Suburban House-Witch

Midsummer Eve

2007-06-27T22:40:00.000-04:00

I have always loved Midsummer (the Summer Solstice). This year I was especially looking forward to it because this was the first summer in many years where my Mom and I would take our Midsummer Eve Faerie Walk in a place so overwhelming with natural beauty.

In my backyard I know there are many wood sprites in among the trees. The yard is bordered by Hemlock and there is a towering Oak by the back fence. I love my overgrown trees and when I do spells on the back patio I feel that the trees bear witness to the magick I weave. There are eyes watching from the woods and I welcome them!

For the Faerie Walk we used to go through our old neighborhood in the middle of the night and bring a flower offering to a giant tree in the park that abutted our development. It was serene and beautiful with a lake and other trees. It was a spot that I visited often on my walks. I buried many things by that tree for it to watch over.

This Midsummer I had to find a new sacred spot and a new tree to be Guardian to my magick leavings. Along the way I was hopeful that we might see some fae folk as there were a number of gardens in other yards (where the flower fae gather on Midsummer.).

We wear white on Midsummer Eve and weave flowers into chaplets and bracelets and bring an offering of flowers and milk and honey for the faeries. We went late here so not to worry the neighbors when they saw two women in white with flowers in their hair wandering around after midnight.

There are few street lights out here in the country and we had to make sure we were doused with mosquito repellant. We each brought 7 day candles in jars to light the way. It was darker than I expected it to be and yet that made the candles glow that much more otherworldly. We began our walk and right away I noticed there seemed to be a few fireflies following us - our first faeries! Fireflies are not usually out that late yet here they were joining us on our walk.

The first garden we came to was a neighbors that had beautiful tropical flowers and night blooming jasmine. The fireflies were drawn to it and we left them there as we continued on our way.

Gardens look so different in the candlelight. They are a dusky blue gray and look like something out of a gothic faerie tale. We passed by more colorless manicured lawns with the occasional abandoned children's toys littering the driveways. Finally we made our turn toward the forest preserve where I knew we would find the kind of trees we needed for the offering.

The thicket was right outside of the fence, just a few hundred feet away. We climbed over the fence (no mean feat in a white cotton gown!) and passed lightly along the dark path into the woods.

Immediately we were surrounded by the deep sounds of the forest, the sounds that said - there are no humans here. I knew the right tree would call to us and we went in deeper on the path, our gowns dragging along the black baked earth.

There were more faeries here we could hear them rustling in the leaves of the trees but they weren't flower faeries; they were wild and didn't trust us.

I almost walked right into the roots of the giant Oak that had been calling to me since we entered the woods. My mother agreed that this majestic tree would be a perfect place to leave the offering and to find again in the daylight to get to know better.

We said our prayers to the Goddess, left our flowers and I poured the dish of milk and honey and left it for the fae. As we turned away I could see flickering lights out of the corner of my eye. We did not address the fae directly, just let them enjoy the flowers and our offering. We heard high pitched laughter and the tinkling of tiny bells. Or maybe it was just the wind in the tops of the trees?

We walked home and enjoyed a cup of tea amid a dozen candles on the patio. The air was heady with the rich scent from the candles and incense. I knew that the casting I was doing would be blessed by the fae. And as if to affirm this our firefly friends flitted from the side yard right past us!

HINTS ON HOW TO MEET FAERIES

Faeries like gifts! They adore milk, sugar and honey. In my experience a dish of milk and honey works best. This works well for all faeries. Other gifts they like are tiny blossoms, little gems, tiny toys (dollhouse sized) and pretty little ribbons. Never use anything iron or leave anything made from iron - Faeries detest it. They always appreciate silver.

There are many kinds of faeries, probably some living in your house right now! A garden is one of the best ways to attract faeries. Make sure it has plenty of flowers.

Faeries love dusk. That is the best time to see them but wood sprites and deep forest faeries like the middle of the night. They especially like to avoid humans.

Faeries take on many different guises most notably butterflies, dragonflies, fireflies, moths and small birds. They can also turn into geckos and iguanas. Be mindful of such creatures as they may be a faerie in disguise.

All children under the age of five can see faeries. If you want to be sure to find real faeries take a small child with you to go faerie-hunting.

Most faeries are a bit naughty. They will pull your hair if they get the opportunity or bite you. That is why you never approach them without gifts. You can speak to them, they understand their local languages. Say something nice and tell them you have gifts for them and they will treat you with respect.

Will the REAL witch please stand up?

2007-06-16T09:57:00.000-04:00

To me it is almost humorous, but you would not believe how many people email me and ask me if I am REAL. Of course I know I am REAL in the sense that I am sitting here typing these words on a keyboard or that two nights ago I was standing in my circle casting spells or even this morning when I poured myself a cup of herbal tea from herbs I had grown myself. Of course I am REAL!

Unfortunately this is part of the game in a world that is filled with charlatans and con-artists. I have to work extra hard to PROVE my REAL-NESS.

It is very difficult for charlatans to prove that they are real. They conceal their true identities on whois; they use stock photos of people and pretend they are the spellcasters; they make up back-stories or steal them from legitimate psychics or spellcasters (big note here: PSYCHICS DO NOT CAST SPELLS! Only witches cast spells!) and these are just the most glaring examples.

There is a different kind of spellcaster who is also not a REAL witch. I am sure you have seen these sites where it actually is a real person and they are selling their spells for $20 and they promise the world and more for this price. They may even mean well but it is unlikely that they are really casting spells. Trust me - to cast a spell for $20 is like losing money - that is if you actually cast the spell.

Casting spells is exhausting work. It takes a great deal of time and it drains energy from you so much that it often takes me a couple of days after casting to recover. To do this for only $20 would be like torturing yourself for nothing. And how effective will this spell be if the only worth to the caster themself is only $20? Consider this seriously before you go to a junior-grade witch who does not even value their own services.

So who is REAL?

There are several I know for certain for I have communicated with them directly, know them in person or have worked with them. Most of them do not offer spell services however, they just sell products for witches and shamans. But they are out there these REAL witches.

Here are some tips to tell if your witch (or spellcaster is REAL):

Check the domain to see who it is registered to. Domains registered to an actual human being and not hidden by a proxy could mean there is a REAL person behind this. People who have nothing to hide do not mind using their true information when registering a domain name.
Don't waste your time going to so-called "review" forums or boards - these are actually owned by the con-artists themselves though they often let people post some real details to give it legitimacy. There are better ways to determine if your spellcaster is on the level.
If your spellcaster uses a witch-name find out what their real name is. For instance, I was not born with the name Amita Dragonspell. And it is very easy to discover my REAL name because I do not hide it.
Once you find their real name then google them. It will tell you a lot if they are a REAL person.

I have other entries that tell you more about how to find a legitimate witch. I don't give you this information because I want you to choose me (though you can't go wrong since I am a REAL witch!) rather that I do not want you to be ripped off.

Now to be fair even a REAL witch has spells that fail. That is just part of the magickal universe. It is important to realize and understand that there are no guarantees in the natural world. Any one who offers you a guarantee for the spellcasting services or tells you that their success rate is 97 percent or some absurd percentage should be avoided. Magick is not a commidity that can be tracked into a percentage of success nor is it a product that can be guaranteed like a toaster.

I always use this adage to explain to my clients the nature of magick: magick is simply science that has not been proven. So as a witch I am similar to a Medical Doctor in my experience and services that I offer only my science is as yet unproven.

Like a Doctor you pay me for my expertise. Doctors go to school for many years to become Doctors. As a witch I have basically been in "school" learning mysteries and being educated in the use of herbs, oils, crystals, forms of divination, high magick and pagan belief systems for the past 20 years.

When you go to a Doctor you are hopeful that she has something in her expertise and background; a knowledge, that will help you to heal. She cannot guarantee your healing however. Nor can she allow you to pay her only if she can actually heal or cure you. That is just not the way it works.

A REAL witch will do her (or his) best for you. Like a caring Doctor we will do whatever we can within our expertise to help you. I have taken an oath as a witch but also as a Buddhist and these oaths are as important to me as every breath I take.

Investigate your witch and you will FIND the REAL ones stand out.

The Summer of Magickal Thinking

2007-06-08T03:58:00.000-04:00

To me summer is the most magickal time of the year. People seem to move about as if they are in a dream. There is much communing with nature; going to the beach, having cook-outs, going on picnics, the kids playing outside until the fireflies are out. This is such a time to celebrate earthly pleasures. It is difficult to feel unhappy when there is so much beauty and magick around.

I try to stay positive even in the face of adversity and negativity. I focus on my Buddhist teachings and my relationship with the Goddess and ask for her help when I need it. My patron Goddess is Green Tara and when I need her I speak this mantra:

Om Tare Tuttare Ture Svaha
pronounced: Aohm Tah-ray Too-tah-ray Tour-ray Swah-ha

Tara (whose name means "star" or "she who ferries across") is the female Bodhisattva of compassion. In Tibetan, Tara is known as "Dölma" (Sgrol-ma), or "She Who Saves." In particular she represents compassion in action, since she’s in the process of stepping from her lotus throne in order to help sentient beings.

