Late night prosperity magic & new abundance altar set-up. I am very pleased with how this one turned out. It’s kind of hard to see in candle light, I’ll take some with natural light tomorrow.
~sparrowqueen ♥
Hagstone Journal of Occult Arts: HAGSTONE REMINDER! + A FEW UPDATES...
Hey everyone! If you haven’t submitted to Hagstone yet, you totally should! The deadline is Oct 31, 2012.
We’re making a few changes to the submission process. There will no longer be a submission fee (yay!) - those who already paid this fee will receive a free copy of the zine. So, submit as…
Reblogging as a reminder: You have until Samhain (October 31) to submit your articles. I’m on the editorial selection board and working away on my own submissions. I know our first edition is going to rad and each one after it will only continue to be more awesome than the previous. Click through for more info on Hagstone and what we’re looking for!
Hagstone Journal of Occult Arts: Official Call For Submissions: Hagstone Journal of Occult Arts
“Any occultist who claims to have secrets is a fake. All wisdom is an open book to those who would read it.”
Letter from Robert Cochrane to Joe Wilson, 1966
Hagstone is critical, contemporary, alive.
Hagstone is magic without bullshit.
Hi everyone! I’m going to be on the editorial team for this awesome new zine founded by my homegirl littlecitywitch. We’d love to read your submissions, so please send ‘em on in! :) ~sparrowqueen ♥
The Magic of Mugwort (Part 1)
Artemisia vulgaris
Mugwort: It’s not exactly the nicest sounding herb. It brings to mind the image of a warty old woman in a black hat, cackling and brewing up mysterious potions.
So what is it, exactly?
Also called Wild Wormwood, Old Uncle Henry, Sailor’s Tabacco, and Felon Herb, it’s a tall, bushy, very inconspicuous plant of the Artemisia family (related to wormwood). It’s perennial, and can grow quite large, and tends to live in weedy, untended areas, especially along roadsides. It’s originally from Europe, Asia, northern Africa, and Alaska, but it grows now in most parts of the world, and has become naturalized in North America, where it’s sometimes considered a weed.
Mugwort has a long history of magical use, from ancient times to the present. The plant was sprinkled into the sandals of Roman soldiers to prevent fatigue; it is recorded as one of the herbs in the Anglo-Saxon Nine Herbs charm (written down in the 10th century); in European Medieval history, it was used by travelers to repel spirits and wild animals, and was carried about for general protection.
Read more @ The Wonderworks blog »
-Wonderworks
The A.V. Club’s guide to Toronto’s occult shops
Check out this review of Occult shops in Toronto … featuring Wonderworks :)
Wonderworks, photograph by Anne T. Donahue February 16, 2012
Everyone loves a bright, beautifully scented space, so it’s no “wonder” (sorry) that the shop is a beacon of both the occult and arts communities. With a gallery located at the back, you can bask in the warm glow of artistry after perusing crystals, flower essences, and tarot decks.
Oddest item: You’re out of luck when it comes to “odd” items, but local artist and energy healer Leslie Peters supplies the store with the most unique. Creator of personal talismans, she makes love spoons in the tradition of Welsh sailors, who bestowed them upon their loved ones before departing indefinitely. Wrapped in crystals, beads, and shells, the love spoons are meant to be given as gifts.
Clientele: Like with most occult and alternative wellness shops, their clientele has broadened substantially. On some days, we’re told mostly Wiccans come in, but on others you’ll find a more eclectic customer base. Owner Rochelle Holt tells us it “depends on the ebb and flow of the season.”
Biggest seller: Despite the popularity of crystals, it’s Wonderworks’ flower remedies—the largest in Canada—that draw people in. Holt says that the user-friendly all-natural products are part of a non-cryptic proactive process to help battle physical and emotional issues. They run between $12 and $33 depending on the size, bottle and brand, and you can visit their website to see the full repertoire.
Lookie - Wonderworks got a mention in The A.V. Club yesterday! :D
Earth Magick: Pagan blogs galore
Inspired by pagannews (who requested people submit their favourite pagan blogs to be published), I decided to list together some of my own favourite pagan blogs. I follow a whole bunch of them, so maybe this will help others find great pagan blogs to follow. Feel free to reblog & add your own favourites, add yourself, or message me (with a few words about what your blog is about) if you’d like me to add you to the list. The more the merrier!
