Freaky Friday - 5/22/20

Hey everyone, it's FRIDAY!!  What's freaky?

This:  I have a couple favorite podcasts I listen to.  One is "Supernatural with Ashley Flowers" and another is "Scared to Death".  The episodes on both of these podcasts this week were very freaky.

On "Supernatural", Ashley discussed the phenomenon of children remembering past lives.  She talked about one extreme situation that occurred in India in which an 8 year old girl remembered a recent past life with complete accuracy.  She even got to see the man who had been her husband in that past life.  Even though they tried to "trick" her a few times, she could not be fooled by someone claiming a different identity.  She knew who each of the people, relatives, friends, child, etc., from the past life she could remember were.  It's an amazing story.  There have been other children who can remember past lives, and my older daughter is one of them.  When she was very little and she would get corrected by me, she would tell me she liked her other mother better.  I'd ask her, what other mother?  And she'd say, "the one with the dark hair".  Typically these memories will fade as the child gets older.  Today, my daughter can remember remembering a past life, but that's about it.  She remembers a big house and a dalmation dog and a mother with dark hair.  Kind of freaky stuff. 

On "Scared to Death", one of the stories is about the "Wendigo".  I admit the story freaked me out a bit, and it is really hard to freak me out.  The wendigo is a mythological creature or evil spirit from the folklore of the First Nations Algonquin tribes based in the northern forests of Novia Scotia, the East Coast of Canada, and Great Lakes Region of Canada and the United States.  It is described as a monster with some characteristics of a human or as a spirit who has possessed a human being and made them become monstrous.  Its influence is said to invoke acts of murder, insatiable greed, cannibalism and the cultural taboos against such behaviors.  Reports of the appearance of the wendigo talk about a very tall, emaciated humanoid creature, with the head and antlers of a stag and large claws at the ends of it's very long arms.  It smells of decay and decomposition. 

One legend states that a Wendigo is created whenever a human resorts to cannibalism to survive.  In the past, this occurred more often when Indians and settlers found themselves stranded in the bitter snows and ice of the north woods.  Another legend says that humans who displayed extreme greed, gluttony, and excess might also be possessed by a Wendigo, then having the unconsolable desire and need to eat and devour anybody it came into contact with, even those he loved when he was human. 

The reason the story of the Wendigo is so freaky to me has to do with personal experience.  No, I didn't see or encounter a Wendigo.  I don't think, anyway.  However, my ghost hunting team, GHOULSASS, and I went to a cemetery one evening in Palo, Iowa.  It was by far the scariest hunt we ever went on as a team in my own opinion.  This particular cemetery has a legend regarding the steps that lead up to it.  During the day, there are only 12 steps, but at night, after the sun goes down, there are 13.  We were there during the day and at night, and yes, counted 12 during the day, and 13 at night.  But that's not the freaky part of this investigation.  There is a trail there that winds through the woods.  It's quite beautiful during the day.  However, at night, it's an entirely different story.  Some of our team went through the woods that night.  The first time, we heard something very loud that sounded like it jumped from a tree and landed on the trail in front of us.  The imagination tends to get the best of you at night when you're on a trail in the woods by a cemetery.  We did not stick around to see what it was, but instead, we ran out of the woods.  As soon as we were out of the woods, I made the observation that we had to go in again.  At that point we heard coyotes howling in the distance.  What an eerie sound.  So, after a short break, we went back in.  We got a bit farther this time before something once again made a crashing sound in front of us on the trail and sounded like something big jumping from a tree onto the trail.  And again, we ran out of the woods.  You can find video of this on our you tube channel.  Just search "GHOULSASS Palo Cemetery" and you should be able to find it. 

During the Covid-19 lockdown and quarantine period, we haven't been able to do any ghost hunts because we are practicing social distancing.  Two of us thought it would be fun to go back to that cemetery and do a facebook live investigation.  Of course, we would go back on the trail in the woods.  We planned this before I heard the episode about the Wendigo, and now I'm paranoid that it could be a Wendigo on the trail.  Of course, that's ridiculous as if it was a Wendigo, it would have eaten us already.  Still, the Wendigo is not something I'd want to encounter on a dark night in the woods.  That's freaky. 

Today I'm going to leave you with a picture of what the Wendigo is supposed to look like to haunt your nightmares.  If you want to hear more about the two stories I mentioned above, listen to the podcasts, "Supernatural With Ashley Flowers" and "Scared to Death".  Stay freaky. 

