Month: July 2021

Payment day. Grocery shopping day. And dinner with friends day.

Feeling good after a busy day, however, but now it is also okay to need to come home and relax. So the philosophical cats and the little wise, old dog are fed and happy. The groceries are put in place. And I just finished cleaning my creative desk.

Tomorrow is a momentous day for me. Then I will embark on the next step of this fantastic, terrifying, and irresistible journey being a writer.

It is finally time for writing the first draft of my trilogy, my psychological thriller. About the extent of pure evil and egocentrism that we humans can treat our peers with whenever there is the slightest opportunity to do precisely that.

When it is least expected, when it is done from a selfish point of view, and when it is most destructive.

My characters have absolutely no defense regarding dubious morals, egoistical motives, and lousy manners. Yet they come into the claws of my badass of a female villain.

From then on, chaos rules until the inevitable resolution of problems as long and complicated as the highway to hell.

I´m happy, excited, and scared as never before. Will I be able to write what I have been thinking about writing for so long now? Will other than I and my loved ones find my novels worth reading or listening to? And will all my hard work finally pay off positively?

Oh dear Universe, tonight I pray a silent prayer to pave the way for my muse to gently land on my shoulder and begin whispering alluring words as direct inspiration.

However, feeling good after a busy day, partially affected by my mood swing for the quieter, the contemplating, and the downside.

I know that my mood has changed by now. Now the main issue is to try to return to the faster lane as soon as possible. In addition, my seasonal affective disorder lurks on the horizon of fall. So, there is every reason to be highly attentive to the needs of my body, mind, and soul.

Therefore, my Lammas celebration on Sunday, August 1, 2021, will be themed the personal harvest time. And I only prepare my casting and closing of the circle. All in between will be random. I need to practice magick my very own way.

It is right here, right now, that life happens. And I intend to make the most of it all.

Next week, we will get our second shot of the Phizer vaccine. I´m continuing to be alert and cautious when out among other people than my daily sphere of loved ones.

In Denmark, people, in general, seem to care less and less day by day. I don´t need to read it in the Tarot cards, but I´m pretty convinced that things will change dramatically when fall hits on just a month from now.

I´m proud of myself because I no longer allow anxiety to gain control over me when I read or watch the news. Instead, if it is something that I can do something about, then I react.

I try not to overthink so much. The world is star crazy, humans are behaving their worst to the extent of being both reckless and direct stupid.

Things need to change, and rather sooner than later.

We try to recycle, we try to shop less, and we try to adapt to whatever situation we may face. Yet, sometimes I feel that we are drowning in plastic, garbage, and trouble from the outside world.

The prices have risen over the recent years. Courtesy is not far from becoming extinct. And daily, we learn about people behaving like spoiled-rotten curling children.

My home is my shield to the outside world. Here, we practice what we dare to speak loud about.

We have had a great life, my husband and me. But also taken our toll on the highway to hell. Luckily, we took the right turn when we got the chance for badly needed change.

Now, we share a unique life, a life that we didn´t dare dream of only 5 years ago.

For that, I´m grateful. That gratitude will be paid back with the first draft for three novels, a trilogy, in American English, although I´m Danish by birth. And with a psychological thriller like no one before.

I might as well aim high from the beginning. And I know that I can do it. I have every possible opportunity, means, and motive to do my best and create something challenging to forget.

On my creative desk, there are both the results of spellwork and my attempts to create a magical space where I´m staying the next many months ahead. I made a spell bag for this blog some time ago; it works. More people are joining us here. Thank you and welcome.

I have a small pendant with a red crystal and a pentagram, a goddess pendant, and anti-stress balls for the hands on my desk. I always mix the old with the new. And all the stuff in-between, those things I create, especially when I´m in the silent mood.

It is perfect for concentration-intensive work. My birthday present from my father was a nice little sum of money. Around 100 dollars. Today, I bought 2 miniature houses that need to be built by a creative friend and me.

When they are finished one day, I will present them to you, dear readers and followers.

Today, I also choose not to include a picture in the blog post. Sometimes, it is enough to write soundscapes between the lines, create a familiar feeling that we are here together, even though we are apart by geography.

May your weekend be wonderful, festive, and happy, dear readers and followers.

May the harsh realities of life remind us all that we need to stop behaving like the master of the Universe. Mother Nature is pissed, and I absolutely agree with her. So it is.

