Summer afternoon, summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language. — Henry James

This week is the first of summer. A season that, while not always the easiest to bear unless one lives for the heat, is utterly and completely gorgeous.

I can relate to the estimable Mr. James’ words – though might personally swap “fall afternoon” in for summer.

Though, that said, I have a deeply rooted love of summer and find many positives in the languid days of scorching sun, verdancy aplenty, outdoor living, and nights of enveloping, bathtub-like warmth that makes one feel extra glad for the blessing that is life.

Before we get too far into the season of ice cream cones and sandcastles, however, let’s pull up a folding camping chair (or a comfy hammock) and sink into enjoying some of the most inspiring, informative, or just plain interesting links that crossed my path during the spring of 2021.

(As well as the lowdown on some of what’s been transpiring in my own life over the course of the season that just was.)

Magick, Witchcraft, Paganism, and Spirituality

–DIY Crescent Moon Incense Burner: From fellow Canadian witch, Breawna, comes this lovely, wonderfully easy to follow along with video that shows you how to make a crescent moon-shaped incense burner with a mere handful of basic crafting supplies. The end result is both beautiful and functional, and would make for a fantastic homemade gift to boot!

–DIY Magickal Slow Cooker Candles: No matter the season, candles are a mainstay in our home and in my witchy workings. Big or small, scented or unscented, white or coloured, handmade or store-bought, candles are always welcome under our roof.

I love finding new ways to make or utilize candles, and while we don’t currently own a slow cooker/crockpot/Instant Pot, should one enter our lives again, I’m delighted to have this awesome DIY tutorial for making magickal candles in a slow cooker at the ready.

Should you have a slower cooker, and enjoy creating your own candles, this looks like a really fun and rewarding DIY project to whip up.

–Do Something Witchy Everyday: The message that drives this post is one that aligns greatly with my own practices, which often centre far less on OTT or complex workings and rituals, and much more on feasible, enjoyable, and diverse forms of everyday witchcraft.

If you’ve been looking to up your witchy workings or just need some ideas for meaningful ways to connect (all the more) with your witchy daily, swing by this I, Medusa post written by Anna Mist and be inspired.

–How to Officiate a Handfasting Step-by-Step: In many parts of the world, mid-spring to early fall is seen as wedding season, as nuptials proliferate during the sunny months.

If you’re fortunate to be in the position of being able to officiate a handfasting ceremony, or are looking to find someone to officiate your own handfasting/Pagan wedding, this informative post on the subject from the beloved witchery blog Moody Moons is just the ticket.

–How Spirituality Benefits Highly Sensitive People: Spirituality is a profoundly personal and important element of many peoples’ lives, and while certainly, by no means, the sole domain of highly sensitive individuals, those who identify as such often find immense benefit, comfort, and meaning in their spiritual journey.

This look at the subject was recently shared on the superb HSP-focused website, The Highly Sensitive Refuge. It resonated with me, just as I suspect it will with many of my fellow spiritually inclined HSPs and empaths.

–The 25 Most Important Witchcraft Books Ever Published: Whether you concur entirely with the list of entries on this engaging post from Jason Mankey (himself a renowned Pagan author) or not, chances are you will appreciate the significance and importance of each witchery related title highlighted therein.

I definitely did and, in the process, really appreciated the fact that Mankey arranged his list chronologically, thus further helping readers to understand all the more just how influential these books have been on multiple generations of witches over the years.

–20 Powerful Herbs for Protection: Like many a magickally inclined soul, I do my fair share of protection and guarding work. I’m a trusting person, but am far from naïve and I know that there are many forces at play in the world that we can use some extra protection against.

If protection magick strikes a chord with you as well, this helpful look at 20 Powerful Herbs for Protection is an excellent resource on the subject that feels all the more at home as we embrace the fresh greenery-filled season that is summer.

Card Making, Scrapbooking, Paper Crafting, and Other Crafts

–Crocheted Succulents Free Pattern: For those who are fortunate to possess crocheting skills, this free pattern for eye-catchingly wonderful crocheted succulents is bound to find favour – especially if also have a green thumb, enjoy green witchery, or simply swoon at the sight of succulents.

–DIY (Paper Crafting) Jewelry Box Tutorial: As someone with an immense fondness for jewelry, it may come as no surprise that I’m also rather partial to jewelry boxes that can house my beloved wee collection of beads, baubles, and brooches.

The idea of creating one’s own jewelry box is really appealing to me, so when Graphic 45 recently shared a handy tutorial detailing just that, I bookmarked it for myself and knew I wanted to share it here with all of you as well.

Beyond serving “just” as a jewelry box, this project could be used to store any number of small items, from thimbles to dried flowers, crystals to marbles – and can be customized to your heart’s content, depending on the materials that you employ.

(And speaking of Graphic 45, I really like this beautiful summertime perfect beach-themed mini album that was shared on their blog a few days ago.)

–DIY Terracotta Essential Oil Diffuser & Car Air Freshener: My recent Litha season post, 15 Essential Oils That Are Perfect the Summer Solstice, has put me in even more of an essential oil mood than usual (which, given my passion for this subject, is saying a lot! ).

Combine essential oils with a fun DIY project and I’m there faster than you can say “take a whiff!”

If these are topics that tickle your fancy (not to mention your olfactory sense) as well, be sure to check out Cintia’s fantastic tutorial on how to make your very own DIY terracotta essential oil diffuser and car air freshener.

–DIY Summer Wreath from a Straw Hat: A sizable smile spread across my face the moment I spied Patti’s wonderful tutorial for making a strikingly pretty summer wreath from a straw hat.

Like many who experienced the 1980s and early 90s firsthand, I well remember when decorative straw hat home décor was having a serious moment.

Indeed, straw hat wreaths hung both in my family’s home and in those of multiple relatives for many years. I even had one in my own bedroom for a few years during my early childhood.

It’s fantastic to see this charming way of dressing up classic straw hats finding favour again (I suspect that the recent trend for #cottagecore and similar aesthetics is doing its part on that front).

If you’re keen to rekindle a trend or to experience straw hat home décor for the first time, follow Patti’s lead and adore your home with an attractive DIY straw hat wreath.

