Queen Anne's Lace (Wild Carrot)

Flowers of Queen Anne's Lace - note the single red flower in the center of each cluster.

Queen Anne's Lace (daucus carota), also known as Wild Carrot, is a plant that can be used in a variety of ways. The roots can be eaten when the plant is young, older plants can be used in herbal preparations, and it can also be used to create dye. Queen Anne's Lace is often found in fields, ditches, along road sides, and in other such areas. 

Queen Anne's Lace is so called because the flowers resemble lace. If you look closely, you can see a single red flower in the center of each cluster. In folklore, this is said to be a drop of blood from Queen Anne, who pricked herself with the needle while making the lace.

Queen Anne's Lace gone to seed.

Leaf of Queen Anne's Lace

  Queen Anne's Lace takes two years to fully mature. During the beginning of the first year the root can be harvested and eaten much like a carrot, however, after that small window the root becomes too tough and woody to eat. The young leaves are also edible. During the second year the plant will grow taller, often around three to five feet, and produce flowers.  The flowers are edible as well, and can be eaten raw, or cooked in a variety of ways (such as dipped in batter and fried like a fritter). Later in the second year the plant's flower clusters will turn to seed, and the cycle begins again.
The leaves of the plant can be used as a diuretic, used to aid stomach upsets, and can be taken as a preventative for kidney stones. The leaves of Queen Anne's Lace can cause the skin to become very sensitive to sunlight, so take care when picking or handling the plant. The seed of the plant can cause uterine contractions, and has traditional uses as birth control. The root can have similar effects. The flowers, and some also use the stem and leaves, can be turned into a dye that ranges from yellow to deep green.
 

Ritually, the plant can be used to promote fertility, sexual stamina, and to attract love and passion. The roots can be used to keep one grounded and balanced. Forked roots are considered to be lucky.  

Stem of Queen Anne's Lace

It is very important to correctly identify Queen Anne's Lace, as it closely resembles water hemlock, and poison hemlock - both quite toxic, and both can make you very sick, or even kill you. There are a few key ways to tell the plants apart. First, the stems of Queen Anne's Lace will be covered in fine hairs, and as was mentioned earlier, when the flowers are in bloom a single red flower can be found near the center of the flower cluster. The stems of poison hemlock will be smooth, hollow, and covered in purplish splotches. With Queen Anne's Lace, a bit of crushed leaf or root will smell like carrot, where poison hemlock has a different odor - sometimes described as more earthy. As always, please do your homework if you're going to be foraging or engaging in herbalism - be sure you're picking the right plant, and be sure you're using it correctly.

Queen Anne's Lace is not native to North America, and is often considered a pest plant due to how aggressively it can spread, which can cause it to take over areas and coke out native plants. It's my understanding that in some states of the US it is even illegal to plant or transport Queen Anne's Lace, so it's best to check your local laws if you wish to cultivate it.

Fate, the Future, and Foresight

A common question surrounding the tarot, runes, and other methods of divination is are we able to change the futures that they show us? When we divine, is what we see written in stone? Guaranteed to pass for better or worse? Do our divination tools show us our fates? Frankly, I think Yoda said it best...

"Difficult to see. Always in motion is the future."

I do not believe that we have a single fate that's set in stone, that we are powerless to change. I'm of the belief that we have a hand in writing our own futures - that we can shape our own fates. Every choice we make affects our future, as do outside influences. Everything that happens now causes the future to change, to adapt to the choices and changes made today. The tarot may show us a glimpse of what might come, should we continue on the same path we're currently walking... but that's it. Many times, there's nothing stopping us from changing directions.

This is not to say that we're always in complete control, because again, there will always be outside influences that affect us. We don't generally have control over what other people choose to do, and certainly we can't always control things like weather, natural disasters, illness, and so on. The choices others make can impact our futures - and likewise, the choices we make can impact the futures of those around us.

One of the better ways I've heard it described is likening it to a river. Going with the current is like going with our current fate. Going with the flow, and letting things play out as they've been set up. Going against the current is working against our current fate, changing the situation to avoid a particular outcome.

Sometimes the current is gentle, and we can go against it without issue. However, there will be other times where we're caught in a strong current. Events are set in motion, either by ourselves or by outside influences (or both, in many cases), that form a current that is hard to break away from. We might be able to swim against it, to beat it, but it will be a struggle - and there will be times where we get swept away no matter how hard we try.

