Heddy M. Johannesen's Blog, page 10

Fearless Wordsmiths

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Merry meet all,

I attended a Beltane Rit on the weekend which was lots of fun. I can’t wait to see the Mary Shelley movie. I like Elle Fanning. I think she is a great actress. I definitely think she is a talented actress and I think Mary Shelley is a great writer. I would kill to be half of what she is. She wrote that amazing legendary novel when she was sixteen. She must have had some serious resistance against her. A woman writing such a novel at that time? Forget it. Still, she endured. Good for her.

Her novel continues to fascinate readers to this day. Her novel of a man defying God by creating a reanimated abomination is timeless, fearless and powerful. I feel the same way about my writing. But in that time, that was unusual. I wish she knew what an impression she left on the world. The poor authors of that time such as Shelley, Edgar Allan Poe, or Byron or Keats. They are still read to this day.

That is the type of author I want to be. I want to be timeless. I love the more classical authors. There are only a select few of horror authors today that I respect and admire, – and King lives at the bottom of the list. I love the novel Anna Dressed in Blood and this one I can’t recall about modern day faeries and the novel The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney.

I love those modern novels. Love them. But mostly I love the older more traditional authors like Poe and Shelley. I think that is more my style. I want to write like them. They not only knew grammar but they knew how to be damn compelling- or they wouldn’t still be popular and emulated in this time. If you want to learn how to write, read Jane Austen or Emily Bronte. They probably were naturally in the literary social circles  and they were way more educated than us now. We aren’t even taught cursive in schools now. It is a crying shame. We are not offered the same level of education. Our level of education and the way we are today is considerably lower than then. I am not saying we have to dress and act like them but think about it- there’s a reason why they are still read.

It takes courage to go into those dark places of the human heart.

So I will continue to sit in the cemeteries, quill pen and coffee in hand, and a blank page before me. I will fill those pages. I have no fear- well, except of that intimdating blank page. Onwards, dear readers.

Blessings, Spiderwitch

 

Beltane Fires

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Merry meet all,

Yesterday was National Paranormal Day. I hope you all found a way to celebrate it. I tried to, if watching Maleficent and sewing beads on a fairy costume counted. Paranormal Day is every day for me.

I visited my fave witch shop for cat and moon stickers. I also selected an apple. Yes I will accept an apple from a witch who works in a witch shop who wears black. I trust her. I’m still breathing. I love the skull ring and skull earrings I bought there. She made her store so  beautiful and witchy. I could spend hours just admiring her merchandise and the way she designed the shop. Wow. If you are interested in learning more, I have posted a link to her witch shop here- you won’t be sorry.

Magickal Merchandise Link: http://www.neighborhoodgeneralstore.com

I’m attending a Beltane Rit on Sunday afternoon. I hope all to heck that the weather is cooperative after all the effort I went to. I can’t wait till the whole outfit is completed. I will never stop wearing it most likely. I promise to post pics when I am done. I have added embroidery and beads to the upper peplum skirt and it looks so cool.

I have been asked to help with calling a Quarter at the Beltane Rit on Sunday. Of course, I would love to help. Fire is my element and is the best element of them all. Fire changes and transforms. Fire can create or destroy life, much like water and air. Earth to me is resolute and determined, slow changing and enduring. It takes more for the change. But fire is the embodiment of inspiration, the spark, the fire necessary for mutable things and change. Fire can be like a volcano or a slow burning ember. I love the element of fire and have always loved candle magick. Air, when I think of how the element of Air causes change, it could be the thunderstorm or tornado or a simple breeze. Water can be a maelstrom or a pond. But if you toss a rock into a calm lake, ripples spiral outward. So fire, air and water act as catalysts for transformation. Earth remains strong, stalwart, the grounding for such change to happen.

I love the Wiccan worldview. Now that I live this way, my life makes so much sense. It makes the most sense. I will never stop and I will never settle for mediocrity. I will always be a Witch. I can’t see myself living any other way. I wish you all a merry memorable and magickal Beltane weekend. Best of blessings to you all.

Blessings, Spiderwitch

 

Spring Beginnings

 

Merry meet all,

I’m almost finished sewing my Amy Brown inspired faery costume. I love it and it looks beautiful. It was hours of effort. 

