tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24486084007856302022024-03-05T01:13:54.011-08:00The Witch DownstairsAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08035060448234611911noreply@blogger.comBlogger80125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448608400785630202.post-66776007109720766432017-02-13T12:00:00.000-08:002017-02-13T12:00:35.805-08:00The Power of a SpaceWhen we moved to university housing, two events occurred that contributed to me struggling as a witch. First, I lost my cat <span style="color: #b4a7d6;">we wont delve into that once since it is still a painful subject</span> and second, my altar space was greatly diminished. In our cozy basement apartment, my altar space was set up on a large dressing table, beneath a ledge, beneath one of our 3 windows with a fairly deep ledge. Merlin and I used all of the space and were quite happy working there. <div>
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In the new apartment, I first set my altar up on a corner of the counter. It was greatly reduced in size and everything sat on a placemat. That was my entire altar and all my supplies were hidden away in a tote. Working was pretty much a pain in the ass and it didn't take long before I was actually avoiding it. So, I moved all my supplies into the top two drawers of my dresser and set my altar on top. A bit better, but still not enough room for all my actives and it was out of the way. I could hold ritual and do a bit of spellwork, but was still very limited. I made due for over year, but recently I had to make a major change. </div>
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It started out with me clearing the entire top of our split level bar and cl,aiming that as my altar/ritual space. I had room for all my trappings and being able to see it durring the day was a great inspiration. Next was adding a small divided box <span style="color: #b4a7d6;">laid on its side</span> to the .....counter below to use as storage for all the miscellany I collected in that corner and using the top for an ancestor altar. It was great! I had a large designated space for my sacred items, it was beautiful, and most of all it was functional. One might think I had it made, but there was still a small issue. </div>
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The counter below my altar space was my disorganized catch all. Everything I didn't have time to deal with immediately got tossed on that counter and blocked my access to the altar. Repeatedly, I cleared it off and vowed to never again junk it up and repeatedly I failed. For weeks, I struggled with the space. I knew if I gave it over to my practice and made it a witchy space I would no longer allow it to become my "hoarder corner", but the thought of giving up 3/4 of my counter space brought hesitation.</div>
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One day, while browsing YouTube, everything changed. I saw a video by one of the witches I follow and it was entitled "<i>How Important is Your Practice</i>." I didn't even watch the video. I had to clean off that damn counter! After clearing the counter, I laid out an old mirror that I use as a work space and I left it there. That counter is now off limits for everything except magickal working and to everyone except me. Ever time I see it, my confidence as a witch is boosted and I very proudly think, "Yes, I am a witch and I have important magick to make." </div>
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Do you have a permanent altar space? How does it affect your practice? </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08035060448234611911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448608400785630202.post-39452512183558319352016-11-22T12:40:00.002-08:002016-11-22T12:40:18.171-08:00A Very Useful Herb<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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On my altar<span style="color: #b4a7d6;"> right next to the re-rooting rosemary sprig</span> is a bottle of rosemary oil. It is very likely the most used magickal item in our house. I use it to anoint my family for protection, I rub it on my husbands temples for clarity of thought while studying and I use it to anoint my own forehead for purification before ritual and divination. Some days, everyone in the household smells of rosemary. <br />
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Additionally, I also use dried rosemary leaves blended in an incense for divination and in spell work. Magickaly, rosemary is touted as being the herb that can be used in place of any other herb, but I have yet to put that to the test. <span style="color: #8e7cc3;"> </span><span style="color: #b4a7d6;">I prefer to substitute a similar herb when I must. </span> However, the magickal properties of rosemary are diverse, from protection to clarity of thought to love and even to purification. Scott Cunningham even suggests burning rosemary to promote healing, which is where things get really interesting.<br />
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Burning rosemary, especially when combined with juniper, is effective at killing germs and preventing infections. Before modern antiseptics, this combination was often burned in hospitals to keep illness from passing between patients. Magickal and medicinal in one! <br />
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Just today, I smudged my home with rosemary grown by my oldest daughter. We've been fighting a nasty cold for over a week now and everytime I think we've kicked it, things take a turn for the worse. I knew I needed to do something to stop the cycle, but it is just too chilly to open the house up for a good airing. So, I smudged and in smudging I tapped into both the magicakal and the medicinal uses of rosemary <span style="color: #8e7cc3;">I don't have any juniper right now</span>. <br />
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After lighting my charcoal disk and getting a nice billowy smoke from my dried roseamary, Miss Busy and I walked through the house with the smoking bowl. As we made our small tour, we chanted, "Smoke of rosemary, billow and blow. Smoke of rosemary, germs must go." Simple magick, but magick that I know works. <br />
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From a purely medical standpoint, our steadfast belief in rosemary as a helper in clear thought and concentration is a proven truth. Rosemary stimulates circulation to the brain and gives us sharper memory and cognition. Because of this stimulation, it is also effective for relieving headaches associated wth stress and will minimize the symptoms of a cold. For medicinal purposes, rosemary is best ingested raw, but if you can't stomach chewing on a rosemary leaf try a cup of rosemary tea or adding a sprig or two to a pot of soup. <br />
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Rosemay is additionally used to treat a vast array of women's issues, heart problems, and sluggish digestion. It also tastes delicious in a homemade vegetable soup, chopped and sprinkled on top of homemade bread before popping it in the oven, or included in a chi tea blend. Oh, and oven roasted chicken and potatoes with a sprinkling of fresh rosemary...delicious! <br />
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While I realize there is a lot more that I could say about this herb, I will just leave you with a suggestion to keep a few sprigs or a plant on hand for all purposes magickal, medicinal, and culinary. I have in no way exhausted the use of rosemary in this post, so do a bit of reading and find the uses that best suit your individual needs.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08035060448234611911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448608400785630202.post-70708321766482595582016-11-03T09:52:00.000-07:002016-11-03T09:52:05.824-07:00Happy Dust<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Yesterday, I moved my ancestor altar from the bedroom into the kitchen. I felt my ancients would get more love and attention out here with the rest of the family. While I was setting up the altar, I tossed the old potting soil in the bottom of my incense dish and decided to replace it with sand from the sandbox. <div>
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I thought I was being thrifty, but it ended up being a much better idea than I thought.</div>
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While I was coming back inside with my little jar of sand, I suddenly felt giddy. I wanted to skip and laugh. The energy coming off that sand was/is just delicious! My first thought was, "Papa is going to love this." Then I realized it would also make a great magickal ingredient. </div>
