Crossposted from another of my blogs.

Magaly from Pagan Culture wrote an interesting blogpost about Dark Magick. It reminded me of a post I wrote in response to something a few months back. I don't believe in black or white magick. Magick in itself is completely amoral. It is the intent of the magickian that "colours" it. I could send out the most "loving gift" with the intent of completely messing up someone's life. (Think of the gift of Fertility. To someone who really doesn't want to have that kind of responsibilty.) Or I could use some really hardcore scary hexing to get rid of the cancer of a loved one...

Some crap happened to us a while ago. Nothing really that serious, just nasty. I posted about it elsewhere, and had a comment about how I shouldn't do anything about it, that Karma would sort it out, etc, etc... Then on another forum I am on, said poster asked a community we are on. "Is there a place for retaliation magic in Goddess Spirituality?

Nemesis, Erinyes, Durga, Kali, The Morrighan, Arianrhod all suggest to me that there is a place for this kind of magick and I personally think it is quite blinkered to feel that there aren't times and situations when action and response is required that perhaps isn't as "nice" as people would like it to be. The idea that this propagates misery, Badness, and all things horrible is very simplistic and doesn't take into account that sometimes Not Nice things should to be done. There is a reason why Revenge Is Best Served Cold. It means that it should be thought through, all pros and cons considered, all repercussions and consequences realised and then the decision is made whether to follow through.

I can do it, and I will do it if I have to.

I agree with a lot of what The Witch of Forest Grove has to say about it.

A Meme that is doing the rounds.

B A S I C S //

Do you have a magical/Pagan name? Yes, although I don't tend to use it that often.

What does it mean? Something personal.

How did you find Paganism? Always into the weird and wonderful, but started getting more serious in my teens, visiting sacred sites and the like. Realised that it was a label that I could work with, even if it wasn't completely accurate.

How long have you been practicing? About 20 odd years now. Which is a long time considering.

Solitary or group practitioner? Over the years, a bit of both.

What is your path? Mine.

Are you out of the broom closet? Half and half. Most people know, I don't lie about it, but a select few people (family members) don't know, as they don't need to know.


D E I T Y //

Who is your patron God? Don't really have one. The God I associate the most with would be Cernunnous.

Who is your patron Goddess? Again, if I was to have them, they would be Brigid and Blodeuwedd

What Gods do you worship? I don't worship any Gods. I revere and respect Them and the relationships with them.

Do you fear darkly aspected Gods/Goddess, or rather respect them? Umm, well since I am not going to piss them off, why do I need to be scared of them.

Do you worship the Christian God? No. Why would I want to do that? :P

Do you ever worship animals? No. I respect them and their sacredness, but not worship.

Or plants? Ditto



N A T U R E //

Do you regularly commune with nature? I try to, but probably not as much as I would like and should. (Other than being part of it, iykwim.)

Ever walked barefoot in the woods? Yes.

Taken a camping trip just to talk to nature? Yes.

Describe the moment you felt closest to Mother Earth? Probably on holiday in Cornwall or Wales in the beaches.

Do you have a familiar? No. I would be willing to have an Animal partner that wished to join me in my Workings, (which is probably what most people consider to be a familiar) but the actual meaning of a Familiar is a spirit you have conjured up to aid you, and it can inhabit the body of an animal that you have used for that purpose. Not really very nice.

Have you ever called upon the powers of an animal in ritual? No, actually I don't think I have.

Or a plant? Yes.

Do you hug trees? Yes.

Give them gifts? Yes.

What is your favourite flower to work with? I don't really have a favourite. It would all depend on what I was doing, and why I was doing it. I do however have a softspot for tulips.

What is your favourite tree to work with? I do like Oak a lot.


W H E E L . O F . T H E . Y E A R //

What is your favourite holiday? I don't really have one. I do like Samhain and Yule though.

What is your least favourite holiday? Probably Midsummer. I never seem to get organised to do anything for it.

Have you ever held a ritual on a holiday? Yes.

Ever taken a day off work to celebrate a Pagan holiday? Nope.

Do you celebrate Yule on the 21 rather than the 25? Of course.

Have you ever felt the veil thin? Yes.

Ever danced the Maypole? No.

Know what the Maypole symbolizes? Yes.

How do you usually celebrate the Pagan holidays? I always acknowledge them, but I don't make enough of a big deal out of them as I should. It is something I am working on.


D I V I N A T I O N //

Do you use Tarot? Yes.

Do you use runes? No, but I do want to learn them. (And now I have the tools to make my own!)

Do you use a pendulum? Yes. One of the easiest forms of divination that there is. I have been doing it since I was about 12, as I remember doing it in the girls changing room at my Lower School.

Do you use dowsing rods? No, I have a pair, but haven't tried them yet.

Do you use astrology? Sort of. I use Natal charts and the like, but the daily horoscopes are a load of old hokum.

Any other form of divination? Oracle cards. And I would like to make Witch Stones.


S P E L L S //

What was the first spell you did? I actually can't remember that.

What was the latest? Probably one to do with Neil's work.

Ever done a love spell? Yes.

A job spell? Yes.

A healing spell? Yes.

What was the most powerful spell you’ve ever performed? Powerful is a loaded word, but the one with the most drastic results, was one for a friend who was being sexually harassed and bullied in a very nasty way. Perpetrator lost their job, and got deported...!

What deities do you usually call on? Umm, depends on what I am doing.


C R Y P T O Z O O L O G Y //

Do you believe in Vampires? Not in the literal "I vant to suck your blood" sense.

Werewolves? Nope.

Shapeshifters? Meh.

Elves? Yes, in the sense they are a type of Fae.

Faeries? Yes.

Dragons? Yes.

Nymphs? Dunno.

Sprites? Type of Fae.

Mermaids? Type of Fae.

Sirens? Dunno.

Satyrs? Dunno.

Ever “seen” any of the above? Yes.

Ever talked to any of the above? Yes.

Ever used any of the above in magic? Nope.

Do you have one of them as a personal guardian? No.


R A N D O M //

Do you see a rabbit, a man or a woman in the moon? Umm, none of those.

Own a cat? Own? No, I have a cat who shares my home with me.

When you meditate, what does your happy place look like? A woodland glade with pool.

Do you work with Chakras? Not as much as I should

Do you believe in past lives? Yes.

If so, describe a few of them... Apparently I was a Tavern Wench waiting for my long lost Love to come home from sea. And the other I was a Priestess on a Matrifocal, Polyamorous island. (I like that one!)

Do you believe in soul mates? Yes. I think you can have lots.

Do you have a spirit guide? Don't know. I haven't really ever investigated.

Is it always love and light? Yes. And darkness, and chocolate.

Typical Hysterical Jugglings and Waffle

I want to be Vegan. I am pretty much Vegetarian most of the time (although I had some major slippage over the holidays, but am getting back on track now.) I don't eat dairy whatever, as it does Bad Things to me, so when combined with the veggism, I am about 65% on the way to being fully vegan, since I don't eat that many eggs.

Why I would like to be Vegan.

I think it is an ethical thing to do. The meat and dairy/egg industry is not nice in any way, shape or form. By abstaining from their products, I am no longer condoning an industry that has a devastating environmental effect on our world. Neither am I part of a business that sees animals/meat as a commodity to be bought and sold, and treated as a Thing rather than a Living Being.

It seems to be a healthier option for me. I take care over what I eat, and I plan and create interesting menus. If the added bonus that it helps me lose weight, then cool bananas as well.

However, I have several dilemmas that I am working through. As a Witch, I am very aware that Death is an integral part of Life, and that I, as a human being cannot survive in this world without something sacrificing its life for me. Whether that be plant or animal. Seeing the world as all interlinked and all Life being part of each other, on a spiritual level, how can I rationalise one form of Life over another?

On an environmental level, agriculture is not always the best use for land. Although we have taken raising animals for meat to an obscene extreme, there is an argument that says we need a certain amount of animals on the land to maintain the natural environment. Think sheep grazing on lowlands, they eat the grass that if left to its own devices would decimate the local flora. They are a part of the "circle of life" and to remove them from the ecosystem (which is the ultimate conclusion to veganism) then that ecosystem is destroyed.

What do I do with all my old animal products? Make up and toiletries with honey in them. Leather shoes, bags, boots, coats, etc... Wool? The list goes on and on.

I am not a WhiteLighter Witch. I am a Sweat, Spit, Blood and Shit kinda Witch. I am not scared of getting my hands dirty when I need to. So where does this leave Veganism?

New Year Blogpost

It has to be done really. Even if I don't have masses to say at the moment. Crimble and my birthday were a plague ridden washout. It could have been lovely, since my BF came over with her zillions of children on Crimble Eve Eve, but Hubs and I came down with plague. I think they had a good time, but I was too sick to be as involved as I wanted to be. When my parents got back from their week away on Boxing Day I was very relieved as it meant my mum could take over being hostess with the mostest.

We were meant to be going to a NYE party, but although we were better (antibiotics ftw) we weren't back to normal, and I think the trip in and out of central London would have killed us. So instead Neil watched Van Helsing, and I went to bed at 10pm and completely bypassed NY. Whoop...I am so hardcore...

NYs Resolutions have been made, but they aren't very exciting. The main one being as normal, to get healthy. We eat too much takeaway (takeout) because of lack of organisation, energy and time. It isn't good for us, and makes for some very bad eating habits.

I need to get more Witchy, and do Stuff. I have been a bit of an ArmChair Pagan of late, which I don't want to be.

I need to get on with more of my 1001/101 list. I am slowly getting through it, but it is still definitely a work in progress.

There is other stuff going on in my head, but I am still processing it through. I am aware that a lot of it is probably PreMenstral Navel Gazing, but we shall see how it goes.

I want...I want...I want...

These shoes are Made Of Awesome...

Hot Pink Leopard Spotted High Heeled Mary Janes!

Very impractical for a marriedmumof2, but I don't GIVVASHIT! (Sorry) I loves them!

And if we had the spare monies, I would so get them!

Remembrance Day

I once got slammed down in a forum for pondering over the significance and symbolism of the date chosen to be Remembrance Day. Okay, I know that the bods of the armed forces of the time wouldn't have considered the relevance of the season, but I personally feel that the link between Remembrance Day, Bonfire Night, with Samhain etc is there, and is why we hold onto these festivals. Call it genetic collective memory or call it Bollocks, but to me, it is so poignant that we remember our lost dead at the time of year where we remember our dead.I once got slammed down in a forum for pondering over the significance and symbolism of the date chosen to be Rem

embrance Day. Okay, I know that the bods of the armed forces of the time wouldn't have considered the relevance of the season, but I personally feel that the link between Remembrance Day, Bonfire Night, with Samhain etc is there, and is why we hold onto these festivals. Call it genetic collective memory or call it Bollocks, but to me, it is so poignant that we remember our lost dead at the time of year where we remember our dead. once got slammed down in a forum for pondering over the significance and symbolism of the date chosen to be Remembrance Day. Okay, I know that the bods of the armed forces of the time wouldn't have considered the relevance of the season, but I personally feel that the link between Remembrance Day, Bonfire Night, with Samhain etc is there, and is why we hold onto these festivals. Call it genetic collective memory or call it Bollocks, but to me, it is so poignant that we remember our lost dead at the time of year where we remember our dead.

Bracken the Labrador (22/03/1997 - 03/11/2010)

My mum and dad had to put my old dog to sleep yesterday. I am very sad, even though it was relatively expected. He was such a loved member of our family. My kids loved him, my husband loved him. I remember picking him up from the breeders as a 9 week old puppy. He was all squidgy and full of beans, running around like a loon in my little courtyard, until he just plonked himself next to me and fell into blissful puppy sleep.

He would eat my shoes. One pair of uncomfortable sandals that I wasn't too upset about, but then my fave pair of sexy date ankle boots. And I truly mean eat them. Not just chew them up into bits, these shoes were gone.

When we first brought my son home from the hospital, he loudly woofed at my husband when he went to pick him up. Bracken obviously felt that only my mum and I were allowed to touch this new "puppy".

If you left food anywhere near him, he would try and nab it.

He wasn't allowed to sit on the sofa, and was too big to do it anyway. But it didn't stop him occasionally sneaking up onto my mum's lap until she was swamped by this massive dog grinning like mad. Sometimes when we would stay over and sleep on the sofabed in the living room. At some point in the night he would realise we were still there, and shove his way into the room and lie down next to the bed. In the morning we would be woken by a cold wet nose stuck in our faces and treated to a smellydogbreath lick! Sometimes I would let him into the sofabed, and he would wiggle with glee until my mum would come in and look at him pretending to be cross with him and he would wiggle more and wag his tail like mad at her.

He was so full of love and mischief and I really miss him.

(Picture isn't actually Bracken, but looks a hell of a lot like him)