.

ॐ During the Wickerman ritual a figure appeared in the flames with its face where the Wicker's heart was. It was a beautiful and emotional sight. 🔥ॐ (Photo by Esthy Ik Ben)

32. Do you celebrate the Sabbats? If so which one is your favorite?40. What is the first spell you ever preformed? Successful or not.

Thanks for asking!

I do celebrate the Sabbats, though not as consistent as I'd like. I find it hard to choose! Beltaine is our wedding day and we got handfasted at Yule, so those hold a special place in my heart. Mabon is always warm and comfy and often tied to community, like the Nehalennia festival or other public celebrations. But if I had to choose: Lughnasadh. We celebrate it at Castlefest, the biggest pagan and fantasy festival of the Netherlands, where they also have a giant wicker sculpture that will be ritually burned and where you can leave an offering. It's a big part of my (witchy) life and has been for over a decade.

The first spell I ever performed was actually the glamour spell from the movie the Craft, lol! And no, sadly it did not work...

Thanks for playing!

What's the most unique item you've ever used in a spell?

I guess my own hair :)

But I have another one planned and I want to use a rose pedal from my grandmother's funeral wreath and some ashes from the Wicker Ritual at Castlefest. (along some other things of course)

Lughnasadh & Castlefest

I finished watching Castlefest’s Home Edition livestream a little while ago and it was amazing! I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect given that they had to cancel performing at their main local venue  due to the lockdown. However, I was quite happy to see that it turned out very well! I got to watch some of my favorite artists perform live while other performances had already been pre-recorded. We got to see a bit more of the merchandise and the work that Castlefest likes to put on display for their audience. The music is always top notch and the people that I get to chat with during the live stream are just as great. They also displayed their anticipated wicker ritual which was very touching for me. It felt very personal and intimate even if it’s far away from where I am. So much to look forward to next year!

I always have a great time during the show. My friend and I were also able to get more people to join our Castlefest fan group on Facebook which I didn’t think would happen. I strive to put good content on that page in regards to showcasing new artists and their lovely music. I enjoy sharing with others and hope that they too can become fans of the musicians that I most enjoy listening to on a daily basis. Lately I’ve also been sharing tons of live stream events on the fanpage group as well. 

I’ve been cleaning and removing the spring/summer decor around my house in preparation to receive Lughnasadh. I aim to paganize my home more and more. I’m not religious and have never really been a church goer. I was raised as a Catholic and though I do keep the faith in my heart I don’t feel it necessary to cater to certain dogma. I’m more spiritual in that sense thanks to my mother. Our household has never been strict with religion and I was encouraged to pursue what I felt was right for me, of course so long as I was being responsible about it too. I have leaned more towards paganism for the past few years because I prefer to work with nature and center my energy around it as well. It’s very grounding and also provides the opportunity for healing to take place more easily. So for this year’s celebration of Lughnasadh I am very thankful to have peace, harmony and love within my home. I’m thankful for good health and the abundance that has come my way. I’m thankful for everything I have and especially for the loved ones close to my heart. :)

I also celebrated Lughnasadh last night by drinking some red wine while watching Yaima’s live stream music event. I had some lit candles around my patio to add to the mood. I got to glimpse at the moon as well. It was wonderful. 

Castlefest was amazing♡ this was our loot for the weekend♡ Him: scottish blouse, hippie shirt, slippers, kilt belt, dummy sgain dubn, 2 bracelets, heart necklace, hippie pants and 2 mouth harps. Dad: cute axe. Her: 3 part dress, celtic necklace, sgain dubn, a rose, spoon fork knife set, wicker wolf stulp, hippie pants and a ritual drum. Us: honey candle, rainbow candle, mead cup, Small cup and 2 big cups. I am so happy how this weekend went♡♡♡ https://www.instagram.com/p/B0yQnTNi497/?igshid=1imxdlbss8k2n

Castlefest 2017

Castlefest was another blast this year. We went only the first two days, as the weekend is always really crowded. I met new folks and old friends, brought an offering to be burnt at the Wicker ritual, saw lots of pretty shiny stuff at the huge market, and enjoyed the good tunes of Ye Banished Privateers. The only sad thing (and this is something other people are noticing too) is that Castlefest really seems to be growing out of its bounds - it's huge. The atmosphere is usually lovely and relaxed, but apparently there was some fighting, such as at the Heidevolk concert. Not cool. Castlefest is for pagans, fantasy lovers, medieval folks, hippies and people who want to get away from everyday stress and madness. The last thing we need is getting on each others nerves! Luckily, by far moest people were happy go lucky...let's keep it that way. Oh, also including this really nice article of a woman who went to Castlefest for the first time - for those who don't read Dutch, it contains a lot of pictures.

https://www.vice.com/nl/article/593nxq/een-dagje-tussen-de-goblins-monniken-en-elven-op-castlefest?utm_source=vicefbned

Where to begin

This past weekend has been quite bittersweet. Usually around this time I watch the 4 day livestream of Castlefest. I get to see some of my favorite pagan/neofolk bands play live. I also got to befriend some new people from the livestream and they’ve been sharing their previous experiences at Castlefest. I’ve heard nothing but great things and people there look like they’re having a great time. I can only hope one day I’ll get to experience it myself. The wicker ritual was amazing as usual. 