I can feel it coming, slowly to begin with. But then, it comes full throttle, and out of nowhere, I´m thrown straight into the beginning depths of a luring depression.

Changing my mood once again, and I absolutely hate it.

Therefore, I try to short-circuit myself as much as possible so that I don´t fall so far down the deep well of tears, regrets, and paralyzing catastrophe thoughts.

I don´t mind being born bipolar. However, I most certainly prefer to be on the higher end of the scale between flying oh so alluring high and falling deep down under what I´m capable of doing.

My SAD (seasonal affective disorder) will show up sometime in the fall eventually. But if I can work hard to delay it, then I´m all in.

Writing and being creative save the day, and besides, I´m in the middle of my menopause. So there are both the hot flushes and the annoying mood swings. I begin by howling desperately to the moon, only to end up laughing hysterically at something serious at an inappropriate time.

This week has been pretty busy with lots of coffee visits, conquering my daily chores, and getting to know my new laser printer. Not the one that I ordered to begin with because delivery would be delayed until September 23.

For about 50 dollars more, I got a better model, it is way easier to use, and I only waited one day for it to arrive at my doorstep.

Online shopping has become my favorite choice, rather than physical shops. But in recent months, since we had to make a painful and difficult decision of letting go of a toxic relationship, I have been more out on trips, including grocery shopping.

This change is essential to us. We have renewed an old friendship, befriended rare good people, and experienced much better things.

Yesterday, I wrote as were the Devil himself chasing me. I now only have about 60 pages to read and write notes about. After that, I will begin my printing marathon. Probably somewhere between 500 to 600 pages need to come alive on print.

Changing my mood once again won´t stop me from trying to achieve my goals. However, it may be at a slower pace, it may try to trigger my procrastination, and it may feel uphill.

My motivation for writing my novels and staying creative is at the same time the “cure” for my underlying apathy when in the depressive state of mind.

But please don´t misread me here. I´m alright, thank you, and I feel happy and content with my life.

My counselor told me that my level of compliance is very high and that I have reached a steady state with my bipolar disorder and my anxiety.

It is the same when I´m in the fast lane. My inner enthusiasm is evident, loud, and untamed. And that trait is something that I cherish and can´t live without. My internal drive is my most vital creative power, and it is at the same time me in a nutshell.

I try hard to learn to live with severe and complex ailments, both physical and mental. My main aim is to create the kind of “normal” that fits my size.

Therefore, I may need a push in the right direction when I´m feeling the blues. But, not, when I´m where I´m at this very moment, I´m writing this to you, dear readers and followers.

Changing my mood once again is yet to happen. I´m just fine-tuning my many strategies for coping well with my mental disorders. Being prepared and go all-in when necessary is my top priority. I don´t ever again want to experience a roller coaster on the loose as in 2017.

So, I keep fighting back every inch. Finally, I have parked the anxiety in the corner, kicked the bipolar in the butt, and told Self that everything will be just fine as long as we don´t rock the boat.

Predictability, the path to achieving inner peace, and acknowledgment that change is the only constant to consider in life. I´m living in the present moment, and the only thing I can change about my past is my attitude toward it.

I thrive with my loved ones, creative projects, witchcraft, and you, dear readers and followers.

And I´m proud that I managed to handle a bad situation positively without even raising my voice. That I could stand up for what I believe in and love. And that so many positive things have happened ever since.

Tomorrow, I get to work with varnish. My beverage coasters need that to shine and be both practical and beautiful. It will take place outside, of course.

My plan is to work myself through a garden photo safari at the same time.

Next Friday, I will show what my sweet husband has worked so hard to please me with. He´s quite capable as a gardener. His talents are numerous, by the way.

His best trait is his honesty and ability to show true love.

My family is not only traditional. My family is a rainbow family of a family by blood, family by friendship, and family by online readers and followers.

Thank you for being my greatest inspiration, for supporting me in my endeavors, and for being present in my life.

Tomorrow, I will ask my husband to join me in a witchcraft ritual where only the casting and closing of the circle are prepared beforehand.

I will carefully choose what to put on my altars. Little, deeply cherished, and symbolic objects, like, e.g., my athame, my pentagram, and my new, homemade Tarot cards. I printed out the Marseilles deck and laminated the cards.

I prefer them in black and white, although their origin is colored.

May your weekend be blessed with sunshine, happiness, and the presence of good people. And may the world soon come to its senses, make us people care. As we will it, so mote it be.

This one is for you.

