A few new things, a few old things

Just a reminder that my shop is open and running! All orders will receive free charcoal tablets with orders over $15 (before shipping). Here's a few new things and a few old things.

Blue Eye Notebook


Custom Amulet Pouches


The Hare Notebook

Altar Wash

Ink and Paper

The Hare Notebook

I often worry that being witches of a digital age has stifled our written word within ourselves.

For myself I can't really get behind the idea of a typed grimoire that's bound in a plastic binder. Plastic is unreceptive. It makes something that should be so personal so very sterile and clinical. It's not as though writing it by hand within a nicer book is harder, it's perhaps more intensive but this implies that the shortcut is the way to go and my mindset couldn't be farther from the truth. For those who find the binder and typed method suitable I encourage you to try a bound book and written words. The claim is that "if I want to change something it's easy to and I don't have to start a whole new book." Part of our learning as witches involves changes that we should embrace, not hide as though they're shameful. Even the most elite of witches started somewhere small and meager.

I'm a purist when it comes to things like this. Perhaps it's the artist in me. I want to use ink and pen and paper within a bound medium. I want to mix my blood with the ink. Or spit. Or whatever. I want my hand to ache after I've transcribed an incantation. I want that ink to accidentally or otherwise be smudged. I want to feel my words as they appear on the page. To add color with paint and mud and blood. This is why I've created all these inks and little notebooks for you witches. To encourage the recording of our paths in a traditional and tactile manner. I personally use one of my little notebooks for recording my results of tarot sessions.

To help encourage all my witches to put down the keyboard and pick up the pen I've got a little giveaway. I want to see pictures of your grimoires, those of you who are willing to show it. A link to a flickr post or photo host will do. Doesn't necessarily have to be of the whole thing, maybe your favorite page. Got a sketch of a deity? Beautiful, let's see it. Don't have a camera? Post the favorite piece of text from your grimoire instead. Please give credit if the posted text or photo is not your own.


The winner will receive this block printed lined notebook. A Piccadilly by brand, measuring 3½ x 5½ in, 100 lined acid free pages with a stitched binding. A silver cardboard notebook printed with my Sticks and Skulls print in high quality black ink. Fits perfectly within a tarot pouch or pocket and is perfect for all sorts of scribbles and sigils.

I will accept entries through the Vernal Equinox, March 20th. Thanks and happy commenting!

Journey Charm

A Gypsy ready for travel...

I hardly ever use prewritten incantations found in books, I prefer to write my own, sometimes just shooting from the hip in situations, or use ancient ones such as the Orphic Hymns. However I wanted to share one I found within a chapter from Trance-Portation: Learning to Navigate the Inner World. What I really love about this book is it a book for all faiths, it doesn't cater to one specific Trance bound spirituality, it caters to all. The beginning of the exercise speaks of preparation for travel and creating personal warding, something I can't advocate enough. Without warding it's as though you left the front door open to your house while you go grocery shopping. In addition to verbal incantations you can wear jewelry, masks, or ritual garb to give added protection.

Among other useful exercises, this incantation known as the "Sith Galdor", as quoted from Anglo Saxon Magic by Godfrid Storms, is taken from an eleventh-century manuscript and used to protect travelers at the beginning of a journey, astral or physical. Sig, the old English word for Victory, is associated with the word Sigil. You can also substitute the word "Gods" for a deity of choice, Hermes is a good one as is Hekate. May you use it for your own journeys, within covens or solitary.

With this sphere I gird me round (turn clockwise tracing circle around self with finger, wand, etc)
By the Gods grace grace may I be bound,
Against sore stitch, against sore bite,
Against all horrors that haunt the night;
'Gainst dread that folk fear everywhere,
And loathly things that here would fare,
Sig-galdor I chant, a sig-rod is my stay,
Word-sig and work-sig ward today.
No nightmare do my spirit harm,
No foe oppress, no fear alarm.
Nor wight nor weather threaten me,
From danger defended I will be.
I bid the good Gods victory give,
Guarded so, safe shall I live.

Anathemum's Holiday Gift Guide

This year is my first Yule as a shop owner and I'm so excited. While all of my products and creations make wonderful gifts for heathens, I've created a few small specific things for you to give your favorite Witches and Sorcerers this year. Remember, I always offer gift wrapping on request as well as discrete shipping labels when requested.


