February

It feels very odd to be writing about February at nearly the end of March, and I considered putting the two months in the same post. However, February was a very different month than March, so the two posts will have to come out pretty much right next to each other.

The major theme of February is candle magic and other warming, comforting hearth work. With Imbloc, or Candlemass, at the beginning of the month, it makes for a perfect theming. This is also the last chapter in the book, and I appreciate leaving a book on a note that feels like a big hug from the author, even if I'm doing things out of order.

January

 
So, January has been a month. I was going to just ignore it, and maybe make a post saying that I failed at #yearofthehedgewitch. However, when I was looking over at the topics in the book, I realized that I hadn't failed as much as I thought I had in the month. You see, January is all about making connections and connecting with people on your path. And in that respect, I definitely succeeded.

A Reason for Spellwork and A Self Love Spell

I am a witch, and I have a confession to make. I very rarely cast spells or do any spellworking. It's not because I don't use spells in my practice. On the contrary, I have piles of books and lists of spells and whole grimoires full of them that I'd love to cast. It's not because I have any moral reasoning to not use certain types of spells, such as hexes, jinxes, and curses. I believe that "do what you will as long as it harms none" is a ridiculous standard, and honestly, sometimes a well placed hex is needed. It's not because I lack the knowledge or ability to cast any spell that I desire. I have been studying witchcraft, Wicca, the occult, and magic since I was able to go to my local library and check out books by myself. As for ability, that resides solely in myself. Finally, it's not because I lack the needed ingredients. Most of the spells I work, on the rare occasion that I do so, have very simple ingredients and tools that I already have, or I can acquire the items at my local market.

A Baby Witch's First Steps

Being a beginner in anything is scary. Everywhere you look, there are other people who are doing so much better and have been doing a thing for so much longer than you have. It’s easy to get discouraged and just give up. My story of how I came to be a witch is full of times when I gave up for one reason or another. However, I kept coming back to witchcraft, and I believe I am finding my way now.

I was in middle school when I first became interested in witchcraft. I devoured the Harry Potter books, Sweep by Cate Tiernan, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Charmed, The Craft – anything and everything that showed bad ass witches taking control over their lives. As a young woman who felt powerless and out of control, that called to something deep inside my soul and I needed to know more. I read every book on Wicca and New Age my library had. I dove into the tragic myths of Greece and Rome. I studied Jewish Kabbalah and mysticism in my synagogue. I scoured the internet for information on magick, herbs, crystals, sabbats, everything I could find.