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My Star Rating for Idiot:

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Is Laura Clery an Idiot?

Laura Clery has proven that she was not stupid, she just made poor choices. Wit is a sign of intelligence- I don’t know who said that, but my father once told me that and since he’s really intelligent, I stick to it. Ipso facto, Laura Clery is not a stupid person. She was a troubled person. She was a lost soul. This story takes you through her life, from her happy, albeit weird, childhood, to her first experiences with drugs, and to her rock bottom. I thought my rock bottom was low, living in a tent in the woods, but that was nothing compared to being chased out of a house by your boyfriend’s girlfriend leaving you in the middle of LA with no friends, no family, and no place to go. So, yea, she’s had it hard. But equally drastic a difference between us, she is now living in Beverly Hills making a shit load of money. It balances out, right?

Why Idiot?

This book is not for idiots, because I fear they will misinterpret the message Laura is trying to communicate. I think this book is for the following:

• addicts
• anyone who is troubled spiritually, emotionally, etc.
• victims of abuse, as well as survivors/thrivors of abuse
• anyone who doesn’t know what to do with their life
• anyone who knows what they want, but doesn’t know how to get there
• anyone who wants to know Laura Clery’s life story

This book is for us Witches, too!

I found so many parallels in Laura’s story, so I can’t help but feel a connection to this book (hence why I’m reviewing a non-occult book on my blog). The thing is, the answer to her incredible life is mystical, and therefore it does fit on my blog! So this book is also for witches, pagans, and every other person that ascribes to the Law of Attraction, and lives by the power of Gratitude.

Laura Clery’s Magical Life

She spent a huge part of her life partying, drinking, drugging. She struggled to stay sober. She almost lost her husband because he relapsed and tried to detox off of benzo’s cold turkey (>>>btw that’s lethal. If you are addicted to valium, Xanax, or any other benzodiazepines, please don’t quit cold turkey. Get yourself to a rehab facility to chemically detox so you don’t die<<<).
All in all, she has been through the ringer. So what got her to her house in the Hills? The Law of Attraction. Yes! score one for witches baby! She specifically states in her book “I don’t think this is magic”. Well, Laura, hate to break it to you, but if you’re visualizing what you want and expressing gratitude as if you’ve already achieved it, that’s magic. That’s the law of Attraction, a law upon which magic works. So yea, her life is literally magical.

I mean, if getting paid to sing about your VAGANA isn’t magical, I don’t know what is.

Another reason I think Laura Clery’s book review is fitting for my blog is because she empowers the witch’s idea of a woman. She’s all about female empowerment, without being feminist, she’s a vegan, and she knows and acknowledges the power of the mind. So, yea, ’nuff said.

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Peeing in Public, Shitting in a Hot Tub.

This section is actually going to be an assortment of my favorite quotes, but I wanted to make this a headline and couldn’t figure out a better place for it. I do want to say that I have the audiobook, and while I’m certain of the words, because I listened to the clips multiple times to make sure I noted them down right, I might get punctuation wrong. It’s setting off my OCD anxiety not knowing if it’s exact, so the least I can do is let you guys know I did my best lol. And, yes, she claims she pissed in public. She didn’t actually shit in the hot tub- her friend did, then handed her the turd. So Laura held a turd, and threw a turd, in a hot tub. Like I said, she was a fucking weird kid. Makes me love her all the more lol. #nocontextforyou #buythebook #justdidthat

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…we are constantly in a state of either love or fear, and these states control the choices we make and the way we live…

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…you’re an artist. You make art. Stay in the action and out of the results.

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It sounds really cheesy, but those affirmations are what lifted me over the edge. I swear by them. I had such a rigid self image before, and the only things that could break the cycle of self hate were intentional, affirming, statements. I have been depressed, anxious, and suicidal for much of my life, and this is what has turned it around for me.

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The only thing I can recommend is to visualize. For the record, I’m not saying this is magic, I’m saying that a shift in your focus from what you don’t want to what you do want is more powerful than we can ever imagine, and it works in mysterious ways.

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Buy Laura Clery’s new book Idiot!

Being a single mother isn’t easy – it’s rewarding, and wonderful, but expensive. That’s why I’ve added this page- to let you guys know about some ways I’m trying to cover the rising cost of kids clothes and gas. (Not to mention Legos, my kids favorite toy, cost $10 for a little tiny box!)

So, below are some of my witchy creations and services! If you’d like some writing services, check out my other website: http://www.Magicalmusingswritingsvcs.com

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Squeaky clean, magically magnificent!

Soap is a necessity – it’s found in almost every home. There are many options for soap magick, and that magick is much stronger when the soap is handcrafted, tailored to your witchy needs. Below are soaps I crafted myself at my kitchen counter. The prices all include shipping and handling.

The soaps with the Celtic knot designs are 7cm x 4.5 cm x 1cm . The block soaps are 8cm x 5 cm x 2 cm. (roughly)

At this time, I cannot sell to countries outside the United States. I hope to be able to in the near future, but at the time I cannot. there are many restrictions, legal fine print, and requirements to sell to folks across the pond. I will work on remedying this as soon as possible.

