I found this snakeskin in the middle of a grassy field in Darien, GA. I was looking for Altamaha-ha, the local river monster, but instead I found this shed from a small land snake. I was surprised to find it completely out in the open like it was and for a long time I tried to figure out what it was a sign of. Why couldn’t I figure it out? I finally realized that not everything is a sign from a deity, or a message from somewhere else. Sometimes we go out walking in nature where nature lives and we see the signs that life leaves behind. And that is magickal on its own. The post SHEDDING SKIN a ..read more

[See image gallery at www.wakingthewitch.com] The second shelf of my bookcase is what I call my regional and special interest sections. Going from left to right, as you can see, I’m interested in how people practice in different parts of the world. I want to understand their traditions and how they relate to one another. I have a special interest in Wales, but more on that another day. The books on the far right are still regional, but they’re about specific traditions within the U.S. When I lived in New York in the 1980s and 1990s, there was a very active witchcraft scene based out of three s ..read more

Once again I’ve gotten distracted and led away from getting further into The Golden Dawn. I’ll never make it past the fourth lesson, I swear.. [See image gallery at www.wakingthewitch.com] Today I thought I’d read The Book of the Sacred Magic of Abra-melin. I’ve had it for a few years but haven’t gone past the introduction because I’ve been busy with other books. I thought I’d pick it up because I’m about to pick up Agrippa, which I’ve also had for several years, and though I’ve consulted it a few times, I haven’t actually read through it. The more I read of the GD, the more I think I should l ..read more

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[See image gallery at www.wakingthewitch.com] There comes a time in every witch’s life when we realize that we have more books than we can fit in the space designated for them. Notice I didn’t say that we have too many books? Because as we know, there’s no such thing. When this happens, I get a couple of storage bins and take some books to storage that I haven’t used in at least a few years to make room for things I’m currently reading/working with. No need to feel sad, I tell myself, they have LOTS of companions in my storage unit. Yes, it does still hurt.  I’ll show you the top shelf to ..read more

[See image gallery at www.wakingthewitch.com] I’m not a fan of hexing; I think hexing is cowardly and a form of assault, but I see people asking for help against it, so I thought it would be a good idea to show how one way to protect against a hex. Several months ago, a wasps’ nest at the top of one of our trees in the backyard blew down. It was abandoned, so I felt safe scooping it up and bringing it inside to dry, knowing how I could use it in my craft. Wasps sting (often repeatedly), kill honey bees, and steal (honey, in most cases – the bee’s food). The nest is a perfect representation of ..read more

The horrifying story of the Salem Witch Trials finally came to an end on Tuesday May 26, 2022, when the senate of the state of Massachusetts voted to pardon Elizabeth Johnson, Jr. who had been sentenced to death for the crime of witchcraft during the witch hunts of the seventeenth century. Elizabeth was the only one remaining of the accused to not have been previously pardoned. This pardon was 329 years in the making and was a result of an eighth-grade class at North Andover that took up the cause, wrote a bill, and presented it to legislators. It’s important to note that it’s likely that non ..read more

I love moments of synchronicity, where paths converge, and something is placed in my lap that is precisely what I need right when I need it. That’s how this book came to me. The Witch’s Name is one of Llewellyn’s new releases that I know will have a permanent place on my shelf.  Why pick a witch name? To separate your magickal life from your mundane life, protect yourself from being outed as a witch to your family or place of business, or perhaps the name you picked many years ago no longer fits who you are now. You might even need to name something equally as important: famili ..read more

First, I need to gush over how gorgeous this little book is. It’s a fabulous work of art, from the contrasting glossy leaves against the matte background on the hardcover, to the green botanical edging around the pages inside. And the size! Perfect for slipping inside a bag when traveling or just going out for the day. Llewellyn did such a marvelous job on the printing of this spectacular little gem. I devoured this book in an afternoon, from cover to cover. I recommend reading it once through to get the full scope of everything it covers, then putting it into practice through the recipes, spe ..read more