Witchy Wednesday - Goth Gardening

Happy Witchy Wednesday, Witches.

I was up fairly early this morning for zoom meetings, so when those meetings were done, I was able to do a little gardening.  They say that soil contains anti-depressants and I believe this.  It's so good for the soul to get your hands dirty and do a little gardening and planting.  I have a fondness for black flowers and was able to buy the last pot of black petunias at the garden center today.  So today I thought I would blog about goth gardening.

First, let's look at some beautifully black and dark flowers.

Black velvet petunias.  I try to get these every year as a nice annual accent in a pot sitting in the midst of my perennial garden.

There are several varieties of black irises.  I have one that is called "Before the Storm".  It is by far my blackest perennial and I absolutely love it. 

Queen of the Night Tulips are absolutely beautiful, but for some reason mine have not bloomed well since their first year.  Right now I can see the tulips have come up, but there is no sign of a bloom coming.  Maybe it's still a bit early?  I hope they will bloom this year.

Black Hellebore is one I've planted in the past, but have yet to see it come up and bloom.  Maybe this year?  It looks beautiful.










I'm also fortunate that I've kept some of my front yard kind of wild.  As such, I have some nightshades that grow naturally, both Woody Nightshade and Deadly Nightshade.  Poison plants are perfect for goth gardens as well. 

Now let's look at some accessories for a goth garden.

Nice skull planters.  Love these.

How about a nice coffin planter? 

Gargoyle statues are always perfect for a goth garden.

As are dragons.

And don't forget to add some goth garden furniture.  Black is always a good choice.

Goth doesn't always have to be black. One of the easiest ways to accessorize a goth garden is with gothic style doors and trellises.  If you don't want to spend much money, take a trip to a local thrift store (wear a mask in public, please) and see what you can find there for you garden.  I've found cool cherub statues and different things that look great in a goth garden. 





Are you inspired to create your goth garden now?  Get out there and dig around in the dirt.  If you have pictures of your garden, whether it's goth or not, I'd love to see them.  Feel free to post on the Cedar Valley Witch Society page on facebook, or as a comment on this blog post.  Check back Friday for my Freaky Friday post. 

Tarot Tuesday - 5/19/20

Today's card drawn is the Queen of Pentacles. The Queen of Pentacles is the true queen of her castle.  She is the nurturing, mothering archetype.  She takes care of her home and family while also providing for it all financially.  We see her in the image of the card as truly ruling her own roost.  She has worked hard as queen and is now taking a break on her throne with a well deserved plate of cheese, fruit, and wine, not to mention a hookah pipe!  Her surroundings are beautiful, reflecting her own beauty and her home is a place of her creation.  

The appearance of the Queen of Pentacles can indicate that you are the ultimate working parent.  You not only care for your family and your home, but you are also making a living for yourself and providing financially, creating abundance.  You are able to find a balance between these two hats that you wear.  You integrate them both and know how make the energies flow back and forth from and into each other.  

This card embodies your feminine aspect, whether you are biologically male or female.  It is important to you be able to live independently, with a stable income and also the time to nurture your loved ones.  At the same time, you need to make sure you are finding time for yourself in between all of your responsibilities.  

The Queen of Pentacles represents prosperity.  You have worked hard to become financially stable and, as such, you have the opportunity to be generous with your wealth as well.  Share your wealth and abundance with those you love if you are able to.  While you can afford to be a little bit generous with your wealth and abundance, it is important to remain practical and down to earth when dealing with others.  Create a calm and balanced life for yourself.  Being generous does not mean being careless.  You must balance generosity with practicality.  Make sure you aren't procrastinating as situations arise.  Deal with them as they appear and use straightforward solutions.  To help with maintaining balance in your life, this might be a good time to begin practicing meditation if you don't already.  Take some quiet and peaceful time for yourself each day.  

The Queen of Pentacles can also represent a mother figure in your life.  This could be your mother, a teacher, a mentor or someone who you are close to.  As you are busying yourself taking care of your castle, you may have someone who you can also lean on for support.  Your highness, while you are very capable of taking care of your court, it is fine to look to someone else for support and advice from time to time.  Don't be afraid to ask for help when it is needed or if you just need a break.  

