Monday, December 30, 2013

I Think I'll Tell You Now

I'm pregnant! I think (we really, really hope so anyway) I'm having a girl and we decided to name her Vanessa. It means butterfly in Greek. This is my first pregnancy. I am a type 1 diabetic and I will be 37 on Jan. 7th. However, so far things have been very smooth. I haven't had any morning sickness! None! I have had cramps and spotting but other than that, no problems. I won't see my doctor until the 10th of January. That was the earliest date I could get. He stays booked up and I think that's a good sign. Who wants to go to a doctor with no patients? I am hoping by the time I see him I will be far enough along for an ultra-sound. I am not exactly sure how far along I am. Before I got pregnant, my periods got shorter and closer together. And then the spotting makes things a little difficult to figure out. I THINK I got pregnant in November, but it could have been the end of October. I'll know more after I see my doctor.

Saturday, December 28, 2013

Thank Gawd It's Almost Over

It hasn't been a bad year, but I will be really glad when it is over.

Thursday, December 19, 2013

December Witch Crafting- Candles

Oh my, do I ever love candles! I have always loved them. That was the best thing when the power went out, we had to light the candles! Even as a child, I had candles in my room. I wasn't allowed to light them, but I thought they were pretty just sitting in their holders. Candles are of course, intensely magical. When I was a newbie Witch I thought every spell needed at least one candle. I bought most of mine at Hobby Lobby because they have every color and most sizes for cheap. They used to have really good candle sales and I would fill up my little shopping basket. The cashier would get tired of ringing up candle after candle after candle. She would whine, "WHAT are these for?!" And I would glare back, "I like candles. You forgot these." Candles lend themselves well to ordinary crafting. I really like the above picture. It looks like a binding spell given the rope around the jar, but the candles are pink so hmmm, maybe it's a love spell or a handfastening spell. But the jars are empty. Air and fire spell? Ah, the possibilities! This would be good for wish spells too, just place your wishes in the jar. I have nearly set the table aflame by putting paper under burning tea lights, and yes, the candle was still in the metal holder. The holder got hot and my paper petition started smoking. The jar seems much safer.

This looks like some kind of advent calendar. You could fill the bottles with almost anything- herbs, coins, beads, charms, and if you filled the bottle with water, there wouldn't be a fire hazard. I have rolled candles in dry herbs and that works very well as long as the candle is in a safe place. Herbs tend to blaze up suddenly. And if you're going to place candles in a window, the window can't have curtains, shades, or blinds. Don't think it's okay if the curtains are open. A very hot flame can start a fire from a few feet away. I try to keep at least a two foot clearance around a live flame. I once turned my closet shelf into an altar. I lit taper candles and now the bottom of the second shelf has black scorch marks.

Because I like to leave candles burning all the time, I use a lot of LED candles. Now all that plastic is not earth-friendly, but I feel the safety and low price more than makes up for the plastic downfall. I use LED candles on my bookshelves. I also have two on my coffee table. Will's sons told me my fake candles were ugly and I should use real ones like on the bookshelves. They did not believe me when I said the bookshelf candles were fake too. When I showed them they laughed. They thought those were real candles burning beside my books and dragons. LED's are great for shrines or places where you want an eternal flame. They make scented ones too. They give off a soft light and most flicker like real flames. I also use LED's in my sewing room when I want to use magick with stitchery. I usually say a spell or chant each time I turn the candle on. Some people think flipping a switch isn't magick, but I say the magick lies more in the intent and actions rather than in the tools.

There are several candle making kits available. Making candles can either be really simple or really complex, depending on who's doing the explaining. Some of the waxes on the market can be melted in the microwave. If the thought of pouring wax scares you, the resin will burn just as easily all by itself. All you need is a wick and a jar. Secure the wick, add the resin, and light. It will burn just like a regular candle.

Actually, you can get by with even less. Oil and water candles require just four items- a jar, water, cooking oil, and a wick. The oil floats on top of the water. When the oil burns off and the flame reaches the water, it will go out. Items can be added to the water. For a Yule theme, you could place small pine cones or sprigs of evergreens in the water. Make sure your items are completely in the water because if something is sticking up in the oil that part will burn. These candles are very versatile, the jar is reusable, and they are very cheap to make.

