Hope This Answers Your Questions

I’ve had an unusual amount of requests the past few weeks, since the beginning of June actually, from people who want to purchase my books and assume that I’m selling them myself.  I don’t sell my books, my publishing company does.  That’s one of the benefits of having a good contract with an exceptional company (they keep track of the Business Stuff); leaving freedom of mind for the writer to write.

Anyway, here’s the paragraph I’ve been sending out in emails when these requests come in.  I’ll post it here (and at my Other Blog), and I hope this makes it easier for the reader to connect with the book that they’re looking for.  Thank you so much for your interest!  I love hearing from my readers; you guys make it all worth while…Enjoy the Books, summer was made for reading:

You’ll find ordering information at John Hunt Publishing’s Website; or you can order at Amazon (you’ll find all of my books on this page); Barnes & Noble (you’ll find all of my books on this page); or a bookstore near you (if you don’t find the books on the shelf, the store can order them for you).

 

Trippin' Paranormal Activity @ Our House

Our house is trippin' with a series of delightful paranormal weird goings on right now. It's been quiet for so long-- but this last "episode" was just way over the top. If any of you have any explanations for what we experienced, we'd welcome your input.

 

This week from:

 

The Witch's Desk

 

An explanation for this ~
Doppelganger? Astral Projection?

 

click  Here

 

 

 

Tarot Readings ~ A Personal Twist

Greetings!  Come join me ’round the table for an early morning Very Personal tarot session, as I have my morning beverage and turn the cards for myself (And maybe for *You* as well, if our energy is aligned!).  If you’re part of my personal circle of friends and family, or if you use to be, you might want to check in and see if the Tarot, and Spirit, has any new messages or insights into our lives.

*Note:  the “reversed Empress” sort of haunts me.  It’s usually a sign of “female problems or issues, something unexpected”, so keep this in mind.  The individual that this popped up for might actually be someone other than who I was thinking of at the time– the reversed Empress is a stinker, and she has a habit of being problematic.

I also wanted to add here that The Magician, in this reading, is my husband Joe.  The man is working his arse off!  Holding steady– keeping that “Ommmmm” going!

FOR A PERSONAL READING: http://tarotreadingswithamythystraine.blogspot.com

Baby Robin #2

As some of you know, several years ago we raised a baby robin from the it-shouldn't-be-alive stage to a full grown male robin who was ready to migrate in the fall (His name was "Pie".).  Well, we're the surrogate parents of a second robin this year, one that was already older than the first one was when we acquired him.  This little guy has just started his daily morning out-door adventures and has lots to learn.  He also has to do quite a bit of growing to hold his own with the large male robins in the neighborhood-- they're very territorial.  And as sweet and spring-like and gentle as the robin is portrayed, they make vicious adversaries when competing for space and mates.  They are also vicious carnivores, as anyone who's had to hand feed them can attest.

Here's our boy...gotta' love him!

Tumblr ~ Week-In-Review

Better come see what you're missin'!!

 

Huzzah, it's been a hell-of-a-week.

 

click  Here

 

 

 

August 1 ~ Bring it On!

Summer is flying, August 1 will be here before we know it.  The following blog post is a celebration of Lammas (the first harvest festival of the year  and  a pivotal holiday in our Pagan calendar).  Included are correspondences for this holiday, ritual suggestions, my personal thoughts on this time of year, and of course-- recipes!  The following article can be found at my blog:

http://wytchymystique.com/2015/07/22/the-witchs-desk-lammas/

The Witch's Diary: Fremont State Lakes (video)

This is one our favorite spots! 
I hope you enjoy this video photo "Vlog"...

Ask Me Anything

Ask me anything, seriously.  Use the contact box found in the right column. 

I was asked:

What is the best part about being a writer?

The best thing about being a writer?...languishing in the written word; embracing thoughts and ideas and creative moments; the idea of fulfillment when a piece of work is complete and published; the art of living with a pen in your hand (figuratively), and using this art to communicate with the world.

