…But before you do, if you’re a fellow Bloglovin’ user, please consider following Witchcrafted Life there. I would sincerely appreciate it if you did.

Here in the Northern Hemisphere, the Winter Solstice returns tomorrow. In the midst of ever colder and snowier weather, as hard as it is to believe at times, the days ever-so-gradually begin to grow longer again.

It will be many weeks more still before we begin to experience much in the way of notable longer hours of daylight, and the start of winter may seem like a odd time to focus on sunshine aplenty. Winter, however, is not as desolate and forlorn a season as the barren landscape outside may have you believe.

For under the hibernating heart of a season that sends us running for extra sweaters and a near constant supply of steaming hot drinks, the embryo of next year’s warmth and vitality is slowly developing.

Its birth will usher in the near heady verdancy of spring, which in turn leads us to the sizzling, dreamy days of summer, before returning, in due course, to the majestic beauty and mild temperatures of autumn.

The seasons and how they progress – be it in this order, or in reverse when south of the equator – are familiar to just about everyone.

It is one of many constant patterns in our world that provide background structure and comfort. Even if a person favours certain seasons over the others (*cough, cough* fall), each of the four chapters of the year has an undeniable spirit and energy all its own.

This autumn flew by with stark rapidity. On our end, snow started tumbling down in mid-October, effectively putting the breaks of fall weather and ushering in winter even earlier than usual around these parts.

Yet, no matter how many inches accumulated outdoors, I clung fiercely and lovingly to fall.

It shone out in our seasonal décor and the (real) pumpkins – both full sized and miniature – that are still thriving several weeks after they were purchased. And it resided in the cores of ours hearts, where we mused over past autumns and did our best to make the most of this strange and unsettling year’s own iteration of a treasured season.

For all the changes and uncertainties in the world, and even with the comically early start of winter weather, this fall was lovely.

Simple and classic, busy and yet serene at times as well, it housed traditions and new experiences alike, reminding us not only how much we cherish this slice of the year, but of how far we’ve come as a collective whole since 2020 began.

Today on the final day of this glorious season, we are capping off autumn with the Fall 2020 Edition of Magick, Crafty Makes, & Me.

This will be the last post in this series for 2020. The next one – the Winter 2021 edition – will begin the series anew in a year that many of us are anticipating with both eagerness and thoroughly justified trepidation.

For now though, with a few more days of the present year remaining on the calendar, let’s curl up with one of those aforementioned roasty-toasty drinks and delve into some of the stories and posts that grabbed my attention throughout the fall – and which I hope you will enjoy, find informative, or be inspired by as well.

Magick, Witchcraft, Paganism, and Spirituality

–5 Ways to Find Focus in Your Magic: I’m thoroughly convinced that there is something of a magpie tendency to many a witchy soul. We love so much, enjoy learning about a wide array of topics, and (in some cases at least) have a naturally eclectic nature that helps to create a varied and ever-evolving practice.

At times though, it is important to take stock of what our core beliefs and practises are, to hone in on the key elements of our spiritual path, and to strengthen our bond with those areas that presently resonate most deeply for us.

If your practice is in need of some direction at present or if you’re just feeling a bit spent spiritually after the intense year we’ve weathered, this insightful entry from Avery at The Travelling Witch may be of interest and benefit to you.

(In a similar vein, The Magick Kitchen recently published a terrific post entitled The Stuck and Unfocused Witch, which also provides plenty of helpful advice for those who are feeling out of sorts with their practice at the moment.)

–Holiday Gift Ideas for Naturalist Pagans: This time of the year sees a bevy of holiday gift guide posts shared far and wide across the blogging sphere. The Pagan and witchery-centred blogging world is no exception, and I’ve really been enjoying those that have crossed my path so far this festive season.

One that has stood out in particular is this splendid array of gift ideas for Naturalist Pagans (those who generally speaking do not subscribe to/believe in, or who are skeptical of, the theistic, supernatural, and/or metaphysical components prevalent in some forms of 21^st century Paganism), the entries of which will, no doubt, also appeal to many other types of Pagans and witches as well.