Tarot cards and other forms of divination show us what is likely to happen should we continue to go with the flow. Sometimes events unfold that are truly beyond our control, but we're often given many opportunities to shape our own fates.

Fluff Bunnies

Fluff bunnies, fluffies, whatever you want to call them, it's a topic I've seen going around a lot recently (and not just with today's PBP "F" topics). Some people really take issue with this term, while others don't have a problem with it. From what I've seen, One of the big problems is that there is no real single definition for what a fluff bunny is.

Some people use this term to describe those new to paganism, those who don't know much - but are trying to learn, or those who make common beginner mistakes. To me, it doesn't really make much sense to insult those types, to look down on them. We were all beginners once, after all. We all had to seek out the information, and if there's anyone out there who never made a silly beginner's mistake? Well, I would seriously doubt that claim...

Then there are those who use the term to describe anyone who practices a path that focuses more on the lighter stuff in life, the 'fluff.' Well, it's not my cup of tea, but if it's legitimately fulfilling to them, then I don't really think it's any of my business. As long as they're giving me that same respect, then to me there's no problem there. Sure, some of them don't respect anything but the 'all light all the time' paths - but, truthfully, there are plenty who look down on the whole 'love and light' thing too. It goes both ways. (And, of course, fluffy is sometimes also applied to the other end of the spectrum, the whole doom and gloom bunch. Same thing with them.)

I think though, in most cases it's used to describe those who lead a shallow spiritual life for show, for the attention. Or for those who want to remain willfully ignorant. These are not the people who are honestly looking for information, these are not the people who pick up incorrect information along the way, but are willing to adjust when presented with correct information. These are the people who ignore the facts that don't fit in with their views. The people who claim Wicca is an ancient religion from the stone age, unbroken in practice - or the people who claim that millions of people were killed during 'The Burning Times' - and absolutely refuse to acknowledge that their facts are easily proven wrong.

Now, a question often comes up with that last group - why does it matter if someone is willfully ignorant? After all, they're only hurting themselves, and no one else, right? Well, no, they actually are hurting people. Purposely spreading misinformation hurts the people looking for the actual facts. It muddies the waters for everyone. Especially when you have some 'popular' authors, authors with books which are easily accessible to many people, doing the same thing. It's the sort of thing we should not let slide by, because it hurts our newcomers (and at times even those who've been around for a while), and it reflects poorly on paganism as a whole.

Truthfully, it's because of all these variants that I don't really like the term fluff bunny, and it's why I don't use it myself. It's not that I have an issue actually addressing problematic behaviors and the like, but if I say fluffy and mean X, but someone else thinks I mean Y, and yet another thinks I mean Z...? Well, I guess I just find it more helpful to be specific with these kinds of issues.

Equinox

We see two equinoxes in a year, one in March, and the other in September. It is a time when the tilt of the Earth's axis is not inclined either away from or towards the sun. A time when the sun crosses the plane of the Earth's equator, which causes the night and day to be (nearly) equal in length. The exact length of the day and night on the equinox varies with where you live, but in many locations it will be close to an even split.That's essentially what equinox means - equal night - as in equal amounts of night and day.

In the southern hemisphere, the March equinox is the first day of autumn, and here in the north, we'll be celebrating the coming of spring. Both equinoxes are quite important in my personal path - they are where I split the year into the light and dark halves. From the spring equinox forward the days are longer than the nights, the light half, and when we get to the autumn equinox the nights become longer than the days, the dark half. They are the sunrise and sunset of the year.

At the spring equinox, we get ready for the planting and growing season (literally or metaphorically), and at the autumn equinox we're bringing in the harvest, giving thanks to the land that sustains us, reaping the rewards of our hard work, and getting ready for the colder winter months.

In New Hampshire, it's usually still cold and somewhat snowy at the time of the March equinox. It can be hard to really feel that spring has begun, even though some of the early signs are there. It's not yet time to get the garden ready for planting, it's still too cold for that. However, there's still some preparation that can be done - the seeds can be blessed, and some seeds do better when they've been given a head-start indoors. Getting those seeds started at the equinox will have them ready for transfer after the last threats of frost have passed.

