My Very First Spell

Let's take a trip down memory lane...

The year was 1998, and it was the summer before my senior year of high school. I was learning about Wicca and had a few books about that and about spells & witchcraft in general, one of which was the Necronomicon. I remember wanting to do a love spell because I was a naive and lonely teenager, so I chose a sigil out of the Necronomicon (I don't remember which one). I had another book of spells which included love spells, but I remember that I liked the sigil idea better because I didn’t need a bunch of herbs or other stuff to cast it.

I had an altar set up; it wasn’t a very “good” altar but it’s what I had access to while 16-17 and living with my parents :-) A lot of the stuff I had on that altar was kind of random and haphazard. There was a lot of Asian stuff like prayer flags, a chakra wand (which I think was plastic), some feng shui stuff and other Asian symbols and motifs. I was really into Asian (especially Japanese) stuff at the time. I still love and appreciate Asian art but I don’t use it in my everyday life anymore.

The actual casting of the spell was pretty simple. I drew out the sigil, said a chant that I had cobbled together, and burned the paper in a candle flame. Probably shouldn’t have done that indoors...

Now that I’m writing this, it brings me back to December of that same year, when I started dating “Ryan.” Lest I make this post length rival that of War & Peace, I’ll just say that “Ryan” was an abusive asshole. Our relationship started off with him telling me he loved me on our second date, and after 2.5 years of emotional abuse and being on again/off again, he physically abused me. Luckily that was the end of it.

It really makes me wonder if I invited that by doing that spell. Not that the abuse was my fault, and I’m not generally a superstitious person, but the timing of those events really makes me wonder. Because I sure did get “love” but it was toxic and harmful.

But even though that relationship did damage me, I came out of it wiser and better and he...well, he didn’t. He has had a string of domestic assault incidents and legal problems. Last I heard he was homeless on the streets of Seattle.

This all just goes to show that we all start somewhere. I’m sure a lot of experienced witches look back on their early spells and cringe. But that’s OK, because that’s part of the learning process. You’re most likely not going to do it perfectly the first time.

If you’re reading this and nervous about doing your first spell, just know that you’ll do fine. Also read my Tips For Your First Spell to get some ideas, tips and tricks to help you along.

Thanks for reading, and Blessed Be!
<3 Aranea

Knowledge Leads To Inspiration

Image courtesy pixabay.com

I’ve recently been in a bit of a rut…husband and I have been doing a lot of house cleaning and purging and the 2 rooms I do my work in – my altar/meditation room and my craft room/office – are in a constant state of flux and disarray. Things are slowly but surely coming together. (I am in the middle of a craft room overhaul and it’s pretty close to being done.)

I’ve been holding off working on the crafts I want to do because the space has been in such chaos, and I want to get the rearranging and organizing done before I start crafting again. I also really want to dive into writing – I’m not much of a creative writer, but I’ve always loved writing down my thoughts and opinions. That’s one of the reasons I decided to start a blog.

But a combination of working full-time, living with mental illness and chronic pain, and all of the purging of “stuff,” has left me feeling stuck and overwhelmed. Additionally, with new endeavors, I tend to get too deep into “research mode” to the detriment of actually taking action.

In the middle of all of this, I’ve been trying to get myself motivated and inspired to create, so I have a goal to work towards. If I can get my spaces in order, I can create. If I can get myself inspired and excited to create, then that will motivate me to get the cleaning and organizing done.

That was my thought process, anyway…

I was watching a video on writing, and they mentioned inspiration and the importance of finding it. And I thought - maybe I need to soak up some knowledge. History, astronomy, psychology, philosophy, biology, physics, mythology, there is so much to learn! And there is also visual inspiration from art, fashion, nature, design, and decor.

Knowledge leads to inspiration. When you have more stored in your memory bank, you have more information from which to draw upon when you are creating. When you have learned more, experienced more, read more, seen more, done more, thought more, you will be inspired to create more.