Lately I've needed her quite a bit and have found myself saying her mantra during the day just to take comfort in the sacred sound that calls her. Often I also pray to her at the end of the day when I write in my journal. No matter what happens on the material plane I know that the blessing of the Goddess is with me.

Tara would love the summer and would welcome the magickal thinking that is inherent when we get close to nature.

How can you make the summer more magickal, even if you are not a witch or Goddess-worshipper?

Take off your shoes and let your bare feet feel the grass and earth. Be careful of fire ants though! We have those here in Florida!

On one of those languid afternoons when you are out by the pool, stay until sunset.

Have a midnight picnic on the patio with tons of candles and play no music - just listen to the cicadas.

Go for a drive at night with the windows down.

Drive by the beach in the moonlight and listen to the waves.

Take a moonlight bath on the Full Moon. This does require being naked so make sure the neighbors are asleep! Bask in the moonlight - howl if you feel like it. This is good to do with an intimate partner, trust me! Being naked in the moonlight is quite primordial.

Remember that everything will be all right. No matter what happens, no matter how difficult the mundane world is, you are all right, you will be all right and you are loved. That is the most magickal thinking of all.

Once in a Blue Moon

2007-05-22T14:53:00.000-04:00

The Blue Moon approaches and it is deeply significant to your friendly neighborhood Suburban House-Witch. The last Blue Moon was two and half years ago and at that time I cast a very powerful Blue Moon only wish spell. I was simply stunned by the results that my clients and family had. We were so thrilled by it but were also a little disappointed in knowing that it would be nearly THREE YEARS before the spell would be cast again! Talk about waiting for the magick!

Well here we are on the cusp of that Blue Moon (which is actually two different astronomical occurences - a second Full Moon in a month as well as the 13th Full Moon in a cycle.) which is the second Full Moon in a month. I have many clients who are taking advantage of this super-charged wish spell.

http://www.magickrituals.com/bluemoonspell.html

However for those who have considered it and then decided not to participate I urge you to do so. This is one spell that I am even taking advantage of and I usually reserve all my spellcasting power for clients. I just cannot pass this up and really neither can you! This spell and perhaps maybe a dozen other time specific spells that I know of are the kind that no one should miss. It is like the fates are aligned for good fortune.

You get one wish. So you need to make it a good one. And it can't be one of those multi-leveled wishes that rambles off into a thousand directions wishing for love, money, a Lexus, etc. It has to be a pure wish - right from the heart. It may take some practice to write the perfect wish. But once you get it - you will know it and then you are that much closer to your wish being granted.

The Lusty Month of May

2007-05-05T02:47:00.000-04:00

I was watching CAMELOT several nights ago, thinking about how incredibly young Richard Harris was (and so handsome!) in 1967 (before I was even born) when Vanessa Redgrave playing Guenevere turned out one of the big song and dance numbers, "Lusty Month of May".

To non-pagans, they would probably think it just had to do with it being Spring and there being an amourous spark in the air. Yet for pagans everywhere May is the month of Beltane; May is the month to celebrate lust, love and fertility, to dance around the maypole with flowers in our hair and stoke the Beltane bonfires on the night of Beltane Eve. For witches, the lusty month of May is a very real thing!

Truthfully it is more difficult to enjoy Beltane the way it should be enjoyed (with a partner of course) when one is practicing as a solitary, which is what I am doing at this point in my life. Though I do always have my pagan-centric family around; some of them are not often here on the high holidays.

The Wheel of the Year gives us eight sabbats all together, four major and four minor and it seems like every other month there is some kind of celebration. In my family we agreed to celebrate Midsummer, Yule and Beltane only as major holidays and to take the rest as ritual days instead.

Since it was only two of us this Beltane we kept it low-key. We had a lovely night ritual in the backyard with some candles that a friend of mine had created for us. Then we just sat quietly in the glow of the nearly Full Moon and talked about what this past year had brought us.

Tea heals everything and so we celebrated the Goddess each with a cup of tea. I could feel her love from the heavens above; feel her agreement with our choice to enjoy our quietude.

The next day was my Full Moon casting which lasts usually for three nights. It is as streamlined as humanly possible but still drains me of a great deal of energy. I am usually in recovery mode for days following and so this weekend I am laying low; only doing some readings and taking it easy.

I must recharge myself for this May is very special - it is the May of the Blue Moon which only occurs every two and half years. For me this outshines even Beltane for I know the power and joy that this particular moon brings. I am eager to see what incredible gifts this Blue Moon will bestow.

I hope you will join me!

Not just a witch

2007-04-08T12:03:00.000-04:00

So much of what I do as a witch has nothing to do with being a witch.

In my dealing with clients I have to be more than a witch. I have to be a friend, a confidante, a guru, a therapist, a counselor, a teacher, mediator and coach. It can be a bit like the tilt-a-whirl; deciding which role I am taking on with a particular client and a different role with another client.

With spells and rituals it is easy. I have the spell, usually I have cast it already a hundred times. I could cast (and do) some of them completely from memory. I can get into an alpha state in a flash. I connect to my astral body and commence my spirit work without a second thought. But dealing with people - accommodating their specific needs and being what they need when they need it - that is much more difficult.

I am eager to help; I've been like that since I was young. Everyone always came to me with their problems and asked me for advice.I was the Dear Abby of my fifth grade class. I never told secrets which was one reason I could be trusted with sensitive information. It wasn't because I was naturally conscientious - it was because I never had anyone to tell! That's why it is smart to tell the weird kid. Besides who would believe them?

As I got older, I was less weird and more interesting to my friends and they continued to put me in a place of counsel. I liked getting into their lives and really knowing them. I wasn't as keen however to reveal myself or go to anyone else for advice. I'm still like that today. I'm a seeker of my own solutions and I keep my thoughts about my own life to myself. I cannot imagine boring anyone (but my mother - she loves it or my best friend Stephanie) with details about my "issues" or problems.

I listen instead. It is part of the service. I will use magick to help you, absolutely, but magick is not all I have in my bag of tricks. And often magick is not all that is needed.

Spring Equinox Brings Healing

2007-03-22T06:14:00.000-04:00

For the first time in almost two weeks, I am among the living. I have been laid to waste with pneumonia and today was the first day in 12 days that I could leave the house.

I don't get sick. Healers and caregivers usually don't; we tend to have strong constitutions. The last time I was this ill, I was in my twenties, so it has been over a decade. It caught me off-guard; it slowed me down to a crawl. The caregiver needed to have someone care for her. Thankfully I did have that - my mother and good friends who called me to cheer me up even when I couldn't speak due to hoarseness. Thank you Goddess for helping me slow down a bit. I needed that.

I was able to cast some spells on the New Moon which actually helped to bring my energy way up. No wonder there! I've been casting right along this week, catching up on everything and will be mailing out results finally. I am fortunate enough to have wonderful and understanding clients. There were a couple that I think thought I was making it up or had an excuse or something; but only a couple of them out of so many tells me I have compassionate and kind-hearted clients.

I do not use traditional medicine unless I have absolutely no choice and I had none this time. Still I drank gallons of herbal brews and tisanes with honey and drank juice and took Flower Essences to help. My Doctor was impressed. He said usually patients who come down with pneumonia have it at least 2 and half weeks or more.

Today is a special day - the Spring Equinox - also known as Ostara. This is the pagan version of Easter. It usually falls on the 21st or 22nd of March.

The Equinox is also the perfect time for a witch to take stock of her magick. I am a witch who believes strongly in the concept of Spring Cleaning - meaning out with the old and tired and open up with the new and flourishing. I take stock of spells, oil mixes, herbal freshness, candle supplies as well as mix up new batches of magickal oils and powders. The Spring is all about renewal.

Here is more on Ostara:

It is loosely based on several holidays which were celebrated around the Vernal Equinox, and not having a strong relation to any known historical Paganreligious observation. The name goes back to Jakob Grimm, who, in his Deutsche Mythologie, speculated about an ancient German goddess Ostara, after whom the Easter festival (German: Ostern) could have been named. Grimm's main source is a book by the Venerable Bede. Bede had put forward the thesis that the Anglo-Saxon name for April: Eosturmonath was named after a goddess Eostre.

Ostara is one of the eight major Wiccan holidays or sabbats of the Wheel of the Year. Ostara is celebrated on the Vernal Equinox, in the Northern hemisphere around March 21 and in the Southern hemisphere around September 23, depending upon the specific timing of the equinox. Among the Wiccan sabbats, it is preceded by Imbolc and followed by Beltane.

"The Festival of Ostara at the spring equinox marks the end of winter and the beginning of the season of rebirth (spring), and is celebrated by a feast in honor of Frigg and Freya.

