You are browsing the Blog for magick.

365 Days of Yule Tree Magick

January 17, 2013 in Everyday Magick

The holiday season is over and now the task of taking down all those holiday decorations is nearing completion.  Away go the twinkle lights, the brilliant ornaments, the Santa and nutcracker collections, and, alas, the festive greenery that decked the halls for the past few weeks.  As much as I can’t wait for my house to get back to normal, I am saddened to see them packed into boxes until next December.  If you are like me, the thing that is missed most of all is the Yule/Christmas tree, standing tall in all its adorned brilliance and fresh pine scent.  Yet, the Yule tree does not have to go far.  It can be tucked away into parts of the home and yard for a little bit of Yule tree magick all through the coming year.

After the ornaments, tinsel and lights are removed, our tree is carefully removed from its stand and taken into the back yard.  Using my best and sharpest garden shears and thanking the tree with each snip, I go through the tree, branch by branch, removing those that will be used to freshen the vases in the house and on the altar for the Winter.  The old and drying evergreens are taken from the vases, put out over the garden beds to insulate them for the Winter, and replaced with the fragrant fresh branches.  I will tuck flowers, like white roses or forced forsythia branches, in among the evergreens.  This is especially beautiful at Imbolc, when we are looking forward to the coming Spring but still mindful of the cold barren Winter.  Some of the smaller tree branches can be shaped into pentacles, using floral wire where each branch connects to the next.  Fresh flowers or herbs can also be wired into these and make aromatic wards to be hung on doors and in windows.

There are always a few branches that are oddly shaped and cannot be used in floral arrangements or wards.  I hang these as I would herbs to dry.  When ready, I strip the pine needles from the branches and store them for use in incenses, oils and other brews throughout the year.  An incense made of crushed pine needles and cedar is a fragrant purification in Winter for the home.  The needles can also be used for a spiritual cleansing bath.  A pine branch makes a wonderful substitution for a broom to “sweep” an area before spellwork or ritual outdoors.  Another magickal property of pine is fertility.  With this in mind, I use pine branches to insulate the garden through the Winter.  As I place the branches over each garden bed, I envision the abundant flowers, herbs and vegetables that will grow in the coming Spring and Summer.  Smaller branches are also set aside to dry out for kindling for our back yard firepit.  We burn these branches to “clear the air” before family and friends gather for fun or celebration.

Once the Yule tree is stripped of the branches, it is time to put the trunk to good use.  A piece is always cut from the bottom first for next year’s Yule log.  In some years, the trunk has been cut into pieces and used as firewood (although it MUST be very dry to burn properly with the least amount of smoke).  Another year my husband made Winter candleholders for the altar.   Last year, we decided to create some very natural and practical magick for our backyard with the Yule tree trunk. We turned it into a feeding station for birds and small furry critters.  We placed it into the wall of our rock garden and used it to hang suet feeders, seed balls, overly ripe fruit and even corn cobs.  This attracted a variety of new birds to our yard and kept our usual feathered residents quite happy.  Species of butterflies not seen before in my yard gathered around orange slices hung there.  Bees also were attracted to this.  After checking it out for a while, they would go to work in my vegetable and herb garden.  It became part of the natural magick of the gardens and an attraction of sorts for the neighbors.  This year, we are using the trunk for a more practical purpose: a coat rack.  We are going to leave some of the thicker branches, stripped of needles and shortened, on the trunk and place a base on it.  First we must research how to get the sap to dry out or to keep it from leaking out.  Who wants to put on a jacket and have it stuck to your neck with pine sap! 

There is one more way to create some magick with that Yule tree that may be late to mention but worthy to note.  It may only apply to those on the East Coast right now.  Many communities at the New Jersey, Delaware and New York shores that were damaged by Hurricane Sandy are using Yule/Christmas trees to rebuild sand dunes.  The trees are placed on their sides, end to end, and catch sand as it is swept across the beach by the wind.  This then forms sand dunes naturally.  If you have not already repurposed your tree or had it removed to the local recycling center to be mulched, check with local officials to see if your tree can still be taken to a shore community to rebuild the coastline.  What better magick is there than healing Earth’s wounds!