I’m talking hours here. I was up one night this week till 1 am, then I sewed all the next day and a good chunk of the day after too. Today is my day off from my project. Rome wasn’t built in a day. I have work yet to do on the corset, fix the sleeve of the blouse, hem the skirt and embellish the fabric. It will take time. Patience is key.

It’s raining hard today. I preferred to take the time to eat, read, and not shop till I drop. Now that last one is so not me. But when it rains in Nova Scotia… it rains. It is too dark to sew so here I am!!

The movie Mary Shelley opens in theaters next month!! I can’t wait to see it. I am a huge Mary Shelley fan. I don’t want to read any reviews, or whatever. I shall make my own opinion. I am a fan and I plan to be there. I have so many points on my scene card. I can go for free. I got the card from the theater. Who can argue with a free movie? I like Elle Fanning too.

The Full Moon is coming!! Be sure to cleanse your stones. Beltane is almost here. I’m attending a public Rit and I shall post all about it here. I will wear my new costume there too. I shall post photos here of me at the Rit. Beltane is such a social Sabbat. I can’t see how we can spend it solitary.

Spring is here! That alone is cause for celebration. I can’t wait till May to clean up my garden, help the stirring buds and clear away the leaves. The tiger lilies, tulips and haskap berry buds are already pushing their green heads from the soil. So I will be busy with helping my garden grow. Oh I can’t wait.

There’s much to look forward to.  I hope you all get to enjoy it too.

Link to the video:

 

Blessings, Spiderwitch

 

Poetry amongst Death

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Merry meet all,

Recently I visited a cemetery again to write more poetry. I wore my cloak and a long dress. I bought a coffee and sat down on my favorite stone to write. I wrote with a quill pen and just jotted down my initial impressions and observations. The crows flew over the field, an oak leaf kept fluttering up to me till I kept it in my journal. A dog greeted and sniffed me and passerby passed me on their way to their own destinations.

I don’t own a fancy journal. I bought mine at the local dollar store. The quill pen is a nice touch. I felt very much like Jane Austen or Emily Bronte as I wrote with my quill pen.

The cemetery is a nice place to write. Yes I guess I am morbid but you know what? I refuse to apologize for it. Why should I? I just live my life the way I want to. I do love poetry and fiction. I love the darker stuff. I like Mary Shelley and Edgar Allan Poe. I have to edit what I write later. That I can do at home. The cemetery is the place for inspiration or just observing my surroundings. I don’t know if Austen or Poe ever wrote there but I like to.

I don’t just notice the many headstones. The mottled leaves, stones, twigs, crows, and the clouds catch my eye. I always notice nature,  I just can’t help it. It was a warm day. I saw a haze for a second over the whole cemetery then it faded. The rough grass was covered with twigs, stone worn by time and dead leaves. I do observe nature, don’t I? I guess that’s part of being a poet.

I wish that you all find your own Zelda, your own spot for inspiration. I can tell you I don’t think it happens in a box. I mean you can’t, well you could, try writing in the same spot and expect results. I also sat down at the waterfront and watched the waves splashing. It is ok to go and try new things and keep an open mind about where to write. You might be surprised at what results you get.

BB Spiderwitch

 

 

Horror as Inspiration

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Merry meet all,

As many of you know or are new to this, I love the paranormal. It is my top fave thing in the world next to fresh hot coffee, cats and guinea pigs, and sitting by a window in a restaurant. The idea of ghosts as a possible reality is fascinating to me. Death is an unexplored frontier. It is hard to say what happens to us after we die.

That may be why some of us write- to know or to explore possibilities of what happens to us after we die. We see it in fiction and movies. We will never know what truly happens till we cross the veil of death to the Other side. This excludes near death experiences and out of body experiences.

There are many tales and mythologies as a way of explaining death. The famous tale of Persephone who rules over the dead in Hades’s Underworld, Hecate- Queen of All Witches, the falling of the grains in the field, the Crone’s dark blue cloak of winter that isn’t shed till spring’s arrival.

Don’t forget that there is life as well. There can never be one without the other. It is a fact of life. Now if you want to write about it in a story, here are some hopefully inspirational ideas to guide you.

What is your main idea? Don’t be afraid to let it take you a long time to discover what it is you want to write about. It took me two years. Sketch out your main characters. Figure out your main plot, setting and theme. Be flexible.