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The Goods

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More to come! I just ordered more goats milk soap base, and have a bunch of herbs I’ve been setting out to dry in the sun. I love the sun’s energy – the rising sun is great for rejuvenation, energy boost, and clarity. The setting sun has a soothing feeling, with a sense of stability that works well with Earthly energy.

The Door to Witchcraft opens the door to reviews for Magical Musings!

Book reviews are really fun to write so I don’t know why it took me so long to start doing it on my blog/ website. I’ve written them for work a few times and had a blast with it! I decided The Door to Witchcraft was the perfect book to start with! A part of my mission is to help new witches figure out what they want to do and how to do it, so recommending resources is a major part of that. Instead of just making a list off to the side of the website, where hardly anyone will notice it, I should write reviews for the books I feel are most helpful.

Walking through the Door

I honestly wasn’t sure if I was going to like this book when I ordered it on Kindle. I’ve actively avoided ‘witchcraft 101’ books for awhile, simply because they all say the same damn thing, in the same boring ways. After being blown away by Weave the Liminal, (which will be the next review!), I thought: “Well, I know Tonya, and know she’s a great writer with a unique and creative voice, so I’m sure her book will be an interesting read, even if it reiterates everything all witchy 101 books do.”

My thoughts

Interesting read doesn’t even come close. Tonya’s enthusiastic, creative, knowledgable voice was but one part of this book, turning plain words into a song of wit and wisdom. She has the book divided into two major parts: Part I: Witchcraft & Practical Magic {includes history, values, definitions, ethics, and ‘the basics’.
Part II: Spells {exactly how it sounds – an assortment of spells for categories from love to business}.

Top 6 Best Quotes

To understand how to create change, you must understand the sequence of events it entails. The cycle is as follows: Knowing – Witchcraft – Magic.

Witchcraft is about taking the raw, beautiful, and powerful forces of our world and using them to create change.

Whether you are a badass woman who oozes solar energy or a gorgeous man who drips lunar, or a nonbinary person with an energy all your own, you are a powerful, strong witch.

The truth is that trying to classify something as purely good or purely bad lacks empathy and complex thought. In witchcraft there are no absolutes—nothing is inherently good or bad.

Intuition. Follow your gut and your moral compass about what is right and what is not. Just because you’ve made mistakes doesn’t mean you’re “evil,” and just because you’ve done something for someone else doesn’t mean you’re “good.” Try to throw those labels out. It all comes down to trusting yourself and thinking through actions and consequences.

Let the universe move you, surprise you, challenge you, and support you—as a witch, your connection to it is mystical and beautiful.

Make sure to get your copy now!

Warning: Gardening is addictive and will improve your health, spirit and mental well-being.

Rachel Patterson, Kitchen Witchcraft: Garden Magic, pg. 3

This GIF pretty much sums up how I feel about gardening. It’s funny, two years ago I couldn’t keep a Hen and Chicks succulent alive, but last year I managed to grow a pretty little garden! This year I’m taking on more challenging plants, and even plan to transplant a rose bush! I know roses are fairly hardy plants, and as long as I time it right the bush should take root well, but I’m still proud of myself. Confidence is key to success in all endeavors! (That, and a little help from Good Neighbors.)

Before I purchased any supplies, I did my homework. Growing a garden is a science, just as it is an art. You need to know which plants get along, which plants like light, and which like shade, and you need to know if the plant will be happy in regular soil, or if you need sand or a fancier soil. I’m still a novice, as you can tell from my impressive vocabulary (fancy soil – face palm).

Connect to Earth on a deeper level…

Growing a garden is more than just planting and harvesting supplies for your herbal collection. It’s about connecting with the Earth on a deeper level…it’s about establishing a relationship with the spirits of Nature, the Fair Folk, and the Genius Loci, and it’s about using magick to create life. When I see a seed I planted turn into a cute little sprout, reaching for the sun out of the dark soil, I am overcome with pride, in the plant and myself. It’s akin to the pride I feel when my son does something new, so it wouldn’t be far off to say it’s a motherly love you feel for your plants. Those little plants have spirits of their own, and they respond to your love and affection.

I think it was a documentary, perhaps a video on Youtube or Facebook, but it revealed that plants suffer when they’re bullied. They had two plants – same plants, same soil, same age – everything was identical. They were kept in environment controlled boxes, to ensure that the only variable was what the plant was told. They had recorded people saying mean things, and saying nice things, and played the mean things to one plant and the nice to the other. The plant who heard the compliments grew strong and tall, while the abused plant was weak and sickly. If that isn’t proof that plants have feelings, I don’t know what is!

How do I start a magickal garden?

Intention

The first step in creating your magickal garden is the first step in any magickal activity: devise your intent. Do you want the garden to carry out an assortment of intentions, or do you want to stick to one theme? Do you want to grow a garden as an offering? Or, how about creating an elemental garden, with a separate garden or section for each element. For ideas, I have created a Pinterest board with all sorts of pins about gardening for witches.

Research and Record-Keeping

All of my garden plans are in my grimoire. Some people use spreadsheets, recording their planting time, when and how they are to be pruned, watering schedules, feeding schedules- everything needed to keep the garden tasks sorted. I will create a diagram of the garden, to scale, so I can plan where to plant each seedling.