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All summer long, hordes of neighborhood children have laughed, collaborated, and created in that sandbox. Even now as the days are getting shorter, they run from the bus to the sandbox and play late into the afternoon, coats and backpacks scattered on the lawn around them. <span style="color: #b4a7d6;">I collected my sand durring this time of day.</span> With out knowing it, these children have continually charged the sandbox. </div>
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Now, instead of "fairy dust" I have "happy dust." You had better believe that I am going to find a dozen ways to use it, too. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08035060448234611911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448608400785630202.post-58920065207987911052016-10-28T11:31:00.004-07:002016-10-28T11:38:44.141-07:00Keeping it WitchyIt is ten minutes to noon and the altar candles have yet to be lit for the morning, my grandparents haven't heard my voice in days <span style="color: #b4a7d6;">unless</span> <span style="color: #b4a7d6;">of course they are listening in on me while I fuss at the children</span>, and Superman asked me to recharge his hag stone weeks ago. The only way I am slipping in some blog time is that I have to sit at the kitchen table, facing the girls door in order to stay on top of things and enforce naptime. <br />
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The baby is fully mobile now and getting a tooth... <br />
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My hands are full.</div>
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With time being a premium at our house, I have to be smart to keep my sanity and maintain spiritual growth. Sometimes, that means taking advantage of random moments that pop up through out the day and other times it means making time. Here is how I'm coping. </div>
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<li><b><i>Set the Altar Up Where it is Easily Accessable.</i></b> I use to have my altar in the bedroom to keep it away from little hands, it was effective, but it was out of the way for me too. Moving it to the kitchen counter is nearly as effective for keeping kids out and it is much more accessable for me. </li>
<li><i><b>If You Only Have a Few Minutes, Use Them.</b> </i> Study or write while kids are drifting off to sleep. Dust the altar durring the three minutes they decide to play with Legos without assaulting each other. Let them start eating while you take a food offering to the ancestors. </li>
<li><b><i>Let Them Help When Possable.</i> </b> This one might be the hardest of them all. Little helpers are often more hinderance than help, but making a mess and driving us crazy is how they learn.</li>
<li><b><i>Keep it Simple.</i></b> Instead of creating elaborate rituals and planning highly complicated spells, plan to keep things low key until you have more time. The supplies for my Full Moon Ritual are so few that they fit in the pockets of my over robe and most of my spells are based on sigil magick. If something is feasibly do-able, I am less likely to put it off altogether. </li>
<li><b><i>Forgive Yourself.</i></b> Life happens. Often our best intentions get swept to the wayside and we don't do all that we want or should. If the baby wakes up vomiting and the toddler runs around the house tearing up paper while the preschool screams, chances are you might not spend time honoring your deities or talking with your ancestors today. Days like that happen. It doesn't make you less of a witch. </li>
<li><b><i>Maintain an Atmosphere</i></b>. Sometimes little things really effect the way you feel about life. Burn an herby candle, wear something that makes you feel particularly magickal, or daub essential oil on your wrists. For a quick energy boost, listen to witchy/pagan/heathen music. </li>
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Witching and Moming are both full time activities. We do the best we can with all our hearts and just enjoy the ride. </div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08035060448234611911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448608400785630202.post-71214279545065148072016-10-25T10:21:00.000-07:002016-10-25T10:21:09.306-07:00Viking Soup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Recently, I googled "What did Vikings eat." Since it was just days before Winter Nights, I was hoping for some feast planning inspiration. Secretly, I was also hoping for some evidence to present Superman with so that he would quit insisting that he should be a hardcore carnivore as part of his Heathen journey. <span style="color: #b4a7d6;">That man is so full of shit sometimes! </span></div>
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Not surprisingly, our Norse ancestors ate very simple food. Mostly meat/fish and cool weather vegetables with some dairy and grains depending on the location. Apparently, one of the most common forms of substance was skause, a perpetual soup pot chock full of meat, vegetables, and local herbs. As the meat and vegetables are consumed, new ones are added for days on end. </div>
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Since soup of any kind is a favorite at our house, I had to give this new concoction a go. Superman dubbed it "Viking Soup," so that's what moniker we went with. It's a little more fun than skause. We added to and ate our Viking Soup for three days and then I drained off the broth and used it as a base for grits the following morning. For three nights and one morning, I had a hearty and highly nutritious meal for my family with very little fuss.</div>
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Here are the experiment details.</div>
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Day 1: An ok soup. </div>
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<li>A rack of boneless baby back ribs</li>
<li>Carrots (cut in large chunks)</li>
<li>Potatoes (halved) </li>
<li>Garlic (minced)</li>
<li>Onion (quartered)</li>
<li>Salt</li>
<li>Water</li>
</ul>
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I buy my meat when it is on sale or discounted and then toss it in the freezer, so the ribs were just something I had on hand. Unfortunately, I didn't stop to think what the long cook time would do to the potatoes and by early afternoon they were disintegrating. At that point, I pulled them out and let them sit in a casserole dish until just before supper when I heated them in the oven. In the future, I won't include potatoes, which is fine because they pretty much have no nutritional value anyway. </div>
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Day 2: This is starting to get really good. I could have doubled both the meat and vegetables, though.</div>
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<ul>
<li>Chicken drumsticks</li>
<li>Onion (quartered)</li>
<li>Rutabagas </li>
<li>Carrots</li>
<li>Celery</li>
<li>Rosemary</li>
<li>Thyme</li>
<li>Sage</li>
<li>Salt</li>
<li>Water</li>
</ul>
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Just before lunch, I pulled the pot out of the fridge and started reheating it. I added all my new ingredients to the existing broth and let it simmer all afternoon. Super simple and I can use all the short cuts I can get in the evening.</div>
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Day 3: This is off the chain!</div>
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<ul>
<li>Pork shoulder blade steak</li>
<li>Beef tip steak</li>
<li>Carrots</li>
<li>Cabbage</li>
<li>Hulled Barley</li>
<li>Water</li>
</ul>
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The first thing I did this day was to skim the chicken fat off top of my broth, quite a bit had formed in the fridge over night. Then I tossed in some more of that meat stash from my freezer, added some veg and barley, then went about my business. Superman and I could have kept going with the soup, but the girls were starting to get a bit tired of it, so we strained the broth and used it for grits the following morning. I think skause is going to be a staple at our house. </div>
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As for my research, these were my three best finds.</div>
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.vikinganswerlady.com/food.shtml" target="_blank">The Viking Answer Lady </a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.history.com/news/hungry-history/the-surprisingly-sufficient-viking-diet" target="_blank">Hungry History</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.hurstwic.org/history/articles/daily_living/text/food_and_diet.htm" target="_blank">Hurstwic</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08035060448234611911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448608400785630202.post-58949291945164174462016-10-21T13:17:00.001-07:002016-10-21T13:17:34.026-07:00Little Witches, Big Magick<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A few mornings ago <span style="color: #b4a7d6;">in spite of the forecast for possible snow</span> we woke up to a cold drizzly rain. The clouds were low and hunkered down like they planned to stay and the updated forecast confirmed it. <br />
