The Northern Witch' s Blog

Feeling a bit tired physically, I have just played and painted a large picture with an almost four-year-old fantastic girl. Sweet, fun, between a toddler and a big girl.

I love her untamed energy. There is nothing like a child laughing and having fun in every way possible during tough times.

I´ll be used to it because it is both a necessity and a great joy for me to use a couple of hours every day as long as it takes.

Today, I still follow the news, but I´m also taking care of myself. I sit in my living room with a bingeworthy TV-series. There is as always music in my ears, and today´s blog post may seem ordinary. But, believe me, there is nothing ordinary going on.

We are being told what to do now. And here, we listen and we do what we can. I just cancelled my weekly consultation and asked for a phone call when possible. My counselor has more than 85 citizens to take care of, and I can easily wait.

I think a lot today. And I have noticed the silence in the streets.

I need to do something creative to divert me from a brand new day with new regulations to learn and respect. So I write from the bottom of my heart.

I feel anxiety today. But I´m okay. I can handle it. I have everything I need. I have family and friends. My health is okay, there is enough food, and I can be creative wherever I am in my home.

I´m happy and content. Being attentive gives a good night´s sleep. And mentally, I´m growing stronger for each day.

I have to be strong right now. We all have to. But it will be a hard journey.

It´s time for learning lessons. To appreciate the much we have, if we stop for a time and think about it.

I want to spend time with people, but we have to be careful around each other. So the time when my husband sleeps or is busy taking care of us is often lonely and tough to deal with.

Especially when it is only day two in a changed world. It is time for a writing session if no chores need to be done.

The witch in me is planning the Sabbath Ostara/Spring Equinox. Where day and night have equal length. It´s time to balance, to enhance inner peace, and to ask the Universe for better times.

The writer in me wants to let my fingers dance quickly over the keyboard. It´s time to return to my novel, I got all the inspiration I could wish for regarding tension and possible conflict.

But the person behind, me, I fight today. It is an inner battle between my moods. I cross my fingers that the light one, however fast, prevails. I´m sure it will because life has taught me how to fight for making the most of every situation.

I look for the positive in everything I do. I can handle negativity, for I banish it from my personal sacred space. As I will it, so mote it be.

The present moment feels safe, although I´m feeling quite a lot of anxiety today- It feels like a locked gear, the anxiety shows me its icy teeth from time to time.

Well, I´m in control here, thank you. I got my medication in time, I use my sacred witch´s den to gather my thoughts, and I use this blog as a diary in these days.

Now we grow up. Our basic plan works, and there´s only one thing to do, to keep on trucking, to keep on doing our best to create a sacred space to feel comfortable with, and to keep on believing in better times.

The world spins faster today, even though there is deep silence in the streets. It helps to write about it, a little less scary everything is after a writing session.

I enjoyed a longer nap together with my husband and four sweet animals. I need to speak with my 81-year-old father this evening. I need to get this out of my head. I need to tell my self that I´m okay here.

At the same time, I feel prepared, ready to fight my way through this, and scared like never before.

It was quiet outside before, when the little wise, old dog needed to go to the garden and do his stuff. He lies peaceful next to me, as I write these lines.

Writing takes time today, it´s feels uphill, but I go forward one word at a time. As we do with this new everyday.

I listen to the news, but I also seek comfort in my little piece of this crazy world. Today, it´s tough mentally.

The picture today is of my sweet, little, wise, old dog Kvik. He is almost ten years old and a true friend and companion. Always sweet and happy, always eager to play and cuddle up and stay close to me.

A quick call to my father was bliss. It was good to hear his voice, and at the moment, he is coping like we all are.

In 10 minutes, there is another press conference with our Prime Minister. I´m going to watch it, and then I´ll take a short warm bath, dress comfortably, and throw myself into the art of writing a novel.

So, for now, this is my hope for the world: stay safe, stay at home, be attentive and take it easy tonight.

I send my thoughts, my positive karma, and some hugs. Today we need it.

So, I came through last night, although it took some time to fall asleep. Today, I have played with a seven-year-old, tomorrow another turn with an almost four-year-old awaits.

Now, it´s Thursday evening. I´m considering the blog post for tomorrow. This time it almost feels like writing an online diary. I write what I feel.

And today I feel a bit overwhelmed. Many new regulations to get to know. And all along, the news running on and on. I have them in the background every once in a while.

Surreal also to watch other people, the Danish people go hoarding. It is so shameful to be a Dane tonight. We are supposed to help each other and especially the old and the weak.

But here at my place, there is peace and calm. We take all this day by day, hour by hour. Mentally, I´m a bit tired tonight, and it is okay to both feel like this and write about it.

We are about to change our laws, our society, and the way in which we behave.

It is a new reality. It is really happening right here, right now.

I have waited the whole day. But now I feel that my decision about not writing on my novel a whole day was the right one.

The words are flowing so much easier tonight. I listen to instrumental music with an occasional choir.

I need to watch the news at nine p.m. Then I will write for about an hour and go happy to sleep.

Writing helps me come through this . And my family, friends for life and almost a clan of special, good people few feet away and some at a impossible distance at the moment.

As so many others try now.

My bipolar mood is in the fast lane, but I got my medicine in time without hoarding. And I´m positive, yet attentive to what happens around me.

I´m okay. If I don´t feel like it from time to time, take it easy, I´m okay, I tell my self.

The world is spinning fast enough without this. My only solution is to remain calm and listen to what the authorities say. To help whenever possible.

My diversion is to be creative and do something I love and can do here at home.

So, tonight that is a sigh of relief to prepare to write on a project like a novel.

It is day one in a new perspective. We made it through the day without trouble. Thank you, dear Universe, for making this day possible.

And thank you to the many people working hard to keep the rest of us going.

Tonight, our country changed. Already, people are buying like crazy, although we are told to be patient and take our precautions, but also to act responsibly.

I think a lot tonight. My father is 82 years old. But we are all at risk here.

It is the first time in my lifetime that we see so drastic measures in our country. It is fair to say that our Prime Minister and our authorities are doing their best to make this tolerable.

We need as citizens to listen and to act with responsibility and care for others than ourselves. In the small town I live in, there has already been the first post about voluntary help to people in quarantine.

Tonight, I´m sending loving energy and positive karma to all special people wherever you are right now. That includes you, dear readers and followers.

Please take good care of yourself, this is changing times for real.

In order to keep my thoughts in check, I have decided to write my way through it this night. Tomorrow, I will play with the kids next door for the schools are being shut down now. And I will make something beautiful and creative. With as many different colors and materials as possible.