I hope the appearance of the Queen of Pentacles hit home for you and helped provide you with some insight.  Personally, she described me to a "T".  When I have repairs or updates to do in the house, I usually refer to these as "Queen of my castle problems".  And as queen, I am always able to deal with them and find a solution.  

Have a tremendous Tuesday, my friends.  Take some time for yourself today and check back for some cool witchy fashion or decor tomorrow for Witchy Wednesday.  

Monday Musings - Twin Flames Part 2

This morning one of my cats somehow got the handles of a bag that had some glass bottles in it stuck around his neck, panicked and ran all over the house, dropping glass bottles all over the place in his wake. He is now horribly traumatized, but okay otherwise, and tip toeing so cautiously around the house now.  It must be Monday. 

Last week I blogged about twin flames.  I had been hearing a lot about this concept, and that's what inspired me to blog about it.  My blog last week was based on research about twin flames that I had done and not my personal belief. I did apply the concept to my own life relationship experiences and determined that I don't believe I have a twin flame. I believe I am "whole" by myself.  Today I thought I would present other viewpoints about twin flames.  Again, not my personal beliefs, but what other people have to say about the concept.

Let's start with a quote from Mandy Peterson from her article on "Twin Flame Philosophies and the Potential Problems that Arise". 

"A danger can arise if an individual, believing they have met their twin flame, becomes afraid to release their love object to move forward when a relationship does not pan out.

For the vulnerable individual, to release someone that they have accepted as their “twin” could be perceived as walking away from something or someone extremely exceptional. In the mind of the true believer, once lost, one can never have such a “special” love again. They have also lost the opportunity to bond with the other half of their soul. This completely takes a person’s power away through their feeling they need to find something external to find wholeness and completion.

As a result, a person can become very depressed, or terrified of rejection or loss. It can also result in codependency, obsession, clinging, and psychic addiction.  In severe cases, I’ve seen it result in loss of touch with reality, restraining orders, and stalking. I’ve even seen people feel despondent and questions themselves after they were the ones who broke up with someone. They say things like “What if he was my twin flame and I ran?” And they start to doubt themselves."

You can find the rest of her article here:  Twin Flame Philosophies And the Potential Problems that Arise

This is a well written article that brings up some very valid points.  If someone is searching for their twin flame, they may not take the time to work on themselves, thinking that finding that twin flame will help them to evolve or ascend.  What you seek, you shall find.  If someone is seeking that twin flame connection, it is likely they will find it or see it in someone even if that someone is not their twin flame.  

Here is another quote from "Indira's Kundalini Yoga"

"The moment the twin flame awakens by the Shaktipat given to them by the other twin an intense feeling of recognition and coming home occurs inside of them. This is why the myth has developed that the twins were once one soul which were separated eons ago. This is not true as no soul can be divided in two. Also it would follow that the two souls would then be very similar but the reverse is true with twin flames as they are in some ways polar opposites. Very few cases of Shaktipat is also a twin flame awakening. The coming home feeling may occur because the shaktipat giver acted as the doorway or a portal to the eternal world which is whence we came from and where we will return. Also the awakened twin has a certainty that some of their vibrational frequencies have been attached to one another at the moment of Awakening."

The rest of Indira's article about Twin Flames can be found here: Debunking the Twin Flame Phenomenon

By now you have realized that I am researching other perspectives of the twin flame philosophy today.  I am looking into some of the myths surrounding the philosophy and even looking into those who believe the twin flame philosophy is not a real thing.  I believe it's only right and fair to look at both sides of an idea.  

From my personal perspective, the problem I see with the twin flame philosophy is that we are assuming we are not "whole" without the other half of our soul.  Indira said in her article that no soul can be divided into two.  It's a beautiful image when one is truly in love that their partner could be the other half of their soul, but it's not necessarily the truth.  You are whole and complete just by yourself.  You are a beautiful, evolving, complete soul and you do not need a twin flame to further raise your vibration.  It is important to note that Indira did not say that the twin flame philosophy was not valid.  She said it was extremely rare.  Even more rare than true Kundalini.  

It took me a long time to get here, but I am of the firm belief that you must love yourself before you can truly love another.  You must love yourself before looking for someone else to make you complete.  I remember being young and afraid I was going to be alone.  This might be part of the reason why I rushed into marriage.  Honestly speaking, I didn't really feel "whole" until that marriage was ended and I feel less "whole" when I am seeing someone.  Strange, isn't it?  It's almost as if that other person takes away a part of me that I prefer to keep for myself.  Some of us really are just better without a romantic partner.  