In the book Eight Sabbats for Witches by Janet and Stewart Farrar, the festival Ostara is characterized by the rejoining of the Mother Goddess and her lover-consort-son, who spent the winter months in death. Other variations include the young God regaining strength in his youth after being born at Yule, and the Goddess returning to her Maiden aspect.

The Christian religion adopted these emblems for Easter which is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox. The theme of the conception of the Goddess was adapted as the Feast of the Annunciation, occurring on the alternative fixed calendar date of March 25 Old Lady Day, the earlier date of the equinox. Lady Day may also refer to other goddesses (such as Venus and Aphrodite), many of whom have festivals celebrated at this time.

Traditional Foods: Leafy green vegetables, Dairy foods, nuts such as Pumpkin, Sunflower and Pine. Flower dishes and Sprouts.

Herbs and Flowers: Daffodil, Jonquils, Woodruff, Violet, Gorse, Olive, Peony, Iris, Narcissus and all spring flowers.

Incense: Jasmine, Rose, Strawberry, floral of any type.

Sacred Gemstone: Jasper

Activities: Planting seeds or starting a Magickal Herb Garden. Taking a long walk in nature with no intent other than reflecting on the Magick of nature and our Great Mother and her bounty.

Happy Chinese Lunar New Year!

2007-02-19T07:25:00.000-05:00

This was an incredible holiday for me. You may find this surprising, since I am not Chinese. However since I have been studying Ancient Chinese Magick; I have found myself drawn more and more to Chinese culture, traditions and their thousands of years of civilized history.

My relationship with China has been confusing since I am Buddhist and support many organizations hoping to free Tibet from Chinese occupation. I have followed His Holiness, the Dalai Lama's message of compassion and good will toward those who invaded his country in the late fifties. I have a deep reverence for China, even though I have disagreed with their politics. This has been an excellent lesson in compassion. I have learned to love the people and culture outside of political disagreements. My interest in China was further enticed in learning Feng Shui, working with the I Ching and studying Chinese Mysticism.

I have offered a Chinese Prosperity spell for over a year now as well as my Chinese Prosperity oil. Both work incredibly well and have deep roots in Feng Shui and Chinese history.

The spoken word incantation of the spell for Prosperity accompanies an envelope of symbols and Chinese herbs used in the spell. Part of the spell is spoken in Mandarin. The incantation is so lovely it is like a song. It takes me away to another land, another time. Thousands of years of magick go into that spell. I am passing something unique on to my clients; giving them a piece of history.

Since my witch-name is Dragonspell; you can imagine I am attracted to Dragons! I love Asian Dragons especially. One of my most sacred possesions is a Dragon ring and bracelet that I was given when I took my name. They are both Asian Dragons and have brought me incredible good fortune.

I have several Dragon Spell's but I do not offer them on the site. I decided to celebrate Chinese New Year this year by offering a powerful wish-granting/desire Dragon Spell.

I conducted this spell, this past night.

It is an incredibly long spell - first there is an energy clearing, then chanting, then a prayer in Mandarin. I also must invoke my Mythical Animal Guide (the Dragon) to assist with the spell. It was limited to seven clients for I have to do each part individually.

Six hours later, here I am, coming down after the high of casting these Dragon Spells. The incense, the crackling of the fire in the fire pit, the numbing chill in the air (Central Florida gets cold at night this time of year!) and the promise of strong hot coffee to help me ground myself after I finished the last spell; seems almost like a dream now.

I often feel that way after casting. Most witches do as we enter an altered state (Alpha State) that is like lucid dreaming. Often I cannot recall exact details but I am aware that I have cast the spells and sent the energy out and have experienced the flashback that uplifts my spirit to the light of the Goddess. She and I have been one and that great touch of the feminine divine is like no other feeling I have felt.

It was my great honor to deliver the desires to Her hands on this night; this New Year, this New Moon and may she grant these desires and wishes with pure love, compassion and understanding. With harm to none and blessings to all.

xin nein kuai le!
(Happy New Year in Mandarin)

Pure Love

2007-02-07T21:17:00.000-05:00

Most love isn't about love. It is about winning. And winning is all about ego.

As a Buddhist one of the issues I work on constantly is seeing outside of my ego which in effect destroys it. The beginning, in fact the whole of enlightenment is an egoless state. To realize emptiness (in the Buddhist sense) is to be without ego.

Yet so many people invest their ego in loving. It becomes all about their happiness, not the happiness of the one they love. To love without ego is pure and does not mean you are a doormat. It means that you see outside relative truth (which is everyday truth) to absolute truth (essentially - what is - is.).

Many clients write to me and ask me: How do I know my love is pure?

It is an interesting question and one that can have many answers. One answer may be that if you have to ask the question, then your love is probably not pure - however that is a little flippant for my taste. To know yourself is to understand the love you feel for another and to realize the purity of this love is a deep transformative process.

There are some questions you can ask yourself to see the purity and egolessness of your feelings. Don't be alarmed if you find the answers are not to your liking. Just remember this is a process. No one begins self-exploration as all-knowing.

1. Ask yourself about the happiness of the one you love. Is their happiness more important than yours? What if that happiness does not include you in their life? Would you still have feelings of love for them?

2. If the one you love told you that they did not love you at all - would you still feel the same way?

3. Ask yourself what needs this person fills in your life. The fewer the needs filled the more genuine the love. Love without attachments is the most pure love there is.

4. Imagine your life without this person in it - would you be able to find happiness in some form again? A pure love, once again does not have attachments. If you feel your life would end when theirs did that does not actually mean that you feel so deeply for them, just that you have attached unrealistic value to them.

That said, I wonder what love is but unrealistic value of a person!

5. There is a clear line between real love and obsession.

Ask yourself if you are happy. When you wake up, are you glad to be alive? Is your life on a positive track? Do you have hope for the future? Do you have dreams and work toward them all the time?

6. Are you in this relationship alone? If you are you need to ask yourself why this is and how much this matters to you. Does it matter to you that none of your dreams and hopes may ever come to fruition or are you comfortable with that, having no expectations?

In the end no one can tell you if you are in love or not. Or if your love is pure or infatuation or obsession. This is for you to seek and to know.

When you do know; you will know yourself better than you ever have before.

The Power of Sage

2007-01-22T10:30:00.000-05:00

Before you read this post any further - stop! Go out to your local metaphysical/new age shop and get a sage smudge stick. Got it? Good, now let's talk about clearing out some negativity.

Why use Sage?

Sage dissipates negative energy. Use it to clear out residual negativity from situations that occur in the home. This is an Ancient Native American tradition and works beautifully. I personally smudge before any working, just to make sure I've cleared the air around me.

All About Sage (from Michelle Chihacou White Puma Klein-Hass)

There are several varieties of each genus of Sage that are used for smudging. Salvia, or the herb sage used for cooking, comes in two major varieties: S. officinalis, commonly known as Garden Sage, and S. apiana, commonly known as White Sage. Salvia varieties have long been acknowledged as healing herbs, reflected in the fact that its genus name comes from the Latin root word salvare, which is the verb "to heal" or "to save."

Artemisia is the genus commonly considered "Sagebrush", and is more common in the wilds in California. There are two major varieties to the Artemisia genus: A. californica or Common Sagebrush, and A. vulgaris or Mugwort.

There are many other varieties of both Salvia and Artemisia, and all are effective in smudging.

Other Herbs to Use

Cedar: For smudging, the best is Western Red Cedar (Thuja occidentalis) and California Incense Cedar (Libocedrus descurrens). Cedar is burnt while praying to the Great Spirit in meditation, and also to bless a house before moving in as is the tradition in the Northwest and Western Canada. It works both as a purifier and as a way to attract good energy in your direction. It is usually available in herb stores in chipped form, which must be sprinkled over a charcoal in a brazier.

Sweetgrass: Very important to the Sioux and Cherokee nations, its botanical name is Hierochloë odorata. In these tribes, the sweetgrass is braided like hair braids. It could be burnt by lighting the end of it, or (more economically) by shaving little bits of it onto charcoal in a brazier. Sweetgrass is burnt after smudging with sage, to welcome in good influences after the bad had been driven out. Sweetgrass is very rare today, and traditional Plains people have been attempting to protect the last of it.

How to Smudge

I personally use a sage bundle and a fire-proof vessel for it. Some suggest using an Abalone Shell but check on this - I have heard that Abalone is sacred to the Great Mother. I just use a ceramic plate.

I also have several gorgeous sage smudging fans which make it easy to direct the smoke around my space. I only cleanse my entire dwelling every six months or so but every time I cast I smudge the altar and any tools I am using.

If you do the entire house make sure to get the smoke into closets and drawers. You may feel a little silly but trust me - in the end it will be worth it.

After you smudge you will want to light a nice incense (sandalwood or lavender) and open the windows to let the negativity out. If you cannot open your windows - just open the front door for about 10 minutes.

I've also heard that lighting a white candle to help purify the space following it is a good idea. I always have candles lit anyway.