I live in an apartment, so I only have a small space to work with. (I have had to put in a formal request to plant a small rose bush, and it is yet to be approved…) The flower and herb garden is going to be in the back yard, so as long as it doesn’t extend past my little porch and steps, it’s allowed by property management. That gives me a bit of land about five feet across and four feet deep. Not a lot in garden terms. This means I have to choose plants that do not need a lot of space around them, but growing outside means my plants can grow nice and tall. By planning wisely, I can manifest a magickal garden just as glorious as any other. You feel such pride when you carefully devise and plant a healthy garden, no matter the purpose. When it doesn’t do well it is heartbreaking. That is why research and record keeping is so important.

• Research:
  • what plants do well in your location;
  • what plants get along and which need to be in their own container;
  • how much light and water the plants require; if the plant needs special soil, or will need particular food. Do you need to mulch? Do you need sand?
  • Will the plant attract bugs, and if so, what kinds? Butterflies and bees are great, but if you or a family member is allergic, then you may want to avoid a bee-attracting plant.
• Record-keeping:
  • To make sure your garden thrives, you will have to design it carefully. That means drawing out a scale sketch, and then sectioning off what will go where. If you can do this in your head and remember, that’s great! But, if not, you will have to draw it out. If you don’t want to keep that then use scrap paper.
  • It helps to have one location to keep your design sketch, research notes, a chart of what can be planted when, and even record when you planted something, if it’s going to come back next year, how often it needs watering, when and how to prune, and proper harvesting methods.

By planning wisely, I can manifest a magickal garden just as glorious as any other.

Elemental Garden

One design I am considering is an elemental garden. I’ve done my homework, and kept extensive notes, so once I know what can go where, I can work in an elemental theme.

Earth/Land

Soil is the body of the garden. It is the body, and water is the blood. When you lay down the garden, take a bit of soil in your hand. Bring it to your nose, and inhale deeply. There is nothing like the scent of fertile soil. Bring it apart, and watch it fall. There is a thing of beauty, as soil slips through your fingers. And don’t wear gloves when you do this! I know, your nails will be grubby and gross. But when you first lay out your garden, it’s important to connect to the soil.

Your Earth garden may be a garden on its own, or it may be a section of your garden as a whole. In addition to soil, you can bring the element of Earth into your garden with rocks, crystals, and statues of dwarves and fairies. Growing lush greens, like having a pot of mint, or a nearby bush, will work as well. Earth and Land, in any elemental system, is associated with the quality of strength and stability. What better to represent that than a tree? If you can’t plant a tree, then plant your garden near a tree. Hanging some chimes in the tree (incorporating air), will tie the tree to the garden.

Earth Spell: Garden protection

Using a pot or cauldron, mix a handful of soil from your garden, a healthy dose of pepper, and a few pinches of dried basil. (Use your intuition for exact amounts). Use a rusty nail to stir the mixture. Set the nail aside, and, using your hand, sprinkle the mixture around the perimeter of the garden saying:

Basil cleanse, Pepper sting, This garden is sealed with a protective ring.

Bury the nail at any corner of the garden. (Make sure it’s deep, and to be safe, put a stone or board over the spot. I know I love to garden barefoot, and would hate to step on the nail if it manages to climb up to the surface. This would be a good spot to put your garden altar!)

James Kambos, “Spring Garden Magic”, Llewellyn’s 2013 Magical Almanac, pg. 15

Air/Sky

Nothing says spring like a melodious song of birds in the morning. One of the most depressing things about winter is waking to silence – or worse, to the sound of a snow plow. While I’m grateful that snow removal is included with my apartment, it’s not a pleasant way to wake. The gentle breeze brings the unmistakeable scent of spring – the soil, the moss, the subtle smell of trees as they awaken from their icy slumber.

To incorporate air into your elemental garden, plant flowers with gentle yellow hues. Angelica, “Ruby Giant” echinacea and Russian Sage are all ‘air’ plants. Wind chimes are always a great way to invite the powers of air. My favorite way to extend offerings to the powers of air is to hang bird feeders. Whether it be a humble hummingbird feeder, or half a dozen large feeders and houses, Nature appreciates when you feed her feathered children.

Fire

Spring is a little cool for us Northerners to go camping, but it’s the perfect time for bonfires and fire pits. The spring showers keeps the grass moist, minimizing the chances for a wandering spark to cause a tragic disaster. If you are like me, and live in an apartment, then a fire pit or chimnea may not be possible. you could make do, with carefully placed candles and lights. Planting sunflowers will bring the element of Fire into your garden as well (or any flower with vibrant orange, red, or yellow hues). There is a neat DIY Mason-jar candle holder I found on Pinterest, which is in the board I created for Magick Gardens. Where I live, mosquitos can get quite thick by the height of summer, so citronella torches and candles give mood lighting and keep the pests away.