Some of my favourites
developingspirit - personal spiritual journey, cosmology
ecologyofbeauty - natural beauty, eco-beauty, health, natural remedies
terryriley - Wiccan high priest
spiritualraiin - ChristoPaganism
iheartpaganism - pagan info & resources
thelivingwiccan - Wicca, info & resources
thenaturewitch - pantheism, nature, image-based
fuckyeahpaganism - info & resources
ramblingswithravens - personal, goth subculture
lilkittay - info & resources, personal
pagannews - info & resources, pagan news, diverse, inclusive
autumn-faery - pantheism, buddhism, atheism
moonsiren - visually stunning, image-based, nature
b-witchy - witchcraft, real life issues
onewiccanpath - personal, resources & info, Q&As
beyond-the-wand - science, pantheism, atheism, real life issues
oh-for-fawkes-sake - personal, Wicca
drawingdownthemoon - visually pretty, image-based
mybodysbeautiful - pagan blogger’s body positive blog
chippywitch - controversial pagan issues, Hellenic polytheism
littlefeatherheart - otherkin, faeries
thebeginnerwitch - basic info for witches
livingwitchy - info & resources
earthmagick - info & resources, Q&As, animism
cultofthedead - controversial pagan issues, informative
ofthefaerieandfaun - pagan culture & music
driftingdruid - druidry
dharmawitch - witchcraft & Buddhism
fuckyeahitchywitch - advice, Q&As, info & resources
thelittlesea - pagan wisdom
fyeahpantheism - pantheism
heavymetaldoll - Dianic Wicca, goth culture
seph7 - traditional Wicca
tarotismyreligion - tarot, tarot resources, Q&As
dianaandpansson - spells, potions, resources, personal
sparrowqueen - magic, feminism, culture
thewitchinghour3 - witchcraft, reiki, psychic, Q&As
tumblrcoven - resources & info, Q&As
constantine319 - tarot, reiki, psychic
gypsyeaglebear - Wiccan minister, healing shaman
cutewitch772 - Wicca, links to vlog
belleplanete - Buddhism, vegetarianism, lightwork
dreadgoddess - dreads, pirate pagan
zerosumsystem - chaos magic
wyld-magik - resources & info, personal
tarotblades - Buddhism, energy work, psychic Vampirism, tarot
proudlypagan - personal journey, resources
littlecitywitch - informative, resources, pagan issues
witchyways - traditional Witchcraft, hedgewitchery, LHP, folk
inshekina - personal, pantheism/panentheism, agnosticism, pagan blog project
bocan1 - druidry
Pagan memes
wiccancatmeme, fuckyeahwitchywren, fyeahwiccanraven, pagan-confessions
Other awesome pagan bloggers
thesylverlining, sippingatthedawn, findingpersephone, thetruthisone, elletrois, lady-briana, loupgarou, myworldvanila, oceanfoxy, lunacascabelara, truthnatureandbeauty, jmoonstar, this-old-soul, craftofthewitch, starrfyre, a-spiritual-scream, magic—is—might, thebeatnik-baby, b-witch, morgandria, mokosh, thegoddessisalive, milkyroses, solar-aeternal, witchnymph, livingwicca, hourofthewitch, daughter-of-the-goddess, hellboundwitch, acornsandrabbits, paganisms, unlockedlips, thewitchisin, gemini-witch, stealth-mode, serendipitouscontemplation, kmoonheart, dietothepasteverymoment, whatpaindelivers, dreamsarelikewater, peasloveandcamelot, allec-with-anxiety
Add yours!:
Now this I love. I’ve been looking for more blogs to follow. Thanks for posting this inshekina. :) For my followers who are looking for more blogs to follow this girl has listed a lot.
Omg, I was wondering why I’d gotten so many new followers in the last few days. This is an awesome list.
Agreed! <3
I am so flattered to be a part of this list, thanks darlings! I was wondering where all these new followers were coming from.
Further suggestions:
Wonderworks ( Tumblr for the shop I work at, it is also updated by the lovely Pada-Viya and kitzuneh - both of these ladies have awesome Tumblrs in their own right as well.)
Christian Witch: Another Walmart Lesson...
