Samhain decorations!!!

I'm almost finished, I just have to carve 2 little jack o lanterns and add them to the display......

On wishes, dreams, and magic manifesting in my life...

The other night, I was blessed with a beautiful moment...I was feeling a little forlorn, lying in bed alone staring out the window at the bright star that shines right in it on me. I had that song running through my head that goes ''Can we pretend that airplanes, In the night sky, Are like shooting stars, I could really use a wish right now''. And I gazed out the window, and suddenly, framed perfectly within my windowframe, a shooting star appeared, bright and streaking through the sky, dissapearing as they do. And I made my wish. A few days later, and it seems it has come true. I really need to get back in my habit of wishcraft, and of reconnecting to the natural world and the astral plane. I have had too many experiences that cannot be explained in normal terms (unless I have a habit of hallucinating, and certain things that can't be explained by hallucination never happened) to not believe in magick, the faery folk, and other forces and worlds beyond this one.

Too many times I have seen things that are not supposed to exist (whether or not I knew what they were at the time). I have heard voices telling me something that turned out to be incredibly helpful. On one occassion it was a very sharp warning that woke me up from my nap on our big swing and told me to GET INSIDE NOW. I thought it was my mother, and ran into the house to see what she wanted, shutting the door, and moments later two dogs ran into the yard fighting and snarling at each other and snarling at the glass door at me. My mother was oblivious in the kitchen on the phone, and hadn't called me.

On another occassion I was told to take a different street to get back to my hostel in California. The next morning I heard that a young woman had been attacked  a few minutes after I had changed streets, on the very street I had almost gone down. Other times I have had voices telling me a song, a phrase a word, something that seemed random, but was incredibly relevant to a problem or difficulty I was experiencing at the time, and often this saying led me to the solution or a 'eureka!' moment..

I have been tripped, not once, but twice, by something in the grass (I never found out what), and upon opening my eyes, a four leaved clover has been sitting directly in front of me. I gave one to my husband when he went to Afghanistan and it all but disentigrated (he must have really been using up the luck!), the other I quite stupidly glued to the top of my favourite wardrobe in my bedroom as a child, thinking I'd always have it with me. To this day I wish I had that wardrobe back, I loved it! I have several more given to be by my highschool boyfriend's mother, but the ones I found were the most special.

My high school boyfriend's mother was a very spiritual person, and was fond of the wee folk. One day as I sat helping to fold laundry, I saw to my complete shock the VERY distinct silhouette of a little winged person sitting on top of the stack of towels. It remained there for as long as I had my eyes open, even when I glanced away for a moment. When I blinked it was gone. To this day I am still shocked and if I hadn't seen it so clearly, I would have convinced myself by now that I'm completely nuts.

I have heard music that no one else seems to when asked, and on one walk in the woods I turned to see a red and white hound sitting on the path behind me watching me. I looked down the other way to see if there was anyone, like a person, and when I looked back a second later, the dog had vanished, and the trail and surrounding woods were too sparse for it to have run into without me seeing or hearing it. Later I read that in some culture red and white hounds, or white hounds, were the faery folk's dogs and I got the chills. It could have been a physical dog, or a faery one, I'll never know.

I have had incredibly lucid dreams, ones so difficult to tell apart from real life in which I met people and beings that taught me much of what I know, and shared wisdom and advice with me which I have carried with me (though not always acted on) to this day. As the years have passed by, and I have had some very traumatic experiences and many lessons learned the hard way, I drifted farther and farther from that good place, where I could go into my dreams and consult my helpers for advice. More days passed by without me hearing any hints, and with me ignoring all the tools at my disposal to help me as I became more focused on the immediate physical, and so disconnected from my true self that I probably wouldn't even notice if anyone tried to contact or help me and I forgot who I was, or what I even wanted. I started becoming the people I despised and pitied.

Slowly, I am reconnecting, reopening my mind, remembering to be thankful and respectful, listening to my intuition more, and being more honest with myself and others. I have grown up more, and at the same time done more stupid things in the last 6 years of my life than at any other time. I hope that I have learned my lessons, and that I can now begin to live the life I was meant to, and reconnect so that I am in that good place that I could escape to as a child. It comes right in time too, as my daughter is two, and becoming more and more aware of her world. She needs someone there who will lead her, and help her, give her spiritual and practical advice and steer her in the right direction, but be able to step back and let her pick her own path. As her mother, I should be that person, and I need to truly become myself if I am to do a good job.

