Showing posts with label creative. Show all posts
Showing posts with label creative. Show all posts

Sunday, 26 November 2017

BoS Prompts 2: The 3 C's, Book Blessings & About you!


There's now a dedicated facebook page to support these blog posts @ https://www.facebook.com/BookOfShadowsPrompts/


Thank you all for the support.  I've now made a dedicated facebook page https://www.facebook.com/BookOfShadowsPrompts/ so if you go there turn on all notifications you won't miss these blog posts!! 

Cauldroneers Prompts 2. Sunday 26th November 2017 - The 2nd prompt will be... Cleanse, Consecrate and Charge as well as write a Book Blessing and/or Dedication.  &  About me.. Signs, Elements, Correspondences, Stones etc.

Ok so Prompt 2 is going to be a 3 parter (at least) some of you may have done this/these prompts already but for you and others I hope it might inspire...



P2A:  Cleansing, Consecrating & Charging - What and why:  

This is usually done all that the same time, and in different ways.  Some people like to cast a circle, hold a full blown ritual; only do this on certain days or night of the moon phases etc.  I'm going to touch on some of this here - but if you don't know what this is or how to do it you might want to research a little more in depth and then figure out what's right for you..  But here's an outline...

Tip - Please be mindful of your item, I know in this case we are talking about your book which doesn't want to get wet, you don't want to set it on fire, ruin it with damp dirty earth, oils may stain it, the sun may bleach the cover..  and this goes for other items..  Eg.  Not all crystals are good with water, sun exposure and such forth.

Cleansing.
Why: In short you would do this is to get rid of all energies your item has picked up from people who have touched it before; lets say the maker was unwell and rushing to get it made on time and thus in a distressed mood, the shop that purchased it put it out on display for many people of all kinds of moods, energies and walks of life to touch and examine before the shop owner then sold it online as part of her failing business liquidation sale, bundled up and manhandled throughout the delivery system only for it to end up in the hands of Mr delivery man who is going through a divorce and not looking forward to an afternoon in court and finally it just arrived but you and your partner just had a huge fight and now he's holding the item! (Yes this is a little extreme but I hope you understand my point, and I know not all energies are particularly bad ones!) - All those unwanted energies..  You want rid of them as this item is to be to be yours, hold your energies (or perhaps you're repurposing an item eg. a letter opener is now an athame) and for your item to all round work for you.

What: This is the act in which we clean the item (book) while this is meant as more of a metaphysical cleaning/cleansing by all means feel free to literally physically clean if the item is dirty or just magickally which is what the term cleansing actually means.  There are a number of ways in which Pagans and/or Witches like to do this:  From passing it through the smoke of a (often sage) smudge wand, burying it in earth or salt, leaving it under the full moon for a day and a night, holy water blessing etc.. The list goes on (feel free to look into this and find what works for you!) 


Consecrating.
Why: To consecrate is like the ritual part, now you have cleansed it from it's past energies it's now time bless the item.  Doing this gives your item its purpose and for it to know it's purpose and also for you to know it's purpose and this, at least for me, binds you and the item together.  You may also wish to dedicate the item to a certain god(esse), pantheon, spirit, saint, ancestor.. etc..

What: This is super easy to do but very powerful..  It can also be done in a number of way and this may include saying a prayer over it, dedicating it to a certain god(esse), anointing it, naming it, telling it what it's purpose is, what it is for, what your intentions are with that item etc.  


Charging.
Why:  Now we've taken the energies away and given it a purpose it's now time to imbue new energies into the item.  (And no not by charging we don't mean plugging it into the mains, although if you went with a digital BoS.. then yes literally! lol) - Charging actually means giving it its own power/energy and building upon that.  Charging an item with the energy you wish the item to behold such as a 'healing' crystal, 'knowledgeable' book, 'lucky' charm, 'psychic' cards etc..  

What: There's a number of ways items can be charge but most common is under a new or full moon, another option may be music or a sound like from a bell or a singing bowl,  Oils,  Meditating with the item, sleep with it under your pillow etc.

* Charging is a recurring act it can be done in one or multiple ways.  It can be done once a month, week, before and/or after every time you use it..  Maybe only on the Sabbats (Pagan Holidays).


Activity: I'm assuming you got your book, as prompted last Sunday, or at least something you can use for now like a workbook or mock book you can dedicate to these prompts.  - Or even not a book at all, try it with a thrifted item or one you feel disconnected from.  But if you did get your book then assuming you haven't already why not go ahead and do The Three C's and go Cleanse, Consecrate and Charge your book(s).  - If you already have, no harm in charging it again..  (as said *)



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P2B:  Book Blessing and/or Dedication:  

Most Books (Book of Shadows, Book of Angels, Grimoire, Witches Journal, Book of Mirrors, Book of Light, Book of Blessings, Book of...) start with a Book Blessing and/or Dedication(s).

Book Blessing:  
This may be something you want to do as part of your Consecrating of the book!  Or after as a whole separate ritual / working / act..  Book Blessing in this case is literally the written word usually on one of the first page of your book you will write this.  Now you can simply use the generic one off of the internet - nothing wrong with that.  But if you're like me and are creative and love to create your own and personalise things then absolutely go ahead and do as I did and write your own - sorry not going to share mine!!  But, writing tips, you can write it so it may or may not rhyme, be based upon the generic one (shared below), could include your intention of the book, could be addressed to the Elements, Deity, Divine, God(esse) etc...  A common found Book Blessing on the internet is..

"Elements, protect this book,
From wandering eyes and prying look,
And fill it with Thine ancient power,
In this right and ready hour"

...it doesn't have to be as short.  It can be whatever you like, and if you like you can also incorporate your dedication to state what this book is for, who it is for etc.  For example I have addressed mine to The Divine and not the Elements and I have also asked for assistance in filling the book with knowledge so as I may continue help myself and others.  - There really isn't a right or wrong way (unless you're a strictly X religion follower eg. A strict by the book Wiccan then maybe there's a set way, for me I'm Eclectic Wiccan and do what feels right to me as long as I'm harming none!) 


Dedication:
If you didn't do the dedication as part of your book blessing you may want to do this on the next page.  You may wish to have more than one dedication say a book dedication, your personal dedication to your craft, your dedication to your god(esses).  This may or may not include a prayer.

You may also wish to follow this up on the next few pages with the written word of your faith or practice.  For me while I am not stricly by the book Wiccan I did include the full version of the Wiccan Rede, printed out and stuck in my book on 2 pages (Had I wrote it by hand it would have been more like 6 pages lol) and then also the 13 Goals of The Witch.  But if you're a Christian then maybe the 10 commandments or some other religion / faith feel free to add anything like that that resonates with you or you wish to honour.

Activity:  Yes, you guessed it..  If you haven't already..  Then go research book blessings and add this to your book.  Note, it's your book it doesn't have to be the first page or the first few pages..  It can also be a tip-in, hidden/concealed or inscribed into your book s inside front cover - have fun with it..  Add art (free hand, traced, stamped as mentioned in my mini-series), add symbol or symbolism (I'll touch on that later), add a personal Sigel (again I'll be touching on that soon too) or simply do as I have and not decorate the page while you wait for inspiration to come..  No rush!



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P2C:  About Me (you):

For me my book is a reference book I want to include all the things I need to know - including some of the stuff I do know, since Fibromyalgia brain fog likes to creep in sadly.  So one of the things I wanted to start with after my Book Blessing / Dedication is an 'About Me' section.

I want this to include given traits like my star sign (zodiac and meaning, Chinese zodiac, element, Chinese element, tree, stones, number, season/sabbatical, astral chart from when I was born along side any other 'about me given things'.

Study Activity:
Studying ourself/yourself - my main tip here isn't to just go grab the first information you seen on one website and keep that as the undeniable it's written on the internet so it must be 100% accurate truth - STOP.. shop around (so to speak).  That said I do recommend this website to get you started: https://www.myspiritualprofile.com/ - for me it's accurate.  On a separate notebook/piece of paper you may wish to write down all your correspondences.  Ie, what day of the week you were born on, under what planet, birthstone, birth sign, element, season etc..  And once you've wrote all that down do your research and if it still seems pretty accurate about you then delve in and find out more about your number and what does it mean, what are the properties of your birthstone, tree, element..  What are the traits of your star sign etc etc.. - Note you don't have to just write the ones from the website but also write your own, if you've had a favourite colour all your life, a lucky number, a tree you're fond of or a stone you carry..  Write that!!  

