Hedgewitch Hollow

Free Book for Kindle!

2012-01-21T13:15:00.000-05:00

Not only is it free, it's a book of awesomeness! And ONLY for today!

HORNS OF POWER: MANIFESTATIONS OF THE HORNED GOD (UK users go HERE).

Get your Pagan butts over there and order it. You can use it on your Kindle, Kindle for PC or Kindle for Mac. I LOVE the free books I've gotten through Kindle for PC that are Pagan or Pagan oriented. What a wonderful tool!

From Amazon.com:

The raw, ancient and primordial force symbolised by horns has long had associations with mystery, magick and power. Our ancestors often envisaged their gods as anthropomorphic beings who encapsulated this wild essence. Today the gods of the bull, the ram, the goat and the stag still hold tremendous power and are invoked at rituals by a new priesthood who continue to seek the wildness of nature and the inspiration that it holds. These deities transcend the safe and known boundaries of human structure, sometimes even luring us across the threshold of the known into the unknown worlds beyond.

This unique anthology brings together the work of more than twenty people, including that of dedicated scholars and modern day mystics. Through their written and artistic contributions they illustrate some of the many manifestations of the Horned God. A true cornucopia of both insightful and well researched essays takes us from the well known Celtic Cernunnos and the legend of Herne the Hunter, to the goat-footed Greek Pan, the lesser known Slavic Veles and Egyptian Khnum. Horned serpents, unicorns, the tale of the Battle of the Bulls in the Irish Táin Bó Cúailnge, the Welsh Gwyn Ap Nudd and the faery Puck are all also considered.

Then a wild hunt as we journey with the mystics who share their own experiences of the gods of the wildwood and untamed beasts. Each story is as different as the person who experienced it – and each illustrating in its own unique way a Horned God who is wild, unpredictable, loving – and at heart a trickster. For those who wish to dare a bit more than others, visionary meditation journeys to explore the mysteries of Cernunnos and Gwyn Ap Nudd are included. Horns of power would of course be nothing without the horns of beauty of the feminine divine, and in the final section of this anthology the reader is presented with works exploring horned goddesses, such as the lunar horned Hekate, Selene and Artemis and the antlered Elen.

Whether through the mysteries of their existence, the vast scope of their influence or the endurance of their survival through to the modern day, each contribution provides a window into the wonders and mystery of the enduring magick of the horned gods.

Contents:
The Witch God Cernunnos by Sorita d’Este
Herne: The Royal Hunter by Hortus St Michael
Hero Lord of Annwfn by Gareth Gerrard
Pan: The Hidden All by David Rankine
Veles in Slavic Myth by Kim Huggens
Romano-Celtic Horns by Zachary Yardley
The Horned Serpent by Frater Nechesh
Battle of the Bulls by Dafydd ap Bran
Puck: Forgotten Devil God? by Beth Raven
The Potter from the Nile by Sorita d’Este
Horns from Egypt by Phil Lightwood-Jones
Horn of the Unicorn by Janet Nancy James
Stag & Unicorn
Horn at Dawn by Rhys Chisnall
The Song of Amergin
Light in the Earth by John Canard
The Horned One Rises by Peter J. Jaynes
My Bearded Man by Thea Faye
A Small Mouse by Magin
Encounters in the Woods by Harry Barron
A Quest for Horns by Stephen Blake
Dancing with Bulls by Zagreus
Meditation Journey with Gwynn ap Nudd by Gareth Gerrard
Hymn to Amen-Ra
Journey to the Mound by Gulia Laini
The Fire Horns by Lupus
Luna’s Shining Horns by Gulia Laini
Triple Horns of the Greek Magical Papyri by Sorita d’Este
Ode to the Horned Goddess by Nina Falaise
In Pursuit of Elen by Jenny Sumaya

Winter Cleaning?

2012-01-21T12:48:00.000-05:00

Wow, it's a crazy crazy winter here in the Golden Horseshoe of Ontario! It was warm right up until just after Christmas, and now it's freezing, but we DO have snow! What happens to me when it's winter? I feel the need to clean and organize!

So our house is a mess. Of course it is! We're hauling stuff from upstairs and downstairs into the living room and dining room to sort through to either sell (HERE, if you want to visit), give away (I love to gift), donate, or toss. Well, we've been selling a LOT of items. So far, people owe me $200 + in total for the items they ordered off the site. That is going into the "Wedding Fund".

My Witchy Life is basically being really paired down. I had SO MUCH stuff for celebrating the neo-Pagan Sabbats (Wheel of the Year), and now we utilize the same items on the altar every ritual (with something small to represent the season). I find that a) I can focus more on the Craft and holiness of that day and b) offer more of myself to the Gods in ritual, without all the accoutrements (though the seasonal decorator in me screams to be let out, so I'm making wreaths for each season).

Do YOU need or like to have items to symbolize the season for your ritual??? Why or why not?

Hello my Witchy Friends!

2012-01-16T13:23:00.000-05:00

I've been gone for a long, long time! Not only has my time been taken up by wedding planning, illness (what else is new???), helping to create a Trad Craft group IRL, but I'm learning D&D, busy selling stuff on Facebook (I'll likely put items up on here, too) because we NEED the money for the wedding!

So yes, life is hectic, as usual! Do I need a Blog Without Obligation on this blog somewhere??? Heehee!

Okay, so today I wanted to share the film "Catfish". It's a documentary about a man who falls in love with a woman on Facebook. There is a VERY unexpected ending! This not only applies to people who copyright infringe in order to build a "life" on Facebook, but also about trusting your gut! IMDB has it listed HERE, or Wikipedia has it HERE (don't read this if you plan to watch it--lots of spoilers).

I'm also working on a Trad Craft, Cunning and Hoodoo related blog that will be MUCH more serious than this. Mostly information on workings, folklore, information, etc. So keep a look out for that coming up (it's kind of like my own online grimoire).

Cheers!
Aelwyn

I'm Back!

2010-12-28T17:28:00.000-05:00

Firstly I want to offer a HUGE

To everyone for their well wishes for my family and father in our rough times. My father is doing VERY well! He was home quite quickly from his surgery. It turned out it was a hernia making his belly stick out like Santa's (we just thought he was getting fat), and he also had a mass that was removed along with his lymph nodes. We will have information on the mass on January 17th.

Yule was a fun and crazy time! We performed a ritual on December 18th, and also had a birthday party for myself and my sister afterward. We did a "Naughty Santa" or "White Elephant" exchange, where each person brought a wrapped gift. We then put everyone's name in a basket, and they got to pick a gift. Now, they could pick a gift off the table, OR from someone else! It was much fun, and I wrapped my gift to make it indecipherable. I received a $20 gift certificate (after all the gift stealing) from my friend's upcoming hoodoo and magic business, which was quite exciting (I won a personalized talisman from him before, and it works a charm).

We had much feasting and enjoying the holiday, and seeing everyone! There were four dogs there, in my sister's small living room (she keeps strange dogs out of the basement and upstairs). One was Medic (my friend's puppy, who is ADORABLE); one was Chubs (my sister's friend's dog, who is adorable and chubby, hence the name); my sister's dog Ruby; and my sister's boyfriend's Dad's dog, Spirit (whom they are babysitting until the end of December).

I will share the loads of gifts that were given and gotten tomorrow (I'll take some photos). We DID get some cash from his parents and my parents, which went to good use. I spoiled The Man, and he spoiled me like crazy! Usually it sucks having my birthday near Yule/Christmas, but he really went all out (not to mention taking me out for dinner!).

And of course, I've had a cold for two weeks....LOL! I always do during "The Holidays".

So I'm going to try to be back to "normal" on this blog tomorrow, and I DID do an update on RAW BEAUTY as well.

Glad to be back, and glad to have Daddy home and happy and healthy!

Not Blogging for a While

2010-12-06T00:21:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone!

Just so I don't disappear for a while and people wonder where I am, I will not be blogging for a bit.

My father went into the hospital ER on Thursday, and had to go back in on Friday for an ultrasound. They admitted him that night, and did emergency surgery on him Saturday morning.

Doctors removed a 3 centimeter long cancerous mass from his small intestine, removed 4 extra feet of his small intestine, and also his lymph nodes. The mass was sent to be tested for what type of cancer it is. His uncle in Ireland just recently died from cancer in the same area less than a month ago, so it's extra hard for some of us, and our Irish family.

The good news is that the doctor is confident that they removed ALL the cancer. The bad news is that he will likely have chemo to make sure the cancer doesn't decide to spread or pop up elsewhere.

My dad's in the hospital until at LEAST this Friday, and then he'll be off work for at least 2-3 months.

We are lucky to have a large family with lots of support on my mom's side, and my dad's sister is taking it really hard (their father died of Leukemia, and right now her daughter is having trouble with her kidneys and will likely need a transplant). We also have massive support from my dad's co-workers and former co-workers (he works for the municipality, and it's like a big family!). My mom is doing pretty good, especially since the doctor let her know that they got all the cancer out (before knowing that, she was a wreck).

My dad is in EXCELLENT spirits, has a GREAT nursing team (thanks to Ida, Waynette and Mac!), and is in the BEST hospital for cancer care, and has a great doctor (and residents). I'm very thankful to the Gods for blessing us with that.

I'll be back on when things are less crazy. The only updates are via my Facebook, as family are on it as well.

I will see you all soon!

Aelwyn

21 Days of Yule: Day 2

2010-12-02T11:57:00.000-05:00

Here we are at Day 2 of the 21 Days of Yule! I'm going to share one of my FAVOURITE cookie recipes. I think I originally found this on ALLRECIPES.COM, but have adjusted it over time to my personal taste.

Amish Ginger Cookies

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup unsulfured molasses
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour (plus extra to flour your hands)
1-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Ground ginger to taste
Ground cloves to taste
Ground cinnamon to taste
Granulated sugar in a bowl (about 1-1/2 cups)

What You'll Need

-glass mixing bowl
-whisk or electric hand beater (I prefer the electric--so much easier!)
-baking sheet
-oven (well, duh!)
-measuring cups
-small bowl
-spatula
-wire cooling racks
-clean hands!

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a glass mixing bowl, beat together butter and 1 cup of sugar until the mixture is creamy. Add molasses and egg and beat until combined well.

Add flour and baking soda and mix until well combined. Here's the fun part: add the ginger, cloves and cinnamon. As much as you like. I like LOTS of ginger and cinnamon and a little cloves. For those who like precise measurements, you can add anywhere from a teaspoon to a tablespoon of each.

Now flour your hands and roll the dough into 1 inch balls. Take the balls and dip into the bowl of granulated sugar, rolling it around until covered. This gives the finished product a bit more sweetness and crunch on the outside, while staying chewy and soft on the inside.

Place balls on ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes until barely turning brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet. Remove cookies with a spatula to wire racks to cool completely.

Now eat your yummy creation!

Magical Correspondences

Now for the magical part!

Molasses is often used in magical working to sweeten things up--a LOT! It is common to use in a "Honey Jar" working if you need something sweeter than honey.

Ginger is used for protection, fiery love spells, success spells and healing.

Cinnamon is great for psychic abilities and visions, not to mention heating up lust in men. It can also help people focus.

Cloves are a great spiritual force! They drive away negativity, banish hostility, and then produces spiritual vibrations and can purify a ritual area. It's also said to attract prosperity and the opposite sex.

Perhaps these should be called "Sexy Molasses Cookies" instead! :)

Asking for a Bit of Prayers, Energies and Thoughts...

2010-12-02T11:27:00.001-05:00

I can't remember ever asking on this blog for prayers, energy and thoughts. If I have before, then I apologize for asking again.

I'm going in for a colonoscopy and gastroscopy tomorrow. Today I get to take the Dulcolax and Pico-Salax to "clear" everything out of those regions, and I only get to have fluids today, until 3am.

My appointment is at 9am, and I'm scared shitless (pun possibly intended). I do NOT enjoy having things shoved down my throat or up my butt (not that I often have things up my butt). I also hate being put "under" for procedures (if I had it my way, I'd merely be entirely frozen!).

But my biggest fear is catching C-DIFFICILE. My father had gone in for a Colonoscopy many years ago, and caught C-Diff because he was on antibiotics at the time (for some reason, being on antibiotics makes it easier to catch). I'm on antibiotics for my UTI. The hospital I'm having the procedure done at currently has had a C-Diff outbreak.

So if anyone can spare some love, prayers, energy, a candle lighting or thought for me for tomorrow I would really appreciate it.

Deity a Day: Day 8

2010-12-02T11:05:00.000-05:00

Auf (Efu Ra)

(Egyptian)

(From: HERE)

An aspect of the sun god Ra.

Auf was a ram-headed god who wore the solar disc and travelled at night through the Underworld waterways in order to reach the east in time for the new day; however, he still had to fight off the creatures of the Underworld. Demons and gods towed his boat along while Auf stood in a deck-house, over which was coild the serpent Mehen who warded off the dangerous Apep. The boat of night was crewed by the gods Hu, Saa, and Wewawet.

From: A Guide to the Gods, compiled by Richard Carlyon

21 Days of Yule: Day 1

2010-12-02T03:13:00.000-05:00

I am participating in a Yule blog party, hosted by Aisha at BY THE BROOMSTICK. She will be sharing recipes, decor ideas and photos, and other fun Yule tidbits. So, I'll be doing the same here from today (okay, technically yesterday) until the 21st of December.

Today, I am sharing photos from 2 years ago. Our house looks different now (new TV--the 1980s one you'll see here died; new book shelves, reorganized, etc.). So it's fun to see a blast from the past!

One of the side tables, with a basket of candy canes, fake holly, lots of Christmas magazines, and gargoyles.

The centre piece for the dining room table. Kind of sad, I know.

Another side table, with the plant stand behind it. The cool candle holder is gone (ex-roomies'), an inherited Christmas doily, gargoyle, dragon and talking reindeer, with a candle holder.

The old television! We hung the stockings on the side of it, and had The Man's tall Santa collection on it, along with gargoyles, pine cones, and faux poinsettias around a candle holder.