I need to think of something other than Corona-virus.

We have a basic plan her when things go crazy. It is to make the best of every option available to get through this. And we will get through this. Somehow. Some day.

Right now, the most important thing is to remain calm and get used to a life in slow motion. The next is to stay updated on the news. And then check that we have what we need.

Our big country-wide shopping companies has ensured that there is enough food if we don´t hoard.

It´s alright to feel a bit overwhelmed. It´s okay to put words on the anxiety. And it´s fair to ask the world to quiet and to ask people that we help each other and learn to keep doing it.

This will cost in many more ways than money.

Thank you, dear Universe, for the much I already have. Forgive me for eventual grammar errors. Tonight, I just need to rant and to feel and come to terms with this.

This is not good, not good at all.

I´m in strict control of my anxiety tonight. I use all my strategies and yet I also want to curl up like the three philosophical cats and my sweet, little, wise dog.

But I keep on writing. It´s going to help me through this strange night. An ordinary Wednesday evening in March 2020.

Tomorrow, I´m going to print my first six pages of my novel. The pages are headed for the wait pile. In a week from now, I will know the exact direction. I have chosen one way now, and I´m going to stick with it.

Every time I read the words aloud, I can hear if it doesn´t sound right. And these six pages keep coming back to me.

To go on from there is a more demanding task than I could ever have imagined. But I can´t help but love the art of writing more for each day behind the keyboard.

It also helps to write here. I have a lit candle for healing right beside me.

In the background, there is news on the TV. Every once in a while I look up and take another deep breath.

I am staying right here, right now.

My bipolar is switching to the faster rhythm. Maybe it is a good time to be able to recharge often. It will be necessary later on.

But for now, there´s nothing more to do than to get a good night´s sleep.

So, dear world, take it easy and calm down.

I think not. The news today startled me for a brief moment that went into an hour and a half by now.

The Corona-virus is affecting my country, and it´s time to take sensible precautions.

Today, I feel the importance of writing my heart out. I need to tell my loved ones that I love them, I want to run, but there´s nowhere to go. Not that I want to go anywhere right now. I sit in my living room, with my novel unfolding before my eyes.

Two days have passed now since I began this part of the journey about writing a psychological thriller. Oh, world, today you are such a thrill, black irony may be present. Now I know the first tender touch on the keyboard, changing into a fast melodic rhythm when a new novel has begun.

It´s a funny thing that writing stuff. It is precisely as difficult as I imagined it. Yet it is irresistible, enticing, and enchanting. I bow for the writers before me – it is hard work to write. But it is worth every sigh, every doubt, and every second of my time.

Today, I have put my playlist on random. It gives me time to make sensible breaks in my writing session. Even though it is kind of chilly outside today, I´ll go and get the picture for this blog post from my husband´s beautiful spring backyard, where there are countless spring flowers in full bloom.

My husband and the little wise, old dog sleep peacefully right beside me. My sweet neighbors are close by, and I have everything that I need in close range. I´m grateful for my life right now. I spoke on the phone with my father, and he is well and happy.

I can´t do business as usual behind the keyboard anymore. I have changed, I can feel the words come alive when I touch it with dancing fingers that follow a distinct rhythm, from slow, careful little taps to the big panorama, the ultimate feeling of freedom, the very reason I write. For the love of it.

The world situation is what is, and we must take it as it comes. To think twice and be extra careful is always sensible, but today it became real to me. In a few minutes, everything stood still. Then I realized that life goes on despite any bumps in the road forward.

We are travelers in time and life is meant to be lived right here, right now.

So I will think, I will listen, I will be careful. But I will also fight every inch of the way and only lie down when my time is up. After all, I´m a Dane by birth, and I honor my Nordic gods and goddesses for their strength and encouraging outlook on life.

But I will also live my life the way we do things here.

We have made a basic plan for what to do if anything should happen. The first rule here is to keep calm and think before you act. The next step is to ensure that we have what we need and stay focused and calm. Therefore, dear Universe, please keep my anxiety in check.

Today, I especially don´t need negativity. I know it is necessary to be extra cautious these days, but I´ll try not to make it affect my everyday too much. So, in a sense, it is business as usual behind the keyboard, for I need to write a certain amount of words to feel whole.

On the other hand, I can´t quite let go of the world of today. Is this the calm before the storm? I will try to create a healing spell for the Universe to take and grant people needing it. On Monday, it is Full Moon, and it would be appropriate to make a healing ritual here.

I wrote dialogue this morning. And it sounded good. So for now, it is in my first draft, chapter one is on its way soon. I have decided to do word-counting only in the evening after a good day´s work. It is useful to count words when practicing to write longer.

However, when writing a novel, it feels better to wait with the word count. It sets me free not to think about the number of words that I just wrote. And it surprises and enjoys me more when I find that I have accomplished more than I expected.

I write at the moment that inspiration strikes. To make it happen, I listen to great orchestral music, classic rock´n roll, metal, and modern music. It usually takes 5-10 minutes to warm my fingers up and find a writing rhythm that delivers something worth reading.

If nothing happens in half an hour, I make a break in my writing session and do something completely different. This morning, I finished two delicate little projects for my husband and cleaned my creative den from yesterday´s stale energy.

I feel better now. It always calms me down to write. And today´s blog post is a mix of partly ranting, partly to keep on trucking no matter what. I have told my loved ones and my extended rainbow family that I love them and that they are the backbone of my ability to write.

We are as prepared here, as it is possible to be. Being attentive, but still get the daily chores done, is my best alternative answer to the world of today. Well, come on, let´s boogie-woogie. Change is the only constant we humans can be sure to meet.

The past was yesterday and cannot be changed. But I can change my reaction to it and make life a whole lot easier. The future is still unknown territory. So I take it easy, I live my life in the present moment, and I don´t waste my time waiting for something to happen.

May your week be blessed, dear readers.

This Friday, it is almost surreal to watch the news. Corona, scenarios of chaos and uncertainty. I listen carefully, and I take my precautions. But most of all, I live my life in the present moment.

I have done that a couple of years by now. This week, I´m on a writing holiday. By my free will, I promised not to work with my novel for a week. Two days ago, I finished my preparations. Five months of hard work completed.

But it doesn´t mean that I can´t write anything. I need my daily writing routine. It feels better after a writing session. I´m calmer, feel I have accomplished something, and I feel alive. Writing is good therapy for me.

Living in the present moment means a lot here at my spot on Mother Earth. The past is way down memory lane, useful only for the human nuances of life. The future, unknown territory, is taken into account, but life is here and now.

