Day 44-44 Days of Witchery-Witch’s choice!

This witch's choice is a few words on what a pagan/witch path is from someone long on a pagan path. Please bear with me, I'm working on a serious sleep deficit as this past month of Samhuinn was especially disruptive as my psychic gifts really took off in a major way, and I was not prepared for the onslaught that came at me.

I began questioning religion and slowly uncovering spirituality at a young age.  I was a teenager when I consciously sought out this path for myself, as it was so familiar and so like how my grandparents and ancestors lived.  This was the perfect path for ME.

Dear ones new to this path, yes this is an exciting time for you, you are learning and growing at a exponential rate.  You have so much ahead of you!  Please remember, that it is not for you to educate or *correct* others.  If you study your path you are reading another person's perspective.  Not the collective, but one person's perspective.  This is not the be all, end all. This is one view.  Your journey is to discover what your perspective is.  Our paths are unique to each of us.  Following the herd inhibits our own growth, take the time to learn for yourself, trust in yourself. Use what you study as a guide, if it resonates with you, fantastic.  However, it is not your place to pontificate the teachings of a fallible human.  It is not your place to push your ideals and perceptions on others.  It is not their path, theirs is unique to them.  We do not need to be lectured, or *corrected* by a new to the path upstart who still has much to learn.  Even if you believe your are an old soul, it is not your place to push.  We gain wisdom with hard work and introspection as we learn from our experiences and from other's experiences as well.

This has been a long time coming, this disjointed note.  I've been connected to the pagan community on the world wide web for nearly 20 years.  I have seen many newbies feel they know everything and stomp in with a huge chip on their shoulder. Insisting their way is the correct way and all others are misguided and misinformed.  Not all of us follow Wicca, Wicca is a modern day revamp of a plethora of old ways.  I do not follow it because it smacks too much of my Catholic upbringing for me.  I recall the years of warring where *eclectics* were not true pagans.  The flame wars over who was right and who was wrong threatened such a serious split to a group that was already battling for acceptance in a Christian-dominant world.  Perhaps it is where my path has taken me, or perhaps it is a maturing of the pagan community, but I no longer see these flame wars like they once were.  We are more accepting of each other's paths and embrace these differences that make us unique.  My 27 years actively on my pagan path has brought such amazing wonders, so much growth, change, I am always evolving and growing and I wish the same for everyone just starting out. Slow down and take time to marinate in all that you are learning.  Embrace all the lessons that the earth, universe and your fellow pagans on the path have to offer. All of it will contribute to your path.

This post is part of the 44 Days of Witchery

If you followed this journey with me, thanks for reading.

Day 43-44 Days of Witchery-A magical recipe-Smell Of Yule

As my 44 days of Witchery, as well as Samhuinn, wind down our attention will soon slip to Yule.  This is my favorite magical Yule simmering recipe.  I use my simmering crockpot and dump these spices along with some orange peel, perhaps a star anise and a few gratings of whole nutmeg and let the scent infuse my home with magical Yuletide cheer.

Smell Of Yule

1/3 cup crushed cinnamon sticks (2 - 1 oz. cans) -(energy, good luck, love, money, passion, peace, prosperity, protection)
1/3 cup whole cloves (2 - 1.12 oz. cans) -(love, memory, money, passion, peace of mind, protection, purification)
2/3 cup whole allspice berries (2 - 1.25 oz. cans) (Communication, compassion, determination, energy, healing, money & luck)
cheesecloth, cut in 4" squares

Place cinnamon sticks in an old towel and crush with a mallet. Place
in bowl and add remaining ingredients; mix well.

To make bags, place 1 tablespoon of mix on a double thickness of
cheesecloth squares. Tie corners together with string. Place in
jars.

TO USE: Simmer 1 bag in small saucepan of water to spread smell
throughout house. Also, simmer 1 bag in 1 quart cider, apple juice,
or red wine for a delicious spiced drink. Makes 7 half-pints. Attach
instructions to jars.

Source: unknown

This post is part of the 44 Days of Witchery

Day 42-44 Days of Witchery-A favourite nature spirit.

This is the forest primeval. 