Above all, keep your Yule/Christmas tree from just ending up in a trash heap somewhere.  Think of all the ways it can be used for other purposes, whether it’s gardening, magick, furniture-building, or even firewood.  Ask your neighbors to do the same, even if they just end up giving you the tree to reuse, recycle or repurpose.  Look into your local county’s policies about holiday tree removal and recycling.  If they don’t recycle it for mulch, take it to a local garden or landscaping center that will do this.  The Earth gave the tree to you and so it must be returned to Earth.  This is the greatest magick you can perform.

Tags: , , ,
No Comments »

Autumn in the Magickal Garden

September 27, 2012 in Everyday Magick

Autumn has arrived.  The wheel of the year is turning into its final stages before beginning again.  The days are becoming cool and crisp here in Pennsylvania.  The nights are growing longer, with the sun setting earlier and earlier with each passing evening.  Day by day, the trees are drifting from various shades of green to brilliant yellow, vibrant red and glorious orange.  The petals of the coneflowers have fallen away to reveal seed pods, ripe for the birds’ picking.  The sound of acorns dropping from trees can be heard here and there and the squirrels scamper to gather them.  The leaves of the lilac bush are browning at the edges and preparing to make their final descent.  As a Pagan, as well as a gardener, I celebrate these changes, knowing that renewed life is only a few months away and all will return in the Spring.  In the meantime, it is time to prepare the garden to aid in that regeneration, to ensure the return of my herbs and flowers, to keep the soil fertile over the Winter for vegetable planting in the Spring, and to keep the magick flowing during the dark cold days of the months to come.  The third and final harvest is upon me.

First and foremost to receive my attention will be my herbs.  It was a truly successful and abundant growing season for them.  The basil, sage and rosemary are like small bushes.  The oregano and marjoram continue to send out tendrils across the soil.  The chives have brought the last of the bees with their white blossoms.  The lemon verbena grew so tall that I had to tuck its unruly branches into a trellis so it would not overshadow other plants.  For the first time since beginning my journeys as a Pagan gardener, I was able to grow and harvest lavender and chamomile this year.  Yes, it was truly wonderful.  But now it is time to begin harvesting everything, for drying, freezing and giving out to friends and family.  A person passing by may hear me talking out loud to the plants, apologizing to them as I cut them back, thanking them for their beauty and fragrance through the Spring and Summer, and explaining to them their future purpose and uses. For me, this is a very important part of gardening, especially in a magickal garden.  Talking to the plants, showing them my love and respect, and giving them praise and thanks connect me to their energy and the energy of Mother Earth.

The vegetable garden is waning quickly now.  I have already removed the dead tomato stalks and withered cucumber vines.  They succumbed to the extreme Summer heat in early August, even after a last ditch resuscitative effort which consisted of daily watering, shading and supportive and encouraging words.  In an attempt to bring more bees, I allowed the broccoli to go to flower in mid-August and it too was recently removed.  The brussel sprouts are still in what I call an “experimental phase”.  At times they look like they are growing into actual sprouts and, at others, they resemble tiny open cabbages.  Needless to say, I don’t think I will be planting them next year.  I guess I just don’t have a green thumb when it comes to brussel sprouts.  Soon, I will harvest the last of the zucchini, peppers and eggplant, thanking them with each clip.  In looking forward to next year and with this week’s waxing moon, I planted garlic, something new I am adding for next year.  A gardening friend told me that garlic is her student, meaning that she plants it when the kids go back to school in September and harvests it when school lets out for the Summer in late June.  (I love getting wise advice from my fellow gardeners!)