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Getting the coffee started, I grumbled about the weather that was going to keep me cooped up inside with three littles all day. Miss Busy must have heard me, because from the bedroom she shouted her favorite expletive <span style="color: #b4a7d6;">compliments of Superman</span> and dashed into the living room. Standing in front of the picture window she shook her little fists at the clouds and begin chanting.<br />
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"Rain, rain, go away. Come again another day."<br />
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With in seconds, Little Moon was at her side chiming in with,<br />
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"Go -way. Go -way."<br />
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Every fiber of their little bodies was given over to the intent of banishing the rain. Their sweet faces were furrowed with concentration and I had an epiphany. This was a spell!<br />
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My adult brain rushed into the ways I could improve on their work and create a witchy learning experience for the morning. The moon was waning, so the timing couldn't be better and I had some fun ingredients in my cabinet just waiting to make magick. When I called them away from the window for their breakfast, I promised to help them banish the rain as soon as they ate. <br />
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Soon it was evident that my help was not needed. With in moments, the rain briefly turned to sleet and just peatered out. With in an hour the sun was shinning weakly from behind the clouds. They had banished the rain all by themselves.<br />
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Now before anyone misinterprets this and thinks I am claiming my children are magickal geniuses, I will assure you that is not so. My children are many things <span style="color: #b4a7d6;">mess makers, alternative fashionistas, mud eaters</span>, but not super witches. <br />
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Intent! It was all intent.<br />
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With out a doubt, they were 100% sure that they did not want a rainy day. They boldly and loudly, proclaimed that intent while knowing that they were with out a doubt capable of making the rain stop. <br />
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As witches we talk "intent" all of the time, but my daughters showed me more about intent in 3 minutes than I could ever put into words. What they demonstrated is exactly what I need to implement into my craft. Intent with confidence.<br />
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**As a side note. This makes me wonder what other nursery rhymes may be spells just waiting to be used. Have you tried nursery rhyme magick? <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08035060448234611911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448608400785630202.post-35565172547791724412016-10-03T12:38:00.004-07:002016-10-03T12:39:47.002-07:00Miss Busy as Divination AssistantToday, I had to do some emergency divination. Superman had a situation and needed my insights. I usually do small, quick readings on my dresser top altar, but this called for something more. <br />
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Once I had the youngest two down for a nap, I set Miss Busy on the couch with a stack of books and started preparing the table for a rather in depth reading. Miss Busy stayed on the couch just long enough for me to gather my supplies from the dresser and then she was all up in my business. Looking and touching and learning, but I just wasn't in a teaching mode. I told her to sit quietly and watch. </div>
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She sat big eyed and silent for about 30 seconds before bouncing over the the record player and spinning some Fleetwood Mac <span style="color: #b4a7d6;">we can call that witchy music today</span>. I gave her the mommy means business look and pointed dramatically at her chair. She sat quietly before beginning to rearrange my set up. I reminded her not to touch andprep to get started. <span style="color: #b4a7d6;">Somewhere in all this, I failed to get a good light on two separate charcoal disks.</span></div>
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She was doing pretty well at the not touching part, but keeping quiet was getting the best of her. After shushing her for the third or fourth time, I explained once again that it had to be quiet so I could focus. It didn't make her any quieter, just redirected her whispered chatter. "Mommy, focus." She reminded me over and over. When I reminded her to be quetshe shushed me . As the cards rustled she very severely shushed them as well. </div>
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The settling factor ended up being the threat of a nap. Surprisingly, I did end up with a good reading. Maybe Miss Busy learned something from watching, but I learned alot from her presence. Firstly that my ability to focus is not as fragile as I believed. Secondly, that it is time to get Miss Busy more actively involved with the craft. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08035060448234611911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448608400785630202.post-39789812538168859122016-09-29T10:30:00.002-07:002016-09-29T10:30:30.031-07:00D' Aulares' Book of Norse Myths<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Usually, a book review from me is a good thing. I share volumes that I love and leave the ho-hum ones on the shelf. Today, however I am going to share a book that I recomend you DO NOT buy.<br />
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A few months ago, I purchased <b>D'Aulares' Book of Norse Myths</b> with a preface by Michael Chabon through Amazon. I can remember reading the Greek version of this book in grade school and loved it, so when I found this I thought I just had to have it. Wrong! <br />
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The book features Norse deity and their adventures, but cloaked in a very Christian bias. The preface includes some thinly veiled negativity toward our ancestral faith and the first two chapters are presented with such a Christianised slant that Superman insists they give him the creeps. Further accounts are not exactly correct, but there is little harm in them and most mythologies for children have to be edited a bit. The final chapter,however, is completely Christian propaganda and should and will be avoided<span style="color: #b4a7d6;"> at least in our house</span>. <br />
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Since this book is paid for and on our bookshelf, I do read it to the children, but I read very slowly and do a lot of improvising. Mostly, we look at the beautiful colored pencil illustrations and tell the story's for ourselves. <br />
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With all the good books available in our time, I would certainly recomend that this not be one you spend your hard earned money on. Study the Eddas and Sagas<span style="color: #b4a7d6;"> or which ever classical stories build the framework of your faith</span> and retell them yourself. Work as a family to create an illustrated collection of your favorite tales and bind it into an heirloom tome. <span style="color: #b4a7d6;">You Tube has some great book binding tutorials. </span>Teach your children, but do it on your terms.<span style="color: #b4a7d6;"> </span></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08035060448234611911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448608400785630202.post-31780428530465840852016-09-23T11:51:00.000-07:002016-09-23T11:51:38.187-07:00Sourdough Hot Cakes: Making New Memories and Honoring the OldLately, I've been noticing that cooking blogs make sourdough complicated. They want to measure humidity, add unnecessary ingredients, make huge batches of leaven to use only a small sample, and do tests to rate the activity of their starter. <br />
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Just reading what the modern cook has to say about sourdough intimidates me <span style="color: #d5a6bd;">and I've known sourdough all my life</span>. Sourdough was a staple for prospectors, cowpokes, and busy pioneer women. It is intended to be simple. <br />
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As far as anybody can figure, my Papa kept a sourdough starter for 70 years. <span style="color: #d5a6bd;">He was of the cowpoke variety.</span> Every morning he made sourdough hot cakes or "doughs." His kids were raised on them and so were us grandkids. I made it a point to make them an important part of life for my older children and now I have started with the younger ones as well.<br />
