Instagram, TikTok, and the like have been a great way to stay in touch with your community throughout this Coronovirus Global Pandemic. If you’re like me, it’s allowed you to expand and strengthen your community and relationships. But, you must remember it’s full of haters and dictators, too. That said, as mentioned before, it’s also full of love and teachers. You have to decide which one you are and if you’ll make space for the other.
For every post where practioners of the Craft say “you’re doing it wrong” there’s at least one if not more with, “here’s what I do, maybe it’ll work for you, too” post. I tend to be attracted to the latter and try my best to model it as well. The former however seems counter to all that Witchcraft offers those on its path.
That said, we all get in a mood sometimes and it’s easy to hit that button and bomb a missive into the ether of the Internet. So perhaps we need to ask ourselves – this is something I tried to get teach my children: T.H.I.N.K. Before You Speak (or post, as the case may be).
This poster hung in our home while our kids were still living with us. It’s a great guide for social media posts, too.
Let’s look closely at those parameters again:
T – is it True?
H – is it Helpful?
I – is it Inspiring?
N – is it Necessary?
K – is it Kind?
If what you’re about to put out into the world as a constructive criticism is a knee jerk, maybe take a breath and run it through a filter. And I don’t mean the Moon filter, but rather, check whether it supports the T.H.I.N.K. frame work. Because otherwise, edicts of “you’re doing it wrong” will fall flat and maybe even get you your own cancel hashtag.
In regards to being a witch and practicing, I believe, and most witches I know do as well, that inclusion is the key to determining if you’re walking a legit path. Do we want to exclude hate and oppression? You betcha! Do we want to include as many people into the world of magical practice? Without a doubt! Prostelyzing is not a core tenet of Witchcraft, which in itself may open the door to these Negative Nancies. But how we leverage inclusivity is just as important as not being exclusive in our creeds. Ranting “you’re doing it wrong, you need to do it like me!” isn’t very inclusive. Refer back to T.H.I.N.K.
Honestly, if someone is doing something that you don’t find authentic, walk away. The Universe will teach that person in due time. And we all started somewhere. As someone who has spent most of her life in the broom closet, huzzah for photos of Tarot spreads, tiktok quick spells for the New Moon, and notifications of the Cosmic Weather. How wonderful that people can be so open with their Craft. Unless someone is being hurt physically, emotionally, mentally, or financially, calling out someone who practices the Craft differently than you do amounts to being a bully, mean girl, and a general judgie mcjudgy pants.
Witches have been judged for too long. Acceptance, leading by example, and minding our own path seems way more like being a Witch, than what the stereotypes would have anyone believe. Don’t understand why someone is practicing a certain way? How about opening up a dialogue and ask questions. Your questions and their answers may teach both of you something.
I was watching an Instagram Live hosted by a Witch last week. Don’t know her personally or even abut in her circle, but I’m always curious how other Witches and Pagans are dealing with life in modern times. Especially modern pandemic times. Anyhow, she mentioned something about silly Christians giving up something for Lent and how it’s so ridiculous (silly and ridiculous was language she used). But, I’m here to tell you that what that Witch didn’t know was that Lent has been practiced by Witches and Pagans for a very long time before Christians even coined the term.
For those of you who are long-time Country Dweller Podcast listeners, you know I am an active student of the history of Paganism and Witchcraft. I’ll prattle on and on if you let me. Fortunately for podcast listeners, MareLin always reigned me in. But because I have studied for many years about Paganism, Witchcraft, and comparative religions, I repeatedly learned or found evidence that Lent is actually something Pagans have practiced for eons. Like many other Sabbats throughout the Wheel of the Year which have found their way into the Christian calendar, Lent is as well.
In its Old English form, Lent means “spring” and derived from the formal “Lencten.” So how do we get from a word that means spring to a 40-day fast? There’s a few theories that hold up in many different texts.
Of note is the story about the Akkadian god, the great hunter Dumuzi (commonly referred to as Tammuz, the Hebrews’ name for him). He was killed while hunting a wild boar (this was his second death and his previous story also follows along the mythos lines of Jesus…but that’s another blog post). Followers mourned for him through weeping ceremonies and fasting from meat (boars are bad after all, they killed our god!) for 40 days.
In the old testament of the Bible, we have evidence this “Lent” ritual was even found among the Israelites during the days of Ezekiel. In Ezekiel 8:13-14 it is written:
“He said also unto me, Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations that they do. Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the Lord’s house which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz.”
This Lenten Tradition in Italy looks strangely Pagan.
Fasting, pushing the boundaries of flesh, weeping for what has been lost, are common themes throughout the Jewish, Islamic, and Christian faiths, and beyond. Noah et al were stuck in the Ark for 40 days and nights. Musa (Moses) spent 40 days on Mount Sinai where he received the 10 commandments. Prophet Yunus (Jonah) was in a whale’s mouth for 40 days. Jesus was tempted in the desert for 40 days. Muhammad was praying and fasting in the cave for 40 days. Some Russians, Bulgarians, and Serbs believe that ghosts of the dead linger at the site of their death for 40 days. Many Christian Filipinos mark the end of the initial mourning period on the 40th day after death, and have a mass said. They believe that the soul remains on the earthly plane for 40 days before entering the afterlife, recalling how Christ ascended to heaven 40 days after his resurrection. Let’s not forget, as well, the Corajisima, a traditional practice during Lent in Italy, specifically, Calabria and other areas of the south. She is the widow, of Carnevale, the embodiment of the revelries. After Fat Tuesday, when Carnevale dies, poor Corajisima remains alone. Usually depicted as an ugly, skinny old woman with a decidedly witch-like appearance, she represents abstinence in the Lenten period. There is a count-down wherein the feathered broom she rides gets plucked after each weekly mass until Easter arrives.
