A Gathering of Animals

Last night I dreamed I was riding in a car with a friend and we were going to my job to meet another friend. When we arrived I discovered I didn't have to work so we all went to the movies. On the way, I saw a chubby little raccoon. Then we saw a huge black bear.

I've been seeing lots of animals. Will and I were texting each other about children we may have and almost immediately after I saw what must have been the biggest jackrabbit in Alabama.

I've also seen herons, armadillos, and quite a few cats. Today I went to a park to eat my lunch. I saw the usual ducks, turtles, and fish, AND I THINK I saw an alligator. Holy fuck, a gator right near the main section of The Cow College on the Plains. Maybe I was wrong, but oh my, what if I really did see an alligator?

What's most unusual is what I haven't seen. No crows. Usually I see crows everywhere but this week they've been noticeably absent. And here it is nearing the worst month for snakes (September is when snakes begin crawling about looking for winter dens, June is snake mating season) and I've only seen one all summer, the baby ring neck I posted about at the beginning of August.

If I was going to start a totem journal, this would be a great first entry.

One Hour Per Day

Spending one hour outside each day is already benefiting me. Today I suddenly realized I don't have headaches in the afternoons. I haven't reached for the pill bottle since Saturday. I feel much more rested and I seem to have more ideas. I've been going through my old quilt journal. I nearly filled the book with ideas, techniques, pictures, and notes, along with entries about my life at the time and what I hoped to accomplish. I'm rereading, looking for ideas I never tried, mistakes I could avoid, and ways to improve. It's nice sitting on the porch in the cool breeze viewing the past with a fresh eye. This reflection is helping me decide what direction to take with my sewing and I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have thought of it if I wasn't enjoying my porch time so much.

Some Thoughts

All my weekends are chaotic now. Part of the problem is Will's life is a mess. He can't say no. Everybody runs to him for the least little thing and he drops what he's doing to help. This means one mess after another and usually results in him missing meals or sleep. I would like for him to simplify and say no more often, but I can't force him to change.

Weekends are also the only time we have together so we tend to cram them full of togetherness. We are planning a road trip Labor Day Weekend. Well, actually, we're going out of town but have yet to finalize any details because we're too busy running around town like headless chickens.

Will cut grass for me Sunday. He was insistent that I walk around the yard to admire his work. It was nice, so much so that I didn't want to go in. After Will went home, I spent a long time in the swing. I moved some potted plants around. And I put my porch slightly back to rights. My house STILL isn't painted. The painter didn't show up at all this weekend despite the great weather. I am almost to the point of slapping paint on the house myself just so I can have some normalcy. I miss my humming birds. One buzzed angrily at me Sunday evening. I think she was telling me she's very hungry. I may hang the feeders from the trees. It is not fair to the birds to abruptly stop feeding them.

During my time outdoors, I noticed I was more relaxed, energized and focused. My goal now is to spend one hour outside every day.

I've been trying to organize, tidy up, and get on track. I'm really questioning what is necessary for my life. I think part of this is the time of year. Fall is when I start letting go of useless things. Fall is coming early. It is very cool here now. Usually August is blazing hot.

I did a good bit of sewing this weekend. Will lay beside me on the bed, watching and he texted me last night to say he had an idea for cross stitch. He's going to email me a drawing. I think it would be really cool if we created art together.

I discovered I am allergic to the flea repellent. My fingers swell slightly and are covered in tiny, itchy bumps. I'm treating the reaction and it's better now but hasn't gone away, presumably because the repellent is still in the house and I pet my dogs often. I guess I'll just suffer until the fleas are gone and then maybe I can try a different brand. My home remedies weren't working as effectively as I'd like. If lemon juice alone killed fleas and eggs and kept them from coming back, I wouldn't use a chemical spray at all. Lemon juice is more of an immediate temporary fix rather than a long term solution.

I am annoyed with the auction site yet again. They sent me an email saying my item would go up for auction on Friday. Awesome. Saturday I got another email, this one saying the auction closed before my item could sell but I was welcome to try again. What? Why close an auction when there are items waiting to come up? It's online. It's not like the building has to close at the end of the day. People from anywhere in the world can bid at anytime. Irked, I requested a new auction this morning but I think I really need to find something else.