Keep your attitude very clear and focused - think thoughts of love and joy. Smudging is a powerful practice and makes a deep connected with Gaia (Mother Earth).

Truth or scare?

2007-01-11T01:42:00.000-05:00

I had an interesting email this week from a favorite client of mine. She had been sent a dire list from a friend warning her against the experience of engaging a witch online. In a semi-panic she emailed me to ask me if the following list meant that she unwittingly had made in error in contacting me for spellwork.

Here is the list she forwarded to me:

Do not purchase a spell from a website that sells mojos, amulets and other "cheap and nasty" souviner items.
Never ever purchase a spell form a website that does not have an actual physical address AND telephone contact number.
Do not purchase any spell from any website that does not ask for biological samples. Without this no spell will ever be fruitful. Authentic spell casters will always ask you for biological materials.
Do not ever send cash or western union to any of these cold hearted thieves. The majority are utter frauds.
Do not purchase from any website that has tacky "cartoons" and fancy slide shows or gimmicks to suck you in.
Do not purchase spells that promise LOVE. There is no way known that you can make some one love you. If that were the case there would be no such thing as a broken heart.
Do not purchase any spells from any website that will send you nothing in return. A spell will not work without a talisman. Remember that the circle of energies will not be completed without a talisman.

She wrote, "Is any of the above true? Why does this person state that you require biological materials, talismans etc? What does a physical address prove? Could please look at each point and tell me why or why not he / she / or they are incorrect?"

Since other clients might see a list like this, I decided to post my response to her.

My response:

#1. Do not purchase a spell from a website that sells mojos, amulets and other "cheap and nasty" souviner items. - I do not sell cheap and nasty mojos or amulets. I handmake everything I sell. I use a variety of items when I create mojos. I know the kind they are speaking of - the kind sold by companies aimed mostly at Latin American markets like indioproducts.com (they sell from $3.95 - $7.95). My mojos are not like these. My mojos are made in accordance with Hoodoo mysteries, a form of magick indigenous to the American South.

#2. Never ever purchase a spell form a website that does not have an actual physical address AND telephone contact number. - This is meaningless as many of the con-artists on the web post a home address and telephone number. I personally would never post that information, as I would have people calling me at all hours. I will call people who are established clients . Once you place an order with me and get physical results from a spell, you will receive my return address on the label.

#3. Do not purchase any spell from any website that does not ask for biological samples. Without this no spell will ever be fruitful. Authentic spell casters will always ask you for biological materials. - Absolutely 100 percent NOT TRUE. I work with energy - not biology. I don't need hair or blood or nail clippings. Asking for this is going for shock value. The most I have ever asked for (according to certain spells) is a signature. There is more inherent energy in a signature (and name) than biological material. DNA only tells you about the present incarnation of a person. Since our souls and higher minds are pure energy what point is it to have biological material? I suppose if I really wanted to scare people with my voodoo-ness, I could make them run around getting hairs off their boyfriends sweaters, but I don't need that for my spellwork.

#4. Do not ever send cash or western union to any of these cold hearted thieves. The majority are utter frauds. - I have International clients who can only send Money Orders or Western Union. Of course I have Paypal available for them (for checks and credit cards), but certain countries cannot use it. I don't see anything wrong with it unless a spellcaster ONLY takes Western Union or Money Orders.

#5. Do not purchase from any website that has tacky "cartoons" and fancy slide shows or gimmicks to suck you in. - Tacky cartoons? Well, this sounds like a personal opinion to me.

#6. Do not purchase spells that promise LOVE. There is no way known that you can make some one love you. If that were the case there would be no such thing as a broken heart. - Interesting since the author of this list sells love spells and even promises - "Make him or her fall deeply in love with you". As I say in my blog and in my FAQ and elsewhere on my site - everyone has free will - so there is no way you can manipulate someone to become your loveslave against their will. That goes against the laws of nature. But love does not have to be manipulated - it can be fostered, tended, urged - in many different ways.

#7. Do not purchase any spells from any website that will send you nothing in return. A spell will not work without a talisman. Remember that the circle of energies will not be completed without a talisman. - Pure hokum. You don't need a talisman. Magick comes from your MIND and SPIRIT. Sure certain things have their own properties and correspondences - for instance Patchouli oil smells very sexy and puts most people in the mood. But do I NEED it to cast a love spell? Is that really a spell? No. It is called "Sympathetic Magick" and certain items are used as SYMBOLS, nothing more. Most of my spells have a physical result but a few have something that is consumed in the casting (like the BEACON OF LOVE and REALITY SHIFT). You cannot see or touch magick - it is energy.

My final thoughts on this:

I've been doing this since I was 15 years old and my magick has evolved as I've aged. Sometimes I want to perform a high magick ritual with my family on a Sabbat (such as this past Yule), because it is a celebration of nature and the Goddess and God. But when I am a working witch and casting dozens upon dozens of spells per moon phase, I work as a solitary witch, casting spells before my altar, using spells I have been studying or creating or re-creating during the past 22 years. Magick is a living art form; it changes.

For me witchcraft is not a business alone - it is a CRAFT, first and foremost. It is not my religion since I am Buddhist. But it is PART of my practice, part of my daily life, as it ties me to nature and the worship of the Goddess. Crafting spells and casting them is an art to me and there are many facets to my art - alchemy, herbalism, divination, crystal healing, reiki, meditation, chanting, soul journeys, drumming, root work, High Magick, and many other mysteries that I have studied. In a way it is like asking a painter "How do you paint?" Or a Doctor - "How do you heal?" or a Priest - How do you pray?" I have learned and practiced for many years. It is what I do to make a living. But most of all it is who I am - a witch.

Witch Resolutions for the Coming Year

2006-12-31T04:15:00.000-05:00

Everyone is already making their lists for how different things will be in 2007. Like most people I make my list but then abandon any hope of accomplishing any of it by early February. Then around this same time every year I make the vow that I will not be the same slacker that I have been every year previously and I will at least do one thing on my list.

This year - that one thing is to actually make the list itself. See! What progress! What accomplishment!

Since this site is all about me being a witch, I decided to post my resolutions as they relate to witchcraft. My personal resolutions (though they vary slightly from year to year) go in my journal and are not shared with anyone. Too embarrassing, too silly. Plus I've had to cross some off - like having Brad Pitt's love-child!

My witch resolutions for 2007: (in no particular order)

1. The Mother of all Book of Shadows - Since I have so many volumes, it has gotten difficult to find and index particular spells. For years I have dreamed of having a huge book of all my best and most useful spells. I have not ever come across the right book to be the definitive Book of Shadows of Amita Dragonspell, so this year I finally took some steps to have a custom book created. I hope if (no not if - when, say when!) it gets created I then have the energy to actually write my hundreds upon hundreds of spells in it! Of course that could be a resolution for another year.

2. Organizing my Witch Cabinet - Oh the disarray. It seems organized to me, in that I can always find my oils and candles and such, but I just know there are many wonderful things in there that I could be using, that I have not catalouged. It is a daunting task - I will take a photo sometime so you can see what I am talking about. You will probably absolve me of this one since I have doubts it can be accomplished in my lifetime.

3. Setting up my Faerie Altar - This one I will do! Since I began my recent study into Faerie Magick; I've been eager to get an altar up to honor my Fae friends. I'm also anxious to share some of my new Faerie Magick spells in the coming year. My newest altar will be an excellent way to bring this to reality.

4. The Great Herb Purge of 2007 - Herbs are kind of like husbands. They have lots of life in them initially but eventually that vigor starts to fade. Unlike husbands though - herbs can be replaced (well some husbands can be too I suppose, just not mine!) because fresh herbs make a witch very happy in her root work. I'm usually pretty good about keeping up with this however after the move this summer I let things slide just a bit. So the start of the New Year means new herbs, new mixes, new powders. Should this come before or after the Witch Cabinet organization?

5. Crystal Re-charging - Well the truth is I need to get my rocks organized. As well as cleansing and re-charging my large altar crystals. This will be a good thing to do on the upcoming Full Moon. My crystals will be happier and so will I!

6. Circle Ritual Re-vamp - Every couple of years I like to take a look at my ritual basics and see if anything needs tweaking. I've been casting a particular kind of circle for the past two years now and it may be time to work on a new casting ritual. My circles are always works in progress.

7. New Spells - This one is a given. Every year I write about a hundred new spells. Some are spells that are customized for unique concerns; others are epiphanies I have that bring new magick to light and still others are researched or taught to me by witch-friends. I'll use the example of my marriage spell - for years I used the same spell until I found a much better one. This past year my old marriage spell had to hit the road and my new marriage spell (The Next Level of Love) made its debut to resounding success. So there will be many new spells and as always much magick making!

There it is! I will keep you up to date on my progress in 2007.

Now part of your resolutions in 2007 should be incorporating more magick into your life. You can start with my life-changing spell REALITY SHIFT. If you purchase one spell this year - let it be this one. The benefits are tremendous! Check out the new testimonials.

