Featured Favorites Friday: Elements and the Divine

First, welcome to my visitors from PrettMuchDana!   I'm very excited to be sponsoring another giveaway here with two prizes.  Readers, please swing over and check it out!

I'm not only a practical witch, I'm a stuff witch and an Elemental witch.  I love beautiful and interesting items to use in my spell work and to decorate my altar and to honor the divine and the elements.

Runic Altar Honorings

These Runic Altar Honorings from Marc Victor at RunesRock are a beautiful, portable and really powerfully practical way to honor the divine and the elements.  I love the personality of them as well as the power involved in handcrafting.

More information can also be found at:
www.runesrock.com

Universal Goddess Shrine Handmade Ceramic Pottery

 Diane De Maun at DeBaunFineCeramics has some of the most stunning divinely inspired ceramics I have ever seen, including this Universal Goddess Shrine.  Her use of color, stamping and respect for the symbolism of many world religions has really drawn me to her products.

You can also find her here:
www.debaunfineceramics.com
http://www.aromatherapyart.com
http://www.etsy.com/shop/debaunceramicbargain

Elemental Pentacle

Coop & Katrina from SignsOfSpirit never fail to make my day working at the Maryland Renaissance Festival just a little brighter.  I have been thankfully able to take a few of their pieces home and I have always enjoyed giving some as gifts.  This Elemental Pentacle is one of favorites and it incorporated the talents of both artisans in the carving, wood burning and painting of such a fantastic piece.  The store has a bit of everything all made with love, respect and care.

Sunday Intentional: Practical Witch?!

One of the terms I introduced in a post (ages ago) is 'practical witch'; not a term one typically bandies about so let me enlighten you and give some background information at the same time.

I'm a solitary eclectic, that much bemoaned classification that makes practitioners of 'traditional witch craft' scoff and/or roll their eyes; a topic I have just decided to save for an upcoming post.  Creating my own faith and praxis means that I have more freedom to improvise in this modern world as I spell and ritual craft.

Example #1: Candle Magick

Money Drawing Spell Candle

So how many spells contain some version of the phrase "Using your athame/a pin carve xxxxxx onto the candle to imprint your intent"?  Well, let me tell you a secret, I don't like getting my athame all waxy and/or I don't have it on me and/or it's a letter opener that couldn't carve into a candle if you tried.  The point of the spell is to take an instrument of your will and set your intention on the candle so why not use a sharpie?  A sharpie can be an instrument of my will, it's even very permanent.  I can be more precise with it; they even come in colors, allowing me to add one more layer of correspondence to any given spell.

 I have watched this suggestion make witches literally twitch but I don't see why.  I am a witch of the 21st century with amazing technology of markers at my fingertips!  My Will will be permanent and pretty!

Example #2: Ritual Tool Storage

Many witches have a special box or shelf in/on which they keep their magical tools, spell components, altar decorations ect.  I also have a special box... a big, portable, many-layered yellow and black tool box.

I like to call it my 'portable altar'.  I have gotten many a skeptical look when I pull it out of my car, but those looks change to looks of grudging admiration when I can set up at least four different altars at the same time, all with materials that I safely transport wherever I want.  Forgot your chalice at home?  I gotcha covered.  Need a different color candle?  Votive, tea-light or chime?  Offering plate broke?  How many do you need?  I LOVE my toolbox!


Example #3: BOS in the Computer Age

Classic Seal of Rassilon Decal

Seriously.... see this previous post.  I want a ridiculously practical and modern Book of Shadows.  I want folders and spreadsheets and cross referenced tables and I don't want to have to hand-write it.  Again, we live in a time of fantastic technology and I do not see the issue with integrating this technology into my magical practice.

Does it really make one's knowledge more 'real' by writing it by hand?  Is the act of typing really less powerful than writing?  I don't believe so nor have I experienced a 'lessening' of power.  How about you?

Featured Favorites Friday: Through the looking glass

Shall we saunter down the rabbit hole?  Many people in my life have a great affinity to the stories of Wonderland... and they inspire such beautiful art!

Alice in Wonderland (Which Way) -print

Joyleen from Unseelienchantments is (in my eyes) extremely talented.  Her work is full of vivid colors and unexpected contrasts.  Each piece evokes an emotion and a sense of place and personality.  Which Way draws you in and reminds of the difficult, strange and yet wondrous land Alice is faced with.  I love it when a picture can tell a story; and the Cat is awesome!

Some of my other favorites include Sleeping Beauty (Love Never Dies), Moon Fire, and Spirit of the Woods.  Her fantasy polymer clay work is also outstanding; take a look at her Lunar Water Bottle and Wand of the Forest Nymph.