One enormous hurdle I overcame while writing  my story and entering into the revision phase, was knowing how to edit a novel. It was an obstacle the size of Mt. Everest. I searched all over the internet for information. I read books on it. I photocopied articles from Writers Digest magazines and read the articles on the bus home. I applied then what I learned about editing to my ms. I found what worked and what didn’t. I still search for information on editing. It wasn’t handed to me, I had to learn the hard way. And I did.

One great thing I can recommend for anyone editing their own novel right now is this: Never mind that i won a contest for a free content edit. I think the other awesome prize was when I stumbled across a book. That book is the Manuscript Makeover: Revision Techniques No Fiction Writer Can Afford to Ignore by Elizabeth Lyon. Never attempt an edit without a copy of this book. I hated it at first and dreaded it even. Now I would never live without it. I will never edit without it.

Manuscript Makeover assumes you already have a draft of a ms. It is easier to go ahead and use the book on your ms. You won’t be sorry. It is superior to every other revision book out there on the market. It is the ultimate source of professional reliable information on novel editing. It won’t let you down. I wouldn’t use any other source now but that book. So don’t be intimidated by the thick volume or the way the material is presented. That is how much of a gem this book is. I have one problem with the ordering of the chapters but that is all. I love the book. Do the revisions after you have a draft of a ms.

So depending on whether you want to pen a thriller or a novel about zombie Nazi policemen and this is no limit on gender here, I want to talk about making your monster.

You could be inspired by anything. This is assuming that you are creating some type of monster for your tale. You have the power to create something. You have the power within you. It is where it all begins, in your imagination. I happened to come up with the idea of a seaweed ridden melancholic ghost for my novel. Your creation could be something different.

It will be unique to you. Don’t copy from movies or stories. Be original. Feel brave enough to come up with something that is uniquely you. It can slither across rooms, be tentacled and have twenty eyes or it can be a stealthy stone cold serial killer. You also need a protagonist, the hero of your story or maybe the monster is the dark unlikely and misunderstood antihero. When you try writing one of these stories, you will understand after a while that you have much freedom to create anything you want. Have fun with the process.

Whatever you do, whatever you create, stay true to your monster. Get to know him- and your hero and other characters. He is your creation and unique to you. Get to know the strengths and weaknesses. They add credibility. Keep track of the unique abilities of the monster/ vampire/ vampire slayer/ weredog. Read books like On Writing Horror by the Horror Writers Association and Writing the Paranormal Novel by Steven Harper. They are valuable sources of help with this kind of genre.

 

Good luck

BB, Spiderwitch

Spring Roots

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Merry meet all,

I hear the wind howl outside. I attended an Ostara Rit last night. The sky is overcast and low, like  a funeral shroud. The branches appear bare but tiny buds show promise. Snow stubbornly rests on the earth. Time will tell if March goes out like a lamb.

I shared the photos I took of the Camp Hill Cemetery with the Horror Writers Association for their monthly newsletter. I will include some of them here. The crows guarded something, I thought it was a baby crow out of the nest but saw no young avian. The headstones were old and some new, some barely poking out of the ground. I love visiting cemeteries. It is even better if they are truly old and full of character.

I’m still waiting for the book release date of Untimely Frost, a horror poetry anthology I am included in. I hope its soon. I can’t wait. I had to check the final copy of my poem in the book, yup, it looked great. I can’t wait for the release date. I can’t wait because this is my first poem that is traditionally published. I hope to have that experience again.

I made some incense cones yesterday. I used cinnamon, rose, lavender and patchouli. It is easy to make incense cones. I used water, gum arabic, and the herbs or spice. I mixed the ingredients with my mortar and pestle. You must blend everything together carefully. You want the mix to be like putty or dirt. You must knead a little and work it into a cone shape. Then you let them air dry. Give them as long as they need to dry, even a month. Lay them on their side too The cones can’t be too thick at the bottom in order to burn properly. I invite you all to try to make your own!! You might invent your own custom blend. People might ask you for your recipes!!

Incense is amazing. It can revitalize you or unstress you. I love it for the guaranteed beautiful aromas it offers. It is great for meditation or for while you shower. I also have a small chunk of beeswax and I haven’t decided what to do with that yet. Herbs are awesome for their stunning scents and are multipurpose. I can’t wait to get to work in my garden and I have been asked to create a garden at my fave witch shop. I can’t wait to get to do that too.