The fake holly vines around Hylas and the Nymphs print. I thought it brought some Yuletide cheer to an otherwise sad painting.

The Man decorating the tree. This was the year we got a real live tree, which I proceeded to kill (if the plant isn't outdoors, it dies on me--I have a black thumb). At the time, we had 2 or 3 bookcases on that wall, and pushed the long coffee table in front of them to hold the tree (so the cats wouldn't get at it).

Checking how it looks with lights and the "garland" (wide ribbon).

All decorated! Lots of home made decor, handed down decor, and a moon at the very top!

That's it for today! I hope you enjoyed a blast from the past (2008). I can't believe it's been two years! I'll definitely have photos of our Holiday decor this year up whenever the decor gets done!

Goat Grazing Company Accused of Neglect

2010-12-01T17:17:00.002-05:00

GOATS IN THE GARDEN has POSTED about this story, which has seemingly made headlines in California.

From ABC7:

"A company that uses goats to keep grass under control on hillsides and empty lots is in serious trouble. The owner of Goats R Us has been arrested and charged with animal abuse after police found sick and dying goats on a piece of property where the old Oak Knoll Naval Hospital is located in the Oakland hills."

"Webb says about 60 goats were in the courtyard, all very hungry.

"They had no food that we could locate; the food that they had eaten, the vegetation they had stripped the trees all the way to the point that they could reach," she said. "Most of the animals were sick with parasites, pneumonia, other diseases."

Oakland Zoo curators were brought in to help with the animals.

Deputy District Attorney Matt Gaidos says his office was affected by what they saw.

"They were quite shocked at the level of the health of the goats and the conditions the goats were in," he said.

Police arrested Egon Oyarzun, who owns the business with his wife. He was charged with animal abuse and neglect. He will be arraigned next week in Alameda County.

One of the company's herders was arrested as well"

Read more and see a video here: Man arrested after goats found dying, malnournished

I am personally OUTRAGED. Any kind of animal, whether it be domestic, livestock or wild, does NOT deserve to live and die like that. Goats are one of my favourite animals, and when The Man and I buy a house with property, I plan on having some goats. I am researching and learning about goats and their care from goat blogs such as GOATS IN THE GARDEN, THE MAAAAA OF PRISCILLA, IN A GOAT'S SHOES, and MANY MORE.

What this news story sounds like is that the man and his wife thought this would be a great business idea (which it is), but have NO experience with goats, or if they have had experience with goats, they don't know how to handle a large herd (1000) in multiple locations.

I know that FEATHERSTONE WINERY has a flock of sheep that eat the leaves from the grape vines for optimal sunlight exposure to the grapes. You can read more about this practice HERE. I've heard other wineries are going to go this way as well (around the Niagara wine region, anyways), as it's ecologically sound. Their success shows it can work, but again--they don't have sheep in multiple locations, and hire people who know how to care for the sheep, as well as take good care of them.

I believe that goats working as keeping brush down or weeds under control is a wonderful ecologically friendly idea. But if one is planning on doing this, they MUST know how to look after a goat! HERE is a great article by Gary Pfalzbot from GOATWORLD.COM. This article covers a lot of issues about renting goats, and how to get goats (and land) ready for goats to control weeding. Perhaps the people who own GOATS R US should have read that article before deciding on creating their company.

World AIDS Day

2010-12-01T14:36:00.001-05:00

Information from UNAIDS:

The Global AIDS Epidemic

*In 2009, there were 2.6 million [2.3 million–2.8 million] new infections, down from 3.1 million [2.9 million–3.4 million] in 1999.

*In 2009 there were 1.8 million [1.6 million–2.1 million] AIDS-related deaths, lower than the 2.1 million [1.9 million–2.3 million] in 2004.

*In 2009, some 33.3 million [31.4 million–35.3 million] people were living with HIV compared to 26.2 million [24.6 million–27.8 million] in 1999.

*In 2009, around 370 000 [230 000–510 000] children were born with HIV, bringing to 2.5 million [1.6 million–3.4 million] the total number of children under 15 living with HIV.

*The total number of children aged 0–17 years who have lost their parents due to HIV increased to 16.6 million [14.4 million–18.8 million] in 2009.

*Since the beginning of the epidemic, more than 60 million people have been infected with HIV and nearly 30 million people have died of HIV-related causes.

*One in four AIDS deaths is caused by tuberculosis, a preventable and curable disease.

HIV Prevention

*New HIV infections have reduced by nearly 20% in the past 10 years. Among young people in 15 of the most severely affected countries, HIV prevalence has fallen by more than 25% as young people adopt safer sexual practices.

*The percentage of HIV-positive pregnant women who received treatment to prevent transmission of the virus to their child increased from 35% in 2007 to 53% in 2009.

*There are two new HIV infections for every one person starting HIV treatment. HIV treatment

*In 2009, 5.2 million people in low- and middle-income countries had access to antiretroviral treatment, up from 700 000 in 2004.

*In 2009, 700 000 people received antiretroviral treatment in high-income countries.

*There are 10 million people still in need of treatment who do not have access.

HIV Treatment

*In 2009, 5.2 million people in low- and middle-income countries had access to antiretroviral treatment, up from 700 000 in 2004.

*In 2009, 700 000 people received antiretroviral treatment in high-income countries.

*There are 10 million people still in need of treatment who do not have access.

Human Rights and Gender

*More than 90% of governments reported that they address stigma and discrimination in their HIV programmes, however, less than 50% costed or budgeted such programmes.

*Less than half of countries reporting have a budget for HIV programmes for women.

*Same sex relations are still criminalised in 79 countries and six apply the death penalty.

Resource Availability and Needs

*In 2009, US$ 15.9 billion was estimated to be available from all sources for HIV, US$ 10 billion short of the US$ 26.8 billion needed for HIV services in 2010.

*Donor government’s disbursements for the AIDS response in 2009 were US$ 7.6 billion, lower than the US$ 7.7 billion available in 2008.

Deity a Day: Day 7

2010-12-01T13:53:00.000-05:00

Echo

(Greek)

(From: WIKIPEDIA)

An oread, "a nymph".

Echo helped cover Zeus' indiscretions among her female friends by chattering and singing to Hera, diverting the latter's attention from her roving spouse. But Hera was no fool; she guessed what the game was and took away Echo's power of speech. All the nymph could do was repeat the last syllable of words spoken near her. Echo fell in love, but being unable to voice her thoughts was spurned by the one she adored. She faltered and died of grief. Her bones petrified and only her voice was left, hopelessly repeating the ends of the words she heard. The object of her love, Narcissus, was himself punished for spurning her. The gods decreed that he should fall in love with his own reflection. He happened to catch sight of that in a pool of water; seized by love, he remained there, staring into the pool, until exhaustion and then death overtook him.

From: A Guide to the Gods, compiled by Richard Carlyon

Deity a Day: Day 5 and 6

2010-11-30T23:54:00.002-05:00

Coatlicue

(Mexican)

(From: HERE)

Coatlicue was the mother from whom all things came. She was both positive and negative, both womb and grave; she produced and she devoured. As the earth, she was the gigantic mother apable of supporting all life, but she also caused famines and earthquakes. She is variously represented as a serpent, the great crocodile Cipactli, and as a giant frog. Her cult was linked with that of the jaguar.

"She of the serpent skirt" was especially reverenced by the common folk, who depended on the earth for their survival. But one could never be sure of her; sometimes she was fruitful, sometimes the dealer of disaster. All one could do was worship her and hope for the best. Coatlicue's gigantic dragon-like jaws are the symbol of the first day of the Mexican clendar, for the earth is the beginning of everything.

Kvasir

(Nordic)

(From: HERE)

Wisest of the Nordic gods; he was created from the spittle of both the Aesir and the Vanir, the two great divine families.

When Loki's mischief had gown too damaging for the gods to bear, they looked for a suitable net in which to bind him. Kvasir inspeted the ashes in Loki's grate and from them deduced that a net had been burned. He worked out that Loki had destroyed the net because it was of the special pattern which was a danger to him. Kvasir reconstructed the design of the mesh from the ashes and the gods were able to make a similar net which would catch and hold Loki.

Kvasir's name is connected with Kvas, "strong beer" or "crushed fruit". He was slain by two malicious dwarves who mixed his blood with honey to make the mead of inspiration. Anyone who drank of the mead could thereafter compose poetry and utter wise words.

From: A Guide to the Gods, compiled by Richard Carlyon

Which Norse God Are You?

2010-11-30T23:38:00.001-05:00

Thor

70%

Sif

70%

Freyr

70%

Heimdall

60%

Hel

60%

Frigg

60%

Odin

60%

Freya

50%

Bragi

50%

Balder

40%

Loki

40%

Njord

40%

Tyr

30%

Skadi

20%

Virtual Zombie Walk!

2010-11-30T23:18:00.002-05:00

Yep, you read that right! Head on over to GHOST HUNTING THEORIES to see the full explanation of this awesome idea for a virtual zombie walk!

I'll definitely be participating...will you?

What a Wacky Weekend!

2010-11-30T18:17:00.000-05:00

I didn't do a MONDAY MAMBA because I got the start of a urinary tract infection...it's NOT comfortable to sit in a chair with one, that's for sure! Got some antibiotics, and they are doing a good job...but more on that later!

Friday Night

What a wild and wacky night of paranormal investigation. I work with R.I.D.G.E. as an Investigator in Training and as a sensitive. We investigated a house that is having extensive renovations done, and had to have our command center outside (it was in a little "party house", so at least we were out of the wind). It was -11C, windy and started to snow! At least inside the house it was warm!

I can't disclose much more about the investigation, but it was VERY interesting, and I picked up some interesting information "psychically" (I don't know how it works, but I got a name, plus dates, and other information). I can't wait to do the reviewing of evidence (Bestie and I get to do the audio evidence).

Saturday

Wow! We thought it might be fun to head over to the US (crossing at Niagara Falls) to browse and shop with Cousin and Fiance. The Man drove the Bunni, and we had fun, but got stuck on the bridge back for 2 hours!!!! Oy--remind me not to come up with that idea again!

I started to feel like I had a bladder infection or UTI. Yikes! So we stopped at a drug store on the way home to see if I could find Uva Ursi root, but couldn't find any. I took Vitamin C instead, and it seemed to be gone.

When we got home we ordered takeout, invited Bestie and her Husband over, and hung out until 2am. Yikes! I was so tired that I slept 'til 3pm on Sunday!

Sunday

I started to feel icky. I figured it was just because of the late nights all weekend. So it was laze around all day.

Monday

Oh. My. Gods. I have a urinary tract infection. OUCH! So I waited for the man to get home to go to the doctor. So the doctor (my family doc, whom I intensely dislike) prescribed me an antibiotic to get rid of it. He sent it via email to my pharmacy. So we drove to my pharmacy to pick it up, and what did he prescribe? A BLOOD PRESSURE MEDICATION! He wrote the wrong thing. Luckily the pharmacist figured out what he thought he was prescribing, and gave me 2 to get through last night and this morning. They faxed the doctor last night (10 minutes after his office closed), and got no response.

Tuesday

I called the pharmacy this morning, and they still hadn't heard back. So I called my doctor's office and got them to re-fax the prescription. *sigh*

I also had to call my gastroenterologist, since my colonoscopy and gastroscopy are Friday, and I don't know if the antibiotics and UTI will make a difference about whether they can still perform the tests or not. Of course, the office is CLOSED. WTF? So I have to call first thing tomorrow. *sigh*

What a weekend and beginning of the week.

I'm looking forward to doing the review of audio from the investigation on Friday, at least that will take my mind off things! :)

Apron Giveaway!

2010-11-28T15:28:00.000-05:00

APRON GODDESS is giving away this adorable apron from CAROLYN'S KITCHEN:

How perfect is this for holiday parties, Yule baking, and just bringing cheer through the dreary winters?

So head over HERE and sign up!

Deity a Day: Day 6

2010-11-28T03:48:00.000-05:00

Artio

(Celtic)

(From: Godchecker)

Goddess of bear cult worshiped by continental Celts in the area of present day Bern, in Switzerland.

From: A Guide to the Gods, compiled by Richard Carlyon

Deity a Day: Day 5

2010-11-27T05:27:00.000-05:00

Simbi

(Haitian)

(Haitian Vodou Veve for Simbi)

Voodoo patron of the rains and of magicians of a benevolent nature.

Simbi shares functions and characteristics with other Haitian gods. Radiating and overlapping into other domains he is Simbi en Deau Eaux. He is a snake in form, but a shy creature of fresh water. He originates from several different African cultures which have contributed to Voodoo.

From: A Guide to the Gods, compiled by Richard Carlyon

Deity a Day: Day 4

2010-11-26T16:32:00.003-05:00

Tsuki-Yoma (aka Tsukuyomi-no-kami)

(Japanese)

Her Temple in Kyoto. From: Wikipedia

Tsuki-Yomi was born from Izanagi's right eye. His name "Moon Counter" shows his connection with the calendar and with the measurement of time. His main temples are at Ise and Kadono where a mirror is kept in which the god may sometimes be seen by those practising divination. The moon disc is depicted with a hare pounding rice in a mortar. In Japanese, "rice pounding" forms a pun with the word "moon", and the hare seems to be a legacy from China where a rabbit is often shown in the moon.

From: A Guide to the Gods, compiled by Richard Carlyon

Someone posted about my blog on Zolar....

2010-11-25T20:58:00.000-05:00

I find that SOOOOO cool! If you go into the "way back machine", to THIS POST, you'll see me talking about Zolar's Planetary Fortune Telling Cards , and about their creator, Bruce King.

HERE'S THE POST. Unfortunately, the message board is no longer taking members. :( But the person who arrived here from there (which is what alerted me to it) came from Bradenton, Florida.

It makes me feel good that the research I did helped someone! :)

Thrifty Pagan Thursday!

2010-11-25T20:44:00.000-05:00

We had an exciting weekend that I talked about on MONDAY MAMBA, and now I'm sharing the cool stuff I saw that you can use in your Pagan practices!

