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Lion King (1994) Lion King (2019) Cats (2019)

Kimba the White Lion (1965), The Lion King (1994), The Lion King (2019), Cats (2019):

Shakespeare (1564), Kimba the White Lion (1965), The Lion King (1994), The Lion King (2019), Cats (2019):

here’s the thing about being depressed in real life: it’s lonely and isolating and scary and numbing and there are times when you so badly want someone, anyone to notice, but you can’t bring yourself to tell them what the problem is because then they’ll know, and sometimes there’s other terrible shit you’re dealing with in tandem and sometimes it’s just the depression, but either way, it can easily reach a point where you start wishing something visibly awful would happen to you just so you’d have a reasonable excuse to be feeling as though it already had, like it would somehow be easier to wake up wanting to die if you could blame it on something other than just your brain, if there was a cause, even though you rationally know it doesn’t work like that, that it would only make things worse; and it’s messy and hard and it goes on forever and there’s no simple catharsis, you’re often surrounded by people who don’t understand or whose issues don’t play nicely with yours even though you’re both trying, and you can’t see a reasonable end in sight and you just want to believe that it’s going to get better - 

and here’s the thing about hurt/comfort in fanfiction: it takes all that fear and pain and loneliness you’re feeling IRL and channels it into characters you care about, characters who always pull through against all odds, characters whose stories you can control, characters whose lovers or friends or parents can tell them the things you wish that someone had said to you, and you know from the outset that even when they’re bloody and crying, it’s going to get better for them, that they’re going to be good to each other and fix each other and listen and understand, because that’s what those stories are for, it’s what they do, and whether you’re the one writing them or reading them, they speak to that place in you that hurts, they show you it can get better, they tell you it’s not your fault, they let you feel all the grief in your life in a way that’s safe, cathartic, hopeful, because the story brings you through the darkness and out the other side - 

One of the hardest, but possibly most fun, ways of being a Surreptitious Solitary is trying to find ways to practice out in the open without anyone knowing. I’ve been wanting to do a witch’s ladder (sometimes called pagan prayer beads, witches rosaries, etc.) for some time. If you don’t know what a Witch’s Ladder is, there are a few articles out there, but the summary is: it’s knot and nature magic mostly intended for protection.

Generally, they’re made of string of different colors corresponding with protection (or whatever you’re making the ladder for), and natural items like feathers, sea glass, shells, stones, etc. Sometimes charms or taglocks can be incorporated. If you look on Etsy there are some really pretty ones out there.

As I researched them, I wondered how I could incorporate this crafty craft into my daily life. And I kind of came to the conclusion that I don’t have to have a big rope of feathers and rocks hanging outside my door to do it: I can make something to wear that would protect me wherever I go!

I debated for some time whether to make a bracelet or necklace, but I liked how the numbers and measurements worked out on a necklace.

If you want to make one, you’ll need:

About 6 feet of beading string in an appropriately corresponding color to your needs (I went with purple for spirituality and power)

Forty beads (6mm for the sizing to come out like mine; larger or smaller will affect it; I picked hematite mostly for the look, but also to keep me grounded)

Nine feather charms

One end charm (serves as your closeure; something with dimension will work better than the flat disc I chose which likes to slip out now and then)

To make your ladder necklace, you’ll have to tie a loop in it in a place so that you have one short strand about two feet long and one long strand of the remainder. The loop will be part of your closeure. Basically, fold your string so one part hangs two feet, and the remainder hangs on the other side. Tie a simple knot in the folded string so you have a loop that’s just big enough for your end charm to slip through with little/no excess.

Find something to affix this to for knotting (I slipped the loop through some tweezers which I then clamped into my clipboard).

Now get to knotting, just like middle school friendship bracelets. As you know, remember to set your intent for the ladder into each knot. Also remember to keep the short strand stationary: use the long strand to make a basic forward knot around the short strand.

Make four knots to establish (4K)

Thread a bead (B), make four knots (4K). This is your basic pattern.

For my ladder, I established a pattern of four beads to each side of each feather charm (F). The pattern runs like so from start to finish: [4K, (B, 4K)x4, F]x9, (4K, B)x4, 4K.

In other words, with four knots between each item, string beads and feather charms in a four-one pattern with nine repeats, then end with an additional four beads.

At the end, tie on your final charm using both strands (I used a clinch knot), and trim off the excess string.

Done! Hang it up or wear it for protection. No one needs to know you’re carrying a loaded charm. 😉

Yes.

THAT YOU WILL RISE

From simple love spells to glamours and hexes, wax seal charms are a powerful and versatile tool for any witch’s arsenal. Small, completely customizable, inconspicuous, and easy to hide, these simple charms are useful for nearly any type of magick.

First, you will need a smooth, relatively flat work surface that can withstand heat (I used the bottom of a ceramic bowl). Fold a small envelope from a square of paper. You want the envelope to be the same size as or smaller than the wax seal to ensure complete wax coverage.

Next, write your intent (or draw a sigil) on the inside of the envelope. Keep it simple or write very small.

You can add a small pinch of herbs (or a taglock) if you like, but try not to use too much or the charm won’t flatten and may not seal correctly.

Once you’ve added your herbs, fold the envelope shut. You may need to squish it a little to keep it closed.

Pour your wax over the envelope, making sure to cover any open edges, and place your stamp in the molten wax. Apply light pressure for a few moments and then allow to cool.

Once completely cool, remove your stamp and peel the charm off your work surface.

Sometimes we experience witchcraft block. You feel like you can’t do anything right, everything is stale and stagnant and doing a Tumblr-suggested spell that you would normally be raring to try just feels… off. Like doing it would just fuel your frustration fire. In that case, I would use a Wreck This Journal.

Yes. A Wreck This Journal.

As a cheaper alternative, you can find some ideas online and use a notebook you don’t mind destroying. Just be safe with your destruction. 

The book acts as a poppet of sorts for what’s blocking your creativity.

On every page, write/incorporate what’s making it hard for you to practice in each challenge and destroy it. What do you feel like is causing you to always end up at square one no matter how much you try? Are your go-to spells just not packing the punch they used to? Are you overcome by boredom or laziness? (No judgement!) Once you wreck these blocks, you weaken and eliminate their power over you. You can use one page for a problem or you can use multiple pages for the same problem if it’s particularly stubborn.

After all is said and done, you can burn or bury it to destroy the energy block and light your creative spark again. If you choose to burn it, go outside onto fire-proof ground and away from flammable plants and animals. Tie long hair up, don’t wear loose clothing and be sure you have a fire extinguisher or other fire-safe method to smother it if it gets out of hand. Make sure you remove any metals from the binding if you use a spiral or stapled notebook. Safety first!

lots of sigils today, and lots of rain

(love the blog :) )