Swing by and check out all the other fantastic stories told in color:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Unseelienchantments
http://www.facebook.com/Unseelienchantments
http://twitter.com/Wickedfey
http://www.myspace.com/unseelienchantments

White Rabbit Bobby Pins - I'M Late

Paula at AlteredEras is one my my favorite jewelry designers and has these fantastic silver plated White Rabbit bobby pins.  I love how she sources beautiful materials and then so carefully crafts them together into beautiful accessories to brighten anyone's day.  Most of her pieces are inspired by literary works, films and beautiful places.  She's also a proud promoter of sellers from the United Kingdom on Etsy.com. 

Her beautiful charm bracelets are always loaded with beautiful and unique pieces.  My newest favorite is her Punk'd out Butterflies that make for stunning statement necklaces.

Please swing by and see what's beautiful as times change.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/AlteredEras
https://www.facebook.com/AlteredEras

Eat Me and Drink Me Vintage Luxury Wonderland Gift Tag

CraftyPagan Designs are also from the UK and have an extensive offering of luxury and custom hand-made tags and stationary.  This husband and wife team make classy and elegant paper goods that also have the perfect touch of whimsical charm with over a hundred ribbon colors to choose from.

But please don't think that tags and invitations are all they offer, I love their altered notebooks and fun favor bags too.  Please stop by and see their wide array of beautiful products and gifts.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/craftypagan
http://www.facebook.com/CraftypaganDesigns
http://www.craftypagan.blogspot.com
http://www.twitter.com/craftypagan

Flamingo Croquet Gothic Fantasy Print

 Misty at gossamerfaery has truly enchanted my inner goth kid with her rendition of the flamingo croquet game and for me it's all about the detailsm, like Alice's pocket-watch hair clip, the A on her dress and the (adorable) hedgehog.  Such a fun piece... but I think I fell in love with her artwork for the eyes.

Take a look through her body of work and you will see many "Morbidly Adorable Creations" that will steal your heart away.  My other favorites are her Iguana and all of her Wizard of Oz series.  Creepy yet adorable, I love it!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/gossamerfaery








Have I mentioned I love etsy :)

Sunday Intentional: I actually am a Pagan Community Organizer

A point of clarification (07-14-2011): I was very politely contacted by someone in the pagan community asking for just some clarification about the 'witch-wars' I made a reference to.  I can 100% understand how the language used below could be understood as me pointing fingers at the OHF for the 'witch-wars' which was in NO WAY my intent.  The language of the post comes out of my frustration when trying to reach out and getting met with various forms of the cold-shoulder or even more maddeningly partial pieces of a story that happened when I was still in middle-school.  I do not think any one person or organization is in anyway to 'blame' for my frustrations.  I'm SO sorry if my post came across as accusatory, that was not the intention.

Featured Favorites Friday: Venture to the Deep with me

So for those of you who don't know, my Bachelors Degree is in Marine Science.  I love the ocean.  I've added a couple of treasuries.

'Venture into the Deep' by ReadingsByKat

Come with me!

Moby Dick / White Sperm... RedeyeDesign $299.00	WHALE TAIL METAL STEEL ... steelknightdes... $145.00	Magestic jamieep $95.00	Ascension. octopus brid... schin $18.00
MacBook ipad decal viny... HollyvisionArt $10.00	seaweed.paisley LittleHenri $12.50	Colossal Squid blue ten... crabbychris $38.00	The "Blue Leopard&... Elstwhen $75.00
Blue-ringed Octopus FamiliarOddlin... $250.00	Ocean Breeze. sea kelp.... CloverHollow $6.00	Flecks of Abalone Clam ... secretsofthese... $25.00	A Tangle of Kelp II highnoonart $120.00
Seaweed N Shells KwestStudio8 $18.00	Red Kelp Craft Kit artbeco $30.00	Red Sea Plant, Handmade... retropage $10.00	Kimberly Affleck Lampwo... kimberlyafflec... $160.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio. 

'Magick of the Sea' by ReadingsByKat

There is magick here.

MAGIC- 5x7 Beach Wish S... myBeachWishes $28.00	Miniature Seaside Fairy... SpiritedWoodla... $48.00	Ocean Fertile - Spirit ... LunarAdornment... $250.00	Atlantean Sigil Bindi Akeishaf $15.00
Sea Mariner Calypso Saf... talogwitch $29.00	Captive Mermaid - Art D... TheSilverBranc... $120.00	Mermaid Mug - The Sea a... BigSkyArtworks $25.00	Ocean spirit shaman wan... DreamweaverSpi... $65.00
Beach Sunset Watercolor... JasonLCarr $35.00	OOAK Mermaid's Trea... dalaimomma $35.00	Tiamat sapphire blue pu... theothermagdal... $46.10	Blessed Sand From Viequ... ConjuredCardea $3.33
Green Water Sprite Mini... saralynnart $9.00	OOAK Polymer Clay Drago... myPhoenixCreat... $15.00	Mystic ocean deep cotto... silknparachute $5.00	Mermaid in Abalone Shel... WonderwulAnnet... $37.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.