Water

Water is the life blood of the garden. Something simple as a way to collect rain water for your plants can be efficient in incorporating the powers of water into your garden. A rain collection container doesn’t have to be an unsightly bucket either. Paint a watering can, or repurpose coffee cans, so as one overflows it will pour into another can just below. Rain water is much better for our gardens than tap, so if you don’t get a lot of rain, try to save what you can when it does.

A birdbath, or even a small pond are equally efficient, and much prettier to look at. While I can’t have a bird bath, much less a pond, I can have a small fountain. There is something about the gentle trickle of a fountain – it’s reminiscent of a gentle spring rain. I’ve included a few pins on how to make your own fountain. I’m not comfortable working with sheet metal, so I will hunt for clearance fountains to add to my garden.

Water is rejuvenating, and refreshing. Make a ritual out of watering your plants (or any other form of tending); take the time to talk to your plants and connect with their spirits. Each plant spirit has its own personality, its own vibration. Get to know each one. This especially comes in handy if one gets sick. If you are in tune with the plant’s spirit, you can ask it what is wrong. You would be surprised how well this works.

Connect to your Plants

As I said, take the opportunity to get to know each plant in your garden when you can. Even if it’s just a few minutes when you’re watering them. Not only does this prove helpful when a plant gets sick, but it helps when it comes time to deadhead, prune or harvest. It’s not respectful to go around cutting someone’s hair, so it’s equally rude to just start snipping away before asking the plant for permission. Last year some of my flowers grew as tall as 6 feet, and the flowers would get so heavy the poor stalk would be leaning from the weight. I would water the garden, and talk to all of my plants. Then I would get shears, ones I used only for my garden, and before I snipped anything I would talk with the plant. I would ask if I could cut it here or there, and would tell it why. “Your bloom will soon die, may I cut it here to relieve your back from leaning and make a bouquet in my home?” or, “this part of your plant has become sick, may I remove it so you can thrive?” Same goes for deadheading, when you pull dead blossoms off so the flower can replace it with a new one. “I’m sorry I have to hurt you, but it’s so you can keep growing strong”. And after I’m done, I take a moment to feel gratitude for my plants, and for their sacrifice. Even if it’s just a damaged leaf, it’s part of their body. The garden is much healthier when it knows it’s loved.

Each plant spirit has its own personality, its own vibration. Get to know each one.

Garden Magick

You may use your garden to grow herbs and flowers for magickal workings, or the act of growing the garden itself could be magick. While I have included some pins about what a Witch’s Garden includes on the Pinterest board, don’t feel compelled to include any of the suggestions. With witchcraft, you want to make it your own. That means listening to your body, your intuition, and trusting that the messages you receive from nature are real. Yes, my garden will have some herbs. But that’s because I was drawn to them, NOT because some ‘expert’ wrote that I have to have them in order for my garden to be ‘witchy’. As witches, we are naturally drawn to the outdoors. We are nurturers, mothers, caregivers, healers, and have honed our abilities to walk between the worlds. All of these qualities are exercised in gardening – whether it’s a rock garden, a pond, a succulent or zen garden, flower garden, vegetable garden – I could go on and on.

I think that altars make the magick garden complete, but again, go with your gut. If you don’t feel comfortable having an altar outside, then don’t have one! Like I said before, I need a little help when it comes to gardening, so I adorn my garden with things that Good Neighbors like. I will have an altar in my garden this year, whereas last year my ‘witchy’ stuff was at a bare minimum. The altar will be for Earth gods, ancestors, dragons and Fae, so I’ll have all sorts of odds and ends out there so there is something for everyone. But that’s me.

When one hears magick, it’s natural to think spells. There are countless spells that use the growth of a plant to bring prosperity, or the soil of the bed to bring protection, luck, health, happiness. I included only two spells, but I found dozens more in researching this post. (Most of the content I knew, but still like to do research to see if there’s anything I can add to the piece). Growing an elemental garden connects you not only to nature but to the elements as well, which makes spells utilizing the elements all the stronger. You could design your garden in a way that it works with the planets, or deities. There is no limit to the possibilities. James Kambos, in his article “Spring Garden Magic”, said “The spring garden should be a place to celebrate magic.” (p. 19, Llewellyn’s 2013 Magical Almanac). I couldn’t agree more, Kambos! The very act of growing and nurturing a garden is magick.

…gardens reflect alchemy in action, bringing the above of spirit to the below of color, scent, and natural beauty, and the soul to the without of evocative expression.

Tiffany lazic, “Urban Elemental gardens: Crafting magic in small outdoor spaces”, Llewellyn’s 2019 magical almanac, pg. 45

Want to save money on home and garden supplies?

Save 30.0% on select products from New Home Innovations with promo code 30QJRIRE, through 4/27 while supplies last.

Resources*

Llewellyn’s 2013 Magihcal Almanac

Llewellyn’s 2019 Magical Almanac

Rachel Patterson, Kitchen Witchcraft: Garden Magic

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*Magical Musings Blog is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This essentially means that if you click one of the links provided for Amazon and make a purchase, you are contributing towards the support of this website. The price is in no way affected by the affiliate program. (Amazon takes care of that)

A Note from Amanda

November 14th: Pukkeenegak

Pukkeenegak is an Inuit goddess who presides over the household and all community affairs. She’s a mother figure, and watches over children, ensuring they have enough food and clothing. She is depicted with a tattooed face, wearing boots and a pretty dress that is ‘befitting the patroness of seamstresses’.