As harvesting winds down, the final clean up begins.  Any bulbs to be planted in Autumn are put carefully into the cooling soil.  Trees, shrubs, vines and perennials in need of routine Autumn pruning receive that attention.  The leaves are raked up and either placed into the garden beds for mulching over the Winter or put into the compost pile for use in the Spring planting.  The bird baths and feeders are cleaned.  Some are put away but most remain to nourish our feathered friends who remain in the gardens for the Winter.  I place fresh nesting hay into the birdhouses in case any of them seek a warm dry shelter on a cold snowy day.  The garden decor that can be damaged in Winter storms and freezing temperatures are sadly put away in the garage or the basement.  The adirondak chairs on the patio are left out through the Winter because a fair day may dawn and I may be able to enjoy a hot cup of tea outdoors.  Then the task of preparing the soil for next year begins.  I’ll work the fallen leaves into the very top of the soil to break down for future nutrients, put down a layer of “Black Gold” from the compost pile, and finish with a layer of hay or leaves to insulate the beds over the Winter.  With each layer, I will send my intent for a fruitful and abundant growing season in the coming year through to the soil.

Finally, when all is harvested, insulated and prepared for the Winter, I bless the gardens.  I usually do this in the days leading into Samhain.  I take salt, water and a smudgestick, made from the sage from my own garden, to every nook and cranny of the yard, thanking the Goddess and God for the abundant blooms, herbs and vegetables and for the birds and critters that graced our yard this year.  I ask them to nurture the plants and bulbs in their Winter slumber in the soil and for their joyous and abundant return in the Spring.  I ask for protection for the sleeping gardens and for our furry and feathered friends who remain in the Winter to find a safe haven with us.  I reinforce the protective rune stones at intervals on the boundary of our property (of which I wrote in a previous article) and ask the Goddess and God to keep our home protected through the Winter’s harsh storms.  I then leave an offering of milk and honey along with a few small crystals for the faeries who reside in the garden, thanking them for their presence and asking them to remain as protectors of the garden and the wildlife that will seek shelter and food there.

As the wheel of the year ever-turns, so too does the circle of life in my gardens.  They are in near-perfect sync.  It saddens me to think of the mostly empty and barren garden beds.  But, as I set about the harvesting of herbs, garden clean-up and soil preparation, I will be thinking of next year’s plantings, the beauty that awaits us in late March and early April, and the blessings to be bestowed upon us throughout the coming year.

Blessings to All!

Tags: , ,
1 Comment »

The Magickal Travel Bag

July 19, 2012 in Everyday Magick, Pagan Spirituality

Here inSoutheastern Pennsylvania, we are in the throes of Summer, with heat wave after heat wave rolling over us and lingering for days at temperatures around 100 degrees.  When you factor in the high humidity, some days can feel like over 105 degrees.  Through all of this, I find myself counting the days until our Summer vacation at the beach.  I can’t wait to get myself into the cooling blue saltwater of theAtlantic Ocean, dig my toes in the sand, and take long walks at sunrise or sunset in search of shells and other gifts from the sea.  Very soon I will pull out the luggage and begin cramming it with all the needs for a week at the shore:  clothes, shoes, flip flops, bathing suits, towels, sheets, bath products, make-up, first-aid items, and, of course, I must not forget, my magickal travel bag, or as my husband calls it, my “Bag of Tricks”.  After all, every good witch knows that a little magickal intervention may be needed while on vacation.  And when you are going on vacation with a family the size of ours (there are 16 of us this year), a little magickal intervention is most always needed!  Whether a quick divination is needed for a family member or a full moon is rising over the ocean and we all need Her blessing or a quick spell for prosperity is in order to stretch the finances for the week, my bag of tricks has everything for on-the-go magick.

