Vassar College Girls Practicing Greek Dance C. 1923

Self Care and Support Bath

Ingredients

* Mineral Salts

* Rose based bath bombs (I use the Rhiannon bomb from Magick and Macabre as I needed her with me majorly, but for non devotees, anything with Rose, Bergamot, and Jasmine works.)

* A citrus scented bubbler (I use the lemon bubble bar from Lush)

* A pint of chilled milk (I went for 1% - I suggest using liquid milk rather than powdered milk for this one)

* Your preferred blessed oils (I used Filthy Sheets and Love Clarity, as I’m in serious need of some emotional organization and an attraction boost for tomorrow)

* Citrine

* Mandarin Orange

* An herbal scented candle (I used a gift from a dear family friend that is Sage and Driftwood scented)

Instructions

* Draw a bath at the hottest temperature your tub is capable of - hotter than you would want to rest in. It will cool down as it steeps.

* When the water is about two inches deep, put in the Mineral Salts. Let dissolve fully.

* Once the salts are dissolved, and the water is about four inches deep, add the the chilled milk. Let the clouds fully incorporate

* Once blended, add the rose bath bomb - I went with two, for a stronger color/scent/really calling Rhiannon to me, but one is fine

* Put your citrus bubbler under the tap - keep there until approximately half of the bath is sufficiently covered, but this isn’t a bath for mountains of bubbles.

* Put approximately 8 drops of your chosen oils in - put them in at the opposite end of your tub from the tap

* Peel and halve the mandarin orange, and place it in front of the citrine on the edge of the bath

* Place the candle on the opposite edge from the citrine, and light it.

* Place your palms on the top of the water. Feel how hot it is, and absorb that warmth into your palms (take care not to scald yourself!)

* Once your tub is 80% filled, turn the tap to ice cold water. Let it run until you hit 100%, climb in, and focus on letting go of stress and fear, and letting comfort, focus, and motivation fill you

* You can do this. I believe in you. Exhale and let the lighter florals and citrus scents wash over you while the depth of the herbal soothes you. Life is tough. But you’re tougher. Embrace this moment of gentleness.

Monsters

"Good for you, you fooled everybody

Good for you, you fooled everyone

Good for you, now you're somebody

Good for you, you fooled everyone."

"Leave your weapon on the table

Wrapped in burlap, barely able

Don't get angry, don't discourage

Take a shot of liquid courage."

Standing in front of the mirror of his bathroom as he stared into the eyes of a man whom at one time he didn't recognize. Axel had his own demons, ones that he didn't share with anyone. He didn't let anyone close to him know about the demons that had plagued him. He had fallen into them after his divorce to his Gia, they were an escape, he needed to feel good. It started with just a bump here and there, until he was snorting a line every night or more.  He hated how empty her leaving had made him feel, how low he had sunk. It hadn't even been that long ago that he fought those demons. 

"'Cause my monsters are real, and they're trained how to kill

And there's no comin' back and they just laugh at how I feel

And these monsters can fly, and they'll never say die

And there's no goin' back, if I get trapped I'll never heal

Yeah, my monsters are real."

He splashed water on his face, some days were harder than others. He knew as well as anyone that he hadn't stopped at the coke. It wasn't long before he was chasing the dragon. That's when he really started to lose control of everything, but then at that point what did he have to live for. His medical career? That was a joke, he couldn't get into a residency program now that he had been arrested for murder. It didn't matter that he was innocent, no one in the city wanted to touch him, he was tainted. What did he have to live for? Would anyone even miss him if he just gave up?

"Good for you, you hurt everybody

Good for you, you hurt everyone

Good for you, you love nobody

Good for you, you owe no one."

"Leave your weapon on the table

Wrapped in burlap, barely able

Call a doctor, say a prayer

Choose a god you think is fair."

What had changed? What made him seek help? That one shot of Narco. That's what did it for him, he how long had been gone? He even didn't know who had found him. He just knew he woke up in the hospital. No one was there, his mother wasn't there, the girl he had been seeing. No one. He was alone. When the doctors came in and told him he was lucky to be there. Lucky to still be alive. He knew it was time to get his sh*t together. 

