Keeping in love with, keeping ready to sail….

There are days I don’t feel like a “suitable” witch. I don’t always have the moon phase in mind, I don’t have the tarot memorized, and I don’t have the wherewithal to direct my will at anything.

It’s hard to remember that witchcraft is not a 24/ job, nor is it a *job*. At the same time, it is not something we only do “for the ‘gram”. It’s not always going to be beautiful, sexy, and in a flattering light.

Sometimes a witch is tired. I feel that periodically, and I want to talk about it.

And the woman may truly care

But the woman is so tired

So the woman disappears

(C) Stevie Nicks, “Bella Donna”

There are days where we are all messy. There are days where we’re petty and small. There are days where we’re sweaty and our hair is mussed. There are days where we literally deal with shit from morning to night. These are not “Good Witch” days.

There may even be days we feel scared. We may feel like phonies. We may feel like we’ll be found out. Or we may feel angry. Maybe we are not in control or feel like we are not in control. We may feel shat upon by others. Sometimes we want to disappear.

It’s important to remember that even at those lowest moments, you are still a witch. You still have power. You still can make a difference in the world. You can do this, whatever it is, even when you feel like you cannot. You are wise, you are worthy, and you are powerful. It may not be dramatic and it may not be picturesque. But you will find what needs doing and do it. Esthetics and moods are great, but you are more than the surface. You are as deep as the sea and abiding as the moon.

And the lady’s feeling

Like the moon that she loved

Don’t you know that the stars are

A part of us

And the lady’s feeling

Just like the moon that she loved

And you say I never thought it could

Bella Donna

Come in out of the darkness

(C) Stevie Nicks, “Bella Donna”

4/23/18 Today’s card: Inverted 10 of Cups

Hello folks! Here we go on a Monday (for me) morning. I wanted to know what to look out for in the week ahead.

This is straight from my Evernote file where I (mostly remember) to record pulls. Some pulls are too private but this one I thought I’d share. So it’s highly idiosyncratic, but here we go!

Single card pull: theme or motif for this week. Inverted 10 cups

This is still a good thing, still a positive “omen” if you will, but there may be disillusionment or taking good fortune for granted.

“Homework”: What are 10 things I’m grateful for, right now? And how can I keep them in my mind?

1. safe and happy home

2. warm and loving partners

3. good food in the kitchen

4. healthy lovable pets

5. safe, usable car

6. good stable job

7. Healthy body

8. books, looms, etc

9. the ability to be open and relaxed in my practice

10. safe, untroubled sleep

Woolgathering:

Of course my list is relentlessly domestic. As is the card! And the suit – the cups are closely identified with my little family. Some of these are very homey, and in the case of the Queen, very practical. The iconography on the card is pretty heteronormative, but in tarot, couples and babies are not always couples and babies. Also, there’s a great big rainbow which is lovely and optimism-inducing.

But there’s also a lot of water. So there is an undercurrent (sorry) of flexibility and mysticism. But there can also be weakness – water takes the shape of whatever its’ in. It will not bend or break (in its liquid state). Then again….what is more powerful than water? It carves the earth, lets things grow, and covers most of the planet. So water is something to reckon with.

Normally I’m all about the mundane, the “everyday drag” of magic. Normally I am soil, rocks, stones, roots, bones. There’s not a lot of water in my metaphors, my thought process, or my practice. Maybe I should go to the well more. I am devoted to Brigid after all.

What puts me off about water, whether it’s water signs or “energy” is that it’s not strong and dependable. It’s not solid, I have trouble trusting large amounts of it. But it’s literally necessary for life. I also have trouble trusting myself. Some days I don’t trust the ground beneath my feet to stay there! But as a Brigid woman, I do turn to the element. She is fire and the well. Both things. Fire, that I’m used to, that I got a handle on. But going to the well. Maybe this is where I need my water to come from. Oceans are lovely (Hello Mannannan!) as are rivers and streams, but I feel better when I meditate on that well.

Conclusions:

Well, I did take the long way round, didn’t I? So how can I keep the things I am grateful for in my mind and not take them for granted? Go to that well. Whether it’s meditation, real-world work involving water (eg charities, cleanups, etc) or hydration. When I see it, when I feel it, I must think of what these cups contain and not loose sight of it.

New recurring feature: Tarot Journal

Hello anyone out there! I want to both get some more routine content on here and practice my Tarot skills. So I’m going to be posting entries from my Tarot journal. Normally, that is a idiosyncratic group of notes and abbreviations. However, it’s time to get it out in the open.