The bag itself can be any size, any color, any fabric.  It can even be a hard case.  If you like to sew, you can make one yourself, decorating it with all sorts of magickal symbols.  Not being that crafty myself, I have settled on a large make-up bag I got at a department store as part of a “you spend so much money, get this free” deal.  As soon as I saw it, I knew to what use it would be put.  I took it home, smudged it with a bit of sage, charged it on my altar for a while and dedicated it to its new magickal purpose.  I put a few sprigs of lavender in it to keep it smelling fresh and put it away until vacation time.  The bag gets recharged and rededicated each year on the full moon before vacation to keep it in magickal working order. 

The first things usually to be packed into my bag of tricks are things for my temporary vacation altar.  I have a tiny goddess figurine, only about an inch tall, in its very own small blue velvet bag to protect Her.  She usually goes wherever I go in my handbag.  She’s my Goddess-On-The-Go.  I use this figurine to set upon any surface I choose to use as a small altar for the week.  If I feel I need Her with me, at the beach or on the boardwalk, I can just tuck her back into the velvet bag and into my pocket or handbag.  A small pentacle and a moonstone accompany Her at all times and also are put on my vacation altar.  I bring representations of the four elements: a feather for air, a seashell for water, a round smooth stone from my garden for earth, and a small red tealight candle for fire.  I am still searching for the perfect little Green Man to represent the God but until then I use a small golden wooden sun that fell from a Yule/Christmas ornament long ago.

I always try to bring several white tealight candles as well as some colored ones.  They can easily be rubbed with oils or have herbs tucked beneath them within the small tin cup for burning.  I prefer to bring herbs rather than oils because I have had the oil leak out into the bag a few times. I keep it very simple though.  A few pinches of yarrow, an all-purpose mackical herb, and chamomile, a few dried sage leaves, a few lavender buds, and a few sprigs of rosemary in snack baggies are all that accompany me.  I have found that large family vacations can kick up a lot of frustrating energies and these five herbs help dispel the bad vibes, cleanse the air and promote peacefulness.  They also can be used for their healing properties if a Summer cold rears its ugly head.  Another snack baggie is filled with a must-have, sea salt.  I also travel with a few crystals, chief among them are hematite for grounding and harmonizing energies, aquamarine for tolerance and perception, amethyst for spiritual wisdom, and a tiger’s eye for balance.  A few sticks or cones of incense also come for the journey but I rarely use these as they can really call attention to a magickal endeavor with their heavy scents.

The magickal travel bag would not be complete without a few divinatory tools.  My good old Rider-Waite Tarot deck and my bag of runes must come along for the trip.  I like drawing a rune daily for guidance, just a quick peek at what may be in store for the day.  The tarot cards are there just in case someone needs a reading or if I sense some real undercurrent of familial upheaval on its way and need confirmation.  I also like to just sit and shuffle my cards from time to time, to season them and to stay connected to them. 

Lastly, I add a bit of all-natural and magickal first aid to the bag.  Some Bach Flower Remedies including Rescue Remedy, which can be used for humans or pets in times of extremely high stress, injury or illness, two or three tins of herbal balms for sore muscles, tension headaches or stress reduction, and some specially-blended herbal tea bags, for colds, sleeping problems, and other general ailments round out my bag of tricks for all-natural and magickal first aid.

In addition to my magickal travel bag, a book or two that nourish my spirit and keep me on my path, some oldies but goodies, must always journey with me.  Sometimes it is Marion Zimmer Bradley’s The Mists of Avalon or Starhawk’s The Spiral Dance or Book of Shadows by Phyllis Curott.  Whichever one or two I read as I sit in my beach chair by the edge of the sea or on the screened porch of our rental property, I know my connection to my spiritual path and to Mother Earth Herself will be strengthened and enforced throughout vacation. 

If you too are preparing for vacation or if you are planning already for next year’s, think about what your magickal needs will be.  Pack that magickal travel bag so that you’re ready for anything.  It can be as simple or elaborate as you wish.  Add to it with some of nature’s gifts from the sea or the woods that you find along your travels.  You never know what treasures you may discover for your vacation altar.  You can even create a smaller version of this magickal travel bag to go everywhere with you, in your handbag or backpack, in your car, wherever, so you are prepared for magick everyday.  Happy magickal traveling, Everyone!

