November 12, 2026 · 4:01 pm

Health Magic for Fall )O(

Beeswax coated leaves

Greetings Darklings:

Today’s post focuses on how you can protect your health this autumn season.  Summer has said farewell, and the winter chill creeps in. It is very important to practice self-care now. I am treating a sore threat and ear infection. I have used lots of herbal cough drops, elderberry syrup, herbal teas such as Throat Coat and trying to keep warm and hydrated. I’m almost over it. But this is one example of why we need to guard our health for the cooler months to come. 

I will include a few links below. They are articles from the Herbal Academy blog and are worth reading and checking into. I will also include information here about what we can use to protect our health. Chances are, you already have it in your kitchen. There is no need to spend a fortune. We will focus on root veggies, herbs and how to use them for our benefit. 

It is easy to catch a cold or sore throat now. The cooler temperatures and social events where people interact like at parties, for example, make it easy to catch a cold and can make us miserable. Fortunately, there are ways to soothe a fever or make a nutritious syrup to soothe a sore throat. 

Pay attention to how you feel.

  1. Do you feel rundow, irritated, achy?
  2. A scratchy feeling at the back of your throat? Swollen glands?
  3. Exhausted?
  4. Irritated by bright lights or computer screens?
  5. Unable to keep your eyes open during the day?

You may be susceptible to a virus or head cold. But take heart: there are ways to ease the suffering. Those are all ways of your body telling you to yes, turn off the monitor and to lie back and rest.  Those are classic flu/ fever or cold symptoms to watch out for. So while you are napping or browsing the internet, turn on the kettle and read. 

I am a huge believer in good quality root veggies for fall and winter. Organic potatoes, turnips, carrots and onions will keep you healthy. You can add them to stews, soups, or other recipes. They add flavor and their health boosting powers to any recipe. 

A few good herbs to use during the cold season are cinnamon, ginger root, fresh lemons, elder, dandelion root, echinacea, thyme and tulsi. I will tell you why each herb can benefit your health and how they do that. 

Cinnamon aids the digestive system and has a warming energetic quality. I will happily reach for this herb again and again. The bark smells so fresh and earthy. Add it to a mug of hot cocoa or a nice rich herbal syrup.

Ginger root is a beautiful, pungent root with a warming energetic property much like cinnamon. Ginger aids in easing nausea, soothes the digestive system and is very warming due to its fiery pungent taste. I find it very strong. Ginger in powdered form is also suitable. 

Lemons are good to have on hand during fall and winter because they are astringent, a bitter and anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, a digestive and antiviral. Lemons can be used in food, juice, syrups, teas, tonics, tinctures and decoctions. Lemons are a citrus fruit rich in volatile oils which are mostly concentrated in the zest (so keep the lemon zest!). Lemons can prevent scurvy and have an extremely high content of Vitamin C, as do oranges, but lemons have more Vitamin C. That is another great reason why you could consider keeping lemons in your panty!

I am including elder here, but with a caution. Elderberries are toxic. I make elderberry syrup almost every fall. I cook the berries and that is what makes them  safe to consume. Elderberry syrup is easy to make, affordable and the process of making the syrup is about as much fun as foraging for them. The syrup has a beautiful dark purple color. I usually take 1/4 cup of the syrup when my throat feels sore. It usually helps heal a sore throat within a few days. I will post an elderberry syrup here in this post. 

Ingredients 

Directions

  1. Combine berries and herbs with cold water in pot and bring to a boil.
  2. Reduce heat and allow herbs to simmer 30 to 40 minutes.
  3. Remove from heat and let steep 1 hour.
  4. Strain berries and herbs using a funnel overlaid with doubled cheesecloth or undyed cotton muslin bag and squeeze out liquid (careful, liquid will likely still be hot!). Discard used herbs in compost.
  5. Once liquid has cooled to just above room temperature, add honey and stir to incorporate. 
  6. If using vodka or brandy, add here and stir until well combined.
  7. Bottle in sterilized glass and store in the refrigerator.

Pro tips:

  • Be sure to add honey in a ratio that is at least half of the total volume of liquid after it has simmered. This amount can change slightly and you want to make sure you have enough preservative (honey) so that your syrup won’t spoil. (Example: If you are left with 2 cups of elderberry decoction, you will want to add at least 1 cup of honey.)
  • This recipe is easy to multiply if you’d like to make a big batch to store or give as gifts (glass pantry jars and amber bottles are great choices!). My family enjoys a teaspoon or two of this syrup, right out of the fridge, just about every day during the sniffle season. 

Dandelions are awesome herbs, because the entire plant is safe to consume and very good for your health. Dandelion root tea has a very earthy flavor and taste. I enjoy the tea. Dandelions are very good for our health. It is best to forage for the roots in the fall when the plant had died back to the ground and the plant puts the energy in the roots, filled with nutrients.

Leaf: calcium, potassium, iron, silica, magnesium, zinc, carotenoids,, flavonoids, triterpenes (taraxasterol), chlorogenic acid, chicoric acid, taraxinic acid, sodium, phosphorus, and vitamins A, B, and C (Cord et al., 2025; Hoffmann, 2003; Holmes, 1997; Tillotston, 2001).

Root: coumarins, sesquiterpene lactones, diterpenes, triterpenes (taraxasterol), polysaccharides, phytosterols, potassium, calcium, silica, magnesium, iron, zinc, phenolic acids, chlorogenic acid, chicoric acid, taraxinic acid, taraxocoside, inulin, and starch (Cord et al., 2025; Hoffmann, 2003; Holmes, 1997; Tillotston, 2001).

Flowers: carotenoids and epoxyxides (lutein, zeaxanthin, antheraxanthin, violaxanthin, and neolutein) (Yan et al., 2024).

Credit for information about dandelions to; https://herbarium.theherbalacademy.com/monograph/dandelion/

That is a great reason to keep dandelions in your pantry or herbal apothecary. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The following three herbs are also beneficial to your health during the fall and winter seasons: echinacea, thyme and tulsi. Echinacea is famous for the pretty pink petals and the cone shaped seedhead in the center. Echinacea is reputed for its immune system boosting properties such as: “Polysaccharides, glycoproteins, echinacoside, echinacin, polyacetylenes, betaine, caffeic acid glycosides, inulin, sesquiterpene esters, alkamides, volatile oils, flavonoids, and others (Buhner, 2012; Chevallier, 2000; Hoffmann, 2003). Credit is given to the herbarium at the Herbal Academy, https://herbarium.theherbalacademy.com/monograph/echinacea/

Echinacea can be made into teas, tinctures, syrup, decoctions, infusions, juice, poultice and powder. 

Thyme is a lovely herb for the faeries! There are many variations on thyme. They are all good for protecting health during the cold and dark time of the year. Thyme is anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anticatarrhal, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antiseptic, antispasmodic, antiviral, astringent, carminative (aids with digestion), diaphoretic (promotes the body to sweat), diuretic, expectorant (helps you if you have a strong cough), and a nervine (soothes tired nerves). It can be used in essential oil, fluid extract, gargling, infusion, smoke, tea, and tincture form. Thyme has drying and warming energetics. I think I myself may stock up on extra thyme, as well. I want to make a herbal syrup with thyme!

The last but not least herb to mention here is tulsi. Tulsi is a beloved herb in Ayurveda. Tulsi has many powerful actions (how it affects the body) like anti-inflammatory, antiasthmatic, antibacterial, anticatarrhal, antifungal and antioxidant, among many others. It is good for the circulatory body system and acts as an adaptogen, helping the body respond to stress. Tulsi has many uses, too numerous to mention here. That is enough to get started with. 

I hope the information about herbs helps you to protect your health this fall. Then you can be your best self and relax knowing the herbs are working their nourishing powers!

This should give you plenty to think about while you enjoy a healthy cup of tea as you skim over your manuscript or the book you’re reading, or whatever you do with your time. I love to have a cup of herbal Throat Coat tea if I am trying to heal a sore throat. The herbs in Throat Coat tea are slippery elm bark, licorice root, marshmallow root, and Wild Cherry Bark, Fennel Fruit, Cinnamon Bark, & Orange Peel, all herbs that contain mucilage which coats the throat, and aid in empowering the immune system, have a pleasant taste and protects the respiratory and digestive system. Throat Coat tea is made by Traditional Medicinals. I loooove their teas. 

If you are unsure about the herbal constituents, actions or energetics mentioned above, you can do a google search. Be careful where you search for the information. Try a site like ScienceDirect.com or the Herbal Academy blog. I look up info on their blog all the time if there is something I am not sure of. Here is the link: https://theherbalacademy.com/blog/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A free recipe to try! 

 

I will post more about editing your own fiction here in the next day or two. Stay healthy! 

Blessings, Spiderwitch )O(

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November 5, 2026 · 10:16 pm

How to Format and Edit your Prose 101

Greetings Darklings:

It can be exciting to write a novel or a short story. Today’s post is meant to help you do just that – write! However, we all know that revision or editing (to me, they are the same thing), is about as much fun as root canal. That is why I am here to help you write better. Grammar is not so hard or intimidating once you get used to it. 

I encourage you, dear readers, to get to know your grammar! That’s because editors love it when you know the difference between a preposition and a conjuction and writing in the active voice versus the passive voice. But if you are not familiar with it, then how are you supposeed to know? That’s where I come in. 

I used to be where you are, adrift with no compass in the big sea of grammar and editing. I sought help until I became familiar with it well enough on my own. I can’t cover all the tricks, but I can share what I know with you. No matter if you are penning a novel or a short story, the chances of your story being published increase greatly when you know your grammar well. Editors can always tell. I will show you how to format your manuscripts too!

Okay so let’s start with formatting. The best resource (aside from today’s post) on the correct way to format your manuscript is on this website- I will include the link, https://www.shunn.net/format/story/. 

Do not use any fancy colors, no artwork, no decorations. That screams amateur. You want the document to be stripped of all decoration. Yup just a white document with black text. That is it. Set once-inch margins all around on the page. Always set your font in Times New Roman and make sure it is size 12. That is the standard industry format. Editors like to see when a writer has paid attention to the format of their manuscripts and they can tell when a writer has taken care with their submissions. You can never go wrong when you do that. 

Put your contact info- name, email address, phone in the top left corner of your manuscript. Put in the approximate word count on the upper right corner of the page. Set it in the single- space format. Then hit return about 3-4 times and enter the title of your story and your name centered on the page. This is double-spaced. Hit return 2 more times and begin your story. Now here is where it gets tricky: Editors have their personal preferences on whether a paragraph should be indented or not. Do not use sans serif fonts. All submissions and manuscripts at this point are all always double-spaced. That makes it much easier for the editor to read. That is the goal here, to make it as easy as possible for the editor to read. The first line of every paragraph should be indented. Do not use extra line breaks between paragraphs. The text of your entire story should be left aligned ALWAYS. 

It is a good idea to place a header at the top of every page. Also, always paginate your submissions. That makes it easier for the editor, too. They are tired, overworked. The last thing they want to see is a document with no page numbers. Place the header in the upper right corner and it should consist of the title, your surname and the page number. Do not include the header on the first page and you can and should opt to not include the page number on the first page as well. Start on the second page. Your word processor’s header and footer feature should help with this. If you follow all these rules, your submission has a greater chance of being read or accepted, because your submission will stand out in a good way. 

Now for a closer look; Do not use two spaces after a period. It used to be common practice to do that but we do not use typewriters anymore. I wish I owned a type writer. Writing quality was much better when typewriters were more common! Use one space after every single period in your submission. Yes, that means you hunt down each one and see if it needs correcting. Now here is where it pays to know how to use italics and em dashes or en dashes. Do not use AI! Besides, if you do use AI, I can assure you that your submission will get rejected faster than you can blink. And you will be banned from ever submitting AGAIN. No AI. Check the editor’s preferences about using italics and dashes in your submission and especially, their rules about AI. 

 I ask questions if there is something I am not sure about. I ask my writer friends. They are always willing to help. Ok one more tip: Dialogue should always be enclosed in quotation marks. Always. “Dialogue goes in these quotation marks,” said Heddy. Do that and you can’t go wrong. I am also strongly against using semicolons in a submission. There are better ways to express your writing. Use the “smart quotes” feature in your word processor. 

On the last line of text in your story, center it and write ‘End’. You can choose whether or not capitalize ‘End’. It tells the editor and reader when the story has ended. 

So that should cover formatting. Now on to the next section. 

It is a good idea to write in the active voice as much as you can. Do not write in the passive voice. The difference between active and passive depends upon who performs the action of the verb. Here are some examples:

Passive Voice example: The cat was sitting on the mat  OR the dog was jumping to catch the frisbee  X = incorrect. The subject of the sentence receives or is acted upon by the action. 

Active Voice example: The cat sat on the mat. OR the dog caught the frisbee. Correct The cat is performing the action of the verb in the active voice. It is more immediate in the active voice, too. 

Prepositions 
Prepositions are tricky! A preposition is a word that shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and other words in a sentence. A preposition is almost always a part of a prepositional phrase. 
Here is an example: Example: The cat is on (preposition) the (determiner) mat (noun).

How you start your sentences in your novel or short fiction. By this, I mean when you start a sentence too many times using the character’s name or write he/she/it. They call them stacked sentences. It is tedious, but well worth your time to go through your submission and proofread/ check for those pesky stacks or the name of the character or using he/she too many times in your story. If they see that, they will think you did not take the time to edit it enough. No, editors do not want to spend too much time editing your prose. They are hoping you are familiar enough with editing to do a lot of the work yourself. Yes they do edit and it is good to not take the editing too seriously. 

Writing clearer sentences. Do not feel that you have to add too many fancy words to your prose to make it shine. The opposite is quite true. The leaner your sentences are and if you use common words, the better your prose will be. Also you do not have to use the word ‘said’ too many times either. Read books by writers you admire. Get help with a fellow teacher/ librarian or a mentor if you must. No AI! AI is not always the most reliable help. Read writers reference books. Practice. That is how I learned. 

An example what I mean would be: The man left the hotel to catch a cab, dressed stylishly in pressed trousers, a tweed buttoned overcoat,  black socks, polished dress shoes and designer sunglasses. He raised his arm in a gesture to catch a cab, and checked his designer watch. He waited as the cab pulled to the curb, being careful that the cab didn’t soak him in a splash of rainwater. He was in a hurry for a very important meeting. X

Or it could read like this: A stylishly dressed man left the hotel to catch a cab on his way to a meeting.

We do not really need to know everything he was wearing. Everything in the story must demonstrate character or move the action of the story forward. Unless there is something truly significant about the character’s choice of clothing, if it is relevant to the story action, then do not include it. 

Concentrate on revealing character, sure. But also focus on moving the story forward. It takes practice. I am learning too. I had to learn all this. I still make mistakes. 

Conjunctions A conjunction is a word that joins words, phrases or clauses together. They confuse me, too. I still struggle with knowing how to use them properly. Here is an example: I wanted to go for a walk, BUT it started to rain. The capitalized word is the conjunction. It joins the two phrases. There are two types of conjunctions: coordinating and subordinating. 

Common Types of Conjunctions
  • Coordinating Words like for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so connect equal parts of a sentence.
    • Example: “She likes apples, and he likes oranges.”
  • Subordinating: Words like because, although, since, while, if connect a dependent clause to an independent clause to show cause, time, or contrast.
    • Example: “We stayed inside because the weather was bad.”

It is okay to use conjuctions in sentences. Just use them carefully. Everything in your story has to reveal character and move the action of the story forward. 

Emotion Emotion is important, otherwise the story would be boring. Writing with emotion trips me up, too. We all want, we long to be fully immersed in a story. I love the story Lord of the Rings. Those books are drenched with emotion. We care about the hobbits, elves and dwarves as they forge their way through the mystical world of Middle Earth. I know this all seems like a lot of work, but I believe it is well worth it. 

Also this brings up another important point; showing versus telling. 

Which one makes you want to keep reading?

1 The woman twisted her tissue in her bony hands, blinking back tears. She shifted in her seat in the church, gazing out the window. The leaden sky did little to comfort her. 

2 OR the woman dried her tears with a tissue and stared out the window.

The first example shows her discomfort and hopefully makes us wonder what she is so nervous about. The second example tells us nothing. The first example tells us a lot more about her and should make the reader want to keep reading. There is more ‘vigor’ in the first example. If I am doing my job right lol. It may help you to know I had to edit this post as I was writing it. See? We all learn. 

Take your time when doing edits. Approach it with a clear head if you can. Pour yourself a coffee or tea and edit your story patiently. Try to catch as many mistakes as you can. That way, you present yourself as a professional and editors will take you more seriously. 

You can use Grammarly to help but it is not always reliable. If you practice and try to improve your writing on your own, then you will have won half the battle. Read widely in your chosen genre. Read everything you can. That is how I managed and learned. 

Do not overuse words. Yes you have to edit every sentence, and you only get better with practice. You can go ahead and seek out a mentor or teacher untill you are comfortable enough improving on your own. I did. Also don’t write ‘dead’ sentences. Fill your stories with life and energy. My first draft of the Cult of the Spider People was hopeless. I had the story, but not the flow or spark. I sought help and my story was much improved. I will share some examples:

Example #1:

“They exchanged fearful glances, freezing in place. Piper barely dared breathe, sure the creature would hear the hammering of her heart.

The monstrous limbs continued to beat the cocoons. Its prisoner howled in terror. The movement rippled through the webbing and the cocoons rocked back and forth. There was another cry. A woman’s cry, someone familiar. Jenny?

The cocoons shifted, disturbing the surrounding webbing. Their movements triggered a fetid odor. Piper gagged as the stench worsened. But Eeven as both scanned the scene, one of the monsters appeared before them. This one was the size of a horse. The hairs on its eight bristly legs glinted like steel. Its fangs dripped blood. But Iits upper body… oh god what was she seeing… how was it possible… it was the body of a human.”

The Edited Version:

She hoped the creatures would miss them. A pitch-black spider creature appeared above, suspended from a glossy strand of silk. They exchanged fearful glances, frozen in place. Piper held her breath, sure the creature would hear the hammering of her heart. The monstrous limbs beat the cocoons. Its prisoner howled in terror. The movement rippled through the webbing, and the cocoons rocked back and forth. Another cry rang out into the air. A woman’s cry, someone familiar. Jenny?

The cocoons shifted and disturbed the surrounding webbing. Their movements triggered a fetid odor. Piper gagged as the stench worsened. Even as both scanned the scene, one of the monsters appeared before them. This one was the size of a horse. The hairs on its eight bristly legs glinted like steel. Its fangs dripped blood. Its upper body… Oh God, what was she seeing… How was it possible? … It was the body of a human.”

I will share a few books that have helped me immensely during my writing/ editing journey. 

Yeah, I like my edited version better too! The edited version is much stronger and clearer! I have a book titled Manuscript Makeover by Elizabeth Lyon. I know the book is dated, but it is a gem. I do not believe in paying a ‘professional’ editor thousands of dollars to get a book edited. Not at first, not on your first or second or fifth novel. You have to learn to know what your novel or short story needs. You have to learn how to edit and cut your beloved words, which is what an editor will do to your hard earned words anyway. The book tells you how to do a developmental edit on your own writing. I have used it to edit my own novel and I am thankful. It really does help you strengthen your manuscript. Do not repeat scenes. Make every scene count. Make each word count. Don’t repeat sentences. Don’t make your scenes and/or sentences redundant. She shows you how to give your manuscript a real edit and polish. I could not live without it. 

The second book I want to mention is The Marshall Plan for Novel Writing by Evan Marshall. This gem of a book shows you how to outline your novel. This is another book I can’t live without. I have outlined a complete horror novel using his tried and true method. The author is a bonafide genius. I also hand wrote the plot on section sheets. I even decorated them as you can see in the above photo. I did that to keep me inspired and to keep me inspired. Writing can be hard, lonely work. He helps you to write the novel, too and edit it. Once you have plotted and written the novel of your dreams, and taken some time from it, then you revise it. I would suggest using Lyon’s book at that point. 

Once you have edited and revised and polished the submission to the utmost best of your ability, and sought feedback from trusted beta readers, and then edited it some more and even more after that (until your eyes bleed, basically), it could be time to approach agents and publishers, if that is what you want to do. I just bought a copy of Alyssa Matesic’s book The Modern Guide to Querying Literary Agents. Aspiring authors should read this book first before querying. I know more now by reading her book than I did before. 

A huge tip to give you, my dear readers, when you are considering submitting a story to an editor of a publishing house, always FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES. It is true that all editors have very particular tastes. Not all publishing markets are the same. But always, always follow the guidelines. So if you want your story to have a chance and escape the slush pile, and make the editor or editor’s intern sit up and pay attention when they read your submission, pay slavish attention to their guidelines. If you do that often enough, then you may eventually get that coveted acceptance of your story!

Using the three books mentioned above saves you a ton of dollars and time spent on trying to find a professional editor. Scams abound today. They are as common as fleas on a dog. I have seen these scammers myself. They just want your money. I have learned how to edit myself and I am quite confident in my skills now. The scary thing is, they do not act like scammers at all at first. It would do you well to learn how to recognize a scammer asap. It saves you your money and your time and your manuscript. Money always flows to the author. It is never the other way around. 

I hope you found the above tips and advice helpful. It has benefitted me during my writing career and I hope it does the same for you. The above has all worked for me. Keep writing. Never give up. If you do finish a novel, you are way more ahead than the millions behind you. Take workshops to connect with other writers and to work on improving your writing. It worked for me and with time, it will work for you. 🐈‍⬛👽 🎃💀💀👻

Blessings, Spiderwitch

 

 

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October 30, 2026 · 5:05 pm

Samhain Preparations )O(

Greetings Darklings:

I’ve been busy preparing for Samhain. I plan to celebrate my ancestral supper tomorrow. That means that I have to buy the groceries tomorrow, and cook it tomorrow. I might carve the pumpkin tomorrow too. I just picked up a jar of freshly pureed pumpki and a candlestick for my white candles. 

Last night, I tidied the kitchen by washing the dishes and mopping the floors. Today I made a on the spot spiderweb lace overskirt for my black costume dress. I’ve posted about the dress on an earlier blog post. Yesterday afternoon, I did some finishing touches on the dress. I still have to fix the waistband as it is a big too big for me. But it fits and does not need to be hemmed, so that is a good thing. I made sure I had a great sleep last night so I would be refreshed today. My back does not hurt as much today. In fact, it barely hurts at all. The other night, I watched Hocus Pocus, which is one of the best Halloween movies ever. 

I bought a witch casket box and the box arrived yesterday. I received a cute wooden keyring, a moss agate stone, a herb drying rack, a cool witchy wooden spoon, a manifestation blend, orange slices, but the wooden mushroom mysteriously vanished. I can’t make heads nor tails of how it vanished. I will buy a mushroom at Black Market and I am sure that will suffice. I can’t explain it. It is as if it never existed, which is ridiculous, because I held the wooden mushroom in my hands. Oh well the faeries took it.

My wooden mushroom has been found! 

I created mullein hag tapers! I coated them in melted beeswax in a double boiler. I will save those for tomorrow night and burn them in my cauldron. I coated them in essential oils and herbs, and I chose special oils and herbs for Samhain; calendula, lavender, mugwort herbs and sweet orange, clove, patchouli. I can’t recall which oils I used. I have to check. Tomorrow I will bake the pumpkin bread, too. That’s for dessert. I know my thoughts here seem scattered, but I am trying to figure out how to get it all done in time and done well. Tonight the Witches Ball and tomorrow Samhain Ancestral supper. That sounds like the best way to get it all done. 

My costume is complete, the wooden mushroom is found, and all my hard work at preparing for Samhain is complete, too. I have accomplished a lot. I found the mullein stalk by chance, gathered herbs, planned the ancestral supper and the best date for it, worked hard to sew a costume, tidied the apartment (not yet done). October means Samhain = Witches New Year. A lot of work to get everything done. Now suddenly, it is October 31st. 

I painted my nails black earlier. They look great with the dress I am wearing now – not the costume., and the short spiderweb sleeves. I would love to hear what you are all preparing for Samhain, be that for an special supper to honor your ancestors or to kick up your heels at a Witches Ball. I hope you have found the previous blog posts about Samhain interesting. I hope most of all that you all have a wonderful Samhain weekend! 

