Monica Chase November, 2011

Hello all and welcome to Thrifting the Witchy Way!

(take a good look at this picture, it will be important later- there may be a quiz)

This is my first article here on Pagan Pages so be gentle.  So let’s just dive right in.

First let’s tackle the big one- why thrift?

The economy these days sucks BIG TIME.

So how is the money savvy witch or witch enthusiast (you know who you are and we love you!) going to spread the brimstone and cobwebs?

Get thrifty, that’s how.

Witchy style thrifting is so much more than just saving money, or having some creative fun. It’s taking something that is discarded or undervalued and transforming it into something sacred. It’s taking the mundane and making it magical and personal. Being a Witchy thrifter let’s you channel the divine into projects that will become so much more than the sum of their parts.

We all own a sense of responsibility to Mother Earth (or Gaea, or whatever name you have for her). Everything that we as humans make or use comes in some way from her. It is either dug from her soil, cut while it is growing from her, or taken from her seas or sky. No human made product is, in reality, a product of only ourselves. All of our creations are a product of her substance and our imagination. As we all know there is only so much of this that our Mother is going to be able to stand before too much damage is done. By finding these items and re-using them I am, in a very small way, taking something out of the create and discard cycle that our society has perpetuated for itself. And I am honoring Mother Earth by not allowing the things we have taken from her to be discarded as worthless. Instead I am retransforming them into something sacred.

It brings me joy to hunt through the shop in search of that piece that will spark my interest and get my creative juices flowing. It brings me joy to take those pieces home and in some way transform them. Walking through a store and seeing pieces of other peoples’ lives displayed trips my curiosity. It makes me wonder about them and what drew them to the objects in the first place. Why did someone own a green leather jewelry case and what did they keep in it?  Why would someone have 15 different cat mugs? What color wall would match fuchsia shelves? You can develop a very interesting view of humanity by looking at what they thought was too precious to throw away. Because that is in essence what you find in thrift shops and yard sales. The things that people couldn’t stand to see thrown away but can no longer keep themselves. Sometimes they are things a relative has left them after passing, some times they are things that they need to get rid of to make room for new things to love, but no matter why they are giving these things up at some point someone cared enough about them to have kept them in their home and did not want to see them completely discarded. Which means when I go to pick them up and take them home I am taking on a bit of a trust, to take these things that someone cared about and make them into something that my family will make part of our home, and someday when we are done with them they will return to the thrift store for someone else to find and make part of their home.

From thrift stores, to yard sales, to dollar stores it’s a jungle out there full of ripe deals just waiting to come along and be plucked. Ritual tools, to witchy garb, to decor- there are so many ways you can use items you find at ridiculously low prices and then make them jujutastic. Not only will you get completely unique works of art, but they will be so much more powerful because you put your time and willpower into them. When you think about how much it costs to get some designer or retail witchiness from a store or shop compared to how little you’ll spend on making your cool new spellerific swag it makes it that much sweeter.

There are so many ways to save some money while still grooving to your own unique witchy beat. With some imagination, and a few accessories, you can be the most styling witch in your neighborhood.

Which brings us back to that picture up above (I told you it would be important later). Would you believe me if I told you that that lovely little altar originally looked like this-

That horrible little refugee from a computer desk was on its way out to my parent’s garbage when I snagged it. All it took to transform it was some paint and a few hours of my time.

So let’s refresh- in a couple hours that turned into this-

(behind the velvet cloth are shelves for book or supply storage and, sometimes, a cat)

I used a couple of cans of black matte spray paint and metallic craft paint mixed with acrylics with a spray polyurethane coat over it all. I also did the back board in chalkboard paint so that I can put whatever messages I feel I need and just wipe them away when the spirit moves me.

But as cool as that transformation there is something even better about this set up.

Let me give you a closer look.

(please ignore the hideous carpeting- we try to)

Now go ahead and guess how much this altar set cost. Go ahead. I bet you’ll be surprised. The set contains two hand painted candle holders, a hand painted wand, a cut glass goblet, a metal offering dish as well as a glass one on a stand, and a flat glass scrying disk all on a velvet cloth.

This altar set, including the altar itself, cost me around $25.00.

That’s right 25 smackers for the entire set up. And I get the great bonus of having all my tools personally charged and dedicated.

The wand is actually a wooden serving fork that I picked up at the dollar store along with the goblet which even has a multi pointed star on it. Everything else was found at thrift stores and then modified or just repurposed and dedicated. Even the velvet altar cloth was made from a thrifted velvet skirt that I picked up on sale for $3.00.

Since this is my first column, and my Daddy always taught me to leave them wanting more, I’m going to leave you to mull over all the ways that you can let your creativity run rampant through your own space. I’ll be back to show you show you all the tips and tricks to get you Thrifting the Witchy Way!

Tags: altar

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Hearthkeeper August, 2011

Creating an Altar

Your Altar is sacred space.  It is the center of your focus. That space between the worlds that you create, and where you do magical works. It is apart from the mundane, every day life of your household.

