The Northern Witch' s Blog

Making a dream come true, part 1 …

… The view from the kitchen window speaks of a never-ending row of raindrops clacking onto the ground. Wet and watery cold outside, I´m well-equipped with a fresh pot of coffee, pen and paper, and my writing binders and notebooks.

To write about making a dream come true is a privilege in itself. It is part of the path to the process of writing a novel. For I´m actually living in that dream. The dream comes alive the more I write and the more I read.

The big why am I trying to write a novel is an easy-answered question. It has become a lifelong dream, where the right circumstances showed up late, but at the right time and the right place. Knowing that I can do it if I work hard for it, makes it a tangible goal to work for.

I love to write, and I have always written about something. But is has never been as organized as it is now, and I believe enough in myself to trust that it will continue to be a fun and educational experience to go through the process of writing a novel.

Today, I cannot handle any kind of negativity, however. My body hurts, my mind is so easily distracted, and my soul needs sunshine and sitting outside in my garden with a cup of coffee. It is a long path before spring.

I stay away from the news and the world today. What keeps me positive are the feelings I get when I´m writing. It makes me happy to write. And it keeps me alert and curious to see if I this time can catch the magic dragon´s tail of impossible perfection.

My mood may resonate a quiet winter blues, but don´t be mislead, dear readers, for here behind the screen, I´m quite well, thank you. The mood and the tone, however, are under construction, so from time to time, I will try out different techniques and ideas on this blog.

Writing has also a healing effect in that it makes me feel much better after a writing session. It feels like an untamed roller coaster, and that feeling stays with me throughout the day. When done with a day´s work, I always try to relax as much as possible. It demands much energy to write.

My plan is to clean up my creative den and prepare it for my drafting period that is less than four months ahead. Time flies like sand flows through fingers, and now more than ever. As we turned into November, so did I turn to study setting, conflict and dialog.

The first month of research for my dream of writing a novel thundered ahead as a subtle reminder of how much work writing a novel is in reality. It´s my biggest, most cherished, and wildest adventure in my life so far. But I can´t help but loving it, from the first four sentences to the very end.

Already busy planning ahead of time to be able to practice writing daily without compromising the always important family and friends, I´m on a tight schedule from today. The love for writing is stronger than ever before because I´m able to do it as often as I like to.

Soon, a seven-year-old girl will knock on my kitchen window. She comes here every day to do her homework, and I´m happy to help her. She is a true sweetheart who speaks her voice with force and willpower. And she inspires me with the perspective of a child.

She still believes in fairies and knows that I´m a witch as well s a writer and her friend. We are family, we are godparents to her little brother. Her best experience is to sit and talk with me about life´s many diversities in my witch´s den with a cup of chai tea and the right to touch some of the witch´s things.

When we are done with the homework, we usually go to her parents and siblings next door. There I get hugs and coffee, there I feel instantly that I belong, there I can be the me I am. My sanctuary is in my home with the love of my life, and my chosen rainbow family lives close by.

Who could wish for more then, this is the much that I have. Herein lies my true wealth, the instant knowing inside that this is the once in a lifetime moment we only dare to dream about. A dream comes true right before my five senses, so strong a feeling that it makes my eyes pour over with water …

… Sorry, I needed a deep breath or two here. It is extremely rare in modern times to get the change to meet extraordinary people. People are too busy with hunting their fifteen minutes of fame, with being mean on social media, with hunting the golden calf. And for what ?

Peace of mind cannot be bought. Happiness and love do not stay long with the money involved.

We only have a few rules here, to treat each other with respect, to speak the truth, and to stick together no matter what. We have found each other in a world crazier than ever, and we intend to stay together for the rest of our lives.

We have already made history together. We were at the right place, at the right time, just like everything seemed so utterly vain, and the world turned once more 360 degrees around me in such a hurry that I had to stay a week in the hospital.

After we became friends and close family, things began to improve. And now we enjoy each other´s company on a daily basis. There it was, the quiet knock, knock, knock, on my kitchen window, it´s time to leave the writing for a while and enjoy the directness and subtlety of the mind of a sweet child.

Making a dream come true, part two …

… The drizzling rain and the cars in the street, now driving in the opposite direction, heading for children at school, daycare, and the Monday afternoon shopping, together create a wall-paper of sounds and emotions around me.

I´m making my second pot of coffee, paying full attention to my husband´s flu, and writing at the same time. Trying to figure out how to show you my passion for writing a novel, especially a psychological thriller, without telling it, is quite an awe-inspiring task.

There is only one way forward through this wilderness of thoughts, and that is to write from the bottom of my heart that this writing thing of mine is the love of dancing with words, is a burning passion, is what I was meant to do. It took me a while before I truly understood it.

I wake up happy every morning due to a happy life and a satisfying way of contributing what I can and know something about. Writing and witchcraft is my life, only second to my family and friends. When I decided to write my novel, something changed inside me.

It feels as if I have found my life´s purpose, now at last, after so many years of searching for my special place in the Sun. And at the same time, I believe that it will also transform me for the better to write a novel.

For I will be challenged to use all my creative talents, to work with discipline, and to write with a deadline in mind. It might look like a lot of work only for a first draft. But it will be worth every inch of the mountain of work before me.

I have eleven months left to write my novel, and it will be even more disciplined, as the work progresses. Over the next couple of weeks, we´ll clean the house and clear any stale energy with incense. Then I will begin writing in my creative den as well as at my desk and here in the living room.

I have my late mother´s working bag in one of the cabinets upstairs. I intend to use it to store all my notebooks, and writing gear in it and carry it around the house. Then I will have everything handy in one place and will only need to move between carefully arranged writing spots.

When Spring arrives I also intend to write outside in the garden. It will be in hand for I cannot use a laptop outside, there are way too many reflections from the Sun and the skies. But on bad arthritis days, I can use my cell phone sound recorder to record my thoughts and the note pad app for quick notes.

More and more I´m attracted to word counting as a way of beating any signs of a writer´s block. I get my work done, and I write better with goals when they are broken down into smaller tasks. And the best part of writing for me is that it keeps me from feeling miserable on bad pain days like today.

When it hurts physically the most, the more I turn to write as a refuge, safe from the world around me. When engaged in the writing process, I forget about aches and pains, leave behind any regrets, and feel like flying on a magic carpet.

Especially with the sound of music in my ears. Building up useful playlists is of great importance to me when writing. It depends on my mood of the day, but there is always music in my life, whatever I´m doing.

When I look at my setup here, I begin to understand the process of becoming a writer. At times it is like dancing a slow, but beautiful, waltz with life. Other times i`m feeling as if I was conquering the ocean or riding on a partly tamed horse.

It nourishes my mind and soul to write. It soothes me, it pulls out the best of my abilities, it heals some of the scars of life. My kind of therapy, now that I´m standing on my own without any strings attached except for the need for medication for the rest of my life.

So to answer the big why am I writing a novel, I will answer with an equally big why not do it. I´m doing it out of love, because I cannot let it be, and for the pleasure of trying to actually do what I have been dreaming about since forever …

… Writing about this on the blog is my documentation of my progress. As readers, you get as close as possible to my life as a writer. As in witchcraft, I believe everybody needs some private space of their own, so there is something left as the writer´s reward.

I don´t need praises or big words about what kind of style I use in my writing, the reward is the work itself to me. After a writing session, I feel released, as if something bigger than me took away my burdens and transformed them into written words worth reading.

My Muse nods her head and blinks with one eye. She knows me by now, for she takes off from my shoulder without hesitation, but I keep writing, for I know, she´ll be back in a few moments. See, there she is again, this time sitting on the left top corner of the laptop.

To remind me that there is a time to write, and then there is a time to read. Tonight is dedicated to reading, but the pen and paper stay close to me. I never know when I feel a need to take notes, so I always carry some paper and a pen.

And so I have told and shown you how it is, how it feels to make a dream come true. May you be inspired to live the life of your dreams, dear readers.

Deep in the forest …

… there she was, the Light Fairy, dressed in white, with her staff and her lights. The children silenced and gathered around her. She came to each of them with fresh baked cookies. They were between the age of two and seven.

My plans for the Samhain Sabbat changed yesterday. The ritual was postponed. The reason was a sweet and relevant invitation from the daycare to one of our neighbors´ daughters. To gather after dinner close to the forest and the creek with lights and all dressed up was the message.

So we went, three children and four grown-ups, to the forest last night. We were perhaps 60 people with lights, Halloween props, walking in silence to the gathering point in the forest, where the Light Fairy waited for us.

We celebrated the light in the darkness. We sang for the children and ourselves. We felt so alive.

A celebration of the light in the middle of darkness is a true treat. The old trick-and-treat custom was fun and fine. People were friendly and it was cold, it was the last night in October, it was something to remember many years from now. It was pure magick.

I think this was an appropriate way to celebrate the night of Samhain. I decided to postpone my ritual for today, for this experience was a deep one, I felt as if my ancestors stood right next to me, as if time stood still, as if everything could happen.

So today, you get to follow me close to the Samhain Sabbat. As I´m writing, I also walk around in my witch´s den to check if everything is as it should be. I have prepared my ritual altars, decorated with all the good stuff, and finished my notes.

In 45 minutes I will call the quarters, the elements and my ancestors. I will re-dedicate myself as a witch, and I will try to reach out for my ancestors, now that the veil between the worlds is thinnest. I will make a healing candle for my husband´s health, and I will cast the runes to get guidance in my life as a witch.

So right now I´m mentally preparing myself for the ritual and the joy of celebrating a new year. As I look back at the old year, I have come so far. And yet, there is a need to release what no longer serves me. My recovery time is over, I´m as good as it gets.

In about twenty minutes I will light the candles and the sage incense, then sit down in my old rocking chair and meditate a few minutes before my husband and the little, wise, old dog join me there. So Mote It Be.

And now I draw the curtains into my witch´s den …

Intentions for the new year

The past year was a long and winding journey. There were many days with side-effects of prescription medicine and the part that medicine cannot control. Slowly, but steady, it became better from the middle of Spring until I became my own director again this fall.

My intentions as a human being are to take good care of myself to be able to give all my love and all my strengths to my family and my friends, to convert my weaknesses to strengths by seeking a positive outcome of everything, and to work further to control my anxiety.

My intentions as a witch for the new year are to follow the rhythms of Nature and celebrate the Sabbats and the New and Full Moons, to set intentions on New Moons and reviewing the results at Full Moons, and to release negativity at every opportunity and to work with the shadows as much as possible.

My intentions as a writer is to work hard to become a better writer, to write something worth reading, and to write my first draft to my novel in nine months in 2020.

It is a mighty list to aspire to. But if we do not allow ourselves the right to dream big, we will never go anywhere from here. To live in the present moment doses not deprive you of future plans. Just keep in mind that “life is what happens when you are busy making other plans,” as John Lennon said.

I take one day at a time, on challenge at a time, one blessing at a time. It is time for revisions and new plans. From now until the end of the calendar year I take a look a memories and experiences from the year gone by.

The memory of my mother is very clear to me today. She passed five years ago, and it still aches, burns and makes me cry. It was six hours of utter dread, and then I felt in in my heart. My mother crossed the rainbow bridge, and there were so many things we should have tried and talked about.

Then, after three years, my father got cancer, two years of hell went by. So it became my time to go to the hospital, a breakdown, anxiety mightier than me took the best of me and made it worse. It has taken me two years to recover.

Today, I accept that my ailments are my companions for the rest of my life. The past year has been a long preparation to stand on my own again. Many tears, countless hours of cognitive therapy, and new medication.

I intend to never be in such a state again, as I was in 2017. I have felt bad often in my life, but never as bad as this. I couldn´t move, I froze inside. And I shook all over my body, had to take a sedative to be able to get to the hospital.

I try to make tangible intentions, in witchcraft and in life. It is half the way to reaching your goals. The rest is hard work. As most things in life are.

Now the candles are snuffed …

… it is quiet and comfortable here behind the keyboard. We just finished celebrating Samhain. I still feel the presence of my ancestors. It is like time stands still for a brief moment, it is as if I can hear them from far away.

… my husband and the little, wise, old dog sleep in my witch´s den. I left a few candles for comfort and inspiration. I feel relaxed, a bit sentimental, and know from within that a new year has begun. The old one was dismissed and released at the end of the ritual with a burning note.

… in an atmosphere of peace and calm, I sit and reflect upon 45 minutes of ritual. The Tarot cards spoke of a need to release what no longer serves me and to trust my abilities. Therefore, to hold onto my passions about writing and witchcraft is a major goal for me in this new year.

The altar is filled with ritual props and tools. Five candles light up the darkening view to the back yard where trees stand bare and naked from the loss of leaves. From my living room, I can see the old rocking chair where I sit during rituals.

They say rain is coming again. And it is getting colder as well. It is the last month in fall, but already it feels like Winter. It is time for reflections and deep shadow work. It is necessary because I´m going to work much with the flawed human version for a long time in my novel.

To debrief will be necessary, for in my writing I plan to try to look into the minds of my characters and to try to write from their perspective. And they will be far from perfect.

My witch´s den needs re-decorating. In 2020, from March 1st until December 31st it will be my number one permanent writing place. To sit and write by hand in my rocking chair or on the laptop on the couch is my destiny for a long period of time.

But the rituals will still be held there. It is my sacred space, and therefore, I also have my creative den where I keep materials and tools for creative uses. I intent to write there in the mornings and in my witch´s den in the afternoons.

The Nordic runes spoke of releasing old attachments, inspirational momentum, and creative energy. I interpret this a subtle sign that I will reach my goal of writing a novel if only I work hard to get there.

I read a couple of beautiful poems for our ancestors and lit candles for them, When I clapped my hands just before closing the circle it felt as if my ancestors got up from their seats and took off to wherever they may roam.

Now the altar is almost stripped of the good stuff. I move slowly for my husband sleeps, and I don´t want to disturb him. I only need to put away the altar cloth, and then it is back to work with this blog and with my writing notes for today.

The pictures of my beautiful old car and my grandfather are yet to be taken to their daily place. I need to feel my ancestors for the remains of the day. I need to express my gratitude to them for leaving me a great inheritance. The ability to write well, it runs deep in my family.

My grandfather always said that if you are granted a gift/talent you owe it to yourself to try it out. I´m sad that he can´t be here to follow me doing exactly that. But he is deep inside my heart and soul, and I can always reach out to him if I need a mental hug.

Next Friday will be about daily mini-rituals when inspiration seems long gone. When the mundane daily life doesn´t leave much energy to work as a witch, it can be difficult to create and plan little daily mini-rituals that are exciting enough to keep om holding onto.

On Monday I will be back with the big why am I trying to write a novel, why is it a life-long dream, and why do I keep on writing, especially on bad days where everything seems out of order. A passion equally strong and inevitable as my deep passion for witchcraft.

And tonight I will celebrate the first day in my new year with the process of creating useful notes for my novel. I´m working to get fit in my fingers so that I will be able to write parts of my novel in hand.

But first I will express my gratitude for having the means and the opportunities to live the life of my dreams. Thank you, dear husband of mine, for making this dream come true. Thank you, dear rainbow family and friends, for all your love and support, especially when I need it the most and deserve it the least.