My thoughts may jump from time to time. I´m the kind of person who uses a positive outlook as a shield against the ups and downs in life. I have seen enough, heard even more, and I don´t need or desire negativity.

I have learned to grab the root of the issue right away rather than avoiding it until the very last minute. In due time is right here, right now. So I do what I love, I write about anything but negativity today. I will fight every inch of the way to get the most out of everything.

The Sun is also fighting and winning more and more time. I did enjoy my coffee in the garden this morning. Only a few moments between the clouds, but awe-inspiring nonetheless.

So, there was news on TV about the corona-virus that has also hit Denmark now. We have good healthcare, but anything can happen now. Living life in the present moment is a necessity now. As it always has been and will be.

We live our lives as positively as possible. However, we do talk about the difficult things as well. They are also part of the present moment whenever they want. As a rule, we don´t need to create problems ourselves, they come and go throughout life.

It is not always as easy as writing about it. It hurts sometimes. It takes its toll on us. And it challenges us. Experience has finally taught me how to cope with the everyday and the world of possibilities in my mind when I´m changing moods.

It´s okay to swing a little. It is also a good time for me since I´m beginning my novel in a week from now.  It gives me the extra mental energy that makes it possible for me to stay in the seat behind the keyboard or pen and paper.

The horses stamp in the ground; they want to be let loose and run free. But no, they´ll have to wait a few days more. Then there are always the notebooks to go through and organize. Or there is a creative project waiting to finish.

This weekend will concentrate on playing with and caring for two sweet girls, one seven years old, the other almost four. They fill my heart and soul with joy and love. They are so direct, so wonderful unspoiled, and so great to spend time with.

It is also time for another brainstorming session with my husband. Somehow, he knows my weak points and dares challenge me with them. It has already helped me a lot during the last five preparing months.

But today is all about finding the positive sides of everything. I was lucky enough to get extra counseling from a team of social workers who know what they are doing. So I get one hour every Friday to learn to cope with the everyday after years of psychiatric care.

It´s the phase where you don´t want to have a setback. I´m still insecure about many things concerning my mental ailments. It´s a privilege to get help in today´s society. And I take it very seriously and try to learn as much as possible.

After a great session with someone empathetic, both as a professional and as a human being, I feel cleansed and ready to face the world. In the present moment, I´m restless due to the physical side-effects of prescription medicine. Then I know it´s time for a small break.

I´m also fighting a series of anxiety attacks that have irritated me for two weeks in a row. I´m pretty good at closing them down by the use of breath control. During the minor attacks, it is useful to try to breathe as calmly as possible.

If that doesn´t help, I turn to focus on my surroundings, by counting how many things I can see, begin working with something that demands concentration, as the last brush stroke on a painting. Or I ask my husband to hold my wrist against his so I can feel his pulse and instantly begin calming down.

If a significant anxiety attack strikes, I have learned to keep a solid basis to rely on if necessary. We have arranged a routine if I one day should need intensive psychiatric care. I have learned it the hard way. It took quite some time to understand and respond to positively.

It is not about age or social status. It is a human thing to be vulnerable. Most of us won´t recognize that aspect, but it can be real for us all one day. And when that day comes, I will be ready. It´s only natural to feel and to allow oneself to do it.

I think it is important to write about that side of life too.

May your weekend and week be blessed, dear readers and followers. May the Spring Sun shine on you and may it bring joy. As we will it, so mote it be.

The birds sing about the coming of Spring. The local creek flood the surrounding area, close to the local supermarket. My husband bends over a flower bed to the sound from the local radio station. The wise little, old dog sniffs in the air with his left front leg held elegant and interested.

In my window sill, there is a jar with sea salt and seven bay leaves. It calls to Nature, to Mother Earth. It is a consecrated and blessed jar. It is supposed to shorten the time before Spring is here. Sea salt for we have a plan about gathering our extended rainbow family and go to the ocean in Spring.

Today is beautiful. The dog got dirty feet from splashing through the more or less muddy ground close to our well-known walking path. Now, he sleeps next to my husband in our living room. Ten years in a couple of months.

Time flies, and we humans fly with it. This Winter has been different, windy, and wet. Icy, watery cold, or the first signs of Spring in the air. On the earth with way too early Spring flowers. The sun fights a fiery battle with the remains of Winter.

My bipolar disorder shows its teeth these days. I fight my inner battle with tenacity and determination. I am learning to cope with the fact that I must conquer myself every morning. Every day is precious and irreplaceable. At times, like today, it helps me write something worth reading.

I feel what I write. And when I write, I let my feelings follow my mood swings for a little while. It helps me recover from anxiety, and it grounds me. I also write what I feel. Today I feel content, happy, and convinced.

That my project about writing a psychological thriller soon gets very real. In just a few days, I will begin the most inventive step of the journey. Begin writing the first sentence. The first paragraph. And chapter one.

As a witch, I have created and worked with charm bags, charm bottles, and meditation. As a writer, I have prepared myself for almost five months. I know that I may have to return to the research and the many notes in my writer´s notebook, now both on paper and digital.

But now I don´t know how to wait for much longer. To release the horses for real, to let my fingers play with words to music, and to realize my life-long dream. A couple of days ago, I got my grammar app, my antivirus updated, and my notes are close to being rewritten.

The coming of Spring has always fascinated me. Those few days to remember. The feeling of Spring is fresh, chilling, and like coming home. I long for the possibility to sit outside in the garden and write parts of my novel.

It is time to begin new projects. My project this Spring is to use witchcraft as a source of inner calm and anxiety relief. The next Full Moon in early March is an appropriate moment for a little meditation and a ritual focusing on methods to preserve the inner peace that always comes thereof.

My novel project is already five months old. After countless hours of reading, tons of pens, paper, and notebooks, and a lot of writing and rewriting, it is fair to be proud and content with the work behind all this.

I am grateful for the support from my family and friends. They accept me using many hours behind the keyboard or bend over pen and paper without any complaints. They know how dedicated I am to this. And they understand that a passion is born.

I am now so prepared as I can be for this wild rollercoaster ride that´s about to take off. Until then, I collect as many loose ends as possible. I reread my notes and notebooks. I have transferred it all to my laptop and only need to connect my cell phone as well.

This weekend, however, is dedicated to creating something beautiful, just for the fun of doing it. I have all the necessary materials ready and only waiting for me to dig in. It is always sensible to take longer breaks away from the writing sessions.