Themes:

• Kinship
• Community
• Thankfulness
• Charity
• Kindness

Symbols:

• Tattoos

Celebrating Pukkeenegak

Today is the Asking Festival in Alaska. Children and adolescents go door to door gathering foods for a huge community feast. After the meal, people petition one another for gifts, “exchanging the entire community’s goods in the spirit of thanksgiving.”. (Telesco, 1998) To honor Pukeenegak, organze a potluck dinner, leaving a place dedicated just for her.

As she is the Patroness of Seamstresses, wear special clothing to reflect the goddesses’ gift with needle and thread. Or, in light of community, organize a clothing or a coat drive. Each one of the recipients of the donated goods will also receive a blessing from Pukkeenegak.

Tense situations seem to always tag along with holidays and season changes, so it’s bound to slither into your home. If it has, you can call the goddess to your home by drawing an emblem of peace over your heart chakra or the back of your hand. Use a non-toxic marker or body paint, of course. Let it wear off naturally, by which time the soothing magic of Pukkeenegak will have permeated your home.

Symbols of Peace

Telesco, P. 1998. 365 Goddess: A Daily Guide to the Magic and Inspiration of the Goddess. New York, NY: HarperCollins

It’s been a while since I’ve written anything, and today’s post will be wonky, to say the least. It’s more of a cathartic release from my soul than anything else, and I apologize in advance if you aren’t into this kind of stuff. I have always made a point to be transparent with you guys, and you deserve to know why I’ve been MIA.

Life and Loss

Life itself has kept me in a whirlwind. On June 7th, 2019 at 2:10 pm my grandfather took his last breaths. We knew it was coming, kinda. He had a tumor that grew very fast, and were assured by the hospital that he was strong enough for the surgery. He made it out of surgery fine, but then took a turn for the worst. He was in the hospital from May 16th, until that afternoon when my family had the hospital turn off life support.

It hurts. there is no elegant poetry to describe this loss- only two simple words that come from people ages 1+. It hurts. No, it FUCKING KILLS. It’s like I have a huge, raw, sore in my chest and everytime the wind blows it’s like someone is pouring salt into the wound. My grampa was a major part of my life- he was like a second dad. When my mom had a mental break down and left my siblings and I behind, my grandparents took her place- as well as they could take the place of our mother anyways. Grampa helped me learn to drive- he was so patient! My dad and mom helped, too, of course, but Grampa wasn’t scared and meek like mom or loud and impatient like dad. He was just Grampa. When I think of him I think of the smell of fresh cut grass, motor oil, sweat, and soil. He loved tending to his yard. He and my gram lived in a little trailer for so long, and when they moved into their second home with 2 acres of lawn, he was outside just about all day every day from May to September, always tending to one thing or another.

Some of my favorite childhood memories are of the woods behind that house. My brother and I spent all our time out there- or in the gazebo my grandparents loved. My grandmother took care of some kids in our class back then, so we’d all go out to the woods and would find fallen trees to make bridges over these huge ditches that snaked their way around their property (their house was at the bottom of a steep hill, so my dad rented an excavator and dug deep ditches for irrigation so their lawn wouldn’t be flooded. Oh Grampa loved that lawn! The only times he ever got really mad at my brother and I as kids was when we trampled through his yard when he had just laid seed – we wanted our ball back we didn’t know any better lol. The second time I saw him get really mad was when someone put their car in reverse instead of drive (or vice versa) and drove into his garden, breaking the pretty wooden bed he built with his own hands. I remember him chucking the broken wood and my gram scuttling after him shouting to calm down. He had heart problems – so it wasnt’ good for him to be so worked up. He was such a mellow man, so I couldn’t help but stand at the door and just gawk lol.

Grampa was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease a few years ago, and it progressed quickly. A combination of years of alcoholism and genetics, most like. (He quite drinking like 40 years ago). It crushed him, being stuck at home all the time. He was so social – he loved people. He was a jokester- he always had gag gifts that he’d use to make people laugh. I like to think that he is in the Summer Lands, playing pranks on his brother and mother now. Or maybe he’s hanging around on this plane, waiting until he has the strength or energy to play gags on us. Who knows? What I do know is that life is truly capable of shocking the shit out of you, even us witches with our tarot cards and divination tricks. I’m a clairvoyant, and I thought for sure he’d pull through. I had a vision of him with an eye patch – the tumor was on his forehead and they had to remove his right eye. But now I know that it was hopeful imagination, not a vision. I think back, and I’m sure the signs were there. I just refused to see them, refused to hear them. It’s almost been a month since he’s been gone and I’m still in a fog. I still feel like this is some dream or cruel prank. Even with the little urn on my shelf- well it’s hidden now because I couldn’t handle looking at it. I cry everyday. The pain hasn’t dulled at all- if anythign it’s only gotten worse. I’ve just gotten better at distracting myself.