–Easy DIY Earrings You Can Make on a Budget: Fun fact, I’ve been creating handmade jewelry since I was a child and had a fun little side business selling handmade nickel-free jewelry for a time during my teens and early adult years.

While the arson fire that we experienced back in 2016 completely destroyed my stash of jewelry making supplies, my love of this endlessly versatile (not to mention, practical) art form has never left me.

Little by little, I’ve gathered a few jewelry making materials again and hope to continue to do so as time goes on.

One needn’t have a plethora of supplies (or a lavish budget) to create wonderful handmade jewelry. A few basic items, some inspiration, and a desire are usually all it takes to do just that – as the more than 40 projects highlighted in this terrific post over on the Mod Podge blog amply demonstrate.

–How to Setup a Portable Craft Space: As awesome as it would be for every crafter to have a large, roomy space in which to craft to their heart’s content, the fact of the matter is that for many of us that simply isn’t feasible.

Naturally, lack of space for a big craft room shouldn’t prevent one from getting their creativity on all the same.

And by the same token, sometimes even those with their own craft rooms, shed sheds, etc enjoy having a portable crafting station elsewhere in their home (say in the family room or den, for example).

If you’ve been curious about how to set up a portable craft space that can be placed wherever is most convenient/functional for you in your house, I highly suggest checking out Bea Valiant’s great photo-filled post on how to do just that.

–Zippered Pouch Tutorial (Using Scrapbook Paper): Ever looked at some of your favourite papers or cardstocks and thought that they’d look fabulous as a zippered pouch?

Whether the answer to that question is yes or no, chances are you’ll be intrigued and inspired by this lovely tutorial shared by Split Coast Stamper member Betty Traciak which shows you how to do just that.

Just think of the endless possibilities, from gifts to practical storage, holiday and home décor to an instant conversation starter at your next crop!

What’s Shaking in My Life and On My Radar

Where to begin?

I’ve thought about this portion of this very blog post many times over the course of the past several weeks. In a sense, there is a lot I want to say, and yet perhaps even more that I would prefer to keep to myself for the time being.

As those of you who follow me on Instagram may have noticed, I have not been on IG (which is my primary social media platform) much at all in recent weeks.

There have been various reasons for that, with two in particular accounting for the lion’s share of why this has been the case.

First and foremost, in recent months I have been dealing with some perplexing and challenging new medical issues that are (true to form a lot of the time when it comes to my health) proving very difficult to unearth answers/diagnoses for.

At present, I am not going to go into specifics publicly about these issues – especially until I have some solid answers as to what it is that I am actually contending with.

On top of the physical issues themselves, this newest medical battle (for those readers who may not know, I have been a multi-chronic illness fighter of more than a dozen different chronic medical conditions for twenty years now) – and the frustration, stress, and uncertainty that comes with fighting tirelessly for a diagnosis – is having a substantial impact on my mental health.

Between the physical and mental challenges, what little (personal) time I have been able to carve out online has mostly been devoting to blogging.

Thus far, much to my surprise at times, I have been able to keep up with my usual pace of at least one blog post here per week. While I accept that either by choice or circumstances, there may be times when that isn’t feasible, I hope/plan to continue on at that pace this summer.

Compounding matters and much to my great unhappiness, the severity of what I am dealing with on the health front at the moment has meant that my initial plans of launching my ASMR YouTube channel this spring didn’t even come close to happening.

I am fully committed to this long-held dream and will do everything in my power to create content and get that channel off the ground as soon as I realistically can.

At this point, I don’t know when exactly that will be. I really hope it can happen in 2021.

If not though, I will just keep trying even harder for it to happen the following year (and will continue to keep you informed here and on SM as to when that exciting event occurs).

The second primary reason is a lot more positive. Long story short, several weeks ago now, my husband and I put in a bid on a contract job to create the ecommerce website for a local outdoor goods store here in town and were very fortunate to win that bid.

This project is labour heavy for both of us and on a very tight deadline. As such we’ve been devoting a great deal of time over the past couple of months to this job.

It isn’t complete quite yet, but is definitely getting a lot closer. Very exciting!

Aside from those two points, which are, I’m the first to say, quite different from one another, some of what’s been happening around these parts include…

Having central air installed in our house. We live in one of the hottest regions in all of Canada (case in point, multiple days next week are forecasted to reach highs of 40 – 44C/104 – 111F) and have struggled a fair bit to live in a house without this feature since moving into our current abode in early 2018.

Thankfully, the installation went smoothly, quickly, and without any complications.

As anyone who has had central air installed in recent years will no doubt tell you, this is not an inexpensive job at all – which is the main reason it didn’t happen right out of the gate when we moved in.

Tony and I feel that the cost is well worth it though for the quality of life and health benefits it brings not only to us, but to our precious dog (Annie) as well, and know we made the right choice in having central air installed in our house.

By pure coincidence, on the very same day that installation happened, I received my first Covid-19 vaccine.

I registered for it as soon as my age bracket (those under 40) became eligible to do so and was told I’d receive an email prior to the end of May informing of when and where I could book my first shot.

In the final days of the month, I did indeed get that email and then proceeded to book the first slot on the first date that was available to me.

Not being the world’s healthiest person, I was a tad concerned regarding how my body might handle the vaccine. I am (very!) happy to report that aside from a minorly sore arm and a bit of lethargy for about 72 hours afterwards, I didn’t experience any issues (let alone serious ones) from the shot.

I was told by the nurse who administered my Covid vaccine that I should be contacted by the provincial health system in about 6 – 8 weeks regarding when I can book my second shot.

It is such a positive feeling to know that I am partially vaccinated and that in getting my shot, I am continuing to do everything I can to not contract nor, moreover, risk spreading this terrible illness.

So, assuming all goes to plan, I should get my second shot in the later weeks of summer and will thus be vaccinated in full by the time my very favourite chapter of the year (autumn) rolls around once more.

We’ve just covered a lot of ground and as I don’t want to keep you here reading until fall does in fact return, without further ado, let me jump right into sharing some of the various links that stood out for me during the spring of 2021.