"'Cause my monsters are real, and they're trained how to kill

And there's no comin' back and they just laugh at how I feel

And these monsters can fly, and they'll never say die

And there's no goin' back, if I get trapped I'll never heal

'Cause my monsters are real."

He told his mother that he was taking a vacation, he needed some time away from the city. Otherwise, he'd never heal from Gia. He didn't want her to worry. She had her hands full with the shelter, she didn't need to worry about her drug-addicted son. He left that next morning, he sold the house he was living in while he was gone. Told the realtor to have everything inside sold, what he couldn't sell give it away. He didn't want to return to the same house. 

"Leave your weapon on the table

Wrapped in burlap, barely able

Don't get angry, don't discourage

Take a shot of liquid courage

Leave a light on if you're able

'Cause we both know you're unstable

Call a doctor, say a prayer

Choose a god you think is fair."

He brought his thoughts back to his own reflection in the mirror, he sometimes still didn't recognize himself. Was he even the same person? He wondered that every day. The one thing he did know that Nik made him a better man. She made him want to be a better man. He knew that at some point he had to tell her about this part of himself. He just hoped that she still loved him when she knew everything about him. His past and his present, hopefully, she would still want a future with him. 

"'Cause my monsters are real, and they're trained how to kill

And there's no comin' back and they just laugh at how I feel

And these monsters can fly, and they'll never say die

And there's no goin' back, if I get trapped I'll never heal

Yeah, my monsters are real."

by Olivia Au

besitos para todos💓 vendo fotitos y videollamdas x wsp +56979313224 y ahora hago encuentros 😈😋

Every Year I Miss You A Little More

There was a text from his mother inviting him to come to have dinner with her Thanksgiving again this year. He sat back as he pondered the thought of spending another holiday with family. Thinking back on the last holiday he actually enjoyed was the last Thanksgiving that his twin was still alive. If he knew then that it would have been her last one he never would have gone partying with friends the night before. He would have spent the whole night sitting up talking to her about her twins, listening to her talk about whatever she wanted to. The hum of the fan droned on in the background as Draven laid on the bed in his room at his mother's house in Brooklyn, where the family was gathered for the holiday. He was loathed to be there for another one of them, but hopefully with the birth of the new babies thanks to his twin. Maybe Raven wouldn't be focused on her son and what he was doing with his life this year. Kaleigh was married with babies, which should have made her over the moon. Nothing really ever made Raven Wolfe over the moon, she seemed to be miserable all the time the past few years. He could smell food wafting up from the kitchen, his mother had been up since before dawn preparing a feast. Draven would never understand why she cooked so much food when there were so few of them. With the grace of a panther, he was off the bed and at the door of the bedroom. His favorite cat perched on his shoulder, Hera. Hades, his faithful familiar ever by his side as he made his way down the backstairs of the brownstone that lead directly into the kitchen. Letting Hades out the back door he set Hera down on the floor before resting his head on his mother's shoulder. "Something smells delicious Ma! When do we eat! I'm starving!" "Ha! You know we don't eat until three." Raven said as she kept kneading the dough for her rolls. She never even looked up at the tall thin young male standing over her. "I laid some snacks out on the table. I knew you'd be hungry when you finally made your appearance. What time did you come in last night anyway Draven?" The petite brunette asked as she finally looked up at her son as he walked over to the table where the snacks were that she mentioned. Shrugging his shoulders as he picked over the plate of fruit and veggies. "Really Ma? Where's the real food? The stuffing and the bird? Can't we ever eat sooner? I have sh*t I wanna do today." "DRAVEN! LANGUAGE!" His mother snapped as his twin walked into the kitchen carrying a basket filled with various sizes of candles. "You will not use that type of language here young man I don't care how old you are!" Raven almost shrieked at her son. "Ma! He only said sh*t, you are acting like he said F*** or something." Kaleigh said in her twin brother's defense, something about her defending him sent their mother into a tizzy. "Kaleigh! What have I told the two of you about using such vulgar language in my home? There are children in this house...." "Ma! They are infants jeez calm the f*** down." Draven said as he winked at his sister, shoving a grape in his mouth. "You're gonna have a heart attack." Taking a seat at the kitchen table he couldn't help but chuckle at the way he and his twin got under their mother's skin. They say that the pain of losing someone is supposed to get easier with time. Those people lie, every year seems to get harder for him to face the family on the holidays as he sinks into his own abyss. He still blames himself for not being there for her when she needed him the most. She was his other half, even though he knows there wasn't anything he could have done. He always feels like maybe, just maybe he could have done more. If he hadn't been wallowing in his own sh*t, maybe he would have seen that she needed him. Picking up his phone as he texts his mother back. "Nah Ma, I'm skipping the holidays this year. Love you."

