Early Winter

The date of the winter solstice has passed and we are now in early winter. We haven't had much snow in the area yet but all the other signs of winter are here! The cold air, the chilly air, the leaf-less trees and the barren-looking land.

But this is a time when I do the work of having supplies stored just in case I get trapped by a winter storm. I am so glad and grateful that I work from home and I have found other witches who are writers like me.

I do know that this is the time of year for a sort of like slumber period almost like a hibernation where we try to stay away from the harsh elements of winter as much as we can and in the meantime prepare for the spring.

I have started my inside garden starting with some lavendar and other herbs and they are finally starting to grow and I'm going to add more seedlings as well!

I enjoy this time of year - especially when I don't really have to go anywhere and I can work from home with my own hours and my own pace.

I'm also too, planning for the spring - mostly getting my outside garden cleaned up so that I will be able to plant and garden outside again this year as soon as possible!

What If Your Spell(s) Are Not Working For You - Part 2

I found another very good piece of advice about what to do if your spells are not working for you

"
When things don't work for you and they don't work a lot, it can be any number of things and your biggest challange a lot of the time is figuring out what is going wrong. This is one of the reasons that it's always good to write down everything that you have done and when you did, what state of mind you were in, what you used..etc, this way you can always go back and look and see if maybe you were in the wrong moon phase, for example or used the wrong herbs in something, and then you can easily go back and make changes and try again.

As for not believing enough, yes, that can be it too. If you have any doubt about what you're doing when you do it, that will effect the energy that you raise when you work magick. If you're not sure about something, then it's always best to just hold off until a better time. Remember, your thoughts and your feelings with what you're doing and your goal you have in mind all contribute to the energy that is being raised. Negative thoughts translate to negative energies and can cause things to not work out. Doubt is a strong thing.

Keep trying and keep practicing and you'll get it. Don't give up. =)"

Summer Solstice On June 21st

From what I know so far the summer solstice is the longest day of the year. It is the time to celebrate the summer months.

"Litha as they name it, which is celebrated around the longest day of the year, is a time for celebrating the power of light and the fruition of fertility. It can be described as Mother Nature being heavy with pregnancy. In other words, crops are growing towards readiness for harvesting.

Source
Summer Solstice Rituals

The Summer Solstice marks the longest day of summer, the point at which the life-giving sun is at its strongest over the powers of darkness."

Interestingly enough I couldn't find a lot of detailed information about the summer solstice online and would love to hear comments from you on what you are going to do to celebrate.

I know that I want to do something to celebrate it - I just don't know what I'm going to do yet.

The Witch's Bottle

I have to admit that when I first saw this term I was very intrigued. Here is a further explanation of what a witch's bottle is:

"
THE WITCH’S BOTTLE

The Witch’s Bottle is a very ancient type of spell, which has countless
variations. The idea of performing a spell and sealing it in a jar is as old
as the manufacture of jars, and may be regarded as a portable version of
burying a spell in the Earth -the jar here representing the womb of the
Mother.
Many examples of this sort of spell have been found by archeologists,
though modern versions tend to be rather different from ancient ones -partly
due to the difference in materials readily available for magical working. In
ages past anthropomorphic jars were especially popular for this sort of
working, the jar itself then taking on the character of a spirit helper to
aid the spell’s unfolding. Sometimes the whole jar would be made in the
likeness of a human being, or
animal, sometimes only the face would be shown. The so-called BELLARMINE
JARS, bearing the likeness of the Old God -often in tripple form- were
commonly used for this sort of undertaking and are strongly associated with
it.
Today, we commonly use any sort of jar or bottle that appeals to us, or
is convenient to use. Decorative jars are often favored, but ordinary glass
jars and bottles -either plain or self-decorated- serve just as well.
For this particular Witch’s Bottle, you will need the following things:

A small jar -such as a baby food jar, or a medicine bottle.
A larger jar -such as a canning jar, or a decorative canister.
A bit of paper and ink -red ink would be preferable.
Some herbs -a combination of Parsley and Sage might be a good general choice.
A bit of essential oil -vanilla might be a good choice.
Some stones -aquarium gravel would be good, as it is small and easy to handle.
A quantity of water.

Choose a time when you will be able to work unhindered. If possible it
is best to make the bottle during the Waxing Moon.

source
Yahoo Group - Daily Spells

This really looks like something that I would like to try myself!

Beltane Activities

Beltane started on May 1st




Here are some activities that you can do to celebrate Beltane:

"Many people would rise at the first light of dawn to go outdoors and gather flowers and branches to decorate their homes.

Women traditionally would braid flowers into their hair.

Men and women alike would decorate their bodies.

Beltane marks the return of vitality, of passion.

Ancient Pagan traditions say that Beltane marks the emergence of the young God into manhood. Stirred by the energies at work in nature, he desires the Goddess. They fall in love, lie among the grasses and blossoms, and unite. The Goddess becomes pregnant of the God. To celebrate, a wedding feast, for the God and Goddess must be prepared. Let Them guide you! Breads and cereals are popular. Try oatmeal cakes or cookies sweetened with a dab of honey. Dairy foods are again appropriate...just make a lovely wedding feast and you are sure to enjoy yourself!

An early morning walk through a local park or forest could be fun for everyone.

Gather up some plants or flowers to display in your home. (I especially like this one because it is something that I can do myself)

Mom and daughter could braid their hair, and weave in a few tender blossoms.

I really like all of these ideas and quite ironically I did braid my hair and am wearing my hair like that right now!

Since that I know that we are now in the Beltane season there are things that I can do to help celebrate it. As I have mentioned many times before on this blog I have a backyard where I have my garden and I have already started planting.

I also have some roses that are growing on the side of my house and to celebrate Beltane I could bring a few cut roses inside and set them up as a centerpiece.

So what are you doing to celebrate the Beltane Sabbat?

On Abundance (or lack thereof)

found this very inspiring article online about abundance or lack there of

There are a lot of financial problems that I am going through right now and I'm working hard to solve them and I'm trying to manage my thoughts more better towards the positive.

It's a very inspiring blog post!

Abundance or the lack thereof

Vintage Witch?

Well here is a term that I am seeing for the first time today! I have never heard of a "vintage" witch before and I really couldn't find any definition of it online so if anyone knows more about what a "vintage" witch is please let me know.

Which Tarot Card Am I?

You are The Moon

Hope, expectation, Bright promises.

The Moon is a card of magic and mystery - when prominent you know that nothing is as it seems, particularly when it concerns relationships. All logic is thrown out the window.

The Moon is all about visions and illusions, madness, genius and poetry. This is a card that has to do with sleep, and so with both dreams and nightmares. It is a scary card in that it warns that there might be hidden enemies, tricks and falsehoods. But it should also be remembered that this is a card of great creativity, of powerful magic, primal feelings and intuition. You may be going through a time of emotional and mental trial; if you have any past mental problems, you must be vigilant in taking your medication but avoid drugs or alcohol, as abuse of either will cause them irreparable damage. This time however, can also result in great creativity, psychic powers, visions and insight. You can and should trust your intuition.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

The Next Full Moon!

The next full moon will be on May 17 11:09 which is this upcoming Tuesday.

The full moon is a great time to do spells!

The Next Philadelphia Witches Meeting

The next Philadelphia Witches Meetup Group will meet on Monday, May 16, 2011 at 6:00 PM Rotten Ralph's - Chestnut St & S 2nd St Philadelphia, PA

To find out more about this (and other) meetings just click here for more information about it.

I am a member of this meetup group but so far I haven't managed to attend any of the meetings yet but I would really love to.

If you are able to attend please let me (and the rest of us) know how it went.

Using Flameless Candles In Spells????

Since I have chosen to take the path of hedgewitch I have wanted to use the most natural of ingredients and supplies in all of my spells.

So when I saw an online article about using flameless candles in spells I really "scoffed" at the notion! But I read the article and a lot of things that it said made a lot of sense to me especially when you want a candle to burn all night when you are doing a vigil. Also too, with a flameless candle you can place items around the candle and not worry about them burning.

So all in all, I have given up my "snobbery" about flameless candles and heck I have even decided to add them to my supplies as well!

Our Current Sabbat Is Beltane

The current sabbat is Beltane which started May 1, 2011




Beltane is a traditional May Day celebration of fertility, renewal, awakening & new beginnings that heralds the arrival of summer.

Though it's not quite summer yet we are on our way and this sabbat celebrates this time of year.



If you are a gardener like I am then this is definitely the time of year to start your garden. So far I have started growing some seeds indoors and have started to plant outside as well.

On My Book List

One of the books that I would like to add to my library is called The Modern Witch’s Book Of Herbs And Healing.

Even though I consider myself a hedgewitch, I'd also like to think of myself as a modern witch as well - even though I like the old, traditional ways.

Ostara - starting March 21st

Ostara this is a time to celebrate planting and the new crop season.

2011 Full Moon Schedule

Here you find the full moon calendar with the full moon data of 2011 and exact times and dates in an overview. The next full moon has been highlighted.

Wednesday, 19 January 2011, 10:21:24 pm
Friday, 18 February 2011, 09:35:42 am
Saturday, 19 March 2011, 07:10:06 pm
Monday, 18 April 2011, 04:44:00 am
Tuesday, 17 May 2011, 01:08:42 pm
Wednesday, 15 June 2011, 10:13:36 pm [**]
Friday, 15 July 2011, 08:39:36 am
Saturday, 13 August 2011, 08:57:30 pm
Monday, 12 September 2011, 11:26:42 am
Wednesday, 12 October 2011, 04:05:42 am
Thursday, 10 November 2011, 09:16:06 pm
Saturday, 10 December 2011, 03:36:24 pm [**]

For those of you that are new to wicca or new to witchcraft and being a witch I have found a very interesting group on Facebook called "Wicca Power Spells".

I don't have a Facebook page myself but I did see a lot of posts from those who are new to Wicca or those who want to know more about how to become a witch.

Newbies have so many questions that I think that it is great that I was able to find this link and be able to post it here. Hopefully it will help those that are new who are seeking answers.

Wicca Power Spells

It's Not All About Spells And Witchcraft!

When I first started actually practicing witchcraft and becoming a witch I came to find out that it involved more than just doing spells!

Although it's more of a Wiccan thing I have come to learn and appreciate that it's more about getting in touch with one's self!

Yes I have created and done spells, but I have also bought and lit incense - not to use in a spell - but to just have a nice atmosphere to relax in.

Another thing about spellcasting is that you have to be in a relaxed state - you have to relax as much as possible before you start or do a spell.

And it's this relaxation part that you have to follow - not only when you cast spells but you try to relax as much as you can all the time. This means quiet meditation and "grounding" one's self - especially when the pressures of one's life start to get to you.

Here is a very great article about just that!

10 Tips To Stay Grounded In The Present


Some of the things (well most of them - LOL!) I have done myself. They are nice and simple techniques that one can incorporate into their lives to have a more relaxed and peaceful existence - whether you are a witch or not.

Eating More Healthy

Besides growing my own vegetables, I really realize that I have to eat more healthy. I found an online site that has a list of healthy foods that one should eat. Here is a link to the article.

Imbolc - My Plans For.....

Here is a reply that I posted when someone asked what we were going to do to celebrate the Imbolc season:


As I understand it this is the time of year to get ready for spring! Although we are still in the midst of the winter season we can still prepare for the spring while we are inside!

In my particular case it would be planning time for my garden and getting myself ready to work outside in my garden.

While I love the colder weather I don't like it when the weather is so bad that there is ice on the ground because it makes it hard to get around. On the other hand there is nothing more pleasant than being snowed in BUT having all you need at hand!