Category Archives: spring

January 31, 2021 · 1:16 pm

Merry Imbolc

Merry meet all,

Imbolc is almost here! I can’t wait for spring. When I step outdoors, I am hit with a bone chilling blast of cold air. I do have to leave the house sometimes. I don’t have to like the cold. Spring is a long way off but we can now anticipate its ‘return. 

I recently introduced even more order into my apartment. I went to an office supplies store, Staples, and bought two black plastic stackable crates. From the way they were placed on the shelf and that there were just two crates waiting for me, I knew they were meant for me. I grabbed them and carried them through the store. I bought purple hanging file folders- black and purple, of course! I now have my files all organized and I gave the two dozen now empty binders to my Mom. She appreciated the binders very much and I am glad because now the binders have a new good purpose. 

The best thing to come out of this lockdown and Covid was the reorganizing of my home. It is in way more order than it ever was before. I do believe the last section here is the broom closet. I have more space down there but it is far from perfect. I plan to donate a lot of stuff to Value Village where I work. I also bought a cool black wire box decorated with flowers to store my manuscript in. I have to get busy editing my ghost story now that I am under contract. But with my home in way more order, I am sure that won’t be a problem. 

Clutter is a sign of excess. It is good to round up all the ‘clutter’ and then donate it. Donating items to a thrift shop prevents the items from ending up in landfill. That is one great thing about Value Village;- all that stuff would be in landfill otherwise. 

I bought a white candle in a beautiful white marble candle holder. The flame glows nicely and is burning steadily.  I may be speaking for myself here but I will miss the dark half of the year. Now we turn to the lighter half of the year. But I revel, I thrive in the darker half of the year. I do miss my garden. With Imbolc creeping up on us, we can now turn our attention to starting seeds indoors and such. 

Once I see sprouts in my garden poke through the soil, I will be missing my garden. It’s all I will care about. I wish you all a merry magickal Imbolc. 

Blessings, Spiderwitch

 

 

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May 17, 2020 · 9:58 pm

Update

Merry meet all,

Are you all coping with this lockdown? It’s not easy for me either. I have worked on my garden. I am busy with my copyeditor course. I get lonely but I am still here. 

For those of you who are goth witches or just gothic style inclined. have you heard about Killstar? I ordered a lot of stuff from the online shop. I love Killstar. They are my guilty pleasure. I ordered a beautiful pair of witchy platform lace up boots, a pentagram belt, a kickass cardigan that reads Purr Evil, a sexy dress, a black veil, witchy cookie cutters, socks and another dress. Yeah I love Killstar. It can be googled. Ya might check your bank account first before perusing their awesome witchy wares and try to remain grounded. Don’t spend unless you can afford it. 

Speaking of witchy and dark, I have good news!!!!!

Drumroll, please!

HellBound Books published my short story, How the Crow Flies, in Ghosts, Spirits and Specters Volume 2!!! I am so excited. Here is the link if you want to purchase a copy! 

http://www.hellboundbookspublishing.com/ghostsspiritsandspecters_2.html

I am excited about this! I am honored. My story is about a man who gets a talisman from a crazy mental hospital patient. The talisman brings him bad fortune in the form of a hag who torments him at night as he sleeps. I had a hard time getting that published. But now I am happy that it is! Now I have 3 short stories published and one of them was published 4 times in total. I am very proud of that. 

I’m still making Penny famous on Instagram. It is working so far. She is so beautiful. Her personality shows in the images. 

I hope this lockdown ends soon. I can’t endure this much longer. I am sure my dear readers are getting a little squirrely. feeling pent up. I understand. I haven’t seen my friends in weeks much less talked to them online. It has been hard for all of us. 

My tooth is broken and probably needs to be extracted. My witchy bling purse has a busted zipper. I could go on and on. I need candle wick. But oh no, we are all wrapped up in this cocoon of paranoia and social distancing. I wonder who this is all truly benefitting because it is not the small people. That is for certain. It must be the government. 

Health and safety blessings to all!!

Spiderwitch

 

 

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May 5, 2020 · 6:19 pm

My Indoor Spring Garden

Merry meet all,

Merry Beltane!1

I am happily planning and preparing for my garden. I started seeds indoors. Like…a  lot of seeds. Also, my garden perennials are sprouting and budding. I am so excited. I feel a lot happier even though we are in pandemic lock down. Somehow it is more bearable since spring has wondrously arrived. 

The photo above shows how serious I am about my garden.