–Exquisitely Designed 2,000-Year-Old Roman Shoe Discovered in a Well: Boasting skilled handiwork and a design that would put it seriously on-trend to this day, it’s hard not to stare and marvel at the beauty of this exceedingly rare archaeological find.  

–How to Compliment Someone Without Mentioning Their Looks: As much as many people enjoy receiving positive words about their appearance, not everyone is equally comfortable with these kinds of comments and, moreover, there are countless other things to complement most folks on besides “just” their physical appearance.

This Wit & Delight entry explores the subject of non-physical appearance focused compliments and provides an array of terrific suggestions for what to say instead.

–Listen to Random Radio Stations from Around the World: At the end of the 1970s, British new wave/synth-pop group the Buggles made the line “video killed the radio star” an instant classic with their eponymously named song.

By the dawn of the twenty-first century, one could easily state that the internet had, in turn, usurped the video star (at least as far as the music industry is concerned).

However, while fewer of us may tune into the radio daily than we once did, this world-changing form of media is, in truth and very happily, far from dead.

If you’re in the mood to sample a station (or dozens of stations) from around the world, then make your way across the world map on this website until you find one that is a – *cough, cough* – hit with you.

–9 Things to Try if You Hate Social Media But Don’t Actually Want to Quit: Whether you loath SM or just find yourself feeling seriously burned out or “over it” at times, the practical and supportive tips in this post are ones that stand to benefit just about everyone who opts to engage with social media.

–Plants Might Be Helping Each Other More Than Thought: The world plants and the profoundly interconnected relationships shared between many species fascinates me greatly. For all we know on this subject, there are untold volumes more that remain to be discovered – as this captivating look at how certain plants may in fact help, not compete, with one another demonstrates.

(Another Phys.Org post that recently caught my attention was this fascinating story about the recent discovery of a 3,000 Year Old Shark Attack Victim.)

–What Would a Truly Wild Ireland Look Like?: Once, in a time now long past, I called Ireland home for the span of a couple years.

Make no mistakes, Ireland is everything and more you imagine it to be and is a country with an extraordinary past that deserves our respect and research alike.

Like many corners of the globe, Ireland – for all of its pastoral farmlands, rolling hills, and windswept shoreline – is not quite as wild a country as it once was.

This thought-provoking BBC post by Chris Baraniuk asks us to imagine what a truly wild Ireland might look like and explores the feasibility of rewilding the landscape of this majestic nation to a greater degree.

–Why a Clutter Free Life is an Intentional Life: I am not a minimalist, nor am I a maximalist. I can exist quite contently with very little or with a fair bit more, but no matter what volume of belongings fill my home, I cannot abide by clutter.

I weed out clutter at every turn, thankful that organizing and (possession) purging are both tasks I sincerely enjoy.

Having long believed and experienced (the fact) that a clutter-free life feels, and is, all the more intentionally lived, this lovely post on the subject reverberated with me.

Its message is one most of us can connect with, especially if we also find our lives, minds, and spirits tend to feel and work their best when clutter is kept as low as possible.

Summer Lovin’

In the late hours of a July night so warm it gave furnaces everywhere a run for there money – and which would break into a rapturously loud storm before dawn had broke – I came into the world nearly thirty-seven years ago now.

And while there is no hard and fast rule that says a person has to love the season into which they were born, I adore mine with even more fiery passion than that of the sun which fuels the vibrancy of summer itself.

I am a lover of all seasons though. Each is a kindred spirit, a treasured friend, a vital element of life itself.

Summer is wild and outgoing. It beckons us with notes of Coppertone, grilled foods, fresh-cut lawns, and the siren’s song of sultry, unforgettable warmth.

In summer, I find, it is often easier to forget our troubles. Or, if we cannot banish them from our mind entirely, at least (it becomes) a touch easier to navigate their waters.

I would venture to call summer the most chill of season. It is laidback and cool. Enigmatic, yet wildly and wonderfully familiar.

Summer begins in a sea of green life and concludes with the first lag of the harvest season.

In many parts of the globe, summer bridges the chilly portions of the year, has an inherent air of playfulness to it, and will be yearned for something fierce when – to quote the classic holiday season song Good King Wenceslas – snow lays round about, deep and crisp and even.

At the moment, the world is beginning, in some respects to rebound from the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. This heartbreaking illness is still with us though, still causing new cases to develop daily, still impacting countless areas of our lives.

Like most people, I hope dearly that by this time next year, the pandemic will be over. The realist in me might not place any bets on that being the case, but my optimistic side holds onto hope with gusto.

Just as I hope mightily that at least some of the medical challenges I am currently experiencing personally will be less of an issue by this time next year. (Fingers firmly crossed!)

No matter what obstacles, curveballs, or stresses life throws my way, that fact autumn is now less than three months away injects some serious happiness into my days and makes getting through difficult times more tolerable.

Summer doesn’t too shabby a job of that either. From Canada Day on July 1st to my birthday later that month, Lammas in early August to simple everyday warm weather pleasure, this is a positive and life-affirming chapter of the year that gives many of us a lot to enjoy and feel grateful for.

So, my dear friends, let us tackle whatever summer may hold, make the most of these sizzling hot days, do our best to overcome difficult times, and know that, no matter what (north of the equator), summer always leads to fall’s return.

If that isn’t worth raising a glass of ice cold lemonade to, I don’t know what is!

Happy summer, everyone! May you have a safe, sunny, and seriously enjoyable season!

The post Spring 2021 Edition of Magick, Crafty Makes, and Me appeared first on Witchcrafted Life.

What a radically different place the planet was when the inaugural edition of this quarterly link love blog post appeared.

Most of us were already aware that a massive worldwide threat was upon us, but we had little idea just how severe and far reaching the pandemic’s impact would be. Just as we were only starting to get an inkling of the ways in which it would impact both our own individual lives and society as a collective whole.

One year on, while the vaccine is starting to have a positive impact in terms of seeing a decrease in global case numbers, the pandemic is certainly not over yet and it remains anyone’s guess as to when that incredible day will come.

