New ideas, rambling thoughts and scary people

I am pondering at the moment about whether there is anything really 'new' within the Craft or whether there even should be perhaps...bear with me this blog may ramble on somewhat whilst my thoughts collect themselves into some sort of order...

I studied Wicca initially but I realised fairly early on that I am not Wiccan, but a Witch, following a more Kitchen Witchy/Hedge Witchy, folk magicy type of path.

But in the process of learning, studying, training and practising I have worked with and studied all sorts of different pathways and techniques within the Craft umbrella.   Some methods and ideas have stuck with me, others I discarded and along the way I have developed my own ideas...but there's the thing...are they really 'new' and 'original' methods?  I bet they aren't, somewhere, some when, someone does the exact same things I do.

I have also seen and heard a lot of people quote "you don't do it like that" or "that's not right" and that worries me - what right does anyone have to say that the way a circle is cast or the way a candle spell is worked or even the herb used is right or wrong?

I think one of the things I love the most about the Craft is that you can tailor it to you and your own personal methods and ways of thinking.  I am a great believer in doing what works for you, if a book says the herb to use for prosperity is basil but your instinct tells you to use something else - go with your intuition, in my experience it will work better for you in the long run if you use what feels right for you.

It actually scares me when I see people on the net or facebook stating their way is the only way - if you come across those types,  my advice would be to walk away, in fact probably run...very fast in the opposite direction.

I have also seen a few people on facebook that like to ask questions, request opinions from others about subjects within the pagan arena, what makes me cross is that when others do put their thoughts forward those people argue with them that they are wrong...everyone is entitled to their own opinion, just because you believe something to be right doesn't make it so...that is a hard lesson to learn but it is true.

But back to my original thought...I have a lot of books on the Craft in its many forms (and Druidry, Faeriecraft and various other pathways!) most of them have a common theme - working with the elements, rituals, casting circles, spell work etc all are fairly similar in concept and design but I do find it interesting to read new books, because usually there will be something that I pick up on that I didn't know or another way of doing something that I hadn't thought of.  The age old quote "if you ask 12 witches the same question you will get 13 different answers" I think is very true, everyone will have their own take on any given subject.

I recently read a very good book on chakras, it suggested that instead of working with chakras up and down in a straight line, to work with them in a spiral - interesting idea that I like the sound of, but it wasn't a new idea, the Celts came up with it apparently - but it was a new idea to me and that is what is important I think.

Yes I have been on this path for a long time now, yes I have done a lot of training, a lot of studying, read lots of books and yes I do actually get out there and walk the talk - but it doesn't mean I know everything (but don't tell my husband that LOL) we are always learning and I am always looking for new things to research, learn about and work with.    They probably won't be brand new ideas and subjects because let's face it paganism has been around for a very long time, but they will be new and interesting to me.

Always keep an open mind and an open heart, never judge another, and always keep on the look out for new things to learn...





Grimoire image by (c) P Patterson

Internal debates, mince pies and my Goddess figure

I have had an internal debate going on inside my head for a couple of months now and it is about the age old size/weight issue.

I am currently a UK size 14 but on the larger end of the size 14 scale...having put on about a stone in the past year.  The question is does it bother me enough to do something about it? AND do I really need to be worrying or doing anything about it?...OK that was two questions but you get the idea.

I am by no means obese, I don't even consider myself fat, although the fashion industry would, I consider myself to be 'normal' size.

If I could just wave my magic wand and be any size I wanted would I be a size zero? Not on your life...I wouldn't actually want to be anything lower than a 12 or 14 to be perfectly honest, I personally like my shape to be that of a woman not a coat hanger.  And the work and effort that it would take to maintain my personal body at a size zero would be my idea of a living nightmare.

So why is it preying on my mind?...I am not actually sure.  My clothes all still fit but I have that nagging urge to wear longer shirts and tops to cover my midrift that I wouldn't have done when I was a stone lighter. Why?  I have no idea.