It's become a bit of a tradition for me to get up a before sunrise on the morning of the spring equinox to go out and welcome the sun, the spring, the light half of the year. To make offerings to my Gods and the land spirits. It's very informal, just some offered incense and a shared meal, yet it's become one of the points of the year I look forward to the most. It's cold, it's quiet... but it just feels so rich with potential. I can sit out under the big maple tree and perfectly picture the coming summer. The growth everywhere, the leaves and the shade they provide from the hot sun, the flowers, the noisy insects that have been gone for so long. Part of it still feels so distant at the equinox, but even so you just know it won't be much longer.

Eclecticism

What does eclectic mean? Looking at a dictionary, we see...

1. Selecting or choosing from various sources.

2. Made up of what is selected from different sources.

3. Not following any one system, as of philosophy, medicine, etc., but selecting and using what are considered the best elements of all systems.

Really, that's about all there is to it. Spiritually speaking, to be eclectic means to pull what works for you from various sources, to put those different elements together into a working path. Although I usually just call myself a hedgewitch, it would be accurate to say I'm an eclectic hedgewitch. There are hedgewitches who work only with the symbols, belief, deities, etc. of one culture - but many of us, myself included, usually find ourselves pulling from a few different cultures, for multiple reasons.

Some people take a bad view of eclectics - we can be seen as flippant, indecisive, lazy, disrespectful. Truthfully, there are certainly some eclectics who fit that description, but there are many more who don't.

If you're going to be eclectic, it does take work. Being an eclectic should not just be about doing "whatever you want," it needs to be about doing what actually works for you, and those are not always the same thing. Beyond, that is it also not always about doing what "feels good" or "feels right." To grow spiritually we must know our personal limits, and occasionally push past them. Spiritual growth is not always good feeling, it can be uncomfortable or downright painful, but that is necessary at times.

So how do you find what works? The first step is often study, and lots of it. Know the original context of the idea/practice, know the history behind it, know why it was done, how, the real meaning of it. Occasionally some of that knowledge may be lost to history, but we should learn what we can. If we're talking about a Deity, same thing, study their history, their mythology, how they were traditionally worshiped, and so on. You don't have to worship a deity exactly as was done historically, but it's good to know the information, and it can keep you from doing something that would be seen as inappropriate.

After studying, an idea can be put into practice. Try it out. Experiment a bit. If it works well for you, you can work on incorporating it into your personal practice. If it doesn't? You may want to give it a few more tries, but if it still isn't working after a good while, you can move on to find something that does. You don't have to force yourself into doing something that just isn't working, but some techniques may require persistence to really get right.

Being eclectic is not about just grabbing anything pleasing and shoving it all together, hoping that you get something somewhat functioning. We need to be respectful to the cultures we borrow from - and sometimes, that can even mean not borrowing a particular practice or belief at all.

Remember, these are often sacred symbols, beliefs, and so on - not just to the original culture, but if you're going to incorporate it into your practice then they are sacred to you too. Treat them that way.

Dreams

The usual recommendation for keeping a dream journal is to keep a notebook and pen by your bed, and write everything you can remember right when you wake up. For several reasons, this never worked out well for me. Finding I'd written a bunch of gibberish in the middle of the night (if I could even read it) was a common problem.

So, instead, I keep my dreams recorded on the computer. Hanging around a bit on the computer is always the first thing I do in the morning, so the dreams are still fresh, and it gives me enough time from waking up to actually be able to clear some of the morning fog and really remember details of my dreams.

One of the big benefits to this is being able to edit what I'm writing easily. If I'm half way through describing a dream and suddenly remember something important from the start, it's no problem to add it in. I'm also able to add in keywords to the end of my entries, I like to keep track of who is in my dreams, where they take place, what time of day, animals, odd weather, and so on. I also mark common themes like being chased, flying, teeth falling out, or finding myself back in school. Having these keywords helps me to pick up on patterns and the like. 

The draw back to journaling on the computer is if I wake up from a dream in the middle of the night, I have to get up and get to the computer to write it down. Truthfully, this isn't really that bad for me - I tend to wake up and sit up for a bit once or twice a night anyway.

Personally, I don't think most of my dreams are very significant. While I take an interest into patterns that emerge across many dreams, I don't really try to find meaning in each dream I have. For the most part I just see dreams as the subconscious unwinding a bit, and while there's certainly value in communication with your subconscious, I don't think every little thing is an important message.

For me the messages come more when I do see patterns emerge, or when I have recurring dreams about the same thing. Occasionally I will also have a dream that just... feels different. Very vivid, and it really sticks with me through the day. I do like to take a bit of a closer look at such dreams.

Additionally, I record my dreams each morning because remembering dreams is something of a skill - if you don't practice, you won't get better. That can lead to forgetting the important dreams on waking...

As far as actually interpreting dreams goes? A lot of people like to look to books, or ask others for help. While it's nice to brainstorm with other people on occasion, the best person to interpret your dreams is really you. It's your mind. Your subconscious. It doesn't matter if a book says X means Y when it means something totally different to you - go with your own gut on such things. Even if you think the dream is a message from a deity or a spirit, which does happen, that message is meant for you. You are the best one to decode it.

As an example, several years back I had tons of dreams where my teeth would fall out. At it's worst, this would happen almost every night. It got to the extent that as soon as it started happning, I would know I was dreaming, and would wake myself up (to count all my teeth). Everyone had a lot to say about the symbolism of teeth falling out... but I knew why I was having those dreams. I was having a lot of problems with my wisdom teeth, and getting them removed, and the whole thing was a big mess, and the whole idea of having this surgery (I had to be awake for it) was really scary to me. After that whole thing was over? I stopped having those dreams. It wasn't spiritual, it wasn't symbolic, it was just my mind dealing with the stress and fear of what was going on during the day.

Likewise, a current recurring dream these nights is being covered in honeybees. I believe this is a very specific message from Artemis. However, someone else having a similar dream might find totally different meaning in it. (Or maybe they're just scared of bees and are having a nightmare.) That's why it's important to really give a personal look at what's happening in your dreams. Which is not to say it's always easy to do that, but it's worth it to take the time and meditate on the symbolism yourself, rather than just going with the stock answer. Things become a lot more meaningful that way.

Using Dirt in Ritual and Spellwork

Yep. Dirt. Lots of people are familiar with using herbs, spices, oils, gems, and so on in their rituals - but what about dirt? Mentioned briefly in my post about budget witchcraft/paganism, dirt has a place in ritual and spellwork.

The idea behind using dirt for a working is fairly simple - dirt from a particular location gathers and carries the particular energies of a place. For example, libraries and schools are usually thought of as places of learning, so you might gather dirt from such a location for use in a working involving learning, intelligence, knowledge, and so on.

To give a few more examples, dirt from around a bank may be used for prosperity. Dirt from a garden or farm for fertility or growth. Dirt from around a courthouse for workings dealing with justice or legal issues. Dirt from a mountain for grounding and stability. Dirt from a sea shore (or sand) for purification, dirt from the bank of a swift river for messages. Dirt from a road for travel. Dirt from around a casino or racetrack for luck or gambling. Dirt from the soles of shoes for a working involving that person. Like many aspects of spell work, such things can be open to interpretation, so give some thought to your goal, and the energy you wish to bring to it.

Two types of dirt are often given more attention than others - graveyard dirt, and crossroads dirt. Graveyard dirt in particular has many different rituals and ideas attached to it. Usually dirt is not just taken from any part of the graveyard, but a bit of dirt from a particular grave. This might be someone who has traits specific to your working - such as a doctor for a healing. This might also simply be someone who you were related to, or were close to, while they were alive (particularly for protection). As such, it is important to work to know the spirit you will be working with. Take time to tend to the grave, to leave offerings, to ask for permission to take the dirt, to ask for their aid in your working, to listen to for a response before proceeding.

Again, that is just one view on the use of graveyard dirt. There are tons of different views on the collection and use of such dirt.

Dirt from a crossroads also has multiple associations and rituals attached to it, much as the crossroads themselves. For example, some say you must go during the middle of the night, leave an offering, take some dirt, and leave the area without ever looking back. Other collection rituals might be much less specific. This dirt is often used to add extra potency to any working, but again can carry a variety of meanings.

Now, when it comes to actually using the dirt in a spell or ritual, it's fairly simple. It can be stuffed into a bundle, sachet, or dolly much like herbs can. It can be sprinkled in a ring around a candle (or even added to wax in small amounts when making a candle). It might be sprinkled around an area, such as around the outside of a home in a protective working. Symbols can be drawn onto a paper, the dirt sprinkled on that, and folded into a charm. There are many ways to utilize dirt for all sorts of workings - get creative with it.

Cleansing, Consecrating, and Charging

Cleansing
Cleansing is fairly simple in concept. Places, items, and people all gather dirt and grime over time - physically and spiritually - and cleansing is simply getting rid of that gathered grime. Just as you wouldn't go without washing yourself for long periods of time, or invite your family over without tidying a bit first, it's good to also spiritually clean yourself and your spaces.

