Practical Witchcraft: Dirt Poor Witchcraft - Do you really need a Book of Shadows?

Dear Reader,

I am dipping a toe into some interesting waters with this post. Many occultists and witches are of the opinion that a Book of Shadows (referred hence forth as BoS) is a vital part of the practice. There are conflicting historical records about the use of a BoS during the period known colloquially as the Burning Times. In my efforts to pin down something accurately reflecting what a witch had to work with in that time period, the closest thing that one would have to what in modern times is considered a BoS is a cookbook. And that would be if the witch in question was lucky enough to own a book and have the ability to read. Many of the people persecuted for witchcraft during the Burning Times were either political targets or impoverished people who had some eccentric traits that their neighbors decided were signs of the "Devil". *

Based upon this finding, and let me tell you it took years of research with the assistance of others to come to this conclusion, you do not need a BoS. If you wish to keep a record of your workings, research, and rituals, a BoS is handy but it does not need to be some great leather bound tome with sigils burned into the cover as portrayed by theater and the entertainment industry. It can be a plain notebook that you write in with your favorite pen, for it is like a journal of sorts. Or, you can have a digital document that you keep your records in. If that doesn't work for you, it is easy enough with today's technology to make an audio recording. (Harken thee back to ye old 1990s for the ancient cassette tape, it's still on the market and super cheap.)

Some figures in history come down to us with fancy BoS called Grimoires. These were wealthy people of high status and usually some form of high society patronage. As the middle class grew, the "secret arts" became more accessible because they could afford to consult these individuals. This was mostly after the Burning Times. Today, a casual search on the internet can find you information that these historical figures like John Dee and such had in their libraries.

Returning to the topic of the storied BoS, you only need one if it helps you keep your information organized. If all you need is a pile of index cards, go for it. There are no rules on how to keep a BoS. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

* Regarding the Burning Times, I'll be doing a post soon about my research and my findings.  

Practical Witchcraft: Dirt Poor Witchcraft pt. 2 - Candles.

 Dear Reader,

An altar lit by wax candles is a romantic image. Some people have the space to make a grandiose job of it. It can be really impressive. And then there's what they show in the movies where the back room of the spooky spell shop turns out to be a cathedral of sorts with hundreds of candles and elegant icons. (That movie back room has to be a TARDIS because every spell shop I've been in has a back room that's barely big enough to turn around and spit in.)

If you're in the position that I'm now in (the landlord renewed the lease and said no candles or incense) or you simply can not afford actual candles even from the discount store, this post will give you some ideas on how to work around this.

The first suggestion I have is a little on the pricey side for initial payment but as a long term budget expense, it actually turns out to be less expensive than buying candles in bulk every few months. Get a package of electric tea lights. "Burn" them only for the duration of your work. As soon as you finish your spell or prayer session, turn it off to conserve the battery for the next use. And screw anybody who says you can't use a candle over again or that electric candles will screw up the magical energy of anything.

Experience has shown me that electricity in the vicinity of any magical item serves to increase it's capacity for use. They act like spiritual batteries/capacitors that release the energy when you put them to use. And unlike a battery or a capacitor, they won't explode if you try to push too much energy through them, they'll simply ground the excess. But I digress.

My second suggestion is a bit cheezy but it works. Take some colored paper, make a tube of a suitable length. Glue together. Add a flame shaped bit at the end that you've determined is your top. With this version of a 'candle' you are going to focus elemental fire energy into the candle until it feels 'full'. Remaining on the altar, this paper candle will be continually replenished by the high magical energy quotient naturally present in the altar space. Shrines are also places of high magical energy that can recharge these.

My third suggestion is take an item associated with elemental fire energy and place it on the altar. Citrine is a good stone to use for this because of its association with the Sun. Equally good to place on the altar is lava rock. This includes: obsidion of all varieties, lava stones, and pumice. Any igneous stone is a good choice as well because they are formed in the Earth under high heat and pressure, and they will carry traces of that heat in their matrix.

Practical Witchery: Depression Witchcraft (Pt. 5)

 Dear Reader,

This is the final post on depression witchcraft. I could say a lot more on the topic but there comes a point where you just have to sit with the situation and figure out what is healthiest for you. Depression is not a case of 'low energy' after magical work. It may feel that way, but it lasts longer and has more negative sides than the lowered energy levels. It has more in common with mood drop after a kink scene, in my experience. You come away from the euphoria of the scene and then everything crashes. Your mood drops, you get exhausted, there's a measure of numbness to the world, and nothing seems quite right. You may experience physical symptoms similar to a mild touch of the flu with depression. This is not because you have the flu but because your brain is sending out signals that something is wrong to your entire body.

