Freezer Spell

Freezer Spell on Altar In my Facebook feed the other day, I noticed one of my friends had posted a request from Laurie Cabot in Salem to participate in a freezer spell to neutralize Trump and Pence from doing harm to people, animals, and Mother Earth (the text was longer of course). She asked us to do our part before the full moon. So I copied down the information, read it out in my spellwork, folded the paper and sealed it in a little ziplock bag. I let it simmer a bit, and then put it in the freezer as requested. It will remain there until they are not in a position to cause harm, or should I need to dispose of it for some other reason.

You may have guessed by the furry kitty that this is my Bast shrine, which I use as my working altar for now. I don’t have a separate one due to space limitations.

This is just a small part of the actions I feel need to be taken to fight the bigotry and hatred going around so openly now. I have genuine fears about my wife wanting me to move to the U.S., and I feel that I have a lot of introspection, research, and careful approaching to do before I make a final decision. Honestly, the healthcare alone is a huge reason not to, even without Trump involved. So I’ll be doing a lot of deep work on this. My change of work status will make things more difficult to sponsor her to come here now, so just flipping the arrangements won’t be so easy. Ponder, ponder, ponder…

Update: Further to the freezer spell, I wanted to do a poppet spell too, to bind Trump and Pence from harming anyone. I wanted to do a page in my journal/spellbook I’ve been working on, so I made paper dolls of them and wrapped them with embroidery floss glued in place front and back. On the back of each I wrote his name, and “I bind you from harming anyone, any animal, and our Mother Earth.” I’ll include a photo of my page later. It has a cartoonish flag with commentary about the freezer spell on the back, so you can flip it up to see. There’s a paper band across the lower part of the page to tuck the poppets behind and keep them in place.

I’m including a copy of my dolls (Trump was already bound when my wife suggested this, and I’m not undoing him for the scan) so that anyone who wishes can print them out and use them too. The third doll is a template for making more if you wish. They should be about 4″ tall. For the template, cut around the outside of the black line, it was added so the doll would show up when scanned.

More Pages Completed

Last Quarter Tarot 2016 I finally got my tarot waterfall page done. I copied out my cards that I’d drawn for present at the time of the reading, October, November, and December of 2016 with information on front and back. When you flip each card up, the info on the back reads right side up, because I’m clever like that. LOL Anyhow, I was really pleased with the actual reading and wanted to preserve it. I’m thinking this is something I’ll keep doing. Maybe one day I’ll even print out wee card images to paste on as well. As you can see, I’m a fan of the black lace washi tape even though it doesn’t stick very well sometimes. It really goes with the autumn orange. 😀

And since I had an empty cosmos page, I also did a New Moon in Scorpio for October 30th. Again, it’s information I’ve copied out as it pertains to me and my life. I like the look of my lunar pages.

In fact, I like them so much that I’m making a pages and ephemera pack to sell as a digital product on Etsy. It will have blank pages with the cosmos border, moons, journaling cards, and whatever other bits and bobs tickle my fancy, like tags and such. Watch for info! I’ll for sure have something ready for Cyber Monday.

Shoestring Witch

We’ve all been there: flat broke but wanting or needing to make a little magic and the cupboards are like Mother Hubbard’s. Bare. The truth is, you don’t need anything at all to make magic. The energy is in you, and you can turn it to any purpose. This may take more experience than you have, but start now and one day you’ll see it works more and more easily for you! But what if you just need a little help? Turn to the natural world first. This is where we should find our first inspiration: the bare elements at our fingertips, fallen branches to make wands, plants all around (hopefully), rocks and found objects, the sun and the moon. We have holey stones (hag stones), a curly willow wand, rocks from special places, acorns, and other special goodies found by chance.

If you’ve got nothing special for the current celestial event, use what nature provides. At the solstices you can charge things under the sun; at full moons, charge items under the moon. Any tools you do have can be exposed to its appropriate element to be charged. Make a special point of blessing your food and drink. Bless your tools. Bless your pets. Bless yourself. Meditate with the items you find on a walk and learn what you can from nature’s bounty.

Got a pen? I bet you do… So write things down and then burn them, soak the ink away in water, or stash them in your journal or in your pillowcase. If you’re dealing with self-love or healing issues, try writing words or sigils on your skin and then bathing the ink away. You can try different colours of inks to match the intentions. Crayola washable markers would be perfect, if you have them.

Broke but not that broke?

