August 2019 – The Northern Witch' s Blog

What to expect in September 2019

August 30, 2019September 12, 2019 The Northern Witch 1969Leave a comment

Blog review, new title and new agendas

It came to me during this week. I need to do something about my blog that is a big risk. I need to change the name of my blog as soon as possible, because I can see from my writing that I write about more than witchcraft on a daily basis.

So the proper title for my blog is from Monday going to be “Daily witchcraft in a writer´s life”.

The risk of changing a name could be oh so many things. Well, I believe that my readers are tough enough for that. The same goes for the new agendas that I have planned for this blog during the month of September.

I want to continue to write about the process of writing, of building a blog and of witchcraft on a daily basis. But I want it to be more clearly stated in the titles and in the future content.

So my writing challenge next month is to produce 1-2 weekly blog posts about writing and building a blog on Mondays and 1 weekly post about daily witchcraft on Fridays.

My challenge is also to listen to advice but take life a bit less seriously and try to write my own voice. It is a chaotic, wild goose chase, riding along in a roller coaster without brakes and clutch. It is my life in a nutshell and I´m proud of it.

I´ve been told to keep on writing, because there is something about them words. I´ve been told to try to trust my stream of consciousness, because there is something important going on. I´ve been told to break free from my anxiety and write as if I was born for just that.

So here it goes, from now on it is point of no return.

There will be new pages to discover, new daring entries into my world of witchcraft and of writing, and new stories to tell. Oh, did I forget, not to break the rule of showing not telling ? Well, I believe there are rules and then there is reality to me.

I´ll try my best to write my best possible English, but I may resonate a bit Danish from time to time. That is the biggest challenge in writing in a language different from that of one´s native. There will inevitably be some misspells and some minor grammar inconsistencies.

This is my way of introducing myself to you, dear reader, as a writer with a passion for witchcraft as well as for writing. I´ll try to show you how my daily life entangles with writing and witchcraft.

This is also my way of writing without strings attached. To actually sit down and use that keyboard, today to the thundering thrust of a fast beating set of drums and to the crying, howling, tearing riffs from a bass guitar.

Regarding new agendas I need to make a switch from the big rituals for a time and only refer to them when celebrating the Sabbats. They are filled with mystery and magick, but they also tend to demand rather lot of energy.

And my energy needs to be recharged by switching to my passion for writing. There is magick in writing too.

Today it is like riding a happy-go-lucky roller coaster with no other goal than trying my absolute best to make this post both worth reading and memorable.

The words flows from my heart and mind and my fingers dance across the keyboard. There is a mild late summer breeze cooling my body on one of the last lazy summer days. I have a cup of fresh brewed steaming hot coffee on my desk, my little wise dog and my husband sleeps on the couch next to me.

I have ear plugs in my ears, following the embracing rhythms of music as different as blues, classic rock and fast modern beats, and there is only me, the keyboard and the screen. I have put away my notes, and I´m just letting the mix between the words and the music that evokes them flow from my fingers.

This is a good, good day.

I have also made another decision. I do not intend to use any kind of money on this blog before I´m ready for just that. It needs to be put aside for a while, and I need to just write and just read. My goal/challenge about writing at least 500 words at a time needs to be raised to 1,000 words at a time.

Because today is going to make the whole difference. Today I also skipped a planned New Moon ritual and decided to write my New Moon intentions at my daily meditation tea ritual. Oops, did I just mix between the tenses on purpose ?

Well, a story to me tends to gain its own momentum, as the thoughts and ideas become visible on the screen or on the crazy amount of paper I use when writing. Whether that writing is for this or that. I love to write free style.

I have the world in my hands for a brief moment. So I kissed the muse and I like it.

The Northern Witch goes free style

So now the screen is white as ice, the letters on the keyboard concentrated and alert, the music is set and I need a break ???

Do I really know how to do this ? Do I really dare to write free style and about what ? Do I really want such writing to be for others to read ? Do I really have stories to tell ?

Yes, I do, yes we can, dear reader…

After a good long break outside and inside I feel like writing this free style project. Not necessarily a certain goal but writing something with a good feeling in it. Why do I want to be a writer ? Because that is what I can, write and write well too.

Because it is my passion, because it feels right, because I can´t help myself for doing it, I´m a writing addict.

I´ve always been writing something. There are so many things to be inspired from. There are so many conflicting archetypes to write about. There is so much crazy going on in this world that needs words to be truly understood.

Because the use of words is a powerful tool to handle, it is necessary to be critical both in reading and in writing. In a time of worse fake news than ever it is absolutely necessary to be able to distinguish plausible from ridiculous.

But on the other hand, I´m not afraid to raise my voice and speak my thoughts about both the big overwhelming issues and the everyday experiences in a world gone crazy a long time ago.

So therefore, at times, my pen is sharpened slightly more than average.

That happens especially when I´m caught with surprise or disbelief. When I fail to understand quite a few humans whose “reality” often is displayed openly in one reality show after another. Sorry to speak so frankly, but it is getting more boring and more tarred with the same brush than entertaining.

Or when I don´t manage to handle the way our powerful leaders dance around the golden calf rather than exercising humility towards their position. Where there is a democracy, they are elected by the people, and the prime project is to be of service to the people, who they are said to represent.

They are not, however, supposed to tend to their own wants before anything else. And they should try to live the life of ordinary people on the same conditions, because there are way too many of them that does not show what they tell.

There are far too many serious matters that need to be properly addressed in the world today to it to be fair to keep playing along as if they do not know that we, the people, already know their whereabouts and their self-overestimated behaviours.

Therefore it is more than ever important to keep writing, to keep speaking your mind and to keep up the spirit. People need to meet across borders, inner and outer walls, and lack of trust. We learn from above not to trust anybody, because those in charge are few to be trusted.

Lack of trust is difficult to the point of no return with me. Have I first lost my personal respect for something or someone, it is my definite decision to close my door permanently. When I say no, I mean it literally.

But it takes some moment of surprise and considerable range of disbelief, before I´m ready to rock the boat in my writing. I have seen my part of life and of how different people act according to what they say. I know my psychology well.

Most of the time I´m more contained with what the present moment has in store for me and my loved ones. This is where life is lived to its fullest every day, and nothing else matters. This is also my primary point of view for writing.

I prefer the simple life, where you get what you need, not necessarily everything you want. I´ve tried many different ways of life, but it is first in my grown-up years that I have realized that the Zen and the Tao directions fit well with my expectation to life as it is now.

So does witchcraft and many, many other traditions and beliefs. My beliefs consist of many paths not yet taken, because I can only research one part at a time. My path therefore is a mix of genres, of tenses and ways of life.

It evolves both from the inside and from the influence from others around me in my daily life. I think of my grand father on my mother´s side. He was a typographer and could both with a machine and by his own hands set up pages for the local news paper. Today it is all about web design.

He taught me to read and write before I even went to school. And he told me about life, taught me to never give up and how to deal with any problems. Head on, get it done and get over it. Go to the top chair and let the natural order of any hierarchy follow gravity downwards.

Tell the person in that chair that with the chair follows responsibility, humility and respect. Can you not live up to those simple rules, then you are not fit for the task representing that chair. How to get the person in that chair to respond with positivity is either chance or knowledge of their own medicine, law. Or both.

I know, I´ve already been there for quite a few years now. But the victory is a bittersweet one, because the price for all that is a life with early retirement and absolute no trust left for any kind of system that either yells or laughs at the same people it is put into this world to defend and care for.

To remind me of always to be on the lookout for new surprises and disbeliefs. To remind me to write with a positive outlook at all times. And to remind me of my promise to myself about not compromising myself.

These are 5 New Moon intentions for me to work with in the new Moon cycle :

To develop my blog with care and to show my readers what I want and need to do with it.
To develop my writing by learning from other writers and to write from the bottom of my heart and soul.
To develop my passion for witchcraft into a daily way of life that makes room for diversity and everyday mundane life which is the absolute basis for anything I do.
To work less with the big rituals and concentrate on establishing a reasonable daily practice.
To keep up the learning process preparing for my fourth year as a witch

What to expect in September 2019

Monday September 2 2019 : What I love about writing
Friday September 6 2019 : What I love about witchcraft
Monday September 9 2019 : Good writing advice I like to use
Friday September 13 2019 : Magickal intentions
Monday September 16 2019 : How it is to run a blog in 2019
Friday September 20 2019 : Living after the phases of the Moon and the Sabbats
Monday September 23 2019 : Today´s stream of consciousness and Mabon Sabbat/Autumn Equinox ritual
Friday September 27 2019 : Writing as a witch
Monday September 30 2019 : A session from first person point of view and what to expect in October 2019

This is a rough plan for September 2019. There may very well be more post during the weeks depending on my well-being and writing abilities. If so, I´ll update this post accordingly, so there all the time is something written to rely on.

My plans also include to keep my deadlines. It has been some troubled weeks this month, because my anxiety and my osteoarthritis have been nagging me more often than I had expected. Therefore some of the posts in August was published later than planned.

But as it is for now, it is getting better day by day.

It is also getting easier to plan and create blog content. I`m learning to make content both planned and on the spot. It was a good and reasonable decision to change blog name, blog content and blog looks. The latter have to wait until I´m good and ready for working with the technicalities.

During the next week I´ll be trying to create pages for blog writing, writing in general and witchcraft. I´ll also try to make some technical improvements on the blog, if I can manage it myself. I need to have a really good day both mentally, physically and spiritually before working with any kind of modern technology.

And this, dear reader, is approximately 2500 words delivered on time on a Friday in 2019. This is as good as it gets today, and I hope it was worth reading and showed what I´m about to do with this blog and why.

Show, not tell. Yes, it is necessary to write for all the senses in a reader. Sometimes some telling is appropriate too, I believe, however.

The picture today shows my philosophical feline Ozzy at a favourite place close to me when I´m writing. I did it. I wrote more than 2,000 words today. I have had a great time behind the keyboard today, because everything just felt right.

May your weekend be filled with sun and joy of life, dear reader. May you be blessed with bliss in your everyday life. May any problems be easily solved. May we merry part for now and merry meet on Monday evening around 11 p.m. CET. So Mote It Be.

My philosophical cat Ozzy helps me, she thinks

Waning Quarter Moon Ritual

August 24, 2019 The Northern Witch 1969Leave a comment

Waning Quarter Moon Ritual

I chose to make an intention for the Dark Moon coming up here just before New Moon next week. It was about releasing anxiety about writing, banishing of negativity from past experiences, and letting go of unnecessary doubt. It just felt right to do that.

I called upon three Crone Goddesses, Hecate, Cerridwen and Kali to help speed my message to the Universe. And when laying the Tarot spread about shadow work I felt inspired to do something about exactly that as one of my goals for the week to come.

After reading my intention aloud, I burned the paper in a fireproof container and poured water over it and it is to be poured out around a tree tomorrow morning. The spell should work through the night as well, because I truly needed to let go of quite a few attachments that had become unavoidable lately.

And I prefer to do that in the night where everybody else is sleeping and the only sound is the fridge and the TV in the background with an episode of Midsummer Murders. Then it feels okay to do shadow work, if I have had a pleasant day before that night. I had a good day today.

So I´ll finish the night with some writing on shadow aspects of me. That is a private journal for my eyes only. As are my writing on journal prompts. Unless I happen to write something extraordinary good. Then I´ll use it to write here on this blog. Or perhaps even write the book of my life.

The idea with a Waning Quarter Moon ritual is also to celebrate what has been achieved during the Moon´s phases from New to Full Moon. It is to re-assess ideas, to search for something to work for in the next cycle and to release anything that no longer serves me.

We celebrated my work with my 6 New Moon intentions with a bonfire in the garden after the ritual. And here we also released many feelings and past hardship. It comes around a couple of times of year, and then it is best to act on it by this way of showing that life goes on whatever shows up on the path.

My 6 New Moon intentions were to grow my blog slowly, to master my anxiety, to celebrate my life experience, to study witchcraft more, to be more creative and to release more negativity. I have reached my goals for this period of time, and now it is time to set new intentions on the New Moon ritual next Friday.

These intentions will most probably concern my passion for writing, because there is so much going on in me about how I would like to be able to write. The witchcraft part of me is also struggling to be heard in the midst of this. I still need to learn more about magickal oils so that I can use what I already have in rituals.

Daily Tea Meditation Ritual

Clear and clean your sacred space. Make a cup/pot of your favourite tea. Pick your special cup and whatever comes in handy and significant to the intention of the meditation ritual.

To me it is to relax and to heal with a good book close by, some calming music and an inspiring atmosphere from incense/oil burners.

I always bring a notebook and a pen, just in case inspiration strikes for some writing. I also include a small decorative altar cloth, scented candles, crystals and my aromatherapy blend/fragrance for the intention behind, be it physical, mental or spiritual.

Make sure to be undisturbed, turn off the cell phone (unless you are going to use it to listen to inspirational music) and the TV. Set an egg timer for 20 minutes, if you need to, more if it appeals to you and you have the time for it.

And sit/lie down as comfortable as you can. This is your time, dear reader, make good use of it. Calm your breath and meditate upon what comes into your mind or what you have planned for the day. Remember to write down good ideas and thoughts.

The goal of this is to relax the mind, the body and the soul. We live in stressful times, so every attempt to regain energy is of great importance. And 20 minutes at a time is not much time, but it is enough to calm down and do some well-deserved grounding.

I have the time to meditate for up to an hour, because I´m early retired due to both physical and mental ailments. And I do it as often as possible, because it especially relieves my anxiety. But I often use meditation for concentration purposes as well.

At first, it took me quite some to time to calm my breathing enough to be able to concentrate only on the purpose of the meditation ritual, which to me is to relax and read on a daily basis. But after some attempts, I quickly got up to first 5 minutes, then 10 and so on.

Today I only need to get my grip together and just go in my witch´s den and actually do some meditation and reading. Therefore, my plan this week has been to go in there, no matter how bad or good my day may be. And it has been a thrill.

Beginning Sunday afternoon it has become a new daily witchy ritual to me. I finished a book and I got things written down that I would not have done, had it not been for the daily tea meditation ritual. Day by day I picked what I found relevant to the ritual.

Then suddenly, without warning, there it was, my essential oil jasmine. I´ve been looking for it for a couple of months, now it felt as the Universe had put it there for some reason. It brings me to my plan to make my own aromatherapy blends for anxiety and menopause.

Shopping trip with a special person and aromatherapy

Tuesday I went with my sweet neighbour to a shopping center in a bigger town with more people than were I live my daily life. We had a great time, sharing thoughts and going shopping for the both the pleasure of that and for practical reasons.

I have all the essential oils, but I needed new bottles for the blends and a measuring syringe to measure the carrier oil correctly. Wednesday my fingers would not cooperate, so my husband helped me in the process of making aromatherapy blends for my menopause and anxiety problems.

My aromatherapy blends for menopause and anxiety, with 35 ml sweet almond oil as carrier oil , because it is also highly usable for massage purposes, are (remember to shake the bottle before use) :

Menopause : 2 drops clary sage (anti-stress), 2 drops geranium (to soothe symptoms), 3 drops rose (for general well-being) per 10-15 ml carrier oil,
Anxiety : 2 drops bergamot (balance emotions), 2 drops rose (for confidence), 2 drops ylang ylang (to calm down) per 10-15 ml carrier oil.

After trying the blends myself by inhalation I had only a few minor anxiety attacks and no irritating menopause symptoms on the first day. And as you can see on the picture below, it also ended up with a daily tea meditation ritual after making the blends. The intention that day was to read about writing.

Now I only need to apply the blends to pillows, handkerchiefs and oil burners and use them on a daily basis. I like to use my knowledge and to DIY. So this opportunity was also suitable to conquer my creative block that has been nagging me for quite some time.

I can highly recommend the use of essentials oils, with care however, because they are strong and need to be diluted in either oil or water before use. I prefer to use demineralised water when diluting oils for e.g. room sprays and oil burners, and sweet almond or grape seed oil when making blends for my ailments.

But I also strongly recommend regular contact with your general practitioner concerning any health issue, as I see essential oils as a supplement only to correct prescription medicine and only when the condition is under some sort of control. Your health is too important to take risks.

When I make aromatherapy blends I always try to compose a mind stimulating and calming atmosphere in the blends. In other words, I try to infuse my blends with positivity, because I need it to be become able to live a peaceful life. And I only use small portions of essential oils, because they can be expensive at times.

Therefore, I have bought a collection of 20 common essential oils so that I only have to buy supplementary oils on the rare occasion that I´m not content with what I already have. I plan to renew my collection every second year. And to renew my aromatherapy blends, as long as they are helpful to me.

Aromatherapy and daily tea meditation ritual

Reflections on this week´s reading about writing

My writing adventure this week has been truly ecclectic, since I have begun my writer´s notebook with lists of overused words, such as very, and because I´ve been studying different perspectives on core issues like first, second and third person point of view (and my point of view here).

