Wish Come True Walnut Amulet

---

Last Friday during the feisty Aries moon I created this walnut amulet. I wanted to make something inspired to make wishes come true and came across the idea of using a walnut thanks to Magpie Girl's comment on Flickr. Still working on the idea for a confidence amulet MG!

So you all know I am a bit of a mad scientist, right? Whether it is in the kitchen with my heat gun and knives or in my crafts room with my Dremel tool, I love experimenting and seeing what happens. I took my Dremel to this walnut. I used the cutting wheel along the seam of the walnut. It did not cut through the shell but it weakened it. I used a nutcracker to gently crack the shell open and it worked! Did not work on my pecan shell though, darn it! Broke into a million pieces but I had success with the walnut. I knew it was the perfect strong vessel for somebody's special wish.

I filled it up with treasures associated with wishes come true: five sunflower seeds and amethyst and citrine chips. I also drilled a hole on the top so I could put in a headpin so I could turn it into a wearable piece later.

I added a little something to the top to help seal it altogether. If you really want to know what I used, email me at sueridler at gmail dot com and I will share my secret. I can not give all my secret ways away here! LOL. It took over 48 hours but it finally dried and sealed.

And the sun finally came back after days and days of darkness and pouring rain! Aries energy is so strong and powerful and even though the skies were completely dark the moon has been waxing, brewing up a lot of energy as this wish-come-true walnut amulet has lay on my altar by the window. I am going to finish it completely this week and then on Wednesday, the full moon, it is going up on Etsy!

How fun it is to come up with completely new and unique ways to make amulets. I have been doing this for at least five years now and I never get bored! Stumped yes but there are always ways to make magick. On to the next idea...!!!

In defence of New Moon, Vampires, Werewolves and real girls and women

---

I am no movie reviewer like my awesome sister Shannon the Movie Moxie but I have to rant. For a real movie review, go here to read Shannon review and go here to listen to her vlog. Shannon's reviews rock, especially because there are no spoilers and she helped me mentally and emotionally prepare for New Moon.

Yesterday I went to see New Moon by myself. I have not gone to a movie by myself in a long, long time. As you know, I fell in love with Twilight last year. What you don't know is I fell out of love with it when I read the last book. I know a lot of people will not understand this but that last booked killed the series for me. I hated it with my whole heart. And I was mad that it ruined Bella's story for me, it hurt to even think about it. I will not go into details as to why, that would reveal too much of the story.

Recently I re-watched Twilight and forgave it a little. I do love the magic and how they did not rush the story, they let it be. Even if it meant guys like my husband fell asleep during the movie. After listening and reading what Shannon had to say, I knew that New Moon was not going to be like Twilight. It would not take me to the same place. I decided, I was OK with that.

Me, mentally preparing to go in to see New Moon

There are so many emotions wrapped up for me in this story but I was brave and went and kept my hopes very low. As a result, I was pleased that they were true to the second novel (as far as I can remember, LOL) and yes, it is not a great movie and there are problems with it but I felt I was still with Bella on her journey and adored spending time with Jacob, one of my favourite characters of all time. I did not miss Edward, I see him very differently than how he is portrayed but that is my own issue.

What bothered me most of all was the man sitting near me who fell asleep during the previews. He yawned in an exaggerated fashion for most of the movie and could not wait to leave when it was over. I did not go when there was a packed audience of screaming teenagers, not my thing, thank you. I went to the first showing and just wanted to quietly be a part of the experience.

That rude man is a symbol of something that really irks me when it comes to the popularity of these stories. He encompassed everything about the male reaction to Twilight and the female mania that disturbs and angers me to the core. Breathe Suzie, breathe. My fingers are shaking. It upsets me that for once the movie industry is acknowledging stories girls and women really resonate with and care about and there is a massive male backlash against it. They don't get it. They don't care. Fine. But guys? Shut the fuck up.

How many male-oriented movies have I sat through politely? How many breasts have I had to look at? How many fart and sex jokes did I roll my eyes at? How often have I had to listen as you have sniggered, snorted and laughed at naked women? I have lost count, it has been my entire life since I was a little girl. I don't get it. You can have it. I don't care.

