Still Here

I promise I'm still around. I've had so many problems with jobs here lately. Is it just me, or are places paying lower money for harder work? Anyway, I'm going to spend tomorrow working on blog posts, and I will get back to a more normal pace! 

The Blog's a Winner!

As a lot of you know, I share most of my posts on Pagan Pages Blog Hop, and thanks to you amazing guys, I was selected June's Brilliant Blogger! Thank you so much for this amazing honor! I'm so sorry I haven't been around, and I'm barely announcing this in August. But thank you so much!

I'm Still Here!

I haven't been around much here lately, which makes me a naughty, naughty witch. I found a job, and I've just been trying to figure out how to balance everything. My work schedule is usually 2:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. and I've been trying to take care of the house work during the mornings. I've switched job locations and will hopefully be getting a new schedule sometime soon. Same hours, just different days. Once I get my new schedule I promise I will find a way to balance things!

Candle Magick

I realize it is Thursday, and today is supposed to be Goddess Bio day. I will probably, hopefully, get around to that later. Knight and I have his nephew here, and man is it hard to keep that kid away from my altar in the living room, and keep him away from any other magickal stuff I have around the house. I feel like I'm constantly chasing him around, returning stuff to it's rightful place, picking trash up off the living room altar, picking up his dirty dishes off the altar, and trying to explain to him that, no, the xbox controller does not belong on the altar either. Of course, it doesn't help that Knight's family doesn't know what my religion is, since it's such a weird mishmash of Christian/Pagan/Wiccan/Voodoo beliefs, so while Knight understands that the altar is not to be messed with, I can't really explain to his nephew what it is. Knight took him to work with him, and I now have a moment of time today, and really wanted to discuss candle magick. So, that's what we're gonna do!
I've practiced candle magick for years. It was one of the few things I could do, before I announced to key people that I'm a witch, that didn't give me away instantly. Candle magick is practiced in almost every single religion. And if you're still in the broom closet, which I'm not coming down on you for, there's all kinds of reasons for a person to keep their religious beliefs to themselves, so candle magick is the perfect closety practice for you! Regardless of what some people may think, candle magick is not a passive form of magick. Some of my biggest magickal feats have been accomplished through candle magick and the deity/spirit/orisha/loa that I decided to work with for those feats. We won't go over the basics just now, because I want to save that for a Witchcraft 101 post, but I want to talk about simple ways for you to introduce candle magick into your life. 
I've become addicted to candle magick. In all honesty, if I don't have at least one candle burning on my altar at all times, I don't feel right, my home doesn't feel right. The most important candle on my altar is a large white candle. I like using pure white novena candles in a clear jar. That one white candle represents the God and Goddess. I reuse my novena jars, and refill them here at home. Once it has burned down, I clean out the jar, replace the wick, refill it with white candle wax, and as soon as it is "cured" I relight it. I try to keep one premade, while refilling the other, so that I never have to go without my deity candle burning. Like I said, without at least that one candle burning, my home doesn't feel right. I can almost feel the absence of the God and Goddess. That may sound strange to you guys, because in all honesty, the God and Goddess are always around, whether there's a candle burning or not, but to me, without my deity candle burning, it feels like they are a bit more distant. So, my white candle never goes out on my altar. If you aren't able to have an altar, just having a special shelf where nothing else it put, placing a white candle on the shelf, and lighting it will make a huge difference in your life. 
Other than my deity candle, I usually have at least one prayer/spell/intention candle burning as well. These candles are all slightly different. I still use the glass jars from novena candles, but while some of them are novena candles bought from the store, others are specifically colored, hand poured, Witchmade™ candles that I make for specific intents and spells. Currently, I have my deity candle burning, which will need to be replaced soon, and I'll be making a new deity candle later today. I also have a St. Jude candle burning. I had an interview with a business close to home that will have good hours, be fulfilling, fairly good pay starting out, and great benefits. I am hoping to hear back from them tomorrow so I can start training on Monday, so the St. Jude candle is to help things along. 
One thing I find interesting is the difference in how store bought, and Witchmade™ candles burn. Those that I create myself, focusing on my intention while preparing the wax, pouring, etc., seem to burn longer, cleaner, and much brighter, than the ones bought from the store. For example, my deity candle, which I poured here at home while meditating and talking to God and Goddess is burning much higher than the St. Jude candle I bought at the store. The flame is rather high, very cheery, and extremely comforting. It lets me know for sure that God and Goddess are within my home. The flame on the St. Jude candle on the other hand, while burning brightly and cheerily, is not anywhere near as tall as my handmade one. I've also noticed a difference in the results received from Witchmade™ candles, and store bought candles. You add more magick to them when you make them yourself. Now, this isn't to say that store bought candles won't work, because they absolutely do. I fix mine with oils and herbs, whether Witchmade™ or store bought, and do deep prayers and cast a lot of energy into them. 
So, what kinds of candle magick do you do? Have any of the saints helped you out? I know that St. Jude has been an amazing help around this house!

Back on Monday

I will be back on Monday. Recently I've been looking for a job so I can pay for my various hobbies and Witchy makings. I took the week off to continue my job hunt more intensely, and will return with our regularly scheduled posts on Monday. 

Herbal Tuesday: Belladonna

Belladonna, also known as deadly nightshade, is not an herb that we normally use today. It is a very poisonous herb. All parts of the plant are highly poisonous and it has been known to kill small animals and children if ingested. I wanted to talk about Belladonna today, because it is a traditional plant used in witchcraft. Historically, it was used to dilate eyes, and many women used it to dilate their eyes at home, believing it made them look more beautiful. It was also used in sleeping remedies, because it does have a sedative effect. Magickally it was used in flying ointments.
There are other herbs that can be substituted in a modern flying ointment, so Belladonna is not used magickally. Do not burn, smoke, ingest, or even apply Belladonna to your body. It has a cumulative effect, similar to arsenic, so you might not be affected by using a small amount, but it WILL build up over time, and poison you. Just like arsenic, once it has entered your body, it never goes away. 
Belladonna is an absolutely beautiful plant, and if you decide to grow it for it's beauty alone, know that you will have to be on guard to keep animals and small children away from it. Belladonna produces beautiful flowers, and enticing looking berries, but none of these should be handled by children. 

Monday Meditation on Tuesday: New Beginnings

Continuing with my theme from Friday, I want to use our Monday Meditation to share a meditation designed to help you intentionally create a new beginning. Shamans believe that we create our reality with our own thoughts, and speaking from experience, I've found this to be true. So, this meditation was written to help you write a new reality. Let's begin.