If you are artistically inclined, consider adding artwork. Seven Day candles (supposedly it takes seven days for the candle to burn all the way down, this may or may not be true depending on the type of wax and how long you leave the candle burning each day) are readily available. Both my local Wal-Mart and grocery stores carry Seven Day candles. Wally World carries plain Seven Days and the grocery store carries a few of the main Saints. Art can be taped directly onto the glass or if you're patient enough, the glass can be painted. Some occult shops will make Seven Day Candles for you. The jar is cleansed, and sometimes ground herbs or glitter is added. The candle is then carved and dressed. A chant is often said as the candle is dropped into the jar. Done correctly, this can be a very moving rite. My favorite part is when they leave a bit of incense smoke in the jar so the smoke puffs up when the candle goes in. You can carve candles yourself, but I have to warn you, it is trickier than it looks. A better option may be writing or drawing a design onto the candle with a marker. Just be careful not to smudge the ink. An ink pen gives you carving, not marking, because the tip of the pen sinks into the wax.

Some Witches save candle stubs. They melt them into new candles. I don't like doing this for two reasons. First, it takes a while to get enough stubs to make a new candle. All those ugly bits have to be stored somewhere. Second, I don't like the idea of mixing spells. I don't want to put the stub from a banishing spell into a love spell candle. That means I have to keep all the stubs sorted and separate which takes up even more space and requires even more time before I have enough stubs to make a new candle. Some Witches cleanse every thing and they say that the melting process removes the prior work. I wouldn't be able to get it out of my head what the other candles were used for and each time I saw the new candle, I'd remember my old spells then I'd wonder if the magick was still working. Just about every spell I saw involving candles says 'use a new candle' There has to be a reason for that.

Saturday, December 14, 2013

Around Casa De Dragon

This is the ceramic tree my grandparents made. My grandfather had a ceramic shop and had he lived a little longer I would probably be into pottery instead of textiles. I cannot remember a time when this tree wasn't on display at Christmas. I intend to put up a real tree as well. I have never, ever paid for a Christmas tree. There are perks to growing up on a 50 acre farm.
The heater comes on a lot. It is rather chilly here. And raining. Alabama has rain at Christmas instead of snow.
A few cards have arrived.
Bill's Christmas gift. I still have a ways to go. Unfortunately, the last bit has the most detail.
This is the back of a gift. I love this fabric. I intended to use it in a dragon quilt. But then I needed a backing fabric and this was perfect. Not only do I love the rich color and paisley pattern, but this fabric sews very well. It is thick and soft. It's Cranson brand. Normally, I don't get into brand names but I've used their fabric in the past and I've always been pleased with the result, even if I wasn't too fond of color. If you are looking for good quilting fabrics, Cranson is what I'd recommend.

In other news, I have finished the mirror, I just have to put it together. Which I suppose means I'm not finished, I just got the sewing done. I am really liking the mirror and I may make more to sell. The more I think about this, the more ideas I have. Has anybody ever used the 'promote' on Facebook? From what I understand, this makes your posts available to more people. It's sort of free advertising, and after 100 likes you can get a 'boost' which shows the post to an even wider audience, but you do have to pay for it. The promotes and boosts are the posts that appear in your home feed from businesses you are not following. It says 'suggested post' and you are urged to like the page. All the ones that appear in my feed are big box stores like Target. I've never seen one from ordinary folk promoting small business so I was wondering if it was worth it to try and sell anything on Facebook. A few of my friends own businesses, I'm friends with a photographer and a baker, so I get their business posts all the time just because I am already friends with them, but I don't know how many more people see it. I'm not sure if they really get some sales from Facebook or if they just try to cover every avenue in hopes of landing more sales. Any thoughts on this?

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Not Just Yet...

I have big news, but I'm going to sit on it for just a while longer. I'd hate to make my big announcement, then have to go back and say, false alarm.