Sometimes, things need to stir for a while. Sometimes, the writer needs to do something completely different. And sometimes, inspiration strikes in the middle of something else than writing. So although I´m doing DIY, there will always be pen and paper close by.

The weather has changed once again. The lurking cold is back with the icy wind and the seemingly never-ending rain. The three philosophical cats are back inside from their garden den and have been fed and pampered.

My husband now prepares dinner in the kitchen. Beside me lie the notes to rewrite later today. Behind me is a table on wheels where I keep my writing tools. And to the left, next to the table, is a bag with a witch´s ritual dress that needs a loving repair.

Yesterday, I spent a couple of hours in my creative den with the little wise, old dog and a cat or two. I love the atmosphere at all my work stations. They are clean, tidy, and organized. I have learned it through trial and error for too many years to want it any different.

Therefore, there is always writing gear all over the house. Since I prefer coziness at all times, I have carefully arranged it, so the feeling of being both comfortable and prepared is attainable. It means a lot to me due to my many mood swings.

The medicine keeps the swings to a tolerable minimum. My stubbornness and general positive outlook on life and its ups and downs do all the hard work, as it should be. If you are not prepared to work for your goals, you won´t get that far.

Have a blessed week, dear readers.

This morning I woke up to the flowers on today´s picture. My husband was up early and went to get the groceries. The roses were neatly arranged on the kitchen counter for my eyes only to see. Today, we have known each other for eleven years and six months exactly.

He is the love of my life. The king of my everyday. About love, there is much to be written, about the everyday, only a few have the guts to praise it. I´m one of those rare people that have nothing to complain about but occasional side effects of the combination of physical pain, bipolar disorder and anxiety.

My everyday means everything to me. Here I live my simple, yet complicated, life of mine.  Share it with a very special person, my husband, a very special rainbow family, my nearest neighbors, and a very special group of three dogs and three cats. And enjoy every moment of it.

To be rich in happiness, to be successful in gaining inner peace, to be fairly wealthy in health, and to feel cool with kindness, it is my goal in life. Slightly changed words from a quote whose author I´m still searching for :

 “Happiness is the new rich. Inner peace is the new success, Health is the new wealth. Kindness is the new cool.”

Today, it is also St.Valentine´s Day. I celebrate it with 4 lit candles in my living room with my wise little, old dog, one of the three philosophical cats, and my husband close to me. I´m in the mood for writing something about love and the greatness of the everyday.

The love of my life and I have been through hell and back. I love him to the Moon and back, he´s my true soul mate for life, and I cherish every moment with him. He´s also my best friends, my fierce ally, and my worst critic.

We have seen it all, heard even more, and been there and done that. So the past is the past, a constant reminder of a completely different path to walk forward together hand in hand. The future is unknown territory, a one-step-at-a-time experience and daily conquest with commitment and deep loyalty.

The present moment, however, right in the middle of the everyday, is where we share our lives and go through the natural ups and downs of life. Yes, natural because everything happens for a reason, so where there is action, there needs to be a reaction as well.

As a witch, I believe in Nature and Mother Earth, I trust the Universe to handle the big issues out of human reach, and I release any sort of negativity to Karma, I use a magickal circle on my floor in my witch´s den with Nature as my church.

I follow the rhythms of Nature as much as possible in modern times in a town in the Southern part of Denmark, surrounded by an evermore crazy world. I try to implement the inner peace from witchcraft to my everyday.

There is greatness in the everyday. It is here the most important things happen when you pause for a brief moment and think things through. Where the boundaries for love is explored as well as the limits for self-respect are tested.

Love is like a rose, there are always thorns in the side. Sometimes it hurts to love. But it is a joyful price to pay for the many positive effects of love. We are a happy couple with only a few disagreements now and then.

We take the time to talk about the things that matter in real life. We speak the truth directly and to-the-point. We also laugh a lot, for laughter heals and strengthens the deep spiritual bond between us. For we have been though enough negativity now.

The everyday deserves to be praised, for no ever-so-perfect future plan holds any guarantees for success or even realization. It is only in the present moment that we can truly make a remarkable difference.

Today´s stream of consciousness just seems to evolve by itself. It is first a slow performed waltz, then switching to a longer and faster piano tune, followed up by inciting thundering drums and crying bass guitar riffs.

My writing playlist has grown long and needs to be updated. So my plans for the coming weekend is to listen to a lot of different music, according to my writing moods. I need some music for my characters in my novel to dance and twist and turn to.

Therefore, I´ll make playlists for the major parts of the novel. I write my best when I listen to inspiring music at the same time. I´m more concentrated on my writing, I relax in the shoulders and in the back, and I write more and for longer periods of time.

But today is about love in the everyday. So my husband and I will have a delicious homemade dinner, share a movie together, and enjoy each other´s presence. In our big, little home, in our cozy living room, in our daily life.

My husband rests now. He was in the garden for a couple of hours, and he needs to relax after that. The little, wise old dog lies on a pile of pillows and my husband´s bathrobe. The one philosophical cat chose to stay near the central heating, while the two others wanted to be in their outside den.

The beautiful roses stand on the table in our living room. The room feels like a secure and comfortable den to embrace and enjoy for work and relaxation at the same time. I shift often between workspaces, depending on my mood of the day and time of day/night.

I´ll stop for today wishing you a wonderful weekend and an inspiring week, dear readers and followers. May the world become more aware of its full potential tomorrow. As we will it, so mote it be.

Life is a thrill. I´ll take an everyday situation and ask the question what if. What if someone turned up, something happened, and the world is a changed place already. Then I will take the genre relevant ingredients and mix together a story worth reading.

A story that takes my readers to a fictional place in a fictional world. A story that allows them to dream themselves away on a journey of thrills, twists, and turns. A story that feels like riding a rollercoaster on the loose.

The elements of the psychological thriller are both gripping and subtle. In the human mind, there are many shadows. I want to explore some of the shadows in the human mind. Maybe just to remind me that we are all fragile inside as well as in touch with evil.

But most of all, to let the horses finally run free, to let my fingers dance across the keyboard to the music in my ears, to let my imagination and my experience form a story like none written before. A high aim it is, I know.

The doubt in me disappeared with the discovered love for writing, reading, and creating little stories worth reading. I´m not into the fast action scene with gory details over and over again. I have read enough about, seen enough of it.

Psychological violence is just as dangerous, action-packed, and scary. The way manipulative people have ways to get under our skin. Little by little, seemingly innocent little clues to something going really wrong, really fast, and really serious.

Life has taught me to handle my life experiences well so that they do not show in my writing too much. I keep personal scars to myself for they serve no longer anyone. But I watch and notice people around me. People are capable of anything under the right circumstances.