P.S.:  As I will be on vacation for a couple of weeks, I won’t be posting an article again until Thursday, August 16th.  Feel free to contact me via e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, The Pagan Village or, here, The Pagan Household.  I will be checking in!  And I will have my notebook with me to jot down many ideas for my next Everyday Magick article for the Pagan Household and then some!  Happy Lughnasadh!

Tags: , ,
No Comments »

The Magickal Bulletin Board

July 5, 2012 in Everyday Magick

In the kitchen of my childhood home, my mother weaved a lasting magick, whether she knew it or not, that I carry on to this day in my own home.  In what I guess someone thought was classic 1950’s style, the walls of that small kitchen were pink formica.  Yep, that’s right, I said pink!  My mother hated it.  In fact, I think it was the only thing about her house that she truly disliked.  She longed to change the kitchen, but with my father teaching at a Catholic high school and with her being a stay-at-home mom, funds were extremely limited.  Also, my dad was just not handy in any way, shape or form, so the possibility of a do-it-yourself remodel was out of the question.  So she had to rely on her creativity to delete the pink walls from her life.

I am not quite sure when she made the decision to do it or even when she began the project but soon those old pink walls were covered in an array of pictures from old magazines, old books and old calendars.  There were plates of elaborate meals, baskets of abundant fruits and vegetables, old English cottage gardens in early morning mists, vases of wildflowers, fairies playing around blooming bushes with butterflies, children with buckets wandering by the ocean, Janis Joplin laughing at the camera, a scruffy-looking Bruce Springsteen, the Lady of the Lake’s hand breaking the surface of the water with Excalibur, just to name a few.  It was a reflection of all the things my Mom loved, all that she held dear, all that she dreamed about.  Each time a picture began to fade or peel, another one was quickly found to replace it and glued over the old one.  It was a marvelous sight to behold.  The kitchen became a place where you could just sit for a while and daydream about those meals or those gardens or wandering that beach.  Visiting family and friends would look around for new additions each time they came to the house.

Years later, after my parents divorced and my mom’s then boyfriend, later to be her husband, moved in, she finally was able to get rid of those horrid pink formica walls.  My future stepdad set to work remodeling the kitchen.  Although it was good to see the kitchen being updated, it was sad to see those pictures torn down with the walls, lying in heaps on the ground behind the house.  To me, it was as if my Mom’s dreams were tossed on the trash pile.  I thought about how I could do this.  How could I continue this?  I was already settled in my first apartment and highly doubted my landlord would allow me to paper my kitchen walls with magazine pictures.  Then, while visiting my Dad at his apartment, I saw he had set up a bulletin board in his kitchen with an array of photos, magazine pictures and greeting cards.  Why couldn’t I do that?  In a week or two, I had a large cork board set up in my kitchen and was gathering old magazines.

At first, it was just a reflection of all the things I enjoyed and held dear but, as time went on and I married and had my son, it began to evolve into part of our Pagan seasonal celebrations.  As I set up my altar for the upcoming sabbat so too would I change the pictures on the bulletin board.  In Autumn, pictures of pumpkins, trees full of bright red and orange leaves, cornstalks, and Halloween greeting cards went up.  Winter brought pine trees in the snow, the sun rising over a frozen body of water, and cardinals perched on ice-covered branches.  At the Spring Equinox, seedlings planted in neat rows and faeries dancing in the moonlight in a flower garden graced the board and, as the Summer Solstice approached, gardens in full bloom, beaches at sunset and tables laden with salads and breads replaced them.  Each season, I also added my favorite pictures drawn by my son in his art classes, a pumpkin patch in the moonlight, a field of pine trees with Santa flying over them, a vase of spiraling flowers, and 4th of July fireworks chief among them.