In Germany, there is also Fasnet, which I have experienced. It is the night before fasting, symbolically “carried to the grave” just before Ash Wednesday. Hundreds of figures clad in white sheets and black top hats form a funeral procession. A straw effigy of Fasnet is tossed into a stream, and at the stroke of midnight, Witches dance around a blazing fire and throw their brooms into it. When all the brooms have been burned and turned to ashes, winter is said to have been “swept away” for another year. However, you have to get through the Fasching first. And that takes 40 days.
A Southern Germay Fasching Hexen, aka Witch.
Lent is 40 days. However there is also about 40 days between Imbolc (especially Astrologic Imbolc as opposed to observed) and the Full Moon after the Vernal equinox. However, I won’t bore you with more academic records that suggest the fast indicated by the Apostles of Christ may have been misinterpreted from 40 hours to 40 days. It wasn’t until the Council of Nicea in 325 CE that the modern Christian celebration of Lent even began, and it didn’t quite look then as it does now. Human history can be quite the mishmash, yes?
My personal rearing included a very strict Christian environment. I went to parochial schools. I was required to practice Lent. And it was always very cleansing. I didn’t shy from it during those times and I often have practiced it as a long-time Witch. But, I would have to say that it looks very different from giving up meat or sweets or swearing or all the other things I did as a child and teenager living in my parents’ home.
Lent is now a time where I hold space for what’s important. It’s a time to refocus yearly goals, to realign, to adjust. It’s more of a doubling down. This season of Lent for me has been focusing on the basics of my personal spirituality. I see it more like after Christ was baptized by John, he skedaddled himself off to the desert to fast, meditate, and pray. And that has been the focus of this Lent for me. After my Crone Crowning and emersion into public Witch life, I am focusing on the voice of Source and its messages for me. Lots and lots of meditation, doubling down on my craft, and praying to the universe to help me use my talents, my knowledge as a Crone, to be my truest self and live my best life. Because when I am doing just that, I am blessing all I come in contact with and you can’t argue that is a bad thing.
Now if you want to give up chocolate or alcohol during this time, more power to you. But my Witch’s Lent, is more about sloughing off winter from self, home, and hearth, and making sure I’m square and centered before the big explosion of growth for Spring.
Regardless of how you observe Lent, I’m wishing these weeks to more light and warmer temperatures go fast and find us ready for all that Spring has to offer.
Using Your Dreams To Connect With Your Favorite Deity
Lucid Dreaming can be brought on by you or by a deity who wants to work with you.
Throughout my witch life my craft practice has not brought me to working with many deities. I would occasionally work with a deity as part of a moon circle or other gathered ritual, of which I have done sporadically over the past 40-ish years. There have been times when I’ve been respectful of deities, and provided an occasional offering (e.g. whiskey to Ran & Njord whilst living on my boat). Again, none of this is a regular thing. As you have likely realized and for which I’ve stated previously, I just prefer working my magic alone. Additionally, Nature Spirits and the larger Divinity of the Universe have always been more my jam when it comes to calling in some added magical energy. I’ve always been close to nature in everything I do, and it felt like I was working with my kindred there. It aligned with my own energy. But nothing in this realm ever stays the same, does it?
In that knowledge, I found myself wanting, not just considering, but like this sudden craving, to connect with more complete and powerful energies found often in deities. In short, I was being called. I have always been someone who appreciates the energies representative of certain goddesses and gods but didn’t feel called or the need to work with them.
But since becoming a more public witch, I’ve received many nudges and signs and dreams about working with deities, as well as the seeming involuntary urge mentioned above. As much as dream work, interpretation, dream recall, and astral projection have been a part of my craft and life, working with deities in it hasn’t been a thing. Now suddenly, they are intertwining and I’m finding myself feeling excited, charged-up, and at once, a bit of a nervous wreck. Yet, whenever you go out of your comfort zone those doubts and fears can percolate and swirl up. Basically, these deities are teaching this crone new tricks.
I wanted to share details with you; but, upon meditation was feeling like these deities wanted to keep things quiet between us and I agreed to just share aspects of the experience, including the spell work I did to open up the communications channels, and that working with them in dreams, not just in your magic work, is quite illuminating and satisfying. Standing in power together with them is validating and working with them through dreams can be quite the lucid experience. They are another way to learn more about your personal magic. Want to walk with a goddess and gods? Lucid dreaming is an excellent path to do so. Be prepared for some intense dreams. Not bad, just vivid and ethereal.
