"The Not-So-Secret Life of a Modern Witch"

You don't want to miss my latest piece over at Paranormal Galaxy Magazine!  "The Not-So-Secret Life of a Modern Witch".


This was a really fun piece for me to write, poking fun at some of the adventures I've had in witchcraft over the years. You don't want to miss it!  And be sure to check back in March and April for my upcoming pieces.  Always always a lot of fun over there!

And for those of you who might have missed them, here are my other posts over at Paranormal Galaxy Magazine:



"Paranormal Galaxy Magazine, the place where the real and the unknown meet. A hub for all things unexplained, haunted and mysterious. We serve as the source for all things paranormal from mediums, haunted history, ghost talks, pop culture and more. Each month we focus on a different aspect of the paranormal. We have something to soothe the soul for any and all paranormal junkies out there!"

Just Dance!

Review of Hidden Wisdom: 

a guide to the Western inner traditions by Jay Kinney

The Gnostics

Laughter 

Let Us Thing of Owl-Eyed Athena

Thanks for checking my stuff out!  And stay tuned for fun stuff that is yet to come!

Pagan Blog Project – week 9 - E#1 - Essential Oils

Pagan Blog Project – week 10 - E#1 - Essential Oils

I was reading a book recently that talked about dressing a candle with cinnamon oil. The book mentioned that the oil might irritate some people’s skin, but that the cinnamon oil would help give the spell an extra “oomph.” All of this is true. Cinnamon is an incredibly powerful spell component (one of my favorites) and it adds great emphasis to spells and charms. And absolutely yes, oils might irritate some/most people’s skin, but especially cinnamon oil.

All essential oils should be diluted before use. What the oil is being diluted with can be determined to your purpose – olive oil, grape seed oil, jojoba oil, or even water.

The only pure essential oil that can be safely applied direct to the skin is lavender oil. Lavender oil is pretty great, and is often used in burn units at hospitals because it is gentle, hydrating, and a natural and soft antiseptic. But even then, I know people who are allergic to lavender and especially lavender oil. So even though it’s the most “safe” oil, it isn’t safe for everyone.

Remember that with essential oils a little goes a long way! Oil should almost never be used directly right out of the bottle. It’s too strong and too expensive and too precious. Dilute it and use an eye dropper. Even a few drops of pure essential oil put into carrier oil will do the job. You’ll still get a strong, untainted scent, it will be gentle on your skin, and it will last so much longer. It’s also a good idea to taste a wee-bit on your skin before applying it gratuitously. I use a tiny spot on the top of my hand that is known to have sensitivities. (I have terrible eczema). If that spot doesn’t get irritated, then it’s a good chance that the rest of my skin will be okay. (Even then, I’m still super sparing and super careful.)

It’s especially important to be careful with oil-to-skin contact if you aren’t using 100% pure essential oils. 100% essential oils will literally burn your skin. And be careful about the quality that you are buying! Many oils that are not 100% pure include synthetic scents, chemicals, or perfumes. A lot of these are good for anointing objects or burning on oil burners, but should not be used on the skin. Many oils from overseas are not tested with the same standards as stuff that can be bought and sold domestically, so be careful with sites like Amazon or Ebay. If you’re going to be using oils, find a very trusted source. They might be more expensive, but the safety and quality is invaluable. My all-time favorite place to buy oils is this little shop in Wilmington, North Carolina. Their prices are pretty decent, their selection is extensive, their quality is top-notch, and their staff is great.

I’ve bought essential oils from all over the place, with varying results. I have vowed never to buy essential oils from Whole Foods ever again because while the oils may come in giant bottles and be pretty affordable (for Whole Foods), their quality is terrible. The oils I’ve bought from them are old, some smell rancid, or have very little smell at all. Blech. What a waste.

Essential oils can be used for anointing yourself or your objects, for using in sprays, potions, or elixirs, to be used in perfume oils or magical blends, or just to make you or your home smell great. After finding some very high quality sandalwood when visiting Wilmington, I became obsessed with essential oils, and I use them pretty extensively now. Oils and potions with oils are some of my favorite magical tools and charms to use.

