Two suitors, overbearing feminine energy, procrastination

 

In today's video it looks like there is competition for someone's affection, as well as a procrastinator that just can't face something, and someone overwhelmed by an overbearing Mother figure. You'll find much more in this series of Triplicates for a general reading.

Your Questions: A separated couple, where do they stand

 

If you have a question you'd like me to address anonymously in a video, email me at witch_of_endore@yahoo.com 

The Tarot Parlour ~ http://tarotreadingswithamythystraine.blogspot.com

Nine of Swords ~ Our Mental Demons

 

Source: 

The Ultimate Tarot Guide:

for Your Personal Tarot Journey 

Purchase your copy HERE

9/Swords ~ “Oh, woe is me!”, this card seems to moan, with a very dramatic Edgar Allen Poe feel about it. But take it seriously, even though it may seem overly dramatic and even a bit childish at times, because behind this first facade there can lay the bones of serious depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, or some other cloaked and lurking mental demon. This card expresses to perfection human anguish and helplessness. Once you recognize it for what it is, the tarot will help you find the way out. Look around for that single ray of light, that ray of light that’s always there, it’s just not visible to the figure on this card because their face is buried in their hands.

Reversed:

Okay, you’ve crawled your way up out of the bottom of this very clique bottom of the pit, but how are you going to stay on top? If medical or psychological treatment was sought out, keep up with it and any medication that was prescribed. If the situation wasn’t quite that drastic, but was just a matter of recognizing unhealthy individuals and circumstances in life, continue to avoid them at all cost.

My Personal Connection:

This card, besides the 10 of swords, is probably one of the darkest cards in the deck. We all own a piece of this card, whether we admit it or not, whether we even admit it to ourselves or not. Inside everyone, in the blackest nooks and crannies of our mind, there lays all sorts of shadows and demons that have surfaced from time to time. I don’t believe that anyone who has lived can avoid this energy.

What I have noticed through several decades of life, is that being able to identify the demon and to figure out its weakness, it’s Achilles heel, will help you to overcome it. The mistake that a lot of people make is thinking that if they’ve overcome their darkest most personal demons, they’re victorious. The battle is over. Not so, as I’ve seen with a few unfortunate individuals who have come into my life for brief periods, that’s their down fall. They drop their guard, and IT resurfaces, to claim their soul.

This is a dark card, and it can bring to light a dark spirit, or a dark personality… beware this card, take it seriously, and be vigilante.

The Awakening

 

Two Videos ~ Recognizing Frienemies v. Advocates & A New Video Series

 

This reading has four scenarios with a total of twelve cards for the whole thing. I think the most important message coming from our reading today is the need to recognize the difference between a frienemy and an advocate. Avoid the first, and embrace the second. 

If you have any questions or concerns that you would like addressed in a tarot reading, email me at witch_of_endore@yahoo.com, and there's a chance that your question(s) will be featured on one of these videos.

Passion, without control?

 

My creative burst for today, an animated tarot reading.

The deck used for this reading is Light Seer's Tarot. The cards are: Knight of Wands, 5 of Pentacles, Ace of Wands.

The Nostalgia Tarot Spread ~ Amazing how nostalgia messes with some of us!

 

This is a four card spread, of which I drew several sets. The four positions for this spread include: 

1. A memory that has a pathway to an emotional blockage 

2. Why I have this emotional blockage 

3. How I can work to release this blockage 

4. A memory I can tap into to have a positive nostalgic reflection 

The Tarot Parlour ~ click  HERE

Time to Speak Up ~ Amazon Reviewer's Hysteria

 
Authors are generally encouraged to turn a blind eye to negative book reviews, and face it, every author gets them.  While I've generally adhered to this, I've recently become aware of a couple things: 1) there is a scathing review on one of my books that is bluntly unfair and quite frankly unfounded on several points, and 2) there are a few favorable five star reviews on other books that still carry statements about a book that are not accurate, and I was absolutely floored at the twist it can give even a stellar review.

I used my voice to create these books, and I'm going to use my voice to defend these books, clarify a few falsehoods (or misinterpretations), and basically set the record straight.  I also encourage other authors to speak up.  If your book was worth writing, it is worth defending against malicious intentions, or false observations.

First, Green Witchcraft Grimoire

I was quite shocked recently when I visited this Amazon page to be faced with a long tirade by a reviewer who has left an unimpressive 11 reviews at Amazon, all negative, for a variety of products.  Apparently, this person isn't happy with anything.