Cute little copper cauldrons! I saw these at VV. The first one is smaller, and the metal is thin, but with sand in the bottom, it makes for a great censer! The second one was way heavier, and I'd say about medium sized. I love the design on it, but I have TONS of cauldron like items, so I restrained myself from buying it. They were both under $5 each.

This is really cute. Looks like jam or sauce jar. You could use it to hold oil on your altar if you could find a ladle to replace the missing one. You could use it as a censer with sand in the bottom of it (even with the lid closed, since smoke could come out of the hole in the lid). I think this was around $3.

I have one of these, and have had it since high school. I love the feet on it. I always used it to hold salt on my altar, but it could also make a great water dish, or an offering dish! I think it was $4.

Speaking of offering dishes, this bad boy is amazing! It's huge (I could put it on my head as a hat). See all those fancy wood burned and hand painted offering dishes? Make one yourself!!! This bowl was a little pricey for something second hand ($12), so I didn't grab it. If it's still there next time I head to that VV, I'll definitely grab it.

Again, more offering bowls, salt and water dishes, etc. These were packaged as 3 or 4 for anywhere from $3 to $5. And again, you can do pyrography on them, or paint them (just be sure to seal them well).

Jars! You can always use jars. I have them from the dollar store, second hand stores, and even just washed jars from food storage (pickles, mustard, etc.). I use them to make oils, waters, store herbs, perform bottle magic, and all kinds of other things.

These jars are so tall (I think they're spaghetti noodle jars). They were under $4.

I love these squat little jars, again under $4.

This is a GORGEOUS decanter with stopper. I can imagine someone using it for moon water, or Florida Water. It's crystal, and a steal at $14!

Chalices are always something Pagans are looking for. Why look further than a thrift store? I've bought chalices for under $10 my whole life. The one below is really cool (I like the little bit of crystal on the stem), and engravable (can you imagine a pentacle, fairy star, or any other symbol?).

These are cool, and were only 49 cents EACH. There were 8-10 of them. I can imagine using them as a chalice, or even for holding water and salt on the altar. Maybe even an offering dish!

This is gorgeous. It was $10 and made of crystal. Not my style for Craft workings, but I'm sure there are MANY witches out there who would LOVE an altar full of crystal!

Another crystal chalice. It almost looks like a holy grail with the designs on it. Another steal at only $8!

For those who can't afford (or don't want) crystal, here is a very simple chalice (a champagne flute) that was only $2! You could paint it up beautifully with glass paint, or embed a symbol with a glass engraving kit (available at most craft stores).

That's it for this Thursday! We're going antiquing this coming weekend, so I'm sure I'll have some very cool stuff to show you next time!

Deity a Day: Day 3

2010-11-25T19:54:00.002-05:00

Daksha

(Hindu)

From: Wikipedia

One of the Prajapatis, or lords of creation.

Daksha had many daughters, of whom twenty-seven were lunar goddesses married to Soma, god of the moon, Daksha thought that Soma was favouring one of his daughters, Rohini, more than her sisters. To punish Soma he infected him with consumption. His other daughters objected strongly to losing their husband so Daksha made the illness periodic and not permanent. This accounts for the weakening of the moon's powers every month.

Another of Daksha's daughters, the beautiful Sati, fell in love with the god Siva. Daksha was annoyed for he didn't like Siva. He arranged a betrothal ceremony during which his daughter would choose a husband from among the assembled suitors. He was careful not to invite Siva. At the ceremony, Sati looked about her and realized what her father had done. She took the garland which was to be placed about the chosen bridegroom's neck, and tossed it into the air. Miraculously Siva materialized, with the garland about his neck; the sign that he had been chosen by Sati. Daksha was outmanoeuvred for the time being, but he loathed Siva for his part in rituals of destruction and later found an excuse to go to war against him.

From: A Guide to the Gods, compiled by Richard Carlyon

Kitchen Rearranging

2010-11-25T14:13:00.001-05:00

The Hollow's kitchen has needed rearranging for a loooong time. I was sick of having appliances on the counter, no extra counter space (which was what the butcher top dishwasher was supposed to provide-but it ended up holding the bags that hold recycling), the shelves being "willy nilly" on the walls to hold my knickknacks, the urge to actually hang my wind chimes, etc.

So, on Tuesday I began my journey. I started cleaning the kitchen as it was. Then I took down all the shelves and knickknacks and put them on the dining room table (ack! I hate when the dining room table is covered in stuff). I also rearranged the portable cupboard, floor shelves and the dishwasher. Then I was pooped out!

I felt rather weak since the weekend, as I've been having *ahem* digestive issues. I can't keep anything in my body (I actually yelled at my stomach on Tuesday after having only consumed toast and a cup of tea to take my meds, and it started gurgling. If anyone was around, it would have been strange to hear a woman yelling at her stomach "I JUST ate! You CANNOT digest that quickly!" I digress....), so I'm shaky.

Putting up the new shelf I posted about buying this MONDAY was proving to be a challenge, Not only is it heavy, it's rather unwieldy for one person to put up on their own. So I waited until yesterday (Wednesday), when Bestie was coming over (she's the muscle).

We got the shelf up, so today I started putting items on it. I'm quite pleased, especially since it holds a majority of my knickknacks, has pegs to hang my new reproduction witch head and jack-o-lantern vintage ornaments, and is extremely sturdy on the wall.

Now I need to put up the shelf over the door (I took it down, but I think it's going back up there), and another smaller shelf with a mirror over the dishwasher (It has a little cupboard, so I can keep herbs in there).

When I first went in to take some photos I found LaVeau was trying to help out:

I picked up and moved the chair, and she was rather confused....

Looking both ways to find she was in the doorway next to the shoe rack.

Here is the first shot. This is (if you're facing the doorway LaVeau was in) to the right.

I moved the cupboard there, and put the microwave on top.

The microwave used to be on the counter, and I'm liking this much better.

These are the shelves in the corner beside the cupboard.

We live in a rental, and the kitchen is awkward, with weird cupboards, so these are a necessity.

They corner ones look kind of awkward behind the cupboard,
but there's not much that can be done about that, unfortunately.

I love that my phone unit can sit on the top of the shelves,
rather than hang awkwardly on the wall now, though!

See where the red circle is? Those are reusable shopping bags that we use for recycling
(one for paper, the other for plastic and glass).

I think they look awful...any ideas on what else we can use? Or even make?

It's a tiny area (not even 8 1/2" across), but unlimited height. Maybe build bins?

This is the dishwasher...isn't that a lovely butcher block top?

It sits beside the OTHER doorway, that leads to the dining/living room.

(Excuse the mess...I'm still dusting items, and using the nails and hammer).

It's an arm's length away from the actual counter--extra counter space!

Here's the shelf holding my lovely witch/Hallowe'en items!

I've been collecting for about 7 years now (mostly signs, which you'll see when the kitchen is done).

See the hanging heads? I won those from the COSTUME CONTEST
(in a basket of other lovely vintagey Hallowe'en stuff from WHITE FLAME CANDLE COMPANY).

Here's a close up of two of my favourite shelves.

I collect old Mason Jars and jars in general, and also LOVE vintage and antique kitchen wear.

I decided to use a few of the jars for decor, and displayed my vintage colander, too
(the grater isn't vintage, but I'm looking for one in good condition!).

That's it for now! I'll have a 360 degree view of the kitchen once I'm done. It'll take a while, to get everything done that I want. I'm also looking for a place to properly display my vintage pots, but they will likely just get hung on the Ikea pot hanging rack on the wall (which I might paint black). Next up...cleaning out the "tea pot cupboard".

Deity a Day: Day 2

2010-11-24T17:22:00.001-05:00

Ament (Amenti)

(Egyptian)

From Here

Goddess of the land of the west.

A native of Libya, Ament became goddess of the Underworld; for the west was another way of saying death. It is an idea still current in our phrase "gone west". She is depicted as an attractive young princess seated beside Ra-Harakhty. Her emblems are the hawk and feather. The feather means "Libya" and therefore "west". Ament lived in a tree near the World Gates and offered approaching souls refreshment of bread and water. Whoever accepted this hospitality became an associate of the gods and was obliged to follow them, never to return. Ament is occasionally replaced in this task by other goddesses: Nut, Hathor, Neith, Maat.

From: A Guide to the Gods, compiled by Richard Carlyon

30 Days of Truth: Day 2

2010-11-24T01:13:00.000-05:00

Day 2: Something You Love About Yourself

Wow, this is a hard one. Not that I don't love anything about myself, but that I'm BEGINNING to love myself! I guess what I love the most is my tenacity. I will try and try and try---you knock me down, I get up and try again.

Of course, I'm stubborn (I'm a Sag, with Cap moon sign and rising Taurus...what a mix, eh?), but not so stubborn as to knock my horns against a brick wall over and over again!

But I WILL work hard, and you can't keep me down for long!

Deity a Day: Day 1

2010-11-23T14:36:00.002-05:00

Phanes
(Greek)

(Photo From: Theoi.com)

"Light"; sometimes called Eros (not to be confused with the god of love).

First of all the recognizable gods, forefather of Zeus. Born a vast egg formed by Nux ("night") and Ether ("air"), Phanes joined with Nux to create Uranus ("Heaven") and Gaia ("Earth").

From: A Guide to the Gods, compiled by Richard Carlyon

Monday Mamba Week 4!

2010-11-22T18:03:00.003-05:00

What a weekend! :)

Friday I had my doctor's appointment (with my pain specialist). The Man came in with me, and there was also a Resident there. The Resident got to do my LIDOCAINE INJECTIONS, and he was really good. He found my trigger points really quickly, and could actually feel when my muscles relaxed as he injected the lidocaine. He was very kind, and I think he will do well in this field, especially being taught by my doctor.

My specialist also helped me with the issue with The Person I was talking about (whom I think has BPD). He asked all the right questions that are asked when it is being determined whether you're dealing with someone with BPD or not, so I think they have it. Doc told me to make a sign that says "They Will Never Change", and when I get one of THOSE phone calls, to look at it and KNOW it wasn't my fault that they are this way, that I really didn't do anything wrong. I am to say "Thanks for calling, the roast is burning (or another excuse) and I have to go. Love you, 'bye." Then hang up.

I am RELIEVED I'm not crazy, and that I'm not causing The Person to go off the deep end at times. I just have to stop letting them get to me, under my skin, and make me feel like I am to blame. I will work on that, and keep saying "They Will Never Change", and "It's Not My Fault".

After that, The Man and I went to a florist shop to buy flowers for the memorial service of a family friend. I didn't want to attend as The Person would be there, and there could possibly be drama due to them or even the friends of the deceased. I felt like a true grown-up buying a lovely flower arrangement and taking it to the funeral home, and that I was doing the right thing.

So then The Man and I went to the Bibles for Missions Thrift Store. I got a really nice wall shelf ($6) that I'm going to put up in the kitchen.

He got a print of some sort (very "him", though--futuristic, clean lines) that he's putting up in his office at work today).

We then hung out with The Man's Cousin, his Fiancee, and my Bestie. Bestie got a cool coat for winter from Value Village for under $20, and plans to open the side and back seams and add wool fabric to make it really full (it'll look AWESOME--I used to have a shorter coat like that a loooong time ago when I was skinny). But for now, The Man thinks it's a great coat for his pimp outfit (with Cousin's hat, and Fiancee's sunglasses):

We went to a local greasy spoon, Helen's, for dinner, and it was DELICIOUS! I had perogies, which came with a salad and soup. I can't have veggies, so I asked for fries on the side, to which Helen (who must be 102, and has had this restaurant since she emigrated to Canada forever ago) was shocked...LOL! I really wish I could have had the cabbage soup, it looked fantastic!

Saturday The Man and I went to Cambridge to discover the flea market and some antique places. I got to see the Tea Couple (I can't remember the name of their booth) again, and got told I looked like GARCIA again--LOL!

We saw Kali being a candy cane holder:

I thought it was kind of sacrilegious. I mean, would someone cover a statue of Jesus with candy canes???? As one person said on my Facebook posting of this photo: "There's going to be some red running, and it won't be candy."

We found an antique store as we drove around Cambridge. Got nothing there, as the people overpriced EVERYTHING. Really--a full vintage bottle of Coke for $10.00? They're worth $5.00 maximum!

So on we went to GREEN SPOT ANTIQUES. What a shop! They have ephemera, furniture, home decor, old tools, old photos, and tons of other stuff. The Man bought a straight razor (he collects them, I'd share more info, but have no idea about it), and I bought this for the wedding centre pieces:

Of course, Rackham decided he had to be in the picture:

It's HUGE compared to the other ones, and I ended up cracking the glass because I didn't wrap it up in the back of the car (*sad face*), but it's not much of a crack, so we're going to test it to see if it's okay. We may only use it outdoors for the Handfasting.

Then we went to Value Village. Oooo--Cambridge's Value Village is awesome. I got these vintage appliques (which The Man find creepy):

An awesome book about Gnomes:

Oh, there's Rackham again! Geez, he just loves the camera today! Here's a close up of the book:

And the inscription inside the book:

It even has information on more Otherkin:

I found an awesome belt:

LaVeau, get out of there! *sigh* The cats must think it's a photo shoot for them!

So after a successful shopping experience at Value Village, we stopped at SOUTHWORKS. We both needed to pee by this time, and I was dying of thirst!!!! So after a stop at the washroom there, we went to NOSTALGIA & CO. The Man got a small glass bottle of Coke, and I got Birch Beer (mmmm).

Then off to SOUTHWORKS ANTIQUES. I only wanted to look at one vendor there that carries vintage and antique lace, trims and buttons. I got a bottle of buttons for $6:

I'm planning to use them for some vintagey hand made Christmas/Yule gifts, as well as for the scarf I'm putting together for myself.

The Man and I looked around a bit, and I didn't find anything else I wanted. But he did! A black Playboy lighter, circa the mid 1970s. It's rare to come across these in the excellent condition this one was in (The Man has a white one that has a lipstick smudge on it). It was only $25, so I bought it for him as an early Yule gift. :) I know he'll enjoy it. It set me back a bit, but it was a one-time deal, and I HAD to get it for him!

