#WriterWednesday - August 21st 2019

If you're a blogger, you might be interested in checking out this post on ideas for keeping your blog fresh - especially if you're stuck for post ideas.

Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.
~ Picasso

Whether it's blogs or books you write, here's why there will always be people who don't understand your creative life - and that's okay!

Whether the people in your life are understanding or not, you'll never get around to writing all the stories in your heart, unfortunately. But you can write some of them. You just have to decide which ideas are most important to work on, and make those your priority. After all, it's possible that it's a great idea - but is it a great idea right now? That's the big question, and one you should really ask yourself whenever a new idea comes along when you're already working on something else. Frustrating as it is, you sometimes have to avoid chasing your ideas. As shiny as they may be, you really have to make them wait sometimes, otherwise you'll never end up finishing anything.

Regardless of which ideas you chase, though there are exceptions, like with most writing rules, as a general rule, you should be avoiding the use of cliches in your writing. Although, you can use them sparingly... In dialogue sometimes, for example. Even then though, be careful not to over-use them.

Next, here's a post that discusses how to write description without going overboard.

A word after a word after a word is power.
~Margaret Atwood

Do you have to like all your characters? Short answer: no. Especially if you don't want your readers to either. The post I just linked to explains in greater detail.

Whether your characters are likeable or not, if any of them are teens, you might like to check out this post on writing authentic teenage dialogue, which could potentially help you make your teenage characters more believable and relatable.

No matter who's in your story, are you writing a story with magic in it? If yes, you should read this post on creating a credible magic system, because even fantastical elements like magic need to have some kind of logic to them to make them believable, otherwise it spoils the reading experience, and you don't want disappointed readers, do you?

Now, let's talk about promoting your work, because your work matters, even when it feels like no one's reading it - and that goes for any kind of writing, including blog posts. So, be honest, what scares you about self promotion? If it's fear of criticism, or nobody reading your work, check out the post I just linked to, because it might help you feel better about it.

#WriterWednesday - June 20th 2018

First, second, and third. Each point of view has its pros and cons, but which one is right for your book? Only you can decide, but the post I just linked to may be able to help you to do so, as well as offering a bit of an explanation if you're confused about the different types of point of view.

It doesn't matter what genre you write in, your story will have a certain theme - whether it's one you planned to use from the start, or one that became clear as the story began to unfold - the same goes for poems, but we're talking about stories right now. So, here's a post about how you can use theme to determine subplots, supporting characters, and tension in your story. Oh, and... Speaking of tension: take a look at these tips for sustaining tension in your writing.

On a similar note: take a look at this post that talks about the basic plot of a voyage and return story. NOTE: spoilers for The Wizard Of Oz are involved in the post... Just so you're warned.

Regardless of what you write, or the point of view you write it in, here are some tips for making a workspace conducive to writing. On a sort of related note, you might want to read this next post if you currently need to be thinking about how to make Summer and writing work together (or Winter, if you're in the Southern hemisphere).

No matter what your workspace looks like, or what changes you might have to make to your writing routine because of the changing seasons, if you're an author who blogs, you may be interested in what this post on better blogging topics for authors has to say.

Speaking of authors and blogs: here's a post that discusses why guest posting is awesome for writers, which you may wish to take a look at. Also, here's a list of 100 blog topics for fiction writers, which may be useful if you're trying to figure out what to blog about.

Also, if you want others to do reviews, a guest posting slot, or whatever else you think they might do for you, make sure to treat bloggers and reviewers with respect when contacting them.

Next, here are six tips to become a great author. I think the one about writing every day should be rephrased to say you should write regularly, because it really is OK if you don't write every single day. Other than that though, I think these are good tips.

Sometimes you need something to get your creative juices flowing again. If that's the case for you right now, here are some fun tools to engage your creativity.

If your creative juices are flowing just fine in general, but you haven't touched your 'passion' project in ages, you might want to take a look at the post I just linked to, and think about the possible reasons for that (as well as what you can do about it). Also, here's a post about the art of finding your way back to your projects, and another about mining old manuscripts, which I think are worth reading.

These are the top three excuses for not writing that book. If these are your excuses, take a look at your situation again, and see what you can do to change that. I understand that circumstances do sometimes get in the way, but nine times out of ten you can work around any of those three excuses. On a similar note, here's some advice on how to write 'less' and do 'more', and some tips for Summer writing.

Finally, here are 15 things that happen when you stop stressing about writing the 'perfect' book. So stop stressing about it, and just write!

#Writing Wednesday - December 20th 2017

In case you missed the posts about them...

"Home Squeak Home" is now available in audio, narrated by Jerry Fischer, who you can learn a bit more about by checking out his recent narrator interview.

And...

Just in time for you to count it among your holiday reading/listening for this year, "The Forgotten Angel" is now in audio, narrated by Jenny Bacon, with Beatrice Turner as the voices of Holly and the children.

Both books are now available to buy in audio from Audible, Amazon, and iTunes. Links for those - along with links for the eBook and paperback versions, should you prefer those - can be found in the posts linked to above.

