A Day In the Life

I was asked by a student to give a general summary of my day. Well, I’m not exactly good with the brief and succinct posts so I rambled. Here’s what I wrote:

Hello!

Well, my day in the life might not be like others’ because, frankly, this is all I do.

 

I’m a witch professionally (trying to finish a novel to become a writer professionally too). But I’ll give you a rundown.

I usually wake up between eight and ten in the morning. I open up my home to clients at ten, so I’m definitely up by then but I don’t tend to bother with alarm clocks unless I have to. The first thing I do is check my cellphone while I boot up my laptop. Since I run my business and life from my cellphone, I spend the first five minutes making tea, brushing my teeth, that sort of thing one handed while checking my email, calendar, texts, and asks on tumblr. Then I’ll turn on the music, hop in the shower, and dress.

While I’m doing these mundane things, I’ve also done little witchy things too. I’ll check any sigils, protections, and wards I’ve set up and pass. I’ll flip or shake jars of infusing oils. I’ll pet the cats and send my servitor on any assignments I need xe to attend to. I take the first random song of the day I hear as a possible divination and I’ll bath with some sort of enchanted or herbal bath products. Even dressing is somewhat witchy. If I have plans for the day, I’ll dress in colors that suit my needs – red for power, blue for healing or truth, gray for invisibility. Jewelry added is never just for decoration, as each has been bewitched with various purposes. If I intend to go out of the house and meet clinics, I’ll swipe on some makeup which I also enchant for witchcraft – lip balm might be for sweeten word, eyeshadow or liner for protection, perfume to mask intent, that sort of thing.

Depending on how early I wake up, I’ll spent the next few minutes or hours writing until ten in the morning. The writing might be fictional or might be a witchy post for one of my blogs, fine-tuning an essay or workshop. It’s writing of some kind.

Then I’ll open up the “shop”. It should be noted that by “shop” I mean I open up my home for potential clients. It’s never a flood of people. Some days I don’t get a client at all – not in person or online. But once I flip the “I’m open” sign on the front door, I’ll start my day. Any orders that need to be sent out will be packaged up, enchanted for a quick and safe journey, and set out for the mailperson. I’m pretty restless, so I tend to do a lot of things at the same time throughout the day.  I’ll bake if I had nothing in the house to snack on (as I offer these to clients) and then I’ll start some new project that needs doing. It might be making a clay charm, writing a sigil, casting a spell, sewing, embroidering, making new witchy products for the shop, whatever. I’ll check on experiments I’ve running or clean and sanitize equipment from past experiments. I’ll go ahead and record spells or herbal concoctions in lab books and grimoires. I might head out into the garden or plunk down for a video game to pass the time. I’m almost always reading some book – every room has at least one book I’m actively reading – but I might watch a TV show too while tumblring or writing.  A lot of the time I’ll sprinkle in everyday tasks too – set the laundry to go, sweep the floors, put dishes away, eat, etc. These might have a little witchcraft in them too – I might toss a pinch of herbs in the wash to help protect or bring money and prosperity. Sweeping might be done alongside a cleansing or straightening and checking other household protections. Often, I stop to do a tarot or oracle reading or to throw together a charm bag for a client, or answer ask, emails, texts, and phone calls from friends and clients alike. I keep an ear open for the door during all of this. The day is pretty varied, depending on my mood, the weather and current season, and any plans made.

If I have errands to run, friends visiting, or just need some time to do something less easily put aside, I’ll turn my sign saying I’m not taking clients and for any potential clients to call the shop’s number. Some afternoons I’ll spend with friends chatting over religion, spirituality, and witchcraft but it’ll be sprinkled with gossip and shenanigans too. Errands might be as simple as running to the corner store for milk and bread but it might also be popping into the city to purchase rarer herbs from a witch shop. I might swing by to tend to family grave sites or wild harvest plants.

I run my shop until 10 p.m. and I’ll wrap up the evening writing and debating on tumblr before bed.

I don’t have an altar space or work space and I’m very folk magic more than ceremonial, so my witchcraft tends to be easily meshed into everyday life. I’m just as likely to cast a spell on my kitchen counter as I am in the garden or my bedroom.

Sorry. That was probably pretty specific but I don’t tend to have a really typical day. Does that help you some?

So that’s how a normal day runs for me. I’ll give an example by giving you a rundown of today so far (it’s not noon yet but shh)

I woke up about eight thirty, check my cell, turned the laptop on for music, and put tea on. Then I wrote that response until my uncle texted me about quarter to nine. His car broke down so I quick dressed and ran to the next state over (three towns away) to give him a jump. Once done I scampered home just in time to open up the shop. I flipped my sign, swept the porch and communal living and dining room (as a favor for my mother more than anything) before heading down to my flat. I left some bread dough out to rise overnight and make them into some really fabulous buns. While they baked, I tumblred a bit, listened to Welcome to Night Vale, pet the cat, and think about my day.

