Dog Spell: “Go Fetch!”
Dogs. Admittedly, I’m not a dog-person per se, but I have guys due credit. Dogs are marvelous animals, both extremely complex and laughably simple at the same time. I attempted to research the differences in dog symbology but found myself basically looking at the same principles: security, protection, guardianship, courage, persistence, fidelity, and friendship. These associations have been made since early history (Greek, Chinese, Roman, Celtic, etc.) and have continued on to present-day.
In honor of the dog, I figured on sharing a bit of Asian folk magic. This particular spell is an adaption of one originating from Japan, which is known for its “paper magic.” There, the paper becomes the media for magic and prayer and has been a rather popular industry in Japan, where paper talismans are often sold at Shinto shrines and senbazuru are believed to grant wishes. This spell keeps in mind the dog’s natural willingness to aid and assist its master when called.
“Go Fetch!” Paper Dog Spell
My Spell Table
Thanks to cosmic circumstance (or something), I think all witch-related blogs are obligated to have at least one post pertaining to altars, spell tables, and/or devotional spaces. So, here’s mine:
ELLERY’S SPELL TABLE
(Clockwise, starting from the upper left-hand corner…)
Candle Tansu: I suppose it would be more accurate to say it’s a miniature kaiden-tansu with candles on it. I happen to do a lot of candle-related spells, often for other people. The drawers contain various odds and ends related to spell-working.
Decorative “Witch Ladder”: It’s modeled after the Wellington Witch Ladder that was discovered in 1878 in Wellington, Somerset (Southwest England). It serves no other purpose than to look neat and use up the surplus amounts of feathers and ribbon left after a scrapbooking project.
February Update
Another quickie update to let people know why I’ve been “missing in action.” (Again.)
As touched on in a previous post, I made brief mention of my near-constant bouts of illness. Well, it eventually occurred to me that colds shouldn’t last, say, four months. Or that bronchitis shouldn’t last nine months out of every year. The laundry list of “common” illnesses and goes on and on. Just last week, I decided to talk to someone about it.
You know it’s going to be good news when the doctor walks in, nervously glances at your files and says, “I’m going to keep this as light-hearted as possible…”
I won’t go into explicit detail but turns out that when you pile everything together, it falls under the “you now have a significantly shorter life expectancy than the average person” category. Ouch.
The supposed “good news” is that I’m still relatively young (late 20′s), and the doctor hopes that I can use this fact in my favor. He admits that “in a perfect world,” he’d have me come in every day, all day and give me his undivided attention. But it’s not a perfect world so I come in three days a week, twice those days.
I won’t lie. The treatments hurt, and I don’t look forward to them. But everyone in the clinic is trying to be optimistic about things, not to mention extremely kind about it. “Are you okay? Do you feel okay? Do you need a water bottle? Are you sure? Are you sure?”
The hardest part so far has been the change of diet. I was a little concerned at first, especially since my prescribed diet is very limiting. I’ve had to give up all refined sugars, grains, most fruits, most dairy products, most animal meats, and… well, you get the point. Lots of restrictions.
So, I’ve been a little busy. And a little tired. But it seems that I’m starting to get into the swing of this new schedule and will be able to blog again. So watch out for new posts.
Love,
Ellery Faye
A Witch’s Marriage to a Christian
At first glance, my husband has as much interest in religion as… well, he has no interest or at least not any visible interest. In general, he’s a very private person – something that’s a prominent feature of his personality as well as a constant source of frustration for myself (“Hey! Get back in the picture! It’s a family photo!”). Most people will come to find out that he’s a Christian, especially when they meet his mother, a former Protestant minister. I know he has several little Book of Psalms, and I’m guessing he pages through them now and again because they’ll randomly pop up when I’m cleaning.
I also know for certain that one of his prized possessions is a dilapidated Bible given to him by an Army chaplain that he befriended while in Iraq. (Not just any Bible, mind you. It was the one the chaplain had used during seminary college over 20 years ago, personal annotations included.) In fact, I recently noticed that all his “good friends” are chaplains – every single one. He once briefly mentioned that he would have very insightful talks about different aspects of Christianity with these chaplains, but beyond that, I never really heard him talk about God or Jesus or seen him pray (although he claims that he does).
Throughout our six-year marriage, religious beliefs were more-or-less never mentioned. We had a few conversations, mostly me explaining that “Christian” is an umbrella term and yes, Catholics were under said umbrella and yes, being a Methodist also made him a Protestant. Beyond that, there was very little discussion – oh, except the occasional mention of “Neopagan freaks” and the “load of bullshit” they practiced.
Quick Update
Oy vey. I haven’t written in a week, I know. This post is just a quick filler while I get myself back into the gear of things. First, I’ll let y’all in on what’s been going on lately to keep me from blogging:
Concerning Home Life
Really, all I have to mention is my cold-infested family and you’ll probably be able to work the rest out. I am happy to report that I wasn’t victim to this round of illness – my husband and son had that unfortunate honor. We completely blame the day care, considering those sort of places are generally a pathological nightmare.