I stated in my last blog post that twin flames do not have to be romantic relationships.  If we are going to subscribe to the twin flame philosophy, then I believe that is important to remember.  Twin flames are not the same as soul mates.  Your twin is not responsible for raising your vibration.  You are.  

Okay.  Let's get real.  I am not into new age stuff at all.  The twin flame philosophy is considered to be a new age concept.  It's true that I am into witchy stuff and so I write this blog.  Witchy and new age are not the same thing.  If you are into the new age type stuff, I have no problem with that.  It's just not me.  I know I said this last week when I blogged about it, but I think it's important that you, the reader, understand this.  I am not going to tell you that the twin flame philosophy is not a valid concept because our paths are not the same.  If you feel you have found your twin flame, then that's awesome.  It really is.  But I can say without a doubt that it's just not for me.  

Laura Rosell says in her article about the myths of twin flames:  

"That you NEEEEEEED a relationship with your twin flame in order to learn, grow, and be happy.

This is a popular idea among New Age types. But you have to put your trust in the universe here; why would the universe tether your divine purpose to a specific relationship and then prevent that relationship from materializing?

It wouldn’t. That simply wouldn’t make any sense.

Whatever you genuinely need to fulfill your purpose and meet your soul’s objectives is either already within you, or it will arrive when the time is right. Don’t tell yourself that your life will be meaningless without this person. Cultivate goals and dreams that don’t require that individual. I assure you, you can come up with some."

The rest of this article can be found here:  The Day for Twin Flames

To close my blog post today, I want to encourage you all to always explore all sides of an idea before buying into it completely.  What works and resonates for you likely will not be what works and resonates for me.  If you believe in the twin flame philosophy and that works for you, then it is right for you.  I'd love to hear your thoughts and opinions on the twin flame philosophy if you care to share them.  Leave a comment below or a post on the Cedar Valley Witch Society page.  Have a magnificent rest of your Monday and stop by for a tarot pull tomorrow.  

Freaky Friday 5/15/20

It's Friday!!  What's freaky?

This:  The sun is going into lockdown?  What the heck, 2020?  Apparently the sun has entered a lockdown phase, which could cause freezing weather, earthquakes and famine.  As if a pandemic and murder hornets weren't enough!  What this means is that activity on the sun's surface has fallen dramatically.  This is called solar minimum.  Solar minimum is underway and it's a deep one.  In fact, sunspot counts are revealing that it could be the deepest in the past century.  The sun's magnetic field has become weak, allowing extra cosmic rays into the solar system.  Excess cosmic rays affect the electro-chemistry of Earth's upper atmosphere and can trigger lightning.  Well, I do love lightning, but I'm not so sure about the rest of it.  If you want to know what this might be like, look up the Dalton Minimum, which happened between 1790 and 1830.  Truly freaky stuff.

This:  A US military jet had an encounter with a UFO the size of a suitcase.  This apparently happened in March of 2014, but the report has just recently been released.  The navy jet passed within 1,000 feet of the object, but could not work out the identity of the aircraft.  You can read the full report here: US Military Jet UFO Encounter.  It is believed because of the size that this aircraft was an unmanned aerial system, or basically, a drone.  However, they can find no evidence of anybody flying drones like that in the area at the time.  There is video with audio and someone can be heard saying "there's a whole fleet of them" and "they're all going against the wind".  The wind was 120 knots to the west.  This report comes just after the more recent reports of UFO sightings were released about a month ago.  Again, what the heck, 2020?  This is quite the year so far.

This:  I feel like shaking hands might become a thing of the past.  Did you know that the original purpose of a handshake was to insure the person you were greeting didn't have a concealed weapon?  The hand clasp insured that the person wasn't carrying the weapon and the shaking was meant to dislodge any weapon that the person could be hiding up his sleeve.  Interesting.  Personally, I'm all for us adopting the custom of bowing when greeting people.

This:  I recently saw a post of the weirdest looking creature on facebook.  On further investigation, it was just a large male moth with his testosterone tube things out.  I guess that's a male moth thing.  It really did make it look sci-fi.  So, let's end today's blog post with some weird bug photos.

Creatonotos Gangis Moth

Awwww.  Poodle Moth.  So cute and fuzzy.

I can't find the name for this, but it looks like an alien.

