Walking Under Ladders, or: 13 Daily Practices of a Practical Witch

1) Make my bed.

That’s right. Seems like a pretty mundane act, doesn’t it? I can almost hear ya’ll now “What in Hades does bed making have to do with magick?” Well, for this ol’ witch it’s a magickal act that works to manifest in my life on several levels.

• It serves as a mini meditation. It’s the time when I put the dreams and visions of the night in their various places. Some might go into a mental file to be considered later in depth, others tossed out as psychological waste products, others might need to go in my write about or research this mental files.
• It sets me to start my day fully present in today. Puts a firm close on yesterday.
• I know that when I finish my day, I’ll be coming to a clean, neat space in which to be for my evening of relaxation, reading, love and ultimately sleep.

2) Bathe

For me this is usually a soak in a tub full of hot water, often scented with aromatherapy oils, although this time of year I’m likely to settle for a cool shower. It doesn’t pay to start my day overheating my body when the temp is going to climb over 100 degrees F. It is a time to rejuvenate my body as well as cleanse it. A time to meditate and sometimes plan my day.

3) Take care of and connect with my animals.

We have the sacred responsibility of sharing our home and lives with 6 rescued parrots, 4 dogs and 2 cats. Mornings as I feed them and change their water, I talk to them and send them my thoughts of love. Although I do this throughout the day, this morning connection is important. It grounds and centers me. It reminds me of my place in the world and my connection to all living things.

4) Greet my ancestors and my dead.

Make sure candles are burning on appropriate altars, like my Ancestor Altar, as well as any other purpose altars, rituals or spells I may have burning. Make sure the dead have fresh water and salt.

This is important to my daily life. It helps me feel connected to the love and wisdom of those who have gone before me; both those I never knew and the many loves I have lost in this life.

5) Clean house.

I won’t enumerate each aspect of housecleaning, I’ll just say that I do everything with purpose and focused will. Laundry is a special and meditative time for me and if I am sweeping, I’m sweeping the room in a counter-clockwise or banishing direction and I’m sweeping out more than what is visible to the eye. If I’m dusting or polishing or cleaning the kitchen, I wipe first widdershins to banish, then sunwise to bring in health and light and love. It’s especially important to pay attention to corners where negative energy can collect. I wish I lived in a round house with round rooms. Hee hee!

6) Meditation

My daily meditations are varied and eclectic, just like me, but they happen every day in one form or another. A simple repetitive act like washing dishes can be a deep meditation if one performs it with presence of mind and practices staying in the moment.. Some days I find myself performing Thelemic Adorations, others I gaze into a crystal or the flames in our fireplace, or weather permitting, a cactus flower or other living element. Some days I feel the need for a more obvious and conscious direction or insight and I’ll pull one of any number of different tarot or meditation cards and meditate upon the message therein. Some days I simply seek the silence of an uncluttered mind.

7) Pray.

Think witches don’t pray? Hehe. Call it by what name you will. I once heard it said that “Prayer is talking to God; meditation is listening” . I talk to my Goddesses, my Gods, the Universe, my Higher Self… daily. I ask for peace. I ask that those who hunger be fed. That those who suffer be comforted. I ask for guidance and for the ability to discern my True Will. (It is always my purpose to comfort the afflict and afflict the comfortable)

8) Take creative action.

Magickally I feel it’s important to create every day. Whether I’m writing for one of my blogs, be it serious stuff or a little anti – pioneer woman fun n foolishness; working on one of my novels or even a bit of poetry, or crafting something for personal use or to sell; even designing and implementing a DIY project for my home. The magickal aspects of the creative process keep magick alive in me and my life.

9) Learn something new every day.

So easy to do, especially with the resources of the internet at our fingertips. It’s so comfortable to stay within our spheres of understanding; to sit in righteous surety of what we believe we know. People and ideas will always surprise us if we open our minds and give them a chance.

10) Practice gratitude.

There is nothing worse than a whiny witch. Well, than a whiner; period. ‘Nuff said.

11) Be aware of my self image and pay attention to my language.

Words are powerful. Am I speaking my truth? Am I using my words to manifest the positive reality in which I choose to live, or are my words full of fear and negativity? Our language carries our message into a Universe that says, YES! It says yes to our bad ideas as readily as it says yes to our good ones. I touch on this a bit more in depth in my post on Manifesting Abundance in Dicey Economic Times .

12) Practice self awareness and personal responsibility.

No excuses. Pay attention to myself, spend some time looking at me. At or near the end of each day, I look back over my day. Did I do another harm? Did I neglect to tell someone I love them? Was I self centered and self absorbed or did I make the effort to be a part of the world? Was I stingy with compliments? If I was, it was most likely to my partner, so I can usually make amends right away. If it was in the world or to another I make a note to address the situation and right the wrong. If I’m given an understanding of a past wrong I can’t make right, I can always take a moment to light a candle, or pray, or simply send my good wishes and love out to that person and then sleep with a clear mind and a full heart.

13) Play!

That’s right- all work and no play makes Thorne a dull grrrl. It’s important for my spirit that I find some time to treat myself to playfulness and a childlike attitude of wonder and joy and freedom. Sometimes I play computer games or WoW, others I play with my animals and I am known to pounce the GirlyBoi for a bit of foolishness- a tickle or a pinch or even a little splash of water. Giggles are good!