Retreat

I said goodbye to my Grampa on June 6th, and on June 7th I went to Orange, CT to go to Morrigan’s Call Retreat. It was a weekend long retreat devoted to the Morrigan. I worked cloesly with Anu, the Great Mother. It was fun. It was tough because I had to take my son, and I cried on like 15 shoulders – many of which I didn’t know until that moment. But I received messages from the Oracle, a priestess channeling hte Morrigan that were powerful and haunting. I lay in bed at night and think about how that little priestess had the presence of a 10-foot tall warrior. I walked into the temple, and the energy was palpable. At one point I dropped to my knees, in reverence and awe and shock over the Queens words. I saw the priestess the next day, and she was petite and bubbly and her voice was different even. Her eyes too – as the Oracle she had an intense gaze that was like arrows, but the next day her eyes were gentle and soft. The Morrigan is a powerful deity. She is often referred to as a warrior, but I see her as a Mother. She is vicious when she has to be, but her intense presense is just because she’s Divine. She said what I needed to hear, and I feel her presence every day. In the wind, in the sunlight, in the rain – even in my child, when I’m crying over my grandfather and he tells me “Don’t cry, mama, you have me!”. It’s like the Goddess is whispering in his ear to tell me that because no matter how many times he’s said it, it still makes me smile and the tears slow.

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Realizations

I realized that I’m stronger than I thought. I realized that I need to appreciate what, and who, I have all the more. I realized that balance means extremes of life and death – like my cousin is now pregnant – how ironic is that? I realized that Deity and magick are for every day – not just moments of despair or delight. I realized that I had no fucking clue what happens after death, but i know what I saw shortly after my Grampa passed, and I hope that it’s like that. I realize this is a weird post, but I hope you find some sort of, idk, something from it. If not, enjoy the pictures from my trip at least.

Bright Blessings to you and yours,

Amanda

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I recently celebrated my 31st birthday (May 10th), and it got me thinking about past lives, and wondering:

How old is my soul?

The idea that I have lived in multiple bodies, over who knows how many years can be a bit mind boggling. I’ve had past-life readings done a few times, and they actually matched up to visions I’ve had of memories when I’ve gone into guided meditations to explore my soul’s past. Based on my experiences, past life readings by two totally separate readers, and a number of tarot card spreads, I know this much:

• I was a witch in at least one past life, and during such time I was very powerful, well-known, and healed many people.
• I died young in a few of my past lives
• Romance has been an issue for my soul for at least 3 lifetimes
• Having children has been a struggle for my soul in at least 2 lifetimes
• I committed suicide in at least one past life.

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Yep, this is really a post about Happy Planners. No, Happy Planner did not put me up to this! (although it’s something worth looking into, TBH.) It would be helpful if you used one of the affiliate links I’ve provided to purchase one, because at NO extra cost to you, you’ll be contributing towards my attempt to earn a little more money so I can afford diapers, clothes, gas -live, pretty much.

me & my BIG ideas BOX-109 Create 365 The Happy Planner Box Kit 12 Month Undated, Best Year Ever Classic

Disc bound planners are just the best record keeping tools for any creative person, witch or not, IMO. While the title says Grimoire, the happy planner can be used for a number of things. It’s so personalizable, and once you get over the expensive first kit, there are ways to refill pages and decorate the book without breaking the bank. It took me a while to decide on the Happy Planner- but now that I’ve started using it I have no interest in any other notebooks! I do use loose leaf paper and a binder for research notes – it’s just to expensive to use up precious happy notes paper on something I’ll stick in a box for a year then throw away.

I often see in Witchcraft facebook groups are questions about what to keep track of, how to keep track of it, and why. So I thought I would answer those questions in one fell swoop.

The Golden Locket

I’ve always had a strong intuition, so I decided to start working on my psychic skills. I quickly realized that not only am I claircognizant and clairvoyant, but I’m a medium as well. I signed up for classes online, and purchased a few books, and started following a half dozen blogs. When I got to the point where I felt comfortable with readings, I decided to try my skills out with my best friend.

I was shocked when her grandmother was ready and waiting when I shifted my state of consciousness to perform a mediumship reading. Everything I had read had concurred that spirits of the recently deceased typically don’t come through – they’re still getting used to the ‘other side’. But she was there! She passed along several messages, and I had my notebook dedicated to mediumship in my lap the entire time, scribbling notes as I relayed them. Most experienced mediums discouraged writing while reading, but half the time I would forget what happened as soon as I came out of the trance or whatever. So, anyways, her grandmother kept insisting she find the locket. A golden locket, with a photo of my friend and her younger sister. “Find the locket! Wear it, and it will keep you safe”

“My gram never had a locket!” My friend insisted. She sat back and thought long and hard- nope, she never remembered a locket.

A few months passed, and I decided to do another reading for her. After a friend of hers (who I knew nothing about) came through, her gram was there, waiting patiently for her turn. Again, she insisted that my friend find ‘the locket’.

Fast forward 6 months: The phone rings-it’s my best friend.

“You will never guess what Jess (her sister) found today!”

“What’d she find”

“A fucking locket!”