We left there and went to look for a place to eat. We used the GPS and found a Smitty's in Guelph, so we went there....but it wasn't there any more! :( We drove around, and found the STONEROAD MALL . We had dinner in the food court (mmmm...Greek!), and walked around a bit. I got another "You look just like Garcia" from a girl at a booth in the center aisle of the mall.

Here's a photo of a really cool Nativity set in the middle of the mall:

I love Nativity scenes. There are so many rebirth stories of Deities around the Winter Solstice, so I feel it represents all of them.

Then we headed home. What a day! I was quite shopped out!

Tomorrow is "rearrange the kitchen day". Yay! I think I'll move the cabinet to where the portable dishwasher is, and move the cube shelving too. We'll see! I'll also clean out the cabinet and organize it (it's full of unorganized baking stuff, and it's nearly baking and chocolate making time!). So be prepared to see pics!!!

Oh, and I added our group's Samhain ritual, so take a peek at it right here: SAMHAIN RITUAL, ADF STYLE.

Happy Monday!

"Wiccan Tea Ritual"

2010-11-20T03:04:00.001-05:00

I love tea rituals. Japanese tea ritual, and I found this on THE BOOK OF SHADOWS BLOG. This is a lovely ritual, and there is even a video. If you don't want to head over there, here is the video for your enjoyment:

Enjoy!!!! Hey, and don't forget the Tea Swap and Blog Party! Go here:

Have You Heard of Style Mob?????

2010-11-20T02:25:00.003-05:00

I'm addicted, and want to get more looks up there!!!!

I'd love to see more of YOU GUYS on that site! I KNOW there are tons of fashionable women that are following this blog...so join, friend me, and we can share our outfits!!!!

Who DOESN'T Want A Cup of Tea????

2010-11-20T02:09:00.002-05:00

How awesome is this? A Tea Swap AND blog party? Get yer butts on over there!!!! I'm going to make up a REALLY nice package, so you better sign up and hope to get me as a swap partner!!!!! :)

Sorry

2010-11-18T19:48:00.001-05:00

Sorry for posting wee items, and items of no consequence lately. I'm having issues (familial ones), regarding someone whom I think has Borderline Personality Disorder. I'm sure people who know me IRL can guess who I'm talking about, but I'd rather not post everything on here.

I'll just say that The Man is very worried, as he has not seen me this depressed in 3 years (I only noticed I'm depressed because he said something).

I'm sure I'll feel better tomorrow, after talking to my specialist (he's also a Psychiatrist, and often acts in that measure for me).

Zombie Apocalypse, Anyone?

2010-11-18T19:45:00.001-05:00

61%

Created by OnePlusYou - Free Online Dating

Everything is Better With Bacon

2010-11-18T18:47:00.000-05:00

I think it is anyways...and am looking forward to following this blog:

New Blog Button

2010-11-18T18:19:00.000-05:00

I made a new blog button, that's a little more "antiquey" looking. What do you think?

I've also made the fonts a bit bigger so the blog is easier to read (it was kinda tiny, wasn't it?).

Hekate

2010-11-16T23:47:00.000-05:00

Hekate and Kereberus on a Vase

(From: Theoi)

Plea to Hekate

Lady Hekate

I call upon You

I ask for Your guidance...

These keys to mysteries lead me to You

These paths converging make me move in Circles.

Lady Hekate

Saffron Robed One

Lady at the Gate

Protectress, Enchantress, Many Named One.

I call upon You

I offer myself to You

To heal, to show me these mysteries and their meanings,

To stop me from spinning only in Circles.

Cthonia, keep me grounded.

Dadouchos, light my way.

Soteira, save me.

Trioditis, show me the path.

Propolos, lead me.

Klêidouchos, open the lock...

Propylaia, open the gates.

Hekate, I beg of thee,

Your Child, I offer myself to You,

Help me in my time of need.

I give You praise, worship and offerings.

Orphic Hymn

To Hekatê

(from: Hermetic Fellowship)

Hekatê of the Path, I invoke Thee, Lovely Lady of the Triple Crossroads,

Celestial, Chthonian, and Marine One, Lady of the Saffron Robe.

Sepulchral One, celebrating the Bakchic Mysteries among the Souls of the Dead,

Daughter of Persês, Lover of Solitude, rejoicing in deer.

Nocturnal One, Lady of the Dogs, invincible Queen.

She of the Cry of the Beast, Ungirt One, having an irresistible Form.

Bullherder, Keeper of the Keys of All the Universe, Mistress,

Guide, Bride, Nurturer of Youths, Mountain Wanderer.

I pray Thee, Maiden, to be present at our hallowed rites of initiation,

Always bestowing Thy graciousness upon the Boukolos.

Temple of Hekate at Lagina

(From: Lagina)

("Plea to Hekate" is copyright to Shauna McShane, November 26th, 2010.

Absolutely NO permission is given to copy this writing, including sharing on websites or blogs.

Please ONLY post a link back to this blog to share.)

New Layout!

2010-11-16T18:38:00.000-05:00

What do you think of this one? It's from the amazing:

I really like it, because I'm looking for a vintagey antiquey look. I love the stuff from the vintage blog designers, but can't figure out how to use Minima, make the blog 3 columns, then use their backgrounds (waaaaay too much tech for me!).

Monday Mamba Week 3!

2010-11-15T17:31:00.000-05:00

So the weekend was a BLUR!

Friday afternoon and evening the man and I went about shopping, looking for a birthday gift for her birthday on Sunday (yeah yeah, I know. But usually I buy her give well in advance!). We ran all around town looking for an angel (which is a tradition...my sister and I always buy her angels for her birthday). Finally found one nearing 9:00pm, headed to Second Cup and I got an Eggnog Latte (mmmm), then came home to watch Supernatural.

Saturday, my bestie and I went to a meeting with the paranormal group we are a part of (R.I.D.G.E.), got photos taken for the website, and then went to the fabric district in our city and checked out Fabricland to see about fabric for the female attendants' dresses (a black faux-suede) and ended up finding the PERFECT fabric for the corset/bodice of my gown--emerald green dupionni silk!!!! Oh, it's gorgeous!!!!

Saturday evening and night was spent with my bestie, her husband, The Man, his cousin, and his cousin's fiancee playing board games. It was a fun night, and we headed home around 12:30am, and I went straight to bed (I was soooo tired).

Sunday was my mum's birthday, so we had a wee party at my parents' house. We had steaks, baked potatoes and salad for dinner (well, I didn't get to have the salad), and ice cream cake! Fun fun!

It doesn't sound like much, but it felt like I was on the go all weekend!

Hang tight!

2010-11-13T00:51:00.001-05:00

I'm putting up a new blog template, so hang on tight to see what's coming up!

Happy Friday!

2010-11-12T02:16:00.000-05:00

Something to get you to the end of the day:

(Thanks to HEIDI CLAIRE for sharing this)

NOH8

2010-11-11T23:46:00.000-05:00

30 Days of Truth: Day 1

2010-11-11T13:31:00.001-05:00

Day 1: Something You Hate About Yourself

Wow, this is a really hard one. Let's see:

I really hate being sick. While people say it's "not me", it is. It puts everything on hold, makes everything more difficult, and makes me feel useless at times.

I feel like it's MY FAULT for getting this way. I pushed myself too hard, lived a rough life (drinking, partying every night), ignored my health, and this is what I get for it.

I hate the constant aches, the headaches, the muscle spasms. They are getting better with medication and injections, but I'll never feel "normal" or "strong".

And then.....I hate that I let my illness(es) get me down! They ARE NOT me! I didn't cause them, they are genetic! I hate that I'll just lay on the couch rather than fight them!

So there you have it, I hate the dichotomy of my feelings towards my illness. And I didn't know that until I just wrote it.

War Water

2010-11-11T13:24:00.001-05:00

Well, my war water is good and ready, and plentiful!

War water is basically used to cause harm to an enemy or to stop them in their tracks (foot track magic). This is just plain war water, tap water and pieces of iron. If one has a specific need, you can add rusty nails, urine, spanish moss, and many other ingredients. This is then put in a small glass bottle, and hurled at the door of your enemy or harasser.

For now, it will stay in my Hoodoo cupboard until I need it.

I might even sell it if anyone wants some. I know it can be expensive, so it would basically be the cost of the jar and shipping.

Which Austen Heroine are You?

2010-11-10T00:17:00.000-05:00

WHICH AUSTEN HEROINE ARE YOU?

Take the Quiz here!

30 Days of Truth

2010-11-09T23:59:00.000-05:00

So I got a comment from the lovely WITCH OF STITCHES, and saw she was going through the 30 DAYS OF TRUTH, which she found from another blogger, who found it from someone else...and so on, and so on. So guess what? I'm jumping on the band wagon!!!!

Feel Free to Steal this graphic (I made it on POLYVORE), if you want to participate:

Here are the days that we have to share truth about ourselves. I promise to be truthful to myself while responding to these statements.

Day 1: Something you hate about yourself

Day 2: Something you love about yourself

Day 3: Something you have to forgive yourself for

Day 4: Something you have to forgive someone else for

Day 5: Something you hope to do in your life

Day 6: Something you hope you never have to do

Day 7: Someone who has made your life worth living

Day 8: Someone who has made your life hell or treated you badly

Day 9: Someone you didn't want to let go, but who drifted

Day 10: Someone you need to let go, or wish you didn't know

Day 11: Something people seem to compliment you the most on

Day 12: Something you never get compliments on

Day 13: A band or artist that has gotten you through some tough times

Day 14: A hero that has let you down

Day 15: Something or someone you couldn't live without

Day 16: Something or someone you could definitely live without

Day 17: A book you've read that changed your view on something

Day 18: Your views on gay marriage

Day 19: What is your opinion of religion?

Day 20: Your views on drugs and alcohol.

Day 21: (Scenario) Your best friend is in a car accident and you got into a fight a couple of hours before. What do you do?

Day 22: Something you wish you hadn't done in your life

Day 23: Something you wish you had done in your life

Day 24: Make a playlist to someone and explain why you chose those songs

Day 25: The reason you believe you're still alive today

Day 26: Have you ever thought about giving up on life?

Day 27: What's the best thing you've got going for you right now?

Day 28: What would you do if you got pregnant (or got someone pregnant) right now?

Day 29: Something you hope to change about yourself

Day 30: A letter to yourself

New Blog! All about Makeup and Beauty.

2010-11-09T16:05:00.001-05:00

I'm going to school to be certified as a Makeup Artist, specializing in Paramedical and Camouflage. I work as a Makeup Artist now (as one does not need to be certified, but I have all my practicals done, I just need to do my business courses), but wish to be able to join one of the Makeup Artists' unions.

Anyhow, I've always wanted to do a beauty blog. So here we are: RAW BEAUTY.

I only have one review up so far, but look forward to more posts in the future.

Another Award!

2010-11-08T15:42:00.000-05:00

Yay, thanks to THE DIARY OF A WITCH, CATTRA'S MAGICKAL WORLD, and WANDERING A WISE WOMAN PATH, for this super cute award:

The only condition to accepting this award is to link it back to Loopy and also award it to the 10 blogs that I read the most. The 10 blogs will have to wait, as I read TONS on a regular basis!!!! And many that I read have already received this award...so I'll have to take some time to figure out who will get this award! I'll let the receivers know ASAP!

I Am a Sexy Goddess Campaign!

2010-11-08T15:25:00.000-05:00

Check out Bex's Hexes' "I Am a Sexy Goddess" Campaign!"

Monday Mamba Week 2!

2010-11-08T15:10:00.000-05:00

Wow, what a weekend! I spent a majority of Friday and Saturday cleaning the main floor of the house for ritual, and the spare room in case anyone stayed over after ritual!

I managed to REALLY hurt my back in the meantime, but didn't realize it until Sunday. Ugh! Still in pain, and taking a LOT of Naproxin and getting The Man to massage my back.

Let's talk a little about Samhain, then, shall we?

Awesome ritual! Not to toot my own horn but, despite the fact that there was a lot of singing-chants in it (that everyone hated that part) it went sooooo well! I followed the ADF STYLE of ritual to a tee, and it took forever to write, a lot of research, and picking out chants. I was breathless after writing it!

Luckily everyone loved the ritual! I'll have photos up of the altar soon (as well as the Ancestors Altar I put up), and also the ritual on the RITUALS AND WITCHERY page. Not to mention the references I used, and links to all the chants (there were 9 of them).

There was a fantastic feast afterwards! I made two pork tenderloins (one rosemary and one honey mustard) wrapped in prosciutto (pork wrapped in pork, can't go wrong!). We also had a roast chicken, two kinds of squash, colcannon, salad, marinated goat cheese, crusty bread with flavoured butters, not to mention mead, various soft drinks and teas, and chips (Doritos and Kettle Chips....yum!).

The night ended late for me, and I was up early on Sunday. The Man and I hoped to go do something, but he was hung over (he was drinking CHIMAY all night). So we spent the whole day watching BATTLESTAR GALACTICA on DVD, and I made cookies with peanut butter chips for a snack last night.

Lots O' Stuff for You!

2010-11-04T03:31:00.005-04:00

Well, I felt "written out", so I took some time off. I was also busy writing an ADF ritual for our group's Samhain ritual! (Did you know ADF rituals have 37 parts to them? YIKES!).

Anyhow, I came back today and saw LOTS AND LOTS of giveaways from blogs that I follow, so here we go:

Head over to RAMBLINGS FROM THE SUNSHINE STATE, and check out the CARMEX REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY. You can end up with this:

So head on over, and check it out! :)

If you like stamping and scrapping, head over to ANGELWOOD'S CRAFTY CORNER, for her BIRTHDAY BLOG CANDY giveaway! You could end up with this:

Quite the haul, isn't it?

Then there's:

This giveaway includes:

"Gorgeous 2 light rose sconce that I got when I worked for Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic.

A lovely sage green lace frame with vintage ephemera, a vintage rose china box with lid, a great rusty white wire basket full of shreds of vintage music sheets, 4 vintage floral desert plates and a vintage floral bowl. And last but not least, a vintage linen towel with hand embroidered hydrangeas in pink and blue."

(From The ALABASTER ROSE DESIGNS blog)

So get on over there, and post away!

COTTON PICKIN CUTE is hosting a BISQUICK GLUTEN FREE REVIEW AND PANCAKE PRIZE PACK GIVEAWAY (whew---that was a mouthful!). From COTTON PICKIN' CUTE:

"Bisquick and MyBlogSpark together have generous offered me the opportunity to review the Bisquick Gluten Free Baking Mix and not only do I get to try it but one of my lucky readers do too! This is such a nice prize pack. The winner will receive a Bisquick Prize Pack just like the one we received! This pack includes a box of Bisquick Gluten Free Baking Mix, a heavy pancake pan, pancake pen and a pancake flipper."

You have the chance to win this awesome prize pack:

So get over there, and enter quickly!

Super awesome witchy giveaway from RUNESOUP. Check it out HERE. Here is your possible prize:

Isn't it awesome? From RUNESOUP:

A Home Protection Kit

Purchased at the Basilica di Santa Croce. This place had an amazing energy. It’s also the burial place of Galileo, Dante and Michaelangelo. You can see their tombs in the slideshow. I was on video duty that day so I can’t be blamed for the fact that I have no exterior shots of this impressive building.

The kit contains a wooden crucifix with an image of St Francis and a prayer card with the home blessing written on the back. Think of it as an excuse to practice your Italian.

A Magic Potion

Beats the Body Shop.

Seriously. This is a bottle of the famed Acqua di Santa Maria Novella.

Made for centuries by apothecaries attached to my favourite Florentine church, it was renowned throughout Europe for it’s restorative properties.

Think of it as an all purpose energy drink for the soul.

A St Michael Prayer Card In Folder

Okay, so this wasn’t from Florence. This is actually donated by my mother who joined us in the city having just arrived from Assisi where she was visiting St Francis’s cave. So it’s got a lot of magic juice on it, but not strictly Florentine magic juice. It’s got Assisi juice.

A Sibilla Oracle Deck

Nevertheless, you’re getting an Italian card set from very near the home of European cartomancy. It was actually created a bit further north but was extremely popular in Florence during the Renaissance. As was anything to do with magic. Hence the giveaway.

So there you go....a BUNCH of giveaways! Get yer wee butts to these blogs and sign up for them! :)

Giveaway from Laughing Vixen Lounge!

2010-10-26T14:48:00.000-04:00

Okay, so I LOOOOVE LAUGHING VIXEN LOUNGE, so guess my excitement when CONFESSIONS OF A PAGAN SOCCER MOM has a giveaway from there for THE 26TH DAY OF HALLOWEEN!

And the best part is, the winner will receive their choice of silver pendant...so many to choose from!!! Perhaps I could wear ERIC from TRUE BLOOD around my neck? Or a GOT SALT necklace (just for those SUPERNATURAL fans)? Or go vintage with a OUIJA BOARD?

Who knows? If I win, I would agonize over which to get!

From CONFESSIONS OF A PAGAN SOCCER MOM's blog:

Winner can choose from any Silver Pendant ($12 value) from the shop.Lots of retro, horror and pop culture designs available. Includes choice of chain color.

So definitely check out LAUGHING VIXEN LOUNGE...I was planning on doing some Yule shopping there! And go over to DAY 26 at CONFESSIONS OF A PAGAN SOCCER MOM, and check out all the giveaways!

21 Days of Yule

2010-10-26T05:34:00.000-04:00

Yes, I know it's not even Samhain/Hallowe'en yet, but I'd like to do a 21 Days of Yule, full of giveaways, blog tours, and guest bloggers! I'm thoroughly inspired by Mrs. B, and as a Yule baby (okay, December 20th, but close enough), I love that time of year!

So if you're interested, please let me know in the comments here, or email me at aelwyndaeira@yahoo.ca, with the subject line 21 Days of Yule! :)

Look up...again!

2010-10-26T03:51:00.001-04:00

See those words above the Hedgewitch poem? Click on 'em! They have stuff (well, the majority of them). Insomnia = Blog updating. :)

Lilly's Lace Giveaway in Honour of Breast Cancer Month

2010-10-26T02:20:00.001-04:00

I love looking at vintage and antique oriented blogs. I'm a sucker for girlie-girl things. So I came across LILLY'S LACE.

Not only is it a beeee-ooo--tiful blog, but it is fairly new, and she's ALREADY having a giveaway! So check it out right here:

Friend Making Monday-Holiday Traditions

2010-10-26T00:11:00.000-04:00

Happy Monday, friends! This FRIEND MAKIN' MONDAY comes to you from MY CHIHUAHUA BITES.

What is FRIEND MAKIN' MONDAY?

Well, it is a linky party/blog hop that was created to help bloggers make new friends. Anyone is welcome to participate!

If you’d like to participate, simply write a blog post on the topic below. Head back to MY CHIHUAHUA BITES and link back to your specific blog post using MckLinky. After you link up, visit the other blogs participating to say hello. Other bloggers will then visit your blog and leave you comments! It’s a win/win for everyone!

Disclaimer: Please link to your specific blog post, NOT your blog. Please only link up if you participate in FMM. All other links will be deleted.
Today’s topic is:

What are your holiday traditions?

What holidays traditions did you have as a child? Did your family do anything specific or special during the holiday season (Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter – any holiday!)? What traditions would you like to implement with your own family or your future family?

Halloween/Samhain

When my maternal grandparents were alive, and lived in Vineland, we would go to their house for Hallowe'en. My sister and I would dress up, we would all go out for dinner, and then we would go trick or treating. My grandparents would give out treats.

My mum used to like wearing the "creepy old man" costume, and scaring little kids. Before Hallowe'en came, my sister and I made pumpkin-head men to sit on the front porch. One year, we even rigged a ghost that would run from the porch to the walnut tree on a cord. It even scared the adults!

Thanksgiving/Mabon

As we got older, my parents gave up on Thanksgiving. Cooking for hours, shoving everyone (including significant others) at a table too small--so now we go to a fall fair! We have hot dogs, kettle corn and hot cider rather than turkey and all the fixin's. It's way more fun, and a good way to end a weekend of being over-turkeyed.

That's all for me right now, folks! So post this to your own blog on Mondays, and link back to MY CHIHUAHUA BITES, and don't forget to add your name to the McLinky there!

Monday Mamba Week 1!

2010-10-25T20:39:00.001-04:00

So talk about a busy weekend!

Friday I felt icky, I just laid at home and watched TV while drinking Rooibus tea. The Man went to his cousin's to play games...he was beaten by his cousin's fiancee at Monopoly. *snicker*

I spent the evening watching wedding porn, and then SUPERNATURAL! Oh my goodness, what a good episode!

(Spoiler, highlight to see: What is wrong with Sam???? I think he's a little off his rocker!)

I stayed up late (until 3am) watching THE THIRTEENTH FLOOR. The premise was good, but the end sucked. It's all about creating a virtual world, and then there's One World that can go into other worlds, and the lead is a guy in the One World who thought he murdered his boss, and then all goes wacky! I won't spoil it for anyone...check it out if you like weird sci-fi murder mysteries (as I said, it was good, but the end kinda sucked).

Saturday, The Man let me sleep in. He went to play MAGIC: THE GATHERING at a local Comic shop, but it was canceled because there was some big tournament in Toronto. So we went to Mr. Used (sorry, no web page for them, but if you're interested, they're on Barton Street, in Hamilton).

This place is HUGE. I was going to take my camera to take photos of some of the wacky things they have, but I forgot it. :( So I can just tell you: giant statue of Caesar, a huge stand up of the Last Supper with cutouts of the heads of the Disciples so you can get your picture taken, the Red Green Show set, toilets, building materials, light fixtures galore, chairs, etc. Anyhow, we look around but never buy anything--they want a LOT for stuff that isn't worth much.

We asked about a computer chair (used of course, and would need a good cleaning from a Bissel Little Green Machine), and they wanted $45! I'll take the extra $10 and buy a new one at Walmart! We also asked about a beautiful cradle (which needs a lot of work, as there are gouges, so sanding and re-staining, it needed a new bottom in it, etc), and they wanted $125!!!

So off we went, with no purchases.

That night we went to a Stag and Doe. I dressed nice, then found out when we went, that it was costumed! *sigh* Cousin's Fiancee forgot to tell us that part!

At one point, I was standing with The Fiancee and her mom, and this woman came up to me and said "What's the character's first name?" I said "I'm sorry?" And she said "The character you're dressed up as...Garcia from CRIMINAL MINDS." So I told her "Penelope." And she said "Great job, you look exactly like her!"

Bwahahahaha! I wasn't even in my "Garcia wear", but voila!

On Sunday we went to:

BFF and her husband met us at one in Flamborough. Wow, did that one have great stuff! Wait until you see the cool stuff I post on THRIFTY PAGAN THURSDAY . We also went to the Burlington one, and they had very little--but they DID have an awesome furniture sale out back. The BFF got a small computer table for $7.99!

I also told my BFF that I didn't want to go to the HAMMERTOWN PAGAN PUB MOOT. I knew she didn't want to go, nor The Man, and I hadn't finished my costume for this year (I was planning on being Medusa). So she says "Well, I'll go if you go!", and then my man decided to go, too.

I didn't have a costume! I didn't want to wear wings (such a pain in the butt), nor my corset (acid reflux + corset = disaster).

So I thought back to the night before and said "AHA! I'll be Penelope Garcia." (For those of you who don't know her, here is a page dedicated to her: KIRSTEN VANGSNESS GALLERY).

We went to Dollarama, and I got some ponytail holders with bright pink stars on them, some coloured hair that you clip in, a purse that is very Garcia-ish, and a pair of super cool leg warmers that are black with purple, yellow, and pink stripes. The only thing I needed was a headset--or more correctly, an earset which she wears during the show CRIMINAL MINDS, in order to talk to the Team she works with from her computer office.

So, I went home, quickly dyed my hair (I had 2 inch roots---ick!), put it in "messy buns" leaving some pieces free and adding the pink and green faux hair. Put the pink stars on the messy buns, did my makeup with bright eyeshadow (green and pink), and bright pink lipstick with glitter (yes, that's actually lipstick I own and wear regularly...LOL).

Upstairs, I ransacked for my Garcia inspired clothing--and stood there staring at it all on the bed trying to determine what would be best, and I ended up with this:

The "skirt" is actually a dress, and the top is a short sleeved cardigan. I threw my black blazer over it and used my hairclip/broach on the lapel. The earrings are mine, the fishnet stockings are mine, and the necklaces are mine. I bought the purse, bracelets and legwarmers (oh, and the earpiece). But, of course, I'll wear those again (they're too cute!).

My BFF came over, and I did her makeup quickly to be a creepy chinadoll/ragdoll:

My man wore a suit with red shirt, and wore a skull mask, and carried War and Peace. He was the Red Horseman, or War. Pretty quick and simple. :) (No pics of him, though, darnit!).

Anyhow, halfway through the evening, my BFF and I are told to not leave by one of the HPPM's organizers. Okie dokie.

So apparently there was a costume contest at this Moot........and I won first place! It was judged by the staff of the CORKTOWN , and apparently I won because I looked exactly like Penelope Garcia. Pretty cool, eh?

AND BFF placed third! And might I say, her outfit was something she already had in the closet? The only thing she didn't have were the ultra cute pink bows with skulls (those are mine...aherm...so I have eclectic fashion choices).

The second placed winners were Tameika and Fox, and they were a really cool Baron Samedhi and Mama Brijit (I think they should have gotten first!).

Anyhow, we all won Mead from ROSEWOOD ESTATES, and I also won a $150 gift of some sort from the WHITE FLAME COMPANY.

Pretty exciting, isn't it? I've NEVER won a costume contest before!!!

Monday Mamba Week 1!

2010-10-25T13:46:00.004-04:00

(Spoiler, highlight to see: What is wrong with Sam???? I think he's a little off his rocker!)

My BFF came over, and I did her makeup quickly to be a creepy chinadoll/ragdoll:

My man wore a suit with red shirt, and wore a skull mask, and carried War and Peace. He was the Red Horseman, or War. Pretty quick and simple. :) (No pics of him, though, darnit!).

Anyhow, halfway through the evening, my BFF and I are told to not leave by one of the HPPM's organizers. Okie dokie.

The second placed winners were Tameika and Fox, and they were a really cool Baron Samedhi and Mama Brijit (I think they should have gotten first!).

Anyhow, we all won Mead from ROSEWOOD ESTATES, and I also won a $150 gift of some sort from the WHITE FLAME COMPANY.

Pretty exciting, isn't it? I've NEVER won a costume contest before!!!

Apron Giveaway by Mrs. B!

2010-10-25T12:54:00.001-04:00

CONFESSIONS OF A PAGAN SOCCER MOM has a FANTASTIC giveaway from APRON ADDICTION!

Whoever wins, gets this really cute apron:

(BUT....I really want to win...it will nicely accent my Hallowe'en decorated kitchen witch kitchen!)

From APRON ADDICTIONS website:

This cute apron is the perfect addition to any outfit. The Très Petit apron has orange embroidery which is tiered on a black background as well as three large pockets in the front. This hostess apron is perfect for going out or entertaining guests. Look for a secret scrumptious recipe in the hidden pocket.

Seduce your lover and delight your guest with this sexy hostess apron.

It's the Full Moon

2010-10-22T23:00:00.001-04:00

(From Photobucket)

But not just ANY full moon. This moon is most commonly called Blood Moon, Sanguine Moon or Hunter's Moon. This is because it was the time when hunters were out at night doing the last of their hunting before the cold drives the animals into hiding or migrating.

I personally can't see the moon tonight, as it's overcast here. It's unfortunate, because it's usually a beautiful rusty/gold colour!