The bulletin board has become a central part of our sabbat and seasonal celebrations but it has also become a place where we place our wishes.  A few years ago, I was reading a book called Cottage Witchery (Llewellyn Worldwide 2008) by Ellen Dugan, the Garden Witch (a book which I highly recommend for those wanting to bring magick to their life everyday).  In her book, she outlined creating a dream board to bring the things you dream about into your life.  It struck me as a brilliant idea and soon I began adding things as needed or dreamt about.  When my son was having trouble with his Math class, I tucked in a picture of his textbook next to one of a graded Math test with an “A” on it.  (If you’re wondering, he didn’t get the “A”.   He did pass with a “B” though!)  When there was some trouble or bad feelings among family members, I placed a picture of the entire family on the board, everyone smiling and getting along.  As I write this, my son is dreaming of getting a border collie so I fully expect to see a black and white furry face peeking out at me from the board any day now!

Our cork board is bigger than ever, taking up a whole section of a kitchen wall now.  Everyone I know gives me their old magazines or old calendars to look through before they toss them in the recycling just in case there is a picture I can use.  Every time I change the board or tack on a new picture I think of my Mom and how she would replace the old peeling pictures on those pink formica walls.  Sometimes I even feel her presence very close, as if she is right behind me looking and smiling over my shoulder at each picture that is placed.  Each season brings new pictures as the old ones fade or wear at the edges from the tacks used to hold them in place or as dreams come to fruition and new ones arise.  Our board brings magick to each of our Pagan celebrations and to our home and lives every day, just as my Mom’s pink formica kitchen walls did all those years ago.

Tags: , ,
2 Comments »

Everyday Protective Magick for the Home

May 24, 2012 in Everyday Magick

Summer is quickly approaching and its unofficial start is coming up with the Memorial Day weekend.  The thought of Summer brings many things to my mind – gardening, longer days, shorter nights, heat waves, and sun tans – but chief among those is the annual Summer vacation.  I look forward to spending days on the beach, swimming in the ocean, and sandy lunches and to nights of laughter, good conversation and good food, all spent with family and friends.  I also tend to think about leaving my home, gardens and pets for the week, mostly all alone except for the neighbor or family member yet to be given the honor of checking in on things daily.  Worry about their safety sets in and I begin to fret a bit about what could happen.  However, being a witch has its advantages.  While I take the necessary precautions to protect my property and pets in our absence, I also cast the necessary protective spells over my home to shield it and all in it from harm.

 I first thought of this protective spell when my son was having trouble with a kid in the neighborhood and this issue escalated as we neared time for Summer vacation.  I didn’t trust this young man at all and worried that he might damage or take something in our yard while we were away.  He had already attempted something similar, of which I caught him in the midst, and I did not want him to have the opportunity to try it again.  So, I set about doing some research and came up with this two-part spell to protect my home and garden.

 I first went on a nature walk and gathered as many round and flat white stones that I could find.  I took them home and cleaned then physically and psychically, preparing them for their new purpose.  I set them for a week or so to charge on my altar until the right time.  Then, on the night of the full moon before our vacation, I took the stones and a black magic marker into my casted circle to work with them.  I evoked the Mother Goddess, a fierce protector, to assist me in my endeavor.  I drew the rune of protection, Algiz, on each stone and, as I did this, I visualized them glowing with a purple light of protection that would become part of a protective power grid once all was in place.  After the stones were completed, it was time for part two of the spell.

 I took the protective rune stones and placed each one in an inconspicuous spot on the perimeter of my property and by each entranceway, doors and windows.  Starting in the North, the direction of Earth, Mother Earth and the Mother Goddess, I walked around my property, going from stone to stone, with a lit smudgestick of sage and lavender, herbs of protection, shielding, banishing and positive energy.  As I moved along, I envisioned that purple light emanating from each stone and joining with that of the next in a shield around my property and said the following:

 With lavender and sage, I cast this protective shield.

To those who mean harm, it will not yield.