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This afternoon, I made hot cakes with Little Moon. It's a simple process, but far easier with out the help of a hungry two year old.<br />
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Instead of a proper recipe, doughs are more of a ratio. Use one cup of starter for every two people and go from there. For each cup of starter use 1 tsp white sugar and 1/2 tsp baking soda. Yep. That's it. <br />
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Pour starter in a large bowl and gently mix in sugar. <br />
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Place baking soda in a mug or small bowl and dissolve in a tablespoon of warm water. Fold into starter.<br />
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This is the fun part! As the baking soda mixes with the starter, the batter foams and grows.</div>
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Spritz a preheated skillet with non-stick spray and spread batter thinly. The pan should be over medium heat. When the surface starts to dry, flip the dough and cook for a minute or so longer. <br />
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Done and done.<br />
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Serve with maple syrup and butter <span style="color: #b4a7d6;">no photos of this as the girls were more than over me photographing their food</span>. My Papa always ate his with two over-easy eggs sandwiched in the middle and an entire flood of syrup, washed down with black coffee of course. <br />
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The girls loved this new addition to their diet and before we sat down to eat we set the prettiest hot cake in front of my grandparents photo as an offering. All rolled up, the way Papa liked to eat them for an afternoon snack. <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08035060448234611911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448608400785630202.post-18324135294445004062016-09-05T18:10:00.003-07:002016-09-05T18:10:30.137-07:00My Evolving PathSo, I've been pretty quiet for the better part of six months now. It's been pretty hectic in more ways than one, but I am hoping to get it together and begin sharing my witchy adventures again. <br />
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As most of my readers know <span style="color: #b4a7d6;">do I still have readers after this long absence?</span> I have identified as an animistic witch and focused mostly on nature in my craft. Things change. Over the past several months I have been reevaluating my spirituality and practice, not because it wasn't working, but because I felt something else might work better. <br />
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To be honest, I never felt wholly comfortable with the Celtic style rituals found in much of American witchcraft. I also found a lot of standard practices to be a bit unweildly. As I looked to simplify, I fell into a lot of sigil magick, which I found to be highly effective. Then it just seemed natural that I learn about the Runes. <br />
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With the Runes came a deeper interest in my Norse heritage <span style="color: #b4a7d6;">especially when I found additional Norse ancestors in my lineage</span>, this interest was also spurred by the fact that Superman had developed the same interest. Soon, the interest became a longing and we begin perusing a Norse/Heathen/Asatru <span style="color: #b4a7d6;">whatever you decide to call it </span>path. Finally, we found what fits!<br />
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As I seek to embrase and learn my tribal faith, I continue to practice nature magick in a mostly intuitive way. Someday, I hope to be learned enough to consider myself a Vitki.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08035060448234611911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448608400785630202.post-45960250374674081232016-04-28T14:01:00.002-07:002016-04-28T14:24:39.802-07:00Diaper Rash Bath Time Infusion<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Earlier this week, I tried some all-in-one diapers with little man and the results were unfortunate. When the rash wasn't healing up quite as quickly as I expected, I pulled out my skin soothing herbs and made a wonderful infusion to add to his bath water. It worked wonders. The herbs started soothing on contact and with in a few hours the inflammation and redness had reduced significantly. I gave him two of the herbal baths, but in reality one would have been sufficient. </div>
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<b>Diaper Rash Bath Time Infusion</b></div>
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<li>2 TBL chamomile</li>
<li>1 TBL nettles</li>
<li>1 TBL green tea leaves</li>
<li>1 tsp Epsom salt</li>
<li>1 quart boiling water</li>
<li>1 TBL slippery elm</li>
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Measure the chamomile, nettles, tea leaves, and Epsom salt into a one quart, heat proof container.<span style="color: #b4a7d6;"> If your child has any broken skin, omit the Epsom salt.</span> Fill container with boiling water and set aside to brew. When the mixture cools to room temperature, stir in the slippery elm. Let stand at least 30 minutes longer. Strain the herbs and add liquid to warm bath water in an infant tub or the sink and give baby a good soak. Do not rinse and allow baby to air dry. Apply <a href="http://thewitchdownstairs.blogspot.com/2014/04/soothing-salve.html" target="_blank">Soothing Salve</a> or coconut oil just before re-diapering. </div>
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For magickal results, don't forget to charge your herbs before starting. I also charge the bath water when I add the infusion. </div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08035060448234611911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448608400785630202.post-77708571197269870102016-04-26T10:07:00.000-07:002016-04-26T10:07:23.101-07:00Paint Me a Spell<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In my life simplicity is a necessity and often times, magickal practice is far from simple. We buy herbs and candles and books like they are the keys that make spells work. <span style="color: #b4a7d6;">Then we have to store them.</span> Sometimes we forget that the power is all around us waiting for us to be the key. In implementing this truth into my practice, I gravitated toward sigil magick which has since turned into art magick. <br />
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It all started with a blank canvas stashed in the back of the closet. Then I started having an intense feeling of disconnect with my four older children. <span style="color: #b4a7d6;"> Its a long story, but as a single mom I allowed them to go to my mothers for the summer and never got them back. </span> I felt that no matter how often I told them or tried to demonstrate my love, the energy was getting lost before it reached them. I wanted to create a spell powerful enough to bridge the miles and follow them through out their daily lives. I wanted them to know that I was always holding them in my heart. Then on one of my walks, I was inspired to paint my love.<br />
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Everyday for a month, I worked on the painting. While I painted, I focused love toward my children, letting the canvas take on a life of it's own. I painted a large soft mother <span style="color: #b4a7d6;">Superman calls her "mustard woman" because of her color </span> holding her children to her heart. I made each child figure in the painting as unique as my own living children and painted a binding love seal over the mother's womb. Then I started the background in aboriginal designs. When the month was over, I knew that the painting was not even near being finished. The painting will never be finished. <br />
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Whenever I feel the need coming from one of my children, I add to the canvas. When I feel the energy of the painting starting to ebb, I douse it with strong coffee and allow it to dry in the sunshine. Between times, it hangs in our hall. <br />
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Since the time I started the painting, my communication with the older children has improved significantly. They have started initiating phone calls and email conversations again and I find we never run out of things to discuss. I have also finally been able to accept our separation without intense, unwarranted guilt. If it is possible, I almost feel as if the magick has allowed me to love each of them even more than before. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08035060448234611911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448608400785630202.post-60260448970224017332016-04-19T09:59:00.000-07:002016-04-28T12:08:08.418-07:00Taters? You Know, Taters<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