Saturday, December 7, 2013

December Witch Crafting- Mistakes


I have been sewing like a mad woman. Every single day, for nearly all of the day, I sew. I am making Christmas presents. Things are actually going pretty good and I feel like I may get everything made before December 24. There is a golden rule of sewing that states the easier a thing is the more likely you are to screw it up. It's right under the bylaw about the longer you stitch, the more tired, hungry, grumpy you become, and thus the more glaring the mistake.

I am making a mirror frame for my aunt and uncle. I've made picture frame mats, but not mirror mats. And I chose to up-cycle a mirror, which is octagon shaped. That results in a bit of tricky construction. I have no pattern. I'm figuring things out as I go along. I heard you suck in your breath as you realized I am stupidly working on a project a bit above my skill level on a tight deadline. It's okay, I know I'm being dumb. Yep, the project was doomed from the get-go.

The first mistake I made was in my design. I settled on a bargello diamond pattern. Due to the stitches running straight across the canvas rather than diagonally, a good bit of blank canvas showed. That was rather ugly. I ripped everything out and tried diagonal stitches. Which altered my design in a lop-sided way. I ripped it out again.

Maybe I needed some filler stitches. I diagonally stitched a silvery white with alternating rows of red. That looked cool, like frost and fire. I thought it would be awesome peeking through the diamond pattern. Except the frost/fire threads made the diamond straight stitches bulky. And they pulled up in wads instead of peeking through. It completely distracted from the diamonds. Rip out again.

On the third (or was that the fourth?) time I started over, I said the hell with these stupid diamonds. I got out variegated yarn in hopes that the colors alone would make a bold enough statement. I also went with a diagonal stitch to completely cover the canvas. Two problems solved.

But what if it's too much color? Color makes a bold statement, but it shouldn't do all the talking. I settled on black to tone things down. And hey, I could make bigger stitches and wrap this project up sooner. And I could outline my colors in black. I still have no idea what I'm doing. Exactly how are these 8 straight pieces going to fit together? AND still hold the mirror in place? Without the ugly back being reflected in the glass? Rather than take some time to figure this out, I kept stitching the edging to let my subconscious mind work out the solution. I hope I don't have to rip anything else out.

I've noticed most of the sewing blogs I read talking about mistakes lately. A seamstress accidently cut holes into the bodice of a dress. Experienced quilters who have been sewing for years try something new and, oops, that didn't work. The shirt looks fine, it fits well, but due to the nature of the cloth, it does not photograph well. You don't understand that's a problem until you realize the models wearing your clothes will be endlessly photographed and your clothes will look poorly made. Sewing can be a very relaxing hobby. There is a soothing rhythm to the up and down motion of the needle. But it takes a lot of intelligence to get to the relaxing part and you will probably become prematurely gray before you get there. I know as ye sew, so shall ye rip.

But on the other hand, no one needs to know how many times I started over. At the very least, I learn to avoid a particular mistake. With every project I complete, I get a little better at sewing.

And I feel really, really smug when someone thinks my mess is beautiful.

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

The Maze as a Problem Solving Tool

Hello, My Dear Readers! As is normal for this time of year, I am cleaning up, throwing out, setting goals, releasing, and settling business. I just went through my old journals. I found notes for an article I intended to submit to a Pagan magazine. I don't exactly remember, but I think I didn't submit the article because I didn't finish it before the deadline. But I can give it to you. If this type of reading helps you, please let me know.

This is involves Tarot and mazes, as in the child's puzzle. Let me say now, please choose a simple maze. And make sure you chose a maze and not a labyrinth which is one singular path. A maze has several paths. This is a labyrinth:
One path to the center. The purpose of a labyrinth is to still the mind for a walking meditation. This is a maze:
There is no center; you start on one side and work your way through to the end. There are many dead-ends. This is a puzzle. It has at least one solution. It may have more than one solution. If it has no solution it is not a maze, just a design of random lines.

