Election 2016

I don't usually get political on this blog. When I do, it's generally embarrassing. Here I go, anyway.

I'll try to keep my thoughts on this brief - I have a lot of them, but much of what I would say has already been said by others. A lot of Americans, myself included (and, I think, a lot of folks from other countries included, as well), have been following this United States election cycle very closely. The choice, as it stands, is clear - a choice between backwards white supremacy and fascism, or the most progressive platform run by any candidate ever in the history of this country.

I am #withHer, plain and simple. I have already cast my vote, having voted by absentee ballot last month. Hillary Clinton is pro-LGBTQA+, supports a reformed and nuanced approach to mental health, supports autistic people and those with other neurodivergences, supports women's rights to health care and to make their own reproductive choices, and has spent decades working across party lines to create compromise and make change.

Tonight, I felt called to action. I don't usually share my spells when they're in progress, but tonight, I would like to.

If you, like me, know how critical it is that Hillary Clinton be the next POTUS, then please, take a second to lend your thoughts to this little spell.

And if you want to do something similar for yourself, I just traced a map of the US (in blue!), and inside it, wrote "Madame President Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton, 2016-2020". I then surrounded it with several stones - Copper in the center, to conduct energy and charge the spell, Spirit Quartz to draw people together in harmony towards a cause, and then Blue Lace Agate, Sodalite, Turquoise, and Emerald to activate all those powers of communication that get people to lend their voice and say, "Today, I am going to vote".

September 7th, 2013

Oh my, did it slip into September somehow? Good gracious! I seem to have missed the memo. However, I had an exceptionally productive Saturday for a change - I spent something like 12 hours crocheting a lacy steampunk choker. Why? Because my high school is going to use steampunk costumes for our upcoming production of A Midsummer Night's Dream - I'm going to play Puck and wanted to get a head start on costume design.

I also redecorated my altar for Mabon. It's so nice to be up-to-date on things; I can actually feel the energy change in my room!

It's got a much simpler design than I've had in previous years; right now, I'm appreciating austerity (or at least, a look that's austere for me).
My mini shrine got an update as well; after a field trip to the Anderson Japanese Gardens yesterday, I had several new items for incorporation, compliments of the gift shop.
First and foremost, I bought a package of Japanese incense, scented like lotus flowers. It smells wonderful even without burning it. I didn't realize the package came with its own incense holder, so I bought a ceramic one shaped like an origami crane.

I also bought a Maneki Neko, the beckoning cat who calls forth good luck. The kanji, 学問運, is read "Gakumonun" and means "academic luck"; he's going to be my college kitty! The kanji appear on a gold coin which represents wealth and is also a play on the Japanese idiom "To give gold coins to a cat", which is the equivalent of "Pearls before swine".

 

My final big effort of the evening was to painstakingly reduce the number of stones on my shrine - it was getting way too cluttered! I moved all the stones to boxes and pouches, and put all of those into a large cosmetics bag to keep them together. I left out only a few pieces: a Fossil for earth, Emerald for air, Garnet for fire, Amethyst for water, and a geode for Akasha.

I also left my Quartz point and Petrified Wood for the Goddess and God, respectively. Two snail shells were added to the same effect, and I finished it off with a mussel shell for water offerings.

June Altars

I never got around to posting a picture of my Litha altar, did I? Allow me to correct that!

I tried to tone down the decorations a little bit this time around so that my altar wasn't totally covered in stuff, but I do still have some pieces here I really like. In the center is my new Selenite candle holder, and dispersed throughout are varying sizes of snail shells. On the left is a big mussel shell that I used to hold water during my ritual, and in the back right you can see a mason jar full of lavender, which I also used during the ritual.

