12 Dec 23

Digital Journal and Book of Shadows

I have bad arthritis and carpel tunnel in my hands for various reasons, including age and hypermobility syndrome. That means writing and certain crafts are more difficult for me these days. One of the ways that I have adapted and still am able to journal and keep records is by using digital products and adaptive aids.

One of my favorite ways that I have done this, in the last year, has been Goodnotes. I have a couple of different digital journal products that I use on this platform for various purposes. I even recently upgraded from Goodnotes 5 to Goodnotes 6 to take advantage of some of the changes that the software has made. Though I use it on my iPhone and iPad, Goodnotes 6 is now compatible with Windows as well, which really expands the possibilities. (My laptop is Windows, for example, if I wanted to access the app there).

However, you don’t have to spend any money at all or learn a new app, if you don’t want to. Google Docs is free, readily available and cross-compatible. You can easily organize your files, rituals, and ideas in whatever manner that works best for you. I actually like digital files and digital backups. I have lived at like 20 different addresses in the 23 years that I have been married. It is really easy to lose things between moves and storage. The stuff I tend to still have regular access to are digital files.

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snow covered forest
5 Jul 23

The Unexpected Tool on My Witch’s Altar

In my last post I addressed the idea of making your magic personal. There are those little things that you connect to that have personal meaning to you, and those are the most powerful. It could be a tool that you have, a picture or representation that resonates with you, an herb that conjures a childhood memory. These things tap directly into your emotions, your subconscious, and your direct connection to your magic.

On my altar, I have a beautiful compass. It is a lovely brass compass in a leather case. Aesthetically, it is beautiful and was a gift from my husband. Yes, it has a mundane use as a tool in determining the four directions, but it is there more for the metaphysical meanings. Inside the lid, it is engraved with “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost. It is a beautiful poem that reminds us that we have miles to go before we sleep. The compass keeps me going in the right direction, in more than one sense.

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10 May 23

Me and My Shadow

My birthday is coming up in two weeks, so it is a good time for introspection. It is also, like any time of transition, a good chance to look at ‘where am I?’, ‘how did I get here?’, and ‘where do I want to go from here?’. An honest approach to these questions is a good basis for beginning shadow work.

I’m an introvert, so naturally, hanging out in your own head is not all there is to shadow work. Shadow work is about facing those pieces and sides of yourself that you may not want to look at, or even admit exist. It’s about bringing those things into the light, and acknowledging that they exist. It’s about facing your issues, your problems, your biases, and actually doing something about them. Yeah, that doesn’t really sound like fun. It’s not. However, it’s one of those things that you’ll be thankful for later – kind of like lancing and draining a really painful boil.

It is however, something that, hopefully, you will have someone to talk and work through with you. An experienced elder that you trust and/or a licensed therapist are great (and some would say necessary) companions on this journey, especially if you have trauma in your past, as many of us do. As someone who has faced repressed trauma and the psychological aftermath more than once, I entreat you to please have a support system in place before you begin shadow work. If you are a solitary practitioner with no spiritual or mundane support, shadow work is not a necessary component to your practice.

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28 Apr 23

Work the Magic, But Do the Work

I have been doing more magic lately and working more with the God and Goddess. So, since I have been renewing my magical practice, and working with a new Deity (Apollo), I often get nudges and demands to move forward in my practice, ie. waking up with a message/nagging thought to do a certain thing. Friday afternoon, when I woke up to get ready for work, I received some not great news in the mundane world. This news while very disappointing was also in conflict with a spell I had recently done.

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28 Dec 22

Reading List for the New Year

There is a lot of talk on Facebook and various social media, as people gear up for the New Year, about planning their reading list for next year or to start reading more as a resolution. I read a lot, but a lot of it is recreational. There isn’t anything wrong with that, of course, but I think I would like to accomplish some more purposeful reading for the coming year. So, I am thinking about my own reading list.

I have been going through my kindle app, and my Amazon wishlist, and also culling recommendations from the various posts of my friends. I am a planner, and a list maker, but also very chaotic in practice. (ADHD strikes again!) So, I’m trying to figure out what it is that I want to accomplish, and how to best do so. (Maybe just read ALL of the gazillion books in my library?)

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6 Jan 22

Finding Balance

Is life conspiring against us?

It sure feels like it sometimes.

So, one of my fitness goals, while strengthening is to improve my balance. This is probably one of the biggest losses for me after I got sick. Yes, I’d like to walk 2 miles in 25 minutes or less again, but really I’d like to stand on one foot without being in danger of falling on my face.

There is quite a bit of snow, and even more ice here in northeastern Oregon, right now. I totally fell on my ass last night when coming home. Luckily, I was on a gentle slope coming down to my apartment, so when my feet slid out from under me, I landed on my /well/ instead of my face. While I didn’t injure the wrist on the hand that I always catch myself with, I did jar it and that whole side of my body, which I am feeling a little bit today. Could be a lot worse.

However, I am the same girl who could rock a balance beam, and climb over just about anything. I know I am getting older, and have been classified as disabled since my early 20s. I don’t want to feel disabled too. I can accept that I have bad pain days and certain limitations, but I want to be as active and independent as I can. (Part of me hates the nurse practitioner that got me in this situation.) 

So, balance… in more ways than one.

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5 Jan 22

New Year, New Me?

So, I know the big thing for ‘New Year’s Resolutions’ is – I’m going to lose a ton of weight! I’m going to get into shape! I’m not so much looking to jump onto the bandwagon, as this just happens to be when a bunch of things intersected for me to say, “Now. Now, I’m ready.”

Several years ago (2015) I joined this awesome group on Instagram called ‘Fitgirls‘ It was full of great people to encourage each other, teach each other, and journey together, whatever our sizes, shapes or level of fitness. As you can tell, I still have fond memories. I have thought many times since then of joining another session, but things just weren’t right for me.

I am in a place where I am recovered a lot from the previous health issues I was having, but a lot of my physical stamina and energy is non-existent, even if I am at a not bad weight. I need to begin an exercise program to feel more like myself again. That is what I am hoping to do. So, one of my first steps is reaching out, both for support and to be accountable.

However this goes, I’m giving it a shot.

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