Find your herbs and spices at The Bulk Barn or your regular food store. You may be surprised at what you can find in stock. I got frankincense and myrrh resins at a bulk food place!
Dollar stores are a bounty for candles. Tealights will do for most purposes, and you can sprinkle a few herbs on for good measure. White emergency candles are just fine standard candles. If you need a pop of colour but can’t get your rainbow on, grab some packs of birthday candles. They don’t take long to burn, and you can find most colours you might need. I stand mine up in a puddle of salt. Seasonally you may find tapers in various colours. To make them last, I often cut them in half with a hot knife to double my value and cut down the time to have a spell burn out on its own.
I found a beautiful glass lotus tealight holder there, and use it on my altar for daily devotions. Candle holders also abound for great prices.
Dollar stores have incense, and some of it is really nice! Incense holders, too.
Dollar stores also have tons of arts and crafts items you might use in ritual: coloured feathers, seasonal papers and napkins, notebooks to make witchy journals of all kinds (especially great if you’re at the info collection stage), small mirrors for scrying or deflecting, yarn for tying things, little statues of all sorts of things from deities to totem animals. Sometimes you’ll find kits for making dream catchers and such. Felt and sewing supplies can make poppets or mojo bags.
The health and beauty aisle may have rubbing alcohol, which is good for burning things in your cauldron (try to get 70%, not 50% which doesn’t have enough alcohol and just makes papers soggy).
Seasonal decorations can yield deer ornaments for the altar, fancy candles, themed notepads for writing lists you want to burn or stick into your journal, Halloween… I don’t need to go there, do I?
Watch for nice letter openers to make an athame.
Envelopes come in many sizes and colours. Fill one with the appropriate herbs and a note about your intent, seal it up, charge it under the sun or moon, and then burn it in your cauldron or bonfire to release the spell. Colour on a white envelope if you can’t find the colour you want.
Colouring books are great for helping you find a meditative state. Find a picture that suits your needs symbolically (it doesn’t matter if it’s a kids’ book or adult one), get out your coloured pencils and relax your way to magic.

I’ll keep adding to this list as I think of things. The point isn’t the cost of your supplies. It doesn’t even always matter what the materials are; it’s the energy you put into making your tools and your magic. For now, I’m going to leave you with a great find from my pharmacy: a Kleenex box with a standing stones theme! I was happily surprised and I paid less than a dollar. When it’s empty, I’ll use it for crafting!

Spellbook & Journal Magic

I’ve been itching to make a witchy journal of some sort, something lovely and artsy, and fun! I made the cover from a cereal box since it had a built-in hinged spine. Into the wide spine I poked a series of holes at one inch from the top and bottom, and more than one page spread is bound into each hole. I think there will be at least four per hole. This allows me to arrange things as I go. The cover isn’t decorated yet, just plain black outside. The inside has decorative paper, as you can see in the first image.

The first set of pages has a six inch wide cover page for Autumn. I’m keeping the embellishments fairly flat to avoid making the book too thick in the long run. All of the regular pages are about 5×7″ unless they have folding components and such. I used watercolour paper as the base, but this kind had a rag feel that I didn’t really like for painting in general, so I didn’t mind using it for this purpose instead. Glue tape doesn’t hold very well, so I’ve been reinforcing with tacky glue where needed. Some things got a bit wavy. On the back page of this one is a silk leaf and information about the use of Maple in magic.

On the reverse of the Autumn cover, the inside spread is about pumpkins and the pumpkin spices in magic. The “Pumpkin” word on the right is a flap that covers part of the information on the actual page. In my research I noticed that the pumpkin spices all seem to help with digestion. Maybe that’s intentional for a dessert after a big meal? 🙂 Anyhow, the space in the upper left is now filled with a title for Pumpkin Spices. As I find little embellishments that fit, I’ll stick them in.

The top page for the Blood Moon in Aries is a separate spread. I copied in some information about the energy shift of this full moon, and the affirmation I wrote to celebrate and charge my intentions. That page spread has orange decorative paper on the front, where I’m planning to put my last tarot cards pulled for the final quarter of 2016. The back has a similar space and stars frame. I haven’t decided yet what will go there. Maybe something for the next new moon. Depends what tickles my fancy next.

Anyhow, I’m thinking of making some pages and ephemera available as digital downloads on Etsy. Definitely a moon pack! I have lots of ideas, so keep an eye on my Etsy shop and widget for new goodies. 🙂

Creepy Halloween is Live

IceKat's Creepy Halloween Adult Coloring Book Woot! I finished the 13 image IceKat’s Creepy Halloween in time for October’s spooky buying season. People ordering hard copies can get them in time from Amazon to enjoy for the best of all holidays! It will replicate to the other Amazon shops over the next few days. 😀

Check out my Etsy shop to the right —> and you will see Creepy Halloween in digital printable form as well!