Tomorrow’s my shop’s one year anniversary so today I’m going to be REALLY busy making sure everything set for the BIG sale at midnight. I’ve new items to make, package, and set up. I’ve a few emails from Witchvox to answer as well. The rest of the day will be spent doing a lot of witchy stuff rather than by reading, playing video games, or hanging out with friends. If I’ve the time, I’ll work on the workshop outline for RIPPD.

So that’s how I spend my day as a pro witch and struggling writer.

Trance Pre and After Care

1 Comment

I see a ton of people talk about trancing and ways to do it but I don’t think I’ve never seen someone talk about aftercare after trancing. This is an incredibly important step, not only to keep things safe but to assure the experience ends on a good note.

  1. Ensure you have the proper time. Rushing a trance is not only a bad idea but dangerous. If you’re taking an entheogen, don’t plan it for just an afternoon. Set aside the whole day and evening, maybe even the whole weekend. A trance might only last half an hour but the aftereffects could last much, much longer. Most drugs aren’t flushed out of your system completely for 24 hours. So just because you feel “fine” doesn’t mean you are. If you danced or moved while tracing, you may have pulled a muscle and might not even know it until later. Trying to trance before work or something might seem like a great idea at the time, but the aftereffects of seeing or talking to spirits there might come back to this side. You really don’t want to accuse your boss of being an ogre now do you? Give yourself time to sleep and get over it and back to yourself.
  2. Be aware of any side effects. Even mugwort gives “mugwort hangovers” where there’s side effects from dealing with the herb. The same is true for most if not all entheogens. Watch for the signs of poisoning and be prepared to call Poison Control (US# 1-800-222-1200). Sometimes these side effects are mild such as a headache or confusion but they can also be paranoia, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, nausea, heart palpitations, etc. Familiarize yourself with any side effects and keep track of them in some sort of record so you can refer back to it later. By the way, alcohol, caffeine, and other “not drug drugs” such as that are included in this.
  3. Be aware of your condition. Experiencing side effects of the trancing aren’t all bad. Confusion might be disorienting, but if you’re somewhere safe, you could channel that confusion to write a great poem or draw some fantastic art. You can use that confusion to go into another trance or divine. But be ready to acknowledge your condition. Be aware of yourself enough to say, “You know what? I can’t go out an buy groceries. I’m still experiencing X side effect from my trance.” This can save you from doing something foolish like insulting your boss, angering a loved one, driving under the influence, and going out to buy groceries without any trousers on.
  4. Do NOT attempt during times of stress or anxiety. Not only will entheogens or trancing likely compounds the issues at hand, you’re unlikely to accomplish it with ease. If you’re using entheogens and can’t seem to travel, you may try to take more of the drug and end up ODing. I’m not saying folks with anxiety disorders shouldn’t trance. What I’m saying is that if you’re having an attack or under duress, don’t attempt it.
  5. Set up food and drink ahead of time and then eat/drink. No, really. Take the ten minutes to make yourself a sandwich or put a bowl of soup together for yourself. Even pre-cutting a loaf of bread and putting the butter and a dull knife nearby will help. Trance work is exhausting both physically and spiritually. Eating helps not only ground you as it’s a mundane, repetitive task, but also restores your energy. For beverages I usually recommend straight up water, non-caffeinated tea, or slightly sugary beverage. I recommend staying away from coffee, caffeinated tea, or soda. (Caffeine is a stimulate and trance-inducer.)
  6. Drink water. Yes this deserves it’s own space. Even if you follow step four, you should also be drinking a lot of water. This helps cleanse and purify you, as well as shock your system back from woo~land. Besides, you’re likely to be dehydrated. Drink.
  7. Prepare the room. If you’re trancing inside, move all sharp objects out of the room (unless you’re using them in trance. See number 9). Move all objects you might slip on out of the way (like yoga mats, for example, are extremely slippery when you’re trying to trance-dance.) Keep small children and animals out of the way so you don’t trip on them or accidentally hurt them.
  8. Set up a comfortable space to crash. Again, trance work is spiritually and physically exhausting. Make sure you have a nice, clean space to crash. Whether that’s a freshly made bed or a pile of pillows and blankets on the floor.
  9. Keep friends at hand. If you’re going for something truly intense, make sure friends, family, or loved ones can and are willing to check up on you. I HIGHLY recommend keeping them at least somewhat in the loop of what you’re doing, why, and what you’re taking as a stimulant (if you are). Make sure they know the number for poison control (US# 1-800-222-1222) and the way to the nearest ER. Also, just having someone to pour you a glass of water or make a bowl of soup is a true luxury.
  10. Use sharp objects safely. I use a sharp knife during some of my trances and a sword or bow in others. I’ve trained myself to handle these weapons properly during trances and outside of them. If you don’t feel absolutely confident about your skills, skip it until you do.
  11. Wear clothing that is comfortable but unlikely to make you trip, fall, set yourself on fire, etc. If you’re a klutz, you might want to wear the most comfortable shoes you own (or none at all if you’re like me and can’t walk in shoes well). Jewelry’s fun but make sure you know how to get out of it, especially if your long hair tangles with rings or earrings. (Trust me on this one.) If you have long hair, either wear it back or make it a priority for it to not set on fire. If you wear glasses, hearing aids, or other medical or essential items, keep them safe and out of the way. And finally, keep long nails away from others. You’d be surprised how many people get scratched that way.
  12. Keep a record. Keep a record of every trance you have. This is useful later when you need to compare notes or work up an alibi. If your trances begin to take a pattern, you can then having a starting point. It’s also great for dosing amounts if you use entheogens.
  13. Write a note. Seriously. Write a note explaining why you are doing what you’re doing, where you started (your location), and the time and date, maybe even your name and address. Add in any entheogen you’re taking, the dosage of it, and keep it with a sample of the entheogen in question if applicable. These notes are incredibly useful in case of accidental poisonings or you trance-wander your way into traffic. I recommend keeping one on your person and another beside your trancing space.
  14. Keep a sample. Keep a sample of whatever entheogen you’re using for comparison later. It’s also great for emergency services in case of accidental poisonings. Keeping a sample will help eliminate any troubles and get you proper care as quickly as possible. Because of this I recommend NEVER completely emptying a jar of flying salve.
  15. Keep a first aid kit and medical supplies on hand. This is great for those bruises, nicks, scraps, and sore muscles after trancing. If you’re traveling, keep your medications and vitamins in the first aid kit as well. Document any injuries you’ve sustained for your own research and records. Keep a cold compress or ice pack around as well for those sore muscles. Doing this step can keep you longer healing times and infection.
  16. DON’T take aspirin or pain killers. Have a headache? Sore muscles? I know the temptation is to pop an aspirin and carry on but that’s ridiculously dangerous. Pain killers will mask any symptoms of overdosing and may cause bleeding. Aspirin’s a blood thinner and thus may cause bleeding or upset your stomach further. Skip the pain killers and suffer your way through.
  17. Thank your folk. Thank friends, family, loved ones, any participants in the trance or rites, neighbors, pets, deities, fae, and spirits. If they worked with you or dealt with you during your trance especially. I include pets in here because animals are incredibly sensitive to our emotions and if you were particularly frenzied, they may have been scared. Treat them kindly.
  18. Breathe. Take some time to just breathe and enjoy the act of it if you can.
  19. Enjoy the mundane. There’s often a post-trance moment of depression. I personally enjoy the act of coming back into myself and my mundane life. Maybe talking about car loans seems petty after conversing with gods but that’s something exclusive to humanity. Try not to compare your life to the life you have on the astral or the time within the trance. It is not the same.

