Various Paganism, Tarot, Etc

Self Care Saturday (on Sunday)

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SCS

Week three of accountability on my Self Care Saturday spread in order to foster the motivation to write it down instead of just reading the spread, taking a picture, and moving on.

As I mentioned before, these readings are (not usually) bearing in on any one thing or event in my life, as the question used is asking for a more general outlook.  This is a self care exercise, and are not meant as a predictive reading.

Usually, I use the same deck for a full month, but I switched out decks.  I love the Anna K and it’s colors and imagery and funny little faces.   BUT, I just received the Numinous Tarot and I was really feeling the urge to use it.   I think I will be keeping it for the rest of the month, although I might change the oracle for something that feels like a better pairing.

The question is… What do I need to focus on in the week ahead?

Body – Ace of Tomes – “The actions you are taking now, the plans you are creating, have the potential to become important future traditions.” (quoted from the deck’s guidebook) Plan Carefully!

Mind – Nine of Candles – Persistence and Resilience. Strength gained through experience. Now is a time to utilize what life’s lessons have taught you.

Emotions – Two of Candles – (Intuitive Hit) It’s okay to be vulnerable. Don’t beat yourself up about it.

Inner Spark – Ten of Candles – Do not weigh yourself down with too much at once.  There is nothing wrong with taking your time and doing one thing at a time.

Moving Away From – Duality – Less multi-tasking… better focus? (the latter part is more wishful thinking than anything read in the cards)

Heading Toward – Burden – Here is why it is time to slow down, do careful planning, stay strong, and take good care of self.  Easing up on the multitasking, and being sure to bolster my confidence and take care of myself, will assist in lessening the sense of overwhelm that appears when my responsibilities are feeling like a burden.

From the fact that nearly this entire reading was in the Candles suit (aka Wands suit), the message is primarily concerning my ambitions, passions, and drive.

Moral of the Story – Be Kind to Yourself…. and make good choices!

Decks Used: Numinous Tarot, Shamanic Healing Oracle

 

Spellcrafting vs Spell Casting

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This post was inspired by a video by the HearthWitch on YouTube.  I was watching this video when, somewhere near the beginning, she mentioned that a lot of people cast spells by using spells from books and following them to the letter.

This was a really new concept to me.  And… odd concept to me.   But then I started thinking about it.

L and I were taught spellcraft by our mother from a very young age, and a part of that was creating our own spells.  This was further encouraged when Z came into our lives, as she also does this kind of spellcraft.

And that got me to thinking.   Perhaps that’s why it was always called “spellcraft”.  My mother calls it spellcraft.  Z calls it spellcraft.  In our house, it was never “spell casting”, it was (and is) spellcraft.

I had always thought that the terms “spell casting” and “spellcraft” were interchangeable… but maybe they aren’t.

Maybe (and I think that for me this is more than a maybe, but realization of the truth of something) spellcrafting is crafting a spell.  Whether that is taking a pre-existing spell and crafting it into something that fits you and your needs, or making spells from scratch.

Whereas spell casting would be more of an umbrella term that includes spellcraft, but also includes ANY kind of casting spells.  Whether there is personal crafting involved in the spell or not.

I guess it’s kind of like cooking. Some people use a recipe and follow it strictly. Some use a recipe, but customize it how they wish. And others just go from scratch and make up their recipes on their own, whether that be before they get started, or on the go.

Just some musings, I guess, as I wrap my mind around this new realization.

 

Bauble Traps

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Ok, so it’s not really a trap in the strictest sense, but more of a distraction. Still…

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If you’ve ever lived somewhere that you have a constant issue with things inexplicably disappearing and then reappearing on you, and especially shiny things, then this post might make sense.

In my family this disappearing act is believed to be most often caused by house sprites.  That is to say, by the Fae (including fairies, sprites, elves, brownies, and all the like).   The theory of a Bauble Trap is to distract them.  Although, often if you just ask for your items back and express appreciation you when they show up, it’s rare that these things become an issue in the first place.

If they do become an issue, though, or if someone just wants to set up a “just in case” then a “Bauble Trap” is the way to go.  I’m sure there are other names for this, but this is the name I know it by.