The murmuring pines and the hemlocks, 

Bearded with moss, 

and in garments green, indistinct in the twilight...
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 

 
I cannot think of one favorite nature spirit. Having once lived in an area with all elements represented I found exposure to all sorts of devas/elementals/nature spirits.  This forest captured in a Winter Solstice sunrise was filled with everything imaginable.  We lived at the edge of hundreds upon hundreds of untouched forest acreage.  The above snippet of Longfellow's Evangeline truly captured the wood around my home.  Everything bearded in moss, hemlocks whispering, it truly was magical.  Despite the 30 acres atop the ridge which had been clear cut (horridly devastating) our magical 5 acres were a safe haven for all creatures and spirits. Each spirit brings such a unique energy and role to this environment that I simply cannot find a favorite. They are all favorites.

This post is part of the 44 Days of Witchery

Day 41-44 Days of Witchery-A spell you’ve done.

Freezer binding spell is the most recent spell done.  As a protective measure from the negative actions of someone no longer in my life.  What I like about this spell is that it prevents the effects of another's actions from affecting you. 

Another *spell* of sorts that I highly recommend to everyone is making a witch jar.  I have found tremendous success with them and people who have directed negativity toward me have quickly found that it comes right back at them, multiplied.  I've made believers out of non-Pagans over this highly protective resource.  Recipe for the jar can be found on my site.

This post is part of the 44 Days of Witchery

Day 40-44 Days of Witchery-Your altar, if you have one!

Sadly, I don't have one at present, due to sharing a room with Pixie while she's in treatment (she was set up in a makeshift bedroom with bath attached on first floor away from the other bedrooms all on second floor last year when her treatment started). I suppose we could've shown some initiative and created one somewhere but space is lacking and I live with Catholic parents so...images of altars past...

old kitchen altar, with my first salt dough goddess

Imbolg

Spring altar

Spring Equinox 2004

Ancestral Altar

Samhuinn altar

This post is part of the 44 Days of Witchery

Day 39-44 Days of Witchery-Something that inspires you.

Nature and all the glorious treasures it contains is my main inspiration

all photos by Stephanie Lowell-Libby

This post is part of the 44 Days of Witchery

Day 38-44 Days of Witchery- Witchy tools: cauldron.

My favorite witchy item, if I had the space I'd probably have a mad collection of them.  Instead it's mortar and pestles, which look rather like a cauldron cousin.

The cauldron is source of life, nourishment and mysteries. Symbol of the feminine, of water....When I was new to the path I tried to come up with a witchy name, a la Raymond Buckland's method of finding a magically correct name via numerology.  It never stuck but the name that came to me at that time was Cerridwen. I'm not sure if that is about the time I became so enamoured by cauldrons or if it came later. The early days of the path are rather hazy. ;)

This post is part of the 44 Days of Witchery

Day 37-44 Days of Witchery-A famous pagan/witch!

Zsuzsanna Budapest

My studies have always danced around the teachings, etc. of Z. Budapest, never really digging in to focus, however she has always held a fascination for me. I read bits and pieces in snippets, I love the energy I get from what I have read from her.  I just do not connect with a Dianic or Wiccan focus.  I think the draw is the old world energy she brings, what she learned from her mother and how she shares it.  It is old ways that are untainted, unlike the old ways of my ancestors, which was tainted by early christian and then Puritanical closemindedness.





This post is part of the 44 Days of Witchery

Day 36-44 Days of Witchery-Flower of your choice, and its magical properties.

Rose

PARTS USED
Flowers, petals, leaves

GENDER: Feminine
ELEMENTS: Fire and Water
PLANETS: Mars and Venus

POWERS
Healing
Love
Love Divination
Luck
Protection
Psychic Powers
Ultimate Love

DEITIES
Adonis
Aurora
Cupid
Demeter
Eros
Harpocrates
Hathor
Hulda
Isis

Magical Uses
The ultimate in love wishes,
this will aid in bringing a true lasting
love and help to mend any spats
between you in an already committed relationship.

The petals can be bathed with
while thinking a new love to you,
the dried flowers are burned in love wishes.

Sleeping with the flowers will
protect your dreams.

Carry a sachet or amulet for protection against
bodily injury or when working healing wishes.