Now I need to write myself and leave the advice to grow in my mind. I am inspired by many an author, so to choose to read A Farewell To Arms by Ernest Hemingway and to buy On Writing by Stephen King is to love to learn to write better each time with hard work and many hours ahead of me writing.

Writing and reading are true passion to me. I have a natural gift to easily pick my words, and I like the feeling of a well written book in my hands. If not reading books, then there is always another blog post somewhere in the Universe that speaks to me. And if not writing here, then there is always the note book.

Or a hastily scribbled sentence on a random piece of paper, the ever-recurring yearly and so mundane diary/calendar, and all sorts of big, medium and small books/binders. I always find my way to write, despite regular attacks of writer´s block anxiety. I need more organization, however.

I need to do physical writing exercises with as many journal prompts as possible. The more I write, the more I learn. And I continue not to edit my first draft before it is written in full length. But I need to discipline myself on writing. I write when inspired, often in the late hours, where everybody else is at sleep.

So my plan for next week´s New Moon ritual is to write down my intentions about writing that I would like to work with during the next couple of months. And to make good use of all my notes and actually get some writing done that is worth reading by others than myself.

I really need to let go of some steam, some irrelevant anxiety and some feelings of self-doubt, knowing that not only have I a natural gift for writing, I also have all the necessary facilities for me to actually do something I love to do, write. Therefore, a bonfire in the garden after a ritual is necessary for me to release old energy.

So there is only one way forward, and that is practice, practice, practice. To sit day every day and write for the sake of it. No more fear from the infamous writer´s block ? I prefer to call it controlled fear now, because I believe it has to tickle a bit in my guts when writing.

There has to some incentive for spending so many hours contemplating what to write next and how to get pass the inner doubts of not being good enough. And that incentive is the feeling of wholeness after having written something good.

Conclusions after a long week

It has been a busy week. But I managed to achieve all of my goals. What about that something extra that I referred to in last week´s post ? Well, it is as good as it gets. It is my inspiration at this moment right before publishing that I truly can contemplate on what I have learned this week.

I have learned to trust my inner gut feeling and to control my anxiety with strong will and some aromatherapy. I have discovered that fear of writing is to master, if you only keep on trying to write that little extra that makes the whole difference.

And I have been taught by many a good writer during the week that writing is a tough discipline where you never get to old to learn new perspectives. Last, but not least, I have found that I need to write at least one blog post a week, reserving the maybe-posts for my thoughts during the week.

So this has also been a tough week with many thoughts and ideas about writing, whereas the witchcraft part of it has been my daily tea meditation ritual. I did plan the ritual on the day this time, which to me is a victory of today. Today began tired, it ends with joy and contentment.

I have actually managed two weeks in a row to write 2,500 words worth reading more than once. It speaks of time worth the efforts. Hard work does pay off. I feel free and happy, because now I´m no longer afraid of writing. I just sit down and do it. Instead of talking about doing it.

I´m also proud that I have begun a writer´s notebook. Now there is no excuse to not write down ideas and thoughts when they arise rather than wishing I had done it. All the reading this week has awoken something deep inside me. The need to write and the love of doing it.

My passion about witchcraft remains intact, and it was fun and creative to make my own aromatherapy blends and to feel on my own person that it has a noticeable effect. It is definitely something to try more of in the future. And speaking of that, the Tarot cards today showed me it is time for change.

Besides a New Moon ritual, a Black Moon it is, when there are two New Moons in a calendar month, next week´s post will contain what to expect for September 2019 on this blog. And, of course, my interest in writing will be a recurring theme.

As for now, my writing for the remains of the day will be of a private character, because I need to do some shadow work before bedtime. Blessed Be, dear reader, may your week be joyful and full of positivity. May your days be blessed with the absence of problems and sorrows. So Mote It Be.

Full Moon Ritual (Full Moon in Aquarius)

August 16, 2019 The Northern Witch 1969Leave a comment

This week I´ve spent studying aromatherapy and magickal journal prompts. I´ve also been busy preparing my Full Moon Ritual, so that I only had to set up my altars and take my ritual bath before the ritual. I prefer to plan on the day of the ritual, but knowing that I for a longer period have had a lot of minor anxiety attacks and currently am fighting the side effects of menopause, I´ve decided to plan a little bit every day up to the ritual instead.

I´ve also planned to write something about blogging, creativity and mastering anxiety. At a Full Moon it is typical to celebrate achieved intentions. I have conquered my writer´s block for this time, I´m getting in a better mood day by day now which makes me want to be creative again and make some homemade must-haves, and I´m able to more than partly control my anxiety attacks.

I celebrate it by writing about it. I write with a lit candle and the sound of the rain outside. To me celebrating the Full Moon is an appropriate time to journal about what has been going on lately. And I also believe I can accomplish that here on this blog.

Without the personal touch, the feeling of home, and the sense of harmony, this would not be my blog about daily witchcraft. So often there will be descriptions, visual support and personal ups and downs.

My releases in the ritual yesterday certainly concerned mundane matters. To shed what no longer serves you can be a tough process. I do most of it in my shadow work, but I try to include a releasing aspect in as many rituals as possible, because I want to life a happy life without too many worries unsolved.

Therefore I need to let go of negativity from low self-esteem during an anxiety attack and the physical and mental troubles getting older as a woman. Spiritually, however, I ´m growing and learning important lessons about the necessity of self-forgiveness and self-care. And for these purposes magickal rituals are ideal.

The Full Moon Ritual

A couple of hours into the FulI Moon of Aquarius yesterday I called upon the elements to watch over my ritual with the intention of a healing and cleansing ritual. I also wanted to sit and meditate quietly to music before my magickal workings.