For others whose intentions are pure and good,

May they enter to  peace, love  and a joyful mood.

Protective rune stones enforce this spell

To keep my home and garden safe and well.

 I repeated this along the way several times and, when I came to the last stone and returned to North, I said:

 For the good of all and with harm to none,

Shields up!  This spell is done!

 In the days since casting this spell, I have noticed some interesting things.  For instance, there are some kids who pass by my backyard after school as they venture down the alley that adjoins my house with the others in my row.  On occasion, I have spied one or two who reach out to touch a bird feeder or some other yard décor and pull their hand back quickly as if they have received a shock or thought better of it at the last moment.  I also have noted that friends or family who are carrying a lot of negativity seem to be uncomfortable upon crossing the magickal security grid and step back to the other side quickly.

I reinforce this spell often, usually on the full moon that falls around each sabbat, by simply walking the perimeter with the smudgestick and saying the charm again.  I also do this on Samhain in conjunction with my semi-annual magickal house cleansing.  I do find that I have to redraw the runes every now and again as well but, in the end, it’s all worth it.  I urge you to try this for your own home and yard.  Let me know how it works for you.

Tags: , , ,
3 Comments »

Show me the magic

May 15, 2012 in Walking Between the Worlds

When I first started telling people I was a witch, the first response I received from many was, “show me some magic.” At the time, I did’t really have a good response other than it just didn’t quite work like that. In this series, I will go through why it sometimes isn’t seen or perceived.

Now I do, and here it is.

First of all, it may even be happening right in front of you, but you would have to be ready to see it. Doubt or disbelief can blind you to it. There may also be times that if something is not what you expect to see, it if is not in your what your mind considers normal, you may even block it mentally.

Next, there is the acceptance of something as real or as happening. If you don’t accept it, even if its fact, it may not be recognized as magic. Don’t dismiss it as coincidence or chance.

Magic is a natural force, and as such follows natural laws. It is as much a part of real life, sometimes more so, than what you think of as modern life. Don’t expect the impossible. It is not the movies, a fantasy novel, or a game. Examine your ideas and conceptions about what you think magic is and how it works.

Even then, magic does not always work as we quite expect. At times it can be very literal. I’ve known instances where I’ve seen magic come about so literally, that is by the wording, it was humorous. Magic can have unexpected results.

Time can work strangely. Magic may work, or start working instantly, or take some time. It may take some timing and involve another event. The start of something working does not mean complete.

Magic takes will and intention to work, but if there is doubt , it can cancel out. Doubt is a type of non committed will, or willing something not to happen.

Oh, and by the way, because someones a witch or magical practitioner does not mean they are an illusionist, or entertainer.

Magic is a skill, a tool, a bit of a perk or a benefit and not a right nor a primary reason for my Pagan spiritual practice. It is not a toy or game, and should be used “in vain”.

The final, and primary reason some may not see magic, is that it involves the spiritual senses often. Being in tune with spirit, higher self, will, would help you recognize it in motion. As well spiritual and psychic types of senses which aid you in seeing magical energies and events, develop over TIME, through discipline, meditation, preparation.
Experiences are remembered and analyzed after the fact.

So that, cowan, is why I can’t SHOW you magic.

Tags: , , ,
2 Comments »

Everyday Magick of the Witch’s Kitchen Table

May 12, 2012 in Everyday Magick

Over the years, I have identified many magickal spaces in and around my home.  The family altar, located in the heart of my home, the dining room, serves as the central area for sabbat and other family celebrations.  My sun porch is where my herb plants spend the Winter, where I start seeds for the coming Spring planting, and to where I often retreat with the laptop to do my writing.  The garden is a place for full moon rituals, meditation, and natural magick.  But the place I have identified as having some of the strongest natural magical energy is my kitchen table.