Roses have long been used in love mixtures,
owing to the flowers' association with the emotions.

A chaplet of roses worn when performing love spells
(remove the thorns), or a single rose in a vase
on the alter, are powerful love magic aids.

Rose water distilled from the petals
is added to love baths.

Rose Hips (the fruit of the rose) are
strung and worn as love-attracting beads.

A tea of rosebuds drunk before sleep
induces prophetic dreams.

To discover their romantic future,
women used to take three green rose leaves
and name each for one of their lovers.
The one that stayed green the longest answered
the question of "Which One?"

Rose petals and hips are used in healing spells
and mixtures, and rosewater saturated cloth
laid to the temples will relieve headache pain.

Roses are added to fast-luck mixtures and, when
carried, act as personal protectants.

Rose petals sprinkled around the house
calm personal stress and household upheavals.

Roses planted in the garden attract fairies, and
are said to grow best when stolen.



Source(s)
Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs
by Scott Cunningham

Witchcraft and Magic

This post is part of the 44 Days of Witchery

Day 35-44 Days of Witchery-Something that I think people who don’t know much about paganism/witchcraft should know.

Samhuinn 2009 ancestral altar

Many of us who are pagan, are not wiccan, we are not the stereotypical *witch*, pagan or whatever.  Not all of us go around wearing big assed pentacles the size of a dinner plate (we have a guy in town who does this).  Appearances are often very deceiving.   I find my spiritual path to be VERY personal.  I am not in the closet, per se, however as a mother I am guarded and careful who knows what about me.  I live my spirituality so people who get to know me eventually discover this about me on their own.  This is the case for many pagans, I've found.  We are from all walks of life, I'd like to say we are no different from non-pagans however I don't often see that.  Having lived in the Christian and non-Christian worlds I have witnessed more loving, generous,thoughtful acts from pagans who frequently act with more respect than most christians I come across.  They honor the divine in themselves, their world and the earth far more consistently than I see from any others.  We tend to not be a one day a week pagan, we walk our walks and talk our talks.

This post is part of the 44 Days of Witchery

Day 34-44 Days of Witchery-Rune of your choice.

This piece was made by my friend Dawn years back when she first started her journey to polymer artist.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/intothedawn
http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/studio/intothedawn





Laguz - “Log-uhz” – Literally: “Water” or Ocean – Esoteric: Unconscious, Collective Memory

Rune of the unconscious context of becoming or the evolutionary process. Rune of Life’s longing for itself.

Psi: emotion, psychic powers, unconscious mental processes, love, dreaming

Energy: life energy, ocean spirit, origins of life, collective unconscious, the astral plane, love as unity, evolution

Mundane: water, imagination, occultism, dreams

Divinations: Life, passing a test, sea of vitality and of the unconscious growth, memory, dreams; or fear, circular motion, avoidance, withering, depression, manipulations, emotional blackmail, lack of moral fiber, fantasy, poison, toxicity

Governs:
Transpersonal powers
Mastery of emotion in order to shape wyrd
Guidance through difficult initiatory tests, ie. initiation into life
Increase in vitality and life force
Communication between your conscious mind to another’s unconscious mind
Development of ‘second sight’ or prophetic wisdom
All powers of dreaming (lucid dreams, astral projection)

from: runesecrets.com/rune-meanings/laguz

This post is part of the 44 days of Witchery

Day 33-44 Days of Witchery-Faerie of your choice.

I have no idea what to call it, Dryad, Sidhe Draoi, who knows.   However, six or seven years ago when I lived in western NH, deep in the boonies.  I was living in an amazing area-earth and water were in abundance as I lived in the mountains that was home to the watersheds for three large rivers.  The energy here was amazing and the land welcomed Pixie and I with open arms.  It was here I saw my first *faerie*, a nature spirit that ran by me while I was out hanging laundry one early June afternoon.  Movement out of the corner of my eye caught my attention and I turned to see this being about 2 1/2-3ft tall and it sprinted past me from a grouping up saplings and out past a large pine tree. *Her* (I felt a feminine presence to it) hair was leaves, with a brown/coppery hue to them and she was thin and delicate, with limbs that were proportionately longer than a human form would have.  They also had more of a branch like look to them.  The figure skipped/ran past me.  there were no trees or bushes to obscure my vision, it was all open and the ground dappled with sunlight and I stood there staring.  Minutes passed by and I just stood there, in shock, questioning my sanity, confirming I had not been drinking or taking any drugs (I didn't drink then even socially when Pixie was small).  It took several minutes to absorb what I had just seen and months of searching imagery to try and relate what I saw.  I cannot draw or paint to save my life so I've never been able to fully capture what I saw, or even identify it.  It was this time I really became connected and enamoured by nature spirits. 