My magickal workings in this ritual were limited to a consecration of my new athame, a Full Moon blessing and 2 Tarot spreads. My husband needed some help due to feelings of stress lately, so I prioritized his needs before anything else. Therefore, I helped him to make a mojo bag with fresh lavender and crystals to carry when feeling stress and a mantra to read until feeling calm again.

The Tarot spreads were strong reminders of the fact that I need to take time to heal from a tough life filled with both adventures and setbacks. And I need to let go of the past more than once, because some things just last longer. So I concluded that I need to continue working with this blog in my pace and that daily witchcraft is many different things, depending on the conditions of the day and the moment. It is definitely both witchy and mundane issues to take good care of.

The ritual ended with a silent and private meditation to some soothing and calming music, where I let the music carry away my releases from the time since my latest Full Moon ritual. This was also my way of working with my New Moon intention about releasing more negativity from especially my physical and mental ailments.

We had planned to light a bonfire in the garden, but just as the meditation music faded out we heard the sound of the rain thundering down in a big cloudburst. It was like the Universe answered our workings with a calming and soothing atmosphere that was much welcome.

We have both felt a lot better since the ritual, so I´m pretty convinced that magick is a real thing, to describe it, however, is quite another story.

My ritual altar for the Full Moon in Aquarius

Witchcraft studies during the week

Aromatherapy
Magickal journal prompts

I picked the subject aromatherapy, because to wear a blend as a perfume, sleeping with a few drops of essential oils on the pillow and massage is helpful with anxiety disorder and osteoarthritis. It is also fun and pleasant to work with my own blends of scents and carrier oils.

Aromatherapy has been used since ancient times, so it can be a comprehensive and longer study that needs to be divided up into smaller parts. At the moment I´m researching blends for my ailments that can be made from what I already have of essential oils. I never use undiluted essential oils or eat or drink them, and I´m always careful to test the oils on a small part of my skin before e.g. a massage.

I don´t make essential oils myself, because the process is too complicated and expensive for me. So instead I´ve bought a box with common essential oils, and occasionally I buy one as a supplement, but only if I know I´m going to actually use it for aromatherapy or ritual purposes.

Magickal oils will be my next study project in witchcraft. I like fragrances, and I often use either incense or oil burners to create a comfortable atmosphere when working with any kind of witchcraft.

Magickal journal prompts for a writing day during the Full Moon period could be :

What is the most challenging part of working with witchcraft, where I am as a witch today ?
How can I work more with witchcraft on a daily basis ?
What does witchcraft mean to me ?

The most challenging part of working with witchcraft is to make more out of less. It is necessary when living on budget not to buy as much as I sometimes want to do. It takes a little longer to plan e.g a spell or a ritual, because I often have to check for substitutes to essential oils and crystals.

But at the same time it is also a wonderful way of being able to be truly creative. I get to use what I already have, and I can work with one of my favourite issues, to use my knowledge of where to get exactly that, knowledge for a specific purpose. This is the most magickal part of witchcraft to me. To work with energies, to push and pull, following the Moon´s phases New Moon, Waxing Quarter Moon, Full Moon and Waning Quarter Moon.

I can try to meditate 20 minutes daily in my witch´s den. It is only to actually go in there and bring a pot of chai tea. I will make a daily tea ritual with aromatherapy, reading in my favourite books and relaxing myself to soothing and inspiring music. This will be my creative twist next week to show in writing and with photos what I can make physically out of that challenge, including writing.

To me, witchcraft is a way of life, a path to ancient knowledge and a mental sanctuary distinct from the modern world. I need some sacred space around me to manage the also modern term stress in daily life.

Witchcraft makes me relax and express gratitude to the Universe for the much I already have and the inner peace that is the result of my work with witchcraft on a daily basis. So yes, witchcraft makes me happy.

Blogging, creativity and mastering anxiety

It has been of great value to me to only post once a week. It gives me more time to consider the quality of the content, and it has also been a rewarding challenge to write about 500 words a day. I´ll use more journal prompts in the future to help me avoid long periods of writer´s block, because just by sitting down and write to a prompt makes me want to write more. And then suddenly, like had the Universe tweaked life a tiny bit, I discover that I´ve written a couple of pages.

Pages to edit that is. But there is something stimulating in writing without editing the first draft, before it is written in its full length. It forces me to think twice and thrice, and I believe it makes me a better writer. To write is both skills and passion. Although passion is a great drive to me, I also think that achieving new skills is something that is necessary throughout life.

I plan to read something about writing next week. And to read something new daily. Reading is just as important in writing as the writing part itself. Everybody needs some kind of inspiration. And I like to read and learn from other people. There is always new knowledge to attain, if you only dare to will it. By willing I refer to the fact that reading today needs to be critical, because there are so much nonsense and gossiping about in the world today.

And it is boring. I´d rather write longer posts than just headlines and the latest scandal somewhere. Fair enough, for those who are into that, I´m definitely not. Therefore when I study something, witchcraft or mundane issues, I always read with a critical outlook, looking for quality, not quantity. And I use several sources, not just the one and only.

Creativity has been writing for quite a long period lately. Due to osteoarthritis, due to a creative block and due to not having the inspiration in the moment, I´ve resorted to writing instead. It has helped me getting through some of the worse days, and it forced me to try to be creative about my writer´s block.

But today I´m going to colour some pages in my to-do notebook, and next week I´ll finish painting a picture that has been neglected long enough and cleanup my creative den, where I keep all the DIY stuff.

Mastering anxiety is as always of great concern to me. Recently, I´ve discovered that I have the ability to shut minor anxiety attacks down by reserving the anxiety moment for later that day, my 15 minutes of worry recycled. I either forget completely about it or I cry and laugh at myself for being extra sensitive during this strange, yet familiar transition to the Crone stage in life.

