Okay, so if my picture were in a magazine, I'd be the one with the black square over my eyes. An attempt to protect the identity of the woman who was so unfortunate as to have made THAT particular choice, rendered more humiliated by the fact that now she has a silly black square stuck to her face. Well I'm coming clean - I am a Wiccan Don't.

This past Sunday was the New Moon in Cancer. As the evening wore on, I realized that I hadn't planned a ritual or a spell or even an affirmation for the day. In the past I've let too many lunar opportunities go by and I decided I wasn't going to waste this one. I'd cast circles; I'd called quarters; I had my wand now. I was going to wing it.

From a Litha ritual I attended a couple of weeks ago I had a yellow candle charged with the intent to bring me joy in the coming year. I decided I would light this candle and ask for some joy. It was too late to write a petition spell. Besides, the last time I did a petition spell I set off the smoke detector and I wasn't looking forward to a repeat of that experience. I'd just light the candle. Sit with it for a bit, maybe meditate on filling myself with lovely yellow light, and then put it out before I burnt the building down.

In one of our classes we made a power potion. I decided to dress my candle with it because, lets face it, I could use a little joy in my life right about now and the more power this joy candle had the better.

So as midnight approached, I set out my tools, such as they are. I have a sort of altar on the desk in my home office that right now consists of a lovely witchball floating in a vase of water, a small vase of pink and white little flowers, my statue of Ganesh and a votive candle. To this I added a lotus blossom candle holder, my yellow candle, a bottle of power potion, and my wand. I was ready. But wait - no matches. I ransacked the apartment looking for matches. None. Note to self - witches should keep matches in the house.

Suddenly I had the brilliant idea to light a little birthday candle on the burner of the stove and use that to light my other candles. Well, all I succeeded in doing was dripping beeswax on the burner, which caught fire. Thank goddess for exhaust fans! Another note to self: make sure there is a gas stove in next home. I decided to risk setting off the smoke detector and lit a piece of twine, with which I succeeded in lighting my votive candle. Geez louise, I was ready to go!

I took up my wand and cast my circle. (It was the first time I'd used it - I was stoked!) Perhaps not the most eloquent of circle castings I'd ever done, but so far so good. I dressed my candle, lit it, asked the god and goddess to help me manifest its intent to bring me joy, and stood there quietly for a few minutes. The air conditioning came on and nearly blew out my candle. Then I remembered, oh yea I'm supposed to raise the cone of power! So I did this and sent my joy energy out into the universe. Right about then I heard a noise in my kitchen and ran out there expecting to see the burner up in flames again. It wasn't. But of course I hadn't thought to make a door to exit the circle as we'd been taught. So much for the sacredness of my circle! With my propensity for this sort of thing, it's clear that I need to practice cutting a door in my circle.

I did the final blessing of putting into what remained of my circle the names of others I thought could use some joy too. I got so caught up in this that I think I ended up asking for joy for the whole world! Let's just hope that there's a little left for me. It was only after I'd gone through the motion of releasing the circle, open but unbroken, that I realized that I'd forgotten to thank the god and goddess or release any of the elementals. I called a hasty "thanks guys!" and fell limply into my chair.

This, my friends, is not the way to practice magick. You know when you wince at the the picture of the unfortunate fashion choice? Well this Wiccan Don't is the magickal equivalent of cautioning you not to wear briefs with low-rider jeans. I'll remember next time to be more prepared. Or if I'm not and there's a nice New Moon that I'd like to acknowledge, I'll simply light a candle and say an affirmation. Keep it simple, silly witch.

I sat there contemplating my ridiculously imperfect efforts of the evening and said to whomever was still listening that I sincerely hoped that this witch's imperfections in no way would affect the perfection of the the joy to come to all for whom I'd asked it. Because, for whatever I lack in perfection as a witch, I believe I make up for in the goodness of my intention.

As I put my tools away and got ready to go to bed, I thought I felt some spirit still lingering about. I hoped it was kind and said good night.

Posted by Nixie at 11:28 AM | Comments (2)

You scored as Beltane

Nos Galon Mai, also called May Day, Beltainne: (pronounced Bel-tinna, also known as Beltain, Beltane, May Day etc.), is a Sabbat celebrating fertility and the union of the young God and the Goddess. This is a wonderful celebration of the love between the God and Goddess. It is their sacred marriage. (This is where the God and Goddess concieve the spring for the following year born at Imbolc.) Celebrated with your loved one, now is the time to lay in the fertile soil and germinate those seeds you planted. In Celtic mythology this is the beginning of summer, or the growing time.