I actually had to read this review twice to soak it all in, I found it so filled with loathing and such negativity.  And yes, I took notes.  Here we go:

• 1.  Complaint: "it is obvious that it is a Wiccan book with all of the mention of the gods removed"

This book is not focused on Wicca, but the very specific practice of Green Witchcraft, which does not necessarily incorporate the energy of the gods in its practice.  However, if you are interested in more information on deities, I would suggest one of my other books, The Spiritual Feminist, which starts off with an in-depth look at 45 goddesses from around the world, their energy, and how they may be incorporated within our personal spiritual practices.

• 2.  Complaint:  "The author, in a "green" witchcraft book, is advising you to salt your own land."

First, the term "Green Witch"... green witchcraft has been practiced for centuries, long before the word "green" was ever connected to environmentalism, and before environmentalism was even a concept.  The "Green" in green witchcraft primarily points to the fact that the use of herbs and other plants are at the center of this spiritual path.

It's only in our modern time that this point seems to have been lost, or overwhelmed by the idea of environmentalism and the hijacking of the term "green" with a very different meaning.

Salt... the tiny pinch of salt used in spells I have personally cast and buried in the earth has never had a negative effect on my lawn, my flowerbeds, or my garden. Promise.  I have put a lot of work in growing and beautifying my yard, so I'm not going to do anything that would harm or mar it in any way.

• 3.  Complaint:  "it seems like every spell she is telling you to bury the remains"

Burying spell remains... this is a very old and very traditional practice.  There is not a witch worth her salt who has not buried the sacred remains of a spell casting in Mother Earth.  

• 4. Complaint: "This author has obviously never cast half the spells in this book"

This author has been casting spells since 1974.  My own spiritual practice and experience added greatly to the writing of this grimoire, which I dearly love.

• 5.  Complaint:  "and throwing seeds into rivers, with no worry for whether they are native or invasive."

Seeds in a river... most practioners of green witchcraft will naturally use the botanicals that are native to their area and are therefore easy to attain.  Personally, I've never ordered exotic seeds from the other side of the world to use in my spell crafting.

• 6.. Complaint:  "...or she owns her own private graveyard to bury all of these spells in."

Graveyards...actually I love cemeteries.  They have always been a favorite peaceful spot to visit.  I visit them not only for the beauty and solitude found there, but as part of my spiritual practice.  Not only have I buried spell remains in a graveyard, I've collected cemetery dirt for use in spells.

• 7.  Complaint:  "Paraffin wax is NOT biodegradable, so please don't bury it."

Most witches I know purchase their spell candles at local new-age witchy shops. The candles that you find here are generally made of natural ingredients -- beeswax, which is perfectly safe to bury in the earth.

Now I believe it's time to light some sage.

 

Healing a Relationship

 
Do you recognize your relationship? Your circumstances? For some of you there may be only one set of these cards that you will identify with, but for others, there will be multiple sets of cards that were drawn for this video that will pertain to you and your relationship as it stands now. 

The four positions for this tarot spread: 

• 1) Their feelings 
• 2) Your feelings 
• 3) The near future 
• 4) The distant future 

If you would like an expanded version of this reading for your personal circumstances, you can purchase a reading by using the $49.99 Paypal widget at the top of this page: click HERE

After you purchase a reading, send me an email with your questions and concerns at: witch_of_endore@yahoo.com

 

Spread the Love ~ Tarot Spread

We needed some lighter energy for our readings this time around, so I decided to go with this tarot spread. 

The three positions for this spread include: 

• 1. What makes you special? 

• 2. What are your best qualities? 

• 3. What makes you a really great friend? 

I drew several cards for this video, hopefully covering a variety of personalities and scenarios for this very general reading. I used both The Light Seers tarot deck and The Elemental Oracle deck. 

If you would like a personal tarot reading, you can purchase one at The Tarot Parlour by following this link. All readings are video readings that will be emailed to you through PCloud, so include an up-to-date working email address. All readings are $49.99: 

http://tarotreadingswithamythystraine.blogspot.com

Relationships ~ The Serial "Overlapper"

 

Over-lapper, definition: Someone who puts out feelers, dates, or begins a new relationship before ending an existing relationship. The status, or extent, of an over-lapper's existing relationship is often kept a secret from the new love interest.