–9 DIY Witchy Yule Gifts: Handmade gifts are amongst the most meaningful and heart-touching presents we to both give and receive. If you’re looking for some wonderful ideas for DIY holiday gifts to make for your fellow witches/Pagans or anyone else you think might enjoy something you crafted by hand, be sure to check out Moody Moon’s lovely array of project ideas.

–Resources for Non-Theistic Pagans and Skeptical Witches: Both outside and inside of the Pagan/witchy sphere there is often a prevailing notion that nearly all witches and Pagan work with and/or believe in some form of deity/Source/Spirit/god or goddess/higher power.

Yet in truth, a fair number do not hold these beliefs or practises and there are no shortage of witchy/Pagan folks who consider themselves to be atheists or agnostics (or who otherwise simply don’t feel called to involve deity in their own spiritual path).

This is, of course, 100% okay and it is, I believe, very important that the community not feel any less inclusive to those who are not theistic or who may have a healthy dose of skepticism when it comes to certain spiritual matters.

If you fall under this header or are simply interested in learning more about non-theistic Paganism/witchcraft, this extensive and highly useful list is apt to be right up your alley.

–10 Powerful Ways to Make Urban Magick: At present, my husband and I reside in a tiny rural-ish town that is rife with both beautiful farmlands and enchanting woodlands.

Throughout the course of my life, I’ve lived in a number of locations that spanned populations of less than a thousand to multiple millions. There is much to be said in favour of small towns and even more remote locations, but I can just as easily sing the praises of larger cities as well.

I feel fortunate that my heart is largely spit down the middle when it comes to loving both city and small town existence. This helps to ensure that I tend to get on well most anywhere I call home, but it doesn’t mean that at times I don’t yearn for one when living in the other.

Each time I’ve called a town or city my own, I have loved finding ways to integrate my metropolitan surroundings with my witchery.

City magick is a special, awesome type of witchy working all its own. Given how many of us call large urban centers home these days, this post from Other Worldly Oracle is apt to appeal to plenty of magickal folks from Montreal to Madrid, Sydney to Sacramento – and everywhere in between!

–Witchcraft Legacies – Witch Will & Succession Planning: As a chronically ill witch with no children of my own, (to date) only one nephew (who doesn’t speak the same language as me), and no other Pagans or witches in my immediate family, the subject of what may become of my witchy related belongings, written records, and a lifetime of accumulated knowledge + personal experience is one that I have thought about many times over the years.

To be perfectly honest, at this point in time, I don’t have all the answers there. If possible, I would love to gift as many of these things to some of my dearest witchy friends, but as they all live in different parts of the world, not nearby, the costs and practicality involved there may not make such possible.

It is comforting and helpful to know that others in our sphere are thinking about this topic (perhaps all the more so this year because of the pandemic) as well.

If the fate of your witchy knowledge + belongings is a subject that is applicable to your life, you will definitely want to check out this thought-provoking post from The Witch & The Walnut.

Card Making, Scrapbooking, Paper Crafting, and Other Crafts

–Acorn Crafts for the Best Fall Ever: Cute and classic, acorns are a widely adored element of fall that one can easily put to great use on the crafting front. If you swoon over acorns, chances are that at least one idea from this handy craft project list is sure to make you as happy as a squirrel who just found a huge windfall of these delightful oak tree offerings.

–Crochet Cat Paw Chair Socks: If you ask me, whimsy deserves a bigger place in many of our lives and homes alike. Should you feel the same – and know your way around a pair of crochet hooks – then this cuter-than-cute project is bound to be the cat’s meow in your eyes!

–DIY Romantic Fall Boho Wreath: This fall may be ending, but doesn’t mean that you can’t get a jumpstart on creating beautiful seasonal décor for next autumn. I spotted numerous stunning handmade fall wreaths online this year, but few made my heart skip a beat quite like this modern meets timeless stunner from The DIY Mommy.

(I also really enjoyed + was inspired by Christina’s recent posts on how to Make Tiny Terrariums from Jam Jars, How to Make DIY Dryer Balls, How to Make DIY Cocoa Bombs for Hot Chocolate, and DIY Pillows from Napkins.)

–Five Ways with Sparkle Embossing: Few times of the year are better suited to all things shimmery, glittery, and sparkly than the winter holiday season. If you’re looking to inject more shine into your festive makes this season, be sure to take a gander at Jennifer McGuire’s lovely array of five ways to work with sparkle embossing.

