Earlier this week I talked about the personal meaning of this full moon, how it has bolstered the resilience of those most fragile, how it has revealed that fragility is not weakness.
So what is your resolve for this moon? How will you harness the power for something important to happen for you? As the wonderful Sarah Gottesdiener writes: "The time is now. Someday is today. Get going already. The impossible awaits." - https://visualmagic.info/portfolio/full-blue-moon/ Here is my challenge for you this blue moon: The next full moon is a blue moon, meaning that it is the second time that the moon is full in the same month. Here in western North Carolina, gentle blossoms are unfolding against bitter winds and spring seems still to be unwilling to burst through, but it will. These blossoms are so fragile and their petals have mingled with the snow and the rain. Their resilience in their youthfulness mirrors the movement for gun reform that is sweeping the US. On a national scale we are seeing young people stand up against the callow system of white capitalism that is literally killing them.
The spring equinox is about balance and activation and I felt that keenly as I watched people flood the streets of cities across the US, demanding the right to be safe, the right to live, to come before profit. It is the most important declaration - “I deserve to live and to exist.” Flowers of change are tougher than they might appear. One of the first trees to flower in this area of the world is the magnolia. It’s stark buds and blooms can be seen long before its leaves even bud. Magnolia mythology marks this as a tree of steadfastness and yes, resilience since its flowers can be seen long before the warm weather returns. Magnolias are also thought to be ancient, perhaps one of the oldest trees on the planet. They are in it for the long haul. The full moon at this time has many names all over the world. I call it the Magnolia Moon, the Resilient Moon bringing change, a promise of warmth and growth. Look around you wherever you are, what is showing in nature? What is saying it has the right to exist? You have a right to exist, you have a right to seek change and security. Name your moon, claim it. Full moons are full of power and witches for centuries have worked with them. As the year turns the moon energies do too, here are some prompts to help you work with powers of the full moon through the year.
I am humbled and thrilled at the reception for my workshops. It shows that art magick is something people really want to explore and that makes me so happy. The development of Open Coven is moving fast but I also know that it is important to pace myself. Eventually I would love to visit other cities and offer my workshops, but there are still many pieces that have to fall into place in order for me to do that. In the meantime, I am designing several online courses to be made available in the spring/summer of 2018. The first being Introduction to Magickal Art Journaling.
Introduction to Magickal Art Journaling is the perfect way to get started with a creative and magickal practice. In this course we will talk about what magick is and how art journaling can help with magickal process. The course comprises videos, texts, audio recordings and rituals to set you on the path to finding the magick that exists in all of us. As part of this course, you will also have access to the closed Facebook group "Magickal Art Journaling" in perpetuity where you can meet others who are creating magick through art techniques including me! Expected launch for this is April or May of 2018. In Summer of 2018 I will be launching Elemental Art Magick - a unique way to connect with the elements in a way that is deeply meaningful and personal to you. To get news about online course release dates first, subscribe to the Open Coven newsletter. Magickal art journaling is a wonderful and lesser known asset to magickal work. My workshop series at Raven and Crone here in Asheville continues this month as we focus on activating plans and intentions we have been nurturing through the winter. This is a joyous time! If you are in the area come by.
Whether you call it Ostara or Spring Equinox, the power of this day is unavoidable. The fight for the sun has been loooong this year and we are in a month with two full moons as well. It's ok if you feel exhausted! I know I fluctuate between excitement and tiredness. Wow. If you can try and harness some of the power of the season to activate your plans. That's what this challenge us all about. Intrigued? Subscribe to Open Coven and you will get this art challenge, as well as news of workshops, courses and rituals. Soothing waters wash clean the wounds. Waves lap away the dirt, the salt in the water stings, but the stinging heals. Look at those wounds, fresh and old. Make friends with them. This new moon is in Pisces and asks us to acknowledge what has hurt us, not to dredge up the past, but for purposes of healing and strength. For more on the new moon in Pisces read this excellent post by astrologer Chani Nicholas.
Gather Your Tools: Your journal, a writing implement, some water soluble color (paint, washable markers, ink, water soluble crayons), salt or moon water, incense (or a spritzer mix if smoke bothers you). For this magickal venture: - Cleanse your space with salt water or moon water - Dab some on your forehead and chest - Light some incense - Breathe deeply and sit with the thing that hurts - Pay attention to it without judgement - Perhaps call on a favored deity to sit with you - Take - your - time - When ready, open your journal to a blank double page spread. - Write the word "heal" in the middle of the page - Sprinkle the page with water, add some color (water color, washable markers, something that is water soluble) - Use your fingers and move the colors around in the water, your fingers are massaging and healing your pain. Making it something you can bear and use, not fight. You are dancing with it. - When you feel the need to stop, do so. - Leave your journal somewhere to dry Like many things in life including being a practicing pagan, you can spend as much or as little as you like on materials and tools.
For many years I used mostly just a black pen. Limiting what materials you use often helps with creative block too, as you might be able to force yourself to use those materials in new and interesting ways. Necessary materials are very basic! A pen or pencil: I love thin Sharpie pens, but be warned: if the paper is thin, they tend to bleed. I also like these gel pens too. A book - lined or plain notebooks are the typical choice, but I have also journaled in altered published books, where the text became part of the artistic process. These sketchbooks from Daler and Rowney are absolutely my favorite. The paper is thick and can be used for painting, collage, sewing and sketching. The ivory color of the pages is very attractive. Reasonable Ephemera - pictures/text cut from magazines and newspapers, old photographs, NEW photographs, postcards, wrapping paper, ticket stubs, receipts - you get the idea. Markers - Quality varies, but that doesn’t even matter for journaling in my opinion. I have had pleasing results with washable markers for children. Illustration markers have a nice fluid texture, but again can bleed. These ones are cheap but I use them quite a bit. Wax crayons - I use my daughter's crayolas quite a bit, they are bright and colorful. Wax crayons are versatile and there a many interesting effects you can achieve with them. Paints - I like guache for the vibrancy and the fact that they can be mixed easily with water. These ones are reasonably priced and a good small set to get started. I also use children’s poster paints - they are vibrant, are easy to work with and are quite cheap. Additional Gel pens - I have a set that was inexpensive with many different colors. If I can't get to my art space then these are what I fall back on. I have to hide them from my daughter though! Glitter glue - So fun to use and really looks magickal. Takes a while to dry so you would have to keep your journal open somewhere to stop the pages sticking together. Washi Tape - Love this stuff to make borders and labels. This set was cheap and a lovely mix of designs. Patterned paper - For collage, and more. I have a weakness for Japanese designs but these are great as well. You may have noticed that this website has had something of a face lift. In the last sixteen months Open Coven has gone through quite an evolution, as have I. Starting as a personal project to save my sanity in these trying times, to say it has blossomed into something more is an understatement! From curating posts about witchcraft, art and activism, to a blog about witches and wise women in WNC. The journey took me so far into myself, I am not sure I was fully aware of the changes taking place in me and around me.
I am now. It finally feels as though all the threads of experience are weaving together to create something magickal and magical! Stay tuned. |
I'm Liz Watkin I explore witchcraft through embroidery and embroidery through witchcraft!
Join me for the four week course "Magical Fiber Arts" starting February 10th. Register here. |