Last summer I was doing a lot of work with Selene, and as part of my work with her I surrounded myself with myrrh – oil, incense, resin, perfume, candles, etc. Very recently I re-opened a bottle of myrrh oil (myrrh + grape seed) that I had used a lot last summer, and I was instantly transformed back to July, with all of the rituals and magic I had crafted for those four months of 2013. Scent can be such a vital part of our memories, and similarly, of our magic. Many deities have correspondences to scent or oils, and working with oils or scent can really deepen the connection and relationship.

There really is no limit to the magic and possibilities of working with essential oils, except when it comes to safety! So buy high quality products, be super careful when working with oils and don’t expose any to your bare skin, cut the oil with a carrier oil to make it safer to work with and to make it last longer… be super careful, but have tons of fun!

Review: Goddess Spells for Busy Girls by Jen McConnel

Disclaimer! Jen is a dear friend and Circle Sister of mine, but this review is as fair and honest as I ever am. So read Goddess Spells for Busy Girls and decide for yourself if it’s just what you need to “Get Rich! Get Happy! Get Lucky!”

When my friend Jen hinted during a ritual many moons ago that she wrote a Goddess spell book, we were all shocked. When did she find time for something like this? Between her editing and teaching and fiction and more fiction, plus yoga school, and an involved spiritual practice, who has time to write a Goddess spells book? But I understand that sometimes projects are meant to be secret and kept to oneself, left to germinate in private before exploding into the world.

The story why Jen wrote this book is actually super charming, but I’ll let her save that for another time and for her own words. When more information about the book began to be revealed to those who are in her Circle, including the title, it all began to make sense. How can someone who is a full time writer and teacher and part time yoga teacher and five billion other things have time to write a book? Well, you make time for it, and the very book itself, Goddess Spells for Busy Girls, really captures this life of being a busy girl but making time for the Divine.

I actually really adore little spells and charms (they’re some of my favorite witchy things) so this book was a great addition to my collection and I can’t wait to try out some of the stuff she suggests. Jen has lots of great ideas here (some familiar to me, lots that are new!) and in addition to spells, devotional practices, and charms, she presents some autobiographical information, as well as a wealth of information about over a dozen worldwide goddesses. So not only did I learn more about Goddesses and mythology, but I learned about my friend, which was a delightful blessing.

The book is broken up into seven chapters and each chapter is broken up into a theme and a few different goddesses. For example, chapter three is entitled “There’s No Place Like Home” and it focuses on Brigid, Hestia, Juno, Bast, and Changing Woman. Each goddess is given a description of their personality (or at least how the Goddess has presented herself to Jen), and some of her myths, as well as some hints and advice on how to work with that particular goddess. I tend to not personally work with such a wide array of Deities, but a book like this does a good job of exposing the reader to goddesses and myth that they might not normally be acquainted with or work with.

As a fellow Busy Girl, I was charmed (tee hee) with many of these spells and rituals. Many of the spells actually are a lot like self-help or self-reflection exercises with lots of journaling and plenty of soul-searching. As a therapist, I’d actually love to be able to use some of these spells as exercises for my witchy-friendly long-term clients (right now I only do crisis services, so this idea will have to wait.) I have my favorites marked and annotated (and some I did not like or was less impressed with will be politely ignored.) Most of all, I can’t wait to try some of them out for myself (you know, when I’m less busy…)

as seen in a local new age book store

I tend to get annoyed with super girlie or overly feminized things that make like on the idea of gender binaries and stereotypes. If you’re easily offended by gendered language and classic “men do this/women do this” type language, be aware then Jen McConnel is quite a girlie-girl, and some of her stuff can seem a bit vapid or shallow. But my guess is that she’s tailoring this book to readers who are not seasoned Pagans or uber-feminists. In that way, Goddess Spells for Busy Girls has the potential to have wide-appeal to an audience beyond witches and Polytheists and really capture the attention of those who like chic-lit and self-help books. 

Essentially, Jen did a great job with this book, and it’s greatly inspired me. If she had the time to write a whole friggen book amidst a hectic life, then what excuses do I have to not practice simple acts of magic and devotion in my everyday life? And if I don’t have the energy to come up with a spell or charm on my own, “The Goddesses are here to help!”

Thanks, Jen, for sharing your lovely magic with the world!