you go to feel connected to nature?

Do you set New Years resolutions?  Personally, I usually forgo this custom as it inevitably leads to failure as I tend to forget my resolutions around February.  Still, I do love making lists so I scoured the internet looking for various Pagan and Wiccan resolutions to try.  Of course, many pagans see the New Year as beginning after Samhain.  Though, I see no harm in coming up with some goals at this time of the year as well.

Hi everyone!

I found this tag video questions on YouYube the other day and decided to make a video of my own responses.

I encourage everyone in the witch community to share their own video responses or comment below.









Here's a list of the questions:

1.) What type of witch are you?
2.) Can you show us your pentacle pendant or other sacred symbol of jewelry you wear?
3.) Have you ever considered joining or creating a coven or circle?
4.) How do you feel about online covens and circles?
5.) When and how did you first find out about witchcraft/wicca?
6.) When did you 1st realize you were a witch? What made you realize that?
7.) How old were you when you 1st started practicing?
8.) What was the 1st spell you ever casted? Did it work?
9.) Have you ever had a spell fail or backfire?
10.) Where do you feel your power comes from?
11.)Which element do you feel connected to the most?
12.) What is the 1st Witchy Thing you ever bought yourself?
13.) What is the name of your favorite Tarot Deck?
14.) What are some of your favorite: herbs, incense, and crystals?
15.) How do you feel about witches depicted in books, movies, and TV shows?
16.) Can you recommend some books, websites, and other resources to us on witchcraft/wicca?
17.) Do you ever doubt your craft?
18.) Have you ever experienced "Spiritual Burnout?" Any advice on that?
19.) What made you want to share your life as a witch on social media?
20.) Tell us something you know now that you wish you knew when you began walking your path.
21.) Can you share a simple craft with us?
22.) Any tips/ words of wisdom for newbies?
23.) Shout Out Some Witchy Channels...
24.) Name some magickal places you wish to visit.

I've seen several people review The Wild Unknown Tarot deck recently on other blogs and on YouTube.  The deck was created by Kim Krans, an artist living in New York city.  I absolutely love how the artwork is mostly minimalist with beautiful splashes of color.  I don't personal own this deck yet but I am definitely considering purchasing it.  You can find more details about this deck at her website.  If you have this deck, comment below to let me know what you think of it and if you think the cost (currently $40) is worth it.

Hi everyone!

I don't have many witchy tools so I tend to make my rituals and spells very minimalist.  For this prosperity spell I used a green candle, a glass of wine, and a few objects to represent the elements.

Before starting the ritual, I dressed in a black cocktail dress that I had cleansed earlier for the purpose of such rituals and spells.

I set up my space with a green unlit candle in the middle, a small glass of wine, and a box of matches in front of the candle.

At the four corners of the ritual space I did the following:
To the North I placed a jar or stones to represent the Earth.
To the East I put a incense sick in my favorite incense holder to represent Air.
To the South I used a red candle to represent Fire.
And to the West I placed a few seashells in a bowl to represent Water.

For atmosphere, I turned off most of the lights and put on some music.  The music I chose for this ritual was Your Hand in Mine by Explosions in the Sky.

To begin the ritual, I cast a circle around my ritual space making sure that the my representations of the elements were inside the circle. 

To cast the circle, I started by standing in the middle of my space and visualizing a bright light flow through my body, starting at my feet and finally moving upward towards the tips of fingers.  When I felt a tingling sensation throughout my whole body I moved to the edge of the circle and walked Clockwise saying the following words:

"I conjure thee,
O circle of power,
that thou be a meeting place of love and trust,
a shield against all wickedness,
a boundary between the realms of men and the Mighty Ones."

When I had made the full circle I returned to the center and said "As Above, So Below" while visualizing the energy of the circle move up and below me so that it was no longer a circle, but a sphere with me at its center.

With the circle complete, I then turned to each element in turn to invite the element to come into my ritual space.

I started facing the East and took three deep breaths while I visualized the feeling of air move through my body.  Then I lit the incense and said the following:

"By the Air that is our breath, Be with us now."

