What the Hell am I Doing With My Life - The Tarot Spread

I'm not a fan of April foolery, so in these last few minutes of March 31st, I'm offering you a silly-yet-useful bit of fun:

For those moments when you are just not sure that the guy, the girl, the job, the trip, the naked fire spinning, was such a good idea.

Card 1 - Where am I at right now?  (What the hell happened?)

Card 2 - Where am I headed?  (And will I find my pants?)

Card 3 - If I continue on this path, what can I expect to encounter?  (Please no spiders.)

Card 4 - How will this play out in the end if I keep moving in this direction?  (Hopefully booze.)

Card 5 - What is the overall theme/sense of this situation?  (Probably booze.)


The layout shown is a quickie sample. If you want a little more symbolism, you can lay out the cards in a compass or crossroads style. Card 1 would be in the north, Card 2 in the east, Card 3 in the south, and Card 4 in the West, with Card 5 in the center or over-laying the spread. Whatever works for you.

I rarely read for "timing" because I'm weirdly drawn to sabotaging myself if I narrow down a span of time for something. (I will purposely stall or rush an action - just to be particular.) If you are not prone to tossing a wrench in something just for fun, like me, cards 2, 3, and 4 can be timeline cards. Card 2 can signify immediate future, Card 3 can be a little further out (weeks), and Card 4 can speak to the far off future (months).

Enjoy! And may your path be bright with good fortune. (And may you always find your pants.)



~ Tarot deck shown is The Wildwood Tarot

A Haunting in June

Canada Post has managed to distract from its rising postage prices this past week, by releasing the coolest set of stamps I've seen in a very long time - on Friday the 13th, no less.

Based on ghost stories and hauntings across the country, the stamps feature foiled photos (print and digital "paintings") depicting legends from different provinces.  You can read each of the stories here.

From a spectre bride (and bellhop) at a haunted hotel, to a nightly spotting of a train that no longer exists, to burning ghost ships - these are just a few of the strange stories depicted on the stamps, which will apparently spawn a series to appear each year.

I nabbed my set right away, but I'm heading back to the post office to see if I can find more.

Postcard anyone?

A Few of My Favourite Things

I've been pretty stress-free about the entire gifting situation this year.  I'm not particulary worried about what to get whom, and my family has decided to cut back because we simply buy ourselves what we need and want throughout the year.  I do like to find something special for a friend, or have a few cool gifts on hand in case I've forgotten anyone, or someone unexpected comes for dinner (our family tends to invite everyone we know/see on the street.) I tend to do quite a bit of shopping online now, because I can find unique items and I'd rather support small businesses.

This week is pretty much your last chance to hit the online shops with any assurance that your holiday loot will arrive in time for the big day(s).  Although you'll want to check with the individual shop owners and read their policies, most places will be able to get you what you need if you order right away.

Here are some last minute ideas for those people you haven't quite gotten to on your list (or yourself - you deserve a treat too!)

The Pretties

"Hekate's Key" by Tveir Hrafnar

Although commercials will try to convince you that every girl wants a diamond, many of us lean far in the opposite direction when it comes to jewellry.  Forget boring pieces that you can buy in every mall in North America - we want those charms around our neck appearing in a much more clever form.  

*  Aidan of  Tveir Hrafnar, creates striking silver charms that are as lovely as they are meaningful.  Choose one of his gorgeous designs or work with him to create something that suits you.  Because Aidan creates all his charms by hand, this is not likely something that will arrive by the holidays - but it's going to be completely worth the wait.  (I can't decide between the different keys or the stars, but I'll be adding one of these charms to my neck sometime in the future, for sure.)

*  For haunting jewellry that mimics your favourite totem (or body part,) Moon Raven Designs offers a host of earrings, necklaces or rings in life-like designs.  I have one of their silver pendants and it's a prized piece of my collection.

Bath and Body Bliss

*  The Haus of Gloi website is a fantastical ride through soaps, perfume oils and body butters in scents that sound intoxicating.  And they are - maddeningly divine - they leave you soft and smooth and smelling like every kind of wonderous thing.  You'll never be able to choose just one scent.

*  Crunchy Betty isn't just a super-fun blog with recipes for all kinds of ways to put food on your face (in lieu of chemicals and sketchy ingredients found in drugstore face creams and cleansers,) it's also a little shop where you can buy herbalicious scrubs, facial oils and even a natural deodorant that smells like a tropical drink!

"Lucky Dream" oil by Candlesmoke Chapel

Gorgeous Oils and Other Magical Goodies

*  Bri Saussey is a brilliant spitfire.  Sweet and sassy with a whole lotta love for helping people, Bri is the rootworker and intuitive behind Milagro Roots.  She not only offers courses and magical work, but she creates her own line of spiritual oils and baths.

With names like "Balm of Gilead" and "Promised Land," the deliciousness of these products is guaranteed.  I love Bri's baths (I can even use them in the shower because she includes a little muslin bag that hangs perfectly on my shower head.)  I also dab on her oils as perfume and their magical effectiveness is simply a bonus!

**Update December 2014** Milagro Roots is now BrianaSaussy.com and Miss Bri is no longer offering oils and baths in a catalogue format, but you can work with her to create a ritual to address your needs

*  The spirit-child of two truly wonderful folks and hella-smart spouses, Joseph and Sara Magnuson, Candlesmoke Chapel is the place to go for traditional condition oils made with great care.  Their products are not just high quality, but are truly the nicest looking oils I've seen. I'm a visual girl, and these oils make me happy before I've even opened the bottle.