Posted by Nixie at 10:00 AM | Comments (0)

Describe one of your most spiritually moving moments.

One? I have to pick just one? As I've been moving along on my path to learn the craft I have had a few particularly spiritually moving moments, many of which have come during meditation and classs work. And that doesn't begin to cover significant moments that happened long before I decided to begin formal study and yet were still spiritually moving. How to choose, how to choose.

I'll go for the most recent.

Thursday evening last week was our final meeting of Witchcraft 2 with Christopher Penczak and our second degree initiation (I'll be writing about this later). As we all stood together in our sacred circle, these people who have shared study, energy and friendship during this class, Christopher anointed each of us and conferred upon us the titles of Priest and Priestess. As each one of us received our blessing as Christopher moved around the circle, I could feel the energy in the room growing and was filled with an overwhelming sense of love and happiness to be sharing that moment with my sisters and brothers in the craft. It was one of the most spiritually moving experiences I've had.

Thank you to Witches Weekly for the Q&A.

Posted by Nixie at 10:54 AM | Comments (0)

Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.

Langston Hughes (1902–1967), U.S. poet and author. “Dreams,” (1941).

Posted by Nixie at 05:18 PM | Comments (0)

You scored as white wolf

You truly are one of a kind. You're very smart and agile. When it comes to stressful situations, you know how to get down to business. And yes, you are beautiful. No matter what anyone says. You really are unique - "One of a kind." A white wolf in its true form.

Posted by Nixie at 07:14 PM | Comments (0)

So you’re a pagan? Why?

I was raised Christian. But as various Christian teachings didn't work for me intellectually, I came to the realization that I didn't believe in them. I did believe in something, I just didn't know what it was. Growing up in the era of Star Wars, the best way I could describe it to people is that it felt to me like "the force". But I couldn't identify IT. So I always considered myself to be agnostic.

Along the way, as I've mentioned in previous posts, I was exposed to pagan practices and beliefs and suddenly IT just clicked for me. I'd always felt the power in the wind, the serenity by the sea, the majesty of the earth, and the energy of fire. I loved being in the elements and suddenly an earth-based spirituality just made sense to me. The more I learned, the more I was convinced that the thing I believed but couldn't identify before was pagan. And now wicca is the particular path I've chosen to pursue.

Thank you to Witches Weekly for the Q&A.

The senior druid for my Grove has spoken about doing a workshop before. And the way she had started discussion was by asking this one question for people to answer, which I thought was amusing and wanted to use for this weeks question.

Posted by Nixie at 08:01 AM | Comments (0)

When walking through a warm and lush forest setting one's thoughts can easily take flights of fancy. It is not difficult to shed the layers of modern life and find one's more subtle or primitive beginnings. Somewhere from deep within the spirit and majesty of each single tree steps forth and at once one can find themselves transported to a world of shadow and shade.

- Morgan La Fey, Sacred Trees

Posted by Nixie at 10:49 PM | Comments (0)

This is the Witches Weekly topic for discussion from March 11. I'm a bit behind with these, but it was a subject I wanted to explore, so here goes.

How do you feel about the subject of curses? Is it possible to curse someone? How often do you think it happens? What would make you believe that someone was working magic against you, and how would you handle the situation?

We've all heard stories of the crazy "gypsy" lady down the street who was feared for the unintelligible curses she threw at those who crossed her. Maybe your Italian grandmother was the one who knew how to remove the malocchio, or evil eye, and was the one everyone in the neighborhood came to for help. These women brought their folk magick with them when they emigrated from the Old World and curses were certainly something they took very seriously. Most likely steeped in Roman Catholic trappings, what they were practicing was magick nonetheless.

I think it is possible to curse someone, just as much as I believe that it is possible to direct one's will through magick to bring about any other type of change. But to purposefully curse someone is the antithesis of what the Wiccan Rede teaches us: An' ye harm none, do what ye will. Wicca is not a practice or religion that imposes many directives, but this is the one rule that all ethical witches adhere to with great respect. To place a curse on someone violates the most fundamental ethical guidance by which we live.