I am still working on my Fall Witch posts. I am now two weeks into November. I like the writing in advance because it allows for a much more focused type of blog. I'm sure personal posts make blogs more interesting to the human experience, but just typing every few days leads to randomness. Of course, when I started this blog I intended for it be an online journal. I never intended to have just a Witch/Pagan blog or a sewing blog. It's nice to have a direction to go in, but scheduling all these posts really narrows the focus. I may not write about a traumatic event if I already have a week's worth of posts in a queue. I don't like multiple posts on the same day and I'm not sure how much I would want to reschedule or rewrite. What this blog should be has been on my mind a lot and I don't really have any answers.

Until next time...

I Got In

Much to my surprise, the auction site worked after all.

I got an email from them reminding me to prepare for my upcoming auction.

Whoa. Really? Apparently there's a bit of a time delay when requesting an auction. So now I wait and see how it goes. If my item sells, I'll list some other things. If it doesn't, the hunt is on for a new online venue for selling my crafts, textiles, and art.

In other less than exciting news, all the ladies at work are planning their Thanksgiving menus. I kid you not. We cooks are already kicking around ideas and sharing recipes. It made me wonder what Will wanted to do. When I asked, he said he'd check with his sister and get back to me.

Uh-oh.

His sister is a pig. There just is no nice way to put it. She doesn't clean at all and she was an awful cook 20 years ago. I doubt much changed. I was really dreading being in a dirty house. When I say dirty, I mean just below the level on Hoarders. The dog often shits on the floor because no one bothers to take her out and the smell always lingers in the air because no one really cleans the mess up properly. Now if the house is bad, the kitchen can't be no better and I don't want to eat food prepared in a nasty kitchen.

But, Will told me she doesn't want to do Thanksgiving at her house because she is moving! She'll either be in a smaller house or still in the midst of packing boxes and doesn't want the stress of cleaning, and cooking a big dinner. Will wants to have Thanksgiving at his house. Woo Hoo! Will can cook. I believe I will organize things, we can split the cooking between us, and everyone should be happy. I am so relieved.

I am also working on my fall Witch posts. The 31 days of Witches is done, I'm about a week into November's Kitchen Witchery, and I have several idea for December's craft posts. Stay tuned!

Full Moon Tuesday

Today is the full moon. Now I've been knowing it was coming, but it's not like I plan to celebrate them. Me knowing when the full moon occurs is like knowing Christmas comes every year; it doesn't mean I know what day it falls on this year or that I have finalized plans or that I even have a set schedule. I sometimes think this is what makes me a bad Witch- I can't keep up with shit. Of course, the rest of my life is like that too- I often pay bills at the last minute or only remember to go grocery shopping when there is no food to eat.

But I feel inclined to celebrate this moon. I haven't decided exactly what I want to do. I also heard this is a blue moon, but I didn't investigate. (BTW, there are also black moon which are great for banishing.) Blue moons are perfect for working on something that seems impossible. If you have a desire you think you just can't reach, this is the time to begin.

I have started back exercising. My. abs. HURT. I mean ache bad. I'm sitting up very straight because slouching makes it worse. Will feels inspired to start exercising. I doubt he'll actually put forth the effort, but he thought about it, so that was at least leaning in the right direction.

I also want to start keeping my journal again. I did a reading for the whole year and I wanted to record how monthly events matched up with the cards. They were spot on, but I had a couple of months of upheaval/change and I think I am coming into the second one now. I can't tell you for sure because I don't remember the last time I actually opened my journal. I know, Bad Witch, I know, I know.

I still have a job. The company is letting people go in ones and twos. The plant manager still looks at me funny. I glare right back because I refuse to worry about a job. Get rid of me if you want. I have a BA and I am not obligated to work for you, asshole.

