Are Those Your Real Clothes or Is That a Costume?

Sadly Halloween and Samhain are now past. It's time to put away all the fun clothes and chivalrous outfits we donned over the weekend, or perhaps several weekends. Luckily I've got one more event to attend, a Day of the Dead celebration. It's my last opportunity to wear skull make up and put on some of my favorite pieces.

I always feel more myself in my Witchy clothing, Halloween clothing or Renn Faire clothing. I feel we've lost something by not wearing dresses that require us to lift our hems, although I would never want to go back to not having the choice to wear pants.

But something magickal happens when I put on my floor length gowns and lift my skirt to navigate steps. Something I've learned is easier said than done. How did we as women navigate steps and curbs with all that long material around our ankles?

Looking towards the future, the Winter Solstice is coming. There will be holiday parties and more events attend, but not ones that require me to wear my Witchy clothing. Perhaps I'll create my own Winter evening, where I and my friends can dress up once more.

Happy Holidays! 

Witchy Goodness

"Are you a Witch?"
"Why Yes, I am!"
"What does that mean?"

A huge thank you to award winning author, Cynthia Richards, for allowing me to guest post on her blog, "Deep Thoughts and Junk," for Witchy Week.

Check out my guest post "Witchy Goodness," where I share my personal thoughts about being a practicing Witch in today's world.

https://deepthoughtsandjunk.wordpress.com/…/witchy-week-na…/

Witches In My Front Yard

There are Witches in my front yard! Of course I put them there. They spin around on metal broomsticks, flying in mid-air, atop a metal spike which balances them, like a tightrope walker in the sky.

I love these little witches. I picked them up at a vintage furniture store that was going out of business. Every year I try to add to my collection, picking up unique pieces that speak to the season of Halloween and the sacredness of Samhain.

It's hard not to want to put everything out at once, but I try to stagger putting up my decorations. Simple Fall decorations come first, things that can last until after Thanksgiving.  I definitely do not put out Christmas decorations until after Thanksgiving! I love decorating for Yule, the Winter Solstice and Santa Claus. I love elves and Dickens themed decorations, but I wait. I wait for the Season to turn, which can be hard, in our society's rush to get into buying, buying, buying, for the Holidays.

I'm also working on my outfit for our local Witches' Ball. This year we're also attending a Day of the Dead celebration. I'm excited to have two events where I can wear my Witchy clothing. It is our season, after all.

I'm also excited that on a recent vacation, I met a woman from Sleepy Hollow, NY. I met her in a gift shop in Maine. It was lovely she shared with me, what it's like to grow up in Sleepy Hollow, how her ancestors are buried in the Sleepy Hollow cemetery, and how the town definitely takes advantage of Washington Irving's "The Headless Horseman." Which by the way, if you've only seen the movie, you owe it to yourself to actually the read the story. What a fantastic tale!

Cinderella Pumpkins

It's that time of year. Ghosts, goblins, witches, monsters, zombies and all sorts of amazing horrors, designed to thrill and chill us make their appearance. It's Witch time.  If you've been in the broom closet you can safely come out, without fear of ridicule. If you're a closet Witch or Witch sympathizer, you can honor your Witch self and not feel bad about it.

In Colorado, this time of year can be funky. We're known to go straight from Summer into Winter, with only a few weeks of Fall in between. We always feel doubly blessed if Halloween night arrives and we don't have wear winter coats over our costumes.

For many years, I've attended Witches' Balls here in Denver and in New Orleans. For practicing Witches, this is our time of year. We don't consider what we're wearing costumes.  To us it's a chance to wear our real clothes! I've been adding to my Witch closet for years. Each year I get excited to see what I'll come up with, for Halloween/Samhain night.

Nothing thrills me more than to wear my gowns and cloaks. It's great to attend Witch Balls with people who really do believe in and practice the Craft. The Craft is our religion. It's not something we don for one night of the year. But this post isn't about our religion. It's about the magick of believing.

Some dear friends gifted us with a Cinderella pumpkin from their garden. We picked the one we wanted and brought it home. The pumpkin is the embodiment of believing in magick/magic. Who didn't love the story of the pumpkin that turns into a carriage? Everyone I know surely wishes they had a fairy godmother. Now is the time of year to grant yourself three wishes!

Renn Faire Magick

The Colorado Renn Faire opened June 15, 2013 and I went this past weekend.  How I love the Renn Faire!  I've been attending since 1992 and every time I go it just gets better and better.