Why are characters like Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf so important to guys that they talked about the opening of Lord of the Rings FOR YEARS (I know, I'm married to one of those guys) and did all this research, bought the soundtracks... because hobbits and wizards are cool. Then how on earth can vampires and wizards be lame? Is it that Bella is a real girl and not some sexpot that bores you? A real life girl caught up in a metaphysical love story is fabulous to me.

Because it is one of the first time men have had to endure the IDEA of sitting through a movie and viewing it through the female gaze. Feel uncomfortable guys? Well I have had to sit through your gaze my entire life. The mania is a little much for me too, a little silly, but then I was a Duranie growing up, I understand the importance of popular distraction when you are a teenage girl.

So we have something we care about and you do not connect to. Why is this such an issue for you? Why does this bother you so much? Why do you have to be mean about it? I hope New Moon is a big hit so they keep making movies women and girls like and I hope you have to sit there suffering through it like I have had to for so many years.

Women want something different. We want connection to characters. We want magick. We want love. And there is nothing wrong with that boys. Nothing, at all.

The Oak Moon: Preparing for Yule

---

Not to worry, I took this photograph just over a year ago. Thankfully (knock on copious amounts of wood) the snow has not yet returned.

At Crone's Cottage the crone writes that in November we mourn for what we have lost. We face and deal with death. In December we prepare for the returning of the light, for the future celebration of Yule. Even though it feels like winter has just begun in the Northern Hemisphere, the light is actually going to begin to return to us.

As the sun returns after the longest night of the year, this can be considered the rebirth of the Oak King. I think sometimes we pagans forget the importance of male magickal energy. And what a shame! I love that energy:

When you make magic crafting yourself as a Witch, you're going to encounter a God who dances. In Wicca, the God is not just warrior, king, and father. He is playful, joyous, erotic, and ecstatic.

~ Phyllis Curott

That comes from my favourite book on Wiccan spirituality, Witch Crafting:

If I could only have one book on this topic, this is the one I would choose.

This winter solstice I am going to celebrate this male energy. It is fun energy, it makes me laugh, it brings me joy, it is celebratory even when life is at its darkest. This is the energy we feel when we put our slippered feet up to the fireplace on a cold night. The warm glow under the five blankets keeping us warm at night, not wanting us to leave our beds. The desire to do, create and move despite winter's darkness.

So how am I going to prepare for Yule this oak moon? I am going to make amulets on Wednesday December 2nd. Normally the full moon is workable for three days but this month the moon is void the day before and after. I am going to take the day off and spend it invoking male and Goddess energy. Creating love amulets as well as ones for psychic development and maybe something else if I have enough energy to do so.

I am also going to celebrate by sharing a dreamboard, of course!

How are you going to celebrate the oak moon on Wednesday?

How Suzie fell in love with the Wii Fit Plus

---

I love that the little Wii characters look so much like me and my husband!

You may recall a couple of weeks ago I had a bit of a hissy fit when we got a big snowstorm. Freaking out that I was going to be stuck inside for six months, I made a huge financial decision. I told my husband we were buying the Wii and Wii Fit Plus that weekend. I HATE not being active and when you live with fibromyalgia, it is so freakin' hard to find anything you can do and in the winter? Well, let's just say since I moved to Nova Scotia I have done too much couch surfing.

I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I had never played the Wii before, never seen anything but some commercials here and there. All I knew is that it was active and fun and something that would make my winter more bearable. The basic Wii console and games that come with it were too hard on my shoulders. It was the same kind of movement over and over. Uh oh! Did I make a mistake?

Then my husband set up the Wii Fit Plus which comes with a standing board so now, I am working out my entire body. I usually start off playing the hula hoop game where my husband on the left throws me hula hoops that I have to tilt with my arms up to catch and then I work out with them for a few minutes. The music is too cute and I just hula hoop away, no problem. So far my knees can handle this one. I used to hula hoop like crazy when I was a kid. I even got one this summer but I kept hitting things with it. This way I don't have to worry about hitting anything and I get a great workout in.

The games are so much fun! I love getting dressed up in funny costumes. I am so bad at this game! As much as I love birds, apparently I am really bad at flying. I flap my arms which helps give them a gentle workout and then try and navigate onto targets with my feet. The best part is as bad as I am, I still laugh and laugh! It's just too cute!