Perhaps write about your familiar, spirit animal/guide, totem animals (I'll be covering them at a later date too) or simply leave a space for it if you don't know right now.  Maybe include your name meaning (birth, martial, other names).  Favourite season, element that corresponds best with you (I wrote a whole blog years ago based on YouTuber TipToeChick's finding your element series http://ppwwmm.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/ww-lesson-finding-my-element.html) - Just because you're a Fire sign doesn't mean it works for you!!  Maybe have a basics section for your kids, siblings and/or parents - or just yourself.

Maybe you may be into astrology or just want to add your astrological Birth Chart - https://www.astro.com/cgi/ade.cgi?ract=genchart.cgi&lang=e - again feel free to look around online.

Maybe take time to meditate and take a long look at yourself, your given traits, your adopted ones.  Your hobbies and interests..  Who are you as a person, how can you apply that to your craft..?

Artsy Activity:
1. What type of Pagan/Witch are you?  Maybe apply that somehow.  - Eg.  You're a kitchen witch, I happen to know that Aliexpress has kitchen tool stamps which may work nicely.  You're a luna witch, get yourself some moon stickers or sticky notes.  You're a hedge witch, grab yourself some green and brown pencils and draw leaves (Ivy would look nice) as page borders.  You're not a witch at all, well I'm sure you could draw symbols of your religion/faith or get stamps and embellish away.. 

2. For me in this section I wanted to include a photo of myself.  (Tip, your photo should be acid free so as not to ruin your book over time!) Options..  So I could just stick in a photo of myself but I want to take into consideration that I'll age and I want this book to be a forever book if possible so in 30, 40, 50 years..  I'll want to have updates.  For me I've decided to use photo corners so I can add and remove 6x4 photos as I deem fit.  Alternatives may be to continuously tape a new photo over the top of the old one, this could even be done in waterfall format so you can flip through from newest on top to oldest on the bottom.  Just an idea.  Doesn't have to even be you it could be your familiar, your altar, your favourite items, ancestors etc and these pictures could be added throughout your book in one of the previous mentioned ways or tip-in as a page itself, in a secret pocket, envelope, hidden..  

3. Feel free to refer back to my blog "What to add (visually) to your Book of Shadows / Grimoire etc" @ http://ppwwmm.blogspot.co.uk/2017/11/what-to-add-visually-to-your-book-of.html - for artistic ideas, or my Pinterest board!!

4. Scrapbook or collage style you might want to include some 3D elements like a pop-up picture, your favourite makeup, glitter, paint, a charm, small flat 3D objects, hair/fur, I recently bought a wax seal stamp of my zodiac symbol on it..  etc..  

5. Think about your presentation, it doesn't have to be masses of detail.  It doesn't all have to be cramped on 1,2 or even 3 pages..  Spread out, learn about yourself..  Leave room or create a pocket so you can add more about yourself throughout the years..  One thing for sure on this path I'm always learning and sometimes it's even new things about myself be it a name or term for something I've always done or believed, be it a hobby or trait, be it a new correspondence, totem animal, familiar, spirit animal/guide, angel, lost ancestor, the list is endless and while this whole book is about me and my practice I'd like to have a section at the front for personal to me things, things that aren't everyone else..  Well apart from those born on the 20/12/88 but even then I dare say won't have the same name, be born in the same town, like the same things, correspond with all the same things...

6.  For the very basics of us.  You could just write the information in a list format.  Or print out the wording and pictures from the internet...  Though even the goth in me is screaming for something prettier, personalised and dare I even say.. colourful?

7.There's absolutely no rush, thus why I suggested a notebook or piece of paper..  Gather your information together before deciding on your layout / format.  



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Thank you all for the support.  For anyone wishing to share, ask for help, talk about BoS / their book and relevant content (or for more information, ideas and unmissable blog posts go to new Fb group https://www.facebook.com/groups/BoSPrompts/  Also as previously mentioned you can go on the website version of this blog over on the left there’s a ‘subscribe by email’ so you don’t miss a single post from me.  If you’re on the mobile version scroll right down to the bottom and click ‘view as website’ and that should take you to the website version where you can expand, navigate to the left and subscribe by email :)  I will continue to share this on my Patreon *for free* and also on my Twitter and in various facebook groups..  & Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/BookOfShadowsPrompts/

Imogen x

Next weeks prompts No.3 - The pentacle/pentagram and the 4 Elements..