The house painting is not going anywhere. Dewayne doesn't seem to work on Sunday. Rather than stating this plainly, he makes excuses for not showing up. He primed a bit of trim, still has a lot to do, didn't show up Sunday, and didn't come this past weekend at all, presumably because it was raining. I am annoyed by the porch being so bare. There are no potted plants to enjoy when I sit outside. My table is in the wrong place. The humming birds are pissed at me because I took the feeders down and I think they will have migrated south by the time I'm able to put every thing back into its proper place.

I tried selling my crafts on an auction site I've used in the past. The auction house has changed its rules. This means I try to post an item for sale and I get error message after error message. The photos being the wrong size is annoying as fuck. Mine are always too big. Just cropping isn't enough because then they are too small. I have to change the pixels. Then, I have problems actually getting into an auction. Before I could choose an auction, now I have to request permission to enter, and nine times out of ten, there is no request button on the auction I want. Strangely enough, that doesn't mean the auction is closed. Sunday night I spent an hour getting my photos just right, then another 20 minutes of not being able to list anything. I got disgusted and went to bed. I'm thinking of finding another site. I just want to sell what I've made, not be irritated enough to have a stroke.

Now that I've written this post, I think I found my full blue moon goal- to have life flow smoothly. What are your wishes?

The Most Recent Turn of Events

The last few days have been strange. Just strange. All the temps came back. They were told a power outage had caused machinery to malfunction. Some of them were told not to come back until Monday. Some were told not to come back unless called.

There was no power outage that I know of. Everything seemed to be working fine, we just didn't have enough people to run the whole plant. I still don't know how I avoided a phone call. One line shut down early and I am taking that to be a sign that the end is nigh. I hate job hunting.

As if the whole maybe-I'm-about-to-be-unemployed shit isn't bad enough, Kurt has popped up. All week I got calls from numbers I didn't recognize. I don't answer numbers I don't know. I figure if it's a legitimate call, the person will leave a message. I didn't get any voicemails. Then on Wednesday, I got THREE calls from numbers I didn't recognize. That is an excessive amount for me. And when I went to work and discovered I was one of the few temps in the place, I thought some of those calls must have been either the agency or the plant. But why didn't they leave a message telling me to either call or not come to work? When the phone rang at 7:30am Thursday, I hit 'quiet' out of habit, then thought, shit! I must be getting fired. So when the phone rang again an hour later, I answered.

The person, whose voice sounded VERY familiar, asked for Kurt Darkwolf. I said he had the wrong number and he hung up quick.

Now Kurt has put my number down on job applications before, either as an alternate number or as the main number when his phone was on the blink. But that was months and months ago. I see no reason why anyone would suddenly call me to reach him and if it was a job, wouldn't they say, This is Company X calling Mr. Darkwolf in regards to position Z. Please contact us if you are still interested in the job. I mean, that's how it works in the normal world, right? Don't companies leave messages? And what office calls at 7:30am?

I think Kurt is calling from different phones to see if I still have the same number. I think it was him who called me. I checked his Facebook page to see if he had some ridiculous declaration of undying love and discovered he has a new girlfriend. I was thinking maybe I was being paranoid until someone pointed out that he was probably lonely, not necessarily over me. Well, that sounds worse. But I do have to say that since I answered the phone, I haven't had anymore calls from unknown numbers.

I'm thinking of changing my relationship status. I'm waiting to see what Will says. I don't want to post our business all over the Internet, but he did offer to call Kurt and have a conversation with him, so I don't think he'll mind. And I'm also thinking of changing some of my passwords. And maybe the locks.

Can't be too careful.