I’m going to start here, below the image, with a pre-Beltane spread I did for myself. This is pretty early for Beltane, yes, but given the business of my work schedule, I get my balls rolling ahead of time 😛

But first, some words about my Tarot practice.

The Deck

I have a few decks, but I only use the Golden Tarot by Kat Black. I got it as a Christmas/Yule gift and thought it was just going to be for display, because surely I need nothing other than Rider-Waite. HAH! I thought wrong.

Black’s Golden Tarot is composed of digital collages from various (European) late medieval/Renaissance paintings. I know this iconography like the back of my hand! So this speaks to me. Actually no, it shouts. I call this the “ton of bricks” Tarot because it is not subtle. I am startled by how close some of the cards hit, and how additional meanings pop up later.

How I pull cards

Normally, I shuffle 3 times, cut the deck, and pull 3 cards. This can be past/present/future, problem/solution/roadblock, where I am now/where I want to be/where I’m going, etc. Or sometimes it’s 3 cards because it’s 3 cards.

I do work with inverted cards, but I don’t consider them automatic negatives. Lately, especially w/ inverted Kings, I’ve been thinking of them as “someone” trying to get my attention.

I do this in a quiet place when the house is tranquil. This generally means early morning or late at night,.

When I pull 3 cards, I put them face down. Generally, I don’t bother with a special mat or textile. I’ve done this at my desk, the kitchen table, my bed, and so on.

I then turn them over left to right, taking a moment to look at each as they are revealed. Who is it, if major arcana. What suit? What number or role, if minor arcana. When I get all three uncovered, then I dig deep. What patterns do I see? Are there a lot of similar suits? Are there multiple men or women? And this goes beyond the figures to the background and setting. What are the landscapes like, what blocks of color do I notice? How are people positioned? Then I hit the guidebook for the “official” meanings.

There are a few cards that I give a wink to, old friends with special meaning like the King of Cups (my husband) or the High Priestess (not sure who, but she pops up a lot). The King of Coins is a new fave, and the 8 of coins gentleman visits a lot. The Star has also been notable as of late.

As long as I feel I need to, I look at the details of each card and try to form a narrative. I then record this on my iPad and consider how these cards interact with the reason for the pull. Many times it’s really plain, so I say thank you, reshuffle, and put them away. Sometimes I’m perplexed, so I pull 3 more cards regarding the puzzling one. If it still doesn’t make sense at this point, then I thank, shuffle, and store. Then I go off to do something else and let my entire brain work on it.

Pre-Beltane 2018

I didn’t have a question, per se, but I wanted to get a little perspective a I head towards Beltane. So I kept ideas of fertility, desire, and growth in my head as I shuffled and pulled. I decided to make my spread the “bonfire”. Instead of past/present/future, I went with fuel, and pulled 3 more as “Flames”. 4 cards – nervy! For some reason it felt right. Also, I used stones, too this time. I have never tried that before. L-R amethysts, quartz & labradorite, moonstones.

The first card was the fuel: upright K of wands.

The other 3 were flames, upright 5 cups, star, inv 10 cups

The following are my rough notes – I am still “chewing” on this spread”, so this may alter.

The fuel is a man, already on fire, powerful, calculating. Seems a bit nefarious, but he us holding a leafy branch. His eyes are on those leaves, growth. There is fire in the background of this card. What is the flame? The flame is oxidation, a reaction. What is being burnt off? The despair and cynicism of the cups cards. Normally 10 cups is so positive, but it is still ok when inverted. Just means caution. The King has a pointed look on his face – what’s the point?

The highest point is the star, she shows a controlled change (pitchers), but also loyalty (3 dogs) quiet industry (cottage), growth (plants), and some whimsy (mermaid)

Conclusions

None for now! I’m still turning this over. It’s intriguing, but I may need to think more on it and of course write more.

Bone Babies, Witch Women!

Years ago, I sold a decorated frozen charlotte doll. My customer referred to it as a “bone baby”, which I loved!  But this one?  I am not getting “baby” from her….

 

 

I glued burgundy commercial yarn to the bottom of the doll, then attached some hand-spun singles in loops, and some more around her shoulders.  Pulled some fiber right off some Wilde Thyme Art’s mini rolags (rolettes?) to give this lady some hair.  Volume seemed to be a good thing.

Check the “before” shot, when I wasn’t sure what direction to head in!

Now I need to make more!!!!  But also, I need some sort of proper way to hang them, as they will need to be displayed.