Other names for this moon:

Kindly Moon, Hunter's Moon, Blackberry Moon, Travel Moon, Dying Grass Moon, Falling Leaf Moon, Shedding Moon

Correspondences:

Colors: Dark blue, black, purple, copper, dark blue-green, pink, rose

Gemstones and Minerals: Obsidian, amethyst, tourmaline, beryl, jade, opal, sapphire, pink tourmaline turquoise, copper

Trees: Apple and yew

Gods: Herne, Apollo, Cernunnos, Mercury, Astarte, Belili, Demeter, Durga, Hathor, Ishtar, Kore, Lakshmi

Herbs and Plants: Apple blossoms, pennyroyal, mint family, catnip, Sweet Annie, angelica, burdock, catnip, mint, thyme, uva ursi, bluebell, calendula, cosmos, daisy, rose

Element: Air

Enjoy the full moon tonight!

Sources:
http://www.nightskyinfo.com/sky_highlights/hunters_moon/
http://home.hiwaay.net/~krcool/Astro/moon/moonnames.htm
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art18824.asp
http://www.angelfire.com/moon2/moone/page5.html

A Special Giveaway from Mother Moon!

2010-10-22T22:30:00.000-04:00

Samhain just brings out the giveaways every year, doesn't it? It's like Secret Santa!

Anyhow, MOTHER MOON is going to be giving away this awesome gift basket:

So head on over HERE and sign up for the giveaway!!!

The Ancestor's Ball, thanks to The Deepest Well

2010-10-22T18:50:00.004-04:00

THE ANCESTOR'S BALL!

Aine from THE DEEPEST WELL has this fantastic idea, for an Ancestors Ball Blog party!

Here is what SHE wrote on HER BLOG:

* * *

Last night I was thinking about the ancestors as we Witches tend to do around this time of year. I have been re-reading a part of one of my favorite books "The Faery Teachings", by Orion Foxwood where there is a wealth of information on working with the ancestors. He categorizes the ancestors this way

ancestors of the blood - those who are part of our current bloodline
ancestors of the order - those who have been part of our spiritual beliefs who are now disincarnate.
ancestors of the races - ancestors connected to other lives
ancestors of the anointing - A stream of spiritual powers that were once embodied humans but have never been connected to you at any time or in any life. They are mentors to humanity (you do not choose to work with these ancestors, they choose you.)

I also read the section in this book on ancestral altars. I always created this type of altar at Samhain, but I don't keep one going all year long. After reading and thinking about the ancestors, I have decided to purposely work more closely with them, and will keep the altar going long after the Sabbat is over.

But who are our ancestors? Sure, I know my blood ancestors, some of them, anyway. But I never considered working with the others before. I decided there would be no better time to branch out from the family tree to include the ancestors of the order or those of other lives.

And in the spirit of this season of Samhain I have decided to honor the ancestors by hosting a Blog Party dedicated to the ancestors "The Ancestors Ball" will be held All Hallows Weekend , starting Saturday, October 30th and ending Tuesday, November 3. So that gives you time both to participate and enjoy what others have to share!

Here's all you have to do.

Let me know if you're interested in participating by leaving a comment on this post.
Create your Ancestors Ball blog entry in time for the party by midnight on Friday, October 29th.
Don't forget to come back to this post and leave the link to your blog entry in the comment section again! I will post your link with the links of all others who participate.
Come to the Party! Anyone visiting this blog during Ancestral Ball Weekend will be able to dance on over to your blog and enjoy your contribution!

You can also grab this to put on your blog

and add this link to the pic

http://deepestwell.blogspot.com

But what should you bring to the ball?

Well, first yourself in all your finery! And perhaps you would like to come incognito - wearing a mask perhaps? Or dress up as an ancestor?

Then you can bring along (blog about) anything with an ancestral theme - such as stories of your ancestors, old family recipes, how you work with the ancestors and/or honor them on Samhain, pictures of your ancestors, pictures or descriptions of your ancestral altars, etc. Ancestors can be those in your current bloodline, or those that fit into the other descriptions above.

Remember, the Ancestors Ball is All Hallow's weekend, October 30 through November 2! Hope to see you there!

* * *

I'll definitely be there, will you????

Thrifty Pagan Thursday!

2010-10-21T19:39:00.000-04:00

This is the first edition of THRIFTY PAGAN THURSDAY. What shall we talk about? How about saving money in various ways for tools and supplies.

1) Go to thrift stores. Especially check out Christian thrift stores. Around here we have THE SALVATION ARMY THRIFT STORE (you can even shop their store on Ebay...how cool is that?), BIBLES FOR MISSIONS, and ST. VINCENT DE PAUL. I've found amazing tables to use as altars, cauldrons, chalices, offering dishes and much more at these stores for next to nothing! Their prices are often lower than VALUE VILLAGE, TALIZE, or other big name/department thrift stores (though you can still sometimes find good deals there). At the department thrift stores, I often find occult and mythology books for less than half price, too!

2) Join local FREECYCLE mailing lists! These are through YAHOO, and you can choose to have them delivered to your inbox, or read them online. And you get stuff for FREE! I have gotten a lot of the wall shelves for my ritual room from here. You never know what you'll find! Fabric for altar cloths, candles, candle holders, seasonal decor....the list goes on!

3) Go to ANTIQUE MARKETS. The ones around us have everything from swords and brooms, to daggers, beautiful bowls and wine glasses, to other items---scythes, taxidermied animal parts (tails, feet, heads, horns), iron nails and rail road spikes, vintage mason jars (for witchy brews or storing herbs), etc. I've also found MANY books at these places, as there are often book sellers there.

4) Head out on weekend mornings and go YARD SALE-ING! As they say, one man's junk is another witch's treasure! I recently got four old mason jars (big ones) for holding some Hoodoo mixtures I'll be mixing up, for only twenty five cents each. I also got a really cool kerosene lantern (which you can use lamp oil in) for $2, which one can use on their altar or to add ambience to ritual space (I'm using this for centerpieces for our wedding).

5) Grow your own herbs! Why spend a bunch of money on buying herbs from large stores, not knowing how old they are? Find out what will grow where you are, and do some planting. If you live in an apartment with a balcony, do a container garden! At the correct time for each herb, cut and dry them, then store them in airtight jars in a cool, dark place.

6) Dig your own rocks! Nope, I'm NOT kidding. Why are you spending an insane amount of money on crystals and gemstones, when you can join a ROCK HOUNDING club in your area, and get out into nature, and find your own gems, fossils and minerals! Most rock hounders and their clubs hold swap meets and sales, selling many gemstones for much cheaper than you'll get online or at your local occult or new age shop.

7) Pick your own herbs! Well, weeds and plants, really! There are a lot of groups that do herb, plant and tree walks, teaching people about what the plants are. Some let you pick items. Or head out, with good knowledge and a good book, and pick the items yourself (make sure you're NOT in a conservation area!). Oakmoss? Scrape some moss off an oak tree. Golden rod? If you're in an area where it's in ABUNDANCE, grab some! It's often considered a nuisance as it causes hayfever.

There you are--7 ideas to make your general practice a little more cost effective!

Another Award!

2010-10-21T19:00:00.002-04:00

A big THANK YOU to the lovely Bex at BEX'S HEXES, for giving me this award:

Isn't it purrrrrdy????

So the rules are:

1. Accept the award. Post it on your blog with the name of the person who has granted the award and his or her blog link.

2. Pay it forward to 15 other bloggers that you have newly discovered.

3. Contact those blog owners and let them know they’ve been chosen.

Here are the 15 bloggers I want to pass it on to:

PEEK-A-BOO: MAGICK AMONG MAYHEM

PUMPKINS AND TOADSTOOLS

CONFESSIONS OF A CRAFTY WITCH

PRACTICAL MAGIC BLOG PARTY

TABBY'S PLACE

LOST IN ASTRAL SPACE

ISOBELLE GO LIGHTLY, THE BEAUTIFUL GOAT

IN A GOAT'S SHOES

GOATS IN THE GARDEN

ANTIQUITY OAKS

A BORROWED BOOK OF CHARMS

AROUND PUMPKIN COTTAGE

AUX DEMILUNES

FINDING FAERIELAND

DOMESTIC WITCH
FROSTED PETUNIAS

Look up!

2010-10-21T01:47:00.001-04:00

Okay, actually look just between the header and the Hedgewitch poem. There are special pages there for you to click on.

I plan to add a small Grimoire of recipes and workings, information on crystals, and information on spell ingredients. So keep looking for new posts there! :)

I'm loving Blogger more and more, with all the options it carries. So keep an eye out for more from me! My writing bug (or Muse, as She likes to be known) is back, and She is nudging me to keep writing. Enjoy watching the process, and keep the comments a-coming!

Did You Wear Purple Today?

2010-10-20T19:24:00.002-04:00

Today is Spirit Day, a day to wear purple in honour of those who committed suicide due to bullying based on their gender identity and sexuality, and to prevent the same thing from happening again!

Check out this GREAT VIDEO about the YOU ARE LOVED project, as well as SPIRIT DAY. And don't forget to check out THE TREVOR PROJECT.. There are videos of inspiration on there, as well as personal hardships and tragedies.

Check out Dr. E's ritual at THE CONJURE BLOG, to help stop the hate. I think everyone comitting to this ritual would bring about a change in the world.

So get out there, don purple, and say "HELL NO" to bullying, any bullying, that can bring children to their graves by their own hands!

Web Crawling Wednesday--Hallowe'en Addition!

2010-10-20T15:56:00.002-04:00

So I won't be sharing just ONE link today, I'll be sharing a few.....but they all have ONE THING in common---HEARSES! Yes, you read that right. I love hearses, especially antique and vintage ones, so I'm choosing some of my favourite sites to peruse.

My dream, now that I'll be able to drive thanks to the Ménières (vertigo) disease being fixed, is to own a hearse. Something vintage and cool, that I can decorate tastefully. Of course, it'll be many years before I can afford a hearse (or any car of my own), so I content myself with perusing the 'net looking at hearses.

Link #1: MR. ED'S HEARSE PICTURES
This is a great listing with photos, of hearses from horse drawn ones, to modern day ones! My favourite (and the ideal one I'd like, although it's rare) is the 1958 Chevrolet Impala Two Door Hearse:

Now THAT is a sexy car! The 1939 Cadillac Carved Panel seems to be a favourite among Hearse collectors, and I can see why!

It's almost like a church on wheels, with all those details inside and out.

LINK #2: CLASSIC AND VINTAGE FUNERAL COACHES

While this is a hearse rental company in Australia, they have many beautiful photos of classic hearses, and a pictorial of the history of hearses in Australia. They move from the 1926 Buick Hearse, all the way to a 1968 HK Holden Hearse. I really like the Ford Mainline Hearses, but especially the 1958 model they show:

Final Links: These are links to some pretty cool looking Hearse owners clubs. So look around, and enjoy!

PHANTOM COACHES

COFFIN CRUISERS

CLASSIC HEARSE REGISTER

3 Blog Awards! Holy Cow!!!!

2010-10-20T01:51:00.005-04:00

Thanks so much to Aine over at THE DEE PEST WEL L, for these wonderful awards!

Not only did she give me three very cool awards, but she has gotten me to actually blog (minus Mrs. B's awesome giveaways at CONFESSIONS OF A PAGAN SOCCER MOM). She ALSO got me checking out Pagan blogs I've never seen before. So check out Aine's post right HERE to see the blogs she handed these awards out to!

Now, for the RULES (yep, you had to know that was coming!).

1. Thank and link back to the person who gave you the award.
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Pass this on to 15 other great bloggers you recently discovered.
4. Contact the selected bloggers and tell them about their awards.

Here are seven random things about me:

1) I love animal print--especially leopard! I have leopard print sunglasses, makeup cases, gloves, etc. Here's just some of my collection:

From left to right, back to front:
leopard gloves, tiger fedora, leopard shoes, leopard makeup cases.
Snake skin manicure kit, leopard sunglasses, giraffe business card holder, leopard and rhinestone watch, zebra sunglasses.

2) My favourite place to go is New York City, particularly Manhattan, and staying in the Chelsea area. It's the place The Man and I like to escape to!

3) I LOVE keys. Especially old ones, and wear one all the time. It's a Hekate thing, I think:

4) Hallowe'en is my favourite time of year, as noticeable by my Hallowe'en blog HAUNTINGS, HALLOWE'EN AND SPOOKS, OH MY!

5) I love skulls. I have a huge collection of skull jewelry, including necklaces, earrings, rings--then there are the scarves and hair bobbles. Here are a few of my items:

6) I adore flowers and bows for my hair. I'm slightly obsessed now! I always look for new colours and designs.

7) I always get told I look like Kirsten Vangsness, aka Penelope Garcia on Criminal Minds. You tell me if there is a similarity:

I swear, I had red hair first! She didn't dye hers until last season!

I'm passing this along to:

CATTRA'S MAGICKAL WORLD

WALKING THE HEDGE

KAT THE HAT LADY

THE ADVENTURES OF WITCHHAZEL

GRAVEYARD DIRT

VINTAGE DRAGONFLY

MOONTIDES: MUSINGS OF AN URBAN PAGAN

MOM'S A WITCH

HEARTHWITCH COTTAGE

CELTIC DREAMSCAPE

CELTIC LADY

TONY'S DRUID BLOG

NEW WORLD WITCHERY

LADY LAVONA'S CABINET OF CURIOSITIES

THE WITCH OF FOREST GROVE

Giveaway by Whimsical Cottage!

2010-10-12T11:48:00.001-04:00

Mrs. B does it again, over at CONFESSIONS OF A PAGAN SOCCER MOM!

This giveaway is from WHIMSICAL COTTAGE!

This is "Goblin in Thought". I LOVE goblins, don't you? They're cute, in the ugly-must-be-cute kind of way! :) And I LOVE his skull!

Here is a bit of writing from Danni Suplicki, the artist:

When Autumn starts to lurk at the edges of summer, my mind often wanders to thoughts of wee beasties and goblins. This handsome green fellow was born of those thoughts.

He's taking a break from mischief making to think. But what does he ponder?

So get on over there, and sign up for this super awesome giveaway, or head to WHIMSICAL COTTAGE, and buy something! You can even even follow the WHIMSICAL COTTAGE BLOG.

Sacred Oak Giveaway!

2010-10-11T18:49:00.000-04:00

Another great giveaway, courtesy of Mrs. B from CONFESSIONS OF A PAGAN SOCCER MOM!

This giveaway is from THE SACRED OAK!

The winner will receive a BATH GIFT SET!

In this gift set you will recive:

-Fairy Bath Tea With meash draw string bag: Magical blend of Thyme, Mint, Sage, Bay Leaves, Oat Meal & Rosemary.
-2 Pumpkin Spice Sea Salts
-2 Black Opium Bath Salts
-1 Peppermint spa soap
-1 bar of Oat Meal Delight Soap
- 1 4oz cinnaberry votive
-All placed in a recicled tea box that was decorated to look like an antique box. Very sturdy.Your choice of ribbon: Red, Blue, Green or White

ALL ITEMS ARE HAND MADE BY WILLOW!

So head on over to the giveaway courtesy of Mrs. B at CONFESSIONS OF A PAGAN SOCCER MOM, and get your entries in!

Mrs. B's 6th Day of Halloween Giveaway!

2010-10-06T12:37:00.001-04:00

This giveaway is from Our Princess in Pigtails!

The winner will get a blog makeover! How freaking awesome is that???? So you get:

-Custom background
-Custom header
-Custom font for sidebar titles, post date, and post titles
-Choice of templates
-Signature
-Button with grab code
-Favicon
-sidebar title backgrounds
-navigation bar with 8-10 main tabs unlimited sub-main tabs
-post divider image
-post title image
-social networking buttons on the sidebar max. of 8
-social networking sharing buttons at the end of each post

So head over to CONFESSIONS OF A PAGAN SOCCER MOM, and check it out!

Confessions of a Pagan Soccer Mom Giveaway!

2010-10-04T13:20:00.000-04:00

So all through October, Mrs. B at Confessions of a Pagan Soccer Mom does giveaways!!! These are AWESOME giveaways, so be sure to check out her blog all October long (not to mention, continue to--her blog rocks).

Here is the newest giveaway: GIVEAWAY #7 !!!

This is a gift certificate from DIVINE LOTUS HEALING on Etsy. Their items are really cool, and great for the witch with allergies to incense or smoke. So head on over to Confessions of a Pagan Soccer Mom, and check it out!

Hallowe'en!

2010-09-23T16:58:00.001-04:00

So what's a witch to do when she's not witching? Well, everything Hallowe'en of course!

Find me over at HAUNTINGS, HALLOWE'EN AND SPOOKS, OH MY! And when it's not Hallowe'en, this blog will also look at the paranormal, hauntings, and things that go bump in the night. :)

Astral Projection

2010-06-09T02:06:00.001-04:00

I just found a cool Mp3 series of lessons on Astral Projection. I'm going to be listening to them, and then writing a review about it! I won't post the link just yet, because I don't want people downloading a load of stuff that sucks. ;)

So I'll be doing that shortly (hopefully before I go into the hospital next Thursday). :D

Planning a Pagan Wedding

2010-06-07T20:19:00.001-04:00

So I have spent the day working on the beginning of my Pagan wedding blog. Check it out HERE.

Any comments or suggestions are ALWAYS appreciated!

Engagement!

2010-06-07T14:58:00.005-04:00

Well, the Man and I have been together for 5 years. Thick and thin, health issues, money problems, crazy roommates, crazy families, etc. We honestly never thought about marriage, and if we did it was never "Legal" (ie. with the whole marriage certificate), but a ceremony devoting ourselves to each other before our Gods.

Anyhow, this has all changed.

On Easter weekend, the Man and I went to New York (which was a surprise for me). When we finally got to the hotel (the Chelsea Savoy), I was exhausted. I just wanted to take a nap. We went out after I napped, and had dinner. When we got back to the room, the Man was extremely upset that "things didn't go the way he wanted". He's done this before, having an idea for a romantic evening, and it didn't work out, so I didn't think anything of it.

I told him we could do whatever he'd wanted to do on Friday night on Saturday. So we went to bed (and man we slept well--that hotel has AWESOME beds).

The next day we decided to go to Central Park, because we hadn't seen much of it the first time we were there. There were ALL KINDS of craziness going on. It was a HOT weekend (hitting 28C), so everyone was out. There were people honouring John Lennon's birthday at Strawberry Fields, lots of picnics, people strolling, a group with a big sound system set up with people dancing on roller skates, a group with a "boom box" just dancing and having a good time (complete with beer in brown paper bags and other, um, stimulants being passed around), a couple drum circles, and tons of people on the reservoir with row boats.

We walked over the reservoir, and the Man found a lovely hand made bench:

We sat there, holding hands, and staring out at the reservoir. A pair of Mallards kept swimming around staring at us. Then a pair of Canada Geese came over too. The Man looked at me, and said (I don't remember the actual quote, but something like this):

"We've been together for five years, and you've been a fantastic girlfriend. I love you so much."

At this point, I think he's just being a sappy romantic, because he is (but don't tell him I told you that).

"We've been through so much, and I love you more every day, and you're the best girlfriend I could ask for. I was wondering..."

Then we stopped, and I kind of froze, my stomach came to my throat, and had butterflies in it. He reached into his pocket and pulled out THE BOX, then opened it to show me this:

"...will you be my fiancee?"

Okay, so this is not the most romantic thing for me to do--I burst into tears! Hard crying, blubbery, snot running, red puffy face and turnip nose. I was smiling, and I'm sure it was not pleasant. Then the Man started crying! People were stopping and looking at us, and we're like "It's okay--it's GOOD crying!"

So when I was finally able to breathe and talk, I said "YES!". He put the ring on my finger, and we both started crying again. Yep, we're saps.

We sat on the bench for a while longer, and he tried to clean my face up with a tissue. Here is the aftermath:

So we went to a lovely French/Jewish restaurant for dinner that night, and toasted our engagement at an Irish Pub (with real Irish bar tenders from Dublin).

So there you have it! I'm starting a new blog for the wedding planning process, so I'll be sure to post the link up once I have it formatted and begun.

Yep, I'm Baaack!

2010-06-03T03:07:00.002-04:00

Boy, has it been a crazy winter/spring. Some new things that have come about:

1) I'm scheduled for a hysterectomy on June 17th! Finally! :D

2) I'm ENGAGED! Yes, you read that right. And silly me, I had no idea! Let's just say the fam and the Man can REALLY keep a secret (I'll post the whole story tomorrow).

3) I'm on medication for Ménière's disease. My vertigo is finally GONE! My energy is up, and it's wonderful to not feel dizzy and nauseous. To read about Ménière's disease, go here: Ménière's disease on Wikipedia.

4) I am planning to spend the remaining of 2010 on getting my health back, and be employed by 2011. Once I get a job, I'll continue to get my certification as an MUA (just the business courses to go).

5) I have discovered this wedding is going to give me a mental breakdown LONG before it happens. I need a wedding planner.

6) I actually planted a garden! Pics will be up soon. The violas are kind of floppy for now, but my herbs are doing well!

7) I've missed blogging terribly!

So yay, I've missed reading my regular blogs, and posting blogs of my own. So expect to see a couple posts tomorrow!

Happy Mundane New Year!

2009-12-31T17:31:00.002-05:00

I don't usually make resolutions, but here are some I've been meaning to do anyways....and January is a good enough start for it. :D

1) Exercise!

This will be with the Wii (I have Wii Fit Plus, Cardio, Winter Sports, and plan to get the new dance game ASAP). I will also be taking up ice skating with the Man. :) I REALLY enjoyed myself skating the other day, and there is an arena down the street from us...so I figure skating once a week will be good (low impact cardio FTW!).

My BFF and I will have to check out the warm water pool not far from where I live, too.

2) Eating Healthier.

Okay, I eat pretty healthy, I just don't eat regularly because of my sleep schedule (some days I forget to eat altogether until dinner). So I'm going to try to eat something small and healthy every 3 hours (like a bit of cheese, yogurt, a smoothie, lean meat or veggies).

3) Take Pride in My Home.

I love my house, and I need to show it more often. It's often difficult with the pain and tiredness from my illnesses, but I need to at least keep the kitchen straightened, the dishes done, and the living room and dining room clean! :D

4) Clean Up the Backyard This Spring.

It keeps getting put off and put off. We don't get much sun, so it's hard to find anything that actually grows...so even a rock garden would be nice. ;) Then we can have folks over for a barbeque.

5) Practice My Craft Daily.

I let my daily prayers and devotions slide. I need to continue my reading and learning (especially Chumbley's and Schulke's works).

6) Bring the Romance Back into Our Relationship.

Damn straight! :P

7) Get at least 85% in my next two classes for Makeup Artistry.

8) Clean Out the Basement!!!!

Dude, it sooooo needs to be cleaned out! Then we can have a photo studio for my friend to do portraits and shoots in. :)

9) Keep my blog updated, and more "Witchy"!

-----

I think that's it. If there are any more, I'll add it in comments. :)

Now...go on, share yours!!!!!

Web Crawling Wednesday!

2009-12-23T01:36:00.002-05:00

So here's my insomnia, and I'm surfing through awesome vintage clip art and mixed media art blogs, and I find the AMAZING Elegia's Background Garden.

If you're looking for an awesome free layout, check out her blog. My favourite layout is "Basic Black and White" , and you can get the CSS info here (I might just have to use that for my upcoming makeup blog).

If you want something a little more special, check out her Etsy shop where she sells some pretty cool digital collage sheets. My favourite is "Cute Bats". These are great if you're into digital scrapbooking, making your own blogger layouts, or even regular scrapbooking (print and cut). And very affordable!

I hope you enjoy Elegia's site as much as I have. The more you look, the more you find! :) I also have her button over there -->

Happy Birfday to Me (and my sister)...

2009-12-21T00:11:00.002-05:00

Yep, we're Yule babies (kinda). We had the extended birthday of a lifetime, I think.

November 27th: Went to see Blackie Jackett Jr. in Burlington
December 17th: Went to meet and see Three Days Grace (Default opened for them, so we got their autographs, too).
December 19th: Went to Westfield Heritage Village (in Copetown) for 'Twas the Night Before Christmas (It was sooooooo fun---but my camera crapped out that night, so I couldn't take any pics).
December 20th: Birthday lunch/dinner at my parents' house. Our Mum bought us Yule gifts (heehee...we're breaking them down...they're not overly religious, but my parents' are getting more and more in the spirit of Pagandom).

Somewhere in the middle there, I sprained my ankle, and have to someday get an xray (likely AFTER the New Year, 'cause Gods know most places close early this time of year). I got to go to Westfield (an outdoor village replication of Edwardian to Victorian living in Canada) in a wheelchair...LOL! My BFF had a little TOO much fun pushing me around. ;)

So the rest of this week is getting the house ready for the Holiday Open House, do some baking, and make my dad a hand made scarf (on my Knifty Knitter). :)

Oh--and tomorrow I get to see if the warranty on my camera is still good, and hope that if it is, they can send me a new one ASAP!

I Got Tagged!

2009-12-16T00:50:00.003-05:00

The lovely Magaly Guerrero from Magaly Guerrero: The Official Blog of an Author in the Making and most well known Pagan Culture tagged me for the meme "Check Your Witch and TAG her Thrice!".

So I'm going to answer 15 questions as Magaly did...and then tag 13 more people. I'm going to change up the questions so they're inter-denominational, because I'll likely tag some non-Pagans. :) Why 13 people? Because it's Magaly's lucky number, and it's also MY lucky number too!

The Famous Fifteen:

1. Have you started Yule/Christmas shopping yet?

I've done it over the year, but realized in the first week of December that I didn't buy as much as I thought I did. But yep--it's ALL DONE! :) I'll have to post pics of what I got everyone after Yule.

2. Tell me about one of your special holiday traditions?

Wow, family traditions always evolve, and there's nothing that really "sticks". A little earlier than Yule/Christmas is my Mum's birthday (middle of November), and my sister and I always buy her an angel, or angel themed gift. I guess that would count.

I'm also starting a tradition of having a Holiday Open House on December 24th, where I have food and drink, and people come and go as they please. Last year was the first one, and it was a great success. My family, my man's extended family (his parents and sister live in Colorado), our friends all gathered together, and it was so much fun!

3. When do you put up your tree?

Still getting into the swing of that. We don't have much room for a real big tree in our house (we have a lot of furniture because we entertain a lot). Last year we had a real tree in a pot, but it died (I have a black thumb). This year my great friends Mav and Grimmy gave us their old fiber-optic tree that they had for many years while living in apartments (since they are having their first real Yule/Christmas in their own house and can have a large tree). So it's sitting on top of an unused plant stand (remember...black thumb) draped with Christmas/winter themed fabric. Gifts will go on the bottom tiers of the plant stand. :)

4. Are you a Black Friday Shopper?

Nope. I value my life and limbs.

5. Do you travel at Yule/Christmas or stay at home?

We once went to Sarnia for Christmas with my man's family, but they did Christmas dinner on the 12th this year in Brantford (20 minutes away from us). We usually do Christmas day at my parents, or sometimes on Boxing Day depending on my BIL's family. My parents live in the same city, and my sister just outside, so not much traveling. If we visit my man's immediate family, we don't do it during Christmas season...WAAAAAY too expensive and crazy.

6. What is your funniest Yule/Christmas memory?

My sister had moved home to finish up college. I moved home when I broke up with my fiance. We were around 20 years old. I woke up to my father running around with a T-shirt that said "Ho Ho Ho My Ass", a Santa hat with a fake beard (which is funny, because he HAS a beard), wearing Christmas themed brief style underwear over his jogging pants at 6am.

6am doesn't exist for me...I'm an insomniac, but I hauled my arse outta bed anyways (he was so excited).

He had woken me up by wiggling my feet. He went into my twin sister's room, and hadn't even gotten near her bed when she sat straight up (WWE Undertaker style), said "Touch me and die." and laid back down.

My Mum, Daddy and I had breakfast and waited for her to get herself up...LOL. She's less of a morning person than I am.