Thank you also, dear readers and followers, for believing enough in me to keep on reading. It is a privilege to write for you. Do feel free to comment, make suggestions, share your wisdom.

It is icy rain and a cold evening. Winter is coming soon …

It has been one of those days that may stay forever in memory lane, don´t know where, don´t know when, A beautiful Samhain Sabbat, a fantastic morning, afternoon and evening behind the screen. Today, my fingers danced the waltz and the blues, and my muse was kind to me.

She´s sleepy-eyed now, but rocking along with me. as I wrap up the loose ends and wish you a wonderful, creative weekend, dear reader.

May your dreams come true, may the Sun and the Moon always shine on you, may all troubles be released.

As I Will It, So Mote It Be.

Returning home after the morning walk with the little, wise, old dog, I take a look around the place I call home …

… There is the backdoor entrance, behind which is the den for my three philosophical cats. They are all lying around or sitting on one of the boxes attached to the walls, sniffing in the air, moving their lips almost unseen, as if they draw in the fresh breath of a late October morning, to taste it and to get attuned with Nature …

… Here is the kitchen from which I have the most beautiful view to my garden yard where my husband works hard throughout the year to create all this just for me to enjoy. That is his statement of love to me, not to mention how much he shows me love, and more for every day ,,,

… Walking through the house to get to the living room, right next to my permanent work place. For the time being, I sit down on the couch in the living room, where the laptop awaits me for today´s blog post, for notes to my novel, and for the big task of researching human psychology, psychological thrillers, and setting principles …

“Hey. Baby, won´t you make a fresh pot of coffee for us to enjoy when I come back,” my husband says from outside the kitchen window. “Sure, my darling,” I smile back at him and pour water in the coffee machine, put the filter in and measure up our preferred amount of coffee.

Then I sit down again, light myself a cigarette, grab my calendar and look at November 2019. What to expect is yet to be announced, I need some time just writing my inner stream of consciousness for the day. To name my world so it can be felt is not an easy task, for it is tough to use your senses to describe and show at the same time.

It sounds easier than it is, I can both tell and show you, dear reader. The words tease me today, they seem to have a life of their own, running faster across the keyboard this morning than I have the finger capacity to accommodate. So, I make my breaks, I leave the words for a while, then come back for more.

A writer always come back for more, because of the thrill of maybe this time to be able to catch the magic dragon in its tail and write, so angels sing, and as if nothing else matters. To reach the level closest to perfection, knowing inside that perfection is forever unattainable.

… A panorama view of my witch´s den, yet filled with the sound of children playing there during the weekend. The pillows in the rocking chair bear the mark of cats sleeping there in the night. A calm, welcoming atmosphere makes me want to stay here forever …

… “Could you rewrite the part where we talked about making coffee, my husband says. “You tend to describe a lot and use many words around what you want to say”, he elaborates with a kind voice. “Of course I can, my love,” I reply …

… Now re-read the part for me again,” my husband says, looking interested at me. As my second worst critic, only second to myself, I listen a lot to what he says, because most of the time he is right. So I rewrote and re-read, and now it made sense and got readable.

The movie camera is on hold at the moment, for I believe that practice needs a break. When I return, I will turn on the camera again, for I also believe that only through hard work will I reach my dream of writing a novel. A life-long dream, on the edge of becoming true …

… Thank you, dear Universe. Thank you, dear fellow human beings. For being my direct inspiration, for being as flawed as you are, for being as beautiful as you are. For in every darkness there is light. Behind every rainy sky, there is the Sun. Life.

Camera rolling … back behind the keyboard, I see the words being born on the screen, the coffee is hot and aromatic, and the music inspires me to write another session. Not one tension in my muscles, no sign of any side effects of mundane disorders and pains and aches, nothing to slow my pacing, everything´s fine.

Planning next month´s blog posts at the same time, the TV turned off, only the sound of one of my playlists for writing, and everything is quiet, yet it tingles in my body, it buzzes in my mind. My muse is humming along and watches me from the right shoulder point of view.

Some days she turns away in a resentful snarl as if this writing of mine was just a piece of shit, pardon my French. Then, like today, she is quiet and comes to me out of her own will. She´s a difficult muse because she will only let herself be tamed to a certain point. The untamed part, that´s where the magic is.

Outside, the Sun lights up my garden yard, only one incident with rain until now, and soon the little, wise, old dog and I go out there, him sniffing in the wind and doing his special dog thing, I take a look around and count my blessings. We walk to the back garden and there, behind the compost bin, we stand for a couple of moments, him standing on three legs, while the fourth leg is ready for action, should anything be going on.

Then we speak with our neighbors, maybe sharing a cup of coffee and treats, before we again turn inwards to continue with what we were doing. Foreshadowing is subtle, and it takes practice to get it right. In reality, I´m taking the writing course I never got to before late in life. Camera cut, enough practice for one day.

What to expect in November 2019

During the writing of this blog post, I planned the content for November. I like this late deadline. It triggers my thoughts, and it makes me more effective. I get the job done, in other words.

My plan for next month´s blog post is like this :

• Friday November 1 2019 : All Hallow´s Eve and intentions for the new year
• Monday November 4 2019 : Making a dream come true
• Friday November 8 2019 : Daily mini-rituals when inspiration is an issue
• Monday November 11 2019 : Preparing for nine months of drafting
• Friday November 15 2019 : Daily mini-rituals when time is an issue
• Monday November 18 2019 : From idea to novel
• Friday November 22 2019 : Daily mini-rituals when a budget is an issue
• Monday November 25 2019 : Free writing
• Friday November 29 2019 : Living with the shadows and what to expect in December 2019

When I began this blog, I promised to write something about daily rituals in witchcraft. I have now worked out a mini-series of three blog posts concerning the lack of inspiration, lack of time, and lack of money so that you will see what I do when I work with witchcraft on a daily basis.

My writing posts are concentrated on my current work with my novel, the psychological thriller I have always wanted to write. Then I follow through on my other promise about taking you, dear reader, with me on a guided tour inside my journey as a writer.

A third promise, the technical part of running a blog, will be kept. When I feel that there is a need for that. And I honestly don´t believe there are any good reasons for hurrying along to do the same as everybody else seems to be doing these days. It is also a question of prioritizing money for the project.

It might as well tell you that my priorities are not in favor of spending perhaps 500 dollars or more on something that on the surface sound mighty awesome, but which in reality both takes more hard work and time than it looks like at a first glance.

And since I´m writing a novel, I think my priority of getting grammatical support for my work is a better and more affordable choice than the uncertainty of going all-in with the blog. That does not mean that I in the future will not take my blog seriously. I most certainly do. I happen to live on a strict budget, so things have to add up.

In my fifth month of blogging, it has become a part of me. I look forward to writing on Mondays and Fridays, and keeping a deadline is becoming more natural to me. And by doing word counts, I have managed to get used to writing between 2,000 and 3,000 words a day.

But writing a novel is a lot different from writing on a blog. There will be days, where there only are a few words left after a whole day´s work, or perhaps more correctly, running around in circles, for my muse is even more restless and intangible than usually.

So nine months of drafting between 80,000 and 100,000 words are not a long time if I get stuck in the middle of a chapter or a scene. But having the deadline for a finished first draft on December 31, 2020, is what makes me able to work hard to get there in time.

Today I have tried to write as if seen through a movie camera in the first part of this blog post. I will during my research time for my novel try out the different methods I study to see, if I can become a better writer before I begin outlining and writing my novel.

It will not save me for the rewriting process, I still need to learn to kill my darlings. But I believe that it from time to time is necessary to refine my work with new input and well-proven ideas from reliable sources. Learning is a life-long process, and not only in writing.

I have also experimented a little with dialog, which will be one of the cornerstones of my novel. Another important matter is setting and mood and tone. That research I have reserved for November, for soon it is All Hallows Eve, and I need some days to prepare the ritual in detail.

In my next blog post on writing on Monday, I will try to both show and tell you why I have a dream about writing a novel. The show, don´t tell rule is a slippery one. It looks and sounds mesmerizing easy, but believe me, it is far from easy.

And why not use this blog as a learning station, where I can try out different methods of writing well. I know I will get feedback from my readers if anything is wrong or could be written better. And I trust myself enough to dare to show my progress to other people.

In my witchcraft blog post on Friday, you will get my inspiration for mini-rituals on a daily basis. It can be difficult to be creative when everyday life seems to be filled with anything else but the inspiration for daily magick. It can also be troublesome when you are having a rotten day.

I will also write about my Samhain Sabbat on Thursday 31, 2019. The Sabbat of the year to me that is. Then I pull out all the fancy stuff. decorate and enjoy my ritual with my husband. It will be quiet and beautiful, it will be centered around my re-dedication as a witch and ancestor work.

With this said and done, I wish you a fantastic week with lots of useful energy and happy moments. May your days be filled with inspiration and joy of life.

And then, after another cup of fresh-brewed coffee, I take the little, wise, old dog for a walk in the garden. So Mote It Be.

Rainy mornings

On a wet, watery cold Friday morning in October, it is getting close to the Sabbat of Samhain or Halloween on October 31, 2019. My husband is preparing a treat for the neighbor´s kids, with all that comes along with the concept of Halloween in modern times.

My preparations are of the witchy kind, and it is going to be about ancestor worship and setting new intentions for the coming New Year. This is my kind of New Year´s Eve, and as always things have changed a lot during this almost gone year.

This year I plan for a simple, yet beautiful ritual with lots of lit candles, incense, and remembrance of those gone before me. My intentions for my work with witchcraft the coming year are to follow the rhythms of Nature and celebrate the Sabbats and the New and Full Moons.

Setting the intentions on New Moons and reviewing the results at Full Moons. To release negativity at every opportunity and to work with the shadows will be a powerful support to my work with my novel where I´m going to explore the human mind in its flawed version.

This time of year, the veil between the worlds is thinnest, as it is at the Beltane Sabbat in May. So perhaps this year I will succeed in feeling closer to my ancestors. To strengthen my bonds with them is of great importance to me, because they are part of me, as I´m part of them.

It is also time to work with divination, and I prefer the Tarot cards and the old Nordic runes to be my guides for the coming year. It can give a few clues of what to expect, but the work itself lies in daily life and its many challenges in a stressful modern mundane world.

Today, the weather does not inspire for much more than staying indoors and doing my best to create something worth reading about witchcraft. Just following the stream of thoughts and feelings and write straight from the heart is my plan for now.

I´m getting used to doing things on my own, after a couple of years with cognitive therapy and necessary help getting to cope with especially bipolar disorder. The main issue has been to get to the point of acceptance, to focus on positive things rather than feeling devastated.

It´s a serious mental condition, but with the correct, individual prescription medicine, therapy and a will of steel, much can be done to get a lot better and to learn to cope with it on a daily basis. Staying positive no matter what is a goal of mine that means a world of difference to me.

On a rainy, but beautiful morning in October, I sit behind the keyboard, writing as a witch. My husband lit the candles a little while ago, and the little, wise, old dog, is laying completely relaxed near him. They have a pretty special bond, even though my dog is truly mine, and our love is not of this world alone.

This time of year I contemplate a lot about life in general. It´s time for the yearly speech to my inner child about staying true and never compromising myself. It´s time to re-dedicate as a witch, and it´s time to plan for the Winter and the Christmas seasons to come soon enough.

The planning about witchcraft is a rough draft of events needing ritual preparations, special interests to research and take in as a creative input, and intentions of living in the moment and learn to spot the everyday magick.

A journey in a day

Later this weekend I´m going to host my neighbor´s daughters for a happy visit. We´ll go to my witch´s den, bringing paper and crayons, toys, and tea with cookies. It will be a journey in a day with each of them, for they are just lovable. They heal me every time we meet.

I love their curiosity and their immediacy and directness. That´s living in the moment when it´s best. It´s going to be some intense hours, where there are joy and laughter, fine conversations, and many hugs. And after I allow myself a longer nap, it takes quite a lot of energy, but it´s worth it big time.

Every time I write as a witch, I´m on a journey in a day. I have some clues to begin a blog post with, but I never know where the journey is going to take me before I have written it. It all depends on my mood of the day, on the music I listen to while I write, and what I have planned to write about.

Today, I only planned to write something connected to witchcraft. This part of witchcraft I call reflection and introspection. It is as important as rituals and spells. To get to know yourself is a major goal to have as a witch, but it is necessary to learn to evolve. My best approach to this is to write about my changes.

It has been three unique and tough years as an eclectic solitary witch. It has changed my worldview, and I know now that I truly have found my path for the rest of my life. It calms and soothes me, it provides me peace of mind and soul, and it gives me the ability to let go of my past and to look ahead instead.

I´m prepared to continue my path, this coming year at a bit slower pace because of my work with my novel. But there will be time for witchcraft along the way. I´m going to fill the breaks with both mundane chores and my love for witchcraft.

About the writing part, there are still many blog posts to write about witchcraft. As a witch, I have a broad range of interests, and it will be an ongoing project, as long as I live. My Book Of Shadows needs some loving care, too, so there are always new ideas and old gems to work with.

Before the storm

The cats are fed, the dog has his bone, and I have closed the windows and am preparing myself for the storm that was announced on TV this morning. There is powerful energy in a storm, and I´m going to use it by asking the weather gods to carry my needed release of things that do not serve me anymore away with the wild wind.

Before the storm, it is always fair and bright a couple of hours after morning rain. When the clouds come forth, and the first icy raindrops fall on my hand, it is time to go inside and make the most of it. But well before that, it will be time for a walk with the little, wise, old dog,

Even though he does not speak as we humans do, he speaks in multiple voices and with energetic body language. He speaks also when our eyes meet, and I just know deep inside that this is mutual love. He´s a friend for life, as are the three philosophical cats, who also speak in more than one voice.

The storm closing in

A couple of hours have passed. It is quiet and a feeling of calm rests over my workspace for today. Behind the keyboard with sore hands because of the icy watery feeling of cold earlier at the dog´s morning ritual, I sit and listen to some inspiring music with my husband watching The Walking Dead.

The weather changes, the sun hides from the world once again, and the wind makes the branches on the trees shiver and shake. It´s not all black and blue-gray yet, nor is it going yellow as when the shit truly hits the fan. I live close to the Wadden Sea, and there are stories enough to be told about high tides.

The magick also closes in. Today is an intention day, where it feels so easy to write about what I want and need to get done in the year to come. Later, in December, I have three yearly Tarot spreads that I read every year at the same time.

I do that to remind myself of the calendar year gone by, to release what no longer serves me, and to trace any patterns to work with in the coming year. This is my way to try to adapt to the recurring changes in this world. Change is inevitable, it will outrun me if I don´t follow its rhythm, it was in vain to try to escape.

During the past two years I learned to help control my inner storms. It´s like being inside a volcano, to be the eye of the storm, to ride a wild roller coaster, front row POV (point of view). Together with the right prescription medicine, my iron will, and my control over my breath, there is a path forward to reality.

