 Magic on a Budget Times are rough financially. Globally. Nationally. Personally. It is challenging during such times to keep our prosperity mindset healthy and productive, and slip into lack thinking or feeling. We might think that we cannot afford to do our magic rites or cast spells for what we need and desire.. or that we have to do so in some inferior manner. That is thankfully not true! Different… does not mean less than. Below are some photos from my recent trip to the Dollar Tree store. I will say that since the pandemic I have not shopped there till now, but I made a special stop there the other day to check out what their current offerings are. I am certain there are even MORE things in their stock that can be used for magic, and even more ideas than I share for the items I snapped photos of. This is just to give you some ideas and hopefully get those creative and prosperous ideas flowing!
These divider boxes can be found by the crafts/school supply section, as well as (a different version) by the automotive and tools section. They are wonderful for keeping tumbled stones in labeled compartments, or other such magical sundries. I do NOT recommend this for keeping herbs as they can spill and blend into one another.  Bag of sea shells. These can represent the element of water on your altar, be an offering to a Deity of the Seas and Oceans, or be instrumental in water or ocean magic.  These little plastic containers seal well enough (and are easy to label) to house a small herbal collection, and would be perfect for freezer spells.  Glass Jars – these have a plastic inner seal which would keep herbs fresh and secure, as well as make these lovely for manifesting jars. Practical and pretty too!  These silver tone trays are lovely for on an altar for under candles – may as well be beautiful while collecting wax drippings! They can also be used to house a spell – set up your spell on this tray and it keeps the spell energy in that space, allowing you to use other portions of your altar for other workings.  The glass candle plates are intended to hold pillar candles, but with their little rim, and feet they are ideal for placing under candle sticks on your altar to catch dripping wax while not taking up too much altar space.  Aromatherapy Oil Diffuser and Tea Light Candles – a wonderful way to imbue the atmosphere in your sacred space with whatever energy you desire, without the smoke of incense. Some folks have to avoid smoke due to allergies, or smoke detectors in spaces where they don’t make the rules. Remember to only use a couple of drops of essential oil or blend in water – fill the upper bay of the diffuser with water, add your oil drops, insert a lit tealight in the lower bay. As the water warms the scent and energy will fill the air. Keep an eye on the water level and flame – make sure the water does not fully evaporate, as a flame under a dried/empty upper bay will call cracking and is dangerous.  Spray and Squeeze bottles are found in the craft section ad can be used for aromatic and cleansing sprays and even washes.  These vials – with screw caps (though not secure enough for fluids!) or corks – are handy for containing small amounts of herbs, powders, incense blends, and are the perfect size for travel or when preparing a spell kit for yourself or others.  Hooks – hand herb bundles to dry, hang talismans and/or mojo bags for protection or other magical purposes.  Cardboard shaped boxes – make spell boxes full of herbs, stones, petition, and since they are plain brown craft board, they can be magically enhanced with sigils and sacred symbols.
Two styles of decorative bottles – one is found near home décor and candles, and the other by housewares and glassware – can be used to hold magical waters, herbal infusions, vinegars, and washes. The bottles can be used for oils if you blend your own in large master bottles, but are too large for rebottling of the few drams we tends to purchase from retailers.  These mirrored tile/plates are sold for under pillar candle, but are truly the perfect size for use in the various forms of mirror magic!  And last but not least – this craft carving knife set will be a great ally in carving candles and other magic necessary carving be it on wood, wax, a poppet, or talisman.
What inexpensive yet valuable treasures can you find at your local stores? What creative ideas do you have to make them into magical tools and accessories? Remember - even when financial prosperity is flowing abundantly, it is important to respect our prosperity and never waste it....so bargains are ALWAYS magical!
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 Saturn rules time (how long things take, as well as time in regard to generations, eras), karma (karma is not bad... unless you (or an ancestor) are.. it is the bounce back lessons from our actions - so just as we want some former antagonist to get theirs... we can be receiving OURS as well), commitments (those we have made, want to make, were made to us), boundaries, restrictions (boundaries keep others out, restrictions hold us back - BIG difference).