Coincidentally, two recent discussions at Street Prophets touched on the subject of curses.

In a diary about whether there was a Wiccan equivalent to embarrassing religious leaders, a la Pat Robertson, one of my favorite pagan posters, Morgan, brought up Kevin Carlyon, of whom I've never heard but who apparently is quite notorious with the media. One of his latest acts of note is to threaten to curse 20,000 concert-goers near Loch Ness because he fears that the band's dance grooves will scare off Nessie and ruin a ritual to help childless couples. You can read the entire thread here: Embarrassing religious (so-called) leaders. Everyone essentially agreed that Kevin's curse was a bad idea and felt that he was giving all pagans a bad name through his high-profile antics. (Sound familiar? This is how how our Christian pals feel about Pat.)

The other discussion centered around an NPR interview with a 9/11 widow and her comments about accused terrorist Zacarias Moussaoui, who is currently standing trial. Although the diary was about the soul and soullessness and subjects of redemption and forgiveness, Morgan (again) made a comment that I found particularly noteworthy and I wrote it down as a reminder to myself:

...when I catch myself starting to wish ill on someone, I try to change it to something more like, "May they learn the lessons they need to learn in the manner that benefits the greater good."

If that means they need to suffer to feel they've paid for their crimes, so be it. If they get off "easy," so be it. Whatever serves the greatest good in the long run.

Sometimes, though, I just shoot out a wish for karma to catch up to them before they can do any more harm ;-).

This reminds me that we must be careful with our thoughts and our words because they have power and we must be ever mindful of the effects they can have in the world. No one wants to be responsible for an accidental curse!

One of the lessons that Christopher Penczak covers in his Witchcraft I class (and its companion book, The Inner Temple of Witchcraft) is The Art of Defense. In this chapter of the book he says:

A psychic or magical attack is the perception of an energy or entity that intends you harm on a physical or spiritual level. People perceive it many different ways, but harmful intent is the common factor.

Usually such energy is unintentional, but there are some people with malicious intent, particularly when they are upset. Anger, fear, and frustration can charge words and thoughts with power. It is a form of instant magick, but since most people do not believe in magick, or even in the power of thought and word, they do not believe that they are doing anything wrong.

Next there is a malicious intent with people who actually know and understand that magick is real, but do not care.

Harmful energy can manifest as bad dreams or visions, sudden pain, losing many important objects when you are not prone to losing things, or having accidents when you are not accident prone. Some curses manifest as sudden, random sickness when you were perfectly healthy without other factors such as stress, depression, or exposure to the illness. Any kind of "bad luck" is often attributed to a curse.

While there are protection charms that are very powerful and spiritual guardians you can enlist as protectors, one of the simplest ways to deflect harmful energy you feel is being directed at you is the banishing pentagram. This is often referred to in the context of the Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram.

You should finish by drawing a clockwise (deosil) circle around the pentacle pictured above to complete the pentagram.

A banishing pentagram is a pentagram that you draw starting in the lower left point and moving clockwise. The energy of drawing this pentagram banishes all harmful energy and seals the space around you, protecting you like a shield.

I've never specifically felt that I was the object of a curse, but there have been times when I've felt very uncomfortable from the energy I received from someone, either directly as in conversation or just from being in that person's presence. I try to remember this banishing pentagram to use to protect myself in situations like that.

If you are interested in magickal protection and the art of defense, I encourage you to read Christopher's work, both in the reference I mention above and in his book The Witch's Shield: Protection Magick and Psychic Self-Defense.

Thank you to Witches Weekly for the Q&A.

Posted by Nixie at 04:57 PM | Comments (0)

The Gods Are Bored is one of my favoritest pagan blogs. That Anne Johnson is so clever, so funny, so divinely inspired. If you have never read her lovely blog, then you should get yourself right on over there. You will be glad you did!

Anne lives in West Virginia. In her honor, I give you this lovely picture of an Appalachian Forest:

Posted by Nixie at 05:41 PM | Comments (0)

Lately I've been contemplating the fact that I really am a very earthy being. For one thing, there is a preponderance of astrological evidence - I'm a Taurus with Virgo rising and my moon is in Capricorn. It doesn't get much earthier than that! There are other aspects to my chart and to my personality that suggest that I have a fair bit of the other elements mixed in there too, but when it comes right down to it, I am a essentially a creature of the earth.

So I ask myself again a question that has come up before - how did I end up with the name Nixie? I'm an earth fairy of Scottish ancestry, not a German water sprite!

When I began to study witchcraft and discussed the choosing of a magickal name, many sources suggested that as you change over time and become the witch you are going to be it is not an uncommon practice to change your magickal name. I chose the name Nixie before I actually started my formal training. It seemed to fit at the time and I liked it. Is it time to reconsider?

I do love the water. I'm drawn to the ocean and often feel at peace there. I also love the feeling when the waves are crashing on the beach and the wind is blowing all around. I also possess the intuitive qualities that the element of water tends to manifest in us, so it is not entirely inappropriate to think of myself as a partly watery woman.

In her book Tarot for Beginners my friend Susan Levitt offers the most accessible discussion that I have found for understanding the concept of elemental alchemy, at least for beginners. Very simply, she explains the symbolic significance of mixing the four elements. For example, she describes the mixture of fire and water as "an alchemical balance of emotion put into action, or action stemming from strong emotion." The mixture of air and earth "is the alchemical balance of making ideas reality and changing physical reality through ideas, values, thoughts and beliefs." What she fails to tell me, however, is what happens when you mix earth and water.

Well, any child can tell you what happens when you mix earth and water. You get mud!

Posted by Nixie at 10:24 AM | Comments (2)

Really, any goddess. Just grab her and thank her the best way you know how that today is finally Friday. The work week is over. Mercury goes direct tomorrow. And all is right with the world.

Banana daiquiris anyone?

Posted by Nixie at 09:32 AM | Comments (0)

This morning, coming home from my daily latte run, I noticed that the name on the mailbox for the apartment above me had changed: Sprite. So, my new neighbor, arrived at last, is a sprite!

Image of earth sprite courtesy of Zejeni at DeviantArt.

Last night, I heard activity going on up there and assumed that the new tenant had begun the move-in process. I wondered what he could be doing at 10:30 at night. And from the sounds coming through my ceiling, he doesn't sound very sprite-like.

This will be worth investigating! I wonder what kind of sprite he is. Do you think he looks like this?

What do sprites like to drink? Of course I shall have to be neighborly and invite the sprite down for a bevvie.

What has been your experience with sprites?

Posted by Nixie at 09:00 AM | Comments (0)

Today is my fiance's birthday. A Pisces born in Dog Year, he is a wonderful romantic soul who is steadfast and loyal.

Please join me in wishing him a happy day and sending him good thoughts and loving energy.

Posted by Nixie at 08:31 AM | Comments (0)

When I set out to write this blog it was with the intention of creating a community and a forum where others like me - who are learning the craft - could share information about that learning process and benefit from sharing those experiences.

As time has passed and some major changes have occurred in my personal life, I have come to the realization that I need this blog to be something different for me. It will still be a place where I share the process of journeying on my spiritual path, but it will be more of a personal exploration than a community experiment. I still hope that by sharing my experiences others who are on similar paths will benefit. I hope that readers and friends will continue to read and comment and I encourage you to share your own experiences and stories.

But for now, I feel the need to embrace the Priestess in me and focus on the inward nature of my magickal journey.

In perfect love and perfect trust, your hostess,
Nixie

Posted by Nixie at 08:09 AM | Comments (2)

What is the most magical experience that you had this week?

On Tuesday, I had a job interview that went particularly well. I was feeling an incredible energy afterward - not only because I was enthusiastic about the prospects of working for this company but because I enjoyed meething the people there and was very happy about how the interview went. I was buoyed by this energy and eager to get a tarot reading from my friend Carolyn to see what the cards had to say about this potential new job.

During our reading, Carolyn begain to have a vision of the man I interviewed with who would be my boss if I got the job. She saw him perfectly and could have drawn a picture. She said that this man would be very significant to me - that he would have much to teach me and that even if I didn't get the job I should stay in touch with him because there was something about him that was very important for me.

This blew me away. I wondered what was so powerful about this man, about my experience with him, that brought this image into our reading. Was it the energy I was creating around my good interview? Was it the power of a connection I had made with him? Was he sending his own energy to me because he was feeling a similar connection to me? Trippy things, all.