It’s also very important that you keep learning throughout your life. It’s healthy for your brain – when you learn something, your brain makes new connections between neurons which is important for neuroplasticity and brain function. If you don’t give your brain some exercise, those unused connections basically die off. Here are a few articles that explain this much better than I can:

Learning rewires the brain

Neuroscientists reveal how the brain can enhance connections

Neuroplasticity: Learning Physically Changes the Brain

How to get inspiration

 

I came up with a few ideas:

• What interests you? Google it. Find relevant blogs, articles, videos, books, forums, groups, etc. I keep a list on my phone of things to look up when I think of something and can’t look it up right then.
• Journaling. The exercise of putting your thoughts on paper will help get your brain going.
• Use sites like Stumbleupon, Pinterest, Instagram, or tumblr to get ideas.
• Get out into nature; go for a walk or to the park. Find nature hikes in your area. You can get inspiration both from your surroundings and the meditative act of walking.
• Watch documentaries about things you are interested in. History, science, culture, etc.
• Talk to people. Join a local or online hobby group or meetup to find like-minded people.
• Look at art. Any kind, style, subject matter.
• Practice your thing. Whatever your chosen medium is for expressing yourself, just do it.
• Look at what other people are making/doing. It’s OK to get inspiration from others, just make sure you are not outright copying or plagiarizing.
• Meditate.
• Listen to music.
• Exercise – good for your body and brain! https://www.theguardian.com/education/2016/jun/18/how-physical-exercise-makes-your-brain-work-better

So get out there, read some books, watch some documentaries, look at some art and get inspired! I’ll be taking that journey right along with you.

Until next time,

Aranea <3

Our Kitties

Snuggle Time!

Cuteness incoming! I wanted to write a bit about our cats. We have 2 girls named Moo and Squatch, and we love having them both; they provide endless companionship and cheap entertainment.

Moo

Moo is done. with. your. shit.

Nicknames: Moo Baby, Moo Thing, Moo Bear, SchMoo, Kitty Girl, Butthole #1

Moo is about 6 years old and we adopted her from the local humane society in March 2014. When we brought her home she acted differently than any other cat I've ever had, and I've had quite a few cats throughout my life. Instead of hiding and being defensive, she walked right out of the carrier, made a circuit of the house, sniffed around a bit, and then came to hang out on the couch with us and made herself right at home. I've never experienced that when bringing home a new cat! We fell in love with her instantly.

One evening in April 2015, hubby and I were hanging out in the living room. Moo was sitting on the windowsill as she likes to do (ground level window in daylight basement). The window was open but it has a screen. Suddenly we hear this crashing sound from the window and Moo had busted through the screen and took off. We immediately started calling for her, trying to lure her with food and looked around the backyard in every hiding place we could think of, but she just wasn't there. We were so perplexed as to why she did that because we didn't see any other cats, dogs or anything.

For 2 weeks we looked. We posted on Facebook, Craigslist, let the Humane Society know, put up flyers, drove and walked around the neighborhood, all with no sign. When we were home we kept that window open in the hopes that she would come back in or we might hear her. 2 weeks later, almost to the HOUR, we heard meowing at the window. We immediately jumped up from what we were doing to investigate and it was our Moo! We let her in and checked her over. She was not hurt, she was a bit thinner and had some dirt and grease on her but was otherwise fine. After a good meal and a bath, she curled up with us and went to sleep. We had been starting to give up hope and we were so incredibly happy that she returned to us.

Moo has been such a joy; she is sweet and friendly and playful. She has her frustrating moments (picky eater, hairballs, trying to dart into the garage), but overall she is a wonderful cat and we are grateful that she is in our lives.

