witch @ heart

Z in Berkeley ... maybe

2009-05-04T00:08:00.002-04:00

Add your vote to draw Z Budapest to speak at UC Berkeley. It doesn't matter if you live 1000 miles away (I live nearly 3k away) but I know the impact she had on me personally. Her books, her vision, the fabulous Goddess 2000 festival she sponsors ... she is a pioneer for women witches and Goddess lovers everywhere!

View all University of California (UC) Berkeley events on Eventful

Love you, Z!

Update!

2009-04-07T00:45:00.003-04:00

It's been a long time since I posted pics of my dreads. Well, here they are. Wild and a bit crazy white girl dreads at their finest! I love them most days but like any hair style, I often tell myself (to myself) it's the scissors! I keep them up though and am looking forward to seeing how they do come summer.

I'm not certain which Goddess or aspect I am channeling by sporting a head full of dreads. I've often felt a wildness creep back into me like I haven't noticed in decades, literally. Ancient wall paintings of Egyptians look as if dreadlocks were worn. I could easily picture a Huntress in the wood with a mane so wild.

I love them, I really do. It'd be great if I could hide a personal web cam on my person sometimes though. I get the oddest looks every now and then!

Thanks for dropping by!

weaving webs & winter's blessing

2009-02-05T00:32:00.003-05:00

Monday ... which also just so happened to be Imbolc, was the day I began my first knitting project. Brigit the Goddess of fire, poetry, smithcraft and healing gave way to a warm day in contrast to what we've been experiencing recently. Hopefully, that means winter will hang around for a good while longer. I am looking forward to snow days indoors, hanging out in comfy clothes with my 19 month old, and paying my own form of homage to The Lady who inspires and aims her fiery arrow deep into the heart of imagination.

So far, the scarf that will ultimately be 80 inches, is about 30. Below are a few shots of my work in progress. Enjoy, and bendithion!

monsters cry too

2009-01-09T23:23:00.001-05:00

Somewhere, Godzilla and the Invisible Man are crying in their beer. Late night monster movie host, Bob Wilkins, passed away on Wednesday from Alzheimer's complications. He is mostly remembered as the host of Creature Features, a television show which broadcast classic horror movies ... a huge favorite of mine growing up. He satiated my thirst every Friday night with a double feature of black and white spooky movies that to this day, I remember with a big smile. My Netflix queue would make him happy.

Rest well, Bob.

wild witches take note!

2009-01-08T10:33:00.003-05:00

Recently a family from California went on a hike through the hills of Mount Tamalpais State Park. That's all well and good but, they decided to pick some mushrooms ...

Ok so, you know the next part of this story already, I bet. The mushrooms they picked happened to be "death cap" mushrooms. The shrooms were taken home and cooked up in a soup. Two children, 11, and their 72 year old grandma were treated for their symptoms at a local hospital. Only after 2 days of testing did they finally figure out the family had been poisoned.

See the article here in the Contra Costa Times for more info. And never, ever, ever, EVER assume you know all there is to know about berries, mushrooms and other plants in the wilderness. About two decades ago, I remember a few local bay area pagans did the same thing, only they picked berries... the 3 of them were not so lucky and died within a day of eating the toxic fruit.

Be safe and know your surroundings, especially if you are venturing in the wild to do your ritual or nature walk. Always take water and snacks with you and don't set out to rely on Mother Nature to sustain you if you get hungry. If you do pick anything, use gloves, and don't consume them or breathe in the smoke if burned.

Now, go out and dance naked around a fire or something ...

a timeless classic ~ 23rd Psalm by Bobby McFerrin

2008-12-20T00:38:00.002-05:00

The Lord is my Shepard, I have all I need,
She makes me lie down in green meadows,
Beside the still waters, She will lead.

She restores my soul, She rights my wrongs,
She leads me in a path of good things,
And fills my heart with songs.

Even though I walk, through a dark and dreary land,
There is nothing that can shake me,
She has said She won't forsake me,
I'm in her hand.

She sets a table before me, in the presence of my foes,
She anoints my head with oil,
And my cup overflows.

Surely, surely goodness and kindness will follow me,
All the days of my life,
And I will live in her house,
Forever, forever and ever.

Glory be to our Mother, and Daughter,
And to the Holy of Holies,
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be,
World, without end. Amen

-taken from Ancient Mother by Robert Gass & On Wings of Song 1993. A must for the pagan library. The 23rd Psalm is only one of the treasures from this, one of my all time absolute, gotta have it on a desert island, favorites.

kitchen witches do it in batches

2008-12-16T11:25:00.002-05:00

Thanks to the best (and I mean the best) site on the www for awesome mommy goodies, Cool Mom Picks, I've found another way to serve up cakes and ale.

Kitchen Witch has delicious cookies, biscuits, scones and brownies, all made from the best ingredients and shipped to you for a fair price ... considering the quality - absolutely!

rain water

2008-12-15T23:47:00.002-05:00

I'm on my way to turning off the beast and tuck into bed but, the rain made me wonder ... does anyone besides myself collect rain water? I don't collect from every rain - mostly storms or rains with lots of lightning with it. If I get real lucky, I catch the first rain of a season. I put out a few big deep bowls to increase my chances :) for whatever reason, this happens mostly at night? In the morning I would go out and bring in the bowl of water to run it thru an unbleached paper coffee filter ... lots of things can end up in rain water ... and keep the rain in a reused salad dressing bottle. Sometimes I use the rain in ritual, and other times I keep it to remember rains that have past.