Sunday, 19 November 2017

WW/MM. When should we be adding to our Book of Shadows / Grimoire etc. P5/5


Bringing this lil mini 5 part series of how to get started in your Book of Shadows / Grimoire etc.. to a close; I thought I'd share my view on when to write in your books..!  Now this somewhat varying and very much down to the individual for the most part..  However I thought I would bring some more thoughts for you to mull over.

So let's start with the most obvious which is that you're going to do it whenever you damn well feel like it..  However you feel like it..  Wherever.. 

But for some people they see this is more of a sacred act!  The art of transforming knowledge into words.  As words carry so much power which can later be transformed into knowledge again.  This book regardless of what book you're using/creating it is most likely to be your most sacred tool and therefore you may wish to take some of the following into consideration..

Adding to your book in some ways can be a working/ritual/magickal act all on its own and for some you might want to literally treat it that way.  Setting up a magickal space, candles.. incense.. Perhaps even casting a circle or working under a specific moon phase.  But why not have a special cleansing bath/shower remove all those negative energies, smudge the space or light incense perhaps even make some incense that is special to your time in which you imbue your knowledge into your book.  Why not create a special ritual or working for doing so.  Why not make this a magickal and special experience?

As said some like to work under moon phases such as waxing (from new moon to full moon) gaining power, building strength, bringing positive vibrations, increasing the working which may be good if you're wanting to add positive, gaining or growing spells, rituals or other workings to your book.  Alternatively if you're adding something like a remove negative energy spell, banish evil spirits or remove bad karma you may wish to add these to your book during a waning moon (from full to new) as power fades, bad energies go away, get rid of the bad..  New moon for new creations, beginnings etc..  Full moon for most powerful like protection, blessings etc..  But more about moons in a blog soon.  For now simply remember this as 'wax on, wane off' (increasing and decreasing). 

For others it might not matter so much the moon phase as it does the season, elements, zodiac, planetary alignments and retrograde etc.

Some may choose early morning fresh and well rested having had time to sleep upon their thoughts to then chronicle their words.  While others like myself may be night creatures and choose to fill our books with our knowledge and power while in the moment, pages dominantly light by candlelight while under the glow of the moon.

For others it may be as soon as a spell or working comes to pass, while fresh in mind, and is proven to work.  A favorite new recipe is created.  A new subject is learnt.  An experienced was had.  A change to an old working.

For some this is more of a working journal constantly being added to any time or when required.

For others they may have a special time/hour or day of the week, month, season or holiday in which to imbue their new knowledge and workings into their sacred books.

None of this is right nor wrong it is your path and just like the rest of your book and your journey it is completely upto you what you do, how you do it, when you do it etc..

I just thought I would put some ideas out there, some which you may not have otherwise considered.  I know some people don't see their books as such sacred magickal tools.. And for others the concept hadn't even crossed their minds..!  

I hope this little series has given you some inspiration and ideas.  I've been asked by a the founder of a lil group I'm rather active in if I will do a BoS prompts every Sunday..  So I'm hoping if this pans out then I will be posting these here every Sunday as well as exclusive stuff within the group.

Good luck.  - I'd love to see what you do!  And feel free to follow me and my progress on Instagram

Saturday, 18 November 2017

WW/MM. What to add (visually) to your Book of Shadows / Grimoire etc. P4/5


Let's take a look at making things pretty!

Now you may or may not have decorated your cover, splashed out on a pretty book, prefer to go incognito and be subtle and have it look like just a plain book, binder, folder, diary etc.  Or maybe you went digital..  Your pages may already be inked up, tea dyed, stained, distressed, photoshopped etc..  But regardless of that this blog entry is about the insides..  The very.. Er.. Guts..  Yes that's not a nice thought - back up!! So this blog entry is about the beauty on the inside! (yes, that's better!)