The first time I set foot on the Renn Faire grounds, in the summer of 1992, I knew I had a found a magickal place.  The Faire was filled with people who thought like me and loved the Rennaissance period of history.

Like other Faire goers, the first few times I attended the Faire, I did not wear period clothing.  That just seemed a little too much for me.  Plus its silly right to dress and pretend your're wench, a fairy, a knight of the court, a lady in waiting, or a mysterious, magickal person, a Witch, walking through the realm, right?  WRONG!

As the fates would have it, one year I took my son to the Renn Faire when he was just a little boy.  We noticed ta "costumes for rent" tent, right outside the Faire gates.  We took the plunge, rented costumes and the magickal doors of the Faire opened to us.  We didn't know at the time, we'd picked a prince's costume for my son.  Everywhere we went through the Faire, people bowed to him, and he went before the court and bowed before the king.  Oh what a great day that was and I've been going in "costume" ever since.  I put "costume" in quotes, because now I have real Renni clothes, that I just love wearing to the Faire and any other place that is appropriate.  To me, they are my real clothes.  When I get dressed up in my Renni clothes and saunter through the Faire, I feel at home:

You meet the nicest people at the Faire.  After years of attending, I've now got friends who come to work the Faire for the 8 weeks the Faire is running.  I'm secretly jealous of their ability to do this!  I've always fantasized about having my own little Gypsy cart and traveling the country, going from Faire to Faire.  Well, it still could happen!
This year I took a friend to the Faire who had never been before.  She was a "Renn Faire Virgin".  I supplied her with clothes, stressing to her how much more fun she would have, if she dressed up.  Thankfully she is good sport as well as being an author, and she loved it!  We had such a good time.
And to put an end to our magickal day at the Faire, as we were leaving, a woman came up to me and asked, "Are you Witches?"  Of course I turned to her and said, "Yes, I am! "

Blessed Be.

A Halloweening We Go!

This is Bob.  He's our resident ghoul:

He's absolutely ecstatic it's Halloween time!  He loves hanging out and greeting everyone and wishing them happy hauntings!

I love Halloween. 

When the wind blows and the leaves rustle, I feel whispers nudging me.  The light is changing, the dark is darker.  Shadows seem to move.  Trees seem to wave secrets.  The twilight calls. 

This year on Halloween proper, I intend to light a fire and sit.  Chill out by the fire with a nice glass of mead and listen to the night.  Hopefully we'll get some kids stopping for candy.  I always get a little nostalgic for Halloween as it was, when I was a kid.  Before the time when you had to take your kids to a "trick or treat street" or a specific place for trick or treating.  We just used to dress up and set out!  We had such a great time going from door to door, the neighborhood just crawling kids trick or treating.  It was a special time and I'm glad I was a kid before it changed.

We're lucky to live in an established neighborhood with neighbors that know us and bring their kids by.  I get such a thrill when the door bell rings and there are little monsters and goblins on my steps!

I've already watched one of my favorite movies, "Practical Magic".  By the time Halloween rolls around I'll have watched "Poltergeist" the first one, "Hocus Pocus" and of course "The Nightmare Before Christmas.  I'm also looking forward to attending one of the great Witches' Balls in the city.

A Happy Halloweening we go!

Priestess Najah :)

Happy Birthday Marie LaVeau!

Tomorrow is the birthday of Marie LaVeau , who was born on September 10, 1794 and left this earth on June 16, 1881.  Shrouded in mystery, feared and admired, few facts about her life remain.  We know a few things.  Her home on St. Ann and Rampart streets in New Orleans still stands.  She worked tirelessly in service to the poor and the rich, sharing her knowledge and power of the Old Ways.  Old ways of Voodoo, Hoodoo, Conjure, Witchcraft.  All the terms apply.  She was a religious woman and of strong faith. 

I've been to her tomb; http://www.craftandconjure.com/blessed_marie_laveau  One cannot practice the Art of Conjure without feeling her presence in New Orleans.  I feel blessed to have paid homage to her tomb.  

Sometimes I imagine what it must have been like to meet her.  Did one knock on her door with a secret knock, when you needed her help?  What if you were lucky enough to study with her?  How many gris-gris bags would you have to make?  How many floors would you need to wash to gain her approval?

