Witchy Wednesday – Divination

Today’s Witchy Wednesday catchup (or YouTube Pagan Challenge Off YouTube), is about divination.  Do you use it, and if so, what types?

Divination is one of my favourite tools in the Witch’s arsenal.  I have tried my hand at most kinds.  The ones that I have developed a talent for are dream interpretation, tarot, dowsing, and scrying.

As a kid, I had wicked nightmares paired with sleep paralysis.  I also grew up knowing that prophetic dreams run in my family, so when I was about 12 or so I decided that I would take control of the runaway train that was my subconscious mind, and I studied lucid dreaming.

The first part, of course, was to be able to take control of nightmares.  It’s not an easy skill to master, but it does work.  My key was always “pinch me”, since I don’t feel pain in dreams, it helped alert my conscious mind that what I was seeing and experiencing wasn’t real.

I kept a dream journal for a while, but I find that with dreams, the message is something that is pretty immediate, and once deciphered, is really no longer relevant, so I fell out of that practise.

My mom had a tarot deck while I was growing up, and since I was always a bit of an art nut, I was drawn to cards with pictures on them.  It has taken me a while, but I feel I know them pretty well — upright anyway.  This year I am learning reversed card interpretations as well.

I don’t have a lot of things that I collect anymore — when I was little I collected all kinds of bits an bobs, but being a bit of a nomad in my adult life has necessitated that I have considerably less stuff.  Tarot decks are really the only thing I still collect outside of photographs.  Here are some of my beloveds (not all, because some were still packed from our trip when these photos were taken):

© Andrea Crossett

This is my Robin Wood tarot deck.  An oldie, but still a classic, and I love it.  Very similar imagery to the Rider-Waite, but with a bit of a Pagan twist.

© Andrea Crossett

This is the Sacred Circle tarot.  This was my very first deck, and while I never really connected to the images in the cards, I hang on to it for sentimental reasons.

© Andrea Crossett

This is the DruidCraft tarot.  Also one of my favourites.  Alas, it isn’t used as often as I would like because the cards are gigantic.  The art is still beautiful, though, so that makes up for it.

© Andrea Crossett

This was my second ever tarot deck, The Pagan Tarot.  The images are very different from the Rider-Waite, and tell the tale of a modern Pagan/Wiccan seeker’s journey.  This deck makes me feel very nostalgic about my own beginnings as a young Pagan.  While I don’t connect well to the court cards, I still use it roughly once a week or so.

© Andrea Crossett

And here is one of my absolute favs (tied with my mom’s old deck), the Shadowscapes tarot.  The artwork is amazing, and the cards are shockingly accurate.  I had been following this artist for years before she started work on her deck.  I remember the announcement when she began work on it and the year I spent on the edge of my seat.  I use this deck almost every day.

The other two techniques for divination I use are dowsing with a pendulum, and scrying.  For scrying I usually use water in some form, be it condensation on a window or a glass or a dark bowl of water.  I’m a bit out of practise, but the more often I meditate, the easier it is.  I have a small piece of labradorite that has some beautiful patterning that I will be making use of as I get back into the practise of scrying.  It’s set into a pendant, so it is also travel sized!

My first pendulum was a “toy” that my mom helped me to make when I was about 10 years old.  It was a lead fishing weight on the end of a piece of white string.  It always worked for me, and it was usually pretty accurate.  Great for an either/or type question or decision that needs to be made.

My current pendulums are crystals of varying sizes and a lovely handmade one that is made from a seashell.  The lead one has been passed  on to my daughter.  She is still a little young for it, but she likes to have something special that is just between her and Mommy.

Next week, or this week if I find the time, we are talking about spells.  Until then, folks!  Cheers!

Pagan Fashion Part III: Scarves and Veils

Public Service Announcement:

This will be more of a pan religio-cultural installment of Pagan Fashion since scarves, veils and head coverings span just about every culture and religion out there.  And while I’m going to do my best to be inclusive, I am sure that I will probably forget someone.  Also, this will be a link/image heavy post.  If your computer is on the ancient side, like mine, it may take some time for everything to load.

Scarves are one of my go-to accessories for just about any occasion.  They can keep away the chill in cooler months, and provide extra sun protection in the summer.  My collection is constantly growing.  Even when you’re short of cash, a scarf is a great way to extend your wardrobe.

Wheel of the Year: Imbolc

February 2nd¹ marks the Festival of Brigid.  Also known as Imbolc or La Fheile Bride.²  It is one of the four Fire Festivals or Greater Sabbats of the year.  The word Imbolc comes from Oimealg meaning ‘ewe’s milk’ as it was the time of year when domestic livestock, specifically sheep, would be lactating and preparing to give birth.

To be honest, I’ve never really had much of a connection with Brigid.  I’ve been inspired by the idea of her on numerous occasions, but I’ve never felt the devotion or closeness to her that her followers describe.

For me, Imbolc is the time of year to begin preparations for spring. I restock my supply of ritual/spell candles, bake something tasty, light a candle and make my first visit to the local nursery or garden centre.  I usually manage to pick up a hyacinth or a crocus for my indoor garden.  This year, the local nursery is still closed, so I picked up a little crocus plant at Safeway – the blooms are already open and a rich delicious purple.

44 Weeks of Witchery: Part II

We’ve made it through the first 11 weeks, yay!  This little blog project is brought to you by Mom’s a Witch.  Be sure to pop over and have a look at her answers to these questions and more.

If you want to play along, I say go for it!  Just make sure that you drop a link here so that I can see your answers too!

Now, we move on to the second part, questions 12 – 22.  Behold:

Signs and Symbols: The Language of the Deep Mind

This is a subject that I’ve been thinking about a lot lately.  2009 has been a very tumultuous year for me, and when the world starts spinning around you like a top on acid, you start looking to the universe for some direction.

I think that a lot of people turn to their religion for comfort in times of personal difficulty.  Witches are really no different.  When the going gets tough, we turn to what we know.