She went on to describe the locket in detail. While I had a fuzzy memory of the reading, I went back to my notebook. I had kept a log of both readings, and even though they were done about four months apart, they both included the same details about the locket that my friend had just described to me.

CHILLS!

Holy Mother of Cheese crackers I really am a medium! and I would have never believed that I truly connected with her gram if I hadn’t written that stuff down. So from that moment on I kept track of everything.

If I had to recommend any book at all for mediumship and psychic training, it’d be this one! Ellen Dugan is funny, so the book is an easy read, and she’s practical. There’s no nonsense, nothing religious, just basic & straightforward methods.

The Natural Psychic: Ellen Dugan’s Personal Guide to the Psychic Realm

As much as possible, babe! This was difficult for me at first – I’ve never been much of a diary person. I’d start one because I liked the notebook, or I wanted to try out new pens, but after a few weeks they’d fizzle out. What got me into the habit was one of the craziest things I’ve experienced in my witchy career.

These are things I keep track of in my grimoire. The reason I love my Happy Planner is that I can move things around as needed, and there are dividers that are just adorable! The undated expansion packs are great for keeping track of the moon phases and astrological movements.

• Calendars
• Mood tracker
• Divination practice (Tarot readings, psychic practice, etc.)
• spells (ingredients, prep, ritual, thoughts on the spell once it’s cast, results – did it work? How did it work i.e. what exactly happened
• herbal & oil stores
• useful information i.e. definitions, how-to’s, tips and tricks
• Guided Meditation
• Invocations
• Goddess studies (i.e. The Morrigan’s preferred offerings, Oya’s boons, etc.)
• a code of ethics

Why should I keep track of stuff for my practice?

The shortest answer: efficiency.

When you are a practicing solitary, like myself, you only really learn from trial and error. How can you be sure of why your spell didn’t work, if you aren’t 100% on what you did in the first place? Could it have been the timing? The ingredients? The wording? Did you visualize the wrong thing? Did you design the spell to meet your needs by way of least resistance?

How should I set up my planner?

Get a Happy Planner, or some disc bound planner, a set of dividers, paper, stickers, Washi tape, pens, markers, and anything else that you want to decorate your Grimoire. There are TONS of blogs dedicated just to disc-bound planners online, and Pinterest always has great ideas.

The first section should be your Ethical Guidelines. Think about how you feel about cursing, performing spells for personal gain, accepting payment to cast spells or do readings for other people, your idea of free will, and anything else that comes to mind. Don’t worry about what others say or think. This is for YOU.

After that is up to you! I have my ethical guidelines, then calendars. After that is my reference section, followed by my Witch Cabinet inventory. It’s really helpful to keep track of what herbs and oils you use most, so you know which ones to get more of (which ones to find decent prices for bulk perhaps), and then I have spells and rituals. The spells and rituals section has two subsections. One is the spell or ritual – everything I did, used, said, when and where, moon phase etc. and the other side is for results. If 3 months pass and nothing happens, then I revisit the spell to see if I should tweak it and try it again or leave it.

Digital Grimoire

If you really don’t like handwriting your grimoire and want an efficient, productive way to keep a digital grimoire, I recommend Scrivener This application is AMAZING. I use it for my blog, my creative writing, for my freelance writing, my magazine column – if you need something to keep a lot of writing organized, this is it. Word has everything all together, but with Scrivener you can rearrange, reorganize, and review all you want! If you want to publish your grimoire – say create a ‘first year as a witch’ record, it takes about 30 seconds to compile the document. You choose which folders you want in it, the front and back matter, and the format you want it to export to. Click click boom baby!

For your convenience, I have made a Scrivener template for a digital grimoire! If you want this FREE template, click HERE!

For Mac Users:

For Windows Users:

Bright Blessings!

P.S. as a Thank You for using my links to get your happy planner, here are some promo codes to save you some money 😉

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Affiliate Links

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The internet is a fascinating thing. It’s incredible in and of itself, but incorporating magick makes it even more awe inspiring. You can cast spell online, you can perform rituals online, and you can create a sacred space online. I would like to do the latter, but I can’t do it on my own! I think of my blog as a sacred cyberspace but it’s a place where I share my story, where I share my wisdom, where I seek to educate- enlighten if you will. But I want to know what you’re thinking. I want you to have a place to “go” to respond to my blogs or share your thoughts on the topic I’ve written about. I want you to be able to voice your story, your questions. And most of all I want that place to be sacred- which means there is no fear of judgement or rejection. There’s no degradation or even snide remarks.

I’m a Witch, so when I want to do something, and that something is feasible and for the good of others and will not cause extensive harm, then I find a way to do it! And I have!

Beloved readers, I invite you to join Magical Musings Facebook Group!

It’s a closed group and you must answer some questions before you’re admitted. I will review every post to ensure that no one is going to ever be made to feel uncomfortable and have a zero tolerance cyber bullying policy. This group is for my readers, and anyone else with a passion for witchcraft.

Witchy education

I decided to opt for a social learning platform for the group. That means I can have educational units- this is where I can post resources and notes expanding upon topics I’ve covered in my blog. These are optional! Magical Musings School of Witchcraft (MMSW) is in the works as well, so the units aren’t going to go into great detail. MMSW will offer free classes, then I’ll have tiers where you can get a more thorough education as well as interaction with me for an affordable price. The units will expand on things I could only touch upon as well as provide links to websites and books about the topic so you could learn more on your own if you so choose.