If you have books of your own you want to produce in audio, you may be interested to know that there's more than Audible available for you to use to do so. Personally, I'm sticking with ACX/Audible to do mine, but it doesn't hurt to be aware of having other options.

Regardless of whether you're aware of the various options you can choose from when it comes to sharing your work, I'm sure you're aware that the end of the year is approaching. Are you looking back on the past year? Are you making plans for next year? Most people are. If you're a writer doing this, here are some thoughts from one author on how he handles the end of the year as an author. How do you handle it?

However you view your writing, here are some excellent guidelines for if you using familiar faces in newer works.

Struggling to think of ideas for something to write? Want your story to have a holiday theme? Then check out these writing prompts for holiday inspiration. Some of these can potentially be adapted to work for blogging prompts too, especially if they trigger memories of your own past holidays.

On the other hand, if ideas aren't your problem, but you're still feeling uninspired, and like you want to quit writing the book you're working on, revisit your old favourites.

Always remember: if you're a lonely writer, you're not alone. Also, if you're a writer who worries about, check out this list of things writers really need to stop worrying about.

Finally, here's some advice on how to survive discovering your story idea has been written before - in case you need it.

#Writing Wednesday - March 29th 2017

If you're a writer, regardless of what genre it is you write for, you may like to check out these tips on fashion in fiction, so you can decide how much to reveal about what your characters are wearing, and learn how to have their clothing help tell us about the character and the world they live in.

Speaking of the world your characters live in, here's a post on worldbuilding, which will help you to create a framework to hang your story on.

However, if you're a self-published author, and your thoughts are now on your book's cover, here's a post on how to get a great cover design for your book, complete with tips on how to decide if it's right for the book in question.

On the other hand, self-published or not, if you're an author whose thoughts are on blog posts right now, you may be interested in this post about what an author should blog about, which also contains some tips on what you should avoid in your blog posts. Of course, it's up to you what you blog about, but I figured I'd share the post anyhow, just in case someone needs some advice in that area.

Finally, remember: live a lot, write a lot.

#Writing Wednesday - September 7th 2016

Firstly... In case you missed them when I originally posted about them... Here's a link to an author and blogger interview I did a couple of weeks ago, and the thread where I'm author of the month. I'm accepting questions elsewhere for those who can't post on the thread, so feel free to post your questions below, if you have any.

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Whether you've started writing your book or not, here's a hobbit's guide to launching your book, which is one of the most entertaining book marketing posts I've read, if not the most entertaining.

Need some inspiration for topics to write about? It doesn't matter if it's for a story, a blog post, or whatever. Try drawing from personal experiences. Not sure where to start? Check out this list of 100 prompts for writing about yourself.

You may also want to check out these tips for improving dialogue, and these tactics to grip a reader at the end of a chapter (strong language warning applies on the second of those two links; though not as much as with many of the other posts on that blog).

This post about explaining common references is another I recommend you read, since it's great advice.

Time to edit? Here's a grammar tip for you regarding the singular they. Also, did you know Microsoft Word can check for gender spacific language? Well, you know now, and the post I just linked to even tells you how to make sure it does so.

Ready to format your manuscript? Take a look at this post about building your book's front matter for some tips on what to include. I don't include all the things in most of my books, and the "about the author" piece is always at the back in my books, even though it's not really all that long. You don't have to include everything either, but you can if you want to. Some parts (like the title, author's name, and copyright information) are important enough that it's advisable to add them though.

Like it or not, book promotion is important if you want to have a chance of selling any books. The only problem is, it can be quite expensive. Well, most of the time. However, here are some ways you can promote your work for free, as well as some other ideas for marketing and promotion. Also, take a look at these ways to maintain an interactive blog, and create a fan base.

Quick tip: instead of just promoting your book, share what you've learned, and give readers a reason to return to your blog and profile/page on social media sites.

Are you an author who uses Facebook for part of your book marketing? If you are, you may want to be aware of these three changes, which may be important for you to know about, or may not, depending on how you market.

Hey, do you want to make a career out of your writing? Check out these tips to start (or restart) your writing career; they're a good place to start your journey as a professional writer, as well as being good tips for those who have been doing it for a while and need the reminder.

Before I end this week's writing themed post, I'd like to request that all struggling authors, please read this.

#Writing Wednesday - February 24th 2016

Happy World Read Aloud Day!

Read aloud to someone, or even to yourself if you don't have a willing audience... Or an unwilling one... And enjoy some oral storytelling.

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I've always thought that roleplaying was a good option for writers, since it encourages creative thinking, and also gives you the oppertunity to really put yourself in the shoes of another character for a time, while getting feedback from others as to how people would generally respond to interaction with that sort of character. Apparently, I'm not the only one who thinks so, since I recently read an article on how video games can transform your writing, which talks about the benifits for writers of the roleplaying aspect of some video games.

The author of the above article is talking about a slightly different version of roleplaying than I play, since she means the roleplaying aspect of video games, where as I mean actual roleplaying games like Dungeons And Dragons, Call Of Cthulhu, and that sort of thing. But the principle is the same.

