Spin the Wheel

I'm busy. I know I say this all the time, but I can't emphasize enough how much happens in a day. Most of the time, I can only go so far before 1.) something else happens, 2.) I need to repair/replace/adjust/buy new for whatever I'm working on. But no worries, I'm never completely stalled. There's always something to do. Most days I work on a series of projects. Every once in a great while, I finish one.

If I think about every thing I have to do in a day, I get tired. It's much better if I do more than I think. Doing is progress. Thinking is over-whelming.

But I've got to have some sort of plan or else I get stuck. Thus- the spinning wheel spell.

I've used this spell in the past with sewing projects when I really wanted things to go smoothly with as few problems as possible. It works well in all kinds of situations. All you are doing is directing the focus of your mind. For the spell, you need something that spins. I use drop spindles like this:

Any kind of wheel will do, as long as it spins. It has to spin.

So this wagon wheel probably won't work unless you can lay it on the ground, balance it just right, and get more than three turns out of it. There are lots of things that spin:

Tops are great because they spin for a long time. The longer your wheel spins the more energy you can apply.

You can rig something up, just be aware some things have more momentum than others.

After you select a wheel, sit still and calm your mind. This is the most important part. If you can't calm down for a minute nothing will get done. Spin the wheel. Now visualize a white light traveling from you, around the wheel (going with the wheel, not against it), and traveling outward. If you have a physical project, say a mess to clean, a shirt to mend, a meal to cook, let the light travel over the objects. Firmly visualize the END result- the shirt mended and hanging in the closet, your family enjoying a good meal, a clean house. Focus on what you want to achieve. Don't worry about how it will get done. See the finished result. You will find it doesn't take as long as you thought to finish things or you easily come up with solutions to problems you encounter. All this spell does is give your subconscious a goal. While you go through your day, your subconscious is busy making things happen.

What if you have a busy day with lots to do? What if you must deal with difficult people? What if you can't even think of all you have to do? Spin the wheel and visual the end of the day. Imagine you are ready for bed and everything is done. Don't worry about how it will happen, focus on what you want. Spin the wheel, watch it, get a good memory of it spinning and when you feeling stressed, remember the wheel then tell yourself you will get what you want.

Sometimes the wheel works very quickly. Other times it might be a few days before things work out. Sometimes things happen in surprising ways and you get what you want, just not in the way you thought. I find if I use the wheel for a few days, the first time I skip a day I will have all kinds of stupid mistakes. Then I spend some time with my spindle and I'm back on track. If you have a good imagination, you don't need a wheel. I like having the physical object. It helps me focus.

Keep the wheel clean. I like to wipe my spindles down after a big project and smudge them with incense. I spin clockwise. If I do spin counterclockwise, I'm doing banishing work. I will use the same spindle for several projects. Sometimes I have a list of goals and I slowly read them as I spin.

The great thing about the wheel is it is very versatile. I like to sit in my rocking chair and spin. I can get a good rhythm going matching how I turn to the spindle to the speed of the chair. I can add music, I can light a candle, I can chant, or I can spin in the dark. I used to carry the spindle with me to spin before going into a stressful job. You can also spin ideas- chant a word while spinning like love, luck, happiness, or respect. Spinning is such a wonderful thing I don't know why the spindle isn't a standard Witch's tool like a broom or cauldron.

How the Crow Flies

Now be patient with me- the crow flies straight and true, but how he teaches his wisdom is anything but.

My life is really busy. Not only do I have a ton of things to do (and I rarely finish 80% of them), but things happen constantly. We make plans, we change our plans, we realize we need special things for our plans, we check our money, someone gets an idea, we converge and discuss, we adjust, we arrive late, we get phone calls, we realize we forgot dinner. Then we come home and discover one of the dogs has knocked over the trash. As I sweep up the last of the coffee grounds, one of the children will announce that he has no clean socks for school. The next morning, the other child will inform me that he has no clean pants.

Along the way I see crows. I see what I think are juvenile crows- shiny black, strutting walk, bobbing head just like a crow, only smaller. I see crows flying, I see them strutting along the edges of parking lots to steal French fries. I see them stealing all things bright and shiny from the yard, the bits of broken toys, Will's dropped sockets, and marbles.

I get up, herd the boys out the door, start laundry. I clean, cook, run errands, and carve out time to sew. And all day I hear the crows cawing through my open windows.

The crows perch on the power lines. They watch me. They let me see them. They wait.

The boys want to know what is for dinner. I tell them, fish heads and rice. With frozen monkey brains for dessert. Now they've stopped asking. "Fish heads and rice?" they inquire as they peer into pots.

Will brings me presents, small things, a book, a new knife, beads for crafts. The boys bring me flowers from the yard. The crows present mates with stolen socket set pieces.

I see the crow flapping into the air. He always flies true, never loses sight of where he is going. Along the way he stops to squawk and steal.

There is no normal life, there's just life.

A Witch Under Cover

My practice has changed a lot since I moved back to Salem. Just about every thing is a secret. But I probably use magick more than ever.

I don't have a magick broom anymore. I have several regular, household brooms. And I empowered them. When I sweep, I cleanse. I remove negative energy with every swish of the broom. How did I cleanse the house before? I physically cleaned, I lit incense, and then I waved my Witch broom over each nook and cranny of the house. Having more steps doesn't make a spell or rite more powerful. What makes a spell is the intent.

Speaking of intent, there isn't as much wondering if something will work. I stick with spells that have always brought me results. I am also much more direct. Before I read the cards, thought carefully, gathered components, and waited for the right time. Now I just cast. I would still make careful considerations for large spells. The difference is now I put the magick in place first. It's a tool. I make good use of it.

A lot more magick goes into the food. I cook nearly every day. At nearly every meal, I cast spells for good health, good luck, prosperity, and happiness.

Banishing spells work better when you are mad. I don't do as much banishing now, but when I do, it really needs to be done. I put much more emotion behind my banishings because I don't want to keep dealing with stupid shit.

I think carefully about numbers, colors, and placement. I can't do a full rite to invoke change. But I can open an eastern window, hang some wind chimes, and group three stones in a potted plant.

I can wait until everyone goes to school and work. I can be fairly quick with a working. I can clean it all up before my mother-in-law wanders over.

For the first time since I moved away from home, I live in a house with a fireplace. It's not the greatest fireplace, but it does work, and until it is cold weather again, I can burn small things without anyone noticing. Fireplaces have magick all by themselves. Mantels make the most fabulous altars. Woods have meaning, how you lay the fire has meaning, and if nothing else, you can use a fire for scrying which is entirely different from scrying with a crystal ball, a mirror, or a bowl of water. If you can't build a fire, a fireplace is great for candles- no problem if they fall over.

Instead of a book of shadows, I have Pinterest. I also have a journal.

Journals make great places for workings. I can draw a circle on paper, add symbols of my intent be it hand drawn, written, or stickers, and I can open my journal each day, light a candle, and work my spell.

Children's toys can be useful for spells, too. Match a toy to intent. Each day, move the toys closer together (or farther apart). I really like plastic animals for totem spells. Eventually the kids will notice what you like. They will bring you things to 'play' with. Lots of times the boys bring me exactly what I need for a working.

My Tarot cards are still in storage. But I have ordinary playing cards and a basic understanding of numerology.

Refrigerator letter magnets make good spells as well. You can come up with a code, remove the vowels from a word, or just use initials. Or spell out a word that matches your spell like MONEY for prosperity.

Learn not to talk. I keep comments to myself. I don't explain why I'm doing something. I don't offer my opinion. If someone asks for it, I think before I speak. Really, if everyone did that, the world be a better place.

Conversations With Dad

I finally talked to my father about whether or not it was worth it to save my old, OMG-does-it-ever-need-work house. Here's his thoughts, should you be thinking of remodeling:

1. If you go by dollar value alone, it is never worth it to restore an old house. It will ALWAYS be over-budget. You make your decision based on emotion and nostalgia. Be honest when you make your plans.

2. No matter where you live, you've got to pay something- rent, mortgage, utilities, cost of repairs, etc. To determine if you can afford a remodel, calculate the cost of rent for one year. Doesn't matter if you are actually renting or not. Find the cheapest the house in your town and the most expensive house, then take the price between the two. This is what you would pay if you were renting. If the cost of repairs will exceed the cost of the 'rent' then you are wasting your money. If the cost of repairs is less, you're getting a good deal.

3. If you have a long, long list of things to do, start with water leaks as this can cost more money, and cause more damage, if not repaired. Next make floor/roof repairs, then broken windows and doors, then electrical. Why not electrical first? You can live without electricity. The house must be liveable first. It should keep you dry and safe. Every thing else is a luxury. Always, always, always use the least amount of electricity possible. Repair or place anything that drains power.

4. It is almost impossible to legally bring a house up to code. The building inspector knows this. Most of the time they will not condemn a house while people live in it. That being said, it is unwise to draw the inspector's attention. Don't call him until you have to. Don't make your neighbors jealous with a big addition or they will call the inspector.

5. There is no stopping point. There will always be something else to do. Sometimes as soon as you 'finish' the first thing you repaired will need additional maintenance.

6. Know your limits. If you only know a little bit about electrical then you have no business trying to rewire the house.

7. There's a difference between what needs to be done and what you can do. This ties in to both #5 and #6. If you think I am repeating myself, I am. You will encounter the same problems over and over. You will be forced to make the same decisions until you are sick of the issue. Then it will come up again in another form. The patch or replace questions applies to pipes, wiring, paint, plaster, fixtures, gardens, outbuildings, and décor. After you sink a pile of money into your house, you will be forced to patch/replace clothes, personal items, and your car because all your money will be tied up in the house.

8. If this is a headache, congratulations, you're a realist. Go sign the rental agreement.

What You Need to Clean 12ft Ceilings

Mind you, I'm 5'1'' I can stand on the very top of this ladder (which I wouldn't do because it's rickety as hell) and still not be able to touch the ceiling. It was a lot of work moving the ladder around, climbing up and down, waving the broom blindly over my head, then after I got down, realizing I missed a spot. But the ceiling does look much better without all the dust and cobwebs. This is obviously not going to be a very regular cleaning chore. I was going to do it every month but now I think once a Pagan High Day will do. I'll let this be the Beltaine cleaning. Oh wait. That means I've got to do this again on the first day of summer. Okay, Mabon it is.

Zoom In for a Good Look

Personally, I think a little magic is a wonderful thing.

For Luck