Of course, even when it does, the trauma and lasting impact of the pandemic will still be felt through many facets of society – and in the lives of many, if not most, of us who were able to make it through this immensely challenging time.

Events like this do not happen in a vacuum and do not fade with the sunrise on the first day after they’ve officially ended.

They are felt and remembered for years, decades, lifetimes, multiple generations.

When the time comes, we will need to collectively band together and support one another with healing, grief and trauma processing, and life rebuilding.

Will everyone pitch in or even acknowledge as much? Sadly, naturally, no.

Yet just as a good many of us have done our best to help out our fellow humans in the past year or so by taking measures such as self-isolating, social distancing, wearing masks, sticking to our bubbles, and so forth, likewise, I tend to think, we will collectively help one another to move ahead in a post-Covid-19 world.

Time of great difficulty are often likened to winter. An apt and understandable comparison, given the inherent harshness of the year’s coldest, darkest, and often most unforgiving chapter.

As this presence of this post denotes, the literal season of winter has, in the Northern Hemisphere, drawn to a close once more.

Sure, some areas still have snow and ice, and sporting bare feet or arms this early on might be jumping the gun a tad, but thanks to the Spring Equinox on Saturday, winter is officially over.

This winter was long, both literally and figurative. It began in our area back in mid-October and hasn’t entirely given up the ghost yet. When all is said and done, its duration will span somewhere in the realm of half a year.

I’m grateful that generally, speaking I really enjoy winter. It (like autumn) appeals to my introverted soul and is often the season in which I am most productive, my mind feels the sharpest, and I can revel in the serene, even sacred coziness of the snowy months.

Spring is usually very short-lived around these parts. Going from temps well below freezing to ones in the 30s Celsius within a matter of weeks is almost par for the course around our neck of the Western Canadian woods.

As a result, in some respects, I feel like spring is the season I’m least acquainted with. Yet that is not to say, of course, that we don’t experience spring (we do) or that I don’t know and love this regenerative, beautiful chapter of the year (I definitely do!).

Simply that its brevity is usually a given and that, much as with autumn, we must strive as best we can to celebrate, honour, and delight in these mild, life renewing days for the brief span that they are upon us.

Right here and now, let’s keep on celebrating spring’s rebirth while we also take a gander at some of the witchy, crafting, and otherwise interesting/inspiring links from around the web that caught my eye over the course of this latest winter.

Magick, Witchcraft, Paganism, and Spirituality

–Black Pagan Community Leaders: A wonderful post that highlights some of today’s most engaging, informative, and inspiring Black Pagan voices.

–Dice Magic: Using Dice for Spellcraft and Divination: By far one of the most common elements of countless games the world over, the humble dice can also be used in a magickal/spiritual context as well.

If you’re keen to weave working, or divining (astragalomancy), with dice into your practice, be sure to check out Sidney Eileen’s detailed and highly engaging recent post on the subject.

–Eight Ways to Stay Witchy (and Sane) When Sick With Covid-19: While I hope to the stars above that none of you will need to avail of the advice detailed in this personal account of one magickal soul’s recent battle with Covid-19, if you do experience the virus as well, you may find this page to be of both comfort and help.

–40 Self Love Affirmations That Feel Like a Deep Breath: This supportive, beautiful list is a must-read for everyone and anyone who engages in the vital act of self-love (which, ideally, should be all of us!)

–How to Make a Floral Wreath for Ostara: The YouTube channel Magical Crafting is one of my all-time favourites on this platform. Not only are the creator’s projects witchy/Pagan, beautiful, and easy to follow along with if you want to replicate them yourself, but her soothing voice and skillfully presented videos make this channel a true must-watch in my books.

While Ostara is now underway, this wreath project might be one to bookmark for next year’s Spring Equinox or you may wish to make it now and enjoy it straight on until summer, connecting with the revitalizing energy and beauty of Ostara all season long.

–Walking the Path of Infertility and 5 Spiritual Tools to Help: Infertility is something that impacts millions around the world and as such is, of course, far from unknown amongst Pagans and witches.

Yet despite the prevalence of infertility coupled with the heartbreak, stress, challenges, and, sometimes, miracles that transpire daily for many souls, this topic is discussed surprisingly little in our community.

All the more reason then why this supportive post is a much-needed and welcome spiritually focused look a subject and experience that touches untold numbers of lives (my own included).

–Witch, You Vex Me: Jason Mankey injects his telltale wit and insight into this look at various elements of the modern Pagan/witchy world that routinely cause him to sharply raise an eyebrow – and, I would venture to say, likely let out an exasperated sigh every now and then, too.

Card Making, Scrapbooking, Paper Crafting, and Other Crafts

–DIY Crescent Moon Ring (Holder) Dish: Elegant, easy to make, and super handy to boot, this lovely DIY ring holder is so pretty, you might want to make a second one to use simply as home décor.

–DIY Dollar Store Beehives: Like many of us, I’m a creative soul on a tight budget. I mean really, really, you-might-not-actually-belief-me-if-I-told-you-just-how-tight budget.

Which is all the more reason then why I adore dollar store craft projects. It is incredible + inspiring what some folks can dream up with inexpensive items and a serious dose of imagination.

One of the most charming dollar store DIYs to cross my path lately is this cuter-than-cute dollar store beehive project.

It would be perfect as part of your seasonal décor, left out all year, included on an altar, used as a centrepiece, or to give as a bee-utiful gift.

–Furever Friends Home Décor Shaker Project: My lovely friend – and uber-talented crafter – Jennifer Snyder recently posted a tutorial for this pawsatively adorable pet themed home décor shaker project which is just too sweet and inspiring not share here.

–How to Make Your Own DIY Twisted Candles: Get the lux, cooler-than-cool look of twisted candles sans the often steep ticket price of store-bought versions with this helpful how-to post from Genevieve at Blue Augustine.

–How to Sew Mesh Produce Bags: A welcome alternative to the sea of plastic bags that call many produce departments home, these lightweight DIY mesh bags are an awesome way to reduce waste and carry your fresh fruit and veggies home in something that you can reuse time and time again.

–Layout Featuring Paper Pleating Tutorial: Over on the Graphic 45 blog, this elegantly pretty project recently caught my eye.