Some of Moo’s traits and quirks:

• She will sit or lay on any plastic bag if it's on the floor or in a chair.
• She has a very soft, sweet meow.
• She loves to sit on the windowsill and will chitter at whatever is out there.
• She is extremely photogenic.
• She will run up to one of us and make a chittering meow as a greeting.
• She likes to sleep on me. I'm a side sleeper and she will get up on my hip and waist area and lay there. I really like it because her warmth, weight, and purring are very comforting and relaxing. If I'm laying down because I'm in pain I always hope she will come lay on me.
• She doesn't give a crap about catnip but she LOVES valerian.
• Her "crazy time" usually involves freaking out on the cat tree or rolling around in the hallway and pulling herself around on the carpet.
• She's always getting her claws stuck in things - carpet, blankets, our clothes, etc. We often have to help her disengage.
• She likes to wait for me while I'm taking a shower, and when I finish and pull the curtain back she will sit on the edge of the tub and trap me (of course this is under the guise of demanding pets).
• She will sit and stare at you. Just stare.
• She likes to play the stalking & hunting peekaboo game.
• She loves anyone that comes to visit and will shamelessly solicit pets from them.
• She likes belly rubs but hates being picked up and held.
• When I'm at my altar, she will come and lay on the floor under or next to it.

Squatch

The Squatchinator...Makin' Squatchies!

Nicknames: Squatchie, Squatchie Thing, The Squatchinator, Dangus, Shitbag (if she’s been really bad), Butthole #2

Next up is Squatch. We got her in September 2015 from a coworker of mine who lives on a farm and had barn cats. Squatch was about 12 weeks old when we brought her home. She is a polydactyl cat and has a crooked tail. I wanted to name her for her huge feet (which I just love) but I didn't like her original name "Thumbsy” and I didn't like the name Bigfoot. But Bigfoot is also known as Sasquatch, and I thought shortening it to Squatch sounded perfect for our silly little kitten.

Squatch also has some other genetic...interestingness. Her fur pattern is a weird mix of tabby, tortoiseshell, and the piebald gene. Now pay attention class, this may be on the quiz later. The piebald gene is basically a melanin distribution gene. It's what creates coat patterns like Moo’s, or tuxedo cats, or black cats with white socks, white cats with a colored tail, etc. So anytime you see a cat with white areas, their piebald gene is activated to some degree.

The tortoiseshell or calico pattern is due to a gene which allows for red/orange coloring to appear alongside the black or brown coloring. This is widely known to mainly happen on female cats, and only very rarely on male cats. This is only partially true. The “male” calico or tortie cats are actually intersexed; they have XXY chromosomes. This also happens in humans and is called Klinefelter syndrome. These cats have male-appearing genitalia but are actually sterile. So they are not truly “male” in the sense that they do not produce sperm, but the Y chromosome makes them appear male and the extra X chromosome allows for the red coloration in their fur.

Though Squatch is female (she is spayed), she does have some very interesting physical characteristics with her giant feet, crooked tail and coat pattern. I'm not sure if it's because barn cat colonies have limited gene pools or what.

Squatch, while having a very different personality to Moo, is still mostly a great cat. She's about 3 years old so she still has a lot of kitten in her and can get rambunctious. She is very sweet, very vocal, and a bit wild. She's a lot of fun to play with and we can get her going crazy with the laser pointer or the caterpillar.

Some of Squatch’s traits and quirks:

• She purrs VERY loudly.
• She spooks easily.
• She likes being picked up and carried around. She will perch on your shoulder.
• She steals small things and hoards them. Whatever she can pick up and carry in her mouth. I'm sure there's a treasure trove under the couch as I'm writing this. She also sometimes puts these small things inside our shoes. Some of the things she's stolen:
• Electric tealight
• Bottle caps
• Pork rinds
• Packing peanuts
• Shoelaces (still in wrapper)
• Lip balm tubes
• Screwdriver cap
• Transformers toy
• Binder clips
• Spools of thread
• Dish scrubber (from upstairs even!)
• Candies in the wrapper
• Kabuki brush
• Glass marbles (the flat back ones)
• Soft foam earplug
• Makeup sponge
• Face powder pouf
• She is scared of strangers and will run and hide under the bed when anyone comes to visit. It takes her a while to warm up to people.
• She doesn't meow so much as trills. Mrrrrrrrow!
• She likes to eat plants. I had to get rid of my plants because she kept destroying them no matter what I tried!
• She will sometimes sleep between my feet at night, or behind my thighs.
• She likes to burrow in blankets, under butts and pillows, etc.
• If we go upstairs and she doesn't follow us, she will yowl and cry…as if we disappeared and are never coming back.
• She looks confused a lot of the time.
• She HATES her paws being touched.
• Anytime I'm in the kitchen she seems to think I'm preparing a freshly killed rabbit just for her. Even if I'm just cleaning.

And there you have it! This was kind of fun to write. Our kitties are such a big part of our life, it just seemed right to dedicate a post to them.

<3 Aranea

Why I practice as a solitary witch

Along the Historic Columbia River Highway in Oregon (picture by me)

Hello, readers! I wanted to write a bit about my practice; specifically, why I practice as a solitary witch. In my admittedly biased opinion, there are many benefits to a solitary practice but I can definitely see some potential drawbacks as well.

I am first and foremost an introvert. I don’t like being around people most of the time and I prefer to just do my own thing at home and hang out with my husband and cats (AKA Small Furry Overlords). Being social is very draining on my energy reserves and I need to recharge after “people-ing.” Doing my craft by myself allows me to really get in touch with myself with fewer distractions and lets my brain more easily sink into the right frame of mind that I need to perform my spellwork.

Another reason I prefer solitary practice is that I can do my witchcraft the way that I want to. My spells and workings are highly customized for my needs and preferences. I either heavily modify existing spells or entirely write my own. Additionally, I think my practice is a bit unusual in that I approach it more from a psychological angle instead of invoking or calling upon supernatural forces. Being solitary also allows me to do my witchcraft on my own schedule – no need for coordinating with others.

My practice is also very eclectic – as an atheistic elemental witch, I might have trouble finding someone else whose practice and beliefs are able to work with mine! However, if I did find other people I wanted to do magick with, I would definitely be open to working with them to come up with a method that everyone would be happy with.

There aren’t a lot of covens in my area and I don’t think there are many pagans either, though there are probably more out there than the ones I know about! As far as local covens, there are 2-3 that I know of and they are very secretive. I live in a fairly religiously and politically conservative area, so I understand the need for secrecy and blending in. I know one of the local covens is Wiccan, so that would not be an option for me. I don’t know about the others.

I don’t know the details of how local covens practice their craft, but from what I have read and seen I get the impression that Wiccan covens can be highly ritualized and very ceremonial and formal. I don’t feel that that type of witchcraft really jives with my personality. I tend to be more comfortable with down-to-earth workings.

I listen to the Hex Rated podcast, and I really like their concept of an “un-coven.” Basically, the four of them get together and discuss/trade ideas, eat food, and maybe do some very informal and on-the-spot magick. One of them (I can’t remember which) even mentioned that much of their group workings are made up as they go along. I admire that spontaneity! I wouldn’t be able to pull that off; I need a plan before I do anything! But I would love to be part of a small, informal witchy discussion/idea sharing group. I do belong to a few online communities, but I think there’s something to be said for in-person interactions as well.

Some Drawbacks

Even though I personally prefer to practice my witchcraft as a solitary witch, I can see the potential for some drawbacks to this style of practice:

• Someone who is more extroverted than me might prefer to work magick with other people.
• Someone new to witchcraft who joins a coven may be more likely to get in-person training and teaching from a more experienced practitioner. This may be very beneficial for those whose learning styles may need a more guided or mentored path.
• Doing magickal workings in a group or in a more formal style might resonate more with some people, so their personal preferences might be more in line with practicing in a coven.
• If doing a spell on a large scale, more people may be needed in order to raise enough energy.

These are all considerations one will have to think about when starting their path or if presented with an opportunity to join a coven. I think either way is valid as long as it works for you!

I’d love to hear your thoughts, feel free to drop me a comment!

Thanks for reading!
Blessed Be,
<3 Aranea