Again, I can't find the name of this insect, but it comes from Singapore.  In fact, check out these macro photographs of Singapore's strangest looking insects.  Singapore's Weirdest Insects








Has your Friday been freaky?  What are some of the freakiest insects you have ever seen?  I'd love to hear about them.  I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.  I'll see you  Monday!

Witchy Wednesday 5/13/20

Happy Witchiest of Wednesdays, witches!  I hope for all you mothers out there that your Mother's Day was as special and wonderful as you are.  In my own case, this was one of those years where I got to share Mother's Day with my daughter's birthday.  I organized a drive by honk and yell for her which was a fun surprise.  She will always remember it.  She got a lot of surprise presents as well that she loves.  Our dear friend, Lori, brought us a gift package that was for both of us.  So nice!!  Thank you, so much, Lori.  I mention this because one of the wonderful gifts is this beautiful and stunning beeswax skull candle. 

Of course, it is sitting on my altar and I can never ever burn it.  It is just too beautiful and I love it so much!! 

I thought I would focus on witchy home decor today.   Many of us are at home a lot more than we used to be.  It's important to make your surroundings a place where you love to be and that reflects your spirit.  When I was researching places to purchase witchy decor online, I was surprised to find that Wayfair has a whole line of witchy home decorations.  Let's look at a few. 

If you like that look of a witchy library, you don't always need real books to achieve it.  This is a cute little statue that can grace a shelf or bookcase and fill in a little extra space to balance things out.  Everyone who sees it will be sure that you can brew up a spell, curse, or potion.  And of course, you can. 

 Here is an adorable little tealight holder.  Who doesn't need a glittery witch shoe to create a little atmosphere? 

This is actually an outdoor rug.  It would look great as a doormat. 















"black cats & witch's hats" pretty much sums up my home.  This is actually a wall decal.  It is also available as a canvas print, but personally, I am a big fan of wall decals. 

This is a very cute wall hanging.  I love the spider web background for a very classic witch riding a broom. 


















Halloween is a lifestyle, right?  I love the look of vintage holiday cards.  This wall canvas has that look.  I love the girl's golden curls and the little black cat peeking out.  And of course, my favorite holiday spelled right out. 










Go ahead and click on the link to see more of the witchy decor Wayfair has to offer.  Feel free to share pictures of your favorite witchy home decor items in the comments or on the Cedar Valley Witch Society facebook page as a comment on the blog link.  I'd love to see how creative you all are.  Have a wonderfully witchy Wednesday.  See you on Friday to see what's freaky. 

Tarot Tuesday - 5/12/20

Today's card drawn is "The Chariot".  "The Chariot" card is all about movement and overcoming challenges.  The black and white horses pulling the chariot represent opposing forces that you, the driver of the chariot, must learn to control.  You obviously need both horses to pull your chariot, so eliminating one of those forces is not the answer.  You have a destination in mind and both of these horses need to be guided in that direction.  That is your job as the charioteer.  

Remember that you are in control of your destiny.  It might sometimes feel as though you have no control and are being driven blindly through this life with no real destination in mind. Do not give your destiny up to those forces.  If the charioteer let the horses try to pull the chariot in different directions, he would get nowhere.  Such is your life.  Do not give up your control to someone or something else.  The journey may be full of rocky terrain, winding roads and even detours, but you must maintain your focus, confidence and determination.  What life lessons are you learning on your journey?  The journey itself is very important, so pay attention while you are driving the direction of your life.

The appearance of this card can also indicate that you are in the process of overcoming a challenge.  You will be victorious as long as you remember that you are in control.  Don't leave the result up to fate.  Don't be a bystander.  It is your life, your situation, and you are the driver.  Take the reins and create your reality.  

Balance.  Balance is one of the most important things in this world and yet I feel it is what we are most lacking.  The white horse isn't any better or more right than the black horse and vice versa.  Without the darkness there can be no light.  If you only let that white horse take control of your destination, the black one is going to fight it all the way.  You will get nowhere.  You, as the charioteer, need to make sure those two forces work together and achieve balance.  The darkness isn't evil, it's just dark, and darkness can be beautiful.  The whole point is to take control, but not to the point that you have taken on too much.  You need to find that balance between driving the direction of your life, but then also taking in the landscape on the journey, and letting the dark and light forces do the heavy lifting.  Joyous journeys to you all.