So the herb section as i am sure we all know…is so very expensive….like..dear lord why must 4 cloves be 5 dollars type of expensive. On that note there is an area in the grocery that has foreign food stuff like mexican and japanese. Its a small area but i came to look there and found small bags of…
Yes, very true. Going to herbal supply stores that cater to enclave communities is certainly the way to go. I buy a lot of my herbal supplies from a non-nondescript store here on the border of Toronto’s Kensington Market/Chinatown neighbourhoods called simply called “Chinese Herbs”. Their prices are very reasonable, and they also carry an almost confusing amount of blatantly magic related items (carved candles, voodoo supplies, and incences). The owner of the shop is a bit grumpy sometimes, but also hilarious and extremely knowledgeable.
Another suggestion for herbal supplies - for bulk organic herbs (which can be pricey), I order through Mountain Rose Herbs. Though their international shipping can be a bit expensive, I usually go in on an order with a friend (or two) to split shipping costs, and it actually makes it quite reasonable. Especially, comparatively speaking to physical retail locations, especially when you factor in the high mark-up on most organic herbs at retail stores.
~sparrowqueen ♥
pagan & witchy round-up
Hi lovelies,
I am looking for some new pagan, witchy, magical, and occult related Tumblrs to follow.
Some of my current favourites:
littlecitywitch
ms. graveyard dirt
moonsiren
tarotblades
lougrapou
theriverwitch
cassiopeiaaa
witchnymph
by stang and cauldron
eeriegusts
Please reblog, or reply with your favourites.
Love & light,
~sparrowqueen ♥
Note to self: when you do serious energetic work late at night, you’re going to be exhausted the next day.
Above: Our beautiful altar, featuring the Three of Wands (from the Alchemical Tarot) as its centre piece - yay for full moon prosperity magic! Our ships have come sailing in! :)
My ship is called the H.M.S Fabulous, and totally looks like the drag queen of schooners. I’m more than okay with this.
In somewhat related news, I’m starting my new job tomorrow. It’s just part-time to help out a friend, and make some cash before the holidays, but I think it’s going to be mega-fun. More details soon. :)
Brightest blessings, darlings!
~sparrowqueen ♥
A.A. Atanassov’s The Golden Tarot of Klimt
I adore this deck’s imagery, I’m assuming it is based on Rider-Waite, in which case I love that Pallas Athene is the basis for what I am assuming is The Empress. The numbering is a bit confusing to me though, it looks as though is Justice and Strength have swapped places. Anyone have this deck and have any insight into that?
An Incredible blog with an Incredible list of Deities. <3
There are some interesting starting points for learning about different deities here, but I’d take it with a grain of salt, and encourage readers to do a lot of further research on each specific deity, especially if someone strikes you as interesting.
I saw at least 3 inaccuracies in the first 2 pages worth of information, including the misnaming of one deities’ origins. Sedna is an Inuit goddess - “Eskimo” is pejorative and is not commonly used anymore.
50 Ways To Make Today (and Every Day) Magical - From Waking to Sleep
Hello lovelies, I think I certainly could probably do a list of at least 50 more things, so let’s call this Part 1 for now. This list is meant to be a guide to easy, practical things you can do every day to honour yourself, strengthen your connection to divinity and your connection to nature. Without further ado, I give you “50 Ways To Make Today (and Every Day) Magical - From Waking to Sleep”.
1.) Allow yourself to wake naturally (e.g. without an alarm), if possible. Write down your dreams as soon as you are awake. Spend a few additional minutes writing down any additional messages that come to your mind.
2.) Meditate.
3.) Do Yoga.
4.) Pull a tarot card of the day for the insight of a daily message. I like to ask the deck what message do I need to need to know for today?
5.)Say a series of positive affirmations aloud upon waking. Some examples of strong affirmations are: “I know that I deserve Love and accept it now”, “When I believe in myself, so do others”, “My body heals quickly and easily”, “I manifest abundance in all aspects of my life”.
6.) Read Your Horoscope, I like Free Will Astrology and Rick Levine’s Daily Scopes.
7.) Light some incense or a candle on your altar and greet your personal deities.
8.) Use dilute essential oils in your bath or shower, or use natural products infused with them. Choose appropriate correspondences to your intentions and what you wish to manifest for the day.
9.) Eat natural foods, and avoid unnecessary chemicals / processed foods in your diet. Be contentious about what you are putting into your body. Use fresh herbs, fruit or vegetables from your garden in your cooking. If you don’t have a garden, try to buy from local and in season (e.g. from a farmer’s market).
