The Great Online Road Trip Adventure

add herbs to your hot coco for an extra boost. like lavender for calm, mint for protection, or rose for self love

charm your hat, gloves, scarf, coat, or blankets for protection and warmth

get a good bit of snow, take it to your altar and watch it melt — more about snow magic here

draw symbols or sigils in foggy windows

thoroughly cleanse your space and refresh your protections and wards

bundle up and take a walk in the snow, listen to it under your feet. blanketing everything.

connect with local evergreen trees & meditate with them. learn their lore and magic. talk to them. listen to them.

kitchen witchcraft—bake for yourself and your loved ones!

if going outdoors is too much— watch the snow from a warm window. wrap yourself in blankets, drink hot drink, light a candle, and count your gratitudes.

acts of kindness — try to do a kind thing for someone else every day. also, donate your time or money to a worthy cause. (like operation olive branch) — not witchy but very important!!!!

read and research your craft by the fireplace (or while watching a yule log video)

drinkable simmer pots!!!!

make pine needle soda from white pine needles. definitely research this first to do it right

crochet, knit, or knot magic. you can incorporate color magic as well!

do some journaling or shadow work on the past year and what you hope to get out of the season ahead. this is a great time to reflect.

first thing in the morning—take three slow deep breaths (air/sky) more grounding than immediately checking a phone

notice your feet on the ground taking root when you stand up for the first time of the day, take a little stretch (earth/land)

wash or splash your face to get alll the way awake. then chug a big glass. (water/sea)

appreciate any trees, plants, dirt, or clouds you see

place both hands on your heart to feel your own heat and warmth. feel your heart beating. “i am alive” (fire)

wear or carry a rock, hagstone, crystal, talisman, or amulet

in times of stress or dissociation, rub your thumb in small circles on the back of your other hand to ground and soothe. (clockwise for attracting an intention, counterclockwise for banishing)

color magic with clothing

add cinnamon, lavender, or peppermint to coffee according to intention if you don’t want to drink tea

stirring tea/coffee according to intention

sometimes i pick a little affirmation for the day— “may i forgive myself” “the universe is within me/the wild is within me”

visualization—inhale a bright light and let it fill your lungs, exhaling clouds of negativity

or create a shield with breathing. with each breath, imagine a bubble forming around your body, then your aura, growing with strength.

cleansing shower at the end of the day (intending it to cleanse my aura makes me more motivated to take one, idkw)

if taking a bath, add a dash of moon water

sniff lavender essential oil before bed

snow water*,’•

collect fresh, untouched snow and melt some to use in your practice—even better if collected before dawn during a full moon! you can boil it after collecting to be sure it is sanitized.

snow water can be used for:

scrying

baths / ritual baths

watering plants

offerings to deities

boiling & adding to tea or potions

adding to a washing machine for cleansing & charging clothing

walk barefoot on stones in shallow streams.

talk to the wind and let it carry away your regrets.

forage for wildflowers to place on your altar, press in thrifted books, or give to loved ones —be careful when identifying

watch sunrises and sunsets. wake up before the sun. bare witness to the painted sky.

spend hours in the woods among the wild. take long long walks or sit still and watch the world.

talk to plants and listen to them. make friends.

get field guides to trees, plants, birds, etc. that are native to your area. learn which are which. bookmark pages that you recognize or want to find.

sing back to the robins. caw back to the crows.

journal by firelight and feel the flame burn your worries away.

gather snow and bring a bowl inside. talk to it and tell it your worries. your fears. let it melt, transmuting your stress and worries into healing nourishment. bring it outside and water the soil. see how things can be changed.

dance. run. move your body to sweat, if this is something you can do

collect stones from the river and try to find the best ones. keep them in your pocket. hold onto them to remember that you’re an animal.

go to a lake and float. feel the water carry you. lifting you from your stress. bring a vial and collect some for spellwork.

make a necklace out of an acorn and thread.

stand in the rain. dance in it. lay down in the grass and let it pour. let it wash fears away, transform doubt to hope. start anew.

snow magic here

Mindful walks Mindful walks isn't about just going for a walk or how often. It is about listening to nature, observe nature, stop, sit down, meditate, look at natures details in plants and rocks and landscape. The more you look the more you find. Nature is amazing that way.

Mindful shopping Yes, mindful shopping. Do you really need it? Is it organic? Is it a brand that tests on animals? Do the brand produce somewhat ethically? (I'm aware most brands are super unethical in all ways, but try find some you can afford that are the least harmful on nature)

Ground in nature Hug a tree, sit on a rock, feel the sun in your face, let the water wash over your feet or hands. Something about being in nature in general and interacting with nature feels refreshing and grounding. Ever tried to say hi to a tree? Hold one of it's branches and bow/curtsy to greet them? Give it a try if you haven't!