Prescription medicine can do many little chemical miracles today, but there will always be a small residue to handle myself. Again witchcraft is helping me with this real life aspect. I have fewer attacks during and after rituals, so I believe there is a healing effect of working with witchcraft. It is not the witchcraft itself alone, it is also the feeling of an inner calm that is difficult to describe in words.

As a result, I´m getting closer to mastering my anxiety. And as a creative project for next week I´ll make my own aromatherapy blends for anxiety and menopause.

So it is going to be a busy week, but I like to plan in the moment and why not in the moment of writing as well ? Writing is also many little rituals. Magick is what you make of it, sometimes it involves other people, sometimes it does not.

As a solitary witch I primarily work alone. However, in rituals I often have either my husband and my neighbours as guests as well as many visits from my philosophical cats Ozzy, Dizzy and Milo and my wise little dog Kvik.

But next week I´m going to work alone, except for the ideas for photography, where my husband is a great aid. It is also a new way of working with a blog, that there is some visual creativity as well as writing, and I need some time to learn how to make interesting pictures that supports the written material.

Conclusions

Concluding this week´s post, it has also been a productive writing week, and since I´ve worked actively with my New Moon intentions, I´ve been able to write both longer and better. There is still much to do, before this blog shows its full potential.

The time aspect is not as important to me at present moment. My ambitions are to write something worth reading, to learn slowly, but surely, and to enjoy the process as well. There is nothing in just doing what everybody else seems to be doing without at least giving it a try and create something unique and original.

I want to write quite some time, before I invest any kind of money in a blog. And 6-7 weeks are hardly enough to justify the money needed for optimizing this blog. I need to create quality content and feel that this is something for me to do in the long-term future.

With witchcraft it is not quite the same. It is a special way of living that means a lot more to me than I have words to describe. But I know that the magick is working, because it calms, soothes and nurtures the body, the mind and the soul. It can at times be a long and tiring journey, an uneasy path to follow because of this big unknown, does it actually work or not ?

It depends upon what you believe, it works if it was meant to work, it does not it if was not. I put my trust in Karma and rebirth, I love by the Moon and live by the Sun, and I´m proud not only naming me a witch, but also working as a witch on a daily basis.

Next week the Moon is in its waning and darkening phase. There will be some shadow work, if I feel fit for that, a lot of releasing and something extra that I´ll write about in my next blog post right after the ritual.

But for now, my writing for this week is over. I like the challenge 500 words a day, but I would also like to expand it a bit by adding the challenge of writing 500 words at a time. Then there could be much more ideas for content that has the interest of others than myself.

Especially on good days like today, where I listen to thundering drums and crying riffs of a bass guitar while my fingers dance across the keyboard. No anxiety attack, no irritating osteoarthritis symptoms ? No, but today it doesn´t feel like hurting all over the body for no apparent reason but hard work in too young an age for that. And then I easily reach 1,000-1,500 words.

Let me wish you a nice weekend and a happy week dear reader, by saying thank you so very much for the likes. I´ll try to live up to it by continuingly try to learn more about writing on a blog about daily witchcraft and to try writing better each time.

Waxing Quarter Moon Ritual (to manifest and strengthen New Moon intentions)

August 11, 2019September 12, 2019 The Northern Witch 1969Leave a comment

I decided not to have a ritual the day before yesterday, because I needed time and space to relax and recover from some minor anxiety attacks during the week. I also needed to send my 81 years old father home after a great week with him in my home. It is always hard to say so long. There is a physical distance between my father and me, and it is emotionally demanding to see him getting older every time we meet. Time is so short, so I grab every opportunity to enjoy his company.

With these words I also indicate that I´m not only writing about daily witchcraft on this blog. The mundane world is just as important to me, and living daily with a bipolar disorder and osteoarthritis in the body do make it necessary to be able to adapt quickly to changes and degrees of pain. Therefore, I do not make any magickal workings as rituals and spells when having one of the tough days as the day before yesterday.

Writing, however, makes me happy and helps me articulate my feelings, when life feels overwhelming. So I´ve decided to write about my intentions from the New Moon ritual on August 2^nd. The purpose of the Waxing Moon ritual was to manifest and strengthen those intentions. In my belief, it can be achieved through more than one channel of action.

The strengthening part I can as easily write as to make a ritual around it. Writing is also a kind of ritual, where the manifesting part comes from the physical work about realizing my goals.

So be it, and now it is time for some reflections on my intentions that are as follows :

Grow blog slowly (why be in a hurry and make more mistakes than necessary)
Master my anxiety (control it, so it does not control me)
Celebrate my life experience (becoming a Crone also means to take life both seriously and humorously)
Study witchcraft more (make a weekly study plan)
Be more creative (take more time to draw on my Book of Shadows pages)
Release more negativity (make releasing a greater part in my ritual workings)

Grow blog slowly

Concerning the first intention, this week I did look at numbers and money needed for getting a web host/be self-hosting to be able to some day to make some money on this blog. Everything has a price, and I need more time to save enough money to actualize this goal. So the adjective slowly means slowly. I´m in no hurry whatsoever.

To be honest, it will take me a couple of months to actually do something about this. My goal is slowly, but surely, so for the next month or two, I´ll be reading and learning about creating and hosting a website. I´ll probably also be making mistakes, but it is necessary in order for me to learn my lessons.

Living on a budget is what it is. To live good with, if you dare to be creative and know what you want. I want time to save money and to be creative with what I already have. I also want to know the necessary stuff about running a blog, but it is not the technical part that I like to work with. To me, the content and the quality rather than the quantity is more important. My heart lies in writing and working with witchcraft on a daily basis.