One deity that I’ve recently been called towards, sprinkled my dream walk with him with the scent of coconuts and tropical fruit. The journey to the realm we walked together in the visit via my dream was like walking in space without needing protection. We drank mead and ate fresh grilled fish whilst watching the natural activity of the lands between the oceans and mountains, where I currently reside. Another dream was an entirely different deity whom brought messages regarding my public practice and work I need to do to help others stand in their power and live their truest and best life. We weaved magic together and we walked in an ancient forest where I danced with upright cat-like creatures and then got down to the work of crafting spells and rituals. I’m still birthing the items in the Magical Flea Market that they showed me. My gratitude for this is endless and now altars to both these deities reside here at Villa Westwyk.
The beauty and messages were, in short, life affirming and almost professorial or parental. They do have things to teach us and are a resource at the ready if you approach them respectfully or accept their invitation. There is no demanding when it comes to deities, I have learned through my dreams, and any witch will tell you the same: You are called or they answer your polite petition.
Given these testimonies, you may want to open your dreams up to walks with certain deities. This is good magic for any Waxing Quarter Moon, like the one coming in a few days. But honestly doing lucid dreaming work with deities can happen any time. However, don’t feel like you have to do this. Working with deity energy is a personal choice.
Within the coming week, you will find a new spell bag in my Magical Flea Market that will assist you in opening up your craft to such lucid dreaming and deity walks. It is a new-and-improved version, including instructions, of what I’ve used for my own lucid dreaming to walk with the deities I have been called to work with these days; it sits charging on my altar through the waxing quarter moon, then it will be in the shop. It was something that has helped engage me with deities while providing protection and additional magic and energy to connect us.
Whether you decide to work with a deity or not, as always I wish you the courage to be your truest self and live your best life.
Learning to love and understand all that we are is a healthy pattern.
Witches and Pagans are typically a very inclusive group, until people start mentioning zodiac signs and talk astrology. Then it’s “those Geminis!” or “Are you kidding me? A Taurus?” As someone who has their Sun in Scorpio, I have heard all the things about how I’m “such a typical Scorpio…” and think about nothing but vengeance and sex. However, I’ve never been one for vengeance, it’s not worth my magic; and well, sex…sex is good. I mean, it’s a delicious part of life as a human, but I hardly think about it nonstop. My very first astrologic reading (decades ago) was very much what I have come to term as “Astro Profiling.” The reader seemed to pick not just every stereotype about Scorpio, but all the negative ones. Fortunately, I was not about to listen to that.
As we entered Aquarius season, I’m hearing all the things about how Aquarians are this and that. Married to one, I can attest that they are not these analytical, stand-offish creature; nor are they simply some kind of air-headed hippy child. Also, so many people were like “He’s an Aquarius; you’re a Scorpio, it won’t work.” After 15 years, I think we can prove that myth wrong. In short, none of us are the one thing! No two signs are exactly alike. If you know any twins, you know they are not exactly the same. Just because they look a like, they are not the same. No, they are individuals. Each of us is unique. We are not one thing or the other. We are multifaceted. Like any kind of profiling, Astro-Profiling is really not appropriate. I’m working hard to not fall into the trap of it. I’m hoping others will as well. In general, my hope with this post is to help us all spotlight and highlight where we have unhealthy patterns where astrology is concerned and how we might improve.
Now we’re all guilty of it. I mean, as much as I defend for all the Scorpios out there, or for the sun signs of all my loved ones — Aquarius, Pisces, Virgo, Libra… I’ve been known to talk shit about the Capricorns and Aries in my life. They make it harder to defend… but wait, see? That’s not all Capricorns and Aries. I know some pretty bitching people who are Capricorns and Aries. But many of them I’m not related to. Just kidding. Or am I? I mean if I was an Aries or Capricorn, I’d have a hard time believing some Scorpio was kidding. But that’s my point exactly. You have to believe a Scorpio is saying something nice about an Aries, and that Capricorns aren’t always as grounded and all-business as some people think. Think about it, have you used your sign as a crutch? Have you caught yourself saying, “Oh, sorry, I’m a Cancer, I can’t help it.” If you recognize that and your behavior is questionable, um, maybe you can help it.
This past year I decided that becoming even more versed in astrology was a path I needed to walk. What a blessing the Painted Goddess’ Astrologic Lab has been. The first class I attended was called “Everyone is a Virgo!” We happened to be in Virgo season during that, but each “season” our lovely professor astrologist brings that theme forward again: “We are all X sign.” Why is that? Well, of course there’s the influence of your rising sign and your moon sign, too. Then you have to know where the planets were when you were born. Does Mercury in Virgo affect how you communicate? You betcha!. How about where Venus was? Did it sit in Sagittarius when you were born, you better believe that will affect how you interact with people. Each planet, its aspects, how it sits and in relation to other planets and signs, they are a whole other piece of the pie that makes you who you are. So literally we all have more than our sun signs influencing us. There’s also Pluto generations and planetary returns (oh, hello Chiron!), and on and on. (If you want to know more, come join the lab!) You can see that it isn’t all one sided, or one-sign-ed.
