WitchCrafting is a unique word. The word “craft,” in fact, conjures up all sorts of fun, creative ways to add some magick to your life — if, of course, you are a practicing witch. In reality, when anyone makes anything, there is always a little piece of themselves in their work, whether they are aware of it or not.
At COFF, we have been doing a study of WitchCrafting. This weekly study is designed to go through each month, research the mundane and Pagan holidays, and see what we may wish to craft to add a little more magick to our homes and lives.
Magick itself is a means to bring forth the energy to manifest the change we wish to bring to our lives. The actual craft part is a means to help us focus on our goal and a place to hold the energy until it is time for it to be released or the goal has been achieved.
Doing some research for the study, I was astonished to learn how many holidays or just special days there are. I’m not sure if it is simply Americans or humanity as a whole, but there are double and triple special things going on during any given day — from right-out silly observances to food-related celebrations, and even some serious, true events. The days of marking only the changing of the seasons and the work put into the harvests are mostly long gone, although those are still celebrated in some parts of the world. Don’t get me wrong: There are still plenty of things to inspire and let you connect to some of the energies of that day or, in some cases, the season, and of course, you’re always free to celebrate the seasons and harvest still, too (and most Pagans do).
I will let you do your own research for all the holidays that are available to you. But to get you started (and in reality, these can be done any time of the year), let me give you just a few ideas. A creative one is wall altars; these can be as small or large as your wall will allow. They can be for any reason and can be changed out or employed more like a shrine. Either way, they are fun to make and use. Now that you have a focal point, you need to fill it. So let’s start with a mask to represent your patron deity (you might choose to make this for National Masquerade Day, for example). An arrangement of offerings can also be placed on your altar (like sugar skulls for the Day of the Dead). These offerings can be made or found, depending on the deity. If you have some needlework ability, you can always make altar cloths or wall hangings (for National Stitch Day). With some flowers, you can make a wreath for the front door or wall, or make a floral arrangement (for National Flower Day). I’m just starting to chip away at the possibilities for you, just to give you an idea of how our study has worked.
It is possible that you could be reading this blog well after our study has been completed. In that case, I can tell you that everything from our study is archived in the school’s Private Forums. So should you ever decide you wish to join COFF, this entire study will be available to you — along with many others. Enjoy!
Blessings!
High Elder Redhawk