The relation to witchcraft is a positive attitude towards life and its many challenges. Without challenges, there would not be mistakes and life experiences to grow from. In witchcraft, the challenges as a solitary witch are to learn to cope with solitude and to learn to trust the Universe.

The end of the journey for today

This is one of the more quiet days, where I mostly tend to myself and put earplugs in my ears. Until it is time for family, friends, for some awesome hours with good people. Then it feels wonderful to leave the keyboard alone for 2-3 hours of pure joy.

When I return to my writing, I´m always refreshed and in a happy and inspirational state. But is is not coming by itself, there is hard work behind all these many words twice a week. Witchcraft supports me with inner peace which enables me to write even on a rotten day.

Throughout the day the weather rhythm changes my mood together with music, and it is several writing sessions at most times due to my constant side-kick, my side effects of medicine and inner tension as well as physical troubles sitting still long enough.

Next time I write about witchcraft, I will do it in a series about the daily small rituals that make it possible to work with witchcraft on a daily basis, also on a tight budget and a strict schedule. I like to make small, subtle rituals for my daily work with witchcraft.

It can be anything from a simple prayer of gratitude to a bigger setup with candles, incense, and crystals. Most of the time I pick up what I have at the moment and use that in my daily practice. I have a rather well-assorted collection of diverse props and ingredients, but less is actually more.

I only pull out the big stuff, when it is time for the big rituals, such as Sabbats, celebrations of the Moon´s phases, and special occasions when a need for a certain ritual arises. That could e.g. be to try to heal some of my loved ones spiritually in case of disease or the more tricky of having a really shitty day.

So we came together to the end of today´s journey, dear reader. Now I have only left to wish you a pleasant and memorable weekend with as little trouble as possible in this crazy, modern world of ours. And to fade out the music in an appropriate manner.

While I have been working today, I have felt the magick being present in my life on a daily basis. I feel a safe inner calm, I see strength in the flames of lit candles, I can smell the fresh coffee I´m about to brew, I can, if I close my eyes, taste wonderful food later, I hear beautiful words in my earplugs.

It is fun to work with all your sense, the sixth unmentioned because it is magick in itself. And so the music fades. Cut.

When I´m having a writer´s block I always promise myself to do anything possible to break the negative spiral. The key is to keep on writing, even though inspiration seems to be stuck, and writing all of a sudden is not only difficult but also feels like the worst choice I ever made.

I have developed 10 journal prompts that I use when the blank page curls up, refuses to cooperate with a sneer and hisses at me for even daring to put myself behind that keyboard or sit with that pencil in my hand.

I hate writer´s block, and I, therefore, use all the means available to me to fight it back as quickly as possible. The goal is to keep on writing, no matter where it takes me.

1) Your life story

You are your own main character in your life. You are also your own worst antagonist. So there lies inspiration for a lifetime. Everybody knows a lot about themselves. To write it down is not an easy task, for you may find that both the gems and the fishy stuff going on are hiding there.

First I make a timeline. Then I choose which year or decade I would like to think about the remains of the day. It calls on memories and past learned lessons. I write about a page with my random thoughts and feelings without editing or doing anything but save it for later reviews. Like a running diary, it is.

2) Your dream life

You may sit and wonder, why is it as if the whole world is against me for I can´t, I can´t, oh hell, I can´t write. Well, get on to it and write about the life of your dreams. Her you truly can expand your thoughts and get it onto that resentful paper who believe it´s a human problem alone. No, I call it diversion of the mindset.

We all have dreams and hopes. No matter how shitty the day has been, write about what you love, what you would love to try before it´s too late for regrets, write your heart out. And learn to love writing again. There are always wants and needs. What to choose is up to you. You are your own boss here.

3) Your loved ones

For better or for worse, the loved ones of your life are a direct inspiration to work with. They are close to you, you get to study people, and you can, if the love is for real and not for appearance, discuss the behavior of other people with them.

My loved ones are my extended family, consisting of family and friends of the rare kind, those that show up in the middle of the night if necessary. They are both my inspiration and my tough critics. Because we are so different and yet so close, they are my solid foundation for everything in my life.

4) Things to be grateful for and why

I´m grateful for many things in my life. Being alive is one of them. The much of everything that I have. I may be living on a tight budget, I may have to carefully work through one day at a time due to my physical and mental troubles, and I may not have lived the perfect life (whatever that might be). But I´m still grateful.

Being content is not to compromise yourself. It is to take charge of your life and adapt to the recurring theme of change as the only believable and relatable character to connect to in life. The reason that I´m grateful for my life is that it is being lived in the present moment. There´s no room for regrets.

5) Positive affirmations about yourself

Yes, you are good enough, yes, may write it to yourself and the whole world as well. It´s time for a positive outlook on things rather than sulking about life´s way of swirling you 360 degrees around when least expected. Be generous with the adjectives. Be kind to yourself, you deserve it.

I write something like, “I´m good at controlling my anxiety.” Or, “I know how to transform a writer´s block into useful tips for others to use.” Always in the present tense here, because the best way to deal with writer´s block is in the moment of the inner battle between you and yourself. Believe in yourself. Then so will others.

6) What other people do

To study other people is easy today. Just go to the local shopping center and watch the deadly sins being released in the sales of the seasons. If you want the stereotypes. But still, there are often many funny and thoughtful fragments of dialog in the notebook after such a journey.

But, more useful, listen to what people actually say. Then watch what they do. And go home and describe with all the senses what you saw, what you heard smelled, tasted, felt. Write about your own feelings about it. And there you have a piece of work to further evolve ideas from.

7) Lessons from past mistakes

Here it aches, it hurts, it itches. I´m riding a roller coaster on the loose, had it not been for my life experience and positive outlook. I chills down my spine to think about my lessons learned in life. I have tried many different things, seen and heard my part of things.

This is like doing shadow work, so it has to be one of the good days without too many side effects of mundane ailments. But when I do write about such things, I focus on the positive outcome of transforming negative events and experiences into useful life guidance for me to trust as well as my gut feelings.

8) Goals and achievements

Goals should be realistic within the sphere you live in. Keep them simple, attainable, and workable. Achievements are what you let them be to you. Outside expectations should not be a shadow in your life, so don´t judge yourself for not achieving the perfect way of life. Perfection is not my goal.

I prefer the simple, yet complicated, unconventional life. My goals are to evolve as a writer and as a witch, as a human being. My achievements in life have been and are to do my best in whatever I do and never give up. There are no trophies in my collection of past memories.

9) Rewrite a piece of your work (and kill your darlings)

This is something I want to do from time to time when the black cat hits the road and the writer´s block lurks behind my left shoulder where there is a panorama view to my muse. Who is eagerly defending the writer´s right to originality and creating darlings to keep, because they fit in and to change is difficult.

Well, you need to do the editing part sometime, anyway. So instead of allowing the block to enter your mind and existence, you rewrite your last piece of work. Or something you have postponed a couple of times already. I will use proofreading marks to trace my progress here. So I won´t regret pressing delete later on.

10) Lists, lists, lists

If nothing else helps, then making lists is a never-ending thing I turn to when facing a writer´s block. I have done it as long as I can remember. The joy of getting through all the items on the list. The hours of work behind that only I feel in my body, mind and soul.

The grocery list, the books to read list, the psychological thrillers to watch in the evenings, switching to the laid back afternoons … only fantasy sets the limits here. Then add working your own way through the list to the to do´s for a writer´s block.

To do´s for writer´s block

All I know is that there is only one guideline to fight back a period with the feeling of writer´s block brooding over your workspace, over your life, over everything. And that is to keep writing, no matter what. Be flexible enough to remember the breaks away from the pen and the keyboard.

But keep also s somewhat strict schedule of writing according to your known and learned habits. When I read about writing, I try to learn new tricks, to form my writing habits into something positive that I can work with on a daily basis.

I get up in the morning around eight or nine a.m., have a cup of coffee, and walk the dog for his morning ritual outside. Morning medicine, a checkup on things around me, and a fresh pot of coffee ready for me to dig in. If nothing needs to be done around eleven a.m. I open my laptop and begin to write almost instantly.

Typically to research for this or that element for my novel, I use about half an hour to warm up my fingers, hands, and eyes before the writing session. I love to write in hand, but my osteoarthritis sets strict limits, so I reserve the good days for the special notes, the words of the moment that inspire, and my many ideas.

I then write and read the next four to six hours every day. Dedicated time need not be as long as mine, but the more practice the better. Given also that I have my two blog deadlines every Monday and Friday, I have something to do with my writing along with writing my novel.

So the best advice I can give is to dedicate time and hard work to fight a writer´s block. Number two is to tire yourself out by writing about something you love and know about, the journal prompts of your choice. I have listed mine as examples, you know yourself best and may have other preferences.

Next Monday I´ll try to write parts of my blog post as if seen through s movie camera. I like writing best when it takes me to unknown places, such as describing the five senses and show in the difficult task of creating decent dialog.

And I enjoy reading the most when the writer captures my mind and allows me to feel my own way through the novel. Then a novel and its characters are unforgettable to me. To write like that is a major goal to me, because it is difficult, it is scary, and it is a choice of mine.

Try to do something you are afraid of doing. Write, when you don´t feel that you are capable to do it. Tell me not, but show me what aches, what hurts, and what itches. One of my side effects of prescription medicine is that I feel physically restless a lot, and I shake a bit as well. Quirks, like a silly walk.

But it is an advantage when listening to feel-good music and beautiful songs about the human ways of life. Then a shake here, a spasm there, is quite alright. I sit and dance at the same time. And it creates great tension in muscles and joints. So it hurts physically, too, to write at certain times.

Not today, though. Today. I have already fought the black cat of writer´s block by writing about it. Well. go away and stay away, please. Let my muse sit in silence and help me write a novel worth reading. As I Will It, So Mote It Be.

On Friday, we´re getting close to Halloween. Who knows what´s going to happen ? I don´t yet. But I will find out, and so will you, dear reader. On purpose, I haven´t decided beforehand what part of witchcraft to write about. I would like to let my creativity on the loose and see where it takes me.

Remember that writer´s block is an insider job. It is something we create out of inner doubts that need to be handled in the moment of point of no return.

What is shadow work ?

Today it is the birthday of my late grandfather on my mother´s side. The timing for writing about shadow work could not be more appropriate since I almost always call for my ancestors before doing shadow work.

I like to believe that they protect me during the process, and I feel very close to them, because they know me, as I am, from the inside out.

To me, shadow work is a way of getting to know myself better on a informed level. By confronting my inner demons and fear I take control of my reactions to them so that I can use my energy on the positve approach to a great life.

It is important, however, to remember to take good care of yourself before, during and after shadow work, never if in a bad mood, depressed or otherwise indisposed. After all, it is a close up sort of work, where you get in touch with what hurts and displeases you.

I work with the shadows of my life for three important reasons :

• To confront my darker sides such as selfishness, secrets, and fears
• To heal and grow mentally, emotionally and spiritually
• To transform negativity into positive affirmations (releasing energy)

I have lived a somewhat troubled life for many years, so there are many shadows lurking around in my soul and mind. Years of psychiatric care with a lot of therapy sessions have helped me recover from being so concerned with the negatives that I almost forgot to remember to love myself.

Here shadow work is a great companion, on the better days of course. Through asking myself some sharp and candid questions I get to understand that 90 % of my troubles are self-inflicted. Rather than pouting, I take note of the conclusions and try to change them into positive affirmations that I can use on a daily basis.

It heals and it makes me grow as a human being. And it releases a lot of energy that I can use for better purposes such as preparing for the next Sabbat, Samhain, where shadow work is closely related to ancestor worship as a recurring theme.

I strongly believe that transforming negativity is of great importance in the modern constant stream of negative news, negative people, and negative events. All the bitching needs some counter-action, and I prefer to do it by sticking to a positive outlook on things.

Shadow work always inspires me to do something about my mental, emotional and spiritual clutter that tends to grow wild by itself if left alone for a while. So I typically do shadow work once a month. Sometimes, I use a mirror to look myself in the eyes and confront the demons inside directly, but that I only do when I´m having a truly good day.

It can be rather demanding and lonesome to do shadow work, but as a solitary witch, I´m used to working alone and don´t mind the solitude.

Benefits from shadow work

There are many positive benefits of doing shadow work, e.g. :

• Self-acceptance and more courage in life
• Clarity and deep understanding of passions
• Ability to release negativity

After I have worked with the shadows for a couple of years, I can honestly say that shadow work has helped me accept myself more, and I have also gained more courage about life´s many challenges.

It gives me significantly more clarity about many of the issues that I have fought with during my life, and I know understand in-depth, where my true passions lie. I have found that it enhances my ability to release negativity, so I can focus on the positive approaches to what really matters in life.

It is a psychological journey that I only embark on when I´m feeling fit for the work. It is of absolutely no good use if you are angry, sad, or otherwise not fully fit to get in touch with both inner demons and old hurt feelings.

It is a whole life of painful experiences that I confront when I´m doing shadow work. But it is necessary to heal, and therefore I dare to cross my own limitations and look beyond what hurts, aches and itches inside of me.

I dare to deal actively with the negatives now for the many psychiatric therapy sessions taught me how to cope with my mental and physical ailments with a positive outlook.

I get to know myself better by the day, and I begin to see patterns of behavior that previously hindered me from getting the best out of things, no matter how gray the days may have seemed at the time. It´s too late and impossible to turn back, so instead, I try to change my behavior by looking forward and do my best in whatever I do.

When I have done shadow work, I always cleanse my sacred space, my den, with sage incense to clear away any stale energy. It is a demanding task to work in the shadows, so when I´m done, I clear the remains of the day and do something mindful like drawing, painting, or playing my acoustic guitar.

The releasing part is done by the next bonfire in the garden, in the next ritual, or by closing the shadow work session off with So Mote It Be.

There are many different ways to do shadow work and there are more qualified people than I to discuss in detail how to do it. I use my own method of asking blunt questions to myself and try to be as honest s possible.

I may not like my answers, but I will learn my lessons about my strengths and weaknesses as a human being and as a witch. In witchcraft, the core wisdom lies within. You will know what to do when the time comes for action. Because of the intentions behind, it is a learning process to do shadow work.

To work with shadows is inner guidance.

Journal prompt examples

Shadow work to me is also writing. Not like writing a journal, but true and brutally honest answers to equally demanding questions, that is what I practice :

• Playing the victim – where do I feel most weak and why
• Inner and outside judgments – how do I respond to them and why
• Repressed feelings – what am I afraid of and why
• Defensive triggers – what makes me react, how and why

This is my guideline in adapting my behavior to the present moment.

I don´t write down every answer to such questions. I prefer to act on them instead. It is, however, not about mocking myself or only search for the negatives. There is a lot of contemplation, too.

The essence here is to transform the negatives into something useful and positive. To make the best out of everything, so to speak. It is also about acceptance and release. Not everything can be changed, it is not meant to be. The past is a constant, but it is not the only side of being a human being.

Not everything can be seen, heard, and known, it is not meant to become before we are there. The future is unknown territory, but it is just another human thing.