I adore pleating, but haven’t seen it used on scrapbook pages all that often in recent years (back in the late 90s/early 2000s it was a bit more common, including on some of Anna Griffin’s projects).

I’m all in favour of changing that and hope this lovely pleated page will inspire you to incorporate more of this classic folding (or scoring) technique into some of your papercrafting makes as well.

–Make a DIY Witch Hat in Any Size: Costume, home décor, sacred space adornment, Halloween decoration, or legit daily headwear, if so inclined. There is no shortage of uses for, and reasons to wear, a witch hat!

This helpful sewing tutorial guides you through how to make an iconic pointed witch’s hat with relatively few supplies and tools, and which is not so advanced to beyond the skills of many beginner level sewers.

What’s Shaking in My Life and On My Radar

Much as the stirrings of spring are busily getting underway, so too am I beginning the behind-the-scenes work on creating my recently announced ASMR YouTube channel.

It is my aim, all things willing, to have my first ASMR content up at some point this spring. With each step I take that brings this important dream of mine closer to reality, the more my heart sings with joy.

As for the season that just was, however, in many respects, things were (in relation to the current state of the world) life as usual.

We had a lengthy, snowy winter, which saw its coldest snap in February, care of an arctic front that stuck around for over two weeks.

March arrived gently, but eagerly at the same time. A mix of ongoing winter weather interspersed with milder temperatures and some of the first rain we’d seen since last fall.

Each holiday – be it national or Pagan – that came and went with the winter weeks was spent at home. Low-key, meaningful occurrences steeped in tradition, hope, and happiness.

I am grateful for the presence of Ostara this week. It is such a sweet, happy, beautiful sabbat. (If you haven’t done so already, be sure to check out my recent post: 35 Wonderful Ostara Crafts, DIY Projects, and Decor Ideas for the Spring Equinox.)

Then, next up on the Wheel of the Year, we will embrace the warmth, passion, and ancient soul of Beltane as May begins, before winding our way to Litha (the Summer Solstice) about seven weeks beyond that point.

I’m really looking forward to embracing spring, continuing to prepare for the launch of my ASMR channel, working to grow my recently launched #MakeHalloween365 crafting community hashtag, and sharing lots of fun, inspiring new content here with all of you throughout the next three months.

For the moment though, let’s take a gander at a few things that caught my eye online during the toque-and-mitts season that just was.

–DIY Infused Vinegar Fabric Softener: I have extremely sensitive skin and have long needed to avoid most commercially prepared laundry products. Thankfully, there are a couple of store-bought detergents that my skin can presently handle. However, for things like dryer sheets or fabric softener, homemade versions using natural, chemical-free ingredients are usually my go-to choice.

This lovely, super easy DIY vinegar fabric softener calls for vinegar and the scent inclusion ingredient(s) of your choosing, and is a far sight kinder to one’s skin and pocketbook alike than most mass produced options on the market.

–15 Things You Could Do Instead of Comparing Yourself to Others: The pitfalls, stresses, and anxieties of comparing oneself to others are hard to avoid. And, for many of us, have become all the more so since the meteoric rise of social media.

I am not immune to falling under the potentially negative siren’s call of comparison myself. In fact, I was doing so more than my usual amount (in recent years) as 2021 got underway, which made the timing of this post crossing my path especially welcome.

I hope that it will help you as well if you’ve also been sizing yourself up against others a bit too much lately or have a tendency to do so in general.

–Historic (US) Mansions Left to Wrack and Ruin: In the Fall 2020 edition of this post series, I shared about an extraordinary historical American home that had sat largely untouched for decades and was delighted to see by your comments that I was far from alone in being utterly captivated by this story.

While most are not quite the (relatively) intact time capsules that particular home is, the large, beautiful houses highlighted in this post are instantly captivating as well and sure to appeal to many of my fellow fans of abandoned properties.

–Listen to Forests Around the World: This tranquil website allows you to listen to uploaded recordings that were made in various forests around the globe at the click of a mouse.

Whether you do so for relaxation, fun, or just sheer curiosity, if you’re anything like me, you may find yourself instantly hooked on this creative way to connect with parts of the planet that you might otherwise never hear sounds from.

–Scientists Recreate Voice of 3,000 Year Old Mummy: While in the field of archeological research the act and art of recreating the faces of the deceased has been well established for quite some time now, bringing voices of the past into the 21^st century is a rather new undertaking.

Recently, scientists have done just that with an identified mummy who was laid to rest three millennia ago and while we can’t know for certain that it’s an exact duplication of the deceased actual vocal notes, the concept behind this emerging field is one that may develop further and someday be common practise.

–The C. 1910 Photographs of Christina Broom: These gripping Edwardian images capture a vivid, earnest sense of the suffragette era they document, as seen quite literally through the lens of a woman of that period. A time that had one foot in the past, and the other striding boldly towards the unstoppable future.

Lean into the natural optimism of spring

It is impossible to know if, in another year’s time, the world will still be held tightly in the merciless grips of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Like virtually all of us, I hope with every fibre of my being that this global nightmare will be over by then.

Yet, as the past year has driven home time and time again, we simply to do not know how long or how far-reaching this pandemic may prove to be.

Spring is the season of renewal and rebirth. It has an ingrained lightness and joie de vivre imbued in its DNA.

As spring 2021 enters our lives, I am opting to focus on those kinds of positives, instead of worrying unduly on what may or may not lie ahead for the world in another year.

I am deeply mindful of these things, but am choosing not to let the great unknown that is the future rob me of whatever positives I can experience in the present moment (and I wholeheartedly encourage you to do the same).

Much like last year, this spring will be both similar and different from the others throughout my lifetime.

As things sit now, we don’t have any travel plans, family birthdays and other special events are likely to be observed sans gathering together, we will continue to limit exposure to the external world, and are certainly not hanging our masks up anytime soon.

Yet, at the same time, there will be a bevy of gorgeous blooms, the earthy, uplifting scents of a world bouncing back to life, and the comforting familiarity of sunshine to delight in throughout the next three months.

Spring is a hopeful time of the year. One that has a powerful, welcome ability to lift our spirits and keep the flames of our own internal hopes – whatever they may be – burning brightly.

Not, come to think of it, unlike that aforementioned sunshine, which helps to banish winter’s chill, grow gardens, and let – sooner or later – those aforementioned bare toes and arms feel the fresh air on our skin again (sans the risk of frostbite!).

Whatever this spring holds in store for us as individuals and as a planet, we will bravely face it head on.

And with a sizable amount of luck, and a great many vaccines given out, maybe, just maybe, come next spring the pandemic will be over. Here’s to hoping!!!

From the bottom of my heart, dear friends, I wish you each a safe, beautiful, sweet, sunny, and tremendously blessed spring.  

The post Winter 2021 Edition of Magick, Crafty Makes, and Me appeared first on Witchcrafted Life.

As of yesterday, the fall equinox in the Northern Hemisphere, the season that was is no more. Some rejoice as summer’s fiery wrath retreats, others bemoan the end of such heat and all it entails, and others still are relatively ambivalent about the matter.

However you slice it, summer has drawn to an (official) end.

This was a season, much like the year as a whole, that I doubt many of us will soon forget. And while a mere three months have elapsed since the Spring 2020 Edition of Magick, Crafty Makes, and Me, it’s safe to say that it feels as though significantly more time has transpired.

This summer wasn’t what I had in mine on many fronts. Nor was it for a good many of us.

Yet, even with some curveballs, challenges, unplanned hiatuses from the good ol’ interwebs, and enough heat to melt the ice rings of Saturn, I loved this summer.

Not a little, not a bit, not even a decent amount, but with a passion that matched the warmth that often drained me so intensely.

It wasn’t a perfect season, nor an easy one. No vacations transpired, (sadly) it wasn’t spent with loved ones due to continued self-isolating and social distancing, and my birthday, back in July, was the least eventful in a decade or more, yet this summer stole my heart.

I spent a lot of time outside, when possible, either in our backyard or on nature walks in secluded local areas. Under hazy summer sunrises and stunning skies full of the kind of twinkling stars one would never see in areas with greater degrees of light pollution, alongside lofty evergreens and breathtaking fields of golden hay, I walked.

And walked, and walked some more.

As walking has long been, effectively, the only form of exercise my health readily permits me to partake in (and even then, there are times when such is not possible) and I’m no stranger to clocking many a KM in a single day. Yet there was something different about the pavement and dirt paths alike that I pounded this summer.

In a world where so much has changed rapidly, where the future feels less certain, and which has altered so much of our usual existence, walking was (and is) familiar.

It is also, relatively speaking, one of the safer activities a person can publicly engage in these days, especially if you opt for quiet areas where few others tend to tread.

Walking sooths me powerfully. It has always felt like a way for me to show my health that it doesn’t always have the upper hand on my daily existence. It aligns beautifully with my spirituality, it gives me plenty of awesome bonding time with our darling dog, and it is just plain fun.

As I do each year, I will walk as late into the autumn as the weather permits. Once the inches/feet of snow that are inevitably come calling again, my walking generally switches from outdoors to indoors care of our treadmill. And while I actually really enjoy treadmilling, with each rotation of the belt, I know I’ll be daydreaming of spring’s bare ground.

But perhaps I’m getting a touch ahead of myself.

There are two whole seasons to go between then and now, and the one that is wrapping up as we speak will be delved into here today in the third edition in this quarterly blog post series.

So many things have caught my eye, inspired, informed and entertained me throughout the summer of 2020.

Indeed, it is hard to narrow the list down to a wee handful. Yet, for the sake of time and space, that I must.

Thus, I present you with the Summer 2020 of Magick, Crafty Makes, and Me.

May the entries it houses resonate with you as well – and as always, if you have a (non-spam/commercial) link that’s recently caught your own eye and which you’d like to share in the comments below, please feel free to do so.

Magick, Witchcraft, Paganism, and Spirituality

-As the season’s shift and we embrace the extraordinary beauty of autumn upon the natural landscape, now is an especially wonderful time to follow the helpful suggestions on How to Work With the Plant Allies in Your Neighborhood housed in this lovely post.

-Carving pumpkins can be oodles of fun. It’s a hugely beloved tradition with longstanding European roots that were carried over to the new world by immigrants in centuries past.

Bringing a carving tool to a pumpkin’s flesh can also be a magickal, symbolic and/or highly spiritually charged act as well – as can the designs we scope out of the gourd’s flesh.

I can think of few more Pagan/witchery images better suited to emblazing into a pumpkin than the sacred pentagram. If you’re keen to do just that this fall (or anytime, for that matter), be sure to visit Deborah’s tutorial on How to Carve a Pentagram Pumpkin.

-In recent years, in some corners of the Pagan/witchery sphere, we’ve seen a bit of step back from the ultra structured craft that dominated the earlier decades of contemporary Wicca/witchcraft.

There is something wonderful, I believe, about structure and tradition though and while it is not for everyone, plenty of us enjoy and actively connect with these aspects of our own spiritual journey.

Whether you fall into that camp or not (and, of course, it should go without saying, but I will do so all the same, one take on this subject is not better or more “witchy” than the other), I recommend giving Astrea’s Hardwired For Tradition: Some People Are Better At Traditions Than Others a read.

-Salts of many varieties are an ingredient that I – like many of us – reach for often both in the kitchen and in my spiritual workings (and of course, as a culinarily inclinded witch, the two overlap a good deal).

When the distinct nip of autumn returns and we head towards Samhain, black salt comes to the fore all the more in my workings.

If you’ve ever wanted to make your own black salt or learn more about this powerful ingredient, swing by Otherworldly Oracle and read Witches Black Salt Recipe + What is Witches Black Salt Used For?

-There are certain things, I’ve long come to notice, that are commonly horded lovingly collected by many a witchy soul. Bottles and jars, with their limitless uses, are two such items.

If you’ve been looking for a fast, stylish way to beautify some of the glass containers you’ve amassed, this charming tutorial that shows you how to make DIY Herbs and Spices Apothecary Jars may be just the ticket!