Blessings to you all! 

Spiderwitch

 

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October 27, 2026 · 11:44 am

Traditional Correspondences of Samhain )O(

Greetings Darklings:

Samhain is 4 days away! I am almost ready. Today’s post will focus on the traditional correspondences of Samhain, our most beloved and magickal time of year. 

Samhain Correspondences

Other Names:
celtic ~ Summer’s End, pronounced “sow” (rhymes with now) “en” (Ireland), sow-een (Wales) – “mh” in the middle is a “w” sound – Greater Sabbat(High Holiday) – Fire Festival Oct 31-Nov 1(North Hemisphere) – Apr 30-May 1 – The Great Sabbat, Samhiunn, Samana, Samhuin, Sam-fuin, Samonios, Halloween, Hallomas, All Hallows Eve, All Saints/All Souls Day(Catholic), Day of the Dead (Mexican), Witches New Year, Trinoux Samonia, Celtic/ Druid New Year, Shadowfest (Strega), Martinmas or Old Hallowmas (Scotttish/Celtic) Lá Samhna (Modern Irish), Festival of the Dead, Feile Moingfinne (Snow Goddess), Hallowtide (Scottish Gaelis Dictionary), Feast of All Souls, Nos Galen-gae-of Night of the Winter Calends (Welsh), La Houney or Hollantide Day, Sauin or Souney ( Manx), oidhche na h-aimiléise-the night of mischief or confusion(Ireland), Oidhche Shamna (Scotland)

Rituals:
End of summer, honoring of the dead, scrying, divination, last harvest, meat harvest

Incense:
Copal, sandalwood, mastic resin, benzoin, sweetgrass, wormwood, mugwort, sage, myrrh or patchouli

Tools:
Besom, cauldron, tarot, obsidian ball, pendulum, runes, oghams, Ouija boards, black cauldron or bowl filled with black ink or water, or magick mirror

Stones/Gems:
Black obsidian, jasper, carnelian, onyx, smoky quartz, jet, bloodstone

Colors:
Black, orange, red, orange, gold, brown

Symbols & Decorations:
Apples, autumn flowers, acorns, bat, black cat, bones, corn stalks, colored leaves, crows, death/dying, divination and the tools associated with it, ghosts, gourds, Indian corn, jack-o-lantern, nuts , oak leaves, pomegranates, pumpkins, scarecrows, scythes, waning moon

Foods:
Apples, apple dishes, cider, meat (traditionally this is the meat harvest) especially pork, mulled cider with spices, nuts-representing resurrection and rebirth, nuts, pomegranates, potatoes, pumpkins, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie, roasted pumpkin seeds, roasted pumpkin seeds, squash.

Goddesses:
The Crone, Hecate(Greek), Cerridwen(Welsh-Scottish), Arianrhod(Welsh), Caillech (Irish-Scottish), Baba Yaga (Russian), Al-Ilat(persian), Bast (Egyptian), Persephone (Greek), Hel(Norse), Kali(Hindu), all Death & Otherworld Goddesses

Gods:
Horned Hunter(European), Cernnunos(Greco-Celtic), Osiris(Egyptian), Hades (Greek), Gwynn ap Nudd (British), Anubis(Egyptian), Coyote Brother (Native American), Loki (Norse), Dis (Roman), Arawn (Welsh), acrificial/Dying/Aging
Gods, Death and Otherworld Gods

Herbs and Flowers:
Almond, apple leaf , autumn joy sedum, bay leaf, calendula, Cinnamon, Cloves cosmos, garlic, ginger , hazelnut, hemlock cones, mandrake root, marigold, mums, mugwort (to aid in divination), mullein seeds, nettle, passionflower, pine needles, pumpkin seeds, rosemary (for remembrance of our ancestors), rue, sage, sunflower petals and seeds, tarragon, wild ginseng, wormwood

Animals:
Stag, cat, bat, owl, jackal, elephant, ram, scorpion, heron, crow, robin

Mythical Beings:
Pooka, goblin,medusa, beansidhe, harpies

Essence:
Magick, plenty; knowledge, the night, death & rebirth, success, protection; rest, new beginning; ancestors; lifting of the veil, mundane laws in abeyance, return, change

Dynamics/Meaning:
Death & transformation, Wiccan new year,wisdom of the Crone, end of summer, honoring, thinning of the veil between worlds, death of the year, time outside of time, night of the Wild Hunt, begin new projects, end old projects

Work:
Sex magick, release of bad habits, banishing, fairy magick, divination of any kind, candle magick, astral projection, past life work, dark moon mysteries, mirror spells (reflection), casting protection , inner work, propitiation, clearing obstacles, uncrossing, inspiration, workings of transition or culmination, manifesting transformation, creative visualization, contacting those who have departed this plane

Purpose:
Honoring the dead, especially departed ancestors, knowing we will not be forgotten; clear knowledge of our path; guidance, protection, celebrating reincarnation

Rituals/Magicks:
Foreseeing future, honoring/consulting ancestors, releasing the old, power, understanding death and rebirth, entering the underworld, divination, dance of the dead, fire calling, past life recall

Customs:
Ancestor altar, costumes, divination, carving jack-o-lanterns, spirit plate, the Feast of the Dead, feasting, paying debts, fairs, drying winter herbs, masks, bonfires, apple games, tricks, washing clothes

Element:
Water

 

Threshold:
Midnight

By 

Credit given to: https://paganpages.org/emagazine/2008/10/01/samhain-correspondences/

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October 22, 2026 · 6:09 pm

The Spooky Origins of Samhain )O(

Greetings darklings,

I am preparing for Samhain. It creeps closer like an overly curious zombie or tarantula until you find yourself face to face with it. The grey sky is heavy and overcast today, and the rain falls hard, pounding the pavement. I miss my Vitamin D, or in other words, the sunlight. A black crow sits on a branch. Is he as pensive as me today? Does he not mind the rain or does he miss the sun too?  He looks watchful, his head darting about. 

I still have to buy a jug of cider, a pomegranate and I may have to accept that this year I will have no black taper candles. Paraffin is bad for the lungs anyway. Buying the candles is bad for my wallet, but I buy stuff anyway. I bought a bottle of wine to add to the cider. Samhain is a magical and special time of year. 

Samhain is an ancient Gaelic festival that marks the end of summer and the end of the year. It marks the beginning of winter and the Celtic New Year. Samhain means “Summer’s End’ in Old Irish. It is thought to be the modern Irish name for the month of November. 

The ancient Celts believed that boundary between the physical world and the Otherworld grew very thin at this time of year. It was customary to extinguish hearth fires at home and relight them from the communal bonfire’s embers for good fortune. Feasting was also celebrated during this spooky time of year. 

People held bonfires, wore scary costumes and masks to drive off dark spirits crafted from straw or animal pelts and carved root vegetables such as turnips. They went from door to door for food. Samhain was and is an ancient Celtic pagan and witch Sabbath. The Christian calendar honoured the dead through All Saint’s Day or All Hallows on November 1, which was followed by All Souls’ Day on November 2. 

During the 19th century, during and after the Great Famine of the 1840s, Irish emigrants brought their Halloween customs to America. Those tradtiions developed alongside other seasonal celebrations. Pumpkin carving became a common way to celebrate Halloween. 

Samhain marked a significant turning point in the year, the threshold between the old season and the new. Samhain was a time when the veil between the realm of the living and the dead were blurred or blended, for a short time. The days grew shorter and the nights grew longer. People must have gathered around with each other, as a comfort against the darkness and told each other stories. The flames at Tlachtga represented a light against the dark, a comfort to people. Ghosts, faeries and mysterious beings came alive in the stories they told each other. 

The longstanding tradition of pumpkin and/or turnip carving may have deep origins in the legend of Stingy Jack. He tried to trick the devil. He was condemned to wander Ireland with only a tiny flame inside a hollowed out turnip, doomed to wander the earth for an eternity. 

Halloween parties are common in Ireland. One tradition in particular stands out. On the island of Inis Mor, County Galway, the locals are so afraid of dark spirits that they mask their identities and stay silent even in local pubs. They even write down their drink orders. The only sound in the pubs is the ticking of a clock. That demonstrates a deep reverence for the dead, that is certainly not taken as seriously in North America.