There are many different ways to cleanse, and it's really about choosing what's best for your situation, and something that won't damage the item you're cleansing.

The smoke of smudge sticks and other purifying incenses are quite popular. However, you could also dip an item in water with a bit of salt - or sprinkle that salt water onto the item, person, or around the place. Instead of salt water, a light tea of purifying herbs could also be used. An item might also be simple sprinkled in salt or herbs. The light of the sun is cleansing, and some use moonlight for the same purpose. You could pass an item over a flame. Use running water (a shower or bath is a good way to cleanse yourself both physically and spiritually). Sound can also cleanse - a sharking rattle, a tambourine, bells, flutes, or singing bowls can all be used to cleanse. Get creative and experiment with different methods.

When exactly to cleanse is also often a personal matter. Some always cleanse any space before holding a ritual, but in my personal practice this is not something I usually do when working outside. If a space doesn't feel right, I find a place that does. These places are not my home, and I would rather go where invited than try to push my way into a space, but this is something people will have different views on, of course. I cleanse my home about once a month, but I find doing it before every last working is not necessary as I have dedicated ritual space. Again though, it is really personal preference. Some do it more, some do it less.

When it comes to purification of items, I do this as needed, and always at Imbolc. Others do it once a month at the new or full moon. Some just do it only when it's needed.

As for purification of the self? This is easy enough to do with each shower or bath, if one wishes to do so. It can be nice to let all the spiritual gunk dissolve down the drain with the physical dirt. Taking a shower or bath before a ritual is common practice. At other times a ritual washing of the hands, and sometimes face or mouth is enough. Then there are times that you might be physically filthy, say if there's a long muddy hike to the ritual space, but a light spiritual cleansing of the self is still done as a gesture of respect.


Consecrating
To consecrate something means to dedicate it to a particular purpose, usually a sacred one. As with cleansing, there are many ways this can be done, but personally I prefer a fairly simple approach. After giving an item a good cleansing, I anoint it with a dab of blessed oil, and simply state what the item's purpose will be, and ask for the blessings of those it will be going into service of. I then spend a while meditating with the item, thinking about it's new purpose in my practice. It is then ready for ritual use.

In my opinion, it is only necessary to consecrate an item once if it remains in fairly active use. (For myself, that means at least once a year.) However, if a particular item had to go into storage for some time, or something like that, it certainly would not hurt to cleanse it and re-dedicate it.

Likewise, you might find you no longer need a particular item, or perhaps only needed it to act as a sacred tool temporarily. In either case, it's wise to remove it from service. Again, a simple way to do this is just by holding the item and saying some words to return the item to day to day use.


Charging
To charge an item means to imbue it with energy. This can be your personal energy, energy from the sun, moon, or other natural energy, or energy that you have raised and set to a particular purpose.

For example, if you wanted to make an amulet to use for protection, while crafting the amulet you would think of it's purpose. This begins to charge it. When it is complete, you would raise and focus energy as you would for any other working that required it, and it would then be focused into the item.

To charge an item with your person energy, you would simply have to spend time with it. This often happens on it's own with ritual tools we use frequently. To charge it with the energy of some natural force, you'd simply allow it to spend time in that force. Buried in the earth, under the sun or moon, hanging from a tree, dipped in ocean water, and so on. One might even ask a spirit or deity to bless an item with some of their energy.

Animal Lore: Chickadee

Black-capped Chickadee on a suet feeder.

The Black-capped Chickadee is a small song bird native to North America, and is only one of a few varieties of Chickadees. They're known for their distinctive 'chick-a-dee-dee-dee' call, which is the source of their name. That particular call is their alarm call, the greater the threat, the more dees will be included on the end of their call. It serves as a warning to other Chickadees in the area, and some other birds have also been known realize that call being associated with danger.

In addition to their chick-a-dee call, they are known to sing quite a few calls, often fairly complex in their nature. Another of their more distinctive calls is their 'fee-bee' call. If you've got Chickadees in your area, there's a good chance you've heard this call before.

Chickadee taking some suet.

Chickadees eat a variety of foods. In the warmer months, the bulk of their diet is made up of insects, although they also eat berries and seeds. In the colder months their diet is a bit more limited, but they still look for seeds and other such foods. Chickadees have occasionally been seen eating fat fro carcases in colder months, and appreciate suet feeders. Chickadees have been known to store food in tons of different locations, and they can remember where food is hidden for up to a month. There is also some indication that they can even remember the quality and quantity of food in a particular cache, if it is one that had been recently made.

Chickadees are year round birds, although they may occasionally go north or south with the weather within a limited range. Chickadees have the ability to lower their body temperate in cold weather, which allows them to preserve energy.

Many Chickadees are bold little birds, and if you're patient it is possible to get one to feed on seed right from your hands. They're known to be curious, and are not as fearful around humans as some other birds.

Because of their traits, Chickadees can be symbolic of bravery, curiosity, intelligence, resourcefulness, and perseverance. Chickadees can warn one of coming danger, and are said to be able to discern the true nature of an individual and their intent.

Animal Lore: Bears

Various types of bears are known in many parts of the world. Here in New Hampshire we've got black bears, and it's not uncommon to spot them in the more rural areas now and again. Every couple years one will wander into our neighborhood, pulling down bird feeders and getting into trash cans for a day or two, before wandering back into the woods when it realizes that no more food is being left around. Up north camping areas have very strict rules about food and trash. While, all in all, black bears are not one of the more aggressive bears, we are taught to respect them and to give them plenty of room.

Bears have played an important role in many different cultures through history - more than I could list here. Some examples include the legendary creation of Korea, where it was the son of a bear turned woman who founded the first Korean kingdom. Bears also play a significant role in the mythology of the Ainu people. They consider bears to be mostly benevolent creatures, and their meat and fur are important staples.

Berserkers, Norse warriors, were often said to wear shirts formed from bear pelts into battle (berkserker is derived from the Old Norse for bear shirt), and were known for fighting in a fierce trance-like fury.

In the folklore of some Native American tribes, bears became associated with dreams because of their winter dormancy.

Bears were one of the sacred animals of the Greek Artemis. The cult of Artemis at Brauron was especially linked with bears. It is said that a gentle she-bear was known to visit Artemis' sanctuary at Brauron. One of the girls at the sanctuary provoked it, and was injured because of it. The girl's brothers killed the bear because of this, and Artemis punished the people with a plague. An oracle told the people that the plague could only be removed if young girls played the role of the bear in the rites preformed at Brauron.

It is one of Artemis' nymphs, Kallisto, who eventually became the constellation Ursa Major (of which the Big Dipper, one of the more widely known constellations, is a part of). Kallisto's son, Arcas, became Ursa Minor.

Generally speaking, bears hold a bit of a dual symbolism. Gentle and benevolent, yet strong and fierce. Associated both with the sun and moon. They are seen as powerful protectors, symbols of bravery, and they are linked with sovereignty, acceptance of self, and, of course, motherhood. Watching bears fish and forage can teach us a little about patience and perseverance.

Bears go into the earth in the winter for a dormant period, linking them with death - and as they emerge in the spring, resurrection and new life. Especially the mother bears, who often give birth during these winter months, and emerge in the spring with their new cubs.

Their descent into the earth during the winter months also links them to the shamanic underworld, the dream world, and they are powerful symbols of wisdom, ancestral knowledge, and healing knowledge because of this. Their winter dormancy can also be seen as a metaphor for going into the self and communing with the sub-conscious, with connecting with our intuition and instinct.

Budget Witchcraft/Paganism

All too often someone will say to me, "I want to be a witch/pagan/whatever, but I don't have any money to buy supplies!" Good news - all you really need is you. Yeah, sounds kinda cheesy, right? It's true, though. There are many things you can do that don't really require any money. You can learn to meditate, visualize, cook/eat mindfully, spirit journey, pray, and a whole host of other things, all without spending money on special items.

That said, tools and various other ritual items, while not necessary, are often nice to have, and can be useful aids in your practice. So how do you go about getting these things when you're on a tight budget?

Usually second hand stores, pawn shops, some antique stores, and even the occasional yard sale can bring about a good number of items, for little cost. These sorts of places have tons of little bowls, plates, and other bits - as well as nice stemware that can be used as a ritual cup. Small decorative daggers and letter openers can serve as a fine ritual knife. Such items generally need a good cleansing and blessing before use, but that's something many do for all their tools before use, anyway.

An all too often overlooked source is nature itself. You can go right out and pick up a whole bunch of useful odds and ends for free. Wood from a local tree could easily be made into a wand. Some people even like to carve ritual knives from wood. Herbs, stones, wood for charms, etc. can all be found right outside for a number of people.