To try to stop evil from winning the cat-and-mouse game is also an inner moral struggle. Humans share both good and evil. We live with inherent evil in ourselves. But there is a huge leap into the abyss of mental distortions from that.

It raises a question: Are some people born evil? And if so, how do we handle them when we come across them? What is right, and what is wrong? Below, I have listed some of the elements of the psychological thriller that I´m currently working with in my novel:

• Fear and anxiety in unpredictable ways, unstable characters, and distorted perceptions
• Unreliable narrator, third-person limited, and past tense
• Conflict between the minds of the villain and the hero, high stakes, backstory with present effect, and dual climax
• Ticking clock, MacGuffin, and surprise effect in the end
• Dark foreshadowing, the threat of the story, and all about the villain vs. the hero
• Side-kicks with inner conflicts and baggage, character growth/lack of growth, and moral dilemmas

There are many more to pick from because a psychological thriller is almost always present in some form in a thriller as in the term of genre expectations. I will update this blog post when I pick something else to work with from the many tropes of the thriller genre.

At the moment, I´m transferring my handwritten notes to the laptop. I have chosen to create a folder only for my novel. So it is a kind of melting-pot from which I can pull background information when I´m writing my novel.

I´m also contemplating the plot, but it takes time and many considerations before I´m truly ready to write freely. I will write both a short and a long synopsis, perhaps try out the Snowflake Method where you build on first a sentence, then a paragraph and so on.

My novel structure will be like this: minimum exposition to present characters, setting, and conflict, rising action and the calm before storm, climax, falling action with surprise, denouement and the least of two bad choices with a twist and a surprise ending.

My husband and I have long conversations where we discuss the novel in details. After that, I write on the journal entries of my characters and my other detailed folders. Every time, there is a new layer to deal with. One thing is to describe people, another matter is to show it in the writing.

So for my novel, I will work hard with my descriptions so that my characters show what they feel and think about their situation. I like the idea of an unreliable narrator who engages the reader in the story if told well.

In the psychological cat-and-mouse game, it is all about outsmarting the villain. It is also about having believable and relatable characters. My novel deals with the unnoticed dramas in the everyday. Where psychological violence is often overlooked and almost tabooed.

We humans don´t like to look ourselves in the mirror and find the inherent evil that all humans share. We are afraid of evil. We should be. But we should also be better to deal with the effects of evil, especially in everyday circumstances.

Maybe then we could learn to understand and help the victims of manipulative people much better than we do today. To recover from the chaos after psychological violence is both a matter of choice and a long path to walk.

It is a matter of choice because we must learn to say nay to dominating and manipulative people in due time before they get under our skin and hurt us for life. It is a long path to walk for often the manipulation is deeply rooted and not easily exchanged with a more positive outlook on life.

Now it is time to end this blog post with my best wishes for the weekend and the coming week to my readers and followers. May you be able to outlive your dreams and make the best out of everything. And may creativity and joy of life be a growing part of your lives. Yes, So Mote It Be.

Today, I´ll show you how I work with a charm bag and a charm bottle. I have a charm bag for the growth and prosperity of this blog, and I have a charm bottle for creativity in the work with my novel. The recipes are a mixture of dried herbs, crystals, salts, and oils.

When I make things like that, I always make them before a ritual so that they can be blessed and consecrated in the ritual. It is also a way of binding spells that I use on a regular basis. And so far it has brought me what I asked for.

I´m so lucky to have readers and followers on this blog. Thank you for your support, patience, and presence. It inspires me to do my best and preferably better yet with time and practice, practice, practice.

Creativity is present in my life with every possible option to choose from. I´m grateful for the ability to be happy and believe in the positive sides of life. Not disregarding darkness and negativity. There needs to be a solid balance between the ups and downs in life.

The key to that is to let go of what no longer serves you and try to make the best out of everything. It is also to accept that there are good as well as bad days. But even a bad day can turn out better with a positive outlook and attunement to change.

The charm bag and the charm bottle are symbols of my innermost dreams. The possibility to write with freedom of speech is worth praising. Combined with the ability to write well enough to be read, it is a great privilege and a great responsibility to do it for real.

Words may not move mountains, but they do change the world from time to time. Therefore, I always choose my words with great care, for there is enough fake news, prejudice, and hateful behavior around in the world of today.

When I work with a charm bag or a charm bottle, I typically keep them close to me or the place they concern. I often include a candle that I light on certain occasions. Perhaps I will read a couple of lines from a favorite poem or a witchcraft prayer.

I carry them around, I look at them during my work, and I feel that they bring a positive atmosphere that aids me in whatever I´m doing. And if I believe in that and it works for me, it´s a fine way to work positively with myself and my life. I can recommend it, but I cannot guarantee that it will work.

To me, it all depends on the intention behind and the following work with the charm bag and the charm bottle. I believe that it is necessary to work with them both when I make them and after. Creating them is not enough.

If I want growth and prosperity for this blog and creativity in my writing I need to do some serious hard work myself to realize such goals. So the major part of the work lies in the work I do in real life. Intentions can be well-meant, but what are they worth if I don´t do the necessary work to achieve them?

And last but not least, either it works or it doesn´t. Then it wasn´t for you to achieve. Then there are many other goals to strive for. And then the magick becomes real. So greater the joy when things actually do work when you do your part.

What to expect in February and March 2020

I decided not to plan my blog content for the months of February and March 2020 because they are busy months where I plot my novel and begin writing the first draft. I will continue to publish blog posts on Fridays, but I will allow my imagination and my creative energy to decide what to write.

Next Friday, I´ll probably write about the elements of the psychological thriller that I did not manage to write in January. It has been a busy month, gathering the last notes and interesting views on how to write a psychological thriller worth reading.

I now only need to go through my notes carefully to check if I have missed something important. This weekend it is time to brainstorm my novel. Then my plotting work begins. A whole month may seem like a lot of time. But believe me, it is not when you begin your work.

Now, I have studied and researched for four months in a row. It is time to release some of the horses so that a story can be born and an outline can be created. But yet I save my greatest strength and energy for the drafting period. It will be there that I find out if writing a novel is something for me.

I believe it is. For I have stories to tell, I want to thrill and scare the living daylight out of my readers. It must be an adventure to read, so there needs to be plenty of roller coaster moments and chills down the spine.

I can feel my characters coming alive in my mind and from within my soul. It is a lifelong dream coming true to actually be in the process of writing a novel. And it is a lot of hard and lonely work. But it is worth every inch of the way. It makes me happy to write.