Following these simple steps can change your experience from “great” to “fantastic”.

Spirit Kings

1 Comment

Spirit Kings

[UPG Alert! My opinions and UPG]

The other side has a hierarchy. Some places has courts as elaborate as you can imagine. Others are more territories where a being rules over their territory as they like.

Quick terminology is this: when I say king, I’m drawing up mental images for you. I use the word king specifically to relate to the exact mental image I want you to have. I’m not saying ruler. I’m not saying emperor. I’m not saying queen. I’m saying king. Specifically. There is no gender or sex for this term in this specific context, most because spirits rarely may any heed to gender or sex constructs.

Generally speaking, the more power the larger the size of the territory. Reasons for this power varies. Someone the power is all about how dangerous the spirit is. Other times it’s they’ve made enough of a reputation to not be messed with. Most often, they’ve killed, bartered, or manipulated their way there. Rarely, a spirit king takes up residence that has a skill or talent that makes them worth listening to and respecting. Fucking with that person annoys other spirits and can even cause wars.

Being the ruler of a territory is a perilous and precarious position. Once a territory is claimed or made, the mood of that territory changes, shifts to match the laws made and the king’s personality and moods. Very Fisher King like except not usually as dramatic (this isn’t entirely true, sometimes it is JUST as literal as that)

These are not beings to be fucked with. These are not beings to cross. Paid proper respect and all is (usually) well. But enrage a king in their kingdom? The very land itself will rise up against you

Why are there so many wars then? Because it’s easy? It should be noted that as well networked and liked as a king is, as many subjects they have or folk attend their court, there is only ONE person who fights for their throne. Them. The king has to defend their own kingdom with their own hands from a usurper. Sure, anyone can pick a side and join ranks to fight, many will be called upon to do just that because, hell, the point in war is to damage enough of the other side to make them submit. A territory vs. territory battle? Free-for-all. Half the times the rulers aren’t even fucking involved.

