When did you first know you were a witch?

 

I knew that there was something "different" about me before I was old enough to know that there was a name for it. One of the earliest magickal experiences that I remember took place when I was about four years old, hidden in the cool shade of a grove of trees on a terraced hillside at my grandmother’s farm.

The day was very hot, but beneath the canopy created by the large grove of trees that covered the hillside, it was very cool; and I squatted on one of the wide terraced steps, beneath a tree that had small round leaves lining its branches. I took hold of one of the small new twigs at the base of the tree; and I slid my hand along its length, filling my palm with the cool green leaves.

As my head was bent and I was examining these leaves, I heard a noise. I looked to my right, through the fence lining this edge of the grove, into the world of brilliant hot sunshine, to see a large white cow grazing in the field beside me, only a few feet away.

The wind came then, through the tops of the trees. I froze as I listened to it, the roar starting at the opposite end of the grove and working it’s way through the tree tops towards me, till it was directly overhead. I recognized that this wind sounded like voices, voices that seemed to come directly from the trees.

It was then that a realization dawned on me, leaving an indelible print so strong that this memory is still starkly vivid to me over 60 years later. It was a realization that I was too young to form into words…but I knew.

SOURCE

Natural Magick the Gray Witch Way

available @Amazon

in Print & Kindle

Your Spirit Animal & For the Love of Trees

 

As you get back to nature and reconnect, as only a pagan can do. You will do so with new eyes, from a new perspective, and from a place you may never have imagined. There are those of us who actually believe that trees are sentient beings and that animals have a connection to the divine and the spirit world that human beings will never attain. There are people returning to their pagan roots who will look at trees and animals from a magical vista of awe and reverence.

Everything has an energy that vibrates at different levels. It’s taken some of us a lifetime to discover that this vibrational energy includes trees, as well as other plants, and animals. Over the course of centuries, from cultures and spiritual practices around the world, the power of the energy contained in the natural world and ways to use it have evolved. We’ve learned how to harness this energy and how to use these connections in our spiritual practice. And you will too.

What is your spirit animal? What animal, or animals, have you always felt a profound connection to? Have you ever noticed animals that have shown up repeatedly in your life, whether as live animals, images, statuary, art, or in your dreams? Are animals, or a particular animal, drawn to you? Does a particular bird show up at odd times, or routinely, wherever you may be? Are stray animals always finding their way to your home?

Some people may have more than one animal they have a magical connection with, and others may have a single creature that lends its energy to their spiritual journey. Some people may have a spirit animal that is of the real animal kingdom, whether domesticated or wild, and others will have for their spirit animal a creature from the realms of myths and legends.

Discovering your connection with an animal spirit guide will be part of the process during your spiritual explorations, and a great deal of fun.

Do you love trees? Do you feel an affinity for, or a special connection with, trees? Do you have a favorite kind of tree? Do you have a tree from your childhood experiences that has stuck with you, maybe a particular beloved tree that you think about even now, after all these years? Do you feel uneasy in a forest, as though you’re being watched? When the wind blows through trees, do you hear it as voices with a message, or at least feel this energy?

This is another exploration and magical discovery awaiting you. You will find that the energy of trees will lend itself greatly to your spiritual practice. You may spend time with trees, perhaps sitting on the ground with your back against a trunk to ground yourself. You may have an overwhelming desire to plant and grow trees, to protect trees, and to gather parts of a tree, whether twigs, leaves, or blossoms for use in magical spells, to adorn your altar or house, or to make magic wands and other tools.

Discover the special energies and connections of particular trees and know that their power is for your benefit and use. The trees are there to protect and shade you on your spiritual journey. Though immobile, rooted in the earth, they walk with you on your pagan path.

• Bear

Magical energies: invulnerability, power, strength, protection, healing

• Birds

Magical energies:

Blue bird: communication, eloquence

Blue jay: protective magic

Cardinal: love, passion, sexuality

Goose: loyalty, fidelity

Swan: new love, fidelity

Dove: healing rifts, peace, ending estrangements

Owl: wisdom, invisibility

Robin: domestic happiness, home protection

Sparrow: ambition, energy

Raven: magic, occult mysteries

• Bull

Magical energies: dominance, power, strength, courage

• Butterfly

Magical energies: transformation, rebirth

• Cats

Magical energies:

Domestic housecat: magic, occult mysteries, protection, spirit contact

Jaguar: rebirth, secrets, success, stealth

Lion: loyalty, home protection, courage, strength, fidelity

Tiger: sexuality, invisibility, power, intuition

• Coyote

Magical energies: transformation, cunning, luck

• Crocodile

Magical energies: guardians, longevity, new opportunities

• Deer

Magical energies: regeneration, independence, speed, invisibility

• Dog

Magical energies: faithfulness, intelligence, devotion, protection

• Dolphin

Magical energies: sexual energy, feminine mysteries, joy

• Elephant

Magical energies: strength, fertility, wisdom, ancestors

• Frog

Magical energies: fertility, creativity, abundance

• Goat

Magical energies: sexuality, agility (physical and verbal), mischievous gray magic

• Horse

Magical energies: friendship, wisdom, strength, speed

• Polar Bear

Magical energies: wisdom, invisibility, creativity, secrets

• Snake

Magical energies: transformation, rebirth, reincarnation, wisdom

• Wolf

Magical energies: fidelity, protection, healing, organization

SOURCE

Spiritual Awakening

Available @Amazon

in Print & Kindle

Sage, Scribe & Quill... today's rant

 

I just posted this on my new Facebook page --
Sage, Scribe & Quill...

23 hours ago, this page had 48 new views! -- and 787 views in the last 28 days!! I'm thrilled that so many people have clicked on links to this page from various sources. I am, however, disappointed that of those almost 800 people, no one clicked the Like or Follow button. Come on, peoples, be sure to hit the "like or follow" button on the way through. (It's free!) There's such a variety of articles and posts, there's something here for everyone.

Throughout my considerable internet experience, from my very first website, the Freewebs version of The Witch's Corner that hit close to 1,000,000 viewers before Freewebs wasn't free anymore, to blogs, and other websites created on a variety of platforms, there has always been a ghostly presence of invisible silent visitors.  

When I was getting ready to deactivate my Facebook Witch's Corner page, I made a post letting people know that this would be happening.  I decided to do this because I felt that I was posting to no one but myself.  Of the 40,000 people who Liked or Followed this page, almost none -- practically 0 -- ever, ever left a comment or clicked a post reaction button.  I honestly thought that this page just wasn't making the algorithm and wasn't being seen at all.

Much to my surprise, a lady left a comment on this post, something to the effect:  "I love this page and followed this page for years, I'm sorry to see you go, but you do what you think you need to do."

Seriously?

She loves the page, but never clicked a reaction button, never left a comment, never gave any indication that she had seen anything.

Here I was thinking that I was wasting my time posting and keeping this FB page up, that no one was seeing it anyway.  I tell you, my reaction, sitting there at my computer all by my little lonesome, was very colorful.

I don't know what else to say.  It's not that me, or any other creator, is looking for tons of accolades and constant pats on the back.  We just want to know that doing all this work is worth the effort, that someone is reading what we write, viewing what we post, has been impacted with it in some way, that someone has gotten a chuckle from something, or connected with something.

Otherwise, we might as well all go back to the old-fashioned days of spiral notebooks and private journals.

Episode #39 Daily Cards/Daily Wisdom ~ The Final Solution & Generosity Beware

 

As sometimes happens, two readings came through this group of cards. Some of you may connect with both readings, and others will most likely align with one. Either way, Spirit was generous with very particular information today. 

• First reading -- don't give up, and don't cave in! 
• Second reading -- listen to the voice of reason!

Print Version

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It's All About Your Ability to Connect

 

The following is a brief excerpt from my book, The Divine Me.  This is from a section titled "Facing the Mirror: How do you connect with your spiritual side?"  This book is available at Amazon in print and kindle.

·         Journal

I began journaling when I was twelve years old, inspired by Anne Frank.  In my twenties, my journaling was sprinkled with more literary pizazz and the influence of Anne Lindbergh and her diaries and letters. (I also wrote terrific letters, “Your writing is so vivid, makes me feel like I was there!”, so I was told.)

Sadly, along the course of life, usually as I was passing from one phase into another, I have thrown away many of my earliest journals.  However, there is a wide array of cheap spiral notebooks, leatherbound diaries, and note pads of various colors and design being held by a trusted family member, saved for the enjoyment and exploration of future generations of my family.

I do believe that the modern version of the old-fashioned idea of journaling is now called… a blog.

·         Explore a spirituality you are unfamiliar with

If you didn’t skip the introduction of this book, which I do with books sometimes, you will know that I was touched by random connections with Catholicism; the desire to embrace Judaism (that Anne Frank influence again, I was thirteen at the time); and then I stumbled into witchcraft, without really knowing what I was doing, but hey, not completely guileless either, even if we didn’t have the internet, we had movies and tv.