With these words, I conclude four long months with a few leftover notes and articles to read. Now the process becomes tangible, now it is time to use every bit of creativity in me, now the fun and also difficult work with constructing a believable story takes off.

May your weekend and week be blessed and freed from stress and worries. And may this crazy world finally find the ability to make peace with itself.

It is my aim to use a month to plan my psychological thriller. I have chosen this genre because there is room for the twist and turns that I prefer in a book worth reading and in a film worth watching. I need it to chill down the spine. To be at the edge of my seat when writing, reading, and watching.

I have used almost four months to prepare myself for the task. And my husband will be my best critic during the process. At the moment, I´m gathering loose ends in my research and saving the research about setting and locations for the planning period.

I´m also contemplating the right point of view, for both my antagonist and my protagonist. I´m considering the physiology and psychology of my characters. And I´m taking a day off from time to time for life is not only writing, although it now plays a major part in my everyday.

I currently work with the concept of less is more. Therefore, I only write on this blog on Fridays and only write a thousand words at a time. I also try to declutter my mind as often as possible, for I need clarity and concentrated focus when I write.

Constructing a story from an idea

It began with one word, then a sentence, and so there was a paragraph. The idea just struck me, what if I could do something that I have always wanted to try?  What if all it takes it to sit down and actually do the work behind writing a novel? And what if I could manage to write it for real?

Ever since I have been busy studying as much as possible about writing my choice of genre and the psychology behind the great villains and the heroic protagonists. They need to match each other, so I plan to work with a lot of character development.

My novel will be driven by the characters and their inner conflicts while creating and solving the plot in the novel. My idea is yet to be evolved during the plotting month. But it is an idea that keeps returning to me as if insisting on getting written.

So far I have written a couple of pages of dialogue, there are many notes to go through, and it is only a week ahead. So this is it, now I´m actually going to work in-depth with my novel to be. And this is where the fun part begins.

It is like building the puzzle of my life. Only fantasy sets the limit now. I have thought about a few scenarios for possible high-action scenes with strong emotional effects on the reader. Where there is no escape but the quest for mental survival from more or less distorted minds.

I want to create little, sneaky mini-climaxes, an emotionally demanding roller coaster ride, and a feeling of eeriness from page one until the end. I want to show the mind behind the scheme, the female version of a clever, ruthless, and evil villain.

I ask the questions who, what, where, when, why, and how. To keep my idea fresh so there is always room for alterations if need be. It is okay to change during the plotting process. If it feels right, I´ll use the material after a comprehensive brainstorm.

This is my project for the first weekend in February 2020. Until then, my idea lies dormant without being affected in any way. I hold my horses, I know the work will be better if I wait and release my saved energy for that weekend.

I have chosen to use a month for the outlining process. I believe it is possible to get the work done by that time. It is also necessary for me to have a fixed deadline due to my inherent tendency to procrastinate.

Outlining the story into a novel

After a brainstorm, it is time for the outlining process. I plan to use a storyboard and index files for the plot of my novel and my characters. From now on, I will write a daily journal entry for each of my characters so that I get to know them little by little.

This is also where I´ll be contemplating my choice of themes for the novel. And I can´t wait to begin writing backstories, character sketches, and the flesh of my story, the plot. Then my notes will show their true value. It is almost time to fill in the blanks.

I have yet half a book to finish, 2 ring binders of notes to go through with a highlighter, and a couple of notebooks to fill out with relevant notes. The work of this weekend and the coming week concludes four intensive months of research for my novel. It has been a tough ride at times, but always fun.

Now it is time to get an overview of my collected material. Before I unleash the worst nightmare, the ultimate mental roller coaster ride inside distorted minds, and the scariest moments I can think of. I believe I´m ready to embark on the next part of my writing journey.

The writing is not free just yet. There are some fixed assignments to attain before I begin my first draft in March 2020. I plan to follow most of the guidelines I have found for the psychological thriller. So the structure is pretty fixed already.

Next Friday, I´ll write about how I work with a charm bag and a charm bottle. I have a charm bag for the growth and prosperity of this blog, and I have a charm bottle for creativity in the work with my novel.

May you have a pleasant weekend and a prosperous week, dear readers. May creativity inspire and brighten your life. And may you be able to see the outline of your dreams so that you can put them into reality. As we will it, so it is.

Today, it is the Waning Quarter Moon. A week after a Full Moon, it is appropriate to try to let go of what no longer serves me. But it is not an easy project to deal with. Attachments from the past are hard to bid farewell. It feels too safe, too comfortable, and too risky to let go of whatever we humans cling to.

But nonetheless, it is necessary to let go from time to time. I know by personal experience through fifty years of trial and error that it is unhealthy to cling to what no longer serves me. Therefore, I make a virtue of working with my shadows and especially to let go of the past.

The past is a constant. The future is unknown territory. Only the present moment matters. This is the only moment we truly can grasp and do something with. I call it an art to let go. And so it is because it takes a toll on me every time I do it.

It is worth the efforts, though. To forgive and let go is not the same as forgetting forever. It brings me more time to more life-affirming activities. It enables me to feel inner peace. And it heals me in a subtle way that is difficult to describe.

This is me, aka the Northern Witch. Today, I let go of those parts of my past that contain negativity of any kind. I prefer to try to be happy in life, I don´t need looking back at anything but positive experiences.

I try to transform negative experiences into something positive and useful. So, to let go is not the same as to forget and move on without ever remembering the past. The art is to try to make positive memories from whatever happens in life.

Typically, when I work with the art of letting go, I write down the specific things that need to be released and burn the paper. But I believe I can also do it by writing about it and releasing it into the Universe when pressing either delete or publish.

Often, it takes more than one patient session before I truly feel that I have let go of past attachments. But each time I try it helps clarify what I do and don´t need in my life. I may not be able to control change but at least I can control my attitude toward it.

The art of letting go is a recurrent ritual in my life. But it is only with my daily practice of witchcraft that I have fully understood the value of doing it on a regular basis. I include it in many of my witchcraft rituals because it feels appropriate to do it here.

I always use grounding as a way of cleansing my sacred spaces for any stale energy at the end of every ritual, and this to me is another way of grounding unnecessary worries. Past attachments are often build-up psychic energy that is better used on more positive matters.

There is no need to worry about the past since we cannot change it. We can, however, try our best to live our lives in the present moment and to embrace change for better or for worse. That I do by letting go of what no longer serves me.

What no longer serves me is yet another matter. It depends on many different aspects, e.g. my mood of the day, the discovery of an unhealthy pattern through shadow work, or how close I keep my attachments.