My main problem is motivation. And sleep. I should go to sleep earlier, but the night is when I feel most alive, get most things done, and when it's quiet because my daughter is sleeping. So I usually do crafts and housework and read at this time. And the day, I am like a zombie, and cranky, and can't be bothered to do anything. Because of a rough adolescence, I was in a severe state of depression for many years, my life got more difficult, and now I have a lot more pain and horrible memories to weigh down on me, not to mention that habit that your brain forms when an action or thought is repeated  lot. I need to get motivation, keep motivation, and start forming new habits, ones which help me connect the the Otherworld, to my intuition, to the Earth, to that peaceful spot in my core so I can make descisions well, and learn and grow and thrive!

I have yet to figure out how to do this very well, but slowly, I'm working on it. Slowly.

Please sign this petition, and join us on Monday, Oct 11 in London!

For starters read the article here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1317490/Druids-official-religion-Stones-Praise-come.html

Then, regardless of religion, if you are shocked, offended or angry that such an untrue, rude, and biased attack was even allowed to go to print, you can sign the petition for an apology here: http://www.petitiononline.com/druid1/petition.html

If you would like to join us, we will be at the Daily Mail Offices in London at noon on Monday. So far, over 100 are confirmed to be attending on facebook alone, with further 100+ possibly attending. Please read all the info here: http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=165658720111461

NOTE: THIS IS TO BE A PEACEFUL EVENT!
Troublemakers be warned, the very loud, outspoken and eloquent organizers will be very quick to publicly shame anyone in true bardic style who comes and causes problems and gives us a bad name. NO VIOLENCE, hateful words etc. An it harm none. We are simply seeking to show that we exist, we are here, and we want the same respect as any other religion. Not to mention an apology.

Wands!

O-k, I have identified my woods. I have some very lovely hazel woods which along with elder and rowan, are reputed to be some of the best woods for wands, especially all purpose wands! I have enough to make 4, perhaps even 5 wands. I also have a hawthorn branch which is known to be a fairy tree, great for defense and protective magick and stregnthening, warding, concelment and weather magick. I finally have a rose branch which is great for protection, psychic power emotional healing, luck and divination.

So, for the Rose, my original idea still applies, however I found a lovely slender rose quartz to put on the point! As rose is also good for psychic power I have a lovely amethyst to use as a base stone.

My Hawthorn is looking to be a lovely wand.! I may decorate it with some red spirals painted on it reminiscent of it's vibrant coloured berries and add a rose quartz or clear quartz crystal to the point. I also have some lovely blue dyed agate I might put onto the tip...or as a base stone.....

For the Hazels, I have a few different sizes. I got a fairly thick branch which will make two nicely shaped wands, and I'm thinking of carving these and embedding a nice thick goldstone into the base. I also have a turquiose which would go nicely on one as well....

The quest for wand materials..

I have just been out traipsing around the forests with my daughter in search of suitable woods for wands, and, success! I have found several beautiful sticks. Some are unknown, one is rose, and I brought some leaves back from the trees they came from so I can identify them.
I have some plans in mind for these wands already, although they will certainly change as the wands seem to almost make themselves! Although I do make some of my wands with glue, I want to go as organic and natural as possible as that helps to make the wand more powerful.

The rose stick is very slender and delicate, so I don't know if it will hold a crystal well, but perhaps if I dye it a lovely red, fading to pink, and treat it with some of my very expensive rose otto oil, and Moroccan rose oil, that should be lovely. I may even carve a very faint delicate rose vine up it, and fill in the lines with gold. Perhaps I will add some ruby red satin ribbon to the handle.

I need to identify the other branches before I think of what to create with them...I think I may have accidentally cut a hawthorn branch, although I did leave an offering in return, Irish folklore says it is bad luck to cut a hawthorn as you may offend the fairies living in that tree. It is regarded as a tree that is a portal to the faerie realm. Seems I have some apologizing to do before I make that particular wand, although when made, it will be a very powerful conductor for fairy magick!

I may also have an alder, aspen, beech, box, or hazel, all the leaves look similar! Aw heck, I should just go get the dratted branches and take a peek lol. I also know where to find the most magickal of all trees, the rowan, and also possibly a sycamore tree (which I at first mistook for a strange maple tree, turns out they are in the same family!) and silver birch as well!