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When you're writing, it's important to add in little details to bring your story to life, but it's also important to get the facts right. After all, even fantasy stories need to contain some facts that help the story to feel realistic to the reader. For example, here's a post on what writers need to know about archery if you have characters in your story using bows and arrows, the fantasy writer's guide to horses in case your story contains horses, and 10 things writers don't know about the woods in case your story takes place at least partially in the woods. After all, adding in those extra little facts and details is the secret to vivid writing.

Foreshadowing can be important too... Especially - though not exclusively - for mysteries. So, here are the 8 laws of foreshadowing you'll need to bear in mind when writing your story.

Getting the pacing right can also increase the reader's enjoyment of your story. So, here are 7 tools - or tips, if you prefer - for pacing a novel. Pacing is especially important during your exciting climax, so don't let this sloppy technique ruin the climax of your story.

Always remember though: while it's a good idea to know the "rules" when it comes to writing, what matters most is that you write like you; let your own voice shine through in your writing.

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Need some prompts to get your creative juices flowing? Or simply need some inspiration on blog topics to post about? Well, whichever is the case, here are 500 prompts for narative and personal writing. OK, officially they're prompts for use by teenagers - very obviously in some cases, since many have a huge focus on school. However, a lot of them can easily be used by adults too, so I figured I'd go ahead and share them.

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Interested in attending writing events like confeences and festivals? It can often help with marketing, if you're in a position to attend.

Here's a list of 10 must attend writing events for those of you in the UK, or who are able to make it across the pond.

I don't have a similar list for other countries, but I dare say a few moments with Google - or your prefered search engine - would produce one.

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Don't forget...

Zeena the faerie dragon from my "Zeena Dragon Fae" series is still answering questions on this thread, though questions can be asked on this post too.

If you have a question for Zeena, and haven't asked your question yet, now's the time to do it.

Wednesday's writing related ramblings - August 12th 2015

I have a story just needing the final edits, another in the middle of re-writes, and another I’ve just started writing.

The one just needing final edits is one I wrote about a degu who gets out of his cage when his humans don’t close the cage door properly. It was inspired by the same thing almost happening here a few weeks ago (we got the cage door secured before our degus noticed though). I’m calling it “Degu’s Day Out” – unless I come up with a better title between now and when I discuss the cover with one of my cover artists (which I plan to do in the next couple of weeks). I have to decide exactly what I want on the cover too...

Anyway, the one in the middle of re-writes is “Zeena And The Gryphon” (the second “Zeena Dragon Fae” book) and the one I’ve just started writing is “Zeena And The Mermaid” (the third “Zeena Dragon Fae” book).

So, I have plenty of writing projects keeping me busy. Not to mention, there are still plenty of plot bunnies waiting impatiently for my attention.

If you're a writer too, how's your writing coming along?

Is your writing not going too well today? Here are the 5 stages of the writer's nap; it really does help sometimes!

If, however, the writer's nap didn't help, and you're still struggling to get your creative juices flowing, these 20 writing prompts might help you out. Still stuck? Here are another 20 writing prompts. There are also many more writing prompts to be found on the blog I got those from. Some may work as general blog prompts too.

This is how to always be a passionate writer... In case your problem is that you feel you've lost your passion for writing.

You could also try this writing exercise; be it to get your creative juices flowing again, or just for a change of pace.

Once you have your creative juices flowing again, these 5 techniques for amazing internal dialogue might come in handy. Also, here are some thoughts on how the little details count.

Wednesday's writing related ramblings - May 13th 2015

You don't need any recognized qualifications to become a published writer; you just need to find your own writing style.

Are you feeling like life is rushing by, yet struggling to even sit down and write? Well, 'wannabe' or 'aspiring' authors, if yeez doubt yeez can write, at whatever age, please read this great post.

When I write, I try to just let the words flow as they will, and worry about writing rules later. How about you? Do you let your inner child write? Or does the adult part of you insist on taking control from the start?

Also... Is writing just a hobby to you? It isn't to me; it's much more than that to me! This is probably part of the reason why I don't usually have issues with writers' block, and am mostly good about self motivation. However, if you're a self-published writer - or, indie author, as some prefer to be called - and motivation is a problem for you, here's an article on tips for the motivation of the indie author to help you.

Or, if you're a poet with writers' block, then these tips on growing students who love poetry may help you. I know they're aimed at helping children, but they could just as easily help adults.

Of course, once you have your story - or poetry collection - figured out, you'll want to figure out your target audience. So, here are some tips on how to identify your target audience to help you with that, so you can start working on your marketing strategy.

Not having much luck with your marketing strategy? Well, here's an article on the top ten reasons why your marketing efforts fail, which may offer some answers. Officially the tips are aimed at actual businesses, but selling books is technically a business, and it doesn't hurt to bear the tips in mind.

Another thing which might help is to support your local library by donating print copies of your books. It might sound like a strange marketing strategy, but sometimes people who borrow a library book will later buy their own copy if they enjoyed it, and having your books in circulation gets people talking about them, which is a good thing.

Having visitors to your blog - or social media platform - is a good thing too. But, are you struggling to come up with new ideas for posts? This article on blog post ideas for writers: solving the "what do I blog about?" conundrum may help. As mentioned at the end of the article, there are more ideas in 101 blog post ideas for writers (part 1) and 101 blog post ideas for writers (part 2). There's also this list of 365 days of blog post ideas for authors and writers and this one with 101 fabulous blog topic ideas. Some of them would be great ideas for bloggers in general; writers or not.

Before I end this post, I just thought I'd ask... Are there any topics in the lists linked to in the above paragraph, which I haven't discussed, that you'd like to hear about from me? Or, any I've touched upon in posts or interviews, which you'd like to hear more about? Or, are there things you'd like to hear about from me that aren't mentioned on the lists at all? If so, list them in the comments section of this post; whether directly on my blog, or where it appears on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads. I'd love to know what you'd like to read about.

A remembered nature escape

This week's Pagan Blog Prompt is about Nature Escapes and I decided to join in.

There's a lovely park just down the road with trees of all sorts, a duck pond and benches to sit on. And, of course, there's the promonade by the sea. But it wasn't those things I thought of. Nor the fact that with the sounds of the sea birds I can almost pretend to be at sea while sat in my own home.

What I thought of was where I used to go and sit in the park near where we lived until about 4 years ago.

The park had a river running through it, and a little way in from one of the entrances was a place where they'd built a platform over the river a bit. If you climbed down the bank beside that platform you could clamber over the rocks until you reached a place where there were big flat rocks. At that point the river made a very small waterfall (it wasn't really a waterfall, but it was like a mini one the way it poured through the gaps in between the rocks and down over some that were a bit lower down). The lower rocks got wet, but a couple of the bigger ones didn't. And if you sat on one of those the trees blocked you from view from the path. You could only be seen if someone came up the river itself or stood on the platform (which rarely happened; at least, when I was there). And with the noise of the mini waterfall you couldn't quite hear the traffic.

I often sat there. Quite often wrote while there, actually.

More runic ramblings

Following on from my post back in February called "Runic Ramblings" for the Pagan Blog Prompt for that week.

The runes I won in the blog naming contest never came; I don't know what's happening with them, but I've given up on having them. If they arrive in the future, great, but I'm not holding my breath. Kelly told me to find a set I liked and buy them; I think he's given up on the ones I won too. *Sigh*

I was eyeing up some amethyst gemstone runes, but they kept being out of stock. Then they brought in a new version of them; a slightly smaller (and slightly cheaper) version. I mentioned them to Kelly, along with my concern that they may be a bit too much smaller and therefore difficult to read. He told me to get them anyway, and if I couldn't read them he'd have them and we could get me a larger set. So, I got them, and here they are:

They can't be much smaller, since they're around the same size as the clay ones Rita and her daughter-in-law, Leah, made for me. And, yes, I can read them just fine.

In case you didn't see them when I posted them before, here are the rune symbols they made me:


Thanks again Rita and Leah (and Dagan)! :)

My rune set came with a pouch, but I can't use it. I have an issue with velvet; I think I'm allergic or something? Anyway, I feel like someone's clamped their hands around my throat while pinching my nose closed if I touch the stuff. It's not as bad with things that aren't pure velvet, but still not nice. Anyway, the pouch was "velvet style" (their words) and it was close enough to velvet to make me feel like someone was pinching my nose closed. The result being there's no way I can be focusing energy on runes when all my focus is on remembering how to breathe. So I gave the pouch to Kelly, and brought supplies to make myself another. When I was buying the runes I thought I might need to, so I also brought this purple chord to use when making my bag:

I brought this purple glittery card recently too:

I have three pieces of it; each one 12inches by 12inches. My plan is to make the chart with the rune symbols from Rita on it with just one piece, but I got extra "just in case" since I figured it's best to have too much than not enough. Besides I can always find a use for pieces of card, and purple is always a good thing in my book. And, hey, it was only 50p (a little under $1) for each of them!

So, I just need to get some more tape for my braille labeler, then Kelly can help me make the chart. After that it's just a case of making the pouch for my runes, and I'm all set.

Now to figure out a way to make my tarot cards readable...

Healing energy (FD)

This week's "Pagan Blog Prompt" is the following:

"How do you deal with illness?
Does being sick hinder your magic work?
Do you employ magic to make yourself healthy again?
What about others? Do you work magic to heal other people?"

Last week it was:

"The weather is warming up and the time for planting is close. While some gardeners focus on edibles (veggies and fruits), a lot of Pagans grow herbs for kitchen use as well as magical use.

Do you use herbs in your practice? Do you grow them or purchase them from someone else?

What are your favorite herbs to work with?"

I didn't end up joining in last week. For one thing I had several posts I wanted to get posted (still do, actually), for another thing, last week's prompt didn't really inspire a post. But this week's did. I only mention last week's because what I'm about to post about is connected to it. Read on and you'll see what I mean.

I haven't learned as much as I'd have liked to have by now about herbal medicine, but I know a little, and I use what I know when it's called for.