Past issues can be of a sensitive nature, so I only do this kind of work when I feel fit for it. It can be mentally demanding to deal with issues in the past, so I don´t do it when I´m anxious or feeling depressed.

Being bipolar means a close relationship with mood swings. Today, most of it is regulated through prescription medicine, but my own responsibility is to try to control the rest by staying positive no matter what life throws at me.

So, I always try to create a warm and positive atmosphere when I work with the art of letting go. Tonight, I have enjoyed lit candles, sage incense, and a cup of my favorite chai tea while writing this blog post.

I don´t run from darkness and negativity, but I try to remain as positive as possible. I know that life is not black or white, it is a rainbow of colors and opportunities. Everything comes at a price, what comes up, must come down. Every choice has a consequence. And we always leave something behind.

Rather than letting it haunt me, I face my inner fears and dare to let go of any attachment to the past that doesn´t serve me in my present life. That doesn´t mean that I leave my memories behind, I only adjust what I want to spend my energy and resources on.

It frees a lot of creative energy that I need to reach my goals of writing my first novel and creating a daily witchcraft routine. It has changed my outlook on life in general. And it has enabled me to move on with my life and get the best out of everything.

If in doubt, I always consult with my bathroom mirror. There are truth and brutal honesty in the look there and it is my ultimate guide if everything else has been tried without luck. For there I´ll find what I seek, and it is a pretty strict judge to look into the eyes.

Next week I´ll write about what it is like to plan a novel in a month. But for now, I´ll let go of this week´s challenges and wish you, dear readers, a pleasant week. The art of letting go is also to know when it is time to stop doing it and move on. This time is now, as I will it, it is.

I have decided to postpone the publishing of this blog post until February. I´m still researching the subject intensively before the plotting of my novel in February. And I just don´t feel ready yet to write this blog post now.

However, if we look at the world right now, there is so much thrilling stuff going on that I feel a need to write something straight from my heart. My thoughts go out to people and animals in dire stress this very moment.

Instead, I send a prayer to the Universe to help stop the devastating fires in Australia and to make people listen rather than fighting each other every day.

Dear Universe.

I´m writing this to you

In the hope that you will rock the elements

Into calm and healing the scars

From people fighting each other

For no other reason than the fight itself.

I´m asking you politely to help the world to stop for a brief moment

To think twice before re-acting the same business as usual,

To listen before talking the same shit all over again,

To speak with kindness rather than being controlled by greed.

Please, balance the element of Fire with Water, Air, And Earth

And let the fifth re-establish the order in chaos.

As we will it, so mote it be.

Happy New Year, dear readers, today, I´ll show you how I plan a witchcraft ritual.

The most important part of a ritual is the intention behind it. Therefore, I´m careful to think through why I feel that I can accomplish something with a ritual rather than anything else. My intention behind the first ritual of the year is to wish good luck to my novel.

I`ve decided to make a charm bag, filled with herbs, crystals, and a wishing prayer. I will consecrate the ingredients with symbols of the five elements before I put them in a paper tea bag. For me to carry with me for inspiration and hope.

It will be a full ritual with an evocation of the elements and invocation of the goddess Hecate, my favorite Crone goddess. With plenty of time for happy conversation, since my neighbors and my husband will participate in this first ritual of the year.

I plan the ritual to take place next Friday at Full Moon. Today, it is the Waxing Quarter Moon, and it is an excellent time to make wishes come true. So, I plan parts of the ritual as I´m writing this blog post. The personal parts I keep to myself, for there must be an element of privacy in practicing witchcraft.

The personal experience is the second most important part of a witchcraft ritual. It is the moment of truth, now you get to see for yourself what magick can be. And this is impossible to put into words, you´ll have to experience it yourself to truly feel the difference.

I can only try to use my words to describe and show what witchcraft means to me. It is my spiritual guidance in life, it is a feeling of coming home, and it is a wonderful way of living. I have changed since I began practicing witchcraft. I´m more calm, happier, and more content with my life.

I will include a couple of personal prayers in my good luck ritual. I know the stakes by now, and it will be the most difficult yet interesting journey in my life. To write a novel has been a life-long dream. Now it is about to become true, as I begin the journey on March 1^st, 2020.

Next Friday I´ll write a longer blog post about the elements of the psychological thriller. Today, I only have 500 words in my hands, as I´m sick due to pneumonia. But the writing helps me keep the spirits up, and I´ve also been on my morning walk with the little wise, old dog.

I will end my ritual with a release of the elements after burning my personal wish for my novel. I will use sage incense to clear and clean my witch´s den for any leftover stale energy from last year.

May your week be blessed with good luck, good news, good people in your everyday. So Mote It Be.

Testing techniques

Backstory, active voice, and the stream of consciousness. Foreshadowing. Write like a movie camera.

These are just some of the techniques I´ll be testing in January 2020. To have an idea for a novel is one thing. Another matter is to write that novel. Therefore, I have been studying a lot this fall and winter. Now it is almost time to practice what I´ve learned.

I´ve dedicated January 2020 to practice. To write short stories about the ideas I´ve gathered for my novel. It´s only a few pages yet, but I´ll raise the stakes along with the planning of the novel in February 2020.

Some research is yet to be completed. Now the devil is in the details. To achieve a certain kind of realism in my novel, I need professional advice, and I´m preparing relevant questions to ask when necessary.

Today, I´m testing the inner monologue, the stream of consciousness as I´m writing this blog post.

At the same time, it is the last blog post of the year 2019. It has been six great months as a new blogger. I know I probably make a lot of mistakes, but without them, there wouldn´t be something to learn from. And I´m grateful for my followers and readers.

It is a special journey to take part in, and it is a privilege to have the freedom of speech. I wish many more people were able to enjoy it too. But unfortunately, the world is as always a crazy place with disagreements, disputes, and wars between people.

My Christmas wish for world peace was not fulfilled. So I hope for this New Year that the world will try to reach that goal in 2020. Then there truly would be something to celebrate.

I celebrate six months as a blogger by sending a big thank you to the many bloggers I´ve been following and learned from. For inspiration, thorough knowledge, and love for writing.

I also send a silent thank you to my ancestors for the ability to write something worth reading. To play music with the words, to let my fingers dance across the keyboard, to feel like flying on the magic carpet when writing.

Sitting in my living room, I´m listening to epic orchestral music and contemplating this year. It has been an extremely speedy year. The seasons have passed so quickly that I hardly can follow along. I try to stay afloat with the mundane world outside my home, but it is getting more difficult.

