Of cartomancy and datura,

Look what I got in the mail today!

I'm in the midst of giving cartomancy a good faith effort. I haven't delved too much into any form of divination, except for the odd tea leaf reading, dream work and just everyday omens and signs. I have been working with a tarot deck (for a few years, but not seriously), but I wanted to give old fashioned playing cards a go. The NWW Guide to Cartomancy got my wheels spinning, as well as directing me to this lovely deck by Corina Dross!

My datura is growing so damn fast, its almost frightening. I know that this plant can be quite mischievous, dangerous and abusive by just being around it, so I have been extra respectful and careful while handling. The interesting thing is, it seems to almost demand attention and is luring me in with its gloriously green and fuzzy foliage. And this little guy gets my attention, as you can see. Also, that picture was taken about a week ago, and its grown a LOT more since!

Being a novice gardener, I jumped the gun thinking I would be able to grow a crap load of veggies (in many varieties) and a crap load of herbs. I don't know if my baby green thumb ass can handle that much to start, so I've decided to give the herbs and poison plants priority over the veg. As I am in a financially secure position right now, the veg would be nice, but it isn't necessary for my survival. I will be going forward with the pepper, tomatoes and eggplants. Probably lettuce and an ornamental melon called a plum granny - that was apparently used in the Victorian era to perfume under petticoats, in purses and other places. There will also be lots of bee and hummingbird flowers. Melissa officinalis is popping back up next to the raspberries, my favorite!

I'm looking forward to stang hunting once the full moon comes around, which is soon. I have hazel in mind. It grows all over and it is a tree that has always managed to capture my attention, and not to mention all the magical attributes it carries.

A storm is about to rumble through and sleep is calling to me.

Sticky hands and a lull,

Dirt under my nails and sticky sweet smelling hands. I went and collected a bunch of balm of Gilead this morning. I found a massive amount of it right off the trail near the house. I caught a few strange looks from joggers and dog walkers. It was beautiful this morning though, low mist and birds dripping from the trees.

I'm thinking of making an oil with the buds, for working with Hekate and Artemis. They're so rich and pungent! Pure (real) cinnamon oil would pair super well their fragrance.

(wrote this bit a few days ago, injecting it here below)

I've paused with my trance work. I was getting close and closer with each attempt and when that wave of nausea hit me in my last session (over a month ago I think) and I could feel something I cant really describe creep up my spine it spooked me, so I'm on a break. Break might not even be the best word, more like, I'm scared of what might happen if I go further.

During the break, I have had moments of what I guess I could describe as a "thinness" - and it will hit me at any time, anywhere. I close my eyes and I feel like I'm falling. Or slipping into light trance states without even thinking about it, being taken totally by surprise.

I don't know what to do with it just now. I do know that the current thing on my mind is protective measures. I have a bunch of rowan wood that I had collected over the summer, that I would like to make beads out of and into a protective necklace.

I do want to dive deeper, but I'm glad that I'm not rushing into it.

(/end)

New friends and flower heads,

I finally got out today. Hubby told me I needed to get out of the house (I really did. I've been a total pill lately, poor guy, heh.) and do my thing, so I did.

Checked up on one of the first spots I went to when we moved out here. The trail into the woods hasn't been walked on in a long while (I hope it stays that way!) everything was quiet and had been freshly rained on. The air was thick and smelled of sun cured blackberries, faint pine, loam and green - I want to bottle it! I saw a red flash in the distance and immediately knew what I was looking at, a rowan! In the woods! Not in someones yard! Or a park! But the woods! The find was only too perfect. I was a bit afraid that I wouldn't be able to get to the tree due to the insanity that is Oregon brambles, but I made it. To top it off, there was a bit of a clearing around the base of the tree, I'm really hoping this trail area and/or the base of the rowan can be a place that I work at, if they're willing to have me that is. The rowan looks a bit sickly, only had two berry bunches (was a fairly decent size too). I'm hoping to either find or create a blessing charm, and lavish her/him (I don't know yet!) with regular checkups and my attention.

I set out for what I was really after, yarrow flowers. There is a near by "protected by voters" nature area. Consists of an abandon bum camp and quite a large meadow and the creek runs along it. Yarrow was everywhere. Collected about a dozen or so heads. It'll be accompanying my dandelion root tea.

Left a peppermint honey offering at the nearby crossroads and made my way home. Spotted this little fellow though, singing quite a loud song for his tiny size! He was nice enough to let me get close and take his pictures before he took off.

Shy,

Earlier today:
I feel somewhat nervous going into the woods around here. Like I'll be unwelcome. Or that the unseen inhabitants will turn me away, or I'll unknowingly disrespect them. I'll take an offering, let them be aware of my intentions.

And then later, when I finally went out:
Tweeker camps. Figures. They weren't too bad, but it does make you feel a little uncomfortable being a lone young woman in the woods. Beer cans, toilet paper from where they wiped their ass, cans of chicken broth, fern bedding, extinguished camp fire, and the tree carving. Eventually I will head out there with a trash bag and clean it up. Still feeling my way around.

I left an offering next to the creek while I sat under a large red cedar. It was oatmeal and an apple, cut in half to reveal the small star on the inside, and the last bit of some of my favorite incense all together within the little circle of neatly arranged creek stones.

I tried to relax and listened to the little creek babble and waited, to see if I could receive any indication of acceptance or even a simple, "OK". It was questionable. Which I totally understand, I mean its like sitting in someones living room you've never even met before. Awkward silence. They (the land spirits, etc.) distrust humans, I think it goes without saying: I cannot blame them in the slightest. This felt confirmed by finding a wounded snake right beneath my bike when I had laid it in the grass to forage for berries. (NOTE: I had seriously thought I had hurt him, which wasn't the case thank fucking goodness. Upon closer inspection, it looked like a bird attack. One of his eyes were missing and there was multiple wounds on his body, poor poor little baby.) Later, I found a dead hare neatly arranged in a tall grass tunnel. I did want to collected the body and care for it properly, but I just simply don't have the means to begin doing so currently.

Blackberry picking commenced. I plan on bottling some up for Blackberry + cinnamon vodka (inspiration/idea via: Graveyard Dirt). Couple of wild raspberry bushes, but the berries were very small, I'll be harvesting my own next year anyway.

HAZELNUT TREES. I didn't even fucking know! Very, very special little trees! I know whats going on my ancestor altar this fall. Oh yes. Witchcraft Medicine has an excellent chunk on the magical uses of Hazelnut, very worth reading and I'm gunna have to re-read it now.




Finally got to use these little pans, I forgot the name of them. Personal cobblers. Topped them with vegan vanilla coffee creamer (we didn't have any ice cream).

Goodnight.