Once you do open the bottle - you've got an exceptional oil that lends a good kick to whatever work you've set before yourself.  Their Psychic Boost oil is a favourite.  It really opens me up to getting more out of my card readings, meditations and any work requiring focus or insight.  They also sell herbs, and washes in some of the same wondrous blends as their oils.

Miscellaneous Awesomeness

* I know I've not shut up about this book since I got my hands on it, but Cory Hutcheson's "54 Devils" has completely changed how I feel about playing cards.  If you have anyone in your life who is a card reader, buy them this little treat of a book.

*  As far as tarot decks go, there are so many to choose from - but these animal themed decks from Art by Nakisha are mad cute.  The rat deck and the rabbit deck make me grin!

* My friend Danni at Heartroot Studio creates diminutive mushrooms (and pumpkins) encased in glass bottles that I love so much - I have three of her pendants!  You can get one of her designs or choose your own colour.

I hope your holiday gifting experience is easy and fun, and that you get spoiled in return.



*photographs are property of (and linked back to) Tveir Hrafnar and Candlesmoke Chapel respectively, and are used only to show the quality of the product listed.

The Longest Days, The Loveliest Nights

"Mine is the month of roses; yes, and mine

The month of marriages!  All pleasant sights

And scents, the fragrance of the blossoming vine,

The foliage of the valley and the heights.

Mine are the longest days, the loveliest nights;

The mower's scythe makes music to my ear;

I am the mother of all dear delights;

I am the fairest daughter of the year."

~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

How strange that where there were blossoms a moment ago, there are now cherries.  Where there was spinach just reaching for the sun, there is now an empty row after the grand harvest.

The days blaze by and the rains have left good, rich growth, and now the sky clears and the sun heats up The Valley.  Each morning starts with a walk through the garden beds, weeding here and there, picking this and that.  Making mental notes: dry the peppermint for tea before it gets too leggy in the heat...tincture the skullcap...the mugwort is looking good - she'll be ready to harvest soon... 

There is a sage-pick coming up, yarrow to collect for my healing salve, and a faerie class to organize.  Midsummer is coming fast and I've got to plan a bit of a fete for the fae as well - they do take very good care of my gardens, after all!


Here are a few of my favourite early summer things:

~  The rhubarb is ready for a first harvest.  Mom's rhubarb muffins are drool-worthy - there are some of these in my future!


~  When I can sneak away for an afternoon nap, I've been hitting the shade in the hammock.  Fresh air and a quick, sweet sleep makes for a happy gardener.


~  I've been messing about with salt scrubs for weary feet.  This one is my new go-to scrub when I get home and kick off the flip flops:

*I eyeball this recipe, but these measurements should work - adjust as you like*

1/2 cup sea salt
1/4 cup coconut oil
2 tablespoons of sweet almond oil
3 drops essential oil of peppermint (or more if you like a stronger scent)
3 drops essential oil of lavender

Scrub feet, especially heels, and rinse.  Pat dry - your feet will be SO soft!


~  Books, books, books...  Haven't you heard that a book and a glass of sun-tea are the best cure for the heat?  Mix up a good selection of your fave authors, some interesting or inspiring non-fiction, and a smutty book for good measure.  (You know the summer is the best time to read the naughty books!)

Here's a peek at some of the books in my summer stack (and coming soon to the stack.)

The Conjure Workbook - Star Casas

Joyland - Stephen King

The Boreal Herbal: Wild Food and Medicine Plants of the North - Beverly Gray

Make Magic of Your Life - T. Thorn Coyle

Fun, magical and super-fast reads:

The Psychic Eye Series by Victoria Laurie

The Bewitching Mysteries by Madelyn Alt

I can't even recommend a good smutty book. Are there good ones?  (Please don't say 50 Shades.) I usually just hit the bestseller rack and flip through a few and grab the one that makes me blush in the aisle of the store.  The last time I did that though, I ended up yelling: Can you even DO that?  I'm sure that's not legal ANYWHERE!  My friend moved to another aisle quickly.  I bought the book.


Whatever trouble or bliss you get into this month, I hope June blossoms into something quite lovely for you!

The Woods Are Lovely, Dark and Deep

I took another trip back to the woods this past weekend (in the Valley - it's a short trip.)   We took our semi-yearly excursion to find a tree for my parents' home.  While there are plenty of arguments for and against using real trees (why kill a perfectly good tree/the fake trees clog landfills and cannot be recycled,) we feel that our location and local facilities are conducive to harvesting a live tree.

Our area is richly forested, and re-planted with seedlings each year by the local forestry workers.  We also have a community program run by the local fire department and community agriculture department.  The fire department accepts cut trees, with a donation that goes to procuring new equipment for the department, and the trees get chipped to provide mulch for city gardens and flowerbeds.

Please know, that I do understand that some people do not agree with cutting a live tree for ANY reason, regardless of the re-use of that tree later.  This is simply my own practice.

That being said, tree hunting is not an easy task.  Live trees do not look like the ones you buy in a store.  They look a lot more like Charlie Brown's famous tree. Tree hunting makes you feel a bit like Goldilocks too. 

Too small:

Too big:

The most important thing about tree hunting is the food!

My niece shows us how it's done:

Don't forget the marshmallows!

I feel very grateful to live in an area, where the woods are a short drive, the seasons are gorgeous (if not particularly cold this time of year,) and there is always something lovely to discover.



Thanks Mom!

Thank you Mom, for knowing that even though I'm a grown woman, I still want to eat pancakes in the shapes of cows and pigs.

My pancake molds look like this, in case you are coveting a set for yourself.

There is no reason why breakfast shouldn't still be fun - even if we are grown ups (most of the time.)