I can do some of the strength training, most of the yoga and I even kick my husband's butt in the kung fu class. Which is a riot because he is a martial artist and tai chi instructor! Looks like all those dance classes when I was young are paying off. I have found out so much too. I have found out that I put all my weight on the back of my heels, that I have to learn how to use the front of my feet more and my toes. I also know that I can not do the running or bicycling games, the broken arches in my feet that never fully healed just can not do those. The coolest part though is even though there are so many things I can't do, there are even more that I can.

I finish off my workout with the 180 second meditation where you stare at a candle and sit very still or else the meditation comes quickly to an end. The candle flickers, there are many noisy distractions and moths fly into the flame on a regular basis. It is surprisingly challenging and normally I can not sit for long periods of time but I can usually get through this meditation which helps me mentally centre and finish my little workout.

Now I do not like hearing that I am overweight! But I forgive the game because it says the same thing about my husband who is soooooooooooo not over weight, LOL. They say your weight in kg which I do not know how to translate to pounds which is a good thing. I just know if my weight has gone up or down. Since I started, my weight has gone up. Probably because I am resurrecting old muscles which are heavier than fat.

The first couple of days, I will admit, I was SORE! All over. My body did not know what the heck I was doing to it. The hardest part was while I was boxing I was holding onto the Wii remotes too tightly which was triggering hand pain in the mornings. I have since relaxed a bit and have figured out how to hold the remotes lightly so I have minimal pain.

Funny that ever since I got the Wii my spirits have lightened and so has the weather! Now I am struggling to find time to work out but every time I do, it is so much fun. I love taking step classes, having a boxing trainer and leading a marching band. My friends came over and had so much fun with it they bought the Wii and Wii Fit Plus the next day. My Mom's even thinking about buying it!

I can not remember the last time I made a purchase that paid off so much, so fast. It makes me laugh, it makes working out so much fun I want to do it all the time (but I can't, I know) and it is way cheaper than a gym membership, at least around here. Plus there are so many more active games I can get later on!

Normally I would not run the risk of sounding like an informercial but I do know a lot of people with fibromyalgia and mobility issues read this blog. It is so important to stay fit, keep our bodies movie and not hate every second of it.

This game proves that fitness is so much fun!

Wishcasting: What step do you wish to take?

---

A few weeks ago I dreamed that an owl flew into my room and landed on my head. At first, I was very happy. Then, the owl got really heavy and was hurting my neck. The wings were too close to my mouth and I started to suffocate. My husband saw me struggling to breathe and gently removed the owl and it flew away.

When I woke up I was very sad. Owls were my totem when I lived in BC. I had amazing encounters with them that I treasure. I wear necklaces I made dedicated to them, to help me remember I always carry the spirit of the owl with me.

I suppose things have changed now. Their energy is far from me. As much as I love them, perhaps it is no longer a fit, at least for now.

Last winter I tried to connect with the crows in my neighbourhood. I would leave out treats for them in the winter and ask them to help me get back to BC. At first, my treats disappeared within seconds. Then one day, it stopped. I have kept trying and they have refused to accept my offerings.

Every day I would go out for my walk and the crows would go crazy when I came near. Screaming at each other. Then Samhain came. Since then, they have been quiet quite. So has my spirit. I seem to have come to peace with how things are. I still want to go home, that has not changed. But right now, right here, I am OK.

Jamie asks this week, what step do you wish to take?

I wish to take a step towards connecting with the spirit of the crow. A bird of survival, intelligence and in love with all things sparkly. This may explain the sudden influx of creative energy to make jewellery for Etsy. Crows are thinking and doing creatures. So am I. They are misunderstood and not always liked. Yes, I can relate to crows very much. People think they are ordinary, I know the are magickal.

Crows and ravens are teachers and very social. Perhaps that is why I have been drawn to teach people not only how to make magick but how to make their own sparklies? I have added a poll to my blog because I am asking you, does that appeal to you? Have you always wanted to learn about jewelry making and see the creative process?

It is important to listen to our dreams. To honour their messages. Very rarely do I even get to dream sleep, let alone have such a vivid and important vision as the one I had of the owl. And no, it is not because of the Fourth Kind I had this dream although that puts the dream in a very scary context. Thankfully I do know the difference between an owl and an alien!

Inspiration Behind The Floating Mermaid Necklace

---

"Who knows where thoughts come from... they just appear." ~ Lucas from Empire Records

One of my favourite lines from one of my favourite movies of all time by the character Lucas, sudden Zen Master, at Empire Records. Inspiration is like a thought, it just appears. You can not will it to happen, at least I can't. I have tried. Sometimes you have to let go and see what happens and really detach from the outcome. I walked away from making jewelry for over a year. I could not see connections anymore. Sitting with my beads made me feel nauseous for a long time. My well was dry.

Now since the energy shift on Samhain I go out and see what happens. What little treasure crosses my path. What does it mean to me? What does it mean spiritually? Creatively, where does it take me? When I came across this pink disk with a real shell and starfish in it, all pink and pretty, I immediately thought: mermaid. On its own it was pretty but it needed more Nature. So I drilled a whole in this pretty shell and it sit inside it perfectly! Like a pearl in an oyster shell.

I wanted it to appear as if was floating against the skin so I chose invisible beading thread. I could not let the pendant just sit there alone so I added pretty beaded shell danglies up the side. How did I do that? With my handy dandy ruler I measured out 3/4" up from the pendant and added a crimp bead:



Crimp beads are used to keep things in place when you make jewelry. I put a crimp bead on the invisible plastic cord and then I used my crimping pliers to close the bead. I added some extra bead, added the dangling shells and then repeated beads on the other side. I added another crimp bead, closed it with the pliers and then measured 3/4" of an inch up and repeated the process two more times.

I am very grateful that inspiration has found me again, for now. It waxes and wanes. But look what it brings me? You can find my mermaid necklace here on Etsy.

I hope you enjoyed this little creativity tutorial on making my necklace. Are there any budding jewelry makers out there who want to learn more? I would be happy to teach if you are interested. Just let me know in the comments or just vote in the pole I have going on the right hand side of my blog!

Welcome to my "office"

---

Haha! Like I will ever be able to have an office, thanks to stupid fibro. But you know? I love this space where I make jewellery and magick. And if it is the closest thing I will ever be to having an office again, I will take it. Heck, it's much nicer than any office I have ever worked in!

So I took the weekend off and today I am also just staying home and resting. I did put up some items on my Etsy store and even made Crème Brûlée but in general I have been resting, putting my feet up and eating out of cans, which is not necessarily a good thing but when I am this tired I am grateful for any nourishment I did not have to make myself. Thank the Goddess for protein shakes!

I know my real job is my health and it has been for nine years now but it is nice to play with beads and stones. I am glad that I have moved away from acrylic and toward gemstones, I think they are having a positive impact on my spirit and body. I just have to learn how to pace myself and not do too much.

When you are broken down and dealing with the root chakra stuff, it is all about survival. You can only handle things like food, shelter and paying your bills. I am convinced that focusing on food last winter kept me sane and alive. It was the only thing that I had energy to care about. To get to move to the second chakra, the chakra of creativity, has taken quite a while. I just kept moving forward in the kitchen, surviving and trying to find joy out of life through the joy of cooking and baking, hoping that one day I may want to do other creative projects again. Did I believe that would ever happen? No. But I kept on anyway. And recently this part of my spirit came back.

Now, by pushing myself too hard again I got pushed down on the chakra scale and could barely make food for myself. So I am taking some time, playing hookie from my regular routine and hoping that the creative spirit as well as the foodie spirit gets strong again. I know it's there, I just have to be careful.

See you in a bit

Yup, I did it. I did too much and now I am really paying for it. Ugh, I feel horrible and in so much pain. Fibromyalgia sucks. I wish I could do so much more but I guess my life lesson is to learn how to take care of myself and stop pushing myself beyond what I am physically capable of enduring. I just need some time but I will be back, hopefully feeling better. Enjoy the waxing moon. I hope it gives me the energy to recover quickly.

Jewelry Making: the magickal and creative process

---

So where does the magickal and creative process for jewellery making begin? Well for me, it is usually with the focal point. I bought this cauldron charm and knew I just had to do something extra special with it. I could not just put it on a cord and let it be, not this one. So I asked myself, what does the cauldron represent? To me, it is all about creativity and feminine power. Where our ideas and emotions brew. Our spiritual energy bubbles forth from this magickal vessel. There was so much feminine energy calling me I just had to bring out the pink pretty beads including some large and beautiful rose quartz beads and I always love to add quartz crystals to help enhance the power of the piece I am creating.