They had good reason to fear the night time and dark spirits in the days of the anceint Celts. That fear has endured till modern present day. The dark spirits back then were known as slaugh, the spirits of the unforgiven dead. The slaugh belonged to the Unseelie Court, the Slaugh Sidhe, or ‘Fairy Host’. The spirits of the unforgiven soared through the night skies, searching for humans to ‘pick off’. 

An early report about these formidable spirits dates all the way back to the year 1690. “Highlanders making still a Distinction betwixt Sluagh Saoghalta {Earthly Host} and Slaugh Sith, implying that the Souls goe to the Sith when dislodged.'” 

Later accounts in the 19th century  tell that the Slaugh were believed to be ‘the spirits or mortals who had died’. In other accounts, the Host were armies having battles in the sky. On the Isle of Barra, a man Alexander Carmichael ” was told that the spirits fought great battles in the air and that, ‘their crimson blood may be seen staining rocks and stones.’ ‘Full nan sluagh’, the blood of the hosts is the beautiful red ‘crotal’ of the rocks, melted by frost.'” Beautiful blood? Well that is a new one to get my head around. 

In other stories, the Sluagh were a scourge, not a winged battle army. They could take the form of wind gusts, burn skin and cause boils. Sometimes they say the Host were winged like destructive birds. Sometimes they appeared like a frightening flock of ravens or crows. 

The Slaugh were believed to have flown from the west ‘in the mouth of night,’ wanting to steal souls. When a person was dying, the windows and doors on the west sides of houses were drawn shut. That was to keep nasty spirits out. The most dangerous time for encountering the Sluagh was at Samhain. They believed the gates of hell would open and the Host would ride out, flying through the night sky searching for unwary souls. 

The Sluagh sometimes returned humans to their mortal realms, but it was believed that the people were never the same again. The daughter of the King of France was woken at night and taken away by the Sluagh. She was returned after being carried a long way over land and seas. She died, but first she told her tale of hardship. 

There we have it. A blog post full of scary stories to keep you awake at night, from Stingy Jack to the elusive Sluagh. Have fun on Samhain!

Blessings, Spiderwitch )O(

Credit to: https://folklorethursday.com/folktales/the-sluagh-spirits-of-the-unforgiven-dead/

 

 

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October 20, 2026 · 1:52 pm

The Dark Side of Book Publishing )O(

 

The Dark Side of Publishing

Greetings Darklings:

October is here. The cold chill creeps in, and colorful autumn leaves grace the trees. People prepare for Halloween, and pumpkins can be seen on front porches.

Today’s post is about the dark side of publishing, the side that few aspiring authors ever see. At least, not until they find themselves trapped in its mire.

For the sake of those involved, I am not naming names here.

Let’s say you receive a publishing contract. That should be something to celebrate. But before signing anything, there are important things to consider.

It is always a good idea not to accept a contract blindly. Publishing contracts contain legal terms that can be confusing to an aspiring writer. They still confuse me at times! Have someone familiar with publishing contracts, such as a qualified lawyer or someone experienced in reviewing contracts through a writers’ organization, examine the terms.

Do not be afraid to ask questions or exercise your contractual rights. I highly encourage you to do so, whether you are independently or traditionally published.

That said, I still encourage you all to be patient. Nothing in publishing happens instantaneously. Strive to be professional. You can disagree with someone and still be professional. The two are not mutually exclusive.

And always stand up for yourself.

Recently, I became involved in a dispute with an editor at a publishing company. I am not naming the company or anyone involved. What began as a disagreement over cover art escalated into something far more unpleasant than I ever anticipated.

Under my publishing agreement, I had the right to approve the final cover design and artwork. I exercised that right because I was unhappy with the proposed cover.

Unfortunately, my objections were interpreted as disrespectful. I disagreed with that characterization. I believed I was raising legitimate concerns about a matter covered by my contract, not attacking anyone personally.

The situation deteriorated further when I was accused of misrepresenting something the editor had said. From my perspective, I was referring to statements that had already been made in our correspondence.

I found the entire experience deeply upsetting.

For much of the past year, what should have been an exciting publishing journey became a source of considerable stress. I was supposed to be celebrating the release of two horror books that I had worked hard to write. Instead, I felt absolutely drained and exhausted.

Sometimes major disputes arise between publishers, editors, and authors. If that happens, it is wise to understand your contractual rights and the options available to you.

Rights reversion is particularly important. Depending on the publishing agreement, ending a contract and recovering publishing rights may involve written notice, opportunities to resolve a dispute, or a formal termination agreement. There is no universal thirty-day rule. Authors should carefully review their own contracts and obtain appropriate advice before assuming they are free to submit their manuscripts elsewhere.

I also encourage authors to try to resolve disagreements with their publishers whenever possible. Misunderstandings and conflicts happen, and making a genuine effort to resolve them professionally is important.

My own experiences have made me more cautious about choosing a publisher. I am now particularly interested in established publishing companies with clear communication, fair contracts, and a demonstrated commitment to working collaboratively with their authors.

In my situation, the dispute escalated when the editor told me that I needed to apologize and that publication would be postponed unless I did so.

I did not believe I owed an apology for exercising my contractual rights. I was shocked that a disagreement over cover artwork had reached that point.

The stress affected me physically. My stomach was terribly upset, and I could barely eat for three days.

I began asking myself what the point was of having my books published under circumstances that had become so distressing.

I had tried to be careful and professional in my email correspondence. I did not intend to be disrespectful or ungrateful. Nevertheless, I felt that my character was being questioned rather than my concerns being addressed.

I was disappointed that the situation had not been resolved before reaching this stage.

Ultimately, I decided to seek the termination of my publishing agreements and the return of my publishing rights.

I would never wish to see another hopeful author endure an experience like mine.

Although I was extremely disappointed that my books would not be released as planned, I also felt tremendous relief when the dispute came to an end. My stomach settled, and much of the stress I had been carrying began to disappear.

I could finally look forward again.

I believe authors should be able to ask questions and exercise the rights granted in their contracts without feeling intimidated. That is one of the most important lessons I have taken away from this experience.

If you ever find yourself in a difficult relationship with an editor or publisher, remember that you have options. You may be able to resolve the disagreement, negotiate changes, or pursue termination under the terms of your agreement.

Know what you have signed. Keep records of your correspondence. Seek advice when necessary. And trust yourself enough to recognize when a professional relationship is no longer working.

I chose to pursue a different publishing future, and I have no regrets about making that decision.

Of course, not everyone in publishing behaves this way. I have interacted with many pleasant, helpful, and professional people in the literary world. Those positive experiences helped me recognize what I wanted from a publishing relationship.

I am continuing to seek representation and new publishing opportunities for my work. I know my writing deserves serious consideration, and I intend to keep trying until I find a professional relationship that feels right.

Meanwhile, October is slipping by, and Samhain is almost here!

I am cooking pumpkin to use for baking and will be bustling about the kitchen preparing for the season. I also found a dried brown mullein stalk, and I cannot wait to make a hag torch with it. I am so lucky to have found one!

The incense, herbal teas, and Halloween music are setting the mood beautifully.

I will be posting more about Samhain soon, and I will certainly share any good news if I am fortunate enough to find a literary agent or a new publisher.

One thing is certain: I will be much more careful about signing publishing contracts in the future.

Just getting published is not enough. I want to be respected, and I want to respect the editorial staff, too. I want to work somewhere I feel valued.

 

Blessings, Spiderwitch

 

Links to past Samhain posts! 

The History of Samhain

Sequel to How to Decorate for Samhain

How to Enjoy Samhain Safely

10 Ways to Celebrate the Ancient Holiday of Samhain (AKA Halloween)

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October 14, 2026 · 12:16 pm

Halloween Reads )O(

Greetings darklings,

The rain’s pouring hard today. I considered heading to the library to work on my witchy dress, but I looked out the window and promptly changed my mind. It never rains, but it pours. The fabric would have been soaked or ruined. No way. The Creative Studio is open at the library tomorrow. I will go then and hopefully, it won’t be raining so hard then. 