7. What is your favorite Yule/Christmas movie of all times?

Santa's Slay, Black Christmas, and Scrooged. Yeah, so I'm not overly traditional...LOL!

8. Do you do any Yule/Christmas baking and what's your favorite treat?

Darn Tootin'! My favourites are my fudge, Amish Ginger Cookies and White Chocolate Candy Cane Brittle. :)

9. Fake or real tree?

Fake...it's fiber-optic. I call it the "disco tree". I love it because it was passed down from my best friends.

10. What day does the actual panic set in to get it all done?

I usually don't have a panic button. This year, it was yesterday--but I think it was just a panic attack (I have clinical anxiety and bipolar, and my hormones are going all wacky).

11. Are you still wrapping presents on Yule/Christmas Eve?

Yup. LOL! :)

12. What is your favorite family fun time at Yule/Christmas?

Watching everyone open the gifts I bought them! I LOOOOOOVE giving gifts. :)

13. What Yule/Christmas craft do you like best?

Baking, and making chocolate and fudge. Not technically a craft, but I love doing it!

14. Yule/Christmas music? Yes or No, and if yes, what is your favorite song?

Yes! I used to hate it (working in retail makes it SUCK). My favourite is The Little Drummer Boy by David Bowie and Bing Crosby. I also love anything by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra!

15. Do you plan to finish all your shopping?

Already DONE! Woot!

The Thirteen Tagged:

1. The Screaming Meanie
2. Ugly Shyla's Secrets, Lies and Gossip
3. Voodoo Who Do
4. Witchy Chicks
5. A Fanciful Twist
6. A Secret Garden
7. Ruffles and Stuff
8. A Day In The Life of a Domestic Enchantress
9. Cat's Rants
10. Chasing Domestic Bliss
11. Craftwork of a Jewitch
12. Darkflame's Views
13. Lisa Joy

Musical Monday! A little heavier than usual....

2009-12-14T00:00:00.003-05:00

Been a while since I did a post on Music Monday! So, here we go!

My sister discovered the world of Twitter, and that having a Blackberry (which she needs for work) that she can access it ALL THE TIME. So what did she use this ultimate power for? Winning awesome stuff, of course!

First she won a Finger Eleven prize pack. For those of you who don't know, I'm a big Finger Eleven fan, and my sister is a TOTAL goober for F11 (and Blackie Jackett Jr., a side project of two of the F11 guys).

THEN she won tickets to THREE DAYS GRACE! So we're going to the concert on Thursday the 17th, and we get to do a "meet the band during sound check" thing. Cool, eh? Even though we'll likely be 15 years older than their average fan...LOL! I've always been a "casual fan" of their music, but finding out about going to the concert and meeting them, I looked into their history (so I'm not a total goober when I meet them).

I discovered that the lead singer, Adam Gontier, is a recovering addict to oxycontin. A lot of the songs on their second most recent album (the one most people would recognize, "One-X") were written while he was in rehab in CAMH in Toronto, Ontario.

So after finding that out, I watched "Behind The Pain"** on YouTube, which was a look at his addiction and recovery.

I have a new found respect for their music, as a recovering alcoholic (specifically, a binge drinker), and a recovering cutter (I did it from the age of about 9 or 10 until I was 17...I hid it, unlike the Emo Kids of these days who think it's "cool", and at stressful times have a hard time not relapsing--it's actually harder to control than the alcohol).

I remember when I first got sick, when I was going through leaving alcohol completely behind in favour of meds to make me feel better. Of getting used to living as a person with multiple medical problems, and hearing the song "Pain" from the albume "One-X" by Three Days Grace. It spoke to me, about the physical pain I was in, the emotional pain, the pain and strain in my relationship (which, I have to say, is now stronger than ever), the pain of being bipolar for so many years and not being properly diagnosed. So here is the video for that, for Musical Monday:

And here is their newest video, "Break" from the album "Life Starts Now":

(** "Behind the Pain" Part Two, Part Three & Part Four)

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. One simple rule, leave ONLY the actual post link here. You can grab this code at LJL Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.

PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

Hallowe'en Makeup!

2009-12-09T18:49:00.002-05:00

Okay, so it's a tad late, but I figured after reading Rue's comment about Hallowe'en makeup, I figured I'd share the makeup I did this year. So here I am:

I was the last minute costume girl this year. So I decided on semi-traditional Día de los Muertos makeup. I completed the look with a black scarf around my head (my bangs actually OFF my forehead for the first time since middle school--LOL!), red roses on either side of my face, big hoop earrings, a dangly necklace, black chemise, black corset, red shawl tied around my waist, and carrying maracas from Mexico (a friend brought them back from her honeymoon) and a Virgin of Guadalupe candle.

Here is Chris, done up a our Doorkeeper:

This was a great picture that Crowskin took on a neighbour's front lawn, that was thoroughly covered in bright leaves.

Here is a close up shot of his makeup:

All he wanted was "something gothic and creepy", so that's what I ran with. Not bad for never having done aging makeup, eh?

Another Great Giveaway!

2009-12-09T01:54:00.003-05:00

Check out Bringing Up Salamanders for the coolest little Yule giveaway!

And don't forget to check out Nydia's Etsy shop Carioca Witch!

School Update, and an Awesome Giveaway!

2009-12-08T13:00:00.002-05:00

So I finished Makeup III last night with my exam (technically it's Makeup: Bridal, Glamour and Runway). I studied, and studied and studied. Our lovely teacher, Jakki, had said it would contain everything from Makeup I, Makeup II and Makeup III. So here I was with my giant binder of all three courses studying my wee brain out.

Everyone is in class, we get the exam, and it's only 3 pages long, with LOTS of space for answers. "WTF?" So I look it over (as I do with all tests) and realize it is full of what should be common sense answers for anyone who works as a Makeup Artist.

In thirty minutes I wrote it, checked it over twice, and handed it in (it likely would have taken less time but my arthritis makes handwriting difficult and slow). Then Lisa and I went to Timmie's at the cafeteria so I could treat myself to a hot chocolate. I was home by 8:30pm.

I even got to watch the new episode of Cake Boss at 9pm! I love that show.

So now I'm off of school until January, when I'll take Paramedical and Camouflage.

So here is what I need to take to complete my courses and get my two certificates (Makeup Artistry and Applied Cosmetics):

Makeup Artistry
Cosmetology
Makeup I
Makeup II
Theatrical and Special Effects
Paramedical and Camouflage
Business and Marketing
Colour Theory
Makeup: Bridal Glamour and Runway
Portfolio Development

Applied Cosmetics:
Professional Selling

What I have left to take is:
Paramedical
Special Effects
Business and Marketing
Portfolio Development
Professional Selling

So if I do one per semester, not counting the summer since there usually isn't a class available then, I should be done by Spring 2011 (a year ahead of what I thought it would take). :) Nice, eh?

So, onto the totally awesome giveaway!

Mrs. B at Confessions of a Pagan Soccer Mom is giving away a $25 gift certificate for EcoStoreUSA! So head over HERE to sign up for the giveaway (and don't forget to read the awesome REVIEW Mrs. B did on their Vanilla Shampoo and Vanilla Conditioner.

Web Crawling Wednesday

2009-11-19T04:01:00.004-05:00

Been a while, so here's a really cool blog by a super cool Hedgewitch!

The Ramblings and Wanderings of a Canadian Hedgewitch: Walking the Hedge is the pet project of Juniper.

Here is her biography:

Most folks call me Juniper, my friends call me Juni.
I am closing in on thirty but eternally youthful.
I have been a farmer and a city girl, a homesteader and a gypsy.
I have worked in animal rescue and occult shops, art galleries, liquor stores and bead shops.
I hunt in thrift store jungles and gather in the wildwoods.
I practice in groves and ditches, hedgerows and sea shores, basements and vacant lots.
I am not an Elder, nor guru.
I am just a messy little Hedgewitch who speaks her mind.
This is my journal. It will have funny bits, rants, ramblings, ideas, poetry and more ...
Take it as you please. I suggest reading with your tongue firmly in cheek.

Walking The Hedge is the site it is connected to, which boasts a Gallery (I love her collages in the Arts and Crafts section), member journals (there's only one, but since she revamped her site I'm waiting for more), BoS and Grimoire, Hedge Folks and Friends (a list of personal websites and blogs), and a FORUM (how cool is that?).

Juniper has always been a favourite Hedgie blog of mine to follow, and I LOOOOOVE the blog "What is a Hedgewitch?"

So head on over, join the forums, and check out her website and blog (and don't forget to check out Dr. Brendan Myers while over there! He's awesome, too).

Happy Wednesday (well, technically it's Thursday at 4:25am...LOL).

Click-a-rooney!

2009-11-19T04:00:00.001-05:00

This is what happens when I can't sleep at 4am. :) LOL!

I can do

131
clicks

in 30 secs.
Are you faster?

Sorry for being gone....

2009-11-05T12:16:00.003-05:00

My brain just hasn't been up to writing blog posts. Going through some stuff with a local witch who I was friends with. WAS is the operative word!

She started acting crazy, childish, selfish, putting down my best friend's business (with no reason to), putting down another good friend's business (she actually contacted HEALTH CANADA on her, and LIED to try to get her in trouble...luckily HC wasn't tricked).

Then, as crazy as it sounds, she started using magic against a large group of us. Yes, it can happen. And in all my years as a witch (21, almost 22) I have NEVER been attacked by magic, and especially have it work. Or seen it work on a large group of people. My sister was even attacked, and the only reason for that was because she's my sister--how shitty of a person does one need to be to curse willy nilly?

So, I've been dealing with that for about 3-4 months now. Crazy, eh? *sigh*

Musical Monday!

2009-10-19T00:05:00.005-04:00

I don't know if I've ever posted about the Dragon Ritual Drummers before, but I HAVE to now. I was just at the Hammertown Pagan Pub Moot, and they released their newest album "Tribal Magik". All I can say is "WOW"!

I actually bought this album. Not that they weren't good before, but the DRD are REALLY coming into their own. With a much more African Diasporic flavour, and Voudon/Hoodoo aspects to their music now (it's been growing over the past couple albums) it REALLY sang to me.

So head over to their website, and order their albums.

Here is a taste:

How Much My Cadaver Is Worth

2009-10-18T13:33:00.001-04:00

$4415.00

Created by OnePlusYou - Free Dating Sites

They didn't ask any questions about diseases....so I think it's a little off...LOL!

October Blog Party Part 2

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October 7th: Well, I wrote about the October Blog Party, of course! And then I posted about Ben and Jerry's Hallowe'en site (which I explored thoroughly that day).

October 8th: Well, I participated in Mrs. B's Hallowe'en Giveaways. :) (haha! scapegoat!). I also watched Supernatural--now THAT'S creepy!

October 9th: Hung out with the girls and made masks. Watched Ghost Whisperer, which is about all things Ghostly--so I'd say that's pretty Hallowe'en-ish.

October 10th: Went Antiquing! Drooled over vintage Hallowe'en decorations, which are WAAAAAY out of my price range!

October 11th: Rest and relaxation day for the man and I! :) Discussed Hallowe'en costumes for the 3 costume related things we're doing this year!

October 12th: It was Thanksgiving here in Canada. I'd say squash and pumpkin pie are VERY Hallowe'en-ie!

October 13th: Watched Ghost Hunters on YouTube in the middle of the night because I couldn't sleep. Very spooky!!!!

October 14th: Watched "The Skeleton Key" with Mav. Hoodoo fun! Eastwick!!!! Witches and devils and ghost oh my!!!! Very Hallowe'en fun time!

October 15th: Worked on my mask for the Hammertown Pagan Pub Moot's Hallowe'en Moot some more. Watched Supernatural! Demony goodness!

October 16th: Went to Dollarama and Party Packagers and ravaged Hallowe'en goodness! :) Got a feather boa for my "Tacky Witch Costume". Woot!

October 17th: Realized the dress I planned to wear for my "Tacky Witch Costume" was one I packed up and got rid of it. *sigh* So we went to Kelly's Kandles' Pre-Holiday open house, then ran about looking for a dress or skirt for my costume but couldn't find ANYTHING. So I'll just recycle something I already have. LOL!

The Story of Stingy Jack and the Jack-O-Lantern

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(Copyright Coming)

Stingy Jack was a miserable, old drunk who loved playing tricks on anyone and everyone. One dark, Halloween night, Jack ran into the Devil himself in a local public house. Jack tricked the Devil by offering his soul in exchange for one last drink. The Devil quickly turned himself into a sixpence to pay the bartender, but Jack immediately snatched the coin and deposited it into his pocket, next to a silver cross that he was carrying. Thus, the Devil could not change himself back and Jack refused to allow the Devil to go free until the Devil had promised not to claim Jack's soul for ten years.
The Devil agreed, and ten years later Jack again came across the Devil while out walking on a country road. The Devil tried collecting what he was due, but Jack thinking quickly, said, "I'll go, but before I do, will you get me an apple from that tree?"

The Devil, thinking he had nothing to lose, jumped up into the tree to retrieve an apple. As soon as he did, Jack placed crosses all around the trunk of the tree, thus trapping the Devil once again. This time, Jack made the Devil promise that he would not take his soul when he finally died. Seeing no way around his predicament, the Devil grudgingly agreed.

When Stingy Jack eventually passed away several years later, he went to the Gates of Heaven, but was refused entrance because of his life of drinking and because he had been so tight-fisted and deceitful. So, Jack then went down to Hell to see the Devil and find out whether it were possible to gain entrance into the depths of Hell, but the Devil kept the promise that had been made to Jack years earlier, and would not let him enter.

"But where can I go?" asked Jack.

"Back to where you came from!" replied the Devil.

The way back was windy and very dark. Stingy Jack pleaded with the Devil to at least provide him with a light to help find his way. The Devil, as a final gesture, tossed Jack an ember straight from the fires of Hell. Jack placed the ember in a hollowed-out turnip...one of Jack's favorite foods which he always carried around with him whenever he could steal one. From that day forward, Stingy Jack has been doomed to roam the earth without a resting place and with only his lit turnip to light the way in the darkness.

This was shared by Nick Hendry on Facebook.