I bought these rosehips and wondered if I could turn them into beads? They were strong, seemed durable but how would they handle my Dremel tool? Just fine actually! There is nothing I love more than incorporated pieces of Nature into my jewellery!

Using the good old beading board, I begin to plot out the design. Moving the beads over to the board, I make my almost-random yet matching pattern. How many times do I move things over and change it all up? I have no idea. I just go with what speaks to me and hope for the best as I put them all on the steel threading before crimping it all together. I will share that process in a future post.

I wind the Romantic Rose Quartz Rosehip Cauldron Necklace around my mini bust and then hope that there is enough sunlight for me to photograph the piece. I have been very lucky, this is the brightest November I can remember in my entire lifetime. As a result I have been working hard to get necklaces and pendants done, knowing winter's short days are around the corner.

I hope you enjoyed my creative process tutorial! I love sharing stories of how I make things, whether it is food, jewellery or magick. It is so much fun to share!

A day out...

---

Yesterday after the new moon started to leave its darkness I got to go out on a road trip with Shelagh from Alice In Paris Loves Art and Tea and her daughter. They graciously drove me out and about the area around Peggy's Cove and we even had lunch there. There were lots of clouds and sun and more than enough blustery wind to keep the tourists away.

The waters were quite calm and serene and as always, it was windy:

Thankfully I wore my down-filled jacket so I could enjoy spending some time by the water in the not-so-comforting sunlight.

The sun was starting to set as we left and there was this robin's egg hue in the air as we were leaving.

We took a detour to Terence Bay to visit the site of the S.S. Atlantic disaster at the heritage park and monument site. I normally do not take pictures of strangers but these two ladies were so cute on their walk!

Shelagh impressed the heck out of me by bringing her dowsing rods which she used in this old random graveyard with interesting results! A spirit, not a ghost, who is at unrest. How unusual!

A spontaneous ghost hunt. The perfect way to end the day. I would have tried it myself but it was too freakin' cold and my body was shrinking in pain. We will definitely be trying this again some time soon I hope!

I came home and had some Quiche Lorraine, a spinach salad, hot chocolate with Baileys and then gamed online for a long, long time. What an amazing way to celebrate getting rid of all that dark energy and getting out into the sun, even though I could not feel it. Friends, food, ghosts, Nature... yup, the perfect day.

Night of Hecate: how did it go?

---

Here I am in my dark basement as the sun is going down going through the house with my white candle blessing my home.

Then I used my cinnamon broom to sweep out the bad energy three times saying, "Be gone!" each time.

I spritz my holy water with garnet chips around each window, door and even spritzed it on my plants and myself!

At the very end of the cleansing ceremony I lit this black candle with little reflectors on it and stood there and said that this space was cleansed. No feelings of darkness, no bad health, no bad luck are allowed here. That we are blessed by light, good health, prosperity, joy, good luck and happiness. We have no space for anything dark anymore.



In the midst of the cleaning and cleansing I also love celebrating my spirituality through food, as you all know. Somehow I managed to make this Quiche Lorraine just before the sun went down, quite a challenge! The best part? I have leftovers for tonight so I can just have fun today. No cleaning, no cleansing... just a cool day out with a blogging friend.

As I ate dinner I brought the black candle downstairs, let it burn and watched Most Haunted USA, delving into the paranormal seemed like the right thing to do as I ate a luscious dinner on the Night of Hecate with a black candle burning.

How did the Night of Hecate go for you?

Night of Hecate: this is all you have to do

---

I have been running around trying to catch up today, trying to get my house cleaned so that I will be ready to cleanse but you know what? You do not have to do all that! I am sorry if these posts in any way made you feel as though you have to be manic like me to participate. You don't. The only thing you have to do, is light a candle in the dark.

There have been many new moons where I could not do even this. Defeated, broken, lost and feeling completely alone. If you can just bring yourself to light a candle and maybe say something like, "I am a child of light" that is enough. It is that simple. Doing this can change your life.