Only the present moment is tangible. Letting go of the past and accepting change as the only reliable factor makes life so much easier. Hard to get there, though, since shadow work is a recurring theme in my life.

I try to make myself comfortable before doing shadow work, by creating a positive and warm atmosphere with incense, lit candles, and chai tea. I set my limits for the session by addressing only one issue at a time.

I deliberately look at my weaknesses and confront myself without hesitation. I often learn some tough lessons, but the more I know about things, the more I control my reaction to them.

I need to control my reactions because of my anxiety disorder. Being bipolar, too, helps me, strangely enough, to know the difference between the highs and the lows, so I have something to work with. I can feel it with my whole body, mind, and soul.

Shadow work is suitable for making healthy boundaries. They are as necessary as being open toward other people. There need to be certain private limits for you to cross only. Here I learn to define my boundaries and to keep track of where I have been avoiding saying no at the appropriate time.

It demands a lot of energy, so I practice shadow work with great care. Only once a month or to the big Sabbats, Beltane and Samhain. I look at my previous questions and written answers and make new from the intentions of the particular day.

My plan is to get organized more when I get the time to it. As you know I´m a person with many interests and many projects at the same time.

Shadow work and witchcraft

Shadow work is as old as witchcraft. Before psychotherapy, it was the wise men and women who worked with shadows and knew a thing or two about life´s many mysteries.

To me, it is as natural as breathing, but I have always been a free-thinker. I like to work within the reach of a thin veil between the worlds. I have learned a lot from my shadow side, and today, I know both my weaknesses and my strengths.

I try to transform the weaknesses into strengths by exposing myself to situations where I feel socially awkward, insecure, or in need of support. The only thing I have said goodbye to permanently is driving. I don´t like to drive anymore due to the many crazy drivers nowadays.

But is is not a weakness not to be able to drive. It is a strength because I made a mature decision of not getting behind the wheel. I had too much stress and anxiety when driving. Fortunately, I know people who can drive me, if I need to go somewhere.

I also acknowledge that some things cannot be changed by accepting those of my weaknesses that have a more permanent character, like my physical and mental ailments.

Much of my releasing work is prepared during shadow work sessions. I therefore always have something to use in witchcraft rituals.

As a witch, shadow work is sometimes much deeper and more comprising when combining it with ancestor work. My biological family has a love for genealogy which is helpful when working with my ancestors. I call for them on special occasions like Beltane and Samhain or when doing shadow work.

As a gray witch. I know that working in the shadows creates a need to relax in the rays of the Sun and the Moon, so I never overdo my work here. The limit is when it gets enough after half an hour to an hour.

I occasionally use shadow work to ask for inner guidance about how to be a witch. There I call upon the dark Crones, like Hecate, Kali and Rhiannon.

But the most important ability is to trust your gut feelings in whatever you do. Shadow work should only be used with the intention to understand yourself better. It is not to scold yourself for everything that goes wrong in this world.

I have come to love shadow work. But I´m still careful not to go overboard. I only do it on special occasions and once a month to check if everything is as it should be. And I stop if I feel that it would be too upsetting to continue.

It cannot replace the realities of life so don´t make your life´s plans from it alone. It can be a valuable supplement to many other ways of self-discovery that exist today.

Shadow work is a unique way to get to know yourself on a deeply personal level. It is enriching, tough as hell, and it works.

Current view into my writer´s den

Writing a novel has become the journey of a lifetime. It is as if there always has been something lurking, sneaking around and occasionally showing off its teeth in my mind. Something scary, that wants to be written by me. Because I can´t help but love to write.

I have always written. Little pieces, a novella here, a poem there. A few chapter into a wannabee story about me, myself and I. And all the time, all those yellow post-it notes and little pieces of paper, all scribbled and doodled with leftovers of an overheard conversation, part of a famous quote, ideas and loosely spun words about the human dark side of the Moon.

I have always dreamed about the possibility to write a novel. Knowing that it is a tough task to commit your whole life to in a time of your life, where all the dreams are attainable. And now that dream is about to come true for me.

I´m also scared speechless. I think of other writers and I bend my head in awe. But I´ve been told to do something about that writing of mine, for I have my own voice, and I have something on my mind to share.

So I decided to write that novel, the psychological thriller, which I find inspiration for in the way people treat each other for good or worse. I have met a lot of different people throughout my life, and from that I know that the only limit to human behavior is fantasy. And sometimes reality bites back.

The next couple of months I will also be reading and watching a lot of psychological thrillers to truly get the inner feeling of what I´m working with. I also study the technical aspects of the genre, e.g. plot structure, keeping the tension throughout the novel, and the character cast.

But still it will be my novel. One thing is to get ideas and to learn new skills, another matter is to actually do the writing part of the job. I work with several ideas that need time to evolve to contain enough tension and frightening moments.

So in other words, I take the advice I can get, but I produce my own material. I´m no copy-and-paste kind of writer. I also make my own mistakes and learn from them thanks to my readers and my family and friends, who tell and show me the way forward.

Thank you for being in my life, for support and care.

Today, you will get a closer look into my plans for my novel. I have dedicated a little more than a year to write it, and I plan to keep a pretty tight schedule to fight my inclination to procrastination, There is also a life outside of writing a novel, and it is also wise for me to plan breaks and days off because of my physical and mental ailments.

Research and the basics

The months 1-5 October 2019-February 2020, I have dedicated to research and getting the basics done. My work agenda looks like this :

• American English grammar is a necessary tool
• Genre psychological thriller (reading and watching as much as possible)
• Characters, backstory, and theme
• All about outlining and plotting, where I will try out different outlining techniques, e.g. the three-act-structure, the snowflake method, and the hero´s journey
• ‘The story mountain/plot structure from exposition to rising action, climax, falling action and resolution
• Writing techniques (POV, stream of consciousness, and foreshadowing)

This month I´m working with character development, how to place backstory, both in dialog and in vivid descriptions, and themes for my characters and the novel.

In November my plans are further to work with the characters, this time through the setting, mood and tone, and in December I will be looking at the outlining process and the plot structure for my novel.

In January it is time for me to work intensely with the writing techniques that I need to learn more about to use it thoroughly and creatively in my novel. The whole month of February is dedicated to plotting and the first actions and voices of the characters.

It is a busy schedule, and I admit that I now work throughout the day and not only four to six hours a day. Writing has become a full time quest that I love more for every day. It heals, it feels just right.

The novel writing process

The months 6-15 March-December 2020, is planned to be my writing of this novel that I keep writing about, that can´t let me go without at least passing by with an hour or two after the morning coffee, that keeps getting stronger in voice.

I tame myself from writing specifically about my characters before that. I would rather let them come to me in their own pace than risking to take over the conversation that should be for them to speak in their distinctive voices.

This is the hard part, where there is no turning back. But I believe I can do it, if I work hard enough to attain my goal about a novel with approximately 80,000-100,000 words. Nine months of writing is circa 300-400 words a day.

How this will effect my goals with this blog, I´m yet to discover. But to write the double of what I write on a weekly basis seems to be reasonable enough. I have the time to write, I have the resources to write. And I have the drive to actually sit down and do it on a daily basis.

I want to transfer my progress in writing from the blog to the novel, to write in the same manner but with different objectives. I have achieved to write between 1,000 and 2,000 words a day by now through the use of word counting. It has trained me to write longer and better in more concentrated time periods.

How to attain a suitable daily writing practice

I need to do my daily chores as well as writing, so they will be made in my planned breaks, fifteen minutes every hour and one hour for lunch. Two hours of daily reading and watching psychological thrillers is also attainable with all the modern resources for both offline and online entertainment.

I also need to re-arrange my working areas, so that I easily can ove around between the laptop and the setting consisting of multiple story boards, hand-written notes and typed character records.

Depending on what I end up choosing of plot structure, writing techniques, and point of views, I will begin testing my knowledge and write freely as the story evolves by itself during the month of February 2020. It is the plotting month, anyway, so I might as well do some test writing before the actual writing of the first draft.

I have planned with seven months, but it may be less or more. It all depends on my belief in my knowledge of how to play music with words.

The melody may be gloomy and difficult to live with, but it changes not my opinion that humans are not always the cleverest animals of this earth. We spend so much time brooding and bitching about other people that we tend to forget that we are not perfect ourselves, when all comes to all.

That kind of music is what I hope to bring forth in my novel.

Stream of consciousness Monday October 14th 2019

Today there are deliberately no pictures for this blog post. I´m learning to show the story I want to tell, so the view into my writer´s den is entirely up to you, dear reader, to figure out.

I sit in my living room with my husband next to me, and the little wise old dog chewing on a bone. The three philosophical cats are outside in their den. On a rain free day, with blues and old school rock in my ears, it is easy to daydream my way into my novel.

But I behave, for it has to be done with great care and determination. Ideas need time to evolve and thrive, and I need to build up a believable story with believable characters, setting and final outcome.

I know it is a gigantic task that I have put myself into. And I don´t expect the journey to be easy, nor painless. There will be darlings to kill along the way. Not necessarily physically, though, unless we speak of the editing part, where there needs to be a secure and robust attitude toward bad writing.

Bad writing to me is lazy. The least you can do is to try and do it as good as possible by using your knowledge of and experience with language, written as well as spoken and shown.

My greatest challenge will be the American English grammar. But I take a baby step at a time, and I learn from every writing session. Once a week. I study the grammar in American English to be close to the language in whatever I write.

Oh, I would like to write down my characters today. I can sense them with my whole body and soul. They´re still at a distance, however, so I hold my horses for now and take notes instead. I´m working with their different inner conflicts and getting to know them better to be able to believe in them enough to write about them.

I´m also getting closer to twist and turn the story like a roller coaster on the loose. How well do we know people, when the masks are off and it is time for a reality checkup ?

My inspiration comes from life-long experiences with many different kinds of people, both high and low, no one mentioned, no one forgotten. Not to mention the books and movies/series I have read and watched throughout my life …

… the list is long and awe-inspiring.

Change of music into something high-pitched and fast going. I have a busy schedule today. After this blog post, I´ll study the different types of characters that typically show up in a psychological thriller and how to write the genders.

Next Monday I´ll try to show you ten suitable journal prompts and strategies for writer´s block. I take up the subject, because it is the black cat on the road, if you don´t take your precautions before the shit hits the fan.

I have no award-winning tips, but I try to evolve my own creative ways out of this period of time, where there can be a long way from love to writing to actually do the writing.

It has been easy to write this blog post, because I write about something I know and love. May my ideas and points of view be inspirational to other writers and readers.

Change back of music into calming and strong songs of the human way of life. It is an ever-lasting interest of mine, this human way of messing things up when life could be so much easier without all these silent wars of people against other people, often due to petty and meaningless details about appearances.

Conflict and change are inevitably connected. Without conflict, we would not learn from our mistakes.

Some people never seem to learn. But I believe we all get to learn somehow and somewhere in life. If not anything else, then let it be up to Karma to decide.

Now, it is time to leave my novel for a while, to let it simmer and find its own pace. I have to learn so much more, before I feel fit for the drafting process in the year to come. But I will return with more insight into my novel-writing adventure, when we get closer to the point of no return.

“I have this feeling, it is going to be the roller coaster ride of my life”, the muse said.

Last week´s post was about the changing seasons related to my work with witchcraft. Today, I will try to relate them to other areas of my life as a writing witch.

Fall

At present moment I embrace the rain, the cold, and the changing colors of the leaves on the trees. It all inspires me to tie up loose ends and begin new indoor projects like developing my characters for my novel and try to show mood and tone in both the setting and the dialog.

Regarding witchcraft projects, I have the Sabbat Samhain to prepare for. It is my kind of New Year, so it is also time for new intentions about the year to begin soon. My intentions for the year ahead is to stay attuned to Nature and Her changing seasons by celebrating the Sabbats, the New Moons and the Full Moons.

I need to harvest sage, thyme and rosemary for incense, kitchen spices and protection. And I need to rewrite my dedication as a witch, as I do every year, it´s a tradition now.

We are about to do our physical Fall cleaning, old clutter needs to be recycled, and the garden needs tender care to prepare for the coming of Spring.

I like to write to sounds. Not only music, but also sounds like the different feelings that different kinds of weather stir up in me. Loud, as when the gigantic cloudbursts of rain pour and flood my back yard, silent, like the soft rain drops on my cheeks on a walk with my little old and wise dog of mine.

I also like to work with music around me, no matter what I do. There are few days with little music in my earplugs. It is so inspirational, it is like riding a roller coaster all by myself, it is making my fingers dance across the keyboard.

The season of Fall I relate to my creative areas of life. There will be other creative projects to handle with care and love. There is always a drawing to draw, a painting to paint, and words to write.

And there is always magick around me whatever I´m working with. Lit candles, a cozy, relaxed, and stress free atmosphere. A little incense and chai tea.

I have strong, good memories with me about this time of year. My grandfather on my mother´s side used to take me to interesting places, where we always ended up gathering chestnuts which later that day were used to make funny and cute animals with matches as legs.

Winter

In December, the light month, it is time to say hello to the Sun. This time the dark forces loose the battle, because freethinkers like me believe that the darkness always will equal with light. And at some point there is no need to run from darkness, because after the Winter Solstice/Yule, the light prevails.

Physically, there is light both inside and outside. That beautiful sight of an early Winter morning with the Sun in its most reddish and violet-bluish tones is too early for me to get up and write, but I get to see it from time to time.

The light inside is from my strong working lamp without which I would be in serious trouble doing creative projects. My sight is getting older than I like to think of.

But, on the other hand, life is a funny compilation of ups and downs. I´m experiencing the advantages of becoming a Crone. With time comes also ailments and mental changes to adapt to. Some days are just reminders of what you no longer can do.

I try my best such Winter days to keep my positive outlook, and that is best done with a lot of self-care and light creative projects I can make in our living room, where the district heating is on, plaids are comfortable and warm to wear, and the lit candles glow with a soft, smooth light.

The season of Winter I relate to my healing areas of life. I have heard a lot, seen more than enough in my life to know to take good care of myself. So I dedicate myself to aromatherapy baths, pain soothing creams, and learning new skills and tricks.

Mental care to me is also to learn new things and keep the brain busy, especially since I became early-retired. I cannot sit on the couch with nothing to do. So I practice to learn as much as possible about witchcraft, writing and my many interests.

It is the Christmas season for my rainbow family to celebrate together with pleasant common traditions and happy hours of laughter and togetherness. We like to make homemade presents and ornaments together, because we can´t live without each other.

It is more than family and friendship, it is a unique way of life, and it is so rare in this so-called modern world, so we care for each other.

Spring

Along with the growing light comes Spring, and it is again time for outdoor activities. I can´t wait to be able to sit outside in my yard with my fresh brewed coffee and just listen to the birds singing for Spring to blossom.

The projects that were planned during Winter are now to be set in motion, and the Spring cleaning sets off the next couple of months being outside as much as possible. All these hours of waiting, it is worth all the efforts to see.

Next Spring will be in writing mode most of the time, though. If everything work out as planned, I will embark on writing the first draft of my novel from Spring to Winter 2020. But if the weather gods behave their best, it might be possible to be writing in the garden.

Like the Fall season I tie up many loose ends and clear out clutter at this time of year. That includes sorting through papers and documents, looking for unworn clothes in the farthest corner of the closet, and letting go of clutter not used for two years or more.

The season of Spring I relate to my outgoing and extroverted areas of life. Being inside both in Fall and in Winter makes me long for warmer days and the possibility to bask in the Sun with a touch of freshness and high spirit.

To enjoy my sweet dog lying in his basket outside, gnawing on a bone or with all four legs straight up in the air just being a dog, to watch my three philosophical cats in their garden den, half-sleeping curled up in a ball or sitting on one of the boxes or branches to watch me, that is animated setting.

The perfect frame for an early Spring picture to capture on my camera or to paint from memory is enhanced by flowers of all sizes and colors surrounding me everywhere in the garden. To me Spring is also my husband working hard to present wonders to me, the love of his life.

He is the love of my life, too. Without him I simply don´t know where to begin and where to end anything. He is my soul mate, my best friend, and my one and only. We owe each other much. We have been together for more than eleven years and been married in ten.

Summer

We have only just passed this year´s Summer, and already I long for the next to show up. I was born in Summer, I´m a Cancer, with Moon sign Cancer, and Rising in Leo. Here I gather energy and vitamin D enough for a year if possible.

I`m at my best during the year at this time. That doesn´t mean, however, that I lived happily ever after or rode into the sunset. My physical and mental ailments take their toll on me whatever season. But it is not so annoying and tiring when the weather is fair and warm.

Oh, those long, sweet Summer nights, gathered around a bonfire in the garden with the chosen family and the best friends to ever wish for. Sitting in silence, listening to the crisp, crackling sounds of the flames rising and lowering in their own natural rhythm, or talking about life´s diversity, laughing together at funny quotes and ourselves, I wish those days were here now.

The season of Summer I relate to my most private areas of life. I reload, so to speak. I gather my needed strengths to live a simple, yet complicated life with bipolar disorder and degenerative disc disorder in my lower back, And I have now learned to live with it controlled and still plenty of space to be just me, the way I am.

I try to take the light hours with me into the darker seasons. I need that to keep advocating for a positive outlook and to practice it myself as well. There is no need to recommend something, if you do not try it out yourself. So what I speak, I do. It can be as simple as that, and as difficult as that.

But life is not meant to be easy and laid back. If you want anything to happen, you need to do the work necessary. And there is also work to be done in the Summer season. The hardest work for me is to be more extroverted and to come out when the weather is too fair to let go of.

Being an introvert by nature, I´m inclined to withdraw from social activities, if there is too much going on with too many people. But in these months I´m more often outside, because we love to barbecue and play with the children of our sweet neighbors in the garden.

In conclusion …

… I relate all the seasons to other areas in my life than witchcraft and writing. I respond fast to changes in the weather, and I adapt myself to the corresponding changes in life, as the Wheel of the Year turns once again.

Today, things are beginning to fit together, once and for all. I´m at my best age. I have the necessary resources for being a writer and a witch, and I´m being kind to myself for the first time in my life. It´s about time, yes, and once you have stepped into the stage of Crone, there is no turning back.

I prefer the road not taken like Robert Frost.

It may be slippery at times, it may be challenging to walk that path, and it may be a path to transform along the way. But it is my path, and I´m proud of it.

Next time we meet on a Friday, dear reader, I´ll be writing about shadow work on the birthday of my grandfather on my mother´s side. Born in 1913, it is truly an ancestor I like to work with. I have a porcelain bear that he got after twenty-five years as a typographer/typesetter.

It resides in my permanent decorative altar, and every year at Samhain the bear is let loose on one of my altars that day and night. It is a mighty reminder of my inheritance of knowledge and an almost sixth sense for making words dance in the wind with a sound of music attached.

Whenever I do shadow work I make sure to be in a suitable mood. I never do it on days where I feel like shit, only when I feel fit for it. Shadow work is not to be taken lightly. It goes deep, because our shadow prefers darkness to light.

But when the basics are settled, then shadow work is a true delight. It is a way of getting to know myself better, so that I may present myself as positive as possible. Knowing that I´m not flawless. And thank the Universe for that.

Have a comfortable, pleasant and memorable weekend, dear reader.

I have always kept writing notes and yellow post-it notes. but it has not been as organized as now. Since I began writing on this blog about both writing and witchcraft, I have felt the advantage of having a basic structure to work with.

It is also called discipline and dedication. I write between 4-6 hours every day, not always behind the keyboard, for I love to write in hand. However, my health does not allow me that so often, so I restrict the handwriting to the most important notes about e.g. character traits.

It is only recently that I have begun using a writer´s notebook on a daily basis, and there is no way back after that. It is already an indispensable tool for me to care as much for as I care for my Book of Shadows in witchcraft.

A writer´s notebook to me is not like a daily journal where you write about the ways of life. It is for practical writing uses, and therefore I believe there need to be some structure in it. That I attain by indexing my many notebooks and ring binders and put page numbers on them.

I have picked the sections according to my current knowledge about writing and my practice with my novel. I have deliberately included grammar rules, since I write in English and not my native Danish. It is something that probably will evolve over time, so I keep track of it all in a document on my laptop.

A closer look into my writer´s notebook is like this at the moment :

Index

• In every notebook and ring binder
• Always numbered pages

Character development

• Positive and negative character traits
• A-Z character flaws

Common writing mistakes

• Characters
• Description
• Psychology

Descriptive words

• Concepts and idioms
• Emotions (positive and negative)
• Physical descriptions (body language)
• Senses (taste, smell, touch, hearing, sight)
• Sounds
• Weather

Dialog

• Ideas and inspirational quotes from novels, stage plays and motion pictures
• Punctuation rules

Editing and publishing

• Checklists

Genres

• Definitions
• Examples

Grammar rules

• Parts of speech (word categories and elements)
• Inflection (tenses and words changing)
• Syntax (sentence structure)

Online writing and reading resources

• Relevant links

Overused words

• E.g. very

Point of view

• First person
• Second person
• Third person

Worldbuilding/setting

• Locations
• Society types

Writing challenges

• Ideas
• Word count practice

Writing habits

• Daily writing routines
• Playlists of inspiring music to write to

Writing prompts for writer´s block

• One for each day of the year
• Genre prompts

Writing quotes

• From other authors
• Words of wisdom and inspirational words and sentences
• Lyrics and poems

Writing techniques

• E.g. stream of consciousness
• E.g. foreshadowing

Personal notes

• Brainstorming
• New ideas to research
• Notes for writing theory (how to´s )
• Other relevant material to sort

Of course, I´ll never finish my writer´s notebook. It´s an ongoing project, and it changes every time I use it, which is on a daily basis. I have a section called personal notes where I keep material that does not fit into the other sections.

I have not worked my way through all the sections either. That is my creative writing project for this fall season.

I work with my writer´s notebook in two different ways. Firstly, I keep material with lots of information in ring binders, where there is space to write longer notes, descriptions, and character sketches etc. Secondly, lists with synonyms, overused words and descriptive words etc. are in smaller note books that are easy to carry.

I often change my working space, depending on where it feels right to write that day. I have a mobile work station and three permanent working places. I have a well-developed inclination to procrastinate and be somewhat unorganized, so it is necessary for me to have a strong discipline when it comes to tidiness around my work station.

Today, I organize my notes and relevant material for my writer´s notebook. This has to do with my work with word counting. It has disciplined me to write every day and to be more careful with my material.

There is a long path yet to walk, before both my writer´s notebook and my novel to be are structured and filled the way I plan to. At current moment, I´m working on the sections Character development and Point of view so that I can begin character sketching and outlining my novel.

Right now I have an idea to my novel, some of the characters, and something about setting, too. It is mostly brainstorming and note-taking. I have bought a cork board to use as my story board later on. And I´m preparing myself for the next couple of months, where I will be working with dialog.

It looks and feels so easy to do. But on the contrary, it can be tricky as hell to work with. Writing is never easy. It is easy to love to write, because of the kick of the spark of inspiration that last long after a creative writing session.

But easy, it is not.

If it were, I probably would not love it so much. With practice comes inspiration from out of nowhere, and all of a sudden it is easier, still not easy, to write and learn something new every day.

And so I hope it will be too for dialog. My characters depend on it, and my mood and tone should be mirrored in it.

With character development, I have come to the point where you take a piece of paper/open a document and write down the first sketch of characters for my novel. I can vaguely feel them, I can almost touch them in my dreams, and I can no longer wait to describe them, so that I one day can present them to my readers.

I have been studying character traits all my life, because I have always found it interesting to learn about other people´s ways of behavior and to try to understand myself better. And I have had an enriching and at times tougher than necessary life, where I have met many different kinds of people.

I also work with point of view concepts and am contemplating alternating perspectives, because it would be intriguing to try to work out a story, where all or some of the characters somehow were connected before the story takes place without letting my reader know it, before long into the story.

I want the basics to be balanced with my desire to write a novel. Therefore, I spend the next 4-5 months preparing myself to write the first draft.

I have set aside a year to accomplish my goal. The first half year I will be reading a lot about writing techniques and American English grammar, and I will be writing on the synopsis and the outline of my novel. The last part is also the scariest part, but I believe I can do the actual writing, when time comes for that.

And I believe, too, that my writer´s notebook will be full and longing for replacements soon.

Right now, as I´m writing this, I´m studying some of the methods used by famous stage masters, like Konstantin Stanislavskij and Lee Strasberg, to get some good ideas and to work with the many aspects of writing a novel.

I like to try to make my writing feel as if following a motion picture camera. So I study techniques from the theater and the movies to write more vivid and flexible. I also like to do more than one thing at the same time.

So as usual, the TV is on – my husband watches The Walking Dead, I have ear plugs in with heavy bass riffs and forceful drums on full volume, there is a cup of warm chai tea next to me, and it is October chilly.

Today, I´m rewriting some of my old notes, and I can conclude that they are in dire need for attention. So today I have dedicated myself to the difficult task to sort out irrelevant material and the rewrite the rest into something useful for my current projects.

This is another way of working with writing. It is much more disciplined than I expected, but in return is it both easier and funnier to work.

It is a creative process, no matter what subject is on the menu for today. It almost has a life of its own, this writing journey that I have embarked on. And it feels as the most natural thing in the world to do.

To sit here behind the screen and do my finger dance across the keyboard, listening to great music and feeling happy. To play with those words, these ups and downs in a controlled roller coaster, in control with deadlines and the balance with the mundane world and my second love, witchcraft.

My first and only love sits happily next to me with a smile on his lips, because he can see, feel, that I´m happy doing something I love. He is also my second worst critic, only second to me as my own worst enemy. When he says something, I listen. And try it out. He is usually right.

It is also inspiring in itself to work with a writer´s notebook. There are always new perspectives, new ideas, and new notes, when I have been working with it. It sometimes becomes the work of the day, where the writing then mostly consists of notes and references.

I have already many plans going on, so the structure in my writer´s notebook is for now permanent. There are countless hours yet to travel through this thought flight of mine. But I will recommend any aspiring writer to get familiar with the idea of a writer´s notebook.

I am also pleased to learn that my number of followers have gone up from myself to now several followers. Thank you for following and for reading.

Next Monday I´ll be back with something about a novel to write during a year. I´ll let you follow my journey from small idea to written novel like I let you follow my journey as a witch on Fridays.

This structure is also more or less permanent for the remains of 2019. What happens on January 1st is yet to be seen. I am used to write on a blog twice a week, and it is just my pace, just my rhythm. Slow, but steady, to grow my blog is also to write about it from time to time.

Right now, I´m intrigued by the many different aspects of the writing process that need to be put together like a game of puzzles. I am a puzzle person.

I like to collect materials and from those make something original, useful and beautiful.

For that reason I created a writer´s notebook from scratch, except for some old notes and life experiences, and I will use it for my novel and for this blog.

The blog process, however, has to wait a little longer, because I´m in absolutely no hurry with this blog. It is a direct and brutally honest view into my life, as it is. No more, no less.

But less is always more, so I´ll cut the crap and speak my mind :

I´m evolving my writing voice, I´m not in this world to play copycat or ghost writer.

This is me, as those who know me offline, will be able to confirm.

As above, so below, as it is said in witchcraft.

So I take all the advice I can get, but I still have my own distinct writing voice, and that is the way forward for me.

It is everywhere in my life right now, this voice. I have truly found a passion for the rest of my life. To write something worth reading is a goal to strive for. And the only way to achieve that is hard work and discipline.

That is possible without a writer´s notebook. But it keeps me organized, and therefore it is a big blessing in my everyday as a writer.

Following the changing seasons is natural to me, I have done it al my life, but it is only in my later years that I have come to fully appreciate both the differences and the similarities between the seasons. They are different, but yet, they have the same condition with them, change.

Change is to me the only thing to accept and work with in life. The past is a constant that we cannot change, and nobody promises that there will be a future tomorrow.

Therefore, it is natural to me to follow the seasons of Nature. It is much more accommodating than modern stress and performance anxiety that only leaves you unsatisfied with life in general, if not tamed and changed into something better, something mindful, and something worthwhile doing.

I change with the seasons as a witch and as a human being. From the darkness in fall to the fantastic light of life in spring and from the joys of summer to the toughness of winter I follow Nature´s old ways and attune myself to the ever changing conditions of life and its many challenges. Since I became a witch, this has felt right.

Fall

September, October and November, beautiful, colorful and dark is the actual season here in the Northern Hemisphere where I live as a witch. I feel the turning of the Wheel of the Year most in fall. Here I contemplate the big issues in my life, here I show gratitude and respect, and here I attune myself to the harvest aspect of this time of year.

The celebrations are Mabon in September and Samhain in October, whereas November to me is a time for reflection and introspection.

Just a few days into October, it is getting cold quickly, and the rain seems to never stop. I´m preparing for Samhain, my New Year. I plan to work with my ancestors, the Nordic runes, and my dedication as a witch.

September has been unusually wet and cold. Fall came early this year. Perhaps a chilling reminder of the climate changes that we cannot control, but only try our best to change by letting go of e.g. bad plastic habits in time.

October is cold and wet too, we put the district heating on two days ago, and I sit and write with s plaid around me and warm slippers on my feet. I´m dressed comfortably, and there is a fresh cup of coffee right next to me.

September is a beautiful month with the harvest coming in and the thinning of the air as a soft whisper of the Wheel turning once more. October is colorful Nature at its most beautiful display of gold, red and orange on the falling leaves in the garden and on the street.

November is grey and dark, now it is time for meditation and long hours reading and writing about what matters in life. Here I often do shadow work and contemplate about life in general and my life experiences. I also cleanse my house with incense, because the New Year has begun, and as we do spring cleaning, so do I also cleanse for any stale energy left over from the past year´s many rituals and magickal workings.

Winter

December, January and February, bright, long and cold is the coming winter season here in some of the old Viking dominions. The cold needs to be icy, otherwise my 50-year-old bones and muscles ache at this time of year. I long for the promise of spring that comes with the Sabbat Imbolc in February, where the amount of candles used equal the lack of light in Nature.