–How to Create a Glazed Pottery/China Look on Die Cuts: I am nothing short of smitten with this elegant, versatile, and totally gorgeous embossing technique, as well as the accompany die cut teacup project featured in this post.

–101 Fall Sewing Tutorials (with Free Patterns You’ll Love): If you’re a fan of both fall time and sewing, this awesome post is one you’ll want to check out now and save/pin for later reference as well.

What’s shaking in my life and on my radar

As I knew would be the case, the – how shall we say – Labrador puppy level temporary jolt of energy I experienced at times this summer didn’t last for long.

Thankfully, however, it didn’t fizzle out completely either. Instead, much like fall weather, it mellowed, but remained vibrant at least some of the time.

My husband and I strive to live a simple, uncomplicated life with as little stress and strife as possible. Of course, sometimes the universe has other plans, but whenever possible, we lean into the inherent positives that come with embracing serenity and being grateful for the here and now.

As fall returned, in the wild pockets of woodland and on the wild outskirts of local farms, I continued to walk whenever possible. At times, in the process, forging and bringing home some of nature’s bounty to swirl into our meals, include in my magickal workings, or use as decorations around the house – depending on what Gaia had gifted me with that day.

Unlike most autumns, there were no big family shindigs for Canadian Thanksgiving or Halloween, no gatherings to pick pumpkins, hit the last of the year’s yard sales, or huddle merrily around a bonfire.

Yet, in our own ways, we made the best of things and adapted to the changes. We were still able to hand out candy to the 37 or so trick-or-treaters who came to our door this year on Halloween night (in past years, we’ve averaged between 110 – 120 at this address).

And as a solitary witch who usually observes the sabbats at home, my Mabon and Samhain happenings were, thankfully, not overly impacted by the pandemic.

This year has not, by any stretch of the imagination, been the kindest to me on the health front. As a long time multi-chronic illness warrior, I know though that rougher weeks/months/seasons/years come with the territory.

I’m an old shoe at navigating the waters of a body that often seems to have a mind and a will of its own. That doesn’t mean though that I’m not still caught off guard on occasion by just hard medical flare-ups, new issues, and ongoing challenges can hit me sometimes.

Through it all though (almost amazingly to me personally at times), I’ve been able to post here at my usual pace of at least one new entry per week.

I cannot claim the same for IG, however. There too, however, I have done my best to stay as active as possible. Accepting, in the process, that 2020 is not going to set any records as the year in which I posted the biggest number of new snaps to Instagram. C’est la vie!

We must adapt and accept, be grateful for what we have and can do, not spend our precious energy (and health!) on fighting things that cannot be changed at present.

For me, some of the main positive highlights of this fall include:

-Leasing a brand new car around the start of October (our previous vehicle needed a substantial amount of repairs and it would have been illogical to invest thousands of dollars into a car that wasn’t worth a massive amount any more, so it just made sense for us to lease a new vehicle instead). This is the third car Tony and I have now had and we’re really looking forward to spending the next three years (the duration of the lease) with our new 2021 Mazda.

-All the fall walks – even when they looked considerably more like winter treks from the second half of October onward. I especially adored seeing the autumn and Halloween décor that many people put out in our neighbourhood, followed not long after by Christmas decorations + lights aplenty (so magical!).

-Halloween/Samhain. My favourite and most treasured day of the year. So long as I live, I will breath for October 31^st. This year’s was unquestionably different in some respects, but the ancient spirit, spooky soul, and captivating magick of the day were, thankfully, as strong as ever for me.

-Getting in some lovely crafting seasons, particularly in the calm lull of November, between October and December’s extra full days. These sessions afforded me the opportunity to create my handmade holiday season greetings for the year (yay!).

-Tweaking some elements behind the scenes when it comes to my blogging and SM approaches and schedule. Brainstorming post ideas for my blog content here for the first half of 2021, and feeling all the more like I’m finding my stride in terms of this site (which will celebrate its first birthday on January 1^st).

On the good ol’ interwebs front, here are a handful of stories and posts that have captured my attention this autumn.

–Amazing Abandoned Long Island Farmhouse That Sat Untouched for 40 Years: Many who are familiar with my Instagram account and/or who used to follow me on my (now retired) vintage blog, know that I have a tremendous passion for the past.

Tied into that adoration is a great love for abandoned buildings. There are relatively few such structures in our area (especially if we’re talking beyond things like decaying old barns and tiny log cabins), so I experience most of my abandon house hunting vicariously through other peoples’ photos and videos.

There is a concept in both the vintage and the real estate world know as a time-warp home. Be it currently occupied or abandoned, a time-warp house in one in which the interior (and often exterior, too) has been largely unchanged for decades or even centuries, as the case may be.

Stepping into such a home is rather like hopping in a time machine and jettisoning back to a previous era.

This story highlights, via many captivatingly beautiful photographs, the recent discovery of an abandoned home that has sat (presumably) untouched since the 1970s.

Upon hearing this, you might expect to be greeted with a sea of shag carpeting, harvest gold appliances, and macrame plant hangers.

Instead, what greets onlookers is a time-warp home rife with Victorian, early and mid-twentieth century furnishings and other belongings. It is a striking, remarkable find and a powerful look at a home whose final owner valued and preserved history right up until her last days on this earth.

–Black Creatives in the Halloween and Horror Community: From one of my absolute favourite Halloween blogs (seriously, if you’re not following Spooky Little Halloween already, run, don’t walk to do so at once!) comes this terrific list of some of the most creative, inspiring, and flat out awesome individuals in the Halloween and horror community.

–Cottagecore Debuted 2,300 Years Ago: It is entirely natural that various styles rise and fall in popularity over the years. Relatively little is new under the sun at this point, but even knowing that, it might surprise you to learn that cottagecore – a true darling of the aesthetic scene as of late – is thought to have got its roots over two thousand years ago, as this fascinating, history rich article details.

–Holiday Simmer Pot Recipes: To me, few things personify the winter holiday season quite like certain memorable, beloved aromas. From freshly cut pine trees to nutmeg rich eggnog, gingerbread to candy canes, this chapter of the year is enriched by the many delights available to us via our olfactory sense.

If you enjoy holiday season scents, I recommend checking out Kayla’s delightful recipes for homemade simmer pots that are natural, easy to make, and sure to have your house smelling more festive than a fleet of Bath & Bodyworks stores.

(And while we’re on the subject of swoon worthy seasonal scents, may I suggest you also give Hello Glow’s Make Your House Smell Like the Holidays with DIY Aromatic Wax Fire Starters a gander.)

–11 Salves for Holiday Grief in the Time of COVID: In one way or another – and often, in a multitude of ways – grief has impacted most of us this year. Some, of course, are harder hit. Their losses profound, their lives irrevocably altered.

Grief is an extremely personal thing and each of us experiences, processes, and (if possible) begins to heal from the trauma or loss that caused it differently.

If you are experiencing grief this holiday season, be it COVID related or otherwise, the caring, easy to implement ideas laid out in this post may just help to make December a bit easier to bear this year.

–1989: Shopping Malls, America: I was four years old in ’89 and view this year as the first one for which I can clearly remember a multitude of days and happenings (though do have a smattering of earlier memories).  

I grew up in Canada, not the US, but much like south of the 49^th, malls were a really big deal for a lot of people here in the 1980s and 90s.

Looking at these candid snapshots of everyday folks going about their lives at the mall whisked me back in time faster than any DeLorean ever could. And in doing so, made me more than a wee bit nostalgic for a chapter of our collective history that often feels like it was a million years ago now.

Gone but not forgotten

Fall, sweet, enchanting, sublimely wonderful fall. You are like honey to my tongue and music to my ears. Your aromas and colours thrill and inspire me like no other, and though we must part for now, I will not soon forget you.

Indeed, I will carry your name in my heart the whole year through, weaving you into my crafting projects and fashion choices, the movies I watch (rare is the season in which I don’t view Hocus Pocus at least once), the books I read, the poems I pen.

I will think of you with the clarity of a ringing bell when the veil thins in a similar, yet different way, at Beltane. You will be my thoughts as mercury boils on my birthday in July and when, to my mind at least , the very first unofficial steps toward autumn begin the very next day.

