Tarot Thursday

I cannot get into a space to pull for you guys.
I'm very sorry, but something is stopping me. The time is not right perhaps, or maybe the spirits just have nothing to say.
I waited a few days to see if I could get some pull to do a reading for you.

But you cannot force those from the Otherside to send you messages.
As soon as it feels right I will pull for you lovely lot.

I hope you're having a fabulous weekend!

Out of the broom closet...

Until I reached adulthood, I always took for granted how supportive my family was about my connection to the craft.
I knew how cool my mum was when my friends were being grounded for meditating with candles, whilst my mum and... actually, my whole family were buying me every book they could find on wicca, paganism and druidry!

But hearing stories from all walks of life about 'witches' who are scared to leave the broom closet, makes me realize how important that support was.

I was always allowed my phases.
We all go through them...

The goth phase.

The adventurer, girl-scout, camper phase.

The aspiring vet phase.

The Daddys-Girl phase.

The Model Phase.

Some phases are just that...phases; but others are with us for a long, long time.
When my family realised that my 'witch phase' was no longer a phase, and an actual religious experience, they went out of their way to get me as educated on the subject as any 12 year old could be.
I had limits set in place...no Ouiji boards for starters. (A rule I broke on numerous occasions, but hey.) and it took a lot of convincing the female generations of my family that tarot was not evil to get my first deck.
They collected herb and magic magazines for me.
Picked me flowers and herbs for 'potions'
Books galore.
A set of Runes.
Chi-gong balls.

I was drawing circles on my wooden bedroom floor with chalk. I was creating covens with friends (sadly none of which stood the test of time), I was playing 'light as a feather, stiff as a board' in the middle of my year 7 class room. I was keeping a Book of Shadows. I was watching TOO many episodes of Charmed. I was living a magical life, and that was fine.
It was normal.
No secrets.
No hiding...
I didn't even know the metaphorical broom closet, was where a large handful of my fellow witches were residing, existed.

I wish I had true, helpful advice for anyone who is having to keep their journey on the path a secret. But I understand it is not always as simple as just being honest about it.
Speaking out is not always the best course of action.
Your family might NOT understand.
You might have tried to talk about it before, and been shut down.
Maybe you were bullied in the school yard.
I don't know your individual situations, but I can offer a few suggestions that might ease the transition.

1. Find like minded people.

In this age of technology, there are hundreds - thousands of outreaches into witchcraft! By joining private facebook groups you can openly discuss things like rituals and spellcasting online. You can find forums that are safe-havens for those of you with no support IRL.
You never know, you might find your own little family/coven online. Even with the support of my family, partner and friends...I still reached out to others who actually practiced the craft, and I fell in love with The Parlour.
An online tarot (and other witchy goodness) class led by wonderful, witchmama Veronica Varlow.

Join us?

http://dangerdame.com/shop/online-class-the-parlour/

2. Educate yourself.

Learn as much as you can!
Learn the history, the traditions. Know your stuff! That way if you have to fight your corner, you can do so with accuracy and efficiency!

3. Start Small...

Test the waters.
Don't come out of the broom closet over dinner. Gently tip a question or comment into conversation and watch the reaction. Learn the limits your family might have...find a way to ease out the ultimate 'coming out' conversation.

4. Never Hide from yourself!

Even if you do have to keep a part of yourself under wraps, never lose your own way.
Be true to yourself!
Don't let anyone make you feel wrong, trust your own footing on the path, and don't feel judged by those around you.
You are who you are...and that is a beautiful person who will somehow find their time and place to flourish.

Tarot Thursday

As of today Tarot Thursday is back!!
Regular, weekly tarot guidance you can rely on.

Check back here every Thursday to find a fresh pull or spread pulled just for my lovely followers.

Today I chose my druid animal oracle deck - It's been calling to me for a while, so I thought I'd see what these cards had to say for you.

