• Crafting Articles

    WitchCrafting: Crafts for Witches

    Shell Wind Chime   Merry meet!   This issue’s WitchCrafting column is connected to a favorite summer activity: collecting shells at the beach. I have a difficult time not filling my pockets with these marine mollusks. Holding them, I can feel the energy of earth, water, fire, and air.  Litha is a special time for capturing the essence of summer, in this case with a wind chime. I used shells that had naturally occurring holes, but instructional videos can be found for drilling them. Thin wire, dental floss, cotton twine, and other fibers can all be used to tie the shells into strips. Arrange them any way that pleases you.…

  • Crafting Articles

    WitchCrafting: Crafts for Witches

    Ostara Cards   Merry meet.   I don’t always manage to get Yule cards out on time, but it occurred to me: why send cards only for the winter holidays? Why not for spring? Here is a suggestion for an Ostara card that can be modified for any of the other sabbats. I bought packets of seeds that were magickal and, hopefully, easy to grow – organic and heirloom when possible. Then I wrote a verse for the inside of the card that can serve as a spell, which you are free to use:           “As the wheel turns and we move into the light, May…

  • Crafting Articles

    WitchCrafting: Crafts for Witches

    Yule Decor     Merry meet. You know magic is everywhere when you can find a good idea for Yule in a YouTube video from The Home Depot.     I live on a bus and use mason jars for everything from drinking glasses and vases to making kombucha and storing herbs. “Fuss-Free Holiday Decorations & Prep Techniques” now has me using them to make berry luminaries.     It’s simple: put pieces of evergreen in any-sized mason jar, fill with water, add some cranberries, and float a tea light candle (removed from its holder) on top. Mine will be on my altar, but these would go well on a…

  • Reviews

    Interview with Natalie Meraki of Laughing Cat Publishing

    Natalie Meraki is an artist, mother, deck creator, author, business owner, and all-around wonderful weirdo! Natalie is also the brains behind the infectiously funny Tarot Mood group on Facebook, a place which accepts all manner of occult delinquents, and where I first met her. I got to interview her this month for our cover feature, and I decided to find out what makes this weirdo tick… You’re so prolific, it’s hard to know where to start. As a deck creator, you’ve made The Mood Tarot, The Love Light & Go F*%k Yourself deck, the Mood Oracle, and you collaborated with Bob Smithies to create the CARTA Award-winning Young Witch Tarot.…

  • Crafting Articles

    WitchCrafting: Crafts for Witches

    Wreaths   Merry meet. Wreaths have been around at least since Ancient Greece where those made of laurel, representing the circle of eternal life, were displayed at funerals. As their popularity rose, they were used as symbols of power, honor, and victory (which led to warning against “resting on your laurels”). The Ancient Etruscans – who predated Romans on the Italian peninsula – made crown-wreaths of ivy, laurel, oak, myrtle, and olive leaves, sometimes incorporating vines and wheat. Evergreen wreaths were included in Christmas celebrations by Germans in the 16th century, but were used in pagan solstice rituals centuries before that across Europe. Holly and mistletoe were also sometimes used.…

  • Monthly Columns

    My Name is Freya – Poetry

    (Freya 2nd Edition created by the artist Samantha Chilton of SJChilton on Etsy and can be purchased from there.)     My name is Freya, Goddess of Love And yet I am no stranger to death Upon the battlefields you will find me Collecting warriors from their untimely death With death comes life – rebirth With day comes night My husband Odur is the symbol of the summer sun But now you and I celebrate the return to darkness The Wheel of Life turns round and round So now before we turn inwards Celebrate all that you have achieved Celebrate all that you are Stand tall with the mighty oak,…

  • Monthly Columns

    GoodGod!

    Meet the Gods: Apollo     As the sun begins shining a bit more each day, let’s turn to Apollo, the Olympian sun god. In Greek mythology, there were twelve original Titans. Helios was god of the sun who was said to drive a chariot pulled by four horses, sometimes winged, across the sky. According to theoi.com, “Helios was depicted as a handsome, usually beardless, man clothed in purple robes and crowned with the shining aureole of the sun.” Slowly over time, Helios became viewed as being Apollo, one of the Twelve Olympians – the sun god who is the son of Zeus.     Most commonly associated as the…

  • Crafting Articles

    WitchCrafting: Crafts for Witches

    Crafts for Witches: Black Salt     Merry meet. Witches use black salt to absorb unfavorable energies, boost protection spells and guard against negativity. It is also used in cleansing, healing and banishing, making and breaking hexes, and casting powerful circles. I consider its energy somewhat stronger and different than that of white or pink salt. While you can buy it, it is better if you make your own. Most recipes for black salt are very much the same, and all will draw off negative energy and provide protection.     You’ll want a mortar and pestle in which you will grind together your ingredients. I used a small cast…

  • Spells & Rituals

    Spellcrafting: Spells & Rituals

    Easy Imbolc Merry meet! I celebrate sabbats on the astrological dates. This year, astrological Imbolc falls on Wednesay, February 3. Below is a list of easy ideas I’ve collected to help you do something simple yet meaningful for the sabbat,       *Light a candle at dawn to greet the sun, or at some point during the day, light every candle in the house and offer a short blessing. *Gather up all your candles and bless them. *Prepare for the coming spring with some house cleaning. Rather than doing the whole house, which is overwhelming, pick one thing. Instead: organize a bookcase, clean a cupboard, or strip the bed…

  • Crafting Articles

    WitchCrafting: Crafts for Witches

    Air-Dry Clay     Merry meet. If you prefer to make tools, charms, altar decorations and gifts, clay could be all you need. In this case, it was block of the air-drying variety. Purchased at a tag sale years ago, one corner of the plastic had split open, drying some of the clay. Placing the block in an airtight container and adding some water restored it. A ziplock plastic bag also works.     Air-dry clay is soft and pliable. Kneed it a few times and it’s ready to be rolled, shaped, pressed into molds and sculpted. The clay will begin to dry as soon as exposed to air, so to…