I last saw it on Black Friday. The craziness in people around me, the stressful hour-long queues, and the amount of money being spend on plastic products. I asked myself, why is this so important that some people are willing to park their car in a big flowerbowl at the shopping mall?

No, I prefer a simple life without too many surprises in my everyday. I have heard and seen enough of how people are capable to behave. I prefer to know a few people whom I trust rather than having a large number of flatterers who are the first to leave you when the shit hits the fan, pardon my French.

And I know such special people. They are right beside me in whatever I do. They are close family and friends. It is not biological, it is a choice for life. We live in a happy rainbow family, and I´m proud of it. It makes my life complete, special, and worth living.

We do experience conflicts like everybody else. But we talk ourselves through them and help each other adapt to whatever challenge life may throw at us. So the worst conflicts I save for my novel, where they should be.

So, yes I have seen many things and heard even more in life, even though I´m only fifty years old. Today, there´s a lot more going on than in my childhood and youth. The world is an ever-changing place, and there is only one way, forward.

Nevertheless, I believe that mankind could easily behave much better if people only dared to try more than they do today. To be kind is not hard. To speak in a friendly tone to and with other people is not difficult. And to be polite towards other people is not in vain.

But it is getting rare these years that people treat each other with respect and care. It is as if everybody is hunting down the golden calf at any cost. And for what? Happiness cannot be bought or sold on cheap bottles to crazy high prices.

True happiness to me is to be fairly healthy, to be happy and content in the present moment, and to get the most out of everything. I don´t need yet another plastic item to fill my time with. So I prioritize my buyings, and I only buy when it is necessary and affordable on a strict budget.

And that practice I´ll be taking with me in the new year. To use what I already have before buying, that is my goal for 2020.

What to expect in January 2020

Due to my current novel project, I´ve decided to publish only one blog post per week in 2020. My publishing day will be Friday. During the week, I´ll be working with my novel in-depth, practicing daily witchcraft, and considering good content for this blog.

• Friday, January 3, 2020: The first ritual of the year, good luck to my novel
• Friday, January 10, 2020: Elements of the psychological thriller
• Friday, January 17, 2020: The art of letting go
• Friday, January 24, 2020: How to plan a novel in a month
• Friday, January 31, 2020: Working with a charm bag

What´s left for this year´s last blog post is to wish my readers and followers a Happy New Year. May 2020 be your year, where your dreams come true. As we will it, so mote it be. Blessed Be.

Looks like this:

• Zen and Taoism
• Nordic and Egyptian mythology
• Gods and goddesses
• Crystals and Chakras
• Spells and rituals

The rest of this blog post is dedicated to my family, my friends, and my readers. It is because of you that I thrive as a human being, a writer and a witch. So thank you for your support and care.

2020 will be a busy year for me. In a couple of months, I´ll be writing my first novel. In a home surrounded by witchcraft in every room. My writing may be a craving need, but witchcraft is essential to me in my everyday.

So besides writing a novel, I plan to study and explore elements of witchcraft that to me means a world of difference. I like the concepts of Zen and Taoism, and it inspires me to read about Nordic and Egyptian mythology. I work with many different gods and goddesses, and I often use crystals in rituals.

When I work with these things, I instantly feel calmness and relaxation in my body, mind, and soul. And there is always more to learn for a constant seeker like me. I need to work in-depth with what I love to do. 

But I also believe that if you do have the time and the necessary resources you should do what you can with what you have.

As an early retired I need to have something to fill my days with. I cannot and will not end up on my couch watching lousy reality shows for the rest of my life. So writing and witchcraft has become my kind of work.

I´m so grateful that I have the possibility to do what I want on a budget. It took strong efforts to get there, but it was worth every inch of the way. And there are days when the money flow is low, but so what?

As long as my health is good, my family and friends are happy, and I can be the me I was born to be, it doesn´t matter that we´re living on a strict budget. You learn to be creative for less, and it is often so much more.

I live in my very own curiosity shop, both figuratively and literally, as there used to be a bakery, a kiosk, and a pizza restaurant in the house I live in. It is almost 120 years old, so there is a lot of spiritual life here.

And I have the privilege to have my creative den and my witch´s den in separate rooms. I know we can´t afford to live here when we get older, but we enjoy it in the present moment instead. We create lasting memories here that we always will carry with us in our hearts.

Witchcraft can help me stay on the right path while I´m writing my novel. There is more to life than writing, and there should also be time for my family and friends in the new year. Witchcraft is a source of inspiration to maintain a healthy balance between work and family time.

So I will use my studies in and experiences with witchcraft to recharge my mental batteries when a writer´s block, the mundane world, or unexpected events may try to make it difficult to write. And I will turn to witchcraft whenever possible.

This year has been a busy witchy year. I have celebrated the changing seasons and the phases of the Moon, I have begun this blog, and I have worked with aromatherapy, my Book of Shadows, and daily mini-rituals.

This blog post is the last about witchcraft this year. I 2020 I will write once a week, alternating between witchcraft and writing. My publishing day will be Friday. So the first blog post about witchcraft in 2020 will be published on Friday, January 3.

My first ritual in 2020 will be about my novel. I plan to make a charm bag to carry with me all the time for good luck and useful inspiration. I will kindly ask the Universe to send me lots of positive karma for 2020. I will make a full ritual for my novel, and it is first on my witchy to-do list for next year.

Other plans include having a morning tea ritual before my writing session, spending more time in my witchy den, also when writing, and celebrating the New and the Full Moons. But I have taken the liberty to do less or more, depending on my health on the day.

I´m fifty years old now. I see things more clearly now, and I take my time to evaluate life. I choose more often to say no to meaningless discussions with other people, especially if it concerns someone close to me. I only have resources for positive things. I only need conflict in my novel.

The rest is up to Karma anyway. I also don´t let mundane issues get in my way to inner happiness. Life will throw challenges at us from time to time. And there is only one way, by my experience, that works and that is forward. Never look back in regret.

Sometimes the learned lesson is a tough one. But it is possible to turn negative experiences into something positive and useful. If you only dare to look yourself in the mirror as guidance once in a while. There you´ll see the truth, whether you like it or not. And it is up to you to change.

It is a good guide for me to look into the mirror in the bathroom in the mornings. So far it has helped me decide to live in the present moment, to keep on trying rather than giving up, and to stay focused on the good and valuable things in life.

And witchcraft will stay in my life forever.

May you have a blessed weekend, dear readers. Merry meet and merry part and merry meet again. So Mote It Be.