I have to do a few touch ups on the dress and finish the second lower hem ruffle. I just know that will add a beautiful touch to the dress. The lower hem ruffle is sewn from organza. I will take my time and do it right. The Creative Studio offers space, the tools and a positive atmosphere that allows me to be as creative as I want. I can’t ask for more. I do want the dress to be completed in time for Samhain! I want to wear it to a future booksigning event! 

I am proud to say Wicked Shadow Press has published my flash fiction stories in their anthologies, Asylumania: Paranoia and Flash of the Dead: Halloween 26. My latest flash fiction story, The Last Grave, appears in the Terrorween anthology. I love the work they put into the covers. All the covers are beautiful, eye catching and just amazing. It makes me proud to be included in the anthologies. I am presently searching for flash fiction markets that take reprints, so I can be paid for the stories.  The photo above shows one of their latest covers. 

Dreamweaver Press is now not releasing Cult of the Spider People.  I know I announced on my blog that the date was originally October 5th, but there has been a change. The publisher, editor and I all felt that it was in my best interest to revert the rights back to me, and for the Mourning Tide as well. 

Both books mean a LOT to me. They are both very different from each other, but they are based on my life experiences, the good and the bad. The Cult of the Spider People is about monsters and an alternate dimension that only exists within the book, but the outsiders, the heartache, the dark pagan horror mythos will resonate with readers because those themes are relatable. In The Mourning Tide, again there is a theme of the heroic outsider, of grief, death, love, hope, good guys defeating the bad guys. Those are also relatable themes. Readers can root for the characters in both books. They can identify with the main characters and hopefully, enjoy reading the books. I can’t wait to see the reviews on Amazon and Goodreads which will hopefully be positive. 

The Cult of the Spider People is about monsters, transformation, love and dark pagan horror mythos. I wrote the book when I was going through a massive heartbreak. That was when I wrote it and got the inspiration for it. Something just clicked to life inside me and I grabbed my pen and a blank journal. I emptied my pain onto the blank page. I filled page after page with my pain. The result is a powerful, memorable story. 

The Mourning Tide – I wrote that when I was not heartbroken at all. I got the idea for the novel  15 years ago. I just suddenly had an image in my mind of a woman alone in a house with a ghost. Bam! I grabbed my keyboard and began typing. Here I am now. I walked away from it, worked on it, walked away from it. Then years later, I took it seriously and finished it. Some projects take time, some come easier than others. I had more writing experience and I felt more confident about it. That was what made the difference. 

 

Cover art for Cult of the Spider People

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I prefer to write when I am inspired to write a story. I have whipped up flash fiction stories, short stories, but I do prefer to write when inspired. The stories come to life way more for me that way. I know we can’t always wait for when the muse drops in for a visit and I don’t encourage aspring writers to do so, but the story flows more fluidly for me when I am. Inspiration is a fickle muse. Real writers do not wait for inspiration. It sure is a blessing when it happens. It makes everything far easier for me. Writers must continue to practice their craft and to improve upon it every single day, every single time. Practicing their craft and not solely relying on the muse is part of being a serious writer. Writers must improve on themselves. 

On that note, however, I love Gothic horror. Edgar Allan Poe and Mary Shelley are icons to me, like legendary masters. They received a far superior literary education than what we get in today’s modern world. They really knew how to write. I read the horror novel Gothic by Philip Fracassi. I hate the book. He knows how to write, but the reason why I hate the book is the way he treated the character Sarah.  No woman on earth will ever just shrug it off if she is raped. Never. That is such a slap in the face to women, fictional or not. I hate the book. Also, the main character’s daughter, Violet, nearly kills herself, but we – the readers – never see how she frees herself. I felt cheated and I would not be surprised if other readers felt cheated about that too. Maybe Fracassi is a mysoginist, because of the way Sarah is portrayed. I will never cheat my readers and I portray my female characters as strong. They are the heroes, bad ass, resilient, realistic, relatable, ass-kicking heroines. I hate him. I hate his book. I should burn it in my cauldron. I just wish I could burn all the other print copies on earth. I left a very negative and honest review on Goodreads. You can find my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5266026725?book_show_action=false

Here it is too:

SPOILER WARNING

I read Gothic in 3-4 days. I could not put the book down. I love gothic horror.

My greatest disappointment was the ending, particularly Violet’s fate. After reading her harrowing final scene, I was relieved to discover that she survived. However, I found her escape unconvincing. Given her circumstances and the fact that her wheelchair was out of reach, I was left wondering how she managed to free herself. The novel never provided the explanation I needed to believe in her survival.

I also found Tyson’s lack of redemption deeply disappointing. I didn’t need a happy ending, but I wanted him to demonstrate genuine concern for his family. Instead, I finished the novel feeling far more sympathy for Sarah and Violet than for Tyson himself.

Fracassi’s ability to build dread is remarkable, and the novel certainly disturbed me. Unfortunately, the ending left me feeling that the emotional and narrative payoff did not match the extraordinary tension that preceded it.

 
I much prefer the novel Relics by Tim Libbon. He portrayed the female characters much better in his book. A great read. Please do check it out. 

In other news, Samhain draws near! I am busy preparing for Samhain. I have to find out where to get black and orange candles. I saved herb seeds for a friend and I stored the seeds in labeled, individual envelopes and placed those envelopes in a much larger labeled envelope. Tomorrow night, I will gift it to my friend at the Meet & Greet at Celtic Corner. I included clary sage seeds, lavender, elecampane, garden sage, nasturtiums, oregano, mugwort and marshmallow. I hope Brian and Karen really like the seeds envelope. I also hope they enjoy growing those herbs, too. 

I enjoyed watching East of Eden on Netflix. Now I’m watching Below. Below scares the crap outta me. They did it right. The show is creepy AF. I watched Sleepy Hollow, the movie starring Johnny Depp. That is a proper Halloween movie. 

 

Blessings, Spiderwitch )O( 🕷️ 🕸️ 🦇 🖤 💀 ☠️ 🥀   🐈‍⬛ 🎃 👽

 

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October 4, 2026 · 4:08 pm

Cemetery Oracle for Horror Authors – Halloween Haunts

 

Greetings Darklings:

Today’s post is about my homemade cemetery oracle cards. I volunteered for the Horror Writers Association by taking photos in cemeteries in Halifax where I live. I sent the photos to the newsletter staff for the Horror Writers Association and they placed the photos in their monthly newsletter. Over time, I collected many photos of cemeteries. 

Recently, I got the idea that since I now had an impressive collection of photos that I should make my own oracle deck. The deck is something I have always wanted to accomplish, but I had no idea how. I had decided that the images on the cards may help me with my writing and perhaps aid other horror authors in scribing their own horrific tales. 

I had never created an oracle deck before. I sat down and free wrote a few ideas. I put that piece of paper away that contained my scribbles and notes. I found it a while later and decided I would try it. I found a website online that would make the deck of cards for me for a reasonable price, makeplayingcards.com. 

I uploaded the photos onto their website. At this phase of creation, I discovered what is involved in the creation of an oracle deck. I love the images of the cemetery photos. They are eerie, a bit sinister, and haunting. The images include headstones, white birch trees in winter, crows perched on treetops or headstones, snow frosted trees, tree branches woven like spiderwebs, cemeteries in fall and winter, my realistic looking skull, misty cemeteries, a bird’s nest, a cauldron of burning embers, and eerie trees. I love each and every image. There are 54 cards in total. 

The cards are 2.75″×4.75″ (70×120mm) and made of a standard smooth card stock with a glossy finish. I created the image of an actual crow I saw in the cemetery as the image on the backs of the cards. I tried my best to center the crow in the image. The cards are in full color which enhances their spookiness. The make playing cards website is extremely helpful when designing cards and is very straightforward. I fell in love with my oracle deck and I could not wait to receive it in the mail.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I own several other oracle and tarot decks that I collected over the years, but nothing compares to my own deck. Every time I look at my cards, I am hit with a sense of nostalgia and wonder. When I lived in my old apartment, I lived very close to Mount Olivetti cemetery that holds the graves of the Titanic victims and a crow’s nest rests in a lofty perch of the tall trees. I like that, the contrast of birth in a place that many people associate with death. I often still visit there even though I moved away. Sometimes I help curious people find the Titanic section. One time, I was writing in my journal. I left to buy a coffee and returned to my spot. All this time, a small brown oak leaf kept being blown in the wind to me. I decided that it was a gift from the spirits. I took the leaf home and placed it in my journal. I still have the leaf. 