However, sadly during this ritual that is when I first learned about a shooting that took place in my hometown. I couldn’t believe it at first given that something like that has never before occurred here. Not even in my parents’ time of living most of their lives in El Paso. In fact, I still have my mom from time to time tell me how things in her time were quite different. She talks about people coming together at night for dances and people being respectful towards one another. How safe my city was to the point where people stayed out until morning. Even prior to the incident that happened, you never felt any danger and police are always patrolling all areas of the city. Sometimes I have people asking me how I could live here when we’re right next to the border. I don’t know what you hear or see in the media but no violence has ever broken out due to immigrants in El Paso. In any case, it’s sad that there are people in the U.S. who feel that they’re justified in hurting innocent people without blinking an eye. All because we’re different from them. I know this country has gone to hell for various different reasons and I can only hope someday this will be rectified. 

Fortunately, nobody that I know was hurt in the shooting that happened. I’ve made my donations to those afflicted because I know what it’s like to lose a loved one. It turns your world upside down and you’re in shock. Nothing can remedy the pain you feel and it might take years before you learn how to adequately live with it. The loss will always be there no matter what. 

So spend time with your loved ones, have one on one conversations, talk and be open with how you really feel. I am thankful to have had parents who were always making sure what I was up to. Always making sure I was doing what I was supposed to. Warning me about the dangers of life and passing down their wisdom. Those memories will always be treasured. More of that needs to happen. Less time on social media and more time cultivating friendships, forging stronger bonds with family and loved ones.

Space clearing

I’m currently preparing my space for the coming of Lughnasadh/Lammas starting on August 1st. Time sure flies by. It’s bittersweet considering that this is making space for the Autumn season. It feels like we had a short summer this year. It wasn’t enough. Though the days are still hot here, I’ve already felt like the weather has been shifting. I can say that I’ve had a great summer thus far with many new indoor plants, succulents and outdoor activity. I just love warm weather and having the shining sun out on a daily basis. Though one of my favorite activities for Lammas is getting to watch the live streaming of the music festival at Castlefest. I can’t wait to see what they’re going to show for the wicker ritual this year. They did a superb job last time with the addition of new theatrical elements. I’m thinking of doing my own stuff while it’s going on. It’s a good time to release and purge what you no longer want. 

Side note: New Moon is coming up for July 31st so perfect time to release/purge any stagnant energy. :)

Castlefest 2018

It has been my third time watching the live stream for a festival called Castlefest which has been amazing! It’s located in the Netherlands so I can only dream of seeing it for myself maybe far into the future. :) But hopefully not that far off. I love this festival because it gives me a great opportunity to see some of my favorite folk/pagan bands live. These bands don’t really tour much if any to the U.S. so it’s a good way of watching them perform. My favorite band performances have been SeeD, Emian, The Dolmen (first time for me), Perkelt, Irfan!!! and of course my most treasured one, Faun. All of the bands that I saw were great and some I’ve newly discovered which were also a treat. I loved watching the audience dance in a balfolk circle or with their partners which really showed how much fun they were having. It’s a really nice atmosphere there. I would really love to go to this kind of festival at least once in my life. I’d probably go broke though because I would just want to buy everyone’s CDs. 

The main event of the festival was the wicker ritual which is held every year to celebrate Lammas/Lughnasadh. They really outdid themselves this year because they added more stage elements to the ritual which made it very memorable. Needless to say I felt a bit emotional watching it all unfold. It was good to know that the sentiment was shared by other people who were watching it as well. This is my third time watching this live stream as they do the festival once a year. Last year it was over the top with the performance of the band Heilung which was outstanding. I’m really happy and feel blessed to be able to see this celebration. 

So a little bit about Lughnasadh which is the first harvest celebration (there are 3; Lughnasadh, Mabon, Samhain). The main focus is giving thanks to Mother Earth for the upcoming harvest season. It is also a good time to release all that no longer serves us so that we can welcome what we are reaping. So whatever you’ve sowed, this is the time that you start seeing the fruits of it finally. Anyway, that’s just a little brief background.

 A lot of people at the festival give offerings of flowers or written notes which are then placed inside the wicker figure located out on the field. The figure is then lit on fire and is left to burn for a while until everything has turned to ashes. 

I always enjoy watching the whole thing unfold and feeling the energy coming through. This is all about embracing Mother Nature and remembering to connect with her anytime you can. To never forget that we’re all connected to one another somehow. :) To honor that connection as well as to honor Mother Earth, the elements, and Spirit.

Tomorrow will be the last day for the live stream as it all comes to an end. There’s always another year and hopefully I’ll get to see my other favorite bands. 

Also I’m debating on perhaps delving a bit into runes.