There are some pictures in here I just LOVE! Including the last one, a very creepy scarecrow. And the cat witch (she’s more adorable than creepy, but some people don’t like anthros). Check out my sample images below to see what’s included in this book. I encourage people to use the images for sticking into journals, BoS, notebooks, scrapbooks, etc, so go wild! Just don’t use it for copying to others or commercial purposes, thanks!

Creepy Halloween sample images

Dark Moon Spooky Stories

Black Moon Blessings In honour of the Black Moon on the eve of October, I thought I’d share a little story. Grab your cocoa, a blanket, and settle in…

I follow the writer Chuck Wendig’s blog. He’s funny, he’s opinionated, and he often posts flash fiction writing prompts. I don’t usually do those, but I save the ones I like just in case I need some jumper cables. (I haven’t so far, but you never know…) This round, he suggested telling spooky stories. Well, my spooky real life story comes from when I first started pursuing paganism. I was about 16, and I’d learned enough that I thought I had a clue. I thought I could figure just about anything out because, hey, I was in the Gifted class, and I was 16. LOL Silly witchling.

I was working for a bit at a bookstore, and I got myself a copy of The Necronomicon. Being a trusting soul, I took it at face value, and I also took it as a challenge! Compared to my various Llewellyn tomes, the rituals appeared incomplete, but I was clever enough to match up the names in the ‘con with Sumerian mythology lickety split. I found a book of Sumerian myth and diligently began plugging the holes I felt needed plugging, painstakingly copying out a new version of the rituals in my own hand. Soon enough, I was conversant in Sumerian legend and had practiced the names aloud, and I figured I was ready to go.

The basement at my parents’ house was unfinished and suitably spooky for ritual purposes. I had painted all sorts of silly spooky things on the cinder block walls (a playful, Puckish Pan sitting on a gravestone holding a vinyl record, for instance–it was the late 80s, so give me a break). I lit my candles and incense to cover the musty basement smell, and turned out the lights. I could hear the TV going on the main floor, and footsteps would easily alert me to intruders. I figured I was set.

I cast my circle just as instructed by various authors, using my scavenged tools. I called on the Guardians of the Watchtowers, which sounded pretty badass to me. I got all the way to the part where I was invoking one of the spirits of the gates. Forgive my memory, it’s been nearly 30 years now and I don’t remember the specifics anymore. I had screwed up all my courage to challenge this thing, positive that I was ready for it. Ha!

The truth is, I’m pretty skeptical. I believe that things are possible, but I don’t expect much until it actually happens. Well, it happened. I was not a drinker or smoker of anything, let me tell you that now. I was a good kid. But I felt something that night. Something that slid around me, serpent-like, immense, unfathomable, invisible. It squeezed me just hard enough that I realized I was fucked, should it decide to do anything more than that. But it didn’t. It let me go, and I was shaking so badly that I wanted to run from the big main room, go pounding up the stairs into the light and babble of the TV. I didn’t, though.

Shaking though I was, I remembered to thank and dismiss all the spirits I’d called, and I shut down my circle like I was supposed to. I gathered my things and hid them away. I walked like a normal person back upstairs, moseyed through the living room and upstairs to my own room, and tried to remind myself that it had just been a warning. A reminder not to mess with things that I didn’t truly understand.

Years later I discovered that The Necronomicon was something of a joke. I felt a little let down, but the truth is that something was there with me. I felt it. I knew it. It may not have been the intent of the author, or the experience of other n00bs trying to make a go of it, but that something had been patient enough to warn me off rather than linger to cause trouble. I’m grateful for that.

So that’s my real life spooky story. You had to be there, if you think it’s not much. Let me tell you, it’s the only warning I’ve ever needed to be cautious when melding random elements like a toddler in the kitchen. I thought I had a clue, but even 30 years later I have plenty to learn. I learn every day.

So what was it? I’m still not sure, but the feel of it reminds me now of the dragon spirits that people have said they feel around me. Could be. There are several serpentine-type spirits that I’m drawn to, so maybe they were trying to protect me from the thing that didn’t show up because I never got that far. I’ll take that. 🙂

Creepy Halloween coming up

Creepy Halloween page The Rabbit Hole I’m working on a quick Halloween colouring book and hoping to be in the process of publishing by this weekend. It will have 13 images, because… well 13, duh. It’s a mixture of various images I’ve done over the last year plus some new ones, because creepy isn’t my usual drawing style. Though my mom used to say that she thought my dragons and snake people were creepy but she could see why I liked them. Okay… Anyhow.