Hey, it ain’t easy being a witch! But it’s my path and I embrace it in perfect love and perfect trust.

That’s my TT! Thanks for stopping by! I’m off to visit now!

Peace, out!

I’ve got some cool links for you today. Get creative and make a lil space in the Land Fills while you’re at it!

1) Repurpose your old crayon bits (Great fun for the kids!)

2) These lamps made from plastic trash rock! Find photos at the artist’s etsy shop and the How – To at her blog!

3) At Storque Handmade Life you’ll find a whole slew of creative uses for “junk”!

4) How about some lawn furniture? A great chair made from a pallet!

5) Maybe turn old clothes into stylish new fashions? Girl Reconstructed has some great ideas!

6) This Momma to be is making adorable onesies out of vintage T-shirts.

7) Some awesome ideas (and some instruction) for some very chic wall art made of magazine pages. I like these a lot, and the concept could be applied in several ways. Hmmm….

8) I can think of many ways to combine these newspaper spirals… hot plates are only the beginning!

9) Oh, oh!!! This is a recycled recycled idea! Remember those chevron style chains made from stick chewing gum wrappers? (I had one that was at least 20 feet long!) How about using starburst candy wrappers to make them? Bright colors and too much fun!

10) These Spa Slippers made from an old pair of beach thongs and a towel are what I call some tootsie comfies!

11) Cookie Sheet Calender, or Advent Calender.

12) This paper yarn, spun on an old fashioned drop spindle, might be even cooler than plarn! I gotta try it!

13) I would SO do this if my ceilings weren’t so darned low! Check out this hanging pot rack made out of a bicycle wheel! Image here, How – To here.

Well, that was fun! Head on over to Thursday Thirteen and tell um Thornie sent cha… err… check out a whole bunch of TT-ers!

Peace, out!

13 Magickal Items for Your Witches’ Bottles

This whole 13 thing really works for me… Hee hee!

1) Barbed Wire

2) Coins

3) Broken Glass

4) Herbs

5) Broken Lightbulbs

6) Pebbles

7) Pixie Dust

8)

9) Rusty Nails

10) Staples

11) Tacks

12) Thumb Tacks

 
And last, but by no means least…

13)Thornes

It’s a list-o-mania!! This is a

Happy TT! Peace, out!

13 Uncommon Uses for Common Kitchen Herbs

Times are tight! Many folks like me don’t have any health insurance, others (also like me) prefer to go the natural route whenever possible. Mama nature has so much medicine and magick for us and you might be surprised how much you can find in your kitchen spice rack!

Medicinal: 1) Got bubbles? A gassy tummy or feel bloated and too full after a meal? A cup of Basil tea might be just what you need! *warning: do NOT use while pregnant

Magickal: 2) Put some basil in your Mojo or Medicine bag for safe travels, put a few leaves in the corners of the rooms of your home for protection, or burn some on charcoal to aid in dreaming and vision quests.

Medicinal: 3) Bay (Laurel) Leaf is great for those aching joints- arthritis and rheumatism. Boil the dried leaves for 10 minutes and soak a cloth for a compress applied to the affected area. Don’t use it on open wounds, please.

Magickal: 4) Carry a leaf when you need courage. Drop a leaf in your prosperity bottle, put a leaf under your pillow to dream the future.

Medicinal: 5) Nursing Mamas may drink Fennel Tea to improve milk production and flow, and may also boil a decoction (very little water) and mash the seeds to make a poultice for tender breasts. Fennel is also a mild appetite depressant, so dieters can enjoy a cup of Fennel tea to kill those between meals cravings!

Magickal: 6) Would be Mamas, sweeten your breath with a few seeds to conceive and all you studs, chew fennel and toss the viagra!

Household: 7) Make a decoction of fennel seeds, strain it and fill up a spray bottle. Mist around doorways and across thresholds to keep fleas out.

Medicinal: 8) Got NSU? Bladder infection? Forget the cranberry juice. Drink a cup of parsley tea twice a day for a few days and have a happ-pee!

Magickal: 9) Parsley is sacred to Persephone and wonderful as an offering in rituals of the dead. It’s also powerful for invocation and clairvoyance.

Medicinal: 10) Got a cold or respiratory flu? Pigs hate pepper! Hahahaha. Lime water with black pepper is a sure cure. (Also for phlegmy chests steep black pepper, grated lemon peel, bay leaf and camphor or eucalyptus and close your eyes [it burns!] and breathe in the steam. Great for constricted bronchial tubes.)

Magickal: 11) Use pepper in a spell to stop envy, to break an unwelcome spell placed on you, and to curse an enemy.

*note: I do not recommend cursing or hexing anyone without advanced study and knowledge and understanding of your own True Will as well as Universal Law.

Medicinal: 12) Got fungus?? A mixture of 4 oz of Thyme in a pint of alcohol will get rid of that athlete’s foot. Spray some in the bathtub so nobody else gets it either!

Magickal: 13) Nightmares or bad dreams and restless sleep may be calmed by a sachet of thyme under your pillow or hanging by the head of the bed.

What kind of kitchen witchery do you do? Do you have a favorite remedy handed down from Grandma? Leave me a comment and let me know! Thanks for visiting and be sure to stop by the TT home for a full list of participants.

Peace, out!

*[No claims or guarantees are made regarding the benefits or properties described, medicinal or otherwise. The use of herbs can be dangerous to the uninformed. Proper research is suggested].