10.) Cleanse and charge a crystal to carry with you in your pocket or bag.
11.) Wear clothes that make you feel fabulous and beautiful- if it doesn’t make you happy/comfortable, ditch it! You can also try match your colour scheme to specific intentions (e.g. if you associate green with abundance and prosperity, wear it strengthen your money attracting abilities). Or if you’re like me and wear 95% black, add a punch of colour with an appropriately coloured accessory.
12.) Spend 10 minutes de-cluttering your personal workspace every day.
13.) Hang art that inspires you in your workspace and throughout your home.
14.) Make a vision board, or if you already have one spend a few minutes concentrating on the images, and perhaps adding a few more.
15.) Ride your bike or walk instead of taking the car.
16.) Go sit under a big tree in the park with your journal, or bring a good book.
17.) Send a thank-you note to someone and express your gratitude to others.
18.) Listen to music that makes you feel good and connects you to Source energy.
19.) Dance for at least five minutes every day. Even if it’s in your skivvies and all by yourself.
20.) Take a notebook and pen with you everywhere, you never know when a brilliant idea might hit you!
21.) Brew yourself a cup of herbal tea. This can be a great and discrete way of smudging your cubicle if you work in an office environment.
22.) Kitchen witch it up - put your magic and your intentions into your cooking. Try to choose herbs, spices and ingredients based on their correspondences, or where we are in the wheel of the year.
23.) Adorn your body with jewellery, body art and/or modifications and other personal talismans. These are all powerful methods of asserting your power, protecting yourself, and setting magical intentions.
24.) Go for a leisurely walk, enjoy the sights and sounds of nature and your neighbourhood or explore an area you’ve never been to.
25.) Leave a small offering outside for the faeries or your deities- it might be physically consumed by feathered, scaled or furred helpers but it will be appreciated.
26.) Practice small acts of divination. For example, try bibliomancy - open a book to a random page and you just might find the answer you’re looking for. Alternatively you might try kledon, the Greek form of divination from overheard conversations or communications. To try doing this go for a walk, or sit in a coffee shop. Stop for awhile, clear your mind and listen to conversations your might hear around you. You never know when you might just hear exactly what you need to hear.
27.) Spend time playing with, and/or cuddling your pet(s). If you don’t currently have a pet and are able to care for one, consider adopting one from a rescue organization. Petfinder.com aggregates animals in shelters/foster situations that need forever homes! If you can’t have a pet, consider donating your time or money to such a rescue organization.
28.) Tell at least one person you love them every single day.
29.) Go to a second-hand store, a flea markets, a garage sale or a clothing swap. You never know what treasures the Goddess might have in store for you.
30.) Listen to your intuition and inner guidance systems. The more you listen to them, the stronger they become.
31.) Infuse white wine with lavender, mint and other sweet herbs and then chill for a few hours before enjoying.
32.) Recharge your batteries and cleanse your body by going for a swim, or having a long soak in the tub.
33.) Relax and escape into a whimsical or fantastical film or TV show.
34.) Go see live theatre, music and local art shows.
35.) Give at least one sincere compliment per day. Accept compliments bestowed upon you with grace.
36.) Make your bedroom a luxurious refuge and retreat. Keep it clear of both physical and psychic dust bunnies. Cleanse the area frequently in your preferred method (I like ringing bells and smudging. Also, burning menthol crystals is like psychic bleach!) Make the space your own and as comfortable as possible. Have bed sheets, blankets and pillows made of of materials you adore. My duvet cover & pillow shams are made of plush burgundy velvet and I love crawling into bed because of it.
37.) Spend time only with people who make you feel good. Cut out negative influences, haters and frenemies. The five people you spend the most time with are a reflection upon yourself.
38.) Language has power. Choose your words carefully and speak deliberately.
39.) Create sigils to help you manifest your desires.
40.) Give yourself a totally natural facial - mix 2 tbsp. of raw organic honey, the juice of 1/2 lemon and a pinch of cinnamon. Use this mix as a spot treatment overnight to bring blemishes to a head, or all over your face for 1 hour for soft, glowing skin.
41.) Even if you don’t have room for a garden, you can bring earth energy into your home with house plants. Some non-toxic plants (pet & children safe) you might want to consider bringing in include Jade, Orchids, Ferns, Spider Plants. If you’re unsure if a houseplant might be toxic, check this searchable ASPCA database.