In the Ideal world we would all have our personal ritual space where your altar would be set up all the time. But the reality is that we just do not have the space in our homes and apartments to do that. So even if you have to set your altar up on the coffee table and break it back down when you are done it is Sacred to you for your use.

It is not even necessary to have an altar to do magick, it is entirely possible with some practice to do all your rituals entirely through visualization with no tools, no circle, and no altar at all.

If you have children you must consider that the items on your altar are attractive and interesting and may tend to catch the kids attention. Most children are not perfectly behaved and wouldn’t think twice about touching your things. So you will need to combine keeping things out of their reach and teaching them that the things on your altar are special and are not to be played with. Don’t leave items that are dangerous to them on the altar no matter how confident you are that they won’t touch them; athames, matches, oils and herbs should be stored where they are not accessible to your kids or your kids friends who don’t know what they are.

Now it’s time to decide what sort of altar you want. This is in part based on what sort of witch you are. How much stage dressing do you like? If the decorations are useful in helping you get into the right frame of mind for magic then by all means, go for the props… If on the other hand, you wish to keep it simple you really don’t need much more than a flat surface to put some candles on once in a while.

Now whether you use a coffee table, tray table or portable altar (like mine) now you must orient it to the correct cardinal point for your tradition. My altar always faces East. You will need to use a compass if you are not already familiar with the directions where you live. Also, depending upon the tradition, the altar may be at the edge of the circle or in the center. In mine it is usually in the center. Take into consideration that if it is to be in the center, you will need enough space to pass on all sides of the altar. You also need to make it workable if you have a group or Coven that will be coming to work with you. You will need enough space to cast circle for many as well as just you.

Now it is time to consider what will be on it. The usual items include the ritual tools you work with, altar candles, a censer, Your Athame or wand, chalice and libation plate. Many Wiccan traditions also have a pair of candles to represent the Goddess and the God especially for Sabbat rituals. There may be images, symbols or statuary of the deities as well. The Goddess has the left side of the altar, the God the right and their candles and symbols are placed on their side.

Also you may have additional candles for your elements if you have no room  or if doing a candle spell, a colored altar cloth to bring in a color correspondence, crystals, flowers-either for decoration or Sabbat, tools for divination., Some Rituals may require special materials be added to the usual altar arrangement, but for most things the basic layout will work.

Below is an example for you.

This is YOUR Sacred working space, and it should reflect YOU ad no one else. It should be the doorway for your magickal workings, meditations and Rituals. It should make you happy and comfortable. Enjoy it, change it, decorate it. Find when suits you and work from there. You can look online for further information, there are many links from Google that you can follow to look at altar set ups and find the best way for you.

Blessing until next Month

S.Dunham

Tags: altar, Wicca

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Tansy Firedragon May, 2011

The Kitchen Altar

The kitchen in most houses is the centre of the home, a place of power.

Having an altar in your kitchen gives you a focal point to connect with, it is a reminder that your kitchen is a sacred and powerful place.  It says that you have an ability to nourish yourself, your family and also connects you to the divine.

And I never need an excuse to create a new altar in my house!

Each and every altar will be different and will be tailored to your own personality and the space and money you have available.  It doesn’t need to be large, costly or grand.  Have fun with it, make it your own, allow your inner child to come out and play with it.

So what do you put on it?

Well, a good starting place is a statue or representation of a goddess or god, one that connects as a kitchen deity would work well.   If no one particular kitchen deity springs to mind, do some research or meditation and see what comes up.  Your kitchen will become a place to honour that deity and they in turn will honour you and your kitchen creations!

Once you decide upon the deity, find a statue or something that represents her/him.  It can be a likeness or you could make your own if you are handy with clay or papier mache, or even something created out of natural items – twigs or fabric.  The other alternative is to find a picture on the internet and print it off, although you might like to laminate it to keep it clean or pop it in a photo frame.

It also doesn’t have to be a human representation, it could be  a dragon or an animal, the choice is yours!

Placement of your altar is up to you, but will ultimately be where you have the space and a safe place away from direct flames, and where it won’t be knocked over or bumped into.

My own kitchen altar is a small green man that has a flat top making it into a small shelf so he hangs on the wall above the sink.  I have representations of the four elements on it and a tiny vase that I put fresh flowers in.

The other items you put on it are your choice, I chose to represent the elements but it is entirely up to you.  It could include items that represent you, it can also have seasonal decorations, pentacles, herbs and pictures.

Candles are good, they represent air and reminds us of the hearth.  Food works too, I sometimes put a couple of nuts on my altar for prosperity, if you use perishable items remember to replace them regularly.   Items from nature work too – shells for water, pebbles for earth, crystals (I have a piece of goldstone to represent fire).  Seasonal flowers and herbs also look good.

To keep with the kitchen witch theme you could also put a tiny cauldron on your altar, and even tiny household utensils, dolls house furniture is excellent for this.

I have an incense holder in my kitchen that not only works to put me in a particular mood but also works as an air freshener after I have been cooking.

