Found On Digital Smoke Signals’ Facebook Page

“Crow is the messenger of the middle world. Crow belongs to Old Woman as the trickster witch-hag lost in the ancient woods. Crows are creatures of the daytime and scavengers eating the leftovers of hunters and warriors. Crows are not of death and darkness (though they follow it closely for scraps), but are tricksters, humour, curiosity, family, and fellowship. Crows are reflections and shadows of we humans. They are territorial guardians and watchers for the other creatures of the earth warning of dangers, predators, bad weather, outsiders, bad luck, and misfortunes. This is where their bad reputation comes from, but they’re just trying to help. Crow is the messenger of the creatures and spirits of the middle world; of the animals, plants, wights, and elemental forces all around us every day.”

— Sarah Anne Lawless

WITCHES NEED A SECRET SYMBOL FOR SAFE PLACES

So a lot of us are out of the broom closet so to speak, but many of have to be careful of being public because of the views of the communities we live in. What I propose is a symbol we can put on flyers or in shop windows that means “You’re safe here.”

I don’t believe that a pentagram would work because it’s got so much stigma attached and it’s really easily identifiable. Ideally, we can find something that is not tradition specific. I don’t know. I just want us to be able to put feelers out into the community without painting a target on ourselves for intolerant jerk faces, and I want witchlings that are seeking guidance to be able to do so in a safe environment. I mean, how badass would it be to find a little symbol of solidarity in your favorite coffee shop or bookstore??

Reblog with suggestions!

Dear Diary,

Of all the coffee shops in all of New York City he had to walk into mine. It has been 8 years since I've seen him. 8 years and then he just strolls into my café with his beautiful eyes, strong jaw and charisma. And just like the last time he walked into my life I was just as taken and mesmerized by him. That was why I sent divorce papers and refused to see him after I left him. Then fate brings him right back into my life. Even if only for a moment. Now I need to read my cards and see what they have to say about all this. Consult the Goddess and see whh she would bring him back into my life.

Em

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It had been 8 years since she had seen that face, nothing had changed. Maybe there were a few a few wrinkles around his piercing deep brown eyes. Other than that, Logan seemed untouched by the hands of time. Ember peeked out at him from the kitchen of her café. He had only just walked in, she had known it was him by the sound of his voice. She herself had been baking in the back when he approached the counter to order. Not daring to show herself to him as he stood at the counter, she quickly messaged Piper at the counter that his food was on the house.

Now there she stood hair a mess, staring at the man she had fallen so deeply in love with ages ago. It felt like a lifetime had passed and yet as she stood there it felt as if she'd never left their apartment in LA. Straightening her hair a bit she tossed the apron she had been wearing to Piper. Making her way to the little nook he was tucked in. He was already on his third refill as she brought him a fourth and one for herself. Sitting it down on the table in front of him before she slipped into the across. Opening her mouth to speak she couldn't form the words, he was even more handsome than she remembered. Taking a sip of her coffee she waited for her courage to kick in.

Learn to love yourself!!

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

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."

Reblog if you need this energy

As an agnostic modern witch, sometimes very old holiday traditions are hard to follow. I don’t have a patron deity or anything but I do still celebrate Christmas. So I put together a modern 12 day holiday guide so I can still celebrate the 12 days of Yule without having to try to cram everything in around my and my family’s work schedule. Now there are tons of ways to celebrate and tons of different traditions out there, so you can adapt this guide however you want.

OVER HER

Five years ago....

Without even thinking the phone was out of his hands and smashing against the wall.  Axel hated the effect his ex-wife still had on him, almost 10 years after their divorce. He had tried to be there even after everything she put him through, all the pain, all the grief. It didn't matter because he knew she was grieving more than he was, her pain was far worse than his. The person she was in love with had actually died, while it only felt like the woman he was in love with was dead. He guessed in a way she was dead. 

The words the day she had left still rang in his head over and over, he knew the reason he couldn't really ever let himself love anyone was because of Gianna. She was still the one in his heart, his gypsy rose for his whole life. Yet she never loved him the way he loved her, he knew that but he couldn't let her go no matter how hard he had tried. This is why she still got under her skin so badly, oh how he hated and loved her at the same damn time.  

Surely he had to know by now, 10 years after their divorce, after all the abuse at her hands that the woman hated him. Gia had played with his love for her at first, once his murder trial proved he was innocent. She used his good heart to get what she could out of him. Of course, he took care of her, he still did to this day. He let her manipulate him to get what she wanted, he paid for her hospital bills. He even paid for the lavish funeral for her lover that was murdered the night she was shot. 

He headed down to his workshop, taking their old wedding bands with him. He got his smelter ready to melt down the precious metals. He knew that as long as he held on to these he would hold onto Gia and what he thought they had. He worked to pull the diamonds from the metal of the rings. Placing them into a safe place he dropped all three rings into the smelter, watching as they began to dissolve into a puddle of white liquid. He had loved her for a very long time, but it was time to let it all go... time to let her go. 

Putting things under your pillow

By putting certain things underneath your pillow, you will allow those metaphysical properties to interact with your dreams, and your person all throughout the night, when you sleep upon that pillow. Here is a small list of constructs you can put underneath your pillow, that will provide to you certain energies, minds states, and physical stimulus throughout the night based on what they are:

Lapis lazuli under your pillow for awareness of your dreams, and vividness of those dreams.

Clear quartz under your pillow to wake up with more energy, after you awake from your sleep.

Bayleaf under your pillow in order to have more prophetic dreams.

Chamomile under your pillow in order to promote relaxation, and good  dreams.

Rose petals under your pillow in order to bring love into your waking life.

Peppermint under your pillow in order to promote relaxation, and vivid dreams.

Lavender under your pillow in order to promote calm, and in order for you to sleep well.

Anise under your pillow in order to prevent nightmares.

Rosemary under your pillow in order to prevent nightmares, and to bring deep sleep.

Garlic under your pillow in order to promote sleep well.

You can put a blade of grass, or a leaf underneath your pillow to promote growth, and change in your waking life.

Money under your pillow for wealth, and prosperity in your waking life.

You can put a picture of someone underneath your pillow in order to connect with them better.

You can put the name of someone underneath your pillow in order to connect with them better.

You can put all manner of sigil underneath your pillow in order to get the effect of that Sigil into your dreams, and waking life.