This is a time to re-assess if we are keeping our word, what we desire to commit to, have we over-extended ourselves with commitments (which may be part of a personal pattern that we have to break for mind and soul health).... Are we using time well - with respect for the gift that time is? What do we need to make time for, what are we giving time to that we shouldn't be.. Saturn is about life lessons (which is truly what karma is) - what do we see that is a recurring lesson that we have been avoiding dealing with and mastering? Remember - Retrogrades are NOT bad - they come to make us RE-Examine, when necessary re-experience, and redo things in the realm that they govern. There CAN indeed be HUGE upheaval if we ignore the lessons of the retrograde, and carry on as if all is in regular energy flow. Want a peaceful and therefore productive Saturn Retrograde? Pay attention...specifically look at these areas of your life, and of course honor and align with the retrograding planet. Lighting a candle to Saturn and walking away is NOT aligning nor appeasing...there is no appeasing as it is not out to get you and needs to be put in check - it WILL make static for you - to catch your attention and MAKE you deal unless you align....SO a bit of candle magic where you honor Saturn in its retrograde phase and commit to being open to its lessons and aligning with this energy - and asking that the lessons please come smoothly and stress free... THAT will help. Saturn Retrograde dressed candles and kits are available here at Lady Jayne's Bewitchery - click to purchase.  Those Who Came BeforeOur ancestors are always connected to us. Every day of the year. At this time of year (Samhain/Hallows) and at Beltane when the veils between the realms are thinner, it is easier to access this connection, to feel, hear, and sometimes see the spirits of our lineage.
Some folks have an ongoing relationship with them and some honor occasionally and some have no interaction at all. What is ‘right’ is what works for you at this stage in your life. Be open to that changing as you change, as your needs and lessons change, and as you learn more of the how and why regarding ancestral connection. A common challenge for people is the desire to have ancestral connection yet not with all of their ancestors. Some ancestors, just like those in our current life and time, were hateful, abusive, or other forms of unsavory and undesirable. How do we connect with only those we desire to? Is that the best choice… all or nothing? Any advantage to honoring or at least acknowledging the undesirable ones? This recent blog by occult author and teacher, Jason Miller, gives wonderful perspective and options for this quandary. https://bit.ly/3BB9QOQ Who are the Ancestors? There are various categories of lineage that people choose to honor. Some honor a chosen line of connection, while others honor some or all. Again, it is what is pertinent to you personally that should determine your workings. There are ancestors of bloodline, ancestors of the craft (witches who came before us in time even if no direct genetic relation to us. They survived and passed the lessons of magic along which has in some form trickled to us as well – the knowledge and the power to survive.), and the lineage of your personal wisdom and gnosis – the minds and souls whose existence, work, written word, teachings, and example – have helped to inform who you have created yourself to be today. Honoring ancestors is not solely done at an altar. They are literally all around us. Their energy infused in the air we breathe and imbedded in our inner wisdom and intuition. To make an Ancestor Altar – a physical space indoors – recommendations are as follows: Photos or items of your beloved dead, letters they sent to you personally are extra potent for reforging communication currently, offerings of their favorite alcoholic beverage (there is an aspect to alcoholic drinks that make them a favorable offering even if we ourselves do not partake in alcohol – vapors and essence and influence from alcohol connect with spirits in a special way), favorite food or drink – coffee, tea, cake, cookies, fruits. White candles are always best when connecting to, communicating with, and honoring spirits. The ‘work’ can be as simple as setting this space with honor and reverence – even a tealight in front of a single photo – and saying hello, sharing a favorite memory of them, expressing gratitude to them and for them for all that they were, are, and experienced. You can also honor your ancestors outside – any time of day or night. This can be at their gravesite, or ANYWHERE out in nature. If there is a place they used to enjoy – even if it is a local (to you) version of it – for example, sitting under a tree – select a spot, and either sit there in communication - verbal or silent – with them, and/or leave offerings and call them to the space, and proceed much as you would at an indoor altar. Use only SAFE candles (ie a tealight in glass or metal) and NEVER leave it unattended – you can