It can be a mild experience or it can be a gods awful one, depending on how severe it is. When you are in the midst of that experience, there are three things to remember. It is transient. It will improve. And you need to handle yourself gently while you are unwell. You can't expect yourself to perform at peak levels when you are ill with the flu. Depression is an illness that saps your energy and makes you feel rotten along with setting loose a rabid pack of brain weasels to gnaw on your brainmeats and tell you horrible things. Ask for help if things are too much. Be patient with yourself as you work towards recovery. And seek professional assistance if things don't start to improve within two weeks. ♥

Practical Witchery: Depression Witchcraft (pt. 3)

 Dear Reader,

It's been rough for a while now over in my neck of the woods. I'm starting to come out of that depressive episode and, boy, is there a mess around here to clean up. Depression can make you neglect things that are important, like self-care. For witches, self-care looks a little different for every witch you meet. One thing that they'll agree on is that regular practice of grounding and centering yourself is important to be on the path to recovery from depression. Now, if you ask 13 witches how to do this, you're going to get 463 answers.

Here's my contribution to that 463 answers.

• Eat or drink something - the act of consuming food and beverages forces one to focus on their body.*
• Sit on the floor or the ground. Then project your energy down through your spine and pelvis into the surface you are sitting on. Allow it to be absorbed and dissipate.
• Take a shower or a bath - this is like the first suggestion and works to get you back to a 'mundane' headspace.*
• Hold a rock or put your hands into dirt. Then project your energy through your arms, out your hands and into the stone or dirt. If you're using a stone, after projecting your energy into the stone, set it on the ground and wait for the energy to dissipate.
• Wash your hands or place your hands in running water
• Hold an ice-cube, for a more intense sensation to focus on place the ice cube in your mouth
• Note five elements of your environment that you see. Repeat the process with your other senses
• Practice the Square Breathing technique: Inhale to a slow count of four, hold your breath to a slow count of four, exhale to a slow count of four. Repeat as necessary.

You may notice that some of my suggestions are classic techniques used to help people with PTSD and other dissociative disorders to refocus on their present situation. These techniques work for people with depression and are struggling to focus. They are also highly effective for helping you let go unwanted energy.

*For people who are bodily dysphoric, these exercises are difficult and I recommend choosing one of the other exercises. Remember, this is supposed to be a gentle exercise to ground unwanted energy and focus you on the present moment.

Addendum: Bodily dysphoria happens for many reasons and to many people. If you are struggling with it, you are not alone. Be gentle with yourself and your body, it is your home on this plane and as special as you are. (And yes you are special and deserve to be happy, healthy, and well.)

Recommendations: umm... I've got nothing.

 Dear Reader,

My life has been really topsy-turvy for the last few months. I have no good book recommendations. I have no interesting tools or techniques to recommend. My brain is just kinda toast right now. I'll try to have something for you next week. Life is beginning to stabilize. As a result, I'm starting to get back into my work patterns and doing things like getting my house back into order. Mental illness isn't a joke. It can really screw up your day, month, year, or life. If you're struggling, please seek help. There's no shame in it and only good can come from doing so.

Recommendations: Check and then double check your schedule.

 Dear Reader,

This week has been madness. Appointments and other people screwing things up makes it really hard to stay on task. It would have worked better if I had those appointments written down properly. If you think you have the time to do a thing, check your schedule and then check it again as it draws close to the date in question. Trust me, it will save you a big headache. There's lots of scheduling and organization systems out there. I've tried a few and modified a few to fit my purposes. What I'm using now is a mash up of FlyLady's system and Ryder Carrol's Bullet Journal system. My binder has a whole lot of notes in it and tons of little boxes I mark off as I get things done.

I also cross reference everything against the wall calendar that has the master schedule for the month on it. All the appointments, when bills are due, and major events all put down in one place. (My planner has a monthly page like that too but it's just easier to look at the calendar every day instead of flipping through the planner.) Sometimes, your week goes haywire because of other people screwing something up. (Yesterday was a great example as I tried to figure out what in the nine hells was going on with my health insurance company. I spent my whole afternoon clawing my way through phone trees to get answers instead of being on Keen and doing tarot readings. It was not fun. I don't recommend it. The hold music was pure torture.)