Research Research plants and insects around you, learn to identify them and which ones toxic. Research how to forage ethically and thank nature for every harvest.

Garden If you have a garden you can use that to know natures energies, plant some plants you like. Bonus point if they're bee-friendly! As humans it might be a normal thing to dislike insects, but it's so important for our nature. Set up insect hotels, insect friendly drinking station and other (cute) nature friendly decor!

Pick up trash Yes, it is a very boring job. But the nature needs us to do it, and we can't always think "someone else will do it". It's a PERFECT way to honor the nature. Be the one person that matters. Remember to always bring a trash bag and a couple of gloves for the job.

The concept of the four elements is not universal.

In Irish cosmology—there are the three realms:

Land

Sea

Sky

The three Irish realms are not to be ‘invoked.’ They exist as a constant presence all around us. They surround us—without them there would be nothingness. They are the Earth we walk on, the water we drink and swim in, the air we breathe. Above, under, and all around.

Fire is incredibly important—and is its own thing.

enjoy a charcuterie board with cheeses and breads

put out a scarf the night before Imbolg to be blessed by Brigid’s healing powers

collect snow to make snow water

make a Brigid’s cross out of whatever you have available — paper, straw, grasses, wire, pipe cleaners, anything

light a candle and watch the flame dance

pray to Brigid, thank her for her blessings

bundle up & go on a walk—try to notice/find any speck of green or new buds growing

make tea with honey & milk, toast with butter

journal or reflect on growth or healing, what it means to you, ways you’d like to grow/heal, aspects in your life you’d like to grow/heal

take a bath and soak for a while—cleanse yourself of any negative energy that’s attached itself to you

clean your space on Imbolg or prior, if you can!

(full Imbolg post here)｡𖦹°‧𖦹ׂ ₊˚⊹⋆

they’re singing to the evergreens

scrying with small pieces of snow or ice. holding small bits in their hand. they watch the shape it forms while it turns to water.

thanking the moon for never ever leaving the sky for too long

you may find them touching the stems of perennials, knowing that—like a phoenix—the leaves will grow, and will rise again when spring returns. they wish the plants luck on their journey back to life.

wearing coats, layers upon layers, to go on a walk when it’s lightly snowing. they can feel the peace in the air.

when it’s really windy, you might see one take a bit of dried leaves from under the snow, set an intention of something they want to release, then watch the leaves dance, carried in the wind.

or, watching the snow from a window.

they might be reading this. if so, i have to remind them—have no shame about resting, because we know how natural it is to hibernate. humans, among many animals, sleep more and spend more time resting and staying warm indoors. this is a cycle of the year.

know—the green will come again.

~~some methods to try to stay in touch with nature in the winter~~

hold a small icicle in your hand and notice how quickly warmth can transform something cold

wear a yellow veil/hat to keep your mind protected and optimistic

candle magic with white or yellow candles

honor and connect with BIPOC, trans, and queer ancestors and elders in your community

bathe with a salt scrub to cleanse the day away from you

donate what you can to a fundraiser for a cause you believe in. donation in honor of: [deity/ancestor name]

tea with lemon & honey

justice spells.

read physical books on witchcraft and other subjects. keep CD’s.

carry protections with you to hold if you need: crystal, sachet, rock, etc

meditate to music that fills you with warmth in the way that feels right

cultivate loving kindness in yourself

place symbols of the sun or stars on your walls, phone lock screen, anywhere that feels right

My partner and I finally finished working on a Green Gables build in The Sims 4. If you want to download it, it’s all Maxis, no CC and can be found on The Sims Gallery. You can find it by searching Green Gables or THX0785 is our EA handle. We’ll be redecorating it with CC for our own enjoyment and I’ll post those pics later.

We used the floorplan and pictures from the actual house that inspired Lucy Maude Montgomery. Apparently it was her relative’s house that she visited many times growing up and she used it as the model for the house in the books. It still stands and is a museum on Prince Edward Island. 

Here are the Entranceway and Parlor:

Here’s the Dining Room:

This is Matthew’s room:

The Dairy Porch:

The Pantry:

The Kitchen:

Then we go upstairs to the Sewing room:

Marilla’s Bedroom:

The Guest Room and Anne’s Room:

Storage and the Hired Hand’s Room: