Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Polish your Gem-self and SHINE!

I saw a tweet today that made me think. Rather than quote the tweet, (because it was a bit on the snarky side) I'd like to talk about the more positive aspect. Yes. The POSITIVE. If you're thinking that this <sometimes> cantankerous old witch is all of a sudden going all "love & light", just switch your mental gears for a few minutes and indulge me in my wit and humor.

*dips quill in ink and begins*

I never have, and never will be, what some would call a "love & lighter". Rest assured, I still fully believe that light and dark balance each other. Without darkness, there cannot be light - and vice versa. The saying "A witch who cannot hex, cannot heal" is still a deeply rooted tenet of mine.

The Morrighan, warrior goddess, is still very much a part of me. What I've learned through working with her, however, is that I no longer have to pick up my sword every time I see (or experience) an injustice. She has taken up the sword on my behalf many times recently. She has shown me that my time and energy were much better spent focusing on creating the life I want to live.She sees. She knows. She protects.

Note that I said "every time". Because it's important that you know that there are still times when I will pick up that sword. I'm just less inclined to do so as often as I used to.

Amber-werx.com
So - about this polishing business. We are all, for the most part, a gemstone in the rough. Think of your most favorite gemstone, and then do a little google search to see what that gemstone looks like un-tumbled. For instance, take a look at the piece of Lapis Lazuli (my fav) there on the left.

It's nice... but it just isn't as beautiful as it looks once it's tumbled - or polished.


Now take a look at the gorgeous Lapis Lazule over here on the right that has been tumbled and polished. Big difference, right? You can see the deep blue hues, the flecks of gold, the sheer beauty of this gemstone.

I do have to inject a plug for one of my favorite gemstone sites here: Healing Crystals. They not only have an amazing collection of gemstones available at discount prices, their site offers TONS of information on the metaphysical properties of just about every gemstone you can think of!

There are several techniques to polishing a gemstone. You can grind them, sand them, use a drill, or put them in a tumbler. Have you ever felt that someone was just putting you through the ringer? Yeah, that's what I'm talking about. So while this person is grinding, sanding, drilling or otherwise putting you through the ringer - YOU are actually the one who benefits. Why? Because you're being POLISHED! You come out a gorgeous shining gemstone while they continue to wear the face of a worn down sander or grinder or a dull drill bit.

Don't let this be you!


Was that an "AHA!!" moment I just heard you having? I hope so. :-)

Let your gem-self SHINE!
*corks inkwell and puts quill away*

Until next time, my beautiful Gems!


Sunday, September 30, 2012

Are you ready for some Samhain?

The countdown to Samhain begins!




I'm SO excited to announce one of the most EXCITING October events on the web! Brought to you by a group of the most amazing, wonderful, funny, generous, witty, and talented witches and pagans collectively known as Samhain's Sirens, this is an event you won't want to miss!

Samhain Sirens

Samhain’s Sirens is a gift of Halloween love to you from us. During the Samhain season (October 1- November 2) we’ll be treating you to blogs, giveaways, craft ideas, recipes and music to help you celebrate this holy and happy time in honoring the thinning of the veil and our ancestors.

Be sure to visit and follow our blog page (http://samhainsirens.blogspot.com/ )
"Like" our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/SamhainSirens) and
Follow us onTwitter ( https://twitter.com/SamhainSirens ) for all the exciting news and entertainment of the season!

Not only will you enjoy "all the Samhain news you can use", but there will be giveaways galore with a SWEET Grand Prize Giveaway at the end of the month. I've had the honor of being the Siren in charge of collecting all of the Wickedly Wonderful goodies that will be included in the Grand Prize Giveaway. Trust me when I tell you that you will want to enter often to increase your chances of winning!

As part of this celebration, I will be doing a giveaway of my very own hand blended Smudging Mist

MANY thanks and MUCH LOVE to Kallan Kennedy for facilitating this event, and to ALL the Sirens who have put so much work into it! Vickie of Aoibheal's Lair has done a fantastic job of keeping up with the blog calendar. Magaly of Pagan Culture (a MOST EXCELLENT writer!) will weave a Magickal Word Web with contributions from ALL of the bloggers, and here is a sampling of some the SWEET witches and pagans who are contributing something to this NOT TO BE MISSED Event!