House Magick Post- Extra Money By Selling Crafts

It has been quite a day. As I was typing this post, it refused to save, resulting in an error message/warning/annoying beeping sound every five seconds. I ignored it and then the power went out. I went to work and discovered nearly all the temps had been laid off. I don't know how I kept my job. Supposedly they called every one. I had three numbers I didn't recognize so I didn't answer. BUT, I didn't get any voicemails. In my experience, temp agencies love, love, love to give bad news. Maybe I never was on the shit list. The plant manager (who decided to get rid of all these folks) kept looking at me funny. I may be out of work tomorrow. I didn't work on my regular job, I was assigned to rework. I could see the whole production floor from the rework area. I counted 23 people- workers, team leaders, managers, and maintenance. We should of had 2 and a half times that number. When I got home, I discovered those annoying beeping messages DID matter as I only had half of what I wrote. So moving on, doing the best I can, here's my very timely how-to-make-money post:

This one rambles over several topics and on the surface it doesn't seem to have anything to do with house magick. I'm writing about extra money for three reasons. 1. I'm about to start selling my crafts again. 2. People usually want extra money to either catch up on bills or so they can buy something for the house. 3. I'm seeing a lot of people selling stuff on Facebook. I assume everybody needs extra money.

Most of my extra income comes from sewing so that will be my main focus on this topic. I usually make items with the intent to sell them. I used to sell quilts at my work. The first time I had a quilt to sell, I was really nervous. I was afraid no one would like it or that management would tell me to remove my sign from the bulletin board. I worried a lot. I realized the economy was bad and the chances were good no one could afford to buy anything from me. I put my sign up then went about my job. No one said anything, so I wasn't getting in trouble, but I wasn't making money either.

All morning, nothing happened. I was starting to feel depressed. Maybe my quilt was ugly and that's why no one came to even look at it. Maybe my work wasn't that good. Maybe I was going to end up with a closet full of unused, ugly quilts.

Before I made my rounds on the production floor, I held my hands over the quilt and whispered, I release you to a good home where you can be cherished and loved. While I was inspecting parts, one of the managers came up to me. Had I sold the quilt yet? No. Could he see it?

I was surprised. I was more surprised when he liked it and wanted the quilt for his daughter. He paid me cash. The next day, he asked if I had any more quilts because his other daughter also wanted a quilt. I brought in a very colorful quilt and he paid me cash for that one too.

The next week I brought in a baby quilt. By this time, the manager had told several people how much his daughters liked their quilts. I sold the baby quilt in one hour. As I took down my sign, I was asked if I had any more quilts. And then I was in business.

I sold one quilt every week. I could have sold more, I just didn't want to be greedy. I had a fairly steady business for nearly four months. After that, pretty much everyone had bought a quilt and I worked myself out of a side job. The quilting led to other things; not only did people ask me to design quilts especially for them, I also repaired antique quilts, hemmed clothes, and sewed on patches. The patches were for my biker co-worker. He was in a motorcycle club and he became by biggest customer. He asked me to sew on site at the club. I thought that was great until I realized I would be working in a biker bar with drunk bikers. I filed it away for future reference, say maybe sewing at an outdoor event like a fair or sewing on an Army Base for GI's, but I really didn't want to be in a dimly lit, smoky bar surrounded by bikers while I was only armed with a small sewing needle. It just did not sound like a good idea.

Selling quilts was nice. I felt like I could provide for myself. I felt like I had a back-up plan if I lost my job. It built up my skills, especially when I was asked to make something I had never before tried. And best of all, I had extra money.

I learned a few more things, and these are the things I think any small business owner should know:
1. Make what sells. After I realized baby quilts were popular, that was my focus. I didn't waste my time making full sized quilts. People are very willing to buy nice things for babies. I could have expanded my business by making dolls or teddy bears or baby clothes. And I could still do this now that I know what works.

2. Be flexible. I thought I would make bed quilts. If I had gotten stuck on that one area, I would have missed out on the baby quilt thing and then I wouldn't have made any money. Also by being willing to sew things I didn't advertise for, like the patches, I created more business for myself.

3. Never say how you really feel about money. This is a tough one. Obviously you are in business to make money but if you look desperate for it people will take advantage of you. This lesson applies to all businesses. If you own a lawn care service, do not be nice and charge two hours for four hours of work. You customer will want the lesser price from then on. They won't see it as you giving them a break, they will see it as you doubling your price and cheating them. Also, some people are resentful if you view them as poor. Even if you know they are struggling, they don't want you to point it out. Name your price and stick to it. Your customers will either meet it or they will make an offer. I did let some people pay in installments, and some people I traded with like my biker who often bought me lunch instead of paying a cash fee. This is something you have to do on a case by case basis. NEVER tell anyone how your other customers pay.