The reading also revealed the Queens of Pentacles and Wands and other encouraging cards relating to the job. I'm keeping fingers crossed that I'm called back for a second interview. But the most magical thing that happened this week was Carolyn's vision of this man and the thought that all of the various circumstances that led to me having a job interview with this particular company led me to a person who was clearly meant to be in my life somehow.

Now before you get all excited - he is married and I'm engaged. This wasn't a love connection. But we've all met people who have turned out to be a powerful influence in or somehow a significant part of our lives. It was magical to me to have this revealed to me through the tarot, clearly a product of that energy that I was feeling. It made me feel magical.

Thank you to Witches Weekly for the Q&A.

Posted by Nixie at 07:33 AM | Comments (0)

Conventional wisdom says that it is best to perform any spells designed to take unwanted things away from you during the waning moon. This is the time to do your magick if you want to banish evil influences, lessen or remove obstacles and illness, neutralize enemies, and to remove harm. For truly banishing something for good, a dark moon - or a Black Moon - is best of all. Tonight is a dark moon in Aquarius.

When the moon is in Aquarius, public affairs become important as we take an increased interest in social welfare. Aquarius is ruled by Uranus and this influence brings the desire for freedom and a love for the innovative and unconventional. People are operating from intellectual rather than emotional motivations.

Tonight, I am going to perform some candle magick To sever the ties that bind. The purpose of this ritual is to release myself from my lost love. I have been struggling to let go of a love that was very important to me and that is now truly lost. Tonight, on this Black Moon, at midnight when a witch's power is at its strongest, I will release this love with hope that I - and he - can finally achieve some peace.

The spell I'm using is from Marie Bruce's book Candle Burning Rituals. It's a simple spell, performed with black candles. What I like best about it is its compassionate tone:

I sever the ties that bound us together,

In mind, body, spirit and heart.

I sever the ties that bound us together,

For we must part.

I wish you well, I know the pain will heal,

But sever the ties and break our seal.

A time when desire for freedom and intellectual motivations rule seems most auspicious for one who needs to move on from a painful emotional entanglement. I will hold my pink quartz heart and wear my pink quartz ring - for self love - as I perform the ritual. And for good measure, I'm going to burn a photo of the two of us as a physical representation of a final, complete parting.

I've added the complete spell to the Grimoire.

Posted by Nixie at 04:26 PM | Comments (0)

Give us a tour, some images, or detailed descriptions of your sacred space(s). Be it a small table in your room, a small trip through the woods, etc. Show us where a spiritual place is for you.

The closest thing to sacred I have ever come is sitting by the sea, listening to the sound of the waves on the rocks, the wind blowing around it all. When I'm sitting on a beach with nothing but me and the elements I feel at peace, powerful and humbled at once, and content.

Thank you to Witches Weekly for the Q&A.

Posted by Nixie at 08:32 PM | Comments (0)

Better than fortune cookies. Yummy Italian chocolate with hazelnuts and pralines and fortunes in five languages: Baci.

Earlier this evening, a sweetie named Brian who works at the market downstairs where I spend way too much of my money buying food stole a kiss for me. The Baci that he handed me had this to say:

We do not so much need the help of friends as the certainty of their help.

Magick works in mysterious ways!

Posted by Nixie at 08:07 PM | Comments (0)

What do you think is the greatest obstacle to your spiritual growth, and how can you overcome it?

For me, the biggest obstacle is myself and my busy life. Too often my time gets taken up with work, relationships, stuff. It takes discipline to make time for meditation, study and spiritual exploration, and lately that has been in short supply.

Although I hate making New Year's Resolutions, I have promised myself that in this new year I will make more time for witchcraft and studies. Partly because I have Witchcraft II coming up in March and I want to be prepared but I also need to nurture my soul and take better care of myself.

The goal is to make the spiritual as reflexive as brushing my teeth!

Thank you to Witches Weekly for the Q&A.

Posted by Nixie at 03:58 PM | Comments (1)

Despite all astrological evidence to the contrary, this past new year's weekend was not good in the romance department. Love, as it turns out, conquers nothing. And far from being eternal, the hope spring has run dry.

If anyone has a good banishing spell to "wash that man right out of my hair" I would be forever grateful if you would kindly share it with me.

Posted by Nixie at 06:13 PM | Comments (1)

I have missed the last few rituals. I haven't been doing my witchcraft lessons. I have been neglecting my blog. All work and no magick makes Nixie a bad witch!

Posted by Nixie at 12:10 AM | Comments (0)

It's the thing that makes hope possible when common sense tells you there shouldn't be any.

I'm off to Connecticut to see if what could have been might yet be.

Mars went direct in Taurus today. Lucky timing for this Taurus who could use that red planet power this weekend!

Posted by Nixie at 09:03 AM | Comments (2)

A Nixie is a water fairy. I chose Nixie as my magickal nickname and nom de blog because I have always been drawn to the ocean, it has been suggested that I have descended from fairy folk, and the name seemed to fit my personality. (There is more to it than that and I'm writing a longer article about choosing a magickal name - to appear later.) Lately though, I've begun to question my choice.

The thing that got me thinking about this was a fountain at my friends' house in Minneapolis. It's a large pot with a plant in it and water that bubbles constantly through a pump. At first the sound was pleasant. After a few days of listening to it, though, it started to drive me to distraction and I had to ask them to turn it off. Is it possible that I don't have as strong an affinity with water as I thought? So I started to examine my feelings about the ocean. I love sitting by it, listening to it, sailing boats on it. I occasionally like swimming in it but I have an irrational fear of sharks and I get nervous when I can't see what scary things might be in the water beneath me. How can I be a nixie who's afraid to be in the water? Sounds like some sort of fractured fairy tale!

So, I thought, if I'm not a waterbaby, which element am I?

Continue reading "Which Element Am I?"

Posted by Nixie at 05:36 PM | Comments (1)

Today has been very intense, work-wise. I had a lot to accomplish before I leave for my holiday in Minneapolis. I was supposed to go to a witchcraft study group tonight but I was exhausted and just couldn't imagine hauling myself to Cambridge. So much packing to do! And what AM I doing? Why taking silly quizzes online of course! giggle, giggle

P.S. I'll be blogging from Minneapolis this week. You'll be sure to hear from my amazing soul sister, Carren, and her way cool and huggable German hubby!

Posted by Nixie at 08:38 PM | Comments (0)

How do you incorporate your spirituality into your daily life?

I have a statue of Ganesh, the Hindu god who is a remover of obstacles, on my desk. He's been with me for a long time and I've turned to him many times over the past few years. My desk is creative operation central, so his position here is the most significant of any in my whole apartment.

After completing Witchcraft One, I'm much more aware of the power of thoughts and words and I've incorporated those lessons into daily life. I'm trying to live the path.

The challenge for me has been in making time for ritual and space for a permanent altar.

Does your daily life hinder or support your beliefs or practices?

It's very difficult, living in a very small apartment in the city, to practice the way I sometimes think I should. One example: After initiation we were instructed to leave our offerings of food outside for animals to eat or to wash them away in a river or ocean. I don't live particularly near the water and wasn't sure where I could accomplish a water sendoff, so I put the offering on my fire escape. Nothing touched it (which I suppose is a good thing, really). So what to do with the offering? It's currently in my refrigerator until such time as I can bury it (with what, I wonder, a tea spoon? and where? sneaking into Union Park in the middle of the night?). So urban living definitely makes magick challenging sometimes. I like Christopher Penczak's book City Magick. I'd love to find a practical guide to working magick in an urban environment.

What do you wish you could do more for your beliefs on a more regular basis?

I wish I could incorporate ritual into every day. Even if it's lighting a candle on an altar and taking a few moments to meditate on the day, it's a habit I'd like to adopt. Again, urban living presents challenges because I don't have a lot of space for an altar or to store ritual supplies. I'm going to look for resources on creative solutions to living in a small apartment - you see them in magazines all the time. I'm sure there is a way to create some sacred space using techniques they give for solving other of life's spatial issues. Then, for me, it's a matter of discipline - making the time and making ritual a priority.

Since I'm still studying, part of making time for ritual includes time for study. I do a lot of reading but I wish I were more consistent about doing the meditations and lessons from Witchraft One that I'll need to master before Witchcraft Two begins.

Thank you to Witches Weekly for the Q&A. These came from the archive; November 2004. Please add your answers to these questions in the Comments.