For many Pagan families, the kitchen table is not just the place where they gather each day to eat, to catch up, or to make important family decisions but it is also the place where they mix up a batch of sabbat cookies or carve pumpkins for Samhain.  As I see it, all the energy raised by these occurrences needs to go somewhere, right?  Well, look no further than that kitchen table.  Each time a family congregates around a kitchen table to do any of these things, power is raised and the energy is sent out into the house and grounded into that kitchen table.  Coming to this realization several years ago, the kitchen table became more than just a mere place to eat and attend to the household needs of the day.  It became a magickal tool, used to bring healing, peace, insight and love.  With some simple magickal amplifications, this energy can be harnessed for everyday magick.

Start by keeping the energy of the kitchen table as positive as possible.  Let’s face it.  Sometimes some people have a bad day and bring that negativity to the dinner table.  Maybe you had to have a very difficult conversation with your child or with a family member.  That energy can affect the positive vibes of any magickal workspace.  Clean the table top daily.  Find a lemon-scented cleaner that will not damage the surface or, even better, find a natural lemon cleaner recipe and make your own.  A pine cleaner works well too.  You could also just use a bit of sea salt mixed into some water.  This purifies the table and keeps it free of psychic clutter.  At the big seasonal house cleanings, wipe down the entire table with these cleansers and, as you do, imagine a white light surrounding and radiating into and from the table.  Doing this increases the positive energy of the table.  Make the table inviting to others.  Place a candle and a small vase of fresh flowers or herbs upon it.  Keep a basket of seasonal fruits to bring nourishment to those who gather there.  (This also helps to keep the kids out of the cookie jar when they come in from school!)  A tablecloth in soft colors can also make people feel comfortable.  I like to stay away from those vinyl ones because people always seem to get agitated by them.  I’m not sure if it’s the way their arms stick to its surface on a hot humid day or the way it tends to slip occasionally.

Then start using your kitchen table for more than just the family meals or a place to sit and write out the grocery list or to pay the bills.  When a friend or family member comes knocking at the door seeking advice or help,  invite them into the kitchen for a cup of tea or a glass of wine.  If they are in need of spiritual guidance, offer to read the tarot cards or the runes for them.  While sitting with your morning cup of coffee, pull a rune for your daily meditation or write a spell into your Books of Shadows.  When each sabbat rolls around, use the kitchen table as your magickal workshop to prepare a Yule log, make corn dollies for Imbolc or cornucopias for the Mabon altar.  Gather the kids around to make Sun cookies for the Winter Solstice and to prepare the apples for the Samhain apple-bobbing.  If you are a gardener, in the Spring, sit at the kitchen table to plant seeds in starter pots for your herb garden and, in the Fall, to get those same herbs ready for drying.  Use it as a workspace to make candles, incenses, oils and herbal teas.  There are countless magickal activities to be done at the kitchen table that will enhance its energy.

Most of all, be mindful of what happens around your kitchen table.  As hard as it may be some days, try to always have at least one meal with all family members present.  The loving energy of this daily event will reach out to all who come to that table.  It will feel like a place of acceptance, peace, and understanding.  Hold family meetings at the kitchen table.  When difficult topics arise and anger is winning out, try using what I call the “Mommy’s Taking a Time Out” method before addressing the situation.  Excuse yourself calmly, walk away for a few minutes, do a little grounding and centering, and think before speaking.  Scan your heart and mind for the course of right action.  Now, this may be easier said than done sometimes.  So, should that anger take over, be sure to use a little extra lemon or sea salt on that next cleansing after waving the white flag!  Try to use the table for creating solutions to problems rather than a spot where everyone walks away angry or sad.  After all, creativity always brings about good things.

Next time, you walk into your kitchen, take a good look at that kitchen table.  If it could talk, what would it say to you?  Think of all the good things that have happened around that table, all the great meals you ate, all the events that occur there.  See it radiating love, peace, abundance and creativity to your family and home.  Know that it plays a part in the everyday magick of your home and your life.

Tags: , ,
No Comments »