WVWitch

Good day, all. Pathworking is a subject near and dear to me, and I am intrigued to see the approach others are taking. I don't know if my approach is odd or unconventional, but I'll explain what has worked for me in the event anyone else might take something useful from it. The home I grew up in bordered a forest on the back yard, and I spent a huge chunk of my childhood on the paths and among the trees. There was a special place back there about a mile from the house, a hollow with no visible paths leading into or out of it, that I was drawn to one day when I was, quite literally, "off the beaten path". I returned there as often as I could manage over the years, feeling closer to the other realm there than anywhere else I had ever been in my life. It always held a special place in my heart, even after moving away some years ago. The old-growth forest was so lovely and dark that had one of the fae popped out from behind a tree it would have elicited no surprise on my part whatsoever - I always half expected it anyway. On to my point - I use the "walk" from my old home to this hollow as my path "into" the other realm. I am SO familiar with the general area that getting lost would be a practical impossibility, and thus far I have been fortunate that any meetings I have needed have taken place in that hollow as kind accommodation to me. The trip back is always a bit sad in some respects, as I always hated leaving there even in the mundane world, but I nevertheless always return refreshed and excited. Getting back is always easy - I have known those paths since about age 7 and will carry them in my heart always. Anyone else use a familiar mundane place as a "jumping off point" for pathworking in this way? Kind regards, Kurt

Good day, all. Where is your favorite place to: do spells? Complexity of the spell is a determining factor here. If the spell is simple, anywhere will do in a pinch. If it is something more complex/time consuming, I use one room upstairs in our home; it is set aside for nothing but magical workings. Ideally, I suppose a bit more description is needed. The room in question was a disused bedroom,and my wife and I decided that it would be great to set it apart from the rest of the house as a safe place for magical workings. The door to the room generally stays locked unless one of us is inside, and furnishings are pretty limited: an antique cedar chest (that has been in my family for approaching 100 years) used as an altar, and an armoire whose drawers have been set up for housing incense,candles, herbs, and the like. All in all it is just a special place – the scents of the candles/incense permeate as soon as you open the door to the room. It is always cool and quiet inside, making it a great place to meditate, etc. divination/scrying? Since my preferred tool for divination is the pendulum, I’ll use it anywhere I can get a few minutes of uninterrupted private time - home,my office at work while I am taking a break, etc. spirit contact? Spirit contact I always do away from my home or office –generally outdoors in a private area. Living where I do it’s easily enough done. devotions/offerings? Devotions and offerings I do either at the altar in the roomof my home set aside for such things, or in the yard among the gardens, with the gardens getting the nod as my preference when possible. I am currently planning a new garden in the yard that will be specifically for outdoor workings while providing some additional privacy. meditation? Anywhere I can get everyone to leave me alone for a few minutes. Ideally, at home – less chance of intrusion or interruption. Where do you most often do the above? Is it different from your favorite? I am highly fortunate to have numerous private places to practice the Craft. If you haven't any place you feel comfortable doing one or more of the abovethat you want to do, what is your dream spot? I would love to take some time some summer at the beach, but alas, members of my extended family are frequently with me while I am on vacation and they’re a pain to get away from. If you do have specific spots, do you need to maintain privacy? how do you do that? As I mentioned, the single room of our house is a great place. House rules for that room are simple: if anyone is inside, everyone else stays out. With only myself, my wife and daughter in the house it hasn’t been a problem. I think I am going to make up a door hanger to indicate “occupado” for that room to eliminate guesswork. There is a really quaint smallish public park a couple of miles from my house, open from April to December, that is almost never used. There is a beautiful stream running through it and it is down in a hollow of sorts, isolated. Most of the locals don’t even know about it, and it is a fantastic place for magical workings. To ensure privacy there, for a short time while I am there I’ll make the park appear decidedly uninviting for anyone that happens by. So far it always provides the privacy I desire. any mortifying/funny stories of people finding your spot at the wrongtime? Not yet, though I am sure it is only a matter of time. Kind regards, Kurt

Good day, all. Same here. For the past several nights I have been having an unusually difficult time sleeping - were it not for a sleep aid I would be really screwed today at work. Kind regards, Kurt

Good day, all. Very beautifully put, and I have to agree 100%. The Craft isn't about what you do, but about recognition of who you are, every hour of every day. Kind regards, Kurt

Good day, all. Precisely! I live in the middle of the buckle of the Bible Belt, and were it to be discovered that I am a witch I have little doubt that I could easily lose my job, find my pets dead in the yard, etc. Kind regards, Kurt

Good day, all. @Nineheart - I think I get what you're meaning - the uneasy feeling of being somewhat 'detached' from yourself after such exercises. As you surmised, some pursuits are best done after you take some time to build up to it - your marathon example is appropriate. As for me, I don't pay the disconcerting feeling much mind. My view of energy, the soul, ch'i, etc. is heavily influenced by Taoist principles, and I guess I have always just assumed that if I am one with and part of the energy of the universe then I shouldn't be too concerned about losing a bit here and there in the execution of my spells, knowing that I can always generate/channel/absorb more as needed. I likewise don't really worry about "losing" myself in the process - maybe I'm just naive, but I enjoy the detached, ethereal feeling of standing on the edge. I have always been a well-grounded person (sometimes too much so) so it makes for a nice change to be 'out of myself' for a time. Good luck in your pursuits! Kind regards, Kurt