Essentially, what the Bauble Trap boils down to is a bunch of shiny stuff (bits of jewelry, etc) that you hang decoratively near a mirror.  Preferably near the front door or a window (but not in view of the door or window) and where light will shine off of the shiny baubles and the mirror’s surface.

As many of the little mischief makers are drawn to shiny bits, the combination of the shiny baubles and the mirror’s surface becomes a huge entertainment for them, and with this trap in place you may find that your other items are then left alone.

Be sure, though, as I mentioned, that you don’t put the Baubles Trap in view of your front door or window in question.  This would be seen as an invitation to outside Fae to come in and visit (or stay).  Although many of the Fae can be fun to have about, inviting more in is NOT something you want to do if you’re trying to resolve a mischief issue.

The #gettoknowyourwitches Questions

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On June 2nd, I stumbled across a new quiz on Ethony’s YouTube channel. I don’t think that this one originated with her, but she was kind enough to post the questions in the video information, and I decided to play along.

To be fair, I do not necessarily consider myself a “witch”, per se. I consider myself a Buddhist Pagan. Buddhist first like an adjective, Pagan second like a noun.

But the terminology is really semantics at its best, because I do spellcraft, which is pretty much the defining characteristic of being a “witch”. So… a witch is a witch is a witch, I suppose. Regardless of the terminology used. Right?

  1. Does your Sun Sign (Zodiac Sign) portray you correctly? If not, do your other planetary signs?
    It does! I mentioned this in a previous post…. well, two posts really. Here and Here
  2. What songs bring you the most magickal vibes?
    Songs with magical vibes… I really had to think about this one. I’d probably have to say Gayatri Mantra by Deva Premal. There’s another that one of my yoga instructors used to play in her studio, but it was a compilation disk that she’d lost the info on, and neither of us could figure out what it was.
  3. Which one of your deities/guides/ancestors is most sarcastic with you? If this doesn’t apply to you, which of your tarot/oracle decks is?
    The first part of this question doesn’t really apply to me. The second part… just recently the answer to this has become the Eight Coins Tattoo Tarot. Very tongue-in-cheek in the way it answers questions and communicates with me as a whole.
  4. Biggest witchy mess up or misinterpretation?
    I once set the front yard on fire during a ritual with my sister when we were young. I think we were probably about… twelve? It’s surprisingly difficult to put out a grass fire in daylight.
  5. Would you write a book on your craft/spirituality? Why? If you already have, what were your challenges in doing so?
    No. I think I would find the approach to feel too impersonal. I don’t mind writing about it here on the blog, or answering questions when they’re asked. But a book feels different than all of that. It’s a very detached sort of energy, I guess, would be the best way to put it. I wouldn’t want to bring that energy into my practice, even on the periphery.
  6. If someone wanted to summon you to their circle, what 5 items would they need?
    Living, growing plants. A deck of playing cards. Labradorite. Capt’n Crunch cereal. Pluto (as in the stuffed dog in my bed, not the planet).
  7. If you were a ghost, what place would you haunt?
    I’d much rather haunt a person. But, if I had to haunt a place, I’d love to haunt either an area of rainforest where hikers occasionally pass through, or a library. A library would be awesome.
  8. What is the funniest way someone has reacted to finding out you are a witch?
    I once had these “Welcome Wagon” people come to my house to welcome me into the neighborhood, then go from very relaxed to hastily evacuating the premises when they saw my pentagram.
  9. Do you have any superstitions?
    In my opinion, the line between magic and superstition is a very thin one. Because of this, I would have to say that I have many, although the only two I can think of off-hand are the salt over the shoulder thing, and the shiny baubles and mirror trap near (but not in sight of) the front door.
  10. If you could possess any fantasy magic, what would your power be?
    Teleportation. I need teleportation in my life so f’ing bad.
  11. What is something random on your altar(s)?
    I have a painted rock on my altar that I found in the parking lot at the post office. It’s aqua colored with a spiral of little white dots.
  12. If one of the youtubers you watched was a genie and they could grant you 3 wishes within their power, who would it be and what wishes? (Can’t be for more wishes)
    LOL… I’m going to pick Simon over at The Hermit’s Cave, because my wish would be to go cherry-picking through his deck collection and take home whatever I want. That’s my wish. Just one wish, that’s all I need.
  13. If you could instantly become an expert in any part of your craft/spirituality, what would it be?
    None… Nothing… My spirituality is about the journey, and that includes the learning part of things. Sure, there are things I would like to be better at, and will become better at with time, but there’s nothing I want to just suddenly become a master at.
  14. When you die, what do you think will happen to you/your soul?
    I will either linger to haunt for a time, or move on to be reincarnated.
  15. Where do you see yourself spiritually in the next 5 years?
    I don’t see my spirituality changing all that much. I suppose I’ll be a little older, a little wiser, and a little more experienced. I don’t foresee any major changes or leaps happening though.