So first of all let's think style!  "What are you into?"  "What is your personal appearance?"  "What style is your home?"  "Your dream home?"  "What art do you like?"  "What music do you listen to?" Etc..  Do you like oldy-worldy, steam-punk, goth, travel, sci-fi, traditional vintage, Boho, bright festival colours, fairy, fantasy, mythical, TV themes...  Is your head spinning with ideas?  Quick grab a notebook and write them down!!  - Good news, you don't have to pick one theme and just stick with that.  You could easily cross over fantasy fairies, with a gothy look created upon steam-punk pages that have cogs, gears and blue-print style drawings..  Or make your book look like a bohemian gypsy festival exploded in neon watercolour brights across each page!  The design theme and style is your own..  And of course as said mix it up..  Come up with your own unique YOU style.  And apply this to the pages, drawings, tip-ins, lettering even wording if you so please!

So assuming you didn't just go online and buy / print premade pages often containing pretty cookie cutter pages of spells that might not even work for you!  - Not everything resonates with everyone and to be honest unless its basics like Wiccan Rede, 10 Commandments, 13 Goals of the Witch or Zodiac information (the set in stone and won't ever change information) it is probably a waste of time and money unless you're looking for a show piece prop!!  - I am not saying there's anything wrong with buying / printing these pages just this blog entry is about us creating our own beautiful pages!!

Now in my last post I briefly touched base about perhaps you're not very artistic - this doesn't mean you can't have a pretty book by using other tools and materials.  As said I would explore a little more about that here..

- Using tip-ins:
And of course you can always stick in additional pages or pockets.  Use fancy note paper or themed such as Halloween, goth, floral, animal..  Another item you might want to use is journaling cards or project life cards to create note cards, journaling sports, imagery, affirmation oh the opportunities. Another idea for tip-ins or just for your pages might be photographs.  I know I have a canon selphy and can print my own acid free 6x4 or smaller (make sure if you're printing with your printer on photo paper that it's acid free as that will effect your book over time..) another idea might be using photo corners.  I know I plan to include a photo of myself that I may wish to update as I age.  I'm nearly 29 and dare say I won't look the same when I'm 49..!

- Using other people's images:
This is a sore spot, the difference between copyright and royalty free and plain theft.  (As an artist myself I have a strong viewpoint.)  Also note a lot of them cookie cutter pages I mentioned earlier contain stolen imagery, not all but some!
  1. Using other people's work and passing it off as your own - NO.
  2. Using other people's work to inspire your own - YES.
  3. Using other people's work to create your own - TRICKY! If it's royalty free stock follow the rules of use then YES.  If it's copyrighted typically NO.  - Why typically?  Because if it's completely unrecognisable in the end it's sort of ok, like using for texture, perspective, form or colour plates - an artist thing. 
  4. Using other people's work (credited) in your own personal books - YES.
  5. Using other people's work (credited or not) to sell - NO.
  6. Technically if it's for personal use like in your BoS that no one else will see then crediting isn't a must but it's nice to be able to refer back to that artist..

- Tracing: 
Tracing is allowed of course.  Now a lot of artists will argue you're not an artist if you trace..  Even if you then turn several traced things into a whole other masterpiece where your skills are in the colouring, but that's not for here!  I personally don't see anything wrong with tracing images into your books (or otherwise) especially if you're A. Not great at drawing. B. Want artwork in your book to be more unique and not something everyone else has..  Mix it up a bit!

- Using collage:
Like my last point using other people's images printed from online, found in books or magazines etc can be a fun and of course tracing is only one way to create personalised art and make it more your own.  Another is to take an images (or just one) and create an image from that.  I know Molly has some prompts which include page themes like ransom notes or just collaged backgrounds or whole images. (You could stick these in as are, trace them or even photograph and stick that in!  Or a mixture!)