But yes. The man-cold. Times two.
Also, we ended up surrendering a rescue dog that we adopted three months ago. The organization failed to notice the dog’s laundry list of phobia and her reactions. Basically, we were given a 70 lbs. dog who was afraid of everything. After months of trying to rehabilitate her (with absolutely no improvement), we just had to give her back.
While the circumstances were upsetting, the fact is our home is now far more calmer and safer for everyone. Thankfully, the rescue organization is no-kill and they have every intention of finding her the proper help and then a proper home.
Concerning Other Things
Well, it’s been decided that it’s about time for me to head back to college. I’ve been spending the last week or so researching different colleges in the area. Luckily, a few of them have centers at the base that my husband works in. I’m pretty excited about going back – especially since I’ll be going to college with other folks my age (and older). I’ll be pursuing a degree in History, eventually working my way up to a PhD. Then y’all can call me “Doc.”
Concerning the Blog
I’ve been writing and researching for several articles while tending to my husband’s “I have a stuffed nose, the world is ending…” complaints. Just hang tight for a few days.
Tofa,
Ellery Faye
Not all witches…
My husband, being a Christian born in the famous Bible Belt of America, often showcases his ignorance when it comes to witches and witchcraft. His knowledge seems to stem off popular stereotypes, assumptions, and movie imagery. “You’re a witch, right? Shouldn’t you…?” Unfortunately, he’s not the only one. A lot of people – even some fellow witches – are convinced that we’re all a cookie-cutter lot, easily identified and categorized. The rest of us know that we’re as varied in our craft as we are people.
Amending Popular “Witch” Stereotypes
Not all witches are religious. Witchcraft is a tool and nothing more. Currently, the most popular religion that utilizes a type of witchcraft as part of their methodology is Wicca, popularized by Gerald Gardner circa the 1960′s. However, witchcraft itself has preexisted Wicca by a couple thousand centuries. The religion of a witch (if she or he even has one) varies, as does the practice of incorporating it into their craft. Many keep the two exclusive of each other, preferring not to mix business with faith.
Not all witches have a Book of Shadows. A Book of Shadows is really a Wicca-based practice. For many Wiccans, the Book of Shadows is a sacred, usually secretive book of spells, rituals, miscellaneous references, and journal entries. Beyond Wicca, keeping a collection of references is common. Whether or not these texts are considered sacred depends on the individual. Some may follow the Book of Shadows concept while others consider their writings as mystical and divine as a Betty Crocker cookbook.
(more…)
First Post, Version: Deux
Aha, the first post to a blog starting anew. If this is your first time tuning in, my initial attempt at blogging on EclecticWitch.com was… well, it was a failed venture in many ways. Admittedly, I lost some momentum while attempting a project (the infamous “44-Days of Witchery” challenge). I won’t go into the dynamics of why I became indifferent (the questions were uninspiring, the topics were lazy, the tone was saturated with obnoxious amounts of ‘pop-culture, Charmed-flavored Wicca’… ), but I nixed the whole thing after some reflection.
Today is a new day, but I figured on staying with the original ‘first post, let’s talk about me’ topic. However, this is the ’2.0 version’ – lovingly condensed for your convenience:
How I Came To Be
I completely (and lovingly) blame my parents. When my mother left Korea in the 70′s, her culture (which also had a lot of Chinese influence) came with her; this included things like Zen Buddhism, ancestor veneration, divination, martial arts, and Feng Shui. On the other hand, my father was half Irish and half German, and he brought in an appreciation for nature, history, and religion – specifically Catholicism. Love, marriage, and a baby-carriage produced moi.
My childhood was a healthy mix of culture and religious upbringing. But ultimately Catholicism didn’t work out for me; there was a life-long difference of opinions involved and things naturally progressed into apathy. College, my own marriage, and years of spiritual anorexia followed, as did an 18-month deployment. Eventually, I began to take stock of how things were progressing.
That started a personal crusade. I began to research. I didn’t have any particular plan in regards of what to research; I just started reading up on anything remotely interesting – ancient history, musical theory, medical advances, food science, etc. Eventually, I gave birth to my son and later happened upon both nature-based religions and witchcraft. I found that the two made excellent sense and mirrored my own philosophies and sense of theology. And so the rest is (as they say) history.
Yes, there’s a lot more involved. Yes, I’m glazing over some interesting details and an instance of existential awareness. And yes, it’s extremely hollow and uninspiring because of its oversimplification. But I’m okay with that. The important thing is that I finished another dreaded ‘first post’ entry, and I can now move on with the rest of my blogging (not really) career.
Namaste,
Ellery Faye
I’m Participating In…