Mainly though I use the properties of lavender and camomile. And the reason I use those most is because the main time I need the help of herbs seems to be for relaxation (either for myself or others). I have also used lavender to make a rather tasty lavender syrrup, but that was just for my enjoyment; and I did enjoy it!

Anyway, the other things I use a lot are peppermint and cherry; peppermint is great for sickness and menstral cramps, and a cherry and cinnamon tea usually helps with a cough.

I'd love to say I grow them myself, but I don't. I buy them. If I want fresh I'll get it from one of the local shops (the fruit and veg shop does a beautiful bunch of mint). But for dry I get it from an internet supplier.

I try not to use "modern" medicine if I can avoid it. For serious things I obviously can't, but for headaches and coughs and colds I will only use over-the-counter medicine if it's really bad, and - for myself - only "children's" stuff.

Anyway, I also do energy work when needed, though what I do will depend on who it's for.

If it's for myself, it's more a sort of meditation thing; partly because it's easier to do it that way on myself, and partly because if it is me who needs it then the chances are my energy is pretty low and that's all I can manage. Although, if it's a cut, or other kind of injury, rather than an illness, then I do a sort of mental ritual that involves visualizing energy flowing from my hands to the injured area.

If it's for someone who I can be with - someone I can have my hands on or near - then I employ the same technique I use for cuts and injuries on myself. I also offer my advice on herbal remedies when I can, though I leave it up to the person to decide if they plan on taking my advice (they often don't, but that's their choice).

I have two methods I use for long-distance healing/energy work. The first - the one I use most - involves me using the same method I use if someone is able to be near me, though I obviously have to also visualize the energy reaching them. The other one is one I don't use often, because it requires a little more preparation, and because it seems to drain me more. It involves me lighting a candle (and often also some incense), then visualizing the energy flowing through me... From the tips of my toes right up to the top of my head... Then flowing out in to the world, where it travels to the person, enveloping them in its warmth. Then I let the candle, which is usually a tealight candle or other small candle, burn down to nothing. When I use this method I like to have a focus object; something that belongs to the person, something that was given to me by the person, or something that reminds me of the person. I use the object to help to focus every particle of my energy on that person, and keep it focused on them; handling the object from time to time as the candle burns down (to keep the person foremost in my mind while it finishes burning). I think that's why it drains me so much to use this particular healing ritual. The last time I used it was a few months ago, when I syncronized the start of it with the start of the energy work of a friend to heal another friend who was seriously ill in hospital at the time. And, yes, the friend knew we were doing it.

So when I tell you I'm sending positive thoughts, you now know what I'm doing; I'm doing the first of the two long-distance healing rituals.

Runic Ramblings

This week's "Pagan Blog Prompt" is the following:

Runes

Do you use them?
Which set of runes do you use (if something other than the Elder Futhark)?
How do you use them (divination, magic, as an alphabet for writing, etc)?

If you do not know/use the runes, are you interested in it?
What is keeping you from exploring them?

My thoughts:

I'd never given much thought to the runes; I'd think from time to time that it might be nice to learn to read them, but that's about it. Then AstraeaSapphire had a blog renaming contest, and I won. I had a choice of a set of runes or a tarot set as my prize. Well, I already have a set of tarot cards that I love, and have no desire to have another set, so I decided to go with the runes. I can't remember what set it is (and as they haven't arrived yet, I can't check), but I'm quite enthusiastic about the prospect of learning to read them.

Of course, then I ran in to the issue of how to identify which symbol is which. Runes are carved most of the time (and if the ones I won aren't, then my hubby - who also wants to learn to read them - will buy me a set that is, and have the set I won). But how was I going to figure out what the symbol was?

Rita reads the runes, and when I realized this - or, rather, was reminded of it - shortly after winning the rune set, I contacted her to ask for her help in making tactile symbols to become part of a chart I planned to make to solve the problem. The little clay tiles with symbols on them that Rita, her daughter-in-law, Leah, and (I think) her son, Dagan, made for me arrived just a couple of days ago. I will post photos when I can. Although, if you read Rita's blog then you'll have seen them already (and if you don't, you could go and look; the photos were posted a couple of weeks ago, though I don't remember exactly when).

Now I just need for Kelly (my hubby) to help me make the chart, and for my rune set to arrive, and then I'll be all ready to start learning to read the runes!

My thoughts on 3 recent Pagan blog prompts (FD)

As some of you may know, I follow a site called "Pagan Blog Prompts" and sometimes do the prompts they post. Well, I have some thoughts on a couple of recent ones, so I decided that they would make suitable subjects for today's post, and that the article I was going to share can wait for another day. Here are the prompts and my thoughts:

Prompt: Meditation
Posted 12/08/2011
"Do you meditate? How?

Does it help you deal with things? Or do you do it for clarification on tough issues?

Do you include any sort of meditation when working rituals?"

My thoughts:
I meditate for a couple of different reasons. Sometimes it's to clear my mind for stress relief, sometimes it's to help me sort out my thoughts and work things out, sometimes it's as part of a ritual. It all depends. I'd like to make it a daily habit to meditate - even if just for a short time - but that has so far not happened. As for the rituals; most of the rituals I do at least involve a small amount of meditation. In fact, most of the time I tend to lean towards the types of rituals where I have a few items on my altar but the main focus is on the meditation on the particular thing I'm trying to achieve. I prefer the rituals involving quiet meditation to the flashy type of ritual, if you know what I mean. This is one of the reasons that - despite his being Pagan too - Kelly and I decided that doing rituals together is not an option for us as a rule; he's never really gotten the hang of quiet meditation, and prefers an altar full of props and some words to call out to the universe, rather than the quiet meditation and visualization with very few props that I prefer.

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Prompt: All in the Genes?
Posted 1/19/2012
"This may seem a bit weird, but....

Is it hereditary?

I had to think about my wording on this one... I had to leave it vague, because I wanted it to be as open to interpretation as possible.

What I'm referring to here can be magic, witchcraft, spirituality, the things you can do that others around you cannot, etc. Another way to put it might be "Do you come from a family of Witches?" but that only works if you see yourself as a witch. Get what I'm trying to say here?

What you do and who you are - did it come from your bloodline? Or is it something you discovered and nurtured on your own?"

My thoughts:
Being exposed to something as a child because your parents are involved with it can sometimes increase the chances of you being involved in it, but other times it can encourage you to shy away from that particular activity. I think the same can be said with someone's faith. I mean, some Pagan parents have children who grow up to be Pagan, others have children who grow up to follow other paths; just as parents of other paths have children who grow up to follow their path, and others have children who grow up to become Pagan. I think sometimes "gifts" (such as the ability to "see" things; by which I mean premonitions - in waking life or in dreams - etc) can be passed down through the bloodline, but I think it's the choice of the person in question whether or not they decide to nurture said gifts, and I think the decision to do so has little to do with their genes.

***

Prompt: Simplicity
Posted 1/26/2012
"A very common thing these days is to simplify our lives, in many different ways and for many different reasons.

Has being a pagan/wiccan/druid/etc inspired you to be simplistic? How?"

My thoughts:
Ah... A simple life; yes, I would like to - and, indeed, try to - achieve such a thing. I don't think I can be sure though how much my spirituality influences that wish. On the one hand I think it might influence it, even if just a little, and that it's my desire to live in harmony with the Earth that makes me crave the simple life. On the other hand, I can't help thinking it's just that with everyone rushing about and all the stress everyone's under these days, I just want a simple life to get away from that and be left alone. Whatever the reason, however, I do try and live as simple a life as possible; making things by hand when it's an option to do so, re-using what I can, etc. And if it was an option for me to do so, I would love to own my own bit of land where I could have chickens for eggs, goats for milk, and space to grow the other things I'd need. Unfortunately that isn't an option for me.

My thoughts on the witchy new year

This week's prompt from Pagan Blog Prompts was about the Pagan New Year. I don't answer all the prompts for the site, but I decided I would answer this one. First of all, here's what the prompt says:

"Prompt: The Pagan New Year

For a lot of Pagans, Samhain is seen as the "new year" rather than waiting until the calendar changes in January.... Are you one of these Pagans? Why or why not?

What does it mean to you, starting a new year? Are you one to make resolutions for the year ahead, or do you prefer to reflect on the changes in the year past?"

And now for my thoughts:

It's a popular belief among many that the old year ends at Samhain, yet the new year doesn't begin again until Yule. What then is the time between Samhain and Yule? I mean, it has to be something, doesn't it? But what?

Some say Samhain is a time to reflect on the past year and look to the year ahead, and that Yule is time to prepare yourself for that year and cleanse your home of any negativity of the year before. Others say that both Samhain and Yule serve the same purpose; time to reflect on the past year and prepare yourself - and your home - for the new one. But which is right? They can't both be, can they? Or, can they?

Well, for me Samhain is the new year; a time for new beginnings, a time to reflect on the year that has passed, and a time to end bad habits and start new - hopefully better - habits. But the time from Samhain to Yule feels like a sort of transition period; like the time between when you wake up and when you have to start to face the day, though on a much larger scale, obviously. Which, I suppose, would make it that "they" were all right, wouldn't it? Meaning that the new year was a long event in nature that stretched from Samhain to Yule. I mean, nature doesn't do anything quickly, after all, so why should turning the wheel of the year be any different?

And as for resolutions... I don't make them.

My first year being allowed to stay up to greet the new calender year my brother told me about resolutions. I decided I would resolve to go to bed when I was told (hey, I was 9, LOL!) He told me that was a stupid resolution, and he said I should pick something else. I told him that resolutions were stupid anyway, and if I couldn't pick the ones I wanted to make then I wasn't going to make any at all.

To be honest, I barely acknowledge the new calender year; I do my celebrating at Samhain and Yule, and - apart from a load of e-mails and texts, and a post on my blog to welcome everyone to the new year - do little more than make a mental note to write the new year's date when writing down dates from now on (which I usually take until Imbolc - February 2nd, for anyone who doesn't know - or later to get the hang of, LOL!

Celebrating Mabon 2011

Since I've been asked about my Mabon celebrations, and since the prompt on Pagan Blog Prompts this week is the following:

"Prompt: Mabon 2011

Mabon is this weekend - what are you doing to celebrate?