C’mon spring!!!!!!

Blessings, Spiderwitch

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Spring Equinox

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Merry meet all,

Blessed Ostara!! Today marks the spring equinox. The weather today was beautiful, cool and sunny. I couldn’t have asked for more. I visited the local witch shop. I am always there. I took my broom with me to show it off. I baked cookies and watched the faery fabulous movie Maleficent. My windows are open to let in the spring energy. I am eager to plant more seeds.

Wse depart from the dark half of the year to the lighter half. Now the Goddess stirs and awakens. The Crone gives way to the Maiden and the God rises too, to plant seeds of new growth. I am excited to get to work on my garden once again. I have seedlings begun already.

I took photos of the graveyard recently. I shall soon share the pictures with the Horror Writers Association for their slideshow. I attended a wonderful memorial service for an acquaintance. I enjoyed the whole evening of the service, feast and the after party. The crows were agitated in my neighborhood prior to the service. I can’t help but wonder if it was another message. I can’t wait for the weather to warm up for me to visit the cemetery more often. I guess  bringing coffee in a thermos will suffice. I shall try again tomorrow to write more horror poetry.

I wish you all a wonderful Ostara. Blessings to all

Spiderwitch

Unleashed

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Merry meet all,

 I recently took my cat to the vet. That was one of those things I thought I didn’t need to do. It’s not that my cat doesn’t need care, I am just money tight. But now she is fine and feline fancy!!

Our local witch shop, Neighborhood Witch. just reopened in the new space. Wow It is so magickal, beautiful and stunning. I love the new space. I am so happy for Pamela who is truly realizing her dream. If  you are in Halifax, then you should definitely head on over. She has an online website too!! The shop can be found on Facebook.

I bought a fancy black fan there, awesome bath bombs, and beautiful candles. It is worth the shopping trip. There is something for everyone. You can sit by the fire, read, or check out herbs, oils and candles. I love the store and the staff are extremely friendly.

I ordered a sewing pattern in the mail. The pattern is from Simplicity and it is inspired by Amy Brown. I will have a great time sewing this pattern. I already have a beautiful fairy costume and I want to stay with a purple theme. That way I can mix and match the pattern pieces. I will get more bang for my buck by staying with purple. The shawl is purple, the besom is purple and the costumes are going to be purple. I glanced at the fabrics at my fave haunt, Fabricville. There was not a lot of choice for purple fabric. I shall try again though. This will be ready for spring. I am excited to get started. I also have plenty of cute purple fabrics for scraps. They can still be useful.

I read a great book I highly recommend. The book is titled Witch- Unleashed, untamed, unapologetic by Lisa Lister. Women really need to read this empowering candid book. I plan to reread it till the pages fall out. The book will empower you and make you feel great. It is about reminding you that it is ok sometimes to put yourself first and to practice healthy self-care. Don’t let the dark book cover scare you off. Read it. Find your inner witch and let her out!!! No apologies to anyone.

The dark half of the year gives way to the lighter half. I am excited to soon get to work in my garden! I already spotted baby sprouts coming up. The Goddess is stirring and the sun changed direction. March is the month of spring equinox. Daylight Savings Time occurs this month too. I hope you all have plans for Ostara. I want to dye eggs and search for sprouts.

Blessings, Spiderwitch

Crow Foot and Blood Moons

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Merry meet all,

The mischievous spirits in my apartment are at it again. I do own a cat. I was in my broom closet today and for some inexplicable reason, I sense something the second I enter it. My broom closet creeps me out. I get an eerie feeling in there but my cat seems at ease. I hate that. What a better way to wonder if you are crazy than to be bettered by a chilled out cat. Then she enters the bathroom and avoids my eye. I smudged the closet with sage which set off my alarm. Oh great.

My house makes noises. It is an old building. I understand that but what I don’t understand is when those sounds don’t sound normal. Nothing explains things moving on their own or sounds of things falling and nothing having moved. I have heard the sound of a mop/ broom falling yet when I check, nothing has moved.  I found my cauldron on the floor. It had fallen from the top of the fridge to the floor on its own. I welcome all and any explanations on that one. I had no cat at that time. The cauldron is made of heavy cast iron.