Don’t forget to bless and consecrate your items as you place them on the altar, to add to sacred space you have created.

Tags: altar, hearth

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Willow Winterborne February, 2009

*The Hedgewitch lives in the space between the Village and the Forest. Between the mundane and the magical. S/He lives with a foot in both worlds.
This column is dedicated to the Hedgewitches of the planet earth.

February 2009 (sorry for my absence last month, but life called, and I had to answer…)

Creating Sacred Space in A Hectic World

As modern people, we can become so busy that the idea of having time for ritual, The Divine, or even Self can be laughable. Not so much funny- ha ha, but sad, and ironic.
We remember, fondly, times when we were still, and lit candles and meditated or prayed.
When we first came to the Path, we made time for all the wonders of life. Her mysteries were our oyster and we stole precious moments away from responsibilities of everyday mundanity to ponder the magical.
But as we became more sure of ourselves, we took less and less time for the quiet moments.
So many things come to call for our attention, and it can be much easier just to give in to them, allowing our sacred time to become rare and sometimes forgotten, entirely.
But even as the surest thing is that Change will come to our lives, and seasons of hectic and busy abound, there can be sacred space, and time. We can make a commitment to the Magical and to the Divine.
This year, I have renewed my resolution to create Sacred Space. To make time.

We all have different lives, and levels of privacy and free time. This said, I suggest that there are many ways to take advantage of the privacy and free time we have, by being creative about how we use these resources as they present themselves.
Best place for sacred space: The bathroom
The bathroom is a place of guaranteed privacy for at least 15 minutes each day.
I have long used the bathroom for creating sacred space, stemming from requirement, when my husband wasn’t aware of my spirituality. It was my personal Broom Closet.
The bathroom also inherently comes with the benefits of Water and all its many blessings. Cooling, soothing, warming, cleansing, blessing and ritual bathing. Add a stone, or jar of bath salts, a candle, and some incense and you have all 4 elements working together to balance the energy of this powerful room.
Some possible activities to create sacred space might include:

* A ritual bath or shower- excellent for the applications of cleansing, blessing, healing, stress relief and purification.
* “Seated meditation”- at least once a day you are likely to be seated in your bathroom anyway. This time can be used for a mantra, chant or prayer. Focus the mind and allow stress to be released through the feet, placed squarely on the floor.
* Candle Magic- the bathtub can be a wonderful choice for place to light and keep a ritual candle. Spells can be performed, divinations undertaken and scrying can all be done in this space. In households with children and pets there can be precious few places to allow a candle to burn out undisturbed, and the tub can be just the place.

On The Move: The Sacred Car
Many of us have lengthy commutes, during which we are sort of prisoners. Often this can be stressful, and add to our aggravation, rather than help us to relax or become centered.
I have begun to spend my time in the car in a new way. This is the perfect time for a mantra or chant. We already sing with the radio or chat with the family. Why not make up a song to represent the magic you wish to undertake?
Fill the car, and then the world around, with the energy coming from your car.
Take time before you leave the house to come up with a little ditty to sing aloud. Rhyming helps us remember the words, but isn’t necessary.
Some other ideas for the sacred car include:

* adding a cat whisker to the glove box in a ritual manner to help navigation, stealth, and protection from unseen forces.
* Taking time before starting the engine to bless the car and the drive ahead.
* drawing a rune or other protective symbol somewhere inside the car to remind your conscious mind that your car is protected and safe, come what may.
* Meditation can sometimes be tricky in a moving car, but prayer and direction of energy toward the Divine can be easily accomplished while driving.

Good Night Moon: Bed as a sacred space
I have always felt my bed was my most sacred space. I sleep there, relax and read there and retire there when the rest of the world is just too much. I am restored, given dreams and visions, and comforted by this space already.
Once viewed as a place to retreat to the Divine, the possibilities are endless.

* Bed is the ideal place to meditate. Although we often fall asleep while doing it, this should never deter you from meditating there, anyway. Your ensuing sleep is bound to be deep and recuperative, having occurred when you were so relaxed.
* we can often clear our minds and focus more once we lie down than during any other time of the day. Spellwork, healings and all manner of divination can be implemented here.
* Scattering essential oils in the bedroom can help bring the mind into focus of the energies we wish to create. Lavender is excellent for relaxation and for calming, whereas peppermint can bring vitality and sharpen the mind. A few drops on a Kleenex or cloth tucked in the pillowcase can bring about an immersion into the mood you wish to create.
* the bedroom can be a great place to light candles and burn incense, when the rest of the home isn’t free for such things.
* We can take time to journal or write for ourselves when we are swathed in the comfort of our beds.

Taking time to create meaningful space can attune us to the Divine in a way that few other activities can. 5 minutes can make a huge difference in the rest of our lives.
I hope that you will find small ways (or even big ways) to make your daily life sacred, and to feel the deep joy that comes from Our connectedness.
Brightest Blessings of the new Season

Tags: altar, blessing, magic, magick, sacred space

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