Who is this group for?

As of right now, the group is like any other online group. But what will make it special is having people join. The energy of people from all over the world, people of any race any gender any social or economic class that all have two things in common: a passion for Witch things and the desire to learn more from our peers. Learning and connecting are two major aspects of witchcraft and when you add love to the mix you get sacredness, IMO. This Love is Love for life, love for witchcraft, love for people we have never met but know we can go online and have someone to vent to. Will you help me make this a reality?

JOIN MAGICAL MUSINGS FACEBOOK GROUP

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With spring so close I can almost smell it, I can’t help but think about two things: Gardening and Faeries. The two seem to go hand in hand- well being out in nature in general makes me think of Faeries. I have been a little weary about working with them. After two years of study, I have decided to ease into Faery craft. At this point, I don’t know how in-depth I will go, and I think that is best. I recently wrote a post for Hubpages, “Befriending Faeries” and I explain guidelines and how to start practicing Faery Witchcraft, so if you want to hop over there to read more about getting started, go ahead. I’ll wait! I’m patient!

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What’d you think?! I’m pretty proud of it

So, now that you’ve read Befriending Faeries, you’ll know that starting gradually is the way to go. you need time getting use to working with Faeries, as they are unique spirits. They aren’t your ancestors – they aren’t human, for that matter. They are powerful, but they aren’t deities. The energy is just, well, different. It can be tricky working with Fae – they are easily offended, they have different sets of morals and beliefs, and not all Fae like humans. In the words of Morgan Daimler – some want to “eat your face”. I like my face, tha—oops! Can’t say those words to a Fae. I’d appreciate it if they didn’t eat my face. I’ve been practicing, working on my manners while at the same time avoiding saying “thank you”. I don’t want to owe them anything without setting the terms first!

So the reason for this blog is to follow up on Befriending Faeries in a way that I can’t on Hubpages. DGMW, I love writing for them, but you must keep the Hubs straightforward and professional. I’ve had one of their editors tell me to change one of my first Hubs because it read more like a blog or diary entry. I want to talk about what it’s like after you set up your Faery craft practice, but I don’t want to make it cut and dry – because working with Faeries is not cut and dry. It’s not straightforward, so I opted to write about it here where I can include anecdotes, (and my corny jokes).

Faery Witchcraft Basics

Okay, so I wouldn’t say that I practiced Faery Witchcraft, because most of my workings do not involve the Fae, but I think an overview of what Faery Witchcraft is a nice follow up for Befriending Faeries. Much of my practice involves what I will be outlining, except I don’t have all of the tools yet. The main difference from Faery Witchcraft and ‘basic’ witchcraft (if there even is such a thing), is the tools and the altar. You will have a working altar, where you perform your spells and worship deity, a faery altar, and it’s recommended to have an ancestor altar as well. Your ancestors, whether of blood or culture, will be great guides when working with Fae.

Tools

• Knife (not iron – bronze knife with black handle best)
• Cauldron (again, not iron)
• Stone (any found stone that you instinctively know is a gift from the Fae)
• Wand (you will end up accumulating a number of wands; most powerful when made yourself from a local tree who gifts you the wood)
• Quaich (a bowl with 2 handles, used for drinking; associated with sharing drinks; used for holding food and drink as offerings; may be substituted with wooden bowl).
• Mortar & pestle (for grinding herbs; best to have 2, one for food and tea quality herbs and another for incense)
• Broom/ Besom (for clearing away energy; best when made of heather)

“Part of being a Fairy Witch is always being aware of the energy around you and staying open to possibilities”

Morgan Daimler, Fairy Witchcraft (Moon Books, 2014), pg. 40

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Creating a Faery Altar

A faery altar is a place for you to connect with the Fae. In Celtic Lore & Spellcraft, Stephanie Woodfield says that “your faery altar will act as a bridge between you and the Faery Realm.” (p.163). The altar does not have to be extravagant. Morgan Daimler and Stephanie Woodfield concur that your altar should contain things that you instinctively feel will be the right things to call attention to the Fae. My faery altar consists of a small faery garden, a candle, and my deck of Faery Oracle cards. When a particular rock, piece of jewelry, or even broken candle holders, calls my attention, I will put it on the shelf or add it to the Faery garden.

When you dedicate a certain place to the Fae, you might want to cleanse and bless it. I lit some frankincense incense and wafted it over the shelf (which I cleaned thoroughly before), and over the faery garden. I set a little dish next to the rock garden with a cookie and little cup of milk with a squirt of honey in it, and said this blessing (from Celtic Lore and Spellcraft):

I bless this altar in the name of the Sidhe,
 that it may be a place to weave faery magick 
and honor the Fair Folk. 
So mote it be!

Silently welcome the Fair Folk, careful to invite them by saying or thinking “I welcome Fair Folk of good intentions and friendship in their hearts”, or something along those lines, so you don’t invite a faery that is going to do you harm.