Or, if you like, simply regale us with stories of Mabon past... Or feel free to explore the history and meaning behind it and educate the rest of us.

To non-pagans, it's simply the first day of autumn on the calendar, but to those of us more in tune with Earth and nature around us, it means something different... Explore that meaning this week."

I figurred I would do a quick post to tell you how I celebrated Mabon. And here it is! :)

Well, my Mabon was quite quiet. I'd hoped to be doing a lot to celebrate, but due to needing to make last minute plans - since I'd made none, because we were meant to have been moving - all I did was:

* Went to Owen Staton's "Tawe Tales 2011: Descent Into Darkness" story telling evening.

* Took some time to meditate and think about the past year, and plan for the coming Winter.

* Went on several walks with Kero along the path by the river (where we usually walk).

And that's about it. If you want something more exciting to read though, check out all of the posts I put up about Mabon during this last week:

* Mabon: Autumn Equinox - some Mabon information.
* Activity Ideas For A Family Mabon - Ideas for ways to celebrate Mabon with your family.
* Mabon Activities And Correspondences - Some activity ideas for celebrating Mabon, and some general Mabon information.
* Mabon Balance Prayer - a Mabon prayer for balance, which I found online.
* Story: Meagan's Mabon - A cute little Mabon themed story, written by Kathryn Dyer.

Anyway, like I said, quite a quiet Mabon. I'm hoping to make up for it when Samhain rolls around... I'm already making plans for what I'm doing to celebrate Samhain! LOL!

Pagan Blog Prompts: Solitude and education

I decided to do some of the prompts from Pagan Blog Prompts again. So...

Prompt: Solitary longing...
(From September 1st 2011)

"This week's prompt comes from reader suggestions, and I think it is something we should all think about....

If you are a Solitary, do you ever long for a mentor, coven or friend to learn with, learn from, or practice with? If so, what keeps you from seeking to join with others?"

My thoughts:
Sometimes I do, but I've always prefered alone time to being in groups, and like to do things my way, so I've never tried to find a coven to join because I don't feel it would be right for me. I have recently made some really nice Pagan friends online who I can share things with though... Like Magaly and Stephanie.

***

Prompt: Back to School
(From August 25th 2011)

"It's the end of summer, and families everywhere are gearing up for the new school year. But that doesn't have to apply only to kids in school or young adults going to college... After all, life is about learning something new every day.

What have you been learning lately? Perhaps a topic of interest has taken over your focus lately, and you've been immersed in its research. Or maybe someone sparked a question in your mind, and you've been searching (both within and with-out) to find the answer. What knowledge are you seeking, and how close are you to reaching it's zenith?"

My thoughts:
You never stop learning... Life is just one lesson. But as for what I've been learning lately...

*I learned how important it is to be yourself and to hold on to your beliefs.
*I learned that there's a LOT of paperwork involved in private renting (but it's something we want to do... Which is the only reason we're doing it!)
* I learned that sometimes the right thing to do is the hardest (OK, I already knew that, but - as you will know if you read Thursday's post - I was reminded of it recently).

And I will soon be learning all sorts of things from the courses I'm collecting from E-Mail College - which I will be starting to work on soon... I still have a load I want to grab though, but I haven't had a chance to get signed up for more of them. I'll probably leave getting more until we move now.

And as for how close I am to being at the end of the lessons... Well, I've obviously not really started with the courses, and the life lessons... Well, you never stop learning them until you stop living, and since I don't plan on stopping living any time soon, I guess I'm not even close to being done with those lessons! ;)

Pagan/Wiccan Resources

I decided to write a post for this week's Pagan blog prompt. The prompt is as follows:

"Prompt: Resources

Today, let's share some of our favorite Pagan resources for anyone that might need a little help finding answers....

If you can, list at least one of each of the following:
- Book (title and author, ISBN if you have the book on hand)
- Website (name and URL)
- regular Publication (magazine, newsletter, etc)
- Person that you have spoken with (can be a Pagan celebrity or just someone you know in your community that has helped you out a lot).

List any other resources you'd like to share with us as well. It never hurts to have too much information :)"

I figured this would be a good way to start off my resolution of talking more about my beliefs on my blog and focusing more on them in general, so... Let me see...

Most of the information I've used in the past - or posted on my blog in the past - comes from various different resources. However, there are a few I return to frequently. In today's post I will be visiting some of those resources. Don't worry, this isn't going to be one of my famous marathon posts or anything like that... LOL!

So, let me see...

There are two books I always considered to be - for lack of a better term - my bibles. They are the books I've most missed being able to read, and the books I was most excited about discovering as pdfs. Those books are:

*"Wicca: A Guide For The Solitary Practitioner" by Scott Cunningham
*"Buckland's Complete Book Of Witchcraft" by Raymond Buckland

Both books can be found on the link I posted for free pdfs yesterday if you want to know more about them. I was going to copy the pieces of text about them to put in this post, but I'm afraid it wont let me, so you will have to go there if you want to read more about them. I've had copies since I was in my mid teens - the exact copies are sitting on the shelves with the other books I passed over to Kelly when I lost my eyesight - and I have read both many, many times.