I was raised in an open and welcoming atmosphere of spiritual exploration and discovery.  How do you know what you believe if you’ve never studied all the options out there?

·         Get acquainted with your spirit guides

During part of my journey on this pagan path, I was introduced to two of my spirit guides, in dreams.

The dark-haired cat lady: She resided in some sort of large helter-skelter kitchen, her countertops filled with bowls and cutlery and herbs and small bottles and jars and open cupboards and pots and pans all over the place… and cats.  Cats of all colors sitting calmly on the countertops, stretched out on the floor under the table and lounging in a patch of sun by the window.  All colors and sizes, wherever you looked. Cats, cats, cats.

She was small but thick, almost elfin, and her black and gray streaked hair was a wild untamed tangled frizzy mess, her nose was large, her features coarse but pleasing, her shoulders slightly hunched, with a hint of a widow’s hump.

She wore a long boldly colored shiny silk house dress, with lots of pink and geometric shapes and greens and yellows and blues. 

As she busily tottered about her messy kitchen, seeing to the cats and the pot of steaming soup on the stove, she was talking to me, she was telling me wonderous and great things that would change my life.  With her back to me, a large wooden spoon in her hand, slowly stirring her cauldron of soup, her words flowed.  I was silent, and I listened.

The white haired goddess:

A woman was sitting on the floor a short distance from me, cross-legged, sitting so straight and tall, her back to me.  I stood watching her, fascinated by a strange glow of light shining on her, illuminating her silhouette, casting a shimmer to her very long mane of silver hair.

I was in the presence of something very powerful and very sacred, and I knew that she had something important to tell me, possibly the most important thing I would ever hear.

I leaned in, cocking my head to listen intently.  Her soft voice rose then, sounding calm and smooth, gentle and clear.  She said: “Learn to control your mind.”

·         Be still and listen to your inner voice

My inner voice has been with me since I was a very young child, only it was louder then, easier to hear.  Sometimes I heard it over the voices of people around me, and sometimes it was a whisper close to my ear.  It always made me pause, it still does; but now at my age, it comes and goes so fast, is so soft and fleeting, that I have to catch it like an elusive and mythical moth in flight.

Over the years, this voice has proven to be protective.  It has cast a light on an intuitive instinct, it has warned of impending danger; it has caused me to change a course of action; it has told many a story and revealed many secrets during tarot readings; and possibly, and most disturbingly, it has announced impending death.

When this happens, the warning of impending death, this inner voice has always used the same words: “Look, look again.”

·         Find Your Tribe

I couldn’t find my tribe, not in childhood, not in high school, not in the adult world, so I grew my own.  Six daughters and one son.

They are a tribe of mostly women, only one tall quiet man among them.  They are diverse, and intelligent, gifted, and creative.  They are uniquely independent and solitary. 

Each one has a personality that is unlike the others.  They travel different spiritual paths; they hold jobs in diverse areas of expertise; they are homeowners; apartment dwellers; and still, surprising as it may seem at my age, some are young enough to be fledglings, just learning to spread their wings.

This is my tribe.

No matter the physical distance between us; no matter the different schedules and lifestyles; no matter the amount of time that’s passed since we last talked, we can bring daily life to a pause and reconnect at will.

·         Give with no expectations

When I was eighteen, a very elderly man gifted me a beautiful sterling silver ring and bracelet of turquois.  He was my great-great Aunt’s life partner.  His name was Frank Petticord.  There was no special occasion, there was nothing expected in return.  He just saw this beautiful set of jewelry, and he thought that I should have it.

Forty-six years later, I still have the bracelet, and I think of Mr. Petticord whenever I wear it.  The ring was lost, only a few years ago.  It disappeared from my bedroom one day, never to be found.

Frank’s story is a rather sad one.  In the early part of the twentieth century, he came home to his wife and kids one day to be greeted by his father-in-law, who threw him off his own property.  Frank seemed quite surprised at this turn of events, totally caught off guard. 

Mr. Petticord was such a sweet docile soft-spoken man, I can’t imagine what the reasons were behind this event, but never-the-less he lost all contact with his children, who were kept from him.  His family, in this final stage of life, was my great-great Aunt, my great-great Aunt’s daughter and her son, my grandmother…  and me.

This jewelry is one of my most precious possessions.  RIP Frank.

Audio excerpts from The Divine Me

The Divine Me

get your copy, in print or kindle, @ Amazon

A Little Kitchen Wytchery, aka the magical mickie

 

Kitchen Magick

All of the delightful aromatic herbs and spices that we cook with carry magickal properties. There are also specific foods, vegetables, and fruits particularly, that manifests magickal energy.

In this section, we’re going to dive into the quaint and delightful world of the Kitchen Witch. Her world is filled with aromatic and delicious dishes whipped up with secret ingredients, a wide variety of intentions, copious amounts of natural witchery, and perhaps a cackle or two.

The Kitchen Witch always has a pot of tea at the ready, a cozy hearth fire burning, and plenty of chairs ‘round the kitchen table. 

However, as you prepare to take a delightful bite of her warm muffins, her fresh bread, or her delectable dessert, ask yourself… “What magick is she working on me?”

The following are lists of foods that raise energy for particular purposes with a variety of correspondences, including elemental, astrological, and planetary:

Planetary Correspondences: 

Sun: to promote health, spirituality, strength, success:

      Dried foods, raisins, wine, rice, dehydrated foods, pineapple, oranges, squash, corn, olives, pretzels

Moon: To infuse food with Goddess energy:

     Butter, eggs, watermelon, grapefruit, yogurt, milk/milk products,

Mercury: To enhance communication:

      Celery, dill, fennel, marjoram, mulberries, peppermint

Venus: To promote romance:

      Apples, cherries, raspberries, strawberries, cardamom, sugar

Mars: To promote courage and aggression:

      Ginger, mustard, coffee, black pepper, radishes, spicy foods

Jupiter: To promote prosperity, money issues, and employment:

      Anise, eggplant, peanuts, sage, nutmeg, almonds, rich foods

Saturn: To promote defense, bindings, and hexes:

      Allspice, cheese, cayenne pepper, vinegar, beets, carrots

The author ~ Amythyst Raine

Lady Amythyst’s Pumpkin Pie

      1 16 oz. can pumpkin (about 2 cups)

      1 13 oz. can evaporated milk-- (But sometimes I use sweetened

condensed milk: it creates a texture more like chiffon.)

      2 eggs

      1/2 cup brown sugar

      1/2 cup sugar

The spices:

      Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and a dash of salt. Most recipes call for 1/2 teaspoon each, but I'm much more generous with my spices!

The crust:

I tried for years to learn to make a good pie crust, and I almost gave up out of frustration-- then I found this recipe. It's almost foolproof, no kidding.

      2 and 1/2 cups flour

      1 teaspoon salt

      1 cup shortening

      1 beaten egg

      1 tablespoon vinegar

      1/4 cup water

Mix the dry ingredients together and cut in the shortening, as usual. Then combine the egg and vinegar, stirring it up a bit, and add this to your dry ingredients.

Add the water a dash at a time as you work it in, you'll be able to tell when you get a good texture.

The spices used in this recipe are ‘hot’ and will keep the Samhain party atmosphere revved up into the wee hours of the morning.

I add a pinch of salt, but just a pinch, to keep the party grounded enough to remain stable with a comfortable atmosphere. We want people to have fun, but we don’t want the party atmosphere to get carried away.

The evaporated milk and the eggs add an element of Goddess energy to the whole mix and keeps our Samhain celebration on the right path.

• Ø Nutmeg, one of the most popular uses for nutmeg is to assure fidelity. It's also used for spells centered around luck, money, and health.
• Ø  Cinnamon, spirituality, success, healing, power, psychic powers, lust, protection, love
• Ø  Allspice, money, luck, healing
• Ø  Cloves, protection, exorcism, love, money
• Ø Pumpkin, the main ingredient, is connected to the energy of Earth. Its planetary influence is the Moon; it’s magickal energies revolve around money and healing. The pumpkin is also a symbol of the Mother Goddess.
  
  

Litha Peach Cobbler

      One 14 oz. can (3 1/2 cups) halved peaches

      3 slices slightly dry bread (toast on light)

     1 tablespoon cornstarch

      1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

      1/4 teaspoon salt

      1/3 cup sugar

      1 tablespoon lemon juice

      1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

     1/4 cup butter or margarine

      1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Drain peaches, reserving 1 cup syrup. In a pan, combine cornstarch and salt, slowly blending in reserved syrup. Over medium-high heat, cook and stir until this mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat and cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add lemon juice, butter or margarine, and peaches. Heat just to bubbling. Pour into 10 x 6 x 11/2-inch baking dish.