The deck came with a small velvet bag to store the cards in and a tin for storage as well. The beautiful and eerie oracle cards were intended to aid with creative writing. I am sure the cards will help. I hope that tarot or oracle cards can help other horror authors as well. The images could spark a story idea or two, perhaps a poem, a play, or a novel. All the images are clear and in color, waiting to help bring a story to life. 

The act of creation is personal. The process can mean many different things to many people. For me, it means rifling through the deck, one card at a time, or strolling through the cemetery or receiving an oak leaf as a gift. The images on the cards are striking, eerie, unsettling and haunting. Creation has no boundaries. Sometimes horror authors might get stressed out while writing a novel or a screenplay. It is important to take the time to remember the creative process, the joy and messiness of early drafts, not the prize, reward or gratification of being a New York Times bestselling author with a million ratings and rave reviews. Pause to think of what helped you achieve placing a story in an anthology or attending a writing convention. A few of my deeply favourite cards are the ones with the images of a tall tree in the nearby cemetery, its branches a dark color against a cold cool blue sky or a gnarled tree towering over aged headstones. Simple yet haunting. 

The oracle cards can be interpreted many ways. They are designed to make you think, wonder or dream. Some questions that could come to mind are: 

  • What happened here?
  • Who was here before?
  • What is hiding outside the frame?
  • What does the image make you feel?
  • Is the haunting real—or imagined?
  • What would happen if you stepped through the card?

My oracle deck is not the standard oracle deck, but it does not have to be. It just has to mean something to me. It just has to inspire me and possibly others, as well. Every card is unique and yhas meaning. Horror means different things to people too. Some people like slasher movies and other people prefer werewolves or folklore.

The most recurring theme or image in the deck is trees. Trees are awesome. They provide shade, shelter, oxygen, even lumber. They are also creepy in the wintertime, or at least, to me, they are. In the winter, the tree branches are bare and appear very differently than in a season like summer, for example. Headstones are another recurring image. Headstones in a black and white image can be a powerful image just as much as in full color, tipped over, cast in shadow, decaying. Seasons play an important part here too. The cards depict the fall and winter seasons too, since I associate fall and winter with cemeteries. The spirit energy is strongest then. Cemeteries in the winter are bleak, stark and more striking and beautiful. 

Even Stephen King has been known to own and use a tarot deck to help him with his writing. If it works for you, great. It does not need to be a complicated process. Perhaps the image sparks an idea or the meaning of the card feels very significant and relative to you at the time you read the card. Do what works for you. You can draw a single card for a reading or if you are familiar with tarot or oracle cards, then you could do a spread of cards and see if that helps you figure out a problem with plot, setting or worldbuilding or characters. The point of the cards is to spark inspiration. 

It proved very beneficial that I volunteered for the Horror Writers Association by taking those cemetery photos. I was then able to create a cool oracle deck. I am eager to discover where my creative path takes me next in the future. 

Upcoming Releases: 

The Cult of the Spider People – republished

The Mourning Tide – October 2026. 

 

EXCERPT:

Arachnall is a deadly and darkly magical world.

Welcome to the world of The Cult of the Spider People.

Piper and Cory find themselves drawn into Arachnall, a terrifying realm inhabited by the Arachnas—strange, deadly spider creatures that are far more horrifying than anything they have ever encountered. What begins as a terrifying journey becomes a fight for survival.

And sometimes, survival means trying not to look up.

Here is an excerpt from The Cult of the Spider People:

“Something struggled in a cocoon above their heads. She wanted to run from the cavern but her limbs were leaden. The creatures beat the cocoon with their large, powerful legs. Piper’s heart lurched. Terrified screams rang out from inside the cocoons. She stepped forward but Cory restrained her. He pointed above them to where a cocoon swayed dangerously. She hoped the creatures would miss them. A pitch-black creature appeared above, suspended from a glossy strand of silk. They exchanged fearful glances, frozen in place. Piper held her breath, sure the creature would hear the hammering of her heart. The monstrous limbs beat the cocoons. Its prisoner howled in terror. The movement rippled through the webbing and the cocoons rocked back and forth. Another cry rang out in the air.”

But the creatures of Arachnall are not the greatest danger.

Arachnall is ruled by Roth, the Spider King—a creature consumed by greed, bloodlust, and a desire to possess Piper as his new queen. He has imprisoned Aranya, the Spider Queen, in her own deadly lair, where she refuses to give Roth what he wants most: her pure blood and venom.

Piper, however, has plans of her own.

No one emerges from Arachnall alive.

If you enjoy dark fantasy, creatures that crawl out of nightmares, and horror that makes you wonder what could possibly be waiting in the darkness above your head, come explore Arachnall.

Just remember: once you enter the portal, there may be no way back.

Where to Find The Cult of the Spider People

The Cult of the Spider People is being republished by Dreamweaver Press, an imprint of Twisted Dreams Press, in October 2026. The new edition will be available through Amazon and other booksellers as it is released.

Follow my blog, The Paranormal Quill, for publication news, updates, and more dark and gothic delights. https://theparanormalquill.blog/

Until then, keep your eyes on the shadows—and whatever you do, don’t look up.

Heddy Johannesen

Conjuror of Gothic Horrors

Bio:

Heddy Johannesen is a paranormal enthusiast and longtime student of the writing craft. As the Conjuror of Gothic Horror, she writes about ghosts, monsters, witches, and outsiders, exploring the shadows where fear, mystery, and the supernatural collide.
Heddy has been writing seriously since 2006 and has studied the craft through courses, workshops, and mentorships. Her published work includes horror fiction, short stories, poetry, and paranormal nonfiction.
She has always been drawn to the shadows, where the monsters live and their stories hungerto be told. For Heddy, horror is more than a way to frighten readers. It is a way to explore fear, grief, courage, hope, and the mysteries that exist just beyond what we can see.

Halloween Haunts

 

 

 

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October 2, 2026 · 2:04 pm

My Creative Novel Plotting Journey

Greetings Darklings:

Tomorrow is October 1st!!! I’m excited too. The sky is gray and overcast. I am about to head out and wander around a cemetery. I like cemeteries and graveyards – they are the perfect thing to put me in the October spirit. 

I’m proud to announce that Wicked Shadow Press has published my fourteenth flash fiction story, Ashes to Dust, in the Flash of the Dead anthology. There a lot of talented authors included in the book. I can’t wait to read it. 

The cover art for the Wicked Shadow Press anthology Flash of the Dead that my story and many others appear in

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today’s post is about my method for plotting my next horror novel, Blood and Incantations. I used a system from the book The Marshall Plan for Novel Writing- a 16-step program guaranteed to take you from idea to completed manuscript. Evan Marshall is a genius, in my opinion. Now as I always tell my readers, the first draft gives you the freedom to be as messy and creative as you can. This holds true with the first draft of your plot outline. 

I designed the section sheet page. I wrote it by hand -which I encourage you to do, and I just copied about 80-90 section sheets. I even added a gothic bone border art to the section sheets. The section sheets were too plain. I did not expect to fill all the section sheets. 

I wrote the character who is in the section of the story on the section sheets – the viewpoint character. There are three viewpoint characters in my novel: Renesmee, Mark and Donovan. I wrote down where they are in the story, when, who the character is in conflict with, the emotional phase and the rational phase. The plan involves an action and a reaction section all throughout the novel. The character runs into conflict (again and again, as it has to be), and then a rational section, where the character has reacted and now devises an action to take to take control of the conflict. Depending on who the character is, the conflict must get worse and worse throughout the novel, usually for the main character- hero, heroine, or the protagonist. 

My gothic section sheet

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I know that my outline needs to be tweaked and that some VP characters need more scene sections, and that another character gets more scenes, and that the outline needs more polish, but I did it! I did the thing I did not think I could do. I surprised myself and I had some amazing ideas about how to tell this dark gothic story. I also signed up for Novel November. I still have much to plan and ponder, for example, I have to design the haunted manor, write up a character sketch for the ancestor who accidentally summons the demon, create the demon character, and map out the grounds of the manor. Once I do that, I can dive deep into the novel. 