snuff a candle after your ritual outside and bring the candle indoors to relit and finish safely there), and make sure that all food is safe for wildlife (NO chocolate outside – very enticing AND very toxic to animals) as they will come by to eat it, and do not litter and abuse the Earth – leave all offering on the ground directly (yes cookie on the ground, pour your libation on the ground) or place in something that is food itself – ie carve out inside of a small pumpkin or orange and put food or drink offerings in the scooped out half orange peel as a cup. You also – need none of this – speak from your heart – anywhere – any time. Remember as you honor your ancestors that you, yourself are an ancestor in the making to all who are in your world…those who interact with you and learn from you, get inspired by you, as well as genetic relations. As Samhain approaches, the veil thins… you can begin your ancestral rites at any point in time, but especially in these days. Remember that they are there for you – they lived so that you may live; they survived so that you may exist. If you need their help – protection, blessings, guidance – ask for it with respect and gratitude. May you and your ancestors revel together in the amazing magic of this season, and may you feel their magic within your own. *I do not know who the artist of this image is. Please advise if have such information so that I can edit to attribute artistic credit. Thank you.*  Covid and the WitchIt feels like yet another new era.
We all, globally, went from our local cultural 'norms', in and out of various stages of the pandemic. Now, as many here in the United States are vaccinated, and many areas reopening in modified yet much more 'normal' ways, other parts of the world are still - or again - under siege of this virus - there is an aspect to Covid that has not, and may never go away for some of us. It was November 2019, and I couldn't think, or breathe, or move, or sleep. Certain that it was the worst flu in history, I was relieved when after two of the longest weeks of my life, I finally started to feel better. I was still exhausted, every limb feeling like dead weight, my breathing still labored, but I could function. A simple drive to the grocery store, wore me out so fully, that I was dragging myself up the stairs, and could not carry the groceries up with me. By January, my heart was exhibiting distress, and it just seemed like one thing after another. Fast forward several months to when it became clear that I had had Covid-19 and was experiencing several of the residual effects. Some folks were quick to correct me that I must be mistaken because Covid started in the States, as of January 2020 - that is until the official reports came out that the CDC had confirmed that cases did indeed begin in November but were misdiagnosed at the time, since no one knew to test for Coronavirus at that point. Given that Covid can easily be fatal, I was of course, beyond fortunate. By now, numerous articles swarm the internet about an array of post-Covid experiences. The symptoms vary from mildly irritating, to fully debilitating. Medical tests and scans show instances of damage to vital organs such as the lungs and heart, and in other folks the residuals are more neuro focused, with senses being affected as well as memory and cognitive skills. Personally, I still have days where I can barely move or even stand, muscles heavy, joints locked. Some days my mental fog is so dense that it is impossible to think, remember, or comprehend through it. There are varying other challenges that I have now that I did not prior to. As with everyone post-Covid, there is no way to know if these issues are correctable, simply lingering, or permanent as my new 'normal'. They come and go and even when they go, there is no way to know if they will stay away. I share all this because in recent reflection on my craft, I realized how much impact Covid had on my magic over this past year plus. Knowing that other practioners have gone through (and may still be going through) similar, it is my hope that by sharing my experiences, and the tips I have developed to work around these challenges, it can be of help to others. These tips can hopefully be helpful to those having the same or similar experiences, no matter the cause.
Masks are still mandated in many areas, at least in certain circumstances which will continue (ie medical offices will require them in most areas even once they are not mandated in stores or outside). They have proven to not just help amidst Covid, but also cut down on cold and flus this past year as well as limiting allergies. The mask shown at the top of the blog is made by artist Mickie Mueller and can be purchased in her Etsy shop (click here). She also offers other beautifully magical designs as well. Image used with gracious permission from the artist. With blessings of healing and rejuvenation to us all, Nadia |
A Magical Life
Nadia RomanovMother. Writer. Witch. Alchemist.
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