Spirit kings don’t tend to remain in one place either. They wander, rambling, and travel throughout their territory and visit friends elsewhere. You literally will never know who might be a king. There sometimes isn’t a way to tell. Despite being rooted in their territory, the itch to move and travel is often another cause for wars in my opinion and certainly is why they like to fuck with humans and travelers.

Sometimes those beings can make territories here, and connect their spirit territories with a physical location on this side. I’ll repeat that. They can be so powerful that they can make their presence and kingdoms known here. On this side. In this plane. You know when you think you’ve crossed into something’s territory but it’s so much huger than when you do it normally to other spirits and you feel eyes watching you, judging you? Yeah.

I’ve more to say on this subject but I don’t want to ramble on more than I have to.

Just something to think about when you travel about.

This is a tumblr repost that is really on point considering what’s coming up for me. And, because I don’t have as many people here as I do on tumblr, I’ll answer questions on this topic. Not every question may be answered as it might shift into personal and/or secrets and spoilers area.

Poll!

3 Comments

We’re coming up fast to the year anniversary of my Etsy shop This Crooked Crown’s Witchery & Curiosities. It’s literally at the end of this month and there’s going to be a whole new flux of products and lower prices on things people already purchase.

But what I want to know is this: What do you want in a witch shop? You’ll be doing me a huge favor by answering this poll. Also, if you could add in a comment on what specifically you’re interested in that’d be great (for example, you vote “apparel” and write in the comments “CLOAKS!!!!!!” then I’ll get the hint to make more cloaks.

Simple Water Glass Cleansing for the Witch on the Run

4 Comments

So tonight I was upset by something. It was one of those things that annoyed me and I felt somewhat slighted but at the same time I knew it was petty to feel that way. And knowing that made me more annoyed.

Normally when I’m annoyed I allow myself to feel that way. I’ll watch TV, read a book, embroider, play a video game, hug a cat… you get the idea. I’ll do something else for a while. But I didn’t have time for that tonight.

I was asked by my mother to do a full day’s worth of cleaning for her as she wouldn’t have time before her guests arrived the next day. But I had my own things to do. I had several tarot readings and my own to do list and it was already past seven at night. (And, really, I wanted to play with the gorgeous new azurite pendulum Shelby Melissa over at HallowedMoon custom-made for me.) I simply hadn’t the time to allow myself to be annoyed.

So I moved right into my readings as they would be quick and I’d feel better helping my mother if I did something for myself first. (I’m selfish like that.) Shuffled and ended up pulling cards for myself. Honestly, I wasn’t even surprised. They told me what I expected (and needed) to hear but it also served as a warning: I needed to get over my annoyances so I can focus on the readings.

I didn’t have time for a full cleansing with incense and my typical body cleansing involves hopping in the shower – but I saw no point at all in showering before I cleaned the house. Then my glance fell to my water glass.

Cracked but still good!

Cracked but still good!

Let me explain. I don’t cleanse often, but when I do it involves at least one of the following components: incense, water, salt, movement. I’ll typically add things in there as well but it will have a base of one if not more of those elements. I had a cracked drinking glass with filtered water.

So I lifted my glass and poured my desire to be cleansed of my annoyance. Then I started drinking, closing my eyes and letting myself feel the fan on my face and pretending it was the window. Let the heat of the room cloak me and let the coolness of the water battle that and won. I took a moment to really just enjoy drinking a glass of water.

I felt immediately better afterwards and was able to do my readings with ease.

Now why does drinking a glass of water work as a cleanser? Well, think about it. Water is all about emotions – it can be placid and calm on the surface but be turmoil underneath. Emotions, like the beasts that dwell in the ocean, and consume and mesh into a monster. Emotions can run deep, be fast or slow, and overwhelm or soothe, like the water. It can heal and kill at the same time. We came from it, if you follow evolution, and we’re made of it. How could it not be cleansing? Taking a moment to reflect that can be a simple but effective way to cleanse yourself when you’re too busy to do more elaborate set up.

Workshop at Rhode Island Pagan Pride Day!

It’s official. I’ll be doing a workshop called Witchcraft Without Gods: Secular Witchcraft at Rhode Island Pagan Pride Day (RIPPD) this year on August 10th at 3pm at 1 Sportsman Drive/ 1 Mohawk Drive, East Providence, Rhode Island. RIPPD starts at 10am and runs till about 5pm. However, the party can carry on elsewhere, if we are so inclined.

Now to answer some questions some folks have. Answers quoted from coordinator Dayna

1) there is no entrance fee for PPD. We do collect non-perishable food for the RI Food Bank, so if those attending would like to bring a canned good it would be greatly appreciated. There is no fee for attending workshops.

2) Those attending are free to come and go as they please. Our location has a field for vendors and the workshops and an indoor space for those vending items that might be damaged if there is inclement weather.

3) We are happy to have Noble Knots selling food all day at the event and will be creating a dining area with picnic table and chairs outside. People are welcome to bring their own food and drinks. We do ask for no alcohol simply for insurance purposes.

4) Because of the indoor space, we do not have a rain date. In the past we’ve had PPD during a tropical storm and had fun!

5) There is space for people to get together and chat 🙂

6) Pets are welcome outdoors, but not in the main building. The main building does have bathrooms 🙂

Now for me to ramble on a bit.

Pagan Pride Day (PPD) is part of Pagan Pride Project which is a network of these sorts of events. You can find your own nearby event by going to the “where we are’ section of the above link. This is not the only PPD I will be attending this year. I will most likely attend at least one of the Massachusetts ones as well.

Some followers have expressed interest in coming from far away. If you do intend to come and need a ride and/or place to crash, contact me privately.

Transportation: I’ll likely make a stop at Kennedy Plaza in the morning before PPD to pick up anyone who needs a lift to the event. Alternatively, you can take RIPTA bus 60 which will drop you off in front of the side street the event’s being held on. If you’re coming in by train/plane, this can also be arranged. PPD isn’t far from Providence, about fifteen minutes away, so taxis and the like are available. I do recommend carpooling if possible. I’ll double check the location later this month but from what I recall it’s a narrow street and the building doesn’t have too much parking (I really don’t recommend parking on the Wampanoag Trail/Route 114. It’s a heavily traveled. If you intend to carpool and you need a place to leave your cars. My house is also available. I live on a corner so there’s plenty of places to leave your car, especially with the cul-de-sac nearby.

If you’re looking for crash space, my house is open to you. I only ask that you let me know ahead of time. Bringing your own food and booze is perfectly acceptable and I recommend some pocket money in case we all dine out. Remember, I have three cats so you must be able to handle being around them. Similarly, let me know of any allergies you have that I should know about (in case I make food or grow something I can warn you of). The spare bedroom is tentatively claimed, but I have two couches, two chairs, and a lot of floor available. If you’re looking to come a day or so early before the event or stay after, that’s cool too. There’s always a lot of fun things to do in the area. Parks within walking distance, beaches to visit, and if we feel really adventurous, we could travel up to Newport and hit the beaches there. Or whatever.

About the location: I haven’t been in there before but the link has photos. Bring bug repellent. There’s marshland and wetlands all along the Wampanoag Trail/114 which is the road you’ll be traveling. It’s a two-lane, heavily traveled road with a median separating both sides. There are about five turn offs. When traveling, don’t worry about feeling like you went too far. Unless you hit the big white church across from a school and the water. Then you went too far. As noted above, we can’t even decide what road it’s on. 1 Mohawk Drive and 1 Sportsman Lane are the same street. The location itself is called the Sportsman Club and there’s a relatively small white hanging sign indicating as much. It’s the street directly after the apartment complex entrance on the right. If you see the radio towers you’ve gone too far. This is directly next to Seekonk, Mass. (historically, this area has been traded back and forth between RI and MA up until the early 1800s) so don’t panic if you see signs for entering MA. I do 90% of my shopping in MA because of it’s locale.

If you are coming then let me know. We can trade phone numbers/emails to coordinate. Ginandjack will also be in attendance for sure. Don’t be afraid to show up even if you aren’t pagan. It’ll still be a lot of fun. I really hope to see some of you there!

Ahhh I’m really excited!

Plan on coming and want to connect? Need a place to crash/a ride? Contact me!

← Back

Thank you for your response. ✨

How to Make a Poppet

3 Comments

Now, I’m going to be upfront:

  • This post was written during the process of making a poppet for cursing. While this post can be used for ANY poppet for ANY purpose.
  • Is image heavy; many of the photos are shaky. This is common when I photograph my spell work. I don’t know why but I have my suspicions.
  • Features photographs of charged ingredients, sigils, and spells.
  • Talks about curses
  • Features a mini how-to break glass safely.
  • This is an attempt to be traditionally neutral. I do things different than others and thus my own methods bleed through. Remember to work within and adapt to your own cultural background, paradigm, and practice.
  • Trigger warnings: blood, glass, curses, Gov. Rick Perry, poppets, sigils, spells, energy, charged items, etc. I’m sure there are others I’m missing but there you go.

This is a follow along using simple ingredients. It starts with how to make the poppet, talks about filling it, making the face and personalizing it, and then finishing it up. Away we go.

Continue reading →

The Oncoming Storm – Preparations for the Dying Summer Festivals

The last few days I’ve blogged over on tumblr about some weird events. Tugging on my dress, hearing voices that simply are not there, moving of a mirror, etc. Now, my house isn’t haunted but being between two crossroads (and down the road from several more) puts us smack down in Grand Central. Sometimes literally.

But what I haven’t blogged about is the ridiculous amount of glass breaking. No less than four glass items have been broken in the last 72 hours. Four. At different times, in different ways, but broken all the same. To the point where tossing away glass in the rubbish bin ended with the sound of glass breaking on more glass.

This tells me the goblins have arrived.

The goblins appear always before the rest of the spirits that show up for the Dying Summer Festivals. These Festivals are personal for me and start the first of August and run to mid November. Offerings and general mischief is par for the course. Spirits and fae have the run of the place and I attend to them.

This is pretty cloaked in mystery for others, so let it be known now that I’m not telling anyone everything. Always hold something back. It’s more like hold everything back and reveal only a little bit.

Anyway, the next month or so is go-time for prep work. Not only do I have the shop’s first anniversary to worry about directly before the festivals begin, but I have alcohols to lay in. Tucking away glass objects and doubling up basic protections and “do not pass” zones are necessary.  Incense needs to be made and this year I’m going to attempt coil incense. The well needs to be cleaned up and I’m thinking of planting lemongrass near it to ward off bugs for my workings. Plants also need to be wildcrafted and harvested from the local area and there’s a period where everything blooms at once it seems. As is, I have to go out and collect poisons for curses.

The busy season is about to begin. I can’t wait.

Help Brazil.

1 Comment

ATTENTION WITCHES AND SPELL CASTERS!

I recently received the following message in my inbox by tumblrite. Please read. THIS IS A PLEA FOR HELP. FOR A COUNTRY. If we can stop Romney there’s no reason we can’t help Brazil.

My country needs some help. The mobilization against Romney in this community was just awesome and of course effective. Even people who were not from the US participated, me included. Now I’d like to see if you guys can help Brazil.
You might have seen what’s happening here already, but if not – and I wouldn’t be surprised since the media is trying to cover it up as much as possible and dismissed it for a small ‘bus fare protest’- I suggest looking at the BrazilWonders and SaladUprising tumblrs as they have some news in English.
We’re a 3rd world country with terrible social problems, one of the worst educations and public healths in the planet, and the government tells us to be proud to be hosting the World Cup and the Olympics in upcoming years. These events are costing us SEVERAL BILLION DOLLARS EACH. And of course it’s coming from those already beaten up areas, education, transportation, etc etc.
Now, to make it all worse, we have a ton of politicians (including the head of the “Human Rights and Minorities Ministry”, Marco Feliciano) who are religious bigots, homophobic, racist assholes (even though the majority of the population is POC and also known for being ACCEPTING AND OPEN MINDED). They had just passed a law nicknamed “The Gay Cure” that allows psychologists and psychiatrists to legally treat LGBTQA people as mentally ill and try to ‘cure’ them. Now, watch them cover up the protests that will SURELY come from this as well.
All the while, the country tries so hard to give out this image of a free, wonderful paradise with happy people.
Can tumblr witches help us out like they helped the US in their critical moments? The people are angry here, we’re out in the streets but being ignored and stepped on. Can you curse these poor excuses of human beings? Can you bless our people and help out on the awareness?

Witches, help.

Need some ideas? Here’s a list of them. Even those who follow the Rede and are against cursing can help.

  • Cursing. Those who stand in the way of progress and betterment for the people.
  • Blessing. Bless the innocent, those fighting, the victims. Bless those who need their causes to be won.
  • Protection. Protect those who need protecting; the protesters, the children, the LGBTQA community, the victims, and everyone else who needs it. Also, spells to help those who need to flee the area are recommended.
  • Healing. Many folks are injured while fighting for their cause. Often this is due to excessive actions from those with authority. Help speed their recovery.
  • Prosperity and Abundance.  Cast a spell to assist in ensuring food, clean water, and shelter for those displaced or seeking shelter.
  • War spells. Follow a war deity or practice? Send aid by stopping those who would harm peaceful protest and protect those who are the victims of aggression.
  • Truth spells. Where there’s politicians, there’s corruption. Send truth spells at aimed (or not) targets to have those lies, deceptions, and corruptions ferreted out and dragged into the light. Directing the truth spells at the media may ensure that Brazil gets the coverage it needs to stimulate change.
  • Money spells. It takes money to have a protest and it takes money to be heard. Help them along.
  • Listening spells. Spells designed to have another person listen to what you have to say. These spells can range from commanding and manipulating to a simple “you will hear me clearly this time.” Help their voices be heard.
  • Glamour and illusion spells. Work with glamour do you? Dismantle the illusion of the government’s right of way. Destroy the illusion that this is a small-time, localized event. Destroy the misconceptions surrounding the protests. Take the politicians’ charisma and turn it against them. Cloak the protesters in illusion and glamour so harm will not come to them.
  • Commanding, dominating, and manipulating. Don’t mind getting your hands dirty? Your morals are less strict than others? Command the government to listen to the people. Manipulate to help the people. And dominate the will and hearts of those that stand in the way.
  • Justice. The people of Brazil are looking for justice. Help them along by offering your aid.
  • Love spells. You specialize in love spells? Yes, you can help too! Encourage politicians and lawmakers to accept love of all kinds and to repeal their laws. Cast spells to gentle the hearts of aggressors and keep protests peaceful.

OK! I know what kind of spells I want to do. But I don’t have them and/or I don’t have materials for them. What do I do?

  • Ask. If you need a spell, especially for helping Brazil (or any other country in need of an assist), ask other witches. I will expedite all asks and research for those who are making such requests. Likewise, many other witches offer to look up spells upon request. Just ask around the community. If you need ingredients or tools, ask other witches to buy and/or trade what you need. Sometimes you have more lavender than necessary and someone doesn’t mind sending over a bag of calendula in exchange.
  • Knot magic. Knot magic is easy, discreet, and powerful. Use a string and knot it as you chant your spell. If you get fancy, you can make jewelry from it to give to others and spread the word.
  • Candle spells. Light a candle and cast your spells for Brazil.
  • Pray. Religious or spiritual? Pray for the people of Brazil. Petition for assistance.
  • Send non-human aid. Work with ghosts, spirits, fae, and other beings? Ask them to help out. Send a message to the Folk to jinx a politician and cause mischief to help the protesters. Have a ghost haunt a government official. Challenge a spirit to assist the protesters.

Not a witch or spell caster? Want to know other ways to help?

  • Spread the news. The most important thing that can help Brazil is spreading the word over what’s happening. The more people that know about the injustices, the more likely outrage and change will occur. Talk about it often. To everyone. On every social media you can find. Online and offline.
  • Know your facts. Read up on what’s going on. Twitter and tumblr are great for finding out what’s happening with real people.
  • Write to politicians and government officials. Plead them to help the people of Brazil.
  • Protest. Set up and hold a peaceful protest for Brazil. Attend other protests.

Now go. Spread the word. Reblog this with further ideas to get the news spread. Help the people of Brazil.

[repost from tumblr. Link here. 6-20-13.]

Mental Reorganization – Shadow Work?

1 Comment

This morning I woke at an unreasonable hour – five a.m. Now that’s not actually unreasonable but I had only gotten to sleep two hours before. I was definitely wide awake and very annoyed that I was. I knew I needed more sleep and I knew that getting up to putz about the flat at that hour would only lead to me napping much later in the afternoon. So I did the next best thing to sleep and traveled.

Let me get into a little explanation right now. I travel all the time but recently I’ve been having trouble getting over there and staying over there. I know it’s because I have a lot of things on my mind right now, most of them stressful, and many of them actually out of my control. My mental state directly affects my condition to travel. And I’m absolutely terrible at understanding my physical needs. I don’t take the time to sit back and think “You know what? This is unusual. I should do something about it.” An example would be the times I was hospitalized for stress in college – I wasn’t even aware that I was stressed out. I just don’t acknowledge that sort of thing until I know and can recognize the personal tale-tell signs of it in myself.

A+B = C

I knew I was stressed. The issue with that is, besides inconvenience, there wasn’t anything I could directly do to solve the issue. Take steps to solve the problems, yes; but nothing direct. It was a weight on my mind. Doing little physical things help. Cleaning the kitchen, clearing off counters, sweeping the floor. All that helps. (No! really it does! That’s stuff that gets pushed aside in stressful situations. Taking care of it while trying to work out the more serious issues really helps. Trust me on this one.) But it wasn’t enough.

As the sun began to rise this morning I fetched a small jar of my mugwort salve and a bottle of water. I usually go light when applying the salve to myself as I don’t usually need the push – I do it so I can stay there longer or fall asleep afterwards. But today I applied about a teaspoon (which, again, for me is a lot) to my wrists, inside elbows, collarbone, throat, and forehead. Thus applied, I laid back, pulled the blankets up on myself, and dove into my own head.

Anyone seen the BBC’s Sherlock? In the show Sherlock speaks about forgetting things not important to him and at other times about his ‘Mind Palace’. When I heard those lines I didn’t think anything of it. I only later found out that his methods of organizing his thoughts and forgetting things that seem important to others but weren’t to himself as unusual. (I think this is about the time where some of my readers begin to understand just how strangely my brain works.)

The year 2000 was an important year for me. The summer was excellent, full of friends, exploring of powers, and just plain good times. It was the year I entered high school and lived in an huge and extremely haunted and paranormally active condo community. It had it’s terrible times too. That year was the year I was attacked by a spirit that ended with me at home nursing a broken finger and permanently stunted fingernail growth. I fell in love that year, only to have it unrequited. It was a setup for some of the best and worst times in my life after all.

It was also the year I started doing mental organization. I had just turned fifteen, woke each morning at dawn to have ham and cheese grilled sandwiches, then threw myself into the world to wander about the condo community’s grounds. Some of those mornings found me sitting on the small bridge near the acres of unused wildland, lost in my own brain, reorganizing it.