The celebrations are Yule in December and Imbolc in February, whereas January is a time for inner reflections, recuperation and planning of the year.

December, the bright month, where the balance shifts once again, so that there will be more light from now on, because Yule/Winter Solstice is a lost battle for the dark time of year, as the light gains momentum and strength during the coming months.

January is a long and expensive month with mundane bills and and new routines to build up, where the days seem to be dark and cold forever. Here I work with healing and meditation, and I try to be as creative as possible to help overcome my ailments that are worst during the winter season.

I long for spring and the possibility of days with coffee in the garden with my loved ones and my friends for life. I´m restless, impatient and want to go ahead with my plans for the year as soon as possible.

February is the month of light becaue of Imbolc, where the first seeds of this year´s garden production are blessed and planted, and the celebration of the coming of the light.

Now it is time to prepare for spring and to make jars with salt and bay leaves to call for the spring to come quickly and nourishing, so that it is possible to be outside and sit and talk about life´s ups and downs around an early bonfire. Just remember to remove the jars from the window sills before it is summer, which begins at June 1st.

The winter season is a waiting time, a time to relax and enjoy the good things about solitude and the work with the inner child, and a time to be creative with little beautiful projects that both pleases the eye and the mind. I study a lot in this season, and it is also a suitable time to go through what I´ve already learned about witchcraft since last winter.

Spring

March, April and May, cloudy, changing and sunny is the future spring season that has been mesmerizing to me as long as I can remember. I love the little signs of spring, budding sprouts, beautiful spring flowers, and the trees awaiting to fully blossom everywhere in Nature. And I can´t wait for the sunshine pouring into my home and my heart and soul.

The celebrations are Ostara/Spring Equinox in March and Beltane in May, whereas April is a time for blessing of garden projects, to do the spring cleaning, and to clear up clutter in the Book of Shadows.

March is typically cloudy most of the time, alternating with rain and sunny mornings, where the fight between the dark an light seasons is most contrasting. Again it is time for balance work, which I concentrate at the Ostara Sabbat/the Spring Equinox. And to banish what no longer serves me.

April is often mild, but also subject to sudden changes in weather conditions, where Jack Frost at times show up later than expected. It is time for growth spells and abundance prayers. I sometimes make a love or friendship ritual at this time to strengthen the energy between us.

May, the sunny spring month, it mostly warm and beautiful with the Beltane Sabbat as the turning point in the beginning of the month. It is a month filled with love and laughter, and I´m usually busy planning the Summer Solstice/Litha that introduces the fact that time is short, and that summer last only a few moments before the Wheel of the Year turns towards the darker months.

It is a time of expectations and moments of utter joy of life. The birds are singing their best, and the animals are getting ready for parenting their little new ones. There is room to grow new ideas and to further work with attracting abundance and blessings for a simple, yet mindful life.

The spring season is an action time, where many of the plans from winter now are to be fully implemented. It is time for spring cleaning and banishing work as well as tending to my witchy garden projects together with my husband, who does the tough work which I no longer can do due to chronic pain and osteoarthritis.

Summer

June, July and August, warm, hot and capricious is the summer season here in the southern part of Denmark, where I spend my life. We have just passed a long and beautiful summer, not as wild as the one last year, where we five months in a row had a gigantic heat wave that came in series of extended summer days and evenings from early spring to long into late fall. And I feel sad every time that summer has passed, for time is really short when enjoying it.

The celebrations are Litha/Summer Solstice in June and Lammas in August, whereas July is a time for rest and relaxation.

I long already for the next summer to show up. In June, it is already time to say goodbye to the Sun, however, because as the Wheel of the Year turns, so do the seasons. Here the battle between light and dark is symbolized with the Summer Solstice, where the balance from now on is in favor of the dark time of year.

In July, my birth month, I work only little with witchcraft except from the beginning gathering of herbs from Mother Earth. Typically, my work is focused on New Moon intentions and Drawing Down the Moon at Full Moon. But I go through my Book of Shadows regularly to supply and expand my current knowledge of witchcraft, and I work with creating creative projects for witchcraft purposes.

August is back to school, back to work after a good and long vacation. My studies of witchcraft is intense, but not as deep as in the fall and winter season. I usually try to learn about witchcraft corresponding with the changing seasons and the turns of the Wheel of the Year. Here I often study how to create rituals and spells, which I write during the fall and winter seasons.

The summer season is both an action and relaxing time, where the preparations for harvest are in full swing, and the last of the warming and beautiful summer evenings are enjoyed around a bonfire in the garden as often as possible. As a witch I work with my intentions for the dark season and to fill my outlook on life´with positiveness and lots of light and enriching moments as playing with the neighbor´s children in the garden or laughing with each other at the bonfire in the evening.

In conclusion …

… I can only recommend others to begin following Nature and the ways of Mother Earth. Time is too short for modern stress and the eternal dance around the golden calf in the hunt for success, money, and personal gain.

It has had a major positive impact on my attitude towards many things in life, and I often relate my work with the changing seasons to other areas of life than witchcraft. That is my point of view for my next blog post about witchcraft next Friday.

The more I work with witchcraft and changes, the more I feel attuned to Nature throughout the year. The more I contemplate life´s many twists and turns through the lenses of witchcraft, the more I feel alive and free from overrated mundane issues like money-related success and happiness from the shop-till-you-drop plastic culture that we are imposed to strive for.

No, I definitely prefer the words of an – to me- unknown author :

“Happiness is the new rich.

Inner peace is the new success.

Health is the new wealth.

Kindness is the new cool.”

Those were the words for today. Have a blessed, life-enriching weekend, dear reader.

Point of view can be quite a few things according to rules of writing that I have read lately.

Today, I will show you my first person point of view/POV by participating in my own story. We could also do it together, dear reader, or I could have chosen to show you another person telling a story.

No matter, the perspective, I have chosen this subject, because I am currently working on a novel to be. And I like to mix between a broad range of possibilities to create something intense, something suspect, and something between good and bad.

Seeing the world through different perspectives is also a useful reminder of the importance of remembering to actually live instead of planning my life away.

I sit in my living room which is my favorite place to write these days. Nah, I better show the truth, I have been sitting here a couple of weeks by now. I´m waiting for the right moment to turn on the district heating to save some money.

It is getting expensive to live on a budget. This month has been long, suddenly switching weather conditions and sensitive with nostalgia and deep sorrow.

You should have seen the cloudburst that I and my neighbor went out in on Saturday September 28 2019. That date five years ago i lost my mother. It still hurts like hell, but yet I´m smiling, because she would have wanted me to do just that.

My physical ailments, osteoarthritis and degenerative disc disorder, are busy keeping me awake in the nights, because I seldom use artificial pain killers and only use the absolute most necessary prescription medicine.

But today I hurt too irritating, too long, too much.

There are also many thoughts racing through my mind, but it is okay, I´m in control of my bipolar disorder. I have learned the differences between the highs and the lows, and I have achieved a solid balance in the eye of the hurricane.

The roller coaster still runs like a flooded river, but at least there are a clutch and some brakes as well. So I´m convinced that everything will be okay at some point, and I know that I might as well get familiar with my mood swings, and, on top of that, the mundane pleasures of becoming a Crone, i.e. menopause.

I know that I´m now as good as it gets. The rest is up to me to handle, to learn to live with it speaking frankly. The hard part is, however, unfortunately also for my loved ones to follow up close.

I can see more clearly now what disabilities and ailments can do to a family and friends, and therefore it is so important to me to show them as much as possible, how much I love them and how grateful I am for their presence in my life.

Something much more pleasant is the sweet idea of writing my first novel. It is a work in progress, and my plan A is to write my novel during a year. Plan B etc. may become necessary, but let´s look back in a year to see, how far I´ll manage to stick to plan A.

A fresh look into my notes at this moment would not tell you much, neither would my characters have much to say just yet. But they are in the process of becoming strong and deeply troubled at the same time.

My choice of genre is the psychological thriller. So at the moment I´m researching and preparing my story board for months with intensive outlining and plotting. It is a funny creative process, where a single conversation around the coffee table suddenly appears to feel like a brainstorming session.

I also ask my family, friends and neighbors about their opinions of my writing, and I tell them to be rough and speak their truths. It is a privilege to be read and be constructively criticized.

And one day, dear reader, I´ll ask for your opinion too.

Tonight I´m somewhat tired physically due to my chronic pain from the toll of time on my body. My mental state, however, is in the perfect mode for writing.

Tonight, my music is fast, loud, with thundering drums and a high beat per minute.

Tonight I want to dance across the keyboard in tune with the music and just let my fingers do the talking.

And there has been so many other things to take care of during this day that has gone by extremely fast. Or is it because I´m getting older, and time only seems to gain momentum and speed for every day that passes ?

Right here and now, I finally sit comfortably behind the keys and am able to practice a few techniques behind the scenes.

I write with mixed tenses, i try some different point of views, and I have new notes for my novel to work with after this blog post.

I know I´m probably breaking some rules, but to be able to learn to write well, it to me is necessary to learn from mistakes even more than possible success.

Otherwise, I would never learn to be tough enough to kill my darlings, when it is time for editing that first draft that I´m preparing myself for.

It will be a gigantic journey, and it will demand time, discipline, hard work. But every inch of it is worth it, for I know I would regret it, didn´t I at least give it a solid try.

Today has been another wonderful day in the writing world. Besides writing this, I studied US grammar earlier this morning. It is tough to return to the basics, but I believe it to be necessary to refresh one´s memory from time to time with the tough stuff also. The more, the merrier.

Now it is time to know what to expect from me in October 2019.

What to expect in October 2019

What ? No Halloween ? A writing witch without Samhain ? Of course not, there will be November 1 2019 to tell and show all about that.

As we here in the Northern Hemisphere up North, where the Vikings once roamed, are turning with the Wheel of the Year, so are the seasons changing. We now only need to see the beautiful colors on the leaves on the trees, before it is full-blown fall season here in Denmark.

So I think it is relevant to write about the seasons and how I relate them to other life areas as a witch. And shadow work on the birthday of my late grandfather could not be more specific concerning timing. And that last Friday in October I´ll write about what comes to mind when speaking of witchcraft that day.

• Friday October 4 2019 : The changing seasons
• Monday October 7 2019 : A look into my writer´s notebook
• Friday October 11 2019 : How I relate the changing seasons to other areas of my life
• Monday October 14 2019 : A novel to write during a year
• Friday October 18 2019 : Shadow work
• Monday October 21 2019 : Journal prompts and to do´s for writer´s block
• Friday October 25 2019 : Last Friday in October
• Monday October 28 2019 : Writing like a movie camare and what to expect in November 2019

Regarding writing in October, some of my monthly challenges are to clear clutter in my writer´s notebook and to write a synopsis for my novel. Others are to write my own journal prompts and to do´s for writer´s block, and to try to write so it feels like looking through a movie camera.

My word count goals on this blog continue to be 2,000 words at a time. Preferably also between 1,000 and 2,000 words a day on my novel, when the time comes for the first draft.

I have some lines, a little bit of dialogue, and an idea that is getting more and more intense. It is as if this story wants to be told. But the next couple of months I´ll be spending doing research and outlining and plotting my novel, character development and point of view (or views).

About this blog my goals remain to build it up at my pace, making the best out of what I have, until I have saved enough money to do something more than the most necessary about the technical aspects. Hopefully, I´ll also save some energy to work with it, because it has never been the greatest concern to me.

It is work that needs to be done, that´s it. I care for the quality rather than the quantity of the content, and if my work is good enough, there will be readers. I always try to write with the reader in mind, as I read with the writer in mind.

I care for my audience as a whole, not just some selected few, and I write for the love of the writing process, not for the sake of someone except myself. I choose the road not taken, like Robert Frost.

I like the feeling of looking through a movie camera, when I read a book, and I would love to have it in my own novel. And there is as always with writing only one way forward, and that is hard work and rewrite again and again.

So I practice, I make mistakes, I learn. And I know I´ll be able to write a novel. In a way, writing on a blog is also writing on a kind of ongoing novel.

I look forward to writing you some journal prompts for writer´s block and to show you how I try to do different things when in the risk of getting too close to the point of no return for the block to start to snarl at me.

But most of all, I want to show you that a writer´s notebook needs not be expensive or difficult to build.

To clear away my clutter, I´ve dedicated this week to make my notes tidy and ease to use on a daily basis.

The rest of this blog post, I dedicate to a national poet of ours in Denmark, who passed away a year ago. Kim Larsen was his name. I remember his music, it has been in my life like always.

So to speak about sorrow can mean many different things. I miss my mother for her loving care. I miss Kim Larsen for his beautiful music and fantastic lyrics.

It has been a nostalgic week with many streams of consciousness going on in me.

And now my pain killers finally release me from tensions and muscle cramps. It is about time to call it a day and remain on the couch for the rest of the evening.

I allow myself to also skip the planned grammar for a night. I deserve it, because for the first time in my life I have gone public with my dream, which is about writing a novel in a language different from my own.

I believe I can write better in English than in my native Danish.

I believe I can write a novel worth reading.

And I believe in meeting people all over the world, where they are in the present moment.

With a past that is a constant, a future no one can promise you, there is only the present moment to live life to its fullest.

And please do that, dear reader, never back down on the quest for happiness, inner peace, a good health and kindness.

Time is too short to remain status quo. We are always told to change what we cannot accept, and that we need to accept what we cannot change.

So go out there and change this world. Accept that change is here to stay permanently whatever we want it to or not.

Do something.

It is a journey of a lifetime, it is a privilege, it is a way to express my love to witchcraft.

It is a lifelong journey, for my knowledge about witchcraft is enhanced by writing about it, and the learning process to me is something that we never grow too old to benefit from. It is a privilege to write about witchcraft, because history proves that that luxury was not for my predecessors to experience, and still yet there are many prejudices against free-thinkers like me.

It is a channel to express my love to witchcraft that has the ability to reach out and meet people all over the world.

And it is also another way of doing what I love as much as witchcraft, to write.

When I´m writing as a witch, I write about what I do, what I feel, and what I´m able to describe. Magick itself to me cannot fit in certain boxes, because either magick works, or it does not. It is not up to me as a human to decide that. That is for the Universe and the goddesses and the gods to deal with.

I can only try to pull and to push energies in a certain direction and try to have as positive an outlook as possible. My belief is that positiveness is the best way, not only to try to influence magickal energies, but also to life in general.

But, at times, yes, I´m a grey witch, so I can curse as well as bless. I see it as a reflection of life, we don´t live a life without touching the darker sides of existence. It is also necessary to be able to defend yourself and your loved ones, and for that reason only I name myself a gray witch.

Writing as a witch forces me to think trice about the choice of my words.

Words do change the world, and in a time with so many fake news and wannabee celebrities, it is good advice to carefully choose your words. To be specific, to be brutally honest, and to be authentic is extremely important to me, in witchcraft as well as in writing.

But the real reason that I´m careful with words in witchcraft is that intentions matter. I make a virtue out of only writing about witchcraft, when I´m in a good mood. There are so many other issues to write about, when you are having a really bad day.