Witchcraft uses a lot of words you might not have heard before; here’s a breakdown of some of the most common!

Basics

Intent: The goal or desire; the will for something to come into being.

Visualisation: A technique used in magical workings in which the witch pictures the desired effect within their mind’s eye.

Manifestation: The process of a desired intent being brought into reality.

Charging: The act of filling an object with energy.

Cleansing: A magical working with the intent of removing all lingering energies from an object, place or person, be those energies negative or positive.

Grounding: A magical technique in which the individual removes excess unwanted energy (often by ‘pushing’ it into the ground while sitting down) and aligns themselves with the energy of the earth.

Banishing: A magical working with the intent of sending something away, removing an individual from your life or cutting out negative acts and behaviours.

Warding: A magical working in which the individual creates ‘Wards’. Wards are barriers of energy which deny any unwanted entity entrance to the place warded. Wards can also be placed upon oneself to prevent a magical attack.

Deity: A supreme being. Often represented by Gods and Goddesses though not limited to these terms.

Tools, Objects & Symbology

Grimoire:  A personal magical inventory of beliefs, spells, ingredients and anything else deemed essential to a witches path. 

Altar: A sacred space in which to enact magical workings, meditation and worship.

Wand: A pointed object used to direct energy.

Priapic Wand: A phallus-shaped wand.

Athame: A knife used in ritual to cut out a sacred space and to direct energy. Typically you will never use this to cut solid objects.

Book Of Shadows: A personal magical inventory of beliefs, spells, ingredients and anything else deemed essential to a Wiccan’s path.

Boline: A knife, often but not always a sickle, used for the cutting of ingredients, inscribing of candles and carving of wood.

Besom: A broomstick used to cleanse an area.

Cauldron: A metal pot used for spellwork. (Boiling, mixing, stirring).

Chalice: A goblet, cup or class containing ritual drink. Typically containing offerings.

Dark Mirror: A black piece of glass or reflective material used for scrying.

Pentagram: A five-pointed star widely used amongst many Pagan religions.

Pentacle: A pentagram with a circle around it, typically worn as a necklace for protection.

Inversed Pentagram: A symbol relating to Satanic practises and beliefs.

Septagram: A seven-sided star, usually used in reference to workings with the Fae.

Triquetra: An ancient Celtic symbol which has lost its initial meanings which is today adopted by Pagans of varying paths to mean different things. In Christianity referred to as the trinity knot and believed to represent the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. A secular way of viewing this is that it represents life, death and rebirth. In Wicca believed to represent the triple Goddess. 

Amulet: An object that has innate magical properties used as a necklace.

Charm: An object that has been given magical properties.

Talisman: An object that has been created with the intention of having a specific magical property

Hag Stone: A stone with a hole worn naturally worn through it in which the other side is visible. Thought to be used to see the ‘unseen’ and often the Fae.

Poppet: An object designed to take on the likeness of an individual upon which spells are used. A taglock is used to bind the person to the poppet.

Taglock: The personal effect of an individual that can be used in spellwork as a link to that target. 

Festivities, Holidays & Events

Wheel Of The Year: A name used to refer to the cycle of the eight holidays observed in Wicca; synonymously used to describe the turn of the seasons.

Solstice: Two points in the year in which the sun reaches its highest or lowest point in the sky. The longest and shortest days of the year.

Esbat: A meeting upon the full moon.

Sabbat: Used to refer to any of the eight holidays observed by Wiccans and others.

Skyclad: To be naked. Believed to promote a greater connection to nature during ritual and worship. 