When winter’s stronghold refuses to give up the ghost in March, and on Walpurgis Night as a witchy stirring and ancient energy not entirely unlike that of Samhain fills the mild late April air.

For fall is in my DNA and even when we say goodbye, we are never truly parted for good. Indeed, autumn, like all of the seasons, reside in each of us. We are borne of them, and they, in a sense, of us as well.

I would be kidding myself if I said that fall’s end isn’t a melancholy experience for me. Thankfully though, I know that like the harvest moon, it will rise again next year. A wonderful kindred spirit whose lifeblood helps to keep my own going strong.

Right here and now though, like many a Pagan and witch, I am celebrating the Yule season and settling in for what will most likely be about four more months of snow, snow, and more snow (this is Canada after all ).

Thankfully, the merriment of both Yule and Christmas help to ease the sting of autumn’s departure, while ushering in a season that, objectively, I’m also very fond of.

Winter is not without its own distinct beauty and charms, blessings and reasons to be grateful for these cold, dark days.

In the coming weeks and months, we will shine the spotlight on some of them, delve into numerous fun seasonal craft projects, and help one another through the teeth chatteringly chilly days of winter.

From the bottom of my heart, sweet friends, I wish you a cozy, safe, serene, beautiful, and happiness filled winter (or summer, if you’re in the Southern Hemisphere).

May it help guide us all to a better, healthier, and less challenging year ahead.

The post Fall 2020 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.

In the roughly twelve weeks since the inaugural edition of the quarterly Magick, Craft Makes and Me debuted, we’ve witnessed the world endure the continued ravages, impacts of a pandemic that is still going strong, and some remarkable happenings pertaining race in America (and by extension, elsewhere across the globe).

Here at our house, and within our family on both sides of the Atlantic (all of my husband’s family lives in his homeland of Italy), I am very thankful to report that we’ve remained virus-free so far.

While certain public rules have been relaxed and various non-essential business and public locations have reopened in recent weeks in our area, we’ve opted to remain in strict self-isolation for the time being.

When the winter edition of this post appeared here, there was still an abundance of snow on the ground, icicles dangling from the roof, and daily subzero temperatures. What a difference a handful of weeks makes when it comes to the changing of the seasonal guard!

Spring began in earnest around these North Okanagan parts at the start of May and, in true Canadian fashion, by the end of that month, we were already experiencing temperatures in the low 30s Celsius.

When the next edition rolls around that the end of the summer, we’ll be witnessing the Wheel of The Year rotate into the gloriousness that is autumn.

As much as I adore fall with every last fibre of my being, I’m in no mad rush to put summertime to bed quite yet.

Though summer can be a challenging season in some respects, it’s also a beautiful, dreamy, even heady portion of the year and one that never fails to make me feel especially young at heart.

Right here and now, however, let’s take a gander at some of the witchy/Pagan/magick, crafting, and various other various links (the latter falling under the “Me” header of this post) that caught my eye during the turbulent months of spring that our world just endured.

Magick, Witchcraft, Paganism, and Spirituality

-Anytime two of my very favourite things – cooking and witchery – combine, chances are, I’m going to pounce on it like Annie on a tennis ball!

This pairing is examined through the lens of edible delights that are especially well suited to the moon in Other Worldly Oracle’s fantastic Full Moon Food Guide, which is chock-a-block with tasty recipes, food suggestions, and creative ideas.

-Candles, incense, smudge sticks – if you can safely burn it in a magickal context, a good many witches and Pagans are likely doing so as we speak.

However, there are plenty of times and/or reasons why you may want to cleanse without the need for matches or a lighter.

Willow’swonderful look at this very topic is explored in-depth in her recent post, 13 Smoke Free Ways to Cleanse, which may be of particular interest to those who are highly sensitive or allergic to smoke, incense and the like.

-Scrying is an ancient and widely used form of divination that has been practiced by various cultures around the world for many thousands of years. It remains popular to this day, particularly with some of us in the witchcraft and Wiccan communities.

One of the most common – and I would argue, effective – forms of scrying is mirror scrying. If you’ve always wanted to give it a go, but didn’t have a suitable mirror to work with, you’ll definitely want to visit this informative post that takes you through all the steps needed to Make Your Own Scrying Mirror.

-I am a firm believer that one can come to witchery and/or Paganism at any point in their life. However, there there are some of us for whom an ingrained sense that we were witches has been with us throughout our entire lives.

This topic is explored in Astrea’s insightful post, Born This Way: Witchcraft Comes Naturally to Some, which – as a “born witch” – I found myself nodding in agreement with from top to bottom.

-Spring and summer are peak seasons in many parts of the Western Hemisphere for early morning dew. If you’re keen to gather and put this potent, wonderful natural magickal ingredient to work in your witchcraft, be sure to check out Annwyn’s lovely video and accompanying blog post on How to Collect Dew.

-We in the 21^st century have a tendency to praise and elevate the act of being busy to near god-like status. Productivity is certainly important and has its rightful place, but so does the vital act of downtime and the ability to leave at least a few hours of our lives unencumbered with frenetic activity.

In The Magickal Art of Doing Nothing, Phoenix explores this topic and helps to remind us all of just how essential it is to simply be at peace with the present moment every now and then.

Card Making, Scrapbooking, Paper Crafting, and Other Crafts

-Going all the way back to my earliest collections – housed in the de rigour magnetic page photo albums of the day – back in the 1980s and early 90s, to the bevy of them that reside in my craft room today, I’ve loved and actively used stickers throughout my whole life.

You can just imagine then how much my eyes lit up and my creative juices started flowing when I recently spotted this handy-dandy post on how to make your own DIY Vintage Spring Flower Stickers. (The method for which you could easily apply – adhesive related pun intended – to a wide range of other sticker images as well.)

-Few fruits say spring and early summer better – or more iconically – than strawberries! If you’re in the mood to dish up a lovely serving of the paper variety of this fabulous produce offering, then you’ll definitely want to check out this DIY Paper Strawberry Tutorial over on Maggie Holmes’ inspiring blog.

-It likely comes as little surprise that the century which saw the invention and meteoric rise in popularity of photography would in turn produce a wide range of picture frames to help house some of the millions of photos that were taken at the time.

While real examples of Victorian photo frames often command steep prices these days, thanks to this lovely Victorian Folding Photo Frame Tutorial, with a few basic craft supplies and access to a digital die cutting machine, you can now whip up all the 19th century picture frames that your heart desires!

-Love working with alcohol markers but aren’t sure which ones to invest in or which might work most effectively for a given project? Let Ivana’s excellent and very informative comparison of The Best Alcohol Markers help ensure you find and work with the right markers for your crafting needs.

-When you think of summertime foods, what jumps out at you first? Ice cream? Watermelon? Lemonade? What about that beloved classic, a freshly made cheeseburger?

If you’ve been looking for a fun new pincushion to create, why not have a go at making this darling DIY Cheeseburger Pincushion?

It has all the look, but none of the grilling work involved with the real deal.

And of course, vegans, vegetarians, and plant-based eaters can just as easily imagine that it’s their favourite meat-free (and potentially dairy-free) burger instead.

-Valentine’s Day was a few months ago, but there’s no reason why you can’t whip up this fabulously charming Gothic Valoween Garland anytime and proudly use it as year-round décor. (An easy DIY craft project that involves both hearts and coffins it is a serious winner in my books!)

What’s shaking in my life and on my radar

Wow, I remember thinking back in March that I had scarce little of note to report in terms of what had been transpiring in our lives then.

After three more months of being in strict self-isolation, I have even less of note to share – which sounds dreadfully dull, I know!

Our days are full of the usual happenings of life, however, and goodness knows I could use about a thousand more hours in every day to get a mere fraction of what I’d like/need to accomplish done.  

As we’ve been at home around the clock lately though, I don’t have too many adventurous tales to regale you with this time around.

Looking ahead to the summer months, both Tony and I will celebrate our birthdays before the season draws to a close. Our beautiful country of Canada also turns another year older soon too, hitting the venerable age of 153 come July 1^st.

Historically, Tony and I have usually taken at least one get-away (usually a road trip somewhere within Western Canada) between mid-spring and late autumn.

However, with the very real safety concerns surrounding the pandemic so far this year (to say nothing of possible subsequent waves of it), we’ve not planned a trip for 2020.

