Ellie Potts's Blog, page 6

Writing as Ritual: An Invitation to Inspire

Writing isn’t just a skill—it’s a spell. A way to shape meaning, honor emotion, and connect with something deeper. Whether you’re journaling, blogging, or crafting stories, your words hold power.

Begin with Intention

Before you write, pause. Ask:

What wants to be expressed today?What truth am I ready to speak?What part of me needs to be witnessed?

Light a candle, pull a tarot card, or simply breathe. Let your writing begin as a ritual.

Embrace the Messy Middle

Inspiration rarely arrives fully formed. It trickles in through:

Half-thoughts scribbled in the marginsDreams that linger past wakingConversations that stir something unnamed

Honor the fragments. They are seeds.

Write to Remember

Let your writing be a way to:

Remember who you are beneath the noiseReclaim stories that were silencedReconnect with your body, your rhythm, your truth

Even a single sentence can be a doorway.

Share with Soul

If you choose to share your writing:

Do it from a place of offering, not provingTrust that your words will find the hearts that need themLet your vulnerability be your strength

Your voice matters. Your story matters.

Tea

Describe one habit that brings you joy.

I like to start my day with a nice cup of tea. When I don’t my day is kinda off. But that first sip of that cinnamon black tea is just a mood changer.

Tea, especially true teas like black, green, oolong, and white teas, which come from the Camellia sinensis plant, offers a range of potential health benefits due to the presence of beneficial compounds, particularly polyphenols (flavonoids and catechins).

1. Rich in antioxidants

Tea, particularly green tea, is abundant in polyphenols, which act as powerful antioxidants in the body. These antioxidants help combat the damaging effects of free radicals, unstable molecules that can harm cells and contribute to chronic diseases. Studies have shown that consuming tea can increase the antioxidant capacity of the blood, potentially protecting against damage to important biomolecules like DNA and lipids.

2. May promote heart health

Regular tea consumption has been linked to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, including heart disease and stroke. The flavonoids in tea may help improve blood vessel function, reduce blood clotting, and lower levels of oxidized LDL cholesterol, which can contribute to artery hardening. Black tea, in particular, contains theaflavins which have been shown to help lower blood cholesterol.

3. Potential impact on cancer prevention

While more research is needed, some studies suggest that tea consumption may be associated with a lower risk of certain cancers, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Tea polyphenols, especially catechins in green tea, have been shown in laboratory and animal studies to potentially interfere with the growth of cancer cells and offer protective effects. Black tea may also decrease the risk of squamous cell carcinoma skin cancer.

4. May support brain function and mental health

Tea contains L-theanine, an amino acid, and caffeine, which together can promote alertness, focus, and a more stable form of energy compared to the jitters often associated with coffee. Some studies have also suggested that drinking tea may help reduce stress and potentially lower the risk of dementia.

5. Potential benefits for blood sugar control

Research indicates that black tea may help lower blood sugar levels and improve the body’s ability to manage sugar, particularly after meals. Some studies also suggest that green tea may help prevent diabetes.

6. Can aid digestion

Certain herbal teas like ginger, peppermint, and chamomile can help soothe the digestive system and alleviate common issues like nausea, indigestion, bloating, and cramping. Dandelion tea, for instance, acts as a natural diuretic and contains prebiotics that support gut health. 

7. May boost the immune system

Tea’s antioxidant properties can help strengthen the immune system by protecting against infections and supporting the function of white blood cells.

🌿 Sunday Ritual: Manifesting a Good Week with Intention and Ease

Sunday is a threshold—a quiet pause between what’s been and what’s becoming. It’s the perfect moment to gently shape the week ahead, not with pressure or perfection, but with presence.

Step 1: Create a Sacred Space

Light a candle or incense that evokes clarity or comfort.Brew a warm drink—coffee, tea, or cacao—and let it be part of the ritual.Open your journal or planner with curiosity, not control.

Step 2: Reflect + Release

Ask yourself:

What felt heavy last week, and what can I release?What moments brought joy or insight?What do I want to carry forward?

Write freely, letting your thoughts flow like water.