Good day, all. Yesterday, June 21, marked the Summer Solstice, and as always we were determined to have a bit of a celebration. My wife, daughter, sister, cousin and myself all loaded up our little recreational kayaks and went out to the local lake a couple of hours before dusk. Initially we became concerned that a number of large thunderstorms would encroach on our celebration, and to be fair we did sit out a brief storm for about a half-hour. The storm worked in our favor to dispel the muggy oppression of the day, and after a short paddle we were entrenched on a small island several hundred yards from the shore. We set up a couple of torches to augment the failing light and placed solar lamps around the island. A picnic dinner ensued, the highlight of which would have to be lemon-currant cookies provided by my 12-year old daughter for just this occasion. After dinner we got out several percussion instruments (including a djembe) and made a bit of music, playing with rhythms in the gathering dark. As the evening drew to a close we gathered our things for the brief paddle back to shore and were treated to a lightning show in the distant skies as additional storms were closing on the lake. The skies directly overhead were clear and the stars shone down upon us, twinkling softly. This also marked the first time I had paddled my own kayak since the surgery on my arm over a month ago, and though the paddle was somewhat inefficient (and a bit uncomfortable at times) it was gratifying to be in my own boat again. All in all, a most marvelous evening. Happy Midsummer's Day, all! Kurt

Good day, all. As far as organized religion goes, how better to make certain your adherents will return to you, week after week, than to instill in them sufficient fear that they are genuinely terrified to go elsewhere? Without them you have no tithes, no collective power to influence politicians, etc. It is all about money and power, the two things that have made the world go around since antiquity. This brings to mind a good friend of mine, an Xtian minister-in-training, one of few that I truly respect. He, more than most I have encountered, spends every iota of his strength in an attempt to live that which he preaches. At the same time, I don't think I am acquainted with a more fearful, paranoid individual; he spends so much time worrying about his wife and his kids, terrified they will fall under the influence of dark powers, that he isn't living life. The guy stays physically ill probably 80% of the time, and has suffered an alarming rash of ailments in recent months. I'm really surprised he hasn't ended up in the hospital. Sad, really. As far as violence against witches, I agree that the law is the fine line barely protecting us from violence today. I will also say that I have the knowledge, ability and means to defend myself and those around me on both magical and mundane levels. Woe be unto the ignorant that would declare war on me for my beliefs - I am not the kind of witch to go quietly. Kind regards, Kurt

Good day, all. Late to the party on this one, but nevertheless... Honestly, I adore the new wall color - much warmer and more inviting. The lighter original color seemed to allow everything to fade into the background - the warmer caramel color makes things 'pop' a bit more and stand out, which, at least in my opinion, is desirable. Being someone with a similar penchant for eclectic decorating I do have a suggestion - our walls were a very similar color somewhat recently (we're very bad for repainting) and we discovered that darker, richer earth-derived tones (reds and greens most often) would have a positive impact in increasing the warmth of a room, specifically if these colors were interspersed as throw pillows (the larger the better), smallish blankets/comforters folded over the backs of furniture, etc. and other 'soft' items. Even smaller throw rugs would help soften the space and make it appear 'warmer' to the eye. Of course, were you to see the current color scheme of our downstairs living area you might be inclined to disregard anything I suggest. Six walls total, two each in different shades of a very, very bright green. Every two walls we would change colors, creating an unusual 'shadowing' effect by gradiating to slightly more washed-out versions of the base color. It's subtle enough that the average person won't notice it unless it's pointed out, but the effect works well in creating movement and interest where none otherwise exists. The kitchen cabinets are distressed black, making them stand out against the walls, to say the least. Lots of dark wood-toned furniture with a black couch and loveseat on a lighter taupe carpet. Good luck with your ongoing project! It's looking marvelous - the change between the first set of pics and the second is astounding! Kind regards, Kurt

Good day, all. I have to side with the majority here - when things get overbearing in my mundane life the Craft is the very first place I turn. When I encounter difficulties in my day-to-day life and start getting overwhelmed and dejected I always ask myself, "Why are you putting up with this? You're a witch - the power to change your life is within you. If you sit and suffer it's no one's fault but your own." Kind regards, Kurt

Good day, all. Honestly, that's wonderful! There are a few in my circle that know about me and that I can hold discussion with, but sadly very few. That said, when we do manage discussion I ask that they understand and respect only two things: #1 - I will NOT fight with them, and #2 - I'm not trying to change their minds and they're not going to change mine. I love the exchange of idea and concepts so long as it's understood that the purpose of the discussion is to share and to stimulate thought rather than to convince. I don't need "saving" from anything. Kind regards, Kurt

Good day, all. This is far and away one of the more interesting threads I have encountered here of late. Having been raised essentially Xtian I needed to ultimately separate the Craft from religion, and I discovered as most of you that they (thankfully) aren't necessarily related. I suppose at this point in my life I would be considered agnostic; I believe that there is something larger than myself, but I consider he/she a manifestation of the collective belief of his/her followers. And in regards to Xtianity, that faith in particular is so openly hostile to witches that I consider them completely incompatible. I have Xtian friends that I have known for years, and there is no question in my mind would burn my house down had they any idea that I was a witch. Kind regards, Kurt