I bought myself a real crow foot necklace. I love crows and even fear them a little. I shall always remember the time a crow warned me of a death. To a normal person, it might seem creepy. To me, I bought it because it IS creepy. I like creepy. I like crows and they still follow me everywhere. I plan to leave them offerings soon once the snow melts.

I have no qualms about using animal bones, animal or human skulls, or feathers in my Craft practice. I do believe that these items should be clean and free of potential parasites or disease. Once the tools are clean, they are safe to use. But I am certain it is the way our ancestors practiced and I have included a link below that tells more about it.

There are many ways that animal parts can be used in magic.  My animal skull rests by the photo of my grandfather. I am fond of it because animals trusted my grandfather, even wild animals, so it seems appropriate to place it there. I have a bone and piece of wood that looks like bone by the Odin statue.

The Full Moon this month is powerful. It is a Super Rare Blood Blue Moon. It will bring clarity and would be a powerful time to clear away what is negative to welcome in the positive. Be sure to perform an esbat.

Imbolc is the next turn in the Wheel of the Year. I plan to perform a ritual with Sacred Mists online. I also plan to celebrate Imbolc on my own. Imbolc is the first Sabbat of spring. I don’t enjoy winter but now I can anticipate the return of spring. This is the time to stock up on seeds and plan. I will post more about spring here soon.

Blessings, Spiderwitch )O(

 

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/beneaththemoon/2018/01/animal-parts-magic/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=FBCP-PAG&utm_content=beneaththemoon

 

 

Untimely Frost Poetry Anthology

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Merry meet all,

I am so excited about the upcoming horror poetry anthology Untimely Frost featuring my poem Encounter with Death. I never imagined I would have a horror poem published professionally. I have to write more!! But more on that in a moment. Lycan Valley Press is publishing the poetry book this winter. The table of contents and the cover design is awesome. I can’t wait to read the excellent poems by the talented authors. I think it’s great these books are possible. How else would you know what talented authors are out there. The cover for the book is shown above. I think it’s beautiful. So please tell all, your near and dear, and your mailman about this book. It should be available on social media outlets and Amazon and other sites soon. I posted this on my Published Works page.

I tried to write more poems. I do hope to complete a book of new horror poems in the future. I visited a cemetery where I sat down on some stone steps and tried to write. I did write a poem but I know it was a halfhearted effort. What better area to write in such a genre than a cemetery? I couldn’t sit in there at night. The snow frosted the stone steps, the rusty grass, the brush. The crows perched on the headstones and flew overhead. I felt at home there. I have to try again. I doubt inspiration would come to me if I sat at home. The environment doesn’t welcome gothy macabre inspiration for scribbles. I may take a coffee for warmth and a warm long coat/ cloak. I mean c’mon, may as well smear on black nail polish lacquer too. Writing doesn’t appear by itself. I was inspired too by the efforts of this poet whose name I have to look up here. But his poems really grabbed me by the throat. The poetry book was also illustrated. The poems are amazing, rhyme and written in some style of meter and rhythm. He was emulating another poet in his book. I have to get that author’s name. I thought he was a modern day Edgar Allan Poe even though Poe was unromantic. He was just straight up morbid. I do love Poe though and now I have a new author to love.

Here is the poem (mine) that will appear in published in Untimely Frost. I feel like a real writer now. I am honored and grateful to be included in the book. I can’t wait to hold it in my hands. I mean, see? This is what happens when an intelligent editor gives a writer a chance to prove themselves.

This poem went through many drafts before it hit publication. So for all you keeners out there, sharpen your pencils and grab a mocha-and a blank journal. A feathered quill is a must. Hit the local cafe or your own friendly local neighborhood spooky cemetery to write macabre musings. Good luck.

 

Encounter with Death

 On a dark

October eve

a sea of

somber tombstones bewitch me,

shrouded in

a morbid fog,

 

rooted in

stony silence.

I stumble

past crumbling crosses

and black rose

crowned graves.

 

Crimson leaves

bleed from gnarled trees.

Death pounces

on my psyche.

 

The Grim Reaper

condemns my shivering soul.

 

I flee through

the wrought iron gates.

***

I hope my dear readers make time to enjoy poetry. I shall have to write more poems now. I hope I get more published.

Blessings, Spiderwitch )O(