Today was a productive day. I was out in my garden all day. I found the spot where I planted potato slips-or some of them. They were wrong side up. I turned my compost pile- it stinks!! Must be making the bugs happy. Wasps and bees buzzed for food. Birds flew from tree to tree and feeder to feeder. Penny of course observed all. I planted green peas today. I bleached out a planter (where I always grow peas and beans.) It is harder for slugs. I heard from a neighbor that it would rain. So after putting the peas in the soil and tamping them down, and arranging them haphazardly (lol), I scattered dead leaves over the top soil to protect the seeds from the rain-and birds! I set the planter of pea seeds out in full sun. Mm I also bought fertilizer, more seeds- beets, peas (2 packages), nasturtiums, sunflowers. I bought a jiffy pro greenhouse pack of 72 peat pots. The pots expand when you add water! I then planted a few seeds in each pot once expanded. It was so cool. I dumped the peat pot water out in my garden. then returned inside to painstakingly plant sunflower, cucumber, lettuce, pumpkin, basil, catnip, dill, strawberry popcorn, elecampagne, and tomatoes. I wrote down what I planted and where in the tray. Good idea right? Yeah and yes you can grow popcorn. 

So now the peat pot tray is out of direct sunlight until germination. Fuck off corvid 19 I am a busy woman. My hands were brown today!

 I cut up a sweet potato and stuck 4-5 toothpicks in each slice of a sweet potato and suspended 2 sweet potato slices over jars and bowls of water. Once slips are full grown and the frost is past, I shall plant them!! The sprouts are up in the carrot tops. I don’t get a new carrot but I do get the leafy green tops which I can use in soups or salads. 

I also have  a celery bottom in a bowl of water. Sprouts are emerging now though they are tiny. I hope the sweet potato slips grow. I put thick books beneath the starter pots to let them get more sunlight. Every day more buds sprout and they get bigger every day. 

I do believe that the May long weekend is the end of the frost. I can’t wait to get planting. I bought a big beautiful bleeding heart today. The plant had a long stem and had already bloomed. I planted the bleeding heart a little while ago. I love spring! 

I saved most of my eggshells over the fall and winter. I shall add the crumbled shells to my plants this summer. I bought new fertilizers on top of my older ones. I now have a new bottle of Miracle Gro and a new package of organic bone meal. I saved my fertilizers from last year. That should keep my plants healthy and productive. I bet you can all tell I am eager to garden. 

You can still garden during the pandemic lockdown. It just takes more foresight and thought. I bought a coir planter that I hope to grow lettuce in. It has a hook. I will hang it up to keep the slugs out! 

The birds are busy at the bird feeder. Once it is full, the competition is on. Well I know that if I offer food, they will come. A mouse dug himself a hole near the bird feeder and is likely enjoying  the free supply of seed! I hope he survives the cats that patrol the neighborhood. He survived the winter, probably because I kept the feeder full. Maybe he hibernated. 

Well many spring blessings to you alL!

I am off to enjoy dinner!!

Blessed Be, Spiderwitch

 

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April 29, 2020 · 9:57 pm

Changes

Merry meet all,

I have been busy recently. I worked in my garden! I am excited about that. I have started lots of seeds in the jiffy peat pots- 72 in total. I am hoping to soon grow herbs and veggies. I bought a peat pot tray that holds 72 peat pots in total. I watered the pots which expanded. That was so exciting to me. Then I filled each small damp peat pot with seeds. I then left the tray in the dark for a f ew days. But today I checked on them and I thought I saw mold. I left the tray on my counter and removed the lid. I now have two tiny seedlings!! I think it is two tiny elecampagne seedlings or of yellow mustard. I am so excited. 

I cleaned my garden and planted peas in a planter. I left the planter outside but I left leaves on the surface to shield the seeds from the cold and birds. Tomorrow I will check on the seeds. Peas like the cold temperatures but there was snow. The frost date is soon. I won’t set out any more plants until the frost passes on May 8. My perennials are growing! It is so good to see my garden again. I am cheered by my garden despite this insufferable lockdown. 

Another bit of news that has cheered me is that Teamworks has funded a copyediting course for me. This is awesome. There is no way it would have been possible for me to take the course if they hadn’t funded it. They are also buying me the book The Chicago Manual of Style. I am ordering the Associated Press Style book. I can’t expect them to pay for everything. I also ordered a dictionary that the instructor of the course will refer to. 