- Using stamps: 
Another option might be stamps, granted these could be images that other people have but stamps are a good way of adding images.  You could even combine stamps to create your own images or learn masking stamp techniques.  I would personally recommend versa magic chalk inks based on price, dry time and product.  Inks like distress ink, stamping up and stazon are all alcohol based inks which means they can bleed, go through your pages and show up heavily on the other side.  Pigment inks tend to take forever to dry as they are rather wet and can bleed.  But chalk ink seems to be your somewhere in the middle, in my book it shows through on the other side but not so much it's a huge problem..  As for stamps.. I typically use clear cling mount (an acrylic block is required) and I'm a stickler for cheap stamps from Aliexpress.com - I also have a whole Pinterest board on planner purchases which includes some of my stamp purchases.  yes they're not as good as the expensive branded photopolymer and they will probably degrade quicker..  But some of mine I've had over 5 years with absolutely no issues and let's face it £1-4 Inc postage for a set of stamps..  Sometimes even less!!  I picked up a bunch of Halloween, flower, feather, animal, textures...  Great for adding art; images, elements, backgrounds etc..

          Stamp Tip.  If you're worried about your stamps showing through you could always stamp on paper, journaling sports, project life cards etc and then stick that into your book.  I know I plan to do some stamping with pigment ink / embossing ink and then heat emboss images which I then plan to cut around (with plain scissors but you could use decorative fancy edge scissors) and then stick it in my book.  Thus far I found roller double sided tape to be best.  Wet glue will warp the paper and I am a fan of double sided tape anyway..  I literally buy it in bulk!

- Stencils: 
I have some already from my planner stash but recently bought some amazing stencils which create banners, boxes, flags, icons and more.. Very excited to use these in my book!  I know I pinned them here

- Punches: 
Another interesting tool is punches they come in all shapes and sizes or even as die-cutting machines of various kinds.  Again you can find inexpensive die-cutting plates on Aliexpress.com but most of my punches came from ebay.  - I do crafts.  So punch out various elements to include in your book.  I recently saw someone had punched out butterflies from leaves..  Which would be a very beautiful element if you fired the leaves or even used fake ones and punches out butterflies. Or other shapes.  Some sellers on Etsy and Ebay even sell these punched pieces, confetti and personalised pieces.

- Decorative / Fancy Edge Scissors:
Create a torn look especially great for adding scraps, notes, covering up mistakes etc..

- Washi & Decorative Tape:
Tape can be used to tape in those tip-ins, as part of collages or as decorative pieces on its own!  Some can be cut up and used as stickers! These tapes contain words, phrases, patterns and various images.  Believe me I have probably over 200 different ones..!!  I'm an addict but they're so cheap also on, yes you guessed it.. Aliexpress.com and also on my AliExpress Pinterest board I have a section which has some of my tape purchases.

- Stickers:
Stickers may also be a viable option, I know there's a lot of Etsy shops out there but one I can personally recommend is my friends shop PuppersAndFloofs - plus 20% off with my code IMO20 she currently has a number of gothy/witchy stickers!

- 3D Elements:
So that's more or less your flat elements.  But what about including some more 3D elements like pressed flowers, thin encased butterflies or dragonfly wing, shaker card elements, pop-up pages, samples, 3D pockets or found objects like coins, charms, keys! - Well all that is upto you..

I hope that this has given you some creative ideas.  You could always check out my Pinterest BoS etc board or more specifically my section called Layout & Design Inspiration.

Some other ideas for you..  You may wish to look into such as on YouTube are 'art journaling' or 'scrapbooking' for some more creative ideas.  - art journaling prompts can also give you some amazing base ideas for getting started on a blank page page..  And if your paper is more like a sketchbook type paper which would take ink, paint or gesso (it's like a gritty paint that gives your pages some tooth - available typically in black or white and matte finish which is often what professional canvases are prepped with) better. - You definitely don't need to be artistic to art journal, scrapbook or have a pretty BoS / Grimoire / Book!


Good luck.  - I'd love to see what you do!  And feel free to follow me and my progress on Instagram

Monday, 10 October 2016

- Merry Meet / The Cauldron Born.

(Just Creative Thoughts)
Digital Painting of me by me on 9th October 2016 
© Imogen Cane - missimoinsane 2016

Today I'm working on my journey, trying to figure out where I go from here.  Scrying into the flames of my hot headed actions, those which caused me to get burned.  Falling in love with music, especially one song, and the ideas of what could be.  Wanting to create a fantasy of happily ever after.  Still learning, ever growing.. never ending.  I have enjoyed my creativity today, I should find time to do it more.

I'm overly enjoying this song, wishing I could find someone who understands me, so thought I'd share..


Imogen x
 - Exploring what's in my head.