I had just finished typing that paragraph and got pulled away from my studio because the familiars needed some outside time (oh my goodness it’s freezing out!), while I was waiting for them, I was scrolling Instagram and BAM! Serendipity how I adore you. @QueerCosmos (Colin Bedell) posted a quickie video about people basically doing the same thing, again RE: Aquarians. That Long Island accent makes it all the more poignant, don’t you think? <3 Ah, the collective conscience. It’s vibrations are everywhere. I felt so validated when I saw that post. Thank you, fellow astrology lover.
I mean it’s fun to see things about our sign we identify with, for sure. I’m guilty of sharing such things. How many of us have giggled and raised our hands and re-shared one of the tons of cute tik-toks and IG Reels that are like, “here’s my impression of all the signs ordering food in a restaurant”? Again, in the case of many of those, I think, “hey, that’s not me.” And that’s because…yep, you guessed it, it’s a stereotype, generalization, or just a weird interpretation (outlier) of the natal data. I would be remiss, as well, to not point out that our circumstances as we develop into the person we are impact us immensely, especially where all the “isms” are concerned — racism, classism, sexism, capitalism, and the like. These systems and applications to who we are hugely impact the kind of person we become, without a doubt. It’s not just about our birth date, time, and place.
Instead of astro-profiling, what we learn about tendencies in astrology about a particular sun sign are things we can use to understand ourselves better. Note I didn’t say judge ourselves better. Nope. Understand. Because isn’t that what the goal is of any of the paths we walk: understanding? Understanding of ourselves, our family and friends, our place on this planet and universe? When we reach that understanding we’re able to be our truest selves and live our best lives. So if you understand you’re a Cancer and you’re probably going to “mother” too much, you can check yourself before you wreck yourself. Follow? Understanding those tendencies lets us work towards a healthier way of living.
As with everything in life, as I’ve entered this crone phase, so much of what I deal with daily has become clearer, more focused, and I give much side-eye to anything “established,” except food forests. Established food forests are a good thing. 😉 Astrology and some of the profiling conventions which have been readily accepted are not established food forests. Let’s break that down and dispose of it like last week’s horoscope. If you can compost it, even better.
And let me clear the air right here, I don’t bite, even though I’m a Scorpio. ;P
You didn’t know that witches have special hangovers? Yep, we do. Just like overdoing it with alcohol, overusing your psychic energy can produce what feels very much like a hangover. When experiencing a psychic hangover, you may feel physically sick: fatigue, have a headache, feel nauseous or actually vomit, and or experience an extended period of malaise. Even the most practiced witch, medium, healer, and the like may fall to it, but if you are disciplined (oh, look, there’s one of the guiding principle words), you can prevent it. But to do that, we need to first understand how they happen.
In recent months as I’ve become a more and more public witch, my energy/magic/psychic output has spiked. If you viewed it in some sort of measurable graph it would look something like this:
And those highs notably follow a crash. And crash I did. How did I let it happen? I was feeling good and plain and simple was not careful. This is what happened, right around Samhain, I was doing rune casting/reading after reading, I had startedSolitary Shenanigans, and was doing daily dream interpretations. Additionally I was making magical things for my Magical Flea Market. The output was high and I was loving it.
Now, I’ve been doing those things for most of my life, but they were weekly at best, and sometimes I would go a good amount of time without doing any kind of psychic output. Life today is very different as I’ve found my new path with a constant focus on a magical life. Then the crash came. I was dumbfounded by why I woke up one day just absolutely drained. I felt hung-over but had not imbibed in my traditional nightcap of a shot of whiskey in the nights before. I couldn’t eat because I felt almost a sea sickness. My head throbbed and within a few hours I had a migraine as I’d not had in a very long time. For three days I could do only the bare minimum in my life. I had to cancel Solitary Shenanigans. And reschedule clients. Everyone was understanding. My clients were gracious. My Viking was supportive. During my recovery, it didn’t take me long to figure out what had happened. I had a magic hangover. My psychic output had been so intense, I’d overdone it. I burned my hedge witch candle at both ends. I got burned. And it hurt.
When I started coming out of the fog, I reached out to some of the other witches in my life, asking them how they deal and, more importantly, prevent such psychic crashes. All of them could relate and had lots of advice. All of them had learned the hard way, even when they had protected themselves, grounded themselves, and done other prevented measures. What I also gleaned from talking to my fellow witches is that appears that we all need to push ourselves to know where our limit is. Much like most adults know they can have “X” number of drinks so they stay away from a hangover episode.
MareLin, the PNW High Priestess, for whom I have partnered with for three-plus years doing magical work and The Country Dwellers Podcast, told me that many a witch can find themselves getting sucked in and drunk on the craft. She teaches new witches all about this through her Path Of The Moon Initiate – Foundation and its initiate course. Preparation and protection are key, she said.
Preparation can just look like scheduling things in a more meaningful and relaxed manner. My fellow witch, Jennifer Hryciw, aka Painted Goddess, who has the fabulous Astrologic Lab, told me that after her lesson of trying to do 30 readings in 30 days, she now knows she needs to only do three readings a week. Your mileage may vary, but other folks I spoke to have restrictions on how much they put out. It’s also why readings have the cost they do. If you’re making your living doing magical work — it’s still labor and skilled labor at that (but that’s another post…stay tuned).
Protection can be done by wearing specific wards, crystals, or casting a circle. When I do readings and do magical work, I call on my guides for protection and wear all the protective crystals, specifically black tourmaline and carnelian. I save circles for big ritual work, where I tend to expend a lot of magic. But I can put it in my playbook for later, if I’m feeling like I need a boost. However, I know many witches that don’t work unless they cast a circle, often calling forth the deities they prefer to work with. My circles tend to use elemental energy instead. But it’s a protective resource regardless and available to prevent a psychic hangover.
MareLin’s advice was echoed in Mat Auryn in his book Psychic Witch: A Metaphysical Guide to Meditation, Magick & Manifestation. He writes about the possibility of burnout and relays a story about his own experience with a magical crash. His experience was related to not grounding before practicing his craft. He also warns that continued pushing of the psychic limits without recovery or preventative measures can make you literally fry your ability to function. And ain’t nobody got time for that.
So how do we prevent getting a magical burnout or psychic hangover?
Like Auryn says in his book, the first thing to do is ground yourself. If you are unaware of how to ground yourself, there are a ton of resources out there. If you are wanting some guided grounding and meditative practices, besides reading books like Auryn’s mentioned above or Astrea Taylor’s book, Intuitive Witchcraft: How to use Intuition to Elevate Your Craft, I recommend you seek out someone like Tina at The Evergrove for guided meditation services which also incorporate grounding techniques. If you hurry you might be able to participate in a free session she’s giving Feb. 6 (2021).
But in my experience related above I did ground myself and still experienced a crash. So what do you do if you crash and need to recover? The Universe has just told you to sit you ass down, witch. You are going to have to rest. Much like recovering from the flu or a hangover. You need to hydrate. Drink some healing teas with a bit of honey. I know it sounds cheesy and cliché, but it works. Feed yourself whole foods. Nothing too high in fat, sugar, or carbs. Definitely nothing processed. As your energy expands, look at doing some light exercise like restorative yoga or a gentle stroll in nature (this is not the time to try to climb a mountain!)You can also look at doing some energy healing, like reiki or sound healing. I can recommend sessions from Steph Ananda, and her Ananda Industries offerings. Also, take a bath, if you’re able. A cleanse to purge the after effects of a magical binge is very healing.
A bath was a highlighted tactic and tip that Hryciw gave me when I reached out feeling blindsided by my psychic hangover. She told me, “If I could, I would do my readings from a bath, soak in those Epsom salts, and just charge me under the moonlight while I’m (doing) readings.”
I like it! Do your readings from a restorative bath!
But most importantly, you’re going to need to abstain from doing any magic. Seriously, give yourself a cease and desist order from anything magical. For some of us that may be tough. I mean I didn’t even do my daily coffee ritual or any kitchen witchery. We ate frozen leftovers and ordered in because I’m at the stage of my life where all kitchen work includes magical energy. For how long? Well, like everything in your practice that depends. You know you and your practice best. For me, the incident above took almost four days total to recover from. I didn’t even pull an oracle card or any small thing. Hell, I was in bed or on the couch for two of those days. You may need less time; you may need more. One thing to note is that magic hangovers get harder to process the more powerful a witch you are, or just how hard you tied on your psychic overdose. Make sense? Think back to how you could party in your younger days and still go to work in the morning (or for me, run in formation for six miles); but today, a hangover means you can barely get through the day or need to call in sick. It’s the same with your psychic (magical) energy.
Lastly, this whole experience made me recall the witch I learned the most from back in the day (you know before the internet, social media and people hearing the word witch daily), oh dear “LBT,” who wrote to me from her “Mushroom Cottage” responding to my gushing fangirling letter regarding her work. Told me to trust my gut and to rest as much as I work. And that’s how I’m playing it. In addition to preparation and protection, I’m balancing work and rest. Therefore, if I’m doing readings, for an hour. I rest for an hour, or two if necessary.
Appreciate you reading all the way through. If you have things you do to prevent a psychic hangover, please leave a comment below. And stay tuned next week when I tackle the subject of Dream Hangovers! Yep, there are those, too.
My baby arugula mini cold frame going gang busters. Before this photo is my 10th harvest.
Having fresh veggies is such a blessing from Mother Earth, but unless you have wilderness around you to hunt and gather, it requires a bit of work. However, for about a $10 investment, and a tiny space, you can have fresh greens on your table just about any time you want. I’m here to tell you how.
What’s your zone? First off, if you’re living in the upper reaches of Canada or Europe or certainly Alaska, this may not work for you. My growing zone here is 8a. The lowest mean average here ever is 9 degrees F, but that tends to be balanced out with getting up above freezing quickly before it dips back down (thank you wind from the Pacific Ocean). So far the lowest we have seen this year is 22 degrees F. But my baby greens mini cold frame just keeps giving me fresh veggies all fall and winter and if I keep harvesting, it will produce consistently.
What you will need: First off you need what will serve as your mini cold frame, a clear-bottomed storage container. The one I’m using was found at a local hardware store on sale (everything storage is on sale right now) for $5. I got some seeds on sale — just $2 — of some arugala (one of my favorite greens), and a bag of all-purpose potting soil. We have since expanded to include spinach and kale. Woohoo, power greens, baby! Just be advised that this is not the space to grow deep root veggies like carrots and beets and the like. Shallow things like greens, strawberries, or even lettuce would work.
Now you need to make sure the bag of soil will fit inside the inner rim of the lid. So get the measurements of your container before you purchase your bag of soil. I carry a small tape measure key chain in my purse for just such occasions.
Soil here in the Pacific Northwest can run anywhere between $3 for about 1 cubic feet (which is what you see in my photos here) to about $9 for the fancy organic stuff. For my experiment I went with the cheaper bag just to see how things went. Later on as I began to love this little gardening hack, I spent $6 on a bag(s) of soil. Since you can spend up to $6 for one harvest of greens at the market, I felt it totally worth it. You’ll also need a small watering can, but hopefully since you’re a witch, you have one of those. Grab an old pitcher, yogurt cup, whatever in the meantime if you don’t. Lastly you will need a box cutting knife. As a permaculture-focused food grower, a box cutter is part of my tool belt, since cardboard is used as weed block, path makers, etc. Box cutters with exchangeable blades run pretty inexpensively. If you don’t have a box cutter, you could use an exacto knife, or a pair of scissors you don’t mind getting a bit mucky.
Find a spot: You will want your little greenhouse to be somewhere it can get the most sun light possible, especially during the winter months. Ours are against the barn on a table on the north-end of our property, but face south. That’s prime, but honestly, when I started this, it was only getting eastern light and then a bit of south light, and it still worked. If you have questions about your particular set up and where it’s facing, etc. comment below and I’ll see if I can’t help you decide.
I have mine on top of a beat-up picnic table so I don’t have to bend to harvest; but, it can sit on the ground just fine. If you want to get it up off the ground you can use just about anything — an old filing cabinet, milk crates, heck some cinderblocks.
Put the lid where you want to keep your cold frame and put the bag of soil on it. Poke some very small holes intermittently all around the soil to allow for water drainage. You could use a screwdriver for this part if you like. Don’t make the holes too big or you’ll lose to much water.
Flip the bag of soil over and take the box knife, cutting a rectangle out of the soil bag, leaving a border of the soil bag so soil and seeds and the like don’t spill out. Now water the exposed soil and wait a bit — go have a cup of tea and take 10 minutes to be mindful. Or do a Chakra alignment exercise. You decide. Just let it sit while you focus on something else. For me, I went and pulled weeds in my herb bed. However, if you open up the bag and discover it’s super wet (which sometimes happens here in the PNW), skip the watering and just let it sit the same as if you wet it.
Once the moistened soil has sat for a bit, come back and take your finger, a trowel, the tip of your knife, your scissors, etc. and draw a serpentine pattern in the exposed soil. Be sure to pay attention to the depth suggested on the seed packet and don’t go too deep. Next you will sprinkle your greens seeds into the serpentine trough throughout the exposed rectangle. Gently push the soil over the seeds and do another light soaking of the soil. Put your cover on and wait. Now it’s time to talk to your seeds. Tell your baby greens how excited you are to meet them and that you will always take care of them. Or tell them whatever you prefer.
Be sure to check daily for soil moisture in these first couple of days. Seeds need a good bit of water to make sure they germinate. The moisture from the enclosed heat will help keep them moist, but be sure to check. Don’t forget. Add water as needed. Do not make mud. Just so that it’s moist to the touch.
Once the greens take shape, you may find you need to thin. Don’t thin too much as the you are harvesting these before they get to big and the plants close together help keep themselves warm. Once the shoots lose that little heart shaped baby leaves and have about a 1 to 3-inch regular leaf you can harvest. You are welcome to harvest the microgreens, too (those heart shaped leaves I was talking about), I just prefer the stronger flavor of the bigger ones. Snip with scissors and rinse and eat! Be sure not to pull the roots. You want your greens to keep growing. Add to your morning eggs, on your lunch sandwiches, or your green smoothies. So many options!
I love this little system so much, I had to do more. Here’s to having baby arugula, spinach, and kale all the time. No store needed.
One word of note, I recommend you turn the frame around so that the north side of it — however you have it oriented, gets flipped at each harvesting. Mine is oriented north to south, so I bring the north end to south at each harvest. That way the natural moss that will likely grow on the north end, doesn’t really have time to take shape.
Weekly check for water needs. The more you harvest, the more it will grow. Each frame for me gives me about two meals for the two of us each week. And I’m not stuck with plastic bags or containers from the market. So good for me and my planet. We started this cold frame back in Late October. From the first week of November, onward I’ve had a harvest of fresh greens at least once a week. That initial $10 investment has paid itself over nearly four times. I’ll take it! And all I have to do is walk out my back door, snip, rinse, eat!
If you wanted to grow a variety in one frame, you could do that, too. Just use 1/3 a packet of seeds per 3 varieties.
Knowing and growing your own food is so satisfying, I’d like to inspire everyone to do what they can no matter what kind of space they have. An apartment balcony? You can do this. A small city lot? You can do this. A condo with a small patio? You can do this. And on and on. You don’t have to be a declared “green witch” to have fresh greens right from your own sacred space.
My baby arugula mini cold frame post harvest. In another few days I’ll be able to harvest again. Love it!