I can finally get a job doing copy editing for people after this. I am so happy to finally be out from under. I have also bought and downloaded Scrivener. I received the benefit from the government because of the pandemic (which to me is such a hoax). That is my opinion. I am excited to work on my novel using the renowned Scrivener. I bought a printer and an external hard drive. 

I guess I can’t call myself a luddite anymore. No more commutes to the library or to my evil mother’s place for printing jobs. No more watching disrespectful teens get arrested who never learned how to shut their mouths. I can print finally from my own home. I am in more control now. It feels very very good. 

It feels so good to have a printer, which I bought at Walmart. They sell printers at Staples but it is too expensive. So I am happier these days. I can print from home if I need to instead of riding the bus to the library. I can have a coffee here instead of paying $3 every time or nearly every time I go there. No more of the depending on others. A thing of the past. 

I am participating in a free live training to learn Scrivener tomorrow! I look forward to it. I hope you have all been healthy and well. I hope this weird as fuck lockdown is over soon. It denies us our basic human rights. 

I also have all the fabric pieces I need to finish making my cosplay pattern- the nightfell herbalist costume. I have everything I need but there are still big changes I have to make before I sew the sleeves and skirt on. I can handle it though. I have a new sewing machine. !!

Spring is good despite this infuriating lockdown.

Blessed Be, Spiderwitch 

 

 

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March 20, 2020 · 1:21 pm

The Virus Conondrum


Merry meet all,

The world has changed almost overnight. The entire planet holds their breath as a virus sweeps over the continents, forcing millions into panic and isolation. I am shocked at how many people are hoarding and panic buying. It has made it hard for those who truly deserve it. Here in Nova Scotia, for the first time if you are behind on your rent and having trouble paying your rent, you can’t be evicted. Shopping hours just for seniors are now a thing. It is free to take the bus but you must board from the back. People here are coming together. We are hardy stock, and a Facebook Group now is on Facebook called Caremongering: I got help for paying for food. So even though there is some bad, there is also some good.

At the same time, the government is trying its hardest to ensure that the people have no power to think for themselves. The way they do that is to induce panic and fear as far and wide as they can. I received $50 from the government today. I was grateful but I saw right through the scheme. The grocery store Superstore I often visit because it lives right close near me was thankfully busy with customers. No, that is a good thing. What was not good was that I had to walk a long way to get to the entrance where they let me in and they had a limit on how many people were permitted to enter inside. The customers were able to wipe down their carts which they did with an alarming paranoia. That is the word here: paranoia. I wasn’t allowed anywhere near the front of the bus. The freakin useless paranoia has given the government the power and it has the people right where it wants them. I don’t buy into this alarming mindless paranoia and panic that the rest of society has gobbled like they were rabid fleas after a dog. The fear which should never exist in the first place is so deeply entrenched in their minds they are doing the very thing the gov’t wants: not once questioning all of this. We have survived SARS, Ebola, H1N1, and many other diseases including the Black Plague. and guess what: I bet there is no virus and the only scary virus I have seen transferred from person to person is this: FEAR.  Yes that’s right. 

I want to distance myself from all the mindless acceptance of this fearmongering. I can’t even be on Facebook without getting squeamish. It’s everywhere on Facebook, it’s inescapable there. I am instead spending more time with my cat and posting pics of my cat on Instagram. I don’t need a buspass. I don’t need to show my buspass when I board a bus. I can only board the bus from the back and like the mindless robots they all are, am not allowed to the front of the bus. See how fast society teaches you fear? Isn’t that scary? Well if you can think for yourself, it would be scary. And I am- and I am so sick of this paranoia, opting instead to be alone to escape that mindless crap. Noam Chomsky expressed it so well: 

Image may contain: possible text that says 'PHILOTHOUGHTS The conception of democracy is the one that I mentioned. The bewildered herd is a problem... You've got to keep them pretty scared, because unless they're properly scared and frightened of all kinds of devils that are going to destroy them from outside or inside or or somewhere, they may start to think, which is very dangerous. Noam Chomsky PHILOTHOUGHTS'

Here is some more good cheer: 

For those of you in self-isolation, allow me to enliven your quarantine. Why not buy and read my books I am published in? If horror is your thang, here are some suggestions!

Wax and Wane: A Gathering of Witchy Tales
Samhain Secrets
One Night in Salem
Untimely Frost Poetry Unthawed
Whispers of Mermaids and Wonderful Things

These books are all available on Amazon; Whispers of Mermaids is sold at Chapters. If you do get them and live in Halifax, I can autograph them too. They are great books and have very entertaining stories. After you read these fantastique books, and you had your steaming hot java, then you can peruse Penny’s antics on Instagram at #pennygingercat!!!!
Enjoy!! Buy those books!!!

 Reading can help make the quarantine a more pleasant experience. I encourage you all to indeed buy these books. It’s even better with a purring cat in your lap and some coffee!! And no, you can’t get a virus from your kitty or pooch- but you might get kisses!! Much better, in my opinion. 

I hope you all stay safe, my dear readers. We will all see the end of this virus and soon it will be spring. Today is spring equinox. Don’t let all this scare mongering prevent you from enjoying what we have all anticipated for weeks now. It is the first day of spring! Enjoy it!! 

Blessings, Spiderwitch

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March 13, 2020 · 1:41 pm

Spring bling

Merry meet all,

Hellbound Book is publishing my short story, How the Crow Flies!! I am so excited. They are aiming for an anthology release at the end of the month in April. Oh I can’t wait. I already sent the proofs back to the editor. 

I also applied for an arts grant. I want to complete a book of dark verse and the grant sure would help make that a reality. I hope I get it. I sure worked hard enough in publishing my writing. I worked hard on the arts grant application. Cross your paws for me, dear readers! 

Ostara is almost here! I am so happy about spring. My seedlings didn’t work out. I blame the seedling pots I used. From now on, I am using the plastic black pots to start seeds. I  haven’t posted much because I sprained my hand. I had to heal my hand and get better. So sorry readers but that had to come first! I feel beter now. 

I began an account on Instagram for my cat Penny. She can be found purrfectly content and purring at #pennygingercat! I am determined to make her famous! There has been a good response so far. 

I wish you all a wonderful spring equinox!!

Blessings, Spiderwitch

 

 

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February 27, 2020 · 11:36 pm

Spring Blessings

Merry meet all,

I am huddled up at home with my kitty cat Penny. A storm rages outside. The winds howl like an unholy symphony, the trees batter my windows, and rain splashes on the windows. The ground is a huge ice rink all over Haligonia. Wild horses couldn’t drag me out there. I guess I am stuck sipping tea all night instead of Kahlua. Fortunately I still have power. 

The next turn in the Wheel of the year is Ostara! ( It looks like anything but spring out there today). Remember to turn your clocks back! I have been busy polishing an arts grant proposal so cross your paws for me! I hope I get it! 

I love the dark half of the year. I really do. But there is just something about spring. It holds promise and newness. It brings out the gardener in me. I bought a bag of soil and small black planters. I am just deciding where I shall put my seedling planters. I have a cat that is insatiably curious (like me) and wants to get into them. So I have limited space. I’ll think of something. 

I love spring. I am a gardener. As much as fall to winter brings out the darkness fan in me, spring is the season of the Maiden. The Crone dies so the Maiden can be reborn. The sign of spring buds or my snowdrops in the garden or buds on tree branches fills me with excitement. Even seeing my seedlings growing in their little pots excites me like nothing else. So far they are doing good. I water them. I set a lamp where the seedlings are growing. I leave the lamp on all day. They get extra light and warmth. This will hopefully encourage them to grow better. 

I believe that dark magic or necromancy, communicating with spirits can be done no matter the season. The dead are all around us, especially our guardians and ancestors. They never go away. So before you panic because you think the light half of the year means no more of that magic, pause. Our ancestors and guides are always with us. If you onor them, they will do the same for you. It is all about your will and intent. 

Let me know what you planted in the comments!

Blessings, Spiderwitch

 

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May 12, 2018 · 7:33 pm

The Good Faeries of the Garden

Merry meet all,

I know it’s a few months till Samhain. But that doesn’t mean you can’t be looking for the spooky happening around you now. In case you don’t believe me, I had a freaky incident recently. I found my copper skull spoon in my garden. I have no idea how it got there. I retrieved it, washed it all the while wondering how’d that happen? So it might be more common than you think. I blame the faeries and brownies.

The movie Mary Shelley opens in theaters soon. I am counting the days and hours till then. I am eager to get to work on my garden. If you are seriously into spirits and faeries, well, working in your garden is a great way to interact with them. Trust me, they are around. And not to mention the spirits in the plants themselves. So that is a lot of spirit work.

I recommend waiting till May Full Moon to do any garden work and planting. There is still a risk of frost. The May Full moon could be a powerful time for inviting the faeries and other helpful nature spirits to your garden. Leave a libation of honey and milk or mead and bury crystals in the soil. Clean the garden, use no pesticides and actually care for your garden. Decorate your garden with artificial lights, wooden pentacles or hang crystals from trees. Add some fairy statues and they will not be able to resist. Faeries care for the earth more than us mortals ever will. So showing you care is a great way to get their help. Then be consistent. If you find certain plants growing unusually well and your garden seeming like it’s more protected than others, it is a good sign the Good Folk are there. I have left my apartment door unlocked (unknowingly to me and unintentionally) and I have never been robbed. I don’t know how I did that. I usually do lock my door. But I am sure something is guarding my place.

One good idea if you like the darker side, is growing dark colored plants. You could grow black hollyhock or black roses. Use your imagination.

If you see pretty bright lights and the birds and insects flock to your plants or bird feeders, they are there. You will know by the auspicious signs you see. But you have to actually be outside to witness the signs. So every time you have some extra organic scraps, offer it to your garden. Keep the feeders full and remember to leave crystals in the soil. They will charge the soil and plants. Leaving offerings to your garden keeps a balance between you and the spirits. Be good to the earth. Try composting and recycling. Honor the spirits. Keep your garden clean and free of debris.

When it is harvest season, you can again leave a libation and thank the spirits for their aid. Decorate your garden with pumpkins, gourds and flowers of the season. The Full Harvest Moon has been allowing farmers to harvest their crops for centuries. There are lots of spirits and perhaps ancestral spirits everywhere. I love the harvest time. I can sense energies so easily. I see them in my house too.

I hope this helps you and keeps you busy during the growing season.

Blessings, Spiderwitch

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April 16, 2018 · 5:43 pm

Poetry amongst Death

 

 

 

 

 

 

Merry meet all,

Recently I visited a cemetery again to write more poetry. I wore my cloak and a long dress. I bought a coffee and sat down on my favorite stone to write. I wrote with a quill pen and just jotted down my initial impressions and observations. The crows flew over the field, an oak leaf kept fluttering up to me till I kept it in my journal. A dog greeted and sniffed me and passerby passed me on their way to their own destinations.

I don’t own a fancy journal. I bought mine at the local dollar store. The quill pen is a nice touch. I felt very much like Jane Austen or Emily Bronte as I wrote with my quill pen.

The cemetery is a nice place to write. Yes I guess I am morbid but you know what? I refuse to apologize for it. Why should I? I just live my life the way I want to. I do love poetry and fiction. I love the darker stuff. I like Mary Shelley and Edgar Allan Poe. I have to edit what I write later. That I can do at home. The cemetery is the place for inspiration or just observing my surroundings. I don’t know if Austen or Poe ever wrote there but I like to.

I don’t just notice the many headstones. The mottled leaves, stones, twigs, crows, and the clouds catch my eye. I always notice nature,  I just can’t help it. It was a warm day. I saw a haze for a second over the whole cemetery then it faded. The rough grass was covered with twigs, stone worn by time and dead leaves. I do observe nature, don’t I? I guess that’s part of being a poet.

I wish that you all find your own Zelda, your own spot for inspiration. I can tell you I don’t think it happens in a box. I mean you can’t, well you could, try writing in the same spot and expect results. I also sat down at the waterfront and watched the waves splashing. It is ok to go and try new things and keep an open mind about where to write. You might be surprised at what results you get.

BB Spiderwitch

 

 

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March 20, 2018 · 11:26 pm

Spring Equinox

Merry meet all,

Blessed Ostara!! Today marks the spring equinox. The weather today was beautiful, cool and sunny. I couldn’t have asked for more. I visited the local witch shop. I am always there. I took my broom with me to show it off. I baked cookies and watched the faery fabulous movie Maleficent. My windows are open to let in the spring energy. I am eager to plant more seeds.

Wse depart from the dark half of the year to the lighter half. Now the Goddess stirs and awakens. The Crone gives way to the Maiden and the God rises too, to plant seeds of new growth. I am excited to get to work on my garden once again. I have seedlings begun already.

I took photos of the graveyard recently. I shall soon share the pictures with the Horror Writers Association for their slideshow. I attended a wonderful memorial service for an acquaintance. I enjoyed the whole evening of the service, feast and the after party. The crows were agitated in my neighborhood prior to the service. I can’t help but wonder if it was another message. I can’t wait for the weather to warm up for me to visit the cemetery more often. I guess  bringing coffee in a thermos will suffice. I shall try again tomorrow to write more horror poetry.

I wish you all a wonderful Ostara. Blessings to all

Spiderwitch

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