Pick out a fairly simple maze. The maze is a symbol for the path you are on. It's showing you the path you will take as you search for a solution. Picking a complicated maze for this reading is an indication that you make things hard on yourself. Regardless of how easy the maze is, it is important that you have never tried to solve the maze that you are using for the reading. Remember, if you know the answer you aren't divining.

At the starting point, state your problem. Say, "I am _____ and I wish to know what events will unfold." Draw a Tarot card. This represents you and where you are.

Work the maze. At each turn, draw a card (now you see why simple is better!) These cards represent the obstacles/people/challenges you will encounter. Reversed cards indicate blocks or issues you must work through.

Reaching a dead-end in the maze means you will become side-tracked or you will not be successful. If you have more than three dead-ends during the maze reading consider getting out or removing yourself from the situation.

Solving the maze on the first try means you can successfully find a solution in real life.

Pay attention to suits- mostly swords means the greatest resistance comes from what you or others think, or that problems arise from spoken words. Cups represent emotions getting in the way. Wands can be either passion or temper. Pentacles tend to represent people putting their own needs first or that money will be involved. Major arcana cards are indicators of life changing events or reoccurring themes in your life.

Some other variations:
Draw runes instead of Tarot cards.
Roll dice at each turn. Apply numerology to the dice rolls.
Instead of seeing only problems, try to see events as lessons. Even when people are being difficult, something can be learned. Are you simply reacting or are you moving forward in your life?

Monday, December 2, 2013

December Witch Crafting

31 Days of Witches was great. The Kitchen Witch posts were a good idea, but I sort of ran out of time, thus not doing a full month. I tend to forget how much time Thanksgiving consumes. The day came when I was caught up, then the days came when I was in danger of falling behind, then suddenly it was Thanksgiving. Despite keeping things low key, Will and I were pretty busy. Z and Hunter cleaned the house, and Will did most of the cooking, but still, I barely got to go into the same room with my computer, let alone sit down in front of it.

So here we are at December. I planned crafts projects. I had already decided I didn't want to do this every day like I did with the past two months. Think more like once a week. What will I be posting? What I craft. I do a wide variety of needlework. I'm also fairly handy with paint and glue. I'm pretty good at re-purposing. I'll try to keep instructions simple, but not all the projects will be easy because I think people need challenges. Our first project is really easy and is both décor and protection spell. It doesn't look like a spell, so you can hide magick in plain sight.

I decided to make a wreath to hang over my backdoor. I'm using hot peppers (these are Peter Peppers, an heirloom variety) to burn away negative energy. If you use the peppers for magick, then you cannot use them for food. You will be consuming negative energy. You can use any kind of pepper. These were growing in my garden. Because I didn't have enough peppers to make a solid wreath (Will kept eating them and taking the peppers to work so he could dare his friends to try them) I'm using a grapevine wreath as a base. Here I've laid out all supplies and am burning incense to purify my work.
The peppers need to be dried. Lay them in a hot window. They will shrivel up. If you want to use this as purely décor/cooking supplies then you would soak the peppers in a bowl of water before adding them to the food. This works like sun-dried tomatoes. To string the peppers you will need a large needle and thread. I recommend stringing the peppers onto the spool of thread and not cutting the thread until all the peppers are strung. It is annoying to run out of thread. Remember to leave enough to tie. THE PEPPERS ARE HOT. So don't rub your face during stringing and make sure you wash your hands afterwards. When I was done with this needle I threw it out.
Strung peppers. Now would be the time to state your intent. Please note I strung the peppers through the top near the stem. If you string through the tip the peppers may fall off as they dry more.
Peppers on the wreath. Despite careful planning, the peppers will never go in same arrangement twice. It took a while to get it right and the peppers tend to slide around rather than staying where I wanted them. I did not cut the thread until I had everything where I wanted it. I thought I would have too many peppers to cover this wreath. Instead, I barely had enough.
Completed wreath hanging over door. I waited until I hung the wreath up to cast my protection spell because the placement was just as important to me as the spell. Did you know the word 'enchant' means 'to sing over'? How do you say spells? Do you make them rhyme? Do you say them slowly? Do you raise energy by singing?