Again, if you have questions, feel free to comment below and we’ll get you going on growing your own food. If you do undertake this quick and easy baby greens mini cold frame, let me know below how it works out.
Until next time, be your truest self and live your best life.
Sometimes language is used in a specific way; sometimes it’s unnecessary.
During my 20s in my life as a witch, I learned from my very first coven (also the one that made me realize I was more powerful as a Solitary), the practice of spelling magic, as magick, adding a ‘k’ to the end of the common word magic.
That was nearly 30 years ago (yikes!). Since then I’ve interspersed that spelling when speaking to my craft, spells, feelings, vibrations, anything I wanted to code as belonging to my practice of witchcraft. However, the inner editor in me and pin-up grammar girl rejected it consistently throughout those decades. Now I’ve slowly been undoing the practice of the use of the ‘k’ when referring to magic.
Now, if you’re a witch and use the ‘k,’ that’s your prerogative; but, I’m feeling more and more that it harkens to things that don’t resonate and certainly raise some flags for me personally. But as I always say, you do you, witch. This article only relays why I’m choosing to spell magic without the k. Before I detail why I’m choosing to lose the ‘k,’ let’s take a look at where the practice of that within witch circles began.
The practice ‘magick’ apparently was popularized by the infamous Aleister Crowley when referring to work within the occult or mysticism. That spelling was then adopted by Gerald Gardner, the father of modern Wicca, and, L. Ron Hubbard of scientology fame. Crowley, who focused much of his practice on sex magic while under the influence, often explained the use of the ‘k’ at the end of magic to distinguish himself from the likes of the illusionist Houdini’s of the world. Crowley was also a big believer in numerology and having a six-letter word for an action we signify with mysticism felt more accurate and important to him. The number 11 was significant to Crowley also, which is the position of ‘k’ in the alphabet. Clearly it was a ‘thing’ with Crowley and he had to make sure everyone else knew it was a thing. He needed something to distinguish his magic from a top-hatted scarf wrangler on stage.
When you search further for the origins of its use, you will uncover there are multiple ways of spelling magic throughout the ages, including writings that date back well before Crowley ~ 16th century. The tl;dr of this is that language has not always been standardized. Anyone who knows me, can tell you my word nerd quotient is a bit high. I’m a complete language dork — it’s hard to be a writing witch and not have some love for all that is words. Old and Shop used to have an extra ‘p’ and an ‘e,’ but no longer do. How it sounds when you pronounce it is exactly the same, whether it’s old or olde, shop or shoppe. It is the same with magic. If you say magic or magick, it sounds the same. You don’t add an extra ‘k’ sound at the end and sound like you’re a skipping record.
Also, given that my favorite season is The Fall of the Patriarchy, I am fully suspect of Crowley, who by all accounts was a power-seeking drug & sex addict. My gut tells me that the bawdy accounts of his “True Will” efforts was less than sincere. My gut is my intuition and every flipping time I don’t listen to it, I get burned. If Crowley is the reason modern witches use the word Magick, I’m not buying it.
There is also this scratchy voice of my ancestors in my head screaming that we are magic and we don’t need to spell it separately or make it something different. We already are lumped in with “other” in so many ways as witches, we don’t need something else to signify we walk a different path. We are magic. We own it. We don’t need the extra ‘k’ to detail that.
Again, there are many within the witch community who use it with a K, and as I admitted, I have in the past. I’m not against it, simply don’t feel the need to use it that way myself. You may need the ‘K;’ I don’t. I am claiming the simple common word magic for everything that I practice as a witch. If you feel so called, I’m here to give you permission to do the same. If you need the K — I hope you have a reason beyond some of those above.
Let me know how you use the word and what your preferences are.
My principles ended up with nine; yours may be more or fewer. What number did you arrive at when you thought about it?
Right around my solar return in November, a question was posed to me — and honestly, I don’t recall where it came from — I mean, obviously, Source. But what vehicle for which the message was delivered, I’m unsure of, and does it really matter? Not really, except to understand that we can get messages from Source or our Spirit Guides in just about any manner. We need to allow ourselves to be open to receive it.
This particular message was regarding my Personal Guiding Principles, my own witch’s creed if you will. It was then it occurred to me that I may not necessarily be able to spout out something succinct. But in the complicated world we live in, can such things be succinct? Perhaps. Regardless, I had my mission and set out over the last months to detail exactly what they are.
I set about by meditating, first. I imagine if you had been a dragonfly on the window sill of my studio I would have looked quite the stereotypical new-age westerner. Lotus position. Lights dimmed. Candles lit. Incense wafting. But, hey, it worked. I saw words flash into my mind’s eye. I saw little vignettes when in my life I had exhibited the words in my head. It was almost like a beat as I breathed in and out and focused solely on the things I hold dear.
Following meditation I did some automatic writing. This is when I just let things flow out from my hand to the pen and paper (or keyboard, if appropriate). What followed was a bit of a mess, which it normally is and requires much interpretation and revision. After the follow-on editing, I produced my personal guiding principles. They are not in any kind of order, just as they came out of my head. All nine are important regardless of order. I do find it interesting that there are 9, as that is an important number to me, but that exploration is for another day. However, what I did notice is that there’s a bit of a mnemonic to it. I call it my WiTCH D-REPS. I’m sure you’ll be able to figure out why.