I´m happy and proud to write for you every Friday and whenever something feels essential. Today, it is important to me that you feel at home here.

As a writing witch, I may roam many different fields, mix the genres, and be another writer from what you are used to.

I have no strict guiding lines. My main concern, however, is to come up with something worth spending time reading.

I only have my own life to write about. It is a beautiful adventure for me, and I hope to write in a manner that gives you the feeling of being here with me.

I have fought hard for what I have today. Finally, my dream life has become a reality. And if my writing makes you feel comfortable and at home here, then my goals are met.

So, dear readers and followers, please feel free to comment, bring suggestions, correct me if necessary, and expect to be listened to.

Thank you for being here, for staying, for your patience whenever I make a mistake with the English language.

I live a simple yet complicated life with my sweet husband, a little wise, old dog, and three philosophical cats. Every morning, my most important task is to thank the Universe for the many possibilities that I have to live a truly extraordinary life.

I became a witch after the devastating loss of my beautiful classic car stolen and burnt to ashes five years ago. I needed something completely different from meaninglessness and trouble. Witchcraft has fascinated me for many years, but I went all-in in 2016, and I found what I sought after.

Happiness, inner peace, good health, and kindness.

It has meant so many positive things that I only can recommend it for others to try. It helps me focus my efforts on what really matters in life. It helps me conquer my mental disorders and physical ailments. And it helps me become the best possible version of myself.

I became a writer after my hospitalization and my bipolar diagnosis. I´m brutally honest about it because there is sadly still much prejudice in the world about mental disorders. Besides, you, my readers and followers, you would notice if I wasn´t.

And my main aim here is to write the truth about life and my experiences with it so far.

I have written for as long as I can remember, but I didn´t dare to show it to other people because I did not believe that I was good enough.

Now, it´s different. Now, I write my heart out daily, and it feels like the right path for me to walk.

In only 15 days from now, I will begin writing my first novel. No more notes, no more reading, and no more doubt.

And when I´m good and ready, I will introduce you to a psychological thriller with a female villainess.

But today, this blog post is focused on the joy I feel when a new reader and follower arrives. So, if I have missed anyone, please feel free to contact me to follow you back.

My personal email address is henriettemaddog@hotmail.com.

And by the way, thank you, dear readers and followers, for being inspiring and creative, too; I like what I see and read from you.

Today´s picture is personal. It is my new birdbath for the garden. A heart made of concrete and pebble stone. May it symbolize the friendship we share here, may it bring joy for the birds, and may it spark creativity everywhere.

Speaking of creativity, my next small project is to decorate six beverage coasters. I begin by making my own stencil for yet another set when this one is all used and tired someday. Then I don´t need to buy expensive DIY gear to create something both practical and beautiful.

I like to recycle. I want to pay Mother Nature my deepfelt respect, for we humans really do need to think more than twice right here, right now. We simply cannot continue our ways.

We need to re-connect with Nature. We are a part of it; we don´t own it.

And we live in very different and much more dangerous times right here and right now.

It is now that it matters what we choose to do. Nature doesn´t wait for us to decide whether children should get the vaccine or not. So I will get my second shot of Pfizer on August 5, and I uphold my strict precautions.

Denmark is under re-opening, but the numbers keep rising now. Well, Oscar doesn´t go to stupidity, recklessness, and downright egocentrism.

This Corona-era is not a blipping, booming, ding-donging game show.

Get real, look, listen, hello, calling Earth ???

Please, dear readers and followers, take good care of yourself. Unfortunately, the European Championship in soccer showed that many people do not care about anything but themselves.

A crying shame that is.

Less is so much more in modern times. So we are in daily physical contact with less than 10 people. And my father and I meet mainly on the cellphone because he will be eighty-four years old on January 20, 2022; if only we protect him as much as possible.

He is vulnerable, however vaccinated, because he is a cancer survivor.

Our former neighbor, Thyra (pronounced Tyra), has promised to bring him by car whenever she visits her daughters and grandchildren. And to take him back, too.

Therefore, any day in September will do miracles for us. I believe in miracles, and I believe in people. Only, life has taught me to speak the truth about what I know.

So, I don´t believe in just everyone. I need to know people before I dare to believe in them.

Trust is something sacred to me. If broken for the sake of selfish wants, well, then I´m afraid that one door will close forever. Another door opens, and every choice has a consequence to accept.

There you go, dear readers and followers. 1.000 words and three sentences in an hour. May your weekend be blessed with love, friendship, happiness, and inner peace. So mote it be.