Maybe not everyone has the means to do this, but a lot of people who do still seem to overlook it. Last summer I was chatting with a beginner, and she was telling me how she had no money, and so she could not buy herbs or stones, and so she could not practice at all. This person was from a somewhat rural town in New Hampshire, very similar to the one I'd grown up in, and I can assure you if there's one thing we've got plenty of in New Hampshire, it's plants and rocks. For whatever reason, many people just don't consider what's outside, they want something from a shop, or online. The "real" magic sort of stuff.

Sure, you're not likely to go out and find quartz points or tumbled gemstones lying around, but the things you will find are no less powerful or interesting, and they have the potential to become as personal and meaningful, if not more so, than something you just picked up in a shop.

To the left are some examples of some things I've found for myself outdoors. At the top is a stick of lilac wood, which could easily be made into something like a wand, or a part cut off to make a charm. Below that, at the left, is a small horse charm. Not natural, no, but found while out walking anyway. Next, a stone with a cross through it, a symbol of the earth and protection. A chunk of granite, half black and half white, balance. Sea glass and a shell from a trip to the beach, feathers from the woods, teaberries and birch bark right from the yard. 

There are many plants and trees which can be easily identified with a little research, and can have many uses. Many people are already familiar with some of the more commonly found things, such as maple trees, acorns, pine cones, and dandelions.

Even something as abundant as dirt has a place in ritual and spellwork! Dirt from specific locations is often used in spellwork in hoodoo, for example. Dirt from a hospital yard for healing, or dirt from outside a courthouse for help in legal matters. (For more on that topic, see this post.)

It's also good to take a look around your own home. You want to purify yourself before a ritual, but no sage to smudge? How about soap? Yes, really. Soap gets you nice and clean, right? So there's no reason a good scrub down in the shower can't get you ritually clean, if you put the intent into it. Want to cleanse a space? Bet you've got some salt in the house, so put a little sprinkle of blessed salt into some water, and sprinkle that around the area you'd like to cleanse. What else have you got? Maybe some sugar, flour, pepper, honey or maple syrup, some basic dried herbs or spices (like cinnamon, red pepper flake, oregano)? Find out how you can use them, because you can. 

When it comes to offerings, you can always offer a bit from your own plate, or even something as simple as a cup of water, so long as you are truly sincere about it.

You don't need a bunch of expensive tools and fancy items to practice witchcraft, or to be a pagan. There's nothing wrong with saving up for a really nice tool, if that's what you'd like to do, but likewise there's also nothing wrong with using what's at hand or what you can forage and dig up, either. Don't put off practicing until you have a perfect collection of every item you could ever need, don't let it become an excuse. If you want to practice, do it! You may have to think outside the '101 book' item list, get a little creative, really get your mind working - but you can absolutely practice without going broke.

A is for Altar

The dictionary defines an altar as an elevated place or structure, as a mound or platform, at which religious rites are performed or on which sacrifices are offered to gods, ancestors, etc., which sums it up fairly well.

While specific traditions may have certain requirements of how an altar should be set up, generally speaking altars come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, and can serve many different functions. They can be outdoors or indoors, in any room of the house (yes, even a bathroom might house a small purification altar, or an altar devoted to water in the shower). Altars can be big, small, formal, informal, hold only a few items, or be covered in things, they can be obviously altars, or quietly fit into their surroundings. The altar may be kept in a busy spot in the home, where it will be seen often and always be bringing your faith to the front of your mind. Or it can be kept in a more quiet location, for privacy, or to keep it from being bumped, touched, or whatever else. An altar can be out in the open, or kept in a small cuppboard. It can be a permanent altar, or one that is only set up when needed. An altar can change with the seasons, can be devoted to a deity, a place to honor ancestors or spirits, a place to do ritual workings, a place to meditate, make offerings - many will be a mix of a few things.

Basically, what I'm saying is, what an altar is? That's up to you. You may choose to not even have one, and that's fine too if that's what works for you. Personally though, I keep a few different altars in my home...

Artemis' (indoor) altar is fairly clean and simple. A statue of her, two tall tea light holders, and two small offering bowls. Usually one for food, and one for liquid, but occasionally I will put some salt into one of the bowls and use it to burn an offering of incense. Sometimes the altar is decorated with flowers, evergreens, or other plants, but most of the time it's just as it's shown. This altar is in the living room.