I do not spend my entire day laying on the sofa watching day time TV and eating donuts - possibly because I am not that fussed about donuts ;-),  but I do like food, actually I don't just like food I love food.  I love the whole process - growing food, preparing menus, prepping food, cooking food and eating it.

I don't live on takeaways, processed food and ready meals, I do actually cook nearly everything from scratch, I buy organic and free range when I can and I have an organic vegetable box delivered regularly.  So in the main my eating is healthy but I do love chocolate and puddings and especially at this time of the year...mince pies and Christmas pudding.

It is true I do not exercise as such - I walk to school and back every day but to be honest that is about it.  I did spend three or four months last year doing a regular exercise routine...until I put my knee out and that was the end of that.  And no, I do not like exercise...

So my dilemma is, do I cut back?  I certainly won't diet because that is not how I roll, the idea of counting calories and fat, checking, weighing and measuring sends chills up my spine - "that is no way to live" my brain, heart and stomach cry...

But I do perhaps need to cut out all the extra munchies...and that is fairly easy to do...but the dilemma is how on earth can you do that at this time of the year?...the answer is I can't and I don't want to...so it will have to wait until January.

So in writing this blog I have solved my dilemma and answered my own questions - enjoy the festive season, eating healthy meals but adding a few treats in such as mince pies and Christmas pud, don't go to the excess but enjoy it, then come January I can cut out the treats and just eat lovely healthy food for a while until the few extra pounds are gone.

In the meantime shall embrace my Goddess shaped figure :-)

If you are a size zero,  an 8, a 16, a 20, a 22 - in fact whatever size you are, as long as it is not affecting your health in an adverse manner BE HAPPY BEING YOU!

Busy lives, glitter, 007 and Colditz...

Well that weekend sped past...

Hubby and I (I always start with 'my husband and I' but it sounds so terribly prim and proper that I change it to 'hubby and I' LOL) are both very busy in our lives.  Hubby works full time and is a member of two rock bands as well, along with all the other usual bits and pieces that life needs him to do (such as looking after his mum).  I work part time, thankfully from home but with the Kitchen Witch School and Coven, writing books, keeping up two facebook pages, two blogs and the Dorset Grove along with all the usual mummy stuff like housework, laundry and cooking meals - between us we are super busy.

Hubby's bands are now both fully booked with gigs for the whole of 2013, alongside that my rituals with Kitchen Witch and the Dorset Grove need to be slotted in so a while back we decided that we needed to slot in dedicated 'family weekends' to our schedule.

This weekend just gone was our first official 'family weekend' - no gigs, no rituals, limited computer/facebooking and focusing on spending time together and with the children.

Friday night started off with a film night and viewing of Arthur Christmas on DVD - what a fabulous film, definitely one that will become a 'classic'.

Saturday it rained, but that didn't stop us...we shopped for glitter, had lunch in a cafe and spent the afternoon decorating pine cones with said glitter and making Yule cards.  The evening was spent playing an old board game called Escape from Colditz...in which we all got whooped by our seven year old son.

Sunday we finally managed to get around to doing hubby's Fathers Day present - a visit to Beaulieu which is a huge estate with a house and abbey you can look around and a large car museum, the purpose of the visit was for hubby to look at the 007 James Bond exhibition.  Thankfully we missed most of the rain.  Hubby and the children all loved the 007 cars and I loved looking around the house as they had started to put up their Yule decorations...oh and they also have a very nice cafe...

All in all a lovely weekend and although we won't always use the 'family weekends' to go out and visit places like we did this weekend (unless we win the lottery) they will be special times dedicated to playing board games, cards, film nights and walks in the woods and on the beach - 'time together' being the important part.

Children grow up so fast it is important to  make the most of the time together when they are young and relationships can so easily drift apart because life becomes to busy.

Any relationship, whether it is a marriage, a friendship or parent/child takes work and effort - but it is so worth it...

We have always kept to this theory and after twenty years together hubby still  makes my heart flip and my toes curl ♥

Book covers, skulls and kitchen witchery

Well it has been a busy week, the final manuscript for Pagan Portals Hoodoo went off for copy editing and the front cover of Grimoire of a Kitchen Witch was proposed.

Personally I like the cover (and that's important of course), but when I posted it to facebook there were a few suggestions that although it was definitely witchy it isn't so much kitchen witchy (and I thank everyone for your comments, it is much appreciated).  Now although I can suggest photo ideas for the book cover, it is left to 'the management' of the publishers to go with what they believe would work, after all they should know what helps make a book sell right?

No, it isn't so much Kitchen Witchy but then after thinking about it for sometime the book is mine, I am the Kitchen Witch and it is my way of working, how I live, how I celebrate Sabbats, work spells, do rituals, work with herbs etc and I do think the cover reflects me (LOL not that I look like a skull) having printed it off on nice shiny photo paper I am pleased with it.

It is not just a book about Kitchen Witchery it is a my whole Grimoire, my entire Book of Shadows...it is so much more than just Kitchen Witchery...

x

Family time, festive traditions & Happy Thanksgiving

It has been a busy week, I am nearly finished with the Pagan Portals Hoodoo book, just a few thousand words to go...

I did have a ticket to go to Witchfest on Saturday but things have been so manic that I decided to pass the ticket on and stay at home.  So instead we had a lovely relaxing family weekend.  Lots of film watching, family meals and yesterday we visited the local garden centre to see their Christmas display.

What is a witch doing looking at Christmas decorations you might ask?  Well, I have blogged about this before but I celebrate 'the festive season' as a whole.   I am the only pagan in my family.   The festive season to me is about family.  When we were children my parents put so much effort into Christmas (and in fact they still do), I still have wonderful memories of amazing Christmases, all my lovely cousins would come to stay, there would be a house full of slightly tipsy adults (OK very tipsy), loads of children, various pets and grandparents - it was chaos but it was fabulous chaos.

Not quite so many people at the dinner table now but we still go to my parents for Christmas day, it wouldn't be the same without spending the day with my husband, children, parents and my brother - we eat loads, we laugh lots, we play games and we spend special time together making new memories.

I like to cook a special dinner for my family on the Winter Solstice and we usually open a present each.  I do my own little ritual and I also take part in the Dorset Grove Yule ritual and this year we will be having our own Kitchen Witch Coven ritual too.

I especially love the build up, yep I am the annoying person that starts watching Christmas films in November.  In fact yesterday on the way to the garden centre the children made me take the ACDC CD out of the car stereo and replace it with a Christmas one...

We do the whole build up, the first weekend of December the decorations go up, we have two trees and both get the full works.  We also have a tradition that we started twenty years ago when hubby and I had our first Christmas together - each year we choose a bauble for the tree to mark another Yule spent together and we started the same tradition with our children, they each choose a bauble now - so we have quite a collection now.

My Yule altar is already up, it is basic at the moment but will be added to once the decorations come down out of the loft in a couple of weeks.

Apologies to our lovely friends in the USA, I know you have Thanksgiving first before you get into the festive mode - I am truly thankful all year round for what I have - the best husband and children in the world, the best parents, friends and family.  So I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving :-)

And now I shall get on with that book writing...

x

What is your sacred site?

I have written about this before but it is in my thoughts today - what do you think of as your favourite sacred space, site or place?

The obvious answers are places such as Stonehenge, Glastonbury and ancient sites.  But does it have to be? Does a place have to be ancient with Tors or stone circles to be a sacred place?

I don't believe so...

There are many places in the UK that I love, places that when I visit I feel at home, at peace and that all is right with the world, Tintagel in particular feels like home to me - I have never lived there (not in this life time anyway) but I have visited on many occasions and I love the place.

I love Knowlton Henge where the The Dorset Grove hold their rituals, it is a lovely space that used to have a henge and has a Saxon church remaining (or most of it anyway).

I also love being by the ocean, something about the waves and the rocks that brings me peace.

Kitchen Witch hold our rituals at the Queen Elizabeth Country park which is a beautiful setting, we have use of a field at the edge of a wonderful forest it is a lovely space.

I adore the city of Bath along with Paris in France too - both beautiful cities full of amazing buildings.

We only have a small walled garden at home, but I love sitting out there to eat my lunch, or pottering about tending the plants and feeding the ever hungry pigeons.

All wonderful places, but probably not all places that would be classed as 'sacred'.

To me a place is 'sacred' if you feel that it is...

My favourite sacred place?  That would be my home.  It is where I feel safe, loved, protected, comfortable and where I work my magic (it also houses the cake and chocolate...) - it is sacred to ME.

I could connect with nature, cast a circle, perform a ritual and/or work magic in any of the above places and all would be special and all would be sacred to me.

So you don't have to travel miles and miles to 'sacred sites' - yes if you get the opportunity to visit the well known/famous ones I encourage you to do so, it is all part of life's experience but I also urge you to remember that sacred is within YOU.

x

Magical Times

I am very excited to have an article published in the wonderful The Magical Times magazine, current issue 12.

I have written about folklore and it is accompanied by a fabulous image by Marc Potts

For more details on purchasing one edition or subscribing to the magazine check out their facebook page or their website www.themagicaltimes.com

Issue 12 covers subjects such as nature, faeries, renaissance and folklore with articles on flower therapy, herbs and the underworld, Freyja and drawing down the moon to name but a few along with all sorts of other interesting and intriguing items.

Keep an eye out because I have been asked to become a regular contributor to the magazine - there is no escape LOL!

A little bit of Hoodoo...

I am currently very excited to be halfway through writing my third book to be published with Moon Books this one will be another in the fabulous Pagan Portals series, this time it is an introduction to the wonderful magical practice of Hoodoo.

I stumbled upon Hoodoo a few years back and was immediately drawn into it and pleasantly surprised at how much it connects and overlaps with traditional European folk magic.  I now incorporate it into my own witchcraft practices and it melds very nicely.

Not to be confused with the religion Voodoo/Voodoun, Hoodoo is the name for African American folk magic.

Hoodoo was established during the times of slavery in America using the native plants and items available to the people at the time and probably taking a little knowledge from the Native Americans too and bits of European folk magic as well.

It is a practice of magic based on healing using herbs, plants, roots, stones, minerals and such like combined with chants, rituals and handmade items.

It does also come with its fair share of curses and jinxes (hexes).

So if I am quiet for a while it is because I am buried beneath Orishas, Florida Water, Hot Foot Powder and Mojo bags...

Keep up to date on details of all my books on my website www.rachelpatterson.co.uk

The Kitchen Witch Samhain ritual

On Saturday I had the pleasure of joining my Kitchen Witch sisters to host a Samhain ritual in the beautiful setting of the Queen Elizabeth Country Park.

Slightly concerned as I woke up to torrential rain but thankfully it soon subsided.

The park was glorious, the trees all dressed in their Autumn finery along with a clear blue sky :-)

We were joined by some fabulously lovely people and the energy in the circle was amazing.

Note: Next time we need to beef up on the incense, cones just don't cut it out in the middle of a field LOL

We drummed, we raised energy for healing, we remembered our ancestors and loved ones that have passed over, we ate cream cakes (thank you Sgt Bun bakery) and we performed - in the loosest sense of the word...a bit of Shakespeare's three witches scene.

All in all a very lovely day, we thank everyone that joined us from the bottom of our hearts, it would not have been the same without you all.

x

Publication date - squeeee!!!

I have been given a release date for Pagan Portals Kitchen Witchcraft and can share the book cover with you...

Publication date will be 22nd February 2013

The book cover was designed by one of the Moon Books team - every self respecting Kitchen Witchcraft book has a toad right? ;-)

I am also extremely excited to have now made it to the Moon Books Authors page take a peek HERE

More details on this book can also be found on the  Moon Books website and also on my own website http://www.rachelpatterson.co.uk