Yesterday was busy, hectic indeed. With my friend and my husband, I helped create something both practical and beautiful. My friend made a birdbath with a big leaf from our thriving rhubarbs in the garden. My husband and I created a heart-shaped birdbath with beautiful pebbles on the edges.

They are still drying. Therefore, today´s picture will be of another garden pride instead; my husband´s new den he has created over the past three years.

The afternoon meant two visits and a couple of hours of concentrated talk, fun, and laughter. And then, at evening coffee time, the phone rang, and our dear friends wanted to see us for cake and coffee.

After such a day, with annoying arthritis pain, I was tired and decided to stay on the couch to enjoy a good movie on TV. Rather than writing bad stuff, I prefer to wait until I feel better.

Today, it still hurts, but now I feel fine, refreshed after a good night´s sleep, a morning walk in the garden, and a couple of painkillers.

It is summertime in Southern Denmark. We may have lost the European Championship semifinal, but we got a great team, and I´m sure they will make it all the way another time. Yesterday, we had a major downpour in the afternoon, yet the weather was more than fair at the end of the day.

Such happenings tell me as a writing witch that witchcraft and magick are everywhere. If you only dare to let it happen to you.

For the last two couple of weeks, I have had excess physical and mental energy. I´m not using too much power, however. It is the first time in my entire life where everything seems to work together, where the meaning of life is crystal clear, and where living in the present moment is the only alternative to a world in deep trouble.

I have used that energy to tidy and clean our kitchen. It shocked me at first. It has been four years now since I was hospitalized and diagnosed with bipolar disorder. The psychiatrist told me that it would be a couple of years before I could dream about a full recovery.

By full recovery,  I mean to be the best possible version of me. I was born with the disorder; it will follow me for the rest of my life. The anxiety disorders will do too. But it is okay, Self. The critical issue here is to do my best every day.

I found old stuff in the kitchen that told me a story about how far away mentally I have been. My husband has worked so hard to help me get back in the saddle. Thank you, love, for my life. And thank you, dear readers and followers, for making my window to the world a wonderful place to write my heart out.

Summertime in Southern Denmark means tasting new potatoes from the garden, watching beautiful bouquets of my husband´s many flowers, and enjoying a bonfire in the garden in the evening.

It is so short, the Danish summer. We have a little more here in the southern parts. Still, the first harvest festival, Lammas, is only a few weeks away, the second coming up in September at the Fall Equinox/Mabon, and the third being Samhain in October.

So it is all about making the most of every situation and creating lasting memories as they happen.

On my whiteboard, I have written my writing plan for my first novel. Then, in August, I embark on the second stage of my endeavor to become the writer I have always dreamt of. And I begin with my characters.

Reaching September through October will mean writing a road trip. November is reserved for backstories, and in December, the plotting process kicks in.

What happens after that, well, that´s my prerogative for some time yet to come to know about. But when I feel that I can introduce you, dear readers and followers, to snippets of my novel, I will post it here on the blog.

Next week, I dedicate myself to creating beautiful witchcraft rituals and intense studies of the settings for the novel.

This weekend, the settings rule. They constitute a significant part of the novel, so I need to absolutely sure that I have enough background data to write as authentic as possible.

It is not only a dream journey for my characters. It is also a dream for me, and if I had the resources to go there myself, I definitely would go. But it is also possible to travel in your imagination, as long as you do thorough research first.

So, I watch real-time webcams, read loads of background materials, and do frequent checks to be updated with what´s happening right here, right now.

Summertime in Southern Denmark, therefore, also means hard work, business as usual with me. But I simply can´t sit still for more extended periods. So it is better to be busy using my excess energy to be both practical, helpful, and happy at the same time.

I know that eventually, my mood will turn to a quieter, more depressive state of mind. So I do everything I can to prolong my best version of myself. Still, I have learned the hard way that it is equally important to rest a lot, especially with excess energy.

My bipolar disorder tricks me not to notice when I´m overloaded and stressed physically and mentally. And medicine and therapy cannot cure, only support my own daily hard work.

So, I rest a lot, and yesterday, writing was not the right option for me.

Today, however, writing feels easy, comfortable, and life-affirming. And there is witchcraft around me as well. I have at least three rituals to archive, a small meditation with a cup of chai tea, a few lit candles, and incense will cleanse my soul this afternoon.