Turning to the South and visualizing fire, I said:

"By the fire that is our spirit, Be with us now."

Turning to the West and visualizing Water, I said:

"By the water that is our emotions, Be with us now."

Turning to the North and visualizing Earth, I said:

"By the Earth that is our body, Be with us now."

I then returned to the center of the circle, and lit the single green candle as asked for prosperity to come towards me.  I held the chalice of wine and meditated starting at the green candle about what I wanted to achieve.

When I felt that the visualization was complete I said the following and drank the wine.

"As I drink this wine, let prosperity flow through me and manifest."

With the spell complete, I thanked and released earth of the elements in turn and then walked counterclockwise around the circle to release the circle of energy.

I found this amusing Norse take on The Night Before Christmas.  I couldn't stop laughing when I read it (especially the part about cheap women and wine) and I felt that I had to share it with you guys.  So here it is.  Happy Yule!
























Link: http://www.odins-gift.com/poth/N/nordicyule.htm

I stayed up late last night eager to finish this book.  While I still sympathize with her search for meaning and the transcendent, much of my criticisms from my earlier review remain.  I'm still shocked by the classist and elitist lens that Mar uses to describe Witches in America.  I can see why others are calling it the East, Pray, Love version of Witchcraft.  Overall, she does not paint a good picture of the community and it's leaders. It upsets me knowing that she has profited from her exploitation of those who viewed her as a friend.

Towards her benefit, I will say that the second half of the book was definitely a page turner.  Some of the characters she describes, like Jonathan the Necromancer, are so out there that I was both grossed out and engrossed by their strange practices.  I can see why she immerses herself on the fringes of the Occult community, singling out the outsiders of the outsiders.  It does provide for interesting characters and interesting storytelling. Though it seemed she was more interested in being provocative than accurate and she becomes less of a seeker and more of a voyeur.

Before starting, take a few moments and some deep breaths to clear your mind.  Take a pen and a small piece of paper and write down your wish.

  I'm only half way through the book at the moment but I felt overly   compelled to begin commenting right away.  This book has caused   so much controversy in the Pagan community.  Alex Mar wastes       no time in letting us know about her privileged upbringing          
  making sure to mention her Harvard degree, trips to France, etc.  
  Though she assures us that she is more New York beatnik than         WASP.        

 Alex, who says she has always been interested in various forms of    mysticism, sends herself on a quest through the occult to find            something that can "disturb her" and "shake her into believing."

 Personally, I sympathize with her quest to find a spirituality that is  intense and immersive.  The various disciplines of Wicca and  Paganism can certainly provide that feeling of experiencing the  divine in a unique and personal way. However, Alex seems to be  invested in her research for the mere surface shock value.  Nudity  is mentioned constantly, painting a picture that most Wiccan rituals  are sexual at their base.  While I personally have no issue with  those who practice Skyclad, I and many like me have no interest undressing during public rituals.  Nudity, and sexuality is constantly highlighted in her book.  She references sexuality as core component of Wiccan practice, yet leaves out all the more subtle yet just as powerful components of the practice.  It is true that Paganism is unique among most religions in that we are not ashamed of our body and sex is not considered a sin.  However, Mar paints a picture as if we're all nymphomaniacs in poly-amorous relationships who constantly feel the urge to expose our bodies to strangers during ritual.  This is far form the case.

There are just some initial opinions and concerns from my reading.  For now, I need to delve back in and finish the book.  I'll be sure to have another, more compete review once I have finished.

Just before the first glimmerings of dawn, the Great Crone sweeps across the sky and clothes the dying night in Her cloak. She wraps it tenderly and gently, enfolding each star, each galaxy, each universe in Her essence.  Slowly the Great Crone draws back Her cloak revealing gold, and pink, violet and the steely blue tones of first light. She is the Crone, Mistress of Re-birth. We honor Her as "Protectress of Endings" and "Birther of New Beginnings".  Dawn each day, is an affirmation of re-birth and a sacred ritual of the Crone's cycles and seasons.