...boil em, mash em, put em on a burn.</div>
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Yesterday, Miss Busy decided to put her bread into the warming oven and burned her forearm. It wasn't a serious burn, but my immediate response was to slap a slice of potato on it. That's what my parents and grandparents would have done, plus it works. Laying a bit of potato over a burn provides immediate relief and prevents the blistered, pussy mess many burns turn into when treated with other methods. <br />
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Here's the deal. For household burns, simply lay a piece of fresh potato on the damaged skin as soon as the burn occurs. For small ones like Miss Busy had the other day, I simply cut a slice and score it so that the juice is released. For more serious burns <span style="color: #b4a7d6;">like when Superman spilled a whole bowl of boiling soup on his leg</span> I grate about half of the potato and spread it across the area as a poultice. The potato will provide immediate relief and begin cooling the burn. As this happens, you will notice the temperature of the potato raising. When the potato is no longer providing relief <span style="color: #b4a7d6;">5 to 10 minutes</span>, remove the first one and apply a second. This second application will provide more extended relief and can be secured with a gauze bandage if the patient wants to get about doing their planned activities. Like before, it should be removed once the potato warms and is no longer soothing. I am sure that the poultice could be removed and reapplied several times through out the day, but have never found it to be needed more than twice. Simple. Effective. Always on hand.<br />
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Folk remedies are great and this is one of my favorites, but I got to wondering why it works. Unfortunately, nobody with an advanced science degree has wondered the same thing or at least not cared enough to find out why. The obvious reason that it works is because it cools the burn <span style="color: #b4a7d6;">duh</span>, but I simply cannot find any source to provide the why. Therefore, I am just going with the "because my Papa said so" answer. Give it a try, it works <span style="color: #b4a7d6;">and even if I was lying, you wouldn't be out anything and could just go run some cool water over the injury.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08035060448234611911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448608400785630202.post-29732234287552688162016-04-05T08:49:00.000-07:002016-04-07T20:46:08.146-07:00Green WitchCraft by Ann Moura (Aoumiel)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I can't believe I am just now getting around to reviewing <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Green-Witchcraft-Magic-Fairy-Craft/dp/1567186904/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1459529085&sr=8-1&keywords=green+witchcraft" target="_blank"><strong>Green Witchcraft</strong></a> by Ann Moura (Aoumiel)! It is the third book I delved into when first exploring my own witchy-ness and it runs neck and neck with Scott Cunningham's <strong>Earth Power</strong> in the race to be my favorite book. For a magickal person looking for an intuitive, earth based path this book is essential. Aoumiel shares three generations of witchy wisdom and lays out an easy to get started outline for ritual while sharing bits of witchy history along the way. <br />
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When I opened this book, I knew that I had no interest in organized Wicca. It just didn't suit me, but I had no idea where to go from there. This text is what gave me the confidence to define myself as a witch and to initiate ritual practices. I refer to it often and have used it in conjunction with another of the author's works as a magickal textbook of sorts. There is so much to learn from this book, that it is once again on my reading list for summer. <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08035060448234611911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448608400785630202.post-85989284830680476362016-04-01T09:36:00.001-07:002016-04-01T09:36:32.579-07:00Update on Everything Under the MoonHello, Magickal People! I have been pretty much MIA here for the better part of six months and I'm sure I have some 'splaining to do. <span style="color: #b4a7d6;">Hopefully, you all haven't abandoned ship and this post is being read by someone!</span> <br />
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Let's start way back with last summer. Most of you know that we had just moved and were settling in nicely here on campus. The girls were keeping me busy and we were growing a lovely little garden. I thought I was done with the baby business and was getting into the rhythm created by our little family. Then Superman had a premonition. <span style="color: #b4a7d6;">I know. I'm the witch. That's suppose to be my department, but Superman holds his own pretty well in that particular area.</span> He just knew that if we were to have one more child, he would have a son. <span style="color: #b4a7d6;">The man has 5 daughters.</span> Well, I can't deny him anything, particularly not a son, so we decided to try again. I was tandem nursing the girls and thought that would buy me some time, but with in two weeks I was pregnant with our little boy. At the time of this post he is now three weeks old and completely amazing <span style="color: #b4a7d6;">of course</span>. Miss Busy is a great helper when she wants to be and even advises me on how to do my job. Little Moon loves "bruber," but is feeling a bit out of sorts with her new position in the family line up.<br />
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Because we were becoming a household of five, the campus housing regulations required us to move into a larger apartment. Initially, this move occurred back in November and was a smashing success. <span style="color: #b4a7d6;">At first.</span> Soon after Christmas it became apparent that there were some major problems with our new apartment and after trying for over two months to rectify them with us in residence we had to move again. Thankfully, the apartment across patio was open and we were only required to move next door. It is safe to say that we cut things pretty close though. Our first night in the new apartment, I went into labor. <span style="color: #b4a7d6;">This time I had the premonition and knew it would happen that way.</span><br />
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So, on to my locks. To tell the truth, they are still significantly more of a mess than I expected them to be at 13 months old. I love the wildness of my dreads, but some days it seems like I have the "woman lost in the woods" look going on. <span style="color: #b4a7d6;">Note: I am not very good at this selfie business and just make random faces at the camera while trying to capture the state of my dreads with out looking like a total idiot.</span> A good portion in the center of each dread is knotted up nice and tight, but there is an inch of loose hair at the top of each another 2 to 3 inches at the bottom just whisping around. Back in January, I bought a dreading hook <span style="color: #b4a7d6;">tiny crochet hook</span> with the goal of having them all tidied up before the baby arrived. Unfortunately, I didn't do a very good job of figuring time into the equation. I am rather slow at the business of crocheting hair and with the girls to help me out, I'm doing good to get one dread tidied in the span of an hour. So at this point, I have 8 rather neat tidy dreads and about 25 very messy ones. I'm not going for perfection, just manageable. Maybe I'll have the look cleaned up in time for a 18 month update. </div>
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<em>***It took me three days to write this blog post and it is now April Fools Day. No tricks here, just my own lack of foresight.</em> </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08035060448234611911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448608400785630202.post-2310284525985387902016-01-04T04:00:00.000-08:002016-01-04T04:00:09.576-08:00New Year, New Me...Nah, Not ReallyTo me, the coming of a new year is mostly about changing calendars. It's just not a big deal. Especially not now that I celebrate Yule just a week beforehand and it is completely trumped by the returning of the Sun. Superman, however, is far more contemplative than I am and got me into a thinking mood this New Years Eve. That combined with some divination done Yule night gave me a few insights for 2016.<br />