For two souls who adore and derive a great deal of positive benefits from travelling, including the sheer joy of having an upcoming trip to look forward to, this has been a bit strange indeed!

Of course, many others are in similar boats and tons of folks have had to cancel or postpone travel plans (including one of my aunts and her daughter who were set to visit France this summer), and we’ll just make the best of things here at home for the time being.

The safer we are now and the more precautions we currently take to help stop the spread of Covid-19, the faster we might be able to return to a world where it’s safe to once again travel, visit with others, and do more activities in public point-blank.

-At the very end of April, on the six-month mark to Halloween (a date that many Halloween fans affectionately refer to as Halfoween), I shared a fun post highlighting 31 Ways to Celebrate Halloween All Year Long.

After I wrote that entry, I found myself thinking (not for the first time) about various ways to help ensure that I have an environmentally friendly Halloween/Samhain celebration.

This led me to find a very handy Guide to Greening Halloween, which abounds with tons of useful, practical and enjoyable ways to help keep your October 31^st all the more planet-friendly.

-If you think that things like cosplaying and sci-fi related conventions are a relatively new invention, Vintage Everyday is here with a slew of photos from the 1966 Science Fiction & Fantasy Costume Contestants Posing at the 24^th World Science Fiction Convention that will quickly prove these much-loved passions have been going strong for many decades now.

-It’s safe to say that one of the most important aspects to the continuation of life on this planet – the world’s oceans – is in a dire state and in need of immediate help.

An extraordinary ‘Landmark’ Study Lays Road Map for Exactly How We Can Restore Oceans to Former Glory in Just One Generation, and I know that I won’t be alone in hoping to the stars above (and the starfish below) that the approaches it proposes are able to be put into action.

-Should you happen to be a fellow lover of edible flowers, want a gorgeous dessert to serve at your next tea party or bridal shower, or an ideal sunny weather sabbat feast treat, may I present you with Lindsay and Jonas’s gorgeous Violet Shortbread Cookie Recipe.

-While the amount of TV that I’ve watched during this time of self-isolation has changed little from my usual levels, I have been making a point to view shows, movies and documentaries that really speak to me on a deep level.

One of the most stand-out titles in that respect that I’ve viewed recently is a documentary on Netflix called Crip Camp, which was just released this year.

It is a stirring, poignant and much needed look at how a mid-twentieth century American camp for special needs individuals helped to plant some of the seeds for the immensely long overdue social and political revolution that took place within the disabled community during the past century.

If you’re not already doing so, why not pop on over to Instagram and follow my account there? I post a wide range of content pertaining to witchery and Paganism, crafts, nature, history and vintage, travel, our daily life (including snaps of Annie), and more!

Summer lovin’

While fall time will forever reign supreme for me personally, I’m the first to admit that summer holds a special place in my heart as well.

Between the fact that it’s the season into which I born, the one in which Tony and I became engaged (back in 2004), and that it’s the prelude to my favourite chapter of the year, it’s hard not to adore summertime.

There’s dreamily perfect warm nights, ice cold drinks, the magick and marvelousness of both Litha and Lammas, sunsets so stunning they evoke tears, vibrant gardens, sundresses, feeling the sun-baked earth beneath your bare feet, and so much more to enjoy + appreciate about this season.

At this point, all any of us can do is guess and prepare in regards to what the summer may hold in store pandemic wise.

It would be amazing, nay, extraordinary, if the world was in a vastly safer, healthier place come the fall equinox, but the realist in me isn’t going to place any bets on that being the case.

What I will confidently do, however, is strive to have a beautiful, enjoyable and very meaningful season, whether we remain in self-isolation the whole time or not.

And you can count on plenty of fun, informative new content here, as well as on my Instagram account.

In the weeks and months ahead, we’ll cover a wide array of topics, from Canada Day to book reviews, summer sabbat posts to ones that will lead us straight into the magickal months of fall.

It is my unwavering hope that each of you will have a safe, healthy, peaceful and positive summer (or winter, if you’re south of the equator), and we can all met back here in three months for the next installment of Magick, Crafty Makes, and Me.

What are you most excited about this summer? Any standout plans in the works?

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