Just as Green Day prophesized, the end of September has come and gone, and I have been basking in the crisp air of autumn. This is a bit later than I had anticipated, because now October is over as well, so let’s get right into it.
The last two months feels like it slammed four espressos and an americano, and said “letsa go!” in Mario’s voice.
The house has been coming along, slowly but steadily. We replaced my old gaming desk for a sit/stand that’s half the footprint, which is great for the small space that our office is. The computer hasn’t been put together yet, we still need some pieces for organizing, but it’s in the works. The bun room has been painted fully, and it didn’t dawn on us that matte paint absorbs light until we finished the room LOL. There’s more to be done to it, including lantern lights, but the big part is done, and it looks pretty cool.
Our first autumn in the house has been incredible. The colours of everything from the trees to the skies are so vibrant, I often feel like it’s the first time I’m experiencing this season. We have a couple Japanese maples directly beside our patio, and they are a gorgeous shade of golden yellow right now, and I’m simply in awe every time I look at them. The hill we’re on is slowly edging towards mayhem due to how steep it is and how slippery everything is becoming from rain and leaves, but walking up it first thing in the morning is usually very peaceful.
I’m still adjusting to the fact that we live in our own space now. No random Board members knocking on our door, no newsletters slipped into our mailbox, no irate mothers living below us, no screaming children. I am still coming to terms with how angry I was all the time in our old place, and redirecting it has become both a challenge and new hope that I will, eventually, break myself out of almost thirty years of… whatever that can be called. I’m just grateful we have this opportunity.
In witch news, we hosted our first Mabon dinner this year 🎉. We kept it small and made it a potluck-style for our first go at it. Four of our friends came, two of them brought variations of Greek salad, which were absolutely delicious (especially when combined together). Hubby made fresh, homemade friend-loaves (that I lovingly refer to as lembas), as well as a vegan chili/soup, and I put together my first apple crumble. We had tons of veggies for snacking on in between, and drinks were kept to a minimum since everyone needed to drive home.
This last weekend, I attended my very first (yes, first) party – and a costume party at that!
Hubby went as a drag witch (which I love endlessly), and I went as a warrior-shaman. The armour was not as heavy as it looks, and while it was faux leather, it was fairly breathable so not a lot of heavy sweating on the dance floor. It was hosted at Vancouver’s Red Room, a very cozy space and honestly a location I’ve been curious about for many years, but never explored.
We didn’t get home until 1 AM, and into bed by 4 AM, because there was absolutely no way either of us were climbing into bed with any form of makeup on, lol.
It’s been incredibly busy between house and work, but words are still being put down!
Women of the Eternal was a grind for a week or so, I was stuck on chapter three, where two big characters were introduced for the first time, and I just couldn’t find the right words for their dialogue. I’ve skipped over a couple parts to come back to later, but we’re finally moving again, and I’m about two-thirds done with this chapter before I can move on.
It’s been interesting seeing how I’ve developed WOTE over the last eight years, and how different it is from the first draft I wrote. The original was very much a damsel-in-distress, “where’s my prince charming” style of story, and while there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, it’s not what I’ve been trying to capture for Espe, and I think that generally comes down to aging and learning who I am as a person. This is going to sound hilariously old fashioned, but while I don’t prescribe to the “write what you know” very much, I do know that making Espe around my age has helped me define her voice much more than if I had made her late teens/early twenties.
In the theme of things developing, I now have a tentative title for my current poetry book: From the Throat of the Eldest Daughter.
It isn’t a feel-good book, by any stretch. But it has been very therapeutic writing it out. I’m remembering things I had either forgotten or repressed, and putting how I felt about events or conversations has allowed me to sort out some problematic feelings that I didn’t know were still bothering me. My inner child is feeling seen again, and I hope with the release of this book, some things will start to fall into place.
I also have a cover mockup that I’ve been playing with that I will share when I get closer to finalization, but I am quite pleased with how it has turned out so far.
Watering this witch has been finicky lately, so I’ve been reaching for the things that have been resonating with me until I feel “adventurous” again.
AUDIO MAGICK
I’ve been a big fan of Connor Price for some time now, and his new releases, SMOKE, GOLDEN GOOSE and LET ME COOK are absolute bangers! Imagine Dragons also released a new single, Take Me to the Beach, that has a very good vibe that stays in the vein of their usual music.
READING MAGICK
I’ve started reading poetry books (shocking that it took this long, as a poet), and I have been thoroughly enjoyed absorbing Ruin, Blossom by John Burnside. I recently finished But I Don’t Feel Empowered by Suri Chan, another poetry book, that healed a little something of my inner child.
VIEWING MAGICK
We recently watched Joker: Folie à Deux in theatres – I am a huge fan of Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker, and I absolutely loved the first Joker movie. This one was very… melodically, manically melancholy, and to some degree, I understand why reviews were mixed. It wasn’t action packed, it follows slowly as Arthur goes through his jailtime that follows after the end of the first movie. I loved Lady Gaga as this version of Harley – she was perfect for it, just the right amount of sanely insane. The ending (no spoilers) was not at all what I expected, which is why, perhaps, there were so many displeased viewers, but if you know the Joker at all, it’s not about who plays him – it’s about sending a message. And the end of the movie was, without a doubt, a message. If you’ve not seen it and have been curious, I highly recommend it, as well as going with an open mind.
MUSINGS FROM A WITCH
I talk a lot (like a lot) to my sister-priestess, Stregamoria, about all things witch. The topic that has come up lately is how Hollywood seems to be taking advantage (once again) of the interest that student witches have shown in shows like All About Agatha.
Representation of the witch has been in the media since they burned women at the stakes. Modern day portrayals show power as a thing to be conquered, something you simply demand and receive in earnest in return. It is shown as a prize to be won, a gift to steal.
While I think having a witch/pagan representation is great, Hollywood is not doing anyone any favours in this way. Being a witch means blood, sweat, and tears. It means studying the universe while it studies you back. It is not a miracle, or a cure all, or a solution to life’s problems. Truly, I think the closest we have come to a “real witch” in the media is, in my opinion, Marvel’s Scarlet Witch, and even then it’s a stretch. The Craft and its Paths are not meant to be witchtok’s play bait. I can only hope that the students that find the Craft this way are open minded and wise enough to question everything they see.
Thank you so much for getting to the end. As I stand on my patio to finish this off, I want to wish you all a blessed Samhain, and a very Happy Halloween. Be safe.
the baleful primal 
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