But, always check your schedule. Don't rely on your memory to keep you on track because our brains will tell us that everything's fine when in actually, there's a meeting or something lurking in the wings waiting to ambush you. What ever system you have for keeping track of everything, may it be awesome and helpful. And may life not ambush you several days in a row, like what happened this week.

Recommendations: Pens

Dear Reader,

If you are doing a lot of hand written work, you are going to be on the hunt for good pens and pencils. I've already mentioned the Ink Joy pens that I find really useful in my bullet journal and day planner. Today, I wanted to recommend a good felt tipped pen. The Papermate Flair pens have really great color saturation and typically don't bleed through your paper stock. Even if it's the flimsy super cheap stuff that they use for the cheapest composition books on the planet. (Not that I have any experience with that one. ;) )

I tried out the Tombow pens and found them somewhat lacking. They are ok but way over priced when you can get the same results for the Tombow hard tipped pen out of the Papermate Flair pens with more colors for the price of two Tombow pens. I have found that the Papermate Flair pens are really good for artistic work if you like to doodle in your book of shadows or your notebooks. They last pretty long. The set that I have I picked up about two years ago and they're not showing any signs of slowing down. (The Ink Joy pens are finally showing their age after two and a half years of serious use.)

I'll be discussing brush pens and calligraphy pens in another post because I have opinions on those. I'm a bit picky about them. But, Papermate Flair are a really economical way to add more color to your writing and get the unique visual signature style of a felt tipped pen. I highly recommend them.

Recommendation: Acrylic yarn for charity crafting.

 Dear Reader,

If you are of the inclination to make things for charity (like how I am making preemie hats for my local NICU), skip the fancy yarns and go with basic acrylic yarn. It is hypoallergenic. It washes easily at any temperature and can handle a bit of bleach with out the colors fading too much. It also is warmer than wool when dry (a bunch of us yarn nerds did an experiment about three years ago making cozies for coffee mugs to determine what yarn worked best for insulation. Acrylic was the clear winner followed by wool/alpaca blend).

There's long been an argument that acrylic yarn isn't too good for projects that are going to be against the skin because it's really abrasive. This  might have been true 30 years ago, but changes in technology and how acrylic yarn is produced have created yarns that are just as soft as lightly spun cotton and woolen spun Merino wool. Acrylic yarn doesn't have the spring or the memory of wool yarns, which means it is less prone to stretch when worn and will be less inclined to shrink when washed. (Honestly, I have yet to have an acrylic project shrink on me when I've washed it. And I've been working with acrylic yarn now for over 13 years.)

If you are concerned about the scratchiness of low cost acrylic yarn, wind it into a skein and soak it in a basin with fabric softener for 24 hours. Then rinse the fabric softener out before washing it. Make sure before you do this process, that your have tied your skein of yarn in at least three places or it will become a tangled mess as you run it through the washing machine and dryer. (Yes, you can throw acrylic into the dryer on high and that will help soften it up too but that process takes longer than the soak with fabric softener.) You do not want to use acrylic yarn treated in this fashion for garments intended for individuals with sensitive skin, such as babies, because you never know who is going to react to the fabric softener.

Acrylic blends are a risky proposition. They can have the traits of both fibers but they introduce a potential allergen into the mix. Tread carefully with these yarns. If the recipient isn't allergic to the second fiber blended with the acrylic, you're in great standing. If there is an allergy, don't use it no matter how small the percentage of the second fiber is in the blend. Having experienced an accidental allergic reaction to yarn that I was unfamiliar with, it's no fun and can be a serious problem for people with severe allergies. Fortunately, mine was mild and my skin just got itchy and red. Some people have a serious allergic reaction. This is why I avoid mystery yarns when I'm crafting for charity and stick with acrylic that I know is 100% pure. Sure, that grab bag of 5lbs of yarn at the second hand shop looks like a great deal, but you don't know what's mixed in with it all. Play it safe.

Happy crafting!

Recommendation: The Eastminster Critical Edition of the Clear Recital & Oxonian Rite

 Dear Reader,

This week's recommendation is for the Orthodox Filianic community and those who have Madrian leanings in their practice of their faith. The Eastminster Critical Edition of the Clear Recital and of the Oxonian Rite is a treasure trove that is full of wonderful information and beautifully assembled. It has the most complete collection of the Teachings of the Daughter that I have encountered. It clearly outlines the history of the Filianic religion as well as distinguishes the differences between Filianism and Déanism.