Step 3: Set Gentle Intentions

Instead of rigid goals, try:

“I invite ease into my mornings.”“I honor my body’s signals and rest when needed.”

You can even turn these into a sigil or mantra to revisit throughout the week.

Step 4: Visualize Your Week

Close your eyes and imagine:

A version of you moving through the week with grace.Small rituals that anchor you—stretching, moon gazing, a midday walk.The energy you want to embody: calm, curious, radiant?

Let this vision imprint itself gently.

Step 5: Seal It with a Symbol

Draw a sigil, choose a tarot card, or place a crystal on your altar. This becomes your energetic anchor—a reminder that you’re co-creating your week with intention.

🌸 Creative Weekends: A Ritual of Rest, Wonder, and Wild Expression

Weekends aren’t just for catching up—they’re for catching breath. For letting the noise soften and the inner world bloom. A creative weekend isn’t about productivity—it’s about presence. It’s a sacred invitation to explore, express, and exhale.

Whether you’re sketching in the quiet morning light, crafting sigils by candle glow, or simply listening to your body’s rhythms, creative weekends offer a kind of magic that weekday hustle can’t touch. They’re a soft rebellion. A return to self.

What Makes a Weekend Creative?

It’s not about doing more—it’s about doing meaningfully. A creative weekend might include:

Ritual Mornings: Tea, tarot, journaling, and a moment to ask, “What wants to come through today?”Sensory Play: Dried flowers, velvet textures, cannabis rituals, or dreamy playlists that awaken the museUnstructured Time: Letting intuition guide you—no pressure, no deadlines, just flowMini Altars or Sigils: Create a visual spell for the weekend’s energy and place it somewhere sacredGentle Reflection: End the weekend with a soft check-in: What did I feel? What did I make space for?

Why They Matter

Creative weekends remind us that rest is fertile. That inspiration doesn’t always arrive with fanfare—it often tiptoes in when we’re quiet enough to notice. They help us reclaim time as ritual, and creativity as care.

For sensitive souls, neurodivergent minds, and anyone navigating emotional tides, these weekends can be grounding, expansive, and deeply healing.

Be kind all the time.

Write about a random act of kindness you’ve done for someone.

I don’t think we should boast about our kindness. Just keep moving forward and sharing kindness to everyone you can. A simple smile or going out of your way to help someone in need. Even if you don’t have means to help someone with money, just being there to cheer on someone can be enough. We need more encouragement in this world. I want to see everyone succeed in life. I want everyone to be the best them. I try to share kindness daily, because it helps with my own mental health.

July Wrap-Up

Well this month has been interesting. I went in for a medical procedure, but it turned out to be something way different and kinda worse. I will tell you as a woman, having a medical situation in the intimate areas is not very cool. With that and perimenopause, I am just over this summer. I didn’t finish Black Star edits, but I will. And I am still formatting my Cannabis Grimoire, but I will have it done soon.

I stuck to a lot of the daily writing prompts this month to keep me in the writing headspace. I also did a few others that go with my Cannabis Grimoire. Some of the highlights below.

I didn’t complete as much reading as I wanted to. But what I did I have posted the reviews. Tonight I plan on finishing up Tale of the Heart Queen.

What’s coming up in August? More daily prompts and other blog posts because those are not stopping. Here is my August TBR. If you read any of these, let me know what you thought without spoilers.

Version 1.0.0 Version 1.0.0

What’s up for you in August? Any plans?

🔮 Crafting a Creativity Sigil: A Ritual for Inspired Expression

When your creative spark feels elusive, it’s not always because the ideas have vanished—it’s often because the path toward them has grown tangled or quiet. Enter: the sigil. A visual spell, a charged symbol, a whisper from the subconscious. With a few simple steps, you can craft a sigil that speaks directly to your creative spirit and anchors your intentions in the mystical realm.

What Is a Sigil?

A sigil is a symbolic representation of a desire, distilled into a mark that bypasses logic and speaks to your deeper self. It’s not about perfection—it’s about energy. For creativity, a sigil can serve as a beacon, a doorway, a rebellion against self-doubt.