To me, witchcraft is too sacred to be polluted by the stress and demands from the modern world. That does not mean, however, that I do not seek guidance about mundane matters. I do not plan my life from witchcraft, and I do not plan my life in general.

I prefer to live a simple life without making other plans than to live in the moment and make the best out of everything that this life throws at me. When I do make plans, it is almost always about my next ritual or my coming writing challenges for the next month.

I have the opportunity to do so. But the price for that is that I´m early retired, and that I for the rest of my life cannot contribute to society what work regards.

But what I can do is to write my heart out.

So to me writing and writing as a witch is my kind of work.

Today, I´m listening to music with awesome riffs and thundering drums. I´m watching The Walking Dead and Vikings, and I have light candles and created a cosy atmosphere. That Danish word “hygge”, you know, dear reader.

A comfortable and deeply relaxed atmosphere with the love of your life and a little wise old dog close around. A sandwich and a glass of cold milk. A view into our living room, where I sit behind the keyboard as a writing witch.

I´m thinking on my next Sabbat, Samhain, on October 31 2019, All Hallows Eve, Halloween. To me it is like New Year. Here I stop for a moment, prepare myself thorough, and work with the shadows in my life. Ancestor worship, inner shadow work and deep contemplation about the past year are the themes used.

The veil between the worlds is thinnest here, it is said.

Here I also intend to renew my pledge to witchcraft. It all began three years ago during a major bipolar turn after my beautiful classic car, an Opel Kadett E type, was stolen and burnt to ashes an early morning at October 17 2016.

My world was in ruins, because that old car was special and dear to me. It was 31 years old, had only run 24,000 miles.

It was on October 31 2016 that I declared myself a witch. From that on I have strived to live a simple, yet enriching life. No more negativity in my life, if I can do something about it.

It has made so many things so much easier. Even with my car. There is nothing more to do than to take a photo of it and put it on my ancestor altar on Samhain night. But I can look at it now, as I can look at my late mother and all those dear to me that have passed before me.

And I have just ended my time with psychiatric care. I´m free as the majestic eagle, I´m through a rough time, and I´m ready for new paths to follow.

I´m also thinking of my late mother. Tomorrow it will be five years since she passed. And still I can´t help but cry and laugh at the same time. Cry, because it still hurts like hell and I know I´ll never conquer that feeling of deep sorrow. Laugh, because she would have wished for me to live a life in which there is laughter.

Tomorrow, I´ll go to the local cemetery and bring a large bouquet of red roses. I´ll smell to her perfume, I´ll think of the best memories with her.

To get the chance she never had. That is writing, a special gift, inherited material. My grandfather on my mother´s side taught me to read and write before I ever went to school. So my love for writing lies deep in my heart.

As I´m writing, I´m also beginning to plan what to expect in October 2019 about witchcraft. I think it will be something about the changing seasons, how I relate it to other areas of my life, and shadow work. And then again, there is room for surprise, so I´ll not disclose anything yet about that last Friday in October.

Writing as a witch is a lonesome road at times. But I like to seek the solitude in whatever I do. As much as I love the company of my loved ones and other exceptional people, I also enjoy the feeling of being on my own.

I may sit in our living room with my husband, but I have earplugs in as I write. I like to write to the sound of music, because it makes me able to write more eloquently and from the bottom of my heart.

I like to try to write words with music and rhythm in them. When I´m able to write in a flow, it is like flying high above like an eagle. There is lots of drama too with the ups and downs of writing. The soaring ups when everything plays in tune, and the breakneck speed of the downs where nothing seems to fit together.

Then, all of a sudden and out of nowhere, inspiration strikes, and my muse is back on my shoulder to tell me to go to work and to show me to write better every time.

That is an unique kind of magick. There are certain guidelines, but the hardest part, the writing sessions, is for me to try to achieve. That magickal ability is my feeling of perfection. Trying to reach the impossible perfection and always do it better than the last time.

The hardest part is also the most beloved part. When it comes down to daily practice as a writing witch, there is writing everywhere as there is witchcraft. Here lies my true creativity.

I´m always writing on something new. I´m too curious to keep silent about it. The connection between the mundane world and witchcraft is the ritual approach to it. When I write as a witch it is necessary for me to have a somewhat clean and clear work space around my keyboard. But often I move around in my home and set up work spaces different places.

I always carry notebooks and pen and paper. I never know what I would miss, if I someday wasn´t able to write down sentences, quotes, people´s way of behaving, and ideas.

And I never back down on the supply of pens worth writing with. I can´t afford the expensive ones, but there is still a lot to choose from in a dollar store or a a discount supermarket.

There is magick in writing, and there is writing in magick. My toolbox is broad and fat, loaded with life experience and the Crone outlook on life. Yes, still take many things seriously, but never forget to laugh as much as possible.

Today is a beautiful day in the fall season. It is chilly, but tolerable. I sit in our living room and try to catwalk my way through my life as a writing witch, a witchy writer.

The three philosophical cats are outside in their den, and the little old wise dog is sound asleep next to me. My husband sleeps too, so now I work in solitude surrounded by my loved ones. There is a magickal atmosphere, and in parallel to the writing here I work with my Tarot journal.

Those feelings, that is what I love about writing as a witch. It calms, soothes, it enlightens.

And I need that to thrive in a modern world, where the only magick apparently is about not being caught in something deceitful or stupid.

Because courtesy and decency are rare phenomena these years where the world has gone more crazy than ever. To guard me against that I use witchcraft on a daily basis. To overcome the downsides of disorders and a hectic life I write about witchcraft and writing.

And I have begun my novel at last. I´m in the process of outlining and creating characters. It may take me a while, but I would rather spend the time necessary than would I come up with shitty material.

So there is writing in almost everything I do, like witchcraft.

It is a journey of a lifetime, it is a privilege, it is a way to express my love to witchcraft.

It is a wonderful privilege to be read. May this little insight in my daily life as a writing witch serve as inspiration for others to write, whatever the subject may be.

The art of writing and the art of the Craft are my core places of work. Here I regain strength and energy, here I feel as reborn whenever I have written something worth reading, and here I spend a big part of my life.

I write between four to six hours a day. I write an average of approximately 1,500 words per day. It is getting more and more, both because I love to do it, and because it feels like the most natural thing in the world to do.

I try to read as much as possible every day about witchcraft and writing. But my favorite way of reading is reading those unattainable writers that you would wish you could write like them.

So this is it for today. Now, I´ll continue working with my Tarot journal and take the remains of the day out of the calendar. May your weekend be merry and beautiful, dear reader.

A long, flowing stream of inner monologue in a character in a book, a play or a movie is difficult to write. There are certain rules, and I´ll respect them when I get to work with this in my novel to be.

But today on this blog the stream of consciousness will be my writing voice.

Today has been beautiful with breathtaking Fall sunshine and a comfortable ritual around noon. There is inner peace and calm, and my three philosophical cats and my little old wise dog are playing and sleeping all over the house.

It was a healing and thanksgiving ritual. I feel in balance with nature and know that I have said my thanks to the Universe and Mother Earth for the abundance in my life.

Yes, abundance on a budget is possible. If you only dare to be creative with what you already have, and if you work hard to get the best out of everything, it is possible.

My abundance may not be in money terms. But money can´t buy you love, friendship and family. For my family and my friends I´m grateful. They are the reason for me being able to live a happy and content life.

I owe them everything. for they are exceptional people. The kind that are always there whatever happens. It is so rare in our modern world, where almost everything seems to be about making enough money to buy the latest unnecessary gadget.

Living with bipolar disorder and social anxiety would not be so easy-going were they not in my life, so I´m grateful indeed.

For the love of my life I´m grateful too. I have a husband who is as tough a buddy as me. He has – like I- been dragged through hell on quite a few occasions. But we are still here together, so I believe in love at first sight.

I count my blessings, and I´m content with life.

There are enough of mundane sorrows and challenges to overcome, so a positive outlook on things in an absolute necessity here. I also know positiveness works a great deal better than negativity and disbelief.

Life experience is worth gold no matter the age at the time, when an issue arises that demands a larger degree of human skills than else. It makes the whole difference, and the outcome often depends on it.

So is trial by error, in time I call it lessons to learn throughout life.

Have I learned all my lessons then ? No, not yet, I say learning is a lifelong must.

But I have learned some and then some. Some would say more than enough, did they know the span of my story to tell. I will say I have learned most of my part.

Well, shit happens from time to time. And I just know than when the shit hits the fan, then it´s time to step into character and to show what stuff you are made of. I´m born of the stars, so I kick ass when I have to.

And have to, that I have to do every day for the rest of my life. I have to have something to believe in, I have to feel inner peace and freedom from restraints, and I have to write about it.

So, I sit here, ready to step into character, every single moment of the day ? Oh yes, and believe me, I´m as ready as can be.

I want the best out of everything every day of my life. I need happiness, inner peace, a good health and a kind attitude.

All that has been given me by the Universe. Others might call it chance, but I don´t believe in coincidences of any kind.

Thanksgiving and healing were the core elements in my Mabon Sabbat/Fall Equinox today. Healing is always a fine goal to try to achieve, and I often work with healing both in witchcraft and in writing.

Where is the healing part of writing ? To me, the healing moment arise during the writing process with a feeling of being content and happy about being brutally honest when writing.

There is something elusive about sitting there behind the keyboard, making written words out of thoughts in the moment. There are long hauls of hard work, and then there is this sudden feeling of knowing that you are on to something right.

If the feeling lasts long enough, I might be lucky that day and be able to write for a couple of hours with breaks whenever necessary. That is when the downside of e.g. osteoarthritis takes its toll on my physical strength.

Or when I need to rethink a sentence or a paragraph a break is also a good choice.

Today I´m not going to be less than honest and say that I only write about what I know something about. I write with my life experience, not about it. My personal story is not involved in my novel to be. It is involved here, but that is rather by choice than need.

I like to write in different worlds, and I like to learn about the behavior of human beings to be able to know myself better. My aim with writing is to write something worth reading.

The remains of the day have been calming and ensuring. We made a bonfire in the garden and sat for about an hour and enjoyed the dance of the flames with zero wind.

As I´m writing, I´m thinking about the ups and downs of being a writer. The ups are the easy ones to describe, it is whenever the editing part is done. The downs are difficult not to build up inside as excuses for not doing the long hours of practice that is necessary.

If you want lo learn and grow as a writer, I believe that as with other life areas, writing is a skill, an art, a craft where learning also takes a lifetime. It needs to be cared for and practiced in as many sessions as possible.

Learning by doing, so to speak.

I know that there will be mistakes along the way, but I learn so much from reading other authors, both famous and known by few, so I believe it is healthy for your writing voice to be read against other voices.

Only that way is it possible to evolve and learn to dare to follow whatever rules that fit the writing project and to break the rules whenever appropriate to the inner voice that guides your writing.

Another challenging trial-by-error experience is to be read. It is a wonderful privilege that I take seriously and try to care as much as possible for.

Today my thoughts goes out to all those wonderful, free writers all over the world that choose to follow their hearts and write close up to life in everyday reality.

Keep on writing and inspiring. And Blessed Be.

Today´s pictures are of my daily ritual altar set up for the celebration of Fall Equinox, where day and night are of equal lenght, and my husband´s beautiful bouquet and mini pumpkins. A time for balance work, divination and preparations for winter.

It was my first ritual this month, and it was followed up by a sandwich and a glass of cold milk. Coming up for 2020 I´ll try to prepare my own recipes for another twist of the senses, so there after a ritual will be something delicious to eat and drink.

After all, a lot of the merry meet traditions are about feasting together.

As always I feel cleansed and as reborn after a ritual. Now, I sit with lit candles, a cup of warm chai tea and comfortable clothing.

We have done our part of balance work today, with thanksgiving at the ritual and releasing of what no longer serves us over the bonfire in the garden.

Concerning divination the Tarot cards were fair and just, but I´ll need a longer interpretation of my nine card spread, which I usually do the day after a ritual, because I like to combine my inner gut feeling with a good night´s sleep before interpreting any kind of divinatory method.

Preparations for winter are beginning little by little here. The garden needs to be tended to, and our house needs some fall cleaning, as we typically also do at the Spring Equinox. And we need to buy groceries whenever the price is right.

Before everybody goes bananas over Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Do a witch like me celebrate that ? Yes. Of course, I do, there are children in my family and my 81-year-old father. But I celebrate it downplayed with less focus on material things and most focus on the family aspect of it.

To write in a stream of consciousness is difficult, but I still keep trying, because I´m writing my thoughts as they arrive without editing the first draft.

The difficult part shows up when it is time to begin editing and prepare for publishing. And when I then don´t see the resemblance when comparing to other works… Then it is necessary to keep the faith and keep on writing, until the time comes to write the conclusion.

A long, flowing stream of inner monologue shown by my writing voice rather than a character in a novel. No, not yet, I need to write it first, and it will take me quite some time. I´ve only begun at the work of creating strong characters and a solid backstory without too many details and descriptive stuffing.

But I´m getting closer to it every day, and I just know that it won´t be long, before I sit and write my first novel. I have half a page written and a lot of notes to keep tack of on a storyboard, which will be my priority for a couple of weeks.

Word counting has helped me write better and write more. It gives me a goal to work with, and it is a great feeling when such a goal as 2,000 words at a time is reached. It now only takes me a couple of hours to write and rewrite, where it not so long ago could last days.

Now it is time for the conclusion and for today that´ll be that the ritual went as planned and that I´ve only begun practicing the art of writing in a stream of consciousness.

There is probably plenty of room for improvement, but you got to begin somewhere, and I can only use myself and my knowledge and life experience to try and play with them mesmerizing words.

I have felt an inner monologue as I`ve been writing this blog post. But to actually feel what it is, that is the tricky part to both tell and show.

But what I´ve learned from today is that it is never a shame to at least give it a try. And the Sun is always above the black skies. That is worth noticing, as the dark half of the year now rules the world here in the Northern Hemisphere.

There is also beauty in darkness, and without it, how would we know light ? In the dark season there is room and time for creative projects and shadow work. That will be the theme in my next big Sabbat, Samhain on October 31 2019.

No, dot not run from darkness. The dark season is about looking inwards and review what the light half of the year has brought forth. And to plan for the coming year as well.

On Monday September 30 2019 I´ll try to write a session about 1st person point of view and what to expect in October 2019. I will keep on writing every Monday and Friday the year out, but now I need to go plan what to write about next month.

Once again, thank you for your time, dear reader.

I like to follow the changing seasons by celebrating the phases of the Moon and the Sabbats. I usually follow the New Moon, the Waxing Quarter Moon, the Full Moon and the Waning Quarter Moon, because it would be too much for me to celebrate all the phases, and these four phases appeal to me most.

However, I celebrate all of the Sabbats (Yule, Imbolc, Ostara, Beltane, Litha, Lammas, Mabon and Samhain), since I believe in the Wheel of the Year concept with birth, death and rebirth of the Sun during the year and the seasons.