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<strong>Being a mama is great, but being me is still important.</strong> I need to take a break and focus on a few things for myself. This means getting serious about meditation and study again this year. With two toddlers and two moves in 2015, I got so far off track that it isn't even funny.<br />
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<strong>If you don't use it, you use it.</strong> Well, maybe not completely, but magickal powers do require work and practice. I can feel my lack of magickal activity this past year, just like I can feel my lack of physical activity when I let myself get out of shape. Spells I cast now require more effort and are more draining than similar spell work done a year ago. <br />
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<strong>Yoga is worth waking up early for.</strong> Lately, I want to sleep just as much as possible. <span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><span style="background-color: white;">This afternoon I actually fell asleep in an upright chair in the living room.</span> </span> No matter how badly I want the extra 30 minutes of sleep, dragging myself out of bed and doing my routine pays huge dividends by early evening when I am still able to move easily instead of being all achy. <br />
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Like I said, no big resolutions. Just a few things to think about with the upcoming year. Here is wishing all of you a 2016 full of magick and wonder! Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08035060448234611911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448608400785630202.post-87780168508870734962015-12-04T08:47:00.001-08:002015-12-04T08:47:35.630-08:00Wherever You Are My Love Will Find You by Nancy Tillman<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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At our house, <strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wherever-You-Are-Love-Will/dp/1250017971/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1449246292&sr=8-1&keywords=wherever+you+are+my+love+will+find+you" target="_blank">Wherever You Are My Love Will Find You</a></strong> is what I think of as "the blessing book." The littles and I read it nearly every day and<span style="color: #b4a7d6;"> although it is not specifically a Pagan book</span> I find it to be jam packed with magick. </div>
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The beautiful rhymed verses read like a sweet love spell and even Little Moon <span style="color: #b4a7d6;">who is not very story friendly at this point</span> seems compelled to sit and listen. On it's own it is a lovely story, but infused with a parents love and fervent intentions it becomes a powerful blessing. I use it on a daily basis, but it would also make great text for a new birth blessing ceremony. </div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08035060448234611911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448608400785630202.post-150094539738003582015-11-19T08:41:00.000-08:002015-11-19T09:32:30.119-08:00No More Itching<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Remember about a year ago, when I made some Plantain Tincture <a href="http://thewitchdownstairs.blogspot.com/2014/07/from-weed-patch.html" target="_blank">From the Weed Patch</a>? Yeah, I forgot too. At least until we started this latest move last week <span style="color: #b4a7d6;">we're going to outgrow our two bedroom apartment in March, so the university housing office is moving us now</span>. I couldn't have found it at a better time. <br />
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For the past few months, I have been getting unexplained hives every night. Not completely unheard of for me since I do have environmental allergies, but very unnerving. It is absolutely horrible to wake up in the middle of the night itching everywhere! We tore the house apart looking for a source, but never quite hit on it. Benadryl crème offered minimal relief and I was tired! After the worst night on record, I pulled myself out of bed and packed my herb cabinet. There in the back was my miracle. <br />
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I splashed some tincture on a gauze pad and laid the pad on the worst of the hives. It was instant relief. The itching just vanished. With in moments, the hives themselves were visibly smaller. Over and over I targeted new areas and was absolutely euphoric as the discomfort disappeared. <span style="color: #b4a7d6;">When I was done, Miss Busy had to see what all the fuss was about and used the damp pad on her feet.</span> Why hadn't I thought of this sooner?!<br />
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After using the tincture for a few days, the hives are no longer returning. Maybe my allergen isn't in this new apartment or maybe<span style="color: #b4a7d6;"> as Superman theorizes</span>, the first hives were an allergic reaction and made me so miserable that I was getting stress hives over the anxiety that I may get hives. Whatever the case, I am sure grateful that nature has provided relief. <br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08035060448234611911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448608400785630202.post-76330258590561659152015-10-21T13:17:00.000-07:002015-10-21T13:17:59.868-07:00Vegetable Soup: A Bit of Kitchen Witchery<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Life with two toddlers is hard. I go to bed exhausted at the end of the day and climb out of bed still tired. <span style="color: #b4a7d6;">It just doesn't seem fair that these little people get so much more energy than we do!</span> Often, I feel like a lackluster witch. By the end of the day, I just have no energy left for magic. Then I remember that the magic doesn't make me, I make the magic. Anything I do can be magic. And one thing I do a lot of this time of year make soup. <br />
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Soup is not just the perfect cold weather food, it is the perfect busy mommy food. It requires the use of just four utensils: a cutting board, a knife, a pot, and a spoon. It is prepared ahead of time<span style="color: #b4a7d6;"> i.e. while the kids nap</span> so there is no end of day rush. It can be a great way to use up odds and ends in the produce bin before grocery day. And <span style="color: #b4a7d6;">for me atleast</span> it comes with an amazing sense of accomplishment. <br />
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Best of all soup is really delicious, nutritious magic! Any time there is a big cauldron bubbling on the stove there is magic in the air. <span style="color: #b4a7d6;">Superman comes home on soup days swearing he could smell his witch's kitchen for an entire block!</span> So I love soup! I think that fact is well established, lets get to the making of this magic.<br />
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A my house, there is no recipe for soup. Just like a spell, soup is full of love and intent. It is really more art than science. That said, I do have three rules for soup.<br />
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<li>Start with onions and garlic, plenty of both. </li>
<li>Clarify the pan with alcohol, drink a little too if you're not pregnant.</li>
<li>Salt is your friend, use it liberally. </li>
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How I make my soup:<br />
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I start by heating up my largest pan <span style="color: #b4a7d6;">over medium heat</span> with a splash of oil in the bottom. When the oil is hot, I add a whole diced onion and at least two cloves of garlic. This is like prepping the canvas. <br />
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While the onion softens, I start dicing a whole mountain of vegetables. Starting with the root vegetables that take longer to cook. The goal is to fill my pot halfway line. Everything gets tossed in the pot with a good stir as it comes off the cutting board. <span style="color: #b4a7d6;"> Just about anything that grows in the garden is subject to my soup pot. Zucchini, celery, kale, and dried tomatoes are some of my favorites.</span> While I dice, I focus on the love and care I feel for my family and the strength they will gain from eating my concoction. Since my hands are all over the vegetables at this stage, it is the perfect time to charge them! If you're feeling creative now is the time to add some herbs. Go with flavors you know work elsewhere and be generous. <br />