Here goes;

Goose

 - Geadh

Vigilance. Parenthood. Productive Power.

Sometimes the goose shows up to tell you that you are ready to start a family...this is a big scary step, but the goose takes  parenthood in her stride.
The goose allows you to open up your productive power, secure in the knowledge that your relationship or family will provide a stable environment to act as a crucible for your creativity.
The gooses ability to raise a family, yet fly high, shows us that it is possible to be both grounded and spiritual in our daily lives.

Yuletide Altar

Altars are a very sacred space to any witch.
That is not to say that you can't practice witchcraft if you do not have an altar - but they are a wonderful place to ground and center yourself, as well as a great way to leave a dedication to your chosen faith, and to have as a thanks to the goddess.

Now, like most of my fellow sisters, my altar changes seasonally. It's very easy to alter your altar to bring some of nature indoors.

I thought today I would share with you my current autumn/winter altar.
Altars are private places where a witch can 'pray' if you will. It is a great space for meditation and any spellwork.

Over ten years ago, when I set up my first altar - I had been gifted and purchased so many wonderful artifacts, that I was cramming as much as I could fit onto my altar.

Over time I've learnt that less is more, and that I can utalise the space around my workspace for spare candles, my runes, my chi-gong balls, and to burn incense.

I've found working on a small table for an altar to be most useful.
Plenty of space below it for storage, and you can easily cover it all up with a large piece of pretty fabric.

Choose items that are personal to you!

This is very easy to do with small items like crystals, as you can change them routinely without changing your entire altar. Crystals that represent things you wish to achieve this month, or crystals for meditation work wonderfully.

(For those curious; quartz, eagles eye, tigers eye)

For the months of September and October, I had a pumpkin lantern on my altar, now that Samhain has passed, and we are moving into Yule - I have replaced the pumpkin with a festive wreath.  I placed it around an ever-present candle on my altar.

 At the base of this bowl, are rose petals worked in love magic months ago, that will stay on my altar for a long, long time. But depending on what my altar is meant to be expressing, I add different objects to the top of the bowl.

Now, it is red leaves of autumn, a pine cone, and a seagull skull.
There are two skulls on my altar at the moment. A bird and a fox. Both are real, and both were ethically obtained.
The skulls are really important throughout the course of winter. It reminds us of natures trials in these months, and of the impending death of flowers, and trees, and grass, and animals, with the presence of snow and frost, and biting cold.

Whilst Tarot and divination are a large part of my life, I don't usually have a tarot card on my altar. But recently 'The Moon' card has been calling to me. I've pulled it multiple times - it's moved from the bottom of my deck to the top at least twice. And the moon has been in my dreams.

The Moon represents your subconscious. Your hidden desires. It tells you to listen to your dreams and learn from them. The Moon represents a darker side to you emerging. 

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Bonus!!!

If you are lucky enough to have a familiar, set them up a little bed, near your altar. You'll find they love to sleep nearby when you are doing spell work.

Show me your altars in the comments.

I love seeing where you all work your magic.

Love and Light,

Jade

xoxo

Money Magic

I think it's safe to say, that most of us have been experiencing financial difficulties.
We're told on a nearly daily basis, that our country is in a crisis.
We are broken.
Broken Britain, is a catch phrase slung around constantly.

But I'm not here to talk about politics.
I'm here to give you some magical tips to get some money flowing in!

We could all use some aid from the otherside with wealth...
So let me tell you how to ask for this help.

Shockingly, my tips focus around your wallet/purse.

Lets take a look shall we.

Firstly, chuck out all those receipts!
Hoarding them in all those nooks and crannies, represents all that money going out. Creating negativity, and promoting financial outgoings.
So get rid of them!

Now, what should you have in your wallet?

(rough citrine)

Citrine is also known less commonly as the 'Success Stone' - what else do you need?! It is the crystal of abundance! It brings about feelings of generosity to those around you and to you yourself, so that new abundance can be rightfully shared. It is the chakra crystal for the solar plexus, and is used often for personal power to be increased. It helps us focus and achieve our goals.