Practical Magic Wishing Love Spell

I was inspired last night after watching the film (Practical Magic) to whip up a little spell of my own. It comes at a time when my partner and I are going through some rough times and aren't sure if we'll make it much longer as even friends. As I was watching the film I connected most with Sally, first when she was little and said she never wanted to fall in love, then when she lost her husband. Although a lot of the relationship problems are due to some pretty stupid choices I made and me discovering things abot myself which I knew on some level, but was in denial about, a good part of it is that we are both slowly coming to the painful realization that we may be good friends, and have a lot of fun together, but marriage might have been a step to far as we are two very different people, with very different interests and lifestyles and there isn't a whole lot that we can do together. So my spell, like Sally's was born because of love, although the outcome desired is different. To me, spells are prayers or wishes, with props! Which to me, makes them that bit more fun! Love spells are tricky however, as you never, ever, should wish, pray or try to cast a spell to force someone's will, including in love. So love spells should always be neutral. Wishing for the best for both parties, even if the outcome is painful or not your first choice.

So last night, I went through my herb cupboard, and got roses for love, cinnamon for passion, basil for abundance, lavender for purity (and because it's my partner's favourite scent), damiana for attraction and sugar for sweetness. Upstairs I lit one central candle, representing our love and friendship, and two candles representing each of us from that main candle. Under the light of the full moon I then began my wish:

I wish for love between my partner and I (roses went on a burning charcoal disk in my cauldron)
Even though it may not be the passionate love of lovers (now cinnamon)
But simply friendly attraction (damiana)
Let it be for the best for both of us.
I wish for it to be pure (lavender)
I wish for it to be sweet, and to heal our old wounds (sugar)
I wish for it to be abundant (basil)

I wish too, that he and I will find love that is sensual (roses)
Love that excites (cinnamon)
Love in plenty (basil)
Love that is pure (lavender)
Love that is kind (sugar)
Love that is mutual (damiana)

Though it may not be with each other,
But with another,
And that we can work through the pain, heartache and failures,
And remain true friends.

(at this point on of the candles representing us accidentally went out and so I used that as part of the spell, saying, when one of us gives up, or our flame begins to die, let the other bring us back, and relit the candle with the second one of the pair)

I wish, for love.

As the herbs burned and glowed bright in the charcoal, I envisioned the glow of love, that spark we lost rekindling itself in both our hearts, in whatever form it will finally take and sent the smoke off into the night wind.

And, talk about instant results. I went back downstairs (after unsuccessfully trying to burn my nice pretty incense and accidentally burning candle wax...ick) and watched tv with my partner, and suddenly, on it's own, a conversation was started, and he mentioned that he didn't think it (the marriage) was going to work out between us. The night ended with some hugs, a few tears, and giggles, and neither of us have set anything in stone as to what our future will be, together or apart, although I am pretty sure about the outcome due to the lovely gift of foresight, which isn't always such a blessing when you have it :-) But that's life.

We still love each other.

And we're still friends.

Which is all I ever really wanted, so I am happy.

On the Subject of Wands

Does anyone want to get me this for my birthday? Or Christmas? Because now THIS is a wand I could use!!! I saw this about a month ago and have practically been drooling over it ever since. This is a seriously, awesomely, witchy gadget!

It's called the Kymera Magic Wand, and it is basically a programmable remote control, in the shape of a wand!

It comes with this awesome box, and a sweet little instruction manual in a most unusual shape..

I have yet to see if anyone has bought it, and figured out how to use it...

So totally cool!!!

http://www.thewandcompany.com/

Wands! A Tutorial (sortof) and project diary

Does everyone remember when the first Harry Potter book came out? I have always had a very vivid imagination and can transport myself into a sort of movie in my head whilst reading books and in the very first Harry Potter book, the scenes that stand out to me most are when Harry and Hagrid are wandering down Diagon Alley, and especially the scene when he goes into Ollivander's. Boxes upon boxes of wands! All sorts! My brain was going crazy imagining the possibilities!

So, just for fun, I made my very own wand, of pine, as I grew up surrounded by pine forests. I carved and I whittled and then I smoothed it down and waxed it to protect it with a pine scented piece of candle and fixed a little crystal point on it with copper wire I ''borrowed'' from my dad's electrical box. And it was beautiful. But now, ten years on, I have no idea what happened to it! So a few months ago I was watching the first Harry Potter movie, and I got inspired again.
I took my daughter out for a walk and happened upon a lovely willow tree, a particular favourite of mine. There had been a storm recently so I searched the ground for a suitable stick, and found one, although it was rather dainty. Back into the house we went and as baby napped, I took a knife, and carved one long spiral up from the bottom of the stick to the top. Then I went in search of copper wire and discovered that I'd mispaced it. Not to be deterred, I found some small tins of gemstone chips and, grabbing the glue, ran back downstairs. I very carefully filled the spiral groove first with glue, then with the tiny gemstone chips. I had a lovely little amethyst point so I wound a thread tightly around it and fixed it firmly to the tip of the wand, and added, yes, more glue. Finally, I let it sit and dry. It was beautiful, but still missing something. So I looked harder for the copper, and, voila! Found it, up went a double coil between the gemstones and around the amethyst! I finally decided to sell it on ebay and someone bought it from me last week! So I think I shall make more....