The image I’m sharing is a bit weird. I have a fascination with urban legends. This one comes from one about a particular bridge in Virginia (which doesn’t look like this). If you go there, a guy in a bunny mask will kill you with an ax. Here’s a link to the legend, if you’re interested. Apparently nothing untoward has really happened at the bridge in question, but the idea of a guy in a bunny costume menacing people with an ax really tickled my imagination. The image just stuck in my head, and I like old stone bridges. Killer Bunny was hence born, though I named the image The Rabbit Hole. I may have to mine more urban legends for inspiration.

Other images include demons, skull with a butterfly and rose and banner, a scarecrow, a plague doctor, and such. Some were drawn for Drawloween last year. I managed to do the whole list (by the skin of my teeth!). I’m a little busy to do it this year, but maybe I’ll just keep up the challenge by doing at least one drawing a day for colouring books. I have a fantasy one almost half done that I’m itching to publish too. I’m at this moment sitting at 8 of 13 completed. Ready, set, go!

Autumn Equinox 2016

Balance card by IceKat I admit, sabbats aren’t all that exciting on my own. Making a sabbat feast is always more fun when you have someone to feast with, and my spouse and I are still living apart right now. Le sigh. Anyhow, I have lighted my candles and incense, and there are gourds and fall leaves in my altar area. 🙂 Turkey stew–all homemade–is bubbling, and I’ve been thinking about balance and what the last quarter of my year will look like. I’ve been looking at some intense shadow work, and I think it will be a relief to let a lot of things go.

Anyhow… I’ve been shifting things around in my work area, trying to have some order and clear space so I can focus on plowing ahead on my creative projects. Some of my keywords this year have been “Income Streams” and “Unstoppable!” I need to lean into that energy again.

Oh, by the way, that card above is by me from a while ago. I am puttering at putting together some decks. Very slowly, in the background of everything else. Because I need a thousand projects to be truly happy.

So today’s celebrations included following a video put up by Shiloh Sophia for the day, and pondering the exercises she gave. I am just preparing to eat and to do a tarot spread for the time span up to Yule. Got my working candle at the ready, and the snores of Pixie to keep me company. LOL

Blessed Harvesttide, everyone!

Pagan Travelers Notebooks Ready

I finally got these babies finished and uploaded to Etsy! You can pop over there with the shop widget on the right. —>

The first is based on my Lord of the Wildwood oil painting, and the cover itself is painted in mottled browns and metallic gold. The print is edged with black dotwork. I wanted it to be masculine enough for a male to carry, but also appealing possibly to a woman. The elastic closure has an antique brass key charm. Click the image if you want to see a larger picture. 🙂 The painting has been one of my favourites, but the original was damaged in all my moving around from place to place.

The interior has a tan damask pattern, and the blank cahier-sized insert is decorated to match the overall cover. There are 4 elastics, so you can really stuff this cover full with everything you need! You can visit my Etsy for more images of this item.

Click here to visit my Etsy page for this and more!

And this is the second travelers notebook uploaded to Etsy. This one is from a watercolour painting I did for a pagan swap, and features the Lord & Lady beneath wisteria and grapes. The background is mottled shades of purple and metallic gold, and the print is edged with gold dotwork. There is a purple faux gem at the bottom of the picture. The elastic closure has a silver flower fall charm.

I was thinking this might make a nice handfasting planner or gift. I have another design I’m thinking of promoting very specifically for that, too, but this is nice I think.

Here’s the interior. It has a nice cream and mild purple flower paper as a liner. The cahier insert matches, with the addition of the antique white lace. I quite like this one. Could be the purple. LOL

Click here to visit my Etsy page for this and more!

Printable Colouring Books!

Oh hey, so I did this thing… Now you can get my coloring books in digital format. So you can print it out on nice Bristol or cardstock, whatever you like, right at home! Both Whimsical Cats and Witchy Wonders are a go! And both are witchy-approved themes, of course. I even encourage you to cut out the pictures to use in your BoS, grimoire, journal, spellbook, etc. Go ahead! I’d be honoured. 🙂

Get them on my Etsy:

Whimsical Cats!

Witchy Wonders!

Or just click the Etsy mini shop on the right of this post to check out my digital goodies!

Alternately, check out my Amazon page to find all my latest hardcopy colouring and journal books. Great for the holidays!

Happy colouring!