Christmas Eve Quiet

2006-12-24T18:08:00.000-05:00

Its about an hour or two before we will be settling in for our traditional casual Christmas Eve dinner. Family members are in the living room watching "Pirates of the Caribbean II: Dead Mans Chest" and I am safely ensconced in my office, listening to Christmas Music on Yahoo. Tomorrow the house will be filled with people and merry-making and this is my last few moments of quiet calm. Our "real" holiday was already celebrated anyway (Yule) so this is simply another excuse for festivity.

I've got lovely bayberry candles burning throughout the house (they have been since Yule) and hand-made incense from witch-friend Silver Ravenwolf that makes the house smell glorious.

I am a huge supporter of witch-craft and like to get my supplies and such from witches who really know their stuff. Here are some of my favorites:

Silver Ravenwolf's Ebay Store: http://stores.ebay.com/silverravenwolfdesigns

Silver offers so many unique items. I have many of her oils and incense. I make many of my own oils, but sometimes its great to have a collection made by another witch. Her stand-out items are her jewelry and art curios. They are quite lovely. And yes, this is the same Silver Ravenwolf who writes all the books on witchcraft!

Earthy Elements: http://www.earthyelements.com

Joanna is the most talented Shamaness I know. Her artwork is exquisite and her products are used in some of my mojo and spells (especially her herb mixes). I have many of her art pieces in my collection. I especially love her gourd bowls and spirit drums. She also makes the lovliest Medicine Bags and jewelry.

Knickertwist's: http://knickertwists.ecrater.com/

Before she opened this adorable emporium, Niccola was known as "La Bona Dea" (the Good Goddess). I use her herbs and oils and have a couple of her natural wood wands for various uses. Niccola is an eclectic but like me has a strong background in Stregha (Italian Witchcraft), so I immediately felt at home many years ago when I discovered her offerings. Another gifted artist, I own many of her original painted boxes.

Dinner is ready -we'll eat then watch "Scrooge" with Albert Finney, my favorite rendition of "A Christmas Carol" since I was a child - I always loved musicals!

So I'd like to say - "Thank you very much, thank you very much - that's the nicest thing that anyone's ever done for me!"

See you after Christmas.

Yuletide carols being sung by a choir....

2006-12-16T00:49:00.000-05:00

I cannot believe that it is only 4 days until Yule! Where does the time go at this season of the year?

The good news is the family will all be arrving for Yule and Christmas and that the house is nearly ready to receive them. It seems like only yesterday we were having Thanksgiving dinner with our friends; making our plans for Christmas. Now it's so close I can smell the eggnog and gingerbread!

For Yule this year we will cast our traditional Bayberry Prosperity spell. We will also have the lighting of the Yule log and a lovely feast. I will make Scottish Meat Pie as usual and then we will have a Yule log cake roll for dessert. Did I mention the Mead? And the punch? Oh and eggnog?

I love that Yule is so precious to us but also that it is a warm-up for Christmas. We don't do Yule gifts; we just wait until Christmas. This year my brother will be getting his Christmas gift early - he bought a vintage corvette! I will be riding shotgun - that I guarantee!

More about Yule:

Yule is also known as the Winter Solstice. On the longest night of the year it is thought that the Goddess will give birth to the Sun God which heralds a re-birth of the light; a renewal of the coming warmth of Spring and Summer.

It's no coincidence that many Yule traditions found new life inthe Christian holiday of Christmas. It is believed that Pope Julius I eschewed the idea of Christmas being a lunar holiday (that changed every year) and decided on December 25th as the appropriate day to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

Thus in the fourth century Christmas found its timeless date and became one over hundreds of years with the pagan celebration of Yule.

Some of the very well-known Christmas traditions that originated as pagan are:

The Christmas Tree: This was part of Germanic Pagan Yule celebrations as well as Druidic celebrations. A tree was brought into the home in winter and decorated with berries, preserved flowers and strung with food items (seeds and nuts) as an offering to the Goddess and God. This served double duty as also appeasing the spirits of the forest and bringing good luck to the home. The tree would be live and then re-planted after winter. The earliest record of an evergreen being decorated in a Christian celebration was in 1521 in the Alsace region of Germany.

Yule Log: To celebrate Yule (the coming of the sun) a log would be brought back to the homestead to be burned on the eve of Winter Solstice. It was usually of birch, oak, pine or holly. Elder was never used as this tree was sacred to the Druids. A piece of the log would be saved to burn the following year and kept in the home for good fortune and protection. Most pagans still celebrate Yule with a Yule log but often not in a fireplace. They would use a log with holes drilled in it for candles (3 candles) that they can light on Yule Eve.

Mistletoe: Since mistletoe was known as a Druidic healing herb (and bringer of peace), it is believed that kissing under the Mistletoe was probably a fertility rite. There is a Norse myth that involves Freya and her son who was slain by an arrow of mistletoe. When he was resurrected, Freya used the mistletoe as a blessing and gave a kiss to anyone who passed beneath it.

Giving Gifts: It was common during the pagan celebration of Saturnalia (in Rome) for gifts to be exchanged. This is probably the origin of gift giving on Yule (the same day as Saturnalia, which was the Roman celebration of the WInter Solstice.) and then Christmas.

Reindeer: The stag was closely tied to The Horned One (The Green Man - God of the Forest), so it was quite natural for these creatures to become associated with Yule. Originally Santa Claus himself was depicted as an expression of the Holly King(another embodiment of the God), so it was perfect for them to pull his sleigh.

Santa Claus: The Holly King (king of the waning year) does battle with the Oak King (king of the waxing year) and traditionally the Holly King is killed and the Oak King begins his reign. The Holly King will be reborn again at Midsummer. The Holly King wore red or green often with boughs of holly and a pine wreath upon his head. Both kings are actually versions of the same Forest God.

Christmas Wreath: Since Pagans celebrated the Circle of Life, the wreath was embleamtic of this custom. It signifies the Wheel of the Year and the eight sabbats. Wreaths became popular in Norse lands during Yule celebrations. One particularly pagan holdover is the Advent Wreath.

Love Actually

2006-12-04T06:33:00.000-05:00

Since I've been working as a witch on the web now for three years, I've met so many incredible people. I'm astounded by the locations of some of them - Pakistan to Peoria, Singapore to San Bernadino. Melbourne to Minnetonka.

At least half of my clients are foreign, many of them from Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia. Every now and then a surprise location will pop up though like Mumbai or Hong Kong. I cannot tell you how much it means to me that I am able to work with the world and not just a small provincial location where I live. I thank the Goddess for the reach of the web at the same time I curse it since so many people end up falling for the charlatans on the web.

What I feel though for all of my clients is a kind of love that is hard to describe. Some of my clients have returned to me many times for many different kinds of magick over the years. I've watched their lives grow and change. Seen photos of children who were born out of unions I helped them to manifest. I have a cache of wedding photos stored on my hard drive as well as happy couple photos from vacations in exotic locations around the world.

I save all my correspondences with every client, so I can keep up with them. I always appreciate it when they let me know what is going on in their lives. I feel so much joy in hearing from my long-term clients and being a part of their lives in some small way.

I put my heart and soul into my spells. I use the love that I feel for my family, my soulmate, my husband, my familiar to draw love to my clients. That means that everytime I cast a spell for love some of my love goes into it. That's the only way I've found that it can possibly work.
Love + Love = More Love. Love attracts love. After over 20 years of doing this; I've gotten pretty good at it.

There are all kinds of love. For instance one of the greatest love relationships I've ever had has not even been with a human! It's been with my familiar. For 17 years this unbelievable creature has been at my side, a part of me. Witch's familars give great power and unconditional love to us. I am blessed by his presence.

I have a special bond with my family - each in different ways. We are closer than ever right now; having endured some dramas that made us stronger. Their love is a haven for me.

Sometimes our friends can be the greatest loves in our lives. I think about my dear old best friend from high school and how we always knew that no matter what else happened in our lives, when we are old are grey we will be there for each other.

I've been very fortunate to be able to fall in love with my closest friends. I think of my friend in Australia that I have known for a decade and how there is not anything I would not do for him. It feels good to be able to give that much of myself. It has taught me so much about myself by giving love like this. My heart is full. My heart is open.

This love letter is really to my clients though. You are amazing people and I am honored to be invited to assist you. I'm glad you found me.

Winter Solstice

2006-12-02T13:16:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine recently asked me, "So what's a witchy Christmas like?"

To begin with, while we do celebrate Christmas in my family, many witches do not instead prefering to celebrate the Winter Solstice known as Yule. In my family we do both holidays, though Yule is a little more somber an occasion.

In years past we decorated a Yule log and burned it in the fireplace, which was warm and dramatic, especially when we lived in cold climates. The last time we had a fireplace was when I lived in San Francisco and that was the last real Yule log we burned to mark the Solstice. We also had a lovely feast. There is one thing about witches - we love to feast! We set up the entire year for at least eight of them after all! (meaning the eight sabbats.)