When I was in Oregon this summer I was walking through some forested areas which had been cut back. I was surrounded by gorgeous maple trees, and decided to forage for wand materials. I was in luck as I found a beautiful and hefty maple branch, the perfect width, and legnth! When I got back, I marched straight into the garage and pulled out the sandpaper. I sanded, and sanded, and sanded, until my hand were hot from the friction and smooth from the tiny grains of sawdust in them. Finally, when I decided it was pretty enough and smooth and just right, I buffed it and decided to carve the word ''Believe'' into the handle, where I had left the bark. I'm not very good at carving, so it looked rather like rough runes, pretty, but not pretty enough.

I decided that having the word there could be beneficial to the overall finished product, so I left it and decided what to do with the wand itself. I had several colours of green paints and so I painstakingly painted curving vines that wound up and around the wand from the top of the handle, complete with little leaves. When it was dry I found some wood varnish, and carefully, layer upon layer varnished the entire wand. When that was dry, I thought it needed a bit more oomph. A very fine mist of copper paint and another layer of varnish did nicely! I didnt want to make this wand too girly, it had a very masculine vibe to it and I decided that simple was good. But it needed a few final touches. I had a lovely green agate stone which I thought would complement the wand nicely, as both maple and agate are supposedly beneficial to travellers. I decided that this was a traveller's wand. the agate was fixed to the top, and I wound some lovely soft dark leather around the base to finish it, and wrapped another piece around the iddle of the handle, over the carved word. The finished project is comfy to hold, and I am sad to see it go as someone has purchased it from me and I will be wrapping it in lovely gold tissue and sending it on its way with my blessing.

Practical Magic Blog Party-My Book of Shadows

Even before Practical Magic came out I have been obsessed with books, particularly spellbooks and old grimoires! I have tried to make one several times in the past, but something always happened, and finally, a few years back I found two amazing hardbound tooled leather books with blank parchment at T.J. Maxx in the US and, contrary to my common sense, I bought them, seeing as they were only $24 each! They are about 9 inches wide, 2 inches thick and about 12 or so inches tall, which makes them a nice large sze, without being too huge (although I do love huge books!). I chose one for a scrapbook of sort, and the other as my Book of Shadows. I wanted to make every page inside perfect, as this is my dream book, so the work on it is going slowly as I really dont want to mess up! Inside I am using calligraphy pens and inks with magickal oils added. From the start of the book I pressed flower petals and herbs inside the book so it smells really lovely! As it stands, it's still a work in progress.....I could of course, buy a replica book of shadows or a massive tome like the one from the movie at places like Lapulia or Brahm's Bookworks...but they cost close to $400!!! Eek! Unemployed mama on a budget here. Check out bookstores like Barnes & Noble and also anywhere that sells leather hardbound journals. You can always paste parchment paper or decoupage over the pages if you don't like what they look like inside...I've seen someone turn a gorgeously bound address book into a beautiful scrapbook like that! For my book of shadows I stuck to the traditional set of stuff, runes, chants, spells, correspondences etc. but for my magickal scrapbook I put in anything that had a profound effect on me, from beautiful fashion images, cutouts from metaphysical magazines, inspirational quotes and stories, news clippings of events I had witnessed and more! The est part of this is that there are no rules. It's your book, make it pretty! And no, it never has to be completely finished. All of my projects are in some stage of transition, being added to, transformed, or completely taken apart and rebuilt.

Closeup of my Book of Shadows. I carved out parts of the leather in the front and put semi precious gemstone chips in them!

The fron title page, still not finished...

Runes and magickal alphabets and the Wiccan Rede, which is a lovely poem, and I had once memorized in it's entirety!

The page on the left has spaces for more pictures, drawings and decorations...well, technically, so does the page on the right, when I find the right artwork!!

This was a gorgeous card which reminded me so much of Herne/Cernunnos/Gwyn the forest and hunter god archetype of the British isles that I had to have it. It's now on my ''Charge of the God'' page

So much space to fill!! Shall I? Or is it beautiful in it's simplicity?

My kitty is obsessed with my quill...

Just waiting for me to write!!! With some of the original rose petals that have been scenting my book for ages!

From here on downwards are photos of my magical scrapbook, which accompanies my book of shadows

Some fun articles from pagan magazines, girly mags etc.

The book on the left is my book of shadows, the right is my lovely scrapbook!