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Once everything is in the pot, I look at it with a painters eye and ask myself if anything is missing. If it is looking at bit too beige, I add some more tomatoes or carrots. If it seems to heavy, I add corn or peas for a hint of brightness. <span style="color: #b4a7d6;">Ha! Imagine reading these instructions in a cookbook!</span> When the veggies feel balanced, add salt and cover them with the lid to cook slowly for 30-45 minutes, stirring frequently. <span style="color: #b4a7d6;">This is a great time to clean the kitchen.</span> <br />
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Now it's time to break open the bottle! <span style="color: #b4a7d6;">White or red wine are probably the acceptable choices, but I have been known to use Wild Turkey very successfully.</span> Clarifying the pan with the alcohol of your choice helps create a very light and lively broth. To me, this step is the blessing of the vegetables. So, pour at least a serving of spirits in the pan and listen to it sizzle happily while the aroma rolls around the kitchen. Let the alcohol stew directly into the vegetable for a few minutes before adding fresh water to fill the pan. <span style="color: #b4a7d6;"> I consider full to be about two inches below the lip.</span> At this point I will add 1/2 cup of raw grain and possibly some precooked, mashed squash. Replace lid and turn heat to simmer. <br />
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Now, go enjoy your afternoon. Take the kids out to play, sit down with glass of wine, call a friend... Super is well on the way to being ready and you have the evening handled like a boss. In about an hour, peek at your soup and give it a taste. There is a good chance you'll need to add more salt. After three hours or so, your soup is ready and your house smells amazing. I always think of the aroma as my magic diffusing to all corners of our home. If it's not quite supper time, turn the heat to low. Super will be hot and ready when the time comes. <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08035060448234611911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448608400785630202.post-53198098715122967752015-08-24T07:48:00.000-07:002015-08-24T07:48:43.919-07:00Wild Woman Hair: Six Month Dread Update<div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Sometimes, it's hard to believe how long I've already been on this road. It's been six months since I set my baby dreads and they have been such an up and down experience. It seems like they can go from looking like a horrendous mess one day to tightening up over night and suddenly looking pretty fantastic the next day. Since I washed and dried yesterday afternoon and separated this morning, I felt it was a good time to do a few selfies and update. <span style="color: #b4a7d6;"> Let's just over look the blurry eyes. It's been a hectic week.</span> </div>
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With my hair is still growing faster than my dreads are shrinking, I have far more open end than dread right now. Also, it is a bit of a motley crew of dread styles. Like I said before, I started out with twist and rip dreads in February, but now have a few back combed dreads in stubborn areas that didn't want to hold a dread and several free form dreads in the back where dreads fell out and I just didn't get around to putting them back in. <span style="color: #b4a7d6;">I am kind of partial to those extra messy little guys, too.</span> I am still washing only with Dr. Bronners and a combination of baking soda, peroxide, and vinegar. With one exception. I have learned to put a few drops of essential oil into my soap every few weeks when the frizzies start building up. At this point, I still want my hair to be dry to help form the locs, but there really is such a thing as too dry. </div>
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Here I am! All put together for the day, wearing my favorite cardigan and scarf. <span style="color: #b4a7d6;">The cardigan is vintage Liz Claiborne circa 1980's. I picked it up at a church thrift shop for fifty cents. Whoot! Whoot! </span> I am really happy with my look. I find that there is almost a spell like quality to my dreads that gives me a great boost of confidence in who I am. The funny thing is, Superman's new co-workers are picking me out of a crowd in an instant. They know I'm a witch from talking with him and I guess I just look witchy these days. To sum it up. I feel completely me and I feel like a BOSS! </div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08035060448234611911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448608400785630202.post-79747528992582521412015-08-14T11:11:00.000-07:002015-08-14T11:11:26.942-07:00Good morning, Mr. MagpieI was only four or five years old the first time a magpie was pointed out to me. Staring at those cobalt blue wings gleam in the Montana sunshine, all I could do was wonder at its beauty. When I opened my pint sized mouth and commented in admiration, I was instantly shut down. Magpies were "bad" birds. (According to cattlemen, magpies are the scourge of the range <span style="color: #b4a7d6;">preferable only to coyotes</span>. Because they will occasionally nibble a raw brand or preen the back of a cow so intently as to cause abrasions, most ranchers will shoot at every magpie they see.) Feeling shamed to admire such a creature, I turned away from this bird who had instantly intrigued me and over the years nearly forgot about them.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Illustration by National Geographic<br />
<a href="http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birding/black-billed-magpie/">http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birding/black-billed-magpie/</a></td></tr>
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Recently, when we moved to Bozeman, I once again fell in love with magpies. In our new neighborhood, magpies are as plentiful as children <span style="color: #b4a7d6;">which is saying a lot</span>. People here still grumble and call them "dirty," but I no longer care. The magpies are my friends. Superman and I both make a point to speak to them on a regular basis and Miss Busy loves to yell "pie-pie" as she tries to coax them in for a closer inspection. We have also had many hours of entertainment watching through the living room window as they play, fight, steal, and gather material to build their rather messy nests.<br />
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This past month, I have begin noticing that the magpies seem to pay a lot more attention to my porch than to those of the neighbors. They pluck drying garment from my rail, uproot small plants, leave perfect beak shaped bite marks in my mother-in-laws tongue, and rearrange the decorations on my table. At first, I chalked it up to knowing that they were safe in my space, but then they started leaving gifts. <br />
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One night about a week ago, I heard a clattering out on the porch. Considering it was a rather stormy night, I shrugged my shoulders and blamed it on the wind tossing around my mop bucket. The next morning, I found a resin skull that usually sits on the table thrown back against the rail in the opposite direct that the wind would have moved it. In the space usually occupied by the skull were two small rocks confirming who the culprit(s) had been. Then a few days later, I went out in the morning to find a perfect magpie feather sitting in front of my garden shoes. <br />
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As a result of all these goings on, I have made it a point to learn more about magpies. The more I learn, the more fascinating they become. In this past week, I have learned: magpies have a long association with witches and the occult, are known to hold "wakes" for fallen comrades, and that a magpie is the only non-mammal who can recognize themselves in a mirror. They are also resourceful, attracted to human company <span style="color: #b4a7d6;">on their own terms</span>, and take on long term projects. <br />
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From a magickal standpoint, magpies often symbolize a person who could experience more if they would only trust their limited occultic knowledge and the possibility of learning and/or experiencing the supernatural in a less than conventional manner. <span style="color: #b4a7d6;">Folk lore also teaches that witches can turn into magpies, that's one bit of knowledge I'd like to gain.</span> As with most magickal symbolism, there is also a warning. Those who relate to magpies run the risk of all alternative learners and relying on incomplete knowledge. The lesson I personally take from this is: use what knowledge you have, but continue to learn and grow. Pretty timely advice. <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08035060448234611911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448608400785630202.post-38958159402837353242015-08-05T05:00:00.000-07:002015-08-05T05:00:03.037-07:00Spiritual Gardening<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A few weeks ago, Superman walked past my alter and mentioned that it looked rather sad. He was right.<span style="color: #b4a7d6;"> I have since fixed it, only to get wax all over it on Lammas.</span> With all the time I have been spending in the garden, I have been substituting my altar time with Earth time. If I had a garden space of my own, I would completely move my altar outdoors during the more temperate months. </div>
