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"Dear seeker, voice thy question, problem, or wish, and maybe I shall indulge thy request."

"Hello there, I have a huge problem with my job burning me out. I've lost my joy in life because I never have the time or/and energy to enjoy the tiny bit of leisure time I've left. I know I can't change the shitty and draining aspects of my job, but can you help me deal with the mental burden a bit?"

The witch's eyes glimmer with an otherworldly light as she leans in close, voice dripping with arcane promise. "Aye, I can sense the weight upon thy shoulders, dear soul. Thy spirit yearns for liberation from the shackles of toil that bind thee. Fear not, for I shall guide thee in a ritual of renewal and rejuvenation."

She begins to scribble on a scrap of parchment, tongue darting out to wet the quill. With a flourish, she hands the list to you, lips curling in an enigmatic smirk.

Components needed for thy ritual:

✨ A Violet Candle, to represent the wisdom and spirituality needed to navigate the path to rejuvenation.

✨ An Amethyst Crystal, a stone of inner vision and spiritual growth, to focus the energies of thy intent.

✨ Sandalwood Incense or Essential Oil, to purify the space and invite a state of deep relaxation.

✨If at hand, fresh or dried Rose Petals, a symbol of love, passion, and the beauty of life's joys.

✨ A sprig of fresh Rosemary, a herb of remembrance and a symbol of renewal, to be used in thy cleansing ritual.

✨ A black pen and a piece of paper or parchment, upon which to scribe thy wish for a life reclaimed.

✨A fireproof container, like a small cauldron or a random bowl.

She extends the scrap of parchment, the spell and required ingredients neatly scribed in a style that seems to shimmer and dance before your eyes.

"Choose a Wednesday for best effect, as the Goddess of Wisdom oversees thy transcendence in the waxing gibbous moon's ethereal glow. Place thy items around the candle and begin to chant the spell, allowing the words to flow from some deep wellspring of wisdom, drowning out the weary lament of burnout's toll:

'With violet candle flame aglow,

Apathy's chains begin to slacken slow.

Bathe in the light of amethyst bright,

Reclaim thy zest for life's pure delight.

Banish burnout's shadow, cast off despair,

In leisure's name, make time stand still and fair.'

As the candle burns and the incense perfumes the air, hold the sprig of rosemary over the flame to cleanse and purify the space. Picture the smoke, laden with the herb's invigorating scent, carrying away the dregs of exhaustion and despair.

Take up the piece of paper and with the black pen, write thy deepest yearning, thy heartfelt wish to reclaim the leisure and joy that have eluded thee. Pour thy soul onto the page, painting a vivid picture of the life thou craveth, of the moments and experiences that once brought thy spirit to sing. Fold the paper tightly, pressing thy intent into its folds.

Now, hold the paper into the flame, feeding the fire your heartfelt desire and cast it into the fireproof container. Watch as the flames consume thy wish, the smoke curling up to mingle with the star-strewn night sky. Envision the essence of thy rebirth, your freedom from burnout's monotonous refrain, rising with each curl of smoke and ash.

Extinguish the candle, not with breath, but by pressing the flame between thy fingers, absorbing its power, or using a candle snuffer."

The most fabulous crone of them all - Bette Midler as the notorious Winifred Sanderson in 'Hocus Pocus' (1993, dir. Danny Ortega)

image source: Click Here! ~ No copyright infringement intended! ~

The "Crone Day" is a modern Pagan and Wiccan celebration held annually on July 1st. It's dedicated to honouring the wisdom, power, and achievements of older women, particularly those in their post-menopausal years.

The Crone represents the third and final stage of a woman's life cycle, following the Maiden (young adulthood) and Mother (childbearing years). As a Crone, a woman is freed from the constraints of fertility and child-rearing, allowing her to focus on personal growth, spiritual exploration, and sharing her hard-earned wisdom with others.

Key Aspects and Activities of Crone Day Include:

Honouring Wisdom and Experience - Crone Day celebrates the deep knowledge, insights, and life lessons acquired through decades of living. It's a time to appreciate the value of maturity and the power of a seasoned perspective.

Reclaiming the word 'Crone' - Historically, the term 'Crone' had negative connotations, often depicting older women as witches, hags, or wicked step-mothers, more often than not ugly, rebellious and generally deemed undesirable in both physique and (hard to break = inconvenient) spirit. Crone Day seeks to reclaim this word and redefine it as a term of respect and empowerment for wise, experienced women.

Celebrating Ageing - In a youth-obsessed society, Crone Day is a counter-cultural event that embraces the natural ageing process. It encourages women to embrace their wrinkles, grey hairs, and changing bodies as badges of honour.