4. What you make, sell, or what service you provide must have value. If it is something you could throw away don't try to sell it. You don't buy trash, you buy things you like and use. Don't assume your customers are stupid. Don't try to pull a fast one. Nobody likes an asshole. If you don't like what you are selling then you are in the wrong business.

5. Always make the very best you can make. When you have pride in your work it shows and people respect that.

6. It's okay to say no. It is especially okay if you feel uncomfortable.

7. Be realistic. I didn't make enough to quit my day job. I don't think I could make that much. Maybe I could earn more if I focused on selling designs to large companies, but just selling quilts I made? No, that's small change, not a retirement fund.

8. Nothing happens if you don't try.

9. Start small. There is no reason to kill yourself by making a huge batch of products, especially if you don't know how people will like them. Make one or two, see how people react, then adjust accordingly.

10. Keep your word. Nobody ever forgets how you made them feel. If you can't deliver, don't promise.

11. You must be willing to part with what you are selling. There is no 'keep it until the right person comes along' or holding out for the right price. If I truly loved an item, I wouldn't sell it. If I thought I had made something perfect for a particular person, I would gift it to the person, not offer it for sale. I think crafters sometimes get stuck on who their ideal customer could be instead of meeting the demands of the market they are in. I realize your creations have a special place in your heart, but if you can't sell them then you should just settle for being generous on Christmas.

I wanted to make money doing something I enjoy. I think I achieved that. I realized a few things along the way, like timing. I could probably sell costumes, but if I did my time to sell would be late summer (fairs) and fall (Halloween). Formal dresses would probably sell best for prom. Having a plan is THE smartest thing you can do. A plan keeps you from being overwhelmed. The more steps a plan has, the more work you are going to do. I wanted to keep everything as simple as possible. I did not want to work two jobs. I started with what I could do, then I pared that down to what I was willing to do. The only way a business can be successful is if the owners know what they are willing to do.

He He He

The Magick of Horses

I used to have this picture on my old computer. I loved it. I didn't know who the artist was; this was something I found while browsing and it really spoke to me. I liked it so much I used a variation of this painting when I made my aunt's horse quilt. I had several horses cascading from a dream catcher. Today, while on a completely different search for Luis Royo, this popped up. I am not 100% sure it's a Royo. If it is, this is an earlier work. But I will say I do love his work and I often discover he is the artist behind art I like. Usually I admire something, wish I knew who created it, then suddenly I will discover the very painting I have been admiring in an art book. This has happened so many times that I'm pretty sure I'll never see the entire collection, I'll just keep stumbling into his art like a delighted traveler falling into fairy land.

On the Same Page

Will and I were having a texting discussion. He wants to go to the beach Labor Day weekend. And I groaned because, you know, white Irish skin that turns lobster red in minutes, I am not a beach person. Besides, the salt water burns the hell out of my contact lenses. So while I was thinking of how to say no, he suddenly got an idea- let's travel to historic places in Alabama.

Now that sounds much more enjoyable than still brushing sand out of my hair when I get home from the beach. We also agreed to go hiking. I used to love to hike when I was in my twenties. I like to go in the fall of the year, when it's cooler and the bugs don't swarm as much and the snakes are sleeping. I used to just hike all day, alone. That wasn't a big deal for me because as an only country child, I was used to wandering off by myself. Then I met Kevin, he threw a fit about me going places alone (no one will know what happened to you!), but he didn't want to go with me, so my hiking days came to an abrupt halt. I met Kevin in 2004 and other than the time Tanya and I hiked the Alpine Trail at Cherokee Bluff (too short to be a real hike. I like to walk all day), I haven't enjoyed Nature singing around me from a dim trail.