Habitual over-lappers don’t like to leave a relationship until they’ve got another one to go to.

It’s painful and unfortunate, but sometimes we do meet our next partner before our current relationship has ended. It doesn’t necessarily mean that something physical happens, but yes, sometimes our heads get turned. We feel deeply attracted to someone, and we know that we cannot continue as is. Some people know that their feelings have changed about their current relationship and their partner without having any physical overlap, infidelity. Some people start something new and then have to find a “good moment to break bad news” to their current partner.

Some signs and habits of an over-lapper:

1. Habitual over-lappers are always lining up their next option, so it’s ready to use when needed.
2. They reopen negotiations with their ex behind your back.
3. They’ve got someone at work/the gym/club that they flirt with.
4. They’re confiding their problems, real or imagined, to someone at work (or elsewhere). 
5. They’ve got someone mooning over them and becoming an indispensable "friend".
6. They stroll down memory lane on Facebook with someone from high school or college, aka "The High School Sweetheart".

Many people don’t know how to break up.

Let’s be real, some people don’t do being alone very well. I know a few people who’ve never had a clean break between relationships. 

Some people need to have their ego stroked elsewhere when they experience relationship problems. It gives them reassurance, because getting attention and possibly the offer of another relationship from someone else must mean that the problem isn’t theirs.

Over-lappers don’t gain any insights from their relationships, and they will repeat the same mistakes over and over again.  They just transfer feelings and emotions to a new partner and assume that new surroundings and a clean slate means old problems are solved, as if to suggest that they had no contribution to failed relationships and have nothing to learn.

It’s safe to say that sometimes the new partner is/was unaware of the existence of their relationship with a current partner when they became involved. When the over-lapper is caught, a common excuse used is:  “Oh we were pretty much over by then!” or “Baby, I was afraid I’d lose you, so I lied."

To be clear though, regardless of what state a current relationship was in at the time a new relationship was started... over-lapping is cheating.

Even if it didn’t get physical, overlapping equals an emotional affair. 

The over-lapper's new partner may feel flattered while they are enjoying the honeymoon glow new stage of the relationship. But they don’t realize that your average over-lapper is demonstrating that when faced with problems and conflict in a relationship, they don’t do problem-solving. They will simply repeat the pattern and begin to look for a new partner.  

Note: If you’re with an over-lapper, ask about their breakups. If this pattern of behavior is habitual, know that you could be the next victim as soon as the over-lapper feels unhappy or discontent within your relationship.  Also, bear in mind that when an over-lapper is questioned about past relationships, they may not be honest about the numbers.

The source for this post: For more information, and to read this article in its entirety, follow this link:

"Baggage Reclaim"

click  HERE

Two Truths... and a Lie

 
What a provocative tarot spread! I hesitated to do a reading with this spread, afraid that it might make some people uncomfortable. But then I thought, wait a minute. If someone is uncomfortable, or feels cringey, it's going to be because they *Recognize* or *Identify* with what they are hearing. Holy Buckets! 

I would *not* use this tarot spread for personal readings with clients. 

So, did I crawl inside anyone's head with this reading?

 

Facebook Friends Request ~ Seriously? Sorta' Spooky

 

My Facebook Page

*Note: Friends requests are certainly welcome! The point is, if I can't see any info on your profile, you have to fill me in before I'll add you.

Seriously... to total strangers who are putting in a friends request (not necessarily the "fake profiles") : If I can't see your info (no information At All), nothing about you except a Facebook banner and maybe a couple photos, maybe not, I will never respond to this request. 

You can see me. 

• I need to know who you are... your location (you know where I am)

• If there is anything in common (why are you friend requesting me)

• Facebook already tells me if we have any friends in common, and if we do, okay, but if we don't... how did you find me? 

• Why do you want to be friends? 

I know this is a very public Facebook page, which was originally set up primarily to sell books and witchy merchandise and services.  But over the years, it has also grown into a personal Facebook page as well, full of family and real-world friends, and a few internet friends that are dearly embraced as well.

I have stopped adding total strangers with zero information shown on their FB page.

There are almost 200 friend requests sitting in my queue right now.  Some of them look like delightful people that I will eventually add, I just haven't gotten around to going through this as a top priority right now.

And then there are The Strangers, along with some obviously Fake Profiles that will be dismissed.

If you've sent me a friend request, but your profile is set to private, or friends only, send me a message and let me know about yourself.  😏  (Uh, like are you a stalker? Serial killer? An ex? Or a partner's ex? Are you secretly anti-Witch?  Are you going to try and convert me?... stuff like that.)

Some "Berry" Nice Magick

 

Mundanely speaking, there isn’t a berry I don’t find delicious, so I’ve included a recipe for each berry in this post. Magickally speaking, there’s much more to these colorful delectable morsels than a muggle would ever guess, so we’re going to take a good look at this side of berries:

Blueberry

• Folk Names: Bilberry

• Power: Protection

• Deities: Dark Lord; Lugh; the Hunter

• Magical Uses:

Place some blueberries beneath the doormat to keep undesirables away from your property, or from entering your home. This protects against evil as well.

Make blueberry pies or tarts and eat when under psychic attack.  This gets the protection inside you and increases the herb’s effectiveness.

To “bother” an enemy: soak dried blueberry leaves in hot water overnight. Stir in black mustard seed the following morning, and throw this concoction across your enemy’s path, where they will step in it.

Blueberry Pie

1. 2/3 to 3/4 cups sugar
2. ¼ all-purpose flour
3. ½ teaspoon grated lemon peel
4. ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
5. 5 cups blueberries
6. Pastry for one 2-crust pie/9”
7. 1 tablespoon butter or margarine

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In large bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients; let stand.

Roll out half of the pastry and line a 9 inch pie plate. Spoon filling evenly into crust; dot with butter or margarine. Prepare top crust and cover pie, sealing the edges. Bake 50 minutes or until golden.

Raspberry

• Folk Names: European Raspberry, Red Raspberry

• Gender: Feminine

• Planet: Venus

• Element: Water

• Powers: Protection, love

• Magical Uses:

The brambles (branches) of the raspberry are hung up at doors and windows for protection. This is also done when a death has occurred, so that the spirit won’t re-enter the house once it has left.

Raspberry is served as a love-inducing food, and the leaves are carried by pregnant women to alleviate the pains of pregnancy and childbirth.

Hoodoo mojo, “To Hold a Man”: There are a few ways that this plant can be used to bind a man to you, and you’d better make darn sure you want him before you do this, because once it’s done, you can’t change your mind.

1. Make a tincture with raspberry leaves in a quart jar filled with spring water. Pour this tincture over your body while repeatedly reciting the man’s name. 
2. It’s said that a man will never want to wander far from his woman or stray from the marital bed if she washes her genitals in raspberry leaf tea, sprinkles periwinkle on his food, and hides a magnolia leaf in the mattress…good luck, Ladies.

Turn about is fair play.

Now it’s the guys’ turn... more hoodoo mojo, “To Hold a Woman”: You have to find a branch of raspberry that has rooted at the tip, and take some of this from the plant without killing the plant. Boil the root in spring water, bathe in it, drink some of it; then serve the rest of it to your wife. It will keep the little woman faithful– if it doesn’t make her sick.*

*Note: I find a lot of this old hoodoo magick interesting and entertaining to read about, but realistically I would be very careful about actually using this type of magick on anyone; not only from an ethical viewpoint as far as magick and the rules of propriety are concerned, but also from the practical mundane aspect of safety. Just because the berries on a plant are edible, that doesn’t mean the entire plant is safe to ingest. Rhubarb is a good example of this.  As delicious as the stem is, the leaves are poisonous.

Raspberry Lime Lemonade

1. 1 1/2 cups lemon juice
2. 1/3 cup lime juice
3. 1 cup sugar
4. 6 cups water
5. 1 cup fresh raspberries

Combine lemon juice, lime juice, sugar, and water in a 2 quart pitcher. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the raspberries and chill overnight. Pour over ice, serving it with a lemon or lime slice.

Strawberry

• Folk Names: Poziomki, Tchilek, Jordboer

• Gender: Feminine

• Planet: Venus

• Element: Water

• Deity: Freya

• Powers: Love, Luck

• Magical Uses:

Strawberries are served as a love food, and the leaves are carried for luck. Pregnant women may wish to carry a small packet of strawberry leaves to ease their pregnancy pains. This berry can also be used to draw a stray lover back to you, but this spell I can’t post here– it’s a spell that’s included in my book, The Gray Witch’s Grimoire ...(The Strawberry Sex Spell). All I can say is, it’s a doozy.

Strawberry Love Salad

1. 2 (3 oz.) boxes strawberry jello
2. 1 cup boiling water
3. 2 (10 oz.) boxes frozen strawberries, thawed
4. 1 can crushed pineapple
5. 1 package Dream Whip

Topping:

1. 1 package cream cheese
2. 1/4 cup sugar
3. 1/2 cup chopped nuts

Dissolve jello into water. Add the pineapple and strawberries (with the juice). Refrigerate. Make the topping, which includes whipping together the Dream Whip, cream cheese, and sugar. Garnish with nuts.

Blackberry

• Folk Names: Bly, Bramble, Bramble-Kite, Cloudberry, Dewberry, Goutberry,High blackberry, Thimbleberry

• Gender: Feminine

• Planet: Venus

• Element: Water

• Deity: Brigit

• Powers: Healing, Money, Protection

• Ritual Uses:

Blackberry was considered to be sacred to some of the old Pagan deities of Europe, and was used in worship. To the present day, blackberry pies are baked on Lughnasadh (August 2) by some of the Wiccans in commemoration of the harvest, seen poetically as the death of the God.

• Magickal Uses:

The blackberry leaves are used in spells of wealth, as are the berries themselves, and the vines are protective if grown.

The blackberry plant is also used to heal scalds by dipping nine blackberry leaves in spring water and then laying them against the wound gently, while saying the following chant three times to each leaf (27 times in all):

“Three ladies came from the east,

One with fire and two with frost.

Out with fire, in with frost. “

This is an old invocation to Brigit, the ancient Celtic Goddess of poetry, healing, and smith craft.

Hang onto your hoodoo hats... “To Send Back Evil”: You’ll need a black candle in the shape of a human figure, whether it’s male or female will depend upon your enemy, and most new-age shops carry these candles. Lay this candle on a red cloth. Sprinkle it with blackberry leaves and black salt. Wrap it up and tie both ends shut with a black ribbon. 

 Hit this bundle three times with a hammer while shouting out the name of your enemy and exactly what evil-ass energy you want to return to them. Do this for seven days, repeating the exact words each time. On the eighth day, take this bundle to the graveyard, bury it and ask the spirits of the dead to dole out justice.

Blackberry Pudding

1. 1 1/4 cups milk
2. 1/4 to 1/2 cup ground almonds
3. 1 1/4 cups water
4. 1 pint fresh blackberries
5. 1/3 cup merlot or other red wine
6. 2 tablespoons rice flour
7. 1/3 teaspoon sugar
8. 1/2 teaspoon salt
9. 1/8 teaspoon ginger
10. 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
11. 1 tablespoon butter @ room temp
12. 2 tablespoons wine vinegar
13. 1/4 cup fresh currants
14. whip cream…for garnish

Place the blackberries in a bowl and pour the wine over them, mixing gently -- gently! The berries will soak up some of the wine. Pour the rest off and discard (I can hear you groaning). Using a blender, combine the berries, rice, flour, sugar, salt, spices, and milk until well blended. Pour this mixture into a large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Once it’s hit a rolling boil, let it boil for two minutes to thicken. Remove from heat and stir in butter, then the vinegar, and then the currants.

Pour this mixture into a large serving bowl, or small individual dessert dishes. Chill and serve with a topping of whip cream.

Credits:

The delicious recipes for this post, or some of them anyway, have come from the following sources. If you think I hang around the kitchen creating new recipes, think again. And listen, you might be able to hear my husband laughing.

“From a Witch’s Kitchen: Celebrating Seasonal Magic in Every Meal”
by Beth Brown

“The Wicca Cookbook: Recipes, Ritual, & Lore”
by Jamie Wood & Tara Seefeldt

Both of these are great books, filled with wonderful recipes galore and interesting information. The Wicca Cookbook is actually filled with quite an impressive load of myth and folk-lore. I highly recommend both books.

This blog post was originally published at my other blog, Magickal Connections, in February 2012.

What guidance does my inner voice have for me?

 

This is our tarot spread for today. The three positions are: 

• 1) Reminder from the past 

• 2) Message from the present 

• 3) Guidance for the future 

I pulled several sets of cards for this spread to cover a variety of circumstances and situations for this general reading. I hope that you find something here that connects with you, and that you receive the message Spirit intends for you to hear.