-Two things that most of us are open as we go about our lives are harmony (aka, balance/serenity) and good luck. In the face of everything that we’ve both personally and collectively experienced this year, these two factors are welcome all the more.

If you’re looking for ways to try to increase one or both of these areas in your life, this post on how to make Good Luck and Harmony Water from renowned Pagan author/blogger/witch Silver Raven Wolf is apt to appeal to you.

-You know that feeling on Christmas morning after all the gifts have been opened and you’re now left staring at a sea of tattered paper and discarded bows strew around the room? Or what about after a party when the last guest has departed and you look upon more dishes than Bed, Bath and Beyond houses, wondering where they all came from and how you’ll find the energy to tackle them?

Now, what about when a spell – especially a really great spell that you jived with big time – is complete and you need to get rid of some or all of the materials that you used for it?

Ask any witch whose been witching for a while and chances are, they’ve found themselves in this spot. Not quite sure what to do, when to do it, or where to dispose of the remnants of one’s magickal workings.

Fear not, Rachel Patterson (whose stellar book, Witchcraft Into The Wilds, I reviewed here earlier this year) has got you covered care of her handy post, Ending and Disposing of Spells.

One read of this entry and, hopefully, you’ll feel a lot less potential uncertainty or stress the next time you wrap up a magickal working.

Card Making, Scrapbooking, Paper Crafting, and Other Crafts

-For all intents, I’m not a sewer. It’s an artform that I hugely admire and wish to high heaven that I had a natural knack for, but I’m old enough to recognize where my strengths lay and to make peace with those areas that I’m unlikely to ever excel at.

That said, A) one can always improve their skills by actively learning and practicing more, and B) both sewers and many other crafters alike are likely to find some terrific project inspiration care of the List of Fabric Manufacturer’s Free Project Pages that Julie from The Crafty Quilter has thoughtfully compiled for all of us.

-I enjoy heat embossing as much as the next person and have long turned to the classic paper crafting technique for a wide range of projects. Sometimes though, it can be fun and refreshing to shake things up and create similar looks with products other than actual embossing powder itself.

One of the best, quickest, and most effective alternatives that I’ve seen to date is this very cool look at how to create Faux Heat Embossing With Duct Tape.

After you’ve read this post, don’t be surprised if your SO comes asking where all the duct tape in the house has suddenly vanished to!

-If you’re a face mask wearer, you may have found yourself wishing that the ones you’ve been sporting were roomier (but still effective, of course!).

Fear not, there’s a handy homemade way to make that possible via Helen’s easy, excellent Breathable DIY Face Mask Tutorial.

-The longer the pandemic rages on, the longer many of us are going without normal human activities like embracing or otherwise touching other people (save perhaps from those who share our home/immediate circle).

I know that I certainly am (what I wouldn’t give to safely hug my nearest and dearest again!) and as such, the interesting ideas put forth in the post Is Craft Booming in Covid Because We’re Starved for Touch? really struck a chord with me as both a crafter and a human, point-blank.

-In this day and age of tech, plastic, and a continual bombardment of what is supposed to be the latest and greatest children’s toys around, it can be downright refreshing to step away from the modern toybox and return to the simple joys of something like paper toys.

Case in point, this great post starring Twelve Easy Paper Toys to Print, Cut and Assemble.

While the use of a printer does add a modern element to the process, the end result is decidedly yesteryear in its classic charm and appeal, while being no less at home in today’s world, where non-tech toy options are more important than ever.

-There is just something about buttons – or items that depict them – that steals my heart away time after time. Like many a crafter, I have a beloved button stash (filled with a mix of modern and vintage offerings) and frequently work with this versatile embellishment.

You can imagine then, the plethora of beats that my heart skipped when I saw this tremendously lovely – and very creative – All the Buttons Quilt Tutorial that the uber-talented Heidi from Fabric Mutt created and shared on her blog a few weeks ago.

If I ever get the quilting bug, this is going straight to the top of my “top make” pile.

-Under the header of “cutest handmade masks around” belongs these head-turningly adorable Halloween Crochet Face Masks, which are sure to delight youngsters and the young at heart alike.

And while you’re on Sarah’s site, be sure to check out her delectable recipes, including this one for Crock Pot Candy Corn Bark that is perfect for fall’s return.

-When I was a little girl, my mom kept many of her most treasured recipes written out by hand on recipe cards. Though she stored them in a specially designed binder made just for this purpose, the presence of those recipe cards in my early life instilled a connection to, and fondness for, recipes cards in me from an early age that is still going strong today.

Thus, I’m naturally drawn to recipe cards and the books and boxes many folks use to house them.

One of the most charming handmade options I’ve encountered lately is this beautiful Just Roll With It Farmhouse Kitchen Recipe Box, which would make for incredible gift or addition to your own kitchen alike.

What’s shaking in my life and on my radar

Good things, my lovelies, good things aplenty!

This summer might have kicked my behind at times, but it was also thoroughly awesome in certain other respects.

One of which is that this season really, really, helped me to get a better perspective on certain areas of my life.

It also introduced some very beneficial (and, no exaggeration, desperately needed) positive changes to certain aspects of my health + corresponding energy levels, and at the same time helped me to experience summer again in a way that I haven’t in far more years than I care to count.

Tony and I stayed put this summer, refraining from travel due to the pandemic. We’ve been extremely fortunate to remain virus-free and to not have this devastating illness hit any of our loved ones on either side of the Atlantic.

We shared many of the above-mentioned walks together (though plenty were solo adventures with Annie by my side), got to know some of our neighbours better, made many delicious seasonal meals, and were able to tackle a number of tasks/jobs in our lives that were in serious need of being accomplished.

I feel very renewed right now.

I know that this current energy and sense of corresponding positivity is unlikely to last indefinitely. However, while it’s here, I’m revelling in it and giving mighty thanks to the universe for helping to make this state possible.

As usual, the links that I’m sharing in the “Me” section of this post are one seriously mixed bag. If you ask me though, that’s a big part of the reason why lists like this are such fun. You just never know what they may house.