Since being back in Florida for the past seven years, no one in the family has had a fireplace, so we have had to improvise with candles and logs drilled to fit them. It makes a lovely centerpiece or altar decoration but otherwise it doesn't have exactly the same impact as burning a traditional Yule log.

My mother said this year we should just get a Yule log from Swiss Colony that we could eat! Unfortunately Yule seems to be taking a back seat to our Christmas holiday plans this year as the family will be together for the first time in many years.

I thought perhaps we were in need of a new tradition something different and seperate from the traitional decorations and festivities.

My new tradition is a Faerie Tree.

I've always been a lover of the Fae and have praticed Faerie Magick for years. Since so many earth-based traditions are incorporated into Christmas anyway, I thought perhaps this year on the Winter Solstice we could honor our fae friends.

At first (like most things I do) the tree began simply. I would use a small 2 foot tree and decorate it with Amy Brown's Fairy Diva's. I adore these beautiful creations and have been a fan and supporter of Amy's since the first time I laid eyes on one.

I purchased a small tree and had about half a dozen Fairy Divas to decorate it. Enter the Mother Witch. She said the tree looked a little sad. A little "Charlie Brown Christmas". I added some tiny lights and gold star garland. My mother said I needed to fill in the tree with more Fairy Divas.

I ordered six more. Now the tree looked like it was going to topple over.

New tree. This one twice as tall, pre-lit and expensive.

Now there were not enough Fairy Divas. I decorated the new tree with extra garland and the new Fairy Diva's. The front looked great. The back - well, it was empty. You guessed it. More Fairy Diva's.

This went on actually for some time until the proper balance of Fae to Tree was acheived. My mother approved and finally the tree was complete. We lit it last night and it was like the Fae themselves agreed - it twinkled with magick and glowed the way no faerie tree ever has. Please visit my site to see the photos!

I'm happy to have a new tradition and a new way to celebrate and honor magick on this Solstice. I'd love to hear how you plan to mark Yule too. Remember it is December 21st, precisely 7:22 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. This is also the first day of Winter.

Microwave Magick Part I

2006-11-18T16:35:00.000-05:00

I get this one alot. "How long will this spell take to work?" "How soon before I see results?" "When will I know the spell is working?" And even - "I need this spell to work in two weeks."

There is no good answer to this question because after I have cast the spell - it is completely out of my hands. Of course no one wants to hear that. In many cases I'm afraid clients believe that I am constantly checking on their spells to make sure they are working, otherwise why would they email me nearly every day asking me - "How is my spell going?"

There is a code that I live by as a witch that I'd like to share with you:

To Know

For this I consider that knowing is a part of spellcasting. In that I know what my intention is. I also know my craft. This is about knowledge. I take my study very seriously as all true witches do.

To Dare

This has several meanings to me. First of all it is about the level of confidence I have in myself as a witch. Also it means that I dare to live and work as a witch, and this is no easy task. Also it refers to karma. Everything I do as a witch comes back to me karmically. I must always heed this.

To Will

This is one of the most essential elements to the craft. My will is my word. My will is my iron. My will is the engine that moves the spell. It goes beyond just wanting a spell to succeed. It is a part of my pure energy that I give to each and every working.

To Be Silent

This is the one that many clients have trouble with. I do not discuss my spells nor my workings. Not with clients, and rarely even with other witches unless we are working together on something. Except for our family Book of Shadows, I have never shared mine with anyone. I may share specific spells occasionally with other witches, but we do not share our secret workings. That is the way of the witch and has been so since time immemorial.

How does this tie into what I call "Microwave Magick"?

Magick isn't instant. I say so right on the first page of my site. I am not Samantha on Bewitched. I cannot conjure up people and material goods. I can't just twiddle my nose and make everything work out the way you want it to. If I could believe me, I would not be using my gifts in this fashion - I would be helping world leaders, ending famine and wars and bringing peace and compassion to those who need it most.

Not that I don't care about people and their everyday concerns but a gift like that could help save the world!

So, since I am not omnipotent and have to contend with the Laws of Nature (which is why Bewitched is a Hollywood fantasy), like everyone else does on this nice little planet we have here; you must recognize that I do not have the ability to "time" out your manifestation of a spellworking.

I can give you a time-frame certainly, which I always do, but often spells take longer to manifest than the time frame I give.

Case history: a recent client contacted me two days after I finished casting a spell for them and they told me they were disappointed that the spell had not worked! TWO DAYS! That was the time they gave me for their spell to manifest.

Usually clients don't email me until at least a week has passed - but this one was upset because the spell had not manifested in two days. And they wanted to know why as well as know "how" the spell works.

I cannot discuss "how" a spell works. But for certain I know that spells do not usually manifest in two days. Perhaps on a rare occasion, like a harmonic convergence, everything comes together perfectly but this is the exception rather than the rule.

This client wanted "Microwave Magick". Instant. Peel back the corner and put it in for 2 and half minutes. Presto! Your magick is served.

Microwaves are not part of nature. Witchcraft is tied completely to the natural world. There are some who practice "Techno-Magick", I've even seen a few books on it. That's not for me. I don't believe that man-made magick comes even close to the magick of the natural world and for me, taking it away from what we desperately need to connect to makes a powerless and cheezy proposition. Not to mention I am sure its a gimmick to sell books.

I want my clients to have their spells manifest quickly, pleasantly and fulfill all of their desires. That is the will and intention I use in all my workings. However once my spell is complete it is up to the Universe to deliver.

Some spells may never manifest, for some spells may not be what the Universe intends for us. Some spells will manifest quickly because often we innately know what is right for us and what will work for us. Some spells take a longer time to manifest because there are many obstacles and much has to change for the intention of the spell to ring true.

It's best that you recognize this and not give up on a spell two days after it is cast. For once you give up, once you add negative energy to that working, there is nothing I can do to fix it. The spell is broken. The magick is lost.

part II - coming soon!

All Hallows Eve

2006-11-03T18:34:00.000-05:00

This was my first Samhain (Halloween) sabbat in such a wild and untamed country home. Previously, this sabbat was celebrated outdoors at midnight with a little circle of candles or at a Samhain party down at the local witch shop with friends. I've never been able to walk outside into my backyard and set-up a proper bonfire and call in the elemental watchers in a degree of privacy.

This was quite an experience. First of all it was chilly! Yes, chilly in Florida! The wind was blowing a little too as it got darker and darker and my ritual dress proved to be lightweight, made for Florida weather south of here.

My mother (who usually takes part in such ceremonies) suggested we get the fire going and then stay as close to it as we could to keep warm. We huddled around it, warming our hands as I called the quarters.

What a glorious fire it was, burning fragrant woods and sandalwood chips. It was like the night air blew in perfumed. We had our ceremony and then went inside to the feast.

We had a "dumb supper" which was our traditional feast, for the ancestors.

Dumb Supper: A meal eaten in silence to which the dead are invited. The dead are present as invisible entities. Doors and windows are left unlocked to let them in the house.

The dining room was decorated very nicely with many candles all clustered in the middle of the table. We sat the spirit chair at the head of the table and draped a black shawl over it (which is customary). We had a black and silver candle centerpiece and used black dishes and silver goblets. Traditionally the supper is usually light harvest fare, so we had some vegetarian dishes and then served apple pie for dessert.

There is complete silence during the entire meal, though we did play appropriate spirit channeling music. It was lovely. The air was thick with the fragrance of the candles and the crackle of the energy of the door to the spirit realm being opened. It is also tradition to open all the doors and windows - we just do the windows in the dining room, which was sufficient.

There are no other lights but the candles and when the supper is finished we snuffed out the candles until it was complete darkness. Then we thanked our spirit visitors and ancestors and went back out to the bonfire to feed our notes to departed love ones to the fire.

I also cast spells that night too to take advantage of such incredible power. Clients that had workings done at this time got an extra dose of energy from the spirit realm.

Connecting with the natural world in the way that we did, right outside my back door was incredibly special to me. I look forward to more sabbats celebrated here in my own earth sanctuary.

Seven Oils of Love

2006-10-13T21:37:00.000-04:00

I promised a while ago that I would discuss one of my new magick oils. This one is unlike anything I have ever done before and comes directly from ancient papyrus on display at the Field Museum in Chicago. I was fortunate enough to get to see the papyrus, which was loaded with all sorts of magickal recipes. It was translated for me and there were a few recipes that were viable, meaning that I could actually secure the ingredients for them.

At first I wasn't sure what to do with this knowledge as the oil blend, though I was certain this special combination of scents would work at attraction (the Egyptian name for it was Meri Ka, which translates to Soul Love); my conundrum was the cost of the essential oils.

Fortunately I found a supplier who let me purchase very minute amounts of these precious oils. I also decided to add a pheromone to the magick oil to help with the attraction properties.