And there we go. Done.

 

New Age vs. Neo-Paganism

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This week’s question from the Pagan Perspective YouTube channel is about the differences between “New Age” and “Neo-Paganism”.

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Topic for the Week of 8/5: “I’d love to hear your thoughts on the New Age community! I know that Neopagans get lumped in with that community a lot, so I’d love to hear your thoughts on what makes you different and where you think the line is drawn between the two communities, but also what you share in common.”

I want to precursor my response to this one with a bit of a disclaimer. You’re going to find that there’s avast array of different opinions on this particular topic. These are my personal opinions.

Ok, so here we go…

To me, the term “New Age” is an umbrella term that deals with what is very popularly called “Woo“. New Age is essentially ALL the Woo.

That is to say it deals with crystals, tarot, sacred geometry, astrology, light work, energy work, etc. Pretty much a massive conglomeration of “alternative” thought.

I sort of see this in the perspective of a library or a bookstore. When you walk into a library or a bookstore, all the “Woo” is gathered together in a section called “New Age”.

Neo-Paganism is an umbrella term as well, but deals specifically with religion. It doesn’t have to include a deity to be a religion, but it does involve faith, belief, and often also worship.

In the library or bookstore analogy, Neo-Paganism would be a shelf included within the New Age section.

Many New Age things are incorporated INTO Neo-Paganism beliefs and practices, and so understandably there is a hint of blurring between the two. I think that creates a bit of confusion, but I don’t think that blurring is necessarily a bad thing, as it creates an interest and understanding within the larger community of a religious choice that would otherwise be far more of a mysterious secret.

And we all know how uncomfortable society is with what they don’t and/or can’t understand.

 

Self Care Saturday (on Sunday)

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SCS

Week two of accountability on my Self Care Saturday spread in order to foster the motivation to write it down instead of just reading the spread, taking a picture, and moving on.

As mentioned before, these readings are (not usually) bearing in on any one thing or event in my life, as the question used is asking for a more general outlook.  This is a self care exercise, and not meant as a predictive reading.

The question is… What do I need to focus on in the week ahead?

Body – Temperance – I need to keep an eye on what I’m doing to my body this week and take care to practice balance and moderation with both my physical activity and what I’m using as fuel.  Don’t hurt myself by pushing too hard.

Mind – Two of Rods & Ace of Cups – There are some decisions that I need to make concerning what direction I want to take my creativity for the week.  The new project that I’m considering will bring me joy, but I need to be careful not to overload myself. (In other words, make a choice on what to focus on instead of putting all my fish on to fry at once.)

Emotions – Three of Pentacles – This is the 2nd time that this card has appeared in a reading for me in the past two days, and both times it has appeared in the position of the heart/emotions.  This is all about learning some new skills and flexing my creative “muscles” while putting in the work to manifest my idea into reality.  This ties directly into the new project idea mentioned above.

Inner Spark – King of Pentacles – Very clear here. Grab the reins, Be the Boss. Do It.

Moving Away From – Stripping Illusions & Grounding – It’s time to strip away my second guessing and self doubt.  Stop holding myself back and pushing down the ideas that have been brewing.

Heading Towards – Growth & Psychic Development – Although the question for this reading didn’t direct me towards the project that I was considering, it appears that’s the direction that it went in anyway.  It’s time to grow, move forward, and follow where my intuition is leading me.

Decks Used: Anna K Tarot, Shamanic Healing Oracle