Posted by Nixie at 09:43 AM | Comments (1)

Despite yesterday's bizarrely warm day here in Boston, this morning's chill reminds me that winter will be here soon.

I was in San Francisco for New England's first snowfall (thank goddess!) so for me the shock of freezing temperatures and solid precipitation is yet to come. But the leaves that I photographed only two weeks ago have all fallen from their trees and it's only a matter of time before the bare branches are covered with blankets of snow.

And if you're curious about the title of this post...

Continue reading "Winter is icumen in"

Posted by Nixie at 08:34 AM | Comments (0)

What did I miss?!

A weekend of interesting pagan conversations. Mercury went retrograde! There was a full moon!

My apologies to those of you have been checking in over the past few days. There were some technical issues and I couldn't upload any new content. But everything is fixed now and I'm eager to jump back in with both feet!

Some things to look forward to:

Carolyn Kepes will begin her posts on Herbology and Kitchen Magic.
Nixie does a photo shoot with Firespiral.
Creative divination, a discussion from The Cauldron.
Grandmother Bear and Dream Sleep.
Preparing for Yule.

Bright blessings everyone! I'm so happy to be back!

Posted by Nixie at 09:07 PM | Comments (0)

I've been thinking a lot lately about the whole issue of coming out of the broom closet. We had a brief discussion about this before my last Witchcraft One class. Some of my classmates were out to coworkers but not family and some vice versa but I haven't been able to come to a decision about this.

Lots of my friends and people I know have been asking me what I've been doing with my time lately. Other than my new job, the things that I've been spending most of my time on are learning witchcraft and my blog. I haven't exactly been able to just blurt that out. What do I tell them then? It's easy enough to fudge something for purely social aquaintances, but I feel like I'm being deceptive when I'm not honest with people who are close to me.

Strangely enough, despite her Baptist upbringing, I think my mother will be cool with the fact that I'm a witch. When I first started reading tarot, I expected her to tell me something about how it was evil, but she was actually very interested. She told me that she was psychic when she was young but she rejected her gift because it scared her. I must have inherited some of my abilities from her. I'm not really close with my mother, so an opportunity to talk to her about this hasn't presented itself. I'm feeling inclined to call her just to tell her I'm a witch. It will feel good - Yay! I've told someone!

It's when I try to imagine the respone I will get from certain other people in my life that I stop to think about what the consequences might be - and the thought there actually might be consequences is sad and scary at the same time. I'm anticipating that certain of my friend's will not take the news well and reactions will vary from laughter to derision.

I don't want to hide my spirituality. Whether it discovered me or I discovered it, this path that I'm on is my truth. I would be denying that to pretend otherwise. How do you reconcile the need and the desire to be true to yourself and the equally real need and desire to be accepted?

The answer that if someone truly cares for you they will accept you no matter what is too facile. The issue is more complicated than that. I'm eager to hear how others have handled coming out of the broom closet - what you said, what they said, what the outcome was. I'm also eager to hear from others who are still struggling with this as I am.

Posted by Nixie at 08:59 AM | Comments (2)

It's getting dark so early these nights! Walking home as the last of the sunlight faded behind the rooftops, tonight I noticed a streetlamp near my apartment throwing light into the leaves above it. I ran upstairs to grab my camera and tripod and started roaming around taking pictures of the nearby streetlights.

I remembered what Christopher says about streetlights as Metropolitan Spirits in his book, City Magick:

Streetlights are silent sentries around the city. They see everything. They bring illumination to the darkness of the night. Unfortunately, as protectors, they can be rather impotent, since they cannot go far. Many, however, use their beacon for protection. Light spirits warn us of danger. Parking under a streetlight for safety has become a new folk remedy for protection against attackers. They are also good spirits to question, since they stay and watch all.

I should take more walks around my neighborhood in the evenings when it's dark and the streetlamps shine their magick all around.

These Autumn leaves were so beautiful against the night sky:

Posted by Nixie at 06:38 PM | Comments (2)

What is your definition of "Magic?"

The direction of will with intent to effect change.

What do you look forward to this autumn?

As with every autumn, I look forward to crisp cool days, the smell of wood smoke and the taste of pumpkin pie. I also look forward to sharing the season with new-found friends and to the spiritual significance of a season that has intuitively always been my favorite.