 How do you deal with writer's block?

Sometimes you can hasten the end to writer's block, and sometimes you have to rid...e it through. If you think too hard on it, the harder you try to pull yourself out, the deeper you're locked in to it. Relaxation is the key for me: spending time with a good cup of coffee and an old fashioned pen and paper, jotting down notes; ambient background music (no vocals); candles and incense (this must be the Wiccan part of me); and sometimes (during the warm seasons) I like to write outdoors, at a table on our deck.

 What is your advice for aspiring writers?

My advice for new writers-- keep writing. Keep a notebook in your purse, or car, or backpack. Observe the world and life around you. Jot down impressions, things people say, a description of the sunset, a sudden thought that leaps into your mind. Keep writing. Write even when you know that what you're writing this moment, today, is never going to be seen by anyone but you. There's a reason that you are drawn to write, and only by writing will that reason be revealed.

 What are you currently working on?

 I'm currently juggling manuscripts for two projects. I'm going to work at my own pace this year and come the end of 2015, when I'll take stock and start setting some serious deadlines. I'm kind of breathing a sigh of relief as my 4th book (The Spiritual Feminist) was released this year, April 24th. I swore I would wait a year before beginning another project, but I never do...writing is as essential to the writer as breathing.

Tumblr ~ My week-in-review

My Tumblr week-in-review: http://amythystraine.tumblr.com/…/its-john-c-fremont-days-h…

As a follow up to last week’s Tumblr post: I did NOT get the job I had recently applied for, “assistant” to the Activities Director in a nursing home. The gist of the job would be to talk and interact with the residents, to coax them out for activities, to help the director set up various activities, etc. Since a great part of my “job” as a tarot reader is connecting with people on a variety of levels, and I have experience working with elderly people, I am really perplexed at why I didn’t get this job, and if you’ve read my blog post at Every Cat (How does a 58-year-old witch get a job in Fremont Nebraska?) you will understand my frustration.

Do You Have a Goddess Connection?

[The following is an excerpt from an Author Interview in The Spellery]

The Spiritual Feminist…my most important piece of work.  If I never write another word, I have accomplished all I was put here to do with this book.  This is a book of feminine celebration, healing, and re-empowerment.  It’s a book to help women connect with the Goddess and to find out just what aspects of their lives will be improved and embellished with this connection.  It’s a book to help women find themselves, because sometimes we get so­ lost along the way, mired in responsibility, motherhood, work, husbands, family, and everything else the world throws at us.  Every aspect of Woman, every aspect, deserves to be celebrated.  We have to learn how to embrace ourselves and every other woman on the planet.  We have to learn to stop being so judgmental about ourselves and other women.  We have to learn to support each other and stop tearing each other down. We have to stop being sneaky, jealous, and spiteful with our Sisters.  We have to recover from abuse.  We have to discover our strengths.  We have to learn to recognize our weaknesses and work around them.  We have to learn how to make our lives better, and how to teach our daughters all of this so they’re smarter than we were, so they have a jump-start on Life.

We have to look God in the face and realize…Womanhood is Divine.

This book is so important to me, and I believe so strongly in its message and the difference it can make in a woman’s life, that if I could afford to and it was possible, I’d GIVE every woman on the face of the planet her own copy.  As I wrote this book, I was reaching deep inside myself, searching for answers to questions, acknowledging my own life experience, exploring my own weaknesses, strengths, fears, doubts, and ego with the realization that my experience was universal to all women.  I felt empowered in the writing of this book, and you will feel empowered in the reading of this book.  The Goddess is in every page.  I felt her energy in the tips of my fingers when typing, in my mind when contemplating the sections of this book and the content.  If it can be said that a book is divinely inspired, believe it.  That’s how I feel about “The Spiritual Feminist”.

I want to give you an idea of the journey you will take with the Goddess in this book by including in this post the outline for “The Spiritual Feminist”.  This is the outline that I created as I wrote the book, and the outline I eventually worked from in creating this book.  I don’t know if I’ve ever seen any other author do this– post the skeleton of their creation, but I’m going to do this to give you an idea of where you will be going when you pick this book up and hold it in your hands.  This is a unique look into the author’s world, into how I work, into how I organized and developed the manuscript for this book.

 

 

The Spiritual Feminist

(word count: 51,194)

Hail Mother Goddess

Preface

Part 1: Meet the Goddess

Essay

[Included for each of the following goddesses, these sections:

1. Her Story

2. An Essay or Anecdote

3. Embracing the Goddess

4. Correspondences]

Airmed

Aphrodite

Arianrhod

Artemis

Astarte

Athene

Aurora

Baba Yaga

Bast

Baubo

Black Tara

Blue Tara

Brighid

Cailleach

Ceres

Cerridwen

Copia

Cybele

Demeter

Eostre

Flora

Freya

Green Tara

Hathor

Hecate

Inanna

Isis

Kalima

Kuan Yin

Lakshmi

Lilith

Lucina

Mama Cocha

Mami Wata

Oshun

Pele

Persephone

Red Tara

Shakti

Shitala

Snake woman

Sophia

Thalia

White Buffalo Calf Woman

Part 2: Affirmations & Goals

Affirmations:

The Physical Aspect

1. It is my body…

The Spiritual Aspect

1. I will connect with the universe through the Divine Feminine, and through that connection with my ancestors and the root of all that is me…

The Mental Aspect

1. I will not allow other people’s opinions to form the image I carry of myself…

Goals:

Contributions from women around the country, stating their stage in life and their goals, have been collected and added here.

Part 3: A Woman’s Life Through the Elements

Essay

Earth

Earth Energy Affirmations

Earth Invocation

Air

Air Energy Affirmations

Air Invocation

Fire

Fire Energy Affirmations

Fire Invocation

Water

Water Energy Affirmations

Water Invocation

Part 4: A Woman’s Life Through the Year

Essay

[Incuded for each of the holidays:

1. The Goddess
2. The Holiday
3. My Celebration
4. Correspondences
5. Holiday Recipes]

Samhain

Yule

Imbolc

Ostara

Beltane

Litha

Lammas

Mabon

Part 5: A Woman’s Life Transitions

Essay

Maiden

Mother

Crone

Making and Breaking Divine Connections

Part 6: Turning Mundane Milestones into Spiritual Rituals

Essay

First Menstruation

Essay

A Ritual

Childbirth

Essay

Ritual & Celebratory Suggestions

Menopause

Essay

Things You Want to Leave Behind

Things You Still Want to Accomplish

Birthdays

Essay

The Thresholds:

the 10th year

the 20th year

the 30th year

the 40th year

the 50th year

the 60th year

the 70th year

the 80th year

the 90th year

Wedding Showers

Essay

Creating the Home = Creating Sacred Space

The Kitchen

The Livingroom

The Bathroom

The Bedroom

Baby Showers

Essay

Magickal Gifts

Part 7: Finding the Goddess in Tarot:

Motherpeace Tarot, A Personal Journey

Essay

The Major Arcana

Minor Arcana: The Suit of Swords

Minor Arcana: The Suit of Wands

Minor Arcana: The Suit of Cups

Minor Arcana: The Suit of Discs

Part 8: Wise-Woman Wisdom

Essay

Colors

Numbers

Planets

Moon Phases

Days of the Week

The Elements

Magickal Oils

[Included for each of the oils: Correspondences & Ingredients; Day; Candle Colors; Moon Phase; The Base; The Herbs– and “My Recipe”!]

Health & Healing

Exorcism/Purification

Mars Astrological Oil

Witches’ Oil

Psychic Oil

Sex Oil

Prosperity Oil

Summoning Powder

Black Cat Oil

4 Thieves Vinegar

Graveyard Dirt

Banishing Oil

Command & Compel Oil

Uncrossing Oil

 

 

 

Visit Amazon to LOOK INSIDE “The Spiritual Feminist” and sample the magick!