Here is what goes into creating the oil:

First I prepare my Egyptian altar for working. My mother is a daughter of Isis (also called an Isian) and has some very elaborate Egyptian work-spaces and holy relics. Since I make an offering to Isis, I like to use her consecrated altar to actually create the magick oil upon.

I say a prayer to Isis somewhat like the following -

Awake, awake, awake, Awake in peace, Lady of Peace, Rest thou in peace,
Rise thou in beauty, Goddess of Life
Beautiful in Heaven.
Heaven is in peace, Earth is in peace
O Goddess, Daughter of Nut, Daughter of Geb, Beloved of Osiris, Goddess rich in names!
All praise to You, All praise to You,I adore You, I adore You, Lady Isis!

Then I present my offering, which is usually a candle anointed with Isis oil and a physical offering of myrrh, a rose, carnelian and lapis lazuli, all of which are among the 72 sacred symbols of Isis.

I like to work in the evening, usually on a full moon to make my oils. This is preference and sometimes I have to make oils on the new moon or a waxing moon. I rarely make oils on a waning moon unless they are for Dark Arts purposes such as exorcism, banishings, bindings or clearing out negativity.

I have the seven sacred vials set up on the altar. These have all been previously blessed and consecrated. I light some myrrh incense to further consecrate the working space in the name of the Goddess.

The mixture is very precise and must be warmed and tended to carefully as each essential oil is added to the core mix. I warm the cobalt mixing bottle in my hands. The bottle also contains small lapis and carnelian stones to add energy to the mix.

Once the mix is complete I cap and seal the bottle with golden sealing wax and an ankh for protection. I leave the oil in the moonlight for three nights.

I store the oil for 30 days before it is ready on the next Full Moon.

When I decant the oil I mix it with golden jojoba oil because it has the longest shelf life of all carrier oils. The mix adjusts in the carrier oil and then I put it away for several days before I send it out. It will receive one more consecration before it is sent to a client. The bottle itself will be buried in a pot of myrrh granules and left on the altar for Isis to bless before it is sent.

The Seven Oils of Love are so lovely that many may forget ultimately what the oil does! It smells unlike anything currently available either commercially or from a witch or aromatherapist. The intoxicating aroma has many levels and last all day. It works best on major pulse points and you only need a drop or two. It works for a woman or a man and will attract whomever is your preference.

I am thrilled to be able to offer such a truly ancient recipe for a love attraction oil to my clients. It's been an adventure just getting to have such knowledge and I am grateful to those who made it possible.

If you'd like to purchase the oil click here.

Goddess in every moment

2006-10-04T00:46:00.000-04:00

I pray a lot to the Goddess. She gives me strength. She gives me guidance. I see evidence of Her in everything I do, everywhere I go, in every moment.

I am grateful to dedicate my workings to Her (don't worry the God Her beloved consort doesn't get left out!) and to show her my affection and appreciation. My love of the Goddess is not part of my religion (in Buddhism, we have no deity) but part of my love of Nature and the Earth. I consider the Goddess to be Gaia (Earth) incarnate. And you don't fool with Mother Nature, now do you?

I've counted on Her a lot recently. I've had situations with clients that demanded extra time and energy while I was heavily taxed with the focus of my practice. It was difficult to juggle everything and often in my journal I would write my bequests in a hurried hand. I was on over-load.

The Goddess for me is like a beacon into the dark night of my soul. She showered me with sunlight and love this afternoon and I knew that no matter what, everything will be all right. Spells will be cast. Nature will renew. Every moment is peace, every moment is death and rebirth.

Thank Goddess.

Frustration

2006-09-10T23:25:00.000-04:00

Periodically I go through the web to see what witches (charlatans, shysters and con-artists too) are doing for business on the net. Unfortunately this usually seems to happen when my business is slow (which it usually is after Labor Day for some reason, the past three years) and I need to figure out trends using business resources available at Google, which is the only place I advertise.

What I find out there breaks my heart.

I love what I do. I was always meant to be a witch. I have a knack for herbology, for crystal healing, divination, alchemy and aromatherapy. Everything that I have ever been interested in, even Buddhism, has come full circle to my being a witch.

So when I see what I love being degraded, being used to further greed and criminal activity (such as fraud - which so many of these so-called "psychics" perpetrate) - I cannot simply stand back and say nothing.

I have a list of sites (certainly not exhaustive as more pop up all the time) that numbers 60 or so claiming to cast spells. Of this list of 60 sites (not counting myself) there are only FIVE that I know are legitimate actual true witches who practice real witchcraft and will absolutely cast your spell for you. Five out of 60 sites.

Site after site of outlandish promises. No honesty. Gimmicks. Promising to cast your spell for only $2.95! Or $19.95. Or $35.00. Big things too - they will get your lover back, they will find your soulmate, they will get rid of your lover's girlfriend etc...for the bargain price of $19.95.

Or they will help you to win the lottery. For $19.95.

Many of these self-named spellcasters are not even witches nor do they call themselves as such. They call themselves Metaphysical Counselors. Psychic Coaches. There are dozens of psychics who supposedly cast spells.

I must tell you in all my days as a witch I have yet to come across "psychics" who cast spells. Witches cast spells. If a "psychic" casts spells but will not call themselves a witch, then here is a BIG RED FLAG! Don't give them your money. Don't communicate with them. Pass their site as what it is - a confidence game.

One site I went to will cast one spell for $19.95 - then two spells (because having the same spell cast twice is supposedly more powerful) for $35.00 then THREE times for $45.00. The client is to assume then that the first spell is what? Weak? Then the second double cast spell would be Less Weak? And the triple cast - yet again even Less Weak? How about ONE SPELL that has real POWER because you actually CAST IT!

My frustration is seeing these people get away with it. They have more money for Google ads than I do. They come up higher in the searches than my site (or the other legitimate witches I know - lest you think this is all poor me). I do not know how to combat such dishonesty, such con-artistry.

It is against my nature to actually go out and point specific fingers (except perhaps to the one site that actually STOLE a photo of my own altar and uses it on their freaking FRONT PAGE! Oh, they will be hearing from me!) at these people posing as spellcasters because this is their karma. If they want to be con-artists - how can I stop them?

Metaphysics has an unfortunately long history of such charlatans. One real witch (or even six of us total) cannot change what people will do. We simply try to do the best that we can, to give the best service we can, to cast our real spells to help those who come to us seeking our aid.

But it still breaks my heart to think of those clients, lost in that fray of shysters, trying to find someone who can actually help them. Giving hard-earned money to people who take it and give not one single thought to the fraud they perpetrate.

One group of people who run several sites on the web with the most outrageous prices I have ever come across (upwards of $1,500 for a single spell) attempt to con someone I know out of more than $30,000. And yet, every day people go to their site and think - oh well they must be very good - look at their prices!

I cannot count how many clients have come to me AFTER going to con-artists like this. They have spent thousands of dollars (hey even $35 for a spell that someone does NOT cast is too much!) and have no results except some grainy photo emailed to them that could be anything. Then these same clients question my legitimacy!

Which is why I often refuse to work with potential clients who have been ripped-off by charlatans - especially ones who email me something like this:

Hi Amita, I saw your site and hope that you can help me, I have gone to (insert name of con-artist fake magick site here) and several others and have spent almost $2,000 and been completely ripped off! I have not gotten any results nor seen any difference in my situation. I don't know if you are for real or not and I don't have much money after being ripped off, so I hope you can help me without it costing so much. It is very hard for me to trust after these people just took my money and did nothing to help me. I hope that you are not a fake.

Please let me know if you can help, thanks,
[name deleted]

What usually happens when I get an email like this is that I respectfully decline to work with the person. Here are several reasons why:

1. I don't do this for money. I make enough to live from and often there are lean months. If I was after a fortune being a working witch would not be the way to go about doing it.

2. This person is already judging me and wondering about my legitimacy. There will be very little I can do to convince them out of the point of view after having been ripped off by fakes.

3. It really irks me when someone writes to me and tells me that they have spent all this money with fakes but now they want me to help them on the cheap, like I'm the red-headed witch-child. Jeez. Thanks.

The bottom-line is that the few quality witches that are out there are worth the search. I have said before that there are ways for you to discern the legitimacy of your spellcaster before you even send them a dime - please see my post under Spellcasters Online.

And for myself I will continue - no matter how many charlatans are out there. This is what I do. I am a witch.

Strange September

2006-09-02T17:03:00.000-04:00

Where did summer go? Monday is Labor Day. I remember it being May and then all of the confusion and stress with moving, the difficulties my dear friend had in July and then this tense past month where it seems that I had no time to relax, no time at all to reflect upon the summer even as it slipped away.

So now September. Magickally a good month - a lovely Wishing Moon this next Full Moon, then Mabon on the Autumn Equinox and my birthday on September 29th.

I'd like to freeze time right about now. This is good. I like being this old and yet still being somewhat young. I like that all the confusion of youth is behind me and the confusion of middle-age is before me. I like that I don't care so much about what other people think anymore. Not that I ever really did. When you are a witch; you can't think too much about things like that.