The London tube bombings happened on my 19th birthday while I was on holiday in Spain. Coming to London to stay there for the first time, & by myself two days afterwards was indescribeable. There was a mixture of fear, anger, greif, shock, and amazingly, comraderie as people began to pull together through a shared horror and help each other.

Well said. Brilliant quote, beautiful clothes!

I found this poem by my sister in a pile of old papers. It's sad, eloquent, and brutally honest to what she was feeling at the time. I find it incredibly moving.

I love the dove chocolate wrappers, inside they have these lovely little quotes, some of them are delightfully wicked! There are also love notes from my only missed boyfriend, a photo of an old friend of mine, a dirtbiker who was the first person ever to get me to drink beer!

My first ever ticker to the Tower of London where I met my husband. I only had to buy the ticket because I couldn't find him and wasn't well connected enough yet to get in free without him! There is also my Louvre ticket, and my first ever business attempt banner that I made when a friend and I went to the local farers market with all my soaps and lotions on a little red wagon and sold my goods, without a permit. We were kicked out after a few hours, but it was fun!!!

A poem a friend of mine wrote me in 8th grade? When I was still very shy, erdy and geeky. I kept it on my bathroommirror for nearly 2 years, just to remind myelf that some people did like me!!

A cool clipping of when Rosie O'Donnell married her girlfriend and my 5 foot long receipt from the Ghiardelli's Chocolate Heaven in San Fransisco. Which is the reason I should NEVER be allowed in a chocolate shop drunk, with a wad of cash. The total was narly $300.

My student card from my school in Paris, my daughter's first ultrasound photo, and a ticket to the Erotic Museum

All things Witchy & Wonderful

Since the date for the Practical Magick Blog party is coming up soon, and Halloween/Samhain is just around the corner, my mind has been wandering to all things witchy and wonderful...I have been extremely inspired by the digital collages of many talented graphics artists out there, especially the lady at Plumrose Lane, and was thinking that I just might give the idea a go and make my very own Halloween blog theme using witchy and magical graphics and photos from vintage sources.

I have also found a very sexy painting called Faust's Vision in which there are a number of nude & nubile witches flying (it seems) and have a brilliant (if not a bit naughty) project planned for that image as well! I may have to mark this blog as adult if there is going to be anything of an adult nature, even if it is vintage paintings...on the subject of nudity, I also found some beautiful hand-sculpted pendants on Etsy, although I'm not sure if I'll shock my dear readers if I dedicate a post or two to things of that sort. Being of the openminded sort, I find them quite beautiful and would like to make something similar, but there are those people of a more, umm, reserved nature out there so I'm still debating on whether or not to post anything more on it. (If you're curious you can visit http://www.etsy.com/listing/40123251/cameo-necklace-scroll-setting-with-pink or http://www.etsy.com/shop/VulvaLoveLovely). Other things I'll be posting soon are a project I'm working on for my daughter, a hoodie I made out of a friend's recycled sweater and one of her sleepers that she had grown out of. I just need to find a zipper so I can finish the thing! I'll also be posting a few recipes I have for delicious and quick meals that are great for fall, some kids Halloween craft ideas, a few more tutorials on potions and decorating potion bottles, some tutorials and ideas for quick and easy Christmas gifts and I'll be adding some free potion bottle labels that I've made for you to download! I've been a bit spaced out lately and not able to post quite as often but I'll get back to it soon!

Explorations in Glastonbury

Climbing the Tor

I went to the fabled Glastonbury a short while ago for the first time. It's somewhere I have been dreaming of going ever since I was young, and for me, it did not disappoint! I did always plan on going for a spiritual retreat and not a tourist visit, but that was fine for me!!!

One of the charming little side streets

A fairy offering I found left in a tree

More of Yuri's gorgeous drawings.....

And of course I am biased, but my favourite drawing of his, is of me :-) http://www.yurileitch.co.uk/

The view from the top of the Tor is amazing!!!

There is something about ancient buildings that spark my imagination, the sheer beauty and craftsmanship is sadly unrivalled today.... (oh, and no what I am wearing is not a costume, that's my normal clothes. Because I've been asked that a lot)

I didn't want to leave!! There were so many cool shops, funky clothes, awesome books, jewelry, decorations, art, crystals, crystals and more crystals! My daughter and I went into a crystal shop as I was searching for a special one for a project of mine, and she grabbed a baby-handful-sized pink harlequin quartz. I gave her the option of several, including several little carved charms that I was going to make into a neckace for her but no. She wanted that particular one. So now she has a pretty rounded crystal to play with instead of my spiky sharp ones!