 

click  Here

 

The Spiritual Feminist ~ Author: Amythyst Raine Hatayama,
Cover Artist: Anne Turrell

[Note: "Do You Have a Goddess Connection? was
originally posted in Magickal Connections]

 

Omaha Art

For the past several weeks, every time we make a venture into Omaha, we've been stopping to take photos of some of the amazing artwork that you'll find on buildings.  I don't know if this particular kind of art has a name, but it's beautiful and blog-worthy.  The first half of these photos were taken around the Bennington area (60th'something and Maple), the second half were taken on 10th St. south of West Dodge Road, on our way to the zoo.  Enjoy. 

[click on the images to make them BIGGER]



 

 

 

Video Book Review by Moody Thursday

I want to thank this beautiful and talented young woman for a rockin’ *Video Review* of my book, The Spiritual Feminist!

Magickal & Mundane ~ Mixing it Up

As anyone who follows this blog already knows (but I'm going to say anyway), Every Cat Has a Tale is reserved more for everyday mundane life and goings on, and my "Other Blog" is kept solely for all types of magickal posts dealing with a lot of what the general public might find unusual.  However, I was kind of surprised when I realized that I can't always cut a perfectly fine line on this.  Magickal things and unusual topics (like tarot) will slip through because that is also a very integral part of my life and who I am.

So for anyone stopping by this spot and expecting the usual fare today, here's something just a tad bit different.  If there are any readers here unfamiliar with my other blog, Magickal Connections, here ya' go.  And if there's anyone visiting today who's not into this kind of stuff, that's okay-- I'll be updating my latest very mundane Job Hunting Venture in Fremont, Nebraska, this week, just as soon as I hear back from a lady.

Every Tuesday, for several weeks now, I've been posting tarot lessons. We're working our way through the Major Arcana, and this weeks card is "DEATH", one of the most imposing cards in the deck. Pretty scary, huh. Sometimes this card of Great Transition actually heralds good things for us, but as creatures of habit, we don't always accept change gracefully. The lesson: http://wytchymystique.com/…/…/tarot-study-major-arcanadeath/
____________________

Sticky Note:

There is an ongoing tarot study class being posted every Tuesday on this blog, Magickal Connections. At this time, we’re looking at the Major Arcana . At the bottom of this week's lesson, you can click on “Tarot Study Guide” if you need to find the previous lessons and play catch up.

These lessons are being posted as they’re being written, and when I finish with the Major Arcana, there may be a short break while I review what I’ve put up and decide if there is more information that I’d like to add to the lessons already posted. Have fun!!– And LEARN TAROT

tarotreadingswithamythystraine.blogspot.com

 

Tumblr ~ including some cool links

This is my Tumblr “week-in-review”, and then some.  Be sure to pay attention to the links in this week’s post!

click  Here

The Spellery ~ July Issue is Out!

The July Issue of The Spellery is out!
Pick up your copy today!

 

Yay!!…Author Interview.  I was delighted to be included, once again, in this innovative beautiful magazine.  You’ll find a 3 1/2 page interview with yours truly about books, writing, witchcraft, and personal life.  (It was my pleasure– I love the editor; and I love this magazine!)

 

The Spellery

 

Available in Digital or Print

 

The Spellery: FB Fan-page

 

 

 

A New Review for The Spiritual Feminist ~ by Maja Todorovic, PHD

From the first moment I read the title of the book, it intrigued me. The Spiritual Feminist -– two words that we are somehow forgetting in our hectic and overloaded lives.

Here, the author tries to reconnect us with our feminine side, through spirituality, through examination of Goddesses and all those archetypes that most of us, as women, live on a daily basis at some point in our lives…continue reading

[Source: Eternal Haunted Summer]