Green Adventurine is thought to be the luckiest stone, and is often referred to as the 'Stone of Oppurtunity'. By carrying it in ones purse, you are optomising the chance of money being given to you. It helps us move through lifes obstacles, and aids us in motivation.

(tigers eye)

Tigers Eye is a great stone for wealth and money manifestation. It brings luck, but is also grounding, so we don't get carried away with our income. And as an added bonus, it's a wonderful talisman for protection.

Peridot Gemstones vibrate towards frequent increase, which makes them handy for money magic. It is also said to protect any existing money in your possession.


And for a super boost add some clear quartz aswell. Quartz is a boost for any other stone. So it'll give your crystal some extra umph!

(quartz point)

Pick two or three crystals that work out for you, and store them in with your coins.

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And lastly you can get some fresh mint.
Dry it, and then sprinkle it into your purse.

Mint is the herb of prosperity, and is often used to aid money growth, along with it's more common uses for headaches and digestion.

Give it a go, and try and balance out your bank balance.

Much love,
Jade
xoxo

If walls could talk...

I spent a large portion of my holiday in Edinburgh Castle.
Usually, when you think of castles, it's usually falling ruins, and broken stone...but Edinburgh Castle, had definitely stood the test of time.

                       

The history of this epic building was truly amazing.
Matt and I were enthralled with the paintings, and the weaponry, and just generally the workmanship that was in everything.

We walked cobbles were Mary Queen Of Scots walked.
We stood in the bed chamber she gave birth in.
We saw the jewels of Scotland with our own eyes.
We ran our hands over ancient wood, and stone.

I thought of you wonderful lot as I was walking around, trailing my fingertips over marble fireplaces.
My loyal bloggers, and I knew I had to do a reading for you in this place.

Did I mention that in the very center of the castle, there was a tearoom?
A whole 3 page menu of tea blends!
Heaven.

With a cup of chai before me, using my Fae Oracle deck, I asked this spirits of this historical building to send you a message.
To lend some wisdom and guidance.

The spirits led my hands to this card.

Isis Of The Rainbow

Hope.
Promise for the Future.

The storm might not be over, but sunlight is starting to break through the clouds.
Hope is the key to brightening these rays and surviving the storm.

Travels.

I'm back from my travels now.
What a wonderful time it was.

I could write for hours about the experiences and outings we had...but I'll keep it as short as I can.
I'm going to start at the beginning, with Harry Potter Warner Bros. Studios, and then leave Scotland to another blog post.

I've wanted to go to these studios since they opened - And I'm so glad to have finally got there and done it.

When they revealed the Great Hall, I got a bit watery eyed. 

*sniffles*

"Sherbet Lemons"

Because it was a celebration of the Dark Arts this month in honour of Halloween - Death Eaters patrolled the whole studio, scaring the viewers.

And also in honour of the Dark Arts - they had this beauty visiting, who was the lead animal actor for 'Nagini'

Butterbeer is VEGAN my friends, and if you have a super sweet tooth, like me, actually a pleasant refreshment.

The creatures department was my favourite - there is a true artistry that goes into this work. Everything is so detailed and beautiful.

It really was an amazing day!
True nostalgia takes over as you walk through your favourite sets from the movie franchise.
I highly recommend it to anyone who is a Harry Potter fan.

But if you go, make sure you take a lot of money for the gift shop, Matt and I easily raked up a hundred pound bill!

I got a lovely warm, soft Hufflepuff zip-up hoodie, a Hufflepuff cushion, aswell as the replica 'time-turner' necklace, and a guide book.

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Stay tuned for the next installment of my Scottish adventures.
Which include a reading with my fae cards, in the glorious setting of Edinburgh Castle.

See you soon.

Jade
xoxo