I adore the rain. No matter how many days in a row pass and it just keep coming down, it's so cleansing and full of electricity. Love.

Tell me about your rain.

wordless wednesday

2008-12-10T13:12:00.002-05:00

Yes, it is magick that I can actually get my toddler to help brush her teeth!

NO! I do NOT want my MTV!!!

2008-12-05T21:29:00.001-05:00

Leave well enough alone, already! You killed the radio star ... literally. Now leave a perfectly good and wonderfully fun movie alone!

to the moon ~ haiku

2008-11-29T16:11:00.001-05:00

the moon, a new face
crisp air veiling her blush cheek
stars dazzle her hair

Harvest Blessings

2008-11-27T00:24:00.001-05:00

I wish everyone a happy and blessed holiday!

which bottles?

2008-11-22T20:57:00.005-05:00

Witch bottles :)

I enjoy the tinkering that comes with doing a spell and Witch bottles are among my favorite type of spell to work. I think it must be the aesthetic aspect of it - the shiny bottle, the fragrant herbs involved, the colors and textures of ingredients. And putting it together, all while concentrating on intent can be relaxing too.

Below are just a few ideas for what to put in and different types of bottles one can use. The screw top is nice for obvious reasons. But the cork top can be sealed with melted wax ... which makes it even more "witchy" and official, IMO. Pomegranate seeds, grains of paradise, rosemary, pumpkin rind or seeds, salt, pins ... just a few options one can use to create an effective witch bottle.
Of course before creating, one should know why making a witch bottle is necessary and have the ability to visualize and focus intent while making one. Using a book to determine properties is nice but I'm a believer in the herb "telling" you what it wants to be used for. If all you have is roses and a book is telling you that roses aren't used for protection spells for dogs, and that's what you need ... if your instinct tells you it's right, it's right.

After your bottle is made and sealed, placement is also important. If I have made one to protect my home, I place it in a window. Hey, I'm a renter. No digging for me. "Don't worry the spell" is an important thing to remember but, I feel that giving my bottle a knowing smile as I pass it once in a while isn't going to harm anything.

If it's a serious matter of binding, for example ... bury that thing in the woods and let it go, if you ask me. Use your head. It's the greatest tool you've got.

Bendition ...

an invitation

2008-11-19T22:21:00.003-05:00

I would like to invite every mama and woman who comes to my blog, to check out the pagan forum and chat room at the A Mommys World.
You can find Pagan and Wiccan forums here ... Alternative Religions.

The Pagan Chat Room ... and all of the chat rooms ... are accessible 24/7. Bounce in from the forum after you sign up!

2008-11-17T23:13:00.006-05:00

Life is not like an episode of "Charmed". At least everyone that I know, regardless of mystical experiences, has to lift their creamer to lighten up their favorite cuppa.

Let's say, for the sake of argument, life was similar to the television show "Charmed". I'll play! The first thing I'd zap out of existence is those annoying pop-out adverts that show up when you go to a new page. While scanning with your mouse for the link you need, they pop up on ya and are hard to make go away.

bibbity bobbity poof, already!

Now that the uncomfortable silence of zero posts is out of the way, lemme just say, I've been out of the broom closet for about 19 years. When I first approached my mother to confide in her about it, she gasped and blurted out, "oh my god, you've been hanging out with lesbians, haven't you?!". Well, yes but, not in the way she was thinking. But I mean gee thanks mom, what was that supposed to mean anyway? Anyway ...

I've been on a sabbatical of sorts. This one has lasted for about 5 years. After studying Wicca - Dianic and otherwise, Feri, Egyptian Magick, several Celtic traditions, and picking out bits and pieces of various earth based religions, I think I was simply burnt out. I had dove in head first when I was 14 ... that would be about 1983 ... and didn't breathe again until ohhh about 2002.

I had already been seeking when I took that dive but, upon seeing Laurie Cabot for the first time on a television talk show, I "knew". I just knew what it was I had been seeking out so determinedly. I dedicated myself almost immediately ... I think it was that night, I told Isis I was in her charge. She already knew it though since we had been "speaking" since kindergarten.

Honestly I haven't formally cast a circle in years but, I do it often in my mind. All you need is your body for tools and knowledge of your intent. Shazam ... you're in sacred space.

My witchcraft has taken a quieter role on the outside. But inside, it rumbles loudly. Being the anti-socialite I am, solitary suits me just fine. I do enjoy a romping public Beltaine ritual, or a silent Dumb Supper at Samhain. But in most cases my rituals take place when I am very much alone ... or when my 16 month old is sleeping ;)

Well, thanks for reading this far. If I had cakes and ale, I'd thank you properly. Life is happening so, it's time to close this but, over time I intend to share more ... of my recipes - cooking and herbal, ideas, chants, some spells, pagan and witchy event info and whatever else comes to mind :)

Feel free to comment or drop me a note anytime.

Bendithion ~ Blessed be.