Then there's the hearth altar, kept in a corner of my kitchen. The top section is devoted to Westya, a hearth goddess. The candle's flame represents her, a symbol of the hearth fire. The candle sits in a small bowl that has some non-perishable offerings in it. Those offerings get changed each new moon, and are usually related to the season. Ground corn around Lammas, or pumpkin seeds at Samhain, for example. The two little plates are more offering bowls, for the daily devotion done at this altar. In front is a smooth flat stone, to be used in spirit-flight rituals as a hearth stone, a stone to help one come back from journeying.

Below that is not really an altar, but more of a little working space of odds and ends. Mortar and pestle, candle snuffer, shell filled with bits (such as a piece of sea glass, a penny, a key...), bowl of bits (such as birch bark, dog hair, a feather...), blessed candles, ritual oil holder, salve holder, a charm of berries, some stones... This space changes often.

Then on the next down is the ancestor's altar. A statue of Yinepu (Anubis), a deity of the dead. Many of my ancestor items are currently packed away from when I re-arranged my altars, I need to get them back out sometime... Meanwhile, the main points of the altar are two offering bowls for the ancestors, and one for Yinepu. (Below that are two more shelves, storage areas.)

Next to this altar is a cabinet where I keep my tools and some supplies, like candles, incense, oils, and the like. Some people like to keep their tools on their altars, but since these areas are rather small, I keep them safely in the cabinet when not in use.

Finally, there's the newest of the bunch. Just set up a few days ago, actually. Hidden away in the corner for a bit of private space, low to the ground so I can sit in front of it. Just a little working place, a place to meditate, do shamanic work, small rituals, and so on. To the left of the altar is a sistrum (a sort of rattle), on the top is a little wooden frog noise maker, incense, a beeswax candle with some moonstones and a sunstone - all for Artemis, then a few different objects for the elements.

The row below that is still a bit empty, but on the left is a box of small ogham staves, in the center I'm working on a space to honor my spirit helpers, and to the right is where I'm currently keeping my wildwood cards (and where I will likely keep a small area for my 'weekly' card study). Below is just some storage right now, a journal, a shawl, and a box of supplies. I plan to be doing the bulk of my indoor work at the newest altar, so I am excited to see how it will grow and change as time goes on.

Beyond the altars shown here, I also maintain a few outdoor altars (yes, I really like altars...), but I think I've rambled on long enough for now, so those are probably best left to another upcoming project post. 

(Altars are also the prompt of the week over at Pagan Prompts.)

Artemis Resource List

I considered writing an informational post about Artemis for today, but seriously, if you want to know about Artemis? Just go here...
Artemis on Theoi.com - General information, hymns, myths involving her, titles, ancient worship, paintings and statues, and more. I don't think there's a site out there with more information all in one place. Frankly, if you're interested in any of the Greek deities, spirits, etc, Theoi should be your first stop.

Artemis: Virgin Goddess of the Sun and Moon A book similar to the site above, but often going into much more detail. Explains the origins of titles, details of symbolism, mythology, talks about ancient festivals, and so on. It's very nice to have a book with all that in one place. However, in my opinion, the book is a bit expensive for what you get... If you have a kindle, that edition is considerably cheaper.

Now that's a helpful place to start looking at the historical information, but what about her modern worship?
Unbound: A Devotional Anthology for Artemis -This is a fantastic book filled with poems, prayers, essays, short fictional stories, stories of personal experiences with Artemis, all written by different devotees of Artemis.

Dancing in Moonlight: Understanding Artemis through Celebration - A book about the ancient festivals of Artemis (and some modern additions), and how one can celebrate them, either alone or in a group. The author does a good job pulling from historical sources when possible, and is honest when something modern is added.

Pagan Blog Project

What is the Pagan Blog Project? Basically, it's a blogging your way through the alphabet one week at a time. Each week has a letter assigned to it, and every Friday you write about a topic starting with that letter.

For example, tomorrow is the first week, so the letter is A. You could write about altars, Ahrodite, air, arrows, apples, ancestors, and so on. Each letter gets two weeks, so the second week is also A, so you'd pick another 'A' topic. Then the third week would be B, and so on. (Some just do one post per letter, every other week.) It's also possible to join in part way through should you come to this project late, just start up with the letter of that week. The posting schedule can be found here.

More information about the project can be found here.