Sisterhood and Community - The day fosters a sense of community among women, inviting them to come together, share stories, and support one another. It's an opportunity for women to connect across generations and learn from each other.

Rituals and Celebrations - Crone Day Rituals Often Involve:

Storytelling - Sharing tales of personal growth, overcoming adversity, and the joys and challenges of ageing.

Candle Lighting - Each participant lights a candle to represent the illumination of their inner wisdom and the shedding of society's expectations.

Honourable Mentions or Awards - Recognising and rewarding women who embody Crone energy, making significant contributions in their communities, or living exceptional lives in alignment with their authentic selves.

Release Rituals - A symbolic letting go of self-doubt, insecurity, or regrets, allowing women to embrace their true essence and move forward with confidence.

Prosperity Blessings - Invoking abundance, good fortune, and well-being in the lives of all attendees, as a testament to the power and worth of Crone women.

Feasting and Celebration - Shared meals and revelry, indulging in favourite foods, and raising a toast to the Crone.

In some Pagan and Wiccan traditions, the Crone is associated with the skeleton key to the underworld, embodying the death of the old and the birth of the new. She represents the harvest, the reaping of what has been sown, and the transformation that comes with time. The Crone is the guardian of the portal between the realms of the living and the dead, the bridge between the past, present, and future.

Crone Day encourages women to embrace their natural ageing process, to revel in their growing wisdom, and to mentor and guide the next generation. It's an opportunity to break free from the confines of a youth-obsessed culture and claim their power, dignity, and place in the world.

A friend of a friend won a free consultation with Clinton Kelly of What Not To Wear, and she was very excited, because she has a plus-size body, and wanted some tips on how to make the most of her wardrobe in a fashion culture which deliberately puts her body at a disadvantage.

Her first question for him was this: how do celebrities make a plain white t-shirt and a pair of weekend jeans look chic?  She always assumed it was because so many celebrities have, by nature or by design, very slender frames, and because they can afford very expensive clothing.  But when she watched What Not To Wear, she noticed that women of all sizes ended up in cute clothes that really fit their bodies and looked great.  She had tried to apply some guidelines from the show into her own wardrobe, but with only mixed success.  So - what gives?

His answer was that everything you will ever see on a celebrity’s body, including their outfits when they’re out and about and they just get caught by a paparazzo, has been tailored, and the same goes for everything on What Not To Wear.  Jeans, blazers, dresses - everything right down to plain t-shirts and camisoles.  He pointed out that historically, up until the last few generations, the vast majority of people either made their own clothing or had their clothing made by tailors and seamstresses.  You had your clothing made to accommodate the measurements of your individual body, and then you moved the fuck on.  Nothing on the show or in People magazine is off the rack and unaltered.  He said that what they do is ignore the actual size numbers on the tags, find something that fits an individual’s widest place, and then have it completely altered to fit.  That’s how celebrities have jeans that magically fit them all over, and the rest of us chumps can’t ever find a pair that doesn’t gape here or ride up or slouch down or have about four yards of extra fabric here and there.

I knew that having dresses and blazers altered was probably something they were doing, but to me, having alterations done generally means having my jeans hemmed and then simply living with the fact that I will always be adjusting my clothing while I’m wearing it because I have curves from here to ya-ya, some things don’t fit right, and the world is just unfair that way.  I didn’t think that having everything tailored was something that people did. 

It’s so obvious, I can’t believe I didn’t know this.  But no one ever told me.  I was told about bikini season and dieting and targeting your “problem areas” and avoiding horizontal stripes.  No one told me that Jennifer Aniston is out there wearing a bigger size of Ralph Lauren t-shirt and having it altered to fit her.

I sat there after I was told this story, and I really thought about how hard I have worked not to care about the number or the letter on the tag of my clothes, how hard I have tried to just love my body the way it is, and where I’ve succeeded and failed.  I thought about all the times I’ve stood in a fitting room and stared up at the lights and bit my lip so hard it bled, just to keep myself from crying about how nothing fits the way it’s supposed to.  No one told me that it wasn’t supposed to.  I guess I just didn’t know.  I was too busy thinking that I was the one that didn’t fit.

I thought about that, and about all the other girls and women out there whose proportions are “wrong,” who can’t find a good pair of work trousers, who can’t fill a sweater, who feel excluded and freakish and sad and frustrated because they have to go up a size, when really the size doesn’t mean anything and it never, ever did, and this is just another bullshit thing thrown in your path to make you feel shitty about yourself.

I thought about all of that, and then I thought that in elementary school, there should be a class for girls where they sit you down and tell you this stuff before you waste years of your life feeling like someone put you together wrong.