So to grow my blog slowly is a recurring goal that is actualized by me writing about it. It is also a process of self-development that is new and challenging to me. After all, I lay a lot of myself into my writing. It is like playing a fine tuned instrument in front of an audience without any other doubt than the human part of a symphony of pure sounds.

The recurring fear of not being good enough, of having yet another writer´s block without warning, of being a bad writer knowing that writing is a skill and most of all a passion.

That brings me to my second intention.

Master my anxiety

Methods to stop oncoming anxiety attacks in the moment has always my attention, because it despite medication is a big part of my mundane and witchy life. I use often my own method of wrapping up my worries in a mental bundle to release at the next appropriate ritual for that. It is to write down what I do not like about anxiety and replace the words with positive phrases as e.g. I´m able to truly “feel” my feelings and to control the negative aspects by adjusting my reaction to them.

If being positive despite hardship does the work, then I´ll do the work too. And it does help to look at difficult matters with a positive outlook. When writing about anxiety I felt it, but it did not stop me from doing something I love, to write. And it should not stop you either, dear reader.

Anxiety can be a physical experience, and I recognize also that being 50 years old and a becoming Crone is to take good care of yourself. It is necessary to rest and to be offline from time to time. The modern world can be stressful, but then it helps to have a third intention about using my life experience positively.

Celebrate my life experience

Why ? Because it has brought me to where I am today. The past is a constant. The future is unknown territory. Only the present moment contains meaning and purpose. I live one day at a time. I do not take anything for granted. And I try to use my intuition more and more.

A long time ago I promised myself to save my worries for the day to my 15 minutes of concern in the evening. I was attentive to it for a while, then I forgot about it. Today I take my worries seriously, but they do not control my life. I take a challenge at a time, and I learn and grow every time.

But it is not only a certain age that accounts for my ability to adjust to the twists and turns of life. It is also life experiences that are memorable for better or worse.

I celebrate my life experiences by trying to be as positive as possible towards life and its challenges. I try to do as much as possible with everyday issues, so that matters are solved on the spot instead of hiding behind bad excuses for not dealing with troubles and worries.

It does not mean, however, that I´m a saint or a self-apologizing cry-baby. I see things as they are, no more, no less. The ability to say no is underestimated in my opinion. Does a positive outlook apply to a person who says no to some things ? Yes, it does, because saying no is also to take care of yourself. Nobody can manage everything all the time. Rest is necessary, so is a no appropriate when I feel that it is a bad day for commitments over one´s ability to respond to them positively.

I do say no when I´m not feeling okay mentally and physically. Spiritually, however, I try to recover by doing something healing for mind, body and soul. I make my work space movable so I can write as often as possible. Days without writing are few though.

My fourth intention was to study witchcraft more and to make a weekly study plan.

Study witchcraft more

However, witchcraft may be ancient knowledge mixed with modern practical stuff. But making a weekly study plan did not appeal to me this week with my father visiting. So instead I studied something about journal prompts that can be of use when having writer´s block. I will try to write prompts myself and in the future perhaps make a post or a series of posts about it.

The plan for my blog is also to be revised and renewed in the coming weeks. So to study witchcraft more at the moment is to look in the index of my Book of Shadows to see what is relevant for the Full Moon ritual next Friday.

I also like to use my intuition in witchcraft, because I do not follow any other path than my own, which in itself is not as easily described as the words eclectic cottage witch. I study witchcraft on a daily basis so a plan depends on my current interests. The intention should therefore be re-phrased to study with intuition rather than a plan as such.

I admit, my life experience tells me to do so. I´ve read a lot about many different things during my life, and I would like to continue on that trail. And that is something to manifest up to the coming Full Moon on August 16 2019. So from Monday and until Friday I´ll study something new about witchcraft, and I´ll write about it after the Full Moon ritual.

Be more creative

This was my fifth intention. It still is my intention, but it depends on the condition of my hands on the day of being creative. My osteoarthritis does effect my hands occasionally, so that I have difficulty holding a pencil or a paint brush on painful days. There have been quite a few days of that lately, the weather is changing rapidly these days too. That effects me both physically and mentally. And then writing comes along as a soothing and calming remedy for any ailment.

Release more negativity

I will achieve this by keeping a notebook just for this. When I encounter any kind of negativity I´ll write it down and either burn or freeze the paper to get rid of any negative emotions and atmosphere that may arise. I will also try to release more by meditation and by rituals designed for that. Appropriate moments for that is e.g. Full and Dark Moons, but releasing can also be refreshing at New and Waxing Moon.

Now I have strengthened my intentions from the New Moon by writing about how I already manifest them on a daily basis and by planning my work during the writing process.

It is also a kind of ritual to write to me. I always have a clean and tidy workplace when writing. I need the peace and calm of freedom from mess. I need to sit quietly, while at the same time listening to the TV and the fridge in the background, looking at my husband and our philosophical cats and little wise dog, and musically typing what springs from my heart and mind. About this blog, witchcraft and life in general from my point of view.

So instead of a review of one of my many rituals I´ve written you through my thoughts about strengthening and manifesting my New Moon intentions. They would have been the major part of the ritual, had the day before yesterday not been so demanding mentally and physically.

It will be my way of working with my writer´s block and witchcraft on this blog, when the mundane world takes its toll on my personal resources. This is not meant to be a place of an impossible quest for perfection. But a place of learning and sharing.

I would like to give my thanks to those of you that have commented on some of my posts already. It is inspiring and instructive to read.

I write from the voice in my heart. I like to listen to the silent calming music of fingers touching the keyboard with the rain pouring down outside as the only sound in the background just before midnight. Or to the thundering hammer of a drum, a crying riff from a bass guitar. Then my fingers dance to another tune, then it is one of the pain free days.