This past New Moon was the first time I had many multiples of five and seven day spells going at once. It was exhausting but in an extremely satisfying way, especially when I got such great feedback on the seven day spells (which involved the clients doing a special something on their end at the same time). The air was positive crackling with raised power.

My seven day spells require a candle to be lit continuously for seven days. The only safe place to leave the candles is in the shower (which is completely walled in with tile and a glass door.). There was a beckoning glow from within the bathroom, everytime I walked into my bedroom. The smell of the fixed candles (candles are fixed with oil, herbs and stones), the special oil burning throughout (I plunge chopsticks into the wax and then load the candles with the oil) was almost euphoric.

First a client emailed me about a dream she'd had. The next clients (same spell) also had dreams. The final client did too. No coincidence. Big power from this spell (BEACON OF LOVE) and within the seven day casting period, unprecedented positive results. I am not surprised. This is pure white magick, the kind that sends super-charged love energy out to the Universe.

It was an absolutely sublime experience, that I hope to repeat again and again.

Next time I'll tell you about my Egyptian revelation.

I say a little spell for you...

2006-08-14T13:00:00.000-04:00

I often cast little spells when I am not casting spells on a moon phase. These are everyday spells, petitions from clients, friends, an email from someone who asks for healing for their father. I like to pay attention as much as possible to these requests because I believe that it is these small daily spells that can truly make a difference.

For someone's father I chanted to the Medicine Buddha: OM BEKANDZE BEKANDZE MAHA BEKANDZE RANDZE SAMUNGATE SOHA.

For my friend having troubles in Australia, I prayed to the Goddess. For my Mother today I said a simple spell to help her get her energy back after feeling depleted after moving. For myself I said the Buddhist chant OM MANI PADME HUM, just because I needed the comfort of that mantra.

I work a lot with hope. I work a lot with transformational change. Yet I know that we actually control nothing in our lives. I know that we can influence things, that we can change our perceptions of situations but we cannot control them. Everything here that we have on Earth is borrowed and part of an illusory life that exists only in our minds. This is not a present life but a life lived in the past and in the future.

The present is where we actually live. And yet we pay almost no mind to it. We hope for the future and recall the past with fondness. We cling to our memories of yesterday while projecting how tomorrow will be. Yet right here, right now, where we are alive, where we are breathing and standing and feeling; we don't notice or pay attention. We drift through our lives asleep in the present.

We are never satisfied, because we have no control over the illusions that we call our lives. We have the script but no one else does. We can only direct ourselves and yet we rarely take direction.

Every single day someone emails me or calls me because they are unhappy and suffering. They want me to fix things, to change their lives, to give them something that tells them that they will be all right.

I turn to my Books of Shadow and find the right spell. I find a spell that brings a woman's husband home from the arm's of another. I find a spell that helps someone appear more confidant. I find a spell that helps a woman release her inner warrior so she can protect herself. I find a spell that helps heal a broken heart, that communes with the Dark Goddess, that brings peace and protection from the God to a family struggling to keep it together. I find a spell that helps someone find their soulmate.

This is not actually control or manipulation, even the darkest spells still conform to the Laws of Nature. It is a kind of intercesstion, a merging with the Universal energy, a focused intention that weaves itself around the client, around me, around every sentient being on this planet. When I cast a spell, I tap into that energy and give to the wellspring that attaches our higher minds together and simply will it to happen.

The more I do it, the better I get at it. After 20 years doing it I would say I've found many spells to help me get from point A to point B the fastest. I've written some terrific spells in my day and then some not so terrific ones too. Those get weeded out from the repetoire. I keep copious notes on spellworkings.

I keep no notes on my every day workings. Those little spells help me get through life. The little spells let me clear my mind of worry, to be able to help those that I can, deal with their lives and make them better.

Today I'm saying a little spell of comfort for a friend's mother who has been upset. I say a little spell and light a candle for another friend having a tough time with her divorce. I say a little spell for my father whom I've not spoken to in months.

I control nothing and through controlling nothing; I have everything.

Amazing Love

2006-08-10T13:49:00.000-04:00

The heart has an amazing capacity for love. I am sitting here today still in casting mode (one more night except for the five day spells which are a couple more nights), thinking about the people in my life that I love. I was thinking too about all the love I sent out to the Universe in spells last night, and the love I will be sending out tonight. No matter what happens in the world, the wars, strife, poverty and starvation of our human brethern, no matter how bad it gets; love is the balm that eases our pain and soothes our souls.

A very dear friend of mine, someone I love very much is struggling and enduring a great deal of pain right now. I am unable to help him the way I would like to and it is frustrating to feel so powerless.

In situations like this normally I would turn to magick. My friend doesn't believe in magick though or at the very least he is unsure and not ready to explore it or commit to it. It is hard for me to just be there for him in the only way possible, with no spells, no potions, no healing herbs, talismans or ancient prayers.

I turn then to the Goddess for guidance and ask for help. I petition Her with my heart and tell Her how much I love this person and how I want his struggle and pain to cease. How I want Her to embrace him even though he doesn't believe in Her and I ask Her to give him comfort.

There have been feelings that he and I have shared on many different levels but this is the level it always comes back to; that I love him deeply and purely. It has taken me years to come to a point in my life that I can love beyond expectation, that I can give love freely and ask for nothing for myself. Sometimes I forget that this is possible but then I find myself re-learning the truth again and again.

I am grateful for the love in my life, not so much having those around me who love me, as the great honor it is to love them.

In Good Time

2006-08-01T04:57:00.000-04:00

I am nearly caught up on dozens of spells that took longer to cast and ship than usual due to still unpacking my house. I know, I know, it has been weeks but give me a break - it's only me unpacking and my Mom telling me where to put things (she's the organizer). Thankfully by this next Full Moon, I will have all of my supplies (I needed to re-order many crucial items, like bottles for oils, herbs and some of my candles melted in transit - the soy ones did not hold up).

Just the act of getting everything together and shipping the results to my clients put me in a much better head space. I felt it looming before me, all of these concerned individuals, worried about their spells and wondering - when will it start to work?

This is one of the most important questions I get asked by clients. How long does it take to start working (the spell)? When will I notice a change? When will I have what I desire?

I try to give a reasonable time-frame but the truth is: it takes as long as it takes.

Some spells manifest immediately. No sooner am I finished casting and they have taken hold. I have had numerous clients email me the following day to tell me that they felt "something" change on the day I casted. That is the best circumstance certainly. The spell manifests, the situation changes, the desires are fulfilled and the client moves on to another issue - satisfied and walking on air! I like that too - happy and satisfied clients are what this witch is about!

The standard length of time is several weeks. Yet this depends entirely upon the obstacles to the spell (often there are many) and what the spell is needed to accomplish. Less complex spells manifest faster as a general rule. More complex spells (like one of my most popular ones "Make Them Love Me" ) can take months to come to fruition.

Case in point, a client of mine purchased the above mentioned spell two months ago and everything finally came together for them. It took two months and although they were often frustrated during this time and had to be mollified on several occassions and reminded not to obsess over their spell; it did manifest and they are happily together with their beloved as we speak, now moving in together.

This spell could have taken even longer to work. I've had successful results reported as much as a year later. It doesn't usually take that long, and yet I often tell those who are convinced that it hasn't worked by the third or fourth month that the slow burn may ultimately surprise them. And I remind them - no matter how long it takes, if ultimately you get exactly what you want - isn't it worth it to wait?

There are many clients and potential clients who come to me wanting it all and wanting it yesterday. They want this person to love them, they want money in their bank account, they want this person at work to stop bothering them, etc. Often they ask for one big spell to act as a clearinghouse for all their issues.

Magick doesn't work like that. Magick needs focused will and focused intention. Magick prefers the path of least resistence (always) and will not appreciate broad casting. Magick likes specifics.

One spell will do one thing. There are some spells (like my "Magnetic Attraction" ) that can have spill-over results into other areas of an individual's life. My "Reality Shift" spell is also able to be used for more than one issue; yet a client can only shift into one possible reality at a time. These shifts can flow into one another however.

The best way to insure that your spell will have excellent results is to not to have someone casting dozens of spells at the same time on the same issue. It always comes down to focus. And it comes down ultimately to the client.

I can cast dozens of spells over a particular moon-phase and maintain my focus. But I am a witch who has been doing this since I was fifteen years old! For the layman, focusing just on one or two issues will be enough to keep them busy through manifestation. Keep this in mind before you over-cast.

And give time, time. Stay positive. Don't obsess. Don't email me every day or every week asking me WHEN? Let magick work its magick.

Postscript: Thanks to those who were concerned about my water issues in my new home - everything has been resolved and it has thus far not cost me anything. The sulfur smell is gone, but the water is a little hard so I may need a softener. The house is coming together nicely too, though do not mention scorpians to my Mother or she will freak!