42.) Use environmentally friendly, non-toxic cleaning products in your house.
43.) Put out a bird feeder and/or bird bath in your backyard, porch or deck. Seek out a good book on native bird species from your local library and start keeping track of the different species that come to visit!
44.) Carry small mojo bags, or sachets with you under your clothing or by tucking it into your sock or shoe. You can also leave them under your pillow as you sleep.
45.) Wear naughty, fancy, or just plain pretty underwear under your everyday clothes. You’ll be coyly smiling to yourself all day, and it will add a certain je ne sais quoi and make you sexy self all that more alluring. Trust me, done with the right intention it will make you irresistible to your lover.
46.) Create an astral temple for yourself. This is a place you can visit any time you need to do some magic, but are unable to do so in the physical plane. It is also a safe place for you to use a ‘home base’ when doing astral travel. For an excellent overview of creating an astral temple, see Patrick Dunn’s Postmodern Magic.
47.) Subscribe to an astronomy newsletter or RSS, and go stargazing!
48.) Give yourself an orgasm as often as you want - either with a partner, or on your own.
49.) Put up a dream catcher near your bed, ideally near a window.
50.) When you lie in bed at night, before falling asleep, mentally (re-)charge all of the protection wards in and on the outside of your house.
~sparrowqueen ♥
it’s the time of the season when the love runs high
Hello darlings,
I haven’t been online much in past few months because school has been totally kicking my butt, but the spring semester is finally winding down. Classes are done until September, but over the next two weeks I have all of my course work due.
I just am trying to buckle down and finish this shit so I don’t have to think about it anymore. I have July and August open at the moment and am looking forward to some serious me time. In addition to hopefully getting all of my health issues under control (chronic pain FTL), my plans include going to hide out at my family’s cottage for at least a week, serious amounts of yoga & meditation, riding my bike all around town, mega witchery, taking lots of photos and preparing for my performance at the Toronto Burlesque Festival.
…
In other news, this past week I lead a Summer Solstice/Midsummer/Litha ritual with my not-coven (aka the autonomous withches’ collective), plus some new & special guests who were also in attendance. I was a bit nervous about leading, because the responsibility fell to me at the last minute, and I didn’t have very much time to prepare. I think it all came together pretty well, aside from nearly being ko’d after casting. (As part of my cleansing, I usually fast for the day prior to celebrating a sabbat and then we have a huge feast after ritual. However, this is the second time I’ve almost fainted after casting the circle, so I think I’m going to have start breaking that rule and eat before hand, as well as continuing to work on grounding, which an ongoing issue I’ve been working through.)
I only managed to take a few pictures of the altar while we were setting up. Some items of the altar (aside from the obvious) included: Wonderworks house blend Summer Solstice incense, my antique brass pear-shaped handbell, some gorgeous roses from our hostess’ garden, citrine and quartz crystals, a multitude of candles, statues of the Virgin Mary and a Crone, fancy ribbons and golden material for sachets, a number of seasonally appropriate herbs and plants (not all are in the photos) such as mugwort, chamomile, rosemary, St. John’s wort, lavender and vervain.
Ideally we would have done the rite in the afternoon of solstice proper, when the sun was as its peak, but since we all have various work and school commitments, we celebrated the Midsummer’s eve. The main work of the ritual included three sections, for the first two were inside and then we moved outside to the backyard. (When we cast the circle, we visualized including the entire property. I am of the opinion this is totally acceptable, as I do this all the time but some people may disagree with me.)
First, we made some herbal sachets to put under our pillows for prophetic Midsummer’s eve dreams, then I lead a guided meditation on the changing seasons. Next, we moved outside had a lovely bonfire and did some candle magic, based on the guidance received in the meditations. We all lit our candles off the fire and were able to set them up strategically on patio stones just outside of the fire pit, so we could watch them burn and observe the shapes of the wax as it pooled. I’m not sure that form of divination has a formal name, but I’m certainly a fan.
In the future, I think I’d scale the ritual back and make it more focused, because it ended up being a bit too long and after opening the circle again, socializing/feasting, watching our candles burn all the way down, clean up and trekking across town in a cab, I didn’t get home until almost 3am. But we ate lots of delicious foods, drank lots of wine and a good time was had by all!
~sparrowqueen ♥