For this season I´m preparing Mabon (Autumn/Fall Equinox, harvest festival, equal day and night, balance workings, to give thanks and to let go, celebration of the beauty of Fall) and Samhain (All Hollows Eve, initiation and self-dedication, the veil between the worlds is thinnest, shadow work, divination, celebration of the Ancestors, the Crone and the witches.

I feel I live in much better balance with the seasons, since I began practicing as a witch almost three years ago. And it reflects on my personal life areas, which means that I´m a much happier person today than I was three years ago.

Not that I was not able to be happy before I left the witch´s closet, but by naturally following the phases of the Moon and the seasons of the year many things have become way easier to handle. It is as if witchcraft and the celebrations of nature´s cycles has a healing and calming effect on me that makes me think with a more positive outlook.

But I still have my bipolar disorder, and it was like riding a roller coaster without brakes and clutch. Until my helpful crew at the psychiatric day clinic hit the combination of the right prescription medicine and the right mindful therapy. It has been a long ride since then, many months struggling to get back in the saddle.

With the natural influence from the seasons I now live a much better life, and I ascribe a lot of it to my work with witchcraft. It is something I love, it is natural medicine to me, and it is the natural flow of ups and downs in life.

Being aware of the phases of the Moon gives me a deeper understanding of change as the only constant to acknowledge in life. The past is gone. There is no promise of a new tomorrow. So today is a present and the only place to live your life.

And with celebration around the Wheel of the Year I learn on a daily basis that time is short, and therefore we need to seize the day much more than we do today. In a modern world of stress, hate and bigotry, it is essential to me to celebrate each Sabbat with great care.

I might as well do my best in everything I do, because I live by the Sun and love by the Moon. I´m recovering from a tough life and I don´t need more conflict for a life time.

There is beauty, calmness and zero anxiety when performing celebrations of the Moon and the Wheel of the Year.

Coming up on Monday 23 2019 is the Mabon Sabbat. It is also called Autumn/Fall Equinox and is about thanksgiving, letting go and getting in balance. Day and night are equal, from now on the dark half of the year rules. But it is also a time to review intentions from this Moon cycle.

My New Moon intentions from August 30 2019 :

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

My Full Moon intentions from September 13 2019 :

1. Keep on writing, whatever situation I´m in.
2. Be ready to face a quick decision and do less if necessary, but still do it right.
3. It´s alright to have a bad day. It won´t last, as won´t a happy one, is my new mantra.

My goals need more time, I need more time, to evolve. So these intentions will carry on for another Moon cycle and as many as needed. But i´m getting closer every day. I keep on writing whatever happens, I´m trying to establish a reasonable daily practice of witchcraft, and my new mantra is effective.

I live one day at at time and do my best every time.

So my intentions with the Mabon Sabbat are to let go of what no longer serves me. That can be many different things, but I choose to make a ritual with the intention of letting go of unnecessary writing doubts, bad excuses for procrastinating mundane issues, and self-pity on a bad day.

It is the Waning Quarter Moon on Sunday before the ritual, so the timing is perfect for this.

But there will also be a ritual of thanksgiving, I have a lot to show gratitude for. I´m almost through with my psychiatric treatment, which is planned to stop on Wednesday September 25 2019. It is a great privilege to have gone though a couple of years with bipolar disorder and anxiety and come out cured as much as possible.

There is a limit, however. Cured as much as possible means that there always will be a certain degree of disorder that I´ll have to handle myself. My scars of life are deep and they will always hurt at certain times of the year.

And one of my ways to try to control that part of myself is working with the phases of the Moon and the Wheel of the Year. Another one is writing and being creative in as many ways as possible. When I do that, there is peace, there is a feeling of wholeness, and there is space to be the me that I am.

I have always searched for an alternative way of living that could contain my broad views of life. I have never fitted in in any kind of conventional social group. I take up a lot of space as a person, because I have to feel freedom from constraints to function as a human being.

This I have found in witchcraft and in following the phases of the Moon and the Sabbats during the year.

From time to time I practice less the big rituals and concentrate on the daily little things as e.g. lighting candles whenever I´m writing or doing everyday chores. I listen to many different kinds of music depending on my mood in the moment. I read myself a prayer before doing any writing to keep my thoughts focused on the process rather than the quantity.

So even though I at the moment don´t practice so much as in July and August, there is daily witchcraft around me. I may not perform a ritual at a certain Moon phase, but I always contemplate what the phase is about and try to actually look at the Moon when it is not cloudy outside.

I like this fall season. It is so full of changes to remind us to live in accordance with the rhythm of nature rather than the shrill and hectic chaos of a so called modern world. Where is the modern in stress and disorders being more the rule than the exception ?

To me it is a step backward to live a life filled with stress and all kinds of shifting activities all the time. What happened to politeness, to mindfulness and to being happy with what you already have ?

I like to go offline once in a while. I like the silence and the peace from not being disturbed by noisy devices and needless gadgets. Then I find my inner calm and am able to regain my strength. Then I turn to witchcraft and nature´s ancient rhythm. Then I´m more in tune with life and its many challenges.

This season is also one of deep contemplation to me. On September 28 2019 it is five years since my mother died. It is something that I´ll never forget. It hit me hard. But I´ll go to the cemetery with pink roses, which she loved, weep my tears and go on with this life of mine.

I have to. And she would wish for me that I move forward. Death is a natural part of life, but we are not good as humans to handle it. I still mourn my late mother, and I take the time necessary, whatever people might say or not. I miss those gone before me, but I believe that we´ll merry meet again someday.

Living after the phases of the Moon and the Sabbats is of great importance to me, for it is my way of trying to live a life with as little stress and anxiety as possible.

So this weekend is going to be about planning a beautiful Mabon ritual for Monday afternoon and about writing in the stream of consciousness style. But it is also about taking good care of my wonderful husband, without whom I would feel so lost.

Yes, life is a rough and tough bully at times. We are growing older and there is always a price to pay for life experiences. So also with health, and dear Universe, please hear my prayer for my husband´s health. Let him be alright, let him be free from sickness and pain, let him be well.

Next Friday I´ll try to show what it is like to be writing as a witch. It is not two different worlds to fit together, it is my kind of style to mix between genres, styles and possibilities. I´m always on the lookout for new inspiration, so why not mix writing with witchcraft and thus put the magick into words that make a difference.

Today I think a lot about my family and friends worldwide, each of us fighting for our lives in our different ways. It is all about keeping on with what you are doing, to go on even though the road is filled with obstacles and setbacks.

It will all pass someday, and beyond the grey skies, there is always the Sun and the Moon.

I therefore send all the positive karma and good energy I have to give. May your lives be blessed with positive experiences and life enriching meetings with like-minded good people. So Mote It Be.

To sum up, living after the phases of the Moon and the Wheel of the Year has been a life-changing experience to me. And I can only recommend others to try to find their distinctive path, something happens inside, life becomes a little easier to handle. And it is in the little things that we often find the most.

I look forward to repeating my dedication as a witch on Samhain October 31 2019. It has become a tradition that I´ll follow as long as I live. It is beautiful and awe-inspiring to remind yourself about the choice of life style that becoming a witch implies.

It is also a milestone to me to celebrate yet another year. Already close to October, a year has gone so quickly that it is barely a breath in the wind. Yes, time is short, make the best of it every moment. A milestone because it is now up to me to handle my disorders on a daily basis. And I know that this time it´s okay.

See you again Monday evening, dear reader.

To me, running a blog in 2019 is a great adventure. There are many new things to learn, and they are, frankly spoken, on hold at present moment. Right now, I´m learning from direct experience and prefer not to spend any kind of money just yet.

It will probably make a lot of things easier to do, but that is not my aim before next year. Some may be able to build up a blog with a vast audience in a few months, but firstly, I don´t have the money to do it. Secondly, I believe that it must be the content that matters most. And thirdly, I´m not so up to date on the more technical elements of it.

I know I will have to do something about it at some time, but it can wait for now.

Instead, I try to describe what it feels like to blog to a little audience. It is a privilege. And to be read is fulfilling. It gives me so much joy and relaxation to write on this blog. It inspires me to keep writing on my novel to be.

It is also inspiring to read blogs from other people. In like to find like-minded people all over the world and share my knowledge and experience.

Running a blog in 2019 is hard work, dedication and discipline. It helps me write better, and it strengthens my vocabulary and grammar. Now it feels only natural to write in another language than my native Danish.

My language is beautiful and difficult as hell. I fully understand that people coming to my country have their problems learning it. It is said to be almost as difficult as Mandarin. I prefer, however, to write in English, because I feel there are more opportunities to choose from and it fits my writing style.

My style is direct, simple and easy to recognize. If there´s not a me in it, it is not mine. Writing in first person POV with an omniscient view is my voice. Yes, I like to mix and twist between and across genres, styles and rules.

Some rules are meant to be broken, in case they don´t apply to what you are writing. And if nobody dares to do it, then a lot of reading will only be predictable and boring.

There are enough boring things that only hinder people from just living their lives. Why is it so important to want to know everything about everybody all the time, I simply don´t understand. We only have one chance to live this life.

Why on Earth would one then choose gossip and hatred from fake news ?

Well, people may choose whatever they want, but don´t try to make me understand the reasons behind endless talk shows, reality series and talent competitions.

It´s all about them money.

The worst part of it is that is so dull to watch. The same concept all over the world and then here in Denmark it shows up too. Boring, uninspiring and loud. Why it is so interesting ? What is it about sudden fame that makes people go star crazy over nothing in reality ? How is the real reality when all the cameras are off, and the next number in the endless crowds is called to the stage ?

As if the world had not enough challenges to overcome on a daily basis, we are stuffed with the same shows throughout the week. Luckily, there is an off button to most screens. I use it often, especially when these shows turn up.

I may be 50 years old, but I´ve disliked such materialistic bullshit as long as I can remember. It´s not getting any better, however, so I admit, it is not that often that I sit a whole evening and watch TV.

I´m equally critical, when it comes to social media. I dare to unfollow people who share gossip and celebrity news, because it is of not interest to me whatsoever.

I would rather meet people with real opinions, real lives and real ways of being human. I don´t run a blog about writing, blogging and witchcraft for the sake of getting as many followers as possible in order to make money online.

Of course I would like to earn some extra money, but not in the way so many lately have begun doing. I will never refer to a product that I not myself have tested or at least put on my own wishing list.

It is a major challenge to run a blog in 2019. There seem to be quite a few more or less rules of engagement, if you want to get close to what is referred to as success. It all sounds mesmerizing, but I´m not so easy to convince. It also happens to end up in serious money on a budget, and this is an area with many insecurities.

But maybe it is easier to say so, when I don´t have to make a living on blogging and writing.

Despite the many pitfalls I´m not scared to break and bend the rules, however. When I choose to follow someone it´s because they have something mindful to share. Something that I often return to and read again. For the inspiration it gives is worth gold.

Personally, to be the writer behind this blog is a wonderful chance to be read, and I therefore would like to thank each of my followers for that. Please feel free to comment any time and also to suggest ideas to write about.

Not that I don´t have my own, but it is always inspiring to hear the opinions of others.

Since I´ve begun writing on this blog, I´ve been much more concerned about writing good rather than being afraid of not not being good enough to write. It has helped me concentrate long enough to actually be able to produce something good, something inspiring and something direct.

These are my goals when writing. Right now, as I´m writing this post, I´m listening to good old fashioned blues, it is smooth in my ears, it is making me play music on the keyboard, it is relaxing. That is my best mood today.

Today my anxiety was there, oh yes, it showed its ugly teeth, it snarled at me, it stared me straight in the eyes. My breath was intense for an hour, then I was able to shut the damn thing off for once. I remembered that I had planned to write after dinner.

And now it is there still, it is in the corner of my eyes, it won´t look me in the eyes. But today I´m strong enough to keep myself occupied with something I love. Other days the anxiety has me boxed in the corner. Then medication and meditation are the only way back to control.

My other ailments are also pretty present today. I hurt like hell all over my body, I have restless legs, and I´m moody due to the ever changing weather this fall.

But I don´t care. It can hurt, it can try to scare me, it can try to make my day. I´m ready for that today. And I keep on writing, no matter how bad a day may seem from the outside. This way running a blog has affected my overall mood to the better.

So it is enriching to work with.

I dare to write about deep personal matters in a direct language, for I believe that honesty is the only way I can define myself as a writer. I write about real life things, not fictional worlds. That is reserved for my novel to be.

Oh yes, there is a novel somewhere. I´ve begun it, so much can I tell you. Showing will take some time, but I just know that I will get there someday. It is alright to believe, to dream and try to do my best with it.

However, I don´t dream about fast fame, fast money or fast cars. What comes fast often also goes fast. I would rather wait and let this blog project evolve around itself and the many impressions I get from people all over the world.

Sometimes, I like to write a letter to someone online. Where there is contact and where there is chemistry, I´ll stay and return from time to time. I think it is of great importance to reach out for like-minded people whenever possible.

Because there are so very few good people left these days. It is as if the world has gone even more insane than ever before. Crossing borders is okay, as long as we can agree upon one little thing as privacy.

It is for all to experience, not only the vast silent majority.

And the lack of privacy is a big issue in this modern world, I believe. In Denmark everything is known about you from birth to death. We are so thorough registered everywhere that privacy is a quiet evening behind closed doors.

We are also not polite anymore. I think it is unhealthy for a society that there is so much gossip and bullshit around. It divides people more than it connects. And it is, worst of all, so unbelievably boring.

Why do people not concentrate on living their own life ? We get this one shot only.

However fascinating the modern world can be, it can also be a tough road to take. I prefer the road not taken, as Robert Frost did. My path differs a lot from many ordinary lives in my country. I respect the ways of life of others, but I can no longer live my own life on a big lie.

I have lost some illusions during my life time already. And they are not coming back, so my husband and I took the consequence and changed our life style for the better without even looking back over our shoulders.

We have lived a different life for almost 4 years. And we don´t regret it. Today, there are only few people close to use, but there is a growing number of like-minded people in my mail box every day. So there is room for hopes and dreams, yes there is.

This is what ii is to run a blog in 2019. It is a personal journey, it is a way of life, and it is inspiring.

Thanks to my family for enduring my long hours behind the keyboard with earplugs and loud music going on. Thank you for being the reason for me having the time of my life. Thank you for being present in my life.

My family consist of my husband, my father, our neighbors whose youngest child we are good parents for and a handful of friends in the category good people. And I allow myself to add the good people I´ve met all over the world.

What happened to the rest, they left us behind, and then we left them. Without looking back. That has been our biggest lesson in life. But at the same time it is liberating when you are through it for good.

It hurt like hell when we went through it. But we overcame it by steadily saying to ourselves that we deserve better than this. And with hard work. determination and confidence, it is possible to survive a biological family where the ties were too strict, to unattainable, too one-dimensional. When enough is enough, then it´s final.

Next Monday I´ll try to present you for my kind of stream of consciousness on a blogging day. I used to hate Mondays, now I look forward to writing my next post about writing and blogging.

And remember, dear reader, I´ll post on Friday how I´m living after the phases of the Moon and the Sabbats on a daily basis.