The moon is now new and void, moving from Scorpio to Sagittarius. You may be feeling emotional. Tender. Lost. Alone. That is OK. We are changing. The energy is shifting. Out lives are transforming. We just need to step on to that spiritual conveyer belt to help us get out of our dark space. To do so, light a candle tonight in the dark. It does not matter what colour or shape it is. Just let it shine and make you feel better.

Night of Hecate: Update

---

I am cleaning and tidying up! Here in Canada we have a store called Canadian Tire that "sells more than tires" and has fake money, well, kind of fake. It's like coupons. The money is just as iconic as the store! A pet peeve of mine is having the little 5 cent coupons hanging out all over my house and it is almost as annoying as my husband's refusal to spend it. I did convert him last year when we bought our lawn mower with the money he had been collecting for over 10 years! I am just happy to file it away for now.

My kitchen counter is clutter free for once. Just this passed week it was covered in supplements, a box of hair dye, a power drill, a power saw... you name it, it was probably there driving me absolutely crazy! I am challenging people to eat their fridge this week and in order for me to participate, I needed my counter space back. Sigh, so nice to have it again.

It is bad feng shui to hold on to broken items. I love these bowls though! But I have chipped three of them so I let them go. Not easy for me to do but I know it is the right choice. I hope I find new pretty ones to replace them.

I cover my house with these throw rugs because they are so easy to just put in the washing machine and help keep my floors clean. I picked them all up, put them in the wash and then swept and spot cleaned the floors. This is my winter mat at my front door. I know that it feels like spring today but I will not be fooled! Wow, we have way too many shoes and boots, LOL.

So that is my update. I think I will take a foodie break and get to work on my Quiche Lorraine for my foodie blog. My house is already feeling so much better, how are you feeling about your space?

Night of Hecate: Update

---

I still can't believe it. My city is actually doing a cleanse with us today! I have NEVER seen a street cleaning vehicle here EVER and there it was going down my street cleaning up leaves and garbage. Thank you HRM!

If that didn't put me in a happy bouncy mood enough the sun is super bright and WARM today! How absolutely bizarre. I know it is supposed to cool down tomorrow but I don't care, this rocks.

My one disappointment so far today is I wanted to buy a magazine to prepare for next month's dreamboard with Jamie. I couldn't find one that I liked! I looked at everything. I love the food ones but my life is more than just food. The fashion ones are too urban. I like the domestic ones but I don't have kids and all the pics of women are with kids. Not my reality. Oh well. I'll do my own thing and that's OK.

I bought this spritzer from the dollar store, filled it with holy water and put some garnet in the bottom to marinate for a bit. I still have lots of housework to do so the spritzing will come later. I left it on my windowsill in the sun to gather energy.

I keep one citrine over our front door and one over my crafts room door for prosperity and good luck. The amethyst is at my bedroom window for psychic energy and the rose quartz goes above my bedroom window for love. It has been a long time since I cleansed these so I put them in some holy water and left them on my deck.

Off to do more housework and getting organized for tonight. I bought a cool square black candle with reflectors on it, going to burn that later to get rid of energy. Phase one is complete, the apple cider vinegar has been released. I think it is so cool so many of us are doing that!

It sounds like everyone is busy doing their cleansing thing, right on! You women totally rock.

Night of Hecate is almost here!

---

The new moon is almost here, just a couple of hours away and tonight it will be official, the Night of Hecate will be here! I have been up since the crack of dawn and still have so much to do. I will post updates here throughout the day when I can.

Right now my head is reeling from the smell of apple cider vinegar all of my house! I think I will have to go out for a walk pretty soon or else I will end up with a migraine, LOL. If it works on me, just think of the effect it will have on dark entities.

I was inspired by the Night of Hecate cleansing ritual we are doing to make this protection from dark entities amulet and put it up on Etsy this morning. I can tell from your comments that many people feel as I do, that they are empathic and need extra protection so thank you for the inspiration! I hope to make more items like this so we can all deflect the bad energy away from us.

May we all have great time cleansing our homes and ourselves in whatever way we feel like that feels right. Listen to your spirit. What does it need? I bet it is not that complicated and will feel great if you act on it.

We are children of the light getting ready for the dark, together. You are not alone.