Equinox: The time in which day and night are of equal length as the sun crosses the celestial equator.

Coven: A meeting of witches with the intent to perform magic or worship as a group.

Circle: A temporary space marked out by a magical practitioner that is capable of containing, enhancing and binding magical energy.

Further Reading  

Mage: Another term for a magical practitioner.

Aether: The fifth element after Earth, Air, Fire and Water meaning Spirit, Energy, Life Essense & Soul.

Abjuration: Practices of magic relating to the protection of oneself through the suppression of spells cast by other magic practitioners.

Conjuration: Practices of magic relating to bringing desired effects into reality.

Divination: Practices of magic relating to gathering further insight on desired topics, including knowledge of the past and the future. 

Enchantment: Practices of magic relating to enacting influence over the minds and decisions of others.

Evocation: Practices of magic relating to working with raw, sometimes uncontrollable forces of power.

Animism: The belief that all things are alive or have a soul.

Glamour: Practices of magic pertaining to achieving desired intent via altering, enhancing or changing one’s appearance.

Blasting: A magical working with the intent of causing infertility and ill health, in both people and crops.

Sigil: A magical symbol created by the individual, usually constructed by breaking down a word or sentence and using the letters.

Seal: A magical symbol. Often used to finalise a working.

Elemental (Noun): A force, being, entity or representation of an element given form and sometimes rudimentary conscious thought, though not in a way thought to be understood correctly by humankind. 

Elemental (Adjective): Pertaining to any workings regarding the elements

Witchcraft Types

Secular: The practice of witchcraft at its core. Devoid of any influence from religion or spirituality.

Atheistic: The practice of witchcraft from an Athiest perspective.

Elemental: The practice of witchcraft in which the individual utilises the power of the Elements as their primary source of energy and spell structure. E.g Water Witch, Fire Witch, etc.

Wiccan: Belonging to Wicca, a relatively new nature-based religion born in the 1940′s/50′s in which Witchcraft is expressed as the main form of worship for the God and Goddess.

Traditional: Witchcraft that predates the rebirth in popularity of Witchcraft during the 20th Century.

Hedge: A solitary practitioner who utilises herbs in their practice. Once used exclusively for witches who follow the practice of ‘Hedge Riding’ this term has opened out to encompass those following the archetype of the ‘village witch’ providing salves and potions. 

Stregheria: A form of Italian witchcraft, often centred around the worship of Leyland’s version of Aradia and Diana (though the term can also be used for other forms of Italian witchcraft).

Christian: The practice of witchcraft from a Christian perspective. 

Witchling / Baby Witch: Terms used to describe new practitioners.

Cuddle up in the rain mood board

Wish Ornament

Wish ornaments are the perfect way to get festive and enter the new year! Or just to have to give your wishes an extra kick! They turned out beautiful and their energy alone fills the area around them. Hopefully, you’ll give it a go!

SUPPLIES:

Clear plastic ornament 

Ribbon/String

Colored candle of your choosing

Herbs of your choice

Devil’s Shoe String (optional)

Before starting, it’s a good idea to cleanse the materials you will be working with and prepping your space. I do a simple sage cleansing not only for my materials, but for myself as well so I may go in with a renewed and energized mindset! 

Whichever herbs you decide to put into your ornament largely depends on your intention. My wish for this new year was for focus on school, money in my new job, and personal peace and confidence. So, I used the following herbs: 

Patchouly - Money

Basil - Money

Lemon Balm - Success

Rosemary - Confidence

Lavender - Peace

Bourrage - Courage

Peppermint - Clarity, focus

3 Rose Petals - Love

Star Anise - Luck

All of these herbs were enchanted/charged with my intent. This process is personal and varies by practice, however, whenever you feel ready take the top of the ornament and them in!  Before recapping mine, I charged and snapped a Devil’s Shoe String in half to enhance the power of my intent. 

Once your herbs are nicely sealed, seal it with a wax color of your choice, finalizing your intent as you watch the flame. You can coordinate a color with your wish, or aesthetic! 

Then tie your string through the loop of the ornament and display wherever you would like (:

Happy Wishing!