Now that your tools are charmed and ready, you can tackle your mending with the knowledge that your work will be imbued with love and magic. If you wish to add magical energy to your mending, you can do that to the entire pile of mending or to each project as you begin.
Here is my mending in a pile,
Magic makes it worth my while.
To sew, patch, and repair,
To will, to know, and finish as I dare!
For the finish with the harm of none,
And the good of all, so mote it be.
You have focused your will and magic to accomplish your mending. If you wish to further empower it, you can include a time or deadline in the rhyme.
With good intentions, funny little charms, and empowered tools, you can move your earthly mundane chores into the realm of the sacred. The ordinary becomes extraordinary in the hands of the skilled and capable witch.
Gail Wood’s bio appears on page 112.
Illustrator: Kathleen Edwards
Shopping for the Magickal Amid the Mundane
Blake Octavian Blair
If you’re lucky enough to live within a reasonable distance of a metaphysical, New Age, or occult shop, you may not give a second thought as to where you can obtain your witchy supplies. However, I often find myself in conversation with those not lucky enough to be near such a store, and they express frustration and exasperation about where they are ever going to find that much-sought-after ritual supply or spell ingredient. In this day and age, of course, there are a myriad of websites and online shops; however, it is also a good idea to try balancing Internet resources with supporting your community’s economy by shopping locally. In reality, the answer to your magickal needs may be closer than you think.
Many commonly desired magickal supplies can be found on shelves among seemingly mundane merchandise.
Many commonly desired magickal supplies can be found on shelves among seemingly mundane merchandise. A good place to start is your local grocery store. Yes, the one you visit regularly for your milk and bread. Grocery stores often carry treasures that are overlooked by even the most frequent customer. Most grocery stores have at least a moderately decent selection of herbs and spices in the cooking aisle. The rosemary you need for that protection spell or the eucalyptus you need for healing work could well be waiting for you in aisle 5 next to the flour and sugar. While you’re there, let’s not forget to pick up a witch’s staple: sea salt.
You might be lucky to live in an area with a particularly high multicultural population. The area I live in has a fairly large Hispanic population and the local grocery store carries a plethora of bulk spices imported from Mexico, as well as a large variety of inexpensive seven-day novena candles, both plain and with various deity and religious images. This find is considered a great score for candle magick workers as well as for those who might practice or incorporate Vodou, Hoodoo, or Santería into their path. Novena candles are perfect for long-term and ongoing spellwork. You may be thinking to yourself, “What about those everyday ‘on the fly’ spells?” A quick and easy solution is to head to the baking aisle and pick up a pack of birthday candles. They have a short burn time and come in a variety of colors, fitting the bill nicely.
This brings us to another prime place to check for magickal supplies: ethnic grocers. Asian grocery stores often carry a selection of Feng Shui supplies as well as statuary and trinkets such as money frogs, Maneki Nekos (lucky cats), and Hotei Buddha figurines. Who couldn’t use a little extra prosperous energy and a little bit of Feng Shui to bring things into harmony? Of course, while you’re there, don’t forget to look for those amazing tea sets they often carry as well as the great selection of affordable herbal teas. I’m lucky enough to also live only about half an hour from a “Little India.” There is a wonderful Indian grocery there that carries not only delectable edibles but also an array of Hindu puja (ritual) supplies. Kum kum powder, offering trays and bowls, incense burners, deity murtis (statues), discounted bulk incense, and more can be found here—a delight for those incorporating Asian traditions. It’s only a matter of looking in the right places and keeping your options open.
There is yet another place you should keep your magickal eyes open while you are grocery shopping: your local farmers’ market. These markets often have a wide selection of seasonal fruits and vegetables to be included in tasty kitchen witch creations, as well as potted herbs that you can plant in your garden. Farmers’ markets and peoples’ markets are also stocked with local arts and crafts; you might just find the perfect chalice from a local potter, or come across locally spun yarn for crocheting a magickal creation. This would also support independent entrepreneurs and your local economy.
Don’t forget to add a trip to the dollar store to your magickal shopping rounds. This can be an excellent place not only for candles, holders, small knick-knacks of animal totems, and other things magickally symbolic, but also for sabbat decorations. I have more than once found wonderful altar decorations and components at the dollar store. They always have a plethora of new seasonal merchandise as the wheel of the year turns. Dollar stores also have proven to be a good source for various candles. Especially good finds include black candles near Samhain and gold and silver candles, which are generally carried closer