My personal guiding principles:
Worth:Know your worth; understand you are a survivor. Prioritize your well being. You are worthy.
Truth: Is it true? Truth in speaking; truth in writing; truth in expression; what does your gut say? Do not dismiss your truth meter, your gut.
Courage:To do the hard work, even when it pushes me physically, mentally, emotionally (out of my comfort zone). Kill your fear, witch.
Honor:To do the honorable thing even when no one is looking; to honor the planet and its creatures.
Discipline:Take small steps each day; even if you don’t finish, showing up is half the battle. One step forward every day (even if it’s just taking a shower); this includes practicing patience.
Respect:Self, Others, Earth
Energy:It is in us; all around us; we must be cognizant of how it is connected and used.
Perseverance:Never Give Up!
Self Reliance:Take care of yourself as much as possible and as independently as possible so you are able to help others with ease.
As the new calendar year unfolded, it may have seemed very basic to be examining such things, but honestly, in my more than half century alive, I haven’t sat down and said, here’s what guides my life. So, as our nation faces great threat from right inside its own borders, and a deadly virus rages without containment, it seemed as good a time as any. I mean, #Ronalife, right?
Now I imagine this will be what is called a “living document” and I’ll add and adjust as I focus even more on it. But these words basically could be tattooed on me and they wouldn’t change. Therefore, at present, I feel like these are a solid foundation to move forward for the next half century of my life.
Do you have a personal creed or guiding principles? Have you attempted to write or author your own? I’d love to know how you approach this if you call yourself a witch, pagan, or a mystic.
Wait? We’re still in the Pandemic! How are you exploring? More on that below.
Last year was, well let’s be frank: a complete shitshow. Like many folks in 2020, my life was turned completely on its ear and I’m still trying to recover from all that the year brought, most explicitly the global pandemic that is Covid-19. Because of it this now formerly traveling witch (maybe I should do a sigil representing that ala Prince?) is not traveling any more. I know without hesitation it was the right choice to put all that travel on pause and hunker down. I’ve spent a good three months in shock once we made that move and another three months grieving, all while trying to process the trauma that the sudden life change deposited on myself, my Viking, the rest of my family, and friends.
I lost a lot of hope in the bulk of humans on this planet since March 2020; but, beginning in June, I found a new tribe, anchored by some very dear ones, that has blessed my life in innumerable fashions, and for that I have to thank the fall-out that was 2020.
I’m still grateful for all the traveling I (we) did do between Oct. 2018 and March 2020. It was a leap of faith and a dismissal of fear that allowed us to sell everything and live nomadically. And I’m ever grateful for the strength and heart it took for My Viking and I to do that. But by mid-April we recognized that such a life relied on the world being healthy and much more peaceful than it is now. And while we waited for things to return to an improved version of The Before Times, we needed space to prepare for the next chapter. In between we could make some plans to enact some strategies and apply some lessons we learned during our time living alternatively as we were. When I look at my natal chart, it all makes sense. But I digress.
Today’s entry is about my word for 2021, which I notice a lot of folks have adopted. It’s something I’ve personally done for many years. A word or a mantra each year. To come up with it a spend a good bit of time around the end of the calendar year journaling and meditating. Some automatic writing and a bit of dreamwork lead me down the path to find a good focus for the months to come.
My word this year is Explore. That is the part of traveling that I miss the most, that facet of exploration that goes hand-in-hand with it. Although exploration will look much different than travel life, but it will still be thrilling, enlightening, and educational. I have a list of things I want to explore, to include some that will end up populating my public witch life, so you will eventually find them in this space.
As January really gets rolling and many of us here in the States are focused on Inauguration Day, I can say that I’m more focused on the positive things I can bring into my life, be it a borrowed book from the library, a walk along an empty (hopefully) trail, or trying out a new recipe. Exploration will be my balm to distract me from the fact that I haven’t been able to hug my kids at this point in more than a year. Exploration will be my drill sergeant to tear down the old me and build up a better self. Exploration will be the compost for 2021 to enrich my life and let me grow. Exploration this year, for me, will be magic.
Tell me what word or words you are focusing on for 2021? How did you come by finding this new focus? Where are you sprinkling magic, growth, and exploration for your year ahead? I’d love to see your comment below so we could chat further on it.
I’m doing a little giveaway because in 2020 my life turned upside down (I know, join the club, Runa!). Because of ::gestures wildly at the state of the world:: I was led to open my Magical Flea Market and easing down the path to public witch life.
The response from all of you to that move has been steady and clearly building. I feel very blessed. With each new heart on my Etsy shop, every new order, each Solitary Shenanigans attendee, and all the positive energy being shared, I see a clearer path to living a magical life and sharing my gifts.
The people I’ve connected with through this have often become much more than customers and I see new expansive horizons for 2021 for this path I’m on. Giving back seemed a natural part of this journey. Therefore, I’m giving away a Year Ahead Runic Reading, which gives you a full Elder Futhark reading. This includes a digitally sent transcription with photos. You will also receive a coupon for a 50 percent off coupon for a future triple rune casting for you to use or gift for later.
But you need to enter the giveaway. Here’s how you do it:
