Imbolc (or Candlemas) Primer

Imbolc (or Imbolg), as most pagans I know call it, is just days away. Though it is an astrological event, occurring each year when the sun reaches 15 degrees Aquarius, it is traditionally celebrated on the fixed date of February 2, with observances starting at sundown on February 1.

There are several traditional crafts associated with the holiday, including crafting a Brigit's or Bride's Bed, creating a Crown of Lights, and making and/or blessing candles for the year to come. But perhaps the most universal of Imbolc crafts is that of weaving wheat into a Brigit's Cross. The cross is then hung in the home for protection.

My personal tradition is to create a new Brigit's Cross each year after which I burn the previous year's cross in my family hearth with a prayer of thanks.

I'll be posting a detailed tutorial on creating a Brigit's Cross with photographs tomorrow. I'll also include variations for young crafters using pipe cleaners instead of wheat. If you'd like to make either version of this project, you'll need the following supplies:

• wheat (available at most crafting stores in the flower section) or pipe cleaners (white or beige)
• raffia or natural hemp twine (if you want an all-natural look) or any sort of ribbon, string, or floss to tie your ends off
• clips (like laundry clips, large paper clips, or small chip clips) or rubber bands to hold the wheat together as you weave - this is optional as some find it more useful than others

That's it! This is a very simple and rewarding project. Check back tomorrow for details.

For an excellent article on the history and traditions associated with Imbolc, please read the article Candlemas: The Light Returns by Mike Nichols.

¡The AntiCraft!

I'd like to thank Anchored Away for bombing my email box with links to ¡The AntiCraft!. They are, in their own words, strange girls, tactless and profane with a physical need to create things. And they too hang with the green fairy. Crafters after the darkest parts of my own obsessive heart.

Cake for Cora

Yesterday was Cora Anderson's 93rd birthday. As a student of the Feri Tradition, I wanted to honor her with an offering of thanksgiving so, I baked her a miniature birthday cake. Even though she's in northern California and I'm in Southern California, and I've never met her, I felt moved to mark this splendid occasion. I set up a simple alter to her, setting her picture on the center pedestal. To the right is her late husband, Victor Anderson. To the left is my teacher and connection to them both, T. Thorn Coyle.

I used simple numerology to determine the number of candles to put on the cake. Her age (93) reduces to 3.

9 + 3 = 12
1 + 2 = 3

Plus, three is just a great number. Who doesn't love three?

I lit her birthday candles, sang her happy birthday, and then read the story of her birth out loud from her book, Childhood Memories. The cake sat with her picture overnight and will go out in my garden tonight, to feed the fey, the earth, and any lucky animals that happen to catch a whiff of it.

Happy Birthday, Cora. Thank you and blessed be.

Self Love Sugar Scrub

Hooray for Self-Love Friday!

This project was inspired by an exercise found in T Thorn Coyle’s book, Evolutionary Witchcraft. If you haven’t read this book, I strongly recommend you buy it and do so. The exercise, which can be found on pages 19-20 in the hardcover edition, is called “Self-Love Cleansing” and is a wonderful way to deal with the personal crap that inevitably surfaces when doing the real Work of evolutionary / revolutionary paths like Feri.

No matter what your spiritual leanings, everyone can benefit from a sacred shower from time-to-time. It’s a sensual and personal experience that can provide profound emotional release and affirm your love of self. The standard structure for a generic sacred shower is:

1. Just before your final rinse, concentrate on any difficult feelings you may want to release.
2. When the feelings surface and you are certain you are ready to let them go, rinse yourself off with water. As you do, imagine them running out and off of you, seeing them go down the drain.
3. Turn off the water and take a moment to say a prayer, align your soul, or make an offering of thanks.

Simple, right? The first time I did the version of this exercise given in Evolutionary Witchcraft, I was amazed at how wonderful I felt. I found myself wanting to do the rite again and again. Eventually, I incorporated it into my regular spiritual practice and do it every Friday. Hence, Self-Love Fridays.

After doing the exercise a few times, however, I began to feel the need to inject some of myself into it in some way. Just as many Wiccans, witches, and Pagans have special tools they use for magic(k), I wanted something special for my Self-Love Fridays. So, I created a Self-Love Sugar Scrub. I make it every Friday, just before my shower ritual. The process of measuring and combining the ingredients helps me prepare for the rite and set my intention.


Basic Sugar Scrub Recipe

• 75 grams (approximately 1/3 cup) fine sugar
• 30 grams (approximately 2 tablespoons) sugar in the raw
• 38 grams (approximately 3 tablespoons) oil
• 5 grams (approximately ½ tablespoon) glycerin
• 6 grams (approximately ¾ tablespoon) essential oils

Blend all ingredients and store in shatter-proof container until ready for use.

When you use the scrub, gently rub it into your skin, avoiding your face and nether regions. After rinsing, pat dry with a towel.

This recipe yields a large, single-shower amount. It should be used as soon as possible – preferably immediately and if not at least within a week. If you are not going to use it the same day you make it, I recommend you add a little bit of Vitamin E oil to help preserve it. Just cut open and squeeze a cap or two into the mixture.

As far as the “38 grams oil” is concerned, don’t choose oils that aren’t safe for consumption. If it’s okay to eat, it’s probably okay to rub into your skin. So …

almond oil = good

baby oil = bad

jojoba oil = good

… you get the idea. I like to use mostly almond oil, with some jojoba oil and a bit of olive oil.

The essential oils you use should be whatever scents you like, provided they are safe to use on your skin (do your research!). Create your own combinations by intuition or from a recipe. Sometimes, it’s helpful to look at the combinations of scents and oils used in some of your favorite bath products. Here's my personal Self Love Formula:

• 1 part Lavender (air)
• 3 parts Sweet Orange (fire)
• 2 parts Rose Absolute in jojoba oil (earth)
• 3 parts Vanilla in jojoba oil (water)

1. Lavender oil is associated with the planet Mercury, the signs Gemini and Virgo, the female gender, and qualities of peace and comfort. In aromatherapy, it is known to be helpful as an antidepressant.
2. Sweet Orange oil is associated with the Sun, the sign of Leo, the male gender, and qualities of joy and social interaction. In aromatherapy, it is know to be a general health aid, to reduce stress, and to bring restful sleep.
3. Rose Absolute oil is associated with the planet Venus, the signs of Libra and Cancer, the female gender, and is known for its harmonious qualities. In aromatherapy, it is known to be calming, to ease pain, and as an aphrodisiac.
4. Vanilla oil is associated with the planet Venus, the signs Libra and Pisces, the male gender, and is associated with self-confidence and sensuality. In aromatherapy, it is known to promote strength and aid in sexual stamina.

These essential oils can be purchased at most health food stores. The Rose Absolute and Vanilla oils tend to be rather expensive and are typically only available combined with a jojoba oil base. If you buy them undiluted, you’ll need to change the ratios in this formula.

NOTE: The oil associations provided are from The Magick of Aromatherapy by Gwydion O'Hara. It seems to currently be out of print, but I’m sure you could find a copy if you do a little digging on the internet.

Have fun, love yourself, and blessed be.

SAFETY WARNING: The oil can make your shower slippery, so be careful!

How to Write a Manifesto

Don’t bother making a New Year’s resolution this year. According to the results of Franklin Covey’s third annual New Year’s Resolutions Survey, 35% of participants break their New Year’s resolutions by the end of January. The 2007 survey, which polled over 15,000 people, also indicated that only 23% are likely to permanently adopt a New Year’s resolution. Of those that don’t keep their resolutions, 40% say they’re just too busy to keep to their word and 33% said they aren’t committed to the resolutions they set. Not only is this just plain sad, it’s also self-sabotaging behavior. Let’s look at this from a Conjurer’s perspective.

Media coach Susan Harrow once said, “Words are the ambassadors of our intentions.” New Year’s Resolutions are juicy opportunities to set our intention for change (aka make magic/k) in the coming year and sometimes, for life. But with more than 75% of us faltering on these resolutions, our words end up informing the world and most importantly, ourselves, that our speech holds no power. Making resolutions, or statements of any kind, we don’t abide by sets a precedent for failure. When we don’t stay true to our word, our ambassadors (our words) begin spreading the message: “This person will not follow through.”

Do that enough and every time you finish off a bit of magic with, “So mote it be,” the universe will respond with a resounding, “What – evah. Your ambassadors told us you are teh suck.” By not staying true to your word, you’ll effectively make yourself energetically impotent. You’ll have lost your mojo.

To set a meaningful resolution, it needs to be well thought-out. You must not only have a clear vision of your goal, but a plan of action to get there. You must be passionate about the change, allowing your motivation to come from the depth of your purest desires and commit to making the change only after you’ve really considered all the possible consequences as best you can. Far more than making a flippant statement, “Um, I like totally want to lose like 30 pounds, okay?” you’d do better to really spend some time clarifying your intention and your plan of action. That’s why this year, I’m not making any resolutions. I’m writing a manifesto.

Admit it, manifestos kick resolution ass. Someone says they’ve made a resolution and you can’t help but smirk and pat them on the back. Someone tells you they’ve written a personal manifesto, and you sit up straight to listen. By writing your own manifesto, you’ll not only join the ranks of some highly successful and influential people, but you’ll spend some time with your goals, really fleshing them out. By clarifying your position and the changes you plan to make, you’re already stepping away from the superficiality of resolutions. You’re putting the mojo back into your words.

As you go through the following steps, keep in mind that a manifesto should be a call to action. It should definitely stir you and hopefully motivate others as well. It should be relevant and based on facts, reason, and logic.

1. Choose a goal: If you have more than one goal that seem to be related, try to determine the common denominator.
2. Identify your motivation: If you want to quit smoking or lose weight, your motivation may be to spend more active time playing with your children or adopt a healthy lifestyle. You may have to dig deep to find your true motivation and sometimes when you find it, you may actually change or refine your goal(s).
3. Justify your motivation(s) on several levels: If you can, explain how your motivation(s) is relevant to body, mind and spirit or personal, local, and global issues. Try to examine your motivation from various perspectives. This should help you clarify it more and again, through this process you may end up changing or further refining your manifesto.
4. Be specific: Boil it all down to a single or abbreviated set of over-arching motivations. Make your manifesto as clear as possible using strong and incisive language. Eliminate non-essential words and try to stay away from metaphors and pop-jargon as it may not be universally understood and probably won’t have much longevity.
5. Make it public: Manifestos are public declarations. Post yours in your blog or on your website. Send it to your friends and family or use it as an impetus to organize a group of like-minded individuals willing to support each other in their work for the given the cause. Hell, maybe you could eventually write a book about it all.

The most famous manifesto is undoubtedly the Manifesto of the Communist Party (more commonly known as The Communist Manifesto) by Marx and Engels. You can find plenty of other manifestos, and even submit your own, at the Change This website.

Yes, for those that were paying attention, I did say I'd be writing a manifesto of my own this year. My personal manifesto will be posted on New Year’s Day (tomorrow) in my other blog, La Vegan Loca. Go write one of your own and let me know what you come up with.

Garden Photos

I spent some time in the garden this morning with my new camera. It's amazing that I can capture such spring-themed images in the depths of winter, but that's one of the interesting things about living in Southern California.


Earlier this year, I participated in a ritual that honored bees. The rite was in response to the bee crisis but it was also appropriate for me personally, as I have an irrational fear of bees. Part of my spiritual Work is confronting my fears - identifying them and examining how they manifest in me and all my parts. So, the fact that I was able to get close enough to take the next picture is indicative of progress.

Altered Pillar Candles

So you're a DIYer, like me, but you're in a crunch for a gift. Unfortunately, you can't just go buy something and give it straight off the shelf because your fans (friends and loved ones) are so enchanted by your crafty prowess that even attempting to do so is not only likely to disrupt the space-time continuum itself, but your friends may implode. I know imploded friends sound way easier to clean up than exploded friends, but take it from me, it's merely a whole new set of issues to deal with. Plus, friends are a limited resource. So what's a conjure girl or guy to do? Alter something, of-course!
Everyone loves candles, but regular pillar candles are like naughty little blank canvases just waiting for some artistic discipline. This is one way you can show them the love they deserve.

Project Materials

• 2 pillar candles (these were pumpkin spice scented ... mmmmmmm)
• orange ultrafine glitter
• white matte craft glue that dries clear (like Mod Podge in matte)
• gold skeleton leaves
• small maple leaves
• sponge brush
• small dish for mixing glue with glitter

NOTE ONE: You should be able to find skeleton leaves and various pressed leaves and flowers in the scrapbook section of your local arts and crafts store.

NOTE TWO: Raise your hands if you want to breathe lead fumes. Nobody? Didn't think so. Please buy candles without lead in the wicks. As far as burning decoupaged candles is concerned, please see the safety note at the end of this post.

Glue leaves on candles randomly using a sponge brush. Do this by sponging on a layer of glue, placing your leaf where you'd like it, and covering the leaf with another layer of glue being sure to go off the edges of the leaf and onto the candle. You may need to hold the leaves in place until the glue grabs onto them, so only do one or two at a time.

When all the leaves are glued where you'd like them, pour enough glue to coat both candles into a small dish. Add some orange ultrafine glitter and mix with your sponge brush. Completely coat both candles with the glue mixture, being sure to cover the leaves. It'll look milky and sadly unsparkly until the glue dries.

Do not pour any remaining glue down you drain! Hopefully, you've estimated well and don't have any extra. If not, try to use it on another project. If all else fails, pour the remaining glue into a vessel destined for the trash, like a dirty sandwich baggie or something along those lines. Allow your candles to dry and shazzam ... cute custom candles!

Once your candles are dry, you can give them as they are or stuff them into a themed gift basket, like the Pumpkin Spice gift basket shown below. This gift basket was given to a dear friend of mine at the Autumn Equinox in honor of her spinning ritual. Or, you can keep 'em for yourself and let everyone think you paid too much for them in one of those hoity-toity gift shops.

A safety note on burning decoupaged candles from the Mod Podge website (please share this info with anyone you may give decoupaged candles to): Candles with decoupaged designs are decorative and should not be burned. Your designs can be destroyed if the candle is burned. In addition, while both Mod Podge and Royal Coat are not flammable, items used with these glues may be.

However, there is a trick if you want to "burn" your decorated candle. Burn the decorated candle until a small well is formed -- a well about the size of a votive candle. Place a small piece of aluminum foil in the bottom of the well. Then place the votive candle in the well and burn it. Replace the votive candle as needed.

And if I need to tell you not to leave burning candles unattended, you probably shouldn't be playing with fire anyway.