May you enjoy happiness, inner peace, good health, and kindness, dear readers and followers.

I got my first vaccine shot on Thursday, and yesterday, I decided to postpone my weekly blog post for today. Frankly spoken, I was too tired to write anything at all. As with magick, I don´t write if I´m not feeling up to it.

But thank you, dear Universe, for witchcraft, blessed be.

This is what today´s blog post is about, witchcraft.

Due to personal concerns for the last few years, I have not yet explored as much as I would have preferred concerning witchcraft in practice.

I have four ring binders, an army of ritual books, enough accessories to establish a small business, and every possible opportunity to enjoy my witchcraft studies for nearly five years.

At Samhain, I plan to make a beautiful celebration of that, including a dinner, a long ritual, and many preparations.

There have been so many mundane issues to take care of during those five years. So, whenever I have felt that I had the needed energy to practice witchcraft, I have tried my best. But I want more of that.

Now, chance has made it to feel a new energy in my body, mind, and soul.

My first venture onto the path of witchcraft is to tidy and clean my witch´s den, my other magickal spaces, and my creative spaces as well. For magick is not only present physically in my life. I carry it with me wherever I may be.

Today, I will walk around in my home, taking notes and pictures. Tomorrow, I will do the hard work and make my magickal spaces feel inviting and comfortable. And document the change in paper and on photos.

To be able to tell the difference later on, because the past five years have been a crazy roller coaster tide between up and downs at a blinding pace.

Now, everything is calm again, the past issues have been solved, and I have never felt better about life.

Therefore, the time is also to more witchcraft in my daily life.

My plan is to cleanse and recharge everything related to my magickal practice by creating a cleaning ritual for tomorrow.

I will begin by lighting a candle and sage incense. Then I will empty my ritual altars around the house, place the content on my creative desk, and clean the altar spaces. And I´ll keep working with new places for my many witchcraft-related accessories.

As I work my way through everything magickal in my life, I´ll release any excess negative energy that has influenced my thoughts and actions over the past five years.

If the weather permits it, I will ask my husband to join me at a bonfire in the garden, where I´ll repeat the releasing part of my witchcraft cleansing ritual. If not, I will do it over a lit candle in my witch´s den.

Next week, I will create a beautiful partnership ritual, because my husband and I really need to recharge our mental batteries. Including a positive spell to enhance my writing adventures, the themes of the ritual are love and creativity.

Witchcraft, blessed be. It helped me remain sane when my beautiful old classic car was stolen and burnt to ashes in 2016. It stood by my side when I had to seek professional mental help in 2017. In 2018, a toxic relationship began, and people we trusted took us for granted.

2019 was different, for here I departed on my blogging journey. 2020, well, it was a challenging year in so many ways that I believe it is best released and left for Karma to handle.

But now, in 2021, I´m in my early fifties, feeling great, happy, and content with my life.

Therefore, I also believe that it is about time to look into the joys of witchcraft again and here on this blog, too.

I still haven´t found the grand master plan about the future content on this blog. Right now, it feels better to simply write my heart out and do it because I can´t resist the temptation to find out if other people like my writing.

There is witchcraft in my writing as well as anywhere else in my life. I tend to create mini altars everywhere in my home. The atmosphere is magical here behind the keyboard today because I have lit candles on my desk, as you can see on today´s blog picture of my creative desk.

Not just every other candle, but in two glasses that I have decorated with a special friend I have reconnected recently.

There are fresh flowers on my desk, there is great music in my ears, and I have absolutely everything I need close by me.

The little wise, old dog lies in his basket at my feet, my husband rests with an annoying headache, and there is all peace and quiet here.

Witchcraft, blessed be.

After this blog post, I have a book from one of the main destinations in my first novel to create valuable notes from.

In the necessary breaks, I will go through my witchcraft stuff and create an updated inventory. I need to know exactly where my things are at, otherwise I will spend way too much time searching for details rather than spend it practicing witchcraft and magick.

Concerning my creative writing process, I now have a whiteboard on which I scribble my novel writing plans for the remains of the year. It is a lot of hard work ahead, but I believe that I can do it.

I will create a lot of magickal rituals this summer. But it will be future rituals, for I don´t have time to make them in Fall and Winter when my writing process will demand me full time.

In return, I will need many, many breaks during this writing marathon. However, I will try to connect as many of them as possible to witchcraft-related matters.

May your weekend be blessed with positive energies, happiness and joy, and laughter and peace. So Mote It Be.