Shadow work is, as the community currently uses it, the mental exploration of the darker sides of yourself. It comes from Jung and the psychological field of study. It’s been adopted into the New Age world and spread from there.

What I do is similar but not the same. I’m not talking to my darker side. I’m not even airing out those dark cupboards. I, instead, go into my brain where those to-do lists reside and reorganize my thoughts.  Things That Need Doing are organized into groups. I’ll line them up in order of importance and pin down the ones that keep wiggling away. Really Important Thoughts get their own area and are starred to remind me just how bloody important they are. Shit I Want To Do But Not Right Now gets tossed in a bottomless box and those thoughts will be released once I finish the Things That Need Doing. A mental cleaning is done. I’ll scrub down the inside of this Mind Room as I do so the darkness of the room and the gray of the walls shift and change. Light begins to fill up inside and the walls are a flux of colors, gently undulating.

I found the trap door that leads to the Other Side and dusted it off. It’s almost always open, with a big ring pull that’s polish has been worn away by time and usage. The windows in the Mind Room show me different aspects of the Other Side. I can access the Other Side through these windows as well and most of the time I just simply defenestrate myself than go for the trapdoor. Faster that way, for sure. Much of the time I leave these windows half open so I can be on the Other Side and not as I wish. But not all the windows show my Forest and Seaside from There. Some of those windows have memories playing out beyond the glass. If I open those windows I can remember that event as clear as day (the latches on these windows are faulty though and memories always leak in unbidden, huge and clear as the time I first experienced them to the point where I can be physically shocked motionless at Sudden Memories flooding me, getting me lost in FEELS.  (I’m under the assumption that many people remember things at random but aren’t as deeply affected as me. This may be due to how little memories I actually have of the past. Memory loss is a bitch.) Other windows show the future. I don’t look at them often but I leave the mottled glass windows open a crack. Once I clear out the Things That Need Doing and the Shit I Want To Do But Not Right Now piles I’ll open it up a bit more.

Next it’s time to shake up and reassess some other things. There’s another trap door that leads to my Heart. Inside there is tall and huge but very dark. My Heart’s mental image is the size of my Mind-Self, maybe a little smaller but I talk to it. We clear out some of the darkness and connect the String of Courage to it. This should give me the courage to talk to someone I like and to use my heart a little more freely. With the Heart a little bigger, brighter, and happier, I climbed back up to open the trap door in the ceiling where my Imagination lives. Imagination has no form but I berate the air enough so Imagination flows down into the main Mind Room. It attached to the wall, a living thing, golden and glowing. To keep it from running away, I attach Strings of Courage to it too. My final act is to find Motivation. Motivation is a very tiny thing in my head, often curled into a ball and hides under boxes and piles of Things That Need Doing. I kick it out, dust it off, shake it a few times, tell Imagination to watch over it, and put it in the center of the room with a few of the Strings of Courage tied to it. As I stand there admiring my work, Curiosity peaks in. Curiosity lives in a ceiling trap door like Imagination but is less lazy. I shoo it away for now but Curiosity will come back all on its own.

There’s still more work to do, of course. I haven’t touched any of the other aspects of myself but that’s for another day and another time. The Mind Room is always in movement, nothing rigidly defined. I could make it so, if I wanted, use shelves instead of boxes and index things so I don’t get lost but I like the chaos of it all. Pleased, I fling open the trap door to the Other Side and drop in.

I personally find mentally reorganizing my brain incredibly useful, especially in relation to witchcraft. Much of my thoughts can be linked to witchcraft and if the lines of communication between the heart, brain, and courage are working correctly, then any love or attraction spells I’d do for myself will work better. Because I link my thoughts through Courage and not through some other thing like Morality, Decency, or Doubt, I tend to do brave but sometimes stupid things first and worry about the  Doubts, Morality, or Decency afterwards.

Again, that’s just how I wire my brain up. Loosely described. There’s a ton more to it. Logic, for example, didn’t make a showing and Logic is always there. Skepticism too.  It can be a scary place in your own mind and a lot of work. Very complication. I tend to face scary things head on, so I don’t mind it. After I organized everything I slept for something like ten hours. Crashed very hard and didn’t wake up until after five in the evening. My brain’s less buzzing now but it gently reminds me to do Things That Need To Be Done every so often. Pleasant. My Heart’s ready to be brave and check for messages from potential dates and Imagination is ready to go (I think that’s obvious from the showy language but it’s as close as I can describe to the inside of my brain.)

My mental reorganization of my Mind Room (really, a series of chambers from one great room) is similar in the aspect to Shadow Work in that it’s the diving into my own mind to clear out the rubbish or get the mind organized in a fashion that’s better for my current needs. Does anyone else attempt something similar? Or would you consider this shadow work? Is anyone curious to try it themselves?