Will has the same sense of adventure as I do. He's agreeable to hiking as long as I 'take it easy on the ol' fat boy.' Really, I'm not in any shape to be out walking all day myself. But I want to be, and he's willing to go. And I'm willing to drive several hours if there's something really cool at the end of the road. I'm willing to pose beside stupid signs, point at monuments, and possibly learn more about where I live.

I've already started searching for interesting places. Let the wandering begin.

Think I'm Manifesting Again

I used to be pretty good at manifesting things to physical reality. For a while I was actively trying to see what I could achieve. I manifested a beautiful leather jacket without saying a word or casting a spell. I just wished I could have it and then my mother surprised me by purchasing a nearly identical jacket. Only the pockets were different. The largest thing I ever manifested was Kevin's truck and that took me a year. I had to work against Kevin, he was pretty sure I couldn't do it. I also manifested a pool table just by saying I wanted one. I don't have the table anymore; it was stolen from my parents' barn in Salem. That's the trouble with bringing items to your personal reality- the item may not stay put.

And too, eventually you get tired or careless or just luck runs out. Then awkward things happen, or it happens the way you said, but not the way you intended. Eventually nothing appears and I think it's sort of a Universe Safety Switch; there must be some way to keep reality in place. While it's really cool to make things shift or to have what you want just by wishing it, if all the humans in the world did it all the time things could get weirdly distorted quick.

But that being said, when things are already bending it becomes easy to bend them just a bit more. In my last post, I said the problem with the staring man wasn't exactly solved. Monday night the problem was solved as soon as I walked in. Literally. They fired him for failure to efficiently preform job duties. Oddly enough, instead of firing him privately in an office, he was fired in front of the employee entrance, in full view of everyone walking in to start their shift, and it was probably a good thirty to forty-five minutes after he came in. And I walked in on it. What are the odds that I wished I didn't have to deal with him anymore, that I hoped I could deal with him or that he could behave until I left, then he gets fired instead? I didn't wish him ill. I didn't want him to lose his job, but you see what I mean about things happening the way I said but not the way I intended? Think positive thoughts, people. Positive!

Ever Shifting, Ever Turning

Things are been gearing up for me for quite some time. I suppose it started when stuff was breaking (no, don't ask me to find the posts). Since then, lots of things are have changed. All small things, but now I am getting small changes on the verge of being big.

Will cut the grass for me this weekend. The yard looks great. I feel inspired to get outside and be a good Kitchen Witch, growing herbs and becoming one with plant life. I explained to Will about how hard it is for me to start most pull-string mowers and he is now searching for a mower with an electronic switch. Or, he may bring me a riding mower if it isn't too much trouble to repair. Either way, the burden of lawn care would be eased.

My house got a bath this weekend. Already it looks so much better and no paint has been applied. This has inspired me to move furniture around. During Halloween I start throwing things out. I try to get rid of useless and broken things. I hate clutter. I've decided to pare down my fabric stash. I have more than I am ever going to use so I might as well clear out what I don't like.

When it's just me living alone, I don't cook much. Seems like a lot of trouble for one person. I cooked two meals for Will this weekend. He was so appreciative and ate everything I set before him. Now I want to cook some more. In turn, my sugar was at more normal levels this morning because I had balanced meals with actual nutrients and I was fairly active all weekend. I've also started back doing my ab exercises. I put them off for a long time.

Work is better in surprising ways. The woman I can't stand became my team leader. Much to my shock, this isn't the nightmare I thought it would be. She is trying really hard to be fair to everyone. And she's slightly nicer to me because she realized the benefit of a person who just does her job without complaint. We still don't like each other, but now there's no need for either of us to be nasty. She moved me to a different station, so now I can't tell if someone is staring at me. Being that I am unaware of whether or not I am being watched, I can almost go through the entire shift without thinking of that man at all. I don't think the problem is solved because the other day he told me I would always have a special place in his heart. That tripped me out. All I could think was I wasn't your first choice, stop pretending to care. But, even this is about to go away because Will has applied for several jobs in far away locations and he has asked me to go with him. One of the jobs is in Ireland. OMG! I doubt he'll get that one, but I didn't have to think about it- hell yeah I'll go!

A Baby Ringneck!

My father and I walked his dog after supper. We stopped at the barn to rest because both Dad and dog are old and tire easily. As I opened the gate, I saw a baby ringneck snake slithering across an old pine log. I haven't seen a ringneck since I was a child. I didn't get a picture, but I did find this on Google Images when I got home:

It's about the same size. Ringneck snakes are harmless. They grow to roughly six inches. I was thrilled to death to see it because I hadn't seen one in so long I was afraid they were extinct.

House Magick- Worms

Bear with me, this is one of those gross topics that Witches understand. Not because Witches are gross, but because we understand processes. We know the end result often requires dirty work and we just do what needs to be done to reach a certain goal. Witches are very good at understanding, and doing, what needs to be done. That's one of the many reasons we are feared.

I love worms. Worms are a sign of a very healthy eco-system. Worms make the soil rich. Worms turn waste into fertility. There is never just one worm, there is always a squirming mess of them, thus worms are all about abundance. Worms are also good luck because they create opportunity. Cut a worm in half and you get two worms. Worms carry both genders within themselves and therefor can mate with any other worm of the same species. They don't need to search for mates, they just happily exist together. To work with worms is to work earth magick, prosperity, good fortune, and community.

I've tried a few times before to start worm bins. I've never been successful, mainly because I didn't pay enough attention. The first time, I was under the mistaken impression that I didn't have to do anything at all. I just put some worms in a bucket of dirt. I didn't feed them. I left the bucket out in the winter chill. And when I dug around in the dirt, I didn't find anything.

The next time, my bin was too hot, too dry, and I still didn't feed them. The third time, I found lots of bugs- ants and beetles and things I've never seen. I've since learned this is normal, especially if the bin is outside sitting on the ground and the main food is compost. Everyone says raising worms is easy, but that's not exactly true because worms are living creatures and living creatures tend to be rather complex.

My Lammas ritual- to start a worm bin. The purpose of said worm bin would be to recycle kitchen waste and to improve my garden and potted plants. Perhaps, maybe, to use the worms as fish bait.

I sat on the grass, ground and centered, then said aloud my intent. I got a vague mmmm, maybe response because the land already knows I am not good with the worm thing. Within seconds, I had sugar ants crawling all over my hands. I am taking that to mean that if I screw up yet again, the ants will eat whatever the worms didn't get.

For the location, I settled on the outside corner of the dog pen. This area is always shady. Worms need darkness. I settled on tires as containers because tires are sturdy, black, and will hold warmth in the winter. Plus, I had some tires with plants that need to relocate, but more on that in a minute. These two tires aren't doing anything but blocking a hole in the fence.

This tire makes the base. I wanted something that would allow water to drain, but not worms to escape. I placed my offering to the land under the tire. Sometimes, the land needs sweet-talking.

My offering was mint from the garden, a bone, and a prism. I added the prism at the last minute because it just seemed right. I also added a horse shoe because I may need a little luck on this project.

I cut up an old sheet to use as a liner. Worms can probably chew threw fabric and if I think the worms are escaping, I'll try again with metal screen. I used upholstery tacks to hold the fabric in place.

I stacked the other tires on top. Tires also hold water, so the soil won't completely dry out. If I think things are too wet, I'll drill a few holes. Everything is now ready for shredded paper towels, top soil, and of course, worms. I may add a cover. Worms eat all kinds of organic matter. DO NOT feed worms grease or cooking oil because it will kill them. Don't add meat scraps because it attracts other animals. And if the worm bin is in the house, meat attracts ants and roaches. I placed another tire beside my new worm bin and it will be a planter for my foxglove. I had put the foxglove in the front yard but that space is too hot and bright. Foxglove is a shade plant. Mine is wilting.

I went to Hobby Lobby on the same morning I made the worm bin.

This birdcage was originally $49.99 but I got it for 50% off. I don't mind paying $24 and change for a birdcage.

I put some gourds beside the cage and my coyote skull inside. Now all I need is a sinister crow. Hobby Lobby didn't have crows because they don't think Halloween should be scary. My original plan was to put the coyote skull on a large wreath. I wanted to make a wreath from a wire form and tulle. Hobby Lobby didn't have wire wreath forms which tripped me out. They were selling autumn wreaths for $225. I thought that was fucking stupid. The wreaths were pretty, but there wasn't $40 worth of stuff on them. I went next door to Party City but they had just started putting out Halloween decorations so I really didn't have anything to choose from. I'll check back next week. Party City had a package of mice, skeletons, bugs, and bats. That looked really promising. I could do a lot with plastic bugs and mice. Party City also had black angel wings which I want badly. If I get them I have to fulfill one of Will's sexual fantasies.

While in Hobby Lobby, I got ornaments for a future project and half-pint canning jars because I want to try oven canning my herbs. Both were also 50% off. I'll say this, when Hobby Lobby has a sale, they have a good one. Hopefully this weekend, in between home improvements and gardening, I can work with herbs. That would be a lovely, fragrant harvest.

Pre-Holiday Reflections

I almost called this post "Pre-Holiday Musings" but I settled on "Reflections" because mirrors have been big lately. Not in an obvious way, just in that I realized I have a lot of mirrors. I started noticing the abundance of mirrors when I took down the big one on the porch so the house could be painted. I have mirrors on the doors, reflecting my dinning table, shinning down the hallway, I just got a new one for the bathroom, and of course, there is one facing my bed. A while back I did a post wondering whether or not that was a good placement. (Don't ask me to post a link, I'm feeling lazy. Just take my word for it.) I have discovered the mirror makes no difference what so ever because all I see is Will. I don't look at anything but him. I forget every thing else in the world.

I love mirrors and I have been thinking of expanding my magickal use of them. I'd really like to have more in my garden. I've been noticing many altars online with crystals and candles on mirrors. The effect is beautiful. For someone who so loves mirrors, it might surprise you to know I hate looking in them. I know that's a paradox. There's a good bit of psychology, but I don't want to delve into it.

To me, mirrors fall under the element of water. I suppose they could just as easily be air given that they are glass, or fire given that fire (and air) makes glass. Of course, sand (earth) is also needed. But I think of mirrors as watery and at the beginning of August, the time of blazing heat, the fiery end of summer, I begin to long for water. I love the coolness of the Tallapoosa River, I love the way the wind sighes over the water, gathering up moisture to make the air thick and chilly. There are few people on the River at this time of the year. Memorial Day and the Fourth are over. Everybody went home to start school. There'll be a sudden rush on Labor Day Weekend, but this will mainly be people who own cabins on the lake looking for one last hurrah before they close the lake house for fall.

One reason I became dissatisfied with Wicca is that for all its trappings, Goddesses, and correspondences, none of it actually applied to where I live. I truly believe a Witch lives her magick, and that magick is based in Nature. Not just any Nature, but the intimate knowledge of the Witch's personal time and space. I don't even know what to call Lammas because there is no word for scorched-land-yearning-for-rain-and-swelling-river. I don't even like to call it a harvest festival because my garden is always spent at this time. There is no food left for me to gather. I thought about making bread, but as I don't grow wheat that seems just a tad silly. This is the time of year when I start thinking about fall planting and that's a beginning, not an end.

This is the time of year when I become aware of the closure that is to come. I love fall. I love how everything winds down, becomes slower, sleepier, colder. Fall is the only season where I actually live in the moment rather than being hyped-up and rushing madly for what might come. Sadly, what I usually prepare for either doesn't happen or is a let-down when I do get it. I think one of New Year's Resolutions will be to accept what each season has to offer.

Part of being a Witch in this Time and Place is learning to do what this land wants. The land will speak if you will listen and it will very plainly state what it needs. And I think if I am to be a good Witch, I must learn to serve those needs. I'm not lighting candles or casting circles or calling Higher Beings. I'm going outside to ground myself into my bit of earth. I'm going to tell this place what plans I have, and then I will listen so I can know if the land agrees. That's my whole ritual from beginning to end. What are you doing?