I really went bonkers with some paper goods this year. I created several types of notebooks, all perfect as stocking stuffers for our favorite witches, as well as a set of Yule cards. I always carry a journal with me for spontaneous writing and sketching and these are small enough to fit in a pocket or purse without taking up too much room.


And for those who aren't sure what they'd like to get for a Pagan friend, I have gift certificates available. These are good for all my products, special orders and commissions!

As a special gift to all my amazing customers and readers I'm having a small Black(Mass)Friday holiday Sale! Spread the word!

Drying Time

Block printed Spirit notebooks, for your travels, available in the shop
Natually dyed cotton, from left to right, Hibiscus, boiled maple leaves and holly berries, and onion skins
Another batch of Indigo Sigil Chalk, cured and ready for your magic

Giveaway! And more Grimoire work

Hey Guys and Gals, I'm a sponsor for The Spooky Spring Easter Casket Giveaway over at Bloodbath's blog! You have the chance to win some Spirit Sustenance Incense and some Graveyard Dirt from my shop plus a ton of other cool prizes from some really great Etsy sellers, so hop on over!




I've been working on my Grimoire as often as I can and have done a few small watercolor pieces in it, mostly on pages devoted to deities and I have yet to really put color on anything else. I chose one of my favorite images for the inner front page, sketched it and then used a steel tipped pen and "Black Magic" Higgins ink. It was interesting how the slightly slick Moleskine sketchbook paper took to the watercolor, the color sitting and beading on the surface until it became absorbed by the paper. I have so many Evil Eye/Hamsa pieces of jewelry and trinkets, and with it being the symbol and logo for my shop I thought it was appropriate I emulate it here too. It's probably my favorite occult symbol and when I open a brick and mortar shop I'll be sure to include it there too.


I also sketched out this Hecate picture last night. It being a dark moon and a Wednesday, Hecate was calling. The sketch isn't finished but will be done in watercolor within the following days. I've been looking for a good image of Hecate for my altar and have found very few so I decided to just draw one myself that encompassed as much of her imagery as possible. I plan on adding some Yew branches and maybe her wheel as well. Most Pagans tend to neuter her power and water it down, making her just another crone or moon goddess or whatever. I embrace all aspects of her and wish that others would too, her vast knowledge, her ability to traverse the heavens, earth, and underworld, etc. I guess we all look at our deities differently.

For the shop the next items I plan on working on will be Spell Component Kits, but ones that cater to all levels of Witches. There will be no specific instructions, just themed items. For example: the Hexing kit will include a Bayou Black candle, War Water, Graveyard Dirt, Coffin Nails, and so on. As for myself I really enjoy crafting a spell of my own, not using one straight from a book. Yes, I use some ideas and reference from many books but part of any works of magic is your gut and knowing what works for you. Use it! Use the knowledge you've obtained through all your practices and mold it to your path. Use your deities, your spirits, not someone elses. That's the great thing about being a Witch.

What's your favorite occult symbol?

Scribing

Eleggua Vintage Key Charm available in the Shop

So I've begun transcribing my Grimoire pages into it's new home in the Moleskine Sketchbook. My hand is wrecked from it. I never realized how much information I had accrued over these ten years and I'm learning more every day. I have a million pieces of paper everywhere and to compile all the information is a challenge! It's also interesting to see how my path has changed and evolved. Even my beliefs have changed, but with knowledge comes a different understanding of things.

My ritual structure was very strict before and I felt stifled by it. Now I just go with it, let the muses take me. I use different deities now but still all similar aspects which I find amusing. I'm always drawn towards aspects of the water and night, chaos and darkness. Nyx, Persephone, Hades, Hecate, Ochum and Yemanya just to name a few. I think it's the Cancer in me :).

Witches, what were your first tools of witchcraft? Please elaborate!

A couple business things, I created an Anathemum Facebook Page. Become a fan and get special promotions, announcements, and updates for the Shop!

Busy witching

Heal a Broken Heart Incense Blend available in the Shop

So I've been a very busy witch lately; brewing incense, making oils (Van Van and Red Rose to name a few), and crafting for the shop. I also had my first sale a few days ago which was inspiring for me and while things are slow I have a lot of confidence that it will pick up. I also bagged up some Ostara incense I brewed which will be for sale for the coming Sabbat by this evening. The whole room smells wonderful!

My witchy area is a mess because I've been using lots of my herbs and resins and I have nowhere to store them currently. I found a cabinet at Ikea I really like with glass doors but it's pricey and my car needs new brakes. But while everything is all scattered all over it's making me a little bonkers. It's nice to be able to see everything out but it's still unsettling.


One of the drawers from my altar. It holds a little bit of store stock, a cowrie shell necklace, skeleton keys, rocks, gemstones, coffin nails, and lots of other bits and things!

I've also had Grimoire issues for a while. I've used a composition notebook for the longest time and while that is acceptable it's not what I'm really after. It's messy and disorganized and out of place and many of the things written in it I no longer feel is relevant to my path. Not that I'd like to discount those things but I need something that's representative of me as a Witch now, not as a Witch 5-7 years ago. For years I've used Moleskine sketchbooks to journal and sketch in and I thought it'd be the perfect medium to organize my Grimoire a little better. Anyone who's used them loves them. The page weight is good enough to even paint on. Beat that composition notebook!

What do you use for your Grimoire/Book of Shadows, Witches? (I see lots of lurkers, I want to hear your voices!)

New Year's Eve, and a swap package.

Okay so it's almost the new year but I'd like to post some photos of things I've worked on during the holidays. I just decided to start early while I had the motivation time. This will be a photo heavy post.

This is the package I sent for the Yule swap over at Craftster. The main item is a Moon Goddess shrine. When I asked how my partner how she envisioned the goddess she said as a moon goddess so I kinda ran with that theme.

The background is old book pages over a box built from thin wood and watercolor paper for the sides (so as not to ripple when many layers of paint were added). I then used acrylic paints to build up the background color. The moon is from a science book from the 1960s and the goddess is a vintage image I found online. I printed her out in black and white and painted her with watered down acrylics and glitter paint. The pressed flowers in the background are from my yard (periwinkle and silver maple). The stars in the background are iridescent sequins with paint in the center.


I also made a Pagan rosary. Instead of using a charm for the end I decided to use a small glass vial instead. You can put a small gemstone or even herbs within it. I attached that pretty little topper to the plain cork myself to jazz it up. I originally attached a small bail to the cork on the vial but I didn't want the cork to pop out if she chose to wear it, so I had to devise something pretty but appropriate to hold the vial. I wrapped a thin piece of jewelry wire around the small neck of the vial and created two loops to attach jump rings and therefore the silver chain. Ta-da.

There are 9 beads around the actual circumference of the necklace, 9 being a sacred number to the Goddess. There are three spiral beads surrounded by marcasite, each spiral representing the three aspects of the Goddess (maid, mother, crone). Along the hanging part above the vial is one spiral bead, several marcasite beads and 4 small glass seed beads representing the elements. Each of the colored glass beads represents her children and one for herself.




I hand carved a pine box so she could store her tarot cards in. It's painted with acrylics. I lined the inside with purple felt and the inside of the top with another vintage book page.




This is a Yule ornament I made using one of those blank glass ornaments. The little goddess is carved out of wood. The gold spiral is painted on the inside. I won't even tell you how hard that was.



Here's a few goodies I included with the package. A few drawstring bags and incense and gemstones.

Mini shrine, The Gloaming of the Forest Floor

So this is my new deal. Wanted to try something new but didn't want to buy anything new since money is tight. I recently gutted a few old books from the 60's while making stash book boxes and wanted to use the pages for something fun. Anyway, I call this one The Gloaming of the Forest Floor. The little lady is supposed to be a dryad or a little woodsy person with roots for feet. I know they look like tentacles :D. I wish I had a camera that could pick up all the details.



I cranked this out last night in about 3 hours or so. They go quickly when you get inspired.
I built the box out of a small piece of wood for the back and watercolor paper for the sides since I would be adding lots of paint and glue I didn't want it to ripple or warp. The box is 5.5in x 3.75in and .75in deep. I then built up the insides with ripped book pages. I added acrylic paint in many layers and then pasted on pressed leaves from my backyard (dandelion, silver maple, clover). Then I added all the dimensional parts like the moss and the trees. The tree leaves are leaves from black fake flowers. I cut and shaped a few of them. The little lady is a vintage photo I printed out and pasted on card stock. I then used thin acrylic paint to color her.