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Several mornings a week, I take Miss Busy and Little Moon to the garden with me. Perched in their double stroller and armed with snacks and sippy cups, the girls settle into a meditate state of stuffing their faces. In the silence that ensues, I invoke the elements and offer praise to the Universe while I weed, sucker, and harvest. Standing barefooted in my garden with soil on my hands, I connect with nature and am nature. </div>
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Even now, when my garden is not nearly as beautiful as it was when these photos were taken, <span style="color: #b4a7d6;">a rather intense hail storm battered all the beautiful leaves</span> I find great inspiration in the strength and resilience found springing from the earth. The plants are beginning to show the signs of weather and age, yet still they are producing food for my family. In fact, the stress of our recent storm seems to have spurred some plants <span style="color: #b4a7d6;">my cucumbers and zinnias</span> to finally produce. It makes me think of how we as individuals often require hard times to nudge us along in our own development. Mountain gardening is a challenge in so many ways, but the struggles associated with it are teaching me so much. Not just about this ecosystem and climate, but about myself and my relationship with the Earth. <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08035060448234611911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448608400785630202.post-22241580531671318752015-08-03T05:00:00.000-07:002015-08-03T05:00:08.417-07:00Celebrating the Beginning of Harvest<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This time around the wheel I am trying not to get too caught up in the philosophy of our Pagan holydays, but to enjoy them at their simple point of origin. I want to celebrate the passage of time as told by the rhythms of nature. Being so immersed in my garden this summer made Lammas a little extra special. Garden season goes so quickly here that it really is the beginning of the end. <span style="color: #b4a7d6;">I could really get into telling you all about my garden, but that is a different post.</span> <br />
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As usual, I kept things pretty simple. I decorated my altar with my most recently harvested garden produce, held a sparse 5 minute ritual <span style="color: #b4a7d6;">which even that was too long since Miss Busy managed to pull a page out of her daddy's new book in that time</span>, and made grain cakes for supper. Once I got the girls settled for the night, I spent about an hour in the garden doing some maintenance and just enjoying the evening. <span style="color: #b4a7d6;">I left the candles burning, with the fan in the hall and they melted down very quickly so now I have a waxy mess to clean up off my altar, but I did enjoy my little holyday.</span> As the littles get a bit older it will all get a bit more in depth. <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08035060448234611911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448608400785630202.post-74785581865472589342015-07-28T06:00:00.000-07:002015-07-28T06:00:04.012-07:00Mini Meditations Lately, I've really been trying to focus on making my spirituality fit my life. The hardest part is meditation. It requires quiet, uninterrupted time that I just don't have. So I am focusing more on mini-meditations, stolen moments to quiet myself and reflect. A few of my favorites are listed below. <br />
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<strong>Hang the Laundry</strong>: I know it sounds like a chore and some may see it as extra work, but it's quite relaxing. The repetitive motion and no brainer activity makes it a great time to think and reflect. I leave the girls inside and use this time to focus on the invigorating power of the sun and the wind. It always improves my outlook on the day. Plus the sight of colorful cloth diapers dancing in the wind gives me an enormous sense of accomplishment. <br />
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<strong>Sit on the Toilet</strong>: <span style="color: #b4a7d6;">Yes, I did go there.</span> If you can't get a few moments any other way, hide in the bathroom. Find a comfortable seat <span style="color: #b4a7d6;">the floor or edge of the tub work just as well as the toilet</span> and just quiet your mind. The distinctive bath room white noise really helps. Usually, I find myself hiding in the bathroom when it's been a particularly active day for Miss Busy. Once I've found a few moments of comfortable balance, I try to focus on all the good, funny, silly things she has done. It helps me feel far less frazzled. <br />
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<strong>Get Something Done</strong>: Maybe this sounds like the opposite of meditation, but stay with me. If there is something you love to do, but feel you never have time, give it the time that you do have. I keep some knitting or hand sewing easily accessible through out the day and sneak in a few minutes of work every chance I get. The act of creating is very meditative for me and unless Miss Busy pulls my knitting down it is something that will never have to be redone. If I knit one row, that one row will still be there tomorrow. <br />
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<strong>Speed Write</strong>: When there are just way too many things running around in my brain, I sit down and write them down as fast as I can. Give it a try. No editing, no grammar checks, no reading over previous ideas. Just toss them down on the paper as quickly as they pop into your head. When you have finished, sit and relish a few moments of mental stillness before throwing the paper away or burning it on your altar. <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08035060448234611911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2448608400785630202.post-21065237576142124912015-06-16T14:09:00.000-07:002015-06-16T14:09:43.716-07:00Mama MagickSome days, with the inherent business of mothering two little people, I feel like my life has lost all of it's magickal aspects. Although I make a point to light my altar a few times a week, it has been months since I've done any spell work or meditated. <span style="color: #b4a7d6;">There just isn't a moment where I can take my eyes off Miss Busy that long and, when her naptime rolls around, I fall asleep every time I sit down to meditate.</span> Rituals are hit and miss too since, by the time the moon is up, the only place I want to be is in my bed. It's enough to become discouraging at times, but then I remember that "mother" is one of the magickal phases of a women's life.<br />
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Mothering is not just a chore like washing the dishes or filing paperwork. The very act of being Mama is magick. If you're feeling skeptical, consider breast milk. Everyday, all day, my body<span style="color: #b4a7d6;"> and the body of every breastfeeding mama</span> produces a very special magickal elixir. It is far more than nutrition. It is comfort and love and security. It is healing tonic and soothing salve. It is the start to a life time of good physical and emotional health. <br />
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Just like knowingly casting a spell takes huge quantities of energy, the bodies automatic act of creating breast milk and nursing can be physically taxing. When I choose to nourish my children with my own body, I choose not just to fill their stomachs with the healthiest substance known to man, I also choose to give them large blocks of time to soak in my love and affection unhindered. Love is the intent of all I do for my children and intent is at the base of all magickal working. <br />
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At this stage in my life, magick looks a little different than it did before. I cannot let the spiritual side of myself go, but I do have to recognize that being a mama and a witch are not two different things. I am both and as of this moment, my intent is focused mainly on two very small people. Although I sometimes want to follow modern society and demand more of myself, in my heart I know that this is the natural order of things. I may be doing the greatest magick of my life right now. </div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08035060448234611911noreply@blogger.com0