Sosanna
- Sosanna's Closet - http://facebook.com/sosannascloset
-Sosanna's Closet on Google+ https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/101966693643031293156/
- Confessions of a Modern Witch - http://confessionsofamodernwitch.blogspot.com/

Kourtney Leaf
- The Multi-Faceted Experience - http://multifacetedexperience.blogspot.com

Vickie McNeely
-Aoibheal's Lair - http://www.aoibhealslair.com/

Angie Holtz
- Lilac Wolf and Stuff - http://lilacwolfandstuff.blogspot.com/
- LilWolfMama - https://www.facebook.com/LilWolfMama

Jen Rue
- Rue and Hyssop - www.rueandhyssop.blogspot.com
- Three Cats And A Broom - www.etsy.com/shop/threecatsandabroom

Loren Morris
-Saga's Cottage- www.facebook.com/sagascottage
-Saga's Cottage Etsy- www.sagascottage.etsy.com 

Lorelei Gumbiner
- Eliora - http://www.etsy.com/shop/ElegantlyEnchanting
- Eliora - https://www.facebook.com/Eliora.EnchantingElegance

Sam Curtin
- Samantha Curtin - Author - http://www.facebook.com/scurtin89
- Bones, Buried Treasures and Beliefs - http://anthrobum.blogspot.com

Angel Mixon ( Bella Foxglove )
Tales of the Wolf Queen (Blog ) - http://bellafoxglove.blogspot.com/
Tales of the Wolf Queen (Fan Page) - https://www.facebook.com/TalesOfTheWolfQueen

Pixie Allen
- Pixie's Musings (blog) - http://pixiesmusings.blogspot.co.uk

Tess Muin
East Coast Craft & Curio - https://www.facebook.com/YemayaJurema
Crimson Cauldron - https://www.facebook.com/CrimsonCauldron
Etsy shop - http://www.etsy.com/shop/EastCoastCraftnCurio
my blog - http://practicalwitch.blogspot.ca/

Danni Suplicki
The Whimsical Cottage: http://thewhimsicalcottage.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewhimsicalcottage

Tiffany Boggins
WitchLab: http://witchlab.etsy.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/witchlab

Judas Antenesque
Stirring the Cauldron with Judas: https://stirringthecauldronwithjudas.wordpress.com/

Alan Heartsong
Heartsong's Circle: http://heartsongscircle.blogspot.com/ 

So get ready, you Magickal Peeps! You're in for the broom ride of your life!

Magickly Yours,

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Mabon goodness!



At Eye of Nuit, we are so grateful for the blessings we have received and continue to receive. You, our customers, are the best blessings of all! As the Wheel of the Year has turned once more, we celebrate the Autumn Equinox by giving thanks to the abundance we've received in our lives. This is the second of the three harvests, and we begin to store all that we have grown to get us through the upcoming winter. But for now, Fall is officially here!

From now through the Winter Solstice, the Sun's strength begins to diminish. Daylight will grow shorter, and we will be turning the clocks back on November 4th at 2 AM.

Here's a list of upcoming events you won't want to miss, along with a recipe for Warm Mulled Cider to warm you on the those cool nights!


Upcoming Events:

Downtown Irwin Fall Festival. Saturday, September 22nd from 9 AM - 3 PM. Food, Craft vendors, Karaoke, & more!
Chris Marie will be at our Rising Sun Metaphysical Center to do readings!

Meditation with Jeff Kimmel - Friday, October 19th from 6:30 - 8:00 PM.

Crystal Workshop with Ken Harsh - Friday & Saturday, October 26th & 27th. See the website for details.

Psychic Fair & Birthday Bash! - Saturday, November 10th.

Recipe of the Month: Warm Mulled Cider

Here's a DELICIOUS recipe that's easy to make!

Ingredients:
  • 2 quarts (8 cups) fresh cider
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
  • 10 thin orange slices, cut in half
  • 1/2 medium apple, cored but not peeled, cut into thin slices
  • 3 cinnamon sticks, 2 to 3 inches long, broken in half, plus 10 extra for garnish
  • 4 whole cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup dark rum (see note)
Place the cider in a large saucepan set over medium heat, and heat until it is warmed through.
While the cider is heating, melt the butter in a large, heavy saucepan set over medium heat. When melted, add the sugar and stir about a minute. (The sugar will not be completely dissolved.) Add the warm cider and stir until all the sugar has dissolved into the liquid.
Add half of the orange slices, the apple slices, the halved cinnamon sticks, cloves, ginger, nutmeg and rum. Stir and cook at a simmer, until flavors have melded well, 8 to 10 minutes. (Cider can be prepared 2 days ahead; cool, cover, and refrigerate. Reheat over medium heat, stirring often.)
To serve, ladle warm cider into mugs or cups. Garnish each serving with an orange slice and a cinnamon stick. Serves 10.
Note: Dark, rather than light rum, works best in this recipe. Myers Dark Rum works particularly well in this mulled cider. You can omit the rum for a nonalcoholic preparation, and it will still taste good.

This month's sale at Pagan Stuff Cheap:

Save 10% on all books, journals, Book of Shadows, and Tarot supplies! With Samhain just around the corner, now is a good time to check out our selection of Tarot decks and books. Click here to see our inventory of over 7,000 items!

Until next time, my Wonderful Witchlets!



Sunday, August 12, 2012

Celebrate Lychnapsia!

Good morning, Cauldron friends!

Offerings to Isis
Today, August 12th, I am celebrating Lychnapsia, also known as the Festival of Lights of Isis. This is a Kemetic (Ancient Egyptian) holy day. It signifies the day that Isis went in search of her husband Osiris by torchlight.

Isis has long been a Goddess that I honor and admire. She personifies the "complete female", and is known as "The One That Is All". She is also known as Aset, and was the mother of Horus.

My Lychnapsia altar
Lychnapsia is a day that I honor Isis and all that She does to support me. I light a green candle in her honor, and burn vervain and rose petals. For me, Isis represents just about every aspect of my life. She taught reading and agriculture, and is a model for me of healing and wisdom. She is a protector, giver of life, and her love runs deep. Isis is the Goddess of Magick, and the Goddess of Destruction.



If you would like to learn more about Isis, here are some very good links:

http://www.goddessgift.com/goddess-myths/egyptian_goddess_isis.htm

http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/godsandgoddesses/p/Isis.htm

http://www.shira.net/egypt-goddess.htm 

Isis: Wife, Mother, Teacher, Healer, Magician, Protector.

Wishing you all a most Blessed Sunday,


Thursday, August 9, 2012

The Art of Magick, Part II

Good evening Witchy Friends!

So now that you've had some time to mull over the meaning of "magick" and you've had a chance to really focus on what it is you want to manifest, I'd like to take you back to my first blog post.

The Witches Pyramid contains the foundation of your magick.  These are the 4 building blocks that you must master in order to create the changes in your life that you desire. Here is a copy of my post about the Witches Pyramid:

The Witches Pyramid


The Witches Pyramid, as seen through the eyes of SnowyOwl
-or-
Performing Practical Magick in an Impractical World

An old teaching, it has been said that it comes from ancient ceremonial magicians (magus, magi).  These are the five basic laws of witchcraft, and what you'll find in the teachings of most any wiccan coven or tradition.  They are derived from the "Magician's Manifesto", also known as the "Hermetic Quaternary".  They each have an elemental correspondence:

1:  To Know - (East - Air)

They say knowledge is power.  I believe this to be true.  Knowledge comes from reading, learning and understanding the powers of the many elements of magick.  Read every book you can, but know that not all books will present the exact same concepts - especially when it comes to basic spell-writing structure.  Take from them what resonates with you.  Know your occult correspondences - numerology, moon phases, astrological correspondences, symbols & sigils, tarot, runes, etc.  These are immutable and absolute.  Learn them, know them, live them.  

Most importantly:  KNOW YOURSELF.  You should know exactly what it is you want, what outcome you desire.  There's also an old saying that "KNOWLEDGE IS POWER".  A witches power comes from within, as well as from the universe.  That power is enhanced by learning, seeking, and experiencing.

2:  To Will - (South - Fire)

Now that you have all this knowledge, can you bring forth the desire needed to perform the act/spell/ritual?  Believe in yourself, believe in your magick.  That generates the desire, the will.  

3:  To Dare - (West - Water)

To explain this, I'll take the standard dictionary definition of the word "dare" and run with it.  You need sufficient courage.  Have the courage to contend against, venture or try (to perform that action).  Challenge yourself to perform an action, especially as proof of that courage.  You may have read all the books there are to read, and written the perfect spell, but if you don't DARE yourself to perform the act - you'll never manifest the outcome you are looking for.

4:  To Be Silent - (North - Earth)

As I'm writing the above (#4), I pictured the earth - and more broadly the universe, that we live in.  So much of the beauty of this earth is manifested silently.  Seeds planted, roots take hold, trees and plants and flowers bud and blossom.  Outwardly, stars and planets align.  All silently.  

But, To Be Silent means just that.  It's going to hurt you in the long run if you finish your spell or ritual, and then go chatting about it with friends in the mundane world.  All of the energy you built up and released during your spell work will dissipate - much like sticking a pin in a balloon.  Think of all the energy you put out when blowing up a balloon.  If there is one pinhole, that balloon will deflate.  You may think that if you tell your best friend, he or she is going to just support you and infuse more positive energy.  You don't know that for sure.  Why take chances?  

5: Love (Above - Spirit)

Didn't think about this one, did you?  Well, I'm throwing it in here because it's a part of my belief.  As I said earlier, a witches power comes not only from within, but from without.  That's Spirit.  The Universe, The Gods and Goddesses.  Make sense?  It's my belief that any magick born out of hatred, rather than love, will not only fail miserably - but more than likely backfire on you, creating an even BIGGER set of problems.  Some call it "karma".  You decide.

Now - you might say, "But Snowy, I HATE that person who hurt me, hurt an animal, hurt a child, etc., and I want to do something to STOP them!".  Ok, I get it.  But remember this:  do your magick out of LOVE of the one who has been hurt, not HATRED for the one performing the mean or nasty deed.  If the act was against you - do a spell for yourself that will protect you or change your way of thinking so that those actions do not affect you any longer.  Remove the person from your life the mundane way and do magick to give yourself the courage to keep it that way.  It's my belief that love really does conquer all.

I hope you find this both interesting and informative.  
Please do not share or re-post without my express written consent.  

In Her Service,
SnowyOwl

Sunday, July 22, 2012

What is Magick?

British occultist Aleister Crowley defined magick as ""the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will". He related this to will in the mundane as well as ritual magick, and chose to spell it with a "k" at the end to differentiate it from stage magic.

Most witches and wiccans today prefer to use the "magick" spelling when talking about their workings.

I believe that it's important to understand why we are where we are at any given time in our lives. Why do some things happen to us, or others? The answer is very simple, but oh-so-complex for many to comprehend.

We as individuals are responsible for where we are and why some things happen. No one else. Not your neighbor, not your co-worker, not your mother-in-law, not the mailman. The choices we make each and every day carve out the life we live in at this very moment in time.

Yes, Really.

In order to begin to follow this train of thought, you must understand the concept of Free Will.  The dictionary defines Free Will as:
"The power of acting without the constraint of necessity or fate; the ability to act at one's own discretion."
So many times we allow others to influence our actions and/or choices. We allow concepts or thought processes that have been ground into our heads to dictate our decisions. We may have a religious belief system that tells us we "shouldn't" or "can't" do this or that, so we make choices outside of what our heart tells us is right.

Many people have issues with self-esteem. Low self-esteem is the number one magick killer, in my opinion. If you do not BELIEVE, you cannot ACHIEVE. That's all there is to it.

Do we always know that a choice we make will turn out for the good, or not so good?  No.  Do we sometimes have a feeling that it's a bad choice, but we do it anyway?  Yes.  Free Will does not mean that we will always choose wisely, or end up where we wanted to be.

Part of the power of Free Will, and of Magick, is that we have the ability to state EXACTLY what it is that we want, what outcome we want to see in any given situation.

When deciding to perform ANY magick, keep this one crucial thought in mind:

Be careful what you wish for.

Know this:  the Universe does not read your mind. It only hears the words you speak, and will reflect back to you those things that you concentrate on.


Once you have a firm grip on what it is that you want to change in your life, the next step is to see it already in place, already in existence.  In Wicca, we believe in the concept of "As Above, So Below". Meaning, we create our realities based on our thoughts, actions, and reactions.

Here is another very important component of magick:  NEVER focus on the "how", just focus on the RESULT you DESIRE.

Magick = DESIRE
Magick = FOCUS
Magick = WILL
Once we determine that there is a change that needs to occur in our lives, we begin the DESIRE. It should be a burning desire. Something that you truly want to occur, or change that you want to bring about.

Next, we FOCUS. Our goal should become the vision we go to sleep with, the vision we wake up with, and the outcome we envision throughout the day.

The use of Positive Thinking is another crucial component of magick. Think and speak as though the change has already occurred. Instead of saying "I want to... (insert desire here)", say "I AM... (insert desire here)".
 
We then choose the tools to use in our magickal rite to help with the process of focus. Once we have made a decision and firmly cemented not only the change we want in our heads, but have truly focused deeply on it, we perform the ritual of magick.

Choosing the correct timing for magick is your best course of action. Take into consideration the moon phase, astrological phase, day of the week, etc. The more thought you put into preparing for doing the magick, the more you are FOCUSED. ;-) It may seem like a daunting task at first, but what you are doing is training your mind to think and act in accordance with your desire.

So... HOW do we perform the magick?
 
I have written a simple article about candle magick. Candle magick is one of the easiest and simplest forms of magick there is. Choose the candle color according to the chart that best associates with the desired outcome. There is a color chart here for you.

Other tools we have at our disposal are various herbs, gemstones, sigils, divination, and incense. It can be quite overwhelming to the beginner, but don't let it be! Start out small, make it simple. Let the magick happen, and if it doesn't happen right away, don't get discouraged! It does not mean you're a failure, it simply means that either you need to put more FOCUS, DESIRE, and WILL into the change you want to bring about, or the Universe is still working on it. Sometimes PATIENCE is what's needed. 

Next time, we will go more in-depth at the art of magick.  For now, practice focusing on what you wish to achieve. 





Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Grit City creators bring you the Emoto book - only on Amazon!

I recently discovered a new kind of story called “emotobooks”. The creators weave these really interesting abstract illustrations into the story to show character emotions. Very different, very unique!
The story is called Grit City. It’s a mystery based urban fantasy story that follows a freelance journalist through this malicious city. It seems the main character is rough and tumble, but I think he may encounter some supernatural powers. It’s a series of stories and I’ve only read the first one so far. But I’m really impressed with it.
When I first looked into emotobooks, I thought they would be like some kind of e-comic book. They’re not! They’re a brand new medium of fiction which portrays character emotions in abstract art. I’m hooked!
Download one for your Kindle today – $2.99 is cheap for this new wave of reading pleasure!

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

SpellWerx Reversing Candles

Made on the New Moon (yes, you heard right*).  These are my new SpellWerx Reversing Spell Candles.  The premise behind a reversing candle is that it aids you in reversing a spell gone wrong, removes negative blockages, and allows you to reclaim YOUR power!
Sometimes we do a working, and can’t understand why it didn’t work.  Think about the specific wording you used in that spell.  Were you clear in your intent?  Were the words you spoke very carefully thought out and specific?  Don’t remember?  Or are you having one of those “AHA!” moments right now?
If so, this is the candle for you.  Made of beeswax, these candles are hand rolled first with a sheet of red, and layered on the outside with a sheet of black.  The black represents the current “negative” aspect and the red inside represents you, your power, and the desire you have to shed the black cloud that surrounds you.
Ever felt like someone was sending you nasty energy?  This candle breaks that icky stuff right off you!  And not to worry – for those of you who adhere strictly to the Wiccan Rede, it does not send the icky energy back to anyone.  It simply breaks it apart and becomes energy that can be manipulated for only the good – allowing you to think clearly and be empowered.  In the case of a spell gone wrong – this works exceptionally well!
These candles have an all natural cotton wick, burn beautifully, and are approximately 1/2 ” wide by 4″ high.  Only 3 available – priced at $2.99 – only at Eye of Nuit!
*The time of the New Moon is good for workings that have to do with personal growth, healing, and blessing new projects.
Please burn responsibly.  No one likes a Flaming Witch!