-Avocados have been enjoying a serious moment in recent years (both on toast and otherwise), though they’ve been savoured by many long before Instagram entered the picture.

If you’ve ever cut into an avocado and wished that you could keep it from browning faster than the speed of light, this ultra-simple trick is here to save the day: This Waste-Free Hack Will Keep Your Cut Avocados Ripe Longer.

-Dolly Parton’s beloved hit, Jolene, is one of my favourite country western songs of all time. Its haunting depth, soulful lyrics and captivating melody have helped to turn it into a musical classic at this point.

As much as I adore Dolly’s version, I have to say, I’m also more than a little bit smitten with this very clever take, which sees Jolene’s lyrics tweaked and sung – gorgeously, may I add – in a Bardic Medieval Style.

Trust me, after one listen, thy will likely find thyself playing this gem on repeat from here on out.

(And speaking of content pertaining to that period of time, I rather enjoyed this look at The World of Medieval Dogdom from History Today.)

-It’s safe to say that there are – speaking of music – far more Christmas season tunes than ones aimed at, or especially well suited to, fall time celebrations.

Thankfully, however, a toe-tapping slew of All Hallows’ Eve songs exist and compiling a playlist or otherwise enjoying them is something I do with extra gusto the moment September returns.

If you’re much the same, or just want a great lineup of music to help you celebrate the spookiest chapter of the year, be sure to check of Good Housekeeping’s list of 50 Spooky Halloween Songs You Need to Play at Your Costume Party (or anytime!).

You may also enjoy their fab list of 80 Fun and Creepy Ideas for a Halloween Party to Remember.

-I’m all for curve-hugging attire, but I also appreciate the way less form-fitting attire can look and feel, so I’ve rather been loving the fact that loose-fitting shirts – including classic t-shirts – are having a moment again this year.

How to Wear a Comfy, Giant T-Shirt and Still Look Stylish is just the ticket if you’re also feeling the siren’s call to roomier garb these days.

Plus, bonus points for the mega 1980s and 90s fashion nostalgia that oversized shirts can stir in many of us who were alive during those decades.

-Let’s face it, most of us use at least one social media platform these days. Sharing images is one of the highlights of these digital communities and certainly amongst my favourite elements of SM.

If you’ve been wondering what the current ideal sizes are for SM photos, graphics and the like, look no further than this handy list of Social Media Sizes, which provides image size specs for twenty of the top current social media platforms.

-Unquestionably, one of the most important things to occur in 2020 is the greater awareness of, and expanding social platform for, black lives and the important voices they house.

Long after the sea of black squares that filled our IG streams earlier this year, it is crucial that we listen, learn, educate ourselves, and be allies today, tomorrow, and always.

Hearing about the black experiences that people live daily is an important component of this. I’ve been doing so a good deal lately with several stories in particular standing out for me.

One of which is the engaging and (arguably) rather unique, given the author’s uncommon ancestral combination, I’m Inuk, but I’m Black: Comprehending My Identity as an Inuk Jamaican Woman.

-Yes, summer is winding down, but if there’s one thing you can count on when it comes to the seasons, it’s that they’ll return again next year!

Get a jump start on celebrating Halloween during the sunniest season care of this list of 15 Things You Need for Summerween (all of which can certainly also do festive double duty once fall returns).

Parting is such sweet sorrow

(Because, clearly, we’ve got a Willie S. theme going on in this post. )

So much of the wonder and appeal of the seasons, I firmly believe, is their very brevity. We may love (or loath) certain chapters of the year more than others, but when all is said and done, we are passive witnesses to changes that are beyond our control.

We love them both for what they bring in the moment and for how they make us yearn for their return – or conversely, give mighty thanks that we won’t face them again for about nine more months.

Not since childhood can I remember longing to hold onto summer to such a degree.

Of course, while I don’t wish for any of the negatives it housed (be it for me/us personally or in the world at large) to continue, I would love dearly to have a few more weeks of crystal clear nights as warm as a bathtub, vibrant greenery as far as the eye can see, and the unmatched languid allure of a season that refuses to be rushed.

My heart will pine for summer, my mind will cradle the memories of the vanishing season we just savoured, and my soul will wait with equal parts patience and anticipation for the return of the year’s toastiest chapter.

That said, if heatwaves want to long walk off a short cliff, I seriously won’t mind!

But perhaps I’m being too harsh there though. As tough as this summer’s heat was and as much of a number as it did on me at times, what would summer (in the Western Hemisphere) be without its infamous dog days and the brilliantly bright sunshine they house?

Not quite the same, if you ask me. Not quite the same.

And so, I – like all of us on this side of the equator – will soon part ways with summer. Some will say good riddance, others will join me in wishing we could capture the season as easily as a photograph and hold it in our hands just a little bit longer.

Thankfully, as much as I can wax poetically about summer, I can do so all the more for the season that is upon us: fall time!

Sweet, stunning, glorious, gorgeous autumn!

It’s far from a state secret that fall is my favourite chapter of the year. The one that most aligns with my deepest self and spiritual path, that I pine for all throughout the other 3/4ths of the year, and the season that makes me feel most alive. By a wide mile.

This summer was awesome, enjoyable and happiness-inducing in some respects, but even with that being the case, it can’t hold a pumpkin spice scented candle to fall in my books.

I have one heck of a fun, festive, and full schedule of blog and Instagram posts coming down the pipeline for autumn 2020.

Whether you’re a fellow falloholic like me or not, I hope that you enjoy the content that I have planned and that there will be no shortage of elements – treasured classics and new favourites alike – in the coming season that help to spark joy in your world.

And so, while it is with a heavy heart that I part ways with summer, it is with an elation filled one that I slip into a cozy cardigan, gleefully rewatch Hocus Pocus + It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown for the umpteenth time, connect all the more with my witchery, and count down the nanoseconds until October 31^st!

Thank you, summer, for all that you were, all that you taught me, and the changes you brought. You will be missed and treasured.

Now, however, it is time to swap our sundresses and shades for tights and scarves and scare up more than a little bit of autumn magick.

Who’s with me?

The post Magick, Crafty Makes, and Me: Summer 2020 Edition appeared first on Witchcrafted Life.