The main websites I get my information from are The Celtic Connection's Wiccan pages,and the Pagan Parenting website (especially for stories and fun activities). But quite often I will just type something in to a search engine and see what comes up. I suppose really it depends what I'm looking for to which of those options I go with. The first articles I posted for each of the Pagan holidays, if I'm not mistaken, came from the Celtic Connection website, since it was my first choice to go to find information. Like I said though, it depends what I'm looking for, since the Pagan parenting website has several fun ideas for activities (let's face it, sometimes you want a little fun activity thrown in with your rituals) and it also has several sweet - or I think they're sweet - stories. But sometimes I go looking for something new, and then a random search is the best way to come up with something.

Anyway...

When it comes to magazines, there's only one that I even know of, it's Witches' Voice Inc.. I'm sure there are plenty of others, but that's the only one I've found so far. Mind you, I have to admit I haven't done much in the way of looking for magazines.

I used to also be a member of a couple of online groups where we shared information, discussed things going on in our lives - be they related to Paganism, Wicca or witchcraft, or be they simply every day events - but the change made by MSN to their groups happened at a time when I was more concerned with things going on in my every day life than I was in keeping that connection alive, so I never followed them when the MSN group was moved to another server. With the exception of my husband and one of my uncles I haven't ever met another Pagan face to face (that I know of) and since I rarely speak to my uncle, this drastically limits my options for people to speak to offline, since people who aren't Pagan - though sometimes interested in hearing about my beliefs - don't tend to be able to offer any Pagan/Wiccan information in return.

I do talk to anyone who is interested in learning/hearing about my beliefs though. After all, if they are interested in listening, then I see no reason not to provide the information. You never know, it may help to spread the message that Pagans are good people too!

Finding the missing part of me

The first part of this post is meant more for the benifit of newcomers to my blog than anything else, since those who have followed my blog for some time will know this, but I feel I need to say this before I get to the point of my post. So...

It doesn't matter to me if you're Catholic, a Mormon, a member of the Jedi Church, or if you're Jewish, or if you're a member of any other religeon. The point is that it's your chosen path, and - for whatever reason - you feel it's the right one for you. I chose my path many years ago and I feel I made the right choice. The point I'm trying to get at here is that I respect other people's decisions about their paths and/or beliefs (or however else you want to put it), and all I ask in return is that they respect mine.

Anyway, to get to the point of this post...

I am a Pagan (also not news to people who have been with me for a while, or have read my profile). No, this post isn't to tell you that - unless you didn't know, in which case, I guess it is - it's to tell you... Well, to tell you about events that started a few years ago, but I didn't realise until recently. Well, officially it's to do with the recent realization, but... Let me explain, before I completely confuse you:

I chose my path when I was young, and I stuck to it rigidly. I had an altar, several Pagan/Wiccan books, and... Well, let's just say there was no mistaking my religeon if you visited me. But then I lost my sight, and I couldn't read my books. Everything - with the exception of the pentagram I wore around my neck - was given to others, because I fell in to a deep, dark pit of despair. How could I use it now, when I had no sight to do it with?

I stayed in that pit of despair until recently. Wanting desperately to find the thing I knew was missing, but unsure of what it was or where to find it. Then I found some free pdfs of some Pagan/Wiccan books and some accessable Pagan/Wiccan books for individuals with print disabilities (I love the wording on that). And... Well, I don't know. I just felt a sense of relief that I could access the books again. It was like a weight had been lifted from me; like something I'd been missing had been returned. And I felt happy. Happier than I have since before my eyesight started to really go.

Realizing just how much I had been missing having access to my books has made me sit up and take notice of the fact I'd let things slide so much over the past few years. I've acknowledged certain aspects (such as the various Pagan holidays), but I haven't been embracing my path as I did before. I've done next to nothing to celebrate each of the holidays, and any rituals in between have - with the exception of the odd meditation session, and a few healing or "sending positive thoughts your way" type sessions - been non-existent. And, so, I have made an important decision... It's time for that to change!

I'm working on getting hold of the required items once more (starting with copies of the books which are accessable to me) and have made a concious decision to make my spiritual path as important in my life as it was before (if not more so).

I intend to include more rituals in my day to day life, and will therefore be quite likely to mention Pagan/Wiccan topics more often. In fact, I found a blog containing Pagan Blog Prompts, where prompts are provided every week to encourage posting on the topic of Paganism on blogs, and I will probably participate in some of them from time to time. I don't know how often, but I definately intend to do it sometimes. I also intend celebrating the holidays in a proper Pagan/Wiccan manner. But more on that another day.

I still haven't gotten to the point though, so - since I need to so I can go and walk Kero - I will get to the point. The point is that I wanted this post to serve as a message to all of you, and that message is as follows:

Whatever your chosen ppath in life may be, stay true to it, and be yourself. Denying yourself who you truely are only leads to misery, so be yourself; just remember to also allow others to be themselves! For being yourself is the key to having true happiness in your life.