Renesmee is the main heroine of the novel Blood and Incantations. I so do look forward to writing Blood and Incantations. If I do successfully write about 50,000 words or more in Novel November, this will be the fastest I have written a novel. I write the story from the section sheets. I think they could be stronger, but once I write the novel, I can then finally edit and revise and polish. 

I highly encourage you all to attempt plotting a novel first. I loved it. I loved the process. Do not use AI. Use the deep abyss of your imagination. Reach deep inside yourself. Let it out. It wants to be. We are all born creative. Let it out to play. You can be surprised at what you create. I surprised myself! I scratched out lots of words, added new words, and let the pen flow over the pages. I found out what it is really like to plot a novel. I doubted myself too, but I tried my hardest to weave a cohesive thread throughout the novel I was plotting. That is what I am talking about. The whole process of feeling like I had no idea what I was doing and then discovering maybe I do! It was not easy and yet I loved the whole process. I want to save my notes too. 

Evan Marshall guides you through the process. I think his book is at the strongest when he shows you how to plot a novel. There are many methods and ways to do it. I guess it is all about finding what works for you. Maybe people feel more comfortable doing that on computer. I could not have written the section sheets on a computer, it has to be done on paper. I store all the sheets in a binder divided into sections. That makes it much easier on me. I can easily find the section sheets when I want to work on them. 

There is another thing to consider when working on this type of project: Characters. As I filled in section sheet after section sheet, I had to think real hard about what my characters would actually do in this type of story. You have to think about your character first, be in their skin, in their mind, know their habits, mannerisms, and how they react to certain things. How do they handle stress, violence or what would they do if they encountered a monster? Getting fired from their job? Their car is stolen? Someone cuts ahead of them in line at the grocery store? Do they have kids? A college degree? Knowing your characters inside and out helps here. I know there is tons of debate amongst writers on which comes first: plot or character, but for me, they are one. No character, no story. The PLOT is what the CHARACTERS do in the book: how they solve a problem that can sustain a whole novel. The characters have to be interesting enough too. A horror novel takes it to a new level: there is much more possibility of characters encountering a much different level of stress because the story could be plotted with something extraordinary as vampires, werewolves, werebats, zombies. radioactive lizards, demons, Pinhead, Dracula, vampire rabbits, you get the picture. So think about your character! Make them feel real and sympathetic and trust me, your readers will stay with your story. Your villain, antagonist can be human too. Hannibal is a famous example of a human antagonist. He truly comes to life on the page and on the silver screen. 

The best way to write an exceptional horror tale is to ask yourself what frightens you! For me, I hate animal cruelty, abuse (been a victim of it), violence, people screaming and shouting, confrontation, loud trucks roaring past me on the street, environmental destruction, racism, corruption, people being pepper sprayed at protests, cruelty, I could go on and on. Those issues get under my skin. A monster should not be one-dimensional, it could embody one or more qualities of the things you hate most in this world and wish would be solved. A monster could be a misunderstood ally, or the villain, but could represent deep fears, what a person is the most paranoid about or remind the hero of a painful memory buried deep down that the hero has tried extremely hard to forget. Then the monster unearths that painful memory and that could make the hero have to act. Now you have a story!

I have never seen a real vampire, zombie or werewolf. I have seen people be the monsters, behave in frightening ways, and give me nightmares or trauma for weeks or even years. A great example of a monster embodying grief or trauma is the Babadook. They screamed at me, made fun of me, forced me to endure humiliation, forced me out on the streets, physically abused me. I have seen real cruelty in humans – who are, not all people, but some, and are capable of the worst cruelty. A teacher told my mother I would never be able to read. Teachers and students tortured me and made fun of me in the classrooms, making me cry. Family members have actually physically abused me. 

Now I have written over one thousand blog posts, completed a Bachelor of Arts degree, read more books than most people combined, own the most books of all my family members. My writing has eighty appearances in publications. I have worked my tail off. But it had roots in pain, humiliation from my early days. So don’t ever be afraid to wound your main character. Don’t be afraid to put them in a hard situation in your story. That is what makes your story better! Trust me. Readers want to see the hero suffer and strive to solve an impossible situation, they want to root for the character. Do that, and you will have readers. We writers are not there to give our characters a nice day. Be mean, merciless and force the character to ACT. 

So plotting a novel, designing a great memorable character and an equally powerful antagonist, creating the setting: it is all possible with the help of The Marshall Plan. I just love the book. I know it is out of date and I do not care. Great book. It has the best system for novel plotting. It sure appeals to me. I’ve written novels without doing the plot first and had to guess at what would happen next. I think the characters really ‘took the wheel’ here this time. That’s okay, that’s part of the magical creative process. But a novel does need a sound foundation first. And a cat to supervise you as you write and sweat and ponder …. 

I hope this encourages you to pen your own novel. I bought the book on Amazon in a hardcover format. The book was published in 1998. But I love the book. It could be good for writers who are just starting out and getting their feet wet writing a novel. This is the fourth novel I have written – well, technically, not written yet but will be soon. You improve with practice. So practice. The only way ahead is forward. It can be amazing to discover what you are capable of creating! 

The second edition of Cult of the Spider People will be released on October 20th!!! I have completed the edits for The Mourning Tide and I can’t wait to see the cover art. Both books will be out this October. 

Blessings, Spiderwitch )O(

 

 

 

 

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September 21, 2026 · 12:35 pm

Why I love the Paranormal )O(

Greetings darklings:

Mabon begins tomorrow. Mabon is my favourite time of year and the second harvest Sabbat of the three harvest Sabbats. The next turn in the Wheel of the Year is our beloved and darkly magical Samhain! Mabon is all about balance, the harvest and gratitude for the abundance we have. 

I love, love, LOVE this time of year! I am so happy it’s here and brings the rainy, cool days, autumn leaves and that creepy chill. I just finished reading Gothic by Philip Fracassi. Wow, what a novel. Gothic brims with nonstop dread, horror and characters that I really cared for.  The book shocked me over and over again, as a relentless and merciless horror stalks Tyson’s family. What price is Tyson willing to pay for great stardom as a horror author? You find out- and wish you didn’t. The whole novel feels like something you shouldn’t be reading, something feels wrong from the start and NEVER.LETS.GO. This book is not for the squeamish. If you are squeamish, you may not make it to the end. 

Now I know what to make my readers feel in my own upcoming horror novel. It is important to read widely in your chosen genre. I read what other authors have written because it helps me with my own writing. I would never copy or imitate then, but it does help me improve my own writing. 

I love the paranormal, supernatural horror. It calls me to like a siren song. Once the paranormal bug has bitten you and bites deeply, that’s it, you can’t resist it. It is like that for me. It is why it keeps creeping onto the pages I write, or the movies I watch. I have researched it thoroughly over the years. It tastes like fine red wine to me. I do love my red wine. Okay, anyway, I digress. I love supernatural horror. I am not much for slashers which seems like violence for violence’s sake to me. But some people can’t get enough of that. That’s okay if it works for them. I love supernatural. Now if it was a supernatural themed slasher, okay I might get interested. Including the fact that I am a Witch and able to see the dead. Those themes or ideas do turn up a lot in my writing. Haunted manors, monsters, witches, outsiders, ghosts, curses, demons, the supernatural, heroism, hope. I keep drawing on those ideas to plant in my stories. I created my own spooky oracle deck. The image above is the image on one of my oracle cards, a photo I took myself. That image is so eerie. I am so happy I took the photo. I  know I was never meant for anything normal or mundane. Nope. I hate romance novels with an all-consuming passion. But I did write a romance in the Cult of the Spider People, the relationship between Piper and Cory at the same time I was heartbroken over a guy. I wrote what came naturally and what served the story. You may surprise yourself at what you will create. It certainly surprised me. 

The novels Something Wicked this way Comes by Ray Bradbury and I am Legend by Richard Matheson are my favorites. That is the type of fiction I love to read, that I exist for to read. They are authors after my own heart. You can leave a comment below to tell me what your favorite genre is. I would love to find out!

I hope to achieve the same magic, the same dark magic that courses through Fracassi’s, Bradbury’s and Matheson’s own novels. 

Blessed Be, Spiderwitch )O(

 

 

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