We were so connected to the hum and rhythm there and when it came time to leave we sadly said goodbye and gave our love and thanks for the welcome we received.  When I returned a year later, to collect garden plants I was unable to take with me the year before, the energy was no longer there.  It was empty, bleak and remote.  As if whomever was there to welcome me four years earlier and moved on.

This post is part of the 44 Days of Witchery

Day 32-44 Days of Witchery-A pagan/witchy artwork.

"Beltane Reunion" by Emily Balivet

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Day 31- 44 Days of Witchery-A favourite pagan/witchy movie

Bell, Book and Candle is the first witchy movie I ever saw and a long time favorite.  Kim Novak as Gillian Holroyd, a Greenwich Village witch and her beloved familiar, Pyewacket, takes top honors.  James Stewart and Jack Lemmon are two of my favorite actors from the era this movie was released. My mother had a siamese also named Pyewacket, which probably added to the influence to my young mind. 

This post is part of the 44 Days of Witchery

Day 30-44 Days of Witchery-Witchy tools: wand

Wands fall under the category of ritual tools.  Ritual tools are not something I really bother using.  I do have a wand, of sorts, from my early years. A piece of apple from my late grandmother's tree.  It always adorned my altars and invariably got stuffed into a glass goblet filled with an assortment of feathers I've found over the years.  Needless to say apart from sentimental attachment it serves no purpose in my practices.  On the rare occasion I create a circle I use my finger, my source of power. Why bother with an extension to focus that energy into when I have a perfectly good pair of hands to work with.

But it's not all that surprising, coming from a body and energy worker who works with her hands ;P

This post is part of the 44 Days of Witchery

Day 29-44 Days of Witchery-Water element.

This post is part of the 44 Days of Witchery

Day 28-44 Days of Witchery-A picture of a witchy I-Want-It-Now!

I came across this decorated Bodhran a month or so ago and fell in love

The artist has an Etsy shop here.  She has so many witchy "I want it now!"s that it was hard to choose only one.

This post is part of the 44 Days of Witchery

Day 27-44 Days of Witchery-Picture of nature (earth element)

I have countless photos to represent earth element.  However, it's birthday party day and I have to go find freaking kitchen string.  Who knew everyone in the city would be out of stock??

So for today's Earth Element, I leave you with late Summer/early Autumn imagery of harvest, which says earth element to me.

This post is part of the 44 Days of Witchery

Day 26-44 Days of Witchery-A witchy podcast.

I've got nothing, the last podcast I listened to was over 5 years ago when they were first hitting the scene.  A blogging friend name Serenity had started a witch in the city-themed podcast which I enjoyed.  

Ok, so maybe I have something, I just did a search and found her in new homes.  Serenity has many podcasts now, I haven't listened in years so no idea how they've evolved.  I always loved her podcasts so I'll be giving them a listen.

This post is part of the 44 Days of Witchery

Day 25-44 Days of Witchery-How do your close ones feel about your witchy path? Do they know? Why or why not?

I've been on a pagan path for 27 years next week.  I think I came out of the closet about 5-7 years after that.  I was raised Catholic and my mother goes between thinking I'm going to hell to thinking I can be lured back to the church.  Her mother was my biggest supporter, despite being LDS she was very open to other religions (she was raised Methodist) and encouraged me to find what path was best for me.  Everyone close to me knows and has for most of the time I've been pagan, how could they not?  I strive to live my spirituality and I am blessed to live in an area of the world where bible beating isn't as widely spread as in other parts of the country. I think given my region's history we learned centuries ago what happens when religious zealots persecute those they perceive different from themselves.

This post is part of the 44 Days of Witchery