The true manifesting part of all this, however, is to actually do what I´m writing about. To do that I need to go offline and write notes for my Book of Shadows, try out methods to reduce the number and effect of anxiety attacks and enjoy life for what it is. Fun and scary. Mostly fun.

And therefore, dear reader, I´ll return with a post on the Full Moon ritual that I´m preparing for next Friday. Now I´ll withdraw to my bed listening to the sound of the rain. The Wheel of the Year is turning right now, and we are in the late summer season.

Soon it will be autumn. A new season to embrace, to work with, to reflect upon. That means shadow work, creative treats like making your own candles and indoor activity. Plenty of time to be creative. Including photos in my next post. Today I deliberately decided not to insert any photos, because creative writing should be enough making a post worth reading. Less is a lot more when used with common sense.

Weekly witchcraft, Lammas Sabbat and New Moon Ritual

August 3, 2019 The Northern Witch 1969Leave a comment

Weekly witchcraft

This month´s writing challenge is to write about witchcraft on a weekly basis, with the big rituals as a recurring theme. My goal is to write between 1600 to 2500 words once a week. I need to survive my current writer´s block by challenging myself to write anyway.

Why write that way, when the title of this blog is daily witchcraft ? I wish to be able to write fewer but longer posts so that I may use my time more effectively. I want more time to study some practical things about how to maintain a website and how to create the big rituals on a day-to-day basis, as I plan to prepare my rituals on the very same day, as it is meant to be experienced. Normally, I prepare a big ritual 2-3 days before the actual date, but I would like to know if it fits in my daily routines also to plan it on the spot so to speak.

The practical and often technical aspects of maintaining a website is yet to become a favourite kind of work. I prefer that things are simple and easy to implement, so I´ll take the necessary time to learn about hosting a website and how to begin to earn a little extra money. My goals here are long-term, because I´m in no hurry at all. After all, my primary interest in this blog is the content and in sharing my knowledge about witchcraft. And in order to be able to write longer posts on a regular basis, I need to work hard with my writing skills and experiment with what works best for me and hopefully my readers too.

How to do just that ? Well, by writing at least 500 words a day, it´s a start. To write without editing the first draft, before it is written. And to write on different pieces of work at the same time to keep my interest alert and to defeat my great ability to procrastination. Concerning the website part of the deal, well, there is only one way to do it. To sit in the chair and read, read and read. To make useful notes and to decide where to buy what is necessary, not what looks smart, but just isn´t the solution to my needs.

So my plan for today´s post is a minimum of 1000 words, 2 days work. And if can manage that for a week, then I´ll have a post of 2500 words to present. Sounds like a fair challenge to try out.

Lammas Sabbat

The Lammas Sabbat is a harvest festival that I celebrate to say thank you to the Earth Mother and the Universe for all my blessings. Yesterday I called upon the elements again to attend and guard my ritual with a comfortable feeling even though my anxiety was frowning at me. I have had a few bad days lately, so I had to plan the ritual on the same day. And it was successful. While I was planning the ritual, I kept my anxiety at distance, so that my inner turmoil was preoccupied with something more useful and positive.

I made a mini ritual, where I ate an apple and recited a prayer for Lammas, and I made a Tarot spread about what I have harvested in terms of experiences with witchcraft, what I need to let go of and what to focus on the rest of the year. I got Pentacles and Cups, one pip card and the rest court cards, also the shadow card. In my interpretation it is about what I already hold (my ability to write something worth reading) and I need to let my anxiety go. It is the key to my writer´s block that I´ve been thinking too much on being afraid of having an anxiety attack and on fear of not being a good enough writer to keep a blog running. My focus for the rest of the year will naturally be both witchcraft and this blog, but it will be in matter of content rather than formalities and technicalities. That part must be studied, but in my pace only.

I chose an orange altar cloth to symbolize the colour of harvest, and I used rose incense, and eucalyptus, rose and sandalwood essential oils. I also used crystals corresponding to Lammas (amber, aventurine, citrine, clear quartz, obsidian, tiger´s eye and tourmaline). As decoration I used my big herb knife and 2 wheat dolls as seen on the picture below.

New Moon in Leo

I said a New Moon prayer after I had written down my intentions for this Moon cycle that I´ll be celebrating in all its phases this month. I used rhodochrosite and moonstone crystals and rosemary essential oil for my New Moon spell. My intentions (which I will let you follow during the month) are :

Grow blog slowly (why be in a hurry and make more mistakes than necessary)
Master my anxiety (control it, so it does not control me)
Celebrate my life experience (becoming a Crone also means to take life both seriously and humorously)
Study witchcraft more (make a daily study plan)
Be more creative (take more time to e.g. draw on my Book of Shadows pages)
Release more negativity (make releasing a greater part in my ritual workings)

After a couple of minutes of concentrated meditation I closed the circle. It was a bad day yesterday with many side effects of necessary prescription medicine, but I felt a lot better after the ritual. It really helped me through the day to go about and plan on the spot what to work with magickally. That´s what I truly love about witchcraft. No matter how bad a mood I may be in before a ritual, I´m always feeling as reborn when it is done. But I only work with witchcraft, when I´m feeling well and able to defy my ailments. I will rather cancel than perform something less than satisfying.

It it going to be a strong magickal month, because we are having a Black Moon this August. That is when there are two New Moons in the same calendar month, and it is a powerful time for magick workings. So it will be both demanding and great fun to plan and work the remaining four rituals, the first being the Waxing Quarter Moon ritual next Friday, where I´ll try to manifest and strengthen my New Moon intentions.

In the meantime, I´ll be busy studying both witchcraft and website management. I look forward to write a little bit everyday from Monday and then publish it on Friday after the ritual. Blessed Be. So it is.