She speaks to my heart.  I look into her eyes and see power, knowledge and secrets.  It is known and documented she performed works for the Queen of England; Bivins, N.D.P.  Seems if one was in trouble, one knew where to go.

Lyle Saxon in the book, "Fabulous New Orleans" 1928, closes her chapter:

"In the Old St. Louis Cemetery on Basin Street is a neat brick tomb, with the following inscription: Famille Vve. Paris nee Laveau.  This is all that remains of the former greatness of the all powerful Voudou Queen".

How wonderful to prove him wrong!  Happy Birthday Marie LeVeau! 
 

Kung Fu Priestess

I take my faith seriously.  I practice my Craft as a religion.  I follow the cycles of the Moon closely, honoring the Full Moons and celebrating the turn the of Seasons.  I follow the turn of the Wheel and take my cues from Her seasons.

Several years ago I followed a desire which had been with me for many years.  I had longed to study T'ai Ch'i.   I grew up being a martial arts enthusiast and a lover of Asian culture.  Along the way, as a young adult I developed asthma.  I had read somewhere or learned somewhere that T'ai Ch'i was an excellent remedy for asthma, as it helped to slow down your breathing and cultivate your Ch'i, the energy of life.

Years passed before I acted on my desire to study T'ai Ch'i.  It just seemed to be one of those things I never got to, yet the desire was always lurking around in my mind.  Then in 2009 I finally took the step and began to study T'ai Ch'i, which was being taught at a senior center.

As I began to study T'ai Ch'i, I shared my experience with one of my very best friends.  Little did I know that she had been a Shao-Lin student for many years.  I had been to her home several times, seen her weapons, but it was just a subject that never came up.  I truly believe it is one of things that you don't see or understand until you are ready.  In sharing my experience, she asked me to show her my T'ai Ch'i.  After showing her the tiny bit I had learned, she suggested I might enjoy coming to her school, The Chinese Shao-Lin Center.  This suggestion scared and un-nerved me.  I was comfortable in the senior center.  Going to a real school was more than I was prepared to consider.  However, I also ran the suggestion by a trusted co-worker, and he too having studied martial arts as a teen, thought I would enjoy the structure and discipline of martial arts as it is taught in a formal school.  Thankfully I listened to the advice of my friends and I joined the Chinese Shao-lin Center (CSC) in 2009.  But I only went to learn T'ai Ch'i.

The CSC has a marvelous program of offering free classes for a month.  For one month you can take all the classes you like, for free, in T'ai Ch'i and Kung Fu.  I used all my free T'ai Ch'i classes and was hooked.  However while taking my free classes I noticed all the different belt levels.  There were belts of white, yellow, blue, green, brown, and the all hallowed, Black.  Intrigued, I asked how one achieved the belt levels of advancement.  A senior student told me "you get those from studying Kung Fu".  Hmmm.  Study Kung Fu?  This was not what I had come to learn, but those belts and the training looked awesome.  I took one free class and decided to learn Kung Fu.

However, beyond those serendipitous moments, another truth lie hidden.  In my study of The Craft I had come across a beautiful used copy, of Ed Fitch's "Grimore of Shadows".  Ed Fitch is a pioneer of the Old Ways, having been around during the days of Scott Cunningham, the beginnings of Wicca and Raymond Buckland.  In studying Ed Fitch's grimore, I came across a passage that read:

"Study of Defensive and Martial Combative Arts"
"The world is not a peaceful or tranquil place, and it is seldom prudent to fully trust outsiders - even those appointed by the Law - with the safety of oneself, one's family or those of one's coven.  All should be encouraged to take some training in Karate, Hapkido, Judo, Ninjitsu, Aikido, Tai Chi, Kung Fu, or other such martial arts which have a strong (if subtle) metaphysical and Magical philosophy behind them."

There it was in Black and White.  Ed Fitch extoling the virtues of martial arts and the benefits of training for a practicing Witch.  I knew then and there I had to continue with my studies.  I needed to see the course through to develop as a person, a human being, a Priestess and a Witch.  And so I committed to learn and study Kung Fu, honoring the commitment I had made to myself and to the Goddess.

My study and training in Shao-Lin Kung Fu has only really just begun.  On Sunday, August 26, 2012, I was thrilled to achieve my First degree Black Belt in Shao-Lin Kung Fu:

I have no idea where this journey will take me now.  I remain open and committed to the Craft and to Shao-Lin Kung Fu.   I am grateful to Ed Fitch for publishing his knowledge and to my school, The Chinese Shao-Lin Center, where I study under the wonderful guidance and training of Masters Sharon and David Soard.