Does your spirituality change when seasons change? If so, how does it change for autumn?

My spirituality hasn't had much direction before now so I can't say that it has in a conscious way. That said, I've always felt a renewal of energy in autumn. Remnants of that back-to-school buzz perhaps. But there has always been a perceptible change this time of year that made me feel excited and anticipatory.

Thank you to Witches Weekly for the Q&A. Please add your answers to these questions in the Comments.

Posted by Nixie at 10:34 PM | Comments (0)

Not a ghost. Not a Halloween costume. Not a spell gone awry. The scariest thing I've seen today is the outfit I am wearing! I guess this is what happens when you work from home.

Note to self: remove red socks before venturing out to get lunch.

Posted by Nixie at 02:25 PM | Comments (1)

Last night was my initiation into the Craft. It marked the conclusion of Witchcraft One, a class taught by Christopher Penczak at Unicorn Books in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

For the past several weeks our class has been meeting every Thursday to learn the foundations of the science, art and spirituality of magick as Christopher has laid them out in his book, The Inner Temple of Witchcraft. During that time I've come to know some of my classmates better than others, but the exquisite energy that the group brought together for each class meeting was undeniable. We had solidified as a unit by the end of the class.

Initiation was a powerful and moving experience. In addition to feeling a connection to Christopher, who is an excellent teacher and a wise and funny person, I felt a great affection for all of my classmates as we took the first step on this path together.

The experience was also very humbling in that I realized how much I have yet to learn!

The timing of Blogickal's launch couldn't have been more perfect, coinciding as it has with my initiation. I truly hope that this will become the space I intended - where those of us who are learning the Craft together can create a community to share experiences, ask questions, gain knowledge and have fun.

Posted by Nixie at 12:57 PM | Comments (2)

Every weekday when the popular column Cheers and Jeers appears at Daily Kos, a woman who goes by the handle PhillyGal posts a picture of a cat. It's just for fun - the C&J crowd is a critter-loving bunch. Bill, the column's author, includes a puppy pic of the day in every column. Lots of people get in on the act and cute animals of all sorts get posted. When I saw this pic I couldn't wait to post it for PhillyGal.

I'm a dog person. But lately for some reason I've been drawn to cats. Which is unfortunate as I'm highly allergic to them! Getting in the witchy spirit I've been fantasizing about having a little black cat of my own. I went with a friend to see an apartment and the owners had a black cat named Inky. I wasn't allergic to her! I'm convinced that she was a spirit in animal form. I wonder if she has any siblings who would be willing to come to live with me.

Posted by Nixie at 07:44 AM | Comments (1)

Martha's Vineyard Glassworks in West Tisbury is not far from where I was renting a cottage during my recent vacation on the island. Every day, they write on a chalkboard sign out front to let people know what they are making. One day while I was there, the sign said Pumpkin! Pumpkins! Pumpkins!

Just in time for Mabon and Samhain!

Continue reading "Pumpkins! Pumpkins! Pumpkins!"

Posted by Nixie at 09:28 PM | Comments (0)

As I've been learning about witchcraft, I've also been getting back into knitting. For a long time I've wanted to knit something with some scrumptious Debbie Bliss yarn so I bought a pattern and some great purple Cashmerino Superchunky. Purple because 1) I want a sweater to match a pair of purple suede shoes I bought last fall and 2) because purple is magickal and I feel like I'm working magick with every stitch.

Being creative ladies in general, there are a lot of knitters who have beautiful blogs. When I was looking for samples to base Blogickal on, these knitting blogs were my favorites. One of them, Knitty Gritty, had an "Email Me" link, so I did and asked who designed the site. Annie sent me the email address of her designer, Mary. And Mary, a knitter and sister blogger (Knitting Notes), has designed this great site.

As it turns out, Mary and I have a lot in common. She lives in Ohio; I was born there. Mary vacations on Martha's Vineyard every year and likes to go to Lucy Vincent Beach and so do I! In fact, I was just there a week ago. Here is a picture of Lucy Vincent Beach for Mary:

So you see, there is a magickal, purple thread running through this story that will one day soon be a great purple sweater, but also a symbol to me of how the universe sends people to you when you need them and how beautifully connected we all are.

Posted by Nixie at 04:50 PM | Comments (0)