Step-by-Step Sigil Creation Ritual

1. Choose Your Intention
Write a clear, present-tense statement like:
"I open to wild, intuitive creativity."
or
"My art flows freely and fearlessly."

2. Remove Repeating Letters
This helps distill the phrase into raw essence.
Example:
"My art flows freely and fearlessly" →
Remove duplicate letters →
M Y A R T F L O W S E N D

3. Merge & Stylize
Combine the remaining letters into a single abstract shape. You can:

Stack letters in layersMirror or rotate partsWeave them with other symbols (moons, leaves, spirals)

4. Charge Your Sigil
Charging activates the sigil’s power. Ritual ideas:

Smoke cleanse it with cannabis or incenseLight a candle and meditate on the symbolDance or write around it, letting your body honor its magicTuck it onto your altar, in your journal, or wear it as talisman

5. Release & Trust
Once it’s charged, let go of conscious attachment. Trust the sigil will work its subtle magic behind the veil.

Bonus Tips for Sensory-Sensitive Artists

Use gentle music or silence while craftingLight scent (like lavender or cannabis flower) can ease overwhelmSoft textures help ground your body—velvet cloths, smooth stones, a warm cup nearbyAllow non-linear process—your sigil can evolve or be redrawn with each cycle

🌿 Creating a Cannabis Altar for Creativity and Ritual

There’s something sacred about slowing down enough to listen to the whispers of your own intuition. An altar isn’t just a decorative display—it’s a portal. A mirror. A conversation. When paired with the gentle, expansive energy of cannabis, altar creation can become a lush ritual for clarity, imagination, and embodiment.

Why a Cannabis Altar?

Cannabis—when approached with intention—has a way of softening the edges of the day and illuminating the inner terrain. It can guide you inward, quiet distractions, and amplify creative flow. By dedicating a space to this plant ally, you create a tangible invitation to explore altered states of perception and possibility.

Essentials for Your Altar

Cannabis Flower or Infused Item: A strain that evokes creativity, curiosity, or relaxation—place it in a beautiful vessel, like a carved bowl or glass jar.Elemental Representations: Crystals (earth), a candle (fire), incense or herbs (air), and a small dish of moon water (water).Creative Tools: A journal, tarot deck, sketchpad, or whatever connects you to your inner muse.Symbols of Intuition: Items from nature, personal talismans, sigils, or imagery that evoke dreamy, liminal spaces.Scent & Texture: Think soft fabrics, dried petals, essential oils—sensory details matter when crafting a space for altered awareness.

A Simple Altar Ritual

Set the Mood: Play ambient music. Dim the lights. Light your candle and take a grounding breath.Cannabis as Offering: Mindfully consume (if appropriate), or simply hold the plant in your palms, thanking it for its creative gifts.Intuitive Placement: Arrange your items slowly, letting your body guide the design. No rules. Just resonance.Creative Prompt: Ask your altar a question. Pull a tarot card, write freely, or meditate with intention.Close with Gratitude: Blow out your candle. Seal the space. Trust that something within you has shifted.

Heh…

How would you describe yourself to someone?

It has taken me a while to love myself. But by doing that I can also laugh and make fun of myself. Why because I’m honest and understand that I am what I am. I am a chunky llamacorn.

I am an antisocial butterfly. Slightly in the spectrum, wanting more friends but also not. I want to make plans and also don’t. I have anxiety to a certain point as well as a pit of anger. I also think we go through phases like a caterpillar. I’m in my mid forties and in the midst of perimenipause. Which sucks btw. It’s like going through puberty again! But I feel I’m changing again. Into the next phase. Also life has changed me, the early deaths, births, and stressful moments. We start as clay and it just morphs. But you know what you have to say too. Some of us don’t realize until we are older, but you can help mold it. Be clear, embrace yourself, love yourself, and be true to yourself.

Um have we not watched the movies?

If you could bring back one dinosaur, which one would it be?

None.

“The world didn’t end in a scream. It ended in a gasp.” Shelby Mahurin’s “Blood & Honey”

You start with one then another. And now we have a problem.

Unless I can have a Mongoliensis. If you are a fan of Dungeon Crawler Carl you know.