Blessed Be, So Mote It Be,
Priestess Najah

To Be A Witch In This Age

This morning I was giddy.  I woke up earlier than usual, which for me means 4:30 a.m.  I just couldn't sleep.  I was hoping to catch the New Moon Crescent in the sky, but alas She wasn't there.  However I was rewarded with peace and quiet, the dark of the morning, and beautiful stars overhead.

Then I sat down to begin reading my latest gift, The Witches Tarot Deck by Ellen Dugan.  My deck had arrived by mail yesterday and I could hardly wait to delve into it.

After reading a couple of chapters, I posted on my Priestess Najah Facebook Page:

"Blessed Be Ellen Dugan! I received my Witches Tarot yesterday and it is absolutely magickal and fantastic! I am as giddy as a schoolgirl Witch! And the full size book, what a treat. Ah, to be a Witch in this age. Thank you, thank you!"

As I thought about what I written, what stood out for me was "Ah, to be a Witch in this age".  What did I mean by that and where did that statement come from? 

It was if some other self had written the post.  A Witch in this age.  It had been a very magickal morning.  I was in my Witchy Mood Mind Self. 

I know I have lived before.  I know I have practiced the arts before. I know I've been a healer, a scribe, a Witch.  In a few weeks I will travel to London, England.  Besides all the obvious tourist sites, I will definitely be visiting sites and places of an occult nature.  I can hardly wait to see what transpires and manifests.  My soul has longed to visit London for aeons.  It is as if a homecoming is awaiting me.

To be a Witch in this time.  We have the internet.  People and institutions are up and out.  I can write about Witchcraft.  I can have a Facebook page, a Blog and  a Website.  I can go to Pagan Community gatherings and have a good time without fear of reprisal.  I know I am blessed to live in a state and community where I can be who I am and live a good life.  I know for many others it is not the case and yet still, the Wheel has turned and more and more of us are up and out.  I pray everyday for all Witches, Pagans and Believers everywhere.

So yes, it is good to be a Witch in this time.

Blessed Be,

Priestess Najah

"Oh, To Be In Salem"

Today Laurie Cabot of the Cabot Hermetic Temple in Salem, MA, posted a photo on Facebook, of their new High Priestesses:

This photo made me happy and it also made me sad. 
I am happy to see The Craft is strong and practiced and celebrated and revered by such wonderful people. Sad because that type of ceremony and guidance was what I thought I would find when I set out on the path many years ago. Sad that what I see in the picture seems not to be the norm of the experience of a modern day Witch. These Witches and High Priestesses are thrice blessed to have Laurie Cabot and her training as part of their path.

I've been to Salem twice.  It's what I thought it would be, cobblestone streets in the old part, Witch Stores, Craft stores, cemeteries, and history.  I'm sure most of us know the history of Salem and the Witch Trials.  And being a modern day Witch, I know that Salem also has its unfortunate share of Witch Wars.  But none of this matters to me.  To me Salem is my pilgrimage for all things Witchy and what I love about practicing the Craft.

When I set out on my path many years ago, I thought I would find what is captured in the picture above.  I thought I'd find a teacher, a coven, a group to hold me, guide me, direct me.  What I found was lies and deceit.  I had a teacher for while, and for reasons only the Goddess knows our relationship came to an abrupt end.  I was forced to dig deep into my own soul, to know in my heart my path and continue on.  And Blessed Be I did.

But being solitary is sometimes a lonely path, especially for a social person like me.  I have come to know the value of a good mentor in one's life.  I have come to deeply appreciate teachers of integrity.  I have been blessed to find a wonderful community with whom to celebrate the Seasons and Full Moons.  But when it comes to a deep teacher relationship in regards to the Craft, I'm on my own. Perhaps this is part of my mystery, my journey.  I can honestly say the burn I received many years ago, still stings at my heart, especially when I see pictures like the one above.  Perhaps too, it's similar to the burn a lot of practicing Witches feel when they seek to come out and practice their faith in the open.  It's not too far back in history where we were persecuted for our beliefs and in some parts of the country and the world, we still are.

I seek to take the hope I see in the photo, the happiness in their faces and carry it into my own life and practice.  May we all be thrice blessed.

Blessed Be,
Priestess Najah