Unlike other texts, the ECE has excerpts from the writings of Madria Olga, a charismatically ordained priestess of Déa who lead the Rosa Madriana community up until her death from cancer in 2008. Madria Olga's writings heavily informed the modern Filianic community's faith practices and continue to act as a guide for believers. The works of other priestesses and thinkers from earlier Filianic communities are referenced as well. 

A very through history of Filianism is presented, detailing in chronological order the unfurling of this faith through time. There is a discussion of modern Filianism (as of the time of this edition's printing) and the rise of Independent Filianists. This discussion is handled with great care and attention to detail, which is impressive considering the wide variety of Independent Filianists.

Additionally, the ECE includes a breviary and hymnal that have been used historically by the Orthodox Filianic community. It also gives detailed accounting of the Rosary and the different contemplative paths. Along side these two important sections, there is a calendar of sorts listing the dates of holy days and something about their historical observances.

Iron: It's uses in defensive magic and how to properly season cast iron.

 Dear Reader,

Iron has long been associated with protection magic. Defensive charms made of iron and steel have been found since humanity figured out how to make iron and steel. Now, it may sound silly, but cast iron is a really good defensive magical tool. It is heavy, which makes it a good energy sink and a good personal defense item in a pinch. It acts to neutralize most magical energy that it comes into contact with. Iron retains a very strong connection with the Earth's core (which is made up of, among other things, molten iron) which makes it a very good tool for grounding energy at large.

Traditionally, cast iron has been used for everything from fences (obvious defensive measures) to cookware. That cast iron fence outside probably could benefit from a coat of paint or anti-rust products, but this does not neutralize its effect. The reason why is because the thin layer of product on the iron helps to preserve the iron and keep it intact. It is not enough of a layer to act as a buffer unless intentionally ensorcelled to do so. A wrought iron fence takes energy and directs it immediately into the ground beneath it creating a magical barrier that extends about where it is place.

If you wish to create such a barrier and can't afford wrought iron, there's the dirt cheap and kinda nasty way of doing it. That is burying steel nails around your property line. If you put them point up, potential trespassers are likely going to need a tetanus shot after stepping on them, depending on how deeply your bury your nails. To create a barrier at thresholds and similar liminal places of entry, a small steel finishing nail can be driven into the lintel about the doorway that will act as a barrier for unwelcome spiritual beings from entering.

Then we come to cast iron cookware. The cauldrons of old that were used for everyday cooking were also used for magical practice. They were, for the most part, iron. The iron worked like a magic circle to contain the energy of the spell craft being cast until the caster decided it was time to let it magic loose to do its work. Today, we don't use cast iron as much for cooking. If you are using cast iron for cooking it requires special care.

First, take your cast iron pot and scrub it well. I like using the steel wool pads because they don't impart too much soap in the process and they do a good job of getting burnt on material off. You don't want to use a lot of water or soap here because you want to retain the patina over the pot/pan you're working with. It is the patina that gives good cast iron cookware something of a non-stick quality. After you have scrubbed your pot and rinsed all the soap out, take a moment to dry it with a paper towel.

Your next step is to get out your cooking oil and another paper towel. Put a dab of cooking oil on the paper towel and massage this into your pan. You want to work the oil in across all of the cooking surface and the outside of the pan. Use a third (possibly fourth, depending on how much excess oil there is) paper towel to wipe the excess oil off of your pan. Then you want to place your pan into your oven on low heat until things begin to smell toasty. It is a good idea to put a baking sheet under your pan incase there are any oil drippings that come down from spots you possibly missed. Allow the pan to cool off at the same time as your oven. 

If you haven't used too much oil, your pan will have a smooth surface on the cooking surface. It will feel smooth to the touch (when it is cooled off) and it will work beautifully for cooking up pancakes because it will be nonstick. If you used too much oil, you will have to go back to step one in the process and re-season the pan. If too much oil is used, the pan will be sticky to the touch when it has cooled and things will tend to burn to the bottom of your pan. 