Cut bread lengthwise into 1-inch strips. Dip into 1/4 cup melted butter, then into mixture of sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Arrange over peaches. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes, or until toasty. Serve with cream (optional). Makes 6 servings.

The main ingredient in this recipe is the peach, and it’s this fruit and its properties that we’re going to focus on.

The planet is Venus, the element Water; and the energies revolve around love, exorcism, longevity, fertility, and wishes.

Serve this dish to those you wish to love and receive love from, and this does not necessarily pertain to romantic love.

Love comes in many forms and there’s plenty of it to go around and conform to various shades, shapes, circumstances, and people. The peach is also eaten in order to gain wisdom, wisdom both stemming from within (intuitive), and that which comes streaming down the universal pipeline.

Astrological Correspondences:

You may wear stones that are aligned with the energies of your astrological sun sign, or a pendent emblazoned with that symbol. Did you realize that there are also foods imbued with these astrological influences? You can take advantage of this by eating foods which promote your own sun sign, or foods that promote and advance the character and energy of other sun signs.

Aries: ruled by Mars, cardinal, masculine, fire

March 21-April 21

      Fried foods, allspice, pepper, cayenne pepper, gingerbread, spicy foods, wine, ginger, barbecued foods, cinnamon, cloves

Taurus: ruled by Venus, fixed, feminine, earth

April 21-May 22

      Pita bread, pies (in general), apple cider, blackberries, passion fruit, cookies, granola, spinach, kiwi fruit

Gemini: ruled by Mercury, mutable, masculine, air

May 21-June 21

      Celery, carbonated drinks, lentils, beans, pomegranates, mint, fennel, caraway, foods with both sweet and spicy aspect

Cancer: ruled by the Moon, cardinal, feminine, water

June 21- July 21

      Bland foods, uncooked foods, marinated foods, frozen foods, shellfish, shrimp, breadfruit, eggs, ice cream, pumpkin, white foods, tofu

Leo: ruled by the Sun, fixed, masculine, fire

July 22- August 22

      Alcohol, flaming foods, shish kabobs chocolate, vinegar, coffee, barbecued

foods, broiled foods, dried foods, saffron, curried foods

Virgo: ruled by Mercury, mutable, feminine, earth

August 21- September 22

      Oats, parley, dill, peppermint, pastas, beans, endive, salt, marjoram, root vegetables, fennel, peanuts

Libra: ruled by Venus, cardinal, masculine, air

September 21- October 21

      Apples, tarts, pastries, chocolate, cookies, strawberries, sugar, fruit pies, vanilla, wheat products, capers, gooseberries

Scorpio: ruled by Mars, fixed, feminine, water

October 21- November 21

      Spicy foods, mustard, allspice, asparagus, beer, chili, pepper, garlic, ginger, shallots, pimento

Sagittarius: ruled by Jupiter, mutable, masculine, fire

November 21- December 21

      Champagne, imported foods, truffles, expensive foods, sarsaparilla, maple sugar, root beer, tea

Capricorn: ruled by Saturn, cardinal, feminine, earth

December 21- January 21

     Frozen foods, preserved foods, turnips, pickled foods, potatoes, jams and jellies, bitter foods, cheese, cranberries, corn, barley

Aquarius: ruled by Saturn, fixed, masculine, air

January 22- February 21

      Rare foods, carbonated drinks, star anise, citron, mulberries, sage, almonds, pistachios, pecans, caraway, brazil nuts, beer

Pisces: ruled by Neptune, mutable,

feminine, water

February 21- March 21

      Sushi, bouillabaisse, root beer, maple sugar, shellfish, soup, syrups, seafood, sauces, sorbet, endive, figs, fish

Elemental Correspondences:

Earth: grounding, fertility, money, healing:

      Mushrooms, potatoes, kohlrabi, beets, Brussel sprouts, rhubarb, salt, barley, milk, and milk products

Air: creativity, mental endeavors, communication:

      Bananas, kumquats, mulberries, parsley, endive, olives, sage, tangerines

Fire: passion, love, courage, sex, will power:

      Chili, pears, mangoes, coriander, cloves, radishes, raisins, horseradish, mustard, salsa

Water: intuition, emotions, healing, purification:

      Apples, soups, sweet potatoes, licorice, nectarines, passion fruit, steamed foods, grapes, ice cream, tomatoes, vanilla

SOURCE:

Natural Magick
the Gray Witch Way

Get your copy @ Amazon