Then I set up this, a mini shrine next to my bed. I didn't want to make it too obviously Pagan (I don't know who I think I'm fooling, but oh well) so it mostly ended up as a repository for my expansive stone collection. I figured, however, that the stones probably preferred being out in the open to sitting in a bag in my dresser. It'll also create a pleasant area for meditations - I need to get back in the habit of doing that!
In the center I've got a new candle and candle holder along with some decorative grapes, silk flowers, and an instrumental shaker. The Birch branch is real; it fell off one of our Birch trees the other day during a storm. In front of the candle and to the left is a large pointed Quartz crystal. To the right of that is a Geode I found years ago, and to the right of that is a chunk of petrified wood from Montana. The Quartz I'm using to symbolize the Goddess, and the Petrified Wood is for the God. I once saw a description of Geode as being symbolic of the World Egg, so I thought it was appropriate to have it in the middle. Just in front of that is an Ammonite resting on top of a clay pentacle I made in seventh grade.
On the right side of the shrine is a box painted with the Japanese symbols for the elements. I'll probably use the box as a place to put petitions and wishes for empowerment. In the same spot on the left of the shrine are three little origami offering boxes. I put pieces of cracker, cake, bread, etc. in these before leaving them outside.
And then, finally, I have the rest of the stones. I tried to arrange them according to their elemental correspondence. They don't balance perfectly, but the distribution is more even than I'd expected. Because I can, I'll go through and name them all for you, moving top down, left to right.
Earth (right side): Malachite, Emerald Calcite, Turquoise, Amazonite, and Moss Agate.
Air (bottom): The only one you can see in this picture is my chunk of Emerald. I also have Sodalite, Aventurine, and Fluorite.
Fire (left side): Citrine, Garnet, Tiger's Eye, Quartz, Hematite, Obsidian, and Bloodstone; there is also a Red Jasper you can't see in this picture.
Fire/Water (top left corner): Unakite*
Water (top): Copper, tumbled Quartz, Moonstone, Rose Quartz, Amethyst, Blue Lace Agate, Goldstone, and two dyed Agates.

*Click the "Unakite" tag for more information about this unique stone.

February 26th, 2013

My grandma and uncle are visiting my family this week - we didn't get to see them at Christmas/Yule, so it'll be great to have them. In addition, I got my ACT results today, and I got a 33 as my composite score! I had gotten a 32 on the practice version, and knew I wanted to get that score or better on the actual test. To achieve that goal, I studied, of course, and also empowered my emerald chunk for memory and intelligence. It seems to have been effective - I went up in all areas!

Finally, I'd like to share a picture of the necklace and Hummingbird stone I got while at the mall the other day:

February 3rd, 2013

As part of a birthday present for my brother, my family went to the zoo yesterday. We had a ton of fun seeing all the animals, and since it's February, there was hardly anyone else there - no lines! A lot of the animals were really active, too. A wolf was running around his enclosure looking for a place to bury a bone and came right up to the glass twice.

The penguins were also right next to the glass, as was a lion and lioness - the lioness actually sat up on her hind legs and batted at the glass for a good ten minutes, "playing" with my brother. I've never seen them do that before!

Just a note - the gentleman in the picture is not my brother, he was just another zoo patron who happened to be in one of my not-blurry pictures. In related news, I was able to purchase a piece of uncut emerald from a zoo giftshop for just $3.50! It's not gem quality or anything, but that certainly doesn't matter for magickal applications.It's a stone I've been wanting for some time, so I'm super psyched.

Emerald

Physical Characteristics: Emerald is a stone that can range from a yellow-green to a sea-foam color (like mine) to a very dark, almost-black shade of green.

In Nature: A type of Beryl, Emerald is colored green because of traces of chromium and vanadium in the crystal. Although Emerald comes in many shades, the essential component is that it is green. If it doesn't have a green hue, it isn't Emerald, even if it is Beryl - a blue Beryl is also known as Aquamarine, for instance, not Emerald.

Chemical Composition: Be3Al2(SiO3)6

Mohs Scale Hardness: 7 - 8 (middle-high to high)

Can be Found: Egypt, India, Austria, Colombia, and Zambia

Healing Properties*: Emerald is useful for healing ailments of the physical heart and also supports the back, eyes, nervous system, and immune system. The Emerald was used in the ancient world as an antidote to snake venom (anyone who has read Emily Rodda's Deltora Quest may recall this). The stone can also prevent or alleviate insomnia.  

Magickal Properties: A stone of love and romance, Emerald enhances joy, clairvoyance, memory, and faith. Being the sacred stone of Venus, it is most associated with relationships. Still, the stone supplements intuition and communication, relaxes a troubled mind, enhances prophetic abilities, and brings both wisdom and reason. Emerald wards off negativity and strengthens spiritual insight. It can be used for scrying, and works best when paired with copper or silver. This stone is allegedly most powerful during the spring season. To charge an Emerald, burn a green candle while holding the stone and focusing on your intent.

Chakra Association: Emerald is connected with the Third (Solar Plexus) and Fourth (Heart) chakras.

Element: Air

Energy: Receptive

Planetary Association: Venus, Jupiter, and Mercury

*Magickal healing should never take the place of seeing a doctor and following any recommended prescriptions, actions, or other advice. Magick works best in tandem with physical efforts, anyway, so don't skimp on those check-ups!