Important thing to remember, if you are heating your cast iron in the oven, make sure that it has a handle that can tolerate heat. Usually, cast iron pots have a cast iron handle. Some, however, have a wooden handle on them. For those pots, heat them on the stove top until they smell toasty and then allow them to cool off slowly. Do not thrust your hot cast iron pan into cold water in an effort to cool it. This will damage your pan and make it more brittle. Do not let your cast iron pan sit in water for an extended period of time because it will rust. And don't let it sit for an extended period of time on stainless steel because it will leave a rust mark on your steel that you'll have to scrub off with a good amount of effort.

Candle safety during the holidays.

 Dear Readers,

This may seem a plebian and off topic post for this blog but it carries a very important reminder. A blogger I follow on another platform almost had a house fire because of a candle getting out of control. As I know that many of you, like myself, will use candles in ritual and for various other purposes, I just wanted to remind you to be safe with them.

Basic Rules for Candle Safety:

• Trim your wick to less than 1/4 inch from the wax
• Always burn your candle with supervision
• Keep all flammable objects well away from the candle (this includes overhead clearance)
  
• Make sure that your candle is out of reach of children or pets
• Do not burn a candle that has less than a half inch of wax left in the jar
• When extinguishing a candle, make sure it is FULLY out when you leave it - no smoke, no glowing embers. If it has either, it can reignite easily.
• Burn your candle on a level, stable surface this way there's no chance to hot wax tipping and going all over the place (It's a real pain to clean wax out of carpeting, just to warn you from my own derpy experience.)
• If you are using an electric fragrance warmer, treat it was a lit candle.
• Wait for your melted wax to fully cool and harden before transporting or disposing of your candle.
• Keep your candles well away from your Yule/Christmas tree. If that tree is the slightest bit dried out it is a MAJOR fire hazard. If you want the effect of candles on or near your tree, use the LED electric candles. 
• Keep your sleeves and such clear of the candle flame and the area above it. (Almost lit a sweater on fire because I wasn't paying attention, don't be like me on this one.)

Candle safety is important all year round. But it seems to pop up as a bigger issue during the holidays. This friendly reminder is partly for myself because I will do foolish things from time to time because I'm distracted (like that time I almost lit my sweater on fire).

Reading for the Intermediate Witch: Earth Magic

Title: Earth Magic: A Wisewoman's Guide To Herbal, Astrological, & Other Folk Wisdom
Author: Claire Nahmad
Publisher: Destiny Books   Date: 1994
ISBN: 0892814241

Don't let the age of this book fool you. Earth Magic is a very well written in depth examination of folk knowledge on a fairly wide array of material. The unique perspective that Ms. Nahmad has upon angelology is interesting because it is informed by the Christian over culture but different from what one maybe familiar with. Ms. Nahmad gives a strong introduction to astrology on the basis of each sign's qualities and meanings. It makes a good jumping off point for deeper study.

Ms. Nahmad does get a bit chatty in her discussion of herbalism in each chapter but manages to maintain an informative perspective. I find her addition of practical knowledge about how to gather materials and store them to be quite in line with what I learned at my own grandmother's knee as a girl. I will confess, however, I was dismayed when she mentioned using essential oils with out a carrier oil. While most people will not be prone to reacting to lavender oil, for example, one must always use a carrier oil with essential oils to prevent a skin reaction. It is even more important to test in a spot like the inside of your forearm if the carrier oil and essential oil mix will cause a reaction. If this happens, wash the oils off immediately with a good quality dish soap (I find Dawn brand works best.) and take an antihistamine if necessary. If you still desire to work with essential oils, use gloves and take all the precautions you would if you were cooking with hot peppers.

Ms. Nahmad organizes her book through the Julian calendar year with each section devoted to topics roughly appropriate for the season and the holidays of that time period. Her writing style is conversational and pleasant. The focus on folk magic is specifically that of a blended Christian folk magic and pagan folk magic. I wouldn't go so far as to say Christo-pagan folk magic because there are distinct differences between the two things presented. It is more of an intermediate ground for persons who are dealing with the two different faith systems at the same time or seeking to make their practices more in line with the over-culture.

Reading for the Intermediate Witch: Full Contact Magick

Dear Reader,

Kerr Cuhulain's Full Contact Magick (Llewellyn Worldwide, 2002. ISBN 9780738702544 ) is a bit dated but the material hold up well. Mr. Cuhulain received some complaints that his book was a touch on the too aggressive side for many Wiccans. It is my opinion that Full Contact Magick was timely and a necessary addition to the general body of knowledge for the Wiccan community when it came out and remains so even today.

Mr. Cuhulain covers the basics of magical practice with a deft hand. He really shines and shows his experience when discussing the essentials of magical self defense. His blending of practical non-magical analysis of magically threatening situations and the assessment of the correct magical approach to a problem is elegant and efficient. Mr. Cuhulain gives very direct instruction on how to handle magical problems. This makes his work highly accessible to most magical studies readers. He breaks down the more complex ceremonial magic elements of his practices into simple steps that are easily followed.

Rating: 7/10

Recommendations: Sea salt.

Dear Reader,

It's not every week that I have a recommendation that can be used in cooking. Sea salt is more than just useful for cooking. It can be a vital component in ritual activities, a crucial spell ingredient, and a powerful tool in its own right. The majority of the salt that one can purchase is derived from salt that is mined from deep within the earth. This has a great deal of magical properties of good use, but sea salt combines the essential properties of mined salt with the energies of the ocean.

Sea salt is a magically potent thing. A little bit goes a long way. Just a few grains of salt in a cup of water imparts the blessings of the ocean into freshwater with out you having to add enough salt to make it fully saline. Sea salt is expensive compared to standard iodized table salt. It is worth the price, honestly, because of the purity of the salt is beyond compare. The best sea salt is known as 'fleur de sel' or the flower of salt. It is collected in salt marshes by hand. It is expensive but it is the purest grade sea salt you can acquire in the grocery store. It is to be used sparingly, just as you would saffron threads.

Lower grades of sea salt are less expensive and can be used more liberally than fleur de sel but I would save the crafting of a ritual circle of salt for the salt that is derived from rock salt just because it is more cost effective. (Side note, the rock salt used for melting ice can be very useful in magical working but should not be used in anything that will be consumed because there are often additives to it. Also, salt circles should be swept up and disposed of after magical work to limit the negative impact of salt on the environment.)

Reading for the Intermediate Witch: A note on questionable sources.

Dear Reader,

As you plow your way through the lists of books people like myself provide, you will find authors of some question listed. Authors such as Zusanna Budapest, who on one hand has contributed a great deal to the literature that comprises the body of knowledge about witchcraft but at the same time have taken questionable if not down right atrocious positions on human rights issues. You will find this manner of problem in all bodies of information.

Some may choose to throw out the author's work all together because they do not want even a passive suggestion of support for their positions to be suggested about themselves. Others may choose to act as though the authors do not exist. The tricky thing with both of these positions is the fact that in many cases we are benefiting from the work done by these authors regardless of if we support their positions or not.

Questionable sources are present in any manner of research that you will do. Some, like Robert Graves, will invent material to make themselves look more like an expert with out any supporting evidence but their own opinion. The White Goddess is an interesting book and contains a good amount of information in it, but about 85% of it is Robert Graves inventing mythology because subsequent research into the matter turned up no evidence to support his arguments. Now, I am an author of fiction. I have no problems with invented mythology as long as it is acknowledged as such.

Things get fuzzy when you start looking at the foundational literature of modern witchcraft and paganism. You start finding things in there that you can't help but question. Like did Leland invent the goddess Aradia or did he find an actual hereditary cultus of worship? When you read The Witch's Bible from Janet and Stewart Farr, you start to question if sexual initiations were really part of covens when you consider familial traditions that many of the early Wiccan authors say they come from, because this raises the question of sexual abuse of minors.

Just as the medical community is leery about using Asperger's name for a medical condition when it came to public knowledge that he was a Nazi scientist and they seek for a way to use the information he acquired with out carrying on the Nazi overtones, many in the pagan community are attempting to do so with the questionable sources of their respective traditions.

In cases where those sources have done harm, it is important to first address the harm that has been caused and attempt to heal it. Reparation should be part of pathwork of any religious tradition because all religions at some point has done harm to some group of people (if not many groups of people) in their history. And one should acknowledge the questionable sources as questionable and decide what elements of the source are deemed acceptable for study and use.

Migraine weather is no fun.

Dear Reader,

We're on the eve of an awful storm blowing in over the next day or three. The boys' school has already called and cancelled all on campus events until Monday at noon. So, I guess they technically have a snow day on Martin Luther King Jr. day. My vision is a bit wonky right now and I just don't feel great. I'm sorry that I don't have a nifty new post for you today recommending something awesome.

Really, all I can say today is if you're not feeling well, make sure you take the time to rest and recover. Don't do like I often do and try to force yourself to do ALL THE THINGS when you're not up to it.  Because you'll just feel even more rotten. Trust me on this one.

If you're in the path of winter storm Harper, please follow all proper safety measures. Make sure you have a plan for if you are snowed in. If you must travel, please for goodness sake, keep a blanket or two in your car in case you get stuck somewhere. Some water on hand is a must for any weather emergency where you have to worry about being stuck. Remember, you want approximately one gallon of water per day per person in your household. Emergency food supplies that don't require power to make are also vital.

Please, stay safe in the event of being caught in this massive storm. Heh, I guess I did give some recommendations despite my migraine. Dea works through us in many ways.

Recommendation: Keep a Journal.

Image from Pexels.com

Dear Reader,

In today's digital age, the practice of keeping a journal seems quaint. At the same time, there is a great deal of value to be found in this practice. Firstly, it gives you a record of your experiences for you to consult and consider at some future time. If you are keeping a prayer journal, for example, this is where you can record prayers made and answered. If you are keeping a magical journal, this is where you can record your magical experiments and their results. Journals are wonderful tools that allow us to save information and refer to it in the future.

Revisiting old journals as a habit can help you see how far you have progressed from where you were in the past. It can also help you see what things have been chronic challenges for you and areas where you have growth potential. Some choose not to revisit their old journals, deciding to leave the past in the past. This is a very personal decision to make. But the fact that you have that old journal, regardless of the format it is in (digital, paper, or some combination of the two) means you have valuable information at your fingertips about yourself and your experiences.

Reading for the Intermediate Witch: By Oak, Ash, & Thorn

Title: By Oak, Ash, & Thorn: Modern Celtic Shamanism
Author: D.J. Conway
Publisher: Llwellyn Publications, St. Paul MN, USA   Date: 1999
ISBN: 156718166

The material in here is a bit dated. The book is twenty years old. At the same time. Conway details ritual practices that are actually highly effective when used properly. She is a well established author whose writings are focused on the practical side of magical studies. This book gives a good overview of the ritual practices that are, in many ways, foundational to modern neo-shamanism within the United States.

Perhaps the most valuable elements in this book is the discussion of how to move in the spirit realms whilst remaining in the physical one. Where Conway focuses on the modern Celtic neo-shamanism, much of what she presents on this topic can be applied outside of that framework.

Equally interesting is the intersection between what's become commonly accepted knowledge of psychic energy centers and Celtic lore. Her instructions on manipulating and adjusting psychic energy centers and one's spiritual appearance are well written and easily followed. The discussion that Conway has and her instructions on how to handle spiritual ailments are equally so.

Recommendations: Use cotton balls to clean wax melts up.

Dear Reader,

This week's recommendation is a little bit of a housekeeping tip that I learned from somebody who sells those nifty scented wax tarts. When you've used all but a little bit of your wax tart, take a cotton ball and run it around the inside of the still warm bowl of the warmer. It will soak up the melted wax. It may take two or three cotton balls, but it will clean it up right quick and easy. If you save them, they make good emergency fire starters.

Then you have the situation where you've basically run out of scent but have a ton of wax left. This is a great opportunity to make your own candle. Tie a cotton string to a pencil and a nail to the other end of the length. Place this in a jar so that the nail rests in the center of your jar. Pour your wax leftovers into the jar and let it harden. And as the majority of the wax leftovers sit in the jar hardening up, you can clean up the still liquid bit left in your warmer with those cotton balls. 

If you have access to candle wicks, they work a lot better than your cotton string for making your own candles. To stick the end of the wick with the weight on it down, dip it in your melted wax and quickly stick it to the middle of your jar. Then hold the wick in a vertical orientation (this way your candle burns evenly) and add your wax. If you want to scent your candle, while the wax is still liquid add one to two drops of scented oil. NO MORE.

Recommendation: Internet edition.

Dear Reader,

If you haven't checked out the Internet Sacred Texts archive, you really should. There's tons of great information on pretty much every topic you can think of. Their digital occult library is fantastic. This is a site where you can do deep research on obscure things. Their digital reproduction of J.G. Frazer's The Golden Bough is excellent, for example. If you can't find what you're looking for elsewhere, check this site out. They've been around since the 90s and are 100% supported by donations. If you were looking for a good place to donate money to help preserve our cultural heritage, this is one of the ones I would recommend as well.